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STMicroelectronics is developing innovative software solutions using technology from Qualcomm Technologies through the Qualcomm Platform Solutions Ecosystem program.

In this program, ST is contributing pre-validated software to OEMs for its MEMS and other sensing devices to deliver advanced features to the next generation of smartphones, connected PCs, IoT, and wearables. Most recently, Qualcomm Technologies has pre-selected ST’s latest high-accuracy, low-power, motion-tracking IC with intelligent sensor software, along with ST’s most accurate pressure sensor, for use in its latest advanced 5G mobile reference platforms.

The motion-tracking sensor, the new iNEMO LSM6DST is a 6-axis Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) that integrates a 3-axis digital accelerometer and a 3-axis gyroscope into a compact and efficient System-in-Package. With the industry’s lowest power consumption – 0.55mA in high-performance mode and as little as 4mA in Accelerometer-only mode — the LSM6DST enables always-on high-accuracy motion tracking with minimal impact on power consumption. In concert with ST’s low-noise (0.65Pa), high-accuracy (±0.5hPa), and industry-first I3C-enabled LPS22HH pressure sensor, the pair provides highly accurate location tracking while meeting the most restrictive power budgets.

For imaging applications, the LSM6DST fully supports EIS and OIS (Electronic and Optical Image Stabilization) applications as the module includes a dedicated configurable signal processing path for OIS and auxiliary SPI, configurable for both the gyroscope and accelerometer and, in turn, the Auxiliary SPI and primary interface (SPI / I²C & MIPI I3CSM) can configure the OIS.

Benefiting from ST’s robust and mature low-power ThELMA process technology, the LSM6DST supports and simplifies integration in low-power circuit designs and offers I²C, MIPI I3C or SPI from the sensing element to the application. It also contains a 9-kbyte FIFO to allow dynamic data batching and 16 finite state machines that recognise programmed data sequences from the sensor and further reduce system-level power consumption.

“ST has long recognised the importance of sensors in Qualcomm Technologies’ solutions and has been a strong collaborator for many years. They have demonstrated leadership in sensors with new interfaces such as MIPI I3C along with the ability to squeeze the power budget on its devices while maintaining or increasing sensor accuracy,” said Manvinder Singh, Vice President, Product Management, Qualcomm Technologies. “We are pleased to have ST join our Qualcomm Platform Solutions Ecosystem program to integrate and optimise their advanced sensor algorithms on the always-on, low-power island of our Qualcomm Snapdragon Mobile Platforms. Collaboration with strategic vendors such as ST is critical to enabling the fast adoption of 5G technologies in different verticals.”

“Having worked closely with Qualcomm Technologies for many years, we’ve been able to assure sensor performance that meets the demanding requirements of next-generation mobile and wearable devices and software solutions that can be used with the Qualcomm Sensor Execution Environment. These include advanced features — such as hinge- or fold-angle detection for smartphones and Mobile PCs — and enable the seamless integration and faster time-to-market of these features that customers across the globe require,” said Andrea Onetti, Group VP and General Manager, MEMS Sensor Division, STMicroelectronics. “Combining the industry’s lowest-power high-accuracy IMU with our high-precision, robust, and extremely stable-over-time-and-temperature pressure sensor, can enable the best possible location accuracy to meet e911 and eCall requirements.”

Mouser Electronics has announced a new eBook in collaboration with Bourns, exploring best practices for working with power conversion components. In Achieving Enhanced Performance and Reliability, Bourns and Mouser offer a series of technical articles designed to help readers choose the right components for specific power applications, including multiple related to high-voltage energy storage.

The growing importance and prevalence of technologies such as electric vehicles, renewable energy sources, and advanced communications networks require reliable components to support developments in energy storage and power conversion. Achieving Enhanced Performance and Reliability, the new eBook from Mouser and Bourns, presents deep dives into topics including rechargeable batteries, battery management systems (BMS) in high-voltage energy storage, and reducing winding loss in a ferrite inductor.

The new eBook includes convenient links and ordering information for Bourns power conversion products designed to meet the needs of these emerging technologies. The SRP-C high-current, shielded power inductors meet the high density current requirements of modern consumer electronics applications, offering low buzz noise for DC/DC converters and power supplies. Bourns’ SRP0xxx shielded power inductors feature a metal alloy powder core and flat wire, delivering exceptional temperature stability, low core loss, and low DC resistance. The HCT AEC-Q2000-compliant power transformers offer elevated isolation from high-voltage hazards, making them an ideal choice for automotive battery management systems, automotive gate drivers, and digital input modules.

To learn more about Bourns, visit https://eu.mouser.com/manufacturer/bourns/. To read the new eBook, go to https://eu.mouser.com/news/bourns-power-ebook/mobile/index.html.

PCI Instruments, based in Southport, is a British success story. Initially set up to look for hygienic and chemical resistant instruments, the family-run business now manufactures high quality process instrumentation and diaphragm seals and supplies products to the pharmaceutical, food processing, dairy, chemical, petrochemical and nuclear industries. PCI Instruments strives to show that their instruments are the best possible quality. The company’s ethos that “quality matters most” is carried right the way through its product range from the materials sourced to production; even the company’s packaging is designed with quality in mind.

All of PCI’s business comes from word of mouth recommendations from happy customers that have dealt with them for many years. This positivity surrounding PCI’s products and a growing customer base means that the company now has plans to expand. Adam Slater, sales administrator at the company, explains: “We have continued to install new machinery in our unit this past year, in order to expand production further. This was on the back of a move of premises from the year before that which doubled our square footage and our production capacity. We have also this year opened a branch in Aberdeen to cater specifically for the offshore Oil & Gas industry in the North Sea.”

The company’s wide range of products include pressure gauges, temperature gauges, diaphragm seals, pressure transmitters, thermowells, resistance thermometers, thermocouples and many other related products. PCI’s seals are designed with a low fill fluid capacity to minimise errors in measurement and they have a supported diaphragm to reduce the chances of failure and contamination of the process. The seal systems are filled under turbo vacuum to extract the maximum amount of air from both the system and fill fluid, which itself maximises the accuracy of the instrument reading.

PCI has the ability to weld a single exotic metal diaphragm foil across all wetted parts, not just the sensing part of the diaphragm. This can be done with a host of different metals from Tantalum to Zirconium and ensures the weld maintains its integrity under a variety of extreme conditions. Each diaphragm seal system is designed with the company’s quality ethos in mind and are bespoke to particular industry and process requirements

So, with an eye on the coronavirus pandemic, what does the future hold for PCI Instruments? Slater answers: “We want to work closely with valued customers and suppliers to help where we can to assist with the recovery of industries from the financial effects of Covid 19. We will also continue our growth across all sectors around the world and with a particular emphasis on Oil & Gas.”

To find out more about PCI Instruments, please visit www.pci-instruments.com/.

Manufacturers of military electronics have many options available to them for making equipment of the highest quality. In a new white paper, ODU evaluates some of the limiting factors related to the design and manufacture of equipment used by soldiers and in ground robotic systems, drawing special attention to connector selection.

Connectors are often critical to the performance of a finished system so five popular styles of threaded and twist-locking connectors are evaluated.

Also available is a white paper on High Speed Miniature Connectors for military use.

ODU has taken a different approach, replacing standard connectors by a ruggedised connector family of their own design, which results in a diameter as little as 11.9 mm for protocols up to 10Gbps.

This paper examines the challenges faced in designing ruggedized connectors for high speed data transfer – not only with regard to size, but also factors such as ease-of-use, performance, durability and transmission reliability.

AVEVA will be extending its long-standing strategic collaboration with Microsoft to focus on accelerating digital transformation in the industrial sector. AVEVA will help maximise the value that customers can derive from the integration of AVEVA’s portfolio with Microsoft cloud services and especially Microsoft Azure (infrastructure, data and AI services), helping them achieve implementations quicker, connect teams more readily and drive growth opportunities throughout their integrated portfolio.

AVEVA’s key focus areas will revolve around cloud as well as transforming the workforce (connected worker), and building a common Asset Strategy (Asset Performance). Working with Microsoft, AVEVA will continue to focus on three key areas, already proven with customers including Total, Veolia and SCG Chemicals – platform integration, a multi-solution engagement approach, and a shared go-to-market strategy. The platform integration approach can help generate new ways to increase business value for customers.

Empowering Industrial Digital Transformation to Unlock a Sustainable Future 

Over the past few years, digital transformation has been changing the way the manufacturing and energy industries approach business sustainability while seeking robust technologies to run their operations efficiently. As the sector transitions to working differently in a digital-first new normal, AVEVA is collaborating with Microsoft to support its customer vision of creating profitable business outcomes that will enable them to thrive in today’s challenging macro environment. AVEVA may also explore opportunities to collaborate on environmental sustainability in the future.

AVEVA’s portfolio breadth, combined with Microsoft’s technology solutions, enables customers to deploy faster, reduce energy consumption, cut emissions, and share collaborative innovation, boosting efficiency for all. Unlocking new technology innovations and digital solutions like Azure AI services, such as Azure Cognitive Search, supports efficient energy management, successful workforce transformations, and helps realise process improvements.

Earlier this year, AVEVA became one of ten leading companies to collaborate with Microsoft to launch Microsoft Energy Core as part of a commitment towards capacity-building, empowering innovation, and driving prosperity and growth with a common goal to reshape the future of the energy industry and drive a positive impact in global communities.

Fuelling Breakthrough Capabilities to Ensure Customer Resilience

In complex industries, integrating technology solutions has broad implications. With so much of the world’s economy becoming increasingly reliant on digital infrastructure, meeting the highest standards for these critical assets is vital to providing secure, safe and reliable critical services.

According to an AVEVA survey, 86% of organisations agree that digital transformation is a key component of their company’s strategic plan today. While almost all industrial companies know that cloud adoption is a key element of their digital transformation, a large portion did not have concrete plans to execute their cloud strategy before the pandemic. AVEVA is working with Microsoft to help customers explore new ways to leverage the value of cloud technologies as well as Azure AI, Azure Machine Learning and Big Data Analytics.

Steen Lomholt-Thomsen, Chief Revenue Officer at AVEVA, said, “With so much of the world’s economy becoming reliant on digitisation, meeting the highest standards for these critical deployments is no longer just a nice to have, it is an absolute necessity. The upshot of this pandemic is that it has forced entire sectors within industry to embrace innovative digital platforms available to facilitate a way of working that keeps both people connected and agile, and more importantly, safe. We are proud to be extending our relationship with Microsoft as we strive to make our joint contribution towards helping customers navigate the challenges and complexities that today’s volatile environment brings.”

Deb Cupp, CVP WW Enterprise & Commercial Industries at Microsoft, commented, “With today’s economic resilience now tied so closely to digital infrastructures, it is important the industrial organisations adopt a scalable, stable, and harmonised framework to support their corporate strategies. Cloud technologies like Microsoft Azure will enable businesses to configure, provision and design the solution they need, when and where they need it. Our collaboration with AVEVA will empower industrial and manufacturing organisations to develop innovative solutions for our customers.”

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers has contributed materials from its STEM at Home education programme to the BBC Bitesize Autumn collection, helping to support children’s learning and encourage them to take an interest in science and technology from an early age.

The collection will feature six of the Institution’s hands-on STEM at Home activities which were launched over Spring/ Summer as part of the education catalogue to help parents and teachers during the pandemic.

The STEM at Home activities will support the BBC Bitesize Autumn programme. BBC Bitesize offers learning resources for children including those who are self-isolating and studying at home, combining online learning with classroom time, or catching up on what they may have missed last term.

“There continues to be a real challenge in encouraging enough of our youngsters to see the great potential that lies ahead for them with a career in engineering. The difficulty today under COVID-19 restrictions on face to face teaching and practical experimentation makes this ever harder as students lose the ‘hands-on’ experience. These educational materials are just one way we can address that challenge and bring the excitement back into learning about improving the world through engineering,” said IMechE Chief Executive Officer Dr Colin Brown.

The STEM collection, which includes activity instructions, kit lists and instructional videos, shows children an exciting range of activities including building a mechanical hand, hydraulic propagator, catapult, and lunar rover.

“The IMechE collection of STEM activities illustrates the fun and varied nature of STEM and aims to encourage children to consider STEM subjects early on. By contributing materials to BBC Bitesize, the IMechE hopes to be able to impact the lives of as many children as possible, whilst helping both teachers and parents in these unprecedented times,” said Jelena Gacesa, Operations Manager – Education Programme at IMechE.

Growing demand for high resolution, real-time water quality monitoring data has prompted Meteor Communications to invest in a dedicated Water Quality Services Hub near Basingstoke. The new resource has been developed to support the 500+ ESNET monitoring systems that are currently in operation on rivers and at treatment works across the UK.

“The creation of a dedicated service and calibration resource will enable us to expand the ‘Water Quality as a Service’ capability that has been a major driver for growth in our business,” comments Meteor MD, Matt Dibbs.

In recent years, Meteor has worked with government agencies and water companies to develop the ESNET (Environmental Sensor NETwork) autonomous water quality monitoring systems that can be rapidly deployed and require no power or communication infrastructure. Modular and with built-in communications and multiparameter capability, ESNET systems can be deployed within minutes.

The systems are available as a portable monitoring station or as part of a kiosk system for semi-permanent or fixed installations. Each ESNET station employs a multiparameter sonde to measure water quality, and the accuracy of readings is assured by a monthly site visit, during which a member of the Meteor team checks the station and swaps the sonde.

With the new facility in Basingstoke, ESNET customers are able to exploit the many different benefits of high resolution, real-time water quality data.

An expert from the University of Northampton has co-authored a book to support a major national engineering vocational qualification for 14 to 16 year olds.

Jonathan Adams, who is the Engineering Subject Leader at the University, has helped to design and develop the Cambridge National Level 1/2 Award and Certificate in Engineering Design.

The qualification has several thousand pupils studying engineering, and is designed to spark their interest in the subject and provide a progression to level 3 study, Further and Higher Education, engineering apprenticeships and employment. The book, Engineering Design, is part of a complete set of dynamic learning resources developed for the qualification.

Jonathan said: “I have been delighted to be involved with the design and development, and become the Principal Moderator for this national qualification promoting STEM and engineering for 14 to 16 year olds. It was an honour to be approached to co-author a book to support the qualification, which will hopefully support learners in these unusual times.”

The University’s involvement with the book doesn’t end with Jonathan. Final year Photography students Shania Edwards and Katie Bebbington were roped in to produce some of the book’s imagery.

Industry 4.0 is an established trend in factory automation, aimed at increasing convergence and transparency. By implementing systems with these capabilities, businesses can gain greater insights into their processes, hence achieving better quality, productivity and reduced costs. The technology that is delivering these benefits is Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN). John Browett, general manager of the CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA) – Europe, looks at how TSN supports convergence and transparency and what solutions businesses can adopt…

The Connected Industries of the future will generate a constant stream of data from their production systems. Insights derived from this data will provide a key tool for optimising manufacturing processes and improve the ability to adapt to new or varying demands. To gain these insights, data transparency and convergence will be paramount, as they represent the foundations of data-driven manufacturing.

The ability to implement these capabilities ultimately lies in the ability of industrial networks to deliver them. In particular, the network must be able to transfer high volumes of data from multiple sources across the enterprise. Also, it should share time-critical traffic in a reliable and predictable manner to maintain operational performance and efficiency.

The most promising technology for this is TSN, an extension of industrial Ethernet that supports deterministic communications via accurate time synchronisation and traffic scheduling. These mechanisms provide the foundation of the convergence necessary to provide the required levels of transparency. Hence, we are moving to a future where not only machine control data, such as I/O states, safety and motion control, share the same network in real-time, as it is the case with many current industrial Ethernet protocols, but now we can add almost any other kind of Ethernet traffic too. The benefits are simpler, less expensive and easier to maintain networks that provide unprecedented levels of transparency into manufacturing processes. The associated convergence can not only offer the ability to simplify networks on the shop floor, but can also more tightly bind the shop floor to the enterprise, delivering ever greater integration between the operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) worlds.

The CLPA has a proven track record of leading the industry with ground-breaking open automation network technologies. In late 2018, the CLPA launched CC-Link IE TSN to help automation manufacturers develop TSN-driven products as quickly as possible, in turn supporting businesses to improve their operations by implementing the technology on the factory floor.

This is the first open industrial Ethernet that combines gigabit bandwidth with TSN functionalities and is designed to provide a gateway to the industrial communications of the future, while supporting current needs.

By selecting CC-Link IE TSN open network technology for automation devices, vendors can become the first to offer TSN-based products, gaining a unique competitive edge. Similarly, manufacturing businesses using these products can improve their current operations while getting ready for the future.

Tektronix has announced a partnership with Oxford Brookes Racing (OBR) from Oxford Brookes University, based in the UK, with the team of students using Tektronix test and measurement equipment to help create their very first electric car.

OBR is the award-winning Formula Student team from Oxford Brookes University. OBR has competed in Formula Student since its inception in 1999; each year the team compete with the goal of designing, manufacturing and racing, a single seater race car, in engineering design competitions held across the world. The team consists of 70 students, who, in their shift from combustion to electric, are creating an exciting test bed of innovation for electric vehicles and controls software. It was in the 2019/2020 season the move to electric began and that’s where the partnership with Tektronix started.

OBR have been using a selection of Tektronix equipment for advanced inverter and high voltage system development. This equipment has given the team the ability to rapidly test and validate prototyped electrical system concepts. Additionally, this partnership opens up further battery electric vehicle research within the motorsports field.

• MSO3024 Mixed Domain Oscilloscope, 200 MHz, 2.5GS/S
• RSA306B compact and portable Spectrum Analyser
• AFG1022 Arbitrary Function Generator, 25MHz, 125 MS/s, 14-bit
• Keithley DMM7510: 7½-Digit Graphical Sampling Multimeter
• 2230G High Power, 3Channel Programmable Power Supply

“We are very excited at the opportunity to support OBR with their electronic engineering practice at Oxford Brookes University with Tektronix and Keithley equipment in an effort to ‘Go Green’”, said Maria Heriz, Vice President, EMEA Commercial Operations at Tektronix. “Vehicle electrification will continue to increase and accelerate in the decade to come. The connected car, new powertrains, regulations and advances in power electronic technology are coming together to create a new blueprint for automobiles.”

“The Tektronix equipment has given students the ability to develop the skills and knowledge needed to design and build an award-winning Formula Student vehicle. Additionally, this partnership has furthered the university’s battery electric vehicle (BEV) research by aligning researchers and students with a common interest. We are very exciting to be working with Tektronix and look forward to future success”, said Brady Planden, Associate Lecturer at Oxford Brookes University.