USA: Synopsys Inc. announced the immediate availability of the Embedded Vision Development System, an integrated solution for the acceleration of the design of processors for embedded vision based on Synopsys' Processor Designer tool set and Synopsys' HAPS FPGA-based prototyping system.
Application-specific instruction-set processors (ASIPs) are essential for meeting the power efficiency requirements of system-on-chips (SoCs) supporting high-performance embedded vision applications, such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), augmented reality (AR), robotics, surveillance and gesture control.
The new Synopsys Embedded Vision Development System enables designers to rapidly explore and tune processor architectures for the optimal combination of power and speed, and quickly implement the design on a HAPS FPGA-based prototype.
"Embedded vision enables designers to add visual intelligence to systems, making them safer, smarter and more responsive," said Jeff Bier, founder of the Embedded Vision Alliance. "But embedded vision is processing-intensive and most applications demand extreme cost- and energy-efficiency while also requiring programmability to accommodate new algorithms and new functions over time. Custom processors like those enabled by the Synopsys Embedded Vision Development System often yield the best mix of performance, efficiency and flexibility. I applaud Synopsys for recognizing and supporting the growing importance of embedded vision."
The Embedded Vision Development System includes pre-verified design examples to help designers quickly implement an ASIP optimized to meet their specific SoC objectives for power consumption and performance. It provides a ready-to-use, modifiable base processor including a full C/C++ compiler, which supports all functions provided by the OpenCV library.
The execution of the compiled code with the automatically-generated instruction-set simulator (ISS) is easy to profile, clearly identifying performance-intensive parts of the application, which can be accelerated by changes in the processor architecture, including memory access, register configuration and instruction set.
Unlike configurable processors that rely on a fixed pipeline and register structure, this methodology removes limitations from achieving the most power- and performance-optimized custom architecture for their application. Using the automatically generated software tools, designers easily recompile and simulate the C/C++ program until they achieve their design goals.
Processor Designer generates optimized RTL of the ASIP, which can easily be downloaded into a HAPS FPGA-based prototyping system. Designers save implementation effort with an easy-to-use flow from RTL generation to instantiation in the HAPS system, using the same RTL from design through validation. HAPS prototypes allow the design team adopting the application-specific processor to integrate other digital IP into the SoC design and connect the prototype with real-world I/O such as cameras and memory to validate the hardware-software integration.
Running more than 100x faster than a cycle-accurate ISS-based model, the combination of Processor Designer and HAPS in the new integrated design and prototyping system provides a highly-efficient way to refine and validate ASIP architectures from project to project.
"Many types of electronic devices require designers to develop custom processors to meet unique performance goals most efficiently, such as the processing of large amounts of visual data in embedded vision systems," said John Koeter, VP of marketing for IP and systems at Synopsys.
"The Synopsys Embedded Vision Development System, based on Processor Designer and a linkage to HAPS FPGA-based prototyping, saves months of engineering effort by combining software and hardware tools that enable designers to analytically arrive at the best processor implementation for their specific application, then quickly prototype the entire SoC to complete the hardware/software integration."
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Worldwide semiconductor foundry market grew 16.2 percent in 2012
USA: The worldwide semiconductor foundry market totaled $34.6 billion in 2012, a 16.2 percent increase from 2011, according to final results by Gartner Inc.
"2012 was the first year that the semiconductor revenue for mobile devices surpassed that of PCs and notebooks,” said Samuel Wang, research vice president at Gartner. "It also marked the first year that advanced technology for mobile applications drove the foundry revenue. Furthermore, 2012 saw not only major foundries improve the yield of 28 nanometer (nm) technology, but also many foundries fine-tuned the device performance of legacy nodes."
TSMC maintained the No. 1 spot due to its success of advanced technology nodes. Strong performance on 32 nm yields and the availability of sub-45-nm wafer capacity at the Dresden, Germany, fabs allowed Globalfoundries to advance to the No. 2 position, while UMC's market share decreased due to reduced wafer shipments. Driven by the wafers consumed by Apple's A6 and A6X chips, Samsung moved up four spots to the No. 5 position with 175.5 percent growth in 2012.
The increase in the foundry business was attributed to the restocking of inventory by customers, along with the increased demand of smartphones, in which wafers for advanced technology are required. In the second half of 2012, foundries performed better than the seasonal norm due to the need of 40 nm wafers as a result of the unexpected fast rise of low-cost smartphones in China and other emerging countries. Those foundries with sufficient wafer capacity and a good yield of 40 nm and 28 nm technologies have achieved solid revenue growth.
Besides the increased shipment of advanced nodes, there were market share shifts in the more mature nodes, with some foundries reporting near-record-high shipments of wafers of 65 nm to 0.18 micron serving power management integrated circuits (PMICs), high voltage, embedded flash, complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS). The market share gain was due to the continuous improvement of device performance and cost savings as a result of process tuning of the legacy process nodes.
In 2012, most foundries reported an increase of revenue from fabless customers, while the percentage of revenue contribution by integrated device manufacturer (IDM) customers was flat or even declined, indicating that the chips for mobile devices have been supplied primarily by the fabless companies.
"2012 was the first year that the semiconductor revenue for mobile devices surpassed that of PCs and notebooks,” said Samuel Wang, research vice president at Gartner. "It also marked the first year that advanced technology for mobile applications drove the foundry revenue. Furthermore, 2012 saw not only major foundries improve the yield of 28 nanometer (nm) technology, but also many foundries fine-tuned the device performance of legacy nodes."
TSMC maintained the No. 1 spot due to its success of advanced technology nodes. Strong performance on 32 nm yields and the availability of sub-45-nm wafer capacity at the Dresden, Germany, fabs allowed Globalfoundries to advance to the No. 2 position, while UMC's market share decreased due to reduced wafer shipments. Driven by the wafers consumed by Apple's A6 and A6X chips, Samsung moved up four spots to the No. 5 position with 175.5 percent growth in 2012.
Besides the increased shipment of advanced nodes, there were market share shifts in the more mature nodes, with some foundries reporting near-record-high shipments of wafers of 65 nm to 0.18 micron serving power management integrated circuits (PMICs), high voltage, embedded flash, complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS). The market share gain was due to the continuous improvement of device performance and cost savings as a result of process tuning of the legacy process nodes.
In 2012, most foundries reported an increase of revenue from fabless customers, while the percentage of revenue contribution by integrated device manufacturer (IDM) customers was flat or even declined, indicating that the chips for mobile devices have been supplied primarily by the fabless companies.
NXP enables best-in-class UHF performance in RFID supply chain apps
SINGAPORE: NXP Semiconductors N.V. announced the launch of the UCODE 7 UHF IC, which sets a new industry standard for performance, versatility and speed in RFID supply chain applications.
Working with key players in the industry including Avery, Motorola Solutions and Zebra, NXP has produced a best-in-class solution that delivers consistently high performance in all global markets, reinforcing the company’s leadership in UHF chips.
UCODE 7 establishes its best-in-class credentials in three key areas:
Global versatility – UCODE 7 enables the creation of RFID labels and tags that can be used across different regions operating at different frequency ranges. This means that manufacturers and retailers can maintain consistently high performance using the same label or tag across the entire global supply chain, significantly reducing operating costs.
Higher sensitivity – UCODE 7’s higher sensitivity enables both smaller tag designs with equal performance to current tag geometries – which means that retailers and suppliers can tag much smaller items – and for current tag geometries to be read from a much greater distance. It also means that inventory management and stock-taking becomes easier and quicker, even in harsh RFID- environments.
Fastest encoding – UCODE 7 delivers the fastest encoding capability on the market, with 100 items programmed in a matter of milliseconds. This unprecedented level of performance can significantly increase throughput when encoding apparel, shoes, pharmaceuticals and other items in manufacturing and distribution centers or in-store; enabling high-speed brand protection and tracking processes.
“Our new inlay products with the UCODE 7 combine flexibility of size and performance to provide retailers more options for their media developments,” said Rick Bauer, VP, global inventory accuracy and loss prevention from Avery Dennison.
“Our early testing with retailers has been very positive with the NXP UCODE 7. This new chip improves global RFID inlay performance across two major frequency bands with minimal loss of performance. We have found this chip to be very versatile in its performance and application to existing designs and our ability to facilitate new designs. Finally, the higher read/write performance is opening up new smaller design opportunities for a wider array of application categories and use cases. We are very pleased with our new inlay portfolio using the UCODE 7 and our partnership with NXP.”
“In our testing, UCODE 7 demonstrated a significant improvement in all-around performance, including read and write sensitivity as well as very high write speeds," said Mike Poldino, VP, product management, data capture solutions, Motorola Solutions. "The high performance of UCODE 7 is well-suited to today's demanding applications where smaller tag form factors are expected to replace larger tags, but where performance must not be compromised."
"Zebra is proud to fully support NXP's new UCODE 7-based tags in our seamless chip-based serialization capable RFID printer/encoder platform," said Michael Fein, senior product manager RFID, Zebra Technologies. "In addition to fully integrating MCS (Multi-vendor Chip-based Serialization) support for the new chip, Zebra printer/encoders also support NXP's Parallel Encode feature. NXP's new state-of-the-art UCODE 7 silicon, together with Zebra's industry-leading RFID printing/encoding solutions, is taking UHF tag encoding to a whole new level of efficiency, accuracy and throughput."
“Modern supply chains stretch across continents, so it is important that RFID tags can deliver reliable performance in every region and across the different global frequency bands,” said Rutger Vrijen, VP and GM, business line RFID Tagging, NXP Semiconductors. “UCODE 7 makes this possible by being the absolute best-in-class UHF tag IC on the market, with the industry’s highest sensitivity, allowing for high performance across a very broad frequency range. In addition, UCODE 7 has the fastest encoding speed, leading to significant productivity and cost-of-ownership gains for our customers.”
Sample ICs and labels with UCODE 7 are available today, with high volume shipments starting end of May 2013.
Working with key players in the industry including Avery, Motorola Solutions and Zebra, NXP has produced a best-in-class solution that delivers consistently high performance in all global markets, reinforcing the company’s leadership in UHF chips.
UCODE 7 establishes its best-in-class credentials in three key areas:
Global versatility – UCODE 7 enables the creation of RFID labels and tags that can be used across different regions operating at different frequency ranges. This means that manufacturers and retailers can maintain consistently high performance using the same label or tag across the entire global supply chain, significantly reducing operating costs.
Higher sensitivity – UCODE 7’s higher sensitivity enables both smaller tag designs with equal performance to current tag geometries – which means that retailers and suppliers can tag much smaller items – and for current tag geometries to be read from a much greater distance. It also means that inventory management and stock-taking becomes easier and quicker, even in harsh RFID- environments.
Fastest encoding – UCODE 7 delivers the fastest encoding capability on the market, with 100 items programmed in a matter of milliseconds. This unprecedented level of performance can significantly increase throughput when encoding apparel, shoes, pharmaceuticals and other items in manufacturing and distribution centers or in-store; enabling high-speed brand protection and tracking processes.
“Our new inlay products with the UCODE 7 combine flexibility of size and performance to provide retailers more options for their media developments,” said Rick Bauer, VP, global inventory accuracy and loss prevention from Avery Dennison.
“Our early testing with retailers has been very positive with the NXP UCODE 7. This new chip improves global RFID inlay performance across two major frequency bands with minimal loss of performance. We have found this chip to be very versatile in its performance and application to existing designs and our ability to facilitate new designs. Finally, the higher read/write performance is opening up new smaller design opportunities for a wider array of application categories and use cases. We are very pleased with our new inlay portfolio using the UCODE 7 and our partnership with NXP.”
“In our testing, UCODE 7 demonstrated a significant improvement in all-around performance, including read and write sensitivity as well as very high write speeds," said Mike Poldino, VP, product management, data capture solutions, Motorola Solutions. "The high performance of UCODE 7 is well-suited to today's demanding applications where smaller tag form factors are expected to replace larger tags, but where performance must not be compromised."
"Zebra is proud to fully support NXP's new UCODE 7-based tags in our seamless chip-based serialization capable RFID printer/encoder platform," said Michael Fein, senior product manager RFID, Zebra Technologies. "In addition to fully integrating MCS (Multi-vendor Chip-based Serialization) support for the new chip, Zebra printer/encoders also support NXP's Parallel Encode feature. NXP's new state-of-the-art UCODE 7 silicon, together with Zebra's industry-leading RFID printing/encoding solutions, is taking UHF tag encoding to a whole new level of efficiency, accuracy and throughput."
“Modern supply chains stretch across continents, so it is important that RFID tags can deliver reliable performance in every region and across the different global frequency bands,” said Rutger Vrijen, VP and GM, business line RFID Tagging, NXP Semiconductors. “UCODE 7 makes this possible by being the absolute best-in-class UHF tag IC on the market, with the industry’s highest sensitivity, allowing for high performance across a very broad frequency range. In addition, UCODE 7 has the fastest encoding speed, leading to significant productivity and cost-of-ownership gains for our customers.”
Sample ICs and labels with UCODE 7 are available today, with high volume shipments starting end of May 2013.
Columbia engineers generate world-record mmWave output power from nanoscale CMOS
USA: Harish Krishnaswamy, assistant professor of electrical engineering at Columbia Engineering, has generated a record amount of power output—by a power of five—using silicon-based nanoscale CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) technology for millimeter-wave power amplifiers.
Power amplifiers are used in communications and sensor systems to boost power levels for reliable transmission of signals over long distances as required by the given application. Krishnaswamy’s research will be reported at the June 2013 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits Symposium.
Used in virtually all forms of electronics around us, from phones to PCs, laptops, and tablets to satellite communications, nanoscale CMOS technologies have enabled the digital and communication revolution over the past 20 to 30 years. While nanoscale CMOS can do many things, Krishnaswamy explains the one thing that it cannot do very well is generate large amounts of power at high frequencies.
This is because as transistors become smaller, they tend to break very easily with even a small amount of voltage or current—“they’re great for speed, but not power,” he notes. But generating large amounts of power at high frequencies is critical for communication over large distances with high bandwidth.
“We have devised a way to use multiple nanoscale CMOS transistors in carefully-aligned synchrony to ‘share the load’ and generate nearly a watt of power at millimeter-wave frequencies—nearly five times greater than what was currently possible,” says Krishnaswamy. “This could enable extremely high-bandwidth communication over extremely long distances for the first time.”
For instance, he points out, think of a citywide millimeter-wave wireless network that could support 10s of gigabit per second data rates—nearly two to three orders of magnitude higher than WiFi. Such a network could serve as the backbone infrastructure that enables extremely high-data-rate wireless links to mobile devices.
Krishnaswamy and his CoSMIC lab team accomplished this world record power output level for CMOS-based power amplifiers by developing a chip design methodology that stacks several nanoscale CMOS devices on top of each other so that they can handle larger voltages without compromising their speed. By stacking four 45-nanometer CMOS transistors within a power amplifier and then combining eight such amplifiers on a single chip, they achieved output power levels of nearly 0.5 W at 45 gigahertz.
“High-frequency nanoscale electronics is exciting to me because it is the confluence of many different aspects of science and engineering,” Krishnaswamy observes. “It’s an area where theory meets experimentation, where electro-magnetics meets chip and circuit design, and where the abstract meets real-life applications. I find it fascinating.”
The research was funded by DARPA MTO (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Microsystems Technology Office) through its ELASTx (Efficient Linearized All-Silicon Transmitter ICs) program.
Power amplifiers are used in communications and sensor systems to boost power levels for reliable transmission of signals over long distances as required by the given application. Krishnaswamy’s research will be reported at the June 2013 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits Symposium.
Used in virtually all forms of electronics around us, from phones to PCs, laptops, and tablets to satellite communications, nanoscale CMOS technologies have enabled the digital and communication revolution over the past 20 to 30 years. While nanoscale CMOS can do many things, Krishnaswamy explains the one thing that it cannot do very well is generate large amounts of power at high frequencies.
This is because as transistors become smaller, they tend to break very easily with even a small amount of voltage or current—“they’re great for speed, but not power,” he notes. But generating large amounts of power at high frequencies is critical for communication over large distances with high bandwidth.
“We have devised a way to use multiple nanoscale CMOS transistors in carefully-aligned synchrony to ‘share the load’ and generate nearly a watt of power at millimeter-wave frequencies—nearly five times greater than what was currently possible,” says Krishnaswamy. “This could enable extremely high-bandwidth communication over extremely long distances for the first time.”
For instance, he points out, think of a citywide millimeter-wave wireless network that could support 10s of gigabit per second data rates—nearly two to three orders of magnitude higher than WiFi. Such a network could serve as the backbone infrastructure that enables extremely high-data-rate wireless links to mobile devices.
Krishnaswamy and his CoSMIC lab team accomplished this world record power output level for CMOS-based power amplifiers by developing a chip design methodology that stacks several nanoscale CMOS devices on top of each other so that they can handle larger voltages without compromising their speed. By stacking four 45-nanometer CMOS transistors within a power amplifier and then combining eight such amplifiers on a single chip, they achieved output power levels of nearly 0.5 W at 45 gigahertz.
“High-frequency nanoscale electronics is exciting to me because it is the confluence of many different aspects of science and engineering,” Krishnaswamy observes. “It’s an area where theory meets experimentation, where electro-magnetics meets chip and circuit design, and where the abstract meets real-life applications. I find it fascinating.”
The research was funded by DARPA MTO (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Microsystems Technology Office) through its ELASTx (Efficient Linearized All-Silicon Transmitter ICs) program.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Market for GaN and SiC power semiconductors set to rise by factor of 18 from 2012 to 2022
USA: The emerging market for Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN) power semiconductors is forecast to grow a remarkable factor of 18 during the next 10 years, energized by demand from power supplies, photovoltaic (PV) inverters and industrial motor drives.
Worldwide revenue from sales of SiC and GaN power semiconductors is projected to rise to $2.8 billion in 2012, up from just $143 million in 2012, according to a new report entitled “The World Market for SiC & GaN Power Semiconductors - 2013 Edition” from IMS Research, now part of IHS. Market revenue is expected to rise by the double digits annually for the next decade, as presented in the figure below.
SiC Schottky diodes have been around for more than 10 years, with SiC metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET), junction-gate field-effect transistors (JFET) and bipolar junction transistors (BJT) appearing in recent years. In contrast, GaN power semiconductors are only just appearing in the market.
GaN is a wide bandgap material that offers similar performance benefits to SiC but has greater cost-reduction potential. This price/performance advantage is possible because GaN power devices can be grown on silicon substrates that are larger and lower in cost compared to SiC.
“The key factor determining market growth will be how quickly GaN-on-silicon (Si) devices can achieve price parity and equivalent performance as silicon MOSFETs, insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBT) or rectifiers,” said Richard Eden, senior market analyst for power semiconductor discretes and modules at IHS. “IHS expects this will be achieved in 2019, driving the GaN power market to pass the $1 billion mark in 2022.”
SiC Schottky diode revenue exceeded $100 million in 2012, making it the best-selling SiC or GaN device currently. But even though SiC Schottky diode revenue is forecast to grow until 2015, it will decline when lower-priced 600-V GaN diodes become available. Still revenue will recover to approach $200 million by 2022, with sales concentrated at voltage ratings of 1200V and above.
By then, SiC MOSFETs are forecast to generate revenue approaching $400 million, overtaking Schottky diodes to become the best-selling SiC discrete power device type. Meanwhile, SiC JFETs and SiC BJTs are each forecast to generate less than half of SiC MOSFET revenues at that time, despite their likelihood of achieving good reliability, price and performance.
End users now strongly prefer SiC MOSFETs, so vendors of SiC JFETs and BJTs have a major task ahead in educating their potential customers on the benefits of these technologies.
While IHS predicts strong growth for the SiC and GaN power semiconductor market in the years ahead, the forecast has been significantly reduced compared to the outlook from one year ago.
The main reason for the change is the reduced forecasts for shipments of equipment that use power components, resulting from today’s gloomier view of the global economy. SiC adoption forecasts also have been slashed because device prices are not falling as fast as originally assumed a year ago.
In contrast, industry confidence in GaN technology has increased, with more semiconductor companies announcing GaN development projects. For instance, Transphorm has become the first company to achieve JEDEC qualification for its GaN-on-Si devices.
Worldwide revenue from sales of SiC and GaN power semiconductors is projected to rise to $2.8 billion in 2012, up from just $143 million in 2012, according to a new report entitled “The World Market for SiC & GaN Power Semiconductors - 2013 Edition” from IMS Research, now part of IHS. Market revenue is expected to rise by the double digits annually for the next decade, as presented in the figure below.
SiC Schottky diodes have been around for more than 10 years, with SiC metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET), junction-gate field-effect transistors (JFET) and bipolar junction transistors (BJT) appearing in recent years. In contrast, GaN power semiconductors are only just appearing in the market.
“The key factor determining market growth will be how quickly GaN-on-silicon (Si) devices can achieve price parity and equivalent performance as silicon MOSFETs, insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBT) or rectifiers,” said Richard Eden, senior market analyst for power semiconductor discretes and modules at IHS. “IHS expects this will be achieved in 2019, driving the GaN power market to pass the $1 billion mark in 2022.”
SiC Schottky diode revenue exceeded $100 million in 2012, making it the best-selling SiC or GaN device currently. But even though SiC Schottky diode revenue is forecast to grow until 2015, it will decline when lower-priced 600-V GaN diodes become available. Still revenue will recover to approach $200 million by 2022, with sales concentrated at voltage ratings of 1200V and above.
By then, SiC MOSFETs are forecast to generate revenue approaching $400 million, overtaking Schottky diodes to become the best-selling SiC discrete power device type. Meanwhile, SiC JFETs and SiC BJTs are each forecast to generate less than half of SiC MOSFET revenues at that time, despite their likelihood of achieving good reliability, price and performance.
End users now strongly prefer SiC MOSFETs, so vendors of SiC JFETs and BJTs have a major task ahead in educating their potential customers on the benefits of these technologies.
While IHS predicts strong growth for the SiC and GaN power semiconductor market in the years ahead, the forecast has been significantly reduced compared to the outlook from one year ago.
The main reason for the change is the reduced forecasts for shipments of equipment that use power components, resulting from today’s gloomier view of the global economy. SiC adoption forecasts also have been slashed because device prices are not falling as fast as originally assumed a year ago.
In contrast, industry confidence in GaN technology has increased, with more semiconductor companies announcing GaN development projects. For instance, Transphorm has become the first company to achieve JEDEC qualification for its GaN-on-Si devices.
Fully qualified production silicon for Cypress’s first two PSoC 4 product families now available
USA: Cypress Semiconductor Corp. introduced the first two product families from its PSoC 4 programmable system-on-chip architecture: the PSoC 4100 and PSoC 4200 families.
The PSoC 4100 family, the lowest-cost ARM-based PSoC, brings PSoC flexibility and integration to cost-sensitive, high-volume applications. The PSoC 4200 family features faster processor and ADC sampling speeds and PLD-based enhanced universal digital blocks (UDBs).
Additionally, Cypress released its new $25 PSoC 4 Pioneer Development Kit, which extends PSoC programmability to the established Arduino marketplace at a price point geared to drive broad accessibility. Cypress also delivered Service Pack 1 for its PSoC Creator 2.2 Integrated Design Environment (IDE), which provides full design support for the 4100 and 4200 families. These products can be ordered/downloaded at www.cypress.com/go/PSoC4.
The PSoC 4 programmable system-on-chip architecture combines Cypress’s best-in-class PSoC analog and digital fabric and industry-leading CapSense capacitive touch technology with ARM’s power-efficient Cortex-M0 core.
This truly scalable, cost-efficient architecture provides access to dozens of free PSoC Components—“virtual chips” represented by icons in PSoC Creator—all for prices as low as $1. The new PSoC 4 device class will challenge proprietary 8-bit and 16-bit microcontrollers (MCUs), along with other 32-bit devices.
The PSoC 4100 family, the lowest-cost ARM-based PSoC, brings PSoC flexibility and integration to cost-sensitive, high-volume applications. The PSoC 4200 family features faster processor and ADC sampling speeds and PLD-based enhanced universal digital blocks (UDBs).
Additionally, Cypress released its new $25 PSoC 4 Pioneer Development Kit, which extends PSoC programmability to the established Arduino marketplace at a price point geared to drive broad accessibility. Cypress also delivered Service Pack 1 for its PSoC Creator 2.2 Integrated Design Environment (IDE), which provides full design support for the 4100 and 4200 families. These products can be ordered/downloaded at www.cypress.com/go/PSoC4.
The PSoC 4 programmable system-on-chip architecture combines Cypress’s best-in-class PSoC analog and digital fabric and industry-leading CapSense capacitive touch technology with ARM’s power-efficient Cortex-M0 core.
This truly scalable, cost-efficient architecture provides access to dozens of free PSoC Components—“virtual chips” represented by icons in PSoC Creator—all for prices as low as $1. The new PSoC 4 device class will challenge proprietary 8-bit and 16-bit microcontrollers (MCUs), along with other 32-bit devices.
Renesas Electronics first to achieve UL certification of hardware safety features for UL 60730-1 compliance
USA: Renesas Electronics America announced that its RL78 MCU Family has received certification for the UL60730 standard for its hardware safety features.
The RL78 family of MCUs is designed to deliver performance and power-efficiency while incorporating advanced on-chip peripherals, enabling customers to build compact and energy-efficient systems at lower cost. This value paired with the extensive support for safety standards makes the products ideal for appliance applications such as white goods.
“As embedded systems become more interconnected and interdependent, requirements for safety compliance are increasing for many markets, such as appliances, industrial automation, automotive and medical,” said Ritesh Tyagi, senior director, Marketing, Renesas Electronics America Inc. “Safety is becoming an essential characteristic of all smart systems. With pre-certified MCUs, designers can focus on system-level certification, facilitating the creation of products that help enable the Smart Society.”
“UL is committed to meeting the business needs of all component manufacturers in the safety supply chain for safety critical systems and sub-systems. This certification gives OEMs the confidence that an RL78 MCU has built-in hardware features to help them meet the functional safety requirements corresponding to Class B control functions,” said Doug Lockard, Global Director - Appliances for UL LLC.
“More simply put, when designing a safety related control in an application that requires UL60730-1 compliance, the fact that UL has already determined that these hardware features comply with Class B requirements will greatly reduce design time and effort in every downstream link in the supply chain.”
The UL60730 safety standard certifies several RL78 hardware features, including: the Window Watchdog Timer (WDT) circuit, the RAM Parity Error Check detection circuit, the CRC circuit, the RAM/SFR Guard Circuit, and the A/D Self-test circuit. These safety features help engineers reduce design complexity by minimizing software overhead that is typically required by self-test routines.
This translates to less code and lower memory requirements for self-testing, and more deterministic product performance. Integrated safety hardware also reduces overall system costs because no external components such as watchdog timer (WDT), or references for analog circuit testing are required.
The RL78 family of MCUs is designed to deliver performance and power-efficiency while incorporating advanced on-chip peripherals, enabling customers to build compact and energy-efficient systems at lower cost. This value paired with the extensive support for safety standards makes the products ideal for appliance applications such as white goods.
“As embedded systems become more interconnected and interdependent, requirements for safety compliance are increasing for many markets, such as appliances, industrial automation, automotive and medical,” said Ritesh Tyagi, senior director, Marketing, Renesas Electronics America Inc. “Safety is becoming an essential characteristic of all smart systems. With pre-certified MCUs, designers can focus on system-level certification, facilitating the creation of products that help enable the Smart Society.”
“UL is committed to meeting the business needs of all component manufacturers in the safety supply chain for safety critical systems and sub-systems. This certification gives OEMs the confidence that an RL78 MCU has built-in hardware features to help them meet the functional safety requirements corresponding to Class B control functions,” said Doug Lockard, Global Director - Appliances for UL LLC.
“More simply put, when designing a safety related control in an application that requires UL60730-1 compliance, the fact that UL has already determined that these hardware features comply with Class B requirements will greatly reduce design time and effort in every downstream link in the supply chain.”
The UL60730 safety standard certifies several RL78 hardware features, including: the Window Watchdog Timer (WDT) circuit, the RAM Parity Error Check detection circuit, the CRC circuit, the RAM/SFR Guard Circuit, and the A/D Self-test circuit. These safety features help engineers reduce design complexity by minimizing software overhead that is typically required by self-test routines.
This translates to less code and lower memory requirements for self-testing, and more deterministic product performance. Integrated safety hardware also reduces overall system costs because no external components such as watchdog timer (WDT), or references for analog circuit testing are required.
Toshiba launches sub-power management IC for mobile products
JAPAN: Toshiba Corp. has launched a sub-power management IC embedded with a DCDC step-down convertor and LDO (Low Drop Out) for use in mobile products such as cellular phones and smartphones that realizes high efficiency at a light load.
The new product "TC7732FTG", increases the coil drive frequency from the widely used 2MHz to 4MHz, making it possible to use a smaller packaged 1.0μH coil that takes up less space.
Output voltage can also be set by the I2C bus, securing a reduction of circuits using resistor ICs. External IC parts can be reduced by integrating other peripheral MOSFET and capacitors into the new product.
These modifications cut the mounting area on the circuit board by 35 percent against single-function devices (potential reduction associated with general application products; Toshiba data.), making it possible to realize more compact products while maintaining the standard functions of mobile applications.
The new product "TC7732FTG", increases the coil drive frequency from the widely used 2MHz to 4MHz, making it possible to use a smaller packaged 1.0μH coil that takes up less space.
Output voltage can also be set by the I2C bus, securing a reduction of circuits using resistor ICs. External IC parts can be reduced by integrating other peripheral MOSFET and capacitors into the new product.
These modifications cut the mounting area on the circuit board by 35 percent against single-function devices (potential reduction associated with general application products; Toshiba data.), making it possible to realize more compact products while maintaining the standard functions of mobile applications.
NXP security technology at core of one of world’s biggest eID programs
SINGAPORE: NXP Semiconductors N.V. announced at Cards & Payments Singapore that it is near completion of its part of the 172m pieces supplied into the eKTP project.
Launched in 2011, the eKTP project is one of the largest national eID deployments across the globe. The eKTP cards for 172 million citizens are part of a nationwide, multi-application, complete eID-system that comprises data capturing solutions, servers, data storage, biometric matching and smart cards, plus various infrastructure and networking solutions.
Combining the strong drive of the local companies with the technical expertise of principal suppliers such as NXP, the local production companies in the State Printing Company Consortium (PNRI) were able to swiftly ramp-up the smart card production and personalization of the eKTP cards and achieve near completion within just 18 months.
In addition, the strong technology efforts brought into the project by international market leaders such as NXP have resulted in strong growth within the local Indonesian smart card and biometrics industry. As such, the eKTP project has also proven to be a valuable investment of governmental funds into the local economy.
The eKTP project will enable the Indonesian political system to strengthen democracy across the country by de-duplicating the various existing population databases, resulting in a more thorough census and identification of all Indonesian citizens.
Once complete, the eKTP system can be the basis for many citizen-government services, proving a citizen’s identity “beyond any doubt”. It can then be used to open bank accounts, obtain governmental documents such as birth certificates, register ownership of vehicles or property and many similar transactions. In addition, the multi-application capability of NXP’s chip technology enables the eKTP smart cards to support a large number of voting applications which reduce the possibility of fraud during elections.
This will assist in the government’s aim of building stronger citizen trust in the country’s democracy. Fully compliant with the structure of ICAO LDS-9303, the eKTP smart card can also be used as an international travel document, should Indonesia reach agreements on this with neighboring countries.
“The Indonesian eKTP project is a very good example of how local and global partners can quickly scale up operations and effectively deploy large volumes of smart card credentials over a short period of time. With the help and support of a carefully selected consortium of industry experts, the PNRI is still on track for hitting its ambitious mid-year 2013 completion target,” said Phil Sealy, industry analyst, ABI Research.
“Utilizing a pure contactless IC, the government had multi-application functionality at the forefront of its strategy. Moving forward, ABI Research expects to see the Indonesian government further extend and enhance its citizen outreach with e-government services building upon its success to date”.
“Indonesia’s eKTP project not only confirms our capabilities as a world-class manufacturer of security microcontrollers, able to deliver high quality devices in high volume, but also consolidates our position as a resourceful trusted partner with a global presence, able and willing to support large-scale projects from early stage through to completion,” said Ulrich Huewels, VP and GM, business line secure card solutions with NXP Semiconductors.
“eID roll-outs of this nature have the potential to really change the society by providing citizens with convenient and secure access to public services – there is no better illustration of this than the eVoting capability that the Indonesian eKTP smartcards will enable.”
Based on its expertise in security and contactless technology, NXP is the leading provider of complete solutions to the global Identification market across banking, eGovernment, transport ticketing, infrastructure, RFID tagging, device authentication and NFC.
Providing the secure microcontrollers and additionally the embedded Secure Application Modules (SAM) as well as reader ICs for the eKTP reader infrastructure – thus ensuring optimum interoperability and security of the end-to-end system – the scope of the eKTP project has further strengthened NXP’s position as the clear global leader in Identification as well as in the eGovernment market. This is confirmed by the latest report from ABI Research, which says that NXP has a global market share of 53 per cent in eGovernment.
Launched in 2011, the eKTP project is one of the largest national eID deployments across the globe. The eKTP cards for 172 million citizens are part of a nationwide, multi-application, complete eID-system that comprises data capturing solutions, servers, data storage, biometric matching and smart cards, plus various infrastructure and networking solutions.
Combining the strong drive of the local companies with the technical expertise of principal suppliers such as NXP, the local production companies in the State Printing Company Consortium (PNRI) were able to swiftly ramp-up the smart card production and personalization of the eKTP cards and achieve near completion within just 18 months.
In addition, the strong technology efforts brought into the project by international market leaders such as NXP have resulted in strong growth within the local Indonesian smart card and biometrics industry. As such, the eKTP project has also proven to be a valuable investment of governmental funds into the local economy.
The eKTP project will enable the Indonesian political system to strengthen democracy across the country by de-duplicating the various existing population databases, resulting in a more thorough census and identification of all Indonesian citizens.
Once complete, the eKTP system can be the basis for many citizen-government services, proving a citizen’s identity “beyond any doubt”. It can then be used to open bank accounts, obtain governmental documents such as birth certificates, register ownership of vehicles or property and many similar transactions. In addition, the multi-application capability of NXP’s chip technology enables the eKTP smart cards to support a large number of voting applications which reduce the possibility of fraud during elections.
This will assist in the government’s aim of building stronger citizen trust in the country’s democracy. Fully compliant with the structure of ICAO LDS-9303, the eKTP smart card can also be used as an international travel document, should Indonesia reach agreements on this with neighboring countries.
“The Indonesian eKTP project is a very good example of how local and global partners can quickly scale up operations and effectively deploy large volumes of smart card credentials over a short period of time. With the help and support of a carefully selected consortium of industry experts, the PNRI is still on track for hitting its ambitious mid-year 2013 completion target,” said Phil Sealy, industry analyst, ABI Research.
“Utilizing a pure contactless IC, the government had multi-application functionality at the forefront of its strategy. Moving forward, ABI Research expects to see the Indonesian government further extend and enhance its citizen outreach with e-government services building upon its success to date”.
“Indonesia’s eKTP project not only confirms our capabilities as a world-class manufacturer of security microcontrollers, able to deliver high quality devices in high volume, but also consolidates our position as a resourceful trusted partner with a global presence, able and willing to support large-scale projects from early stage through to completion,” said Ulrich Huewels, VP and GM, business line secure card solutions with NXP Semiconductors.
“eID roll-outs of this nature have the potential to really change the society by providing citizens with convenient and secure access to public services – there is no better illustration of this than the eVoting capability that the Indonesian eKTP smartcards will enable.”
Based on its expertise in security and contactless technology, NXP is the leading provider of complete solutions to the global Identification market across banking, eGovernment, transport ticketing, infrastructure, RFID tagging, device authentication and NFC.
Providing the secure microcontrollers and additionally the embedded Secure Application Modules (SAM) as well as reader ICs for the eKTP reader infrastructure – thus ensuring optimum interoperability and security of the end-to-end system – the scope of the eKTP project has further strengthened NXP’s position as the clear global leader in Identification as well as in the eGovernment market. This is confirmed by the latest report from ABI Research, which says that NXP has a global market share of 53 per cent in eGovernment.
Fujitsu expands FM3 family of 32-bit MCUs
SINGAPORE: Fujitsu Semiconductor Asia Pte Ltd (FSAL) announced the launch of an upgraded lineup of its FM3 Family of 32-bit general-purpose RISC microcontrollers based on the ARM Cortex-M3 processor core.
In total, Fujitsu Semiconductor is releasing 38 new products, including the MB9BF529TPMC, which is equipped with high-capacity memory, and the MB9BF121JPMC, which features low pin count packaging. Sample quantities of the new products will incrementally be made available starting May 10, 2013. The new lineup is optimised for system control in household appliances, office automation equipment, and industrial equipment.
With the addition of these new products, Fujitsu Semiconductor’s top class FM3 Family lineup of ARM Cortex-M3 processor core-based microcontrollers will total 570 products.
Since first announcing the FM3 family of 32-bit general-purpose RISC microcontrollers based on the ARM Cortex-M3 core in 2010, Fujitsu Semiconductor has subsequently developed a rich product lineup supporting a broad range of applications.
The Basic Group, which achieves an ideal balance between performance and cost, will be enhanced with the 38 new products including the high-capacity MB9B520T/420T/320T/120T Series, which features up to 1.5MB of flash memory; the low-pin MB9B120J Series, which is available in 32-pin packaging; and the low-power MB9A420L/120L Series, which supports CAN communications. The new lineup is optimal for system control in household appliances, office automation equipment, and industrial equipment.
Going forward, Fujitsu Semiconductor plans to incrementally augment its microcontroller portfolio, including its FM4 Family of Cortex-M4 core-based processors and the FM0+ Family of Cortex-M0+ core-based processors, all while delivering its enhanced product lineup to the global marketplace.
In total, Fujitsu Semiconductor is releasing 38 new products, including the MB9BF529TPMC, which is equipped with high-capacity memory, and the MB9BF121JPMC, which features low pin count packaging. Sample quantities of the new products will incrementally be made available starting May 10, 2013. The new lineup is optimised for system control in household appliances, office automation equipment, and industrial equipment.
With the addition of these new products, Fujitsu Semiconductor’s top class FM3 Family lineup of ARM Cortex-M3 processor core-based microcontrollers will total 570 products.
Since first announcing the FM3 family of 32-bit general-purpose RISC microcontrollers based on the ARM Cortex-M3 core in 2010, Fujitsu Semiconductor has subsequently developed a rich product lineup supporting a broad range of applications.
The Basic Group, which achieves an ideal balance between performance and cost, will be enhanced with the 38 new products including the high-capacity MB9B520T/420T/320T/120T Series, which features up to 1.5MB of flash memory; the low-pin MB9B120J Series, which is available in 32-pin packaging; and the low-power MB9A420L/120L Series, which supports CAN communications. The new lineup is optimal for system control in household appliances, office automation equipment, and industrial equipment.
Going forward, Fujitsu Semiconductor plans to incrementally augment its microcontroller portfolio, including its FM4 Family of Cortex-M4 core-based processors and the FM0+ Family of Cortex-M0+ core-based processors, all while delivering its enhanced product lineup to the global marketplace.
Maker tested, engineer approved: Introducing $45, 1-GHz BeagleBone Black open-source Linux computer
USA: With BeagleBone Black, the next-generation offering from BeagleBoard.org, everyone from electronic artists to engineers has access to a ready-to-use, 1-GHz computer for only $45.
This credit-card-sized, Linux computer is an open hardware and software development platform that makes it quick and easy to transform great ideas into products. BeagleBone Black allows developers to leverage the ideas and knowledge of the highly active and engaged users of the BeagleBoard.org community who support each other from concept through development. Opportunities for innovation are endless.
For only $45, BeagleBone Black includes all the necessary components in the box to connect a display, keyboard and network, providing a lower total cost of ownership than the nearest competitor and allowing for immediate development.
BeagleBone Black is based on the 1-GHz Sitara AM335x ARM Cortex-A8 processor from Texas Instruments Inc. (TI). TI’s Sitara AM335x processor enhances the user experience by enabling an advanced graphical user interface and more than 2x higher performance than ARM11-based solutions.
BeagleBone Black includes 2GB of on-board storage to run pre-loaded Linux software, as well as a USB cable to power the board. Featuring USB, Ethernet and HDMI interfaces, BeagleBone Black has the interfaces to connect to a wide variety of devices such as a mouse, keyboard or LCD display.
BeagleBone Black offers designers flexibility with expansion headers, including 65 digital I/Os, seven analog inputs and access to a variety of analog and digital peripherals.
This credit-card-sized, Linux computer is an open hardware and software development platform that makes it quick and easy to transform great ideas into products. BeagleBone Black allows developers to leverage the ideas and knowledge of the highly active and engaged users of the BeagleBoard.org community who support each other from concept through development. Opportunities for innovation are endless.
For only $45, BeagleBone Black includes all the necessary components in the box to connect a display, keyboard and network, providing a lower total cost of ownership than the nearest competitor and allowing for immediate development.
BeagleBone Black is based on the 1-GHz Sitara AM335x ARM Cortex-A8 processor from Texas Instruments Inc. (TI). TI’s Sitara AM335x processor enhances the user experience by enabling an advanced graphical user interface and more than 2x higher performance than ARM11-based solutions.
BeagleBone Black includes 2GB of on-board storage to run pre-loaded Linux software, as well as a USB cable to power the board. Featuring USB, Ethernet and HDMI interfaces, BeagleBone Black has the interfaces to connect to a wide variety of devices such as a mouse, keyboard or LCD display.
BeagleBone Black offers designers flexibility with expansion headers, including 65 digital I/Os, seven analog inputs and access to a variety of analog and digital peripherals.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Critical updates from industry leaders on EUV, 3D transistors and 450mm manufacturing targeted for SEMICON West 2013
USA: The critical processes and technologies necessary to continue Moore’s Law are currently more uncertain than ever before in the history of advanced semiconductor manufacturing.
To assess these uncertainties and provide the latest information on EUV lithography, 3D transistors, 450mm wafer processing, and other challenges to preserving the pace of Moore’s Law, the leading authorities on these crucial issues will provide their insights, perspectives and predictions at SEMICON West), held from July 9-11 in San Francisco, Calif.
Although progress to take EUV lithography into the realm of high-volume manufacturing continues to be made, the readiness of source technologies, mask infrastructure and resist performance are still not known with a high degree of certainty. Until EUV Lithography is ready for high-volume manufacturing, the industry will continue to rely on double-patterning and even multiple-patterning lithography schemes using 193 immersion technology to take it beyond 22nm.
How the industry will address these barriers, uncertainties and alternatives will be the focus the lithography session at SEMICON West — including the following speakers and topics:
Skip Miller, ASML — NXE Platform Performance and Volume Introduction
Stefan Wurm, Ph.D., SEMATECH — Mask and Resist Infrastructure Gaps
Ben Rathsack, Tokyo Electron — Advances in Directed Self-Assembly Integration and Manufacturability on 300mm Wafers
Mike Rieger, Synopsys — Collaboration to Deliver Lithography Solutions
Nikon Precision — ArF Lithography Extension Through Advanced Overlay and Imaging Solutions.
The mobile market is driving the move to novel transistor architectures that offer greater performance and power benefits than traditional planar architectures. Memory and logic manufacturers are pursuing different strategies including leveraging innovations in design rules, new channel materials and processes (e.g., MOCVD) and inspection and metrology challenges. Speakers and topics on the challenges of nonplanar transistor processing include:
Gary Patton, Ph.D., IBM Semiconductor Research and Development Center — Meeting the Challenges of Next-Generation Scaling
Subramani Kengeri, GLOBALFOUNDRIES — Enabling SoC Level Differentiation Through Advanced Technology R&D
Michel Haond, STMicroelectronics — Main Features and Benefits of 14nm Ultra Thin Body and BOX (UTBB) Fully Depleted SOI (FD-SOI) Technology
Paul Kirsch, Ph.D., SEMATECH — Non-Silicon R&D Challenges and Opportunities
Adam Brand, Applied Materials — Precision Materials to Meet FinFET Scaling Challenges Beyond 14nm
Joe Sawicki, Mentor Graphics — New Approaches to Improving Quality and Accelerating Yield Ramp for FinFET Technology.
While materials, architecture and processing technologies are undergoing revolutionary change, wafer processing platforms are also being radically transformed with a planned transition to 450mm wafers. For chip manufacturers and suppliers, this will involve increased levels of collaboration, further advancements in tool prototypes, and increased visibility into related supply chain implications.
The SEMICON West 450 Transition Forum will provide the latest updates on the status of 450 R&D, as well as a review of key technology considerations and a discussion of implications and opportunities for the supply chain.
Each of these programs will take place in the TechXPOT conference sessions on the exhibit floor. Other TechXPOT programs include sessions on 2.5D and 3D IC Packaging, Productivity Innovation at Existing 200mm/300mm Fabs, Silicon Photonics, Lab-to-Fab Solutions, MEMS, LED Manufacturing, and Printed and Flexible Electronics.
SEMICON West will feature over 50 hours of free technical, applications and business programs with the critical, need-to-know information presented by industry leaders.
To assess these uncertainties and provide the latest information on EUV lithography, 3D transistors, 450mm wafer processing, and other challenges to preserving the pace of Moore’s Law, the leading authorities on these crucial issues will provide their insights, perspectives and predictions at SEMICON West), held from July 9-11 in San Francisco, Calif.
Although progress to take EUV lithography into the realm of high-volume manufacturing continues to be made, the readiness of source technologies, mask infrastructure and resist performance are still not known with a high degree of certainty. Until EUV Lithography is ready for high-volume manufacturing, the industry will continue to rely on double-patterning and even multiple-patterning lithography schemes using 193 immersion technology to take it beyond 22nm.
How the industry will address these barriers, uncertainties and alternatives will be the focus the lithography session at SEMICON West — including the following speakers and topics:
Skip Miller, ASML — NXE Platform Performance and Volume Introduction
Stefan Wurm, Ph.D., SEMATECH — Mask and Resist Infrastructure Gaps
Ben Rathsack, Tokyo Electron — Advances in Directed Self-Assembly Integration and Manufacturability on 300mm Wafers
Mike Rieger, Synopsys — Collaboration to Deliver Lithography Solutions
Nikon Precision — ArF Lithography Extension Through Advanced Overlay and Imaging Solutions.
The mobile market is driving the move to novel transistor architectures that offer greater performance and power benefits than traditional planar architectures. Memory and logic manufacturers are pursuing different strategies including leveraging innovations in design rules, new channel materials and processes (e.g., MOCVD) and inspection and metrology challenges. Speakers and topics on the challenges of nonplanar transistor processing include:
Gary Patton, Ph.D., IBM Semiconductor Research and Development Center — Meeting the Challenges of Next-Generation Scaling
Subramani Kengeri, GLOBALFOUNDRIES — Enabling SoC Level Differentiation Through Advanced Technology R&D
Michel Haond, STMicroelectronics — Main Features and Benefits of 14nm Ultra Thin Body and BOX (UTBB) Fully Depleted SOI (FD-SOI) Technology
Paul Kirsch, Ph.D., SEMATECH — Non-Silicon R&D Challenges and Opportunities
Adam Brand, Applied Materials — Precision Materials to Meet FinFET Scaling Challenges Beyond 14nm
Joe Sawicki, Mentor Graphics — New Approaches to Improving Quality and Accelerating Yield Ramp for FinFET Technology.
While materials, architecture and processing technologies are undergoing revolutionary change, wafer processing platforms are also being radically transformed with a planned transition to 450mm wafers. For chip manufacturers and suppliers, this will involve increased levels of collaboration, further advancements in tool prototypes, and increased visibility into related supply chain implications.
The SEMICON West 450 Transition Forum will provide the latest updates on the status of 450 R&D, as well as a review of key technology considerations and a discussion of implications and opportunities for the supply chain.
Each of these programs will take place in the TechXPOT conference sessions on the exhibit floor. Other TechXPOT programs include sessions on 2.5D and 3D IC Packaging, Productivity Innovation at Existing 200mm/300mm Fabs, Silicon Photonics, Lab-to-Fab Solutions, MEMS, LED Manufacturing, and Printed and Flexible Electronics.
SEMICON West will feature over 50 hours of free technical, applications and business programs with the critical, need-to-know information presented by industry leaders.
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