Front End I News


XMOS and Silicon Labs join forces to deliver the next wave in programmable SoCs


XMOS, a specialist in multicore microcontrollers, and Silicon Labs have announced a technology partnership that will allow XMOS to integrate energy friendly ARM technology into its xCORE multicore microcontrollers to produce the next wave in programmable system-on- chip products (SoCs).


The partnership builds on the


revolutionary, configurable xCORE multicore microcontroller architecture developed by XMOS, which allows customers to program in software the exact mix of peripherals and interfaces that they need and provides timing-precise execution of high level software code, with multiple 32bit processor cores available to share the work in parallel. By partnering with Silicon Labs XMOS will be able to add EFM32 Gecko technology – an energy- friendly ARM Cortex-M3 based MCU – to this architecture, creating the xCORE-XA (eXtended Architecture) family of products. “This partnership creates a completely


new category of programmable system on chip,” said Nigel Toon, XMOS CEO. “Working with Silicon Labs has allowed us to combine hardware levels of real-time performance, configurable peripherals from our configurable xCORE multicore microcontroller technology, together with the worlds most energy efficient ARM Cortex MCU technology from Silicon Labs, to create the next wave of programmable system-on-chip solution that, for the first time, allows a programmable technology to support low-energy battery-powered applications.” “We have been working closely with XMOS over the last 12 months to help them bring this new class of product to market,” said Geir Forre, Vice President and General Manager of Silicon Labs’ Microcontroller Products. “It is exciting to see our EFM32 Gecko MCU technology being used in a leading multicore microcontroller architecture that delivers such flexibility. The result of this partnership


Axis Electronics works to improve collaboration among suppliers


Last month Axis Electronics held its second ‘Key Supplier Day’, a major initiative started by the company to improve collaboration amongst its diverse network of suppliers. The day consisted of a series of SC21 focused presentations from Axis, Thales, ADS, Quintec and Intellect and culminated in a plan to improve performance through better collaboration. "It's vital for companies across the UK's


Electronics Manufacturing Supply Chain to develop their processes to improve their competitiveness in this tough global market,” commented Ashley Evans,


Director of Electronics, The Electronics Network – Intellect. “SC21 provides the tools set that enables companies to deliver world class service through supply chain optimisation; and the leadership to drive this culture through their organisation and their supplier network."


Over 26 companies attended the event, covering PCB manufacturing, precision metalwork, component distribution, electromagnetics, power supplies, tooling and consumables. The attending companies represented 90% of Axis’s spend and included most of the UK’s


between Silicon Labs and XMOS is a completely new type of programmable system on chip product that combines our industry-leading energy-friendly technology with a unique level of system configuration and performance.”


The new xCORE-XA family of products


are the first xCORE devices to feature low- energy ARM Cortex-M3 based Gecko MCU technology developed by Energy Micro, recently acquired by Silicon Labs. The new chips allow customers to include ARM binary code within their xCORE designs and give them access to ultra- energy- efficient peripherals and I/O technology.


XMOS will also provide a completely integrated development and debug environment for xCORE-XA as part of the xTIMEcomposer suite of development tools, allowing customers to create their system in C or C++ while taking advantage of the complete xSOFTip library of peripheral interfaces and functions.


leading suppliers in the electronics industry. This initiative is part of the ongoing supply chain improvement programme using the SC21 toolset.


“Supply chain performance with tighter


control and a culture of continuous improvement is critical to add real sustainable value to our customers supply chains. Our customers expect ‘best in class’ and we are determined to provide such a service. However, to achieve this we must have the support and commitment of our supply chain. By involving our key suppliers in a continuous improvement programme we will deliver better quality products to our customers, at a better value, with shorter lead times at reduced risk” said Paul Chaplin, Materials Director at Axis.


Thermally-conductive polymer gives 25 percent performance increase


Carbodeon has developed a thermal filler using nanodiamonds that increases the conductivity of thermally conductive polymers by 25 percent, providing significant performance increases for polymers used in electronics and LED manufacture.


Starting with a polyamide 66 (PA66)


reference material containing 45 percent by weight of boron nitride as the thermal filler, Carbodeon has been able to create a new material using 44.9 percent boron nitride and 0.1% of its uDiamond nanodiamond powder. The thermal conductivity of the PA66 increased by 25 percent, averaged across all planes. The increase in thermal conductivity is achieved without affecting the electrical insulation or other mechanical properties of the material, making it a suitable choice for a wide range of electronics and LED applications.


Carbodeon CTO Vesa Myllymäki said: 4 November 2013


“The performance improvements achieved by this filler are derived from the extremely high thermal conductivity of diamond, at around 2000 W/mK. The key development made by Carbodeon is to tune the surface chemistry of the diamond particles and mixing process to develop a nano- composite in which the diamond is very well interfaced to the polymer molecules.” The active surface chemistry inherent in detonation-synthesised nanodiamonds has historically presented difficulties in application of these promising 4-6 nm particles, making them prone to agglomeration. Carbodeon tunes that surface chemistry so that the particles are driven to disperse and to become consistently integrated throughout parent materials, especially polymers. The much- promised properties of diamond can thus be imparted to other materials with very low, and hence economic, concentrations. According to Myllymäki, “Through


Components in Electronics


Li-Fi breakthrough: UK researchers say they have achieved data transmission speeds of 10Gbit/s via "li-fi" - wireless internet connectivity using light. Developed by the University of Strathclyde researchers used a micro-LED light bulb to transmit 3.5Gbit/s via each of the three primary colours - red, green, blue - that make up white light. This means over 10Gbit/s is possible. Li-fi is an emerging technology that could see specialised LED lights bulbs providing low-cost wireless internet connectivity almost everywhere. The research, known as the ultra-parallel visible light communications project is a joint venture between the universities of Edinburgh, St Andrews, Strathclyde, Oxford, and Cambridge, and funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.


Raspberry Pi: RS Components (RS) is selling the latest product to emerge from the Raspberry Pi Foundation. The Pi NoIR infrared camera module is a variant of the existing visible light Raspberry Pi camera module and features the same 5 megapixel image sensor as its predecessor with the optical light filter removed to enable IR light frequencies.


Pi NoIR is capable of taking still photos with a resolution of 2592 x 1944 and the module can record up to 1080p HD videos at 30 frames per second, allowing users of Raspberry Pi models A and B to build video applications. The board will plug into the currently unused CSI pins on the Raspberry Pi, using the I”C interface for control.


Market first: In a dramatic sign of how consumer tastes have shifted to new, more exciting wireless products, global factory revenue for smartphones and tablets in 2013 will rise to become larger than revenue for the entire consumer electronics (CE) market - the first time this has ever occurred. Worldwide original equipment manufacturer (OEM) factory revenue for media and PC tablets and for 3G/4G cellphones will amount to $354.3 billion in 2013, according to research from IHS Inc. This will be 3 percent more than the $344.4 billion for OEM factory revenue for the CE market, a broad category that includes hundreds of product types, including televisions, audio equipment, cameras and camcorders, video game consoles and home appliances.


Undergraduates: The UK Electronics Skills Foundation has announced industry backing for 60 scholarships for the 2013/14 academic year. The scholarships are available to students studying electronic engineering at any of the 11 UKESF partner universities, all leading UK universities recognised for their strength in electronics teaching and research. The employer funded scholarships run throughout the students' degrees and include annual bursaries, paid work experience placements and sponsorship to attend UKESF professional development courses.


Carbodeon technology, really effective improvements to several physical properties can be made with the addition of small quantities of nanodiamond. We are developing a range of customer applications and are always interested to show manufacturers what benefits can be achieved. We know we have not yet uncovered all the benefits that Carbodeon nanodiamonds can deliver, and are always excited by engaging with customers to investigate new challenges.”


GaN-on-Si White LEDs: Toshiba Electronics Europe (TEE) has unveiled the first devices in its second generation of LETERAS white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) fabricated using a gallium nitride-on- silicon (GaN-on-Si) process. White LEDs have typically been fabricated on expensive sapphire substrates in relatively small 100mm or 150mm wafer sizes. Toshiba has developed a process that enables GaN LEDs to be produced using more cost- effective 200mm silicon wafers, reducing costs by replacing expensive sapphire substrates with more cost-competitive silicon substrates while making use of existing silicon fabrication facilities.


www.cieonline.co.uk


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