Embedded Computing Design

As of October 1, 2021, China Mobile required all 5G-enabled mobile phones to support voice services over 5G NR (VoNR). Accordingly, the network operator announced corresponding audio quality test cases. China Mobile relies on the R&S CMX500 radio communication tester from Rohde & Schwarz for 5G VoNR test verification, and the first acceptance tests have already been performed.

Imagination Technologies announced that UNISOC, a fabless semiconductor company, has used Imagination’s Series3NX neural network accelerator (NNA) IP in its Tanggula T770 and T760 system-on-chips (SoCs), its new smartphone 5G platforms. 

Silicon Labs announced that Z-Wave 800 system-on-chips (SoCs) and modules are now available for the Z-Wave smart home and automation ecosystem. Expanding the company’s Series 2 platform, the EFR32ZG23 (ZG23) SoCs and ZGM230S modules provide developers with sub-GHz connectivity for Z-Wave Mesh and Z-Wave Long Range, and can be used for smart home, multi-dwelling units (MDU), hospitality, and lighting applications, supporting both end devices and gateways.

The new Calliope 2 GC02S1 modules are low-cost, low-power, IoT-optimized solutions that support VoLTE and throughput higher than LTE-M for applications including wearables and hearables with music streaming; smart city/smart home IoT devices such as security cameras, alarm panels, and utility meters; and data aggregators that can require throughput up to several megabits per second.

Infineon Technologies AG launched the company’s fifth-generation CAPSENSE™ capacitive and inductive touch sensing human-machine interface (HMI) technology. The enhanced HMI enables advanced solutions like proximity sensing with improved detection range, gesture detection and directivity, and hover detection for tomorrow’s advanced touchscreens.

Sequans Communications S.A., a provider of 5G/4G cellular IoT connectivity solutions, announced the availability of low-power GNSS positioning capability on its Monarch 2 LTE-M/NB-IoT platform. The integrated GNSS solution offers Sequans’ IoT customers accurate positioning with lower power consumption, removing the need for an external positioning chipset for an overall higher performing, lower cost tracking solution.

The new SoC series provides advanced RF signal processing with expanded digital functionality and RF capacity that greatly improves 5G RU performance and energy efficiency. The SoCs are the newest addition to ADI’s RadioVerse ecosystem and combine its Zero IF (ZiF) architecture with significant advances in functional integration and linearization.

Keysight Technologies, Inc., a technology company that delivers design and validation solutions to connect and secure the world, announced that they are first to deliver a complete CTIA authorized 5G mmWave over-the-air (OTA) test system for validating device transceiver performance in a laboratory environment, accelerating the roll-out of wireless connectivity broadband across the U.S.

Link Labs announced the release of its Rechargeable SuperTag IoT device to solve a common problem with asset tracking across various industries — the need to replace batteries when they run out of power. An all-in-one indoor, outdoor, and on-the-road solution, Rechargeable SuperTag can be recharged hundreds of times and can be configured as a hub to scan and uplink data for up to 1,000 Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE) tags.

The Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) has adopted the Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF) secure cloud-connected technology as the foundation for its national Smart Home Platform. This has helped LH to overcome significant IoT security, privacy, and interoperability challenges.

Global mobile data traffic is expected to grow at a six-year Compound Annual Growth Rate of 97%, reaching to 1331 exabyte in 2025, up from 23 exabyte in 2019. This increase in traffic is driving mobile operators to accelerate 5G rollouts, with Massive Multiple Input/Multiple Output (mMIMO) as a key enabler.

RISC-V members ratified the Vector, Scalar Cryptography, and Hypervisor specifications, which will help unlock new opportunities for developers creating RISC-V applications for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), the Internet of Things (IoT), connected and autonomous cars, data centers, and beyond.

STEM fields have long struggled with a lack of diversity. A recent report from Lindström Group highlighted the problem in a microcosm, revealing that just 12% of engineers and 16% of engineering students in the United Kingdom are women.

Customers would like to build their own private 5G networks to take advantage of the reliability, better coverage, lower latency, and higher bandwidth they provide and to be able to scale their networks as they add more devices. But today, most private mobile network deployments require customers to invest considerable time, money, and effort to design their network for anticipated peak capacity and to procure and integrate software and hardware components from multiple vendors.

Infineon Technologies AG announced the AIROC™ IFW56810 Cloud Connectivity Manager (CCM), a solution that supports the AWS IoT ExpressLink standards and specifications. This combined offering enables increased efficiency for companies and end customers to connect products such as industrial sensors, home appliances, irrigation systems, and medical devices to Amazon Web Services (AWS).

The LEC-RB5 SMARC module provides on-device artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, support for up to 6 cameras, and low power consumption. It can power robots and drones in consumer, enterprise, defense, industrial, and logistics sectors.

Expanding the onsemi portfolio of Bluetooth LE enabled solutions, the RSL15 offers security and processing capabilities with smart sensing features.

STMicroelectronics is facilitating advanced security for contact and contactless payment cards, ID cards, and transport ticketing with its latest-generation ST31 secure microcontroller.

Chestnut offers a 4 receive and 4 transmit radio chain architecture, with each radio chain being independently controlled while maintaining phase coherency for applications requiring this functionality. Each radio chain offers 500 MHz of RF bandwidth, resulting in 2 GHz of RF bandwidth capture when all chains are enabled. The tuning range of near-DC to 9 GHz also allows these radio chains to be used for various applications that require wide operating frequencies.

PerSe sensors detect human presence near mobile devices and other consumer electronics and enable advanced Radio Frequency (RF) control when the user is close. Its smart human sensing feature, ultra-low power, and tiny footprint also make it suitable for a range of wearable applications such as gesture control and automation.