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Wearables

Curved, side-mounted capacitive sensor optimized for mobile devices

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Fingerprint Cards AB announces the launch of a new, slim and curved capacitive touch sensor for biometric authentication. Following the success of the FPC1540 sensor, the uniquely curved FPC1542 sensor is set to enable innovation in the latest borderless smartphone designs.

As demand for side-mounted touch sensors grows, the curved sensor offers OEMs enhanced design flexibility while improving user experience with a seamlessly integrated sensor that can double as a power button or volume control, or be used to operate the camera shutter and to scroll. The sensor can be coated in a range of colors to complement the aesthetics of the smartphone design.

FPC1542 expands Fingerprints’ portfolio of capacitive sensors, that are now integrated on the front, back, and side of over 455 different mobile device models.

Fingerprints will start volume shipments in Q4 and expect the first smartphone using FPC1542 to be launched in Q1 2021.

Iridium global satcom system: Brilliant design, terrible business, last-minute reprieve, Part 1

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This worldwide satellite-based communications system went from dream to reality in a decade but quickly failed in the market; its revival took persistence and luck, plus a new customer base.

Business failures of companies with grand schemes and grandiose plans are part of the realities of technology-driven visionaries. Sometimes, however, the project is so large and audacious that its evangelists misread harsh market realities despite astonishing technical success.

This was the case with the Iridium worldwide satellite-based communications system, a bold plan conceived in late 1987 by Bary Bertiger, Raymond J. Leopold, and Ken Peterson, engineers associated with Motorola (which holds the many Iridium patents). Though it is hard to put an exact price on the project, most estimates place the cost between $5 and $10 billion.

At the time, Motorola was among the worldwide leaders in wireless and wireless systems, providing basic voice radios, cellular infrastructure, and advanced systems to police, armed forces, and maritime users. They were a well-known, respected, and well-connected supplier in over 100 countries, with a reputation built over many decades. Without their financial investment and worldwide “influence,” Iridium would never have happened.

What Iridium is

Most people are so used to near-ubiquitous cellular connectivity that they may not fully realize that this is made possible by a cellular “backbone” network, which is invisible to the user. This network includes linked base stations and associated mobile telephone switching offices (MTSO) located as closely as needed to provide the cell coverage (a cell can range from a few blocks in span to tens of miles, depending on locale) (Figure 1). These MTSOs are linked to the base stations they directly serve and to each other and higher-level system management, usually via fiber-optic links or point-to-point microwave links, to manage and hand-off calls as the phone user moves from cell to cell.

The MTSO provides a critical behind-the-scenes function for the cellular phone system; it connects the nearby base stations to each other, to other MTSOs, and the existing landline telephone system. (Image: Tech-Faq)

The problem is that most of the Earth’s surface is covered with water and thus has no base stations or MTSOs; further, the maximum size of a base station is about 10 miles across (but many are far smaller, of course, and some are larger). There are also large, barely inhabited areas (the poles or deserts, for example), where base stations and MTSOs are not technically practical or financially viable; the Antarctic’s scientific stations are in this group.

The alternative to a cellular stem is conventional radio, but this has erratic connections due to atmospheric propagation issues, interference, electrical noise, and channel crowding due to too many users. Another possibility is a link to a geosynchronous satellite, but this has problems due to round-trip latency of about 250 msec and satellite visibility (which decreases as you get closer to either of Earth’s poles). There is a basic ship-to-shore radio and even a specialized satellite system (Inmarsat). Still, these are used primarily for low-rate weather updates, bulletins, or critical emergency messages, not ongoing, real-time conversations, and use carefully aimed dish antennas of about a meter diameter.

The Iridium system was designed to overcome all of the weaknesses of conventional radio, geosynchronous satellite links, geographical location, and travel while in use. The idea was to set up a system which would allow cellular-like connectivity (voice and even data) from anywhere on the globe—and they did mean anywhere.

The next part of this article looks at the plan and implementation of the Iridium system.

EE World Content

Iridium Satellite Connectivity Added to Versatile ConnectPort X5 R Rugged Gateway
DeLorme Unveils Plans for Iridium-Based Two-Way Satellite Communicator
Basics of GPS receivers
GPS, Part 2: Implementation
GPS, Part 1: Basic principles

External References

  1. “Eccentric Orbits: The Iridium Story,” John Bloom, Atlantic Monthly Press, 2016.
  2. “Iridium Will Host Science Payloads,” IEEE Spectrum, Nov. 30, 2009
  3. “The Collision of Iridium 33 and Cosmos 2251,”Aerospace, December 10, 2015
  4. “A guide to useful, useless, official and unofficial Iridium websites”
  5. “The Rise and Fall and Rise of Iridium,” Air & Space Magazine, September 2004
  6. “Iridium ends legacy satellite service, switches all traffic to Next fleet,” Space News, February 2019
  7. “SpaceX completes Iridium Next constellation,” Space News, January 11, 2019
  8. “Iridium starting to deorbit legacy satellites as Next constellation comes online,” Space News, May 1, 2017
  9. “Elon Musk’s Ambitious Communication Project to Ring Earth with 40,000 Satellites,” News18, Sept 19, 2020
  10. Wikipedia, “Starlink”
  11. “Starlink: SpaceX’s satellite internet project,” com, January 17, 2020
  12. Thales Group, “Happy Birthday Iridium Next,” January 14, 2020
  13. PhoneIsMobile, “Iridium Satellite Phone”
  14. Wikipedia, “Iridium satellite constellation”
  15. Wikipedia, “Inmarsat”
  16. Wikipedia, “Thuraya”
  17. Wikipedia, “Globalstar”

Health sensor kit cuts development time for wearables

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Save at least six months of development time using the Health Sensor Platform 3.0 (HSP 3.0) from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. Also known as MAXREFDES104#, this ready-to-wear wrist form factor reference design monitors blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), electrocardiogram (ECG), heart rate (HR), body temperature, and motion. Included algorithms provide HR, heart-rate variability (HRV), respiration rate (RR), SpO2, body temperature, sleep quality, and stress level information at clinical-grade levels. It allows wearable designers to start collecting data immediately, saving at least six months over building these devices from scratch. Designed for wrist-based form factors, HSP 3.0 can be adapted for other dry electrode form factors such as chest patches and smart rings.

Compared to its industry-leading predecessor, Health Sensor Platform 2.0 (HSP 2.0), the HSP 3.0 adds optical SpO2 measurement and dry-electrode capability to the ECG. As a result, it can enable end solutions to monitor cardiac heart and respiratory issues for the management of ailments like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), infectious diseases (e.g. COVID-19), sleep apnea, and atrial fibrillation (AFib). Compared to its predecessor, the narrower form factor and enhanced optical architecture of HSP 3.0 improves signal acquisition quality and uses upgraded microcontroller, power, security, and sensing ICs. The reference design includes complete optical and electrode designs, along with algorithms to meet clinical requirements.

Maxim Integrated is at the forefront of the wearable healthcare and remote patient monitoring revolution, enabling personalized healthcare as well as better predictive and preventive healthcare solutions. Medical professionals and end-users are using the wealth of health insights from these wearables. They can more proactively manage chronic conditions, diagnose acute conditions like COVID-19, and also improve preventive care and overall well-being. As more sensing modalities are included in wearables, device developers can take advantage of multiple measurements to improve the accuracy of the actionable insights that are being provided to users.

HSP 3.0 or MAXREFDES104# includes the following sensor, power management, microcontroller, and algorithm products:

  • MAX86176: Lowest-noise optical photoplethysmography (PPG) and electrical ECG analog front end (AFE), which offers 110dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) to add SpO2 saturation capability and over 110dB common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR) for dry electrode ECG applications. The device enables synchronous acquisition of PPG and ECG measurements, even with independent sample rates, providing pulse transit time for cardiac health use cases.
  • MAX20360: Highly integrated power and battery management power management IC (PMIC) optimized for advanced body-worn health sensing devices. It includes Maxim Integrated’s high-accuracy ModelGauge m5 EZ fuel gauge, a sophisticated haptic driver, and a unique low-noise buck-boost converter that maximizes SNR and minimizes power used for optical bio-sensing.
  • MAX32666: Bluetooth (BLE)-enabled, ultra-low-power microcontroller with two Arm Cortex-M4F cores and an additional SmartDMA which permits running the BLE stack independently, leaving the two main cores available for major tasks. Moreover, the microcontroller integrates an entire security suite and error-correcting code (ECC) on the memories to significantly increase the system’s robustness.
  • MAX32670: Ultra-low-power microcontroller dedicated to Maxim Integrated’s world-class PPG algorithms of pulse rate, SpO2, HRV, RR, sleep quality monitoring, and stress monitoring. It can be configured either as a sensor hub to support firmware and algorithms or as an algorithm hub to support multiple algorithms. The MAX32670 seamlessly enables customer-desired sensor functionality, including managing the MAX86176 PPG and ECG sensor AFE as well as delivering either raw or calculated data to the outside world.
  • MAX30208: The low-power, high-accuracy digital temperature sensor comes in a small package size of 2mm x 2mm. It has a 33 percent lower operating current compared to the closest competitive solution. It reads the temperature on the top of the package and can be mounted on a flex cable or PCB, making it easier to design into wearables. With an accuracy of 0.1-degrees Celsius, the MAX30208 meets clinical temperature requirements.

Key Advantages include: Saves at least six months in development time; Accuracy meets regulatory requirements for SpO2 and ambulatory ECG (IEC 60601-2-47); Addresses the needs of advanced health wearables with SpO2, ECG, HR, HRV, RR, body temperature and motion; Empowers designers to innovate with complete access to source code and design files

HSP 3.0, also known as MAXREFDES104#, is available with hardware, firmware, and algorithms for $400 at Maxim Integrated’s website

Tiny MEMs resonators integrate load capacitors

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SiTime Corporation announced that it has entered the $2 billion precision resonator market with the ApexMEMS family of MHz resonators. These new devices are the third-generation of SiTime silicon MEMS technology and are available in a variety of MHz frequencies for high-volume electronics. Mobile and IoT applications such as Bluetooth wearables and wearables, high-speed connectivity interfaces, asset-tracking, as well as microcontrollers, can take advantage of the 85% space savings, integration, consistent performance, resilience, and reliability that are offered by ApexMEMS resonators.
 
According to estimates by Dedalus Consulting and SiTime, the resonator market is $3 billion in size and consists of three product categories – approximately $2 billion of precision resonators, $400 million of ceramic resonators, and $600M of SAW resonators. By 2024, industry analysts and SiTime estimate that 25 to 30 billion precision resonators will be sold, driven by the growth of connectivity in mobile-IoT, industrial-IoT, automotive, and industrial electronics. It is expected that up to 30% of these resonators will need to be very small, offer higher performance, and be easily integrated into system-in-packages and modules. This high-value market is one use case for ApexMEMS resonators. 
 
For integration into standard IC packages and modules, ApexMEMS resonators are available as a silicon die. Co-packaging these resonators with high-performance semiconductors such as Bluetooth chips and microcontrollers gives customers a significant system and development advantage. 
 
When using a quartz resonator, engineers face numerous challenges. Significant effort goes into matching the oscillator circuit with the resonator in the presence of unknown board parasitics. Without proper matching, performance may be suboptimal, and device startup at cold temperatures may be impacted. This situation gets even more complicated due to performance variations that are inherent in quartz resonators. An integrated ApexMEMS solution solves these challenges, reduces development time, simplifies manufacturing, and boosts system performance, reliability, and resilience. 
 
ApexMEMS resonators offer similar advantages in standalone applications. Integrated load capacitors help reduce the system size through the elimination of discrete passive components. Board layout and routing is simplified considerably, especially in space-constrained mobile-IoT applications. With the closer placement of the resonator to the semiconductor device, system performance is greatly improved.  
 
ApexMEMS-based timing solutions deliver up to seven times better phase noise performance at half the power than our previous generation. At a tiny 0.42 mm x 0.42 mm size, the ApexMEMS resonators are 85% smaller than a typical quartz resonator, and also integrate the load capacitors. These new resonators provide stability as good as ±20 ppm while delivering superior reliability and best-in-class environmental resilience, like other SiTime devices. ApexMEMS resonators operate reliably at temperatures as high as 125oC, a useful feature when integrated inside plastic packages.  
 
ApexMEMS resonators are sampling now to select high-volume customers. For more information, visit www.sitime.com/products/resonators.

MCUs integrate configurable analog/digital peripherals, mixed-signal development environment

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Sensor-based Internet of Things (IoT) applications rely on a combination of analog functionality and digital control capability to meet a challenging list of requirements including low cost, small size, performance, and low power. Addressing this challenge through a focus on increased microcontroller (MCU) integration, Microchip Technology Inc. announced the PIC18-Q41 and AVR DB MCU families that are the first to combine advanced analog peripherals and multi-voltage operation with inter-peripheral connections for increased system integration and reduced signal acquisition times and offer the convenience and efficiency of operating in a single design environment.

To address the need for signal conditioning in space-constrained sensing and measuring applications such as IoT end nodes and industrial, medical devices, wearables, automotive and lighting systems, the PIC18-Q41 MCU has a configurable Operational Amplifier (Op-Amp) and Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) with computation and Digital-to-Analog Converters (DACs). It is particularly well-suited for IoT and large-scale artificial intelligence (AI) at-the-edge, including predictive maintenance edge nodes in a smart factory. Offered in compact 14- and 20-pin packages, the PIC18-Q41 MCU also makes a good companion to Microchip’s 32-bit MCUs and other controllers that require analog integration.

Mixed-signal IoT systems often include multiple power domains, and the AVR DB MCU simplifies the challenges of these designs while reducing cost by integrating true bi-directional level shifters. This feature lowers cost in a wide range of applications including automotive, appliances, HVAC, and liquid measurement. The addition of three independent and highly configurable Op-Amps, a 12-bit differential ADC, 10-bit DAC, three zero-cross detectors and Core Independent Peripherals (CIPs) makes the AVR DB MCU ideal for virtually any application involving analog signal conditioning and processing functions.

The PIC18-Q41 and AVR DB MCU product families are supported by Microchip’s MPLAB X Integrated Development Environment (IDE), it’s MPLAB Code Configurator (MCC), and the MPLAB Mindi Analog Simulator. MCC is a free software plug-in that provides a graphical interface to configure peripherals and functions specific to an application. In addition to MCC, the AVR DB is supported by Atmel START, Atmel Studio, and third-party tools such as IAR and the GCC C compiler. MCC and START help analog and digital designers easily configure an Op-Amp system for various typical use cases through a graphical user interface with no coding required.

Both MCU families offer a compact, cost-effective development board with programming and debugging capabilities: the PIC18F16Q41 Curiosity Nano Evaluation Kit (EV26Q64A) and the AVR DB Curiosity Nano Evaluation Kit (EV35L43A). Quick start guides for the PIC MCU and the AVR MCU are available to start projects immediately.

The PIC18-Q41 and AVR DB MCUs are offered in a range of memory sizes, packages, and price points. The PIC18-Q41 pricing starts at $0.65 in 10,000-unit quantities. The AVR DB pricing starts at $0.95 in 10,000-unit quantities.

Digital I2S outputs added to MEMS microphone line

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CUI Devices’ Audio Group announced the addition of digital I2S output models to its comprehensive line of MEMS microphones. The bottom port CMM-3526D-261-I2S-TR and top port CMM-4030D-261-I2S-TR are housed in extremely compact, low profile packages measuring 3.50 x 2.65 x 0.98 mm and 4.00 x 3.00 x 1.25 mm, respectively. Thanks to their digital I2S interface, these MEMS microphones eliminate the need for a codec, allowing for the microphones to connect directly to digital signal processors and microcontrollers in an end application. This component savings and simplified integration make these digital I2S MEMS microphones ideal for audio recording and voice capture in space-constrained designs such as smartphones, tablets, smart home devices, wearables, and more.

Both microphones are omnidirectional and feature -26 dB sensitivity ratings, operating frequencies from 100 to 10,000 Hz, and current consumption of 400 microamps (µA). The CMM-3526D-261-I2S-TR further carries a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 64 dBA, while the CMM-4030D-261-I2S-TR offers an SNR of 59 dBA.

As reflow solder compatible components, these digital I2S MEMS microphones afford designers additional flexibility where surface mount assembly is required. Both I2S models are also well suited for array applications used to perform beamforming and noise cancelation functions due to their tight sensitivity tolerances of ±1 dB.

The CMM-3526D-261-I2S-TR and CMM-4030D-261-I2S-TR are available immediately with prices starting at $1.59 per unit at 500 pieces through distribution. Please contact CUI Devices for OEM pricing.

Configurable sensor fusion software platform adds high-precision sensing to wearables

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MotionEngine HearCEVA, Inc. introduced the Hillcrest Labs MotionEngine Hear, a sensor, and processor agnostic embedded software solution for hearable devices.

System-on-Chip (SoC) vendors, OEMs and ODMs can utilize MotionEngine Hear to deliver a frictionless user interface, gesture control, activity tracking and spatial audio for a range of smart personal audio devices, including true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds, audio headsets, hearing aids, and AR glasses. The software is offered for the CEVA-BX1 and CEVA-BX2 DSPs, Arm Cortex-M series and RISC-V cores that are incorporated in a broad range of Bluetooth SoCs and MCUs targeted for hearable devices. MotionEngine Hear supports a broad range of commercial accelerometers, gyroscopes and proximity sensors from the leading sensor suppliers including STMicroelectronics, Bosch-Sensortec, TDK InvenSense, and others.

MotionEngine Hear offers a large portfolio of sensor-based user interface, gesture and activity tracking features, including tap, in-ear detection, step counter, walk/run/still activity classifiers and head-tracking to enable spatial audio applications. The software has been extensively stress-tested and was benchmarked against a leading OEM’s TWS earbuds, outperforming the incumbent solution for key features including tap and double-tap accuracy and in-ear detection.

The demand for TWS earbuds and other hearable devices continues to soar, with WiFore Wireless Consulting forecasting that more than 630 million devices are expected to ship by 2025. In Qualcomm’s recently published “State of Play Report 2020”, context awareness is identified as a key area of interest by consumers for wireless headphones and earbuds, enabling longer battery life and a better user experience through automatic adaptation to the current user activity or device state. The MotionEngine Hear software delivers sensor-based features that are essential to these context-aware devices, while requiring sub-milliamp level power draw for the whole system.

MotionEngine Hear is offered in two versions, both of which are flexible to meet customer requirements:

  • MotionEngine Hear Core
    • Enables context awareness with activity classification, including walking, running and still
    • Offers improved UI control with tap and double tap
    • Controls playback and saves power with accelerometer-only in-ear detection
    • Tracks fitness activity with step counter, activity detection, and distance and calorie estimates
    • Sensor requirement: accelerometer-only
  • MotionEngine Hear Premium – includes all the features of Core version, in addition to:
    • Essential support for spatial audio with highly accurate 3D head-tracking
    • Advanced in-ear detection using accelerometer and/or proximity detection
    • Sensor requirement: accelerometer, gyroscope and proximity sensor

MotionEngine Hear is available for licensing today.

 

Bluetooth modules now run IoT security middleware

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MCU embedded Bluetooth Module with VitaNet SuiteMurata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. has completed compatibility verification of the MCU embedded Bluetooth Module with VitaNet Suite, the secure IoT platform that VitaNet, Inc. will begin offering in July 2020.

The industrial IoT, also known as Industry 4.0, has been grappling with the challenge of dramatically improving productivity. In the COVID-19 world more than ever, cloud-based remote and secure control over industrial IoT without the need for a highly trained workforce has become a must. However, the need for manual work in order to securely operate the industrial IoT has been a persistent problem. VitaNet Suite provides a breakthrough in this regard by allowing IP network cloud control over non-IP Bluetooth IoT devices.

Incorporating the Murata Module and VitaNet Suite into Bluetooth Low Energy IoT devices, Murata has achieved the world’s first automated identification and authentication (for automated device pairing), thereby enabling secure and remote IoT device control including remote alive monitoring and automated data collection. Attaching a QR code that contains device information on pumps, motors, and other industrial components eliminates the need for the LCD panel and operation buttons previously required for Bluetooth operation and management. The Murata Module makes the conversion of industrial components into secure IoT devices more cost-effective than ever.

VitaNet Suite is a platform service consisting of middleware that runs on each gateway and IoT device together with protocol conversion support from the cloud. VitaNet’s patented technology converts protocols between IP networks and non-IP Bluetooth, making possible the connection of hundreds of IoT devices with secure two-way encrypted communication via a single gateway for the first time ever. There is no theoretical limit to the number of IoT devices that a gateway can accommodate.

VitaNet-equipped IoT devices do not emit any radio signals during standby, which ensures privacy and prevents congestion in the 2.4GHz band. In addition, VitaNet equipped IoT devices support smartphone applications as before with improved UX design.

VitaNet Suite SDK is compliant with the Bluetooth standards and utilizes Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) Security Mode 1 Level 4 which is difficult to verify and tends to increase development time and cost. The SDK features an easy-to-understand API that follows the programming flow to make it easy to develop applications for the product and the gateway.

The IP network controls the secure authentication of both IoT devices and the gateway, using VitaNet’s software authentication key for authentication and pairing. This is the first time in the industry that security and pairing have been automated and integrated with AES-128 packet encryption supported by the Bluetooth standard.2. Enabling IT networks to securely manage and control Bluetooth IoT devices

Incorporating the Murata Module allows encrypted two-way communication with IoT devices to be performed from a cloud server, enabling secure remote control and management of large numbers of IoT devices, including alive monitoring, automatic data collection, and other operational tasks.

Murata has applied its expertise in communication module design and manufacturing to further miniaturize the Murata Module, thereby contributing to the design of high-density electronic circuits and the increasing compactness of IoT devices.

When used together with VitaNet Suite, it is possible to identify IoT device IDs with a QR code and authenticate IoT devices with the VitaNet software authentication key. This eliminates the need to install an LCD panel or operation buttons as a user interface, allowing the Murata Module to be installed in pumps and motors that conventionally do not have interfaces for manual operation.

Dual-photodetector optical sensor module in 0.88mm package enables thinner wearable designs

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Maxim Integrated Products’ MAXM86146 dual-photodetector optical sensor drop-in module includes built-in algorithms for heart-rate and oxygen-saturation (SpO2) monitoring, as well as advanced activity classification. Its small size and ease of design enable innovative biosensing features in less space and support the rapid development of accurate, continuous health-monitoring devices.

The MAXM86146 offers designers of advanced wearable products the ability to achieve a 45 percent thinner optical design versus a discrete approach. Additionally, the module offers ready-to-use biosensing algorithms that measure vital signs to the most rigorous medical standards, allowing even more time to develop market-differentiating features. It saves designers up to six months in bringing new products to market and provides extra time and space to expand functionality.

The revolution in wearable health monitors is gaining momentum as it provides unprecedented access to health insights which help medical professionals and end-users proactively manage preventative care needs and chronic conditions. Developers strive to continue this momentum by creating innovative solutions to provide deeper insight into health conditions and open doors to improve wellness. 

The MAXM86146CFU+ is available at Maxim’s website for $84 (1000-up, FOB USA); also available from authorized distributors. The MAXM86146EVSYS# evaluation kit is available for $150

 

GNSS firewall software detects jamming/spoofing in real time

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BlueSky GNSS FirewalCritical infrastructure systems including power utilities, financial services, mobile networks and transportation rely on Global Positioning System (GPS)-delivered timing to ensure ongoing operations. Microchip Technology Inc. announced the release of a major software update for its BlueSky GNSS Firewall product, providing a higher level of resiliency against GPS vulnerabilities for systems dependent on GPS signal reception.

Microchip’s BlueSky GNSS Firewall Software Release 2.0 performs real-time analysis to detect jamming and spoofing for protecting reception of the GPS signal and hardening response and recovery to avoid signal disruption. BlueSky GNSS Firewall Software Release 2.0 includes charting and advanced threshold settings of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) observables such as satellites-in-view, carrier-to-noise, position dispersion, phase time deviation and radio frequency (RF) power level to simplify system turn-up and deployment.

BlueSky GNSS Firewall Software Release 2.0 includes improvements developed by Microchip as a result of participation in an industry live-sky testing event hosted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate and open to all providers. Microchip’s participation in the DHS-hosted GPS Testing for Critical Infrastructure (GET-CI) events, with scenarios including spoofed signals, has helped the company to identify new solutions to prevent signal disruptions. As a result of 2019 live-sky testing and other input, Microchip developed the BlueSky GNSS Firewall Software Release 2.0 to address operators’ evolving requirements.

As a leader in frequency and time systems, Microchip continuously innovates GPS signal reception security technologies for commercial and military operators similar to how network firewalls protect against virus threats. Updates are essential to defend against rapidly-evolving GNSS disruptions and enable critical infrastructure operators to avoid interruptions of service.

Microchip’s BlueSky GNSS Firewall Software Release 2.0 is provided as part of a subscription service and is installed on the BlueSky GNSS Firewall device. When connected to Microchip’s TimePictra management software, critical infrastructure operators also can monitor and analyze GNSS signals in cities, across geographic regions, throughout a country and even globally.

Other complementary devices and software in Microchip’s suite of GPS systems and services include the TimeProviderÒ 4100 Precise Timing Grandmaster with Gateway Clock, SyncServer 600/650 timing and frequency instrument, miniature atomic clock (MAC), Time Cesium and 5071A cesium primary frequency standard.