u-blox has announced its latest ultra-small, high-performance Bluetooth low energy 5.0 module, the BMD-380. Measuring only 7.5 x 9.5 mm including the ceramic antenna, it features Bluetooth 5.0 specifications, with its long-range protocol suitable for implementing communication in harsh radio environments. It also supports IEEE802.15.4 (Thread and Zigbee). All these features make the BMD-380 high […]
Wireless
LiDAR and Time of Flight, Part 4: Circuitry and advances
LiDAR systems and ToF techniques are critical to providing self-driving cars with a detailed picture of the surrounding and is used in many research applications as well. This is the final part of a four-part series on LiDAR systems and ToF techniques. The high-level block diagram of a LiDAR system inherently glosses over the many […]
LiDAR and Time of Flight, Part 3: Emitters, sensors, and scanners
LiDAR systems and ToF techniques are critical to providing self-driving cars with a detailed picture of the surrounding and is used in many research applications as well. This is part three of a four-part series on LiDAR systems and ToF techniques. At the front end of a LiDAR system is the photon emitter and its […]
LiDAR and Time of Flight, Part 2: Operation
LiDAR systems and ToF techniques are critical to providing self-driving cars with a detailed picture of the surrounding and is used in many research applications as well. This is part two of a four-part series on LiDAR systems and ToF techniques. Just as for radar and sonar, the LiDAR concept is simple but the execution […]
LiDAR and Time of Flight, Part 1: Introduction
LiDAR systems and ToF techniques are critical to providing self-driving cars with a detailed picture of the surrounding and is used in many research applications as well. Many of the major automobile vendors, along with well-known non-auto companies such as Google, are devoting major resources to developing autonomous vehicles (often called “self-driving cars”). These vehicles […]
Wireless MCUs target inexpensive Bluetooth 5.0, Zigbee 3.0, OpenThread apps
STM32WB50 Value Line wireless microcontrollers (MCUs) from STMicroelectronics are a full and pin-compatible derivative of the STM32WB55 System-on-Chip, created to serve cost-sensitive connected devices that need to support Bluetooth 5.0, ZigBee 3.0, or OpenThread. The devices offer a good link budget from 100dB in Bluetooth 5.0 mode up to 104dB in 802.15.4 mode. With the […]
Compact, host-based multiradio module targets autos and industrial devices
u-blox has introduced the new multiradio hardware, the JODY-W2, offering automakers a feature-rich and ultra-compact wireless module that has industry-leading performance specifications. Furthermore, a 13.8mm x 19.8mm footprint allows it to address the acute space constraints that car manufacturers now face, while an operating temperature range spanning from -40ºC up to 105ºC means it also […]
Network transceiver IC implements ASi-5 standard for industrial networks
Renesas Electronics Corporation introduced the ASI4U-V5 ASSP – the industry’s first silicon solution to fully implement the ASi-5 (Actuator Sensor Interface version specification version 5) standard for industrial network equipment. ASi-5 offers superior performance and usability over ASi-3, delivering 1.27 ms cycle time, 200m cable length and 96 slaves per segment. The field-proven ASSP delivers […]
Smart-meter chipset now integrates both RF and PLC communication
Already widely used in smart electricity meters, STMicroelectronic’s ST8500 powerline communication (PLC) chipset now enables smart meters to communicate through existing power cables or radio frequency (RF) waves, combining the strengths of both types of connection. Where power lines may be too noisy for PLC, or where local regulations dictate, equipment makers can now implement wireless […]
Wireless comm ICs cover UHF, ISM bands for smart meter, gas/fire alarm, security system apps
Rohm Group company LAPIS Semiconductor recently announced the availability of a multiband (sub-1GHz/2.4GHz) wireless communication LSI, ML7421, optimized for applications requiring low power consumption over relatively long distances, such as smart meters, gas/fire alarms, smart agriculture, and home/building security systems. LAPIS Semiconductor developed new wireless communication LSI, ML7421, delivering high-performance communication. In addition to covering […]