ELECTRONICS INFORMATION UPDATE

An affiliated Mouser Magazine

EUROPE | March 2017

Health & Wearables;

Movement & Sensing

PLUS

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Latest Industry News
Latest Mouser News
This months videos
New Products:
Information and Overview

FEATURES
Beyond Lithium-Ion:
Future Battery Concepts
What wireless standard
for automation at home?
USB Type-C for
Industrial Applications
Order now at
ELECTRONICS INFORMATION UPDATE

Welcome to your new look Mousers Electronics Information Update.

We hope youll find it packed with information.

In this issue...
INDUSTRY NEWS MOUSER NEWS

Wolfspeed purchase blocked; GSI Technology memory agreement; Beyond Lithium-Ion:

ST Micro joins vehicle initiative; Mouser outpaces market; Future Battery Concepts
Stretchables maturing Amphenol award

Page 4 Page 8 Page 10

VIDEOS

Health and wearables, Solder On plus Grant Imahara on What wireless standard for
movement and sensing Essence of Autonomy automation at home?

Page 12 Page 14 Page 16

NEW PRODUCTS

 SB Type-C for Industrial

U NPI from across our
Applications franchise base

Page 19 Page 22

Published by Ten Digit Ltd. For Editorial and Advertising, contact Nick Foot at nick.foot@bwwcomms.com

www.mouser.com << previous page | next page >> March 2017 3

NEWS MOUSER NEWS FEATURES NEW PRODUCTS

Infineons Purchase of Wolfspeed Blocked

Crees sale of its Wolfspeed power and RF division to Infineon
has been blocked by the Committee on Foreign Investment in
the United States (CFIUS) on the grounds of national security.
Despite Infineon and Crees attempts to fine tune the deal to
appease the CFIUS, a satisfactory solution was not reached,
so the $850 million dollar deal has been called off. As a result,
Infineon has to pay Cree a USD $12.5 million termination fee.
Cree will now work on reintegrating Wolfspeed.
We are disappointed that the Wolfspeed sale to Infineon could
not be completed, stated Chuck Swoboda, Cree chairman
and CEO, in a statement. In light of this development, we
are going to shift our focus back to growing the Wolfspeed
business. The Wolfspeed business has performed well this
year as our customers have further realised the value of our
unique technology and is on a great path as a part of Cree.
The strength of our balance sheet and improving operating
cash flow gives us the ability to invest in Wolfspeed, while
continuing to pursue our LED and Lighting growth plans.
The transaction was originally agreed back in July 2016.
Infineons interest in Wolfspeeds silicon carbide (SiC) substrate
business stemmed from a desire to become the outright leader
in SiC power semiconductors and RF power components.
Combined with Crees strategy, which called for increased focus
on its LED lighting business, it seemed like a perfect match.
Its unclear exactly why CFIUS blocked the deal, but Wolfspeeds
SiC and GaN RF and RF power technology is currently aimed
squarely at radar, satellite and military communications
applications, alongside commercial telecoms equipment and
the energy industry. The companys SiC and GaN-on-SiC
technology enables small, lightweight SiC components and
PCBs and highly efficient GaN components and amplifiers.
Infineon said at the time that they were interested in
Wolfspeeds technology for cellular infrastructure, electro-
mobility and renewable energy generation, but it seems this
technology was just too good for the US to lose.

Qualcomm-TDK Joint Venture Targets 5G RF

Qualcomms $3bn-US dollar
joint venture with TDK has
launched as a new entity
which will supply RF front
end modules and filters for
mobile devices, automotive
and IoT applications. The
new company, RF360,
combines Qualcomms RF
front end components with
SAW filter technology from
EPCOS, a wholly-owned
subsidiary of TDK.
For the future, Qualcomm
RF360s technology portfolio
will include surface acoustic
wave (SAW), temperature-
compensated surface
acoustic wave (TC-SAW)
and bulk acoustic wave
(BAW) filter technologies
from TDK-EPCOS, alongside
power amplifiers, switches,
antenna tuning, low noise
amplifiers (LNAs) and
envelope tracking solutions
from Qualcomm.
While RF360 is registered as
a Singapore corporation, it
will have R&D, manufacturing
and/or sales operations in
both Europe and Asia, with
its official headquarters in
Munich, employing around
4000 people worldwide.
RF360 will be led by former
the former CTO of EPCOS,
Christian Block, who has
recently been serving as
General Manager of TDKs
SAW business group; in his
new role, Block will serve
as Senior Vice President
The new company
will address mobile
manufacturers desire to
integrate and miniaturise RF
front end systems, which is
becoming harder now that
there are so many frequency
bands in use worldwide.
With the advent of 5G,
these systems will become
even more complex, so
an offering that increases
integration could be
extremely successful.

and TDK are planning on and General Manager of

Qualcomms RF front end
For the future, Qualcomm
and TDK are planning on
deeper collaborations. business unit, which includes
responsibility for RF360.
deeper collaborations (and
possibly even further joint
ventures); Qualcomms
eventual plan with RF360
RF360s HQ in Munich
is to be able to supply
everything from the modem
or transceiver all the way to
the antenna in a completely
integrated RF system.

As 5G is adopted in fast-
growing segments like
mobile communications,
drones and robotics, the
market for these integrated
RF systems will continue
to expand.

4 March 2017 < contents << previous page | next page >> www.mouser.com

Dialog Brings
Entirely New
Wireless Charging
Scheme to Market
Dialog Semiconductor has
released its first WattUp
wireless charging IC, the
DA4100 RF power transmitter
ASIC, which works on an
entirely different technology
to existing inductive charging
or resonant frequency
charging techniques. Dialog
partnered with WattUps
original developer Energous
at the end of last year to
bring the companys WattUp
wireless charging technology
to the market.
WattUp uses radio frequencies
in the 5.850 to 5.875GHz
band to send energy through
the air via small PCB antennas
(or antenna arrays).
www.mouser.com
NEW PRODUCTS
This system can send
power to more than one
portable device at a time,
and the devices dont have
to be in any particular
position or orientation like
existing systems which use
relatively large metal coils in
fixed charging mats or pads.
With WattUp, power can
be transmitted across
relatively large distances
of a few metres (up to
15 feet).
The DA4100 is based
on an ARM Cortex-M0+
core combined with an
Energous RF transmitter in
the same chip, measuring
7 x 7mm.
< contents << previous page | next page >>
FEATURES MOUSER NEWS
Dialog and Energous have released an
RF charging chip for portable devices
Dialogs SmartBond
Bluetooth Low Energy
solution is used as the out-
of-band communications
channel between the
wireless transmitter and
receiver, allowing devices
to communicate with the
transmitter in order to initiate
or terminate charging.
Dialogs power management
technology is then used
to distribute power from
the WattUp receiver IC to
the rest of the device while
Dialogs AC-DC Rapid Charge
power conversion technology
delivers power to the wireless
transmitter. Evaluation kits are
also available.
As part of the partnership
deal, Dialog has invested $10
million in Energous in order to
become the sole component-
level supplier of WattUp
technology.
NEWS
The deal allows Dialog to
insert its power management
technology into every
WattUp-enabled device,
while Energous gets access to
Dialogs well-established sales
and distribution channels to
accelerate market adoption.
If this technology can do what
Dialog and Energous claim it
can, its a breakthrough for
wireless charging technology,
which has so far struggled
to be adopted in significant
numbers. Energous vision is
a WattUp transmitter inside a
mains connected device such
as a TV, which charges all
the mobile phones, tablets,
wearables and other small
battery-powered devices in a
typical living room, without
any consumer involvement at
all. This could revolutionise the
way consumers charge their
devices and how they think
about charging in general.
March 2017 5
NEWS MOUSER NEWS FEATURES NEW PRODUCTS

Stretchable Electronics Is Maturing Rapidly - Analysts

Stretchable
electronics could
be coming to a
garment, wearable
device or piece of
furniture near you,
and sooner than
you may think.

Stretchable electronics technologies and their relative levels of commercialisation (Source: IDTechEx)

A new report from British
analyst firm IDTechEx
(Stretchable Electronics
2017-2027) details various
technologies approaching
commercialisation in the next
decade, including conductive
inks, conductive yarns and
e-textiles, smart skins (ultra-
thin circuits applied directly
to the skin for medical
applications) and injection-
moulded electronics
embedded in flexible plastic.
These technologies will bring
electronics to places they
havent been before.
A prime application is
medical; electronics can be
added to bandages, hospital
gowns, skin patches, or
even bed sheets. Robotics
is also set to benefit from
stretchable electronic skin.
According to the analysts,
a major paradigm shift
towards novel form factors
has been in the making for
more than a decade, but is
only now beginning to make
a substantial commercial
impact.
The report argues that while
electronic devices already
seem ubiquitous, to become
even more so, they need to
integrate into other types of
objects and will therefore
require different form factors.
And while stretchable
electronics has until now been
seen as a solution without
a problem, the trend for
integrating electronics into
the structure of the objects
around us (rather than simply
being groups of components
in boxes) will rely on this
technology.
The analysts say winning
stretchable technologies are
set to emerge in 3-5 years.

ST Micro Joins Vehicle Charging
Standardisation Initiative
ST Microelectronics has joined CharIN, the Charging Interface
Initiative, whose mission is to develop and establish the
Combined Charging System (CCS) as the standard way of
charging electric vehicles. Founded by Audi, BMW, Daimler,
Porsche, Volkswagen and others (including connector
manufacturer Phoenix Contact), this standard already has
the backing of most of the major vehicle OEMs.
CharIN says its system covers all charging scenarios in
a single system, including slow or fast charging modes
supplying AC or DC power. AC charging can be slower
single-phase or faster three-phase in nature, supplying
up to 43kW.
The DC option is much higher power it can currently
supply up to 200kW, but 350kW is planned for future
implementations of the standard.
There are four connector types: type 1 is for single-phase
AC charging in the USA, type 2 is for single or three-phase
AC charging in Europe, combo 1 is for AC and high-power
DC charging in the USA (compatible with type 1) and
combo 2 is for AC and high-power DC charging in Europe
(compatible with type 2).

CCS also specifies charging control using powerline

communication (PLC) technology, and safety measures
which use a pulse-width modulation (PWM) scheme;
these are consistent for worldwide type 1 and 2 systems.
There is also functionality for user authentication, payment
authorisation and load balancing.
CCS includes four main connector types for vehicle charging

6 March 2017 < contents << previous page | next page >> www.mouser.com
 The widest selection of the newest products.
Over 4 million products from over 600 manufacturers.

Authorised distributor of semiconductors

and electronic components for design engineers.

Mouser and Mouser Electronics are registered trademarks of Mouser Electronics, Inc. Other products, logos, and company names mentioned herein, may be trademarks of their respective owners.
NEWS MOUSER NEWS FEATURES
Mouser now offers
four series of memory
products from GSI
Technology
Mouser has announced a global distribution agreement
with GSI Technology, developers of a broad range of
high-performance memory products for networking,
military, medical, automotive, and other applications.
GSI Technologys static random access memory (SRAM)
products utilize world-class, low-power 0.25 micron to 40
nanometer CMOS process technologies. Many GSI products
are specifically recommended for use with a variety of host
devices, such as network processors and FPGAs.
The GSI Technology product line available from Mouser
Electronics consists of four series of memory products
that combine capacity and performance, offering
unequaled transaction rates. GSIs SigmaQuad SRAMs
are synchronous memories with separate read and write
data buses that can transfer four beats of data (as two
beats per data bus) in a single clock cycle. SigmaQuad
memories are compatible with other quad data rate SRAMs
in the industry and are ideal for applications that alternate
between read and write operations frequently, at operating
speeds up to 1333 MHz. GSIs SigmaDDR SRAMs are
synchronous memories with a common read and write data
bus. SigmaDDR memories transfer two beats of data on
the data bus in a single clock cycle and are compatible with
competitor double data rate SRAMs.
GSI Technologys No Bus Turnaround (NBT ) devices are
synchronous, burst-capable memories that require no
turnaround cycles (i.e., idle clock cycles between a read
and write operation). The devices simplified interface is
designed to use a data buss maximum bandwidth. The
GSI NBT portfolio is available from Mouser in 144Mbit
and 288Mbit densities by 18- and 36-bit widths. GSIs
SyncBurst SRAMs are synchronous burst devices that
provide a burst of two to four words (typical) in response to
a single command. Both the NBT and SyncBurst devices are
ideal for military, industrial, networking, automotive, and
medical imaging applications.
http://www.mouser.com/gsi-technology/.
8 March 2017 < contents << previous page | next page >>
NEW PRODUCTS
Mouser Receives
Top Distribution
Award from
Amphenol SV
Microwave
Mouser has been honoured with the 2016 Business
Development Award by Amphenol SV Microwave, a
leader in the radio frequency (RF) microwave industry.
Mouser carries a full line of Amphenol SV Microwave RF
connectors, cable assemblies and passive components.
The Business Development Award recognizes Mouser
for identifying and pursuing new markets, customers
and distribution opportunities for Amphenol SV
Microwave products. The award is based on customer
reach, continued growth, and increased mindshare and
engagement efforts among other factors.
Amphenol SV Microwave considers Mouser Electronics
not only an outstanding distributor but also our strategic
partner, and we are very pleased to recognize the
Mouser team for its stellar efforts on behalf of our
products, said Andrew Dinsdale, Director of Marketing,
Amphenol SV Microwave.
We are very grateful to be recognized with this
important award from a company with the status and
reputation of Amphenol SV Microwave, said Krystal
Jackson, Mouser Vice President of Corporate Supplier
Management. Amphenol SV Microwave is a valued
partner, and we look forward to many years of very
productive partnership.
http://www.mouser.com/svmicrowave/.
www.mouser.com
 NEW PRODUCTS
Design focus ensures Mouser
continues to outpace market
NPI Distributor starts year with 20%
increase in Europe; globally revenues
exceed $1B.
Mousers business in Europe for the first quarter of 2017 has
increased by 20% over the same quarter in the previous year.
In 2016, the companys global revenues exceeded $1B, with
the EMEA region contributing just over $280M, in excess of
25% of the companys activity.
Speaking at the Embedded World Conference in Nuremburg,
Germany, Mark Burr-Lonnon, Senior Vice President, EMEA,
Asia and Global Service, Mouser Electronics Inc commented:
I am pleased to say that in under 10 years we have
successfully become a truly global company. It is especially
gratifying that business is strong everywhere in Europe,
showing that each country is playing a full part in a vibrant
design scene. No one particular market sector dominates,
but of course, as the Internet of Things emerges into real
applications Industry 4.0, connected auto, smart home,
wearables, remote metering, medical diagnostics we see
that it results in significant new designs. The maker movement
is also growing in strength, as it becomes affordable to
produce prototypes using 3D printing and crowd-sourced
expertise, which is turning into real business.
www.mouser.com < contents << previous page | next page >>
FEATURES MOUSER NEWS NEWS
Having a large,
freely-available
stock of the latest
parts is crucial.
Explaining why Mouser continues to expand at rates
significantly higher than other distributors, Burr-Lonnon
emphasized the importance of inventory: Oddly enough
not all stocking distributors actually stock quantities of
parts in either breadth or depth. So having a large, freely
available stock of the latest parts is crucial. And its not just
the devices themselves designers need; they also require
immediate access to development kits and reference designs,
which we also offer.
Mouser has also invested heavily in its infrastructure both
physical and online to support and facilitate growth. The
new warehouse is now fully on-stream and further expansion
phases are planned.
The companys website has also seen significant
developments, in order to make it more useful for designers
looking for new parts. Burr-Lonnon: We aim to make our
site very user-friendly. We have introduced many different
ways to search, including generically, by part number, by
cross reference, by description and pictorially.
March 2017 9
NEWS MOUSER NEWS FEATURES NEW PRODUCTS

Beyond Lithium-Ion:
Future Battery Concepts
By Landa Culbertson, Mouser Electronics

Mobile technology hinges

upon the availability of
batteries to support it.
This is something most of
us know all too well, as we
charge up our mobile
devices every night.

Lightweight, cost-effective, rechargeable, and
providing higher energy density by far compared to the
next commercial battery chemistry, Lithium (Li)-ion is
the workhorse and standard for powering todays
mobile devices.
Developed in the 1970s, Li-ion battery technology is
unfortunately nearing its theoretical limits though, and the
lag in its ability to keep pace with advancements in mobile
technology is plainly evidenced not only by our nightly
charging ritual, but also by the latest product introductions
to circumvent the issue and provide improved run-time,
including wireless charging and mobile battery cases.
The hunt has been ongoing for a better battery since the
beginning, but there is urgency now, with battery limitations
gating not only consumer electronics, but also the electric
car industry and related clean energy initiatives.
In November 2013, the U.S. Department of Energy even
kicked off a $120M effort to develop a game-changing
battery technology in five years that would extend battery
life by 5X todays capabilities. The push has spawned a flurry
of activity and here are a few of the future battery concepts
you will be hearing more and more about.

Tin Nanocrystal Li-Ion Batteries

Batteries convert chemical energy into electrical energy by
sharing a common carrier electron. Todays Li-ion batteries
generate power by sending Li ions from the negative
electrode (anode) to the positive electrode (cathode), and
the reverse during charging. The electrodes are typically
made of cobalt, graphite, manganese, or nickel and do
not absorb all of the Li ions. Tin is a more ideal electrode,
but tin crystals can become up to three times bigger when
absorbing ions, and shrink when releasing the ions, much
like a sponge.

To handle the volumetric change, scientists at the Laboratory

of Inorganic Chemistry at ETH Zurich and Empa are
developing a nanomaterial made of tiny tin crystals which
can effectively absorb and release the Li ions, thus doubling
the energy capacity of the battery.

10 March 2017 < contents << previous page | next page >> www.mouser.com
 NEW PRODUCTS
The most promising materials for the
electrode appear to be Li and sodium
Metal-Air Batteries
The metal electrodes of batteries in the metal-air category
react with oxygen in the air, instead of a liquid, to produce
an electrical current. The most promising materials for the
electrode appear to be Li and sodium, but aluminum and
zinc have also been researched. In fact, zinc-air batteries,
such as Renatas ZA675DP6 are already available on the
market for use in hearing aids.
Although development of the Li-air battery is still in its
infancy, the technology holds the most promise, with 5 to
10X higher theoretical specific energy than Li-ion batteries,
and is particularly attractive to the electric car industry. The
high specific energy of Li-air batteries translates to 1000
miles of range, compared to the existing average of 125
miles on Li-ion batteries.
Sodium-air batteries have a lower theoretical energy capacity
than Li-air, but are more stable and easier to build, while still
more efficient than todays Li-ion batteries. Tests on sodium-
air batteries have also shown that they may present a higher
practical energy storage capacity than Li-air.
Landa Culbertson. Landa writes from
Dallas, TX. She holds a BSEE, and has
18 years experience in the electronics
industry, from tech startups to Fortune
500 companies.
www.mouser.com < contents << previous page | next page >>
FEATURES MOUSER NEWS NEWS
Liquid Metal Batteries
MIT-founded and Bill-Gates backed start-up, Ambri, has
developed a battery that uses a molten salt electrolyte
sandwiched between two layers of liquid metal. The
difference in composition between the liquid-metal
electrodesone low-density negative and the other high-
density positive, creates a voltage. Ambri, also the recipient
of a $6.9M grant from the U.S Department of Energys high
risk early stage ARPA-E program, is targeting the technology
towards storage applications in the power grid to make the
energy system more efficient.
More New Battery Concepts
Other new battery concepts including Li-sulpher, which
has energy density that is 3 to 5X that of todays Li-ion
batteries, and sugar-powered biobatteries which offer green
technology in addition to high energy density are among
many new battery concepts in development for the next
generation of electrochemical batteries.
Its a race to see which battery technology will succeed
Li-ion, but no matter what, the consumer is sure to benefit.
March 2017 11
NEWS MOUSER NEWS FEATURES NEW PRODUCTS

Health and
wearables, Here, Mark Patrick, Supplier Marketing

movement
& Business Development Manager,
Mouser EMEA, presents his pick of the
latest releases for a full line up, visit:

and sensing
http://www.mouser.com/Development-Tools-Center/

Mark Patricks pick of new development tools

In the end, every IoT

implementation relies on
sensors. Mouser has a huge
variety of sensor solutions in
its portfolio, and development
tools to support them.

Healthcare:
MikroElektronika ECG click Bundle

MikroElektronika ECG click Bundle allows for prototyping

health-tracking, fitness or quantified fitness devices and
includes the MIKROE-2455 ECG click, ECG cable and ECG
electrodes. A target board with an MCU with at least a 10-bit
ADC (preferably powered from an external battery) is also
required. The three electrodes connect to the left shoulder,
right shoulder, and to left side of the abdomen (below the
heart). The last one can also alternatively be fitted on the left
leg. Electrodes are connected to the board with a cable that
plugs into the onboard 3.5mm phone jack.

Make a portable battery-powered holter monitor with

an ECG click, microSD click and clicker 2

Quantified-self data logging: record ECG and study heart

rate patterns (HRV - heart rate variability is a good indicator
of state of mind)

Pair ECG click with a wireless transceiver to transmit a heartbeat

signal to various electronics (set a LED strip to pulsate in sync
with your heartbeat, or the vibro motor on a Hexiwear)

FIND OUT MORE >

12 March 2017 < contents << previous page | next page >> www.mouser.com
 NEW PRODUCTS FEATURES MOUSER NEWS NEWS

Wearables:
SparkFun LilyPad
SparkFun LilyPad is a wearable e-textile technology that has
been designed to be sewn into fabric and can be washable
with special care. Various input, output, power and sensor
boards are available.

Acceleration Sensor - SparkFun LilyPad Accelerometer

ADXL335 is a three axis accelerometer. Based on the
ADXL335 MEMS accelerometer from Analog Devices,
the LilyPad Accelerometer can detect joint movement,
inclination and vibration.

Audio IC - SparkFun LilyPad MP3 is an all-in-one audio

solution, containing an Arduino-compatible microcontroller,
MP3 (and many other formats) audio decoder chip, micro-
SD card socket, and a stereo audio amplifier.

Bluetooth - SparkFun LilyPad Simblee BLE Board - RFD77101

is a wearable development board that allows you to add
mobile application functionality via Bluetooth Low Energy
(BLE, or Bluetooth 4.0) to your e-textile projects.

FIND OUT MORE >

Movement, pressure and sound:

STMicroelectronics
STMicroelectronics B-F446E-96B01A 96Boards Mezzanine
Board is based on the STM32F446 MCU and enables the
prototyping of systems with embedded sensors for movement,
pressure and sound.

The board plugs directly to the 96Boards CE cards top and

supports multiple expansion possibilities through the Arduino
Uno Revision 3 or the Grove connectivity. STMicroelectronics
STM32 F4 32-bit Cortex-M4 Microcontrollers (MCUs) are
pin-to-pin and software compatible with the STM32 F2 series
but with better performance, DSP capability, more SRAM, and
peripheral improvements such as full duplex IS, less than 1A
RTC, and 2.4MSPS ADCs.

FIND OUT MORE >

Sensor Hub:
Infineon EVALSHNBV01
Infineons EVALSHNBV01 Sensor Hub Nano has up to two
sensors on the board and is housed in a small 30x15x10mm
package, including the battery. The Sensor Hub Nano features
a Bluetooth connection to pair a phone or notebook. The
EVALSHNBV01 works with IFX SES2G and IFX apps.

FIND OUT MORE >

www.mouser.com < contents << previous page | next page >> March 2017 13
NEWS MOUSER NEWS FEATURES NEW PRODUCTS

Solder On
Mouser Electronics continues to salute the innovatorspast, present and futurewho strive to push the
boundaries of technical achievement. Solder On!

Essence of Autonomy
Ride along with Grant Imahara and Local Motors as they 3D print the best driverless car design submission.

14 March 2017 < contents << previous page | next page >> www.mouser.com
 SCALE-iDriver Family

Single-Channel Gate Driver ICs with Reinforced Isolation

2.5 A, 5 A, 8 A output
SCALE-iDriver
devices
VCE
Primary-Side Secondary-Side
Logic Logic

VGXX Drives 1200 V IGBTs and

IN

Fault VISO MOSFETs up to 110 kW

Output SO VTOT
+
VIN GH -
VCC
FluxLink
Revolutionary FluxLink
communication technology
VVCC + GL
-
GND

VEE

COM Low profile with 9.5 mm

PI-7949-072616
creepage and reinforced
isolation

www.power.com
igbt drivers
NEWS MOUSER NEWS
What wireless standard for
automation at home?
Mark Patrick, Mouser Electronics
The Internet of Things
(IoT) has been talked
and written about for
many years, but now
we are starting to see
practical examples in
many areas, including
our homes.
There are many potential applications in
the domestic environment because of
the omnipresence of wireless networks,
smartphone ownership, and the current
availability of Cloud services. This
infrastructure has allowed developers
to add a layer of convenience and
flexibility to our homes with the
creation of smart, connected devices.
An area where there are numerous
opportunities creates competition,
which then leads to a great many
solutions being available to consumers.
The variety of choices includes many
competing wireless communication
standards, each targeting the home
automation space from a different
angle. This variance in standards is
understandable, as so far no single
solution is ideal for every application.
16 March 2017
FEATURES NEW PRODUCTS
Each standard has its own pros and cons,
and many are ideal for their particular
area. This article will investigate the most
popular home automation standards,
as well as look at a new protocol that
may be the one that can bring a unifying
solution to this popular application area.
Z-Wave
Currently, Z-Wave is the standard
with the biggest penetration of the
home automation market. In this
area to date, more than one hundred
separate companies have created over
a thousand devices using Z-Wave, with
no signs of a slow down. Z-Wave has
many of the attributes that an ideal
home networking wireless protocol
requires including both low power
consumption and low bandwidth.
Based on the IEEE 802.15.4 radio
standard, Z-Wave uses a mesh topology
to boost range and robustness.
Z-Wave is designed to transmit on the
868MHz frequency band in Europe and
915MHZ band in North America. This
differentiates Z-Wave from Bluetooth
and Zigbee, which both operate in the
2.4GHz frequency band. Operating
on a different frequency from those
two popular standards makes Z-Wave
immune to interference from their
signals, and therefore more robust.
< contents << previous page | next page >>
The lower frequency also gives each
Z-Wave node a longer transmission
range, roughly triple the distance of a
typical Zigbee signal.
Z-Wave has been designed to operate
in a mesh topology, which allows
data to be passed along from node to
node, extending the overall range. The
mesh topology also adds robustness,
allowing the network to keep operating
if one node malfunctions. The Z-Wave
network is generally connected to the
Internet through a controller, usually
the ubiquitous household Wi-Fi hub.
The controller also issues commands to
the Z-Wave network.
There is another attribute of Z-Wave that
offers both advantages and disadvantages
- namely that the protocol is a proprietary
standard developed by Sigma Designs.
The main advantage of the proprietary
standard, is that to be awarded the
Z-Wave logo, each new product must be
tested and certified, meaning there is no
problem with interoperability. Because
the standard is proprietary, incorporating
it into a product means using a Sigma
Designs SoC. While adding the expense
of the licensing fee, this approach also
simplifies the hardware design process by
negating the need for a MCU as well as
the radio chip.
www.mouser.com
 NEW PRODUCTS
Easy availability to cheap modules still make Zigbee an option for closed-network projects.
Sigma has developed a newer range of
Z-Wave SoCs that offer better all-round
performance and extend the number
of applications for which Z-Wave is
suitable, while maintaining compatibility
with devices using previous generation
SoCs. The 500 series SoCs increase the
potential range to 150m, extend battery
life by 50% and increase the bandwidth
by a factor of five.
The attributes of the Z-Wave standard
make it ideal for many home automation
applications. Long range, robustness
and interoperability are perfect features
for any home IoT network.
ZigBee
Zigbee is another standard for home
networking that shares a lot of
Z-Waves positive attributes, such as
low power consumption and mesh
topology. Zigbee has been around for a
little over ten years now. The standard
was originally developed using the IEE
802.15.4 physical layer for short range
networking applications.
The maximum range for a Zigbee
node is 100m in open air. In real world
applications, the potential range is
much lower, as nodes are often tuned
with power consumption in mind,
rather than range. The mesh topology
is often used to make up for the shorter
range, giving each node a far greater
operational range than its individual
specification suggests. As well as
extending range, the mesh topology
also allows nodes to operate around
physical barriers.
Zigbee has been used for home
automation products, but currently is
becoming less popular due to the better
performance of other protocols. Easy
availability to cheap modules still make
Zigbee an option for closed-network
projects. For those designers who have a
main priority of low power use, Bluetooth
Low Energy offers a much better option,
especially since the new version of
Bluetooth Low Energy also offers mesh
networking capability. Other drawbacks,
such as compatibility issues make it hard
to see a long term future for the Zigbee
protocol in home applications.
www.mouser.com
FEATURES
Thread
The new challenger on the block is
Thread, a protocol launched by Google
Nest and other leading manufacturers
last year. The IP-based protocol was
designed to fix many of the drawbacks
found in other wireless protocols
intended for IoT applications, while
providing a flexible protocol that can
run on current hardware.
Thread uses 6LowPAN at the network
layer to give each node on the
network an individual IPv6 address.
This addressing facilitates connecting
devices to the Internet and makes
developing applications that take
advantage of the Cloud much simpler.
Like Zigbee and Z-Wave, Thread is
based on the 802.15.4 physical layer.
This makes building Thread devices
easier, and also gives it an advantage
over other protocols when building
home networks, in that many Zigbee
products already in use can be updated
to support Thread. Like the other
topologies above, Thread also uses a
mesh topology. Thread has also been
built from the ground up to minimise
power consumption, with support for
short messages and sleepy devices.
Figure 1: Thread stack (Image courtesy
of All About Circuits)
To give developers greater freedom of
choice, Thread lets developers choose
from a number of different application
layers, only defining the physical
and network layers. For example,
developers can use applications
developed for the ZigBee Cluster
Library (ZCL) on Thread networks.
< contents << previous page | next page >>
MOUSER NEWS NEWS
So far Z-Wave is the most popular home
automation network, but the built-
in advantages offered by the Thread
protocol, combined with the backing
Thread has from industry make it a
compelling option for many designers.
Bluetooth Low Energy
Another relatively new protocol,
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) was
launched as part of the Bluetooth
4.0 specification in 2010. The big
advantage that BLE brings to the Home
Automation market is that it allows
compatible devices to be directly
controlled from todays smartphones
without using an Internet gateway.
BLE was developed for low-bandwidth,
burst communications as opposed to the
original Bluetooth protocol, which excels
in constant data streaming. These traits
and the fact that BLE signals can easily be
tuned for low-energy operation make BLE
ideal for many home automation tasks. By
trading off bandwidth and range for lower
power consumption, battery life can be
extended for months or even years.
BLE networks are usually set up in a
master-slave topology. This means that
one master node can control several
slave nodes, although each slave can
only have one master. The master-slave
topology is ideal for one type of home
automation installation, where a device
like a smartphone is used as the master
controller, and all other devices on the
network are slaves. The downside of the
master-slave set-up is that other types of
networks require a more balanced type
of topology, such as in a LAN network.
Continued
March 2017 17
NEWS MOUSER NEWS
Continued from page 17
Because of the easy availability of BLE
in smartphones, the protocol has risen
in popularity very quickly, and as such,
prices have fallen for chips and modules.
Newer BLE devices also support a higher
level of integration with some new BLE
SoCs featuring an application processor
to give a fully-featured, low-cost solution
for IoT applications.
BLE is one of the wireless protocols that
is growing in popularity because of
its integration in smartphones, as well
as the other positive features it offers,
such as tuned transmissions to minimise
power consumption. It also has adaptive
frequency hopping as standard, allowing
it to co-exist with other wireless protocols
like Wi-Fi on the same frequency band.
Unfortunately, the standard also has one
or two disadvantages for some home
automation implementations the master-
slave layout can be too rigid, and there is
no capability for mesh networking, which
can reduce potential range.
Wi-Fi does need more
computing resources
to cope with the larger,
more complex stack.
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi is the odd protocol out in this
list - it was never developed to cater
for home automation applications.
The high bandwidth and power usage
are actually detrimental to most home
automation builds. At the same time, it
has become a very popular standard for
this type of application, purely because
it is found in almost every home. Why
build a new network from scratch
if a perfectly good one is already in
place? In this instance, developers only
need to develop products that drop
right in to the existing network with
interoperability assured.
Wi-Fi does need more computing
resources to cope with the larger, more
complex stack, but in the home these
are generally more readily available,
along with a good power source. For
these reasons, although Wi-Fi was never
intended to be used for home automation,
it cannot be discounted, and may even be
the best option for many applications.
18 March 2017
FEATURES NEW PRODUCTS
Summary
Home automation is at the vanguard
of IoT adoption, and many devices
and networking choices are available
to developers. Which network is
best is heavily dependent on the end
application. There is no wrong or
right answer, just a question is what
is most suitable each time. Is the most
important consideration interoperability,
Internet connectivity, low-power use,
or best use of existing resources? Each
of the previous answers will give a
different solution.
If the answer is interoperability, then
Z-Wave is probably the best option
to look at initially. With thousands of
products from hundreds of developers
currently on the market, theres no
other ecosystem close at the moment.
Z-Wave also offers low power use,
mesh networking for range, and a high
level of robustness.
If the key design decision is the ability
to connect everything through the
Internet and a need to future-proof,
then Thread is worth a look. The
backing of major industry players
means that it will be around for a
while, and there should be a healthy
ecosystem in the near future. The
ability to adapt other devices that use
the 802.15.4 radio and co-exist with
Zigbee products will help to build that
ecosystem. Integrated IPv6 addressing
makes Thread a great decision for easy
integration with Cloud applications.
Low-power consumption and long
range also allow Thread to enter
the majority of home automation
applications.
< contents << previous page | next page >>
For those who decide that power use
is critical, BLE could be the optimal
choice as it has the lowest consumption
of any home automation standard on
the market today. Many embedded
sensor products are placed remotely
with no access to the mains power
supply, having to rely on battery life.
BLE implementation can help these
products last years in the best cases.
BLE also offers direct control from a
smartphone without the need to go
through a hub.
Finally, if you wish to build on your
existing home network, or have
high-bandwidth applications such as
security cameras, then Wi-Fi could be
your best choice. The major drawback
for Wi-Fi is that it is very power hungry,
but in a domestic environment products
are usually close to a mains outlet. IP
addressability also means that access
to Cloud applications is relatively
straightforward.
The advice detailed above is general,
and a few of these protocols have
overlapping features, so each
implementation will require a more
in-depth look at these standards.
Whatever your application is, one
of these protocols should offer a
combination of features that will
provide a viable solution depending
on your own weighting of the
main features.
Mouser Electronics
Authorised Distributor
www.mouser.com
www.mouser.com
 NEW PRODUCTS FEATURES MOUSER NEWS NEWS

USB Type-C
for Industrial
Applications
Mark Patrick, Mouser Electronics

USB is a common technology in use

in many applications. Over time,
the standard has proven itself in a
variety of areas because of its low
cost and its flexibility. Naturally
these attributes have garnered
attention from designers looking
for cheap, reliable connectivity
from industrial applications.

Unfortunately, there are some

barriers that stop designers having
an easy transition. This article will
look at different techniques and
approaches for overcoming these
barriers, and also look at which
applications it is possible to get
the maximum benefits from USB
2.0 and 3.0 Type C connectivity.

USB connectivity has been used

extensively since its initial introduction
in the mid 1990s. The standard was first
adopted in the computing industry. The
Type A rectangle socket was originally
used for host devices, such as PCs.
The Type B device had a squarer shape,
and was found mainly on peripherals like
scanners and printers. So a Type A to
Type B cable was popularly used for the
PC to connect to its peripherals.
This serial connectivity between a
host and peripheral meant that USB
Type A and B connectors were quickly
adopted by manufacturers of industrial
equipment. There was a variety of
applications in which these early
adopters used USB ports.
Some manufacturers used them
as a straight replacement for serial
connections, while others used the USB
option to connect external peripherals,
for software updates, or even as a
diagnostics port.
Figure 1: USB Type-C connectors and the USB-PD protocol allow the display to act
as the power hub in a system design. Source: USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF)
As USB is usually included in industrial PC
motherboards as a standard connector,
there has been no reason not to use USB
connectivity as a basis for designs. These
uses have increased and diversified as
the USB standards were reviewed and
new revisions released. Each new revision
tends to give a higher throughput and
add new capabilities. USB 2.0 came
along in 2000, and took the maximum
speed from 12 Mbit/s to 480 Mbit/s.
This revision was followed by USB 3.0
in 2008, which further increased the
maximum speed possible up to 5 Gbit/s.
In 2013, the USB 3.1 was launched with a
maximum theoretical speed of 10 Gbit/s.
At the same time that USB 3.1 was
being developed, the USB C protocol
was being developed in parallel. This
version of the standard introduced a
new connector form factor.
The type C connector offers a few
advantages over older formats; the
connector is able to support higher
power ratings of up to 100W, and its
reversible, which is a boon for industrial
type applications that may be in hard to
reach places.
When the benefits of the new
connector are combined with the USB
3.1 speed and detection capabilities,
it provides a compelling choice for
industrial designers.
The combination of power and speed
has opened up the potential for new
applications that could use a display as
a hub, driving high-power peripherals,
while providing a high speed data link.
The data link can even be configured to
support other protocols, such as I2C.
Continued

www.mouser.com < contents << previous page | next page >> March 2017 19
NEWS MOUSER NEWS
Continued from page 19
Like the original USB specifications,
USB type C will gain in popularity
for industrial applications as more
PC motherboards incorporated it as
a standard port, followed by their
integration into single-board computers.
High speed data rates can even facilitate
HD video streaming, opening the way
for real-time machine vision applications.
This has left the onus on suppliers
of Type C connectors to deliver
products that can handle the power
and are ruggedized for industrial use.
Semiconductor manufacturers have also
been challenged to provide controllers
that can easily handle the increased
power, while being small enough to fit
in the connector casing.
The USB Power Delivery Specification
is the real stand out difference of the
Type C connector. The key to the power
delivery is its inherent flexibility. The
protocol allows for the power delivery
to be bidirectional, so the full 100W
power can be provided by either the
host or the peripheral. The specification
also allows for adaptive power, where
the device only takes the power that
is required, which can change if the
applications needs change. This ability,
in parallel with the power to provide
fast, configurable data over the same
cable, opens up USB C to a great
number of new applications.
According to the USB Power Delivery
guide for developers, the Transport
Interface specification sets the protocol
for use over differing peripheral
interfaces. The structure specified in
Chapter 9 of the USB Power Delivery
Specification can be extended for
use in other buses. This specification
enables a standardised communication
protocol between a USB Power Delivery
Controller and a Device / System
Policy Management Controller as well
as control over power management
peripherals such as a DC-DC converter.
There are a few other ways that this
technology can be delivered.
A good practical example would
be TE Connectivitys USB Type-C
connectors, which have a data
rate of 10 Gb/s and can power the
specifications full 100 watts.
20 March 2017
FEATURES NEW PRODUCTS
Figure 2: The USB Type-C connector
and shell from TE
The small form-factor connectors can
also support a number of protocols
using adapters, including HDMI, VGA
and DisplayPort.
The physical attributes of the USB Type
C connector have also been designed for
ease-of-use, while providing electrical
and physical protection. The connection
is reversible, ensuring easier and more
reliable mating. The stainless steel shell
is designed to avoid EMI leakage, while
providing good retention and enhanced
protection for use in industrial settings.
Because of the reversibility of the
connector, it features a detection
capability in the Vconn pin. The detection
capability is used to ascertain which
way the connector has been orientated,
so that the pins that are used for the
upstream facing port (UFP), downstream
facing port (DFP) and high power can
be determined. Some pins require to be
powered first in this process.
The TE Connectivity connector can be
used for various rugged applications,
including industrial and automation
equipment, medical devices, chargers
and some automotive infotainment
applications.
< contents << previous page | next page >>
For maximum flexibility, the connector
supports USB 2.0, USB 3.1 Gen 1 and
Gen 2, giving a maximum data rate of
10 Gbps. Electrically, the connector has a
rating of 30V, with the Vbus, Vconn and
signal pins having ratings of 5A, 6.25A
and 0.25A respectively.
Some companies, such as Amphenol,
have seen the role of USB almost
reversed, from being primarily a data
interface with some power capabilities,
into a method of supplying power with
data capabilities. These companies have
reacted by designing products to take
advantage of the new functionality.
The ability to add the extra functionality
can be accomplished through
integrating a semiconductor controller
into the connector shell. Several
manufacturers supply these devices,
including Cypress Semiconductor
(figure 3).
Figure 3: The CCG2 controller from
Cypress Semiconductor integrated into
a USB Type-C connector shell
There are a wide variety of products
available to designers that can add only
the functions that are necessary for
the design. For instance, for designs
that do not require the full USB-PD
capability, the Fairchild Semiconductor
FUSB301ATMX device can be used to
implement the DFF and UFP elements of
the specification. I2C compatibility can
be activated through the software. The
FUSB301 has automated all the normal
USC Type C functions as standard,
including attach and orientation through
Vbus and charging levels.
Other manufacturers have upped the
processing power of their solutions
to allow designers more flexibility in
designs. One chip manufacturer, Cypress
Semiconductor has taken this route with
the CCG2 second generation controller
for Type C connectors. The controller
features an ARM Cortex M0 core
running at 48Mhz for the configuration
of the connection.
www.mouser.com
 NEW PRODUCTS FEATURES MOUSER NEWS NEWS

The full IC package has a separate

block for the Vconn pin, the transceiver,
termination resistors and 8kV ESD
protection. The CCG2 has 3 different
packaging options to provide an extra
layer of flexibility to designers.

Each packaging option offers differing

levels of GPIO; the QFN has 14 GPIO
pins, the smaller DFN package has 7 and
the smallest WLCSP package has 9. THE
CCG2 also offers a complete solution
for passive and active EMCA cable,
adaptors, monitors and dongles.

Figure 4: The system on chip design

of the CCG2 from Cypress
Semiconductor incorporates an
ARM Cortex-M0 processor

To assist the designer, the SoC also provides a variety of timers, counters, PWMs and Conclusion
two Serial Communication Blocks, which offer the possibility of extending the PD The USB Type C connector and the USB
specification by giving configuration options for I2C, SPI and UART communications. 3.1 protocol are set to follow on from
previous USB standards and become an
To understand how the flexibility a Type-C device can offer designers for connectivity, integral part in the design of industrial
we can look at the TPS65982 from Texas Instruments. The controller has six main and medical equipment. The inherent
sections USB-PD controller, cable plug and orientation detection, port power advantages of the new standards will
switches, port data multiplexer, power management and a digital core. bring new functionality to these areas.
Although the new connector allows
these new features to be added, it also
adds a layer of complexity to the design
because of its reversibility. However,
this small drawback is easily overcome
by the ready availability of new silicon
controllers.

There are other options for designs

requiring high data transfer, but the
ubiquity of USB gives an easily and
proven route to add higher resolution
displays to equipment, and also to open
up completely new applications.

The real stand out differentiator for

Type C connectors is the power delivery
capability. Many new systems will
become instantly less complex because
of the ability of a simple USB connection
to add high power and high performance
peripherals to the system. Type C opens
up the possibility of a display becoming
a USB hub for a full system. This type
of design reduces the cost and the time
Figure 5: The six sections of the TPS65982 Type-C controller from Texas Instruments taken to get a design to market, as well
as vastly reducing system complexity.
The cable plug and detection block initially detect the orientation of the connection.
The PHY functionality of the USB-PD protocol is taken care of by the USB-PD
controller. Depending on the orientation of the connector, the data is output through Mouser Electronics
the C_CC1 or C_CC2 pin. After this stage is complete, the TPS65982 sets up the Authorised Distributor
power path and configures the internal and any optional external multiplexers. www.mouser.com

www.mouser.com < contents << previous page | next page >> March 2017 21
NEWS MOUSER NEWS FEATURES NEW PRODUCTS

Super-Thin Wireless Charging NEW PRODUCT

at mouser.com
Coils Comply with Qi and
AirFuel Standards
PowerLife wireless charging coils from Molex
with NuCurrent technology feature an industry-
leading thin design and the highest power transfer
efficiency (Q-factor) of any wireless charging
solution on the market today.

Molex PowerLife wireless power coils with NuCurrent

technology, available from Mouser Electronics, support
low, high, and proprietary frequencies, including Qi and
AirFuel (PMA).
Traditional wire-wound coils require wider electrical
tolerances and can be bulky or difficult to integrate,
especially into products that require thin designs or are
intended for use in harsh environments.
The high-efficiency PowerLife wireless power coils can
withstand vibration, heat and humidity, and accommodate
single or multiple frequencies in one assembly for reduced
component count.
The coils excel in transmitting power through air, wood, or
any non-metallic surface, making them ideal for wireless
charging furniture and phone cases.
Compact PowerLife wireless power coils provide an extremely
tight electrical tolerance and low rate of field failures
for a better product design, performance, and end-user
experience. The devices high Q-factor results in lower heat
generation and faster charging in a range of applications.
Click for More Information

Quickly Design Complex NEW PRODUCT

at mouser.com
Displays with Lumex ezDisplay
UART OLED and LED Modules
Controlled using a simple UART interface and any
microcontroller or embedded system running standard
AT or hex commands, low-power ezDisplay UART
OLED and LED modules from Lumex help shorten the
development process and simplify PCB layouts by
providing a lightweight, modular solution.

Each Lumex ezDisplay UART OLED and LED module, available

from Mouser Electronics, is equipped with the necessary
onboard driver IC and integrated UART interface that enables
developers to control the device through a wide variety of
microcontroller and embedded programming tools. Since no InfoVue OLED display modules are available in a 12864
drivers or libraries are required, and every module display can display and can control multi OLED modules from a single
use the same command list, developers can easily change controller. The UART OLED displays feature fast response
from one OLED or LED module to another. time, quick display refresh, and wide viewing angles that suit
portable electronics. 968 dot matrix LED display modules
With the ability to run mixed character and graphic modes, are ideal for displays needing more than one single 88
along with built-in fonts and patterns, Lumexs ezDisplay dot matrix.
UART OLED and LED modules are capable of displaying
complex information and animations. To help the design process, Mouser also offers a range of
development tools and accessories from Lumex.
Both the OLED and LED modules can receive bitmap data
and display the bitmap simultaneously, and each offers
Click for More Information
multiple screen display functionality.

22 March 2017 < contents << previous page | next page >> www.mouser.com
 NEW PRODUCTS FEATURES MOUSER NEWS NEWS

Mouser Exclusive: NEW PRODUCT

STMicroelectronics STM32
LoRaWAN Discovery Board
Mouser Electronics is the first to stock the
STM32 LoRaWAN Discovery Board from
STMicroelectronics (ST). The new Discovery Kit
and I-NUCLEO-LRWAN1 STM32 LoRa Arduino-
compatible extension board also available through
Mouser provide a development platform for
learning and evaluating solutions based on LoRa and
FSK/OOK RF communication.
The Discovery Kit is based on an all-in-one Murata Type
ABZ open module solution to address low-power wide area
networks (LPWAN) and support the LoRaWAN long-range
wireless protocol. The Type ABZ module is powered by an
STM32L072 ARM CortexM0+ microcontroller featuring
192kbytes of flash, 20kbytes of RAM, and 6kbytes of
EEPROM. The STM32L0 ultra-low-power microcontroller
targets battery-powered and energy harvesting applications.
at mouser.com
STs I-NUCLEO-LRWAN1 STM32 LoRa extension board
includes a LoRaWAN module powered by an STM32L052
microcontroller, an SMA connector, a 50 antenna, and
headers compatible with Arduino Uno R3 boards. The board
also includes three ST environmental sensors: LSM303AGR
accelerometer and magnetometer, HTS221 relative humidity
and temperature sensor, and LPS22HB pressure sensor.
Both the Discovery board and NUCLEO board come with
LoRaWAN class A-certified I-CUBE-LRWAN embedded
software that enables designers to set up a complete
LoRaWAN node.

Click for More Information Click for More Information

Easy IoT Connectivity with NEW PRODUCT

at mouser.com
XBee Cellular LTE Cat 1
Embedded Modems
Digi XBee Cellular LTE Cat 1 embedded modems
are amongst the smallest on the market. Designed
to help OEMs avoid time-consuming and expensive
FCC and carrier end-device certifications, these
devices enable engineers to quickly and easily
integrate secure LTE CAT 1 cellular connectivity
into their machine-to-machine (M2M) and Internet
of Things (IoT) designs.

The low-power embedded modems operate at 3.3V and
offer sleep and deep-sleep modes optimized for solar
and/or battery-powered applications.
Transmitting embedded serial data via TCP, UDP or
SMS over the cellular network, the devices offer flexible
communication options, including a simple transparent
serial mode and an API mode with structured frames for
more advanced design requirements.
A bundled data plan is available, with the modem shipping
fully pre-provisioned and ready to communicate over the
cellular network. The modems utilize Digis TrustFence
security features, which include Secure Boot, encrypted
security keys, secure JTAG, and SSL/TLS 1.2 cryptographic
protocols.
All security and feature updates are performed using over-the-
air (OTA) firmware for added manageability and convenience.
All Digi XBee products share the same footprint and
software interface, so the Digi XBee Cellular modems offer
a cost-effective, longer-range solution with a standardized
footprint that allows designers to easily upgrade to exciting
new technologies including LTE CAT M1 and the upcoming
LTE CAT NB1. Customers can seamlessly transition from
existing Digit XBee modems to this new modem with only
minor software adjustments, configuring and editing data
either locally through Digis XCTU software or remotely using
the Digi Remote Manager interface.
Click for More Information

www.mouser.com < contents << previous page | next page >> March 2017 23
NEWS MOUSER NEWS FEATURES
Feature-rich 16-Bit PIC24F
Curiosity Dev Board suits
first times
The PIC24F Curiosity Development Board from
Microchip Technology is a cost-effective, fully
integrated 16-bit development platform for first-time
users, designers, and those requiring a feature-rich
rapid prototyping board. It includes an integrated
programmer/debugger and requires no additional
hardware to get started.
The onboard PIC24FJ128GA microcontroller offers an
integrated cryptographic engine, ISO 7816 support, and I2S
support. The boards layout and external connections provide
access to the Core Independent Peripherals (CIPs), which
enable developers to integrate various system functions onto
a single microcontroller, simplifying the design and keeping
system power consumption and BOM costs low.
To simplify programming, the board supports Microchips
MPLAB X integrated development environment (IDE),
MPLAB Xpress cloud-based IDE, XC16 compiler, and MPLAB
Code Configurator.
IoT Development Kits with
LoRa Long-Range, Low-Power
Wireless Technology
Designed to speed up the development and testing
of IoT applications, Semtechs IoT development kits
take full advantage of LoRa technology, a disruptive
wireless long-range technology delivering 10 times
the range of competing solutions to help deliver
dramatic performance improvements for industrial and
consumer radio frequency (RF) wireless products.
NEW PRODUCT
at mouser.com
24 March 2017 < contents << previous page | next page >>
NEW PRODUCTS
NEW PRODUCT
at mouser.com
The PIC24F Curiosity Development Board comes with several
options for the user interface including physical switches,
LEDs, and an onboard potentiometer.
Users can expand functionality through MikroElectronika
mikroBUS click boards, and can add Bluetooth low energy
communication with the Microchip BM71 module.
Click for More Information
Available from Mouser Electronics, the Semtech kits are self-
contained plug-and-play local loops for IoT object designers,
enabling full verification and validation of connectivity to a
public IoT network based on the LoRaWAN specification.
The kits, available in multiple frequency bands ranging
from 434 MHz to 922 MHz, are equipped with a MAC and
a gateway chip set based on Semtechs SX1301 baseband
processor, which permits a long-range architecture with the
capacity to handle tens of thousands of end-node sensors
per gateway chip.
The kits also include an SX127x transceiver chipsets
embedded in sensors to provide long-range connectivity and
low-power operation for longer battery life.
Each kit includes a Raspberry Pi single-board computer with a
LoRa IoT shield unit and pre-installed micro SD card, an active
GPS antenna, USB cables, a power adapter, and an example
end-point (a LoRaMote or mbed shield unit) as a reference to
confirm the kits functionality.
Click for More Information
www.mouser.com
 NEW PRODUCTS
Complete Dual-Mode
Bluetooth HCI Solution
Designed as a complete, single-chip Bluetooth
controller with Bluetooth Basic Rate (BR), Enhanced
Data Rate (EDR) and Low Energy (LE) support, Texas
Instruments CC2564C provides a product-proven
solution that reduces design effort and enables
faster time to market.
The device ships with a royalty-free, dual-mode Bluetooth
software stack for use with both microcontrollers and
microprocessors that include multiple profiles with enhanced
quality of service (QoS) and sample applications.
The Bluetooth controller includes several on-chip peripherals
that enable easy communication with a host system and
the Bluetooth BR, EDR, and low-energy core. The device is
Bluetooth 4.2 component qualified and, when coupled with
a microcontroller unit, offers best-in-class radio frequency
(RF) performance with approximately twice the range of
other Bluetooth low energy solutions.
Proximity and Color Sensor
is just 1mm high
AMSs TMD3700 optical sensor module senses RGB
colour, ambient light, and proximity. The sensor
modules performance and small space requirements
are optimal for next-generation mobile devices with
ultra-thin profiles and narrow bezels.
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The CC2564C incorporates a host of power-management
hardware and software algorithms that provide significant
power savings and help to extend battery life.
For development, the CC2564C is supported by an
evaluation module, CC256xCQFN-EM.
Click for More Information
Available from Mouser Electronics, the module measures
4.00 1.75mm with a height of just 1.00mm. The modules
wide 45-degree field-of-view, ambient light sensing accuracy
of 10 percent, and operating range of 200 mlx to 60 klx
behind dark glass all enable smartphones to measure the
surrounding light environment and automatically adjust
display color and brightness for optimal viewing.
The TMD3700 colour sensor channels each have ultraviolet
(UV)- and infrared (IR)-blocking filters and a dedicated
converter that allows simultaneous data capture necessary
for accurate measurements. The combination of photopic
color and ambient light sensing enables smartphones to
perform real-time adjustment of the display properties to
achieve the best visual color accuracy.
The TMD3700s numerous features enable dynamic
elimination of both electrical and optical crosstalk, which
produces reliable proximity detection a function that
allows smartphones to disable the touchscreen display
when held close to the users face. In addition, the modules
integrated IR LED is calibrated for maximum performance and
consistent operation.
The TMD3700 modules is supported by an evaluation kit.
Click for More Information
March 2017 25
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