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Teledyne FLIR has announced a new Prism AI release featuring a compact AI model for simplified deployment on embedded systems. The new release further enables perception engineers to quickly integrate thermal cameras for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous vehicle (AV) systems, improving object tracking performance by up to 24 percent compared to the previous Prism AI release.

“The improved Prism AI software model enables embedded system testing and development, empowering perception engineers to create more effective systems easier than ever before with thermal capabilities,” said Michael Walters, vice president of product management, Teledyne FLIR. “As the Teledyne FLIR AI ecosystem and tools continue to expand, we can offer integrators an unparalleled route to quickly test and decrease development costs for life-saving thermal-enabled ADAS or AV.”

Built for automotive perception system developers, Prism AI is a collaborative ecosystem providing seven object detection classes, visible-and-thermal image fusion, advanced thermal image processing capabilities, new shadow mode recording capabilities, batch data ingestion, and more. Together these features simplify the integration of automotive thermal sensors that provide superior pedestrian, animal, and vehicle detection, especially at night and in poor visibility.

Developers may use Prism AI as the primary perception software or as reference software during in-house development. A suite of Prism AI tools provides simplified data integration with Teledyne FLIR Conservator data lifecycle management software as well as the industry’s largest thermal-and-visible training dataset. Prism AI also includes production-required features including authentication between the thermal camera and the electronic control unit, further simplifying development. With expert support from the Teledyne FLIR technical services team, perception engineers from academia to automotive OEMs now have a complete ecosystem to build thermal-enabled ADAS and AV systems.

Improving vehicle perception in all types of conditions is critical to reducing the record number of pedestrian fatalities. In the United States, preliminary data from the Governors Highway Safety Association estimated a 17 percent increase in pedestrian fatalities in the first half of 2021 compared to the previous year and a 46 percent jump from 2011. Thermal-enhanced ADAS and AV systems can play a crucial role in driving down the unacceptable number of pedestrian traffic fatalities and will aid automotive OEMs to meet upcoming regulatory testing procedures that include nighttime pedestrian front crash prevention.

The Teledyne FLIR Prism AI software is available for purchase globally from Teledyne FLIR. To learn more visit https://www.flir.com/prism.

Sustainability is an integral part of the company strategy and one of the four corporate values of the Schaeffler Group. The company accepts environmental and social responsibility along the entire value chain. In 2022, the Schaeffler sustainability strategy was aligned even more clearly with the three dimensions of Environment, Social and Governance. Superposed on this realignment are ten action areas, through which the Schaeffler Group defines content priorities and addresses external stakeholder expectations. For controlling purposes, some new measurable performance indicators were added to the system of performance targets, and integration with the compensation system was further progressed. “Sustainability is one of the major challenges of our time. Schaeffler intends to be a climate-neutral business by 2040. Achieving that will require decisive, rapid and purposeful action across all divisions of the company,” explains CEO Klaus Rosenfeld.

To highlight the importance of the three dimensions of Environment, Social and Governance, ESG goals have been given higher priority for management compensation, in both the short term and long term. Each year, the Supervisory Board defines up to two ESG goals, which reflect the different ESG dimensions in managers’ compensation. Examples of short-term compensation factors in the year under review included reducing the accident rate and the implementation of water-related measures during 2022, leading to an annual reduction of 150,000 cubic metres of fresh water use. In the words of Andreas Schick, the Schaeffler AG Chief Operating Officer responsible for Production, Supply Chain Management and Purchasing, “reducing our consumption of fresh water is a major step towards the goal of sustainable production. Successful measures such as cooling water production via a circulating water system and rainwater capture bring us significantly closer to our objective of a 20 per cent reduction in our fresh water consumption by 2030, in comparison with 2019.”

Central role for climate neutrality

The “climate neutrality” action area has been assigned a central role in the implementation of the Schaeffler sustainability strategy. The Schaeffler Group has set itself the target of running a climate-neutral business as from 2040 and reducing CO₂ emissions both in its own production and in the supply chain, through the use of renewable forms of energy, for example. To achieve these goals, the company developed a Climate Action Plan in 2022. The plan comprises specific measures for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting controlling and decision-making processes. Key elements of the plan include “green purchasing”, “green production” and “green products”. The “green purchasing” component focuses on measures for the procurement of low-emission materials and services. This includes the “Green Steel Activation” programme, which addresses the merits and impacts of the available technology options for steel production and refining. As part of this process, the Schaeffler Group signed an agreement with the Swedish startup H2 Green Steel for an annual supply of 100,000 metric tonnes of nearly CO₂-free steel, produced with hydrogen, as from 2027.

Since 2022, 100 per cent of the electricity used by all European and Chinese Schaeffler plants has come from regenerative sources. This led to a reduction of approximately 530,000 metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in 2022 (in comparison with 2019). By 2024, all Schaeffler locations worldwide will be running on 100 per cent regeneratively produced electricity. And by 2030, a total of 25 per cent of the annual electricity requirement of Schaeffler plants worldwide will be met from internally generated renewable energy.

In the area of green product development, Schaeffler is currently working on an integrated blueprint for the automated holistic calculation of carbon footprints. This will create the basis for achieving and tracking emission reductions at the individual product level. “Sustainability begins with product development. A large part of the carbon footprint is determined here. To reduce that footprint, we focus on sustainability as well as the economic and technical feasibility during our development process,” says Chief Technology Officer Uwe Wagner, responsible for research and development. “Only by taking all these criteria into account is it  possible to manufacture future-oriented products.” 

To boost employee awareness and encourage buy-in, in 2022 Schaeffler organised a company-wide Climate Action Day. In workshops held across many different locations, employees developed around 23,000 suggestions, which are now being systematically evaluated and implemented. Schaeffler is also providing staff training input by increasingly including sustainability and climate protection aspects in its internal training programmes.

For successful attainment of the climate neutrality objective, it is also essential to reduce emissions generated in supply chains. For example, in 2022, Schaeffler formed a joint venture with the Norwegian firm REEtec A for rare earth oxide procurement, to further enhance the sustainability of electric motors for hybrid modules, hybrid transmissions, and all-electric axle drive systems. The Schaeffler Group also creates sustainable value for its customers by offering innovative solutions for electric mobility, regenerative energy generation or the production and use of hydrogen. At the same time, the company is moving towards maximum climate neutrality in its own production processes. Its Automotive Aftermarket division supplies innovative repair solutions in OEM quality, for example. This makes a valuable contribution towards longer vehicle service lives.

Social responsibility and respect for human rights

In addition to climate protection, social responsibility is also a top concern at Schaeffler. The continuous improvement of occupational health and safety has highest priority for the company. It also intends to increase the share of women in senior leadership roles to 20 per cent by 2025. The employees play an essential part in the company’s success. Schaeffler therefore strongly fosters professional and personal development and invests heavily in training and professional development to ensure an effective transformation for the world of tomorrow.

Respect for human rights is an indispensable element of the Schaeffler Group’s corporate culture. Therefore, a Human Rights Compliance Management System (HRCMS) is currently being developed. In due course the system will also include customers and business partners. In addition, a human rights guideline document and a declaration of principles on compliance with human rights are being drawn up. The company is implementing processes and measures to prevent abuses and reduce human rights-related risks. The programme also includes a worldwide whistleblower system: employees and also anyone outside the company can use it to report potential human rights breaches.

Responsible governance

At the Schaeffler Group, corporate governance stands for responsible and value-based management geared towards long-term value creation. Integrity and compliance are of fundamental importance for company’s business dealings. That is why it observes the highest standards, particularly with regard to the prevention of corruption, lobbying, money laundering and economic crime, and the protection of human rights. Other key priorities include data protection and information, cyber, and IT security. To safeguard its values and standards, the company operates a compliance management system (CMS) and has a compliance organisational structure spanning the entire Schaeffler Group.

The Schaeffler Group has also implemented a number of compliance processes, to help employees comply with internal and legal requirements. This includes a systematic, precisely targeted training programme to impart the required understanding of compliance issues to Schaeffler employees and managers and make them aware of the compliance risks involved in their everyday work activities. Through webinars and face-to-face training courses and presentations, they are familiarised with the Schaeffler Group code of conduct and relevant Group guideline documents. These online and face-to-face training events were attended by a total of 14,402 employees in 2022. The courses are constantly being further developed and enhanced and tailored to the specific employee tasks.

Two “A” grade assessments from the CDP sustainability rating organisation

During the year under review, the increased efforts of the Schaeffler Group to make its own actions as transparent as possible were again acknowledged by the international sustainability rating platform of the CDP (Climate Disclosure Project) not-for-profit organisation. For both climate change and water security, Schaeffler yet again improved its performance, being awarded the maximum “A” assessment, which places it in the top 1 per cent of participating businesses. Schaeffler also improved its sustainability rating with EcoVadis, to a total of 76 points out of 100. This denotes “Platinum” status, and places it in the top 1 per cent within our peer group.

As a global commitment to sustainable development, the Schaeffler Group has adopted the ten principles of the United Nations Global Compact and the EU Sustainable Finance Action Plan, which requires companies to invest capital in sustainable activities, for the successful implementation of current climate and sustainability goals. In the words of Schaeffler CEO Klaus Rosenfeld: “The Schaeffler Group has set itself ambitious but achievable goals on the path towards climate neutrality, and over the last few years has taken decisive steps towards sustainability. A more strictly defined sustainability strategy and the decision to transfer responsibility for sustainability to the CEO emphatically highlight the central importance of this issue for Schaeffler. Our initial successes confirm that we are on the right path and motivates us to stay the course.”

The Schaeffler Group sustainability report shows where the company focused its efforts during 2022, and how the Schaeffler Group has developed in terms of key performance indicators and objectives. A digital version of the report is available for download at the company’s microsite:

www.schaeffler-sustainability-report.com/2022

Emerson announced that approval by Bureau Veritas Italia of its BM6X Series Slam-Shut valve for use in applications with up to 100% hydrogen and pressures up to 100 bar was completed in December 2022. The certification was achieved as a result of the commitment of Emerson and Bureau Veritas Italia to ensure suitable products are available for use in new hydrogen infrastructure. The certification granted to the Emerson BM6X Series Slam-Shut valve confirms the verification of material suitability, based on internal and external seal tests performed at the Emerson production plant in Castel Maggiore, Bologna, Italy.

Emerson is working with its customers to develop a hydrogen ecosystem, starting with research and innovation, and scaling up production and transportation. These efforts are an important focus of the European Union’s strategy on hydrogen, adopted in 2020, and of similar efforts in other countries and regions worldwide. Certifying key components, such as the Emerson BM6X Series Slam-Shut valve, is a critical step for these types of projects. 

“The Bureau Veritas procedure, relating to the issue of Type Approval for hydrogen-operated actuators and valves, defines the audit process for the issue, maintenance, and renewal of the certification for actuators and valves used with hydrogen or hydrogen mixtures,” says Giuseppe Signoretta, Hydrogen Technical Manager, Bureau Veritas.

“This procedure supports the certification of products ready to be used in the hydrogen field, and it provides a suitable tool for the concrete implementation of the European plans for energy independence and reduction of CO₂ emissions. The collaboration between Emerson and Bureau Veritas demonstrates a concrete commitment to offer suitable and safe products for natural gas distribution networks,” adds Signoretta.

“To ensure product quality, safety and conformity, Emerson is collaborating with the testing and certification agency Bureau Veritas Italia, and it has developed internal procedures to assess the suitability of products to be used in gas infrastructure applications,” said Oscar Bressan, standardisation and product engineer with Emerson’s pressure management research and development team.

“The Emerson procedures describe the requirements, tests, and inspection methods for metallic and non-metallic materials, as well as internal and external sealing necessary to use pressure control products in contact with natural gas and blended hydrogen, or pure hydrogen. After the first certification obtained for the Emerson BM6X Series Slam-Shut valve, Emerson will continue to certify other equipment used in hydrogen infrastructure to ensure sustainability and reliability for this rapidly developing market,” concludes Bressan. 

The Emerson BM6X Series Slam-Shut valve has multiple applications throughout gas transmission networks, regulating stations, and end use infrastructure. For example, natural gas transmission and distribution companies can blend hydrogen into their distribution systems, reducing emissions when the blended mixture of hydrogen and natural gas is burned in homes for cooking, heating and other uses. Industrial end users can reduce emissions by using a mix of hydrogen and natural gas as fuel for turbines used for power generation.   

To learn more about Emerson’s sustainability and hydrogen initiatives, please visit https://www.emerson.com/en-us/esg/sustainability/automation/hydrogen-value-chain/blending.  Additional details regarding required research and testing methodologies for hydrogen applications can be found at this link: Decarbonization in Natural Gas Applications

SPE technology is setting the stage for all-Ethernet IIoT and industrial Operational Technology (OT) networks that are built with a new class of synchronised low-speed Ethernet edge devices and a simplified cabling infrastructure for latency-sensitive traffic streams. Microchip Technology has announced the new industrial-grade SPE products that will help fulfil SPE’s promise, from 10BASE-T1S MAC-PHYs that more easily connect edge IIoT devices to the cloud, to industrial versions of its 100BASE-T1 Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) Ethernet PHY transceivers and switches that enable higher-speed applications across far-reaching Ethernet networks.

“Microchip is helping to fuel the adoption of zonal architectures in industrial applications with our new MAC-PHYs that connect to many of Microchip’s microcontrollers (MCUs) to reduce the design complexity and implementation costs for bringing a host of sensors, actuators and other products into the new 10BASE-T1S network infrastructure,” said Matthias Kaestner, vice president at Microchip. “With these new 10BASE-T1S MAC-PHYs and industrial versions of our 100BASE-T1 TSN products, we are making it easier to connect the physical world to the cloud while enabling a seamless Ethernet architecture throughout the IIoT and other industrial networks.”

Microchip’s new LAN8650 and LAN8651 10BASE-T1S MAC-PHY Ethernet Controllers with Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) simplify the implementation of zonal architectures by enabling basic MCUs, rather than higher-level MCUs with a Media Access Controller (MAC), to be used when creating sensors, actuators and other devices for the edge of OT and IT networks. These low-speed devices do not need their own communication system, and Microchip’s MAC-PHYs connect them into a standard Ethernet system all the way to the cloud over simple twisted-pair wiring.

For industrial applications that require higher bandwidth, designers can use MCUs with an integrated Ethernet MAC. Microchip now offers an industrial-grade version of its LAN8770 100BASE-T1 Ethernet PHY Transceiver that provides 100 Mbps transmit and receive capability over a single Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) cable.

Microchip’s SPE portfolio is enhanced with industrial-grade versions of its LAN937x and LAN938x Gigabit Ethernet TSN Switches with integrated 100BASE-T1 PHYs. These scalable, secure and compact SPE switches include hardware time-stamping features for supporting IEEE 802.1AS (gPTP) and IEEE 1588v2 (PTP) time synchronisation, among other TSN functionality. Energy-efficiency features include ultra-deep-sleep power down with remote wake for battery applications.

“Microchip’s industrial-grade 100BASE-T1 offerings reduce cost, wiring and installation complexity by enabling a complete SPE network from device to server,” said Charles Forni, vice president of Microchip’s USB and networking business unit. “Our industrial-grade SPE offerings are built to withstand harsh environmental conditions across an expanded temperature range while delivering enhanced performance, such as safety, security and extended cable reach, to support industrial applications.”

Development Tools

To support the design efforts of these new products a set of network analysis tools and evaluation boards are available including the LAN8651 EVB and EVB-LAN9383. Microchip’s MPLAB Harmony v3 provides software support to configure, debug and program designs, while the MPLAB Network Creator provides a quick and intuitive graphical interface for switch configuration.

Pricing and Availability

Microchip’s LAN8650 and LAN8651 10BASE-T1S MAC-PHYs and its LAN937x and LAN938x 100BASE-T1 Ethernet Switches and LAN8770 100BASE-T1 Ethernet PHY are available for purchase at Microchip’s Purchasing and Client Services website, www.microchipDIRECT.com.

For additional information or to purchase, contact a Microchip sales representative or authorised worldwide distributor.

Allegro MicroSystems, a global leader in power and sensing solutions for motion control and energy efficient systems, today announces the release of samples for the ACS37601, an ASIL C safety rated, high-precision, field current sensor with best-in-class accuracy for traction and auxiliary inverter systems as well as battery management systems (BMS) in electric vehicles (EVs).

Designers of inverter and battery management systems are challenged to achieve higher safety targets based on new Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) requirements.

To enable customers to meet these new safety requirements, while increasing system efficiency and extending battery life, Allegro has developed the ACS37601 programmable linear Hall-effect current sensor IC with overcurrent, overtemperature, and self-test capabilities. Designed to achieve high accuracy and resolution without compromising bandwidth, the ACS37601 is Allegro’s highest-accuracy field current sensor for applications requiring measurement capability greater than 200 Amperes.

“Allegro’s ACS37601 is enabling us to meet e-mobility functional safety and accuracy requirements in our BMS and EV traction inverter current sensor applications,” says Julio Urrea, Vice President of Business Development at Littelfuse, a diversified industrial technology company empowering a sustainable, connected, and safer world in the electronics, transportation, and industrial markets.

To be used along with a C-core, the ACS37601 is the first ASIL C-rated field current sensor that achieves 0.8% sensitivity error and less than 5 mV offset error over the automotive temperature range, and—with 30% less noise than legacy devices—this IC is ideal for battery management applications. The high operating bandwidth from DC to 240 kHz and fast 2 μs response time enable new performance in DC battery charging and high-frequency automotive inverter applications. To support adoption of the most advanced microprocessors without requiring additional components, the ACS37601 works with 5 V or 3.3 V power supplies.

“Littelfuse has a history of excellence as an automotive supplier with a tremendous global footprint. We are excited to work with them to deliver industry-leading magnetic current sensor accuracy and safety to EV powertrain applications,” says Shaun Milano, Business Unit Director for current sensors at Allegro.

To help designers deliver the most-advanced ASIL-compliant battery management and inverter systems, samples of the ACS37601 are currently offered in an extremely thin (1 mm-thick), 4-pin single in-line package (SIP), referred to as the KT package. The KT package is available in straight leads (suffix TN) as well as a lead-formed option (suffix TH), enabling surface-mount assembly and a high tolerance to mechanical vibrations. The package is lead (Pb) free, with 100% matt tin leadframe plating. For datasheets and samples, contact an Allegro sales office.

Endress+Hauser has announced the opening of a new 48,000-square-foot Indianapolis, Indiana-based regional logistics hub, marking a further milestone in the Group’s project to boost the fulfilment of customer orders and satisfaction on a local and global scale.

“This new regional logistics hub will allow us to move products through a global network regardless of where they’re produced and where they need to be shipped,” said Steve Demaree, North America regional supply chain manager at Endress+Hauser. “Additionally, our logistics systems are now as automated and standardised as possible.”

In partnership with Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, Endress+Hauser will strengthen logistics capabilities for the United States, Canada and Mexico as well as internationally in terms of response time, throughput time and on-time delivery, all of which are pivotal for modern distribution centres. Endress+Hauser already operates two regional logistics hubs in Germany for all of Europe and in China. An additional regional hub is currently being built in India.

“Our regional logistics hub in Indianapolis will continue to serve our mission of reliably supplying customers with measurement and automation technology,” said Oliver Blum, Corporate Director of Supply Chain at Endress+Hauser. “Our logistics system is an imperative link in the supply chain, and while we prioritise 100% availability, flexibility also is crucial.”

The facility will primarily be used for cross-docking logistics, which includes shipping products from the manufacturer directly to the customer. For the US sales company, the regional logistics hub will also assume the function of a warehouse from which key customers can be supplied quickly with standard products. The Indianapolis-based centre also will bundle inbound orders from overseas locations and distribute them to their designated sites in North America.

The new logistics hub is located at 4740 Victory Lane, Indianapolis, IN 46203.

Farnell is to showcase ‘Solutions for Tomorrow’ related to key themes – Intelligence, eMobility and Embedded Computers – when exhibiting at Embedded World 2023.

Located in Hall 3A on Stand 519 within NürnbergMesse from March 14-16, Farnell will display market-leading products across three dedicated stations featuring suppliers such as Xilinx, NXP, ADI, Microchip, Renesas, Infineon, Raspberry Pi and Littelfuse.

Intelligence

• Visitors to the Farnell stand are invited to step into the future and experience Intelligent Industrial Solutions and how these can help to streamline processes, improve efficiency, enhance safety and create more flexibility across industry. From advanced machine vision and power management to cutting-edge sensors and wireless connectivity, our intelligent solutions are driving the next wave of industrial revolution.

eMobility

• From smarter car charging to vehicle to grid integration, and lightning-fast DC charging, our eMobility solutions are driving the future of sustainable transportation. Scalable, reliable, and cost effective EV infrastructure solutions are changing the game and visitors to the Farnell stand can discover how eMobility can revolutionise the way that we all think about transport.

Embedded Computers

• With a focus on high performance, low power consumption, and compact design, Raspberry Pi is revolutionising the way we think about technology. Visit this station to see how these solutions can help streamline processes, improve efficiency and drive innovation across industry.

Representatives from teams including Sales, Technical, Product, Marketing and element14 Community will be present on the Farnell stand to meet with customers and suppliers throughout the three-day event in Nuremberg. Visitors to the stand will also have the opportunity to win guaranteed prizes including Raspberry Pi Pico boards and Raspberry Camera Modules 2 by answering simple questions about Farnell.

In addition, Clem Mayer of MAYERMAKES will join Phil Hutchinson from Farnell’s element14 Community on stage to offer an insight into the historical journey taken with Raspberry Pi throughout the past decade. Together, they will talk through 10 years of history, projects and adventures with Raspberry Pi at 10:00 on Tuesday 14th March at the Exhibitor Forum, Hall 3, NurnbergMesse.

Rob Rospedzihowski, President Sales EMEA at Farnell said, “We are delighted to be back at Embedded World once again to meet our customers in person. Visitors to the Farnell stand will not only have the opportunity to engage face to face with our team and the industry’s leading suppliers to learn how our products are providing Solutions for Tomorrow, but also everyone who enters our fun quiz is guaranteed to win a prize!”

Farnell will exhibit at Embedded World on Stand 519 in Hall 3A.

STMicroelectronics’ STM32WBA52 microcontrollers (MCUs) combine Bluetooth LE 5.3 connectivity with ultra-low-power modes, advanced security, and a broad selection of peripherals familiar to STM32 developers. Its arrival eases the next step for IoT device developers seeking to add wireless, cut power, strengthen cyber-protection, and boost processing in the edge. The STM32WBA wireless MCU platform includes ST patented leading-edge technology. Targeted applications comprise smart home, industrial lighting, sensors, electrical switches, gateways, and portable medical devices.

Leveraging ST’s investments in capacity expansion and resiliency, the STM32WBA52 is available now in the mass market and brings proven wireless capabilities from ST’s well-known ultra-low-power STM32WB MCUs. It is boosted by an Arm Cortex-M33 core operating at 100MHz for extra computing power, and with state-of-the-art STM32 peripherals.

The powerful STM32Cube ecosystem simplifies migrating from existing STM32WB and general-purpose STM32 MCUs. It features the STM32CubeWBA MCU package, embedding a certified Bluetooth Low Energy 5.3 protocol stack and builds on existing profiles from the STM32WB series for easy portability. The STM32Cube ecosystem also includes tools such as the STM32CubeMX peripherals configurator and code generator, STM32CubeMonitor-RF radio-performance tester, and STM32Cube.AI desktop and cloud versions for Artificial Intelligence. The extensive ecosystem is proven to accelerate application development and validation. Further, to ease prototyping, a dedicated Nucleo board, NUCLEO-WBA52CG, will be available for the STM32WBA52.

The integrated ultra-low-power radio delivers market-unique RF output power of +10dBm, enabling reliable communication over long distances at data rates up to 2Mbit/s. A deep standby low-power mode with active radio communication drastically reduces overall power and saves battery energy. The STM32WBA MCUs can support up to 20 simultaneous connections.

The boost to cyber-protection comes from the PSA security program based on security isolation, memory protection, tamper protection, and Cortex-M33 featuring the Arm TrustZone architecture. The platform is delivered with a secure software solution based on Trusted Firmware for Arm Cortex-M (TF-M).

TF-M meets the industry-standard PSA Certified security framework, with PSA immutable Root of Trust (RoT) including secure boot and secure firmware update, cryptography, secure storage, and attestation at runtime. Side-channel resistant symmetric and asymmetric cryptographic accelerators are embedded, and key protection is implemented using a hardware unique key (HUK) secure process. With strong resistance to physical attacks, the STM32WBA52 product line targets Arm PSA Certified Level 3 and SESIP3 IoT security standards.

Sharing many energy-saving technologies with the ultra-low-power STM32U5 MCUs, STM32WBA52 MCUs feature ST’s Low Power DMA and flexible power-saving states with fast wakeup times. Together, these features can cut MCU power by up to 90%. There are also state-of-the-art integrated peripherals including a 12-bit ADC for enhanced accuracy with oversampling capability, while error code correction (ECC) on internal Flash and RAM enhances data integrity and safety. Generous 1Mbyte flash memory density provides storage for the user application and protocol stacks.

The STM32WBA52 MCUs will be included in ST’s 10-year product-longevity program, which renews long-term assurances of production every year.

Samples are now available in the UFQFPN48 package. Pricing for the STM32WBA52 in UFQFPN48 will start at $1.49 for high volumes.

The NUCLEO-WBA52CG prototyping board will be priced from $62.50.

For further information please go to www.st.com/stm32wba

The Indigo80 handheld indicator extends the Vaisala Indigo product family’s measurement capabilities to portable use. Together with the Indigo80, Vaisala also launches two Indigo compatible probes HMP80 and DMP80, complementing the robust Indigo measurement ecosystem for industrial applications.

Vaisala, a global leader in weather, environmental, and industrial measurements, launched today  a new portable Vaisala Indigo80 Handheld Indicator designed for industrial spot checking, short-term data logging, field sampling, data analysis and diagnostics.

In conjunction with the Indigo80, the company announced the launch of the Vaisala HUMICAP Handheld Humidity and Temperature Probe Series HMP80 and the Vaisala DRYCAP Handheld Dew Point and Temperature Probe Series DMP80; both designed for portable use, operating seamlessly with the Indigo80 handheld indicator.

More than meets the eye

The Indigo80 handheld combines leading-edge technology and ultramodern industrial design. Special attention has been paid to its look and feel, customer experience, and usability. It must be easy to take along and operate reliably in varying measurement environments, while being as durable as fixed installed devices. The design features of the Vaisala Indigo80 received an honorary award last year in one of the most prominent design competitions in Finland, the Fennia Prize.

“We are very proud of the product design, as Indigo80 has much more than meets the eye: it is a perfect combination of simplicity, ease of use and the highest standards of technology, accuracy, and reliability. It has an impressive list of features, including support for up to two Indigo-compatible probes or transmitters​ simultaneously. Its rechargeable lithium-ion battery ensures typically 10h operation time without charging, and its intuitive user interface support customers in 10 languages,” comments Product Manager Vuokko Lantz from Vaisala.

Ensuring added process efficiencies for smart production

In addition to the two newly launched probes, Indigo80 operates together with Vaisala’s other Indigo compatible measurement probes and other selected Vaisala measurement instruments. Together with the selected probes, Indigo80 creates value by adding a portable measurement option in the Indigo product family for multiple parameters, including humidity, temperature, dew point, carbon dioxide, hydrogen peroxide vapour and moisture in oil, bringing ease of use and increased process efficiencies to the industrial customers.

The Indigo80 indicator’s datalogging capabilities enable the enhancement of industrial process efficiency by monitoring process conditions during the needed time period. Spot-checking helps to ensure that process conditions are within the required range to produce consistent and high-quality products.

Indigo80 can also be used for reference checking of the stationary installations of Vaisala measurement instruments, and for on-site calibration of the existing Vaisala fixed-mounted instruments to optimise process conditions.

“Industrial process optimisation based on accurate data can lead to increased production efficiency, reduced waste and emissions, and improved resource utilisation, which delivers a smaller environmental footprint,” Lantz concludes.

Deliveries of the Vaisala Indigo80 Handheld Indicator and the launched probes start gradually in Q2 2023 in selected countries.

Analog Devices has announced that Envision Energy, the subsidiary of Envision Group providing world-leading green technology, is adopting ADI’s MEMS sensor technology in the company’s new generation of smart wind turbines. Initial goals for the collaboration include enabling new levels of wind turbine safety through enhanced real-time monitoring of vibration, tilt, and other information that can be used to inform safer windmill operation and design. Leveraging new capabilities offered by advanced MEMS sensors adds intelligence at the edge for real-time monitoring, further advancing the green energy revolution.

As one of the most mature renewable energy sources, wind power has achieved rapid growth in China in recent years. According to China’s National Energy Administration, by the end of 2022, the cumulative installed capacity of wind power in China reached approximately 370 million kilowatts, ranking first in the world. With the gradual expansion of wind power scale, wind turbine components are undergoing rapid iteration. Higher tower barrels, longer blades, and heavier engine rooms bring great challenges for the safe and reliable operation of wind power systems.

Among the challenges, the tower barrel is one of the key windmill components requiring monitoring to ensure the safety and reliability of wind power turbines. The tower barrel extends from the ground up to the windmill generator and blades. To promote safety, as well as to help prevent tower collapse and other extreme accidents, Envision Energy joins forces with ADI to introduce predictive maintenance technology into the core control of smart wind turbines. This is done by deploying ADI’s precision inertial measurement unit (IMU) and low-noise, low-drift accelerometers on different positions of the tower barrel to monitor the key states of tower barrel in real-time. Information gathered by monitoring tower barrel conditions is used to inform danger prevention measures.

“In the long-term, wind power and energy storage will become the energy of the future for the world. While we move toward that goal, safety remains the first factor in the process of value mining,” said Haipeng Chen, Director of Intelligent Control Division at Envision Energy. “We are pleased to work with ADI to add its predictive, precision, high-reliability MEMS sensors to our wind turbines. This increases the safety of the tower barrel as well as brings the blade diameter and tower barrel height to the next level, continuing to lead the progress of the industry.”

“ADI has decades of experience in the field of MEMS sensors,” said Neil Zhao, Director of MEMS Technology Group Asia at ADI. “We are committed to helping customers solve challenges in different scenarios through high-performance solutions and all-around support. This collaboration with Envision Energy supports the promotion of smart distributed wind turbines.”