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Espressif brings Bluetooth to home appliances We work with several home appliance manufacturers to help bring their product innovations to life. For example, one customer wanted to integrate Bluetooth into their future line of handheld appliances to connect them to smartphones via an app they were developing. Why Bluetooth? The reason many manufacturers want to integrate Bluetooth into their products is primarily for convenience and to improve the user experience for the consumer. Connecting via an app to the smartphone, and thus to the Internet if needed, opens up amazing possibilities in the area of home appliances. These include: Keeping product firmware up to date Remote diagnostics and reporting Alerts when something on the appliance needs to be repaired, serviced or replaced Remote control of the appliance (if necessary) The challenge for the customer The technical challenge in all of these product developments is the usual triumvirate of size, weight and cost - and of course our customer was no exception. However, in the current chip supply chain crisis, we have to add a fourth dimension: component lead times. This is undoubtedly the biggest issue facing our industry right now. Our solution The customer had a number of options for integrating Bluetooth functions, but we recommended a component from Espressif, our trusted supplier - more specifically, the ESP32-C3-Mini-1 module. Espressif's lead times are typically 8-12 weeks, and proved particularly favourable in this difficult market environment. The ESP32-C3-MINI-1 is a universal Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE module. Compatible with a wide range of peripherals in a very small package, these modules are the ideal choice for smart homes, industrial automation, healthcare, consumer electronics, etc. The Bluetooth specification is comprehensive: Bluetooth LE, Bluetooth 5, Bluetooth Mesh, up to 2 Mbps and a 40Mhz oscillator to boot. An inconspicuous, but also important factor considering the physical limitations of the design is the integrated PCB antenna. Not only does it save space, cost, and cables to an external antenna (which would be a no-go for most household devices), but it also allows the modules to ship pre-certified for wireless approval - with no significant limitations on functionality. Amazing, considering that this module measures only 13.2 × 16.6 × 2.4 mm. Other interesting features of the ESP-32 C3 series are 4 MB Flash and a 32-bit RISC-V single-core processor. In addition, there is a rich set of peripherals like UART, I2C, USB, Serial/JTAG controller, temperature sensor and ADC. A temperature range of -40 to 85°C should be enough to satisfy any household application! Other applications for the ESP-32-C3-Mini So it's no wonder that this mini marvel is suitable for a whole range of applications. Smart home - e.g. lighting control, smart button, smart plug, etc. Industrial automation Healthcare - e.g. monitoring and emergency call Consumer electronics - e.g. smart wearable devices, audio products Smart agriculture - e.g., greenhouse, irrigation and robotics Retail and hospitality - e.g. POS, picking and packing, etc. General low-power IoT sensors and data loggers. So if you're looking to make your traditional designs fit for the connected world, contact us! We are not just distributors - we are happy to support you in the development of your projects, both in terms of component procurement and technical design support.

What's the fuss about RTCs? RTCs are everywhere. It's estimated (by our RTC manufacturers who need to know this stuff) that at least 50% of all applications have some form of RTC on board. And with good reason. Almost any data-driven, time-sensitive embedded system features some form of time-based function. Specific actions and recorded events depend on the accuracy of the date and time an event occurs, or when an activity is triggered. For example, a door security system may enforce different access privileges based on the current time of day. Real time clocks are often critical in embedded systems that record events or alarms when they are tasked with being a reliable audit trail. These could include a fire alarm system that needs to keep a record of alarm events. Often the accuracy of a system's time keeping can have significant financial implications so, despite their diminutive size, an RTC's role in your design should not be underestimated. In fact, a failure to implement best practice in RTC electronic circuit design can be expensive, especially if you have to later rectify a problem within a live system already out in the field. RTC Module Vs RTC in MCU Most MCUs these days have a built in RTC, ADC, DAC and various other functions which do a phenomenal job within the confines of a single compact module. However, there are several areas where the dedicated RTC offers a superior solution to having on-board convenience. Built-in MCU RTC A larger backup power supply is needed to maintain RTC function in case of a power outage Overall power consumption is higher Greater vulnerability to external factors A built-in RTC can result in a slightly lower cost, but as we've explored - the implications of an inaccurate or even failed time function could have far greater financial implications Benefits of a dedicated RTC At Board Level Single device: No external components required like quartz, capacitors or resistor Reduced BOM: just one single component needed: RTC-Module Small footprint, low overall height Ideal for wearable and portable applications At Signal and Software Level Plug and play, factory calibrated, internal components are tuned where necessary Insensitive to external disturbances, no special board layout required Quality & Reliability Standards Production facilities already comply with medical standards Modules qualified according automotive standards Accuracy Varies by device but can range from +/- 35ppm +/-20s/wk or +/-3ppm or +/-2s/wk Built-in periodical time correction can keep the system accurate What are real-world examples of ppm accuracy? 100m world record 9.58s measures with 1/100s resolution requires <100ppm accuracy Chronometer - mechanical, better than 2s/day = 23ppm Best RTC module: 3ppm Low Power Consumption From 350nA down to as little as 60nA 60nA equates to just 1mAh in 14 months A back-up coin cell battery has 16mAh capacity, whilst a small 0.022F Supercap can supply an RTC for 90 days Image of the RV8803-C7 RTC module from Micro Crystal Useful Functions an RTC can perform Turn-off delay: Light in the car stays on for 20 more seconds after car key is pulled, several similar not very visible applications, like fan control, blinker timing and there more EV Charging management: Charging of batteries depends on a number of factors: voltage, temperature, balancing of cells, how fast and how long they are charged Smart charge management - charge off-peak, sell back to the grid during peak demand Max. charge time is also monitored, even it is not the actual switch-off criteria Set once the actual time and forget Watch-dog function: A system has to reset the countdown timer periodically. If not, an interrupt signal is generated. The length of the max period can be programmed from 10s of milliseconds to a few hours Timer: Length for a specific task Time between tasks Wake up of the microcontroller from hibernation or sleep mode to safe power and charge of the battery Frequency generation: 32kHz, 1kHz, 1Hz … square wave Reference clock for Microcontroller, for Blue-tooth and for other low power applications Tone generations, beep Timing of long time intervals: RTC alarm facility can be used to accurately interrupt the controller after seconds, minutes or even after days. A microcontroller would require cascaded loops and depends on actual clock frequency; modern Micro-controller architectures have dynamic operating clocks: cumbersome programming Timing of short intervals Accurate timing of time intervals in the order of ms to seconds or minutes using the timer • Remote time access: Have one Real-Time Clock to be accessed by different microcontrollers. I2C-bus is multi-master capable Best practice in RTC design So, you've decided on a dedicated RTC and, whilst it can offer a superior solution to a built-in Microcontroller, you can help improve the capability and performance of your RTC by observing these simple rules.. Place your crystal as close as possible to the RTC and keep the trace as short as possible to reduce the possibility of noise coupling. Avoid routing high-speed signals within 200mm of the RTC circuitry. Minimise interference being coupled into the clock signal by not routing any traces under or between the RTC and the crystal. Place a ground plane underneath the RTC circuitry and isolate it from other ground planes by no less than 40mm. Bear in mind that your product will probably not have optimal conditions in the field. External factors like temperature, dirty power supplies and interference call affect RTC performance and anticipating these in the lab could save considerable expense if the unit fails in the field. Applications for your RTC Industrial Metering utility POS terminals Remote telemetry Street lighting Parking metering Medical & Healthcare Health tracking Home medical treating Glucose dispenser or Gluco-meter Computing Internet cameras Industrial computer Embedded systems SPS Control Automotive Drive recorder Car black-box Battery charging management e-vehicle Taximeters Home & Building automation Door lock systems Climate control Smart watering systems Burglar alarm systems Consumer Mid and high end digital cameras and camcorders Wearables Sports healthcare Our RTC Manufacturers Ineltek works with two global leaders in RTC manufacture - Epson and Micro Crystal. They have a comprehensive portfolio of RTC solutions and, in partnership with Ineltek's FAEs, provide valuable support in helping to get your RTC projects running like clockwork. If you would like to know more, please contact us for more details.

New product Pico Product launches! In January last year, Raspberry Pi launched the $4 Raspberry Pi Pico, Their first product built on silicon designed by Raspberry Pi. At its heart is the RP2040 microcontroller, built on TSMC`s 40nm low-power process, incorporating two 133MHz Arm Cortex-M0+ cores, 264kB of on-chip SRAM and a unique programmable I/O subsystem. Since launch, we`ve sold nearly two million Pico boards, and RP2040 has found its way into a huge number of third-party products. Fast cores, large memory, and flexible interfacing make RP2040 a natural building block for Internet of Things (IoT) applications. But, until now, Pico needed an external module to connect to the outside world. Well, not any more... Today, we're launching three new members of the Pico family. The first is the Raspberry Pi Pico W bringing 802.11n wireless networking to the Pico platform, while retaining complete pin compatibility with its older sibling. Like all modern Raspberry Pi boards, the radio circuitry is encapsulated in a metal shield can, reducing compliance costs for customers who want to integrate it into their own products. Eagle-eyed readers of datasheets will notice that the CYW43439 wireless chip from Infineon supports both Bluetooth Classic and Bluetooth Low-Energy. However, Bluetooth is not enabled on Pico W at launch, but may be in the future. Watch this space... The second product launch is the Pico H, which is the existing Pico with pre-soldered headers. A Pico WH will follow in August which offers both new features on the same board. Here's a short video introducing the new members of the Pico family: Software and documentation For C developers, today`s release of the Pico SDK includes wireless networking support. The network stack is built around lwIP, and uses libcyw43 from Damien George (of MicroPython fame) to communicate with the wireless chip. By default, libcyw43 is licensed for non-commercial use, but Pico W users, and anyone else who builds their product around RP2040 and CYW43439, benefit from a free commercial-use license. MicroPython users can download an updated UF2 image with networking support for Pico W. This UF2 firmware we`re making available for Pico W is a separate build to the existing MicroPython firmware for our original Pico board. Read more about the Pico release on the Ineltek website here and, as always, if you're interested in designing in the RP2040 or a Pico board to your next project - contact us now.

If there’s a couple of phrases which have permeated public consciousness as much as any in the last two seismic years, it’s “unprecedented times” and “the new normal”. Whether used to explain or excuse performance on governmental, corporate or societal level, one thing is for sure: change has been rapid and dramatic. What remains to be seen is how permanent those changes are. Partly driven by a gross misjudgment of the effect the pandemic would have on demand and, partly, a longer term change in the pattern of investment in capacity, we now find ourselves deeply entrenched in the longest, broadest supply shortage in the history of electronics. “Industry veterans” who have witnessed a rollercoaster of availability of various DRAMs over the decades will testify that this time it's very different. Most significantly the biggest differentiator, and potentially for the long term, is the reaction of our customer base. The first reaction of many to warnings of supply chain shortages was denial. While some companies heeded the guidance to book ahead, many did not; confident that what had gone before would happen again. The second reaction was probably the most difficult commercially. Accepting the inevitable The ultimate acceptance of stopped production lines, damaged revenue and profits and the need to redesign was a huge shock to the system. Aside from the very highest level of manufacturing, such as automotive where governmental pressures were brought to bear, no amount of managerial escalation was enough to secure sufficient product required to get production lines rolling again. No amount of scratching around in the grey market was able to bring together a complete kit of parts without paying a king’s ransom of 20x to 100x the normal market rate for everything from passives to CPUs. One customer told us they'd made considerably more money selling the components they currently hold in stock than the product they're striving to manufacture! Crazy times. The net result? Every CEO and MD at every company that builds or embeds electronics in their product is questioning how they got so exposed and what they need to do to avoid it ever happening again. No Longer a Buyers Market A generation of designers and purchasers have been born and raised on readily available product and competing component manufacturers have historically driven down costs at a staggering rate. Super-efficient online supply channels have been able to provide engineers with sample quantities of every possible size, shape and flavour of component from stock within hours or days. With few exceptions, the semiconductor industry has fundamentally always been a buyer’s market. Even when market forces have swung in favour of the supply chain, businesses have been able to tolerate higher prices and longer lead-times safe in the knowledge that the pain won't last long. This time however, there is no obvious end in sight resulting in a potential Paradigm Shift for future design and purchasing strategy. AVLs are being torn up as quickly as barriers to entry are being torn down. Scars are being inflicted on the reputations of some of the industry’s household names that won’t heal any time soon. Traditional attitudes to unfamiliar Chinese and Taiwanese IC vendors have changed. It turns out that worries about technical support from the other side of the world are no longer as worrying as the constant stream of bad news from the familiar folks around the corner. So, how does a company today strategise designing in and procuring components which will mitigate the effects of this first long supply shock and any subsequent recurrences? Ineltek is witnessing a number of tactics including: Multi-sourcing Nothing new here, but season 2021/2 has taught designers that the strategy has never been more important. Multiple Designs Multi-sourcing doesn’t work for bespoke components: critically MCUs (with a couple of notable examples) and MPUs. This leaves the only viable option to develop multiple PCBA versions to support each product SKU, allowing rapid switching of production lines to build whichever version is most manufacturable at a given point in time. Geo-political Considerations Often in the past, components have been selected based on familiarity of design tools, support from a particular distributor or (whisper it quietly) personal relationships. Now we’re increasingly seeing decisions based on geo-political and logistical factors: will the US and China have a trade war? What if China decides to invade Taiwan? Which factory can cope best with another wave of COVID / [other unknown pandemic] lockdowns? Strategic Partnerships At the highest level, big consumer and automotive companies are investing directly in IC builders to ensure preferential allocation of product in the event of shortages. Great for them, but where does that leave you? Where Ineltek can help As a specialist distributor, Ineltek’s linecard has been built to provide the best technical and commercial offering for our customers and, by happy chance, includes a number of suppliers that can provide great solutions to supply challenges in the short term and for the long haul. A few highlights include: Nuvoton New entrant to the top tier of the world’s leading semiconductors WLTM global brand leaders. Not content with acquiring the semiconductor design and manufacturing capability of Panasonic, former Winbond spin-out Nuvoton have made it their business over the last 18 months to provide large quantities of MCUs where others couldn’t. Ineltek has grown its Nuvoton business 700% during this market crisis and you can’t do that without enormous supply and terrific support from HQ. Raspberry Pi The newest addition to our roster, Raspberry Pi are launching into the MCU space with a unique offering: a single flashless, powerful, low-cost MCU and you choose the commodity Flash to suit. RP2040 is available from stock in huge quantities. Dual core processor under a dollar? No problem. Geehy Struggling with manufacturing? Staggering leadtimes crippling your business? Staring at extortionate broker quotations? Geehy’s line-up of M0+, M3 and M4 pin-for-pin MCUs will replace your standard European MCU faster than you can say alliteration. Premo Electromagnetic components for automotive and industrial applications. With manufacturing spread across China, Vietnam and Morocco, there’s no risk of one region trapping you in a supply hole. 3Peak, Bruckewell, DAPU Telecom: Linear, Converters, Interface, Power Management, PHYs, Timing ICs and Power Discretes for an enormous range of applications, many of which are available on short lead-times in industry-standard footprints for fast second-source approvals. SIMCom 2G, 5G and everything in between. With the sun setting on 2G and 3G networks globally, there’s never been a better time to transition to 4G. SIMCom’s strategy is to provide footprint compatible solutions based on silicon from US and Chinese comms chip vendors, providing supply chain risk mitigation in parallel with huge cost benefits. Summary Whatever design / sourcing strategy you're considering, Ineltek goes above and beyond to work out a solution to keep your production on track. With in-house design-in expertise and close, long-term working relationships with the decision makers at our franchised suppliers, why entrust your critical components to anyone else? (Check out our components with reasonable lead times here)

What is Vehicle to Everything (V2X)? Electric vehicles (EVs) are destined to become the dominant form of transport on our roads in the coming decade, undoubtedly accelerated by record breaking fuel prices at the pumps. One paradigm shifting aspect in this migration to EV is the colossal amount of latent energy capacity which will be present in a significant proportion of all EVs at any one time. But, unlike their ICE equivalents, the enormous potential energy residing in people's fuel tanks is an untappable source of energy for anyone beyond the car owner. However, the same is not true of EVs - this can be utilised through the wonders of Bi-Directional Charging. Unsurprisingly, governments, the private sector and investors have already identified the enormous potential of the world's EVs to effectively become a global network of mobile Power Banks for the planet, far beyond the transportation needs of the driver. And with something with this enormous potential, comes enormous potential for monetisation. So, there is enormous excitement about the mnemonically named V2X “vehicle-to-everything” technology as a considerable source of growth for the automakers themselves, as well as chip companies and the manufacturers of the wide array of automotive grade magnetics required to make it happen. One industry report predicts the global automotive V2X market could reach $3.3 billion by 2026; phenomenal growth essentially up from zero in just 4 years. Let's crunch some numbers The International Energy Agency, (IEA) conservatively estimates 130 million EVs will be on our roads by 2030. In total, these EVs will store 10 times the total amount of energy needed by the global "grid" (YES - this is allowing for the increased electric generation required to charge those 130m EVs!). Taking their most ambitious projections of some 250 million EVs in circulation by 2030 means that the planet's entire energy storage needs could be provided by just 6% of the batteries on the road. Positively electrifying stuff! Sounds great - how do I jump on the trend? Some auto manufacturers are already leading the charge. Hyundai is running two V2X pilot projects in Germany and the Netherlands featuring modified IONIQ 5s equipped with customised V2G-capable software. And Ford’s all-electric 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning, can already serve as a home generator if you suffer a power outage. Whatever stage your V2X planning strategy is, you're going to need some serious magnetics to make it happen safely, securely and efficiently. That's where Premo comes in. PREMO – innovating in the Magnetics that drives V2X adoption Premo has been innovating in magnetics for 60 years this year (2022) and their portfolio of Automotive grade components is second to none. They are a global leader in RFID Antennas, the No.1 Magnetics Innovator in Europe and they enjoy a strong heritage of R&D in Power Electronics. They are already producing the essential Transformers, Chokes, Inductive Couplers, Transponders and Antenna trusted by many of the world’s leading auto manufacturers and they’re bringing this knowledge and experience to pioneer the uptake of V2X technology. So, if you want to find make the leap to V2X and want to get ahead of the curve, contact us now to start the conversation and arrange your custom introduction to Premo.