Editor : Ramesh Chopra Editorial : Editorial Secretary correspondence phone: 011-26810601; E-mail: [email protected] (Technical queries: [email protected]) Subscriptions & : Phone: 011-26810601 or 02 or 03 missing issues E-mail: [email protected] Back issues, : Kits‘n’Spares, New Delhi books, CDs, phone: 011-26371661, 26371662 PCBs etc. E-mail: [email protected] contents Exclusive : IBH Books & Magazines Distributors Ltd electronics for you Plus | october 2015 | Vol. 04 No. 06 | ISSN-2454-4426 Newsstand unit No.10, Bezzola Complex , Distributor opp. Suman Nagar, Sion Trombay Road, Chembur, Mumbai 400 071 phone: 022-40497401/02 Tech Focus Buyers’ Guide Advertisements new delhi : Ph: 011-26810601 or 02 or 03 What’s Your Automation The Right Mix of (Head Office) E-mail: [email protected] 40 Style: Brainy, Brawny 78 ESD Safety Tools Mumbai : Ph: 022-24950047, 24928520 or Tiny? for Your Environment E-mail: [email protected] Bengaluru : Ph: 080-25260394, 25260023 E-mail: [email protected] chennai : Ph: 044-42994363 Sensors E-mail: [email protected] 20 Fog Detection: The Optical Route hyderabad : Ph: 040-67172633 Do-IT-Yourself E-mail: [email protected] Lifestyle Kolkata : Ph: 033-22294788 24 How Electronics is Helping in Sports E-mail: [email protected] Pune : Ph: 08800295610, 09870682995 E-mail: [email protected] Telecom Gujarat: : Ph: 079-61344948 30 Internet Traffic Management E-mail: [email protected] Using MPLS china : Power Pioneer Group Inc. ph: (86 755) 83729797, (86) 13923802595 E-mail: [email protected] • Sonar Water-Level Meter...... 98 Test & Measurement JAPAN : Tandem Inc., Ph: 81-3-3541-4166 36 What’s New in T&M Tools for • Front End for Recording on PC E-mail: [email protected] Satellite Communication from Audio Tapes and Old Disks...... 100 singapore : Publicitas Singapore Pte Ltd ph: +65-6836 2272 • Wireless Mouse Charger...... 104 E-mail: [email protected] Tech Focus • Four Frequencies Generator...... 106 taiwan : J.K. Media, Ph: 886-2-87726780 ext. 10 46 E-mail: [email protected] Robotics in India: What’s Cooking? • Infrared Burglar Alarm...... 108 United States : E & Tech Media • Convert Your Old DVD Player ph: +1 860 536 6677 Defence With USB to a DVP...... 112 E-mail: [email protected] 52 American Carrier Strike Groups: • Wireless AM Listening Bug...... 114 SUBSCRIPTION RATES (Part 2 of 5) An Electronic Perspective Period Newstand Price You Pay Digital Overseas • Assistive Device for the Speech Impaired...... 116 Year (`) (`) (`) Digital Print • Android Application: Series RLC Circuit Two 2400 1800 750 uS$ 15 — Wearable One 1200 960 280 uS$ 5 uS$ 120 60 (Part 1 of 2)...... 120 The Era of Printed Electronics: Please send payments only in favour of EFY Enterprises Pvt Ltd From 3D Printing to Inkjet Printing Printed, published and owned by Ramesh Chopra. Printed at International Print-o-Pack Ltd, C-4 to C-11, Hosiery Complex, Phase-II Extension, NOIDA-201305, Embedded EFY Plus DVD Gautam Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, on the first day of each month and published 65 Young, Dynamic Julia for Numerical Computing...... I from D-87/1, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-1, New Delhi 110020. Copyright 2015. Advancements in FPGAs and All rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction of any material from Development Boards Look to Icarus Verilog for Verilog Simulation...... IV this magazine in any manner without the written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Although every effort is made to ensure accuracy, no responsibility Accelerate Time-To-Market BioSig for Biomedical Signal Processing...... VII whatsoever is taken for any loss due to publishing errors. Articles that cannot be used are returned to the authors if accompanied by a self-addressed and sufficiently stamped envelope. But no responsibility is taken for any loss or delay in returning the Innovation material. EFY will not be responsible for any wrong claims made by an advertiser. 70 Universal Data Acquisition and EFY Plus DVD Disputes, if any, will be settled in a New Delhi court only. Control with Yuktix UDAC for the IoT 84 This Month’s DVD Contents Regulars Interview Make in India Internet of Things: 90 06 Feedback Market Survey: Powering Up the Solar 08 Q&A 74 “Pay more attention to the secure Sector in India—An Outlook storage of data collected” — Kevin 10 Useful Websites Curran, IEEE senior member and reader in 14 Tech News computer science at Ulster University, Ireland eStyle 86 Make in India: Industry News 94 New Products Modular T&M Instrumentation: Buyers’ Guide: How to Select the 76 “In the automated test market... 128 Right Tablet 126 First Look speed is usually the most important 131 Business Pages Ads specification” — Bob Stasonis, sales and DIY: Five Smartphones With 4G LTE 142 Electronics Mart Ads marketing director of Pickering Interfaces 130 Support 146 Product Categories Index + Attractions During 2015 • Renewable Energy • Industrial Automation • Desktop PCB Manufacturing next issue Equipment 147 Advertisers’ Index

4 October 2015 | Electronics For You plus www.efymag.com FEEDBACK

Article on Solar ‘Spot An Error’ Award Winners Please publish more articles on the In ‘AVR Based Programmable Object Counter’ DIY article published in August issue, RST different types of solar methods avail- pin of the microcontroller is active-low, so reset switch S1 circuitry should be connected to able for harnessing solar energy, avail- ground instead of +5V supply. ability of solar panels in India, govern- Mayank Patel ment subsidies and various schemes  In ‘Solar-Powered Kennel Light’ DIY article published in August issue, in Figs 2 and 4, available for installing solar panels solar panel rating at CON1 is wrongly written as 6V, 100E, instead of 6V, 100mA. at home, cost for installing 4kWh to Prashanth Nayak 5kWh solar panels, solar panels with- out the battery and the like. R.L. Joshi Errata Surat, Gujarat In ‘American Carrier Strike Groups: An Electronic Perspective (Part 1 of 5)’ article published EFY: Thanks for writing to us! We in September issue, on page 72, third column, fourth paragraph, the correct statement would have been publishing articles re- be ‘Further to cement the importance of air defence, the USSR (of which the present day Russia was a part) entered into the picture as the newfound adversary of the USA to fight lated to solar in Electronics For You Cold War, a war fought without pulling a shot.’ twice every year since 2009, almost  There are some typographical errors in ‘Android based RC Charging and Discharging’ regularly. If you are interested, we article published in July issue. In Fig. 1, on page 105, charging time (ST) should be read as can forward the list of the published charging time (5T). In the third column, 1000e–6 should be read as either 1000E-6 or 1000μ, articles to you. and the value of Imax should be 0.0003A instead of 0.003A.

First Look Section winding design should not create any normal transformer. You always cover mobiles, cameras distortion in output wave form. 3. Use of this circuit under medi- and other gadgets in First Look sec- 3. This kind of stimulator may cal supervision is a must. Most elec- tion. Please include an affordable cause harm because output wave trotherapy equipment produce nar- laptop in this section. shape is unknown. row rectangular pulses. The circuit Ismail Taibani Uttam Dutta also produces narrow rectangular Through email Assistant manager, pulses of the order of 70V-90V. EFY: Thanks for the feedback! We Tata Steel Ltd, Jamshedpur will try to cover affordable laptops in The author K. Murali Krishna replies: EFY Plus DVD First Look section, as and when an Thank you for your interest in the Thanks for your KTechlab infor- interesting one is launched. article! mation included in EFY Plus DVD 1. Since this is a simple circuit, section in September 2014 issue! I Muscle Stimulator galvanic isolation is not considered. downloaded KTechlab from its offi- The ‘Low-Frequency Electronic Instead of going for isolation trans- cial website, but there is no setup or Muscle Stimulator’ published in July formers, you can use a 2x9V battery .exe file in the folder. Please help me issue is no doubt an interesting one in series at TP1 by removing trans- install the same. but I have the following comments: former X1 setup. Prakash Bantanur 1. This is purely an amateur Practical circuits are more com- Through email circuit. There is no galvanic isola- plicated, but the difference is that, EFY: KTechlab does not have any tion with the output, which is very in place of IC LM555, there will be .exe file for installation. It is avail- unsafe. Practical circuits are complex a programmed IC that produces dif- able mainly for installation on Linux but much safer. So a word of caution ferent patterns of rectangular wave- and Unix-like operating systems should have been mentioned at the forms and PWM signals of different (OSes). In order to install the file, end of the article. customised patterns. It can be used you can follow the steps given in 2. Transformer X2 should not be for medical purposes under medical ‘How to Install KTechlab’ section a normal transformer and, in this supervision, which is mentioned at in September 2014 issue. Although case, it heats up excessively after a the end of the article. it is mentioned on many websites few minutes of running this circuit, 2. As R6 (4.7-kilo-ohm) limits the that nowadays we can find KTechlab as the frequency it handles is not AC base current of T1, a small collec- version that is compatible with Win- sine-wave. The transformer should tor current flows through T1. So X2 dows OS, we have been unable to be of higher rating, and the core and will not heat up and we can use a find one till date.

6 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com Q&A

using components found in beach Which out the two is better to use for Things You sand. Each plate is coated with green projects? nickel-oxide based ink on one side, E.D. Cyindhia forming the anode, and the other Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu Wanted to Know! plate is coated with special black ink An AVR is an 8-bit RISC micro- (probably lanthanum strontium man- A2. controller (MCU), which was ganite), forming the cathode. Fuel developed by Atmel in 1996. It is a What is Bloom Energy? How cell plates are shown in the figure. device that can be regarded as a small Q1. can it be used to generate An electrochemical reaction con- (micro) computer as it has all the power? verts fuel and air into electricity with- ingredients of a computer such as a Ashish Mulajkar out combustion. A solid oxide fuel processor, program and data memory Asst. Prof. (E&TC department) and ports. When programmed, D.Y. Patil School of Engineering it performs a specific function Academy, Pune (one dedicated task or a set of Bloom Energy, a company closely-related tasks), and the A1. based at Sunnyvale, Califor- specific function is to control nia, USA, was co-founded by K.R. (controller) objects, processes Sridhar, CEO, with a mission to make or events. For developing an clean, reliable energy using fuel- application, you need a devel- cell technology. Fuel cells convert opment board, IDE and pro- fuel into electricity through a clean gramming skills. electrochemical process rather than Plates of fuel cells Arduino is an open source combustion. The best part is that, prototyping platform based on electricity is generated on the site cell is a high-temperature fuel cell. At easy-to-use hardware and software. where it will be used, thereby reduc- high temperature, warmed air enters It is an easy tool for fast prototyping, ing transmission/distribution losses the cathode side of the fuel cell and aimed at students without a back- and increasing efficiency. steam mixes with the fuel to produce ground in electronics and program- Bloom Energy has developed a reformed fuel, which emerges from ming. It has an incredible amount of new energy-efficient and environ- the anode side. accessible knowledge that can be of ment-friendly fuel cell known as The chemical reaction begins in great help to novices and experts alike. Bloom Box. It is a solid oxide fuel the fuel cell. As the reformed fuel Arduino boards are able to read input cell. The technology is different than crosses the anode, it attracts oxygen and process it into output, performing that of legacy hydrogen fuel cells in ions from the cathode. Oxygen ions user-defined tasks. All this is defined three ways: combine with the reformed fuel to by a set of instructions programmed Cost of materials. Cost of a cell produce electricity, water and small through Arduino Software (IDE). The is low as it uses sand powder, which amounts of carbon dioxide. Water software is easy-to-use for beginners, is a commonly-available mate- gets recycled to produce the steam yet flexible enough for advanced users. rial, instead of precious metals like needed to reform the fuel. The pro- It runs on Mac, Windows and Linux. platinum or corrosive materials like cess also generates heat required by Briefly, an AVR is an MCU; for it to acids. the fuel cell. work, you need a development board, High electrical efficiency. Con- Fuel cells are stacked together to an IDE and programming knowledge, version of fuel into electricity is form a module. Modules are com- whereas Arduino is a readymade plat- done at nearly twice the rate of other bined to form a Bloom Energy Server. form. With Arduino you can develop technologies. Bloom Energy claims Each server, packed with thou- an application with very little knowl- a conversion efficiency of around 50 sands of fuel cells, produces 200kW edge of programming. Arduino also per cent. of power. For more power, more simplifies the process of working with Fuel flexibility. It uses a variety energy servers are added. Eventu- MCUs, as it offers some advantages of inputs including traditional fuel, ally, Bloom hopes that a scaled-down for teachers, students and amateurs natural gas, biomass gas, landfill gas version can be used in homes. A over other systems. and ethanol. residential Bloom Box would produce A fuel cell has three parts: an 1kW of power. Answers compiled by EFY joint director (training), Col. N.C. Pande (Retd). Letters and questions for publica- electrolyte, an anode and a cath- tion may be addressed to Editor, Electronics For You, ode. Thin, white ceramic plates What are the advantages of D-87/1, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase 1, New Delhi Q2. 110020 (e-mail: [email protected]) and should include of 100mm×100mm size are made using AVR over Arduino? name and address of the sender

8 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com useful websites Solar Energy Popularity of solar energy as a renewal source of energy is growing each day. Therefore we have a few interesting websites for you this month that could help you understand more about solar power

niraj sahay

freesunpower.com The website provides a good selection of tutorials for setting up a solar power system for producing electricity from sunlight. The tutorials cover Solar Panels, Charge Controllers, Power Inverters, Storage Batteries, AC Generators, Wires & Cables, Meters & Monitors and a lot more. Complete system wiring diagram examples plus interactive online design tools are also featured with a point- and-click interface. The site can work as one place to learn and have fun with solar power.

www.freesunpower.com/index.php

pioneersettler.com Pioneer Settler is a place for information and ideas to be shared about homesteading, craftsmanship, and sustainability. The website strives to help people of all experience levels take steps towards happier, healthier lives. It has good ideas for DIY with solar panels.

www.pioneersettler.com/12-best-diy-solar-panel-tutorials

indiagoessolar.com The website aims to be a one-stop portal for everything on solar energy in India. It provides daily updates on the Indian solar market in the form of news, developments, markets and policies, upcoming events and expert opinions. It could help you find the best solar solution for your home, company or farm. The website has content that can enlighten you on what is happening with solar energy.

www.indiagoessolar.com/about

techon.nikkeibp.co.jp Mega Solar Business provides news on what is happening in the field of solar power and also has a section on Visit to Plant. This section provides different case studies on mega solar plants. The articles are based on visits to plants, interviews of relevant people and detailed examination of projects.

www.techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/solar-power-plant/news

solarpaneltalk.com The site is a discussion board on solar panels and solar power products. Currently, the forum has approximately 26,200 members with 161,000 posts and 16,800 threads. Anyone interested in solar panels and other related products can register for free and take part in discussions. Topics for discussion include solar panel systems on the grid, solar industry, off-grid solar, solar thermal, solar power lighting, DIY solar panels and other general discussions on solar energy.

www.solarpaneltalk.com/forum.php 10 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com Tech News Technology at your Service

Indian government to launch its own operating system, BOSS ndian government is ready to unveil a new and Iimproved version of Bharat Operating System Solu- tions (BOSS), developed by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC). This OS will replace Microsoft Windows and all other OSes in government offices in future. BOSS is a Linux distribution, and is developed with the help of Gujarat Technical University, DRDO and some other private computer manufacturers. Initially developed in 2007 by National Resource Centre for Free/ Open Source Software (NRCFOSS) of India, this OS is Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen controlling the robot from aboard the free and open source. International Space Station The new version has been tested successfully, defending itself from all kinds of attacks during the This experiment was conducted to replicate connecting a wire on another planet. With a tolerance of only 150µm, it required precision and delicacy from both robot and human operator. The first attempt took 45 minutes, but the second took only ten minutes. In this attempt, Mogensen could touch the peg and sense how it felt using force-reflective technology in the joystick. Video streams captured by the robot gave him an overall view of his surroundings. 3D-printed microbots deliver drugs inside human body ano-engineers at University of California, San Diego, NUSA, have used an innovative 3D-printing technol- BOSS, Indian government’s own operating system ogy to create tiny, multipurpose microbots that look like fish and are magnetically controlled. These bots are past three months of trial. Several government agencies expected to have very diverse applications ranging from including the Army intelligence were given the task to detoxification to drug delivery, among others. attack it to test its vulnerability status but they all failed The traditional bots were not able to perform to break it. The new OS is believed to have been launched complex tasks because of their simple structures, which to overcome the vulnerabilities that exist in government were either cylindrical or spherical. The new technique cyberspace, resulting in a multitude of attacks by hackers. removes this limitation, allowing researchers to create The OS will be handed over to Department of more complex and sophisticated geometrical structures. Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) to The team, led by Prof. Shaochen Chen and Prof. further smooth its rough edges and get it ready for use Joseph Wang, put platinum nano-particles in the tail of in government ministries. the fish to react with hydrogen peroxide to propel the fish in forward direction. Magnetic iron-oxide particles in Astronaut controls robot from space the head of microbots allowed the researchers to control anish astronaut Andreas Mogensen has success- the direction of these bots using magnets. Dfully controlled a robot on Earth with micrometre The team aims to build microbots that will perform precision. He accomplished this feat while being 400km surgery inside the human body with more accuracy and up and travelling at speeds of 28,800kmph. He used precision than currently possible. a feedback system to feel what the robot was doing, commanded Interact Centaur rover in real-time using Scientists develop stretchable metal a joystick to drive it around before taking control of its cientists at Washington State University, USA, have robotic arm to place a peg into a hole on a circuit board. Sdiscovered a way of stretching metal circuitry to twice

14 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com Tech News

Stretchable metal

its size. This could solve one of the biggest challenges in the growing field of flexible electronics. The team from Voiland College’s School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering includes associate professor Rahul Panat, professor Indranath Dutta and graduate student Yeasir Arafat. They decided to experiment with indium, a soft and malleable metal already used in electronics. They bonded it to a plastic layer and managed to stretch the metal film to more than twice its original length without breaking. Tiny brain implant could treat depression he human brain is the most powerful computer. TIt is an extraordinary assembly of living electrical circuits. To understand it better, neuroscientists often electrically stimulate the brains of simpler animals as they move around, carry out tasks and respond to their surroundings.

Wirelessly-powered brain implant could help treat depression

A wirelessly-powered implant, almost the size of a grain of rice, can electrically stimulate the brains of mice as they carry on with their daily activities. This new device could help scientists better understand and treat mental health disorders such as depression. They have created an implantable wirelessly-powered brain-stimulating device by using the mouse’s body to

16 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com Tech News help collect energy. The mouse’s body interacts with surrounding magnetic fields, helping focus energy like a lens from the transmitter to the receiver in the implant. The device is cylindrical in shape, is about 2mm wide and 3mm long, making it about 100 times smaller and lighter than previous devices created to achieve this. Gas sensor can detect internal air levels in the body during sleep cientists at VTT research, a technical research firm Sbased out of Finland, have developed a tiny gas sen- sor that can be connected with a smartphone or tablet to conduct gas measurements inside the human body. For example, a mobile healthcare app can be used along with the gas sensor to measure the quality of sleep with great precision by gauging CO2 quantities in your body. The sensor uses adjustable optical filters known as Fabry-Pérot interferometers, which have been previously used for applications based on spectroscopy, such as environmental monitoring via drones or nano- satellites, various hyper- spectral cameras, early detection of skin cancer The smartphone app shows and fuel analysis for internal air levels minimising emission rate. The gas sensor channels light through the sample that needs to be analysed. By measuring the penetration level at various light wavelengths, composition of the sample is determined. For example, CO2 is identified based on its strong absorption of light at a wavelength of 4.2µm. It is also possible to differentiate other gases or substances in the sample at the same time by determining the spectrum of their absorption peaks at various infrared wavelengths. Battery-free cameras to estimate object’s position esearchers have revealed that a network of energy- Rharvesting sensor nodes equipped with onboard cam- eras can determine each objects’s pose and location using optical cues. This exercise could be used to monitor the condition of infrastructure like bridges, industrial equip- ment and home security monitoring, among others. It could also enable networks of thousands of sensors to operate without batteries or external power, with minimal maintenance. Such networks can be part of the Internet of Things, where objects can www.efymag.com Electronics For You | October 2015 17 Tech News communicate and share information to create smart beacons, making it possible to detect the location of environments. objects, linked into a network to route signal traffic or be An image processing technique called Perspective- used to communicate with objects. n-Point (PnP) is used, where an image of an object is According to Stefan Mangold, head of Disney captured and then compared with a second image, in Research’s wireless research group, these advances could which four LEDs in a known configuration illuminate the give VLC an important role in the growing Internet of object. This helps the camera to estimate the position of Things idea. the object within a few centimetres. A robotic vacuum cleaner that can see Now transform a bicycle into a he new vacuum cleaner Roomba 980 from iRobot smartphone-powered smart vehicle Thas an enhanced array of sensors that helps it clean here are many ways of using a smartphone to navi- better, using visual inputs. The robotic cleaner incorpo- Tgate a bike trip, but these mostly consist of checking rates a low-resolution video camera that helps it map the a handset or smartwatch, both potentially dangerous house as it learns the layout of rooms and location of activities while steering a bike. objects like furniture and household items. SmartHalo provides a green-lighting prompt, connected It works on iRobot’s proprietary visual simultaneous via Bluetooth to an app on a smartphone, allowing localisation and mapping (vSLAM) technology for the users to keep the handset in the pocket as they follow first time in a consumer product. Using the map, the the colour-coded navigation guides on the device. All device runs continuously for up to two hours, after they have to do is input the destination into the device’s which it automatically return to Home Base to recharge associated app and SmartHalo takes over from there. and resume until the cleaning is done. It also pairs with When they are about to turn, the signal beams a an app, enabling users to start a cleaning cycle remotely white and green warning, and when going in the wrong via the Internet. direction, they get a red flashing prompt. Another lighting feature notifies them when they get a phone Digitsole unveils shoe insole that counts call. The device also connects with the smartphone app steps and keeps toes warm to provide biking statistics, including distance travelled, igitsole Warm Series insoles, by Digitsole, have a average speed and calories burned. It also includes an Dthick heel that tapers dramatically from the arch alarm, among other many interesting features. forward to a flat, slightly cushioned area for the toes. The Disney to launch Linux based LEDs that communicate with each other esearchers at Disney have showcased light bulbs that Rcan do more than just illuminate rooms. These Linux based light emitting diodes (LEDs) can communicate with each other, with objects and with the Internet, to create smart environments. Transmitting signals via light is an age-old concept. The researchers, however, have created networking technology that makes it possible for LED lights to not only communicate with each other but do so in a way that is compatible with the Internet and its technical The battery in Digitsole insoles gives seven to eight hours of continuous protocols. They used off-the-shelf commercial LED light operation and then recharges via twin USB chargers bulbs, which they modified so that these could send and receive visible light signals. back area has an impact cushion for the heel, as well as These modifications include a system on chip running a lot of the core technology inside the sole. It has motion Linux operating system, visual light communication sensors that track steps, distance and calories. The arch (VLC) controller module with the protocol software and also includes a micro-USB charging port which connects an additional power supply for added electronics. They to heating elements that run through the front half of the created software that makes the signals transmitted insole. The product is also waterproof. through this hardware compatible with Internet protocols. It connects via Bluetooth to a dedicated iOS or They were thus able to create networks with a throughput Android app where the user can track his or her activity of up to one kilobit per second. stats and adjust the sole’s thermostat. It can heat up to These VLC-enabled bulbs could be used to broadcast 30°C in -25°C for at least six hours.

Check efytimes.com for more news, daily

18 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com SENSORS

Fog Detection: The Optical Route

majority of serial collision acci- signal analysis/processing is done in dents happens when visibility is an integrated microcontroller (MCU). Alow due to fog. The risk of these The primary signal is first sampled for accidents can be reduced considerably a finite duration and then calculated ac- with a system containing visibility sen- cording to a derived formula, to convert T.K. Hareendran is an sors and variable speed-limit signs. measured signal into visibility. electronics hobbyist, Until now, such systems have been Calculated visibility is presented in freelance technical writer and circuit designer very expensive because of the high cost digital form (as an ASCII string) on the of visibility sensors. Fortunately, these serial (RS232) output of the OFS. The days, availability of reasonably-priced MCU also controls the analogue output, optical fog sensors (OFSes) changes the indicating visibility directly. This ana- calculus for such systems in a drastic logue output, like digital output, is also manner. updated at regular intervals. In practice, light sender and receiver How does an OFS work optics are heated up to (slightly above) Backscattering is the principle behind the ambient-temperature level using a OFSes. It is the reflection of waves, parti- heating wire (anti-dew heater) mounted cles or signals back to the direction from around these. This is done to ensure that which these came. It is diffuse reflection no water droplets form, thus no further due to scattering, as opposed to specular (undesired) losses are incurred due to reflection like in a mirror. absorption and refraction of the trans- In a typical OFS, a narrow beam of a mitted light beam. red laser light (eye-safe laser) comes out Besides, in order to keep electronics of an opening on the front. A detector dry, a membrane ventilator is used that behind a lens in another window is sen- keeps the pressure inside at the same sitive to incoming laser light in a narrow level as outside. This prevents liquid Fig. 1: Optical fog sensor lobe that overlaps the transmitter beam. (water) from getting sucked into the If there are fog particles sensor through microcracks at a falling in the overlap zone, light temperature. OFS is scattered back and RECEIVER’S LOBE a signal is induced on Applications the sensor’s raw signal It is well-known that fog causes many output. accidents. An OFS will work well for LASER BEAM SENSITIVE ZONE The raw signal output road safety and a lot of other applica- is an analogue voltage and tions. The sensor is sensitive to particles Fig. 2: Backscattering technique in an OFS a measure of the amount in a limited zone ahead of the location of backscattered light from of the sensor that limits the visibility in the overlap (sensitive) the air. LASER 650nM TX output zone. So the more fog These particles are normally micro- <5mW microcontroller in the overlap zone, the scopic water particles constituting fog, circuitry stronger the signal. but these could also be snowflakes, serial Density of fog, which raindrops or air pollutants. However,

analogue is the function of vis- main indications of low visibility are fog power supply ibility, can be measured or snow. RX dc input within a controlled en- Exterior scene. Road keepers often vironment using an OFS install OFSes because they need infor- Fig. 3: Typical system diagram of an OFS as outlined above. Here, mation about the weather-associated

20 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com SENSORS

Fig. 6: Working principle of an interior OFS

Note that, unlike the common closer than 5m to 10m. A simple (exterior) OFS, the interior fog sen- shield protecting the sensor from sor works by transmitting a beam of direct sunlight and lenses from rain, infrared light onto the interior glass. reaching not more than 100mm When fog is present, the beam is in the laser beam direction, helps Fig. 4: Applications of an external OFS scattered back to the sensor. This keep away precipitation from the information is then used by the vehi- optics. But in most cases, the exist- cle’s climate control system to deter- ing small shield on the sensor front mine if the defogger or glass-heating is sufficient. elements should be activated. When mounting an interior sen- The fog sensor’s high sensitiv- sor (on the windshield), try and ity allows fog to be detected by the limit the overall distance between sensor before it is detected by the the glass and the sensor in the human eye. This not only improves range of 4cm to 10cm. The best driving safety but also the occupants’ mounting position for this sensor comfort and convenience. For in- is between the windshield and the stance, if a vehicle can decipher that rear-view mirror. Fig. 5: An Interior OFS it is foggy outside, it can automatical- ly switch on fog lamps or emergency For DIYs factor that has a high impact on road flashers, helping the driver see, along With the help of a ready-made safety, which is visibility. This vital with helping other motorists notice exterior or interior OFS, you can information is needed for optimising the occupied vehicle. build your own fog-related projects road maintenance and for making In short, OFSes are suitable for a for your home, office and vehicle. decisions regarding speed limits us- vast range of applications including, Working voltage of an optical fog ing variable signs. but not limited to: detector is between 6V DC and 16V OFSes, measuring atmospheric vis- 1. Providing automatic control of DC, with a current requirement in ibility (meteorological optical range) fog sirens, navigation and warning the range of 60mA to 600 mA (refer by determining the amount of light lights official datasheet of your OFS). scattered by particles in the air, are 2. Weather forecasting. These If you want to study the atmos- widely used in ports and harbours. could be installed on ocean-going pheric visibility of fog and its con- Interior role. How would you data buoys, providing real-time fog stituents, or if you want to fabricate know if you are maintaining a safe and visibility data a smart fog-triggered warning system distance from vehicles around you 3. Integrating into existing systems for automobiles, an external MCU when headlights cannot penetrate for synoptic weather observations circuitry and a few lines of software fog? The new class of compact, sensi- are required to process output sig- tive and reliable interior OFSes could Hitting the mark nals (serial data or analogue voltage) come in handy. In order to get the best from an OFS available from the OFS. The windshield-mountable inte- (exterior or interior), you must do For basic projects, string output rior OFS provides an output signal your home work well. The exterior from the OFS can be routed to a log- that corresponds to the level of mois- sensor should be mounted such that ger with RS232 input or to a PC via ture on the interior glass surface of it looks horizontal and there must the serial port and with a terminal the vehicle. not be anything in the sightline program like Hyper Terminal. 

22 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com lifestyle

How Electronics is Helping in Sports

n this fast-changing era of modern life, sociated with electronic sports are real-time electronics play a key role in improv- strategy, fighting, first-person shooter and Iing the quality of human life and also multi-player online battle arenas. contribute to economic growth of the na- Sports venues of today have become tion and world at large. Use of electronics much more than places people go to, to and its devices has become a way of life simply watch a game. These have been Dr S.S. Verma is a professor at Department and it is difficult to imagine any sector of built, or modernised, to include high levels of Physics, Sant Longowal human life that has remained untouched of technology for enhancing the overall ex- Institute of Engineering and Technology, Sangrur, by its applications, and same is the case perience for both the guests in attendance Punjab with sports. and for those viewing from the comfort of Electronics not only plays an integral their homes. part in sports in its various domains like Electronics in sports items feature video games, sports electronics gadgets/ the use of cutting-edge nanotechnol- equipment, sports venues, sports security, ogy, making these ultra-lightweight with safety of players, time keeping and record- high-strength material and providing ing, event recording and its transmission performance gains in acceleration, fuel but also in the improvement of sports per- savings, top speed and smooth handling. sonnel’s lifestyle in terms of fitness, medi- Additionally, the materials offer a shinier, cal care and performance. gem-like finish that reduces surface ten- In this article, we have made an effort to sion on water, providing a more nimble, introduce you to technology in general and responsive ride. how technology is making use of electron- Imagine, in the final seconds of a ics, particularly in sports, in making a differ- match, with a racing heart, we look to- ence in the sports we play and enjoy today. wards the final outcome but miss the scene Electronic sports, also known as eSports by a few seconds. The player also misses or video gaming, is a term used for organ- the goal by a few seconds, and centime- ised multi-player video game competitions. tres. Despite replaying the moment over The most common video game genres as- and over in the mind, the player fails to pinpoint exactly what went wrong. Engineers and computing professionals are developing electronics based technolo- gies to be used in sports that can provide sportspersons with just this kind of insight into their sporting performance. These technologies are making it possible for fit- ness enthusiasts and athletes alike to train smarter, perform better and play safer than ever before. The number of sports fans watching events live on mobile devices has now reached a new high. But television remains the most-frequently-used content-consump- tion method for sports, recording a 90 per cent figure within the past 12 months, while 40 per cent people viewed or listened to sports online using a computer, tablet or smartphone and 19 per cent consumed

24 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com lifestyle

sports ranging from swimming to hockey. Engineers design these ma- terials to maximise athletes’ perfor- mance and keep them safe. In a sport like alpine skiing, where seconds can make the difference between which team takes home the gold, uniforms can have a huge impact. GPS analysis of trial runs on the course has helped guide the place- ment of seams and zippers to mini- mise drag or resistance. The super- sleek suits even underwent testing in a wind tunnel. Padding within the suits was also made from a special- ised material designed to harden on impact, to better protect wearers. Helmets are a critical piece of A woman looking at a wearable fitness device, while out on a run sports equipment for preventing trau- matic brain injuries in high-impact sports content on social media plat- Materials including fibres, films sports like football and hockey. Engi- forms such as Facebook and Twitter; and coatings that react to electrical, neers have developed smarthelmets again, all within the past one year. optical or magnetic signals provide to further prevent and reduce concus- The figures also suggest that embedded intelligence to knit woven sions. These helmets contain sensors sports is a major driver for buying or non-woven textile structures. In- that measure the force and location bigger televisions and 62 per cent of tegration of electronics with textiles of the impact and send alerts about self-described sports fans own a tel- brings a new frontier in functionality possible concussions via a smart- evision with a screen size of 101.6cm to one of the most common materials phone app to coaches on the sideline. (40-inches) or more as compared in our daily lives. Engineers are even considering to only 38 per cent in the general Companies are looking to seam- adding strong magnets inside smart- population. lessly integrate electronics with tex- helmets, which would help disperse Electronic billboards are used in tile structures, changing the way peo- the energy of impact using their stadiums and arenas by sports teams ple benefit from technology in sports repellant properties. Smarthelmets to resell advertising spaces to their and develop wearable electronics have the potential to reduce the sponsors and advertisers. These are that can be used to enhance sports severity of injuries and improve the specifically developed for use at sta- performance. The goal is to change time in which players receive medical diums as classic electronic billboards. the way people interact with technol- attention. The modular system allows assem- ogy, and develop and commercialise A new type of wearable technol- bling in any shape and size. With the comfortable, practical, scalable and ogy that provides information about use of electronics based recording affordable sports solutions. a player’s jumping performance, and displaying of ongoing sports Wearables can take on a number known as VERT, has been developed. activities, their outcome in the sta- of different forms. VERT uses a small sensor-equipped dium for online viewers has reached A tough fabric wearable sensor is device, which is worn on the waist- remarkable heights of satisfaction. rugged, accurate and slim enough to band of a player’s shorts. be invisibly included in the wearer’s Using a computer processor and Wearable electronics clothing or on the body. The in- a special algorithm, or set of rules, Training, especially in sports, takes novative strain-locking mechanism VERT can calculate jumping data such discipline. But if we arm ourselves allows the sensor to not get stretched as the number of jumps, height of with the right fitness wearable, we beyond its maximum stretch range. jumps and average and highest jumps. will be more invigorated to stay on As a result, those wearing these can Data is sent via Bluetooth to an app course with our programme and see move in any way they wish and take on the coach’s mobile device. The the results we have been striving to part in rough activities including vig- app provides information on not only achieve. orous sports. the player’s jumping performance but Electronics based technology is Athletic garments and gear are also on whether he or she is at risk for revolutionising sports and training. critical to the success of athletes in possible injury due to fatigue.

26 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com lifestyle

Professional sports teams are One major now combining wearables with radio trend in sports frequency identification (RFID) tech- technology is to nology. RFID tags added to players’ get more accu- uniforms transmit data using elec- rate data from tromagnetic fields to RFID receivers athletes. Sports placed at various locations around technology has the arena or stadium. made a giant leap Tags collect information about forwards over the players’ movements such as speed, past year. New acceleration and distance run. Coach- devices now con- es can use this information to get a nect using Blue- better sense of how their players are tooth 4.0 for low- performing and working together on power usage. Bet- the field. These stats are sometimes ter data analytics even shown in broadcasts or on Jum- means having Implantable electronics (Image courtesy: cloudwiser.wordpress.com) botrons, so fans can see where their more information favourite players stack up. about a workout of a sports person, Outdoor technology has advanced and many of these gadgets offer easi- so much that many fitness watches Fitness electronics ly-adjustable, customise-able features come with GPS technologies as well To be a good sports person, one must to fit the fitness regimen. as heart rate monitoring capabilities. have a keen interest in new technolo- Fitness bands like Fitbit are wear- GPS can be used to track location, gies that allow him or her to under- ables equipped with a pedometer distance travelled, top and aver- stand more about how the human containing micro-electro-mechanical- age speeds, pace and other data on body copes with various training systems (MEMSes) inertial sensors to workout. These watches are great methodologies. In order to improve detect steps. for measuring performance on runs, the quality of training prescriptions, A smart tech polo shirt has also walks and bike rides. one needs to base this on data and been unveiled, which includes silver- be able to provide an evidence based fibre sensors woven onto the fabric, Implantable electronics approach to athletic training. an accelerometer (which turns bod- Portable ultrasound and electrostimu- We now have access to sophis- ily movements, or acceleration, into lation therapy equipment are being ticated tools that are capable of digital measurements), a gyroscope used in sports medicine, physical measuring different aspects of human (which measures orientation) and therapy, chiropractic and podiatric performance; mainly related to the Bluetooth transmitter to relay infor- health care. output of movement, for example, mation about wearers’ vitals. Further, portable and field bio- power output, force and velocity. One of the best ways to keep tabs chemistry technology has improved Electronics and computers incor- for a sportsman on his workout is to massively but, still, a part from blood porated into clothing or accessories use a fitness watch that can monitor lactate, glucose and a few other that can be worn on the body are heart rate and track distances, speeds biomarkers are quite limited in the now being designed for use in sports and interval times, and send this ability for measuring a wide variety and fitness activities. These wear- information to an online system that of biomarkers in-vivo. able technologies gather data such as helps to develop a personal training Researchers are using silk as the heart rate, breathing rate, skin tem- regimen that will give the best results. basis for implantable optical and perature, calories burned, movement A standard watch with a basic electronic devices that are capable of and even the duration and quality of chronograph (stopwatch) and heart measuring vital signs and blood bio- sleep. rate monitor gives all the health- chemistry in real-time in a continuous Collected data is analysed by related information needed to create manner. These implantable electronics software in conjunction with input- a training schedule. When choosing are based on silk, which is a biode- ted information about the wearer’s a heart rate monitor, the one that can gradable material and is capable of height, weight and gender. The give customised information based carrying light like optical glass. wearer can then track and view this on height, weight, age and other fac- Silk can also serve as mechanical information on a computer or mobile tors works well. These watches work support for arrays of electrically- device and use it to make better deci- great for training programmes that active devices, allowing these to be sions about health, fitness or athletic include running, walking, cycling or placed on biological tissues without performance. weight lifting. causing irritation. www.efymag.com Electronics For You | October 2015 27 lifestyle

Depending on how it is pro- a goal was viable within one second, cessed, silk can be made to break- and to an accuracy of 0.5cm. down inside the body almost in- SportVu is a statistical tracking stantly or to persist for years. This technology currently used in bas- technique offers incredible opportu- ketball. It also uses high-speed nities for medical applications, but cameras. The cameras, which we should not underestimate the are affixed to the rafters of the power of using such devices to im- arena, capture movements prove our understanding of human of players and the ball 25 performance. times per second in X, In the near future, we would be Y and Z coordinates. able to measure in real-time how This information is our body responds to a variety of then transmitted to exercise paradigms as well as nutri- software that calcu- tional interventions, improving our lates the players’ dribbles, understanding of human biology and passes and touches. giving us a better chance to prescribe Baseball and new communication technology Coaches can use this information exercise programmes. to make decisions on the court and force is applied to the device, electri- assess whether players are in good Sensitronics cal resistance decreases. physical condition to perform. Data Engineers are not only developing The ink formulation can be could also be used to identify play- athletic technology that can be worn customised for application-specific ers’ strengths and weaknesses and on the body but also technology that requirements such as minimising for scouting new recruits. SportsVu is incorporated into sports equipment saturation with greater force as well also enables players’ stats to be itself. One example is a hi-tech smart as for very low force needs. Tem- shared with both viewers and fans. soccer ball that contains a number perature, humidity and shear are of internal sensors. When the ball is some of the considerations. The FSR Conclusion kicked, these sensors gather data on can be used for applications such It is challenging to package electron- the speed and spin of the ball as well as computer input devices, musical ics with sports in an aesthetically- as its trajectory and strike point. The instruments, interactive toys, robot- pleasing but ergonomically small and accompanying app includes tutorials ics fingertips, automotive, sports or lightweight enclosure. Applications and challenges that can be used to medical applications. of electronics in sports include get- record and improve progress during Seemingly low-tech gadgets like ting in shape (fitness), playing sports training. golf clubs are benefiting from elec- professionally (accuracy and perfor- Engineers have also designed a tronics technology advancements. mance) or watching sports (recording smartracquet equipped with sensors These are now being designed to save and transmission). that can give players information energy. There are thousands of special Technology with electronics in about the number of strokes, power, energy capsules that have been melted sports is offering new insights and impact and technique. These tech- together into one midsole. interactivity to the world of sports. nologies employ Bluetooth to transmit High-speed cameras are being These powerful tools are putting eye- information to a corresponding smart- utilised more frequently in the wide opening real-time knowledge into phone app for tracking and analysis. world of sports. One application is the hands of users like never before. Sensitronics can play a great role to help referees and sports officials Even mobile apps have the ability to in the design and working of sports make less subjective calls about plays maximise an athlete’s potential, help equipment. Force sensing resistor on the field. teams reach new heights or players (FSR) technology can be used to en- Camera based goal line technol- experience sports in fun new ways. hance any game or outdoor activity. ogy is commonly used at present in Athletes and gamers of tomorrow For example, FSRs can accurately many games like football, hockey, will need engineers and computing detect position, monitor impacts, lawn tennis and badminton. Cameras professionals to develop new applica- measure gripping force and provide are placed high-up at different points tions that marry a passion for sports speed control for trolling motors. around the sports venue. If a ball and cutting-edge electronics based These are made of a polymer thick crosses the goal line during a match, technologies. As sports technologies film ink, typically screen printed on the word GOAL is transmitted to a evolve, these will continue to help Mylar (PET) film, depending on the smartwatch worn by the referee. The sports persons everywhere push the requirements of the application. As system is able to determine whether boundaries of physical excellence. 

28 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com TELECOM

Internet Traffic Management Using MPLS

ulti-protocol label switch- that provides a permanent/dedicated path ing (MPLS) is a telecommunica- for the entire duration of a conversation. Mtion transport mechanism that Contrary to this, packet switching is a directs data from one network node to connection-less routing technique in which the next by using labels instead of long the entire message is divided into packets

Dr Rajiv Kumar Singh network Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, and then addressed and numbered. Packet holds a Ph.D in electronics avoiding complex lookups in a routing switch sends the addressed and numbered engineering from IIT, (BHU), Varanasi, and table. So, what is MPLS all about? Let us packets one by one to the destination, in is currently employed find out. different routes, by using the entire avail- with Lovely Professional University as assistant In order to improve throughput and able spectrum. professor. Previously, he delay performance of IP, some sort of In this technique, no dedicated path is was associated with BSNL. He has received senior combination of standard routing proto- used between the source and destination. research fellowship of UGC cols like open shortest path first (OSPF) At the destination, packets arrive randomly at Centre of Advanced Study at IIT, Varanasi and asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) at different times; the first packet may ar- switch networks were proposed in the rive last. The receiver has to wait until all mid-1990s. But these developments were packets are received. Finally, all packets are not on a common platform. So, in 1997, arranged sequentially and then converted Internet Engineering Task Force set up into a message. Since the packets are MPLS working group to develop a com- routed through different routes, this routing mon standard that is free from any pro- becomes connection-less. prietary issues. Although packet switching offers some In 2001, MPLS working group issued advantages over circuit switching, it also its first proposal that clarified the kind of imposes some limitations. Limitations of role MPLS could play in the world of the packet switching can be overcome by using Internet. Before turning to the details of label switching technique. MPLS, let us briefly examine some basics. In label switching, connection-less IP Basically, switching is the process by routing is converted into connection-orient- which two circuits are interconnected ed routing by superimposing the network for exchanging information and is basi- layer function with data link layer function. cally classified as circuit switching and The label is attached to the data packet ac- packet switching. Circuit switching is a cording to class and type of services in a connection-oriented routing technique similar way that is followed for categories Fig. 1: MPLS architecture and priorities in circuit switching. For further routing of the destined IP packet, intermediate routers use ap- propriate labels only. Label switching is used in MPLS. The MPLS frame uses various data link frames like ATM, frame relay, point-to point IP/Ethernet (T1/E1) and synchronous optical network, among others. Since MPLS uses label switching and is a protocol-independ- ent transport mechanism, it is called multi-protocol label switching.

30 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com TELECOM

MPLS architecture A typical MPLS architecture is shown in Fig. 1. Components of an MPLS IP network are customer edge (CE), label edge router (LER) and label switching router (LSR). CE works at IP level. LER is the entry point of MPLS domain and is known as the provider edge. LSR Fig. 2: Illustration of traffic flow in MPLS domain works as a transit switch between LERs. Label switched path (LSP) is (Fig. 2). In MPLS domain, the data path between two routers ingress router has a route through which packets travel. Lines for 192.168.1.0/20 with a shown between CE and LER carry IP next-hop of LSP. A header packets bi-directionally. with a label of, say, 5, se- Customer edge (CE). It structures lected from its LIB, is ap- the customer message into IP pack- pended to the packet and ets and sends it to the entry node forwarded downstream. of MPLS domain. While receiving Fig. 3: Generic MPLS label format LER binds the selected IP packets from the egress node of label (5) according to the MPLS domain, CE sends packets to automatically when the new LSR and FEC over the IP packet and sends it the network layer of its own, after LER are added by using label distri- through the pre-programmed LSP (2) removing the IP address. bution protocol. towards LSR1. Label edge router (LER). This When LSR is routing the packets On receipt of the labelled IP works as the gateway of MPLS from the incoming LSP to the outgo- packet, LSR1 analyses the label only domain and sits at the edge of the ing LSP, it strips out the incoming and ignores the IP address. It consults MPLS domain. Ingress LER receives label and assigns a new label to the with its LIB for further routing. As a IP packet from CE and assigns the same packet to ensure security from result, it removes the incoming label appropriate label. After wrapping intruders. This process is known as (5), winds the newly-assigned label the label, it sends the labelled packet label swapping or label changing. (3) over the IP packet and sends it to- towards the next hop through LSP, Label switched path (LSP). wards LSR2 over the assigned LSP (7). which is assigned for the specific Within an MPLS domain, a path is LSR2 consults with its LIB and forward equivalence class (FEC). As- set up prior to data transmission for transmits the IP packet after swap- signing the label is termed as label a given packet to travel based on ping the incoming label (3) with the binding. LER also acts as the egress forward-equivalence class (FEC). outgoing label (10) towards egress router. Egress LER receives labelled There are two types of LSPs; one LER over the pre-assigned LSP (4). IP packets from the previous transit is static and the other is signalled. Egress LER stripes the label (10), router, pops up the label (removes Static LSPs are configured manually goes through the destined IP address the label) and routes the IP packets on each LSR. No signalling protocol (192.168.1.1) and hands it over to the towards the destined CE. is used in static LSP. To establish a correct CE. Label switching router (LSR). static LSP, the operator configures This functions as a transit switch in ingress LER, transit LSRs and egress Forward-equivalence class MPLS cloud. It receives labelled IP LER, manually specifying labels to be FEC is a representation of a group of packets through the appropriate LSP. applied at each hop. packets that share the same require- It analyses the label bound over the Contrary to this, signalled LSPs ments for their transport. All packets packet, consults the forwarding infor- are configured only at ingress LER. in such a group are provided with the mation table [label information base When a packet is assigned to a same treatment en route to the desti- (LIB)] and routes the packet through signalled LSP, it follows a pre-estab- nation. FEC assignment is based on: the appropriate LSP. lished path from LSP’s ingress LER to 1. Class of service requirement LIB is a software database created its egress LER. 2. Quality of service requirement in both LER and LSR. It contains 3. Prefixes of IP addresses mapping information of the incoming How MPLS works FEC based on class of service re- label and LSP with outgoing label. It Suppose an IPv4 packet arrives at the quirement. IP packets from different is created during installation of the ingress router (LER) from CE with a users are categorised on the basis of router and, subsequently, updated destination address of 192.168.1.1 class of services these are entitled to,

32 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com TELECOM

TBS1000B Series Digital Oscilloscopes

SPECIAL OFFER Performance You Need at a Price You Can Afford. Fig. 4: Illustration of label merging and these are allotted with one FEC Generic MPLS label format number. For example, one FEC repre- MPLS layer works between the net- sents all Voice over Internet Protocol work layer and data-link layer (Fig. (VoIP) packets received from different 3). MPLS SHIM layer is created in users, and in MPLS domain all VoIP between L3 header and L2 header in packets are treated equally. all LERs for insertion of the label to FEC based on quality of service IP packets received from CE. The first requirement. Some online services element of MPLS SHIM is a label field like video conferencing require con- of 20-bit length that represents the stant and high-speed data transmis- label used to switch a packet. Label 70 MHz at Rs.29000 sion. If delay exceeds, there could be 0 through 15 are reserved by IETF a loss of intelligence. Such IP packets (label 0 - IPv4 explicit null, label 1 could not be made to wait in queue. - router alert, label 2 - IPv6 explicit Such services deserve separate FECs. null and label 3 - IPv4 implicit null). FEC based on prefixes of IP ad- All other labels may be allocated dresses. FEC is assigned on the basis at random. Label binding and popping of prefixes of the IP addresses of the is done by ingress and egress LERs, destination. respectively, while LSR does label swapping. MPLS label can be reused MPLS label simultaneously within MPLS network, A label in MPLS is used as the rout- because the label has only local sig- ing code like an STD code in circuit nificance between the two LSRs. 100 MHz at Rs.39000 switching. It identifies the path a Second portion of MPLS header is packet should traverse in MPLS reserved for class of service (3 bits) domain. The label is encapsulated and is used for the purposes of clas- in a data-link layer 2 header. So, a sifying LSPs based on differentiated 7-inch WVGA display new layer called MPLS SHIM layer services, and is also referred to as Unique TrendPlot™ feature is formed between the network layer experimental portion. Enhanced limit-test feature and data-link layer in OSI layer con- The third portion (stack – 1-bit) is Digital real-time sampling cept. used for indicating the bottom of the 34 automated measurements MPLS header has this name be- stack. This bit is set to 1 for the last PC Courseware Editor Tool cause an additional header is placed, entry in the stack and 0 for all other (EDU Series) or shimmed, between the existing label stack entries. data-link layer and network layers. The last element in the header is Function of this layer is to bind MPLS an 8-bit field called time-to-live. Visit: in.tek.com/TBS1000/offer label over the IP packet received from Label binding +91-80-30792726 / 41 CE. The label contains information [email protected] about the next hop address. Value of Once a packet has been identified the label has local significance only. as a new or existing FEC, a label So, the same label number could be value from the underlying data-link reused in some other area of MPLS layer is assigned to the packet. MPLS domain. supports ATM, frame relay, PPP IP/ www.efymag.com Electronics For You | October 2015 33 TELECOM

Ethernet (T1/E1) because these have common characteristics like connection-oriented protocols, asso- ciation with frame-level functioning and transfer of IP packets between adjacent nodes only. So data-link layers (such as frame relay or ATM), layer-2 identifiers, such as data-link connection identifi- ers (DLCIs) in the case of frame-relay networks, or virtual path identifiers (VPIs)/virtual channel identifiers (VCIs) in case of ATM networks, or MAC headers in the case of PPP/Eth- Fig. 5: Traffic engineered route in MPLS ernet, can be used directly as labels. Packets are then forwarded based on that provides loop-free inter-domain service. Thus, an MPLS network is their label value. routing between autonomous sys- converted into a homogeneous net- Labels are bound to an FEC as a tems. An autonomous system is a work to handle heterogeneous traffic. result of some event or policy that set of routers that operate under the These dedicated paths are known as indicates a need for such binding. same administration. Here, an MPLS traffic engineered tunnels (Fig. 5). These events can either be data-driv- domain becomes an autonomous Different types of traffic engi- en bindings or control-driven bind- system. BGP is often run among VPN neered tunnels are created based ings. The latter is preferable because networks and MPLS networks. on the quality of service of different of their advanced scaling properties PIM is used for multicast states users. Thus, these tunnels provide that can be used in MPLS. Policy of label mapping. Some users may want an alternate path that has been de- label binding is based on destination to broadcast their messages to differ- liberately configured to be used as unicast routing, traffic engineering, ent users. This protocol supports the an alternative, unused path through multicast and quality of service. distribution of multicast labels. As the network in an effort to utilise net- a result, multiple LSPs are formed work resources in an efficient way. Label merging and stacking between single users to multi-users Label merging is the replacement of during broadcast period only. Conclusion multiple incoming labels for a partic- RRP is not a routing protocol. In an MPLS domain, routers do not ular FEC with a single outgoing label It works in conjunction with other analyse the entire IP address to select (Fig. 4). It is achieved by stacking routing protocols to keep the quality the best matching but only analyse the label at LSR based on the instant of service within the MPLS cloud. It the label (similar to the analysis of arrival of packets through incom- uses exchanging of labels pertaining of route code in circuit switching), ing LSPs. It is organised as a last-in, to the services that require time man- which greatly reduces delay in rout- first-out stack. agement (online services like video ing data packets. Thus, the amount conferencing, IP telephony and the of per-packet processing required at Protocols used in MPLS network like). RSVP provides the creation of each router in an IP based network is An MPLS network uses different tunnels in MPLS domain. greatly reduced with the use of MPLS. types of protocols like open short Moreover, label switch paths and path first (OSPF), border gateway Traffic engineering in MPLS labels are selected for routing by label protocol (BGP), protocol-independent Traffic engineering is essential for switch routers according to the FEC of multicast (PIM) and resource reserva- optimising utilisation of network that IP packet (category and priority). tion protocol (RRP/RSVP). resources. Network resources should Since MPLS is a connection-oriented OSPF is a routing protocol that not be wasted. At the same time, transmission protocol, chances of multicasts a change in the routing ta- quality of service should be main- packet loss are rare. Security is en- ble of a host to all other hosts within tained for users. sured because of label swapping. the boundary of a network. In MPLS In MPLS, layer 3 is overlaid with MPLS supports new capabilities network, this protocol is used as a connection-oriented switching func- efficiently and with full integrity, label-distribution protocol between tion of layer 2. By using this property, which has ensured its popularity in peers. This protocol is one among traffic-engineered dedicated paths for areas like virtual private network interior gateway protocols (IGPs). a different category of IP packets can (VPN), Intranet, VoIP and video con- BGP is also a routing protocol be defined to maintain the quality of ferencing. 

34 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com Test & Measurement

What’s New in T&M Tools for Satellite Communication

sing modular architecture and merg- geographical locations. One prominent ap- ing multiple test instruments into plication of spot-beams is in direct broad- Uone solution with complementing cast satellite systems used for delivering software for test and measurement (T&M) content via satellites. seems to be the trend today. Traditionally, Satellite systems must transmit streams Abhishek A. Mutha a combination of fixed hardware with an of data to and from ground stations via is a senior technical array of resources is employed for testing satellite bands, which could comprise vari- correspondent at EFY satellites, and analysing and measuring their ous carriers with differing symbol rates and signals. But T&M vendors are manufacturing modulation formats. Therefore monitoring integrated test solutions making it easy for of multi-frequency satellite data becomes engineers working on satellite communica- an extensive measurement challenge. The tion to upgrade with ease in future. From advent of new high-throughput satellites satellite signal monitoring to signal genera- also brings further measurement challenges tion and analysis, there are many equipment as these integrate multiple channels onto a from multiple T&M players for enabling single transponder, which, in turn, results establishment of mission-critical satellite in monitoring of wider bandwidth signals. systems. In this article, we throw light on To address the challenges and effectively some of the latest test equipment for satellite test and analyse satellite signals, Keysight communication and their new capabilities. Technologies recently introduced a satellite signal-monitoring reference solution, which One analyser, multiple satellite primarily provides components of a satel- signals monitoring lite ground station monitoring system. A In today’s world, technology is progres- satellite ground station monitoring system sively advancing and data is correspondingly essentially makes sure satellite spectrum is getting complex. Specifically for satellite utilised in an optimal way. In most of the systems, spot-beam technology makes data monitoring configurations (sequential scan- more complex as the same frequency is used ning and parallel acquisition are two com- to transmit various data signals to diverse mon configurations), a dedicated test set is assigned to a particular frequency or band. For validating satellite-signal integrity, engi- neers can monitor huge blocks of spectrum and conduct digital-modulation analysis with the help of this solution. PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation (PXI) is one of the top standards chosen by military and aerospace for high-reliability applications. Based on PXI, this hardware and software solution gives engineers the flexibility to upgrade hardware configura- tions and use the system for specific signal- monitoring applications such as cross-band timing measurement, carrier power moni- toring, logging of measurement results and in-depth modulation analysis for determin- Fig. 1: Satellite monitoring using M9393A PXIe VSA with 89600 VSA software (Image courtesy: www.keysight.com) istic signals.

36 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com Test & Measurement

PXIe based vector signal analysers (VSAs), namely, M9391A or M9393A, and Keysight’s 89600 VSA software, which provide digital demodulation and spectrum-analysis capabilities, constitute the satellite-monitoring ref- erence solution. Modular architecture based hardware provides engineers the scalability to meet a variety of applications and upgrade as needs change in the future. Conventionally, multiple analys- ers are required to monitor several bands in the sequential scanning sat- ellite signal-monitoring configuration. Fig. 2: Scanning multiple bands (satellite dishes) with a single analyser (Image courtesy: www.keysight.com) But with M9393 PXIe VSA, diverse bands can be monitored at once. It also allows for quick measurements with multi-band scanning and display refresh rates exceeding 280GHz per second. Users can customise the sig- nal monitoring solution by utilising the measurement setup files as well as test code logging and 89600 VSA software automation layer examples, thereby allowing consolidation in the test environment. With 89600 VSA software, engineers can evaluate modulation, time and complex signal spectrum characteristics. They can Fig. 3: Anritsu’s MS2830A spectrum analyser/signal analyser is compatible with Monics satellite also implement spectrum scanning carrier monitoring system from SAT Corp. (SAT) (Image courtesy: www.anritsu.com) and zoom in on signals using digital vector analysis as wide as 160MHz. analysis, engineers can also perform spectrum Analyser, monitoring system radio frequency (RF) combo for mission-critical measurements such satellite bandwidth as centre frequency, A network-carrier monitoring system carrier-to-noise ratio is used by satellite operators and (C/N), bandwidth and government agencies for standard as equivalent isotropically- well as tactical applications for limit- radiated power (EIRP), less monitoring capabilities. Such to name a few. With systems help protect mission-critical the installation of a satellite bandwidth and assist in driver, MS2830A spec- monitoring spectrum and data from trum/signal analyser extensive remote sites. can be integrated into With Anritsu making their spec- the Monics enterprise- Fig. 4: The R&S SMBV100A generates hybrid GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BeiDou and QZSS satellite constellations with minimum position trum/signal analyser MS2830A com- networked carrier- dilution of precision (Image courtesy: www.rohde-schwarz.co.in) patible with SAT Corp.’s Monics (a monitoring system to satellite carrier monitoring system provide real-time data for uplink and tends interference detection and software), interference detection and downlink of satellite communication. signal characterisation. It provides automated monitoring is made easier Based on stored reference traces and simultaneous manual and automatic to achieve. familiar carrier plans, interference too monitoring with an easy and efficient In addition to time-domain meas- can be detected using this analyser. user interface. The automatic moni- urements and signal-modulation Monics, on the other hand, ex- toring compares the expected and

38 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com Test & Measurement

vourable for car infotainment systems and mobile phone manufacturers who use GNSS modules in their systems. Touchscreen, portable simulator for testing GNSS receivers Simulators are an essential tool for developing satellite operations. Port- able simulators provide on-the-go simulation of satellite conditions in a restrained environment. Aeroflex’s (now a Cobham com- pany) GPSG-1000 is a portable and Fig. 5: R&S SMBV100A vector signal generator (Image courtesy: www.rohde-schwarz.co.in) ruggedised, single-carrier and mul- tichannel simulator for integration, troduced a GNSS simulator in validation and test of GPS and Galileo their R&S SMBV100A vector GNSS receivers for a variety of ap- signal generator series, which plications. It can simulate a single 3D aims at making GNSS receiver point in time or 3D dynamic motion testing comparatively easier by by utilising the available 6-channel or providing users with bound- 12-channel configurations. Consider- less customised scenarios to ing its price point, the simulator aims execute receiver tests under to fill the market gap between low- differing conditions. With a few end, single- or twin-channel simula- keystrokes, a user can generate tors and high-end simulators. Quite complex with up to 24 satellites recently, Aeroflex also released a new including BeiDou, hybrid Global version of operational software for this Fig. 6: Aeroflex’s GPSG-1000 portable satellite simulator Positioning System (GPS), Quasi- simulator. Zenith Satellite System/satellite actual frequency spectrum, and ac- based augmentation system constel- High-frequency portable devices cordingly alerts the operator in case lations and Galileo as well as flex- for future satellite applications of abnormalities. It also automatically ible scenarios including atmospheric To make testing more streamlined, verifies normal transponder and car- modelling, moving scenarios and cost-effective and flexible, handheld rier values like EIRP, C/N, symbol dynamic power control. analysers emerged, and the demand rate and centre frequency to expected A few receiver tests might es- for such instruments grew in the early values. pecially need extended simulation 2000s. Today’s handheld analysers are times. In such cases, some satel- a growing market as these integrate Tester for satellite simulation lites advance towards the horizon multiple technologies and provide For distinguishing the performance and vanish from sight, while other engineers with higher connectiv- of a GNSS receiver, several stand- satellites ascend into view. The auto- ity and access to data. From research ard tests such as location accuracy, localisation mode in SMBV100A au- and development to deployment and re-acquisition time, sensitivity tests tomatically supervises the satellites’ maintenance, requirement for low- and time to first fix (TTFF) are avail- settings and rising, thereby ensuring cost, multi-function test solutions is able. Test runs usually contain com- the availability of GNSS signals for as primarily driven by upcoming satellite plete sequence of tests, each with a long as these are needed or through- programmes to bring the Internet of distinct scenario. But many global out the entire simulation run. Things and global broadband access. navigation satellite system (GNSS) Designing realistic user environ- Keysight recently introduced a simulators provide users with only a ments including ionospheric effects, 50GHz FireFox handheld analyser for stipulated number of predetermined vehicle attitude, antenna character- full characterisation of today’s chal- scenarios for reiteration. Satellite istics and tropospheric influences lenging satellite systems. Also, with simulators that empower engineers is achievable with this generator as 5G and the release of new satellite to simulate a wide range of scenarios these are some of the key parameters frequency bands, we could expect should ideally be a part of their satel- that can affect the availability and manufacturers churning out handheld lite testing equipment. quality of GNSS signals. SMBV100A analysers supporting even higher fre- Rohde & Schwarz recently in- vector signal generator is mostly fa- quencies in the future.  www.efymag.com Electronics For You | October 2015 39 Tech Focus

What’s Your Automation Style: Brainy, Brawny or Tiny?

n July this year, Changying Precision in laboratories, too. These help in jobs like Technology Co., a manufacturer of mo- high throughput screening, chemical and Ibile phone modules, set up the first ful- biochemical synthesis, so that researchers’ ly-automated factory at Dongguan, China. time is freed for more strategic planning. Any time during the day or night, you can In a recent Laboratory Equipment story, Janani Gopalakrishnan see 60 robot arms at ten production lines Sam Michael, director of automation and Vikram is a technically- polishing the modules, a job that required compound management at National Cen- qualified freelance writer, editor and hands-on mom 650 workers in the past. According to re- tre for Advancing Translational Sciences based in Chennai ports, 90 per cent of the factory’s workforce (NCATS), USA, explains how the trend has comprises robots, with just a few human shifted from large, monolithic robots to little workers to monitor the machinery. robotic arms that have a special direct drive Elsewhere in the world, Ports of Auck- or magnetic drive. land plans to replace 50 jobs with Auto- While the size has shrunk, their impor- strads, which are 15m-tall automated strad- tance has increased manifold, especially dle carriers. These container-stacking robots at NCATS, which is a heavily-automated can stack up to four containers high and are research lab that runs high throughput expected to increase the container terminal screening of compounds. It recently hit the capacity by 30 per cent. news as Yale University researchers used The job for a robot does not necessarily the NCATS facility to discover that a drug, Fanuc CR-35iA (Image courtesy: www.controlsdrivesautomation.com) have to be high-precision, as in the originally meant for cancer, could restore first case, or heavy-load as in the memory and reverse cognitive problems in second, it could just be a routine mice with Alzheimer-type symptoms. job that needs to be done well. The Machine. An example of a machine A wet-wipe maker, for example, that can quickly solve a problem is called, recently signed up NEXCOM to design well, The Machine, which was developed an automated system with Delta robots by Dr Martin Burke of University of Illinois, and EtherCAT master stations to coordinate Urbana-Champaign. His goal was to auto- everything from programmable logic con- mate chemical synthesis, so that several trollers (PLCs), conveyors and sensors to Ph.D-level scientists could be freed from gluing and labelling equipment. This move working for days in the lab to develop small is expected to reduce manpower by around molecules. The device developed by him, 30 per cent, while increasing productivity currently licensed to Revolution Medicines up to 1.5 packages per second. Inc., uses a building-block approach to try Robots are being increasingly employed and replicate what is found in nature. to automate innumerable tasks at The Machine can assemble complex manufacturing facilities across the small molecules at the click of a mouse. world, not to forget their newfound The idea is to break down complex mole- jobs at homes, to make life easier and cules into smaller, chemical-building blocks, more comfortable. This article looks at all of which have the same connector piece the same trend, from angles that you and can be stitched together with a single might not have noticed before. reaction. Burke’s team automated this pro- cess, making The Machine work much like Coat-wearing robots a 3D printer at the molecular level. They Known as laboratory robots, smart devised a simple catch-and-release method and efficient bots lend a helping hand that adds one building block at a time, rins-

40 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com Tech Focus

drug design by systematically test- ad-hoc instructions and enhanced ing each member from a large set of safety measures. For example, it must compounds in the standard brute- be possible for the robot to assess its force way of conventional mass co-worker’s position and classify it screening these compounds against into safe zones, warning zones and assays (tests) designed to be auto- unsafe zones in real-time. The robot matically engineered and using statis- should also be able to automatically tics and machine learning to predict adjust its own position to always re- new structures that might score bet- vert to safe zone. ter against the assays. New components such as Safety- Future versions of the robot might EYE, a 3D camera system that helps also be able to synthesise these rec- monitor protected fields and detec- ommended compounds. It is hoped tion zones in several dimensions, that Eve can help identify new drug aid in implementing human-robot candidates for malaria and neglected collaboration. tropical diseases such as African Comau’s Racer3 is a recent ex- sleeping sickness and Chagas disease, ample of a robot capable of working which are killing millions of people besides humans. It is a high-strength

Comau’s Racer3 every year. aluminium 6-axis articulated robot (Image courtesy: www.luzzitellidanieli.com) Prof. Ross King, from Manchester that can be mounted on benches, Institute of Biotechnology at Univer- walls, ceilings or inclined supports. ing the excess away before adding sity of Manchester, says in a media It has been designed for out-of-the- the next one. report, “Every industry now benefits cage use in industries like food and The team demonstrated that this from automation, and science is beverage, electronics, plastics and device could build 14 different class- no exception. Bringing in machine metalworking. Speed and flexibility es of small molecules. Essentially, it learning to make this process intel- are what Racer3 really excels in. transforms small molecule synthesis ligent, rather than just a brute-force According to the company’s offi- from a highly individualised, custom- approach, could greatly speed up sci- cial press release, “Racer3 is a natural ised process, to a more generalised entific progress and potentially reap contortionist that can bend like a automated approach, which has the huge rewards.” snake until it assumes the shape of potential to speed up new drug de- a scissor, surpassing the flange at velopment. Real helping hands axis 1. Or, it can close like a book, Adam and Eve. One step ahead Known more scientifically as collabo- bringing the wrist toward the body to of being helpers in the lab, robot rative robots, these are a rising new rotate the axis 1 at maximum speed scientists like Adam and Eve are clan of robots that can truly work while avoiding collisions with any- ready to develop drugs themselves. side-by-side with humans. Imagine thing in the surrounding space. With According to a University of Cam- a robot lending a real helping hand, a cycle time of less than 0.36 seconds bridge press report, robot scientists lifting a heavy object into a truck, for a 1kg pick-and-place cycle, the can, “automatically develop and test the way you manually guide it to, rigid construction and stable base hypotheses to explain observations, just as two humans would lift it? The ensures high precision and repeat- run experiments using laboratory ro- current generation of agile and safe ability.” botics, interpret the results to amend industrial robots are really breaking Fanuc’s CR-35iA stands apart their hypotheses and then repeat the out of caged production lines and from common collaborative robots cycle, automating high-throughput working besides humans. in the market, which are usually hypothesis-led research.” Experts say that, when man and small payload varieties. This par- Adam, a robot scientist developed robot share the same workspace, it ticular helper is capable of handling in 2009 by researchers at Universities creates fruitful synergies and pro- 35kg payloads, which according to of Aberystwyth and Cambridge, both ductivity benefits by combining the the company is an industry-first. A in the UK, became the first machine strengths and benefits of the ma- soft green foam cover helps protect to independently discover new sci- chine, such as reliability, durability humans working around the robot, entific knowledge. In its wake comes and repetition accuracy, with human which reportedly meets ISO 10218- Eve, a robot recently developed by strengths such as dexterity and flex- 1:2011 robotic safety requirements the same team, based at University ibility. However, this class of robots and is designed to work alongside of Manchester, UK. also requires special designs, in terms humans in operations such as ma- Eve can automate early-stage of greater flexibility, receptiveness to chine tending, handling heavy pay-

42 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com Tech Focus loads that require lift-assist devices ing equipment. or custom equipment, higher payload Google Glasses, de- mechanical assembly, palletising or spite all the specula- packing, and tote or carton handling. tion about the project’s Another recent example is Fetch shutdown and the im- Robotics’ team of vision-guided ro- pending re-emergence bots, Fetch and Freight. Fetch is an of Glass 2, seemed advanced mobile manipulator, while to be the spotlight at Freight is a mobile base. The duo is events like International designed to work alongside humans Machine Tool Show in warehouse environments, perform- and PackExpo in 2014. ing tasks like warehouse delivery and Beckhoff Automation, pick-and-pack operations. Interest- Fetch Robotics’ robots (Image courtesy: www.luzzitellidanieli.com) for instance, showed ingly, the robots are built upon the a proof-of-concept of open source robot operating system. Boeing, hoteliers like Palladium Hotel Google Glass attached to a machine In addition to a range of sensors, Group and Disney Resorts, as well as interface application running off grippers and so on, which help them retailers like Tesco and Woolworths its PC based computing platform. do their job, the two robots are also are experimenting with the use of Novotek combined the Glass with fitted with components that help wearable devices like fitness track- GE’s Proficy Workflow software for them navigate automatically and ers, smart augmented reality (AR) hands-free expert guidance through work safely with humans. In Fetch’s glasses, voice-controlled headsets, process steps. base, there is a charging dock, 25m wearable cameras and body sensors. Smartwatches are also proving range laser scanner for navigation These efforts are expected to improve to be quite useful on the industrial and an obstacle-avoidance laser from speed, safety and efficiency while front, thanks to being supported by German company SICK. It also fea- lowering costs. tools like Schneider Electric’s Won- tures a 25m range 2D laser scanner In industrial spaces, wearable derware SmartGlance 2014 R2, which used to detect workers and follow technology often takes the form of helps monitor, visualise and analyse them at speeds of up to 2m/s. personal protective equipment (PPE). real-time plant and industrial process Protective and sophisticated, these data using mobile devices. APX Labs, Industrial wearables technologies help safeguard users a known name in smartglasses based The media has been abuzz about from workplace hazards. Mining applications for automotive, aero- wearable devices for a long time firms, for example, are fitting workers space, oil, gas and energy industries, now; from fitness wearables and with sensors that monitor air quality recently launched a smartwatch- health trackers to car-friendly weara- and alert them of danger zones. friendly version of its popular Sky- bles and personal assistants, we have On the other hand, some verticals light software. This would enable read about these all. Interestingly, have started using commercially- factory workers and engineers to wearables are expected to be the next available wearable technology to access checklists, alerts, information, big wave in automation, too. augment technicians’ skills with applications and systems necessary Healthcare organisations like Dig- extra information and guidelines. to do their jobs in a more hands-on nity Health and Stanford University Architectural firms are using AR fashion. Medical Center, manufacturers like glasses, which superimpose valuable Trend-watchers predict that soon details like dimensions smartrings could also be used to and soil quality, which alert field technicians of an urgent are updated live as the requirement or warn workers of a architect moves about potentially-dangerous condition. the site. So, it is evident that from brainy The oil and gas in- (robot scientists) and brawny (col- dustry, one of the early laborative robots) to tiny (wearables), adopters of wearable technology is coming to us in many technology, uses Goog- glamorous and useful forms, to au- le Glasses for on-field tomate tasks and improve efficiency maintenance techni- at locations ranging from labs and cians to access real-time factories to mines. This trend is all information and instruc- set to improve, because the need is Google Glass (Image courtesy: en.wikipedia.org) tions to fix malfunction- real. And of course, profitable, too!

44 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com Tech Focus

Robotics in India: What’s Cooking?

oday aerial, land and aquatic forms In this article, we highlight some of the of robots are used for diverse applica- recently-launched smartmachines across Ttions in medical, military, industrial, the world that are implementing the Sense, space, entertainment and domestic market Think and Act paradigm in different ways sectors. All these robots might look very dif- to automate tasks, while focusing on the Abhishek A. Mutha ferent from each other but internally these ecosystem for robotics in India. is a senior technical all follow the same key paradigm that de- correspondent at EFY fines a robot—Sense, Think and Act. Robots Components on the rise must be able to sense the world, process for robotics applications the information and perform necessary ac- The sense, think and act tasks performed tions. “The Sense, Think and Act paradigm by a robot need their own set of compo- is followed by robots in any situation, be it nents. Below are some components that cleaning rivers, bomb disposal or flying. The are increasingly being embedded in intel- only difference is in the implementation of ligent machines today. the paradigm,” says Aakash Sinha, CEO and To sense. A lot of sensors are avail- founder, Omnipresent Robot Technologies able off-the-shelf today. For example, SRS Pvt Ltd. series ultrasonic sensors are very popular for building small robots, informs Sinha. Automated lockers powered by robotic arm Radar and lidar sensors are also widely used for various applications. Sinha adds, Traditional lockers in banks need to be manually opened to access and retrieve “Lidar sensors made by SICK Group or valuables and other particulars stored in it. There are two keys for such lockers, Velodyne are widely used, the latter being and in a typical situation, a bank representative inserts the key in one slot and expensive but very good for applications allows the customer to access the locker with the other key that is in his or her possession. Accessing lockers in total privacy without the intervention of any like terrain mapping.” bank official could soon be possible in banks across the country. To think. There is a plethora of single- board computers as well as auto pilots available in the market. Pixhawk auto pilot is popularly used in a lot of robotic vehicles, including the ones that operate on land, water and air. Similarly, there are many single-board computers readily available. For building basic robots, one can start off with Raspberry Pi 2, Arduino or BeagleBone boards, informs Sinha. He says, “We have used Radxa Rock for some of our designs. It is quite powerful as it An artistic representation of Smart Vault facility provided by ICICI Bank comes equipped with a quad-core pro- cessor, 2GHz of random access memory ICICI bank recently introduced Smart Vault, a futuristic locker facility in (RAM) and NAND flash built into it, and New Delhi. It is powered by robotics and automation, and facilitates customers is very good for advanced robots.” to access the locker any time as per their convenience and in a completely To act. Servomotors are a key element private lounge area. With a robotic arm placed in the bank’s vault, it fetches in robotics and the industrial automation the locker and presents it to the customer after he or she passes a multi-level space. Motors are made as light in weight security check that demands for biometric identification and card details. The as possible but meet the heavyweight ex- robotic arm uses the customer’s co-ordinates and RFID technology to identify the right locker. pectations from the industry today. There are some very promising introductions in

46 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com Tech Focus

Driverless vehicles: Will it be a commercial reality in 2016 Google is the first name that comes to mind when we talk about driverless automotive TBS1000B technology. Now we have Apple and even automobile companies like Toyota making investments into the research and development of driverless cars. While all major multinational Series Digital organisations are looking at automating passenger cars for public roads, an Indian based Silicon Valley start-up, Auro Robotics, is focusing on a niche category of last-mile public Oscilloscopes

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7-inch WVGA display Unique TrendPlot™ feature An inside view Enhanced limit-test feature The electric vehicle, Auro Prime, uses an assortment of sensors like GPSes, cameras, Digital real-time sampling radar and laser scanners to create a 360° view under all environment conditions. Like 34 automated measurements Google’s car, Auro Prime too relies on a 3D map of the environment, which is usually PC Courseware Editor Tool created in the beginning. The 3D map helps the automobile to localise itself and understand (EDU Series) road topography. Passengers can input their destination either through a touchscreen interface or an application on their mobile phone. Auro Prime is programmed to steer clear of pedestrians by altering its route or also Visit: in.tek.com/TBS1000/offer halts completely if the situation demands. Their current prototype also measures speed and +91-80-30792726 / 41 direction of the pedestrian to assess if those pedestrians will still be in the path, giving more lead time to adjust the route and speed. [email protected] The prototype at SCU is Auro Robotics’ only vehicle. Depending on the feedback from testing, future cars could occupy up to five passengers or more, which would be apt for amusement parks, resorts, zoos, golf courts and others. Auro Prime will be available in the USA and European market from 2016 onwards.

www.efymag.com Electronics For You | October 2015 47 Tech Focus

the brushless DC motors segment SAM—the brick-laying robot lately. These motors are very useful for building robots, as these do not Designed by Construction Robotics, a company based in New York, USA, semi-automated wear out easily. Some of the recent- mason (SAM) is a robotic brick-laying machine, which looks to increase productivity ly-released components are FAUL- of human masons by assisting them in laying bricks. While the robotic arm performs HABER 3274 BP4 series DC servo- mechanical tasks like lifting bricks, applying cement and placing these as programmed, the mason takes care of the aesthetic details. The company claims that SAM can lay 800 motors, FAULHABER 2057XXXXBHS to 1200 bricks, whereas a mason, in comparison, can lay 300 to 500 bricks a day. series brushless DC servo motors, Nanotec Electronic’s DB80, Maxon Motor’s EC-4pole 30 and Global Elec- tric Motor Solutions’ NEMA hybrid stepper motors, to name a few. Onboard gyroscopes, accelero- meters, magnetometers, temperature and current sensors are some other components required to monitor the health and location of the robot, in- forms Sinha. At times, all these com- ponents come integrated in a board. “For instance, Pixhawk auto pilot already has inbuilt gyroscope, accel- erometer and magnetometer, while the global positioning system (GPS), temperature and current sensors can be additionally incorporated,” says Sinha. “Off-the-shelf components SAM in action can be bought with a lot of ease to- day than a few years ago,” he adds. There are certain key aspects that highly-interactive robots. Cognitive ity, gravity-compensated manipula- one has to consider while developing intelligence, omni-directional mobil- tion and back drivability are some of these, informs Jayakrishnan T., Point of view: Testing and manufacturing of robotic designs CEO, ASIMOV Robotics Pvt Ltd. He says, “The new concept of flexible “As far as testing is concerned, we manufacturing is a typical example. take a multi-modal approach. For Hence, most of our robot platforms most part, we are able to debug are either compatible or come with in software. While doing this, we these capabilities integrated into can predict the functioning of them.” particular pieces of hardware. If Availability of components is a there are major issues or errors, we make use of oscilloscopes to challenge as many components like perform signal analysis, but this sensors and motors from reliable approach is diminishing as the vendors are not easily available in India. “Steadily, we are witnessing a hardware is getting more reliable Aakash Sinha, CEO and founder, nowadays. We use some of the Omnipresent Robot Technologies Pvt Ltd network of distributors emerging in advanced oscilloscopes by Anritsu India who import these components to debug major faults. Although expensive, these ease the process of tracking a major bug and make these available for robot in a design. makers. Some examples of such “Manufacturing boards in India is generally hassle-free. There is a good ecosystem of distributors are Robokits and RcBa- designing, creating and mounting printed circuit boards (PCBs). On the downside, there are zaar,” informs Sinha. no reliable one-stop vendors that we have come across. There are very few players willing to create a one-stop ecosystem where we share the components list and the design, while High degree of standardisation they create a finished tested board. An ideal one-stop shop would work on printing PCBs, required arranging for components, mounting and testing these. For our needs, we just identify players who consistently use electronics manufacturing equipment and outsource the Standards is one aspect lacking in post-design work.” the robotics industry, feel experts. There have been some success-

48 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com Tech Focus ful attempts at standardisation. For Point of view: The modular approach instance, Robot Operating System (ROS), an open source framework, “To address the variance in requirements, we has a certain set of libraries and tools keep a range of highly-configurable sub-systems such as types of joint modules, links, wheel that are flexible for writing software modules, gripper modules and animatronic faces for robots. Robots supporting ROS with common mechanical and communication have significantly increased over the interfaces. years. “As this field is so nascent, “On software side, we maintain customisable standards are still not up in place. application programming interface (API) bundles There are several other architectures for kinematic and dynamic simulation and being followed, but there does not control, advanced perception (through sensor fusion), machine vision, motion planning (for both seem to be any universally agreed manipulation and localisation), natural language upon and followed standard in processing (NLP) and machine learning. With this place,” says Sinha. This often results approach, it is possible to provide quick solutions in robots being built from scratch for any complex problem in robotics.” for different applications. Therefore Jayakrishnan T., CEO, there is a lot of scope for standardi- ASIMOV Robotics Pvt Ltd sation, and ROS is one of the leading examples. make robots.” He adds, “An ideal personal and professional services From a design perspective too, robotics board must support all the sector in the near future, believes standardisation is yet to take place. common sensors and motors, typi- Jayakrishnan. He says, “A massive The reason for no standardisation cally with plug-n-play attachments.” moment is silently taking place glob- is partly varying customer require- With standardised boards and OSes ally among the leading technology ments. Sinha says, “In some cases, for robots, creating these will become organisations to address this issue there might be a need for a very exponentially easier. through robotics.” He adds, “A col- high degree of standardisation, like laborative work force is the next big when building a system for space Long way to go for thing where humans and robots co- missions. We are jointly work- robots to mimic humans, exist and co-operate in all possible ing with Indian Space Research human-machine cooperation ways.” Organisation (ISRO) on a module Scientists and researchers have de- Better standardisation will en- for Chandrayaan-2 mission for the veloped robots over the years that courage innovation and competition, moon-landing part.” mimic humans. Emotional Robot thereby enabling the creation of Standardisation in hardware and with Intelligent Network (ERWIN) more effective designs. Sinha says, software must go hand in hand. In was created by scientists from the “We have the necessary hardware to the electronics industry, a develop- UK. This robot could display five process huge amounts of data but we ment board is usually compatible and distinct emotions. are unable to make robots think like works on various standard operating Another group of researchers human beings. The question I often systems (OSes) such as Linux or from Massachusetts Institute of Tech- ask is: How can we make robots Windows. There is a requirement for nology, USA, has developed a robot think and learn like humans?” We boards to be compatible with stand- named HERMES that can mimic are already seeing some light in the ardised robotics OSes. Sinha says, moves made by a person to whom form of deep learning implemented “Currently most of the boards like the feedback-balance interface in over ten layers of artificial neural Raspberry Pi 2 and Arduino are craft- connected. Robots are evolving. networks, but still have a long way to ed for the development of electronics Due to demographics and lack go before robots come closer to hu- and Internet of Things (IoT) designs. of interest in blue-collar jobs, there man learning capabilities, according We need boards designed purely to will be a huge resource deficit in the to Sinha. 

RF Design & Development New Powerful, Affordable, Portable Interference Hunting RSA306 Series USB Spectrum Analyzer Field Maintenance Teaching A full-featured spectrum analyzer priced at Visit: in.tek.com/RSA306/offer Rs.2,58,000 - less than half the price of +91-80-30792726 / 41 a conventional unit. [email protected] www.efymag.com Electronics For You | October 2015 49 DEFENCE

Part 2 of 5 American Carrier Strike Groups: An Electronic Perspective

he first part of this article in Septem- from a long range. Aegis cruisers with AN/ ber issue covered defensive combat SPN-49 radars detect threats at a long range Toperations, air defence warfare, and then Aegis C2 system lets the threats of fighter aircraft and AEW aircraft combo interest to be tracked by AN/SPY-1 radar. (phase I), and air search radars and fighter AN/SPY-1 multi-functional radars. aircraft combo (phase II). Read on: These are phased-array radars, which are B. Kamalanath is a technical writer. He is the latest-generation radars that were in- also a research scholar, Phase III: Operations: Aegis troduced in the 1980s and are still state-of- pursuing Ph.D in military technology accompaniments the-art. These have antennae composed of Destroyers and cruisers associated with many transmitting and receiving (T/R) ele- the carrier are called Aegis ships, which ments. Each element radiates and receives are equipped with a robust command and RF energy individually, a sort of many tiny control (C2) system called Aegis. These antennae arranged into one big antenna. ships are more potent due to the presence A single source supplies RF energy to all of superior radars and C2 systems, which T/R elements through computer-controlled are based on high-performance computers. phase shifters. Aegis cruisers are well-suited to conduct The radar computer controls the direc- air defence warfare due to their superior tion of the beam by varying the phase of the array of radars. These have 2D long-range RF signal emitted by each T/R element. In air-search radar AN/SPN-49, which is also time-domain analysis, the signal to each T/R present in the carrier. This radar is followed element is delayed for a certain duration by by passive electronic phased array radar these phase shifters. By suitably varying AN/SPY-1. the phase (suitably delaying), a wavefront Aegis destroyers do not have AN/SPN- of electromagnetic energy is formed in the 49 radar. Hence, these cannot detect threats desired direction. In simple words, a beam is formed. A moving beam is formed by vary- ing the phase accordingly. This technique is called electronically slewing the beam, in contrast to mechanical slewing. In mechanically-slewed radars, posi- tion of the beam is constant with respect to the antenna. So the antenna itself must be slewed for scanning targets. The ability to slew rapidly is called agility. For rapid scanning requirements, the antenna must be slewed rapidly. But there are mechani- cal limitations beyond which the antenna cannot be slewed. In AN/SPY-1 phased-array radar, the beam-formation technique provides agility for rapid slewing. Since the phase is varied by a computer, the direction of the beam can be switched in microseconds; there is no need for the antenna to move at all. Fig. 5: SM-2 missile being launched from Aegis cruiser Because of this, the antenna of this radar is

52 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com DEFENCE

Generally, due to the long range involved, majority of long-range SAMs have semi- active radar-guidance schemes. This means that these do not have radar transmitters but only radar receivers. These can only receive radar echoes but not chirp out radar signals like usual radars. These depend on other radars for guiding these to intercept the target. Due to the longer engage- ment range, more radar signal strength is required to look for the target. For more signal strength, the missile must have ultra-strong batteries to pump enough amperes into the radar. But ultra-strong batteries are heavy and consume more space

Fig. 6: Launchers in Aegis destroyer (top) and in the missile. This extra weight Aegis cruiser (bottom) introduces restrictions in the missile’s manoeuvrability. not fixed in any mast but embedded Due to these reasons, the missile on the superstructure of the vessel only has the radar receiver section as itself. the target seeker. As reception does Using this technique, many in- not involve huge power require- dividual beams can be formed de- ments, the receiver fits snugly into pending upon the requirement for the requirement. The ship, which various functions, with each beam launches the missile, provides radar performing a specific function like energy through an illumination-/ scanning, tracking or providing data- fire-control radar. This radar does not links. A single radar antenna covers chirp out pulses but continuously fo- a 90° sector in the azimuth and from cuses its high-energy radar signals on the horizon in the front to the zenith the incoming target. Reflected energy overhead in elevation. is picked up by the missile seeker. There are four antennae for this The missile’s guidance system radar to cover a total of 360°. In understands the position of the tar- this arrangement, a hemisphere of get due to the directional property of RF energy is maintained around the this received radar energy. Then, the ship up to a range of around 185km guidance system aligns the missile for (100-nautical-miles). The radar’s successful interception and intercepts peak power is 4MW to 6MW and av- the target to destroy it. erage power of 58kW in the S band. In Aegis cruisers and destroyers, Next in the line are the missiles SM-2 missiles are stored in a vertical for engaging the target. launching system (VLS), which can SM-2 SAMs. The surface-to-air hold 122 missiles in total and those missile (SAM) used in Aegis vessels present in destroyers can hold 96 is called Standard Missile-2 (SM-2). missiles. Its range is quite long and current VLS is a generalised launcher versions are capable of engaging system and can launch many types targets even up to 200km. The guid- of missiles. Though depending on ance scheme of SM-2 is a semi-active mission requirement, various types of radar-guidance scheme. missiles could be loaded to this VLS. www.efymag.com Electronics For You | October 2015 53 DEFENCE

shares illumination radars for a large number of targets to neutralise simultaneous cruise-missile strikes. The number of targets that could be engaged through this feature is kept as classified information. But without this time-sharing feature, the number of targets intercepted will be equal to the number of fire-control radars. Cooperative engagement capability, the latest trend As the CSG’s cruise missile defences increased in capability, the Soviets fielded faster cruise missiles; some of these cruise missiles were even capable of covering a kilometre in a Fig. 7: Antennae of AN/SPY-1 and AN/SPG-62 radars in Aegis cruiser (left) and Aegis destroyer (right) second. Because of this high speed, reaction time for the CSG decreased For complex missions, entire VLS tracked by AN/SPY-1 radar. From to a great extent. Windows of inter- could be loaded with SM-2 missiles. this tracking, the target’s trajectory ceptions also reduced for the CSG AN/SPG-62 illumination-/fire- is derived in Aegis C2 system and the against these faster cruise missiles. control radars. This radar operates target’s future course is computed. The Soviets also increased the in I/J NATO frequency band (8GHz- Then, the point of interception is cal- range of cruise missiles. They aug- 20GHz) with a peak power of approxi- culated, which is a place where the mented the number of cruise missiles mately 10kW. It is a continuous-wave target can reach in a few moments. carried by cruise-missile-carrying illumination radar and does not chirp SM-2 SAM is launched to reach this platforms. Soviet submarines, sur- out signals as pulses. Instead, it fo- interception point through midcourse face vessels and bombers were able cuses its energy as a fine pencil beam guidance. to carry more cruise missiles in a on the target, like focusing a flashlight Due to the very long range in- compact manner. So, more number of on an object. Due to this, this radar is volved, the parent vessel gives com- cruise missiles of lethal speed could called an illumination radar. mands for the missile to fly, which be fired from longer range and also in In military parlance, this is known is called midcourse guidance. These greater numbers. as painting the target. This radar commands are supplied through a Though Soviet Union is defunct is mechanically turned to steer the datalink, typically a radio channel. now, Russian Federation and China beam. There are four such radars in The missile receives this information have this cruise missile strike capa- Aegis cruiser; two are rearward-facing through the datalink and flies accord- bility. To defend from this renewed and two are forward-facing. This ar- ingly. AN/SPY-1 radar provides this attack of fury, American CSGs needed rangement provides 360° coverage. datalink too. a new deal in cruise missile defence. With each radar illuminating a target, By the time SM-2 approaches in- Cooperative engagement capa- these radars can illuminate up to four coming target, Aegis C2 system directs bility (CEC) is the new sinister air targets. the fire-control radar to illuminate the defence scheme of USN. Ironically, Aegis destroyers have three of incoming target. When the missile CEC has not been achieved through these radars and the absence of AN/ reaches an optimum distance from the addition of any new radars or weap- SPN-49 radar leaves it with lower air target, it starts using its radar receiver on systems but by sharing these. defence capability. This makes Aegis and guides itself towards the target. Through this sharing, the capability cruisers a prime node in the air de- AN/SPY-1 allows many such level of air defence has increased fence architecture of CSG defending beams to be formed. Because of this, exponentially. This is the first step against cruise missile strikes. many datalink channels can be es- towards a futuristic warfare called tablished so that many SM-2 missiles network centric warfare (NCW). Typical engagement sequence can be given guidance commands. In CEC, tracking data from radars In the engagement sequence, first, This enables many missiles to stay present in the destroyers and cruisers incoming target is detected through on air to intercept the same target or is shared using identical algorithms. AN/SPN-49 surveillance radar. Aegis multiple targets. Each ship tracks a target with a radar C2 system directs that target to be Similarly, Aegis C2 system time and, simultaneously, sends this data

54 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com DEFENCE to other ships. Each individual ship to intercept the missile. This feature receives data and fuses it with its greatly relieves the pressure on ship B, own radar data. This is carried out when it is operating near the shores. by employing high-capacity parallel- With CEC, each individual ship processing computers and advanced is made to scan a specific sector and fusing algorithms. The result is that, data from all ships is fused into a all individual ships see a common air single air picture. Interestingly, two defence scenario called air picture. CSGs operating in close proximity Earlier a destroyer or a cruiser can share the data. This enables both could view the threat scenario on the to have an overall air picture com- air around it. But through CEC, the mon for both strike groups. same vessel can now see the threat Such capabilities have been scenario on air around the entire CSG. achieved for the first time in history The backbone of CEC is a robust and even been deployed operation- communications system, which is ally. jam-resistant and utilises the advan- tages of GPS. Ships communicate in Phase IV: Terminal air defence pairs in 500MHz to 1000MHz band This phase is almost a cruise missile during short transmit/receive periods defence phase executed by the carri- to a line-of-sight (radar) distance. er, but can also tackle enemy aircraft, Data thus sent across the net is in if at all enemy aircraft survive the near real-time, and communication previous air defence phases, which is virtually jam-proof because of su- is a near impossible feat. But with perior jam-resistant features. cruise missiles, it is a different story. The single greatest advantage Cruise missiles fly so low as if is that a ship may not be seeing an these are skimming over water sur- incoming cruise missile through its face. This flight profile helps these radar, but can launch and guide a to hide among clutter, that is, echoes SAM to intercept the incoming cruise from the sea surface. With this flight missile based on fused track data sent profile, these may still escape inter- by other ships. Similarly, a ship may ceptions carried out by Aegis vessels launch a SAM with another ship pro- and reach the carrier, generally con- viding midcourse guidance with yet sidered remotely possible. An enemy another ship illuminating the target. aircraft or cruise missile reaching this For example, a single ship’s radar phase means that Aegis vessels have may be able to detect a cruise missile been neutralised. at 40km from the ship. If the cruise For the carrier, there are two de- missile is travelling at a speed of fensive lines against cruise missiles. 1mach (330m/s), then it will reach One is through Sea Sparrow SAM sys- the ship in 120 seconds. So the ship tem and the other is through ship self has to intercept the incoming mis- defence system (SSDS). AN/APS-49 sile within two minutes to prevent and AN/APS-48 radars of the carrier sinking. provide coordinates of the targets in Assume that there are two CEC the initial phase of engagement. equipped ships, A and B, operating Evolved Sea Sparrow SAM sys- 40km apart on a straight line. Ship A tem. Evolved Sea Sparrow is the detects a cruise missile at 40km from name given to SAM. The entire system it along its axis and the cruise mis- consists of a target acquisition radar sile is flying towards ship B. Through called Mark-23 target acquisition sys- CEC, as ship A detects the cruise mis- tem (TAS), an illuminator radar and sile, ship B also detects it. Now, the missile launchers, all tied up to a fire cruise missile has been detected at control system (FCS) called Mark-91. 80km from ship B against its 40km- FCS is the point of man-machine detection capability. Due to this, ship interface. It is this FCS which has the B now sufficiently has four minutes FIRE switch to launch the missile. www.efymag.com Electronics For You | October 2015 55 DEFENCE

as a backup arrangement. There are four Mk-91 illuminators in a carrier. In a saturation cruise missile strike against the carrier, there are many cruise missiles flying towards the carrier. There is a serious pos- sibility that one or two cruise mis- siles escape interception from Sea Sparrow air defence envelope. The last resort is the ship’s self-defence system (SSDS). The SSDS SSDS is the second line of the car- rier’s air defence. For a carrier there is a possibility of at least one incoming cruise missile in all eight directions during a saturation cruise missile strike. In this scenario, even Fig. 8: Elements of Sea Sparrow missile system a second lost in decision making implies destruction. So what claims Missile launchers are situated at two mum as 1m at ranges around 40km. importance here is prioritising threats places in the carrier; one is on the Generally, cruise missiles have low and engaging these sequentially and, left side front of the carrier and the RCS. The radar automatically starts most importantly, quickly. For this, a other is on the right or left side aft tracking the fast-approaching cruise decision-making automatic C2 system of the carrier. Each launcher carries missiles. is required. SSDS is a system to neu- eight missiles in ready-to-fire mode. This radar can also be used for tralise these low-flying cruise missiles. SAM, on the side of the incoming aircraft traffic control in a secondary This is not a new system; it is cruise missile, is fired to intercept the role. In this role, the range is around simply a fibre-optic local area net- threat. Also, the carrier is manoeu- 185km. work (LAN) around an SSDS C2 vred so that more SAM launchers This radar is gyro-stabilised and system, connected with self-defence face the side from where maximum can tackle 30° pitches and rolls. It weapon systems like rolling airframe number of cruise missiles are incom- provides 360° coverage and up to missile (RAM) and close-in weapon ing. This creates a crossfire area 75° coverage in elevation. It rotates system (CIWS) called Phalanx, and where two SAM systems can target at 15rpm during normal azimuthal sensors like long-range air-search ra- the threats. scanning. But under threat scenarios, dar AN/SPS-49, surface-search radar Evolved Sea Sparrow missile. it can rotate at 30rpm to track the tar- AN/SPS-67 and a centralised IFF sys- The evolved Sea Sparrow SAM has get intensely. It can simultaneously tem, and an electronic warfare suite. a semi-active radar-guidance system track 54 targets. The desired target to The irony of SSDS is that, this with midcourse datalink update be intercepted is chosen in the FCS. integration in no way augments the scheme, like SM-2 SAM. It has an in- Then, illumination radars come into individual system’s efficiency from terception range of more than 50km. play being initiated by the FCS. its standalone capability. But integra- Through AN/SPN-48 radar, high- Mark-95 illuminator. This radar tion reduces the reaction time during flying targets are identified and operates in X band and produces complicated cruise-missile-attack tracked. The engagement passes on 2kW average power. Generally, X profiles. Data from all sensors are to Mark-23 TAS. For low-flying cruise band radiators are capable of produc- clubbed to form a single tactical missiles, Mark-23 TAS directly comes ing a thin beam, which is essential picture in the computer. Tracks are into play. for accuracy and resolution. This analysed, threats are identified from Mark-23 TAS. Mark-23 is a 2D radar houses transmitter and receiver the tracks. From here, threats are pri- pulse-Doppler acquisition radar. It antennae separately. Cylindrical oritised and finally engaged through operates in 1GHz–2GHz (L band) structures are radomes. Concave and a suitable weapon system. and has been specifically designed to convex radomes enclose receiver and For example, if two cruise missiles operate in high-clutter environments. transmitter antennae respectively. are approaching the carrier from dif- The radar can detect a target with a Between these two is an electroopti- ferent directions, the one closer to the radar cross-section (RCS) as mini- cal imager for electrooptical tracking, carrier is given priority and engaged.

56 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com DEFENCE

uses; the operator chooses the set- tings accordingly. AN/SPQ-9 air and surface surveillance ra- dar. This is an air and surface surveillance X band-phased ar- ray radar. It covers 360° in azimuth at the rate of 30rpm. This allows the ra- dar to detect sea- Fig. 9: RAM missile being launched and radar elements of SSDS (inset) skimming missiles at the horizon Though this system is an auto- against the presence of heavy sea mated C2 system, it has a manual clutter. It automatically displays any override feature. For the commander, target with a relative speed exceeding SSDS suggests the mode of engage- ten knots. It complements high-alti- ment for incoming targets. In manual tude surveillance radars by detecting mode, it leaves the responsibility of missiles that are approaching just engagement to the operator. In au- above sea surface. tomated mode, it takes care of the In surface mode, it generates a engagement itself. This automation separate surface frequency to detect reduces the time taken from detection surface targets. It can even detect to engagement. a submarine that has partially sub- AN/SPS-49 long-range air-search merged and is just peeking its peri- radar. This radar can detect incom- scope above the water surface. ing cruise missiles and aircraft flying The radar is present in Aegis very high but has restrictions in de- vessels also, where it helps these to tecting low flyers. fire accurately on the enemy surface AN/SPS-67 surface-search/navi- vessels. gation radar. This is a 2D radar Rolling airframe missile (RAM). that operates in 5450MHz to 5825 This missile is carried in bulk in its MHz region (G band). It is used for launcher. It is capable of reaching surface surveillance and navigation. mach 2 speeds with an effective This capability of the radar results range of 9km. It is independent of in it having a secondary capability of any radar and has a passive radar- detecting low-flying cruise missiles. homing guidance. It targets the in- The radar’s detection range is around coming cruise missile by homing on 100km and it is capable of a peak its radar emissions. power of 280kW. Generally, anti-ship cruise missiles It is flexible in a way that pulse have radars as seekers. RAM looks for widths and pulse-repetition frequen- radar emissions, finds these, locks on cies (PRF) of radar energy can be these and flies towards these. Also, varied, accordingly, for the desired RAM can target infrared (IR) emis- resolution. A higher PRF setting and sions that are abundantly available in short pulse width increases the reso- the incoming cruise missile’s engine lution to detect two smaller targets exhaust. As the missile’s exhaust is in close proximity to each other. very hot, it emits IR radiations like a Other settings may even show these hot iron emitting red light. two targets as a single large target. Both Sea Sparrow and RAM have But other settings also have different a minimum range beyond only which www.efymag.com Electronics For You | October 2015 57 DEFENCE these can engage. These need time, at least a fraction of a second, to pick up maximum speed. The range at which these pick up maximum speed is their minimum range. It is highly difficult for RAM to manoeuvre towards the target before the minimum range with speed building up. If the incoming cruise missile escapes interception and closes in rapidly, air defence warfare progresses to close in defence. Phalanx close-in weapon sys- tem (CIWS). CIWS is a rapid-firing Gatling gun. Gatling guns have ro- tating multiple barrels. Gatling gun, developed by Richard Gatling, was the first machine gun in the world. Fig. 11: Air defence organs of the carrier highlighted; ESSM launcher and CIWS (left), Mk-91 In the past, the gunner had to rotate illuminator radar (centre) and RAM launcher and CIWS (right) a crank handle to rotate the barrels in the first Gatling machine guns. But emitting energy at a peak power of Typically, CIWS first finds the CIWS uses motors for this purpose. 1.4kW. The search radar keeps on targets at 8km from the carrier. If it At an astounding rate, CIWS shoots scanning its sector around the carrier. detects that the target is inbound and tungsten or depleted uranium tipped If a target appears, it gives the bear- flying between speeds of 140 knots bullets. These bullets are known for ing, range and altitude of the target and 1600 knots, it starts tracking the their hardness, so the sheer number to the FCS of CIWS. target at 5km. CIWS can detect and of these fired can literally shred in- FCS first checks if the target track a target flying at an altitude of coming cruise missiles into pieces. is approaching the carrier. If it is 8km. How does this last line of CIWS outbound, CIWS discards it. But if A typical USN carrier has three defence work? CIWS is generally kept it is inbound, the track is taken as CIWS located strategically at the as an independent and automatic bogey (possible enemy). Now, FCS corners. So at any point of time, two system but with manual override determines whether the bogey is in CIWS can engage a single bogey to features. It has its own set of radars, a collision course with the carrier by maximise the chance of destroying a search radar and a tracking-cum- extrapolating the trajectory of the bo- it. Each Aegis destroyer and cruiser fire-control radar, to ensure last-resort gey through radar data. It also checks has two CIWS to protect themselves. air defence capability. For example, if the speed of a bogey that presently Latest CIWS versions have EO SSDS connectivity is lost, CIWS can is not in collision course. It does this sights (thermal imaging cameras) for take care of missile defence. to determine whether the target can the operator to distinguish a bogey These radars operate at 9200MHz- manoeuvre to a collision course at a from a friendly aircraft with his own 9250MHz band and are capable of later stage. eyes even in dark. Since CIWS does If these assessments are not have an inbuilt IFF, only SSDS positive, FCS instructs the supplies IFF data. So if SSDS connec- tracking radar to start track- tivity is degraded, in automatic mode ing the bogey. When the bo- CIWS considers even a carrier-borne gey reaches within the gun’s aircraft approaching to land as bogey range, FCS commands the and shoots it down. gun to start firing. Guns fire Electronic warfare (EW) suite. at a point where the bogey The EW suite is also integrated with arrives in a few fractions of SSDS to divert the missile by spoofing seconds. The tracking radar it. This spoofing attempt is the soft also tracks the trajectory of killing of the incoming missile. It may the bullets to check if these precede a SAM interception or take deviate due to any environ- place along with the interception. mental parameters. If so, FCS In the next issue we will discuss fires the guns accordingly to EW in detail. Fig. 10: A CIWS firing offset the deviation. To be continued next month

58 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com WEARABLE

The Era of Printed Electronics: From 3D Printing to Inkjet Printing

D printing enthusiasts across the search Group lab at Harvard University. world have been looking forward to Also, the ink dries in about five minutes 3electronics printers. and can interconnect thin-quad-flat-pack In EFY’s buyers’ guide on 3D printers, (TQFP) integrated circuits (ICs). published in March 2014 issue, Carine Embedding components. The printer Anagha P. is a technical Carmy, director of marketing at Shapeways lets you insert or embed external electronic correspondent at EFY 3D Printing Marketplace and Community, components such as ICs, resistors and ca- was quoted as saying, “In the future, we pacitors into the design while it is being are going to start seeing mixed materials, printed, and the printing process continues electronics 3D printing and conductive after this is done. This was achieved by materials, as well.” But then we had not partnering with Autodesk to create a spe- imagined this would become a reality cialised software that is hosted in the cloud within a year! and lets you design your product in 3D, where you can drag-and-drop electronic Electronics printers are almost here components, and add wires and connec- One of the interesting events at Consumer tions to it. Electronics Show (CES) 2015 in Las Vegas, During the printing process, the device USA, was the launch of the pre-order cam- paign of Voxel8, which is claimed to be the first 3D electronics printer. Developed by Lewis Research Group at Harvard, un- der the guidance of Dr Jennifer A. Lewis, Voxel8 lets users blend plastic 3D printing material, an exclusive conductive paste and other electronic components into the same system to create highly-customisable objects from a simple antenna to a quad- copter. The lab currently owns 17 patents (10 Fig. 1: Voxel8 3D electronics printer issued) on functional materials, print heads (Image courtesy: Voxel8) and other processes for 3D printing. How it works Voxel8 3D printer (Fig. 1) uses traditional fused deposition modelling/fused filament fabrication (FDM/FFF) technology along with conductive paste extrusion. It has two extruders (also known as print heads), of which one is the traditional FDM head that is seen in all 3D printers and which extrudes polylactic acid (PLA). What makes this product special is the second print head that extrudes a special conductive ink made of highly-conductive Fig. 2: Voxel8 lets users embed electronic components silver particles developed at Lewis Re- into their designs

60 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com WEARABLE leaves a void where respective com- makes the liquid metal ponents are to be placed, and pauses small enough to pass at predetermined places where through an inkjet noz- components need to be embedded. zle. You can remove the print platform Once printing is or print bed from the device, insert done, the solvent the component and place it back; evaporates and leaves and the printing process continues behind nanoparticles from where it was paused. Kinematic and an oxidised gal- coupling and magnets are used to lium (Ga2O3) coating precisely fix the platform back in its that is used to keep exact place, when it is returned after the liquid metal elec- manual embedding of components. trically inert during the process. This thin skin Only for rigid electronics can be easily removed Voxel8 is not without its drawbacks. by stamping or drag- One issue we find with it is that it ging something across supports just two materials, namely, the surface, leaving PLA plastic and conductive silver a conducting wire on ink. However, the team has hinted the material on which at more functionalities and materials the design is printed. being introduced in the future. This This also makes it pos- Fig. 3: Inkjet for printing flexible electronics promises a lot of opportunities for (Image courtesy: Purdue University) sible to activate only electronics enthusiasts. selected portions, and Another limitation of this printer even modify or upgrade these later, is that the conductive inks used in Specifications of Voxel8 depending on the particular design. the existing methods are not very 3D Printer No heating required. Unlike conductive. These offer mediocre Brand Voxel8 other grapheme based printing tech- conductivity and are suited only for Materials PLA niques, Purdue method does not simple, low-power applications. Conductive ink (exclusive) require the printed material to be The third drawback is that it can XY resolution 15 microns heated to very high temperatures to be used to print only rigid electronics Layer resolution 200 microns make it conductive. This simplicity and not flexible ones. Other features 10.9cm (4.3-inch) touchscreen makes the method more accessible Flexible electronics is becom- Wi-Fi and USB connectivity to circuit designers. ing very popular now, especially in Cost US$ 9000 Stretchable. Since these are made medical, entertainment and wear- Availability Pre-order; ships in late 2015 from liquid metal and can be print- able domains. It calls for electronics ed on any material, including plastic printing methods that are fast, cheap inkjet printers for printing flexible sheets, papers or even fabrics, the and easy, and can produce circuits in and stretchable electronics in mass circuits can be stretched, folded and bulk. This creates the need for better quantities. A research paper on the squeezed without breaking. This can technology that can also print elec- method titled ‘Mechanically Sintered be utilised for creating wearable de- tronics circuitry in flexible surfaces, Gallium–Indium Nanoparticles’ has vices that do not restrict motion and like plastic sheets or even clothing been published by Rebecca Kramer soft machines (like robots) that can materials. and her team in Advanced Materials squeeze through small spaces. journal, dated April 17, 2015. The Cartesian method. Austral- The solution—inkjet printing The operation. In its native form, ian start-up Cartesian Co. started a By using inkjet printing to produce liquid metal cannot be used for inkjet Kickstarter campaign in November electronic circuits, we can print flex- printing. To overcome this, the team 2013 for developing Argentum (pre- ible and stretchable conductors onto has used mechanically-sintered galli- viously EX1), which is supposedly anything, including elastic materials um-indium nanoparticles, where liq- the world’s first desktop electronics and fabrics. Here we look at how two uid metal is turned into nanoparticles printer. The project got funded and teams are using this technology: by immersing the alloy into a solvent they started shipping their first batch The Purdue method. Folks at such as ethanol and then subjecting in August 2014. Purdue University have come up the mixture to ultrasound to disperse Similar to the previous method, with the concept of using regular the liquid metal in it. This method Argentum lets you print both flex-

62 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com WEARABLE

Fig. 4: Circuit printed using Argentum (Image courtesy: Cartesian Co.) ible and rigid electronic circuits on any material of your choice (polyimide, linen paper, fibre glass, synthetic paper or fabric), and it is as easy as printing a photo. The method. Argentum comes with two inkjet car- tridges similar to the ones in a desktop printer, and each cartridge is filled with a different chemical. First, it prints in one chemical, followed by the other chemical on top of the existing one. When these two chemicals mix, a reac- tion occurs and produces silver nanoparticles, leaving a silver image on the substrate. Resolution and speed. The device can natively print images at 300 dots-per-inch (DPI), which can be enhanced to 600DPI using the accompanying software. The circuit can be created using any electronics circuit design tool including Microsoft Paint, and can be easily exported to the printer software to print the circuit on the selected substrate. The printed circuit board (PCB) does not have to be etched either. This reduces the overall time to de- sign, create and test the circuit. Small form factor, big print areas. The size of Ar- gentum is about 43cm×32cm×17cm and it weighs around 6kg, which is close to a normal desktop inkjet printer. The user can print circuits with a print area of 17.5cm×8cm, which is well above the size of what one can design in the free version of EAGLE software. Soldering. Circuits printed using Argentum can be reflow-soldered with the conventional hot plate, reflow oven and hot air-gun, using leaded solder paste. It can also be hand-soldered, though it needs to be done quickly and adeptly to avoid damaging the silver traces. Commercialisation on demand According to a report by IDTechX titled ‘Printed, Organic & Flexible Electronics Forecasts, Players & Opportunities 2015-2025,’ the market for printed, flexible and organic electronics is set to increase from US$ 29.80 billion in 2015 to US$ 73.69 billion in 2025. Currently, we are in the early days of electronics printing, but with this increased market pull, we can be optimistic about more researchers and companies com- ing up with methods to print electronics circuits in mass quantities.  www.efymag.com Electronics For You | October 2015 63 Embedded

Advancements in FPGAs and Development Boards Look to Accelerate Time-To-Market

o evaluate a device and develop an of new features to evaluation and develop- application, field programmable gate ment boards have become a necessity, feels Tarray (FPGA) based development Sachin Gupta, product marketing engineer, or evaluation boards are a great platform. SoC product-line marketing, Microsemi. He From engineers and hobbyists who want says, “Given the current scenario, where Abhishek A. Mutha to start with FPGAs to professionals look- cyber weapons are trying to break into is a senior technical ing for mid- or high-end boards for their embedded designs more aggressively, the correspondent at EFY prototyping and designing needs, there is a challenges set before us to countermeasure plethora of products out there. and protect data and designs from these In today’s market, the changing sys- attacks are higher than ever.” tem-level requirements crop the need for He adds, “Other traditional secu- device-level changes. Hence, the addition rity concerns are protection of design from

Latest FPGA Developments Boards, SoC Kits and Modules in the Market

Company Product Features Avnet Artix-7 50T • Customisable development kit perfect for embedded designers looking for a flexible, low-power FPGA platform evaluation • Packages features like 256MB DDR3 SDRAM, 32MB of QSPI flash, 32KB of I2C EEPROM, dual kit 10/100 Ethernet interfaces, six Digilent compatible Pmod interfaces enabling 48 user I/O pins • Solution for designers interested in exploring MicroBlaze soft processor or Artix-7 FPGAs in general BittWare A10PL4 • Arria 10 GT/GX low-profile PCIe board with dual QSFP and DDR4 • Features Altera Arria 10 GT/GX FPGA, PCIe x8 interface supporting Gen1, Gen2 or Gen3, dual QSFP cages for 2x 100GigE, 2x 40GigE, or 8x 10GigE and memory up to 32GB of DDR4 SDRAM with ECC (x72) • Configuration via protocol (CvP) supported BittWare Block • Arria 10 GT/GX/SX 3/4-length PCIe board with quad QSFP, DDR4 and QDR-IV diagram • Features Altera Arria 10 GT/GX/SX FPGA and SoC, PCIe x8 interface supporting Gen1, Gen2 or A10P3S Gen3, four QSFP cages for 4x 100GigE, 4x 40GigE, or 16x 10GigE and board management controller for intelligent platform management Embest Lark board • Based on Altera’s Cyclone V SoC, Lark Board is designed for development of high-volume applications including automotive, medical equipment, video surveillance and industrial control • Features a 5CSXFC6D6 SoC FPGA, 1GB DDR3 SDRAM to each of the HPS and FPGA as well as 4GB eMMC flash, Transflash card slot for mass storage, several standard I/O interfaces including PCI Express, Gigabit Ethernet, USB2.0 Host ports, UART, JTAG and 3G SDI Pro Design Zynq • Combines a user FPGA with an ARM core processor (dual ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore with CoreSight) XC7Z045 and several onboard peripherals such as USB 2.0 OTG, gigabit Ethernet or ARM JTAG debug • Includes 1GB onboard DDR3 and dual quad-SPI flash memory • Allows maximum point-to-point speed of up to 1.2Gbit/s over the standard FPGA I/O and up to 12.5Gbit/s over high-speed serial transceivers Scarab miniSpartan6+ • Features Spartan6 LX9 FPGA from Xilinx, an onboard USB JTAG programmer to power and Hardware program the FPGA with any open source programmer, like the one inside Scarab IDE • Also includes an onboard USB interface that powers the board and allows communication with the PC at speeds up to 480Mbps, HDMI port, 8-channel analogue-to-digital converter running at 1MSPS with 8-bit resolution and memory of 32MB of SDRAM, 64Mbit of SPI flash and a microSD card interface Terasic SoCKit • Built around Altera Cyclone V SoC FPGA, which combines the latest Cortex-A9 embedded cores development • Includes hardware such as high-speed DDR3 memory, video and audio capabilities, Ethernet kit networking and an onboard HSMC connector with high-speed transceivers, which allows for an even greater array of hardware setups www.efymag.com Electronics For You | October 2015 65 Embedded theft, cloning and over-building, to SoCs, FPGAs and the need for SoC based FPGAs name a few.” Let us take a look at the advance- There is a great saying, “Advancement in recent trends would not halt for any man.” Difficulties in fabricating integrated circuits (ICs) for FPGA based prototyping boards have ments and additions, which are not become more complex due to size, in which porting 100 million ASIC gates takes months only making today’s FPGA develop- and also needs several programmable devices. Keeping all hurdles apart, FPGA providers ment boards cost-effective and pow- are keen on delivering higher-grade FPGAs in terms of capacity and I/Os. erful, but also flexible to work with. In a parallel track, SoC projects are growing much faster. Adding an extra grade of complexity to the system, processor sub-systems in SoC designs are developed using Advancements in virtual platforms, which gives developers/customers the option to switch between FPGA based systems various processor configurations based on the end user requirement. From a designer’s perspective, complexities in developing these systems are tricky. When such systems are FPGA platforms are currently being sent for verification, it takes enormous time and engineering resources (hardware and used for high-performance cloud software tools). In certain cases, modular-verification methods fail abruptly for larger computing, network processing, design files and sophisticated design constraints. signal processing, low-latency and As we see it, the need for developing independent sub-systems for the Internet of data acquisition applications. Dhiraj Things (IoT) architecture demands pure SoC based FPGAs for fixed general-purpose Kumar, director, Systems Engineering, control sub-systems and data-acquisition sub-systems. There is always a recognisable Argus Technologies, says, “The adap- demand for FPGA based prototypes systems, but the time-to-market makes these a secondary choice by developers. In complex sub-systems, the design demands careful tation of advanced process technolo- portioning and timing optimisation steps, where FPGA based prototypes take a much gies by FPGA vendors has resulted in longer time to become available until silicon is back. the launch of Virtex UltraScale, Arria The debugging feasibility into the hardware is quite a tough task when compared with 10 and Stratix 10 products that sup- simulation and software based emulation. In such cases, hardware probes can be inserted, port a multi-node portfolio to address which, in turn, reduces the speed grade of the system. Hence, FPGA based prototypes a wide set of applications on FPGA have come to the limelight by adoption at the final stages of development, during which platforms.” register-transfer level (RTL) has already been verified and deemed stable. He adds, “Further advances in —Contributed by Sudharsan Palanikumar, senior analyst, Femto Logic Design Pvt Ltd FPGA architecture and system in package (SiP) technology are able to to the growing communication, medi- address device-level input and output cal and aerospace markets, informs FPGA providers are keen (I/O) bottlenecks and optimisation Anoop Jose, manager - research and on achieving higher road of sequential applications to offer development, Numato Systems Pvt platform-level integration of heteroge- Ltd. He says, “This change is very maps in a shorter time neous technologies with remarkable visible in the new FPGA offerings period. At a utilisation speed-ups.” from various leading companies. rate of 60 per cent, single FPGA providers are keen on Some top-of-the-series devices offer achieving higher road maps in a serial bandwidth in excess of 5Tb/s.” FPGA devices can hold up shorter time period. At a utilisation He adds, “A large number of FP- to 20 million ASIC gates rate of 60 per cent, single FPGA GAs offer integrated PowerPC/ARM devices can hold up to 20 million hard processor units and a large array communications infrastructure and application-specific integrated circuit of DSP slices to cater for the ever- advanced radar applications.” (ASIC) gates, informs Sudharsan growing demand for signal process- Palanikumar, senior analyst, Femto ing and communication.” Although, Additions in FPGA Logic Design Pvt Ltd. He says, “The a fair amount of development boards developments boards key advantage of an FPGA based are slowly showing up in the market. With over 15 years of experience of system is that it can achieve higher These facilitate easy FPGA based so- creating FPGA based development speeds without any hassles.” lution development using the above- boards, Avnet had introduced their He adds, “The new era of FPGA mentioned technologies. Mini-Module series designed as a systems can hold up to 100 million Current FPGA platforms are able systems on module (SoM) more than gates that help bring down the size to offer much better performance ten years ago. It allowed an engineer of a larger application considerably.” than some of the fastest graphics to simply use the development board Today’s FPGA boards are also cards available today, addressing as part of the final product. increasingly focused on high-speed central processing unit (CPU)/graph- A few years ago, Xilinx introduced communication infrastructure such as ics processing unit (GPU) markets Zynq-7000, an all-programmable multi-gigabit serial transceivers, inte- as well, informs Kumar. He says, system on chip (SoC), which was a grated computing and digital signal “High-end FPGAs are playing a domi- hybrid chip having both a processing processing (DSP) resources to cater nating role in military and aerospace system as well as FPGA program-

66 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com Embedded

Developments in pipeline for the future based development boards. Natarajan M.M., vice president for South Asia of “Altera is working on development kits based on Stratix 10—a new family of 14nm FPGAs Arrow Asia-Pacific components busi- built on FinFET technology with integrated ARM A53 hardened quad-cores.” ness, says, “The new-generation FPGA —Natarajan M.M., vice president for South Asia of Arrow Asia-Pacific components business boards are equipped with HSMC/FPGA “Xilinx has developed their latest FPGA families, UltraScale 16nm and 20nm. Avnet is mezzanine card (FMC) connectors, actively working with this new silicon technology, and we are excited to introduce these allowing add-on kits from third-party new products based on this technology in the near future.” boards to be plugged on base boards —Bryan Fletcher, global technical marketing director, Avnet Electronics Marketing designed on FPGAs.” “Our exclusive manufacturing partnership with Intel opens up avenues for innovations and On similar lines, Fletcher says, enables us to provide a greater degree of integration. With multi-die 3D integration of static “Two expansion standards that we random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and ASICs have seen the most are FMC and in our generation 10 portfolio, capabilities and options are endless.” —Prasad Reddy, FAE manager, South Asia Pacific, Altera Digilent-compatible peripheral module (Pmod). An FMC has many I/Os than “Quad Small Form Factor Pluggable+ (QSFP) interface and VPX (an American National Pmod, which means, it has the ability Standards Institute standard) would be incorporated in future products.” to contain much more circuitry.” —Bailey Hsu, director - marketing division, Terasic He adds, “Pmods are smaller and lower in cost. We have even adapted mega32U4) and the FPGA (XC6SLX9), Pmod standard to pass high-speed dif- The new era of FPGA as it aims to simplify getting started ferential signals for embedded touch systems can hold up to with FPGA and digital designing.” displays.” Talking from Terasic’s point of 100 million gates that view, Bailey Hsu, director - market- FPGAs fuelling faster time-to- help us to bring a larger ing division, Terasic, notes, “Latest market, high-priority applications application into a handful improvements in our FPGA based Adding support for various configura- development boards are covered tions of external daughter cards, net- size of device in two different directions. One is work processing and industrial control smaller in size but performs faster, modules have enabled users to use mable logic, informs Bryan Fletcher, which can be seen in DE5-NEEK kits a common platform for applications global technical marketing director, scheduled to be available around having varied signal acquisition, inter- Avnet Electronics Marketing. He says, the third quarter of 2015. Other is facing and performance targets. With “With the added sophistication of cheaper but more versatile displayed reusability being a much sought-after this device, we recognised that many in DE0-Nano-SoC boards.” requirement today, supporting the use engineers would appreciate having a He adds, “We are currently de- of a common FPGA based prototyping Zynq based SoM that could easily be veloping platforms with VPX and environment for different designs has adopted into their systems.” high-frequency trading (HFT) and significant cost and time-to-market Adding to that, Fletcher says, will focus more on these two fields advantages. “Currently, we have four Zynq based in future.” Kumar says, “FPGA with DSP fea- SoM product families, which will Altera too offers more solution- tures is another area that is enabling enable companies to reduce risk and centric development boards for ap- applications requiring comprehensive increase their time-to-market.” plications from audio/video, military signal processing.” Another addition features new solutions, 40G/100G applications, to He adds, “Integration of configura- SoC FPGAs, that is, FPGAs with hard name a few, informs Prasad Reddy, ble SoC blocks to FPGA architecture is processors built-in. “While these are FAE manager, South Asia Pacific, Al- another area that has resulted in quick really cool, these are also fairly com- tera. He says, “With the addition of turnaround of prototyping complex plicated to work with and definitely high-speed mezzanine card (HSMC) systems and sub-systems in an FPGA.” not a recommended starting point for connectors, designers can leverage Kumar informs, “Though low- beginners. These are great because pluggable solution-specific daugh- power FPGA architectures are enabling FPGAs and processors are generally ter cards from both Altera and our handheld applications such as mobile good at things the other is bad at,” partners to address specific solution computing and wearable medical says Justin Rajewski, CEO, Embedded needs.” electronics, the industry expects bet- Micro. So, having both can be helpful. Although this is not a new area, ter performance and power ratio than He adds, “Beginners can experi- there have been significant additions available today to really tap into this ment with our Mojo board, where with respect to the compatibility of market.” He adds, “High-performance they get to program the Arduino (AT- expansion boards with FPGA and SoC FPGA architecture from Xilinx/Altera,

68 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com Embedded

Major contributors to this report

Anoop Jose, Bailey Hsu, Bryan Fletcher, Dhiraj Kumar, Justin Rajewski, Natarajan M.M., Prasad Reddy, Sachin Gupta, Sudharsan manager - research director - marketing global technical director, Systems CEO, vice president FAE manager, product marketing Palanikumar, and development, division, Terasic marketing director, Engineering, Argus Embedded Micro for South Asia of South Asia Pacific, engineer, SoC product senior analyst, Numato Systems Avnet Electronics Technologies Arrow Asia-Pacific Altera line marketing, Femto Logic Pvt Ltd Marketing components business Microsemi Design Pvt Ltd on the other hand, is driving data time constraints, FPGA tools and 10 product portfolio to address the centres and cloud computing appli- methods to support these applica- needs of different market segments.” cations.” tions are equally critical.” In every quarter, millions of FPGA FPGA solutions are increas- devices are shipped out of factories Today’s FPGAs are ingly used in a variety of industries for software-development applica- employed in diverse fields including automotive, broadcast, tions and sub-system validation/s. FPGA support on open source, em- compute and storage, consumer, in- Palanikumar says, “You can also bedded Linux platforms is driving dustrial, medical, military, test and see that developers are interested to new applications that were ear- measurement and wireless. Each of choose FPGAs to design their pro- lier developed using microcontrollers these market segments has specific totypes of pre-silicon deliverables (MCUs) or network processor based needs in terms of product complex- due to their moderate portability in solutions instead of FPGAs, feels Ku- ity, performance and power, informs nature. These are chosen for this mar. He says, “Since today’s FPGAs Reddy. He says, “Altera has taken prototyping objective for their ease- are capable of integrating complex its approach of providing a tailored of-integration methods in software SoCs with highly concurrent, het- solution to different markets to the development processes for demon- erogeneous computing and stringent next level and rolled out Generation stration.” 

www.efymag.com Electronics For You | October 2015 69 Innovation Universal Data Acquisition and Control with Yuktix UDAC for the IoT

he Internet of Things (IoT) applica- relationship management and enterprise tions capture data from the physical resource planning systems Tworld, communicate this data to a 2. Collect physical data such as tempera- central server and run analytics on it. In or- ture, vibration, stress and pressure der to complete the IoT loop, the user has to 3. Establish solar-powered off-grid units Anagha P. was select sensors, choose a compatible platform to collect sensor data working with EFY until to plug in those sensors, write the firmware, 4. Control units deployed in the field recently as technical correspondent select data protocols, establish communica- from a central location tion to the server and ensure security of the 5. Take decisions based on sensor data transferred data. Given below is a step-by-step guide to Problem arises when the user wants how the solution works: data related to machine utilisation, power 1. Select the sensor(s) required for an consumption, temperature of the system application from the catalogue of compatible and excess vibration in machines, and store sensors provided this data on a computer system, access it 2. Plug the selected sensor(s) on the on a mobile phone, get instant alerts and small form factor board share these reports with other concerned 3. Upload the firmware provided people. 4. Power the board using a solar panel, The machine-to-machine (M2M) market lithium-polymer battery or mains electricity today is very fragmented. Creating such sys- 5. Connect it to the cloud gateway using tems requires disparate skills from multiple either a wired (Ethernet, RS485, etc) or a vendors. It is a time-consuming process and wireless (GSM, ZigBee, etc) solution the budget cannot be calculated beforehand. 6. Start getting data collected by the sen- So how can we make the system-creation sors on Yuktix cloud, Yuktix Android app process simple, know what will one receive or external cloud services such as Amazon and at what cost? Web Services (AWS) and Zoho The solution More features The Yuktix Universal Data Acquisition and Yuktix has a secure digital (SD) card mem- Control (Yuktix UDAC) platform comprises ory onboard. There is an external random hardware and software that connect indus- access memory (RAM) that increases the trial equipment, machines and sensors to power of onboard processing. It also has yuktix board the Internet in a plug-and- general-purpose input/output pins to in- play model and let terface with multiple digital and analogue users con- devices and sensors. By powering the device trol field de- on battery or solar energy and transmitting vices from data over Global System for Mobile Com- a central munications (GSM), you can make a true dashboard. It off-the-grid system. can be used for You can also set up a wireless (ZigBee) a variety of pur- sensor mesh network with solar power in poses including the order to collect physical data from regions following: that have no network coverage or even 1. Connect indus- electricity. trial protocol equipment Buying a highly-efficient development to the Internet, customer board with varied functions would not be of

70 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com Innovation

Some Competing Products Available in the Market

Features Yuktix UDAC FlyportPRO module GrovePi Re-Mote Waspmote and IoT kit Sensors • Multiple • Multiple • Multiple • Built-in temperature • Built-in temperature sen- • Plug-and-play • Plug-and-play • Plug-and-play sensor sor and accelerometer • Multiple external sensor • Multiple external sensor integration integration Communication Ethernet, RS485, GSM Wi-Fi, GPRS or To Raspberry Pi 2.4GHz IEEE 802.15.4 Ethernet, Wi-Fi and/or 3G/ and/or ZigBee Ethernet radio with 868/915MHz GPRS RF transceiver Memory Onboard SD card Internal and external No Onboard micro-SD card No flash memory Power Solar panel, battery 5V, 0.5/2A No Built-in battery charger to Battery and/or mains connect to solar panel or rechargeable batteries Cloud storage Yes No No No Yes Support Dedicated support team Community support Community support Dedicated support team Support forum Availability For sale For sale For sale Pre-order For sale Price Application-specific US$ 64 to US$ 75 US$ 29.99 to US$ 89.99 US$ 70 Dependent much help to an inexperienced user. Cost of programming often surpasses Would Yuktix suit my application the cost of the development platform Yuktix UDAC is not specific to an application. The company provides domain-specific itself. Moreover, the quality guaran- customised solutions around its core intellectual property, which includes hardware, tee of some software is very weak firmware stack and cloud stack. A network of automatic weather stations powered by Yuktix has already been installed across Bengaluru. compared to the hardware and can Here are a few other examples of how Yuktix can be deployed: result in escalating maintenance. This 1. Industrial equipment that currently communicate over Modbus can be monitored and is when the team decided to provide controlled remotely customers with a stable and simple 2. GSM capability can be introduced to existing RFID readers firmware along with Yuktix board. 3. LED streetlights can be controlled by deploying local wireless networks Designing such a device that covers multiple domains was a real boards primarily target developers About the product challenge, according to the team. Un- and DIY makers. Typical DIY mak- derstanding and covering the sensor ers and hobbyists never consider the Product : Yuktix UDAC and protocol requirements, providing time and efforts. However, the same Company : Yuktix Technologies both off-grid and grid power solu- is crucial for corporations’ budgets. Founders : Rajeev Jha and Ashok Verma Website : www.yuktix.com tions, developing the hardware and According to its developers, this Contact : [email protected] a supporting PCB, and placing the product is the only end-to-end so- radio module on the board without lution available for industry-level set of sensors. Also, the reprogram- introducing noise to the measure- IoT projects. With out-of-the-box ming and solution development ments, were to be achieved keeping solutions for firmware, data capture, cost for all such offerings would be the form factor into consideration. communication protocols, cloud con- very high, says the team. But Yuktix Developing such an interoperable nectivity, server layer and Android provides the firmware and mobile device from scratch was tough, and application provided along with application, thereby saving the cost it took about four iterations and 1.5 UDAC platform, these offer a com- of programming. years to get the device to the market. prehensive solution to its customers. The high-end remote terminal Future releases Why Yuktix units (RTUs) will do about 20 per Next version of Yuktix will have over- There are many IoT boards available cent and wireless data loggers will do the-air (OTA) features and would in the market. These only address 10 per cent of what Yuktix offers. But implement chips having security as a part of the solution provided by the issue here is that these are not part of the core. The team also plans Yuktix. With such boards, cost of plug-and-play solutions. With simi- to remove the power supply module, programming and risk cannot be lar solar-powered devices, the user stack the interfaces and make it plug- ascertained beforehand. Also, IoT would be constrained with a specific and-play to reduce the size. 

72 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com Interview

Internet of Things: Pay more attention to the secure storage of data collected If the Internet of Things (IoT) is campaigning to run nearly every aspect of our digital lives, considerations need to be made to ensure a seamless and safe introduction, says Kevin Curran, IEEE senior member and reader in computer Kevin Curran IEEE senior member and science at Ulster University, Ireland, as he talks to Dilin Anand of EFY about the reader in computer science, challenges in implementing the IoT on a large scale Ulster University, Ireland

Q. What are the challenges in implementing the IoT? of the society, new challenges will arise. For instance, engi- A. Technical challenges include government regula- neers will need to estimate proper wireless coverage. Over- tions with regards to spectrum allocation, security, battery provide and they waste an organisation’s money. issues, cost and privacy. Security, standards and overbur- Related is the challenging area of testing performance. Ap- dening the network are three requirements that need to be plication performance needs testing. There will also be a need focused on before implementing mass adoption. to be able to work out if sensor data spikes are being dealt with effectively. In general, network performance monitoring Q. What are the little things that we easily overlook when will often be the primary source of highlighting problems. dealing with the IoT scenario? A. Good throughput is important for the IoT, but there Q. How does one handle big data? will be trade-off between data speed and battery life. Mul- A. An IoT scenario deals with big volumes of data due tiple input multiple output (MiMo) technology is set to be a to the large number of sensors involved. There are three key part of these efficiency measures. Existing IoT sensors main problems that must be solved: resolution, sensitivity are not equipped to take advantage of 5G. New devices may and reliability. Compressed sensing involves reducing the need to have multiple antennae for fewer dropouts. number of samples collected in an IoT wireless sensor net- work. Thus, it is possible to create standalone applications Q. What about standardisation? that require fewer resources. A. We are still a long way from creating scalable solu- tions where products from different vendors can communi- Q. What is your advice to IoT device manufacturers? cate with each other. Industrial industries might be the first A. They need to consider the correct forms of crypto- to achieve some form of integrated IoT solutions because graphic algorithms and modes needed for IoT devices. An business value (like costs and preventative maintenance) international organisation for standardisation/international can be measured and quantified. electrotechnical commission (ISO/IEC) 29192 standard was devised to implement lightweight cryptography on Q. Are there any leading standards for the IoT domain? constrained devices. A. One attempt to standardise is AllSeen Alliance (www. allseenalliance.org), which is an IoT industry group to en- Q. What is the one piece of advice for all IoT companies? courage interoperability among connected devices, regardless A. They will have to pay more attention to the secure of their manufacturer. The group’s software will be based on storage of data collected via the IoT as legal repercussions AllJoyn, which is Qualcomm’s open source IoT software. creep in and data being collected increases. This data is Newcomers to this alliance include Automatic and generally stored in the cloud. So, they should, in particular Nest. Microsoft Research’s Lab of Things software also at- with large data sets, pay extra attention to the data lifecycle tempts to simplify the monitoring, automating and control- phases and ensure that aspects such as data destruction are ling of all kinds of smartdevices in homes. Then there is provided and auditable as part of the service. OpenRemote’s open source software that can connect and automate all kinds of devices. Q. What is the most critical element to ensure security for data intensive applications like the IoT? Q. What skills are needed for handling these devices? A. It is critical that companies implement a layered A. It is difficult, and will remain so, to hire the skills security strategy regarding cloud services, as their data is required to manage IoT deployments as the actual devices, more exposed now. It is critical to get buy-in from upper communications infrastructure and backend platforms management. Also, security breaches can greatly affect grow in complexity. When the IoT takes over most parts their reputation. 

74 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com Interview

Modular T&M Instrumentation: In the automated test market... speed is usually the most important specification To meet the requirements of automated test equipment (ATE), modular instruments Bob Stasonis play an important role and are poised to change the industry in the future. A modular sales and approach allows customisation of requirements and reduced time-to-market. Abhishek marketing director, Mutha of EFY got in touch with Bob Stasonis, sales and marketing director of Pickering Pickering Interfaces Interfaces, to discuss the latest demand trends in modular instrumentation industry

Q. What are the latest trending requirements under modu- Q. On a global scale, which standard is chosen by military lar T&M instrumentation? and aerospace for high-reliability applications, PXI, LXI A. In the automated test market for consumer goods, or PCI? speed is usually the most important specification. Paramet- A. The military, in general, picks the form/factor of ric testing, in this niche segment, is more or less obsolete their instruments and switching, depending on the test because of time and cost. In areas that are more safety- strategy. Pickering sells all three forms/factors to military conscious or defence-related, accuracy and repeatability and defence contractors. PXI is overwhelmingly the top are critical. standard chosen. In fact, the military were the first adopters Having laid this groundwork for a test strategy, we see of VXI back in the 1990s. So modular test is something that that bandwidths are increasing. But more importantly, pro- they understand well and so they implement it. tocols and modulation schemes are areas where T&M instru- LXI has a strong following as well, especially in applica- mentation needs to generate such signals as well as capture tions where general-purpose interface bus instruments were and decrypt these. From NFC to 4G LTE, it is the ability to formerly implemented. There are some instruments that communicate with the devices quickly and accurately that cannot yet get packed into the 3U form factor of PXI. LXI is important. For switch manufacturers, we are driven to im- also allows for remote access, which has other advantages prove switching density and do it with lower insertion losses as well. PCI still has some usage in the military for simple and better voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR). benchtop testing. It is not robust enough to go in the back of a truck for field test support, so customers tend to look Q. Have there been any latest technological or architec- for PXI and LXI in field applications. tural advancements in PXI and LXI? A. PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation (PXI) express has Q. How do you see Indian military and aerospace market just started moving to Gen3 express lanes for greater data for modular T&M products? bandwidth to and from instrumentation. There is not a lot of A. Indian military works closely with its allies and adapts instrumentation yet to take advantage of this speed. the same or similar programmes, so it makes sense to have a National Instruments and Keysight have PXI instru- similar test strategy. We see a strong desire to use commer- ments working in the 20GHz region, an area thought im- cial off-the-shelf solutions as well as modular tests in most possible ten years ago. In the last year, LAN based eXten- applications. The aerospace industry including the space sions for Instrumentation (LXI) specification added HiSLIP organisation has been a big user of modular instrumentation. protocol, allowing for faster data transfers. With over 2700 instruments available from over 30 vendors, virtually any Q. How do you see the future of modular T&M instrumen- aspect of test can be addressed by LXI. tation shaping up? A. Modular instrumentation will always have a place in Q. What about PCI; is it still in demand? test for most industries. The modular form factor eliminates A. Believe it or not, good old Peripheral Component front panels, which in an automated test environment is Interconnect (PCI), not PCI Express, is seeing resurgence somewhat redundant. This also helps create a more com- in the test market. Industrial PC manufacturers are still pact test system footprint, which is important in almost supporting PCI; my contacts at ADlink indicated that PCI every application. will remain available for the foreseeable future. Electronics Finally, for highly-synchronous applications, the ability manufacturers are discovering that there are enough ven- of modular instruments to easily trigger and synchronise dors (including Pickering) providing PCI instruments and test steps is a must. So whether the form factor is PXI, the switching, so that companies can assemble low-cost test newer AXIe or something else not yet defined, count on systems for many basic functional tests. modular test to be part of many test strategies. 

76 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com BUYERS’ GUIDE

The Right Mix of ESD Safety Tools for Your Environment

he most serious danger when working Tools for ESD detection and control with electronic components is posed by electrostatic discharge (ESD). Sud- ESD materials are generally subdivided T 9 den discharge of static electricity, or ESD, into three main categories: anti-static (10 is very common. Everyday materials (such ohms to 1012 ohms), dissipative (105 ohms Abhishek A. Mutha as glass, ceramic and plastic) are inherently to 109 ohms) and conductive (103 ohms to is a senior technical charge-generating, and with miniaturisation 105 ohms). ESD tools are equipped with correspondent at EFY. This article was written of today’s complex devices, technology has electro-statically discharging (dissipative) with inputs from Biswajit multiplied the number of circuits and de- handles that have a defined surface resist- Das, manager - R&D, EFY Labs creased their size, thereby increasing the risk ance of about 106-109 ohms. That guarantees of damage by ESD. soft discharging within a set period of time While the human body might not be and in a controlled and safe manner, so that susceptible to harm from this inevitable sensitive components cannot be damaged. natural phenomenon, it is highly probable Most ESD-safe hand tools with static dis- for electronic circuitry and components to be sipative handles are made of carbon steel or affected by ESD catastrophically or latently. stainless steel. In the latter case, although the electronic de- IEC61340-5-1 standard specifies technical vice could appear to work just fine, it could requirements for the design, use and control fail to function sometime in the future. of a protected area so that electrostatic- In this article, we focus on solutions that sensitive devices, having sensitivity of 100V could help you control ESD and create a (human body model test) or higher, can be static-safe work area. handled with minimal risk of damage from Those who wish to counter this problem procurement to end of their life. must take various aspects into account, such There are diverse kinds of tools and sys- as ESD-safe workstations where electrostatic tems available for detection, restriction and discharge is safely channelled to earth, elec- protection from ESD. Electronic facilities trostatically discharging shoes, work-wear require ESD protection during inspection, and ESD armbands with spiral cable that dis- storage and warehouse, assembly, research charges voltage softly and safely via a large and development (R&D), packaging, test and resistance (approximately one megaohm) inspection and field service repair. Dedicated Fig. 1: Wolfgang Warmbier’s (Germany) from the operator to earth. manufacturers adopt various anti-static safe- electrostatic field meter ty measures while designing their products. EFM51 Correct education coupled with the right set of tools can protect against the many dangerous effects of ESD. Let us take a look at some of the necessary equipment required to create ESD-safe products. Manufactur- ers and distributors of various ESD control products in India are featured in Table I and Table II has a list of various ESD products, their brand names and pricing. Electrostatic field meters. The most commonly used equipment for detecting static charges in today’s manufacturing environment is an electrostatic field meter, Fig. 2: Zeebeetronics’ surface-resisitivity meter Z203E or ESD meter. It is very effective in detect-

78 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com BUYERS’ GUIDE

Table I Indian Manufacturers/Distributors Company Location Established Type Kinds of ESD Safety Solutions Available Cir-Q-Tech Tako Bengaluru, Chennai, 1989 Manufacturer ESD-safe flooring, ESD-safe workbenches and tables, ESD-safe chairs, ESD-safe Technologies Delhi, Pune trolleys for movement of materials, ESD-safe storage racks, workstation accessories such as ESD magnifiers, tools and fixtures, tools for personnel grounding, ioniser systems and ESD-safe packaging Zeebeetronics Bengaluru 1985 Manufacturer Wrist-strap and footwear testers, electrostatic alarms, ESD-safe smoke absorbers, wall stations, continuous workstation monitors and surface-resistivity meters Static Systems Bengaluru, Chennai, 2002 Importer and ESD wrist straps, slippers, shoes, covers, sticky mats, tapes, chairs, fabric, gloves, Pvt Ltd Delhi distributor finger cots, tweezers, brush, storage bins, workstations and tiles Blossom Bengaluru 2011 Importer and ESD badge/card holders, ESD adjustable wrist straps, anti-static heel straps, Solutions distributor anti-static vinyl floor mats, grounding cords and jacks, tweezers, brushes, storage, slippers, shoes, ESD-safe chairs, ESD covers, kapton tapes, floor marking tapes, anti-static aprons, gloves, finger cots, ESD PCB racks and material handling product and ESD-testing instruments such as wrist-strap footwear testers, dual footwear testers, surface-resistivity meters and workstation monitors PCBA Tools West Bengal 2014 Importer and ESD-safe slippers, ESD-safe aprons, wristbands, gloves, ESD-safe rubber mats, distributor ESD-safe shoes, ESD-safe finger cots, ESD-safe brushes, ESD-safe permanent coat- ing sprays, ionisers, static-charge meters, surface-resistivity meters and ion guns Sumitron New Delhi, Haridwar, 1986 Importer and ESD-safe furniture and component storage solutions, ionisers, ESD-safe shielding Exports Pvt Ltd Kolkata, Ahmedabad, distributor bags, protective wear and topical anti-static liquid solution, ESD meters like electro- Mumbai, Pune, static field meters, combination wrist strap and detection meters and ESD flooring Hyderabad, solutions Bengaluru, Chennai Inde Enterprises New Delhi, 1976 Importer and ESD testers, Wolfgang Warmbier (Germany) electrostatic field meters, ESD storage Bengaluru distributor racks and boxes, ESD table mats and PCB racks, ESD tools and aids such as wrist straps, gloves, micro cutting pliers, precision wire strippers, desoldering pumps, PCB bags, tweezers, cleaning brushes, conductive trays and common grounding point Sharang Pune 1996 Importer and ESD-safe chairs, stools, static dissipative shoes/heel straps, ESD storage and material Corp. distributor handling products, gloves, tiles, mats, wrist straps, ESD grounding cords, ESD finger cots, anti-fatigue mats, ESD-safe workstations, human body voltage checkers, sur- face-resistivity meters, overhead static eliminators, ionisers, passive static discharge brushes, ESD stands with footplate, continuous work station monitors, ion air guns Kinetic Andhra Pradesh N/A Distributor Wristbands, heel straps, anti-static shoes, anti-static garments, anti-static sprays, Polymers ESD caution tapes and static shielding tapes, ESD dispenser bottles, ESD-safe pack- aging materials, anti-static workstations, ESD-safe work area, ESD test equipment and conductive products Electronic Kolkata 1983 Importer/ Black conductive stacking containers, lids, carrying cases and tote boxes, anti-static Control Compo- manufacturer/ cleanroom mats, ESD handling, storage and transportation materials, anti-static nents and supplier workstations, ESD-safe work surfaces, personnel grounding, ESD-safe packaging, Devices (ECCD) ESD testing instruments and ESD solvent cleaners Blue Sky New Delhi N/A Manufacturer Wrist straps, heel grounders, slippers, shoes, floor and table mats, grounding leads, System Pvt Ltd and supplier laminates and other workstation accessories, ESD-safe storage solutions, ESD control materials such as gloves, finger cots, aprons, static sprays and chairs Advance Tech Bengaluru, 1966 Manufacturer ESD slippers, aprons, wristbands, gloves, rubber mats, heel grounders, shoes, Services Pvt New Delhi, Pune, and supplier disposable shoe covers, brushes, ESD coating chemicals, ionisers, static test instru- Ltd Hyderabad ments, ion guns, ion bards, air particle counters and lint-free wipes ing the presence and magnitude of ing point-to-point resistance and to name a few. static charges. The latest meters in resistance-to-ground measurements To make the measurement pro- the market are mostly digital, battery- including resistance of persons, ESD cess hassle-free, some meters come operated, handheld and come with shoes, flooring or any kind of ESD equipped with integrated data loggers a rotating chopper. ESD meters help protective material. Surface-resistivity (with limited storage capability) and in detecting and accurately measur- meters usually record measurements communication ports for wirelessly ing electrostatic fields, potential and in accordance with such standards transmitting data. With the help of discharge times. as Electrical Over-Stress (EOS)/ESD two internal probes of electrodes, Surface-resistivity meters. These Association Standards S-4.1, IEC the typical range for measurements meters are employed for mak- 61340-4-1 Ed. 2.0 and IEC 61340-2-3, is between 103 ohms and 1012 ohms. www.efymag.com Electronics For You | October 2015 79 BUYERS’ GUIDE

Table II Price List of Common ESD Tools Item description Manufacturer Part number Price*

Brushes. Conductive plastic handle (104-106Ω); remove dirt on PCB or other MULTICOMP 154-0141 ` 922 sensitive components and discharges static electricity to ground

Cutters. Precision pliers for ultra-fine cutting work; discharge electrostatic energy cor- KNIPEX 78 03 125 ESD ` 4090 respondingly slowly and under control to protect endangered components

Drivers. Handle anti-static ESD-safe material (106-109Ω), allows for safe controlled WIHA 27790 ` 7903 dissipation of static build up

Hex drivers. Ten pieces set, 1-bit holder 813 R ESD Kraftform with quick-release chuck WERA KRAFTFORM- ` 4333 rapidaptor KOMPAKT 11- ESD

Inspection. Quality magnifying lamps and task lights designed for demanding profession- AVEN 26505-ESD ` 20,127 als. Models available with fluorescent and LED lighting

Lifters and pickup tools. Vacuum placer that enables you to place SMT components on ERSA SVP100 ` 8540 PCBs quickly, easily and safely

Pliers. Precision pliers for ultra-fine assembly work like gripping, holding and bending; KNIPEX 35 22 115 ESD ` 4494 dissipative

Screwdrivers. Tri-lobe handles for comfort in use and effective delivery of torque, electro- CK TOOLS T4725ESD 03 ` 455 statically dissipative

Stripping tools. Special tool steel blade, hardened for long-term cutting performance, CK TOOLS T3895 ` 2200 electrostatic discharging handles

Tape guns. Used with Wescorp and other brand anti-static tapes, groundable housing and VERMASON 242256 ` 19,135 hardware, stainless steel construction

Torque drivers. Adjustable torque screwdrivers with rapidaptor WERA 7440 ESD ` 11,058

Tweezers. Tips do not spread under pressure, no contamination, non-magnetic, static AVEN 18517 ` 265 dissipative(106-109 Ω)

Soldering irons. 24V, 50W, approximately 38-second heat up time, 100°C-450°C WELLER LR 21 ESD ` 21,871

Soldering stations. 48W, 150° to 450°C, display with precision five per cent, 600Hpa to DURATOOL D00678 ` 6011 1000Hpa

Desoldering pumps. Electrical resistance 105Ω, heat-resistant and conductive carbon fibre DURATOOL D01699 ` 1723 nozzle

Heat guns. HG 2510 ESD programmable heat guns are designed for use on electronic STEINEL 34890 ` 38,149 components to prevent potential damage from ESD

PCB assembly jig. Ideal tool for fitting PCBs with components; holder can easily be IDEAL-TEK PCSA-1 ` 27,132 demounted in single parts and reassembled in different combinations

Vacuum cleaners. Made entirely of conductive impact resistant polypropylene, high suction VERMASON VER-26996 ` 44,312 power of 1500mbar

Anti-static storage. Products constructed of special plastic containing carbon fibres, RAACO PSB4-32 ESD ` 6046 making the product permanently anti-static, which will not diminish over time or through intensive use

Boxes. Manufactured from Corstat conductive corrugated fibre board, cost-effective CORSTAT CH-10 ` 193 method of shipping chips and small electronic devices CONTAINERS

Cabinets. Conductive cabinet with three drawers LICEFA A1-4/3 ESD ` 10,175

Cases. Plastic case, vacuum formed inserts LICEFA K 2004 ESD ` 1507

80 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com BUYERS’ GUIDE

Item description Manufacturer Part number Price*

Calipers. Callipers made of ESD-safe material; non-metallic high-tech material with 60 per WIHA 4112108 ` 4864 cent fibre-glass content; surface resistance 106 ohms to 109 ohms

Fume extractors. Remove noxions fumes quickly, safely and efficiently with maximum DURATOOL D00681 ` 3701 absorption capacity of 1m3/minute

Chemical dispensers. Average surface resistivity of 109-1010Ω per square. Do not react MULTICOMP 146-0011 ` 1998 with solvents like TCE or alcohol

Writing instruments. Made from dissipative thermoplastic material for use in ESD areas CK TOOLS Z1123 ` 390

*Prices of tools are as listed on element14.com website

Surface resistivity plays a key role a gradual and controlled manner, Ionisers. In order to reduce poten- in monitoring and examining the which protects components endan- tial damage that could be caused by resistive characteristics of packaging gered by electrostatic discharge. ESD, ionisers are another extensively materials, work bench surfaces, floor Ergonomically-designed cutters and used equipment. Ionisers are most mats, storage bags and other items pliers with a good hand grip are commonly used by manufacturers of used in the electronics assembly and especially important for professional electronic and surface-mount devices packaging industry. technicians for lead cutting. (SMDs) as well as printed circuit Handheld and work-holding Another work-holding tool, a board (PCB) industries. tools. Brushes as an anti-static tool tweezer, is used for holding, pulling, Sometimes, static-control prod- enable manufacturers of electronic squeezing, picking up components ucts such as ESD flooring, mats and and static-charge-sensitive products and plucking jobs. The protective wrist straps are unable to completely to clean and make products that do coating on these prevents harm to eliminate static charges. An ioniser not create static charges. Some ven- sensitive electronics from ESD. removes static charges from surfaces, dors also provide custom-made clean Magnifying lamps provide full thereby providing additional protec- room/ESD brushes. protection against ESD. The complete tion. Depending on the application Cutters with dissipative, soft-grip lamp (head, lens, joint and arm) usage and industry, new-age ionis- handles and induction-hardened is grounded and has special static- ers are available in benchtop, gun, cutting edges are used for superior dissipative materials to smoothly take nozzle, bar and overhead box form performance. Pliers are used for grip- away static charges in a controlled factors. ping, holding and bending, and manner, preventing any build up of Anti-static wristbands. ESD wrist any electrostatic energy present is static electricity, which gives com- straps or wristbands allow the per- discharged through the handles in plete protection against ESD. sonnel doing assembly, maintenance or repair work to work without be- ing concerned about static electric- Anti-static tweezers Did you know ity. Fitted around the wrist, as the Anti-static finger cots Many objects in today’s environment name suggests, these are usually can store thousands of volts in Anti-static carrier tape fully-adjustable and dissipate poten- electrostatic charges. Yet, it only takes tial harmful charges to the ground, Anti-static bag 25 electrostatic volts to irreparably damage an integrated circuit. thereby allowing personnel to handle —Data courtesy: Electrical ESD-sensitive devices safely. Construction & Maintenance (EC&M) Today’s wrist straps are available with and without cords. Wired wrist How to identify electrostatic discharge sensitive devices The labels shown here are most frequently used on packaging materials, holders and cases to notify anyone handling ESD devices. This Grounded wrist strap Anti-static table mat alerts the user to utilise static- safe procedures before handling such devices. The one on the left is preferred and highly Anti-static floor tiles used. At times, ESD devices also come with only a cautionary note that reads, “Contains Fig. 3: An example of a static-safe work bench parts and assemblies susceptible to damage by ESD.” (Image courtesy: www.minicircuits.com) www.efymag.com Electronics For You | October 2015 81 BUYERS’ GUIDE straps are usually about 1.5m to 2.4m mination and are the most-preferred General selection criteria (5-feet to 8-feet) long, come with a over wireless wristbands for their for ESD tools standard alligator clip for ground ter- reliability.  Buy products from trusted and reputed Other tools vendors of the industry  Ensure good after-sales service and ESD work-surface mat rolls, ESD support is available floor-mat rolls, ESD cushion bags  Look for certified tools and boxes, ESD sheet protectors,  Ensure spare parts are available ESD finger cots, ESD gloves, ESD  Warranty jackets, ESD lables, ESD tapes and anti-static tweezers are some other items to consider depending on To understand static electricity and its Fig. 4: Belkin’s anti-static wristband your application usage. There are a causes, triboelectric series, common variety of anti-static bags available sources of static charge and ESD sensitivity classifications, please refer for storage and transportation of to the Buyers’ Guide featured on page sensitive devices and components 68 of April 2014 edition of Electronics such as multilayer static shielding For You. You may also visit www. metallised bags, black conductive electronicsforu.com and find this article bags (usually seen with hard disks), under Buyers’ Guide section. pink bubble bags (seen in develop- ment boards packaging), foam cov- make sure the guns do not gener- ers and boxes. ate static charges in the air stream. Fig. 5: Zeebeetronics’ wrist strap and dual footwear tester Finger cots are available in differ- Special guns are available for this ent variants such as general-purpose purpose. finger cots, industrial-grade finger Good-quality gloves provide cots, nitrile finger cots, conductive anti-static protection up to 108 ohms finger cots and black or static dissi- and are nylon or polyester knit with pative finger cots. These are usually conductive carbon fibres. ESD mats powder-free, made of latex material are available in single- and dual-layer and are perfect for electronic assem- forms. For general purpose, single- bly and manufacturing. Table mats layer mats are preferred as these are used on work surfaces need to be cost-effective. ESD vinyl mats are grounded securely. Static-control test ideal for static dissipative and flex- stations are also available to deter- ible work surfaces. ESD tweezers are Fig. 6: ESD tweezers mine if ESD wrist straps or shoes are very handy and great to have if you functioning properly. are working with surface-mount or In some situations, wearing compact components. wrist straps might not be viable. In such cases, use of ESD shoes Keep your devices and or heel straps is recommended. components safe In anti-static shoes, the ground- ESD can be a serious cause of mal- ing cord usually runs into the functions and crashes in today’s so- socks to make contact with the phisticated as well as simple electron- skin. ESD footwear are only effec- ic components and systems. With the tive with anti-static floor tiles. best anti-static precautions, you can Even basic equipment such make sure your devices and compo- as chairs, table, stools, nents are ESD-protected, particularly cabinets, brushes and when these are disassembled. storage bins are avail- Warranty is an important factor able to create com- to consider while buying ESD tools. plete and secure anti- Manufacturers typically offer 12 to static workstations 24 months of warranty for products in facilities. In cases such as ionisers, surface-resistivity where air guns are meters, hot-air guns and wrist-strap Fig. 7: ESD service box required, one must testers. 

82 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com efy plus dvd This Month’s DVD Contents In this month’s DVD we bring to you interesting, open source electronics design automation, programming and simulation tools, topped with some handy utilities and fun applications. Highlighted below are select tools from the DVD

ABHISHEK A. MUTHA Run all software of DVD with Oracle VirtualBox 5.0 FidoCadJ (version 0.24.5) With Oracle VirtualBox 5.0 bundled with this month’s DVD, you can now run any software tool and legacy application in a virtual environment. VirtualBox allows you to run more than one This is a multi-platform vector-draw- operating system (OS) at a time. This way you can run software written for one OS on another ing program with a complete library (for example, Windows software on Linux or a Mac) without having to reboot to use it. You can of electronic symbols. Schematics and run multiple oses simultaneously like installing an old os such as DOS or OS/2 even if your real drawings are stored in a very com- computer’s hardware is no longer supported by the os. VirtualBox runs on Windows, Linux, Macintosh and Solaris hosts, and supports a large pact text format. There is no netlist number of guest OSes including, but not limited to, Windows (NT 4.0, 2000, XP, Server 2003, concept behind the drawings (so no Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8), DOS/Windows 3.x, Linux (2.4, 2.6 and 3.x), Solaris and simulation). Therefore it allows for OpenSolaris, OS/2 and OpenBSD. great graphical flexibility and ease of use, making FidoCadJ the perfect tool Some popular resources for exchanging sketches in forums and news group discussions. Apache open office (version 4.1.1). Open source office software suite for wordprocessing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics and databases ClamWin (version 0.98.7). Free antivirus used by more than 600,000 users worldwide TANGO control system Expert PDF Reader. Free PDF viewer software that lets you view and print PDF documents (version 8.1.2) on windows OSes TANGO is a device-oriented control VirtualBox (version 5.0). x86 and AMD64/Intel64 virtualisation product for enterprise as well as home use system for Linux and Windows. It is WinDirStat (version 1.1.2). Disk usage statistics viewer and clean-up tool for Windows a toolkit for building object-oriented Wireshark (version 1.12.6). Network packet analyser that captures network packets and control systems based on CORBA. It tries to display that packet data as detailed as possible provides a framework in C++, Java and Python for implementing distrib- standard RS-274X (Gerber), NC drill for Microchip’s PIC microcontrollers uted control objects. Python is fully and centroid data (X-Y data) output (MCUs). It supports all three families supported for writing TANGO servers for use in the board fabrication and of PICs: 12-bit, 14-bit and 16-bit cores. and clients at the same level as C++ assembly process as well as photo- You can test the entire PIC for accuracy, and Java. TANGO also has a full set of realistic and design review images. from the core to the input/output (I/O) tools and hundreds of device servers. It offers high-end features such as an pins and including all internal peripher- autorouter and trace optimiser, which als. Thus it is possible to create stimuli TinyCAD (version 2.80.08) can tremendously reduce layout time. and tie these to the I/O pins and test TinyCAD is a program for drawing the PIC the same way you would in electrical circuit diagrams or sche- Kactus2 (version 2.8.49) the real world. The standard simula- matic drawings. It supports standard Kactus2 is the first graphical open tion paradigm including breakpoints, and custom symbol libraries and also source IP-XACT toolset for designing single stepping, disassembling, memory PCB layout programs with several embedded products, especially FPGA inspect and change and so on has been netlist formats and can produce SPICE based multi-processor systems-on- implemented. simulation netlists. It is also often chips. It provides easier IP reusabil- used to draw one-line diagrams, block ity and practical hardware/software PICsim, the PIC MCU simulator diagrams and presentation drawings. (HW/SW) abstraction for easier ap- PICsim emulates MCU PIC16F628/ plication SW development. You do 16F877A/18F452 and peripherals such PCB layout tool not lock-in with Kactus2, because as Universal Synchronous Asynchro- (version 20140316) you own data and can freely access it nous Receiver Transmitter and timers. PCB is an interactive PCB editor for at any time. It comes with a core for The simulator architecture permits easy Unix, Linux, Windows and Mac sys- managing components and designs implementation of external elements tems. It is part of the gEDA suite. It plus plugins for automation. in C language. PicsimLab is a real-time includes a rats nest feature and sche- emulator of development boards.  matic/netlist import and design rule gpsim, the gnupic simulator checking, and can provide industry- gpsim is an open source simulator The author is a senior technical correspondent at EFY

84 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com efy plus dvd Young, Dynamic Julia for Numerical Computing

Jai Sachith Paul and Reshmi Das Julia at a glance n this article we introduce you Key features: Multiple dispatching, high-speed dynamic programming, support for parallel to three-year-old Julia, a high- and distributed computing, efficient Unicode support and much more level, high-performing dynamic Latest stable release: Version 0.3.11 I Licence type: MIT licence programming language. Julia can Developers: Jeff Bezanson, Stefan Karpinski, Viral B. Shah and their team be used for scientific computing, Supporting OS: Linux, OS X, FreeBSD and Windows for general-purpose programming or For more information: julialang.org even as a specification language. Syn- tax of this language is quite similar to that of other popular technical com- language such as C or Fortran, write puting environments. The language key computational kernels and call allows the user to automatically gen- these from high-level languages. A erate efficient and specialised codes code written in C or Fortran would for various argument types. neither run efficiently nor be glued While the base library is written easily in a high-level language. mostly in Julia itself, the language A just-in-time compiler called also makes use of powerful C and LLVM allows the user to write the Fortran libraries for linear algebra, high-level code in Julia itself, thereby random number generation, signal helping to achieve performance processing and string processing. The equivalent to C or Fortran. latest stable release of Julia, version 0.3.11, licensed under MIT licence, Some notable features is bundled in this month’s EFY Plus Programmers can write clear, high- DVD. level, abstract codes like they do in high-level dynamic languages, with- Motivation behind Julia out having the licensing headaches When it comes to scientific comput- as in MATLAB. ing, users prefer a high-level dynamic Julia is written mostly in Julia. programming language. Instead Therefore the user can look inside A sample Julia code of spending time worrying about the code, see its implementation, as it managing features like the memory, is more readable and comprehendible puting related to mathematical opera- or loops, they can then use it more than a high-level dynamic language tors, this approach seems to be pretty productively to play around with ma- implemented in C or Fortran. useful. When we add two arguments, trices, large data sets, user-friendly Multiple dispatch. A method say, x and y (that is, x+y), we can- plots and the like. defines one possible behaviour of not say that the addition operation Unfortunately, the design of most a function. Selection of the method belongs more to x than to y. well-known dynamic programming for execution when a function is ap- Similarly, in the case of other languages is not suitable for high plied is called dispatch. In traditional numerical operations, multiple dis- performance. If the user is unable to object-oriented languages, dispatch patch techniques seem to be more vectorise the code and have built-in is generally based on the first argu- relevant than conventional dispatch functions operating on these, the ment, whereas Julia makes use of techniques. code will be extremely slow and he multiple dispatch techniques, where Parallel computing. Programs or she will be in trouble. all arguments of a function are used written in Julia can run on multi- In order to resolve this issue, the for the selection of the method. ple processors in separate memory user has to switch over to a low-level When it comes to numerical com- domains at once, with the help of a

www.efymag.com Electronics For You Plus | October 2015 I efy plus dvd message-passing mechanism, which the language itself. Transformation that the software is too young to be is different from traditional parallel and generation of the code by the judged. “I think we should let time computing systems. The main draw- program is possible as creation and decide. Julia is nice and fast but un- back of the commonly-used Message manipulation of objects could be stable and improving fast. I person- Passing Interface is the lack of elas- done within the language itself. ally use Python for most of my com- ticity, in addition to extra processors Inclusion of the generated code putation. I tried programming with in the middle of computation. Again, into the final body of the program is Julia a bit and I think it could be a this standard suffers greatly in fault accomplished with the help of mac- good rival to Python/R/MATLAB/ recovery and for cloud computing. ros. Macros in Julia are hygienic in Octave, but it will take time for Julia The one-sided communication the sense that, expansion of macros to get a big community and support used in Julia resembles higher-level happens without causing accidental like Python/MATLAB,” says another operations like function calls. This capture of identifiers. user. A user from stackexchange. looks quite different from Message com estimates that it may take about Sent and Message Received that we What the users feel ten years for Julia to become main- see in conventional two-sided com- Julia was designed to do everything stream. munication. in programming. While serving Parallel programming is built on as a high-level technical language To be the C for scientists remote references and remote calls. like MATLAB, it is also capable of Being a techie, by now you must An object stored in a particular pro- general-purpose programming as in have come across many program- cess, which can be accessed from any Python. While the design facilitates ming languages. Each language process, is called a remote reference. parallel and distributed programming will be good at something but Request by a process to call a certain as in Hadoop, it does not compro- not everything. Conventionally, a function on certain arguments on mise on speed, which is equivalent high-level dynamic programming another process is referred to as a to C or Java. language might not be that good in remote call. User community across the world performance. There arise issues in Calling functions from C and is very excited about this software. A distributed computing, regarding Python. Although Julia offers a good user from ResearchGate community copyright, etc. Ultimately, you will environment for scientific program- feels, “As it looks now, speed is the end up switching many languages ming, there are already a handful of biggest advantage of Julia. I have before the end of your project. high-quality libraries in C and Fortran been inclined to move to C/C++ for Julia is designed to be a unique for numerical programming. The some of my large-scale simulations solution—a single dynamic program- functions can be called directly and for time considerations and Julia is ming language that does not compro- efficiently without the need for any giving a viable alternative. It may mise on productivity or performance. glue code generation or compilation. really be filling a niche there, and I “People have assumed that we need PyCall package helps the user to think it could become a big player both fast and slow languages,” says call Python functions from Julia. This for heavier computing; unless Python Bezanson, co-creator of Julia. “I hap- package also allows the user to have catches up in time.” pen to believe that we do not need automatic-type conversion between “It might be a good idea to switch slow languages.” Python and Julia. to Julia because when you factor in Can Julia be a high-performing Meta-programming support. computation time, the amount of time open source MATLAB alternative or a Another notable feature of Julia is you took to write and debug your technical rival for C? Time will tell!  its meta-programming support. Fol- code, Julia may beat Fortran in many lowing Lisp style, the code in Julia situations,” points out another user. The authors are assistant professors in ECE is represented as a data structure of But some users are of the opinion department at SETCEM, Thrissur

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II October 2015 | Electronics For You Plus www.efymag.com efy plus dvd Icarus Verilog for Verilog Simulation

Priya Ravindran Are you a beginner? Here is what you need ith the VLSI industry Hardware design generally follows a standard pattern; design entry, simulation, synthesis, booming, the need for layout, verification and fabrication. Icarus Verilog is a tool that aids the front end of your electronic design automa- design, that is, till the synthesis stage. W Design entry. Describe your design in words or using schematics. The word description tion (EDA) tools is increasing by the day. While proprietary tools serve is generally in Verilog, VHDL or other such HDLs. Simulation. Check the functionality of your design. Simulate how your design would their purpose efficiently, these cost work under different conditions by assigning values to the inputs in your design, via a test you a bomb. This month’s EFY Plus bench. Observe the outputs as display or waveform. DVD introduces you to the latest ver- Synthesis. Convert your Verilog code into a machine-understandable format called sion of a popular open source tool for netlist, which is simply a list of all wires and connections in your design. The netlist is what simulating your Verilog code, Icarus is carried forward from the front end into the layout stage, where the design is converted Verilog. into a pictorial format, which is then printed. This stage is technology-specific and may also Icarus Verilog is a software so- include analysis for timing and power factors. lution compatible with Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers How do you go about working with Icarus Verilog (IEEE) 1364 standard for Verilog, 1. Create your Verilog program in a text file with .v (.ver or .vlg are also used) extension IEEE 1800 for SystemVerilog and IEEE 2. Compile the code with the command iverilog (Make sure to add -o to indicate 1076 for very-high-speed integrated where you want the compiled code to be stored) circuit hardware description language 3. Execute the compiled code using the command vvp (VHDL). Based on GNU GPL copyleft Here are a few links to help you get into the Icarus Verilog environment: licence, the tool is maintained by List of attributes: iverilog.wikia.com/wiki/Iverilog_Attributes Stephen Williams and can perform Basic commands: linux.die.net/man/1/iverilog Icarus language: iverilog.wikia.com/wiki/Command_File_Format batch simulations as well. This is a GIT repository (GitHub): github.com/steveicarus/iverilog work-in-progress tool that changes Documentation: iverilog.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page with changing Verilog and supports Website: iverilog.icarus.com Linux mainly, but also works well on other operating systems. veloper aid, sup- ports Verilog-Perl Features to make your job easy co-simulation. When you sit down to write your There is also an code, there are portions like reading application pro- a register value directly or calculat- gram interface, ing delay that might be easier with C an API module, or not possible with Verilog. In such which performs situations, you can use Verilog proce- an action similar dural interface (VPI) module, which to reverse engi- is basically a programming language neering. interface (PLI). This module allows You might you to interface your Verilog simula- have a Verilog Fig. 1: A simulated waveform snapshot (Image courtesy: compostbinplans. tion with a code in C. It even has code that is sim- org/icarus-verilog-simulator.htm) a Cadence PLI module that allows ulated and syn- Icarus Verilog to run a file that was thesised but does not behave exactly electronic design interchange format compiled to be loaded into VerilogXL like the input code. In that case you (EDIF) using the EDIF loadable target or NC-Verilog. can simply feed the elaborated de- module. There is also a field program- To make you enjoy your simu- sign to this module, which will then mable gate arrays (FPGAs) target to lation experience, Icarus Verilog write a code that Icarus Verilog can Icarus Verilog that performs most of provides an interactive module (IVI) simulate. these functions and an extendable supporting a variety of simulators. Generate in the format you need. code generator to attach new output Vtracer, a Verilog testbench de- It is now easy to get an output in the formatters to the compiler.

IV October 2015 | Electronics For You Plus www.efymag.com efy plus dvd

Fig. 2: An ICARUS simulation on GTKWave (Image courtesy: old.slax.org/modules.php?category= education&search=&author=0&priority=&page=3)

Fig. 3: A compiled code output displaying Hello World (Image courtesy: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=kGofhPGWErc)

If you need a code in the can even add libraries from XILINX 1995-compliant format, use Verilog while working with this tool, sim- ‘95 code generator that works like a ply by using the command iverilog translator. You just need to be care- -y%XILINX%/verilog/src/simprims/ ful about a few constructs that this version might not support. The code Added support from other tools generator even has a Verilog-VHDL iLINT. A register-transfer-level (RTL) code convertor that converts synthe- rule checker, Integrator LINT (ILINT) sisable Verilog code into VHDL. tool checks your design for program- To generate input files for the ming or style errors. The main advan- GNU printed circuit board (PCB) tage is that it checks for these errors layout program, Icarus Verilog offers right at the simulation stage instead a PCB code generator that takes a of causing problems at the synthesis Verilog design netlist as input. You stage. www.efymag.com Electronics For You Plus | October 2015 V efy plus dvd

Cocotb. A co-routine based co- A sample Verilog code A testbench simulation library in Python, it pro- for a counter for the counter vides an easy way to write complex test benches, which would otherwise module counter(out, clk, reset); module test; need expertise in languages like Sys- parameter WIDTH = 8; /* Make a reset that pulses once. */ tem Verilog, and allows easy access output [WIDTH-1 : 0] out; reg reset = 0; to signals and writing regression input clk, reset; initial begin tests. reg [WIDTH-1 : 0] out; # 17 reset = 1; Extract hierarchy. A tool that wire clk, reset; # 11 reset = 0; does what it says, it is based on Perl- # 29 reset = 1; scripting and extracts heirachy from a always @(posedge clk) # 11 reset = 0; set of Verilog source files. out <= out + 1; # 100 $stop; Covered. This Verilog code-cover- end age analysis tool helps you determine always @reset how well your test bench is analysing if (reset) /* Make a regular pulsing clock. */ your code. Your code might have a assign out = 0; reg clk = 0; region that your testing routine never else always #5 clk = !clk; checks, for example, the else-case deassign out; of an if-else statement, or the code wire [7:0] value; might have some redundant lines endmodule // counter counter c1 (value, clk, reset); that would never be visited. Code-coverage analysis checks initial every line of your code, along with $monitor(“At time %t, value = %h (%0d)”, checking for state and state transition $time, value, value); coverage if the code contains a state endmodule // test machine, toggle coverage and so on, to make sure the code you have writ- ing (simulation models) and creating ration does exactly this. The process ten is perfectly functional from all models to exercise the device (test might also include a few optimisa- design aspects. benches). The simulation model tions to remove redundant or avoid- Simbus. It is a set of programs need not reflect any understanding able codes. and libraries that support distributed of the underlying technology, and the Finally, a code in executable simulation of systems. If your design simulator does not need to know that form is generated in the format you has major separate components that the design is intended for any specific specify, and it is this code that is are connected to each other via a technology.” How clear your code is simulated. While simulating, you bus, simply interface your device decides the behaviour of your design. can provide inputs to your code in to the bus using the supplied bind- The test bench creates an environ- different ways: directly in the com- ing libraries. Simbus takes care of ment similar to the external world mand line, through the test bench, inter-device communication and and these are re-used repeatedly at through a file listing different input synchronisation for you. It has taken every stage to verify that the design cases or you can even have a sepa- the place of pcisim, a package that has not undergone changes. rate program that generates integer supported the development of test How your code is handled. First, outputs according to the conditions benches for peripheral component macros in your code, like memory mentioned. These integers can, in interconnect (PCI) devices. blocks, are pre-processed. The source turn, be fed as inputs to your code. GTKWave. It is a waveform view- code and test bench are compiled to Synthesise your code. Following er to observe value-change-dump check for syntax errors. simulation and debugging the code (VCD) file that indicates the change The code is then elaborated. If it for errors, the next step is to syn- in values of a particular variable over is a long one, you can break it into thesise it. Earlier versions of Icarus simulation runtime. GTKWave sup- different modules, which can be Verilog supported synthesis too, but ports VCD and lxt file formats. called multiple times in your design, the support has been minimal with like functions in a C program. There recent versions, with more emphasis Breaking down simulation has to be one module, the main being given to simulation. You could As perfectly quoted on Iverilog wikia module, that is not called anywhere, check out Yosys, an open source tool page, “Simulation is the process of and this is the root module that calls for synthesis.  creating models that mimic the be- the others. This hierarchy has to be haviour of the device you are design- established and the process of elabo- Priya Ravindran is a technical journalist at EFY

VI October 2015 | Electronics For You Plus www.efymag.com efy plus dvd BioSig for Biomedical Signal Processing

Jai Sachith Paul What the package includes n this article we discuss BioSig li- The BioSig package contains a handful of useful libraries for various software. The main brary, an open source software for libraries are: biosig4octmat. This toolbox contains features including essential feature-extraction biomedical signal processing. The I algorithms, classification methods, power filters for data import and export and a powerful library provides open source codes viewing and scoring software. Even though this library is intended for use in MATLAB and for various application areas includ- Octave, use of the toolbox in the latter is somewhat slower. ing neuroinformatics, brain-computer biosig4c++. This library enables the user to deal with bio-signal data formats from interfaces, neurophysiology, psychol- C/C++. ogy, cardiovascular systems and sleep rtsBCI. The BioSig package is capable of handling BCI applications, too. The rtsBCI research. One could effectively use library provides the user with a framework for the rapid prototyping and development of real-time BCI systems. BioSig library for the analysis of vari- Bioprofeed. The bioprofeed tool helps in the acquisition, processing, storage and ous bio-signals like electrocardiogram feedback generation of biomedical data. Main components in the toolbox are transducers, (ECG), electroencephalogram (EEG), a biosignal amplifier, an ADC and a processing and storage unit. electrocorticogram (ECoG), respiratory Bcix. This is yet another interesting software package for dealing with BCI applications. signals and more. Check out the latest release of possibilities of loss Rest Move Rest this software, released under GNU of data while it is 65 general-public licence, bundled in being exported. 0 this month’s EFY Plus DVD. All these factors –0.2 63

were collectively –0.4 Beats (mins) U(mV) In quest of a biomedical responsible for the –0.6 61 signal processing tool 300 302 304 306 308 –20 0 20 40 emergence of BioSig t(s) t(s) While dealing with biomedical sig- as a novel biomedi- (a) Section of raw ECG (b) Task dependent heart-rate

nals, there are a lot of challenges cal signal-process- Fig. 1: BioSig has algorithms capable of extracting heart-rate from an that need to be addressed. One is the ing software. ECG signal difference in data format for the stor- age of signals. Low value of signal- Where BioSig could be used beat correction. to-noise ratio, artefact contamination The research article titled ‘BioSig: Artefact processing. BioSig in- and choice of apt data processing The Free and Open Source Soft- cludes several artefact-processing techniques for various signal modali- ware Library for Biomedical Signal techniques in its library. An al- ties are some others. Again, develop- Processing’ by Carmen Vidaurre, gorithm helps in the detection of ment of the software is by itself an Tilmann H. Sander and Alois Schlogl muscular noise in an awake EEG, integral part of biomedical signal discusses some areas where the soft- implemented using time-domain and processing. ware is actively deployed. frequency-domain methods. Even though MATLAB is capable Extracting heart rate from ECG. For biomedical signals, the soft- of processing biomedical signals, The toolbox contains two algorithms ware also has a quality-control algorithms are not openly accessible. that help in the extraction of heart method based on histogram analysis. This leads to re-implementation, rates in a single routine. The heart This method helps in the visual iden- which is essentially a waste of time, rates so computed can be efficiently tification of the thresholds needed for money and effort. used for the advanced studies of saturation detection. Compatibility issues rising from heart-rate variability. Yet another artefact-removal tech- the proprietary solutions offered by In the first algorithm, a Hilbert nique available in the library is for the providers for the software devel- transform is used to determine the the removal of electrooculographic opment is another issue. There is no envelope of ECG signals, threshold (EOG) artefacts in an EEG based on unique data format for the storage values are set and corresponding R- simple linear regression. of every bio-signal. The customer peak positions are determined. The Fostering the studies in neurosci- has to depend on the vendor’s pro- second algorithm makes use of filter ence. Multiple areas in the human prietary software. Also, there are banks and incorporates an ectopic brain interact with each other while

www.efymag.com Electronics For You Plus | October 2015 VII efy plus dvd

Compatibility with other toolboxes BioSig is not a single open source toolbox available for biomedical signal processing. Unlike in the case of proprietary software, the open source software are interdependent. The functionalities can be shared between various toolboxes and redundancy of work can be avoided. For example, software like FieldTrip and SPM make use of BioSig for specific tasks. EEGlab, a widely-used toolbox in MATLAB for EEG and magnetoencephalography (MEG) signal processing, includes BioSig in it.

performing a single Raw data (without correction) Recording without EOG correction task. In order to study 1200 this connectivity and 1000 EEG-Fz interaction, researchers EEG-C3 800 make use of the auto- EEG-Cz 600 EEG-C4 spectrum of a single 400 EEG-Pz channel and the cross EOG-left 200 spectrum of two dif- Amplitude (µV) EOG-central ferent channels. Power 0 EOG-right –200 of the cross spectrum 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 of two channels when Time (s) Corrected data normalised with cor- Recording with EOG correction responding autospectra 1200 EEG-Fz 1000 power is termed as EEG-C3 800 coherence. EEG-Cz When we are deal- 600 EEG-C4 ing with the cross spec- 400 EEG-Pz EOG-left

Amplitude (µV) 200 trum, coherence is one EOG-central of the most commonly 0 EOG-right used measure. Coher- –200 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 ence, along with other Time (s)

measures in study- Fig. 2: Raw EEG data containing ocular artefacts can be rectified ing brain interactions, using regression analysis could be easily esti- mated with the help of multi-variate that of the brain. autoregressive (MVAR) model. BioSig The use of special filters helps has a complete toolbox for MVAR in concentrating on a particular part modelling. of the brain or a particular type of Brain-computer interfacing. A signal. Offline analysis proves to be BCI system observes and analyses the helpful in many cases such as for activity of brain in order to recognise estimation of a reliable classifier. the intention of the user. Being a low- cost, portable, non-invasive method Nurturing biomedical research for studying brain functions, EEG sig- The BioSig library consists of meth- nals are widely used in BCI systems. ods, algorithms and reference imple- BioSig software contains many tools mentations for all kinds of biomedi- that facilitate BCI research. cal signal-processing problems. If The rtsBCI toolbox available with you are a fresher who expects a user- the package can be used for design- friendly environment, you might not ing a system for online analysis. In find this tool very interesting. But, order to characterise the spontane- if you are a serious researcher or an ous oscillatory EEG activity, spectral engineer in search of a high-quality analysis is being used. The pre- toolkit to aid your work, BioSig could processing of data helps in removing be the ideal choice for you.  technical artefacts and the signals recorded from activities other than The author is an electronics enthusiast from Kerala

VIII October 2015 | Electronics For You Plus www.efymag.com Make in India Industry News

India’s defence electronics market pegged at In Focus US$ 70 billion India CEO promoted as head of Electronics and Information Technology ccording to a paper presented at healthcare business (DeitY). The 1987-batch UP cadre IAS officer will be in-charge of e-governance. ADeftronics 2015 by consultancy Philips India MD and CEO Krishna firm Roland Berger and India Electron- Kumar A. has been promoted to head Reshuffle at Sistema Shyam ics and Semiconductor Association Royal Philips’ newly-created emerging After the new CEO of Sistema Shyam businesses division in the healthcare (IESA), India’s defence electronics op- Teleservices, Sergey Savchenko, took portunity can cross more than US$ 70 vertical. He will report to the company’s global CEO Frans van Houten. charge, he named Leonid Musatov as the billion over the next 15 years. Defence company’s chief commerce officer and electronics spending in China, Rus- Oppo India get new CEO Sandeep Yadav as chief marketing and sia and India is growing fast and by Chinese handset maker Oppo has brand officer. Prior to this, Yadav was ED 2022 these countries could command appointed Mike Wang as CEO for Indian in charge of voice and data businesses, a market share of five per cent each. operations. Since joining the company whereas Musatov was Sistema Shyam’s chief marketing and brand officer. Opportunity for electronics in in 2005, he has held a wide range of leadership positions across South East defence systems in India is spread Asian markets. Sanjay Kapoor leaves Micromax across standalone equipment (about Sanjay Kapoor has stepped down as US$ 18.5 billion) and at a sub-system Sanjiv Mittal appointed as joint chairman of Micromax. In this role, he level, where the total electronics secretary e-governance in DeitY was tasked with making Micromax a opportunity is estimated to be over Sanjiv Kumar Mittal has been appointed global brand, helping it raise money and US$ 58 billion in the next 15 years. as joint secretary in Department of boosting its software capabilities. Land systems opportunity for Indian companies is around projects such KJR Group is spending around opened up their research platform to as infantry combat vehicle, main ` 500 million on infrastructure, and all stakeholders of the ICT sector. battle tank, artillery and launcher Mysore based Vinyas Innovative Rakesh Garg, secretary DoT and programmes. Naval opportunity is Technologies will set up two units, DeitY emphasised the need for IPR around platform programmes of one of which will be DCX, its joint creation, frugal innovations and conventional submarines, frigates, venture with the US based company, design-led manufacturing within the aircraft carriers and support vehicles. which makes high-end wires for de- country. In Air Force, the market could open fence and aerospace sectors. up around supplies to fighter and DoD forms consortium to develop transport projects. TCOE India to create ` 10 billion flexible hybrid electronics Innovation Fund he Department of Defense (DoD) ELCINA Raaga Mayuri Park to epartment of Telecommunica- Thas announced the formation of a get eight electronics units Dtions (DoT) along with Telecom consortium of more than 160 compa- he ELCINA Raaga Mayuri Elec- Centre of Excellence (TCOE) India nies, non-profits and universities for Ttronics Park would probably kick- recently organised their first event. developing flexible hybrid electronics, start over eight units that will make At the event, TCOE India proposed to based at Manufacturing Innovation electronic components for defence create an innovation fund worth ` 10 Hub in Silicon Valley. The focus of and aerospace sectors, among oth- billion for 1000 start-ups. the consortium will be on flexible ers. The industrial park has already Speaking at the event, joint sec- electronics, which has close ties to attracted three units. retary (telecom) V. Uma Shankar mobile health. It will develop weara- The electronics park has received stated that TCOE has been created to bles and improved medical health in-principle approval from the gov- strengthen the research and develop- monitoring technologies that can be ernment’s Department of Electronics ment ecosystem in the information utilised by the military. & Information Technology (DeitY). and communications technology The DOD will provide US$ 75 It was developed by KJR Group in (ICT) sector, where government as million to Manufacturing Innovation Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh a facilitator, industry as the ultimate Institute for Flexible Hybrid Electron- and was set up in partnership with user and academia as the research ics, while government, academic and ELCINA. It is located alongside Na- unit have generated a lot of success industry sectors will provide an ad- tional Highway 7. in the last eight years. They have now ditional US$ 90 million in funding.

86 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com Make in India

IPC releases annual electronics Calendar of Forthcoming Electronics Fairs/Exhibitions/Seminars/Events industry quality benchmark study he IPC association has released Name, Date and Venue Topics Contact address for details TIPC Study of Quality Benchmarks Taitronics 2015 Electronic components, parts, instruments, TAITRONICS 2015 October 6-9, 2015 LED lighting and applications, power supplies, (41st Taipei International Electronics Show) for Electronics Assembly 2015. It pro- TWTC Nangang Exhibition industrial process and automation, consumer Website: www.taitronics.tw Taipei, Taiwan (R.O.C.) electronics, broadband products and cloud vides data to electronics assembly India IoT Symposium Brings together key business decision India IoT Symposium companies interested in comparing October 8-9, 2015 makers, business developers and other Website: www.iotsymposium.co.in their quality measurements to those Kempinski Ambience Hotel, industry influencers for a high-touch exhibit Gurgaon showcase and start-ups from across the of other assembly companies by com- smart technology ecosystem pany size, region and type of product. Global Sources Electronics Seminars on topics such as hot products, Global Sources October 11-14, 2015 shipping and logistics, how to identify the Phone: +85281997308 The survey based study addresses AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong right China suppliers and more Email: [email protected] five major groups of manufacturing 19th electronicAsia Showcasing the newest electronic products, MMI Asia Pte Ltd and service measurements, namely, October 13-16, 2015 components and technologies Website: www.electronicasia.com Hong Kong Convention and production, quality control, customer Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong satisfaction, supplier performance Hong Kong Electronics Fair World’s largest electronics marketplace held Hong Kong Trade Development Council (Autumn Edition) twice a year Email: [email protected] and certification status. The survey October 13-16, 2015 Website: www.hktdc.com/ sample includes 65 original equip- Hong Kong Convention and hkelectronicsfairae Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong ment manufacturers (OEMs) and Gizworld Wearable Tech and Over 20 dynamic TED-style keynotes, 50 Gizworld Wearable Tech and IoT SF electronic manufacturing services IoT SF conference fast-track start-up pitches, product demos Website: gizworldconf.com/san-francisco October 27, 2015 and unique networking opportunities (EMS) companies from the Americas, Santa Clara Convention Centre, Europe and Asia with annual sales Santa Clara, California, USA ranging from under US$ 10 million to CeBIT India A digital marketplace to understand what Hannover Milano Fairs India Pvt Ltd October 29-31, 2015 new technology can do for a business Phone: +91-22-66875527 more than US$ 500 million. BIEC, Bengaluru Website: www.cebit-india.com productronica Munich 2015 World’s leading trade fair for electronics Messe München GmbH Most Philips products feature November 10-13, 2015 development and production Website: www.productronica.com New Munich Trade Fair Centre, Made in India component Munich, Germany ccording to sources, almost every Intersolar India India’s largest exhibition and conference for Intersolar India November 18-20, 2015 the solar industry Website: www.intersolar.in Aproduct offered by consumer Bombay Exhibition Centre (BEC), Mumbai electronics giant Royal Philips has a OSI Days 2015 Open source conference that aims to nurture EFY Enterprises Pvt Ltd Made in India component. November 19-20, 2015 and promote the open source ecosystem Phone: 011-26810601/2/3 Pieter Nota, executive VP and Nimhans Convention & in Asia Email: [email protected] Exhibition Centre, Bengaluru Website: www.osidays.com leader of Philips HealthTech, has said LED Expo 2015 Country’s No. 1 exhibition on LED lighting Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India Pvt Ltd that focus is being given to the light- December 3-5, 2015 products and technologies Phone: 022-61445900 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi Website: www.theledexpo.com ing business in India, given Prime Energy Storage India International conference and exhibition on Customised Energy Solutions Minister Narendra Modi govern- December 8-9, 2015 energy storage and microgrids in India Website: www.esiexpo.in ment’s 100 smartcities project, and to India Habitat Centre, New Delhi ensure affordable products to people. WIN India From hydraulics and pneumatics to electro- Hannover Milano Fairs India Pvt Ltd December 9-11, 2015 mechanical transmission, automation Phone: 9167522998 Since air quality is a serious issue in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi components to process and factory Email: [email protected] automation systems, among others Website: www.win-india.com India, the company is also focusing Electromation India 2016 Gujrat’s first-ever focussed exhibition on Spark Media on air purifiers. January 7-9, 2016 automation, instrumentation, electronics and Email: [email protected] The campus at Bengaluru called Akota Stadium, Vadodara electricals Website: www.electromationindia.com Philips Innovation Centre has over India Electronics Week An Indian exhibition for the global electronics EFY Enterprises Pvt Ltd January 11-13, 2016 industry showcasing concurrently five events: Phone: +91-11-40596605 2000 engineers, medical professionals Bengaluru Electronics For You Expo, Electronics Rocks, Email: [email protected] T&M India, LED Asia and IoT Show and researchers, who provide support WEARABLE EXPO Wearable device and technology expo WEARABLE EXPO Show Management to almost every vertical of the par- January 13-15, 2016 Reed Exhibitions Japan Ltd ent company. Its Pune Development Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo Website: www.wearable-expo.jp/en Centre is among six main facilities ELECRAMA 2016 Serves the business needs of utilities, ELECRAMA 2016 February 13-17, 2016 government, EPC consultants, contractors, Email: [email protected] worldwide and contributes to health- BIEC, Bengaluru electrical equipment manufacturers and generation companies care, while that in Noida works on Industrial Automation 2016 Manufacturers present solutions for Industrial Automation 2016 lighting. April 25-29, 2016 manufacturing and process automation, Website: www.hannovermesse.de/en/ Hannover Exhibition Grounds, robotics, image processing, efficient drive exhibition/trade-fair-line-up/industrial- Hannover, Germany technology, pumping systems as well as automation/ Havells focuses on wireless solutions and applications in medical and lighting for smartcity projects pharmaceutical technology

Look up under ‘Events’ section in www.electronicsforu.com for a comprehensive list avells is working on wireless lighting solutions to gain a big Since this information is subject to change, all those interested are advised H to ascertain the details from the organisers before making any commitment. www.efymag.com Electronics For You | October 2015 87 Make in India

Snippets president and CEO, Hyun Chil Hong, who wants to ensure that the consum- ABB installs 2GW of solar power scales market and plans to enter the growing health segment. er electronics business is not neglected inverters in India due to excessive focus on the firm’s ABB has supplied 2GW of solar power Motorola Mobility to take over smartphone business in India. inverters in India, doubling it from 1GW Lenovo’s mobile business in five months. India has a total 4.1GW of Chicago based Motorola Mobility plans ACME Group to build solar power solar power capacity, which means ABB now owns almost 50 per cent of the market to absorb the mobile unit of Lenovo, in Telangana share. the Beijing based technology giant. The CME Group has announced that it company would restructure its Mobile Binatone acquires licence rights to Business Group to drive growth. The Ahas received orders to build solar- Motorola Mobility’s accessories Group will align smartphone development, power-generating capacity of up to production and manufacturing and better 446MW from Telangana State Southern Binatone Global, a leading provider of leverage the complementary strengths of IoT-connected consumer electronics and Power Distribution Co. Ltd (TSSPDCL) the two companies to drive growth. lifestyle products, has acquired exclusive and Telangana State Northern Power licensing rights to design, develop and Sony focuses on Make in India Distribution Co. Ltd (TSNPDCL). The market certain Motorola accessory Electronics major Sony India has said that projects will be implemented at 18 dif- products. This agreement will add a range ferent locations across the state. of consumer mobile accessory products to it will increase its focus on Make in India its portfolio of licensed products. campaign with more domestically-made Having bagged the 446MW solar products, beginning with flat TV panels. tender in Telangana, the group accounts Pearl Electronics starts The company has 23 stock keeping for 22 per cent of the 2000MW tender. manufacturing USB flash drives units for panels or television models. It With this, the company has emerged as Pearl Electronics has ventured into has undergone outsourcing tie-up with a Chennai based firm for making televisions. one of the top players in India’s solar manufacturing of USB flash drives. power segment. The first phase of the project involves Avnet leverages open source identifying a manufacturing site and setting Kyocera rolls out manufacturing up an assembly line. The company plans prototyping platform to begin production with 10,000 units a Avnet Inc. has announced the availability plant in Jamshedpur day, scaling up to 25,000 eventually. of MicroZed Carrier Card Kit for Arduino, a apananese firm Kyocera, which man- versatile Arduino-compatible carrier card ufactures ceramics and electronic Eagle Scales targets ` 1 billion for Avnet’s MicroZed system on module J revenue (SoM). The platform enables designers components, has launched its first Electronic weighing-scales maker Eagle involved in industrial control, remote manufacturing plant in Jamshedpur, Scales is targeting to earn a revenue of sensing, embedded vision and many other Jharkhand. Kyocera has also signed an ` 1 billion in this financial year from last IoT-centric applications, to quickly develop agreement with CTC Pvt Ltd to mark its fiscal’s ` 750 million. Eagle is involved in prototypes that combine the MicroZed SoM presence in the Indian market. the whole spectrum of electronic weighing with the large ecosystem of Arduino shields. Kyocera CTC Precision Tools Pvt Ltd recently conducted a distributors’ meet- piece in the government’s ambitious Samsung to focus on CE business ing in Jamshedpur. CTC is an exporter, programme to develop 100 smartci- ahead of festive season manufacturer and supplier of drills and ties. Havells India CMD, Anil Rai routers, based in Jamshedpur. Gupta, has said that the company amsung India has merged two Kyocera’s partnership with the is developing technologies where Sof its three verticals of con- Jamshedpur based firm and the the streetlights could communicate. sumer electronics (CE) business and launch of its own manufacturing plant These would include chip or wireless changed business heads in a midyear reveal the company’s plans for the communication. reshuffle ahead of the upcoming Indian market. Kyocera is also looking The government has come out festive season. The company has at manufacturing micro-drills for PCBs with a list of 98 cities to be devel- merged the vertical that managed its and hole-making tools that fall under oped under this project. These cities own brand stores with retail sales the category of micro-industrial tools. together have a population of 130 that dealt with independent dealers According to sources in CTC, its as- million, accounting for 35 per cent of and distributors. The regional retail sociation with the Japanese company India’s urban population. vertical, which caters to large region- will be beneficial not just for the two Havells, a US$ 1.4 billion compa- al chains such as Viveks, Adishwar firms but also to customers in India. ny, had acquired a majority stake in Retail, Great Eastern and Vijay Sales Founded in 1959, Kyocera now has a Bengaluru based LED and solar light will continue as it is. market presence in four cities across manufacturer Promptec Renewable The management rejig has been India, including Gurgaon, Chennai, Energy Solutions. driven by Samsung India Electronics Bengaluru and Pune.

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88 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com make in India

Market Survey: Powering Up the Solar Sector in India: An Outlook

ndia has an ambitious goal of installing Solar growth drivers 100GW of solar energy capacity under As part of this ambitious goal, India’s total Ithe Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar grid-connected solar capacity crossed 3GW Mission (JNNSM) by 2022, therby redefin- in December 2014, though only a paltry ing the earlier target of 20GW for the same 886MW was added during 2014. This re- Sudeshna Das is senior period. The target will principally comprise sulted in another dismal year of less than executive editor at EFY 40GW of rooftop and 60GW of large- and 1GW installation. The Ministry of New and medium-scale grid-connected solar power Renewable Energy (MNRE) announced that projects. On achieving this target, India India crossed the 1GW mark in July 2012 would emerge as one of the largest green and the second GW mark in August 2013. energy producers in the world, surpassing Policy and regulatory uncertainties ensured several developed countries. that it took an inordinately long time for Such an ambitious target calls for huge the third GW mark to be completed. capital investments, in the tune of ` 6 While the first half of 2014 was full trillion. In addition, solar power projects of uncertainty and indecision due to the requiring investments of about ` 900 bil- elections, action picked up in the second lion are planned to be bundled along with half, which facilitated the creation of a thermal power projects. Typical investors good foundation for a promising 2015. The would include large public sector under- MNRE started the process of allocation of takings (PSUs) and independent power 3GW worth of solar projects under state- producers. State governments have also specific programmes. come out with state-specific solar policies Several central PSUs and government to promote addition of solar capacity. organisations are also in the process of set-

90 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com make in India ting up solar plants. Three southern Year-wise Roadmap to Achieve the Target of 100GW Solar states, namely, Karnataka, Andhra Capacity by 2010 Pradesh and the newly-formed Tel- angana, have allotted 500MW of 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 Total solar projects each and, if all goes Rooftop solar (GW) 3 7 9 10 11 40 well, a majority of these projects will Large-scale solar (GW) 4 6 8 10 12 40 be commissioned by the end of this Ultra-mega power projects (GW) 0 5 5 5 5 20 year or early next year. Apart from that, several projects Total (GW) 7 18 22 25 28 100 that were started in 2014 will be (Source: RE-Invest by MNRE) completed this year. These projects include 750MW of solar projects are expected to increase substantially adherence to the fulfillment of solar allotted under phase 2, batch 1 of in the coming months. purchase obligation. JNNSM, allotted under the state However, numerous challenges It is hardly possible to achieve the policies of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab need to be addressed to make Make ambitious target of 100GW by float- and Madhya Pradesh. Overall, it is in India a reality for solar manufac- ing tenders. Therefore just like the expected that around 2GW of solar turing. Off-grid solar power systems wind-energy segment, Feed in Tariff capacity will be added in 2015. face major challenges like high mechanism could be useful in solar capex-investment requirements, as well. On the way to Make in India inefficient subsidy-disbursement The decision to drop anti-dump- The 2GW growth prospect in 2015 processes and no minimum guaran- ing duty on the import of solar cells along with the proposed five-fold tee of return on investment (RoI). may be a big hindrance for domestic increase in JNNSM targets will boost Moreover, it is not feasible to render manufacturing. solar manufacturing industry in the any generic installation approach country. This, in turn, will help in due to varying consumer locations Facilitating investment the creation of technology hubs for and preferences. Therefore increasing Specific solar sector schemes need manufacturing, broadly in sync with solar capacity in the country requires to be implemented for reducing the Make in India initiative. planning and innovation to get rid of cost of finance and increasing RoI. Apart from local players, global those challenges. Sectoral cap for lending in the power solar manufacturers also have an sector is also applicable for solar eye on India as one of their preferred Bridging policy gaps and other renewable energy sectors. destinations for solar energy invest- Multiple decentralised schemes are Raising finance for solar systems is ment. According to industry sources, available from different ministries a challenge with a dearth of low- there are a host of global renewable to facilitate solar electrification interest loans due to this sectoral cap. energy firms that have shown interest schemes. These schemes need to be Removal of this cap for renewable in investing here. India has made it integrated or linked to provide clear energy sector will improve leverage clear that it will encourage global as directives to the industry and users. for the renewable industry. well as local solar manufacturers for A centralised system to disburse capi- Benchmark prices offered un- Make in India and are offering huge tal subsidies may further streamline der different government subsidy incentives to these firms to start pro- the process. schemes or tenders for solar system duction here. Recently, we have seen Introduction of an audit system installation are often considerably a flurry of global investors investing for monitoring the obligatory solar lower than the actual cost of project in states like Delhi, Tamil Nadu and purchase by DISCOMs and heavy implementation. This leads to disin- Kerala, among others. The numbers penalty for defaulters may ensure terest among industry players about government tenders. Public-private Unique opportunities Delhi solar policy draft partnerships for government-owned solar projects involving local entre- Smartcities. The smartcity initiative Delhi government in its solar policy has preneurs as well as electricity supply being undertaken by the government suggested generation of 1000MW of of India is likely to entail significant solar power in the capital by the year companies can be an effective model investments in installing renewable 2020. to ensure industry participation. Vari- energy capacity. The draft also recommends doubling ous forms of incentives such as tax Railways. Indian Railways plans to this to 2GW by 2025, which is one-fifth holidays and partial risk guarantee leverage solar energy by installing solar of the state’s peak power demand. It (from the state government) can be power systems on roofs of 500 trains as will help resolve the power crisis in the a pilot project. capital. provided to encourage solar industry. Moreover, solar plants requiring www.efymag.com Electronics For You | October 2015 91 make in India huge demand for land may turn out to be a challenge unless the draco- The market for inverters for solar installation is quite upbeat nian land acquisition laws in the following the government’s decision to boost solar power country are streamlined. Effective generation in the country. Policy action has been supported planning of projects also requires site-specific pre-feasibility analysis by corporate backing. With the technology being upgraded and assessment of local household over time, solar power inverters have become smarter and and agricultural demand in the area. offer a number of features that make these more efficient.” Incentivising polysilicon — Anurag Garg, vice president, solar BU, Schneider Electric India manufacturing The growth of solar industry in India cost by countering intermittency in inverter manufacturers that offer the opens a huge market for polysilicon. off-grid systems. latest technology and robust designs, In the absence of domestic capac- In the last decade, lithium-ion which will enable them to operate in ity, India is heavily dependent on based ESSes have helped promote different conditions. imports. Polysilicon manufacturing implementation of off-grid solar en- The Indian power industry offers involves high initial investment and ergy facilities by ensuring a captive both grid-tie and off-grid invert- also needs a large volume to achieve source for continuous power supply, ers. Considering the unstable grids RoI. Local manufacturing needs therefore minimising dependency on situations, off-grid solar inverters are special incentives to compete with fossil fuels or on-grid systems. more suitable as compared to grid-tie global manufacturers. These incen- Innovative storage mechanisms inverters. Grid-tie inverters have lim- tives may either be in the form of tax (such as flow batteries instead of ited use in India currently, as these sops or policies that stipulate special lead-acid and lithium-ion technolo- require solar as well as grid power. preference for local vendors. This, in gies) and hybridising solar plants There is a lot of scope for devel- turn, will benefit the solar ecosystem with either wind, pumped hydro or opment in distributed generation of in terms of productivity, foreign trade biomass can make load balancing solar hybrid spaces as only a few and employability, among others. more robust. companies are capable of manufac- Adani and SunEdision have an- turing this. Considering the net me- nounced an investment of about US$ Powered by smart inverters tering system in India, inverters with 4 billion in Gujarat for a vertically- Solar system inverters are in great both back-up facility and the ability integrated polysilicon-refining facility. demand following the government’s to interact with the grid are expected decision to boost solar power genera- to be in great demand. Enabling efficient-energy tion in the country. Over time, solar storage power inverters have become smarter The way forward Availability and reliability are im- and offer a number of features such Overall, 2015 seems to be a promis- peratives for any successful energy as remote monitoring, which has ing year for the Indian solar sec- source. Energy storage systems (ES- increased their demand. Even micro- tor. It could even be considered as Ses) and charging mechanisms play inverters have received significant the onset of a golden era for solar a critical role for ensuring reliability importance in the global market. In energy sector if all good intentions and efficiency of solar power sources terms of dimensions, compact invert- of the government turn to reality. in the country, especially during the ers in central sizes that have lesser However, lack of standardisation for season of low solar light and in the weight and lower losses are growing off-grid systems makes designs and hinterlands of the country that are in popularity. performance parameters difficult prone to frequent power blackouts. Solar system developers such as to achieve. The government needs Moreover, an efficient ESS also helps engineering, procurement and con- to establish process guidelines and to ensure reduction of maintenance struction companies are looking for enforce stringent quality standards to ensure sustainability of off-grid systems. More than 50 per cent of the cost for any off-grid solar Last, but not the least, sectorial installation is accounted for by ESSes. Technological skill development programmes need to be supported by both the govern- innovations are required to develop cheaper and more ment and industry to ensure avail- efficient ESSes.” ability of huge manpower to support — Devinder Kumar, chief executive officer, solar projects, Su-Kam enhanced production and installation of solar systems. 

92 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com Make in India new products

The modules accommodate a Devices in the SMD-6 and DIP-6 COMPONENTS wide input power range of 85V AC packages offer a high isolation test to 305V AC (120V DC to 430V DC) voltage of 5300V/min, while devices Isolation amplifier and are available with output volt- in the smaller SOP-4 offer an isola- Toshiba has announced the launch ages of 3.3V DC, 5V DC, 12V DC and tion test voltage of 3750V/min. All of optical-coupled isolation ampli- 24V DC. relays offer low typical on-resistance fiers with a delta-sigma AD converter RECOM Power GmbH of 22Ω, high load current of 140mA, that can detect infinitesimal electric Website: www.recom-power.com load voltage of 400V and very low current and voltage fluctuation with turn-on current of 0.25mA. high precision, for use in industrial Charger-interface IC Vishay Intertechnology Inc. equipment applications. These will Power Integrations has announced its Website: www.vishay.com be available in analogue output and newest member of ChiPhy charger- digital output types, and can be pro- interface integrated circuit (IC) Power MOSFETs vided in either a low-height 2.3mm family, CHY103D, STMicroelectronics has extended its (maximum) SO8L thin package or a the first IC for MDmesh M2 series of N-channel conventional DIP8 package. off-line AC-DC power MOSFETs with a new family of Toshiba Corp. chargers compat- devices that offer high power efficien- Website: www.tochiba.co ible with Quick cies in power supplies for servers, Charge 3.0 pro- laptops, telecom and consumer ap- System on chip tocol from Qualcomm Technologies plications, especially under light-load Renesas has announced the devel- Inc. It includes many protection conditions. opment of R-Car T2 system on chip features including adaptive output Key features of the MDmesh M2 (SoC), dedicated to Ethernet AVB- over-voltage protection that prevents series include: enabled vehicle camera networks, the output from exceeding 120 per • Extremely-low Qg; as low as complementing the company’s pR- cent of the set output voltage, output 16nC Car family devices for infotainment, soft short-circuit protection that de- • Optimised capacitance profile instrument cluster and advanced tects partial shorts and stops power for light-load conditions driver assistance system applica- delivery to prevent overheating of • Optimised Vthand Rg values for tions. The product enables delivery of cable, and connector and a remote soft switching high-resolution camera video through shutdown protection feature that • Body diode ruggedness multiple systems while maintaining enables the powered device to shut STMicroelectronics real-time performance with low la- the adaptor off remotely if a fault is Website: www.st.com tency levels. detected. Renesas Electronics Corp. Power Integrations Optocoupler Website: www.renesas.com Website: www.power.com Everlight Electronics has introduced a single-channel 8-pin SOP 3.3V AC/DC modules Solid-state relay 15MBit/s logic gate optocoupler for RECOM has launched its latest gen- Vishay’s newly-launched relays are use in industrial applications. The eration of low-power modules with single-pole, single-throw switches. EL071L consists of an infrared emit- rated outputs of These feature ting diode optically coupled to a 2W or 3W. One a modular CMOS detector IC. The high-speed of the main new construction optocoupler EL071L is lead-free, features is the consisting of halogen-free and RoHS-compliant. extended oper- a gallium alu- Other features include both 3.3V ating tempera- minium arse- and 5V CMOS compatibility, a high ture range. As nide (GaAlAs) CMR of more than 10,000V/μs for a consequence, IRED actuation control and MOS- higher/superior anti-interference and power supplies of RAC02-SE/277 FETs for the switch output. These 10kV/μs minimum common mode and RAC03-SE/277 series can now are offered in DIP-6 (VOR1142A6), transient immunity. be used in areas where temperatures SMD-6 (VOR1142B6) and SOP-4 Everlight Electronics Co. Ltd drop as low as -40°C. (VOR1142M4) packages. Website: www.everlight.com

94 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com Make in India

Power MOSFETs applications. Using this COM, design- The Logic Level StrongIRFETs power Computing systems ers can leverage the asymmetric mul- MOSFETs from Infineon Technolo- ti-core architecture on Freescale i.MX gies can be driven directly from a Development board 7 to develop products with excellent microcontroller, saving space and The Microchip Technology Curios- user-experience without compromis- cutting costs. ity Development Board from Mouser ing on real-time constraints. Electronics uses Microchip’s MPLAB Toradex X integrated development environ- Website: www.toradex.com ment to simpli- fy programming LEDs on the board. It harnesses Led profiles the power of Kalpataru Industries have launched modern 8-bit aluminium extrusion led profiles in PIC microcon- varied sizes from 5mm up to 100mm These are highly rugged and thus trollers with low-voltage-program- (width). The available lengths are help lengthen the service life of the ming capabilities. The layout and electronic devices. Key features of external connections provide easy the StrongIRFET family have been access to the core independent pe- retained in the logic-level extension, ripherals that simplify the design which is, low on-state resistance and keep system power consumption (0.52mΩ typical and 0.97mΩ maxi- and bill of material costs low. mum) for reduced conduction losses, Mouser Electronics high current-carrying capability for Website: www.mouser.com/new/microchip/ increased power capability and rug- microchip-curiosity-dev-board ged silicon for high system reliability. 2m, 3m and 4m. These come with Infineon Technologies India Pvt Ltd Compact modules mounting options such as surface, Website: www.infineon.com The conga-TC170 modules, with recess, suspended, wall-mounted and COM Express Type 6 pinout, are enground (IP68-Drive-Over). Thermocouple-conditioning IC equipped with ULV SoC editions of Kalpataru Industries MCP9600 thermocouple-conditioning the sixth-generation Intel Core i3/i5/ Email: [email protected] IC combines precision instrumenta- i7 processors. These offer a configu- Website: www.applelite.net tion, a precision temperature sen- rable thermal sor and a precision, design power DC bus technology high-resolution an- of 8.5W to 15W, The centralised driver-free low-volt- alogue-to-digital which simpli- age DC bus technology for safe and converter. It sim- fies matching reliable LED lighting provides several plifies thermo- the application advantages such as: couple designs to the system’s Increased reliability. Elimination by integrating a thermal design. of individual drivers obviates the number of discrete devices into one The power supply has also been op- need for maintenance at luminaire chip, which also lowers board area, timised, which in addition to the new level cost and power consumption. micro-architecture also contributes Fire safe. Suitable for hazardous Other features include a tem- to the energy efficiency and allows a operation areas, since chances of perature-data digital filter, which longer turbo-boost. sparking at low voltages of 48V DC minimises the effects of temperature congatec AG are reduced fluctuations, system noise and elec- Website: www.congatec.com Electrocution safe. SELV classi- tromagnetic interference. Its shut- fied operation down modes reduce overall system Computer on module Easy backup. In case of power power consumption, while its four Toradex has announced a new com- failure, emergency backup is pro- user-programmable temperature-alert puter on module (COM) based on vided by a floating battery outputs reduce the system MCU’s Freescale’s i.MX 7 processor. The Low-cost redundancy. Redun- overhead and code space. module offers a robust and secured dancy with auxiliary power supply Microchip Technology Inc. platform for building products tar- Easy implementation of intelli- Website: www.microchip.com geted toward Internet of Things (IoT) gent lighting. Needs low-voltage DC www.efymag.com Electronics For You | October 2015 95 Make in India since entire intelligence is electronic (17-inch×14.25-inch) in size. verbose operation. Binay Opto Electronics Pvt Ltd Manncorp Inc. The Orion TI- Website: www.binayLED.com Website: www.manncorp.com 30XS talking scien- tific calculator may Wireless lighting system POWER SUPPLY be used in high- Philips Hue is a personal wireless stakes exams as an lighting system that is extremely UPS systems approved accommo- intuitive and easy to use. It uses a Aplab’s rack-mount UPS systems are dation for students wireless LED technology that allows EMI shielded, have vibration and who are visually im- users to create and control home shock-proof construction, include paired, if it is speci- lighting using their smartphones or internal battery pack with LiFePO4 fied in the education programme. tablets. It works across both iOS and battery option, give output power Texas Instruments Android mobile platforms to create of 2000W (2500VA), and feature full Website: www.ti.com personalised ambient lighting. power operation at -20°C to +55°C, Philips universal AC input of 80V to 265V Remote-spectrum monitor Website: www.philips.co.in AC, 47Hz-65Hz, power-factor correc- Designed without a display or tion at AC input, dual input (AC and keyboard, the monitor automates TEST & MEASUREMENT optional DC), true on-line double the method of conducting radio conversion, cold start with no DC in- surveillance, interference detection Power guard put connections and pure sinusoidal MECO offers POWERGUARD in AC output voltage (230V AC, 50Hz). four models, namely, PG07, PG08, Aplab Ltd PG09 and PG09H. Website: www.aplab.com The products can be and government spectrum policy widely used because MISCELLANEOUS enforcement while bringing greater of their portability flexibility and cost efficiency to and lightweight fea- Dental 3D printer network management. It features tures. It can be used While compact in size, Objet30 Den- two spectrum monitor modules at to measure various tal Prime is versatile, with a choice introduction. Each module has the parameters like volt- of 3D print modes: high quality and power of arrival algorithms to moni- age, current, power high speed. The high-quality mode tor for interference and approximate factor, power con- prints 3D models with superior sur- the position of the interfering signal sumption, energy usage time, energy face finish and intricate, delicate fea- being generated. consumption, frequency and carbon tures required for precise fittings on Anritsu Co. emission. crown, bridge and prosthetic models Website: www.anritsu.com MECO Instruments Pvt Ltd (in 16-micron layers). The high-speed Website: www.mecoinst.com 3D mode prints at accelerated speeds Communication platform to produce orthodontic models and Matrix Cosmec’s ETERNITY LE is a tools & equipment surgical guides with increased pro- hybrid IP-PBX scalable up to 1344 an- ductivity (in 28-micron layers). To- alogue and 999 IP users. It provides Rework system gether, these two enable smaller labs about 28 universal slots and offers Manncorp’s RW1210 SMT/BGA re- to produce a wide range of dental advanced fea- work system features an enhanced and orthodontic appliances in-house. tures such as touchscreen user interface containing Stratasys Ltd IP telephony, selectable operat- Website: www.stratasys.com mobility, mul- ing modes that ti-site, com- fully automate Talking calculator puter telepho- removal, place- The advanced, four-line scientific ny integration ment and solder- calculator, with higher-level maths and video con- ing sequences for and science functionality, is ideal for ferencing. The increased opera- middle-school through college stu- conferencing facility allows a total tor efficiency. It dents. A clear, high-quality, recorded of 45 participants with a maximum also includes an voice announces each key and the of 21 participants in one conference. enlarged board holder to handle ex- answer on the display, providing a Matrix Comsec tra-large PCBs up to 430mm×360mm choice of speech modes for quiet or Website: www.matrixcomsec.com

96 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com do-it-yourself

Sonar Water-Level Meter BISWAJIT DAS

Somnath Bera transmitter (TX1), voltage regulator for enhancement of its range. 7805 (IC2) and a few other compo- Attach the contactless sonar sen- hree-fourths of the earth is nents. a long spiral antenna is used sor at a strategic location on the tank water, out of which 97 per so that it can TP1 cent is saline (in oceans, seas always get the T 1 IC2 3 and groundwater). The remaining reflected signal 7805 ANT1 C3 2.5 per cent to 2.75 per cent is fresh BATT1 TX1 from the water HC−SR04 12V 2 470u water, out of which 1.75 per cent to CON1 25V RF TX surface. The best two per cent is frozen in glaciers, ice place would be ANT Vcc GND DATA and snow. Fresh groundwater and 4 3 2 1 at the centre of 7 20 soil moisture constitutes only 0.7 per Vcc AVcc a circular tank’s TRG VCC GND 1 21 cent to 0.8 per cent. Less than 0.01 ECHO PC6/RESET AVREF lid on top, or at 2 28 R2 10K PD0/RXD PC5/SCL per cent, available as surface water in 3 27 the intersection SW1 PD1/TXD PC4/SDA 4 26 lakes, swamps and rivers, is available PD2 PC3 of the diagonals C9 100n 5 IC1 25 to us as drinking water. It is therefore PD3 PC2 GND of a rectangular 6 24 PD4 ATMEG328PPC1 imperative that systems are in place XTAL1 9 23 tank’s top. The PB6/XTAL1 PC0 LED1 16MHz 10 19 for managing this precious and scarce PB7/XTAL2 PB5/SCK calculated tank 11 18 resource. C1 C2 PD5 PB4/MISO level will then 12 17 Water-level indicators for water- 22p 22p PD6 PB3/MOSI be transmitted 13 16 PD7 PB2 R1 storage tanks are mostly mechanical 14 15 330E with a coded au- PB0 PB1 8 22 contraptions. Steel wires, pulleys and GND AGND thorisation to the rails get rusted as these are in continu- receiver unit. ous contact with water and air, result- An ultrasonic ing in unreliable operation. Contact- Fig. 1: Circuit diagram of the transmitter unit ranging module less sonar-level metres are there but their high cost is a deterrent. In this article, a sonar contact- TP2 RX1 less, wireless water-level indicator, VR1 10K 1 IC4 3 RF RX which can be fabricated for less than 7805 ANT2

C8 ANT GND GND Vcc Vcc DATA DATA GND ` 2500, has been described. It is ca- BATT2 2 470u 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 12V 3 pable of measuring water levels up to 1 2 25V VDD Vss four metres with an accuracy of less VO D7 than 5mm. C7 14

D6 10u 13

Circuit and working D5 R4 10K 7 20

12 Vcc AVcc

The water-level indicator has two D4 1 21 units: transmitter unit and receiver PC6/RESET AVREF C6 11 2 28 100n LCD1 D3 SW2 PD0/RXD PC5/SCL unit. The circuit diagram of the 3 27 PD1/TXD PC4/SDA 4X16 10 D2 4 26 transmitter unit is shown in Fig. 1. It PD2 PC3 9 C10 100n 5 IC3 25 is built around ATmega328P micro- D1 PD3 PC2 6 ATMEG328P 24 controller (MCU) (IC1) with Arduino 8 PD4 PC1 GND D0 9 23 Uno bootloader, sonar sensor HC- PB6/XTAL1 PC0 7 10 19 EN PB7/XTAL2 PB5/SCK SR04 connected at CON1, 433MHz XTAL2 11 18

6 PD5 PB4/MISO R/ W 16MHz 12 17 PD6 PB3/MOSI LED2 Test Points 5 13 16 A/VE E

RS PD7 PB2 14 15

Test point Details K 4 C4 PB0 PB1 22p C5 8 22 R3 16 15 GND AGND TP1 +5.0V 22p 330E TP2 +5.0V (Voltages measured with respect to ground) Fig. 2: Circuit diagram of the receiver unit

98 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com do-it-yourself

valid. To circumvent this prob- lem, a counter has been provid- ed on the right side of the LCD display. If the counter does not move, or it stops, it means that the incoming signal has stalled. Blinking of LED2 connected on pin 19 will stop, too. Control relay and contac-

Fig. 3: Actual-size PCB pattern of the tors can be connected on spare transmitter unit pins of ATmega328P, which finally controls the running of the water pump. Since there is no physical contact used in Fig. 5: Actual-size PCB pattern of the receiver unit the sensory system, it will be operational without any inter- ruption. Software Software comprises one re- mote_sonar_water_level_trans- mitter.ino file and one remote_ Fig. 4: Component layout of the PCB shown in Fig. 3 sonar_water_level_receiver. ino file, besides some header Parts List files ofA rduino. All are packed Semiconductors: in the resource directory. Add IC1, IC3 - ATmega328P-PU MCU with these libraries to Arduino and Arduino Uno bootloader IC2, IC4 - 7805, voltage regulator upload the two files in the TX1 - 433MHz RF transmitter respective transmitter and re- module ceiver units. RX1 - 433MHz RF receiver module LED1, LED2 - 5mm led Fig. 6: Component layout of the PCB shown in Fig. 5 Resistors (all 1/4-watt, ±5% carbon): Construction and testing R1, R3 - 330-ohm An actual-size, single-side PCB of R2, R4 - 10-kilo-ohm efy Note VR1 - 10-kilo-ohm potmeter the transmitter unit is shown in Fig. Capacitors: The source code of this project is 3 and its component layout in Fig. C1, C2, C4, C5 - 22pF, ceramic disk included in this month’s EFY DVD 4. An actual-size, single-side PCB of C3, C8 - 470µF, 25V electrolytic and is also available for free down- C6 - 100nF, ceramic disk the receiver unit is shown in Fig. 5 C7 - 10µF, 16V electrolytic load at source.efymag.com and its component layout in Fig. 6. C9, C10 - 100nF, ceramic disk After assembling the two units, Miscellaneous: which are then averaged out to get switch on the power supply of both BATT1, BATT2 - 12V battery ANT1, ANT2 - Spiral antenna better accuracy. the units. If the receiver receives XTAL1, XTAL2 - 16MHz crystal oscillator Circuit diagram of the receiver the transmitted signal, LED2 will LCD1 - 4×16 alphanumeric display SW1, SW2 - Tactile switch unit is shown in Fig. 2. It is built start blinking. The two small digit CON1 - 4-pin connector for HC-SR04 around ATmega328P MCU (IC3) with counters on the right top of the LCD ultrasonic ranging module Arduino Uno bootloader, voltage reg- will start changing and the water ulator 7805 (IC4), 4x16 alphanumeric level (in centimetres) will show on provides 20mm to 5000mm non- display (LCD1), 433MHz receiver the left-top position. Keep the small contact measurement facility. Rang- (RX1) and a few other components. spiral antennae in vertical position ing accuracy is 3mm and aperture The receiver checks the code word to have the best radiation.  angle is 15°. Since we are measuring sent by the transmitter unit and dis- the level in centimetres in the form plays the tank level on the LCD. Somnath Bera is an avid user of an integer, our accuracy level is If the transmitter stalls or its of open source software. maximum 5mm. Even a 1cm level power supply gets interrupted, there Professionally, he is a thermal power expert and change will be seen very clearly, as is no way for the receiver to find out works as additional general every second it takes eight readings, that the incoming signal is no longer manager at NTPC Ltd www.efymag.com Electronics For You | October 2015 99 do-it-yourself Front End for Recording on PC from Audio Tapes and Old Disks BISWAJIT DAS

Raj K. Gorkhali correct RIAA equalisation character- Parts List istics, to ensure a clean and balanced Semiconductors: ike to try using your personal output from the majority of magnetic IC1-IC4 - LM833 dual-audio operational amplifier computer (PC) for CD-quality cartridges (moving-magnet type). IC5 - NE555 precision timer digital audio recording? Or The mic preamp stage (IC2) is IC6 - 7805 positive 5V voltage L regulator for making your own CD copies of quite conventional. Negative feed- IC7 - 7905 negative 5V voltage treasured old analogue recordings? back is used to determine voltage regulator D1-D3 - 1N4001 general-purpose Most modern PCs and their sound gain. Switch SW2A/B allows the gain diode cards are capable of doing this, but of each stage to be set to either high D4, D5 - 1N914 fast-switching diode it will be a lot easier if you build or low, to suite either low output or LED1 - 3mm LED Resistors (all 1/4-watt, ±1% carbon): and use this handy recording front higher output microphones. R1, R5, R30, R27 - 100-kilo-ohm end. It provides stereo preamps for Switch SW1A/B allows selec- R2, R6 - 180-ohm R3, R7, R35-R37, a magnetic pickup and microphone, tion of either output of the magnetic R42-R44 - 27-kilo-ohm combined with basic mixing and tone pickup (PU) preamp (IC1) or those R4, R8, R11, R19 - 68-kilo-ohm R9, R17 - 150-ohm control facilities. at tape/line level inputs as inputs R10, R18 - 180-kilo-ohm One very attractive use for such for PU/tape channel of the mixer, R12, R20 - 82-ohm R13, R21 - 3.9-kilo-ohm a system is for making personal CD controlled by ganged volume pots R14, R22 - 39-ohm copies of old and treasured analogue VR1A/B. Outputs from the mic R15, R23, R25, R26, R28, R29 - 47-kilo-ohm recordings from an old shellac record- preamp (IC2) are taken directly to R16, R24, R41, ing disk, or 78/45/33.3rpm commer- mic channel volume pots VR2A/B. R48 - 470-kilo-ohm R31, R32 - 22-kilo-ohm cial pressing, or even old reel-to-reel Mixing stage (IC3) is again very R38, R39, R45, magnetic tapes. As part of the copying conventional, with resistors R25-R27 R46 - 4.7-kilo-ohm R49 - 2.7-kilo-ohm process you can often take the oppor- and R28-R30 being used to achieve R50-R52 - 470-ohm tunity to ‘clean up’ the old recordings, low interaction virtual earth mixing VR1A, VR1B - 50k ganged logarithmic potmeter by removing irritating imperfections of the two input channels. VR2A, VR2B - 50k ganged linear potmeter such as surface noise and crackle. Tone control stage (IC4) is also of VR3A, VR3B - 100k ganged linear potmeter VR4A, VR4B - 25k ganged linear potmeter conventional design. The mixing and Capacitors: Circuit and working tone control circuitry have the ability C1, C2, C4-C7, C9, C16 - 47µF, 16V electrolytic The unit consists of four sections: to provide over 6V p-p output before C3, C8, C23, a stereo magnetic pickup preamp clipping into the line input circuitry C27, C35, C36 - 0.1µF ceramic disk C10, C17 - 100pF ceramic disk (IC1) with appropriate gain and RIAA of a typical PC sound card. C11, C18 - 2.2µF 25V electrolytic equalisation for conditioning the sig- The op-amps are operated off C12, C19, C40, C41 - 220µF, 16V electrolytic nals from a magnetic pickup; stereo regulated ±5.5V supply rails. These C13, C20 - 18nF ceramic disk mic preamp (IC2) with sufficient are derived from the nominal 12V DC C14, C21 - 68nF ceramic disk C15, C22, C33, gain to operate with most common input (Con7) by a simple onboard C34 - 0.47µF ceramic disk dynamic or electret microphones; power supply circuit. Regulator IC C24, C29, C39 - 10nF ceramic disk C25, C26, C30, simple 2-input stereo mixer (IC3) to 7805 (IC6) provides +5.5V rail di- C31 - 4.7nF ceramic disk allow control of signals from the mic rectly, while the negative rail is gen- C28, C32 - 220pF ceramic disk C37 - 1000µF, 25V electrolytic preamp, magnetic pickup preamp or erated by a simple polarity-inverting C38 - 3.3nF ceramic disk tape/line level stereo input; and an circuit, which uses 555 timer IC5 as C42, C43 - 100µF, 16V electrolytic Miscellaneous: active tone-control circuit (IC4) with a self-oscillating power chopper driv- L1, L2 - 8T of 0.25mm ECW on F29 bass and treble controls. It is powered ing C40/C41 and D2/D3 as a charge- bead L3, L4 - 1mH decoupling choke by a 12V DC source. The unit with the pump rectifier driving negative regu- SW1A, SW1B, PC and its sound card makes a con- lator IC 7905 (IC7). Negative voltage SW2A, SW2B - DPDT switch CON1-CON4, venient digital audio recording system. across C41 is around 9.5V. CON6, CON8 - 2-pin connector The magnetic pickup preamp IC6 and IC7 have 1N914 (or simi- - RCA socket CON5 - 3-pin connector (IC1) is of standard design. Feedback lar) diodes in series with their com- - Stereo dynamic microphone arrangements (R12-R15, C12-C14) mon lead to increase their outputs by CON7 - 2-pin connector give a very close approximation of the about 0.5V. - Power jack

100 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com do-it-yourself TP 2 3 C4 3 100u 16 V LED1 R5 0 47 0 SOUND CARD LEFT 1 CON6 IC 7 CON8 RIGH T TP 1 7905 1N914 16 V 2 C4 2 100u 220u 0.1u C3 2 220p D5 16 V C4 1 47 0 3 47 0 C3 5 D3 D4 1N914 R4 8 R5 2 R4 1 R5 1 470K D2 470K 1N400 1 1N400 1 7 8 6 2 5 IC 6 22 K 7805 R3 2 A2 C4 0 220u VC C 16 V IN 2 OUT2 IN 2 C3 4 1 C3 3 0.47 u 0.47u C3 9 10 n LM833 5 4 3 8 R3 0 100K 0.1u C3 6 CV Vc c O/ P IN 1 IN 1 IC 4 A1 RESE T OUT1 VE E IC 5 3 1 2 4 NE555 7 5 8 6 GN D DI S TH TR I

1 7 6 2

0.1u

A2 9 R4 VC C 2.7K IN 2 OUT2 IN 2 C3 8 3.3n C2 8 220p C2 7 IC 3 LM833 IN 1 IN 1 A1 C3 7 25 V OUT1 VE E 1000u 3 1 2 4 C2 6 4.7n C3 1 4.7n 0.1u C2 3 R3 6 27 K R4 3 27 K R3 9 R4 6 4.7K 4.7K D1 27 K R3 7 27 K R4 4 1N400 1 R2 7 10 n 100K 10 n LI N 25 K LI N 25 K VR4B VR4A C2 9 R2 8 C2 4 47 K LI N LI N 22 K R3 1 R2 6 47 K 100K 100K VR3A VR3B 1m H 1m H R3 8 R4 5 4.7K 4.7K R3 5 27 K R4 2 27 K L3 L4 VO L 12V PU/TAPE CON 7 C25 4.7n C30 4.7n SW1 A 50K LOG VR1 A SW1 B 50K LOG VR1B PU TAPE PU TAPE R29 47K 47K R25 MIC VOL 8 7 6 5 C8 R24 0.1u 470K A2 VCC 25V C18 2.2u IN 2 OUT2 IN 2 R16 470K C4 47u 16V 50K 50K VR2A VR2 B IC1 C22 C7 16V 47u 0.47u C21 68n LM833 C15 IN 1 0.47u IN 1 68n A1 C14 OUT1 VEE 3 1 4 2 5 8 7 6 LOW HIGH HIGH LOW A2 R23 47K VCC IN 2 OUT2 IN 2 68K R15 47K C17 39E 100p 39E C10 100p R8 68K R4 IC2 25V 2.2u C11 R22 R14 SW2B LM833 SW2A R21 3.9K R13 3.9K IN 1 IN 1 A1 OUT1 VEE 18n 18n 16V 47u 68K R11 68K 3 1 2 4 R19 C9 16V R3 47u R7 27K 27K C13 C20 C16 R10 180K R9 R18 180K C3 R17 R12 82E 150E 0.1u 150E 16V R20 C12 82E C2 C6 220u 16V C19 47u 47u 16V 16V R6 220u R2 180E 180E L1 L2 R1 R5 C5 16V 47u C1 100K 100K 16V 47u ECW on F29 bead L1,L2:8T of 0.25mm L R MIC LEFT LEFT CON4 RIGHT RIGHT CON1 CON2 CON3 CON5 GND OR LINE TAPE STEREO MAGNETIC PICKUP

Fig. 1: Circuit diagram of the PC audio recording front end www.efymag.com Electronics For You | October 2015 101 do-it-yourself

in their re- spective bases. Shield- ed au- dio cable should be used for wiring the micro- phone jack and mag- netic pick- up input sockets. Also use Fig. 2: Actual-size PCB pattern of the front end for pc audio recording this cable for wiring the tape/ line input sockets, SW1, VR1 and VR2 to minimise susceptibil- ity to noise and hum. Solder a lead to the metal bodies of each of the pots on the front pan- Fig. 3: Component layout of the PCB el, with its other end Construction and testing Test Points connected to signal earth via the earth An actual-size, single-side PCB for lead from the LED. This should ensure the front end for PC audio recording Test point Details good earthing of the control cases and is shown in Fig. 2 and its component TP1 +5.5V front panel. Connect the left and right layout in Fig. 3. TP2 -5.5V channels from CON6 and CON8 to the The unit is housed in a small (Voltage measured with respect to ground) MIC input of the PC. Audacity software sloping-front utility case made may be used for audio recording and of plastic with most components plastic and provides very little shield- for converting it to digital format. mounted on a PC board measuring ing, a small shield plate cut from EFY note. If you have an audio 157mm×66mm approximately. The unetched PCB laminate is mounted system such as a cassette tape recorder PCB may be mounted horizontally under the main PCB, with its copper with Audio Out connector for head- at bottom of the case. Mount pots, layer connected to signal earth. phones, you may skip this circuit. Just switches and LEDs on the front pan- With all passive parts fitted to the plug in a stereo jack into Audio Out el. Most connectors are single-hole board, fit the three power supply ICs, and connect the other end of the audio RCA sockets, which need 6mm holes inverting chopper IC5 and regulators cable to Mic In on your PC sound card. each. Mount these on the rear of the IC6 and IC7. Then connect the 12V Launch Audacity software, play the case. Connector CON7 for connecting DC source. Check voltage +5.5V cassette player and start audio record- 12V battery is also to be mounted on at the output pin of IC6 (TP1) and ing by pressing Record.  the rear of the case. -5.5V at the output pin of IC7 (TP2) Since the case is predominantly and mount four op-amp ICs (IC1-IC4) Raj K. Gorkhali is a regular contributor to EFY

102 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com do-it-yourself

Wireless Mouse Charger BISWAJIT DAS

Kaushik Hazarika replace the dead one. If a recharge- able battery is in use, provision for Tolerance of the resistor must be one wireless mouse is powered by an adaptor for charging has to be per cent. a battery and does not have in place. Here is a circuit built with When batteries are almost charged, Athe option for charging. The a few components for charging a the charger enters the constant-voltage user has to carry a spare battery to lithium-ion battery, without taking it portion of the charge cycle and the out from the mouse. It is a constant- charge current begins to drop. When it Parts List current charger with inbuilt auto-cut. drops below 1/10th of the programmed Semiconductors: current, the charge cycle ends and IC1 - LTC4054-4.2 lithium-ion Circuit and working battery charger LED1 turns off, indicating that the LED1 - 3mm LED Circuit diagram of the charger is charge cycle has ended. Resistors (all 1/4-watt carbon): shown in Fig. 1. It is built around R1 - 2-kilo-ohm, ±1% Construction and testing R2 - 470-ohm, ±5% LTC4054 (IC1), which is a complete Capacitors: constant-current/constant-voltage Block diagram of the circuit assembly C1, C2 - 10µF, 16V electrolytic linear charger for lithium-ion bat- within a mouse is shown in Fig 2. An Miscellaneous: CON1 - 2-pin connector teries. Its thin SOT package and low actual-size, single-side PCB for the - Mini-USB type B connector external component count makes mouse charger circuit is shown in Fig. CON2 - 2-pin connector - 3.7V Li-ion battery LTC4054 ideal for portable applica- 3 and its component layout in Fig. 4. tions. It is designed specifically to All SMD components such as R1, R2, work within C1 and C2 are to be soldered to the USB power bottom side after proper identification. R2 4 470E specifications. The layout is compact and the PCB LED1 Vcc 1 Charge can be fitted inside the mouse. Body CHARG 3 IC1 BAT CON1 C2 voltage is fixed of the mouse needs to be modified LTC4054−4.2 USB 10u 5 Charger 16V PROG CON2 at 4.2V and so that a mini-USB type B PCB socket GND R1 C1 3.7V charge current (CON1) and LED1 are visible from out- 2K 2 10u 16V Li−ion Cell can be pro- side. Add multiple diodes (1N4148) to grammed ex- get near 3.0V, if there is any deficiency ternally with a in mouse performance. GND single resistor. To fit the circuit inside the mouse, Fig. 1: Circuit diagram of the wireless mouse charger It automatical- one has to select components based on ly terminates space available inside the mouse. The MOUSE BODY the charge cycle when the charge circuit was tested as per current drops to 1/10th of the pro- arrangement shown in +Mouse 1N4148 grammed value after the final float Fig. 2.  + Sensor voltage is reached. _ LI−ION The battery can deliver charge Kaushik Hazarika is an −Mouse current up to 800mA. Programming electronics hobbyist has been done for the charging cur- USB charging cable rent of 500mA, which obviates the CIRCUIT LAPTOP CON2 CON1 need for heat-sinks.

Fig. 2: Block diagram of the circuit assembly When IC1 determines that batter- DIY Circuits? within a mouse ies need to be recharged, the charge pin (pin 1) automatically connects to the power line and starts charging. This status is indicated by LED1 in ON state. IC1 provides 4.2V charge voltage if the battery is in charging Fig. 3: Actual-size PCB mode. pattern of the circuit Resistor R1 is used to set (pro- for the wireless mouse Fig. 4: Component charger layout of the PCB gram) the level of charge current.

104 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com do-it-yourself CON 2 Four CON4 C2 3 16 V 0.33 u C1 9 0.33u R1 5 R1 4 100E 100E

Frequencies 1u C2 2 R1 1 R1 0 100E 100E 1u 16 V C1 8 8 9 14 Generator 13 12 11 10 Vc c N6 N5 N4 8 9 14 13 12 11 10 Vc c N6 N5 N4 IC 4 74HC14 N1 N2 N3 GN D IC 2 74HC04 1 7 BISWAJIT DAS 2 3 4 5 6 N1 N2 N3 GN D 1 7 2 3 4 5 6 S4 C1 3 47 K VR 2 2.2n 1K R4 R7

Petre Tzv Petrov 4.7K S3 C1 2 22 n 10 M VR 1 C5 4.7K 36 p C6 22 p R3 2 S2

uring development, testing C1 1 220n TA L C4 22 p 6MHz and maintenance of digital X S1 C1 0 16 V Dand analogue electronic cir- 2.2u cuits and embedded systems, there CON1 is a need for TTL and CMOS sig- CON3 nals produced by stable frequency C1 6 sources. These sources are also use- 0.33u C2 1 0.33u R9 R8 100E

ful for fast checking of oscilloscopes, 100E R1 3 R1 2 100E 100E 1u C1 5 16 V 1u 16 V probes, multimeters, frequency me- C2 0 tres and other measurement equip- ment. This circuit produces fixed 8 9 14 13 12 11 10 8 9 14 frequencies of 4MHz, 6MHz, 10MHz 13 12 11 10 Vcc N6 N5 N4 Vcc and adjustable square-wave with N6 N5 N4 IC1 variable frequencies from around IC3 74HC04 74HC04 N1 N2 N3 10Hz to more than 100kHz. GND N1 N2 N3 GND 1 7 2 3 4 5 6 1 7 Circuit and working 2 3 4 5 6 Fig. 1 shows the circuit of the four

frequencies reference source. It is R2 1K R6 built with three 74C04 hex inverter 1K 10M 10M C2 36p C3

ICs (IC1, IC2 and IC3) and one 74C14 22p C8 36p C9 22p R1 R5 1 hex inverter schmitt trigger IC (IC4). 3 TAL TAL C1 22p C7 X 22p 4MHz 10MHz Each of the four blocks of the circuit X in Fig. 1 produces a forward and in- GND SECONDARY verted buffered signal. 15V−0−15V,1A TRANSFORMER C25 LED 1 R18 0.33u 470E IC1 uses crystal XTAL1 to pro- X1 = 230V AC PRIMARY TO

duce the signal with a frequency of 16V C14 220u 25V C24 10MHz. The produced output signal 2200u

and inverted signal are available on C27 0.33u D1 D2 1n4001 1n4001

connector CON1. Values of capacitors R17 VR3 120E 470E

C1, C2 and C3 depend on the param- X1 2 eters of crystal XTAL1 and IC1. C17 0.1u 630V R16 IC2 uses crystal XTAL2 to produce 100E 1 D3 IC5 LM317 the signal with a frequency of 6MHz. 1n4001 C26 16V 4.7u

The produced output signal and 3 50Hz CON5 inverted signal are available on con- 230V AC L N F1 S1A S1B nector CON2. 0.1A Fig. 1: Circuit diagram of the four frequencies generator

106 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com do-it-yourself

IC3 uses crystal

XTAL3 to produce the signal with a frequency of 4MHz. The pro- duced output signal and inverted signal are available on connector CON3. As a rule of thumb, R2=reactance of C3 for IC1. Same goes for IC2 and IC3. IC4 and associated components generate square wave with fre- quency from around Fig. 2: Actual-size PCB pattern of the circuit for four frequencies generator 10Hz to more than 100kHz. Frequency ranges are selected with switches S1, S2, S3 and S4. Potmeters VR1 and VR2 are used to adjust frequency. VR1 is for more accurate adjust- ment of frequency and VR2 for coarse adjust- ment of the frequency. The produced output signal and inverted signal are available on connector CON4. The frequency can be calculated accord- Fig. 3: Component layout of the PCB shown in Fig. 2 ing to the relationship given in the datasheet Parts List of IC4. Semiconductors: C11 - 220nF ceramic disk Power supply for the oscillators IC1-IC3 - 74HC04 hex inverter C12 - 22nF ceramic disk IC4 - 74HC14 hex inverting C13 - 2.2nF ceramic disk should be regulated; this is done by schmitt trigger C14 - 220µF, 16V electrolytic adjustable regulator LM317. Trimmer IC5 - LM317, 3-terminal adjustable C15, C18, C20, regulator C22 - 1µF, 16V electrolytic potentiometer VR3 is used to adjust D1-D3 - 1N4001 rectifier diode C16, C19, C21, the power supply to 5V. LED1 - 5mm led C23, C27, C25 - 0.33µF ceramic disk Resistors (all 1/4-watt, ±5% carbon, unless stated C17 - 0.1µ, 630V polyester otherwise): C24 - 2200µ, 25V electrolytic Construction and testing R1, R3, R5 - 10-mega-ohm C26 - 4.7µF, 16V electrolytic An actual-size, single-side PCB for the R2, R4, R6 - 1-kilo-ohm Miscellaneous: R7 - 4.7-kilo-ohm CON1-CON4 - 3-pin connector terminal four frequencies generator is shown R8-R15 - 100-ohm CON5 - 2-pin connector terminal in Fig. 2 and its component layout in R16 - 100-ohm, 2W X 1 - 10MHz crystal TAL Fig. 3.  R17 - 120-ohm XTAL2 - 6MHz crystal

R18 - 470-ohm XTAL3 - 4MHz crystal VR1 - 4.7-kilo-ohm potmeter F1 - 2-pin connector terminal Petre Tzv Petrov was a researcher and assistant VR2 - 47-kilo-ohm potmeter 0.1A fuse professor at Technical VR3 - 470-ohm potmeter S1-S4 - Toggle switch University of Sofia (Bulgaria) Capacitors: S1A, S1B - DPST switch and an expert-lecturer in C1, C3, C4, C6, X1 - 230V AC primary to OFPPT (Casablance), C7, C9 - 22pF ceramic disk 15V-0-15V, 1A secondary Kingdom of Morocco. C2, C5, C8 - 36pF ceramic disk transformer Now he is working as an C10 - 2.2µF, 16V electrolytic electronics engineer in the private sector in Bulgaria

www.efymag.com Electronics For You | October 2015 107 do-it-yourself

Infrared Burglar Alarm s.c. dwivedi

D. Mohan Kumar man intervention. Author’s prototype age of about 3.3V DC. is shown in Fig. 1. The sensor also has an amplifier assive infrared (PIR) sensors and a timer circuit. It has three pins, detect IR light radiating from Circuit and working namely, Vcc, GND and output (O/P) Pobjects in their field-of-view. Circuit diagram of the burglar alarm for interfacing. It works on 5V DC. These are most often used in PIR based on a PIR sensor is shown in The output can be used to drive a re- based motion detectors. Presented Fig. 2. It is built around binary coun- lay, triac, etc for operating AC loads. here is a circuit of a burglar alarm ter CD4060 (IC1), PIR motion-sensor The sensor has two inbuilt presets based on a PIR sensor. The alarm module that is connected to connec- for adjusting time delay and sensitiv- gets activated at night and deacti- tor CON1, tone generator IC UM3561 ity (detection range). Its high output vated in the morning. The activation (IC2), transistors BC547 (T1 and time can be set between 30 seconds and deactivation of the alarm hap- T2) and SL100 (T3) and a few other and three minutes using the time-de- pens automatically, without any hu- components. lay preset. Similarly, detection range The PIR sensor works can be set between a few centimetres on the basis of detection to a few metres (depending on the of IR from the heat re- selected sensor module) using the leased by a human body. sensitivity preset. It has two piezoelec- The circuit uses an alarm genera- tric sensors inside. One tor, a timer and a white LED lamp, in sensor uses background addition to the PIR sensor module. temperature to create The timer circuit is meant for activat- reference and keeps it ing the PIR sensor three hours after in standby mode. The sunset. second sensor detects IR Light-dependent resistor LDR1 is from the human body. It used as a light sensor for controlling compares it with the ref- the timer built around IC1. LDR1 and erence and gets activated resistor R1 make a voltage divider Fig. 1: Author’s prototype to generate output volt- network whose output is fed to reset

R9 D1 1N4148 R5 100E LDR1 7 Q4 470E 0.5W 16 LS1 VDD 5 Q5 8−OHM 1 T1 SEL2 OSC2 8 R8 0.5W 4 Q6 BC547 220K 12 RESET CON1 2 7 6 R6 Vss IC2 OSC1 LED2 Q7 FOR PIR 11 IC1 470E UM3561 0.5W 01 14 SENSOR Q8 3 6 R4 1M CD4060 OUTPUT SEL1 R7 BATT.1 Q9 13 470E 9V 9 4 5 00 NC Vdd 15 GND Vcc C1 0.22u Q10 T2 _ 10 O/P BC547 00 Q12 1 R3 10M R2 2 8 Q13 1K R10 T3 R1 Vss Q14 3 1K SL100 100K ZD1 LED1 5.1V

GND

Fig. 2: Circuit diagram of the infrared burglar alarm

108 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com do-it-yourself

Fig. 3: Actual-size PCB pattern of the circuit for the Fig. 4: Component layout of the PCB infrared burglar alarm

Parts List Light-emitting diode LED1 indi- of the oscillation of IC2. Its output is Semiconductors: cates activation of timer IC1. Capaci- amplified by transistor T3. The alarm IC1 - CD4060 ripple-carry binary tor C1 and resistor R3 form oscillat- sound can be heard through the counter IC2 - UM3561 tone generator ing components of timer IC1. With speaker. UM3561 can generate differ- T1, T2 - BC547 npn transistor the given values of C1 and R3, output ent alarm tones; here it is designed to T3 - SL100 medium-power npn transistor at pin 1 of IC1 becomes high after sound a police siren. D1 - 1N4148 diode approximately three hours from the When the PIR sensor gives high LED1 - 5mm LED LED2 - White LED, 0.5W time the reset pin went low. output, transistor T2 drives the 0.5W ZD1 - 5.1V zener diode High output does two things. It white LED. It gives sufficient light to Resistors (all 1/4-watt, ±5% carbon, unless stated drives transistor T1 to saturation catch the intruder. otherwise): R1 - 100-kilo-ohm and sets pin 11 of IC1 high through R2, R10 - 1-kilo-ohm forward-biased diode D1. IC1 stops Construction and testing R3 - 10-mega-ohm R4 - 1-mega-ohm oscillating. Its output Q12 remains An actual-size, single-side PCB of R5-R7 - 470-ohm high till IC1 gets reset in the morning the infrared burglar alarm is shown R8 - 220-kilo-ohm R9 - 100-ohm, 0.5W due to low resistance of LDR1. in Fig. 3 and its component layout Capacitor: When T1 is in the state of satura- in Fig. 4. C1 - 0.22µF ceramic disk tion, the emitter is at 9V DC. The reg- After assembling the circuit, en- Miscellaneous: LDR1 - Light-dependent resistor ulator circuit formed by R6 and zener close it in a suitable box. The unit CON1 - 3-pin connector diode (ZD1) provide regulated 5.1V should be fixed on an outside wall BATT.1 - 9V battery LS1 - 8-ohm, 0.5W speaker DC at cathode of zener diode ZD1, with the PIR sensor facing downwards - PIR motion-sensor module which is connected to the PIR sensor. at an angle of 45°. The sensor should - 2-pin connector terminal for battery The sensor is now active and be about two metres above ground ready to detect human presence up to level to get maximum coverage. LDR1 pin 12 of IC1. During day time, LDR1 a distance of a few metres (depend- should get ambient light for proper has low resistance in comparison ing on the range setting of the preset) operation of the timer. Light from with R1, thereby making reset pin and up to an angle of 45°. When it LED2 should not fall on LDR1, as this high, which, in turn, prevents IC1 detects human presence, its output could deactivate the timer.  from oscillating during day time. turns high for the period set to acti- At night, the situation gets re- vate the alarm and to switch on the versed. LDR1 has very high resist- white LED (LED2). D. Mohan Kumar ance in comparison with R1, so reset The alarm is built around tone was associate professor at Government pin 12 of IC1 gets pushed to ground generator IC UM3561 (IC2). Resistor College for Women, potential. R8 (220k) determines the frequency Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

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110 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com do-it-yourself Convert Your Old DVD Player With USB to a DVP Pratima Kumari

Bukya Sridhar digital video player (DVP). AV-out RCA and 5.1-channel audio- This article describes how to out cables are connected to the AV digital versatile disk (DVD) convert an old Sony DVD player controller board. The board has com- player is an optoelectronic (model CD/DVD DVP-SR660P) into a posite video-out (yellow) RCA cable, Adecoding device that sends a DVP. Author’s prototype of the USB component video-out cables (Y: green red laser beam to the DVD disk that DVP is shown in Fig. 1. A USB DVP component, PR: red component and is run at a certain speed. Playing a has three main PCBs: power supply, PB: blue component). DVD continuously may heat up the audio/video output section with 5.1 player and cause problems with the channel audio output and front panel Construction and testing optical pick-up assembly section, with a 5-digit, 7-segment display, and The final prototype of the USB DVP which, in turn, may stop the DVD a TSOP-1738 module [infrared (IR) player is shown in Fig. 4. Make all player from working completely. receiver], a few tactile switches and connections as per the figure. One way to solve this problem is a USB 2.0 host. Step-by-step construction and described in this article. The DVD The power supply PCB provides operation is given below: player should have a pre-installed the power for the DVP player. It has 1. Open the DVD player cover USB port, though. We can discard all necessary components like resis- with the help of a screwdriver. the CD/DVD drive section and use tors and capacitors. It also has an AC- 2. Remove all three PCBs, that is, the USB port to convert it into a USB in connector for connecting the DVP power PCB, front panel PCB and AV to mains supply. controller board, from the DVD play- The front panel er carefully. Remove all connections PCB, as shown in from each of these boards without Fig. 2, has two touching any capacitor, which may cables, one for the be highly charged. 7-segment display 3. Place the three PCBs on a and the other for rectangular or square insulating en- the USB host-con- closure. Here, we have used a plastic troller cable. Tac- box. tile switches are 4. Place the AV controller board used for functions at the rear side of the box, so that like on/off, for- connections would be easy for con- ward/backward, necting RCA and audio-out cables. next/previous, 5. Place the power PCB near the pause/resume, AV controller board (Fig. 4) so that stop and the like. connectors running from the power The 7-segment dis- PCB board reach and sit securely on play is used to dis- the receptacle of the AV controller Fig. 1: Author’s prototype of the USB DVP play the operations board. performed by the 6. Place the front panel PCB at user and the USB the front of the box. host is used to con- 7. Connect the AC mains cable nect a USB drive. in the AC-in connector on the power The AV (audio/ PCB. All connections should be made video) controller properly, as any wrong connection board, as shown may damage the boards. in Fig. 3, is used to 8. Connect the composite video- control the audio out (yellow) RCA cable; in absence and video func- of that cable, you may connect the Fig. 2: Front panel PCB (5-digit display, IR receiver and USB host controller) tions of the DVP. component video-out cable (Y: green

112 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com do-it-yourself

Fig. 3: AV controller board, composite component video, digital video-out; stereo cum 5.1-channel audio-out RCA connectors

Fig. 4: Final prototype of the USB DVP with remote control and USB drive connected component, PR: red component and made portable device. PB: blue component). And if you Caution. After opening the DVD have a digital video coaxial cable, player’s cover (step 1 above), pull out you can connect the same at the the cables meant for the front panel orange port. and power PCBs slowly and very care- 9. Now connect the RCA cables fully, as some capacitors may have for 5.1-channel audio configurations stored very high-voltage static charges for the following speakers: front left/ that can be dangerous, or even lethal, stereo left, front right/stereo right, and may lead to irreversible nerve surround left, surround right, centre reflexes. Also, beware the live AC speaker and sub-woofer. voltages present in the power PCB.  10. Insert a USB pen drive into the Bukya Sridhar is B.Tech USB host receptacle. in electronics and 11. Slowly and carefully power on communications engineering and enjoys coding in the whole setup. You can now watch JavaScript. He has a keen your favourite movie stored in your interest in space technology (satellite communication) and USB pen drive from a new, home- mobile communication www.efymag.com Electronics For You | October 2015 113 do-it-yourself

enameled copper wire, tapped at 75 Wireless AM Listening Bug turns from the antenna side. A good-quality medium-wave AM Pradeep G. components. radio is recommended to listen to the The circuit works on 9V conversation. Range of the circuit is he circuit presented regulated power supply and around 100m. Transistor SL100 can be here can be used to lis- s.c. dwivedi is highly sensitive. Sound replaced with 2N2219 or BC548. Tten to the conversation picked up by the microphone After assembling the circuit, con- going on in an adjacent room is amplified by IC1 and IC2. nect 9V supply to it. Sing a song using an AM radio receiver. Amplified audio signals are sent to a in front of condenser microphone medium-wave RF oscillator. MIC1. Tune the AM radio until you Circuit and working Transmitting frequency of the cir- receive the transmitted signal. If you Circuit diagram of the wireless AM cuit can be varied by adjusting vari- are unable to receive the signal, tune listening bug is shown in Fig. 1. It able capacitor VC1. Coil L1 is wound variable capacitor VC1. Tune the AM is built around microphone MIC1, on plastic/paper former of 1cm dia radio until you receive the transmit- two op-amp 741 ICs (IC1 and IC2), having a length of around 6cm. The ted signal. For maximum range, use transistor SL100 (T1) and a few other coil should have 90 turns of 36SWG a sensitive radio with external wire antenna.

R7 ANT.1 Construction C4 R8 C8 C3 680E R11 100u 15K 0.01u C9 and testing R1 R3 100u 47K 25V 0.01u 10K 15K R5 25V An actual-size, 90T L1 10K single-side PCB C6 15T 75T R10 for the wireless VR1 0.01u 7 7 47K listening bug is 2 1M 2 C7 CON1 shown in Fig. 2 C1 R2 IC1 6 IC2 6 470p 9V 0.1u 1K 741 741 and its component 3 C2 R6 3 0.1u 10K VC1 layout in Fig. 3. 4 4 22p Enclose the PCB MIC1 R4 R9 C5 T1 in a small box in 15K 15K 10u SL100 such a way that 25V you can use it according to your GND L1 = 90 TURNS (75T + 15T) WITH 36SWG ENAMELLED COPPER WIRE, TAPPED AFTER 75 TURNS requirement. Use Fig. 1: Circuit diagram for wireless AM listening bug a 10m or longer piece of wire Parts List for the anten- Semiconductors: na that may IC1, IC2 - 741 op-amp have to be T1 - SL100 npn transistor Resistors (all 1/4-watt, ±5% carbon): hidden from R1, R5, R6 - 10-kilo-ohm view.  R2 - 1-kilo-ohm R3, R4, R8, R9 - 15-kilo-ohm R7 - 680-ohm R10, R11 - 47-kilo-ohm VR1 - 1-mega-ohm potmeter Capacitors: Fig. 2: Actual-size PCB pattern of the circuit for the wireless listening bug C1, C2 - 0.1µF ceramic disk C3, C4 - 100µF, 25V electrolytic C5 - 10µF, 25V electrolytic C6, C8, C9 - 0.01µF ceramic disk Pradeep G. is C7 - 470pF ceramic disk B.Sc (Physics) VC1 - 22pF trimmer capacitor and a regular Miscellaneous: contributor to CON1 - 2-pin connector terminal international MIC1 - Condenser microphone magazines. He L1 - 90 turns (75T+15T) with is also a small- 36SWG enamelled copper business owner wire, tapped after 75 turns making school/ ANT.1 - Wire antenna (10m or longer) college projects Fig. 3: Component layout of the PCB in south India

114 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com do-it-yourself Assistive Device for the Speech Impaired

Praveen I.V., Kamalakkanan Ravi, sistive device can be used device. The microcontroller Balamurali M. and Poonguzhali S. to enhance the passage of (MCU) on Board1 scans the communication. Here, the Sandeep Prakash key being pressed and sends a peech-impaired people have assistive device consists 4-bit code representing the key difficulty in communicating of a specialised keypad in pressed to I/O pins 10 to 13 of Swith normal people because which each key corresponds to a pre- Arduino board. the hand gestures used by them to assigned recorded audio that can be These four bits are transferred communicate their information is not played to convey the message by the to HT12E encoder for conversion of easily understandable; only trained speech-impaired person. parallel data into serial data, which people can understand these. Most is fed into the RF transmitter. It then expressions and emotions remain Circuit and working transmits this serial data at 433MHz un-conveyed, sometimes even misin- The device consists of transmitter using ASK modulation. The 750k resis- terpreted. So hand gestures (limited and receiver sections. In the transmit- tor determines the oscillator frequency gestures) are not an effective method ter section (Fig. 1), the keypad matrix of the transmitter side. of communication for the speech- is connected to digital input/output In the receiver section, the code impaired people. (I/O) pins 2-7 of Board1 (Arduino is received using the RF receiver and To take care of this issue, an as- Uno), which is used as the input data bits are decoded if and only if the extracted address from the R1 transmitted code matches 433 MHz TRANSMITTER MODULE TP1 TP2 750K the pre-programmed ad- TX1 ANT.1 1 IC1 3 18 16 15 dress in HT12D address 7805 1 Vcc OSC1 OSC2 pins, thereby avoiding Vcc ANT GND DATA A0 17 BATT.1 2 1 2 3 4 DOUT interferences from the C1 2 9V A1 14 commercially-available 1u ,16V 3 TE A2 TP0 receivers. 4 13 A3 IC2 AD11 If the decoded ad- TP3 5 A4 dress and pre-programmed HT12E 12 AD10 6 address matches, LED1 A5

7 11 glows, which is connected A6 AD9 POWER USB at pin 17 of IC HT12D. INPUT 8 A7 10 AD8 A 33-kilo-ohm resistor DRIVER AREF 9 GND IOREF GND (R8) determines the os-

RST ARDUINO 13 cillator frequency of the 3.3V 12 5V 11 receiver. The decoded GND 10 GND 9 output from HT12D is 8 Vin ATMEGA328 sent to Board2 (Arduino S2 S3 Uno). Arduino board is 7 S1 S4 DIGITA L 6 programmed to generate a A0 5 A1 ANALOG 4 binary code, which is sent A2 3 to IC 74HCT154 decoder A3 2 A4 TX 1 S5 S6 S7 S8 to further trigger voice IC6 A5 RX 0 APR33A3. In response to the trig- BOARD1 ger from the decoder, the voice IC generates corre- sponding audio messages programmed earlier. R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 1K 1K 1K 1K 1K 1K The number of I/O pins on Arduino board is insufficient to drive Fig. 1: Circuit of the transmitter section voice IC APR33A3. So,

116 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com do-it-yourself R1 4 4.7K 1K R1 3 1n S1 6 S1 2 C1 2 S1 8 S1 1 S1 5 16 V 16 V 1K R1 2 C5 16 V 100u 4E LS 1 1u 0.5W 1n C9 C8 100u C1 1 100n C1 0 C7 100n R1 1 4.7K S1 4 S1 0 MIC1 C4 16 V 100u S1 3 S9 C6 100n 4.7K R1 0 5 8 7 1 4 IC 7 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 LM386 6 R9 47 K 3 2 M2 C3 16 V 10 u Vref Vc m Vldo MIC+ MIC− MICG Vcor e RSTB VDDL VSSA VDDA ROSC SRST B IC 6 APR33A 3 VD D VSSL /REC M0 M1 M6/Msel0 M7/Msel1 M4 M5 VSSP VOUT 2 VOUT 1 VDDP M3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 GND 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Y0 Y1 Y2 Y3 Y4 Y5 Y6 Y7 Y8 Y9

Y10

GND

GND DATA 8

IC5 DATA 7 Vcc 6 74HCT154 5 VCC A_SEL B_SEL C_SEL D_SEL E1 E0 Y15 Y14 Y13 Y12 Y11

S17

RX1

Vcc 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13

LED 1 TP7 GND 4

3 GND ANT 2 433 MHz Receiver module 1 ANT. 2 R8 33K TP6 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 13 12 11 10 18 16 15 17 14 13 12 11 GND 10 AREF RX ARDUINO DIGITAL TX 1u VT D9 C2 D8 16V DI N D11 D10 Vcc OSC1 OSC2

USB ATMEGA328 3 DRIVE R BOARD2 IC4 TP5 ANALOG HT12D Vin A0 A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 RST 3.3V 5V GND GND INPU T IOREF POWER A0 A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 GND 2 IC3 780 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 9V 1 BATT.2 TP4

Fig. 2: Circuit of the receiver section www.efymag.com Electronics For You | October 2015 117 do-it-yourself

Parts List Semiconductors: IC1, IC3 - 7805 voltage regulator IC2 - HT12E encoder IC4 - HT12D decoder IC5 - 74HCT154, 4-to-16 line decoder IC6 - APR33A3 voice record and play back IC IC7 - LM386 low-voltage audio power amplifier LED1 - 5mm LED TX1 - 433MHz RF transmitter module RX1 - 433MHz RF receiver module BOARD1, BOARD2 - Arduino UNO board Resistors (all 1/4-watt, ±5% carbon): R1 - 750-kilo-ohm R2-R7, R12, R13 - 1-kilo-ohm R8 - 33-kilo-ohm R9 - 47-kilo-ohm Fig. 3: Actual-size PCB pattern of the transmitter section R10, R11, R14 - 4.7-kilo-ohm Capacitors: C1, C2, C9 - 1μF, 16V electrolytic C3 - 10μF, 16V electrolytic C4, C5, C10 - 100μF, 16V electrolytic C6, C7, C11 - 100nF ceramic C8, C12 - 1nF ceramic Miscellaneous: CON1, CON3 - 2-pin connector CON2 - 12-pin connector CON4 - 5-pin connector CON5 - 6-pin connector LS1 - 4-ohms, 0.5W speaker MIC1 - Electret condenser microphone ANT.1, ANT.2 - 30cm-long single-strand wire antenna BATT.1, BATT.2 - 9V battery S1-S16, S18 - Tactile switch S17 - On/off toggle switch - USB A-B cable

depending on the number of I/O pins Fig. 4: Component layout of the transmitter section available on Arduino UNO boards. CON2 is a 12-pin connector used 74HCT154, a 4-to-16 decoder is used audio power amplifier. The voltage to interface the transmitter side PCB to drive the select pins of the voice gain ranges from 20 to 200.) with Arduino UNO (Board1) as per IC (IC6). the pins mentioned on the compo- For recording the voice, make Construction and testing nent side as shown in Fig. 4. REC pin of APR33A3 logic low by An actual-size, single-side PCB of the Similarly, CON4 is a 5-pin con- closing switch S17. Then, drive mes- transmitter section is shown in Fig. nector and CON5 is a 6 pin connector sage switches (S9-S16) connected to 3 and its component layout in Fig. 4. used to interface the receiver-side APR33A3 to logic low, sequentially, Similarly, an actual-size, single-side PCB with Arduino UNO (Board2) as as per the number of audio messages PCB for the receiver section is shown per the pins mentioned on the com- to be recorded. The chip will play in Fig. 5 and its component layout ponent side as shown in Fig. 6. back a beep and the message can in Fig. 6. CON1 and CON3 are 2-pin con- then be recorded. When the pin is Assemble the circuit on the PCBs nectors used to connect 9V battery. released, the chip will play back the as it minimises time and assembly To program the MCUs in Arduino beep twice to indicate that the mes- errors. Carefully assemble the com- boards, use a USB-A-B cable to con- sage has been recorded. ponents and double-check for any nect to your system. To play back the message record- overlooked error(s). Use proper IC For troubleshooting, verify the ed, REC pin should be driven to logic base for the MCU and other ICs. voltages listed in test points table. high and then message switches (S9- Message switches at the receiver S16) should be driven from logic high side and the number of switches at Software to logic low, and the message play the transmitter side of the keypad The source code of the transmit- back starts. (LM386 is a low-voltage may be increased as per requirement, ter side contains a 2D array for the

118 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com do-it-yourself

Test Points Test point Details TP0, TP5 0V, GND TP1, TP4 +9V DC TP2, TP6 +5V DC TP3 Serial data to TX1 TP7 Serial data from RX1

efy Note The source codes of this project are included in this month’s EFY DVD and are also available for free down- load at source.efymag.com

pressed key. The code is modi- fied to work for 16 switches for your convenience, so that if you want to increase the message switches and keypad switches apart from those mentioned in the PCB designs of the project, you will simply have to modify the hardware, and no changes would be required in the soft- Fig. 5: Actual-size PCB pattern of the receiver section ware section. Initially, the code configures the column pins and row pins for the keypad and then in the setup ( ) function, it configures the output pins for Arduino UNO Board1. Loop function is used to read the keypad and Digital Write ( ) function is used to out- put the data bits corresponding to read character. In the receiver section code, I/O pins are configured for Ar- duino UNO Board2 and then the serial port is enabled for view- ing the pressed key info on the serial monitor as well. Loop ( ) function is used to read the receiving bits and con- vert these from binary to decimal values and send the received data to the output pins. 

Poonguzhali S. is associate professor at Department of Electronics and Communi- cation Engineering, College of Engineering, Anna University, Guindy, Chennai. All other authors are biomedical engineering stu- Fig. 6: Component layout of the receiver section dents at College of Engineering

www.efymag.com Electronics For You | October 2015 119 do-it-yourself

Part 1 of 2 Android Application: Series RLC Circuit

K. Baskar 90°. An example of the series RLC cir- cuit used in an Android app is shown sani theo n RLC circuit consists of a in Fig. 1. The example output of the resistor, a capacitor and an series RLC circuit is shown in Fig. 2. Ainductor connected in a series Series RLC circuit at resonance. particular frequency, the two energies or parallel to each other. Such circuits Resonance occurs if the inductor and are equal. This frequency is called can be used in oscillator circuits, filter capacitor are present in the circuit. resonance frequency. The ideal-case circuits, radio receivers and others. Here, energy is transferred back and inductive reactance versus frequency This article describes a series RLC forth between elements and, at a is shown in Fig. 4. The plotted graph and a parallel circuit with an Android shown in Fig. 5 is based on the in- application. Using this application, puts as shown in Fig. 1. you can plot the graph for capacitive reactance, inductive reactance, imped- ance, admittance, bandwidth, phase angle, inductive susceptance, capaci- tive susceptance, current and voltage. The application uses Achartengine version 1.1.0 graph library to simulate graphical output. Series RLC circuit In the series RLC circuit, the resistor (R), inductor (L) and capacitor (C) are connected in a series with an AC input supply. In the resistor, voltage Fig. 4: Ideal case of inductive reactance versus and current are in phase with input frequency plot AC supply; in the inductor, voltage leads the current by 90°; and in the Fig. 2: Example output of the series RLC circuit capacitor, voltage lags the current by in an Android app

Fig. 1: Example of the series RLC circuit in an Fig. 5: Inductive reactance versus frequency plot Android app Fig. 3: Series circuit output at resonance in Android

120 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com do-it-yourself

Inductive reactance (XL). In Fig. creases. For low frequency, capacitive 4, inductive reactance (XL) linearly reactance is high, and for high fre- increases as frequency increases. At quency, it is low. Capacitive reactance low frequency, inductive reactance is inversely proportional to frequency. is low and at high frequency, it is The capacitive reactance (XC) plot high. Inductive reactance is directly obtained from the Android app for the proportional to frequency. example is shown in Fig. 7. In Fig. 5, inductive reactance line- In Figs 7 and 8, capacitive reac- arly increases as frequency increases. tance XC decreases as frequency in- Also, where resonance frequency is creases. Where resonance frequency 649.7Hz, inductive reactance XL is is 649.74Hz, capacitive reactance XC 81.6 ohms. is 81.64 ohms. Capacitive reactance (XC). The Reactance (X). In Fig. 9, at reso- ideal case of capacitive reactance ver- nance frequency, inductive reactance sus frequency is shown in Fig. 6. In XL and capacitive reactance XC are this figure, capacitive reactance (XC) equal. In other words, XL and XC are gradually decreases as frequency in- equal and opposite, so these cancel each other out. Therefore reactance is absent in the RLC circuit at resonant

Fig. 6: Ideal case of capacitive reactance versus frequency

Fig. 8: Capacitive reactance versus frequency plot in Android after zoom in

Fig. 7: Capacitive reactance versus frequency plot in Android Fig. 9: Reactance versus frequency www.efymag.com Electronics For You | October 2015 121 do-it-yourself

Fig. 10: Reactance versus frequency plot Fig. 12: Impedance versus frequency plot Fig. 14: Current versus frequeny plot in Android in Android in Android

Fig. 11: Impedance versus frequency Fig. 13: Ideal case of current versus frequency Fig. 15: Ideal case of current versus frequency frequency and inductor and capacitor XC are 81.64 ohms. ally increases as frequency increases. now act as a short circuit. Impedance (Z). In Fig. 11, at When frequency approaches reso- Now, resistor is the only resis- resonance frequency, inductor and nance frequency, impedance Z of the tive element present in the circuit. capacitor reactance are equal to and circuit equals resistance R (Z=R), So impedance is equal to resistance opposite of each other. So these cancel because at resonance condition, the (Z=R). In the graph, below reso- each other out and resistor is the only inductor and capacitor act as a short nance frequency, capacitive reactance resistive element present; impedance circuit. So, only resistive element is is greater than inductive reactance is equal to the resistance (Z=R). present. Resistor is the only element (XC>XL). And, above resonance fre- In Figs 11 and 12, impedance that opposes the flow of current and quency, inductive reactance is greater gradually decreases as frequency ap- at resonance, current is calculated than capacitive reactance (XL>XC). proaches resonance frequency. Where using: Imax=V/R. In Fig. 10, the blue line indicates resonance frequency is 649.74Hz, In Fig. 14, current gradually in- the inductive reactance curve and the impedance is equal to resistor value creases as frequency increases. When white line indicates the capacitive R=4ohm. resonance frequency is 649.7Hz, cur- reactance curve. When resonance Series circuit current at reso- rent becomes maximum, Imax=2A. frequency is 649.79Hz, both XL and nance. In Fig. 13, current gradu- This is because, at resonance fre-

122 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com do-it-yourself

Fig. 19: Ideal case of angle versus frequency

Fig. 16: Current versus frequency plot Fig. 17: Current versus frequency plot in Android after zoom in efy Note The source code of this project is included in this month’s EFY DVD and is also available for free down- load at source.efymag.com quency, L and C act as a short circuit and only resistive element R is pre- sent. That is, Imax=V/R=8/4=2A. Bandwidth (BW). Bandwidth is based on current response. In Fig. 15, current gradually increases below resonance frequency and Fig. 20: Angle versus frequency plot at resonance frequency, current is maximum and equal to resistor cur- higher than the source voltage and VL rent, and above resonance frequency, and VC are in anti-phase and cancel current decreases. Below resonance each other out, resulting in a short frequency, frequency at which power circuit and supply current directly is half its maximum value (current is flowing through resistor R effectively. 1/√2 times of its maximum value), Phase angle. The angle be- and this frequency is called lower Fig. 18: Vl and VC versus frequency plot tween voltage and current is called cut-off frequency. phase angle. In Figs 19 and 20, at Above resonance frequency, fre- condition, current I=2A, which is resonance, the phase angle measures quency at which the power is half equal to resistor current IR=2A and zero. The phase angle is positive for its maximum value (current is 1/√2 lower cut-off frequency fL=634.02Hz inductive and negative for capacitive. times of its maximum value), and and the higher cut-off frequency In the concluding part, we will this frequency is called higher cut-off fH=665.85Hz. discuss the parallel RLC circuit. frequency. These two cut-off frequen- Bandwidth = higher cut-off To be continued next month cies are called half-power frequencies. frequency – lower cut-off frequency Bandwidth = higher cut-off (BW=665.85Hz -634.02=31.83Hz). K. Baskar is ME from J.J. College of Engineering, frequency – lower cut-off frequency Voltage at resonance frequency Tiruchirappalli. His interests (BW=fH – fL). (VL and VC). In Fig. 18, at resonance include space science, computer programming and In Figs 16 and 17, at resonance frequency, voltage across L and C is digital art

124 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com estyle: first look

LYCOS launches OLED TV from LG interactive smartring Dive into an illumination of unmatched colour Wrap the power of security and accessibility he curved OLED TV in 4K ultra-HD resolution from around your finger TLG presents a near-perfect image with the brightest whites and darkest blacks in any lighting style or quality. YCOS Life ring offers two key features: Per- It illuminates all colours to life with 33 mega colour pixels. Lsonal Security Manager that lets you log in The increased to apps and websites on your phone with just a number of tap, and wireless Tap2Transfer communication sub-pixels that lets you transfer messages, contact infor- amplifies the mation, location details and much more. picture quality The ring is water re- as well as the sistant up to 1m and 30 viewing expe- minutes under water. It col- rience. Each laborates with your smart- of the 8.3 mil- phone via LYCOS Life app, lion individual which is compatible with pixels consist Price: ` 384,900 Android 4.3 and up and of four colour near-field-communication- Price: ` 3500 pixels that bring white, red, green and blue together with enabled devices. more brightness and precise colour accuracy. At four times the resolution of full-HD 1080p, the images are enhanced with ultimate detail and clarity. This smartTV lets you navigate your favourite viewing Around-ear wireless content with Magic Remote. You can interact with your TV with an easy point, click, scroll or a voice command. It comes headphones by Bose with battery-free 3D glasses that convert a standard 2D movie For deep, immersive sound at any volume or show into a dynamic 3D display, while keeping the sharp- ness of the four-fold 4K resolution. he new SoundLink headphones from Bose Toffer a combination of TriPort technology and Active EQ that delivers crisp and powerful sound at any volume. The versatile headphones are designed to optimise phone calls, too. YU launches pocket printer An advanced microphone system with A portable printer that brings your favourite pictures HD voice and adaptive audio adjustment to life in seconds provides clear calls even in upix, the smart pocket windy or noisy Yprinter by YU, is smaller environments. than a tablet. It comes with These weigh an innovative cartridge that only 149.4 combines printer ink with grams, have a print sheets. The two-in- wireless range one cartridge is very easy of up to 9m and to replace; simply slide the give 15 hours cartridge unit in from the of play time on sides. The printer has a reso- three hours full lution of 291dpi, print time charge. of 60 seconds, is waterproof, Price: ` 6999 weighs 270 grams and offers a print size of 54mm×86mm, among other features. Price: ` 21,150

126 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com estyle: first look

GizMo Zebronics launches Zeb Juke Bar ByTes Upgrade your home cinema experience ring your movies and music to range. Equipped with 3-channel Delhi Police launches One Touch Blife with Zeb Juke Bar, which built-in amplifier, the speaker of- Away app comes with 49W RMS output along fers plenty of power, low distortion with a down-firing sub-woofer. and high-efficiency sound. The Delhi Police’s new app for Android phones makes it easier to get in touch with law The sub-woofer comes with 13cm large driver delivers solid low-ends enforcement officers. It has been designed drivers for low-frequency response and crisp highs, so you can play primarily to help people connect with and 8cm drivers for high-frequency audio in impressive detail from any concerned officials and report crimes response. The speaker is capable of phone, tablet or computer. using their phone. Its key feature is the reproducing sound in 40Hz-20kHz built-in directory that carries mobile phone numbers of all police officers including the traffic police. The app also serves as an umbrella app for the police’s existing websites such as Lost Report, Traffic app and Himmat app for women. Price: ` 5499 Ping by Flipkart adds social experience to online shopping Online marketplace Flipkart has launched Ping, a new in-app chat feature that lets users share product images and chat with each other while shopping. Using this feature, users can message friends using text, photos and emoticons. They can drag and drop products from Flipkart directly into a conversation, and share their screens with friends to browse together and make a purchase decision. HIT - Track the Bite app helps track mosquito infestation An initiative of Godrej Consumers Products Ltd, the app provides real-time tracking on mosquito infestation. It aims to Wireless flash drive from SanDisk aid in the prevention and control of vector- borne diseases such as dengue. Using this The flash drive for your phone, tablet and computer app, you can locate high-risk areas and also get tips on how to stay safe, report computer and mobile devices. It infestation in your area and alert friends lets you wirelessly access media or about infestation at their location. transfer large files, stream HD vid- eos and music, and save and share MobileFusion turns your phone photos and videos to and from mo- into a 3D scanner bile devices. The new app by Microsoft enables you With SanDisk Connect app in- to create 3D scans in seconds with your stalled on your mobile device, you Price: ` 5536 smartphone. It does not require any extra for 32GB variant can upload, download, save, share hardware or an Internet connection. and play all your stuff from a dis- Simply open the app, and point and shoot tance, to and from the device you using a standard smartphone camera. anDisk Connect Wireless Stick is want to use. It offers 16GB, 32GB, Sdesigned to work with both your 64GB or 128GB of storage. www.efymag.com Electronics For You | October 2015 127 estyle: BUYERS’ GUIDE How to Select the Right Tablet

ablets are slowly becoming popular, may be the ideal solution for you. The user as these have a lot more to offer in interface is accessible and very slick but Tterms of style and substance. Tablets it does not allow for much in the way of represent the biggest shift in the computing in- customisation. dustry. These are regarded as a replacement to Windows based tablets come closest to Chandramauli Mitra is an the traditional personal computers (PCs) and offering a traditional computing experience, electronics circuit and laptops. Desktops have not disappeared but like what you might find on a PC or laptop. chip design enthusiast have been replaced in popularity by laptops, Since Windows based tablets offer the use which, in turn, are now threatened by tablets. of full versions of software like Microsoft Tablets are typically more powerful than Office, it may be an ideal choice for official smartphones. Unlike desktops and many lap- work. Further, there are more than 200,000 tops, tablets are fast to start up and you can apps in Windows Store, designed to be be off and running in no time, wherever you touch-friendly. Windows offers support for are. These exhibit a strong battery life, which multiple user accounts and boasts a robust makes these ideal for work while on the set of parental controls. move. Unlike computers and laptops, tablets Storage. Tablets come with a wide are more intuitive and easy to use. range of storage from as little as 4GB up to A tablet selection is often influenced as 64GB. Many of the top-brand tablets come per the intent of use. Listed here are some of with a flash memory of 8GB, 16GB, 32GB the key features and their benefits identified or 64GB. Ideally, a tablet with 16GB of that will enable you to select the right tablet internal (flash) memory is suitable where according to your requirement. users need to surf only. However, if down- loading, storing data and more is required, Key features it is always recommended to opt for the Operating system. Broadly, the operating sys- largest memory-size tablet. tems (OS) that run a tablet can be classified Wi-Fi or 3G. If you intend to mainly into Android, iOS and Windows. Android and use your tablet at home and you already iOS (iPads) have dominated the tablet scene have broadband and a wireless router then in recent years, but Windows tablet category Wi-Fi might be all you need. Nowadays, is also showing growth. public places such as cafes, pubs, hotels Android OS developed by Google is found and airports provide free or paid Wi-Fi. on many tablets and mobile phones. Different Some tablets can also connect to the 3G versions are available and all have a version mobile network, allowing you to get online number and a dessert-themed name, for exam- pretty much anywhere, as you do with your ple, Android 3.0 Honeycomb, Android 4.3 Jelly mobile phone. Therefore opt for a Wi-Fi or Bean, Android 4.4 KitKat and the like. Bigger 3G based tablet, depending on where you A tablet computer, or a tablet, numbers indicate the latest version with more want to use it. is a mobile computer with a features than the previous one. Android has a Screens. Another important factor while touchscreen display, circuitry and battery in a single device robust apps-and-content marketplace called buying a tablet is its screen size. Tablet Google Play, which comes with a huge suite of screens vary in size with the majority start- services from Google including Google Now, ing from 17.8cm (7-inch) and going up to Hangouts, Gmail, Google Calendar, Google 35.6cm (14-inch). Maps and a lot more. Along with screen size, the resolution iOS is the OS for Apple tablets, namely, is another feature that is determined by the iPads. It is extremely easy and intuitive number of pixels that make up a screen. to use and gives you access to Ap- Higher the number of pixels, the more finer ple’s App Store. If you own details can be displayed and the sharper other Apple devices or enjoy the text appears. A resolution of 1280×720 services like iTunes, the iPad and above makes the text and images ap-

128 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com estyle: BUYERS’ GUIDE

SOME TABLETS AVAILABLE IN INDIA TM Samsung Tab 4 (10.1) Micromax Canvas Laptab iBall Slide i701 O Peripherals for Industrial Automation Analog Timers NEW

Battery Charger

Price ` 24,990 ` 14,999 ` 5199 Hooters with Flasher Features The new HD-quality screen Canvas Laptab from Micromax is a portable Loaded with latest fea- SMPS worth Galaxy Tab from Samsung is and lightweight design tablet. The fan-less tures, iBall Slide empow- looking suitably designed for better design ensures that the device can be car- ers you to explore a range at multimedia experience and ried anywhere with great ease. Blazing-fast of possibilities whenever, high-speed Web browsing. boot up and data transfer can be enjoyed wherever with just a gen- The dual speakers surrounding with 32GB of inbuilt flash memory. It also tle feather touch. The Relay Interface Modules the screen create a surround- provides an additional option of connecting a battery is claimed to last sound effect and make movie keyboard for effortless and accurate typing. up to 24 hours without a watching more realistic. recharge.

The prices mentioned here are from various e-commerce portals and are subject to change. SSR Interface Modules pear very sharp. So, if you intend to open multiple apps simultaneously, use your tablet for reading ebooks, a while conserving energy to sustain higher resolution is recommended to battery life for as long as possible. FRC/ D-SUB connector make the text appear sharp and easier Weight. Tablets are now slim and to read. lightweight, weighing around 500gm Applications. An application, or to 700gm, making these highly port- app, is a program that can perform able and comfortable to hold for long Opto Interface Modules specific tasks. This might be anything time periods. Diode/ Resistor Modules from office software, games, news, Battery life. Tablets are designed ebooks, magazines, maps, social for portability, so many of these have networking and much more. Tablets long battery lives, though this can Power Distribution Modules usually come with some pre-installed range quite considerably from just a Redundancy Modules apps and you can enhance the func- few hours to over ten hours. Watch- tionality of your tablet as per your ing videos and playing games over individual needs. long periods of time deplete battery Cameras. Unlike smartphones, pretty quickly. However, battery life some tablets have a rear-facing camera can be enhanced by switching off the Analog Signal and front-facing camera for capturing screen when not in use, turning off Converters images. Photos can be viewed and Wi-Fi or 3G when not required. Dedicated Controllers shared with ease. Tablets with a front- Today, there are scores of different TM facing camera enable you to make tablet models available from at least O Website: www.shavison.com video calls to friends and family over a dozen different manufacturers, and Email: [email protected] the Web, thanks to software like Skype. while all this choice is a good thing, SHAVISON ELECTRONICS PVT. LTD. Connectivity. Tablets with a Wi-Fi it can also make selecting the right Unit No. G-5 , B Wing , Udyog Bhavan No. 2 , Plot K-3 , Anand Nagar MIDC , Ambernath (E) 421 506 , MH , India. connection are great for browsing the tablet seem like an impossible un- TeleFax: +91-251-2620417/ 2620427 Cell: +91 98 203 62980 Web and downloading media. Some dertaking. Also, the retail and online Ahmedabad : Integrated -09825709665 Ankleshwar / Bharuch : Maharshi - 09879061845 Aurangabad : Chintamani Electricals - tablets also come with USB ports or market space is flooded with various 09850045468 Baroda : Omega Instrumentation - 09687513744 Banglore : Certitude Tech - 08861876624 Chennai : SD card readers, which you can use brands giving users more power to Shree Krishna Enterprises - 09840332195 Kochi : Alliance Automation - 09020480777 Coimbatore : Suriya - to transfer and share files with other select the tablets according to their 09843356059 Durg : Aditya - 09827111400 Hyderabad : devices. An HDMI port enables you own requirement. S.R. Control Systems - 09849483177 Indore - M.P : Suny Enterprises - 09425057450 Goa : RSM Automation - to use your tablet with your television Feature-rich to price-effective, 09049777744 Madurai : Jagan Industrial Traders - 09843062834 Mumbai : Lohar Chawl : A. Harilal - 09321085554 Mulund: as a games console or to watch HD almost all types of tablets are now Yogesh - 9322251679 Andheri : Kalpesh - 9322231500 content on a big screen. available in the market. Identifying N. Mumabi : Raiseon Automation - 8655837000 / 8655637000 Nasik : Nasa - 09422271456 Noida : Nelumbo - 09560311660 Processor. The processor is the en- the correct needs and applications Pune : Pendse Electrical - 09325093840 Source Point - 09762805471 Surat : Enicar Electricals - 09824115154 / gine that drives the tablet. Tablet pro- for which the tablet needs to be used 09924145654 Thane : VE Electricals - 09819646729 cessors are designed to allow you to will make buying simpler.  Vasai : Plaschem - 09371048482 Dealers enquiry solicited

www.efymag.com Electronics For You | October 2015 129 eStyle: diy Five Smartphones With 4G LTE Support efy bureau ndian telecom industry is rapidly expanding with the number of mobile phone connections going up every day. With Icompanies like Airtel, Reliance and Vodafone launching 4G services in India, many phone manufactures are taking strong interest in the technology. Listed below are five smartphones that support 4G LTE, to suit all pockets.

Price: ` 53,900 Price: ` 45,330 for 32GB variant for 16GB space Price: ` 24,999 grey variant on for 64GB variant www.amazon.com (www.amazon.com by invite only)

1. Galaxy Note5 by Samsung 2. iPhone 6 by Apple 3. OnePlus 2 by OnePlus  Android 5.1 operating system  A8 chip with 64‑bit architecture  OxygenOS based on Android 5.1 (OS)  M8 motion coprocessor  64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon  Curved back design that fits  11.9cm (4.7-inch) LED-backlit 810 processor with 1.8GHz in one hand widescreen multi-touch display  4GB/3GB LPDDR4 RAM  Advanced S Pen with Air with IPS technology; 1334 x 750  Fingerprint sensor, accelerome- Command increases efficiency pixel resolution at 326 ppi ter, gyroscope, proximity sensor  Screen Write feature allows  Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic and ambient light sensor you to capture content across coating  13.9cm (5.5-inch) display with multiple screens as one image  8MP rear camera and 1080p full-HD 1920 x 1080 pixel  Wired and wireless charging 1.2MP front camera resolution at 401 ppi options  Touch ID fingerprint identity  13MP rear camera and  4GB RAM sensor 5MP front camera  14.4cm (5.7-inch) display  Built-in rechargeable lithium‑ion  Dual-microphone with with quad HD 2560 x 1440 battery noise cancellation pixel resolution at 518 ppi  Three-axis gyro sensor, accelero-  16MP rear camera and meter, proximity sensor, ambient 5MP front camera light sensor and barometer

4. Mi4i by Xiaomi 5. YU Yureka Plus by YU  Android based MIUI OS  Android v5 Lollipop OS  Snapdragon 64-bit  Snapdragon 615 64-bit octa-core processor octa-core processor  2GB RAM  2500mAH lithium-ion  16GB/32GB flash memory battery  12.7cm (5-inch) display  2GB RAM with 1920 x 1080 pixel  16GB internal memory, resolution at 441 ppi expandable up to 32GB and IPS 178° wide-  13.9cm (5.5-inch) IPS viewing angle Price: ` 12,999 LCD capacitive touch-  13MP rear camera and for 16GB variant screen with 1920 x 1080 5MP front camera pixel resolution and 16M Price: ` 8999  3120mAh lithium-ion colour support polymer battery  Two micro-SIM slots

130 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com product categories index

advertisers’ product category index

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Automation & Robotics Components (Including Active & Passive) Optics & Optoelectronics Switches & Relays Allegro Micro ...... 15 Cirkit Electro Components P Ltd ...... 141 Binay Opto Electronics Pvt Ltd...... 16, 17 Electronics Relays (India) Pvt Ltd ...... 133 Eita Technologies ...... 144 Digi-Key Electronics ...... 3 Buljin Elemec Pvt Ltd ...... 143 RK Enterprises ...... 144 HARI HI Ohm Electronics...... 134 Element14 India Pvt Ltd...... 1 Pro Solutions...... 144 Infineon Technologies Asia Pacific Pte Ltd ...... 9 Gala Electronics ...... 45 Tektronix India Pvt Ltd...... 33, 47, 49, 150 Telecom Products MediaTek India Technology Pvt. Ltd...... 131 LWI Electronics Inc...... 23 Trade Corp...... 145 MediaTek India Technology Pvt Ltd...... 131 Microchip Technology Inc...... 71 Maruti Electronics (Mumbai) ...... 136 Nuvoton Technology Corp...... 73 Mouser Electronics (Hong Kong) Ltd ...... 7 PCBs, Assemblies & Sub Assemblies Test & Measurement Equipment (Including Rapid radio solution private limited ...... 145 Numato Systems Pvt Ltd ...... 138 Electronic Clique...... 143 Indicators & Monitors) Scientech Technologies Pvt Ltd ...... 21 Perfect Radios ...... 144 Sienna...... 17 Crown Electronic Systems ...... 143 ST Microelectronics Marketing Pvt. Ltd ...... 29 Renesas Electronics India Pvt Ltd...... 61 Techno Circuit Systems...... 145 Cyronics Instruments Pvt Ltd...... 121 Toradex Systems (India) Private Limited ...... 11 S.M Semiconductors ...... 145 FLIR Systems ...... 85 Toshiba India Pvt Ltd...... 19 SMD Electro Components...... 140 Plugs, Sockets & Connectors Good Will Instrument Co. Ltd ...... 148 Smec Electronics India Pvt Ltd ...... 132 Jai Mata Electronics...... 144 Keysight Technologies India Pvt Ltd...... 2, 5 Batteries & Power Supplies Punith Electronics...... 140 Meco Meters Pvt Ltd ...... 55, 57 Arham Electronics & Electricals Display Systems FCI OEN Connectors Ltd...... 43 NANJING GLARUN ATTEN Technology (Nimra Products) ...... 143 Electronic Assembly...... 123 Co. Ltd...... 77 BB Battery India Co. Pvt Ltd ...... 25 Reseller and Distributors NI Systems (India) Pvt Ltd...... 149 Digital Promoters (I) Pvt Ltd...... 143 Educational Training Kits Digi-Key Electronics ...... 3 Rohde & Schwarz ...... 67 Etekniks Technologies ...... 143 Future Chip Technologies ...... 144 Element14 India Pvt Ltd...... 1 Sahasra Electronics Pvt Ltd ...... 137 Evolute Solutions Pvt Ltd...... 133 Mepits Infotech Private Limited ...... 113 Gala Electronics...... 45 SIGLENT Technologies Co. Ltd...... 83 Exide Industries Ltd ...... 59 Industrial Agencies ...... 63 Mouser Electronics (Hong Kong) Ltd ...... 7 Tangent Test Technologies ...... 37 Kandhari Photo Electronics P Ltd ...... 144 Tektronix India Pvt Ltd...... 33, 47, 49, 150 National Controlling & Equipments ...... 145 Industrial & Manufacturing Equipment Sensors & Transducers NI Systems (India) Pvt Ltd...... 149 NECS Power Conditioners ...... 136 Inde Enterprises ...... 35 PIC GmbH...... 31 Nippon India ...... 141 Indus Robotics & Automation Research Training and Certification Institutes Proxim Asia Inc...... 140 Pvt Ltd...... 134 Services CADD Centre Training Services Pye Electro Systems ...... 145 Max Technology & Co...... 41 KMTS Engineering Pvt Ltd...... 145 Private Limited ...... 135 Sakthi Accumulators Private Ltd ...... 144 Shavison Electronics Pvt Ltd...... 129 Materials (Including Chemicals & Solar Products Transformers Srishti Electronics ...... 144 Consumables) Arham Electronics & Electricals GT Magnetics Pvt Ltd...... 138 HK Wentworth (India) Pvt Ltd...... 13 (Nimra Products) ...... 143 Jai Mata Electronics...... 144 Cabinets, Enclosures & Accessories Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Evolute Solutions Pvt Ltd...... 133 Meco Meters Pvt Ltd...... 53 S K Metal Works ...... 143 Agency...... 89 Mitramax Energy Private Limited...... 75 Shrey Plastic Moulders ...... 145 Progressive Engineers...... 138 Shreyansh Electronics ...... 143 Wires & Cables Universal Electronic Agencies ...... 141 Zenith Industrial Products...... 145 Systellar Innovations...... 132 Sagar Switch Gear ...... 139

EFY Magazine Attractions During 2015 Month Technology Focus Market Surveys Buyer’s Guide For Electronics Labs

January IoT & Big Data LED Lighting Programmable Power Supplies

February 3D Printing Coil Wound Components Handheld T&M Equipment for Field Engineers

March Wearables (Smart Humans) SMT Manufacturing Equipment Digital Multimeters

April 3G, 4G & Beyond: Latest in Telecom Industrial Inverters & UPSes for Corporate FPGA Based Development Boards

May Virtual Electronics (on Web) Telecom & Electronics 3D Printers (Under ` 100,000)

June Printed and Flexible Electronics Educational & Training Products Wi-Fi & RF Modules

July Smartcars Automotive Electronics Budget-Friendly Oscilloscopes

August Smarthomes PCB Industry in India: Suppliers & Manufacturers Development Boards (Microcontroller based)

September Medical Electronics Aerospace & Defence Electronics Soldering/Desoldering Stations

October Robotics & Automation (Smart Machines) Solar Electronics Latest Tools to Manage ESD for Your Lab

November Renewable Energy Industrial Automation Desktop PCB Manufacturing Equipment

December Smart Lighting LCD Display Components Programmable Power Source

146 October 2015 | Electronics For You www.efymag.com advertisers’ index advertisers’ index Client name Page No. Client name Page No. Client name Page No. Allegro Micro (www.allegromicro.com)...... 15 Industrial Agencies...... 63 Rapid Radio Solution Private Limited...... 145 Arham Electronics & Electricals (Nimra Products)...... 143 Infineon Technologies Asia Pacific Pte Ltd (www.infineon.com)...... 9 Renesas Electronics India Pvt. Ltd...... 61 BB Battery India Co. Pvt Ltd...... 25 Iotshow.in...... 142 RK Enterprises...... 144 Binay Opto Electronics Pvt Ltd (www.binayLED.com)...... 16, 17 Jai Mata Electronics...... 144 Rohde & Schwarz (www.rohde-schwarz.co.in)...... 67 Buljin Elemec Pvt Ltd (www.flexiblepcb.com)...... 143 Kandhari Photo Electronics P Ltd...... 144 S K Metal Works (www.skmetals.com)...... 143 CADD Centre Training Services Private Limited...... 135 Keysight Technologies India Pvt. Ltd. (www.keysight.com)...... 2, 5 S.M Semiconductors...... 145 CeBIT...... 64 Kits N Spares...... 109 Sagar Switch Gear...... 139 Cirkit Electro Components P Ltd...... 141 KMTS Engineering Pvt. Ltd...... 145 Sahasra Electronics Pvt Ltd (www.sahasraelectronics.com)...... 137 Crown Electronic Systems (www.crownelectronicsystems.com)...... 143 Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (www.kotra.or.kr)...... 89 Sakthi Accumulators Private Ltd...... 144 Cyronics Instruments Pvt. Ltd...... 121 LEDasia.in...... 69 Scientech Technologies Pvt Ltd (www.scientech.bz)...... 21 Design in India...... 132 LEDBazaar...... 125 Shavison Electronics Pvt. Ltd. (www.shavison.com)...... 129 Digi-Key Electronics (www.digikey.com)...... 3 LWI Electronics Inc. (www.livewireinfo.com)...... 23 Digital Promoters (I) Pvt Ltd...... 143 Maruti Electronics (Mumbai) (www.marutibuzzers.com)...... 136 Shrey Plastic Moulders (www.shreyplasticmoulders.com)...... 145 EFY Group: EFY Expo...... 111 Max Technology & Co. (www.maxtechnoloindia.com)...... 41 Shreyansh Electronics...... 143 EFY Group: Subscription...... 93 Meco Meters Pvt Ltd (www.mecoinst.com)...... 53, 55, 57 Sienna...... 17 Eita Technologies...... 144 MediaTek India Technology Pvt. Ltd,...... 131 SIGLENT Technologies Co. Ltd...... 83 Electronic Assembly (www.lcd-module.de)...... 123 Mepits infotech Private Limited...... 113 SMD Electro Components (www.smdelectro.com)...... 140 Electronic Clique (www.electronicclique.com)...... 143 Microchip Technology Inc. (www.microchip.com)...... 71 Smec Electronics India Pvt Ltd ...... 132 Electronics Relays(India) Pvt Ltd...... 133 Mitramax Energy Private Limited (www.mitramax.com)...... 75 Srishti Electronics (www.acedigital.co.in)...... 144 Electronics Rocks...... 136 Mouser Electronics (Hong Kong) Ltd ...... 7 ST Microelectronics Marketing Pvt. Ltd...... 29 Element14 India Pvt Ltd...... 1 NANJING GLARUN ATTEN Technology Co Ltd...... 77 Systellar Innovations (www.systellar.in)...... 132 Etekniks Technologies...... 143 National Controlling & Equipments...... 145 T&M India...... 134 Evolute Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (www.evolute.in)...... 133 NECS Power Conditioners...... 136 Taitronics...... 50, 51 Exide Industries Ltd (www.exide4u.com)...... 59 NI Systems (India) Pvt Ltd (www.ni.com)...... 149 Tangent Test Technologies...... 37 FCI OEN Connectors Ltd. (www.fci.com)...... 43 Nippon India (www.nipponindia.com)...... 141 Tech Center...... 147 FLIR Systems (www.flir.com)...... 85 Numato Systems Pvt Ltd...... 138 Techno Circuit Systems...... 145 Future Chip Technologies...... 144 Nuvoton Technology Corp...... 73 Tektronix India Pvt Ltd (www.tektronix.com)...... 33, 47, 49, 150 Gala Electronics (www.vegakitindia.com)...... 45 Perfect Radios...... 144 Times Internet...... 103 Good Will Instrument Co. Ltd (www.goodwill.com.tw)...... 148 PIC GmbH (www.pic-gmbh.com)...... 31 GT Magnetics Pvt. Ltd. (www.gtmagnetic.com)...... 138 Pro Solutions...... 144 TOI EFY Magazine...... 115 HARI HI Ohm Electronics...... 134 Productronica...... 97 Toradex Systems (India) Private Limited (www.toradex.com)...... 11 HK Wentworth (India) Pvt Ltd ...... 13 Progressive Engineers...... 138 Toshiba India Pvt Ltd...... 19 Inde Enterprises (www.indeonline.in)...... 35 Proxim Asia Inc...... 140 Trade Corp...... 145 India Electronics Week...... 105 Punith Electronics...... 140 Universal Electronic Agencies (www.easternradio.co.in)...... 141 Indus Robotics & Automation Research Pvt. Ltd...... 134 Pye Electro Systems...... 145 Zenith Industrial Products (www.zip-india.com)...... 145

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