盛暘科技

Sundance eNews - March 2010

Tue, 2 Mar 2010 17:47:00 +0800

Edition: March 2010

Application's corner

Software Defined RADAR

Software defined radar (SDR) platforms can adaptively switch between different modes of operation by modifying both transmit waveforms and receive signal-processing tasks in real time. Key components of such architectures are high-speed A/D and D/A modules along with FPGA devices and fast digital signal processors allow for maximum flexibility in algorithm design. The ElectroScience Laboratory has successfully designed a multicore and hyrid multiprocessor architecture allowing them to explore the performance of multi-channel radar modes such as multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar and polarimetric radar by analysing parallel coherent transmit and receive channels. The system is based on octal 1GHz C6416T DSP processors, Virtex-4 FPGA devices and multi-channel wide-band ADCs and DACs in order to obtain a 500MHz or greater waveform bandwidth with a tunable RF front-end operating from 1 to 18GHz.
More information

EVP6472: Multicore and Multiprocessor Evaluation Platform

Is Multicore a technological dead-end?

Multicore systems are defined as single-chip computers containing two or more processing cores each connected to a common shared memory. These devices and multicore-based architectures are announced as the ultimate solution to the performance problems faced by embedded systems. However, design engineers may feel reluctant to jump into this new technology since at this early stage the lack of efficient software programming methodology and tools is still present. In order to evaluated the multicore architecture, we have released the EVP6472 evaluation platform, which features two C6472 Multicore DSPs (each DSP has six C64x+ cores running at 500MHz), 512MB of DDR2 SDRAM, and a Virtex-5 FX30T FPGA with embedded PowerPC 440 core. It is bundled with a 60-day evaluation version of the 3L Diamond Multicore software design tool. Parallel processes and strategies will be then possible by designing simple processing components that communicate efficiently and program them using straightforward, sequential techniques based on communicating programs. The full version of 3L Diamond Multicore will be released from 2Q 2010. Contact your Sundance sales office for more information.

Spotlight: Success story from VTD

Characterizing Microwave Power Transistors

VTD have successfully launched SWAP-X402: an advanced instrument for the time domain load-pull characterization of microwave transistors (see: introduction to measurements for power transistor characterization). SWAP-X402 measures the time domain waveforms of voltages and currents at the transistor terminals under realistic operating conditions. The additional time domain data result in an unprecedented insight in transistor behaviour and are needed for validating large signal models, designing amplifiers, studying reliability... SWAP-X402 features a 4-channel sampler-based receiver capable of L band and S band time domain. One of the key component of SWAP-X402 is the Sundance high-speed, multi-channel data acquisition system with Virtex-5 FPGA accelerator guaranty VTD the performance they were looking for. VTD have now decided to commercialise their current and future test and measurement instruments based on the Sundance technology.

感測器將改寫人與機器間的溝通方式

Fri, 2 Oct 2009 02:39:04 +0800

自從iPhone與Wii的上市之後，傳統舊有的操作方式例如滑鼠等，完全被顛覆了。事實上，Sony更早就開始探索多點觸控式使用者介面，也就是類似 iPhone中所採用的多點觸控界面，但由於當時PC介面還是以滑鼠掛帥，因此Sony才會認為多點觸控技術距離可商用階段還言之過早。

然而iPhone 的上市，讓風光多時的滑鼠操作方式出現了變化，也開始帶動使用者介面的多樣化發展。簡單說，未來設備的使用者介面，將真實到令人覺得不是在操作機器，而是在跟機器打交道，甚至可以透過握手等方式來與機器交流。也因此，iPhone與Wii一推出就受到熱烈歡迎，其實是可預期的結果。

滑鼠於1964年發明之初，就像一塊方形的石頭。使用者認為滑鼠只是用於邏輯指令的輸入，不是用來與電腦交流情感，因此設計上非常冰冷。只是，人類的手指動作是非常靈活的，就連簡單一個click的動作，都可以透過力道的強弱來表達不同的反應，因此，未來的電子設備如果要將設備與使用者間的交流視為設計重點，就必須採用更人性化的使用者介面。

而使用者介面要做到能讓人與設備間直覺式地互動溝通，重點就在於感測器的使用，而對應人類五大重要感官的視覺、聽覺、觸覺、味覺和嗅覺感測則尤其重要。使用者介面的人性化與否，端視電子設備是否具備這些類似人類感官的感測器了。看看iPhone成功的例子，其實就是採用了相當於人類觸覺器官的壓力感測器。Sony等公司也開始在相機及手機的照相模組採用了被稱為「微笑快門」的感測器，主要用於分析鏡頭裡的人物面部資訊，當識別出人物面部是處於笑臉的狀態，快門就會自動按下。而Wii的Wii Fit中也使用了壓力感測器，站在該裝置上，便可透過不同的動作來控制遊戲。

雖然目前市面上所見電子產品中的感測器，都仍只是進行簡易的感測動作而已，但未來感測器確實將重新改寫人類與機器間的溝通方式。目前的電子產品仍然需要由人來配合機器。未來若能透過這些感測器來做指令的輸入，便可以讓機器來配合人類的動作，並達到人與機器間情感的分享與動作的配合。

醫療記錄電腦化奇異、IBM興趣高…

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 08:41:26 +0800

美國執政之民主黨與在野共和黨在歐巴馬政府列為重大施政計畫的醫療改革方案上屢起爭執，卻罕見地對推動醫療記錄電腦化有所共識。紐約時報周四報導，此一龐大商機，已引起戴爾、奇異(GE)、IBM及Verizon等科技業者搶攻興趣。

　數位時代來臨，將紙本醫療記錄數位化，多年來一直是關心醫療政策的美國議員諸公所努力的方向，從曾任紐約州參議員的美國前第一夫人希拉蕊到前眾議院發言人金瑞奇都支持此一目標。歐巴馬總統也有此主張，並且計畫動用振興經濟方案中的190億美元來鼓勵醫生與醫院使用電子醫療記錄。

　因此，儘管歐巴馬政府與國會仍在涵蓋廣泛的醫療改革立法上爭執不下，科技業卻已準備積極爭食醫療記錄電腦化商機大餅，包括奇異、IBM等科技大廠以及大型電信公司Verizon都將加入戰局。

　個人電腦製造商戴爾準備在周四宣布與全美多家醫院集團合作，提供他們的醫療人員將醫療記錄電腦化所需的硬體、軟體、諮詢服務與融資。

　不過，醫療記錄電腦化所需技術所費不貲且複雜，恐怕不是一般小型醫療機構所能負擔。專家認為，有必要開發出可傳送且易於使用的技術以降低花費與複雜性。速度較快的網絡、良好的無線連結與價格更低廉的平板個人電腦或小型桌上電腦，都有助降低轉換成數位病歷的難度。數家公司計畫在美國政府開始撥款補助前，對醫生提供過渡性融資來減輕其初期投資成本。

　紐約時報指出，IBM並不生產電子醫療記錄軟體，因而會與其他業者連手出擊；Verizon的焦點主要放在數據中心託管與數據分享技術上。

威瑞森無線與高通組合資企業開發無線通訊新戰場M2M產業

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:48:54 +0800

全美最大行動通訊商威瑞森無線 (Verizon Wirele ss) 與無線通訊技術研發企業高通 (Qualcomm Inc.﹔Q COM-US) 周二共同宣佈，組成一合資企業推展M2M (mac hine-to-machine，機器對機器) 的行動通訊業務，適用於廣泛產業類別。

M2M 無線通訊技術用於手機以外其他設備，例如斷路器、ATM 提款機或醫院設備，使其能夠持續接受監控及更新。由於手機通訊市場已逐漸飽和，因此無線通訊商正積極尋求其他營收成長來源，使得這項技術發展受到矚目。

即將接任該合資企業最高主管的高通全球智慧服務部門副總裁 Steve Pazol 指出，M2M 市場正急速成長，部分分析師預期至 2012 年全球連線數量將超越 8500 萬件。

該合資企業尚未命名，將由全美第 2 大通訊商威瑞森 (Verizon Communications Inc.﹔VZ-US) 與英國通訊巨頭沃達豐 (Vodafone Group PLC﹔VOD-UK) 合資成立的威瑞森無線，以及高通採等比方式共同持有。

高通將提供新公司的人力、技術平台及現有的軟體研發組合，來開發新的連線設備。而威瑞森無線則將提供客戶來源。Pazol 表示他將透過後者的頻道銷售新公司的服務及技術。高通的優勢在於其技術能讓 M2M 連線適用於全球多種無線通訊規格。

Rabbits, robots and remote surgery

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:50:27 +0800

Rabbits, robots and remote surgery - small Canadian firms offer tech that transforms healthcare
A report from IDC Canada highlights 10 small companies that provide amazing healthcare offerings. The products – from a Web portal that can help an 87-year-old manage his diabetes, to a robot that assists stroke victims in playing video games – promise improved efficiencies, better patient care, and decreased wait times.

Rabbits, robots and remote surgery - small Canadian firms offer tech that transforms healt...

Great ideas, wonderful products, but little money to bring them to market ... it's an age-old problem and currently one that confronts many small Canadian tech vendors with innovative offerings targeting the healthcare industry.

From a tech perspective, the Canadian healthcare sector is making great strides, quickly adopting systems that improve the efficiency of health workers and boost patient knowledge, a study from analyst firm IDC Canada in Toronto says.

The report profiles 10 Canadian healthcare product vendors deemed “worth watching.” On average, these small companies have about 25 employees.

Many of the products arm patients with the information and help they need to care for themselves.

Such self-care, besides benefiting the patient usually has a broader positive impact. It cuts wait times, and reduces costs, says Krista Napier, ICT innovation analyst at IDC, who authored the report.

“Until recently investment in ICT has been fairly modest” at Canadian healthcare locations, she says. “We see symptoms of that every day in doctor and nurse shortages, hospital infections, and the growing volume of patient data that's not being acted on.”

But the tide is turning, and that's evident from the tremendous advances made by healthcare outfits such as at Atlantic Health Sciences Corp.

Atlantic Health is the largest multi-facility hospital in New Brunswick. It has been working over the past four years with Saint John-based AnyWare Group (AWG) to develop a Web portal to help manage patients with chronic diseases in their own homes.

AWG is on Napier's top 10 “companies to watch” list.

The service provider's portal product connects patients with healthcare workers through a role-oriented access management infrastructure that keeps private data secure. It has been tested by the hospital on 70 diabetes patients who require remote care.

Patients communicate and track blood sugar levels, diet, activity level, and have the ability to ask questions directly to a healthcare worker through the portal, says Jill BartonMacPhee, administrative director of clinical programs at Atlantic Health.

“We have one 87-year-old patient who's been managed on the system for four weeks,” she says. “When he developed an ulcer on his leg, we told him to come in. But he says that he's 87 and he doesn't have to come in if he doesn't feel like it.”

So instead, the octogenarian diabetic e-mailed pictures of his ulcer to his nurse. The nurse coached him on a Web portal about how to care for it, and the ulcer healed without any complications.

Personal health monitoring systems

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:56:26 +0800

Personal health monitoring systems
Developments in semiconductor and transducer technology are making ambient energy harvesting a practical reality. An application of micro-power harvesting is wearable health monitoring systems such as blood pressure monitoring systems, EEG and ECG but the batteries needed to power such systems are either large ,providing a longer run time but making the system less user friendly, or small which make the system less autonomous. A source of energy harvesting is therefore required to power such systems.

Solar cells may not be efficient for these health monitors as most of the body sensing units are not directly exposed to sunlight. RF energy harvesting could provide a solution but the complexity reduces power efficiency. One of the most readily available sources of power for health monitoring systems is body heat as potentially over 100W of power in the form of waste heat is available to be harnessed from the human body. Thermoelectric sensors attached to the body are capable of generating electricity by sensing the difference between body and room temperature. An example is the wearable EEG system developed by IMEC.

This EEG monitor is a battery-free wireless 2-channel system powered by a hybrid power supply that uses body heat and ambient light. The hybrid power supply combines a thermoelectric generator that uses the heat released from a person's temples together with silicon photovoltaic cells. The entire system is wearable and integrated into a device resembling headphones. The system can provide more than 1mW on average indoors, which is more than adequate.

Thermoelectric generators using body heat typically show a drop in generated power when the ambient temperature is in range of the body temperature. When outside, the photovoltaic cells in the IMEC hybrid system counter this energy drop and ensure a continuous power generation. They also serve as part of the radiators for the thermoelectric generator, which are needed to obtain high efficiency. Each of the two radiators, on left and right sides of the head, has an external area of 4.8cm 2 that is made of high-efficiency Si photovoltaic cells. Thermally conductive comb-type structures (so-called thermal shunts) have been used to eliminate the thermal barrier between the skin and the thermopiles that is caused by the person's hair on the thermoelectric generator.

The benefits of energy harvesting for medical monitoring devices are a reduction in cost as self-powered wireless sensors do not require wires, conduits and are very easy to install. Maintenance costs are also reduced as energy harvesting allows for devices to function unattended and eliminates service visits to replace batteries. A great advantage is a reduction in size and weight of the equipment which would not have to house batteries.

Top Image: Wearable EEG monitor. Source: IMEC

For more attend: Energy Harvesting and Storage Europe 2009

Also read: Energy Harvesting and Storage for Electronic Devices 2009-2019

Body area networking standard attracts industry attention

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:50:22 +0800

Body area networking standard attracts industry attention
16 Jul 2009
Body Area Networks will use many forms of energy harvesting currently under development. The recent IEEE 802.15.6 Working Group (WG) meeting in Montreal, Canada drew significant interest from major industry players including Philips, General Electric (GE), Texas Instruments, Toumaz and Samsung. Over five days (May 11-15th), more than 40 proposals were presented, including four from Holst Centre's Program on Ultra-Low Power (ULP) Radios.

Amongst the industry presenters were the MedWiN Alliance (an industrial alliance jointly set up by GE, Philips, TI and Toumaz) and NICT, a research centre representing Japanese businesses. Several proposals were put forward by Samsung, and other major technology players including Motorola, Qualcomm and Fujitsu also presented.

Holst Centre's four proposals included a narrowband PHY for ISM band communications and a corresponding MAC proposal as well as an UWB PHY proposal, in part inspired by the recent IEEE 802.15.4a standard in which IMEC also played an active role. Finally a MAC proposal coupled to the UWB PHY was also proposed.

Olivier Rousseax, Business Development Manager ULP Radios, attended the meeting, "Typically there might only be a few proposals for a new standard. So the fact that more than 40 proposals were presented shows just how much attention this standard is attracting. With so many proposals and interested parties, the next challenge will be agreeing what goes into the final standard."

The scope of the IEEE 802.15.6 WG is to define a new standard for Wireless Body Area Networking (WBAN). This covers wireless networks operating at up to 3 m around, on and inside the body and supporting a mix of medical applications and multi-media / consumer applications. Holst Centre and IMEC have been closely involved in this standard from the initial study phase. They have helped determine the application scope and technical requirements, many of which are quite demanding - data rates from 10 kbits/s up to 10 Mbits/s, guaranteed quality of service (critical for biomedical applications) and very low power consumption.

From the initial discussions at the meeting, the general consensus was that the standard will need to support several PHY layers under one unifying MAC layer. One of the PHY layers may be for medical implants only. GE is currently lobbying the FCC to assign a dedicated frequency band for medical communications around the body. Next, ISM band and UWB PHYs are expected to be adopted by the group. The next meeting, being held from 13-17 July in San Fransisco, will start the merger activity where members decide on which proposals to include in the final standard.

Source: Holst Centre

Top Image: Holst Centre

For more attend: Energy Harvesting & Storage USA 2009

Also read: Energy Harvesting and Storage for Electronic Devices 2009-2019

Multiple energy harvesting

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:46:39 +0800

Multiple energy harvesting

24 Jul 2009
Jennic Ltd of Sheffield, UK, a manufacturer of innovative 32-bit wireless microcontrollers and modules, has announced a demonstration platform that successfully harvests thermal, solar, radio frequency (RF) and vibrational energy, to power wireless sensor networks based on the IEEE802.15.4 standard such as ZigBee PRO and 6LoWPAN.

The platform demonstrates how wireless sensor networks based on the IEEE802.15.4 standard can eliminate the potential maintenance overheads of conventional battery power by harvesting energy from sustainable sources.

Jennic has partnered with key technology vendors in the field of energy harvesting: Micropelt GmbH, a leader in thermogeneration, converting temperature gradients into electrical energy; Cymbet, an expert in energy storage and solar power conversion; AdaptivEnergy, for harvesting mechanical energy, such as impulse, shock, vibration and footfall, using piezo-based DC power supplies and Powercast, for RF energy harvesting.

By working closely with the chosen partners, Jennic has developed an ultra low power sensor solution based on the JN5139 and JN5148 wireless microcontrollers, that interfaces to each harvesting source to obtain the power needed to make periodic sensor measurements and transmission of the same over the wireless network to a central controller.

Jennic's wireless microcontrollers offer exceptionally low-current operation, and with advanced software based monitoring and control of the energy source, they are able to achieve the extreme efficiency demanded by systems powered by sustainable energy sources.

Jimi Simpson, Jennic Product Marketing, explained, "Harvesting energy from sustainable sources presents designers with the ultimate power challenge: the energy supplied is not necessarily continuous and is available at relatively low levels. This means that every element of the design, from the sensor to the microcontroller, must be considered and managed to achieve the highest levels of power efficiency."

The 32-bit RISC processor in Jennic's wireless microcontrollers provided the processing capability to implement a software-controlled charge-and-fire energy management process, in which the microcontroller periodically wakes to measure energy levels, and then measures and transmits data when sufficient energy is available.

"The JN5148 wireless microcontroller undoubtedly sets the benchmark for ultra-low power IEEE802.15.4 based wireless in energy harvesting; featuring sleep current levels of <1μA, an active transmission current of 15mA and a receive current of 18mA. This ultra-low current consumption enables the JN5148 to utilise the smallest of energy stores including super capacitors and rechargeable cells, to allow for the lowest cost BOM to be realised."

The range of energy harvesting technologies demonstrated in the solution caters for the diverse spectrum of application scenarios found in wireless sensor networking; including applications in Energy and Environmental Management, Building Management, Process Control, Condition Monitoring, Logistics and Asset Tracking.

Source: Jennic Ltd
Top Image Jennic Ltd

For more attend: Energy Harvesting & Storage USA 2009
Also read: Energy Harvesting and Storage for Electronic Devices 2009-2019

ZigBee聯盟公布新型ZigBee Green Power功能套件

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:19:32 +0800

能源管理、商業以及消費應用創造無線解決方案的全球性企業聯盟ZigBee聯盟宣布開發ZigBee Green Power功能套件，從而為通過能量收集（energy harvesting）技術運行的自供電設備確立一種全球性標準化的技術。這些設備將與現有的ZigBee和ZigBee PRO網絡進行完美無缺的通信，將使環境友好型的免維護產品成為可能，動力控制設備不再需要電線和電池。

ZigBee Green Power使新的功能可用於ZigBee和ZigBee PRO網絡。等到2009年年底ZigBee Green Power標準面向聯盟會員推出的時候，將只有ZigBee利用收集的能源在住宅、商業和工業環境中配置開關、傳感器和控制器，提供一個已經建成且具有競爭力的市場。其能源收集能力將使製造商在設計創新型ZigBee產品和解決方案時擁有更大的靈活性。由於ZigBee Green Power將與ZigBee和ZigBee PRO網絡完美無缺協作，所以它將享有ZigBee的眾多優勢，其中包括：

常用的無線電—採用眾多供應商都採用的IEEE 802.15.4標準無線電

2.4GHz頻段－提供簡單的全球性操作，而不是特定國家的無線電頻率（射頻，RF）

避免干擾－在有雜音的RF環境下的可靠表現得到證明

強大的網狀聯網能力－使網絡安裝和維護變容易，並且具有較大覆蓋面和突出的可靠性

安全－充分利用ZigBee可靠的安全套件

認證－ZigBee產品無偏見的獨立認證

開放式標準－強大而又具有成本效益的環境，而不是單一廠商的解決方案

施耐德電氣（Schneider Electric）技術創新副總裁Frederic Vaillant表示：「ZigBee標準的這種改進顯示了這樣一個充滿生機的企業聯盟如何能?市場帶來創新。把能收集能源的裝置完美無缺地連接到標準的ZigBee網絡，為我們的客戶提供免維護、甚至是更有環境意識的解決方案。

ZigBee聯盟主席Bob Heile說：「ZigBee Green Power針對可以利用收集的能源之控制和傳感產品，為全球帶來了真正的標準。這些免維護的設備一旦被添加到已使企業、家庭和工業環境實現自動化並對其進行監控的廣泛ZigBee網絡中，將大大拓展您的靈活性。

這次為ZigBee系列增添的ZigBee Green Power顯著拓展了製造商可用的選擇範圍，並且拓展了已經十分重要的ZigBee的能力，而ZigBee因在易安裝、易使用的單一網絡配置無線自動化設備所位居的全球性標準領導地位，從而獲得進一步的鞏固。這些網絡提供卓越的抗干擾能力和功能性，可以托管數千個設備。ZigBee設備的功耗要求超低，如今已可憑藉常用的電池運行多年，排除了向電源配線的必要性，並且提供了無與倫比的維護便利性和安裝靈活性。

R-Interface and Innovative are offering complete narrowband and wideband SDR rec

Thu, 9 Jul 2009 22:48:42 +0800

The X5 receivers includes FPGA based hardware platform with high performance ADC/ DACs, high data rate PCI Express XMC connection over the PC and high performance reconfigurable DDC cores. From 4 up to 4K channels with sampling rate up to 400 MSPS and over 90 dB dynamic range. The 4, 8,16, and 32 channel DDC cores are more flexible and adaptable than the higher channel density cores, providing independently programmable features for tuning, decimation, filtering and gain control making these products ideal for multi-protocol applications. The 256 channel tunable channelizer and 4096 equi-space channel cores provide a very high number of channels for cellular test equipment, surveillance, radar, medical and satellite communications applications.

Main features:

dual channel 400 MSPS digitizers

digitizing rates from 250 MSPS up to 3 GSPS

Multichannel DDC ( 4 up to 32 Channels)

Equispaced Channeliser ( up to 4K channels)

Burst detect and catcher

Xilinx Virtex 5 SX95T with 512MB of memory

Demodulator libraries implemented on PC

Demo system available!

Call us: 02-8792-1998