Electronica unveils advances in electronic components

With over 70,000 visitors and over 2,100 exhibitors, the electronica 2022 trade fair unveiled some of the most innovative electronic components. This year’s focus was “driving sustainable progress,” with the electronics industry playing a critical role in the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) and a reduction in carbon emissions.

The trade fair included an Automotive Conference, an Embedded Platforms Conference, and the Wireless Congress 2022. The Automotive Conference focused on vehicles becoming more intelligent IoT devices. In addition to discussions around supply chain challenges, electronics manufacturers covered new E/E architectures, intelligent interiors, CO₂ neutrality, and efficient drivetrains.

The Embedded Platforms Conference featured three parallel tracks, focused on topics like power electronics and supply, artificial intelligence and sensors, and communication and software. The Wireless Congress 2022: Systems & Applications spotlighted the latest developments and applications of wireless technology.

Here is a small sampling of electronic components announced at this year’s show. Many of them target automotive, industrial automation, and communications applications in line with the trade fair’s key areas of coverage.

Automotive

Aimed at evolving automotive safety requirements, Infineon Technologies introduced the RASIC CTRX8181 radar MMIC. This product is the first in a series of new 76- to 81-GHz radar MMICs based on 28-nm CMOS technology.

The CTRX8181 transceiver delivers a scalable platform approach for different sensors, including corner, front, and short-range. A new feature is an in-chip digital phase-locked loop that allows for faster ramps for better range resolution and ultra-fast flyback times, improved by a factor of 4 over existing solutions, according to Infineon. The feature reduces power consumption and provides the accurate speed information required to separate objects at similar speeds.

Infineon claims that the CTRX8181 transceiver will increase the standard module range up to 25% (from 250 to more than 300 meters) and its high RF-channel count enables 33% higher vertical or angular resolution. Other features include improved signal-to-noise ratio and linearity to provide high system-level performance and resilience, ease of use, and flexibility for new software-defined–vehicle architectures. It also offers a scalable platform approach for different sensors, including corner, front and short-range.

NXP has beefed up its EV portfolio with two major announcements: a new series of MCUs for EV traction inverter control and an AI-powered battery digital twin for EVs.

Packing lots of flexible features for EV control, NXP Semiconductors has unveiled its new S32K39 series of automotive microcontrollers (MCUs) optimized for EV traction inverter control applications. These MCUs address new EV requirements for networking, security, and functional safety as well as the industry’s move to zonal vehicle E/E architectures and software-defined vehicles.

The S32K39 series is designed for modern electrification applications, addressing several EV trends, ranging from new architectures, scalability, and functional safety to range anxiety, cost, and efficiency. The new MCUs can meet requirements for software-defined vehicles and zonal architectures with support for hardware isolation, time-sensitive networking (TSN), and advanced cryptography.

The MCUs support insulated-gate bipolar transistors, as well as silicon carbide and gallium nitride technologies. They also feature dual 200-kHz control loops to improve power efficiency, enabling smaller, lighter, more efficient inverters for a longer driving range. In addition to three-phase motors, they can also control six-phase motors with increased power density and fault tolerance. They support up to four motors.

The S32K39 incorporates an ASIL D software resolver, along with integrated sine-wave generation and sigma delta converters, which eliminate external components for overall cost reduction. The series also supports remote smart actuation applications using TSN Ethernet for zonal vehicle architectures.

Key features of the S32K39 family include four Arm Cortex-M7 cores at 320 MHz configured as a lockstep pair and two split-lock cores, up to 6 MB of flash memory and 800 KB of SRAM, and an integrated DSP for flexible digital filtering and machine-learning algorithms. It also features two motor control coprocessors and the company’s new NanoEdge high-resolution pulse-width modulation for precision control. The S32K39 also incorporates a hardware security engine for trusted boot, security services, and secure over-the-air updates using public key infrastructure and key management.

NXP also announced an AI-powered, cloud-connected EV solution that uses its S32K3-based high-voltage battery management system (BMS) and S32G GoldBox reference design for vehicle networking, along with Electra Vehicles Inc.’s EVE-Ai 360 Adaptive Controls. The new solution connects the BMS to the cloud to leverage an AI-powered battery digital twin that is expected to improve EV battery range, efficiency, safety, and lifetime.

The use of AI-powered digital-twin models in the cloud enables improved prediction and control of the physical BMS in real time, said NXP, improving battery performance and battery state of health by up to 12%, while enabling potential new applications like EV fleet management.

The technology has the potential to offer a number of benefits, according to NXP. These include adaptive battery control to improve the battery’s performance and extend its lifetime and driver insights like range and speed recommendations. Another potential application is providing fleets with usage insights, such as vehicle charging times and battery predictive diagnostics.

Onsemi demoed many of its latest products at electronica. Applications include automotive factory automation, energy infrastructure, and EV charging. One of those products includes its innovative top-side cooling MOSFETs for motor control and DC/DC conversion applications.

Onsemi’s new MOSFET devices with top-side cooling is designed for challenging automotive applications, such as motor control and DC/DC conversion. Housed in a TCPAK57 package measuring 5 × 7 mm, the new Top Cool devices feature a 16.5-mm² thermal pad on the top side. The company said this allows heat to be dissipated directly into a heat sink rather than via a typical printed-circuit board (PCB), enabling a simplified thermal design. In addition, by using both sides of the PCB and decreasing the amount of heat going into it, the TCPAK57 provides increased power density and higher reliability to help extend the system lifetime.

Key specs include R_DS(on) values as low as 1 mΩ and a low gate charge of 65 nC, which reduce losses in high-speed switching applications, said onsemi.

The TCPAK57 initial portfolio includes 40 V, 60 V, and 80 V. All devices are capable of operating at junction temperatures of 175˚C and are AEC-Q101–qualified and PPAP-capable. Target applications are high-/medium-power motor controls like electric power steering and oil pumps.

Renesas Electronics Corp. has entered the automotive radar market with the introduction of a 4 × 4-channel, 76- to 81-GHz transceiver designed to meet the requirements of advanced driver-assistance systems and Level 3 and higher autonomous-driving applications. The company will incorporate the new RAA270205 high-definition radar transceivers into its sensor fusion portfolio, which combines radar, vision systems, and other sensing modalities.

The RAA270205 is designed in cooperation with Steradian Semiconductors Private Limited, which Renesas acquired earlier this year. The new transceiver MMIC is suited for imaging radar, long-range forward-looking radar, and 4D radar but can also be used for corner and central-processing radar architectures.

The RAA270205 with 4Tx and 4Rx channels supports up to 16 multiple-input, multiple-output channels and can be cascaded to enable higher channel count and better radar resolution. The transceiver is housed in a small, embedded wafer-level ball-grid–array package, measuring 7.6 × 5.6 mm. It will be fully compliant with automotive industry requirements like IATF 16949, AEC-Q100 Grade2, and ASIL B.

Key features include high accuracy with up to 5 GHz of bandwidth, and a 112.5-MSPS analog-to-digital–converter sampling rate that is nearly 3× faster than competing devices, according to Renesas. The radar transceiver also offers power consumption of 1.2 W, which is 50% lower than comparable transceivers; a noise figure of 9 dB, which is 3 dB less than other radar transceivers; and a chirp rate of up to 300 MHz/µs, which improves radar resolution and object detection, said the company.

Automotive and industrial

Designed for a mix of mobility and industrial applications, EPC has launched the first device in its new generation of eGaN power FETs and ICs that double the power density compared with the previous generation of products. The 80-V EPC2619 GaN power FETs target a range of motor drive applications. These include 28- to 48-V conversion for e-bikes, e-scooters and power tools; high-density DC/DC converters; solar optimizers; and synchronous rectification converting 12 V to 20 V for chargers, adaptors, and TV power supplies.

The EPC2619 eGaN power transistor delivers an R_DS(on) of 4 mΩ in a 1.5 × 2.5-mm footprint. The maximum R_DS(on) × area of the device is 15 mΩ·mm², which is 5× smaller than 80-V silicon MOSFETs, said the company.

“The typical R_DS(on) × Q_GD, which is indicative of power losses in hard-switching applications, is 10× better than 80-V silicon MOSFETs,” said EPC, which “enables switching frequencies that are 10× higher than silicon MOSFETs and without an efficiency penalty.” This translates into higher power density, which makes the EPC2619 suited for high-frequency hard-switching 24- to 48-V applications, such as buck, buck-boost, and boost converters, added the company.

In addition, the typical R_DS(on) × Q_OSS, indicative of power losses in soft-switching applications, is 87 mΩ·nC, 2× better than 80-V silicon MOSFETs, said EPC. This makes the EPC2619 suited for soft-switching applications, such as the primary rectification full bridge for LLC-based DCX DC/DC converters. EPC also offers the EPC90153 development board, which is a half-bridge design with 80-V maximum device voltage and 30-A maximum output current.

Addressing both automotive and industrial applications, Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Limited (AOS) announced its new automotive-qualified 650-V and 750-V SiC MOSFET platform for both industrial and automotive applications. The 650-V SiC MOSFETs target switching solutions for industrial applications like solar inverters, motor drives, industrial power supplies, and new energy storage systems, while the AEC-Q101–qualified 750-V SiC MOSFET line can be used in high-reliability EV systems like the on-board charger and the main traction inverter.

The AOM015V75X2Q 750V aSiC MOSFET expands on the existing second-generation 1,200-V aSiC MOSFET and diode products with a low R_DS(on) down to 15 mW in a standard TO-247-4L package while maintaining a recommended 15-V gate-drive voltage for compatibility with a broad range of gate-driver solutions. These devices offer ultra-fast switching speeds that are fully controllable with an external gate resistor.

AOS claims a breakthrough performance increase in short-circuit withstand time (SCWT) for planar SiC MOSFETs. A longer SCWT can improve the system’s ruggedness, but to achieve an increase, it is typically necessary to significantly increase the die size of the product, said the company. AOS said the 750-V MOSFETs have maintained a similar or lower R_ON × A with a greater than 40% increase in SCWT when compared with similarly sized competitive products.

Another double-duty device that targets both EV and industrial applications comes from Skyworks Solutions Inc. The company has introduced an isolated gate-driver reference design that operates with Wolfspeed’s SiC FET power modules. With the growing adoption of SiC for power-conversion and inverter applications due to the need for greater range, faster charging, and more efficient propulsion for EVs, there is an increasing need for gate drivers that are optimized for SiC FETs, said the company. The new Si828x gate-driver board (GDB) kit is said to simplify design and enable increased integration for automotive applications.

The Si828x GDB kit is designed to keep high-voltage/high-current SiC modules from overload and circuit damage. Delivering a complete high-power reference design, it comes with extensive pre-testing with supporting documentation of Skyworks isolated gate drivers and Wolfspeed’s SiC FETs. Target applications include fast-charging and power-conversion applications, EV drivetrains, and drive motors and uninterruptible power supplies for industrial environments.

Skyworks has also partnered with MediaTek to offer a complete modem-to-antenna automotive-grade 5G solution. The 5G New Radio Sky5A RF front-end solution is designed to deliver seamless integration with automotive communications systems. It supports 3GPP R15 and R16 standards, bandwidth exceeding 100 MHz, flexible antenna architectures, regional optimization, aux ports to support the addition of future bands, and full automotive-grade reliability qualification.

TDK Corp. announced product line expansions for its SmartAutomotive and SmartIndustrial sensor portfolios. These include a three-axis MotionTracking sensor platform for non-safety automotive applications and six-axis IMUs for navigation applications.

Expanding its SmartAutomotive line of ASIL and non-ASIL motion sensors, TDK has introduced the InvenSense IAM-20380HT high-temperature three-axis MotionTracking sensor platform solution for non-safety automotive applications. The platform includes the IAM-20380HT three-axis MEMS gyroscope and the DK-20380HT developer kit.

The IAM-20380HT is a standalone gyroscope that is housed in a thin, 3 × 3 × 0.75-mm (16-pin LGA) package. The gyroscope can operate over a wide temperature range of –40˚C to 105˚C and delivers high-accuracy measurement data for a variety of non-safety automotive applications, including navigation and dead-reckoning, vehicle tracking, telematics, door control, and vision systems. It extends the FIFO depth up to 4,096 bytes compared with the previous-generation three-axis gyros.

Key features include on-chip 16-bit ADCs, a programmable full-scale range of ±250 dps, ±500 dps, ±1,000 dps, and ±2,000 dps; programmable digital filters, an embedded temperature sensor, two programmable interrupts, and I²C and SPI serial interfaces. The devices are reliability-tested according to AEC-Q100 Grade 2.

For industrial applications, TDK expanded its SmartIndustrial line of motion sensors with the launch of the InvenSense IIM-46234 and IIM-46230 fault-tolerant inertial measurement units (IMUs). These IMUs target navigation applications that require accurate, stable, and best-in-class bias instability at an affordable price, said the company.

The IIM-46234 and IIM-46230 modules include multiple six-axis sensors, each of which can measure three dimensions of linear acceleration and three dimensions of rotational rate. These industrial IMUs offer 1.9-deg/hr gyroscope bias instability, fault tolerance, and microsecond-accurate time-stamping features. They provide low offset and sensitivity variation over temperature.

The new devices integrate TDK’s unique SensorFT feature for fault tolerance that combines the multi-IMU hardware design with TDK’s proprietary fault detection and recovery software, which provides built-in redundancy and early-warning capabilities. They offer factory calibration across the full operating temperature range of –40˚C to 85˚C for offset, sensitivity (scale factor), G-sensitivity, and cross-axis sensitivity.

Industrial

Analog Devices Inc. has claimed the first long-reach, single-pair power over Ethernet (SPoE) power-sourcing equipment (PSE) and power device (PD) solutions for smart buildings, factory automation, and other applications at the edge of traditional networks. The new solution delivers last-mile connectivity for factory and building automation with real-time power management, telemetry, extremely low standby power consumption, and ease of installation.

The new SPoE solutions, the LTC4296-1 and LTC9111, address the challenges of providing power and data to devices, even in difficult-to-access endpoint locations. They allow endpoint applications to be powered and accessed across the network and used to assess local factors like asset health, environmental conditions, and security metrics, said the company. When combined with the ADI Chronous ADIN1100 and ADIN1110 10BASE-T1L industrial Ethernet solutions, they enable the transfer of both power and data over 1 km.

 Infineon has expanded its PSoC 4 portfolio of MCUs with the new PSoC 4100S Max family. Featuring Infineon’s fifth-generation CAPSENSE capacitive sensing technology, the PSoC 4 MCUs deliver higher performance for human-machine interface (HMI) applications. It offers expanded flash memory and general-purpose inputs/outputs (GPIOs) for HMI applications to support the fifth-generation CAPSENSE touch sensors. Target applications include industrial control, home automation, and large home appliances, including robotics, inductive sensors, washing machines, refrigerators, air conditioners, smart thermostats, and printers.

The PSoC 4100S Max, housed in 7 × 7-mm² and 14 × 14-mm² packages, incorporates a 32-bit MCU subsystem with a 48-MHz Arm Cortex-M0+ CPU with a DMA controller, up to 384K flash memory (largest PSoC 4 flash memory in its class), and a cryptographic accelerator. Other key features include up to 84 GPIOs, CAN-FD, and high-speed, long-range wired communication, as well as I²S master for fully embedded audio solutions. It also includes dual fifth-generation CAPSENSE blocks for differentiated HMI and touch-sensing solutions.

NXP has launched a new analog front-end family (N-AFE) that brings higher-precision data acquisition and condition monitoring to factory automation. The N-AFE family enables the software-defined factory, making it easier to configure a smart factory and adjust settings based on evolving market conditions.

Key features of the new family include software-configurable voltage, current, or temperature modes with up to eight software-configurable universal analog input channels, built-in self-test to predict faults and avoid catastrophic failure, and self-calibration. It also offers a 2× system accuracy improvement and 2× faster data acquisition.

Onsemi has developed a new dual-inductive rotary position sensor that delivers high accuracy and high speed thanks to the company’s new design approach. This makes the NCS32100 inductive sensor well suited to industrial and robotic applications in which fast-moving robotics and machinery are deployed, said the company.

Historically inductive encoders have been limited to applications that do not require high accuracy and operate with low rotational speed, said onsemi. With the new design approach, the new sensor delivers the accuracy and speed typically associated with mid- to high-end optical encoders.

Providing velocity, temperature, and backup battery measurements, the key specs for the NCS32100 include a supply voltage range of 2.75–5.5 V, full-operation current consumption of 80 mA, and low-power battery-mode consumption of 2 mA. It also offers an integrated calibration routine to account for mechanical misalignment in the sensor.

The plug-and-play NCS32100 includes an integrated MCU with nonvolatile flash memory (NVM) and a configurable interface for communication with the host processor. The device’s high integration can reduce design time and the number of external components needed, translating into a faster time to market and smaller design, said the company. Reference designs and evaluation boards are available to help with design.

Communications, networking, and data centers

Flex Power Modules has launched a new 8:1 ratio, 400-W intermediate bus converter with high efficiency and power density. The BMR320 is non-isolated and unregulated and produces 5- to 7.5-VDC output from a 40- to 60-VDC input, making it suited for powering point-of-load converters at lower intermediate bus voltages to optimize system efficiency.

The device, measuring 27 × 18 × 6.4 mm, is rated at 400 W/60 A at 54-V input (80-A max output), and achieves a power density of 128 W/cm³ (2,126 W/in.³). With efficiency peaking at 97.7%, up to three units can be paralleled for a total load of 1,080 W. The parts are designed for top-side cooling to a heat sink with airflow or for liquid cooling via a thermal block. It also provides a relatively flat design on the top side of the converter for easy connection via a thermal interface material like a gap pad, said the company.

Protection features include output current limit and overvoltage, along with overtemperature and input undervoltage. It also features a PMBus interface for monitoring and control. The part is supported by the Flex Power Designer Tool.

Infineon addressed the challenges of AI in high-performance computing (HPC) data centers that require high reliability and availability with the launch of its first device in its intelligent hot-swap controller and protection IC family. The XDP XDP710 digital controller, available in a 29-lead (6 × 6 mm²) VQFN package, offers a 5.5-V to 80-V input voltage range with transients up to 100 V for 500 ms.

The hot-swap and system-monitoring controller IC consists of three functional blocks. These include a high-precision telemetry and digital safe operating area (SOA) control block, optimized to meet Infineon’s power MOSFET characteristics; a system resources and management block; and an integrated gate driver and charge pump block for N-channel power MOSFETs like the OptiMOS and StrongIRFET families.

Jauch Quartz announced new frequency control devices for 5G applications, touting ultra-tight frequency stability. The company unveiled a new range of precision temperature-compensated crystal oscillators (TCXOs) and a voltage-controlled option (VCTCXO). The new devices offer a tight frequency stability of ±50 parts per billion (ppb) and a wide operating temperature range from –40˚C to 105˚C. The products are available in three standard surface-mount packages: 7.0 × 5.0, 5.0 × 3.2, and 3.2 × 2.5 mm.

The JTP75HC(V) and JTP53HC(V) provide an HCMOS output with a 3.3-V current supply and a maximum current consumption of 10 mA. The JTP32CS(V) supplies a clipped sine-wave output, a voltage range from 1.8 to 3.3 V, and a maximum current consumption of 3 mA. A wide range of frequencies are available, including 10.00 MHz, 19.20 MHz, 20.00 MHz, 25.00 MHz, 38.88 MHz, 40.00 MHz, and 50.00 MHz.

Targeting new space applications, Q-Tech Corp. unveiled its QT2020 Series of microcomputer-compensated crystal oscillators (MCXOs) that are said to deliver better size, weight, and power (SWaP) over comparable OCXOs. These new devices provide exceptional temperature stability of up to ±20 ppb over the temperature range of –40˚C to 85˚C, while consuming a maximum of 90 mW. The QT2020 small-form–factor package weighs 50 g, compared with OCXOs weighing 100 g or more, said the company.

The MCXOs are radiation-tolerant to 50 krads and offer high shock and vibration tolerance with G-sensitivity of 1 ppb/g. They are available from 5 MHz to 80 MHz with standard frequencies of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 80 MHz, with either CMOS or sine-wave logic outputs with low phase noise and jitter.

The MCXOs use high-stability overtone SC-cut crystal with microprocessor-controlled compensation. The self-temperature–sensing resonator, using a dual-mode oscillator, virtually eliminates thermometry-related errors, said the company, which overcome or reduce all basic TCXO and OCXO limitations.

Raltron has claimed the smallest SMD oven-controlled crystal oscillator (OCXO) in the market, aimed at wireless, fiber, and cloud-computing applications. The OX7000 series, measuring 9 × 7 mm, is said to provide “superior” temperature stability in an ultra-small package. It can be used in a range of 5G wireless infrastructure, network interface cards, transmission, and base station applications, as well as precision instrumentation, broadcasting, and utility metering infrastructure.

The OX7000 Series covers a frequency range from 10.000 MHz to 40.000 MHz with a power supply voltage of 3.3 V at 150-mA steady state. The OCXOs, housed in a hermetically sealed package, offer a quick warmup time of three minutes, a low phase noise of –158 dBc/Hz at 10-kHz offset, HCMOS output levels, and frequency stability of ±20 ppb.

Designed for utility metering, servers, automotive, factory automation, and renewable energy, Raltron also launched a series of real-time clocks for harsh outdoor and indoor applications. The RTT21064 RTC module with an I²C bus interface real-time clock and digital offset function delivers low power consumption of 1.0 µA. With a wide operating temperature range of –40˚C to 85˚C, power consumption remains constant at higher temperatures, said the company, which minimizes clock drift and makes it suited for demanding outdoor applications and higher-temperature server-enclosure environments.

The RTC module, housed in a 3.2 × 2.5 × 1.0-mm package, supports backup battery life with an embedded 32.768-kHz TCXO, which makes it an all-in-one device, helping to simplify integration into new products. It features calendar (year, leap-year autocorrection, month, day, hour, minute, second), clock, time stamp, timer output with adjustable periods, and alarm functions.

Skyworks and Sequans Communications S.A. have claimed the industry’s smallest LTE-M/NB-IoT system-in-package (SiP) solution. Targeting 5G massive IoT communications systems, the ultra-low–power SKY66431 SiP leverages Sequans’s Monarch 2 modem with Skyworks’ RF front-end solution.

Meeting increased demand for form-factor–driven cellular LPWAN endpoints, the highly integrated multi-band, multi-chip SiP is suited for utility meters, asset trackers, security, and alert systems and other battery-powered devices like wearable medical and fleet management.

The SKY66431’s native 23-dBm front-end module leverages Skyworks’ RF design and advanced packaging expertise for reliability in demanding environments and allows for extremely small footprint designs, said the company. It is being certified by a number of industry and regulatory agencies, as well as multiple network operators.

Addressing the timing requirements of high-speed communications, Skyworks also launched its latest portfolio of jitter attenuators for high-speed networking, communications, and data center equipment. These new products are designed to meet the performance requirements of high-speed networks that support 5G traffic and new applications like AI and edge computing. The new Si536x product family complements Skyworks’ current Si539x jitter attenuating clocks.

The Si536x product family provides frequency flexibility and clock tree on-a-chip integration in a small clock IC solution with up to 18 clock outputs featuring <55-fs RMS jitter. The clock outputs support any combination of frequencies up to 2.75 GHz and a wide range of selectable output formats, including LVPECL, LVDS, CML, HCSL, and LVCMOS. These output thresholds are customizable to support chipsets that have non-standard formats, said Skyworks.

To configure clock tree designs, Skyworks offers its ClockBuilder Pro software. The company said designers can generate complex device configurations in less than 10 minutes, minimizing software development overhead.

Wireless modules and chips

NeoCortec has released its new P Series of wireless NeoMesh modules. The P Series modules allow for a more efficient antenna design as well as more compact design of the sensor or actuator thanks to an RF/IO antenna connection placed under the module on solder pads for quick and easy soldering to any PCB.

The new NeoMesh modules — the NC1000P-8, NC1000P-9, and NC2400P — operate at 868 MHz, 915 MHz, and 2.4 GHz, respectively, and complement the existing C-Series modules that come with a u.FL connector and are used whenever an external connector is needed. These modules can be used in a range of IoT and cloud-based sensor network applications, including smart home and smart workplace, metering, security, agriculture, transportation, Industry 4.0, medical, and food distribution.

NeoMesh is a protocol that enables node-to-node mesh communication of sensors, without any need for mains-powered devices, said the company. All devices can be battery-powered, as well as the gateway if needed. The NeoCortec communication modules are equipped with radio and NeoMesh and can easily be integrated in a sensor or motor, said the company.

Renesas has expanded its low-power WAN product line as part of its strategy to deliver connectivity devices for smart cities, smart homes, medical devices, and industrial applications. The company also shared its product roadmap for Wi-Fi, based on technology from its acquisition of Celeno, and announced sampling of its 2 × 2 Wi-Fi/BLE combo chip.

The new RYZ024A wireless module supports Cat-M1 and NB-IoT internet connectivity without requiring a gateway. It claims lowest-power–mode operation, consuming 1 µA while in power-saving mode, which is significantly less than competing products, said the company.

The RYZ024A supports extended discontinuous reception (eDRX) and offers an extended voltage range from 2.2 V to 5.5 V, which makes it suited for battery-powered applications. The module provides two power amplifier output levels: 20 dBm (decibel-milliwatts) and 23 dBm to ensure coverage at the cellular network’s edge as well as deep indoor environments.

The RYZ024A is being developed in collaboration with Sequans and will be fully tested and certified to work with all major radio-frequency regulatory specifications defined by organizations like the Global Certification Forum (GFC) and the PCS Type Certification Review Board (PTCRB). This will ensure compliance with regulatory and carrier-specific requirements so that engineers can immediately start building IoT systems for leading carriers in North America, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, said Renesas. In addition to the RF certifications to speed up design, Renesas also offers an evaluation kit and software stack.

Renesas said the RYZ024A module will reduce the PCB size by 60% and cut development time by up to 90%, when compared with conventional chipset-based designs, with full hardware and software support to integrate the RA or RX family of MCUs.

Renesas also announced its Wi-Fi roadmap to complement its industrial and IoT products. The company is leveraging the technology of its recent acquisition of Celeno last year to develop a range of Wi-Fi-client and access point applications for Wi-Fi 6/6E and Wi-Fi 7. Target applications include home networking, IoT, industrial, and consumer multimedia devices.

The company said it is now shipping production volumes of its high-performance Wi-Fi 6E access point solutions with its CL8000 family. It is also sampling a highly integrated, 2 × 2 Wi-Fi/BLE combo chip supporting Wi-Fi 6E tri-band switchable radio (6 GHz, 5 GHz, and 2.4 GHz), 160-MHz channel bandwidth, and up to 2.4-Gbits/s data link speed. The low-latency, secure chipset includes Bluetooth and BLE 5.2 support, targeting multimedia streaming applications, IoT gateways, and cloud-connected devices.

Renesas is also developing a Wi-Fi 6E chipset with unique, patented Wi-Fi Doppler Imaging technology. The combined connectivity and sensing chip is expected to be in production in the next 18 months. A new Quick-Connect Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth Low Energy 5.2 module will also be released for IoT applications that need a high-bandwidth Wi-Fi 6 Client with 2 × 2 MIMO.