New products roundup: IP&E, MPU, and GaN

Here is this week’s roundup of new products, including a range of interconnect, passive, and electromechanical (IP&E devices).  Listed in alphabetical order by company name, this week’s new products roundup covers detect switches, a GaN half-bridge power stage, FPC-to-board connectors, microprocessors (MPUs), NFC tags, pressure transmitters, a STT-MRAM, and thick-film resistors.

C&K’s SDS ULC detect switch. Click for a larger image. (Source: C&K)

C&K has expanded its detect switch product family with the launch of an ultra-low current version. The SDS ULC (ultra-low current) detect switch series is designed to limit power consumption on battery-powered devices. With a low current (10 µA) and an ultra-low profile (2-mm mounted), the SDS ULC detect switch can be used in a variety of handheld and space-constrained applications including consumer, IoT, medical, networking, smart metering, and smoke detectors. The detect switch comes with an overtravel plunger actuator, which allows for 2 mm of overtravel. It is available with different contact arrangements including normally open, normally closed, and silver or gold plating for better resistance to corrosion. The SDS Series detect switches feature a SPST design and right-angle termination. Other specs include a 50,000 life cycle and 75-gf actuation force.

EPC’s EPC23102 eGaN IC. Click for a larger image. (Source: EPC)

Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) has launched a 100-V, 35-A GaN ePower stage IC that is said to boost power density and simplify design. The EPC23102 eGaN IC is designed for 48-V DC/DC conversion used in high-density computing applications and in 48-V BLDC motor drives for e-mobility, robotics, and drones. The eGaN IC is capable of a maximum withstand voltage of 100 V, delivering up to 35-A load current, and switching speeds greater than 1 MHz. Key features include an integrated input logic interface, level shifting, bootstrap charging, and gate-drive buffer circuits controlling 6.6 mOhm R_DS(on) high-side and low-side FETs configured as a half-bridge power stage. The EPC23102 is housed in a thermally enhanced QFN package with a footprint of 3.5 × 5 mm, offering a small solution size for the highest power density applications, said EPC. When operated in a 48-V to 12-V buck converter, the EPC23102 delivers greater than 96% peak efficiency at 1-MHz switching frequency and around 8 – 17 A of continuous load current with a rated current of 35 A, said the company. A development board, the EPC90147, is available for evaluation of the EPC23102 and is priced at $200. The EPC23102 is priced at $5.40 each in quantities of 1,000. Both can be purchased from distribution partner Digi-Key.

Everspin Technologies, Inc., a manufacturer of magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) persistent memory solutions, has announced the availability of engineering samples for its newest, high-density STT-MRAM, the EM128LX. This product supports the Expanded SPI (xSPI) standard protocol and offers a capacity of 128 Megabits, twice that of the previously announced 64-Mbit EM064LX. The combination of increased density with up to 233 megabytes/second full read and write bandwidth gives system designers the option of merging code and data memory on the same device, reducing cost, power, and area, said Everspin. The ultra-fast write speed and data persistence will provide FPGA system designers with extremely fast configuration, instant-on boot capability, and fast updates of critical application parameters such as weighting tables in AI applications, added the company. The EM128LX is available in two package types: a 24-ball BGA and 8-pin DFN. Samples are available for shipment now. Volume production shipments will start in early 2023.

Hirose’s BM57 hybrid FPC-to-board connector. Click for a larger image. (Source: Hirose)

Hirose Electric USA has released a low-profile hybrid FPC-to-board connector with a rated current of 5-A power and 0.3-A signal in a miniature footprint. The BM57 series connectors, with a 0.3-mm pitch, 0.6-mm stacking height, and 1.9-mm width, is suited for a range of consumer and portable electronic devices such as smartphones, laptops, tablets, gaming consoles, and wearable devices. The FPC-to-board connectors feature a fully armored design that covers both ends of the housing with metal for robustness and to reduce the risk of housing damage from misalignment when mating. The connectors also offer a smooth mating operation thanks to a wide self-alignment range of ±0.22 mm in the pitch direction and ±0.3 mm in the width direction, along with guidance ribs. Other features include three solder retention tabs at each power contact and an insert molded header and receptacle that prevents solder wicking into the contact area.

Infineon NFC tags. Click for a larger image. (Source: Infineon Technologies)

Infineon Technologies AG offers secured NFC tags that meet high security requirements for proving authenticity and preventing counterfeiting. The NFC4TCxxx tag includes an open standard security architecture using AES-128 cryptography and comes with inherent resistance to physical attacks such as differential power analysis (DPA) and differential fault analysis (DFA). These secured NFC tags also offer a range of memory options, from 304 bytes to 4 Kbytes. The tags can be programmed with brand-specific landing pages that provide additional information about the product, show the customer a list of similar products, and provide exclusive offers and invitations to special events to enhance the brand experience, said Infineon. In addition to the NFC4TCxx tags, Infineon offers a NFC 2Go starter kit. Both can be ordered now. The kit includes NFC stickers, iOS and Android mobile apps, backend cloud authentication software, tag personalization tools, and a user guide.

Renesas’ RZ/A3UL MPUs. Click for a larger image. (Source: Renesas Electronics)

Renesas Electronics Corp. has released the RZ/A3UL group of MPUs that enables both a high-definition human-machine interface (HMI) and quick startup for applications that require high throughput and real-time capabilities. The RZ/A3UL MPUs with real-time operating system (RTOS) support also deliver performance provided by the 64-bit Arm Cortex-A55 CPU core with a maximum operating frequency of 1 GHz. “Using an RTOS allows systems to start up instantly, in less than a second after boot-up,” said Renesas. This feature is suited for systems that require a fast response time such as industrial equipment, home appliances and office automation equipment with liquid crystal displays or control panels, as well as audio equipment and POS terminals, added the company. The RZ/A3UL MPUs also integrate an Octal-SPI memory interface for simpler design and include versions that support a DDR3L/DDR4 memory interface to enable connection of high-speed DRAM. The RZ/A3UL supports the industry’s two leading RTOSes: FreeRTOS and Azure RTOS. Renesas also offers an HMI solution design, the RTOS Based RZ/A3UL HMI SMARC SOM, that uses the RZ/A3UL and other compatible devices from Renesas and its partners’ products as part of its winning combination portfolio.

Stackpole’s RMCA series resistors. Click for a larger image. (Source: Stackpole Electronics)

Stackpole Electronics, Inc. has released the AEC-Q200-qualified RMCA series of thick-film chip resistors that passes the industry-standard ANSI/EIA977 sulfur test with minimal resistance shift at 105°C. This series is produced on dedicated manufacturing lines with strict material and process controls necessary for an automotive-grade chip resistor, which improves the expected failure rate by a factor of ten or more, according to the company. Applications include automotive electronics, medical applications, non-established reliability military and aerospace, as well as instrumentation and metering. Pricing depends on size, resistance value, power rating, and tolerance.

TDK’s B58620F3800B768 AFA pressure transmitter. Click for a larger image. (Source: TDK Corp.)

TDK Corp. has expanded its pressure transmitter portfolio with the launch of the rugged B58620F3800B768 AFA with screw mounting for a range of industrial applications. Typical applications include industrial process control, food packaging systems, pump monitoring, and pneumatic systems. Key features include a pressure range of 1 bar to 11 bar and an operating temperature range from -20°C to 125°C. The pressure transmitter, measuring 48 × 27 × 24 mm, offers a measuring accuracy of ±0.5 percent FS (full scale) in the temperature range from 20°C to 80 °C. The piezoresistive pressure transmitter is based on MEMS technology with a stainless steel pressure port. It is suitable for pressure measurement of non-freezing media such as fuel, diluted acids, and contaminated air. The absolute pressure transmitter has a 0.4-mm diameter pressure port with an M10 thread and is easy to mount. The integrated signal conditioner compensates for non-linearity and temperature errors. It provides a precise, calibrated analog output signal in the range of 0.5 V to 4.5 V with high immunity to electromagnetic interference (EMI).

Other new products covered this week include the following:

Buck converter delivers high efficiency

MPUs simplify industrial network connectivity

Buck converter adds adaptive power sharing

50-MP image sensor extends dynamic range

Dev kit targets indoor and outdoor asset tracking

Bourns launches high-efficiency IGBT series

Power inductors operate up to 150°C

Circular connectors meet medical requirements