The Kynix Blog

To help detect and prevent possible incidents at critical facilities and public venues, Intel technology is powering a face recognition engine that can rapidly and accurately identify people, even when they are moving and in a crowd. NEC relied on Intel Arria 10 field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) operating on Intel Xeon processor–based servers to increase the performance of its NEC NeoFace facial recognition engine to a level where an individual can be identified smoothly from a high-resolution image with dozens of faces.  “Facial recognition in a moving crowd requires highly advanced techniques when compared to still images because these cameras are affected by many factors: camera location, image quality and lighting, along with the subject’s size, walking speed and face direction,” said Tadashige Kadoi, general manager of IoT Platform Development Division, NEC. “Intel FPGAs and their parallel processing capability help NEC to enable fast and accurate collection and processing of images from even 4K high-resolution remote cameras.” Intel FPGA acceleration technology played a role in a recent achievement for NEC. In March, NEC NeoFace was ranked Number 1 in almost all tests by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) specifically for face-in-video evaluation. The NIST tests evaluated the accuracy of the technology in two real-life test scenarios including a test for entry-exit management at an airport passenger gate. It determined whether and how well the engine could recognise people as they walked through an area one at a time without stopping or looking at the camera. NEC's face recognition technology won first place with a matching accuracy of 99.2%. The error rate of 0.8% is less than one-fourth of the second place error rate. In the second test, the technology was asked to detect suspicious individuals at an indoor stadium. This test was conducted with an individual situated far from the camera, with their face direction changing frequently. NEC's face recognition technology won first place with an error rate half that of the second place error rate. To create the NeoFace Accelerator, NEC’s NeoFace facial recognition engine software IP is integrated into an Intel Arria 10 FPGA, keeping the same accuracy level while achieving higher performance in facial recognition than the previous solution. Intel teams also worked with NEC to enhance the performance of NeoFace data centre server technology. NEC NeoFace Accelerator includes not only the Intel Arria 10 FPGA, but also an Intel MAX 10 low-cost FPGA and Intel Enpirion power devices. Ref.KY32-EP1S60B956C6KY32-EP4CGX150DF27I7 

Seoul Semiconductor has developed the industry’s smallest phase-cut DC LED driver series, with a power density 10X higher than conventional LED drivers. The NanoDriver Series is the world’s smallest miniature converter at just 13.5 mm wide, and is available in four versions rated for 16 W and 24 W output power for operating LED lighting with input power of 120 V/230 V (50 – 60 Hz). Manufactured with Seoul Semiconductor’s original Acrich technology, the NanoDriver Series features an IC directly attached to the substrate, dramatically reducing the size of the converter.(NanoDriver Series phase-cut LED drivers measure just 13.5 mm × 13.5 mm × 1.42 mm)In the future, Seoul Semiconductor will also launch the MicroDriver Series high performance drivers for LED lighting fixtures from 900 to 2400 lumens. The MicroDriver Series is designed with a miniature package that reduces the size of the converter by more than 10X to enable the integration of the control circuitry with the external driver, making it possible to mount more light sources on the board, reduce the size of the board. The NanoDriver Series requires few external components, and delivers 16 W/24 W of output power in a package just 13.5 mm × 13.5 mm × 1.42 mm. These drivers are ideal for downlight, flush mount, track and spotlight fixtures. Their small size enables ultra-thin and novel fixture designs in wall sconces, making conventional lamp replacement possible without the need for a large volume recess for the driver, or a reduction in the light output. The resulting decrease in the LED drivers’ physical size has significant business implications for the lighting industry, giving lighting designers the ability to shrink the size of light fixtures by as much as 20, which reduces shipping and storage costs. Because conventional LED drivers are both heavy and bulky, they are typically shipped via sea freight from manufacturers in Asia to European and North American fixture companies, with transit times up to six weeks. The NanoDriver Series are small and lightweight enough to make airfreight practical and economical, reducing transit time and making the overall supply chain more flexible and responsive. The NanoDriver Series is available in four models rated for output power of 16 W and 24 W, for LED assemblies operating at input voltages of 120 V/230 V (50 – 60 Hz). The drivers have typical efficiencies of 85 and power factor correction (PFC) of > 0.9, and are rated for inrush current of <30 mA, with an over-temperature protection feature that limits the LED current at temperatures above 160 °C. Operating temperature range is –40 °C to +70 °C (ambient) and –40 °C to +120 °C (at TC point). The drivers are UL recognized, provide flicker-free, low ripple current operation for phase-cut dimmers, and are compliant to California Title 24, enabling lighting designers to meet the most challenging design requirements, including low flicker, high power factor, Class B EMI and 2 kV surge. Ref.KY59-UR101

Linear Technology announces the LT3760, an 8-channel LED driver, utilizing a step-up DC/DC controller capable of driving up to a 45V string of 100mA LEDs per channel. Its internal 60V, 1MHz DC/DC boost mode controller is designed to operate as a constant current LED driver for up to 80 white LEDs. From a 12V input, the LT3760 can drive 8 channels, each with up to ten 100mA white LEDs in series while delivering efficiencies exceeding 92%. Its multichannel capability makes it ideal for medium and large-sized TFT-LCD backlighting applications. Its input voltage range of 6V to 40V makes it ideal for automotive, avionic, HDTV and industrial display applications. The LT3760 offers ±2.0% (±0.7% typical) LED current matching to ensure uniform brightness of the display. Dimming ratios as high as 3,000:1 can be attained by using True Color PWM™ dimming. A programmable 100kHz to 1MHz fixed frequency operation and current mode architecture offers stable operation over a wide range of supply and output voltages while minimizing the size of the external components. Additionally, the switching frequency is synchronizable to an external clock. Its thermally enhanced TSSOP-28 package offers a highly compact solution footprint for most LED backlighting applications. The LT3760 uses an external N-Channel MOSFET switch to provide a boost mode constant current source. However, even when VIN exceeds VOUT, the LT3760 will continue to accurately regulate the LED current. The internal boost controller uses an adaptive feedback loop to drive up to eight channels of ten 100mA LEDs to regulate the output voltage slightly higher than the required LED voltage to ensure maximum efficiency. If any of the LED strings experience an open circuit, the LT3760 will continue to regulate the existing strings and signal the FAULT alert pin. If higher current LEDs are required, multiple strings can be combined, enabling the LT3760 to drive up to four channels of ten 200mA LEDs or two channels of ten 400mA LEDs. Additional features include programmable LED current derating based on junction temperature and LED temperature and programmable output voltage limiting when all LED strings are disconnected. Summary of Features LT3760: Up to 45V of LEDs × 100mA, 8-Channel LED DriverWide Input Range: 6V to 40V±2.0% LED Current Matching at 20mA (Typ ±0.7%)Up to 3000:1 True Color PWM™ Dimming RangeSingle Resistor Sets LED Current (20mA to 100mA)LED Current Regulated Even for PVIN > VOUTOutput Adapts to LED VF for Optimum EfficiencyFault Flag + Protection for Open LED StringsProtection for LED Pin to VOUT ShortParallel Channels for Higher LED CurrentProgrammable LED Current Derating vs. TemperatureAccurate Undervoltage Lockout Threshold with Programmable HysteresisProgrammable Frequency (100kHz to 1MHz)Synchronizable to an External ClockThermally Enhanced 28-Pin TSSOP Package. The LT3760EFE is available in a thermally enhanced 28-lead TSSOP package in Kynix now. An industrial grade version, the LT3760IFE is tested and guaranteed to operate from a -40°C to 125°C operating junction temperature. Ref.KY32-LT3760EFE 

A software called DesignDRIVE Fast Current Loop that makes C2000 microcontrollers (MCUs) the first devices to push current-loop performance to less than 1 microsecond, has been introduced by Texas Instruments. Together, TI's C2000 MCU portfolio and DesignDRIVE software delivers System-on-Chip (SOC) functionality which simplifies drive control system development.       The DesignDRIVE Fast Current Loop software out performs traditional microcontroller (MCU)-based current-loop solutions and can simplify designs by eliminating the Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) typically used for external current-loop control. Fast Current Loop software is a free update available for C2000 controlSUITE software.   TI's DesignDRIVE technology is a unified hardware and software platform that makes it easier for engineers to develop and evaluate solutions for a variety of industrial drive and servo topologies. As a key part of DesignDRIVE solutions, the Fast Current Loop software enables developers to achieve higher control performance while saving valuable board space and simplifying thermal considerations.     Features and benefits of TI's DesignDRIVE Fast Current Loop software   · Innovative subcycle Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) update techniques significantly improve control-loop bandwidths to potentially triple the motor torque response. · A novel cycle-scavenging C2000 MCU needs only 460 nanoseconds for field-oriented control processing. · A new complex controller replaces traditional proportional integration control and facilitates greater stability at higher speeds. · Industrial drive systems designed with Fast Current Loop software on a C2000 MCU, like the TMS320F28379, delivers SOC functionality to reduce board space, complexity and overall cost.      Ref. KY32-TMS320F28379 KY362-C2000    

The LTC2185 is a 125Msps 16-bit ADC with excellent noise and linearity performance while only consuming 185mW per channel. It is ideal for demanding low power applications that require excellent AC performance. A high performance ADC like the LTC2185 requires a high performance amplifier driving it to maintain the excellent performance. The ADA4927-1 delivers the linearity performance required by the LTC2185 while only consuming 215mW. The well designed package of the ADA4927-1 allows for a simple layout that reduces parasitic capacitance in the feedback path that can erode the phase margin of the amplifier. This combination of ADC and driver allows excellent performance from 62.5-125MHz a region where other high speed amplifiers are lacking.  The LTC2185 is a two-channel simultaneous sampling parallel ADC which offers a choice of full-rate CMOS, or double data rate (DDR) CMOS/LVDS digital outputs. Pin-compatible speed grade options include 25Msps, 40Msps, 65Msps, 80Msps and 105Msps with approximate power dissipation of just 1.5mW/Msps per channel. It includes popular features such as the digital output randomizer and alternate bit polarity (ABP) mode that minimize digital feedback when using parallel CMOS outputs.  Analog full power bandwidth of 550MHz and ultralow jitter of 0.07psRMS allows under-sampling of IF frequencies with excellent noise performance. To maintain this level of performance the LTC2185 needs to be driven with an appropriate amplifier like the ADA4927-1. The ADA4927 is a high speed differential current feedback amplifier. Fabricated on Analog Devices’ silicon-germanium process, the ADA4927-1 has excellent distortion and an input voltage noise of only 1.3nV/rtHz. This allows it to drive high speed ADCs like the LTC2185. The gain of the ADA4927-1 is set with external feedback resistors located next to the input pins.  By keeping the feedback pins and input pins close on the package, the ADA4927-1 provides a clean layout and minimizing the parasitic capacitance in the feedback network. This make the ADA4927-1 an ideal choice for driving high performance ADCs, like the LTC2185, from DC to 125 MHz. Figure 1 shows a schematic of the ADA4927-1 driving the LTC2185. The corresponding layout is shown in figure 2.  The feedback pins on the ADA4927-1 are adjacent to the input pins which minimizes the parasitic capacitance of the feedback node and improves the phase margin of the amplifier. It also Simplifier the layout by making it possible to place feedback resistors directly across the two pins and not having additional trace length in the feedback path. There is a simple filter between the amplifier and ADC that reduces the wideband noise of the amplifier and improves the SNR of the system. This filter also attenuates the sampling glitches from the ADC before they reach the amplifier. This helps keep the output network of the ADA4927 from oscillating in response to these glitches. This filter network can be modified to accommodate a wide range of input bandwidth requirements. (Figure 1:  Schematic showing an ADA4927-1 driving one channel of the LTC2185)(Figure 2:  Layout showing an ADA4927-1 driving once channel of the LTC2185)Figure 3 and figure 4 show the SNR and SFDR of the LTC2185 and ADA4927-1 combination. The SFDR stays above 67dB out to 125MHz while the SNR is better than 63dB to the same frequency. This combination only consumes 250mW. With a sample rate of 125Msps, this combination provides good performance through the entire 2nd Nyquist zone where other amplifiers begin to have poor linearity.  (Figure 3:  SNR of the LTC2185 driven with the ADA4927-1)(Figure 4:  SFDR of the LTC2185 driven with the ADA4927-1) Using the ADA4927-1 to drive the LTC2185 provides excellent linearity while keeping the power consumption low. The fact that the ADA4927-1 stays very linear out to 125MHz allows this ADC amplifier combination to be used in demanding communication and medical applications that require the use of the second Nyquist zone of the LTC2185. The pin out of the ADA4927-1 and filter design minimize the complexity of the layout while maintaining excellent performance on a low power budget. Ref.KY32-LTC2185KY362-ADA4927-1 

 Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (TAEC) has expanded its U-MOS IX-H Series of low-voltage N-channel power MOSFETs with the addition of new 40V and 45V products. Delivering high-speed performance and industry-leading1 low on-resistance, the new MOSFETs are designed for industrial and consumer applications, including high-efficiency DC-DC converters, high-efficiency AC-DC converters, power supplies, and motor drives. The new MOSFETs utilize Toshiba’s latest generation low-voltage trench structure U-MOS IX-H process to lower the performance index for “RDS(ON) Qsw”2 figure of merit, improving switching applications to a level that surpasses other offerings3. Output loss is improved by the reduction of output charge, which can contribute to higher set efficiency. Additionally, the cell structures used in the new MOSFETs are optimized to suppress spike voltage and ringing during switching, which can contribute to lowering set EMI. Toshiba’s U-MOS IX-H Series is specifically designed for synchronous rectification applications, including the secondary side of isolated switching power supplies. It provides an improved Qoss4 performance, which is one of the main causes of power loss of synchronous rectification. The U-MOS IX-H Series also provides a low Ron•Qoss, the trade-off characteristics between on-resistance and Qoss. Since Ron has a significant impact on Qoss, Toshiba will extend the U-MOS IX-H portfolio to include MOSFETs having ultra-low Ron in order to supplement its U-MOS VIII-H Series of MOSFETs. Features·Low on-resistance·Low output charge·High-speed performance·Low switching noise·Supports 4.5V logic level drive *About TAECThrough proven commitment, lasting relationships and advanced, reliable electronic components, Toshiba enables its customers to create market-leading designs. Toshiba is the heartbeat within product breakthroughs from OEMs, ODMs, CMs, VARs, distributors and fabless chip companies worldwide.  A committed electronic components leader, Toshiba designs and manufactures high-quality flash memory-based storage solutions, solid state drives (SSDs), hard disk drives (HDDs), solid state hybrid drives (SSHDs), discrete devices, custom SoCs/ASICs, imaging products, microcontrollers, wireless components, mobile peripheral devices, and advanced materials that make possible today’s leading smartphones, tablets, cameras, medical devices, automotive electronics, industrial applications, enterprise solutions and more. Ref.KY68-VS75B-24KY68-DS1200D