ti Related Articles

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 

Diodes Incorporated introduced the BCR401U, BCR402U and BCR405U. Appealing to lighting designers, these constant-current regulators enable simple driving of low- current LED strips and panels in the commercial and industrial lighting sectors. Targeted at 12 V and 24 V linear LED strips, these regulators increase light output efficiency as they only require a 1.4 V supply, allowing more LEDs in the string. By achieving regulation within ±10% and providing preset options of 10 mA (BCR401U), 20 mA (BCR402U), and 50 mA (BCR405U) that can be adjusted up to 100 mA, these regulators simplify the design, minimize component count, and overall enhance system reliability by integrating the driver. Combined with the improved efficiency and longer life offered by LEDs, many lighting applications including advertising, emergency, refrigeration, decorative, architectural and other general forms are being superseded with this emerging light source.  Delivering a regulated current over a wide 1.4 V to 40 V supply, the BCR40xU will tolerates voltage spikes and LED short failures in strings, whilst preserving LED brightness and longevity. This, along with a negative temperature coefficient that reduces the LED current with rising temperature, helps to increase the LED lifespan by reducing dissipation and additionally enables parallel device operation for increased current in applications requiring more than 100 mA. The BCR40xU operates as a linear LED driver, minimizing the likelihood of EMI, which is particularly important in medical lighting and other sensitive applications, while LED brightness can be PWM controlled with <1% duty cycle at 25 kHz allowing accurate dimming to low light levels. The BCR401U, BCR402U and BCR405U LED drivers are offered in the industry-standard SOT-26 (SC74R) package. Ref.KY32-BCR401U E6327KY32-BCR402UKY32-BCR405UE6327  

Texas Instruments (TI) introduced the industry's first differential inductive switch, with a dual-coil architecture that automatically compensates for variations in temperature and component aging. The LDC0851 detects the presence or absence of conductive material by using a simple coil drawn on a printed circuit board (PCB). This unique approach enables low-cost, highly reliable switching implementations for a variety of uses including buttons, knobs, door open/close detection, and speed and directional sensing in personal electronics, appliances, industrial equipment and communications applications. The LDC0851 provides a temperature-stable switching accuracy of better than 1 percent of the sensor coil diameter, removing the need for production calibration and minimizing part-to-part variation. Unlike alternative sensing technologies, the LDC0851's contactless and magnet-free design is immune to dirt, dust or other environmental factors, providing designers a reliable, low-cost solution. The device joins TI's distinctive portfolio of inductive-sensing integrated circuits (ICs) including the LDC1614 family of multichannel inductance-to-digital converters.  Key features and benefits of the LDC0851: ·Stable switching threshold:The differential architecture maintains the switching threshold across variations in temperature, humidity and other environmental factors, as well as providing immunity to component aging for stable, long-term performance. ·High accuracy:The device can deliver better than 1 percent switching accuracy, which is up to 10 times more accurate than magnetic sensor-based designs, reducing the need for production calibration. ·High reliability:The device's immunity to nonconductive contaminants such as oil, dirt and dust can help extend product lifetimes and reduce replacement costs. The solution is also unaffected by direct current (DC) magnetic fields, ensuring robust operation and reliability in a wide range of environments. ·Low power:Duty cycling of the LDC0851 allows for less than 20-µA average current consumption at 10 samples per second, which is up to five times lower than competitive solutions. Tools and support to jump-start design The LDC0851EVM evaluation module helps designers easily configure the LDC0851 and start designing it into a system without programming.（The LDC0851EVM evaluation module.）An incremental rotary encoder reference design (TIDA-00828) demonstrates the LDC0851 in a simple 32-position rotary-knob design. Using only two LDC0851 inductive switches, the system can track rotation position and direction, and designers can easily scale the number of encoder positions up or down.（TIDA-00828 Inductive Sensing 32-Position Encoder Knob ReferenceDesign using the LDC0851.） System designers can start their inductive-sensing design in minutes with TI's WEBENCH Coil Designer. This online tool simplifies sensor-coil design based on application and system requirements. The optimized design is exportable to a variety of computer-aided design (CAD) programs to quickly incorporate the sensor coil into an overall system layout. Ref.KY362-LDC0851EVMKY362-LDC1614EVM     

A simple and efficient PWM lamp dimmer using timer IC NE555 is discussed in this article. Yesterdays linear regulator based dimmers can only attain a maximum efficiency  of 50% and are far inferior when compared to the PWM based dimmers which can hit well over 90% efficiency. Since less amount of power is wasted as heat, the switching elements of PWM dimmers require a smaller heat sink and this saves a lot of size and weight. In simple words, the most outstanding features of the PWM based lamp dimmers are high efficiency and low physical size. The circuit diagram of a 12V PWM lamp dimmer is shown below. As you can see, NE555 timer IC which is wired as an astable multivibrator operating at 2.8KHz forms the heart of this circuit. Resistors R1,R2, POT R3 and capacitor C1 are the timing components. Duty cycle of the IC’s output can be adjusted using the POT R3. higher the duty cycle means higher the lamp brightness and lower the duty cycle means lower the lamp brightness. Diode D1 by-passes the lower half of the POT R3 during the charging cycle of the astable multivibrator. This is done in order to keep the output frequency constant irrespective of the duty cycle. Transistors Q1 and Q2 forms a darlington driver stage for the 12V lamp. Resistor R4 limits the base current of transistor Q1.Understanding the variable duty cycle astable multivibrator.As I have said earlier, the variable duty cycle astable multi vibrator based on NE555 forms the foundation of this circuit and a good knowledge on it is essential for designing projects like this. For the ease of explanation the timing side of the astable multivibrator is redrawn in the figure below.Upper and lower halves of the POT R3 are denoted as Rx and Ry respectively. Consider the output of the astable multivibrator to be high at the starting instant. Now the capacitor C1 charges through the path R1, Rx, and R2. The lower half of POT R3 ie; Ry is out of the scene because the diode D1 by-passes it. When the voltage across the capacitor reaches 2/3 Vcc, the internal upper comparator flips its output which makes the internal flip flop to toggle its output. As a result the output of the astable multivibrator goes low. In simple words, the output of the astable multivibrator remains high until the charge across C1 becomes equal to 2/3 Vcc and here it is according to the equation Ton =0.67(R1+Rx+R2)C1.Since the internal flip flop is set now, the capacitor starts discharging through the path R2,Ry into the discharge pin. When the voltage across the capacitor C1 becomes 1/3 Vcc, the lower comparator flips its output and this in turn makes the internal flip flop to toggle its output again. This makes the output of the astable multivibrator high. To be simple, the output of the astable multivibrator remains low until the voltage across the capacitor C1 becomes 1/3 Vcc and it is according to the equation Toff = 0.67(R2+Ry)C1. Have a look at the internal block diagram of NE555 timer shown below for better understanding.How does the frequency remain constant irrespective of the position of POT3 knob?.What ever may be the position of  POT3 knob, the total resistance across it remains the same (50K here). If anything decreases in the upper side (Rx) the same amount will be increased in the lower (Ry) and the same thing gets applied to the higher(Ton) and lower(Toff) time periods. The derivation shown below will help you to grasp the matter easily.With reference to Fig 2, we have:Ton = 0.67(R1+Rx+R2)C1Toff= 0.67(R2+Ry)C1Total time period of the output waveform “T” is according to the equation :T = Ton + ToffThere fore, T = 0.67(R1+Rx+R2+R2+Ry)C1                        T= 0.67(R1+2R2+Rx+Ry)C1We know that Rx+Ry = R3There fore T = 0.67(R1+2R2+R3)C1Therefore frequency F = 1/(0.67(R1+2R2+R3)C1) From the above equation its is clear that the frequency depends only on the value of the components C1, R1, R2  and the over all value of R3 and it has nothing to do with the position of R3 knob.  Ref:KY32-NE555KY32-NE555.NE555DR.NE555P 

The idea of home automation is not bounded to houses, the application area can be extended to security systems, auditoriums, function halls, Libraries etc. Home automation is just a catchy usage.Here, the medium for automation is not considered, only the switchboard connections are discussed. Every automation circuit finally has to control a relay through the port of the microcontroller. So, the circuit is similar up to the relay control, it slightly differs at the load terminals of the relay. Generally, NO and COM terminals of the relay are used for load control, here NC is also used. Basic Idea All the home automation circuits have a remote control feature, and it may be operated through Radio Frequency, Bluetooth, Infra-Red, GSM, Wi-Fi etc. But how to connect them to the existing switchboards, and what if the remote control is misplaced or if the circuit is malfunctioning? To avoid such disturbances in a practical scenario, it is better to have manual control as well similar to the switchboards. If the relays of home automation circuits are connected in series with the existing switches, they provide semi-manual control i.e., Turn OFF is possible, but to turn ON the load, the relay has to operate. So, this is not a suitable type of connection. Combining Two-Way switch and relay Two-way switches offer a solution to this. The relay is just similar to a two-way switch in terms of terminals i.e. both have three terminals like NC, COM, NO. Two-way switch connection for Staircase lighting actually gave this idea, but now, in this case, one manual switch and one electro-mechanical relay are used. Toggling any of them changes the ON/OFF state of the load. Actual wiring By using this, existing switchboards can be modified by replacing one-way switches with two-way switches. As already mentioned, the idea of home automation is not bounded to house, the application area can be extended to security systems, auditoriums, function halls, Libraries etc. Home automation is just a catchy usage.   In the above image, Phase wire is run through all the switches on the top terminal i.e. terminal 1 and these are again connected to NC terminal of all the relays. Common terminals of switches i.e. terminal 2 of the switches are connected to the COMMON terminal of respective relays. Terminal 3 of switches are connected to loads and again connected to NO terminal of relays. So, while modifying the existing one-way switchboard, the common phase is connected to terminal 1 of two-way switches and loads are connected to terminal 3 of two-way switches. In addition to this, three terminals of switches are connected to three terminals of relays as, Two-way switchRelay Terminal 1 ——- NC Terminal 2 –—– COM Terminal 3 ——- NO Now, the loads can be turned ON/OFF manually through switchboard as well as remotely. Suppose if manual operation is not used, then turn OFF all the switches, now this state is similar to One-way switchboard with all the switches in OFF state. All the loads can be operated remotely. Their status can be known from the remote device itself. Suppose, if automation circuit fails i.e., relays in OFF state, then loads can be operated manually similar to One-way switchboard. While using manual along with automated operation, in order to get the status of the loads, an additional circuit is required to read the ON/OFF state of the loads. This is generally required if the user is at a remote location like for a house, if the operator is at the office or on a journey, reading the load status is required. But it is not essential, when the user/operator is in sight of the loads, for example, ON/OFF status of the load is directly visible. Relay board can be placed below the switchboard in a separate enclosure along with the automation circuit. However, in typical situations and requirements, an opto-coupler based sensing circuit can be included in the circuit, if the status of loads is required. Ref: KY66-G3F-203SN DC5-24 KY66-CMRD6055 KY66-CKRA2420

For the first time ever, a cloud of ultra-cold atoms has been successfully created in space on board of a sounding rocket. The MAIUS mission demonstrates that quantum optical sensors can be operated even in harsh environments like space – a prerequisite for finding answers to the most challenging questions of fundamental physics and an important innovation driver for everyday applications.According to Albert Einstein's Equivalence Principle, all bodies are accelerated at the same rate by the Earth's gravity, regardless of their properties. This principle applies to stones, feathers, and atoms alike. Under conditions of microgravity, very long and precise measurements can be carried out to determine whether different types of atoms actually "fall equally fast" in the gravitational field of the Earth – or if we have to revise our understanding of the universe.As part of a national consortium, Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, Leibniz-Institut fuer Hoechstfrequenztechnik (FBH) and Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin (HU) now made a historical step towards testing the Equivalence Principle in the microcosm of quantum objects. In the MAIUS mission launched on January 23, 2017 a cloud of nano-Kelvin cold rubidium atoms has been generated in space for the first time ever. This cloud was cooled down with laser light and radio frequency electrical fields so that the atoms finally formed a single quantum object, a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC).More than 20 years after the groundbreaking results of the Nobel laureates Cornell, Ketterle, and Wieman on ultra-cold atoms, preliminary evaluation of the sounding rocket mission data indicates that such experiments can also be carried out under the harsh conditions of space operation – back in 1995, living room-sized setups in a special laboratory environment were required. Today's quantum optical sensor is as small as a freezer and remains fully operational even after experiencing huge mechanical and thermal stress caused by the rocket launch. This groundbreaking mission is a pathfinder for applications of quantum sensors in space. In the future, scientists expect to use quantum sensor technology to cope with one of the biggest challenges of modern physics: the unification of gravitation with the other fundamental interactions (strong, weak, and electro-magnetic force) in a single consistent theory. At the same time, these experiments are drivers of innovation for a broad range of applications, from inertial (non-GPS referenced) navigation to space-borne geodesy used to determine the Earth's shape.For this mission, the FBH has developed hybrid micro-integrated semiconductor laser modules that are suitable for application in space. These laser modules, together with optical and spectroscopic units provided by third partners, have been integrated and qualified by HU to provide the laser subsystem of the scientific payload. The results of this mission coordinated by Leibniz Universitaet Hannover do not only prove that quantum optical experiments with ultra-cold atoms are possible in space, but also give FBH and HU the opportunity to test their miniaturized laser system technology under real operating conditions. The results will also be used to prepare future missions which are already scheduled for launch. MAIUS, however, is not the first sounding rocket test for both institutions' laser technology in space; the technology has already been successfully tested in April 2015 and January 2016 on board of two sounding rockets within the FOKUS and KALEXUS experiments.  The MAIUS mission is supported by the German Space Agency (DLR) with funds provided by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy and tests all key technologies of a space-borne quantum optical sensor on a sounding rocket: vacuum chamber, laser system, electronics, and software. MAIUS constitutes a historical milestone for future missions in space that will take advantage of the full potential of quantum technology. For the first time world-wide, a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) based on rubidium atoms has been created on board of a sounding rocket and has been used to investigate atom interferometry in space. Quantum optical sensors based on BECs enable high-precision measurements of accelerations and rotations using laser pulses which provide a reference for precise determination of the positions of the atomic cloud.The compact and robust diode laser system for laser cooling and atom interferometry with ultra-cold rubidium atoms has been developed under the leadership of the Optical Metrology Group at HU. This system is required for the operation of the MAIUS experiment and consists of four diode laser modules that have been developed by FBH as hybrid-integrated master-oscillator power-amplifier laser modules. The master laser is a monolithic distributed feedback (DFB) laser which is frequency-stabilized to the frequency of an optical transition in rubidium and generates spectrally pure and highly stable (~ 1 MHz linewidth) optical radiation with low output power at 780 nm wavelength. The three other laser modules feature a tapered amplifier chip with a ridge waveguide input section. These tapered amplifier chips boost the optical output power of a DFB laser to beyond 1 W without any loss of spectral stability. Two additional redundancy modules were integrated. Free space acousto-optical modulators and optical components are used to generate the laser pulses according to the experimental sequence. The laser light pulses are finally transferred to the experimental chamber by optical fibers.Furthermore, a laser technology demonstrator designed for future missions has been integrated, consisting of two micro-integrated semiconductor Extended Cavity Diode Laser modules developed by FBH. These modules are specifically required for future atom interferometry experiments that pose more stringent requirements on the spectral stability of the lasers.Reference:GP1A173LCS2FOPB626GP1A53HRJ00F