New-Tech Europe Magazine | Dec 2017

December 2017

New-Tech Europe December 2017

20 Imaging with Hyperspectral Sensors: The Optimum Design for your Application 24 5G - It’s Not Here Yet, but Closer Than You Think 28 Earth Observation with Smaller Satellites – and Ground Stations 32 Greater flexibility and better

performance for multi-view inspections

ARROW EVEREST BOARD

Microsemi's new cost-optimized PolarFire FPGAs deliver the industry's lowest power at mid-range densities with exceptional security and reliability.

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REDEXPERT

# RED EXPERT

RED EXPERT. Würth Elektronik‘s online platform for simple component selection and performance simulation.

 The world’s most accurate AC loss model  Filter settings for over 20 electrical and mechanical parameters  Inductor simulation and selection for DC/DC converters  Ability to compare inductance/current and temperature rise/DC current using interactive measurement curves

 Available in seven languages  Online platform based on measured values  No login required  Order free samples directly  Direct access to product datasheets

www.we-online.com/redexpert

 PolarFire FPGA with 300K LEs  Triple 1GbE interface (prepared for SyncE and IEEE1588)  1x 10GbE SFP+ Cage  HDMI output (1080p60 & UXGA)  PCIex4 Gen2  Dual DDR3L memory banks  High Speed Expansion: FMC HPC (High Pin count)-160I/O +10 XCVR • prepared for CSI-2, LVDS, Motor Control, ADC/DAC, Networking  Low-speed expansion: PMOD  General purpose & low speed serial interfaces (UART, SPI, I2C)  GPIO, LEDs & Buttons ARROW EVEREST BOARD • 2GB x32 1866MT/s DDR3L SDRAM • 1GB x16 1866MT/s DDR3L SDRAM

About PolarFire FPGAs Microsemi's new cost-optimized PolarFire FPGAs deliver the industry's lowest power at mid-range densities with exceptional security and reliability. The product family features 12.7 Gbps Serializer/ Deserializer (SerDes) transceivers at up to 50 percent lower power than competing FPGAs. Densities span from 100K to 500K logic elements (LEs) and are ideal for a wide range of applications within wireline access networks and cellular infrastructure, defense and commercial aviation markets, as well as industry 4.0 which includes the industrial automation and Internet of Things (IoT) markets. PolarFire FPGAs' transceivers can support multiple serial protocols. making the products ideal for communication applications with 10Gbps Ethernet, CPRI, JESD204B, Interlaken and PCIe.

www.arrow.com/everest

WHEN SAFETY IS EVERYTHING,

The world’s #1 supplier of image sensors for active safety

At ON Semiconductor, innovating is what we do. It’s what we’ve always done. That’s why more automotive engineers trust us for active safety and ADAS solutions than any other semiconductor company in the world. That’s why we have more firsts in image sensing than any other company. We’ve built a proven reputation of reliability and credibility, so you know that our forward-thinking products are the safest in the industry. And we’re just getting started. So when your customers’ safety is riding on active-safety and ADAS innovations, Think ON.

For cutting-edge solutions, design tools, and resources, visit onsemi.com/activesafety.

ANALOG DEVICES + LINEAR TECHNOLOGY

AHEAD OF WHAT’S POSSIBLE JUST GOT MORE POWERFUL. Analog Devices and Linear

Technology have joined together to create an unparalleled innovation engine and strategic partner for our customers. Together, we will continue to challenge and extend the boundaries of what’s possible – and enable your most impactful designs.

1+1>2

MORE EXPERTISE, SOLUTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES START HERE: analog.com/linear

#ADIahead

Read To Lead

December 2017

‘New-Tech Magazines’ A world leader in publishing high-tech and electronics, producing top quality publications read by tens of thousands professionals from all over the world especially from Europe, innovative electronics, IoT, microwave, homeland security, aerospace, automotive and technological industries. Our specialized target audiences prefer New-Tech Europe because they know that our publications are a reliable source of the latest information in their respective fields. Our multidimensional editorials, news items, interviews and feature articles provide them with a full, well-rounded picture of the markets in which they operate - an essential asset for every technological leader striving to stay ahead, make the right decisions, and generate the next global innovation. Moreover, as an attractive platform for advertisers from around the world, New-Tech Europe has become a hub for bustling international commercial activity. Here, through ads and other promotional materials, Israeli readers obtain crucial information about developers and manufacturers worldwide, finding the tools, instruments, systems and components they need to facilitate their innovative endeavors. Targeting the needs of both the global and european industries and global advertisers , New-Tech Magazines Group constantly expands and upgrades its services. Over the years, the company has been able to formulate a remarkably effective, multi-medium mix of offerings, combining magazine publications with useful online activities, newsletters and special events and exhibitions.

Editor: Tomer Gur-Arie COO & CFO: Liat Gur-Arie Journalist: Amir Bar-Shalom Technical journalist: Arik Weinstein U.S journalist: Sigal Shahar Graphic Design: Hadas Vidmayer Concept design: Maya Cohen mayaco@gmail.com Technical counselor: Arik Weinstein Sales and advertising: sales@new-techmagazine.com Account Manager: Yael Koffer Rokban Account Manager: Rinat Zolty Meroz Account Manager: Irit Shilo Account Manager: Tatiana Yamin Account Manager: Ricky Shlezinger Exhibition Department: Yael Koffer Rokban Data system: Liat Tsarfati Administrator & Exhibition Department: Lihi Levi Editorial coordinator: Elsa Shurkin Mail: Office: info@new-techmagazine.com Publisher : NEW-TECH MAGAZINE GROUP LTD

About New-Tech Magazines Group

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Contents

10 LATEST NEWS 20

Imaging with Hyperspectral Sensors: The Optimum Design for your Application 5G - It’s Not Here Yet, but Closer Than You Think Earth Observation with Smaller Satellites – and Ground Stations Greater flexibility and better performance for multi- view inspections MMIC Amplifiers Stretch the Boundaries of Dynamic Range in VHF/UHF Communications What role will supercapacitors play in the design of future energy systems? Connectors & Cables - Special edition Selecting The Best Pin Material and Plating Option For My Connector Selecting and Implementing M8 and M12 Connectors Researchers develop flexible, stretchable photonic devices-Light-based devices could be used as biomedical sensors or as flexible connectors for electronics. Motion Control - Special edition Human Machine Interface “Good operating concepts bring considerable added value” Enabling Ultimate Fidelity with Advanced Motion Control: An Engineer’s Perspective

20

24 28

32

36

24

40

42

46 50

28

54

58

40

66 OUT OF THE BOX 68 NEW PRODUCTS 82 INDEX

www. new- t echeurope . com

New-Tech Magazine Europe l 9

LatestNews

IBM Unveils Industry’s Most Advanced Server Designed for Artificial Intelligence

insights, driving scientific discovery enabling transformational business outcomes across every industry.” Accelerating the Future with POWER9 Deep learning is a fast growing machine learning method that extracts information by crunching through millions of processes and data to detect and rank the most

IBM today unveiled its next- generation Power Systems Servers incorporating its newly designed POWER9 processor. Built specifically for compute-intensive AI workloads, the new POWER9 systems are capable of improving the training times of deep learning frameworks by nearly 4x allowing enterprises to build more accurate AI applications, faster.

important aspects of the data. To meet these growing industry demands, four years ago IBM set out to design the POWER9 chip on a blank sheet to build a new architecture to manage free-flowing data, streaming sensors and algorithms for data-intensive AI and deep learning workloads on Linux. IBM is the only vendor that can provide enterprises with an infrastructure that incorporates cutting-edge hardware and software with the latest open-source innovations. With PowerAI, IBM has optimized and simplified the deployment of deep learning frameworks and libraries on the Power architecture with acceleration, allowing data scientists to be up and running in minutes. IBM Research is developing a wide array of technologies for the Power architecture. IBM researchers have already cut deep learning times from days to hours with the PowerAI Distributed Deep Learning toolkit. Building an Open Ecosystem to Fuel Innovation The era of AI demands more than tremendous processing power and unprecedented speed; it also demands an open ecosystem of innovative companies delivering technologies and tools. IBM serves as a catalyst for innovation to thrive, fueling an open, fast-growing community of more than 300 OpenPOWER Foundation and OpenCAPI Consortium members.

The new POWER9-based AC922 Power Systems are the first to embed PCI-Express 4.0, next-generation NVIDIA NVLink and OpenCAPI, which combined can accelerate data movement, calculated at 9.5x faster than PCI-E 3.0 based x86 systems. The system was designed to drive demonstrable performance improvements across popular AI frameworks such as Chainer, TensorFlow and Caffe, as well as accelerated databases such as Kinetica. As a result, data scientists can build applications faster, ranging from deep learning insights in scientific research, real-time fraud detection and credit risk analysis. POWER9 is at the heart of the soon-to-be most powerful data-intensive supercomputers in the world, the U.S. Department of Energy’s “Summit” and “Sierra” supercomputers, and has been tapped by Google. “Google is excited about IBM’s progress in the development of the latest POWER technology,” said Bart Sano, VP of Google Platforms “The POWER9 OpenCAPI Bus and large memory capabilities allow for further opportunities for innovation in Google data centers.” “We’ve built a game-changing powerhouse for AI and cognitiveworkloads,” said Bob Picciano, SVP of IBMCognitive Systems. “In addition to arming the world’s most powerful supercomputers, IBM POWER9 Systems is designed to enable enterprises around the world to scale unprecedented

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Samsung Forecast to Top Intel as the #1 Semiconductor Supplier in 2017

into the top-10 ranking in 2017—U.S.- headquartered Nvidia, which is forecast to register a 44% increase in sales this year. Nvidia is expected to replace fabless supplier MediaTek, whose 2017/2016 sales are expected to be down by 11% to $7.9 billion. Six of the top-10 companies are expected to have sales of at least $17.0 billion in 2017. As shown, it is forecast to take $9.2 billion in sales

IC Insights will release its November Update to the 2017 McClean Report later this month. This Update includes a 2017-2021 semiconductor market update, a forecast for the major capital spenders for 2017 and 2018, an analysis of the DRAM market, and a look at the top-25 semiconductor suppliers expected for 2017. The top- 10 2017 semiconductor suppliers are covered in this research bulletin.

For the first time since 1993, the semiconductor industry is expected to witness a new number 1 supplier. Samsung first charged into the top spot in 2Q17 and displaced Intel, which had held the number 1 ranking since 1993. In 1Q16, Intel’s sales were 40% greater than Samsung’s, but in just over a year’s time, that lead has been erased. Intel is now expected to trail Samsung in the full-year 2017 semiconductor sales ranking by $4.6 billion. Samsung’s big increase in sales this year has been primarily driven by an amazing rise in DRAM and NAND flash average selling prices. In 1993, Intel was the number 1 ranked supplier with a 9.2% share of the worldwide semiconductor market. In 2006, Intel still held the number 1 ranking with an 11.8% share. In 2017, Intel’s sales are expected to represent 13.9% of the total semiconductor market, down from 15.6% in 2016. In contrast, Samsung’s global semiconductor marketshare was 3.8% in 1993, 7.3% in 2006, 12.1% in 2016, and forecast to be 15.0% in 2017. Thus, it appears that Samsung’s accession to the number 1 position in the semiconductor sales ranking this year has had more to do with Samsung gaining marketshare than Intel losing marketshare. For 2017, the top 10 sales leaders are forecast to hold a 58.5% share of the worldwide semiconductor market. If this occurs, this would be the largest share of the market the top 10 companies held since 1993. Memory giants SK Hynix and Micron are expected to make the biggest moves in the top-10 ranking in 2017 as compared to the 2016 ranking. Spurred by the surge in the DRAM and NAND flash markets, each company is forecast to move up two spots in the top-10 ranking with SK Hynix occupying the third position and Micron moving up to fourth. Excluding foundries, there is expected to be one new entrant

just to make it into this year’s top-10 semiconductor supplier list. It should be noted that if Qualcomm and NXP’s expected sales for this year were combined, as if Qualcomm’s pending acquisition had already occurred, the companies’ 2017 sales would be $26.3 billion, enough to place the combined entity into third place in the top 10 ranking. Moreover, Broadcom’s current attempt to acquire Qualcomm, while Qualcomm itself is in the process of attempting to acquire NXP, adds additional uncertainty with regard to the future top 10 ranking. As would be expected, given the possible acquisitions and mergers that could/will occur over the next couple of years (e.g., Qualcomm/NXP, Broadcom/Qualcomm/NXP, etc.), as well as any new ones that may develop, the top-10 semiconductor ranking is likely to undergo some significant changes over the next few years as the semiconductor industry continues along its path to maturity. Report Details: The 2017 McClean Report Further details and rankings of top semiconductor suppliers as well as overall market trends within the IC industry are provided in the 2017 edition of The McClean Report—A Complete Analysis and Forecast of the Integrated Circuit Industry, which is IC Insights’ flagship report covering the IC market. A subscription to The McClean Report includes free monthly updates from March through November (including a 250+ page Mid-Year Update), and free access to subscriber-only webinars throughout the year. An individual-user license to the 2017 edition of The McClean Reportis priced at $4,090 and includes an Internet access password. A multi-user worldwide corporate license is available for $7,090.

New-Tech Magazine Europe l 11

LatestNews

KDDI and Samsung Complete First Successful Demonstration of 5G on a Train Moving at 100km/hour

possibility for new 5G vertical business models, such as a high- speed train. With 5G expected to bring railway services to a whole new dimension, the success of today’s demonstration in everyday locations such as a train and a train station is an important milestone indicating 5G commercialization is near,” said

KDDI and Samsung Electronics have successfully completed the first 5G demonstration on a moving train traveling at over 100 km/hour (over 60 mph). This was achieved along a section of track where the distance between two stations was approximately 1.5km (nearly 1 mile). During the demonstration, the companies achieved a successful downlink and uplink handover as well as a peak speed of 1.7 Gbps. The tests were carried out from October 17th through the 19th in the city of Saitama in Japan, near Tokyo. For the tests, Samsung’s 5G pre-commercial end-to-end solution was used, which is composed of a 5G router (CPE), radio access unit (5G Radio), virtualized RAN and virtualized core. The demonstration leveraged capabilities driven by 5G, such as high throughput, low latency and massive connections, which verified potential services and use cases that would be highly-beneficial to passengers and operators of high-speed trains. This could pave the way to vastly improved backhaul for onboard WiFi, superior passenger infotainment and increased security and analytics. In addition to a successful downlink and uplink handover at more than 100km/hour (over 60 mph), 8K video was downloaded via the CPE installed on-board, and a 4K video, filmed on a camera mounted on the train, was able to be uploaded. “In collaboration with Samsung, KDDI has opened up the

Yoshiaki Uchida, Senior Managing Executive Officer at KDDI. “To fulfill our aim to launch 5G by 2020, KDDI will continue exploring real-life scenario experiments for diverse 5G use and business cases together with Samsung.” “The potentials that 5G holds is powerful enough to transform the landscape of our daily lives,” said Youngky Kim, President and Head of Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “The success of today’s demonstration is a result of our joint research with KDDI, which we will continue to pursue as we explore next generation networks and use cases This will include research on diverse spectrums and technologies, as well as new business models and applications.” Since 2015, KDDI and Samsung Electronics have been closely collaborating to demonstrate 5G millimeter wave performance in various scenarios. This includes a multi-cell handover demonstration that took place in February, where the device was mounted on a car that traveled in the busy streets of Tokyo (Link), and a high-speed mobility test with the device attached on a car racing at 200km/h in Yongin, Korea in September.

IQD Frequency Products becomes part of the Würth Elektronik eiSos Group

IQD Products becomes part of the Würth Elektronik eiSos Group IQD Frequency Products Ltd., based in Crewkerne (UK) and IQD Frequency Products Inc., based in Palm Springs (USA) are now part of the Würth Elektronik eiSos Group, thus expanding Würth Elektronik’s Frequency

existing selection of passive components with a comprehensive range of quartz crystals and oscillators. IQD is among the leading manufacturers of frequency control devices in Europe. The company is active in over 80 countries. With IQD Frequency Products Ltd, Würth Elektronik eiSos is acquiring a

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company with a tradition dating back 44 years. IQD develops, manufactures and markets quartz crystals, oscillators, VCXOs, TCXOs, OCXOs, GPS- synchronised OCXOs and rubidium oscillators. The company also offers product solutions built to customer’s specifications. IQD’s products are specified by leading manufacturers in the industrial, communications, computing, consumer, automotive, aerospace, and medical industries throughout the world. “With IQD our group has now acquired a highly innovative company with cutting- edge technologies and component solutions which are a logical extension of the range of products we offer. We are particularly pleased that we’re now able to offer valuable extensions for IoT, WiFi, GPS and 5G applications,” says Oliver Konz, CEO of Würth Elektronik eiSos Group. Customer-oriented and strong in support Thomas Schrott, CEO Würth Elektronik eiSos Group, goes on to add: “At IQD Frequency Products, the concepts of personal advice and support, from the original product idea, via prototypes and all the way to serial production are an integral part of the business model. These features fit in perfectly to our corporate philosophy ‘more than you expect’”. “We are constantly seeking to expand our range of services

and grow faster.” Saskia Van Uffelen, Country Manager of Ericsson Belgium and Luxembourg, says: “Ericsson and Corda Campus will engage Belgian enterprises to be key players in the development of 5G, helping to speed up industrial digitalization in the country and Europe. This 5G Life Campus, part of the 5G for Europe program launched by Ericsson and industries and institutes across Europe, will help contribute to Belgium’s future economic growth and job market.” Hosted within Corda Campus, a leading technology campus in the heart of the EUREGIO, the 5G Life Campus will host countless innovative businesses and startups. The launch of the new 5G Life Campus is scheduled for the first quarter of 2018, years ahead of the expected commercial launch of the next generation of mobile technology. Paul Fear, former Group Managing Director of IQD, commented “In our eyes, Würth Elektronik eiSos is the ideal partner for us since we’re both on the same wavelength; the customer comes first! Both companies stand for customer service, support and the highest possible quality. Supported by Würth Elektronik eiSos’ global sales strength, IQD will be able to continue its growth whilst at the same time expanding its range of innovative product solutions.” This acquisition will enable the company to make even greater investments in the further development of technologies and products, which in combination with the Group’s unique service and added-value concept will create even more benefits and security for customers, the company and its employees. and competences in the area of wireless and frequency control solutions. The acquisition of AMBER Wireless in 2016 was a boost for our activities in the field of radio modules and IQD was our first choice for frequency products,” explains Alexander Gerfer, CTO of the Würth Elektronik eiSos Group. The ISO 9001, TS16949, and AEC-Q200 certified quality standards, and the excellent reputation that the company enjoys throughout the entire sector, were important for acquisition, too.

First 5G Life campus to open in Belgium

Ericsson and Corda Campus are launching the first 5G Life Campus in Hasselt, Belgium. The 5G Life Campus will be located at Corda Campus, a technology park, and will be fully connected to Ericsson’s R&D center in Aachen, Germany, where 5G development and international pilot projects are executed. By jointly implementing the first Belgian 5G Life Campus, Ericsson and Corda Campus aim to provide industry players with a test

environment to develop and trial new applications using the latest technologies for the next generation of mobility, potentially years ahead of the expected commercial launch of 5G in Belgium. Raf Degens, Director of Corda Campus, says: “Corda Campus is a high technology campus, where more than 200 innovative companies work on new products and services every day. With Ericsson, this 5G Life Campus will provide industries a way to prepare for the future

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LatestNews

Emmanuel Sabonnadiere Named Leti CEO

Leti, a technology research institute of CEA Tech, today announced that Emmanuel Sabonnadiere has been named CEO, succeeding Marie-Noelle Semeria. Sabonnadiere, who has more than 25 years of executive leadership experience in a variety of large technology environments, joins Leti from CEA Tech, where he led

class team to develop the solutions that will bring digital innovations to the benefit of leading technology companies around the world.” Pior to joining CEA, Sabonnadiere was CEO of the Philips Lighting’s Business Group Professional in Amsterdam. From 2008 to 2014, he was CEO and chairman of General Cable Europe in

Barcelona, and from 2005 to 2008 he served as CEO of NKM Noell in Wurzburg, Germany. Before that, he served as vice president of Alstom T&D for five years. Early in his career, he held multiple positions at Schneider Electric, including managing director of development for equipment units. During his career, he has designed and implemented strategic plans for process optimization, product redesign- to-costs, market repositioning and system development. Sabonnadiere holds a Ph.D. degree in physics from the Ecole Centrale de Lyon, an MBA degree from Ecole Supérieure des Affaires de Grenoble and an engineering degree in information technology from the Université Technologie Compiègne. Sabonnadiere is a fully qualified instructor at the ski school in Les Ménuires, and member of the advisory board of IAC

the industrial-partnership program. He brings a strong background in new-technology development with broad private-sector expertise in operational excellence, team building and guiding multicultural organizations in business transformation in Europe and globally. As Leti’s chief executive officer, Sabonnadiere leads the activities of one of Europe’s largest micro- and nanotechnologies research institutes, which employs approximately 1,900 scientists and engineers, has a portfolio of 2,700 patents and has launched more than 60 startups. “Success in today’s demanding international digital landscape requires a combination of deep technological expertise, advanced platforms, a commitment to customer and partner success and a shared excitement and agility about the new opportunities,” Sabonnadiere said. “This is where Leti is today, and I am very excited to join this world-

NXP Announces Community-Based Industrial Linux Distribution for Industry 4.0

NXP Semiconductors™ N.V., a worldwide leader in advanced secure connectivity solutions, today announced an industrial Linux distribution with real-time OS extensions and Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) support for factory- automation OEMs. By breaking down the barriers of real-time computing

policing, time-aware shaping of network traffic, and 801.1AS time synchronization. TSN Ethernet is integrated in the Layerscape LS1028A industrial applications processor announced by NXP in March 2017. Senior Industry Analyst Dan Mandell of VDC Research Group, Inc., said, “NXP has taken a leadership

and networking in a standard, community-based distribution, Open Industrial Linux (OpenIL) helps these OEMs usher in the Industry 4.0 era. The OpenIL distribution includes TSN support, per-stream

role with the OpenIL distro in focusing Linux designers specifically on industrial automation opportunities, while simultaneously leveraging its Layerscape System-on- Chip (SoC) capabilities to enable Industry 4.0 smart

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manufacturing systems. It should prove a powerful combination.” Factory managers and industrial-equipment makers are turning to Linux for its operational stability, security, and cost of ownership. For similar reasons, they are turning to Ethernet to replace vendor-specific networking protocols. “OpenIL combines security, TSN, edge computing, and Industry 4.0 into a single Linux distribution,” said Richard House, software vice president at NXP Semiconductors. “OEMs can focus on their value-added technologies to create the next generation of smart manufacturing solutions while utilizing proven hardware and software platforms.” Originated by NXP, OpenIL’s baseline capabilities include IT infrastructure software such as networking stacks, web servers (useful for configuration management), scripting tools, and system utilities commonly part of Linux distros.

OpenIL facilitates OEMs adding software from the rich Linux ecosystem using an optional instantiation of the popular Ubuntu user-space filesystem layout. Other notable OpenIL distribution features include: Xenomai real-time extensions to Unix, easing porting from a real-time operating system (RTOS) like VxWorks or pSOS Extensible Markup Language (XML) and NETCONF-based network configuration utilities for TSN Generalized precision time protocol (gPTP) with the linuxptp daemon Drivers for the Ethernet Interfaces and the NXP SJA1105T TSN switch Support for edge computing services Attendees andmediaare invited toexperiencedemonstrations at the NXP booth during SPS IPC Drives, booth 10.1.

BMW Group invests 200 million euros in Battery Cell Competence Centre

The BMW Group continues to focus on the implementation of its electro-mobility strategy, with the company concentrating all its technological expertise relating to battery cells at a new competence centre. Klaus Fröhlich, member of the BMW AG Board of Management, responsible for Research and Development, and Oliver Zipse, member of the BMW AG Board of Management,

Oliver Zipse added: “By producing battery-cell prototypes, we can analyse and fully understand the cell’s value- creation processes. With this build- to-print expertise, we can enable potential suppliers to produce cells to our specifications. The knowledge we gain is very important to us, regardless of whether we produce the battery

responsible for Production, were joined by Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs Ilse Aigner for the symbolic ground-breaking of the BMW Group Battery Cell Competence Centre in Munich today. This interdisciplinary competence centre aims to advance battery cell technology and introduce it into production processes. The company will invest a total of 200 million euros in the location over the next four years, creating 200 jobs. The centre will open in early 2019. Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony, Klaus Fröhlich said: “We will be concentrating all our in-house expertise along the battery-cell value chain at our new high-tech competence centre. International experts working in the new development labs and facilities will conduct important research to refine cell chemistry and cell design. We will focus on further improvements in battery performance, lifespan, safety, charging and also costs. We will set the benchmark for the industry.”

cells ourselves, or not.” Ilse Aigner said: “With its competence centre for battery cell technology, BMW is making another major investment in Bavaria. This shows a clear commitment to our state as an industrial, high- tech manufacturing location. Battery cells are a key technology on the road to emission-free mobility. Bavaria is at the forefront of electromobility – a position we will continue to expand to secure long-term growth, prosperity and jobs.” The BMW Group’s Strategy NUMBER ONE > NEXT makes electromobility, digitalisation and autonomous driving clear technological focus points, strengthening Germany’s position as an innovation driver for mobility and the future technologies. As the leading supplier of premium mobility, the BMW Group concentrates on customer needs and wishes, playing a decisive role in advancing the ACES topics (Autonomous, Connected, Electrified and Services).

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Competence Centre for Battery Cells provides important competitive edge The battery cell is the heart of the battery. It determines performance, energy content, charging capabilities and lifespan, thereby making a significant contribution to the performance of an electrified vehicle. In the labs, research and prototyping facilities, which will make up the battery cell competence centre, specialist departments will analyse cell design and cell technology. They will also create prototypes of future battery cells, focusing on the chemical composition of the cells, use of different materials, how the cell behaves in critical or extremely cold conditions, charging and rapid-charging behaviour and evaluating cell sizes and forms. This in-house technological expertise is key to enhancing the battery, thereby enabling higher performance capabilities. The BMW Group will also gain build-to-print expertise and can then contract out production of battery cells produced to its exact product requirements and specifications. This core competence – which covers the entire value chain from selection of materials, cell design, integration into battery systems, manufacturability and production technologies – gives the company a definite competitive edge, while leveraging cost benefits and economies of scale. The BMW Group has already completed years of research into battery cells and acquired a high level of evaluation competence, especially through the development of the BMW i models. The company will concentrate know-how from various specialist departments and locations at the new Battery Cell Competence Centre and step up its efforts in this area to achieve faster impact. Research findings will be incorporated directly into the latest battery generation. Fifth generation of BMW Group electric drivetrains from 2021: electric motor, transmission and power electronics form new component The BMW Group is already developing the fifth generation of its electric drivetrain, for release in 2021, in which interaction between the electric motor, transmission, power electronics and battery have been further optimised. A decisive advantage of this future electric drive is that the electric motor, transmission and power electronics are combined in a new and separate electric-drive component. With its compact design, this highly integrated new component takes up significantly less space than the three separate components used in previous generations. Its modular concept means that it is also scalable and can be modified for a wide range of different packages and

performance levels, increasing flexibility and making it easier to install the new electric drivetrain component in different vehicle derivatives. Integrating the electric motor, transmission and power electronics into a single component uses fewer parts and therefore saves costs. A further highlight is that the new electric motor does not require the use of rare earths, making the BMW Group no longer dependent on their availability. The fifth-generation electric drivetrain also uses new, more powerful batteries. Their scalable, modular design means they can be used flexibly in the respective vehicle architecture at different production sites. Thanks to further development of the battery in particular, the new electric drivetrain extends the range of pure battery-electric vehicles to up to 700 km. In plug-in hybrid models, distances up to 100 kilometres are possible. In this way, the BMW Group continues to expand its innovation leadership in this field. With the electric motor and battery developed and produced in-house, the BMW Group already possesses a high level of core competence and value creation for electric drivetrains. In- house production gives the BMW Group a decisive competitive advantage, by securing know-how in new technologies, gaining important systems expertise and leveraging cost benefits. The flexibility of the new electric drivetrain component and upgraded modular battery will continue to ensure the BMW Group’s freedom of action in the future. Thanks to the scalable electric modular systems, from 2020 it will be possible to fit all model series with any drivetrain, according to demand. The fifth-generation electric drivetrain achieves high levels of driving performance and good range with much less weight. It will be integrated into both front- and rear-wheel drive flexible enhanced vehicle architectures, which will also be suitable for all drive forms. This flexibility means the company will be able to meet the predicted demand for several hundred thousand electrified vehicles in 2025. International production network The BMWGroup benefits from a highly flexible production network that can respond quickly to demand for electrified models. All electrified vehicles are integrated into the existing production system. The company already produces electrified vehicles at ten locations worldwide. The batteries needed for these models come from the three battery factories in Dingolfing, Germany, Spartanburg in the USA and Shenyang, China. The BMW Group plant in Dingolfing plays a leading role within the network as the centre of competence for electric drive systems.

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LatestNews

Osram’s new LED chip factory goes into operation in Kulim

also for façade lighting, private and commercial interior and exterior lighting, or for billboards – as well as for special applications such as horticulture lights. The global LED market for general lighting is estimated to be €6 billion in 2018, roughly six percent of which is for street lighting. An average growth

Osram’s new LED chip factory in Kulim, Malaysia, begins operation on time. “We are both on schedule and within budget,” pointed out Olaf Berlien, CEO of OSRAM Licht AG, during the opening ceremony in Kulim on Thursday. “Given our enormous recent growth rates of 19 percent in the LED business, we are pleased to have the new production

rate in the market of seven percent per annum is foreseen through 2020. The overall market for optoelectronic components – including general lighting – will be €17.5 billion in 2018. The plan is to also produce LED chips in Kulim in the medium term for premium applications, such as automotive lighting and video projection. Thanks to the new facility at a green-field location, no compromises had to be made in the design of the factory, in addition it features the latest technology. In comparison with the 4 inch technology, the production systems for 6 inch wafers produce 125 percent more LED chips per wafer in a single cycle. Osram is currently investing worldwide in the expansion of the existing six sites in its LED production network. Therefore, Osram is also expanding its plant in Regensburg, which currently has about 2,500 employees, and will additionally hire up to 1,000 employees. Premium LED chips and laser diodes, which are used, for example, in high- quality car headlights, will be manufactured there as well as infrared diodes for sensors that can be used in applications including facial recognition in mobile phones, or in cars for intelligent assistance systems (such as proximity control). Furthermore, Osram will be expanding its site in Schwabmünchen. In the future, Osram will manufacture LED primary materials in clean rooms there. In addition, Osram also has another plant for LED primary products in the U.S. city of Exeter. In Wuxi, China, Osram is expanding its capacity for assembling LED chips into complete LEDs – i.e. light-emitting diodes with a housing and partly with primary optics too. In Penang, Malaysia, located near Kulim, LED chips are also manufactured and assembled.

capacities. Our investment in Kulim also attests to the technology shift and our transition to becoming a high-tech corporation: At the beginning of this decade, conventional lighting still accounted for 80 percent of Osram’s business. Today, two-thirds of our sales are based on optical semiconductors.” In November 2015, as part of its Diamond innovation and growth initiative, Osram announced plans to build the new LED chip factory in Kulim and to have it up and running by the end of 2017. The modular, expandable factory has now been put into operation just two years after the announcement one and a half year after groundbreaking. A total of €370 million were invested in the first stage of completion. Osram can expand the factory in two additional stages, entailing total investment costs of up to one billion euros including expansion of the LED assembly capacities in Osram’s global factory alliance. Aldo Kamper, CEO of OSRAM Opto Semiconductors business unit, underscores the enormous production capacity in Kulim: “With one week’s production we could completely retrofit the street lighting of the metropolises New York, Rio, Hong Kong and Berlin with LEDs.” To upgrade the entire street lighting worldwide, Kulim would have to produce LEDs five and a half years long exclusively for this purpose. Energy savings of up to 80 percent, compared to conventional street lights, can be achieved with LED lighting. In addition, LED has better light color stability and can be more quickly dimmed and adjusted, so that empty streets or sidewalks do not always have to be illuminated with full brightness. The Osram factory in Kulim will produce blue LED chips which, by means of a converter layer, can generate white light. They are produced for general lighting purposes, such as the previously mentioned public street lighting, but

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LatestNews

Battery Research: German -Taiwanese Research Project Launched

A German–Taiwanese research cooperation project was launched at the MEET battery research centre of the University of Münster (WWU) on Thursday, 23 November. Until November 2020, eight Taiwanese and ten German research institutions, including Forschungszentrum Jülich, will jointly investigate new materials and combinations of materials

Winter. The official launch ceremony of the initiative, which took place in Münster, was attended by scientists of the universities and research institutes involved as well as representatives of BMBF and MOST. “I am convinced that cooperation between peers, such as this one with Taiwan, benefits the scientists on both sides. Excellent battery research is of fundamental

that – together with novel cell design concepts – are set to lead to lithium-ion batteries with considerably increased performance and operational safety. “In battery research, the materials used play a decisive role. They have to be tailored to the application purpose and have a great influence on the battery’s performance,” says Professor Hsisheng Teng from the National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan. Both he and Professor Martin Winter, scientific head of MEET and founding director of the Helmholtz Institute Münster (HI MS, Institute of Energy and Climate Research, IEK-12), are responsible for the overall coordination of the cooperation. A research initiative concerning new materials for battery systems (“Batterie DE-TWN”) was launched by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) together with the Taiwanese Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST). Under its umbrella, three project consortia are being funded, two of which are coordinated by Jülich Professors Oliver Guillon (Institute of Energy and Climate Research, IEK-1) and Martin

importance for both our nations. This is why I am delighted we today had the opportunity to launch three cooperation projects concerning this very promising topic,” says Dr. Herbert Zeisel, who heads a BMBF subdivision addressing key technologies for growth. Together, BMBF and MOST are providing funding totalling approximately €6 million. In addition to Martin Winter, Prof. Monika Stoll also addressed the guests in her role as Vice-Rector for Research at WWU: “After having already successfully initiated a cooperation with Israel and Japan, we are proud to now expand our international collaboration over battery research to Taiwan,” she said. Picture: From the left: Dr. Christian Prinzisky (Project Management Jülich), Prof. Yong-Chie Heng (National Taiwan University of Science and Technology), Prof. Martin Winter (MEET WWU, HI MS), Prof. Hsisheng Teng (National Cheng Kung University), Prof. Monika Stoll (WWU), Prof. Dong-Yih Lin (MOST), Dr. Herbert Zeisel (BMBF) and Dr. Peter Schroth (BMBF). Copyright: MEET / Pia Niehues

Automation of factory logistics for European SMEs takes a digital leap

Launched in October 2017, the L4MS (Logistics for Manufacturing SMEs) initiative supported by the European Commission will accelerate the automation of intra-factory logistics of SMEs. L4MS will completely digitalize logistics automation in factories. This will allow automation suppliers to develop and deploy logistics solutions 10 times faster and cheaper than the current price. L4MS opens the door for SMEs to utilize robotics and other advance technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtualization. In a typical factory, the transport of parts and components

accounts for 25% of employees, 55% of factory space, and 87% of the production time. While large manufacturers are quickly adopting mobile robots to increase productivity and flexibility on the factory floor, less than 2% of European SMEs use advanced manufacturing technologies. With SMEs representing 98% of the manufacturers, European industry is in danger of being left behind. L4MS (Logistics for Manufacturing SMEs) is an acceleration program led by the VTT Technical Research Centre of

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LatestNews

Finland. L4MS is focused on providing inexpensive and

suppliers to develop and display the optimum logistics solutions to SMEs. And on the other side, virtual factories will support the decision-making process of manufacturing SMEs in selecting the best solution. “This is a unique opportunity for the SMEs to use robotics and enter the world of artificial intelligence as well as to network at the European level,” says Kalle Kantola, Vice President, Research at VTT.

flexible logistics automation for SMEs, which requires no infrastructure change, no production downtime and no special expertise. “The deployment cost and time of mobile robots will reduce by a factor of 10. It will give never before seen flexibility and agility to SMEs for small batch production and will double their productivity”, says the Coordinator of L4MS Ali Muhammad at VTT.

A double-sided platform for the logistics automation L4MS will provide an IoT platform called OPIL (Open Platform for Innovations in Logistics), integrated with a 3D simulator as a cloud service for complete virtualization of factories. The OPIL will contain the latest navigation, localization, mapping and traffic management services for rapid and cost effective deployment of logistics solutions. On one side, OPIL will support the automation L4MS is a one-stop-shop, where European manufacturing SMEs will be able to acquire the complete service package including, not only the latest technology (OPIL+3D simulator), but also technical support, business mentoring, training for workers and finance for the modernization of production. All these services are provided locally on the doorstep of SMEs through a network of regional Digital Innovation Hubs connected to the L4MS. The length of the L4MS acceleration program is 3.5 years, with a budget of EUR 8.8 million. Audi relies on Infineon: World’s first series production car with autonomous driving features

and corner radar. They send and receive high- frequency 77-GHz signals and forward these on to the central driver assistance controller (zFAS). A microcontroller from the AURIX™ family is a key component of the zFAS for reliable automated driving. AURIX enables to secure the connection to the vehicle data bus. It assesses and prioritizes data packets and initiates their processing in the fastest possible time. For example, it initiates

Infineon supplies key components for the Audi A8, the world’s first series production car featuring level 3 automated driving. The ability of cars to self-drive is split into a number of different levels: With level 3 (see explanation below), drivers can temporarily take their hands off the steering wheel under certain conditions. For example, the A8 allows this when parking and exiting, in slow-moving traffic or in traffic congestion. Thanks to microelectronics from

emergency braking based on data from radar and other sensor systems. The AURIX family of microcontrollers is especially ideal for this purpose thanks to high processing power and extensive safety features. AURIX microcontrollers are used in several controllers in the Audi A8: On the one hand, they control the functions for the engine. On the other, they operate in the Audi AI active chassis and in the electronic chassis platform, which controls the shock absorption. The microcontrollers also support activation of the airbag. In addition to the electronics for drive, driver assistance and chassis, other semiconductor solutions from Infineon are installed in the comfort and body electronics, such as for example LED drivers from the LITIX™ Basic family in the tail lights as well as bridge drivers from the Embedded Power family in the windscreen wipers.

Infineon Technologies AG, a car can take over in this kind of driving situation. “Around 90 percent of innovations in the car are driven by electronics and hence by semiconductors,” says Peter Schiefer, President of the Automotive Division at Infineon. “We have been a recognized semiconductor partner of Audi for many years. Motoring is now safer, more convenient and more environmentally-friendly with “Vorsprung durch Technik” (Progress through Technology) and chips from Infineon. We are proud of our contribution toward the mobility of the future.” Key components for self-drive vehicles Various chips from Infineon are to thank for safe automated driving in the Audi A8: sensors, microcontrollers and power semiconductors. Radar sensor chips from the RASIC™ family are installed in the front

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Imaging with Hyperspectral Sensors: The Optimum Design for your Application

Frederik Schönebeck, FRAMOUS

The relevant information in many vision applications is encoded into the color of the scenery. This information in normal color cameras is extracted based on the three standard color channels; red, green and blue (RGB), respectively. This color reproduction technique is an approximation and it is often insufficient to reliably solve a given machine vision problem. Hyperspectral imaging overcomes this limitation by providing a greater number of spectral bands, while maintaining an adequate spatial resolution. The required narrow-band spectral filters can be implemented at the sensor level owing to the recent advances in sensor design. Hyperspectral cameras equipped with these sensors show a significantly decreased level of complexity. This enables compact, reliable, and easy-to-use hyperspectral cameras that can benefit virtually any

application in which accurate color is key to success. Color is one of the key parameters in many vision applications and it is often used as a basis for classification, alternate background and foreground discrimination, or object identification. Typically, color cameras are equipped with three broadband color channels, red, green, and blue (RGB). These channels are implemented in the form of a regular, mosaic-like filter pattern; the so-called Bayer-pattern. With only these three standard filters, the resulting color information is merely approximate and often insufficient to reliably identify subtle color gradients. However, robust color discrimination is often the key to success (e.g., the discrimination between tissue, nerves and blood vessels during non-invasive surgery) and therefore the performance of conventional color sensors hampers

vision-based solutions in many applications. In contrast, hyperspectral imaging, or imaging spectroscopy, is a combination of digital imaging and narrow-band spectroscopy. This technique allows the light intensity to be captured for each pixel on the detector for a greater number of spectral bands (typically some tens to hundreds). Consequently, each pixel in the image contains a full color spectrum (in contrast to restricting three values for red, green and blue), which can characterize the scenery with greater color, detail, and accuracy. This feature enables object classification pipelines based on spectral properties, via statistical matching or neural networks; thereby enhancing entirely new approaches in the vision industry. The recent progress in sensor design and processing speed means that a wide field of applications now can

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