New-Tech Europe Magazine | Q1 2020

February 2020

16 Technology Solution Provider - Embedded Platforms 20 SLAM and Autonomous Vehicles: A DSP Implementation 26 Manufacturing magic takes multilayer flexible printed circuits to extraordinary lengths 30 Condition-Based Monitoring (CbM) with iCOMOX

Technology Solutions Provider

You will be able to take the Arrow experience home with you: 5,000 Development Boards will be given away for free!

Arrow Electronics is partnering with market-leading suppliers to unlock the potential of key technologies like Industry 4.0, IIoT, AI, security, automotive, cloud and more. From components, system on modules, evaluation boards, and cloud to market-ready solutions. See live demonstrations of condition based monitoring, predictive maintenance, gesture recognition, speech recognition, vision-based smart systems, automotive solutions and many more all with the latest embedded technologies. Experience Arrow’s capabilities bringing together embedded hardware, software and the cloud, to find the right solution for your business at embedded world.

Visit Arrow at Embedded World Booth 340 in Hall 4A Nuremberg, Germany 25th - 27th February 2020

At embedded world Arrow Electronics is showcasing a range of products and services that assist businesses transforming innovative ideas into full production. Start-ups and established companies can all benefit from a suite of tools that, combined with Arrow’s breadth of suppliers and global logistical capabilities, will enable shortened time to market. Visitors will learn how to benefit from implementing the power of all latest technologies & solution that just announced into their products and systems. Arrow’s engineers will guide you through the technology journey from microcontrollers, FPGAs, processors, sensors and wireless subsystems to the market’s highest performance solutions.

Board Showcase at embedded world 2020, Booth 340 in Hall 4A

>��LTE Mezzanine – Quectel, Arkessa >��MAX1000 – Intel PSG, Molex >��Meerkat – NXP >��NBIOT Mezzanine – Quectel, Arkessa >��Oncamera ISP Mezzanine – ON Semiconductor >��Osram Camera Mezzanine – ON Semiconductor, Osram >��Panasonic Wireless Sensor Modules – Panasonic, STMicroelectronics >��Quadro – Cypress >��RSL1000 – ON Semiconductor, Molex >��SensiTHING – Analog Devices, Silicon Labs >��Sentimate – TE Connectivity, Silicon Labs >��Shield96 – Microchip

>��3DToF Mezzanine – Analog Devices >��AI/ML – NXP, Analog Devices, Cypress >��AnalogMAX-01 – Analog Devices, Intel PSG >��AnalogMAX-DAQ1 – Analog Devices, Molex >��AnalogMAX-DAQ2 – Analog Devices, Molex >��Automotive HV Evaluation Board – Cypress, Infineon >��Avenger96 – STMicroelectronics, TE Connectivity >��Bosch Sensor Mezzanine – Bosch >��CYC1000 – Intel PSG, Molex >��DragonBoard – Qualcomm, TE Connectivity >��Everest – Microchip, TE Connectivity >��FPGA Mezzanine Card – Intel PSG, TE Connectivity >��HANI IOT – NXP >��iCOMOX – Analog Devices, Infineon >��IO-Link Evaluation Board – STMicroelectronics >��Kairos – Analog Devices, Arrow

>��SMF2000 – Microsemi, Molex >��Thor96 – NXP, Analog Devices, Cypress >��Tresor-II Mezzanine – Infineon

For more information on these boards and solutions please visit arrow.com

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February 2020

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Contents

10 LATEST NEWS 16 Technology Solution Provider - Embedded Platforms 20 SLAM and Autonomous Vehicles: A DSP Implementation 26 Manufacturing magic takes multilayer flexible printed circuits to extraordinary lengths 30 Condition-Based Monitoring (CbM) with iCOMOX 34 Benefits beyond improved performance

16

38 OUT OF THE BOX 40 NEW PRODUCTS 48 INDEX

20

26

30

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New-Tech Magazine Europe l 9

Latest News

Nokia partners with IIiad Group to roll out 5G in France and Italy

Thomas Reynaud, IIiad Group’s CEO, said: “We want to offer our customers the best possible 5G experience and that is why we have chosen to strengthen and accelerate our relationship with Nokia as we enter the 5G era. Nokia’s innovative 5G technologies and

Nokia announced that it will extend its long-standing partnership with French mobile operator, IIiad Group, to roll out 5G networks across France and Italy. The 5G deal will focus on network modernization and 5G introduction in France and 5G introduction in Italy making 5G available to 17 million IIiad subscribers across both countries.

solutions will enable us to launch quickly and efficiently, delivering a superior network performance whilst also securing us against future challenges.” Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia, commented: “We are delighted to continue our long-standing relationship with IIiad to roll out 5G networks across France and Italy and build out a world-class network for businesses and consumers alike. The radio technologies will give Iliad the flexibility to quickly and smoothly launch a future-proof 5G network.”

Nokia has worked closely with IIiad Group in France since 2012 and in Italy since 2018 on the rollout of both 3G and 4G, now adding 5G networks to its portfolio. Iliad Group will install Nokia’s newest radio access technology, AirScale, allowing it to capitalize on early 5G networks whilst supporting 4G/LTE and 5G in the same radio access system. This versatility will enable IIiad Group to offer new services to both consumers and businesses while also future-proofing the radio network. The installation of 5G massive MIMO antennas will ensure Iliad subscribers can make the most of the ultra-low latency and high- bandwidth capabilities of 5G.

Up Close with Lakefield – Intel’s Chip with Award-Winning Foveros 3D Tech

The fingernail-size Intel chip with Foveros technology is a first-of-its kind. With Foveros, processors are built in a totally new way: not with the various IPs spread out flat in two dimensions, but with them stacked in three dimensions. Think of a chip designed as a layer cake (a 1-millimeter-thick layer cake)

and match” technology IP blocks with various memory and I/O elements – all in a small physical package for significantly reduced board size. The first product designed this way is “Lakefield,” the Intel® Core™ processor with Intel hybrid technology.

Industry analyst firm The Linley Group recently named Intel’s Foveros 3D-stacking technology as “Best Technology” in its 2019 Analysts’ Choice Awards. “Our awards program not only recognizes excellence in chip

versus a chip with a more-traditional pancake-like design. Intel’s Foveros advanced packaging technology allows Intel to “mix

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Latest News

design and innovation, but also acknowledges the products that our analysts believe will have an impact on future designs,” said Linley Gwennap, of The Linley Group. For its part, Lakefield represents an entirely new class of chip. It delivers an optimal balance of performance and efficiency with best-in-class connectivity in a small footprint – Lakefield’s package area measures just 12-by-12-by-1 millimeters. Its hybrid CPU architecture combines power-efficient “Tremont” cores with a performance scalable 10nm “Sunny Cove” core to intelligently deliver productivity performance when needed and

power-sipping efficiency when not needed for long battery life. These benefits offer original equipment manufacturers more flexibility for thin-and-light form factor PCs, including the emerging dual-screen and foldable screen PC categories. Recently, three designs have been announced that are powered by Lakefield and were co-engineered with Intel. In October 2019, Microsoft previewed the Surface Neo, a dual-screen device. And later that month at its developer conference, Samsung announced the Galaxy Book S. Unveiled at CES 2020 and expected to ship midyear is the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold.

Acquisition Rebound Lifts 2019 to Third-Largest M&A Year

Seven major semiconductor acquisition agreements valued at $1 billion or more increase the total value of all deals by 22% from the previous year, continuing the strong wave of M&A and consolidation among and acquisition activity strengthened in 2019 after pulling back in the two previous years from historic chip suppliers. Semiconductor merger

The average annual value of semiconductor M&A agreements between 2015 and 2019 is more than 4x the average in the prior five-year period (2010-2014)— more than 4.5x if $100.7 billion is used for 2016 announcements. It is important to note that these purchase agreements cover semiconductor companies, chip divisions, business units, development teams and product lines,

credit: www.icinsights.com

high levels of M&A agreements in 2015 and 2016. More than 30 semiconductor acquisition agreements in 2019 had a combined value of $31.7 billion, which was a 22% increase from $25.9 billion in 2018, according to data compiled by IC Insights in its new 2020 edition of The McClean Report—A Complete Analysis and Forecast of the Integrated Circuit Industry. The 2019 value of semiconductor acquisition agreements reached the third-highest annual total ever, but the year was still far behind 2015 and 2016. It appears the pace of semiconductor acquisitions has moved up to a “new normal” level since 2015—perhaps in the $25-30 billion range per year—as consolidation in the chip industry quickens and large suppliers strike deals to add new products and technologies for higher growth this decade, in such areas as machine-learning and artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, human recognition, computer vision, virtual/augmented reality, and high-speed wireless connections to the ever-expanding Internet of Things. M&A announcements surged in 2015 with the total value of deals hitting a record-high $107.7 billion, followed by $100.7 billion in acquisition agreements in 2016 (just $59.8 billion of those transactions were completed in the following years because several major ones were dropped after failing to win approval by government regulators).

intellectual property (IP), process technologies, and wafer fabs. IC Insights’ M&A list excludes transactions involving semiconductor capital equipment suppliers, material producers, chip packaging and testing companies, and design automation software firms. Seven of the acquisition agreements in 2019 exceeded $1.0 billion. Here is where those seven acquisitions rank among the 50 largest semiconductor M&A deals in history. #9 is now Infineon’s planned purchase of Cypress Semiconductor for $9.4 billion. #12 is Nvidia’s $6.9 billion deal for interconnect and networking products supplier Mellanox; #18 is AMS’s pending $5.1 billion takeover of optoelectronics maker OSRAM; #36 is Intel’s $2.0 billion purchase of AI-chip developer Habana Labs in Israel; Tied for #38 is NXP’s acquisition of Marvell’s Wi-Fi Connectivity business for $1.8 billion; #45 is ON Semiconductor’s $1.1 billion purchase of Wi-Fi solutions supplier Quantenna Communications; and, #46 is now Apple’s $1.0 billion takeover of Intel’s smartphone modem business.

New-Tech Magazine Europe l 11

Latest News Autotalks’ Chipset is Selected for the Company’s First Mass Production C-V2X Program in China

Autotalks, a world leader in V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) communication solutions,

light vehicles produced in the region equipped with C-V2X technology in 2020, and the country is expected to stay in the lead through to 2024.

announced that its chipset was selected for a mass production C-V2X program in China, one of the first to be deployed in the huge Chinese market. This is the first mass-production C-V2X program for Autotalks, which consists of a Telematics Control Unit (TCU) with C-V2X powered by Autotalks’ chipset, built by a top Tier1 automotive provider. The selection of Autotalks’ chipset for the project followed rigorous testing and evaluation that proved the leading radio performance and greater level of security of its C-V2X solution, as well as the chipset’s thermal resiliency and true transmit diversity. Additionally, Autotalks’ ability to meet the strict schedule was instrumental. The company’s production grade C-V2X solution meets all Chinese performance, configuration, throughput and security requirements and is now ready for deployment there as well as in other markets. This follows extensive testing in China over the past year. According to the research firm IHS Markit, China is expected to lead the global V2X market, with an estimated 629,000 The collaboration will deliver exclusive edge device and edge compute solution platforms, while also speeding time to market through engineering services CENTENNIAL, Colo.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Microchip Technology and Arrow Electronics announced an engineering services collaboration to simplify connectivity and security across industrial, smart building and energy markets. According to NIST,1 cybersecurity and privacy risks for IoT devices can be thought of in terms of three high- level risk mitigation goals, including protecting: device

In October 2019, Autotalks successfully showcased its chipset’s conformance to the Chinese C-V2X standard and its OSCCA-compliant security in the first-ever large- scale interoperability demonstration of multi-brand C-V2X communication. “We are proud to be part of this pioneering production program to deploy our mature C-V2X solution in the near future on the streets of China,” said Hagai Zyss, CEO of Autotalks. He stressed that “this important win is a clear testimony to the trust that leading OEMs and Tiers put in Autotalks and to our differentiation as a standalone global V2X chipset provider setting the benchmark on performance and security.” Autotalks will be showcasing its standalone global V2X solution in Mobile World Congress, which will take place in Barcelona on February 24-27, 2020. Autotalks booth is in Hall 5 Stand 5D81. security, data security, and individuals’ privacy. Arrow will augment Microchip’s smart, connected, secure portfolio with engineering services so that original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) can decrease their time to market and meet requirements in recent government legislation2 and NIST IoT security guidelines3. “Technology, pervasively, is embedded in everything. Every industry and every system are being fundamentally shaped by connected edge technology — it is happening in our homes, our work and our factories,” said Mitch Little, senior vice president of worldwide client engagement at Microchip Technology. “These intelligent edge systems are

Microchip and Arrow Electronics Announce Collaboration on Edge IoT Security

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Latest News

running fundamental and critical executions,

new technology integration and reduce risk in areas of certification and compliance,” said David West, senior vice president at Arrow. “Edge device and edge compute applications and systems must now be secured from the sensory layer all the way to the enterprise.” The first secure end-to-end

and they must be secure.” Microchip’s range of secure product features span secure root of trust, secured communication, crypto authentication, certificate management, cloud provisioning, data security, encryption services, secure boot and IP protection.

platform resulting from this collaboration is the Shield96. This platform enables OEMs to have the needed security foundation integrated into the reference design.

“OEMs are embracing engineering service collaboration so that they can augment internal work teams to tackle

Bosch to strengthen strategic collaboration with fuel- cell expert Ceres Power by increasing its stake

“Bosch strongly believes that the highly efficient solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) has an important role to play in energy systems’ security of supply and flexibility ” Dr. Christian Fischer, member of the Bosch management board “Bosch strongly believes that the highly efficient solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) has an

Bosch has increased its stake in Ceres Power from 3.9 percent to circa 18 percent. The stake increase is achieved through a subscription by Bosch for new Ceres Power shares, as well as the purchase of further shares from existing shareholders. Bosch’s total investment will be approximately 90 million euros. To enhance the

important role to play in energy systems’ security of supply and flexibility,” says Dr. Christian Fischer, member of the Bosch management board responsible for the Energy and Building Technology business sector. “Bosch, together with our development partner Ceres Power, has made good progress in the development of fuel-cell stacks for stationary power applications. With this enlarged investment in Ceres Power, we intend to further strengthen our successful collaboration with our development partner Ceres Power.” “We welcome this further investment by Bosch which will support the continued evolution of our technology as we look to play an increasingly prominent role in tackling climate change and building a sustainable energy system for the future. We have established a successful partnership with Bosch by combining Ceres’ unique

strategic investment and the strength of the partnership, under the terms of the transaction, Bosch is granted the right to appoint a Non-Executive Director to the board of Ceres Power. Since signing a strategic agreement in August 2018, Bosch and Ceres have been successfully collaborating in the development of fuel-cell stacks for stationary applications. This enabled Bosch to start initial low-volume production of pilot fuel-cell systems in autumn 2019 in Germany. It is intended that the increased stake will further support the collaboration towards future potential scale up and mass manufacture of the Ceres SteelCell® for multiple applications including small power stations to be used in cities, factories, data centers and charge points for electric vehicles.

New-Tech Magazine Europe l 13

Latest News

partners, and to use this technology for grid-based and distributed power generation. The Board of Directors of Ceres Power believes there is significant future value for shareholders in broadening the application of Ceres Power’s technology, further strengthening its relationship with Bosch. Both parties believe that this transaction demonstrates the commitment to the partnership.

SteelCell® technology with Bosch’s engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain strength. This new investment will allow us to build on the strong momentum we have generated in recent years to further scale the business and expand into new applications,” says Phil Caldwell, the CEO of Ceres Power. Ceres Power is a leading player in the development of next- generation SOFC technology. Its strategy is to commercialize its technology through licensing for mass production with

CPI partners with LiNa Energy to create next-generation battery technology

CPI announced the success of its £250,000 collaborative project with LiNa Energy and Lancaster University to demonstrate the proof-of- concept LiNa’s novel sodium- nickel-chloride battery technology. LiNa’s battery is a radical alternative to the incumbent lithium-cobalt ion battery, offering cheaper,

SME, and the University of Lancaster to modernise the sodium-nickel-chloride battery and meet this demand. The battery is composed of highly recyclable and low-cost materials that crucially do not include cobalt or lithium. Moreover, by operating at a higher temperature than lithium-ion batteries, LiNa’s

more efficient, better-performing, smaller and safer energy storage. With further development, this technology could help to transform the automotive and power grid industries by facilitating the switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. There are significant pressures on industry to decarbonise and limit the impacts of climate change. Cheap, scalable batteries could greatly increase the capacity to store and exploit energy from renewable sources. At present, lithium-cobalt ion batteries, the current gold standard of battery technologies, are failing to fulfil this role. They are limited by low operating temperatures (<60°C) that require complex and costly system packages. Moreover, the rapidly increasing cost of cobalt due to limited global reserves – together with safety concerns and issues with weight and cost – all contribute to an urgent and growing demand for alternative battery technologies. CPI has partnered with LiNa Energy, a Lancaster-based

technology promises to deliver an enhanced performance. This will help to facilitate the wide-scale adoption of batteries in sectors such as electric vehicles and renewable grid storage. Funded by Innovate UK, CPI leveraged its expertise in battery technology and state-of-the-art facilities to investigate processing methodologies and to help develop the proof- of-concept for the large-scale, low-cost manufacture of LiNa’s technology. The project was completed successfully, demonstrating LiNa’s novel sodium-nickel-chloride battery in operation. This success has enabled LiNa to secure a prestigious UK grant for a £1 million project and close a significant capital raise. In addition, CPI, LiNa Energy and Lancaster University have continued their collaboration, submitting a further grant application for development funding. Dr Gene Lewis, LiNa Energy Chief Executive said: “I am delighted with the outcomes of our collaboration with

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Latest News

CPI. This project has advanced our sodium-nickel- chloride battery technology, demonstrating its enormous potential to decarbonise automotive transport and provide efficient and effective energy storage solutions” Tony Jackson, Formulation Business Unit Director at CPI said: ‘The unique formulation capabilities provided by CPI

have helped to prove that sodium-nickel-chloride battery technology can overcome the drawbacks to lithium-ion batteries. By demonstrating the technology’s low-cost scalability and higher operating efficiency, this project will play a crucial role in decarbonising the automotive and power grid industries.’

5G URLLC from Ericsson to accelerate automation at Audi factory Ericsson and Audi are stepping up their 5G collaboration by testing Ultra-Reliable Low-

continue to test the possibilities offered by 5G technology for industrial applications in the smart factory. 5G connects all the dots in our production environment, resulting in tremendous flexibility improvements, enhanced connectivity and a complete reimagining of what safe human-robot collaboration can look like.” Marie Hogan, Head of Mobile Broadband & IoT, Ericsson, says: “5G URLLC will provide wireless connectivity that meets the performance demands of industrial automation. The door has been opened, and advanced use cases and Critical IoT applications are now possible with the benefits of greater flexibility, mobility, and efficiency for production automation. Cutting the cables is the real game changer in enabling Industry 4.0.” Ericsson and Audi first announced their collaboration to pioneer 5G for automotive manufacturing in August 2018. Since then, the partners have made concrete strides to address complex use cases that could never be solved before in flexible production and industry automation, as well as a complete reimagining of what safe human-robot collaboration can look like. Find out more about the Ericsson and Audi collaboration for Achieving industrial automation protocols with 5G URLLC

Latency Communication (URLLC) capabilities for factory automation at the car manufacturer’s P-Labs facility in Germany. Smart factories of the future

with automated production systems featuring robots and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) will be driven in large part by 5G connectivity. Standardized protocols for automation communications – PROFINET and PROFIsafe – demand very low latency and strict latency bounds with required guarantee levels to avoid triggering safety stops in the system. 5G URLLC capabilities meets these high demands with greater mobility, flexibility, efficiency and safety in the production lines. At Audi’s P-Labs in Gaimersheim, Germany, Ericsson’s 5G system is already live in a real factory environment. Now, plans are underway to introduce 5G URLLC capabilities to the existing system for more advanced factory automation and personnel safety use cases. Ericsson and Audi have successfully tested the 5G URLLC capabilities at Ericsson’s factory lab in Sweden and the next step is to bring these capabilities to Audi P-Labs in Germany. Replacing wires in automated factories, 5G URLLC increases flexibility in the production and assembly process while also reducing personnel safety risks. Henning Löser, Head of Production Lab, Audi, says “As part of our project with Ericsson that was announced in 2018, we

New-Tech Magazine Europe l 15

Technology Solution Provider - Embedded Platforms

Amir Sherman, Director of Engineering Solutions & Embedded Technology | EMEA | Arrow

Engineering teams are increasingly using specialist platforms to form the basis of their new product designs. This enables them to concentrate on perfecting their own application rather than spending time on the more fundamental elements of the technology. A Technology Solution Provider, such as Arrow Electronics, is able to provide support and guidance through the platform selection process, helping to ensure that the chosen solution meets the needs of the customer’s application and specification. To see an example of this, let’s look at the popular i.MX 8 Family from NXP. Built with advanced media processing, secure domain partitioning and innovative vision processing, the i.MX 8 applications processor family is revolutionizing multiple display automotive applications, industrial systems,

vision, HMI and single-board computers. Many users want to develop a solution based on this family but it is not a simple process to get to production due to the technical competence needed to develop with multi-core , Linux based and DDR3L or DDR4 high end technology . To support the wide variety of i.MX 8 users, Arrow have developed a platform based on a Thor96 community board. The Thor96 is a single-board computer powered by the NXP i.MX 8M SoC, incorporating a quad-core 64-bit Arm-A53, dedicated GPU and VPU, 4K support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a wide range of I/O. 96Boards is a 32-bit and 64- bit Arm ® Open Platform hosted by Linaro™ with the intension to serve the software/maker and embedded OEM communities. Some customers will be able to develop their own

board using this community board schematic and follow up wp with this design by using Arrow FAE’s for technical support or to custom their own design by using Arrow – eInfochips engineering services. This is the first option with the platform. More information can be found at www.96boards.org and on arrow.com. The second option, for customers who don’t have the time to develop their own board but still want to use the i.MX 8, is to use a SoM – System On Module. The System on Module (or CoM – Computer On Module) is designed to plug into a carrier, or base board, and is generally a small processor module with a CPU and standard I/O capability. The complex effort associated with designing a CPU subsystem is avoided by using SoM and a custom base board. Arrow work with many SoM suppliers

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to support a wide variety of form factors and solutions. This includes companies like Variscite and iWave Systems, which are part of Arrow’s Embedded World 2020 Supplier showcase. The Variscite SoM has a proprietary form factor while iWave supports the SMARC community form factor. Using a proprietary form factor is popular because users can find the best fit for their applications dependent on size, connectors, layout and many other features. However, some customers want to use a standard form factor and the SMARC form factor is popular among Arm based SoMs. SMARC (Smart Mobility ARChitecture) is a versatile small form factor computer module definition targeting applications that require low power, low costs, and high performance. The modules typically use Arm SOCs similar or the same as those used in many familiar devices such as tablet computers and smart phones. Alternative low power SOCs and CPUs, such as tablet oriented X86 devices and other RISC CPUs, may be used as well. The module power envelope is typically under 6W. Two SMARC module sizes are defined: 82mm x 50mm and 82mm x 80mm. The module PCBs have 314 edge fingers that mate with a low profile 314 pin 0.5mm pitch right angle connector (the connector is sometimes identified as a 321 pin connector, but 7 pins are lost to the key). The modules are used as building blocks for portable and static embedded systems. The core CPU and support circuits, including DRAM, boot flash, power sequencing, CPU power supplies, GBE and a single channel LVDS display transmitter are concentrated on the module. The modules are used with application specific carrier boards

Figure 1: The Thor96 Boards from Arrow Electronics  

13485, 9001 and 14001 compliant facilities, satisfying international customer and regulatory requirements for a broad range of industries including medical devices and related services. The company's production facilities are equipped with the most advanced SMT machines that ensure punctual deliveries and high-quality products. It's no surprise that in less than a decade Variscite has taken a leading position in the design and manufacture of System on Modules. Variscite serves more than 1500 customers in over 50 countries worldwide, delivering a cost- sensitive high-performance portfolio that combines interface flexibility with advanced power management. Variscite has six SoM Families that can

that implement other features such as audio CODECs, touch controllers, and wireless devices. The modular approach allows scalability, fast time to market and upgradability while still maintaining low costs, low power and small physical size. The new global standard under the brand name ‘SMARC’ is based on ULP-COM, the term that up to now was used for Ultra Low Power Computer-on-Modules. Variscite Variscite has developed, produced and manufactured a powerful range of System on Modules, consistently setting market benchmarks in terms of speed and innovation. All Variscite production is performed at fully ISO

Figure 2: Variscite i.MX 8 Mini System On Module

New-Tech Magazine Europe l 17

be customized on demand based on the i.MX 8 family. With DART-MX8-MINI and VAR-SOM-MX8M-MINI based on the i.MX 8 Mini family that have 1.5GHz Dual/Quad Cortex™-A53 and 266MHz Arm Cortex™-M4 to DART-MX8M and VAR-SOM-MX8 based on i.MX 8 with 2 x 1.8GHz Cortex™-A72 + 4 x 1.2GHz Cortex™-A53 & 2x Arm Cortex™- M4F up to the latest i.MX 8X family SoM called VAR-SOM-MX8X with 4 x 1.2GHz Cortex™-A35 and 264MHz Arm Cortex™-M4F and the last SPEAR-MX8 based on the i.MX 8 QuadMax / Quad Plus with 2 x 1.8GHz Cortex™-A72 + 4 x 1.2GHz Cortex™-A53 and 2 x 266 MHz Cortex™-M4F . iWave iWave Systems Technologies, an ISO 9001:2015 certified company, established in 1999, focuses on standard and customized System on Module/SBC product development in industrial, medical, automotive and embedded computing application domains. iWave Systems also provides comprehensive engineering design services involving embedded hardware, FPGA and software development. The i.MX 8M Quad, Quad Lite, Dual based SMARC System On Module integrates Quad/Dual Cortex A53 at up to1.5GHz, H.265 4K60 decode, GC7000 Lite GPU, MIPI CSI/DSI, HDMI2.0 TX, USB3.0, PCIe2.0 with on SOM 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet PHY and IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi- Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 module. The i.MX 8M SMARC SoM is aimed to support applications such as digital media adaptors, HD digital signage, industrial HMI, building automation, imaging & scanning, audio/video streaming devices, and machine vision. The third possible platform option is for users to purchase a complete working solution. Many require a ready-to-use Proof of Concept (PoC) but do not have the time and the money to develop this complex solution.

Figure 3: iWave SMARC based i.MX 8 System On Module

True Technology Solution Provider The nature of product development and the requirements of companies have changed dramatically in recent years and Arrow Electronics has adapted to ensure that it is always ready to deliver what its customers need next. This has resulted in Arrow maintaining its position as a true Technology Solution Provider as technology itself continues to evolve. In 2020 Arrow will continue to assist customers who want to develop with technology at the leading edge. This will include more support for services, cloud solutions and security, and will ensure that time-to-market is always minimized, whichever solution platform is chosen.

A number of Arrow’s suppliers can offer a ready-made solution based on the latest technologies including the NXP i.MX 8. One example is SolidRun, a global developer of embedded systems and network solutions focused on a wide range of energy-efficient, powerful and flexible products. Their innovative compact embedded solutions are based on Arm and x86 architectures, and offer a variety of platforms including SoMs, SBCs and industrial mini PCs. SolidRun offer a one-stop-shop for developers and OEMs, providing a complete service from hardware customization to software support and even product branding and enclosure design. Their CuBox Pulse solution is claimed to be the smallest computer in the world. The CuBox Pulse is silent and tiny – at only 2″ x 2″ x 2″ based on NXP i.MX 8M Dual/Quad core Arm Cortex A53 up to 1.5Ghz (with Arm M4 GPP). CuBox Pulse is the perfect home entertainment device with the highest standard of visual resolution support, including 4K UltraHD at 60Hz and full HDR. The CuBox Pulse makes it easy to turn any screen into a smart TV or online streamer. This tiny multimedia powerhouse is also the perfect device for digital signage and a wide variety of audio and visually rich Internet of Things solutions.

Figure 4: SolidRun CuBoX Pulse , i.MX 8M Ready-Made Solution

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SLAM and Autonomous Vehicles: A DSP Implementation

Amol Borkar, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Tensilica Vision and AI IP Group, Cadence

Introduction When automobiles were first introduced, they were used only for transportation—to quickly get from point A to point B. While this was revolutionary and changed the landscape as humans know it, there were more innovations to come. Automobiles have become smarter as more intelligence has been added, starting first with driver assistance applications, such as anti-lock brakes and power steering. Now, with artificial intelligence (AI), self-driving vehicles are on the horizon. One of the key ingredients to autonomous vehicles (AVs) is the ability to track the location and movement of the vehicle. With the introduction of consumer automotive GPS technology in the ’90s, tracking movement became a relatively easy task. This technology opened the door to several navigation-

and route-planning applications. GPS does have its limitations, however. It is accurate only to within a few meters, thereby restricting its use to applications in which tracking small or “micro-movements” is not necessary. And, in certain areas where access to GPS satellites is limited (cities with tall buildings, mountains, etc.), you don’t have access to the data that GPS supplies, nullifying its use. As vehicles are becoming more autonomous and “aware” of their surroundings, tracking these micro-movements is now becoming necessary; therefore, we must look beyond what GPS offers. Fortunately, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) can orient you to within inches and doesn’t require satellite connectivity. SLAM is the computational problem of constructing a map in an unknown environment while simultaneously

keeping track of your position (location and orientation) within that environment. SLAM comprises tracking six degrees of freedom (6DoF), which is composed of three degrees for position (up/down, back/ forward, and right/left), and three for orientation (yaw, pitch, and roll) to understand your position in an environment (Figure 1). SLAM has extensive usages; for example, consider a mapping application. SLAM can be used to identify where you are facing in an environment—for example, facing northwest at an intersection—then the application can tell you whether to turn right or left. A simple GPS calculation only tells you that you are at an intersection; the application won’t know which way you are facing until you have already walked in the wrong direction.

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SLAM SLAMisquicklybecomingan important advancement in embedded vision as it enables a device with the ability of location awareness. Using SLAM, a vehicle can not only track where it is heading or its direction (orientation), but also how it is moving within its surrounding environment (location, speed and altitude). Computations for SLAM were typically performed with a camera sensor as the only form of input. This was known as Visual SLAM (VSLAM). But in the past few years, with the suite of additional sensors becoming available, SLAM has evolved to fusing additional sensor inputs. A SLAM system works by tracking a set of points through successive camera frames and other sensor data to triangulate the camera’s 3D position, while simultaneously using this information to approximate camera (or another sensor) orientation. As long as there is a sufficient number of points being tracked through each frame, both the orientation of the sensor(s) and the structure of the surrounding physical environment can be rapidly understood. So, for example, in the case of automotive implementations, SLAM may use a combination of one or more forward-facing cameras, radar, lidar, and inertial measurement units (IMUs, which provide data from accelerometers and gyroscopes that help to estimate the sensor’s orientation) as inputs. SLAM is then used to determine how the vehicle is moving in the environment. When GPS data is available, it can be used to fortify the position estimate. Figure 2 shows an example in which a variety of sensors, such as camera, lidar, and radar, is mounted around the vehicle that can be used as input for SLAM. SLAM applications SLAM is a key ingredient in many

applications that are used for driver assistance and self-driving vehicles. A few of these applications include: Lane Keeping Assistance (and Lane Departure Warning): In addition to tracking lane markings on the road, SLAM is used to make sure the vehicle traveling safely within a lane and to engage in lane changes safely. Navigation: By understanding the surrounding environment combined with a planned route and GPS data, the vehicle can use SLAM to pilot itself to its destination. Forward Collision Warning (FCW): Combined with SLAM, the path or trajectory of the current vehicle can be used to for more robust collision warning. Market trends for SLAM As shown in Figure 3, the market size for SLAM-based applications is set to exceed $2 billion by 2024 [1]. Major drivers for this market growth are the advancements in SLAM algorithms and the growth of SLAM in various markets. The rising technological developments and growing awareness regarding the benefits offered by SLAM are primarily driving the market demand.

Figure 1: 6DoF

Growing interest in the technology, particularly from industries including autonomous vehicles and augmented virtual reality, has resulted in the adoption and expansion of SLAM across the globe. Moreover, SLAM used for navigation in both indoor and outdoor environment applications opens an opportunity for the larger adoption of the technology across various end- user industries. Over the past five years, leading technology companies have made significant investments in SLAM to integrate into various business expansion strategies such as new product developments and mergers and acquisitions.

Figure 2: AVs use many sensors and cameras to perceive their surroundings

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SLAM requirements Figure 4 shows a generalized flow of SLAM. Each of the blocks is based on a classical computer vision (CV) approach. However, they rely heavily on a variety of linear algebra and matrix operations, so they are computationally heavy, and can be implemented on a CPU or GPU. Using a CPU is great for general- purpose usage and prototyping, but it has limited performance capabilities. One limitation is a small number of SIMD lanes for parallel processing. Secondly, it is not power efficient, so it’s not the best option to scale, and, in some cases, may not be able to deliver SLAM performance in real time. Using a GPU is the next level up, in terms of computational ability. It has a variety of modalities for parallel processing, which can help achieve great performance and to meet real- time requirements. But again, GPUs are also power-hungry and generate a lot of heat. Additionally, SoC vendors cannot justify adding the real estate needed for a GPU in their floorplan just to do processing in this way. This is where a specialized DSP comes in. DSPs are highly programmable and require a small area, making them scalable for mass deployment in devices of various markets. Tensilica Vision Q7 DSP The Cadence ® Tensilica ® Q7 DSP is designed from the ground up to enable high-performance SLAM on the edge and in other devices. The Vision Q7 DSP is the sixth generation of vision and AI DSPs from the Tensilica family. Cadence has optimized instructions for faster performance on matrix operations, feature extraction, and convolutions to give the best performance yet on vision DSPs, providing the perfect balance of high performance and low power that is essential to SLAM

Figure 3: The SLAM technology market is set to exceed $2 billion by 2024

the memory bandwidth and data that needs to be transmitted. This approach is most commonly used in a complicated system like a vehicle to meet the needs of safety-critical and high-performance next-generation applications. Ease of development and tools In addition to being fully supported in the Tensilica Xtensa ® Xplorer development environment, the Vision Q7 DSP also leverages the mature and highly optimized Cadence Xtensa Imaging Library. Inspired by OpenCV (the C++ computer vision library), Cadence has ported many of the OpenCV functions, maintaining similar function names and API, so transitioning from OpenCV is straightforward. The Vision Q7 DSP is supported by the Tensilica Neural Network compiler. The Tensilica Neural Network compiler maps neural networks into executable and highly optimized high-performance code for the Vision Q7 DSP, leveraging a comprehensive set of optimized neural Cadence has performed an in-house implementation of VSLAM using a single camera input and profiled the various blocks of the SLAM pipeline on both the Vision Q7 DSP and its predecessor, the Vision Q6 DSP (see Figure 7). The Vision Q7 DSP shows close to 2X performance gain over the Vision Q6 DSP in various blocks of the SLAM network library functions. Performance comparison

applications at the edge. It can deliver up to 2X greater performance for vision and AI in the same area compared to its predecessor, the Tensilica Vision Q6 DSP. Figure 5 shows the architecture and key features of this DSP. The Tensilica Vision Q7 DSP offers the following high-level features: 512 MAC (8-bit) processing 64-way SIMD VLIW processor 1024-bit memory interface with dual load and store 2X vector floating point unit (vFPU) processing compared to previous DSPs Integrated 3D DMA with four channels Optional packages to accelerate SLAM performance Delivering up to 2 tera-operations per second (TOPS) Additionally, the Vision Q7 DSP is designed to meet ISO 26262 certification, making it a great platform for automotive applications. Below is a typical architectural diagram showing a variety of sensors connecting to the Vision Q7 DSP for the purposes of computing SLAM. Additionally, the Vision Q7 DSP can also enable many decentralized and distributed systems, whereby the DSP can be placed near the sensors themselves and processes the data before it arrives at the CPU, reducing

Figure 4: SLAM process flow

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pipeline. instructions, optimized packages, and more MACs result in higher frequency for estimating camera position, and, furthermore, a better experience when the Vision Q7 DSP is used to accelerate SLAM- based applications. While providing this performance gain, the Vision Q7 DSP also requires the same area as the Vision Q6 DSP and consumes less power, making it the ideal offering for future products. Conclusion In this article, we introduced the concept of SLAM and walked through the implementation of our Vision DSPs targeting automotive usages. We have also shown a comparison between the Vision Q7 DSP and its predecessor, the Vision Q6 DSP, and the improvements in performance in the various blocks. This article focuses on purely computer vision approaches to implement a SLAM workflow. Recent advances have been made by integrating various convolutional neural network (CNN) layers to enhance the key point matching and feature extraction stage amongst other building blocks. The Cadence Tensilica Q7 DSP supports many layers required by the latest neural networks, making this type of fusion between vision and AI possible on the same DSP. This type of harmonious marriage between vision processing and AI is key to bring forth the next generation of SLAM-based applications to the automotive market. References 1. A. Bhutani and P. Wadhwani, “SLAM Technology Market size worth over $2bn by 2024,” Global Market Insights, 1 October 2018. [Online]. Available: https://www.gminsights. com/pressrelease/slam-technology- market. [Accessed 1 May 2019]. Improved

Figure 5: Tensilica Vision Q7 DSP architecture

Figure 6: Architecture of a SLAM system using Vision Q7 DSP

Figure 7: The Vision Q7 DSP speed over the Vision Q6 DSP: Up to 2X improvement on various blocks of SLAM

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