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Elekto
r Helps
COMPONENTS
Electr
o
challe nics in
ng
times ing
&
ASSEMBLY
METHODS
MOORE’S LAW
AND ITS LIMITS
Innovations in the
semiconductor
industry 6
WHAT IS ESD?
Why protection
is so important
20
INTERVIEW
Author Warren Gay
on embedded
programming
28 17 22 30
5G/4G LTE HIGH-VOLTAGE PCB LAYOUT AND

MODULES, MODEMS DC/DC CONVERTER INTERFERENCE
AND APPLICATIONS Use multiphase layouts to CISPR and EMC
Serial data tunnels and more overcome design limitations considerations
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Foreword
By Jens Nickel
Editor-in-Chief, Elektor Industry
You have the last digital-only special edition of Elektor Industry not been able to share their news and developments during the
magazine in front of you. You might remember that it has been COVID-19 crisis. You will surely discover one or more “pearls”
our intention to create a digital bridge between manufacturers that you can use profitably for future projects and endeavors.
and distributors on the one hand and you as electronics profes- Of course, the virus could still thwart our plans. But at Elektor,
sionals on the other. In this way, we have kept you informed we are keeping our fingers crossed that electronica and the
about technological innovations from the industry during the electronica Fast Forward competition for start-ups (organized
past few “fair-free” months. (By the way, this has been only one jointly with Messe München) will take place! We will publish
aspect of our “Elektor Helps” initiative. You can read more about a printed edition of Elektor Industry tailor-made for electronica
Elektor Helps at www.elektormagazine.com/helps.) during the first week of November.
The COVID-19 crisis is not yet behind us, but we have seen early At the same time, Elektor will, of course, continue online
signs that give us hope. Consider this good news from Munich: and digitally. You can find the latest information at
electronica, the world’s leading trade fair for electronics, is www.elektormagazine.com. Incidentally, you can also access
very likely to open its doors on November 10, 2020. The event all the episodes of our new webinar series with professionals
will make it possible again for you to discuss new products, to from the industry, independent developers, and journalists from
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lektor Produktion und Bauteile 3

Content Elektor Industry Edition 5/2020 Focus: Components and Assembly Methods
Non-Standard
Flash Drives
and SD Cards
Focus:
COMPONENTS &
ASSEMBLY METHODS
Regulars 20 What Is ESD?
And why protection against it is so important
5 Colophon 22 PCB Layout and Noise Coupling

CISPR and EMC considerations
26 Infographics
Facts and figures 25 Extremely Small Power-Saving 3D Magnetic Sensor
Opens up new design options
36 Wall of Fame
Elektor’s partners in the electronics industry 28 5G/4G LTE Modules, Innovative Modems,
and Smart Applications
40 Advertisers
Our Contributors 30 Embedded Programming and Beyond
Next Edition An interview with Warren Gay
Articles Beyond Moore‘s Law

6 Beyond Moore’s Law Innovation without
Innovation without recourse to Moore’s Law
recourse to Moore’s Law
10 Minimizing Energy Consumption
in Capacitive Sensing Applications
14 Peaktech 2715 Digital Loop/PSC Tester
6
Safety first!
17 High-Voltage DC/DC Converter

HV-DC/DC designs and multiphase
LLC resonant converters
4 Elektor Industry 5/2020 www.elektormagazine.com

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lektor Components & Assembly Methods 5

background
Beyond
Moore’s Law Innovation Without
Recourse to Moore’s Law
By Stuart Cording (Germany)
Intel has shot into the news once again, The march towards Moore’s
having informed investors during their July It was a co-founder of Intel, Gordon Moore, who posited an empir-
ical relationship between the growth in the number of transistors
earnings call that their 7 nm manufacturing per die over time [2]. In 1965, he expected the growth rate to double
process is now 12 months behind its every year, adjusting this down to a doubling every two years in
internal targets [1]. Many column inches 1975. In reality, his statement was more of a prediction but, perhaps
swept up in the excitement of the newly emerging semiconduc-
in the consumer and financial press were tor industry, it became known as a law. And, maybe because of
generated as a result. This can easily leave this, it became a prophecy that needed to be fulfilled. For sure, as
you with the feeling that the seemingly we moved from mainframes to desktops, then laptops, and then
smartphones and tablets, it has served us well, ensuring that we
never-ending march to make Moore’s Law have an abundance of memory and processing performance in
a reality is the only way the semiconductor ever-shrinking black plastic packages.
industry is innovating. However, nothing
For the big vendors, such as Intel and AMD for processors, along
could be further from the truth. As we shall with graphics processing unit (GPU) vendors such as Nvidia, and
see, semiconductor innovation is wide- DRAM manufacturers such as Samsung, Micron and SK Hynix,
ranging and is not solely limited to the riding this bleeding edge of technology has got them where they are
today. However, a blind pursuit of Moore’s Law is of little relevance
silicon. to enormous swathes of the semiconductor industry. So, how are
they innovating, what are they aiming to achieve, and what are
the results?
It’s all in the packaging

What is often overlooked is Moore’s ’Day of reckoning’ passage
[3], where he makes clear that we should ask ourselves “under
what circumstances” we should build such “component-crammed
equipment.” He went on to say that: “It may prove more econom-

A blind pursuit of
Moore’s Law is of
little relevance to
enormous swathes
of the semiconductor
industry.
ical to build large systems out of smaller functions, which are to integrate multiple, complex analogue and digital intellectual
separately packaged and interconnected.” This is a challenge that property (IP) blocks into a single fabrication process.
the semiconductor industry has struggled with ever since, as Moore
also predicted it would, because analogue circuits benefit to a lesser An interesting approach employed by Intel is the use of Embedded
degree from lithography improvements than digital circuits. Multi-Die Interconnect Bridges (EMIB) [7]. These are tiny die bridges
that are embedded into the package substrate, providing electrical
For example, physics makes clear that the capacitance of a capacitor signal routing between dice and delivery of power. It additionally
is dependent on the area of overlap of its plates. The DRAM industry allows die manufactured at differing geometries and on different
had to tackle this issue as they attempted to reduce the cell size of process technologies to be packaged in a single system in package
bits of memory to a 100 nm lithography in the 2000s. This involved (SiP). Standard micro-bumps are used to connect the die’s signal
developing a low-leakage capacitor that had adequate capacitance connections to the EMIB, and flip chip bumps are employed for
without the, by comparison, enormous area of planar-type compo- power connections. This approach offers a better yield and more
nents. By moving into the third dimension with trench-storage flexibility than Through Silicon Vias (TSV) as used in other multi-
or stacked capacitors, it was possible to decouple die surface area die, 2.5D packages.
from the area of the memory cell [4].
The only way is up
Thus, certain types of applications suit some manufacturing Much like the DRAM example provided earlier, the non-volatile
processes better than others. In recent years, this has led to the use flash memory industry went through a similar challenge: how to
of chiplets. This approach operates on the assumption that certain pack more bits into a limited die area. It was clear that, to pack more
functionality, such as memory, FPGA technology, and analogue in, the only way would be to move into the third dimension and
interfacing, are best manufactured on semiconductor fabrication go up. At the finest lithographic processes, flash cells suffer from
processes attuned to their needs. The silicon die are then integrated cell-to-cell noise and interference, so continuing to beat a the path
later on at the packaging stage. Bonded to a package substrate, the following Moore’s Law using a doped polycrystalline silicon planar
individual die are brought together to make a complete device. For NAND approach was not going to deliver the foreseen demand in
example, an analogue serializer/deserializer (SERDES) chiplet can storage density. Kioxia (formerly Toshiba) developed their 3D BiCS
be placed directly above the package balls to which it is connected. Flash (bit column stacked) NAND memory using charge trap cells
This can potentially improve electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) of silicon nitride, then stacked their memory bits vertically. The
and reduce layout issues for circuit board designers, something resulting structure, if it could be seen, looks much like a series of
that would be difficult to change should an issue be discovered in densely packed office buildings. The latest, fifth generation of 3D
a monolithic chip. BiCS Flash consists of 112 layers, up from a 96-layer design in the
previous generation. This will enable the creation of 1-Tb (128-GB)
This chiplet approach can also have a positive impact on cost as single-chip flash memories in the near future [8].
the yield per wafer improves as die-size reduces [5]. Many smaller
dies therefore positively impact yield for a multi-chiplet device The growth upwards doesn’t stop there. While multi-die packages
compared to attempting to produce a monolithic version of the are not new, traditionally they have been stacked with the connec-
same product. This is the approach taken by Intel with it Stratix 10 tions linked via traditional bonding wires. This is the same approach
chiplet-based architecture [6]. At their core is an FPGA. This is used to bond the die to the package’s pins. This causes challenges
then surrounded by chiplets of DRAM, high-speed transceivers, as the signal frequencies increase due to parasitic effects. With
or any other functionality that a customer may need. Supplier and flash memories and flash storage, such as SSDs and embedded
customer also benefit from the resultant short design times, as flash, moving to interfaces with ever higher bandwidths (such as
bringing a multi-chiplet design to market is simpler than trying NVMe, PCIe, and UFS), this needed to be tackled. Thanks to their

uniform size, fabrication technology, and functionality, TSVs allow
stacked die to be interconnected and bonded with the substrate
of the package, resulting in a doubling of data rates compared to
a wire-bonded approach.
Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel Corp.,
The final trick in improving memory capacity has been to store on a postage stamp.
more than one bit per cell. Early flash memory used a Single Level
Cell (SLC) architecture, but have since moved on to store two (Multi-
ple Level Cell, MLC) or three (Triple Level Cell, TLC) bits per cell. This
means that, instead of implementing the data as a simple a high or
low voltage for a 1 or a 0, four or eight voltage levels are stored in
each cell, representing the values 0 to 3, or 0 to 7, respectively. This
benefit comes at the cost of increased wear, meaning that it is not a slightly higher gate drive voltage than silicon MOSFETs (18 V
suited to every type of application. SLC devices, or partitions using versus 15 V) in order to attain their datasheet RDS(ON) value. SiC
SLC, are often retained for parts of an application that demand the MOSFETs also show a lower increase in RDS(ON) with a rise tempera-
highest level of reliability, such as a device’s bootloader. ture. Since power supply switches operate at around 100°C, this
means lower losses and higher efficiency during operation. Their
The move to SiC and GaN lower QOSS (drain-source charge) also means they can be used in
While silicon has formed the mainstay of semiconductor products hard-switching Continuous Conduction Mode (CCM) Totem Pole
for the past five decades, work has been ongoing to find alterna- power factor correction (PFC) designs, something that cannot be
tives that help to improve upon some of its limitations. In the implemented using silicon MOSFETs. This can result in a 99%
area of power conversion, encompassing power supplies, battery efficient PFC, which is an essential starting point in raising the
chargers, motor inverters, and solar inverters, the goal has been overall efficiency of a power converter design.
to raise efficiency by improving switching devices such as IGBTs
and MOSFETs. This allows designers to pack more power into ever
smaller volumes, remove the need for forced cooling using fans, Oldie but a goodie
and ultimately reduce the price of their solutions, either per device, Most industries seem to go through cyclical trends that reemerge
or at the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) level due to the resultant decades later, with old ideas reworked for a new generation.
energy savings. Reducing the on-resistance (RDS(ON)), for example, Vinyl is making a comeback, driving demand for record players
reduces the losses in the switch and therefore the heat that needs in recent years, and the fashion industry makes its fortune by
to be dissipated. Increasing switching frequency allows smaller revamping the trends of yesteryear. The semiconductor indus-
magnetic components to be used, which leads to more compact try is also not averse to this trend, as can be seen in the follow-
designs of higher power density. ing example.

Wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductors, to which silicon carbide Motor control has been a staple of the electronics industry since
(SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) belong, have higher bandgaps than its inception. Small DC motors in consumer applications became
silicon devices (2–4 eV versus 1–1.5 eV). This translates into higher big business, especially as devices such as video recorders grew in
operational temperatures, frequencies, and voltages for designers. popularity. To ensure the tape could both be accepted and ejected,
When targeting the highest system efficiencies at the highest power bi-directional control of the associated motor was essential. At the
densities, GaN transistors provide an edge over the alternatives. time, it was the need for high integration into a single device that
They offer a lower RDS(ON) and operate at higher switching frequen- drove the development of a single-chip H-bridge motor controller.
cies thanks to nearly lossless switching due to their zero reverse
recovery (Qrr) property. This opens up the opportunity to improve The TA7291 featured four bipolar transistors, while its simple
a power supply by somewhere between an extra percentage point two-pin interface afforded clockwise and counter-clockwise control
in efficiency or a doubling in power density, when compared to along with a brake feature that utilized the back-EMF of the motor
using a state-of-the-art silicon-based design [9]. to quickly slow it down [10]. Available in a range of packages, the
device could handle up to 2 A of current over a 4.5 V to 20 V supply
While SiC MOSFETs too improve efficiency and power density over range. Beyond the motor control function, it also provided thermal
silicon-based solutions, they also offer higher levels of robustness, shutdown and over current protection.
higher voltage operation, and are easier to use than either silicon
or GaN. It is possible to use the same gate drivers used for silicon Since its inception, a lot has changed with many application moving
MOSFETs with SiC devices, making the switch from silicon to SiC to more efficient brushless DC (BLCD) motors. Despite this, there
relatively simple. It should, however, be noted that they do require are still plenty of brushed DC applications developed every year.

Semiconductor
innovation is wide-
ranging and is not
solely limited to the
silicon.
In the meantime, the importance of efficiency has grown, driven Beyond lithography
by the demand for battery-powered devices to operate for as long While teraflops and zettabytes make for great headlines in the
as possible. Furthermore, miniaturization is high on the agenda, consumer press, and financial investors pin profits to lithographic
requiring tiny packaging options for integration into compact progress, this is not the sole way in which the semiconductor indus-
circuit boards. try is innovating. Yes, finer lithography makes for smaller die, and
larger wafers mean more die per wafer, both of which can drive
The latest incarnation of this H-bridge motor driver is the down prices for technology. However, innovation at semiconduc-
TB67H450FNG [11]. By moving to a BiCD (Bipolar, CMOS, DMOS) tor vendors is more wide ranging. New fabrication processes and
process, the resistance of the switches has fallen from 4.75 Ω down technology improvements continue to bring silicon MOSFETs and
to just 0.6 Ω. New packaging options mean that the device is signifi- transistors ever closer to the perfect switch, while WBG devices,
cantly lighter, and the heat dissipation can now be implemented such as SiC and GaN, have the potential to attain that which silicon
using a small metal slug in the underside of the package, rather approaches cannot. Packaging, die interconnects, and the chiplet
than via a blade sticking out of the top. Improvements in fabrication approach also play a significant role in ensuring innovation in chips
techniques also mean that extra features, leading to a more robust is maintained, even if lithographic improvement were to stand
solution, can be contemplated. As such, the protection features still. Finally, some innovation just comes from taking well-estab-
are the same as before but add an undervoltage lockout, while a lished products, such as motor drivers, and reworking them for
new constant current control mode has been added. Finally, the the challenges of a new decade.
device is now operational at up to 50 V and can drive up to 3.5 A. 200421-01

WEBLINKS
[1] Intel’s 7nm Is Broken, Company Announces Delay Until 2022, 2023:
https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-announces-delay-to-7nm-processors-now-one-year-behind-expectations
[2] Moore’s Law: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moore%27s_law
[3] Cramming More Components onto Integrated Circuits:
https://hasler.ece.gatech.edu/Published_papers/Technology_overview/gordon_moore_1965_article.pdf
[4] Challenges and Future Directions for the Scaling of Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DRAM): https://www.researchgate.
net/publication/220497584_Challenges_and_future_directions_for_the_scaling_of_dynamic_random-access_memory_DRAM
[5] Chiplet: https://en.wikichip.org/wiki/chiplet
[6] Heterogeneous 3D System-in-Package Integration: https://intel.ly/2CXP97m
[7] Embedded Multi-Die Interconnect Bridge: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/foundry/emib.html
[8] KIOXIA Europe GmbH Unveils 5th-Generation BiCS FLASH: http://bit.ly/kioxia-eim
[9] Why GaN Will Be Key to Feeding Power-Hungry 5G Networks: http://bit.ly/infineon-eim
[10] TA7291P, TA7291S/SG, TA7291F/FG Bridge Driver:
https://toshiba.semicon-storage.com/info/docget.jsp?did=16128&prodName=TA7291S
[11] TB67H450FNG: PWM Chopper Type DC Brushed Motor Driver: http://bit.ly/toshiba-eim

feature
Minimizing Energy
C nsumpti n in
Capacitive Sensing
Applicati ns
By Anders Guldahl (Application Engineer, Energy Micro)
Capacitive sensing is all about the ability solutions. It then goes on to consider how concerns regarding
to measure the capacitance, or more often energy consumption can be mitigated using a microcontroller
(MCU) that can remain in an ultra-low power, deep-sleep mode
the change in capacitance, between two while still being able to detect and respond to sensor inputs
or more electrodes. As a technique it is quickly and reliably.
frequently employed to detect proximity
Capacitive sensing applications
or position but can also be used to measure 1. Position and displacement sensing
humidity, fluid level and acceleration. Specialist capacitive sensors that can provide high precision
Because capacitive sensing supports such a position or displacement measurements with nanometer or better
resolution are typically used in conjunction with sophisticated
diverse range of applications, solutions are controllers in high-end instrumentation or control systems. These
found in many different markets —from systems use one-or two-plate sensor configurations where the
industrial, automotive and medical through measurement range (between the ‘probe’ and ‘target’ electrodes) is
determined by well-defined electrode geometries, often with guard
to consumer. And as more and more rings for improved linearity. Systems are calibrated to achieve the
electronic products are being designed required accuracy and employ various techniques to minimize
with touchpads and touchscreens we are the influence of environmental factors such as temperature and
humidity. Similar accuracy is possible with laser interferometry
seeing an explosion in the use of capacitive but at a far higher cost.
sensing technology to provide the vital In position and displacement sensing the measurement is depen-
human machine interface (HMI). dent on the capacitance varying in inverse proportion to the
separation between the two electrodes (Figure 1). This princi-
Along with this dramatic uptake in the use of capacitive sensing, ple can of course be applied to less demanding applications using
there is an increasing consciousness in the environmental aspects simpler electrode and control circuit design in applications where
of product design. So while the use of capacitive sensing to replace such precise measurements are not required, even to the point
mechanical switches may increase the reliability and hence the where it may be used for basic go/no-go proximity detection.
life expectancy of a product this benefit could be negated by the A variation on displacement sensing is used to measure accel-
increased energy consumption of the electronic circuits needed eration. Conceptually, an accelerometer behaves as a damped
to continually monitor the sensor inputs. This white paper looks mass on a spring so that when it experiences acceleration, the
at a number of capacitive sensing applications to understand mass is displaced to the point where the spring is able to accel-
how they operate and the benefits they offer over alternative erate the mass at the same rate as the casing. The displacement

Figure 1: Measurement principle for position Figure 2: Fluid level measurement with
and displacement sensors capacitive sensing.
is then measured to give the acceleration. This principle is used These interface devices range in complexity from simple single-
in the MEMS accelerometers found in automotive airbags and touch touchscreens to multipoint and trackpad implementations
increasingly in personal electronic devices such as mobile phones, that recognize gestures like pinching and dragging involving two
games controllers and image-stabilized cameras. or more points of contact with the screen.
The sensor for a capacitive touch switch can be implemented
2. Fluid level sensing with any number of conductive materials. For a simple switch
Fluid level sensing generally falls into one of two categories, this could be a copper pad on a printed circuit board. But the
either measuring discrete levels (e.g. full or empty) or contin- obvious requirement for a touchscreen display is a transparent
uous level sensing. Applications range from domestic coffee conductive material that can be overlaid on the screen. Indium tin
machines through to uses in the chemical, pharmaceutical and oxide (ITO) is a proven solution that provides 90% transparency
food processing industries. Unlike position/displacement sensing, (for a single layer) and can also be patterned to provide various
the principle at work here is the change in capacitance due the electrode configurations including an X-Y grid.
difference in permittivity of the fluid, K, and free space, C 0 as Two techniques are employed to determine the point of touch
pictured in Figure 2. on a touchscreen. The more basic ‘surface capacitance’ type of
Competing technologies are mechanical float and reed switch, touchscreen uses a conductive layer on the inside of the glass
ultrasonic echo sounding and conductive electrodes. All methods that forms the top surface of the screen. An electrostatic field
have advantages and disadvantages e.g. conductive electrodes created by applying a voltage to this layer then allows the self-
can’t be used with flammable liquids and mechanical solutions capacitance induced by a finger touching the external surface of
often have a shorter operating life so may be less reliable. the glass to be measured at each corner of the screen. Because of
Capacitive humidity sensors exploit the effect of humidity on the sheet resistivity of the conducting layer the various capaci-
the dielectric constant of certain materials (e.g., polymers). When tance measurements can then be used to determine the finger’s
suitably calibrated, such sensors are accurate to within a couple position.
of percent over a relative humidity (RH) range from 5–95%. The ‘projected capacitance’ type of touchscreen is where the
conductive layer is etched to provide a grid pattern of electrodes.
3. Touchscreens and trackpads This can be either on one layer or as perpendicular sets of parallel
Used increasingly to replace mechanical buttons and sliders, lines on two layers. In the single layer case the self-capacitance
touchscreens have become the human interface device (HID) of created by touching the screen is measured separately for the rows
choice in mobile phones, tablet computers and similar products. and columns. But with the two-layer approach the mutual capac-
Touchscreens are also starting to appear in kitchen appliances and itance at the intersection of each row and column is measured.
cars where the widespread use of microcontrollers makes it easy Projected capacitance touchscreens offer higher resolution with
and often more cost effective to deploy touch controls with added the use of a two-layer grid and mutual capacitance measurement
benefits that include better ergonomics and increased reliability. enables multi-touch operations (i.e., the ability to detect and

Figure 3: Generic MCUs
waste energy by waking up
to monitor sensor inputs.
Figure 4: LESENSE reduces

energy consumption with
various wakeup conditions.

track multiple fingers at the same time). that, even in active mode, only consumes 150 μA/MHz.
Because there is no direct contact with the sensor, this type The next common obstacle encountered when interfacing an
of touchscreen technology can be used at lower resolution for MCU to external sensors is the need to periodically wake up the
proximity sensing by simply increasing the measurement sensi- processor to detect an external event (see Figure 3). Part of the
tivity. In a similar way, touchscreens can be designed to be imper- problem here is that most modern MCUs have various low-power
vious to the effects of surface water or other contaminants and modes ranging from ‘standby’ to ‘sleep’ and even ‘deep sleep’,
can be made to work with gloved hands. typically with an increasing overhead in the time taken to wake
from the lowest power mode. One issue here is that in order to
Low energy versus application performance achieve a timely respond to an event it may not be possible to use
Whatever the application, a capacitive sensor is an input device the deepest sleep mode. Also during the wakeup period energy
and therefore the system it is part of has to be capable of detect- is being used but no useful work is being done. This problem is
ing and responding to that input in an appropriate and timely exacerbated if the device needs to wake too frequently to the
manner. This is especially true following a period of inactivity point where it might be consuming more power than it would
when the system may need to wake from a sleep mode. Since the in a higher activity state.
whole point of a sleep mode is to conserve energy, especially for
battery-powered equipment, it is vital that the process of monitor- The solution with LESENSE
ing inputs does not increase current consumption. This is where A sensor interface that can operate independently of the MCU
the Low Energy Sensor Interface (LESENSE) incorporated into offers a huge advantage especially when it can be configured to
Energy Micro’s EFM32 microcontrollers really wins out without work with other peripherals so that the MCU only needs to wake
compromising the processing performance delivered by its 32-bit up when a particular set of conditions are met. This is what Energy
CPU core. Micro offers in the EFM32 Gecko series MCUs with its Low Energy
Sensor Interface (LESENSE) combined with its Peripheral Reflex
Challenging conventional wisdom System (PRS) as illustrated in Figure 4.
In considering low energy applications a common assumption The LESENSE interface comprises analog comparators, a DAC and
has been to use 8-or 16-bit MCUs because of their lower active a sequencer module running at 32 kHz. The sequencer controls
power consumption. But this is a false logic since energy is ‘power which pins are connected to the comparators and whether the
times time’ and actually a more powerful 32-bit CPU core like the DAC is used to provide a more accurate comparator reference.
ARM Cortex-M3 can typically complete a given task in a quarter Comparator outputs can be counted and combined so that the
of the time of older 16-bit CPU cores. This is particularly true if CPU is only woken once a predetermined set of conditions has
the designer opts for an MCU such as Energy Micro’s Tiny Gecko occurred, for example, two taps of a touch screen within a certain

time window or perhaps the operation of a touch switch while Conclusion
some other condition is true. All this is possible while the MCU Energy Micro’s Low Energy Sensor Interface (LESENSE) is ideally
remains in a sub-μA deep sleep mode. suited to capacitive sensing applications allowing its EFM32 series
Since the sensor results from LESENSE are available to the Periph- devices to monitor sensor inputs while leaving the MCU in a deep
eral Reflex System (PRS) it is then possible for the designer to create sleep mode. LESENSE operates with a low frequency clock and
even more complex state-machine structures for monitoring exter- can monitor up to 16 sensors with an average current consump-
nal events without CPU intervention. And, while other modern tion of just 1.2 μA. By utilizing the device’s low-energy peripherals
MCUs may include on-chip peripherals, Energy Micro’s Gecko archi- along with its sequencer and decoder circuits LESENSE can detect
tecture takes this approach a step further with its PRS solution. and evaluate a combination of sensor states and event patterns
before waking the MCU. Designers can really take advantage of
Using LESENSE with capacitive sensors these features to maximize system performance while keeping
It is evident from the capacitive sensing applications considered above energy consumption to the absolute minimum.
that measuring a change in capacitance is usually more important 190284-01
than being able to obtain an absolute measurement. This is often
achieved by including the capacitance between the sense pin and
ground as part of an RC-oscillator circuit such that the frequency of
oscillation changes depending on the capacitance seen at the sense
pin. So a touch switch can be implemented simply by connecting the
sense pin directly to the touch pad area of the circuit board with no
other external components required.
As can be seen in Figure 4, the analog comparator converts the oscil-
lating signal from the touch pad to a stream of pulses allowing the
LESENSE interface to increment a counter on each rising edge. The
counter is allowed to run for a preset time and then the counter value
is transferred to a result buffer. The increased capacitance of a finger
touching the sensor produces a lower frequency and hence a lower
count. The resulting count is compared to a threshold value and when
the count is below the threshold the LESENSE interface can proceed
to wake up the MCU.
In most situations, capacitive sensors are only touched briefly so it
is important to minimize power consumption while the device is
waiting for an input. Typically this is achieved by reducing the rate
at which the sensor is measured. Unfortunately the downside is a
longer sampling interval resulting in a slower response time, which
is clearly not user-friendly. Fortunately, because the LESENSE inter-
face uses a minimum of resources and operates independently of the
MCU, a higher sampling frequency can be maintained to ensure user
responsiveness without compromising overall system performance
and energy consumption.

Current consumption considerations
A number of factors will influence the current consumption of capac-
itive sensing designs. Predominantly these relate to the sampling
frequency and the thickness of the touch pad overlay. The sampling
frequency has a direct bearing on current consumption; if the sampling
frequency is doubled then the power consumption is doubled. The
impact of overlay thickness on current consumption is less straightfor-
ward. While a thicker overlay does result in a higher current consump-
tion, other considerations come into play.
With a thicker overlay the difference in capacitance between touch and
no---touch is smaller. So to ensure the two frequencies are correctly
identified the oscillator will need to run for a longer period. How much
longer will depend on the touch pad’s size, its dielectric material and
aspects of the PCB design. For example, the dynamic current consump-
tion of an individual touch pad with a 5-mm acrylic overlay might be
500 nA so a 4-button application might have a total consumption of
3 μA including the static MCU consumption (<1 μA). To improve the
user experience, the sampling speed could be increased to 10 Hz after
the first touch event, taking the total consumption to 5 μA.

background
Peaktech 2715
Digital Loop/PSC Tester
Safety first!
By Dr. Thomas Scherer (Germany)
Looking for a digital loop/PSC

tester? The PeakTech 2715 is a
handy test device that enables
electricians and DIYers alike to
check whether all sockets in a
building comply with regulations.
In the distant past, I learned about ’telecom- the fuse takes to blow. A low resistance indica- the cable. To test different types of sockets,
munications’. I was allowed to check all sockets tes the good quality of the installed cables or a so-called ’power socket’ (five-pole with
in a new clinic. I was given a simple ’testing and the terminals in the distribution boards. 400-V three-phase current), a cable with a
device’ with a light as a quasi-digital display Of course, a line tester should be able to do power connector and three test probes in red,
that signalled ’OK’ (or not). If not, the fuse had even more. For example, it should indicate black and green are included. The latter are
to be removed, the socket had to be taken out whether the polarity (and more) of a socket not only pointed, but also include a widened
of the wall, and errors had to be found. complies with standards, regulations and spring (see enlargement of Figure 5), which
traditions. are suitable for the 4-mm holes of various
Test equipment sockets.
Today, one is almost surprised that there are Scope of delivery
still screwdrivers without integrated MCUs. You pull a small, black plastic case out of the Batteries
Meanwhile there should be better testers than cardboard packaging (Figure 1). Figure 2 Before the test, the gods set batteries as a
what we had in the past. In this article, I review shows what’s included. Great news: there hurdle. Figure 2 shows cables as well as 4 +
a tester that’s advertised by the manufacturer is even a printed manual (Figure 3)! A PDF 2 1.5-V AA batteries. The resulting, approxima-
as a „Digital Loop/PSC Loop Tester“. is posted on the PeakTech website [1]. The tely fourfold, capacity over a 9-V PP3/6LR22
PSC stands for ’Prospective Short circuit manufacturer’s ’calibration certificate’ indica- battery is a big advantage. You should be able
Current’. This means that the device is to deter- tes that the tester has been calibrated for to test a few thousand sockets with one set.
mine the estimated short circuit current of a proper use. First, the batteries must be put in the device.
line loop. This tells you whether the instal- On the back of the tester (Figure 4) is an IEC Mine was a little problematic. Figure 6 shows
lations in a building are low impedance socket, into which the included cable is inser- the backside with the screws removed. The
enough for the fuses to blow fast enough. It ted to test a Schuko (German-style; non-po- cross slots are so wide that a small screwdri-
is something electrical engineers do not have larized; earthed) power socket. In this way, ver slips through and a big one cannot get
to worry about: these fuses are pretty slow. the tester is compatible with socket types into the recess (red arrows). A bit that is slim
The lower the short-circuit current, the longer used in other countries by simply changing enough even with wider blades helps here.

Figure 3: A
reasonably
useful manual
plus calibration
certificate are
included.
Figure 1: Everything is contained in a black

plastic case measuring 30 x 23 x 8 cm. Figure 2: The case includes the tester,
two cables and six batteries.
Figure 4: At the top of the front side

is an IEC socket for connecting
measuring cables.
Figure 5: This measuring cable can be used Figure 6: Medium gauge Phillips bits
to test unusual and five-pin sockets. The test are recommended for the battery
probes are also suitable for 4-mm holes. compartment. Up at ???, a loop can be
attached. But would you like to have it on
your belt when 230 VAC is present?
Figure 8: Measure voltage, resistance and

Figure 7: Since the lid did short circuit current.
not come off voluntarily, I Figure 9: Errors.
needed leverage. Fig. 9a: P and N reversed (i.e., turn the plug over).
Fig. 9b: Protective conductor missing, danger!
To get at the top, I had to dismantle the stand. ’PN’, everything is fine. Then mains voltage indicates the mains voltage: At my place 229 V
The red arrow in Figure 7 shows where the is present between phase (L1) and earth (PE) in Figure 8a. My (more precise) multimeter
blade of a normal screwdriver has to go in as well as between phase and neutral (N) and claims it is 231 Vrms. So the error is below 1%.
order to release the side lock. But the lid still the phase is on the right when the cable of If you press the TEST button briefly, either the
held very tight, and I had to pry it open with the safety plug (type ’F’) points downwards, resistance between phase and neutral (good
a screwdriver. as is usual in Germany for example (but not 0.78 Ω in Figure 8b) or the estimated short-cir-
required by VDE or DIN). However, uniformity cuit current (276 A in Figure 8c) is displayed
Socket test in a building is recommended. for five seconds, depending on the selected
A glance at the device (Figure 2) shows that Figure 8 shows the correct situation at my measuring range. Arithmetically this is not
three LEDs are located above the fat, red TEST electronics lab. The correct LEDs are lit quite the same, but it is still in the ballpark.
button. Not connected to the mains, all are (WIRING CORRECT). Turning the selector Since this socket is fused with 16 A, there was
dark. If ’P-E’ and ’P-N’ light up orange, but not switch away from OFF to the left or right nothing to complain about.

Table 1: Connection method and LED combination.
Figure 10: This basic internal circuitry is shown in the table of LEDs

versus voltage between the connectors
How is the lead resistance measured? I ning cases, a closer examination of the socket Conclusion
noticed a short twitching of the ammeter is strongly recommended. The tester costs just over €150 for Elektor
pointer on the isolating transformer, which I In Table 1, you can see how LEDs and voltme- members. Is that justified given the narrow
used for tester experiments. However, the very ters are connected internally. The result of the scope of application? The question arises
short current pulse is much weaker than the puzzle shows the circuit in Figure 10. Electri- when you only need it once in a lifetime.
measuring range given by 20 kA. I suspect a cally correct, the LED PN should have been But that is not a question for electricians or
phase-synchronous, pulse-like short circuit called ’N-E’. companies with machines. The line tester
near the zero crossing. Therefore value and It looked fine in my basement lab. No error, already saves two hours of time. A classic
integral of the measuring current remain small low resistances <1 Ω and only the rule ’phase multimeter cannot measure short-circuit
and the fuse does not blow. Cleverly done! = right’ not always followed. On the ground currents.
Sometimes, however, the RCD trips during floor, however, 3 of 17 power sockets were My answer: I would never have expected so
testing, as can be seen in the Elektor video questionable because the earth did not make many unreliable sockets in my house. Nobody
[2]. More about the theory of PSC can be proper contact. It was bad on the upper floor: has been harmed yet, but what hasn’t happe-
found in the article under [3]. only 13 of 18 sockets were OK. The rest had ned yet can still be a threat. Therefore, the
problems with earth contact. In one socket, test of the tester paid off for me, because now
Error the spring of the earth contact was bent wide I know that all power sockets in the house
How can you detect incorrectly wired power apart and covered with a nice coat of paint will be clean after I check and fix them. This
sockets? Figure 9 shows which LEDs light to make sure that the contact did not protect security should be worth it!
up if a) the plug is inserted the wrong way or under any circumstances. As for the other 200246-04
b) the protective earth conductor is missing. sockets, I should curse the electrician who
So the three LEDs inform about some errors. did this decades ago — at that time, I was too
Unfortunately, the corresponding table in the small to see. It was simply not connected to a
manual is not quite correct. Trying out the six protective conductor and not even „zeroed“!
useful combinations led to Table 1. It shows
which LEDs light up with which connection
method, between which connections there is 4 Sale @
mains potential, what is shown on the display, www.elektor.com
and what this means. Interestingly, the LED
PN is only off in a single line — if everything
> PeakTech 2715 Digital LOOP/PSC
is OK. And only then you should press the red Tester
button and trigger a measurement. In the line www.elektor.com/peaktech-2715-
below (’reversed polarity’), you only have to digital-loop-psc-tester
turn the plug in the socket. In the four remai-
WEBLINKS
[1] PeakTech: https://www.peaktech.de
[2] Elektor Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dBhz3acowc&
[3] How-To: Calculate the Prospective Short-Circuit Current or PSCC:
https://www.elektormagazine.com/articles/howto-calculate-the-prospective-shortcircuit-current-or-pscc

feature
High-Voltage
DC DC Converter HV-DC/DC designs and multiphase
LLC resonant converters
By Tobias Oswald and Anton Mitterreiter (Querom Elektronik GmbH)
This article discusses methods of using current — for example in batteries or by electrolysis of water — can
multi-phase layouts to overcome design significantly increase the efficiency of the overall system, without the
conversion of direct current into alternating current and back. For this
limitations regarding the implementation purpose, high-voltage DC/DC-converters are the necessary interface
of LLC converters in high-voltage DC between the decentralized individual systems for energy generation
power supply environments. With intrinsic and storage while equally serving as power transfer, control, regula-
tion and diagnostic tools.
benefits for the user!
Design goals
To fully utilize the advantages of DC technology, the key goals when
High-voltage DC/DC-converters are key components in many designing new devices are typically to increase efficiency as well as
growth markets. Energy obtainable from renewable energy sources to reduce costs and construction volume. The integration of resonant
is usually delivered as direct current. The fluctuating distribution of LLC (inductor-inductor-capacitor) stages in a multi-phase arrange-
large amounts of electrical power and the associated need to store it, ment with n phases, as illustrated in Figure 1, using π/n phase shift-
has become an innovation driver for systems and components. While ing leads to technological advantages over conventional topologies
the existing infrastructure is characterized by the central generation of such as single-phase ‘phase shifted full bridge” — PSFB.
alternating current and its distribution, intermediate storage of direct While LLC converters offer some inherent advantages, the designer

Figure 2: Ripple current vs.
number of phases.
Figure 1: Functional
diagram.
Figure 3: Current addition of three

LLC phases. Green/Blue: Current
in rectifier of one phase. Red: Total
current of three phases.
must also accept some disadvantages when using them: One of As shown by the graph, by paralleling three LLC converter phases,
these is the comparatively high current ripple at the output, which a reduction by a factor of almost 12 of the ripple current in shared
is caused by the current shape in the resonant network of the LLC, input and output capacitors can be realized. For example, for a total
which enables advantages such as secondary ZCS (zero current output current of 250 A, the ripple current of a PSFB stage is typically
switching). Due to the principle, if the dead times of the primary about 22 Arms.
switches required in practice and their effects on the shape of the The ripple current of a single LLC phase would be ~121 Arms. At n = 2
flowing current are neglected, the amplitude of the current ripple at the ripple current still amounts to ~24 Arms. As illustrated in Figure 3,
the resonant frequency of the converter is about 48% of the output at n = 3 and up it is lower than in the single-phase PSFB, at less than
current, based on root-mean-square (rms) values. In topologies with ~11 Arms. This allows a reduction of the output capacitance COut and
an output choke however, the current ripple is a value that can be the use of less expensive components with higher series resistance,
influenced by the design of the output filter. Usually, 30% IOut peak-to- while still maintaining requirements for maximum ripple voltage.
peak current ripple, which corresponds to approx. 8.7% IOut(rms), is
chosen as the design basis. The disadvantage of the high current Dealing with reactive currents
ripple of the LLC topology can be reduced by a multi-phase arrange- An additional challenge in using the LLC topology for high-perfor-
ment. As illustrated in Figure 2, adding the sinusoidal output current mance converters is the reactive currents circulating in the primary
of each phase reduces the ripple current as the number of converter circuit section, which are independent of the load current. Together
phases n is increased. with the power required to drive the semiconductors, these reactive

Figure 4: ZVS/ZCS
under full and light
load. Turquoise: drain
voltage M2. Blue:
gate voltage M2. Red:
current in resonant
network.
currents reduce the efficiency under light load conditions. of the same technology — compared to a single-phase design but
The multi-phase design approach offers the option to reduce these with an nth of the silicon area per phase — the on-resistances of the
loss contributions to 1/n by using ‘phase shedding’, i.e. switching off individual semiconductors are multiplied by n and the capacitances
phases under light loads. and the associated switching losses are divided by n.
In contrast, the inherent advantages of the LLC topology remain As a result, the sum of the switching and conduction losses of all
unaffected by the transition from n = 1 to n > 1. These include ZVS phases remains equivalent to the sum of the losses of a single-phase
(zero voltage switching) of the primary and secondary semicon- solution, but due to the increased number of semiconductors, the
ductors as well as approximate ZCS of the primary, and ZCS of the thermal connection can be made by a significantly larger area without
secondary semiconductors under all load conditions. Figure 4 shows worsening the properties of the layout (e.g. minimum enclosed area
the switching on and off process of M2 (cf. Figure 1). For a better of commutation paths).
representation an input voltage VIn of 60 V was chosen. Regardless
of the load current, it is visible that at the moment of switching, as Conclusion
soon as the gate-source voltage of M2 (blue) exceeds a few volts, By utilizing the previously described advantages of the n-phase
both the drain voltage of M2 (turquoise) and the current to be taken arrangement, Querom Elektronik’s ‘DDH’ DC/DC-converter platform
over by M2 (red) are already close to zero. was specifically developed for high-voltage applications. It is capable
This reduction — or avoidance — of hard switching edges and current of making ideal use of the material used and thus offer high power
interruptions, especially in applications with high input voltages, density with very good thermal robustness and low voltage ripple on
reduces EMC and increases efficiency, which in turn reduces the the output voltage.
construction volume, and lowers costs of the converter. Furthermore, the n-phase arrangement enables customer specific,
Regardless of the application on LLC or other topologies, the better space-optimized, designs. These features are rounded off by the exten-
thermal connection of the power semiconductors involved is another sive measurement and control functions that can be used via the device
advantage of multi-phase arrangements. Each phase of the overall interface on a communication bus and through Windows software.
device carries one nth of the total current. By using semiconductors 200418-01
Vlakbodem 10 3247 CP Dirksland the Netherlands

+31 187 602 744 www.tbp.nl info@tbp.nl
tbp also supplies

the defence industry
electronics manufacturing services

background
What is ESD and why protection against it is key
Elektor Team - Contributed by BERNSTEIN-Werkzeugfabrik Steinrücke GmbH
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is caused by the sudden

discharge between objects with different charge potentials.
And it is precisely this discharge that can generate high
electrical currents capable of damaging or even destroying
components completely. It’s not even necessary for the generally concerns latent damage. It is
component to be in direct contact with the discharge — it therefore absolutely essential for the appro-
is sufficient for the electrostatic process to take place in the priate precautions to be taken. An abrupt
discharge must be prevented. Only by
vicinity of the component. Here we discuss measures and slow discharge can potential differences
material for ESD-safe working. be neutralized, and sensitive components
protected.
Such an electrostatic process also occurs damage to a blue LED, for example. SMDs How to protect yourself and
repeatedly in everyday life. The lightning are already at risk at voltages of more than your components
during a thunderstorm is probably the 100 volts. By contrast, the human ability You can protect ESD-sensitive components
best-known example of this, but a sudden to perceive ESD is very limited. Discharges by storing, handling, and packing them
discharge can also occur when you reach for can only be felt from voltages of 3,500 volts, in a completely EDS protected environ-
the door handle and get a jolt. And every- are audible from 4,500 volts, and are visible ment. Specially developed workplace
one has experienced this at least once. If we from 10,000 volts. equipment and ESD-compatible clothing
transfer this unpleasant feeling to compo- are available for this purpose. Electrically
nents, one can imagine the effects it can Detecting and eliminating errors dissipative shoes, coats and a grounding
have on sensitive components. ESD damage to components is normally bracelet should be worn. When equipping
not visible to the naked eye. Even tiny the workplace, conductive table and work
Component sensitivity discharges can lead to complete failure. surface coverings should be used as well
The ESD sensitivity of electronic compo- These direct errors can usually be identi- as ESD-compatible workbenches, chairs
nents is rising with increasing miniatur- fied during quality control. So-called latent and tools.
ization. Moreover, even smaller compo- errors are especially critical, as they only
nents offer less and less space for protec- become apparent when products are in Stationary workplace - working
tive circuits on microchips. To save energy, operation. The time and effort needed to in the EPA area
components need to get by on less power. A eliminate these intrinsic errors together An ESD-safe workplace is indispensable
discharge of just 50 volts is enough to cause form the greatest cost factor. ESD damage to safely and properly carry out work and

Figure 1: Determining the optimum range for surface resistance.
Figure 2: A selection of
BERNSTEIN products for
the ESD-safe workplace.
measurements on electrostatically sensi- But when using this method, it is important > point-to-point resistance (resistance
tive components. In fixed installations, to make sure that the hand-to-earth resis- between two electrodes).
such as in EPAs (electrostatic discharge tance is less than 3.5 × 107 ohm.
protected areas), all elements that come Maintenance and cleaning
into contact with people and components Surface resistances In addition to all these precautions,
should be electrostatically conductive. The effectiveness of materials is classified maintenance and cleaning of the dissi-
Foot mats, workplace pads, large assem- according to their resistance properties pative products is essential. Grounding
blies and personnel grounding are earthed (Figure 1). Here, surface resistance plays connections, mats and earthing plugs
by so-called earth bonding plugs, while it is a particularly important role: it is the should be inspected on a weekly basis
important to pay attention to ESD logos for electrical resistance of a conductive layer and wristbands every day. Special deter-
clothing and tools. on the surface. Depending on the resistance gents must be used when cleaning them
properties, a distinction is made between: as conventional household products may
Mobile workplace — working on > shielding materials; leave an insulating coating. However, the
the road > electrically conductive materials; most important measure is and remains
But what to do if the components are assem- > electrically dissipative materials; personal earthing.
bled and therefore cannot be processed, > insulating materials. And this is exactly what BERNSTEIN
repaired or maintained in an EPA area? For considers its main task. As a tool manufac-
this purpose, there are mobile workstations turer, BERNSTEIN offers a comprehensive
that represent an ESD-safe workplace. They Measurement of resistances in range of ESD-compatible tools for use in
consist of a workstation support, a wrist- the ESD area ESD-protected areas. Including complete
band for grounding of personnel and an In addition to surface resistance, the follow- solutions for mobile use when work has to
earthing cable with an earthing plug. If ing types of resistance are also important: be carried out outside the protected areas.
there are no sockets available, the earth- > the bleeder resistance (resistance Further information about ESD and the
ing cable can also be attached to grounded against earth/protective conductor); complete product range (selection in
metal surfaces using a crocodile clip. When > volume resistance (resistance Figure 2) can be found on the website :
properly set up, thee measures ensure that measured at opposite points of a piece www.bernstein-werkzeuge.de.
static electricity gets discharged via the mat. of material); 200413-01

background
PCB Layout and

Noise Coupling
with CISPR and EMC considerations
Elektor Team By Mauro Laurenti, LaurTec
Engineers rarely sit up on hearing that for precision or RF

applications, the PCB must be considered as an electronic Summarizing:
> 50 Ω Microstrip with bottom GND on
component part of the system itself. Each trace routed on the edge of the trace (ID: 1-1)
the PCB is part of the signal chain and must be carefully > 50 Ω Microstrip with good layout, GND
designed. This perspective should be actually taken beyond covering bottom layer (ID: 1-2)
> 50 Ω Coplanar Microstrip on the edge –
the precision and RF applications. Indeed, stringent top GND is cut (ID: 1-3)
regulations, such as the CISPR standards, apply to any > 50 Ω Coplanar Microstrip with good
electronic system, so let’s find out how it works. layout – top GND (ID: 1-4)
> 50 Ω Coplanar Microstrip with good
layout – top and bottom GND (ID: 1-5)
> 50 Ω Coplanar Microstrip on the edge –
CISPR standards cover automotive, industrial sized to get 50 Ω typical line impedance top and bottom GND is cut (ID: 1-6)
and commercial systems and are used by with two-layer design and a PCB thickness
different countries, such as Europe and US, as of 1.6 mm. The additional choice of avoid- Each PCB has two SMA connectors to
a basis to validate the conformity of a certain ing impedance control was made to get enable the connection of 50 Ω termination on
electronic system from an EMC (Electromag- closer to a real application. Indeed imped- one side and connect the spectrum analyzer
netic Compatibility) perspective. This article ance control would add additional cost that on the other side. To ease the tests, allowing
will show how different trace layouts made typically are worth and affordable for RF a good repeatability, a PCB fixture has been
on a standard FR4 PCB may drastically affect applications but the rest of customers will designed and 3D printed in PLA material.
the system radiation which may compromise try to avoid it. Nevertheless, it is important The PCBs are kept 6 cm from the table, and
the end product certification, either from a to know whether or not your PCB manufac- the centre of each PCB is kept at 2 cm from
conducted or radiated test perspective. The turer partner can support it. Indeed, out of the each other. The setup details are shown in
article will also highlight how a PCB should first impedance computation the manufac- Figure 2.
be carefully designed as part of the system, turer can further trim and match the traces
whatever the application would be, to make to the wanted impedance. The PCBs used Coupling and conducted noise
sure that you achieve the right performance for the measurements have been produced measurements
while complying with the EMC standards by PCBWay, which offers, beside imped- To test the PCBs, two types of measurements
required for the FCC and CE marking. ance control service, also other PCB materi- were performed:
als support that may be beneficial for high > Coupling between PCBs using the PLA
PCB test boards layouts performance PCBs, such as aluminium and PCB fixture (Figure 2).
The PCB used for the tests, have been Rogers material. The PCBs that have been > Coupling between PCB ID: 1-1 and a
made using standard FR4 material with a designed are shown in Figure 1 together with DC-DC converter board while running a
typical ɛr = 4.3. The trace width has been the traversal section. CISPR 25 compliance test.

Figure 1: PCBs used for the tests. The
traversal sections are shown for reference.
Figure 2: Test setup showing the PCB fixture details.

Figure 3

Test setup 1
Figure 3 shows several curves, between the reciprocity it was expected to be also a small ID: 1-3 and ID: 1-6. That’s due to the distance
frequency range of 150 kHz and 3 GHz. The source of noise. The one that behaves worse of the ground layer (bottom) to the top trace.
receiving PCB used as reference was ID: 1-5 than the others, is the ID: 1-1, where the top Indeed the 1.6 mm thickness used on standard
(50 Ω Coplanar Microstrip with good layout Microstrip has a GND layer on the bottom that PCBs causes high stray inductance out of the
– top and bottom GND connected with vias). is just on the edge of the trace. This creates signal trace, possibly generating high radiated
The PCB ID: 1-5 was connected to the input an electromagnetic field that has challenges fields. Consequently, for better performances,
of the Spectrum analyzer and terminated with to remain close to the GND, thus it moves it is typically advisable to have a 4-layer layout
a 50-Ω load on the other side. All the other farther away from the PCB and couples better and not 2 layers as used in this test setup.
PCBs were connected, one by one, to the with the victim PCB. With a 4-layer layout it would be possible to
Tracking Generator output and terminated The other PCBs laid out with a ground on the place the GND layer directly underneath the
as well with 50 Ω, allowing the frequency edge of the traces are ID: 1-3 (red line) and ID: signal layer at a reduced distance, compared
scanning between 150 kHz and 3 GHz. The 1-6 (black line). Both layouts are among the to a 2-layer layout. This would reduce the stray
Tracking Generator output power was 0 dBm, ones that have a high radiated field, thus the inductance that may cause radiated electro-
thus the amplitude in Figure 3 represents the noise couple pretty well with the PCB ID: 1-5. magnetic field.
coupling between the two PCBs or the S21 Those layouts are almost cancelling out the A good example on how reduced GND
parameter. It is interesting to see how a very benefit of having a ground layer. This scenario distance between the signal trace and GND
simple layout, that may depict typical layout represents the typical use case where the layer may reduce the radiated electromagnetic
traces used on simple routing schemes, may designer, due to space constraints, may place field, is the layout ID: 1-4. In this case there
create a radiated field and coupling noise the traces and the ground underneath, close is only one layer and the GND is on the top
delta that varies between 10- 30 dBm. The to the edge of the PCB. In general, this must layer only. Nevertheless, the 50 Ω Coplanar
PCB resonances may make this delta slightly be avoided, especially if the trace carries high Microstrip allows reduced distance between
better or worse. The board ID: 1-5 is the one bandwidth signals. Almost surprisingly the GND and the signal trace, thus the electric
that behaves better, showing the highest board ID: 1-2, while having a good layout with field easily closes to GND, while the magnetic
attenuation. It was used as reference since it the ground layer properly covering the trace, field has reduced intensity since the signal
was supposed to have low coupling, but for does radiate at a certain frequency as badly as trace return current is close by.

Figure 4
Figure 5 Figure 6
Test setup 2 Figure 5 shows how the 2.1 MHz sinewave Conclusions

The measurement carried out on Test that fed the PCB ID: 1-1 radiates a fair Different PCB layouts have been tested to
Setup 1, while showing how different dose of noise that gets coupled with the validate typical use cases that can be imple-
boards behave from the radiated and evaluation board and clearly pops up at mented on the PCB. In particular, the traces
coupling perspective, does not directly 2.1 MHz, getting close to the margin (the that are very close to the PCB edge and
correlate the results to a certain standard. BW between 30 MHz and 108 MHz, is not are partially covered by GND, may radiate
A designer may just say: “–80 dBm coupling shown). enough energy that get coupled by other
is a small value and I can ignore it”. While Having chosen a frequency between the parts of the PCB. This may create problems
those signals coupling aren’t that big, there marked limits MW and SW, we have a on sensitive adjacent circuits but may also
are several standards that care about it in typical use case for an switching frequency, create challenges passing EMC standards,
a certain bandwidth of interest. Thus, you automotive DC-DC converter. Indeed, this either conductive or radiated tests. Proper
may not neglect some noise without a test frequency range does not have a real limit layout is a key part of the design; thus the
supporting the assumption that the noise defined by CISPR 25, nevertheless it clearly PCB must be designed with care, keeping
is small enough. In Test Setup 2, a DC-DC shows that board ID: 1-1 can jeopardize the both the system and EMC standards in mind.
converter evaluation board got evalu- system certification. The same test run with 200402-01
ated in light control mode for a CISPR 25 board ID: 1-4, designed with a good layout,
Class 5-conducted test. The evaluation does not show any noise peak (barely
board was passing the test with 10 dB visible) since the energy that gets coupled
margin and so got a nice PASS. Repeating is covered by the DC-DC converter noise
the test with the board ID: 1-1 on top of the (Figure 6).
evaluation board at 8 mm distance, fed with
2.1 MHz sinewave signal at –10 dBm ampli-
tude, showed different results.
LINKS AND LITERATURE
[1] LaurTec ‘EMC Testing’ series downloads: http://www.LaurTec.it
[2] Official site for PCBWay: http://www.pcbway.com

news
Extremely Small
Power-saving 3D
Magnetic Sensor motors or control elements such as joysticks or game consoles. It
opens up new design options enables designs with double-sided PCBs or positioning of the sensor
between two PCBs. This allows optimal use of the available space;
for example, additional components can be placed above the sensor.
Elektor Team
Technical features
Infineon Technologies AG reports having expanded its XENSIV™ 3D The new sensor has an integrated wake-up function. It is available in
magnetic sensor family TLx493D with a new device for industrial and four variants with preconfigured standard addresses. A higher resolu-
consumer applications: the TLI493D-W2BW. It uses the latest 3D Hall tion (typ. 32.5 to 130 µT/LSB12) compared to the previous genera-
generation from Infineon and is housed in an extremely small wafer-le- tion extends the range of applications. XY angle measurement is also
vel package. With an 87 percent smaller footprint and 46 percent less supported.
height than previous comparable products, the sensor opens up new The update rate is up to 5.7 kHz (8.4 kHz for XY), while the resolution
design options. in low-power modes can be adjusted in eight steps between 0.05 and
Due to the small WLB-5 package (1.13 mm x 0.93 mm x 0.59 mm) and 770 Hz. Power consumption in power-down mode is specified at 7 nA.
its low current consumption of 7 nA in power-down mode, the new The supply current is 3.4 mA. The sensor has an I2C interface and a
magnetic sensor is also suitable for use in applications that previ- dedicated interrupt pin.
ously used resistor-based or optical solutions. Magnetic sensors offer
numerous advantages here, such as their high accuracy or robustness Availability
against dust and moisture. In addition, magnetic sensors are easier to Samples of the new XENSIV 3D sensor TLI493D-W2BW are available,
assemble and offer more design options. and series production was started in August 2020. Further information
In particular, the low height of the TLI493D-W2BW is helpful in extre- is available at www.infineon.com/3dmagnetic.
mely space-critical applications such as BLDC commutation in micro- 200432-01
(INT0)PD2 1-WIRE
4 2
VCC T1
6 3
VCC BSN20
C3 C4 C5 18 30 K2
AVCC (RXD)PD0 RXD
Post your ideas and

100n 100n 100n 3
31 TXD
(TXD)PD1
20 +3V3 +3V3 2
AREF 1
10
(AIN0)PD6
electronics projects
12 PB0(ICP1) 11
(AIN1)PD7
13 PB1(OC1A)
1 MOSI L1 MOD1
14 PB2(SS/OC1B) 23
3 (ADC0)PC0 FERRITE BEAD
15 24 RXM-433-LR
PB3(MOSI) (ADC1)PC1 LED1
5 16 25
PB4(MISO)
all sizes / all levels / all sorts

7 SCK (ADC2)PC2 R3 R7 R1 1 16
17 26 NC ANT
PB5(SCK)
220
10k
(ADC3)PC3 2 15
10
9 MISO 7 27 NC GND
PB6(XTAL1) (ADC4/SDA)PC4 3 14
8 28 NC NC
X1 PB7(XTAL2) (ADC5/SCL)PC5 4 13
GND NC
at www.elektor-labs.com
8MHz 1 5 12
(INT1)PD3 VCC NC
9 S1 C9 6 11
(T1)PD5 PDN NC
7 10
and become famous!

21 RSSI NC
GND 19 9
5 ADC6 LEARN 22µ NC
C1 C2 GND 22
3 ADC7
22p 22p GND DATA 8
L2 DATA
FERRITE BEAD
2 +3V3 +5V
(XCK/T0)PD4 +3V3
29
(RESET)PC6 IC2
R6
Create a project now at:
10k
LD39015M33R
www.elektor-labs.com
1 5
IN OUT
3 4
design > share > sell

EN NC
200136-007 KD R2 GND
C6 C7
100 2
100n 1µ

Elektor infographic
By Robert van der Zwan (Netherlands)
Components & Assembly Methods

Covid-19 Cuts Growth
Potential in Half Global market for active components growth, in US$ Billion
If the latest figures of market research (USD Billion)

company Industry Research are anything to
go by, Covid-19 will cut the growth potential
of the global market for active components in
half. Whereas previous research showed that
≈ 518
≈ 10%
the market for active components will grow at
500
a 10% rate in the period 2018-2022, the most
recent research from July 2020 indicates a ≈ 5% ≈ 393
global growth of around 5% over the years
2020-2026. To be more precise: Industry
Research calculates an annual growth of 4.8% ≈ 293
until 2026. This is exactly the growth rate that
the IMF predicts for advanced economies in
2021, after Covid-19 correction. For emerg- (Time)
ing markets and developing economies, the 2020 2022 2026
year-to-year growth in 2021 after Covid-19
correction will be 5.9%. (Sources: Industry Research, IMF, Market Research Future, among others)
Components? Modules? They are the Big Winners — in the Long Run
Judging from the S&P stock index in 2019, there can be just one ant user of electronic modules, was a winner too, with its stock
conclusion: electronic components and modules trigger more value almost doubled (84.8%). Although the stock value of the
investors than any other economic sector. All economic sectors electronics industry does not necessarily reflect the total turnover
combined rose 28.5% in value in 2019. Now let’s have a look at in this economic sector (!), one thing is for sure: there will be
semiconductor vendor AMD. AMD definitely was a big winner in no shortage of cash to invest in new hardware technologies the
2019, with a rise of 146.6% in stock value. Apple, the most import- coming years, even when taking Covid-19 into account.
(Source: Finviz.com)
Growth stock value

components and modules
in 2019, examples AMD and 146.6%
Apple 84.8%

Where You Should Be
(Also Ten Years from Now)? GDP per country, in US$ Trillion
If you are a vendor or distributor of electronic compo-

: 64.2
nents, where should you be ten years from now? There 2030 : 20.4 2030: 46.3
are three countries where you definitely should be: 2018
: 31.0
2030
please see the graph. These countries aren’t that diffi-
cult to find. But focussing on one or the other could be
: 10.3
very different in ten years’ time. Don’t overlook India’s
tremendous potential. After all, in terms of GDP, India 2018
and the USA will swap places within the next decade.
: 25.2
2018
(Source: Standard Chartered Bank)
in a A ia
C h US Ind
Which Sectors Drive the Market? Here are Some Impressive Figures
Which sectors drive the market for both passive and active components?
There are three sectors that cannot dodge the spotlights. They are the
gaming sector because of its sheer size; the cloud or ‘datasphere’ because
of its tremendous data growth; and the 5G network because of its even more
impressive growth explosion. Let’s explore these three in some detail.
Gaming Is the Name of the Game

What becomes apparent when you compare the market size of online
gaming to that of the turnover of all cinemas and theatres worldwide?
The result is as follows: in 2019, online gaming accounted for US$152
152 Billion
2019: US$
Billion, and box office sales were US$43 Billion. This tells us a lot about
the relevance of gaming in the entertainment industry.
2019: US$43 Billion
(Sources: Newzoo, Billboard, Visual Capitalist)
Fivefold Growth — Doubled Footprint

In 2018 some 33 Zettabytes could be found in the cloud, or ‘datasphere’. In 2025 this
2025: will be 175 ZB, according to market research company IDC. This fivefold growth will
2018: 175 Zettabytes not translate into a fivefold increase in footprint for all data centres present on this
33 Zettabytes globe. However, market research from Forrester points to at least a twofold increase
in such a global footprint in the year 2023, taking 2013 as the base year.
(Sources: IDC, Forrester)
5G Equates to … Growth Explosion

The 5G network holds a fantastic promise for vendors of electronic components.
Imagine a market that’s worth US$5.5 Billion in 2020 and US$667.9 Billion in
2026, resulting in a staggering annual growth rate of 122%. Is that a dream? No, 2026:
it is a realistic forecast, even when leaving Covid-19 aside. 2020: US$667.9 Billion
US$5.5 Billion
(Source: Allied Market Research)

feature
5G / 4G LTE Modules,
Innovative Modems,
and Smart Applications
By Dr.-Ing. Ulrich Pilz, ConiuGo GmbH, Hohen Neuendorf, Germany
Based on Telit radio modules, innovative companies such as or e-mail. Of course, the way from the user
ConiuGo GmbH, but also ambitious electronics developers, to the device is also part of the function: it
is also possible for the user to switch relays
can easily develop data solutions for the Internet of Things remotely via SMS or e-mail.
that are ready for use and marketable. 4G (LTE) is currently Figure 2 shows LTE modems in different
the best starting point for such development. Because LTE housing designs and the GSM Scout active
LTE.
will be built in coexistence with the later 5G, which means:
Both technologies will be available together in the future and Real-time with LTE — tough but
the network resources will be shared dynamically between feasible
Even today, in the age of IP packets
them. In addition, latency times, i.e. the time delays for running up and down on the Internet, a
the data packets, are excellent even with 4G. LTE performs direct connection by which data are to be
with latency times in the millisecond range, which is ideally exchanged between two microcontrollers
or devices is a good thing needed every
suited for general technical applications. Good news, let’s day. A serial cable (RS232 or RS485) can
investigate! very easily connect a host to a client — also
known as a connection between a DTE and
a DCE. So, the transport of data is possible in
both directions (bidirectionally). With the
Solid base for development: LTE (9–36 V) is on board, with which the modem beeping modems of the analogue telephone
module or socket modem is perfectly usable in all situations. Today, world, and later also with ISDN, this serial
Everything starts with the LTE module, the serial interface (e.g. RS 232 D-Sub 9) is cable could be hundreds of kilometres long
which today usually must be processed still useful for M2M applications. A new thanks to the telephone lines. In the age
using an SMD soldering process. Modules trend are the LTE modems with an Ethernet of GSM and GPRS (2G) came the big step
with connections at the edge of the PCB connection via the familiar RJ-45 connector. backwards! With the payment over time,
can also be soldered manually if neces- the service called CSD was expensive,
sary. Modules equipped with a connector Since many modems are operated on remained unpopular and could not really
are more suitable for developments. A level microcontroller applications, the USB convince technically. Please don’t change
converter can easily be integrated on the interface is less popular in general. Drivers anything when it finally did work! With the
circuit board, in order to convert 1.8 V signal are required for the USB, which can cause digital world of IP technology, the door to
levels to 3.3 V or 5 V. problems if only a microcontroller without the ‘real-time world’ of microcontrollers
Figure 1 shows the current modules for LTE an operating system is available. If despite seemed finally closed. Because data can no
CAT 1 and LTE CAT M, together with the those arguments, USB is chosen, it must be longer be sent directly, sending data packets
corresponding socket modems. decided whether USB should be used for the is the only option. However, data packets
power supply. An LTE modem needs up to have different transit times — they do not
LTE modem with interface for 2000 mA (at 5 V) for a short time and there- necessarily arrive in the order they were
RS 232 and LAN as well as LTE fore ‘external powering’ is often the better sent, they can be lost and require sending
applications for remote switching choice in case of using USB. Naturally, once again. Managing all of this requires
and telecontrol entire devices for telecontrol technology computing power and memory — require-
The next logical step of development can also be implemented on the basis of ments that often aren’t available in micro-
for practical LTE applications is the LTE an LTE module. Also shown in Figure 2 is controller applications.
modem, which is fully equipped with the GSM Scout active LTE remote switching
power supply, level transceiver and standard device, which can record the status of input However, the low latency times of LTE do
connectors. A wide-range power supply variables and forward it to the user via SMS permit new technologies. The VORTIX Serial

Figure 1: LTE modules for LTE CAT
1 and CAT M, together with the
corresponding socket modems.
Data Bridge creates a virtual serial data set up a serial data connection across the logy when users use SIM card contracts
tunnel through the LTE network. Of course, whole country and around the globe if that are dedicated to private users for their
this technology also uses an ‘IP connec- necessary (Figure 3). Of course, this is a telematics projects. The previously uniform
tion over LTE’ and the Internet. Crucially, virtual connection via LTE/4G. But this is market for SIM card contracts has split-off
however, everything at the interfaces into the stable in operation, like a real wire! the market of M2M SIM cards since a few
application must run exactly as it would with years. It is highly recommended for users
a real-time connection. The requirement of The usual speed limit of 9600 bits/s for CSD in industry and systems engineering to use
sending data packets has no meaning for the in the GSM network no longer is valid for such M2M-SIM cards only.
applications outside. This is processed by the the VORTIX technology. It is not billed at
controller inside the two bridges. intervals of time, but according to the data M2M SIM cards offer quite inexpensive,
volume, as is common for tariffs with IP moderate data rates because in an M2M-ap-
Two operating modes are possible: connections in the LTE network. Now it is plication nobody downloads Netflix video
> The readily established connection possible again that PC and PLC communi- data. The issue though is technical data,
(like a ‘data cable’) with which a pair of cate directly and without any problems. i.e. values from measurement and flow
VORTIX devices establishes a direc- This are good news for applications like of commands in both directions — that’s
tly usable serial connection without a remotely readable energy meters and other uplink and downlink.
telephone-call procedure. technical devices that use the serial inter-
> The virtual „dial-up modem“, in which face for data exchange. M2M cards usually offer nationwide,
the VORTIX devices work with the pan-European, and possibly global,
point-to-point dial-up procedure for Key success factor of an LTE roaming. This is important because these
modems using the well-known <atdt application: a compatible M2M cards permit establishing contact with
call number>, <Ring>, <Connect>, SIM card the strongest network that’ available at a
switch to command mode with <+++>. Pay more money for poorer performance? location, regardless of the provider.
Unfortunately, this happens every day in 200433-01
With VORTIX technology it is possible to GSM/cellphone remote control techno-
Figure 2: Different designs of LTE modems Figure 3: Real-time connection for data through the LTE network by the
and the GSM Scout active LTE. VORTIX Serial Data Bridge.

interview
An Interview with Warren Gay
&
Embedded
Programming
Beyond
By C. J. Abate (United States)
Interested in embedded programming? Warren Gay, an Ontario,

Canada-based senior programmer, is an excellent resource for
professional programmers, students, and makers alike. Here he
talks about his new book, FreeRTOS for ESP32-Arduino (Elektor,
2020), and shares insights about FreeRTOS, ESP32, Arduino,
embedded technologies, and more. You are sure to find his
input informative and inspiring, especially if you plan to work
with ESP32 or Arduino in the near future.

Warren Gay at his
electronics workbench
Build/write
projects and
document them
so that you have
something to
demonstrate.
Write, perfect,
and repeat.

Programming and writing I also wrote and support a process that Abate: You followed up that book with
Abate: Have you been a programmer since downloads the log files from each Inter- Exploring the Raspberry Pi 2 with C++ in
you graduated from Ryerson University, or net server. A new set of logs are downloa- 2015. What was the impetus for writing it?
did you do something else first? ded and processed every 5 minutes, so it
has to be fast and run paralleled. The last Gay: The Pi 2 had just come out with more
Gay: Because I was messing with old short- time I checked, I think there were 37 active memory and increased clock speed. For a
wave radios and TV sets as a youngster, threads running in it. With all this thread credit card-sized PCB and its price point,
I had originally planned on a career in parallelism, you have to be extremely this was cool. At the same time, I wanted to
electronics. That changed in grade 10 (high careful or wind up analyzing core dumps. encourage people to use C++ on the Pi and
school) when I signed up for a computer Linux generally. I also developed the PiSpy
programming class. I wanted to learn what Abate: Tell us about your first book, program for that book to benefit the hacker
those lab coat people did with a computer Mastering the Raspberry Pi (Apress, 2014). community with a built-in logic analyzer.
using punched cards and watching those The open-sourced GtkWave program was
“blinken lights.” So, I started out on the Gay: That book actually began with a used to display the captured data.
IBM 1130 minicomputer using FORTRAN self-published book titled Assimilating the
and became hooked. It seems laughable Raspberry Pi, sold and printed on demand by Programming languages
today to think that it only had 8k words lulu.com. I had other books published like Abate: What are the benefits of C++ for
(16KB) of core memory to compile and run the Linux Socket Programming by Example Raspberry Pi?
programs in. (Que) back in 2002, but because I had
become downsized at the time, I decided Gay: I think too many programmers cling
Abate: What sort of projects do you work to write about the new Raspberry Pi. Soon to the C language. Today, this is like driving
on as a Senior Software Programmer at after the Pi book was available, Michelle a car with a standard transmission and no
Datablocks? Lowman (Apress) purchased a copy and power steering. But to be fair, my earliest
convinced me to republish it as Mastering experiences with g++ were problematic
Gay: The people at Datablocks (https:// the Raspberry Pi with Apress. At the time, I in the 1990s. With each new release of the
datablocks.net/) have been great. They felt like the Pi needed an owner’s manual, Gnu g++ compiler, programs that used to
have allowed me to develop multi-threa- because it was so new and documentation compile ok, would generate error messa-
ded Internet servers to handle back-end was lacking. So, the book was designed to ges and fail to build. This was a support
ad-related services on Linux. The back-end provide a software/hardware guide for the nuisance for open-sourced projects at the
software is written in C++, mainly for new Pi owner. Aside from the hardware, time. But the C++ language standardiza-
efficiency and to leverage the Standard the Raspberry Pi is essentially about Linux. tion efforts have come a long way since
Template Library (STL). Their require- However, if the Pi owner wants to do SPI then and now provide a consistent level
ments have frequently forced me to solve or I2C for example, this book provides the of compiler support. Additionally, the Gnu
some difficult problems. It is good to be necessary C programming guidance for version of the Standard Template Library
challenged. that. (STL) has also matured. The wide range

Figure 1:
A Raspberry Pi 4
project
of suitable containers in the STL elimina- Raspberry Pi, you must have some handy one controls power. The BNC connectors
tes the need for C programmers to write RPi-based projects or applications running were intended to be connected to various
custom lookup tables and functions. This at home or at work. Can you tell us about GPIOs, though this has not been wired yet.
alone saves an enormous amount of effort. any RPi-based projects that stand out? The banana jacks provide +5V (red) and
ground (black).
In recent years, there seems to be popular Gay: The PySpy program written for the
interest in interpreted languages like book Exploring the Raspberry Pi 2 with C++ FreeRTOS for ESP32-Arduino
Python. They are suitable for quick and was perhaps the most interesting thing I Abate: Your new book, FreeRTOS for
dirty work where scripting is the norm. have written for the Pi so far. This invol- ESP32-Arduino: Practical Multitasking
But all dynamic languages are prone to ved developing a kernel loadable module Fundamentals (Elektor 2020), offers readers
runtime error surprises, and so I feel that that would give the command line program interested in embedded programming
this enthusiasm is misguided. The worst access to the Linux internals. The objective an accessible introduction to FreeRTOS
time to have a program failure is when it is was to use the kernel facilities to allocate a and the ESP32 Arduino environment
in the hands of the end user. Contrast that DMA channel so that all GPIO inputs could (Figure 2). Why FreeRTOS? Which
to the C++ compiler, which employs strong be read quickly by the DMA controller. problems does it solve?
type checking and static validations to The GPIO hardware itself was limited to
ensure that it will succeed at runtime, long an overall effective sampling rate of about Gay: In the Arduino context, everyone
before it is executed. Issues raised by the 1 MHz. A remaining challenge was to safely drives events from the loop() function. The
compiler can then be properly addressed by deallocate the DMA resources if the PySpy loop() function is called repeatedly so that
the program developer rather than produce command was interrupted for any reason. your code can poll each device that you
surprises at runtime. The Ada language Otherwise, a failure could eventually result service. Is there some serial input recei-
(open-source gnat) does an even better job in disaster, with the kernel exhausting its ved? If so, then take some action on it. Is
of program correctness, but other factors DMA channels. a button pressed? Take some other action.
seem to affect its adoption. It is encoura- In effect, your application becomes one big
ging to see that the g++ compiler seems to Since then, I have been chipping away at polling loop, invoking actions when polled
be borrowing from Ada in some ways. For squeezing a headless Raspberry Pi 4 into a events are detected. The larger the set of
example, warnings are issued for missing small repurposed audio/video rack mount polled events, however, the state manage-
case clauses in a switch statement (when no case, with a built-in switching power supply ment becomes more problematic. Exces-
default case is present). This is very helpful and 5-V fan. This fits nicely underneath my sive polling and complex state manage-
when a new enumerated constant is added second desktop monitor. Figure 1 shows ment leads to programming errors and
to an enum data type referenced in a switch the edge of the Pi 4 sticking out at the thus more time spent debugging.
statement. bottom right. A black USB cable connec-
ting the internal SSD pokes out of the front FreeRTOS allows you to split that into
Working with Raspberry Pi panel to connect to a USB 3 port. The upper simpler dedicated tasks. One task would be
Abate: Given your interest in the switch controls a CPU fan, while the lower focused on the incoming serial data, while

Figure 2: The book,
FreeRTOS for ESP32-
Arduino (Elektor, 2020), is
available at Elektor.com.
Figure 3: The beadboard of an ESP32 SNTP clock
another task debounces push buttons and who don’t want to manage a Makefile. differences highlights the hour, minute,
so forth. Each task is written as if it is the It removes the many pain points that and second columns.
only program in the system. This keeps the students would otherwise stumble over
code clean and simple, which significantly at the beginning. Starting with the simple ESP32 Projects
eases the software maintenance. In many software download and install, it promotes Abate: Which sort of ESP32 projects could
cases the individual tasks can block on the early success. an engineer or maker tackle after reading
I/O operation involved eliminating the need through your book?
to poll. Another alternative is to apply inter- Abate: Any interesting Arduino projects
rupts to detect asynchronous events like on your personal workbench? Gay: I believe that most projects beyond
button presses. FreeRTOS then provides the simple blink program are suitable
safe event notification mechanisms from Gay: While not Arduino-based, I did a candidates. Even if you only use the default
the Interrupt Service Routine (ISR) to the breadboard of an ESP32 SNTP clock so Arduino loop() function (which is the
servicing task. that it would auto-connect to our Wi-Fi loopTask task), you may need to commu-
and download the atomic clock time from nicate an event from an ISR to that task
Finally, FreeRTOS also has task priority baked the University of Toronto time server pool using a FreeRTOS function. Most other
into it. The highest-priority task will get first (Figure 3). After that initial startup, it uses projects would also be broken down into
crack at reading or writing a message queue, the ESP provided SNTP protocol keep the separate tasks. The ESP32 is already using
for example. The Arduino loop(), on the other clock synchronized and displays the time FreeRTOS to carry out Wi-Fi, Bluetooth,
hand, runs everything at the same priority. on 14-segment LEDs. This project uses and TCP/IP services etc., so why not exploit
the ESP-IDF framework, which of course the services that are already present?
Arduino projects includes FreeRTOS. Once per minute, at a
Abate: Are you new to Arduino, or are you random time, the current date is displayed A couple of creative projects that have
a long-time user? without the year, in the form of “WedJul22”, intrigued me are those using OpenCV to
for example. I found it useful to be remin- recognize their family cat. In one project,
Gay: I’ve used Arduino almost from its ded of the day of the week, when I get the unit keeps non-resident cats from
beginning. As an advanced user, I only use buried in work! entering the cat door. Another project
it when it is convenient because I use Emacs turns the sprinklers on when a non-re-
and make from the command line. For the The plan is to eventually add an OLED or sident cat is spotted in their garden, but
ESP32, I’ll usually create an ESP-IDF project TFT display to show some local weather OpenCV is probably best left as an advan-
using a Makefile. However, the user-contri- information using a service like openwe- ced project.
buted Arduino libraries do provide a compel- athermap.org. The 14-segment LED units I
ling reason to use the Arduino framework. used were sale priced because of the mixed Projects using rotary encoders, deboun-
red+yellow digit pairs. But I have grown so cing push buttons, networking or serial/
The Arduino environment is very good accustom to this arrangement that I plan MIDI data are just a few that could benefit
for those who are learning and for those to use them in the final build. The color from FreeRTOS services. Rotary encoders

I am a big
believer in
books. The most
important skill
that you can have
is to learn to teach
yourself.
can support the flywheel effect, which I believe that the solution is to develop Abate: Are you working on any new books,
is most easily managed by a task. The projects on your own time. This permits you products, or special embedded technolo-
flywheel effect allows the end user to to explore what you really wanted to learn. gy-related projects?
zoom past several selection points with Build/write projects and document them
a fast turn of the knob. It really bugs me so that you have something to demons- Gay: I am decompressing after having
when consumer products force you to trate. Write, perfect, and repeat. Everyone been writing for the last few years. I am
keep turning the knob because they don’t can run Linux at home these days, even looking forward to just tinkering for the
support this concept. under Windows! Embedded devices have fun of it. I’m largely driven by curiosity, so
never been cheaper or easier to use. Your I plan to investigate some recently purcha-
Embedded programming tips own projects will sharpen your skills and sed ATmega32u4 units. My interest in
Abate: Do you have any advice for leave you with something to demonstrate them is that they include a USB peripheral.
up-and-coming software developers? if you want to change employment or sell The Arduino framework already provides
Perhaps you recommend they take some your services. software support for keyboard, mouse, and
hardware or embedded systems courses? serial comms over USB, but I want to do
Or maybe you think it is important to learn Invest in yourself. I am a big believer in more than that. Their framework includes
a specific programming language? books. The most important skill that you a PlugableUSB library that I want to leverage,
can have is to learn to teach yourself. The but it isn’t well documented.
Gay: I believe that the best learning is the knowledge found in carefully prepared
kind that you get on your own. Universities books will empower your learning. The My interest also includes FPGA devices. As
try to prepare students for what they’re Internet is a great resource, but the quality of prices come down, and as open-source tools
going to need, but it is a daunting, almost knowledge is far better from a book that has become available, it calls out to me. But this
impossible, job with the time that they been carefully reviewed by multiple people. might mean spending more time in front of a
have. It is impossible, for example, for a Buy used books that would otherwise cost monitor and a keyboard, which I sometimes
student to become an expert in C++ with an arm and a leg. feel is excessive already. That’s when I start
a one- or two-semester course, so expect to think that it’s time to return to the analog
that most of the learning will occur on For computer languages, I recommend world and build an HF receiver for the ham
the job. focusing on compiled languages like C++. bands instead. The great thing about hobbies
Performance still matters and likely will for is that you can choose what you want to do
I have worked at several jobs where the quite some time (especially for embedded). today, without having to justify it.
software maintenance could be called Correctness is increasingly important as the 200422-01
boring (I’ve read that this also frequently industry fights bugs and exploits. And C++ is
happens in rookie engineering jobs). The slowly gaining acceptance in the embedded
problem is that you don’t always get the industry as vendor tool chains mature and
kind of assignments that motivate. But you the advantages of the language are appre-
must still provide value for your employer ciated. Rust might also be worth keeping
and put food on the table. So, what to do? an eye on.


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Wall of Fame
September 2020
Elektor International Media is proud tech innovation. The companies listed on
to present its 2020 Wall of Fame! We this month‘s Wall of Fame offer electrical
partner with top electronics companies engineers, makers, and students a wide
– from global parts suppliers to device range of indispensable tools and solutions
manufacturers – to promote exciting for developing next-generation electronics
products and services that power high- projects and products.

Your logo could
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Please call
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store
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The Elektor Store

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The Elektor Store has developed from the that we ourselves are enthusiastic about or that
community store for Elektor’s own products we simply want to try out. If you have a nice
like books, magazines, kits and modules, into suggestion, we are here (sale@elektor.com).
a mature webshop that offers great value for Our main conditions:
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Rigol DG2102 Function/

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Analyzer (9 kHz to 1.5 GHz) Generator (100 MHz)
was €1,549.00 was €1,149.00

now €1,299.00 now €949.00
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Our Contributors Advertisers
ConiuGo VitechParts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
5G / 4G LTE Modules, Innovative Modems, and Smart Applications tbp electronics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Infineon
Extremely Small Power-Saving 3D Magnetic Sensor
Bernstein
What Is ESD?
Querom
High-Voltage DC/DC Converter
PCBWay
PCB Layout and Noise Coupling
Energy Micro
Minimizing Energy Consumption in Capacitive Sensing Applications
Stuart Cording
Beyond Moore’s Law
C. J. Abate
Embedded Programming and Beyond: An Interview with Warren Gay
Thomas Scherer
Review: PeakTech 2715 Digital Loop/PSC Tester

Next edition
Robert van der Zwan The 6/2020 issue of Elektor Industry magazine is
our special issue for electronica, the world’s leading
Infographic trade fair for electronics, which takes place in Munich
from November 10th to 13th. Background reports
and news from all areas of electronics come from
companies, industry specialists, Elektor editors and
freelance authors.
The Elektor Industry issue 6/2020 will be published

on November 5, 2020. Subject to change.

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Monthly Digital Edition, September 2020 | www.elektormagazine.

lektor innovate > launch > trade

5G/4G LTE HIGH-VOLTAGE PCB LAYOUT AND

 he Elektor web archive from 1974!

Also available Access to Elektor’s web archive

lektor Produktion und Bauteile 3

5 Colophon 22 PCB Layout and Noise Coupling

Articles Beyond Moore‘s Law

14 Peaktech 2715 Digital Loop/PSC Tester

17 High-Voltage DC/DC Converter

4 Elektor Industry 5/2020 www.elektormagazine.com

Peaktech 2715 Digital

Safety first! start-up companies essential

protection Green members as a PDF

against it is so distributed for free at select trade

important (Munich), electronica (Munich),

lektor Components & Assembly Methods 5

By Stuart Cording (Germany)

It’s all in the packaging

6 Elektor Industry 5/2020 www.elektormagazine.com

lektor Components & Assembly Methods 7

8 Elektor Industry 5/2020 www.elektormagazine.com

lektor Components & Assembly Methods 9

10 Elektor Industry 5/2020 www.elektormagazine.com

lektor Components & Assembly Methods 11

Figure 4: LESENSE reduces

12 Elektor Industry 5/2020 www.elektormagazine.com

lektor Components & Assembly Methods 13

By Dr. Thomas Scherer (Germany)

Looking for a digital loop/PSC

14 Elektor Industry 5/2020 www.elektormagazine.com

Figure 1: Everything is contained in a black

Figure 4: At the top of the front side

Figure 8: Measure voltage, resistance and

lektor Components & Assembly Methods 15

Figure 10: This basic internal circuitry is shown in the table of LEDs

16 Elektor Industry 5/2020 www.elektormagazine.com

By Tobias Oswald and Anton Mitterreiter (Querom Elektronik GmbH)

lektor Components & Assembly Methods 17

Figure 3: Current addition of three

18 Elektor Industry 5/2020 www.elektormagazine.com

Vlakbodem 10 3247 CP Dirksland the Netherlands

tbp also supplies

lektor Components & Assembly Methods 19

What is ESD and why protection against it is key

Elektor Team - Contributed by BERNSTEIN-Werkzeugfabrik Steinrücke GmbH

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is caused by the sudden

20 Elektor Industry 5/2020 www.elektormagazine.com

lektor Components & Assembly Methods 21

PCB Layout and

Elektor Team By Mauro Laurenti, LaurTec

Engineers rarely sit up on hearing that for precision or RF

22 Elektor Industry 5/2020 www.elektormagazine.com

Figure 2: Test setup showing the PCB fixture details.

lektor Components & Assembly Methods 23

Test setup 2 Figure 5 shows how the 2.1 MHz sinewave Conclusions

24 Elektor Industry 5/2020 www.elektormagazine.com

Post your ideas and

all sizes / all levels / all sorts

and become famous!

design > share > sell

lektor Components & Assembly Methods 25

Components & Assembly Methods

If the latest figures of market research (USD Billion)

he Elektor web archive from 1974!