SEPTEMBER 2023 | VOL. 3 NO.

11

TECHNOLOGY
C EDITOR
EDITORIAL
: Rahul Chopra
: Phone: +91-9811155335
CORRESPONDENCE E-mail: editop@efy.in
28 TRENDS: Edge Computing: Benefits For Businesses And Users SUBSCRIPTIONS & : Phone: +91-9811155335
MISSING ISSUES E-mail: support@efy.in
STRATEGY BACK ISSUES, : Phone: +91-9811155335
BOOKS, KITS, E-mail: support@efy.in
COMPONENTS, etc
52 INDUSTRY: Are Electronics ‘Made In 68 MY STORY: “Books Have Been
NEWSSTAND : Phone: +91-9811155335
India,’ Or Merely ‘Assembled’? An Integral Part Of My Life” — DISTRIBUTION E-mail: efycirc@efy.in
Prof. S. Sadagopan, An Educa- ADVERTISEMENTS
62 STARTUPS: Can A Business Plan Be NEW DELHI : Phone: +91-9811155335
tor And Thought Leader
An Asset? (HEAD OFFICE) E-mail: efyenq@efy.in
MUMBAI : E-mail: rmowest@efy.in
64 INTERVIEW: “With Quality, Cost, 78 INTERVIEW: “Startups, With BENGALURU : E-mail: rmosouth@efy.in
And Innovation, India Can Their Entrepreneurial Mindset CHINA : Worldwide Focus Media
Lead The Global Detonators And Nimbleness, Often Hold E-mail: china@efy.in
Industry” — Pankaj Kumar, The Key To Innovation” — GERMANY : PMS Plantenberg Media Service GmbH
E-mail: germany@efy.in
MD & CEO, GOCL Corp. Ltd Rahul Mathur, Director, TE Connectivity
JAPAN : Tandem Inc.
E-mail: japan@efy.in
DESIGN TAIWAN : J.K. Media
E-mail: taiwan@efy.in
82 TIPS: Innovating In The Post-Pandemic World: Technology, Workplace, And Design UNITED KINGDOM : ASA Media
E-mail: uk@efy.in
84 CIRCUIT: Interesting Reference Designs Of Smart Electric Meters
UNITED STATES : E & Tech Media
E-mail: usa@efy.in
DO-IT-YOURSELF
86 CIRCUIT IDEA: Short Circuit Protection Of Electrical Motor And Battery In Electrical Vehicle Published and owned by Ramesh Chopra. Published from D-87/1, Okhla
Industrial Area, Phase-1, New Delhi 110020. Copyright 2023. All rights
REGULARS reserved throughout the world. Reproduction of any material from this
magazine in any manner without the written permission of the publisher
10 Research & Innovation Updates That Can Shape The Future Of is prohibited. Although every effort is made to ensure accuracy, no
15 Truly Innovative Electronics Your Business responsibility whatsoever is taken for any loss due to publishing errors.
EFY will not be responsible for any wrong claims made by an advertiser.
18 New Products 36 Startups & Innovators Disputes, if any, will be settled in a New Delhi court only.
34 Dashboard: Key Industry Trends 44 Industry News: Industry Updates

You’ll Need to Upgrade

to Electronics For You (e-zine or print)
to Access These Additional Stories…
TECHNOLOGY
30 IT INFRA: Data Management In The Cloud: What The Tech Giants Are Offering
44 CHALLENGES: Bridging The Cosmos: Protecting The Satellite Constellations
In The Era Of Cyber Threats

38 MG Comet To BYD e6
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
4W EVs On Indian Roads EFY = Electronics For You
Below `35 Lakhs PRINT 1 YEAR 3 YEARS 5 YEARS
MAGAZINE (12 copies (36 copies (60 copies
each) each) each)
DESIGN EFY (Rs 100/copy)
WITHIN INDIA (IN RUPEES)
840 2150 3000
SAARC COUNTRIES (IN US$ BY AIR)
87 PRODUCT: Creating Self-Evident Design EFY 50 135 NA
OTHER COUNTRIES (IN US$ BY AIR)
EFY 100 270 NA
DO-IT-YOURSELF Courier delivery within India @ Rs 50 per copy
e-magazine subscriptions within India are available at half the rates
96 PROJECT: Hector SLAM Mapping And Positioning With ROS And Lidar mentioned here.
100 PROJECT: Smart Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) Overseas rates for each e-magazine in US$:
1 year: $12; 3 years: $33; 5 years: $50 only
106 CIRCUIT IDEA: Automatic Dispenser Using LM555
Please send payments only in favour of EFY
109 PROJECT: Artificial Plant Water Showers To Beat The Heat! Enterprises Pvt Ltd through demand
draft/cheque/money order to D-87/1, Okhla
113 CIRCUIT IDEA: Wireless Call Bell Industrial Area, Phase 1, New Delhi 110020, or
online at: http://subscribe.efyindia.com or scan the QR code.

8 SEPTEMBER 2023 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU EXPRESS WWW.EFYMAG.COM

 RESEARCH
& INNOVATION UPDATES

Health technology advancement: Wireless

ultrasound patch
Researchers at the University of
California San Diego have devel-
oped a fully wireless ultrasound
patch that can continuously track
critical vital signals such as heart
rate and blood pressure. A flex-
ible circuit manages ultrasound
functions and wirelessly sends
signals to a device. A machine
learning algorithm processes
these signals, tracking the artery
even during motion, offering
new opportunities in medical
ultrasonography and exercise
physiology. The researchers cross-validated a machine
learning model on ten subjects
from various racial groups,
finding it could accurately track
carotid artery pulsations, allow-
ing measurements like blood
pressure and giving early heart
failure warnings. They stressed
the need to test the patch on a
larger population and compare
it to existing devices. Besides as-
sessing cardiovascular functions,
The wireless ultrasound patch. The probe is placed on the
the device was used to monitor
carotid artery (Credit: Xu lab at UC San Diego) the diaphragm and peripheral
arteries, with potential for adapt-
able probe designs for different body areas.

Versatile skin-like sensors fit nearly anywhere

Researchers from the Munich Institute of Robotics and sensory systems and a 3D printer to make soft sensors
Machine Intelligence (MIRMI) at the Technical University by injecting conductive paste into silicone. These sensors
of Munich have developed an automatic process for creat- adapt to surfaces like fingers, changing electrical resistance
ing soft sensors. The framework uses software to design when squeezed or stretched, providing precise data for
controlling artificial hands. This
adaptability ensures accurate
feedback for effective interac-
tions. Integrating soft sensors
into 3D objects enhances haptic
sensing in AI, offering real-time
data on forces and deforma-
tions for immediate feedback.
This expands perception and
enables more nuanced interac-
tions in robotics, prosthetics,
and human-machine relations.
The researchers see potential
for revolutionary impact, allow-
ing wireless and customisable
The sensor skin is very flexible and can be attached to many surfaces, including fingers, for example
sensor technology across differ-
(Credit: Andreas Heddergott/TUM) ent objects and machines.

10 September 2023 | electronicS For You expreSS www.eFYmag.com

 RESEARCH & INNOVATION

Atom-by-atom construction of new water infiltration and another to establish optimal electri-
cal contact between the perovskite layers and the protec-
superconductors tive coating. Their research yielded the highest efficiency
Researchers at the among photoelectrochemical cells without solar concentra-
University of Zurich tion and stood out as the overall best for devices utilising
have achieved a halide perovskite semiconductors.
remarkable feat
by meticulously
designing supercon- Cell-mimicking sensor replicates
ductors, atom by membrane functions
atom, leading to the Researchers at MIT have
creation of previously created an innovative
unexplored states Scanning tunneling microscope image of two sensor capable of de-
of the superconducting structures created,
of matter. Research- which consist of individual chromium atoms tecting molecules simi-
ers created materi- (Credit: University of Zurich) lar to those identified
als atom by atom, by naturally occurring
focusing on pioneering superconductors that exhibit zero cell receptors. The team Cell-mimicking sensor (Courtesy of the
electrical resistance at low temperatures. Often called ‘ideal used water-soluble re- researchers; Edited by MIT News)
diamagnets’ these have extensive use in quantum comput- ceptor proteins and bac-
ers for their unique magnetic interactions. Using a scanning terial S-layer proteins to create a coherent array on a surface,
tunnelling microscope, researchers manipulated atoms with densely immobilising a receptor protein (CXCR4) that binds
precision, measuring the system’s magnetic and super- to target molecules, including those involved in HIV entry
conductive characteristics. By adding chromium atoms to and cancer. They named this sensing technology RESENSA
superconducting niobium, they created two new supercon- (Receptor S-layer Electrical Nano Sensing Array). Research-
ductivity forms. This approach marks the first successful ers used crystallised S-layers on a graphene-based chip to
creation of two-dimensional superconductors, although create a dual layer with water-soluble receptor proteins.
similar methods have been used before with metal atoms. Target molecule binding alters the chip’s electrical properties,
enabling easy quantification and data transmission to devices
like smartphones. The team envisions a portable device for
A device generates hydrogen at-home tests, providing quick medical insights.
from sunlight
Rice University engineers achieved unprecedented ef-
ficiency in converting sunlight into hydrogen by integrat- Bio-inspired jellyfish robot
ing cutting-edge halide perovskite semiconductors and Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Indore
electrocatalysts into a single, durable, cost-effective, and and Jodhpur have developed a robot inspired by biol-
easily scalable unit. The researchers emphasised that using ogy that resembles and moves like a jellyfish. To create a
sunlight for chemical production is a significant challenge. jellyfish-mimicking robot, the
team sliced 75μm-thick Kapton
polyimide sheets into a 25cm
diameter shape resembling a
jellyfish. They made holes for
shape memory alloy (SMA)
wires, known to revert to their
Series of four still images from a sample video showing how a photoreactor original shape when heated after
from Rice University splits water molecules and generates hydrogen when
stimulated by simulated sunlight (Credit: Mohite lab/Rice University) deformation. They used nitinol,
a common SMA, threading it
Their solution involves designing a system to absorb light through the pre-made holes in
and conduct electrochemical water-splitting chemistry on the structure. An extra layer of
its surface. The team transformed their efficient solar cell polyimide tape secured the wire,
into a reactor, enabling the harvested energy to split water and rubber strings linked the
into oxygen and hydrogen. The researchers identified the tentacles to the robot’s body. The The jellyfish robot developed
by the researchers (Credit:
need for a dual-layer barrier, with one layer to prevent lightweight robot, weighing only Muralidharan et al)

www.eFYmag.com electronicS For You expreSS | September 2023 11

 RESEARCH & INNOVATION
45gm, is flexible and soft. Made from affordable and acces-
sible materials, it has the potential for large-scale produc-
tion. In preliminary testing, the robot navigated horizon-
tally at 10mm/s and vertically at 0.2mm/s.
Supercapacitors developed from
ancient materials
MIT researchers have developed a supercapacitor that has
the potential to be integrated into a home’s concrete foun-
dation, where it could store an entire day’s energy without
significantly increasing
its cost while main-
taining its structural
integrity. The team
created superca-
pacitors from cement
mixed with carbon
black, forming con-
ductive structures with
Supercapacitors developed from ancient
a high internal surface
materials (Courtesy of the researchers) area. The carbon
structures accumulate
charges, creating a potent supercapacitor. A 45 cubic metre
block of this material can store around 10 kilowatt-hours,
suitable for daily home energy use. These supercapacitors
charge and discharge faster than batteries and could store
energy from renewable sources. After crafting small 1-volt
supercapacitors, the team aims to create larger versions for
household power storage, having found a balance between
the material’s storage capacity and structural strength.
Metasurface breakthrough boosts
advanced telecommunications
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have developed
an innovative compact and lightweight reflective surface
that has the potential to transform communications in
densely populated areas, offering unparalleled manage-
ment of electromagnetic signals, including radio waves.
The team analysed a two-layer metasurface, incorporating
various elements to enhance control. This design created
a versatile cascaded metasurface that manages magnitude
and phase, fitted on an economical printed circuit board.
The material corrects inconsistent signal loss using two
resonant materials, resulting in a compact, lightweight
metasurface for advanced electromagnetic control, po-
tentially boosting cell or Wi-Fi signals around a city. The
team’s dynamic cascaded metasurface bounces signals
off patterned surfaces to enhance them. The researchers
believe this technology could be powered by something as
simple as a nine-volt battery.
12 SEPTEMBER 2023 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU EXPRESS
The future of 3D digital displays
Engineers from the University of Colorado Boulder have
developed a unique shape-shifting display. The team has
introduced hydraulically amplified self-healing electrostatic
(HASEL) actuators in the development of soft robotics.
A new, shape-shifting display can sense and respond to human touch
(Credit: Brian Johnson)
Though not market-ready, these actuators have potential
applications in sensory gloves for immersive gaming or
conveyor belts that can sort items like apples from ba-
nanas. The design, similar to a Scrabble board, includes a
100-square grid of HASEL actuators. These miniature accor-
dion-shaped pouches, filled with fluid, bulge and rise when
electrified. They have soft, magnetic sensors responsive to
touch, allowing sketching on the surface with a magnetic
wand. The team is working to miniaturise the actuators to
increase the display’s resolution, with potential applications
like transforming articles into Braille on a phone screen.
RoboMapper: The future of efficient
semiconductor research
Researchers at North Carolina State University have created
a robot called RoboMapper, designed to conduct experi-
ments more efficiently and environmentally-friendly, aiding
in the discovery of new semiconductor materials with
desired properties. The researchers noted that RoboMap-
per, by compactly placing materials on one chip, reduced
greenhouse gas emissions tenfold. Defined by their crystal
structure, perovskites surpass silicon in light absorption,
making perovskite solar cells more compact and lightweight
without compromising conversion capacity. The team used
RoboMapper to create and analyse 150 alloys for tandem so-
lar cells, assessing their crystalline structure, optical proper-
ties, and light stability. A computational model identified an
optimal alloy composition, which was then created through
RoboMapper and traditional lab methods for comparison.
Battery design exceeds fast charge
targets for lithium cycling
Researchers at Maryland Energy Innovation Institute (MEI2)
and University of Maryland (UMD) have developed a mixed
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 RESEARCH & INNOVATION
ion and electron conducting (MIEC) garnet material. The vision detection. The
team has presented the improved rate capability of the lithi- researchers lever-
um (Li) metal anode in this study. This level of performance aged crop monitor-
was attainable due to a novel 3D design and a distinctive ar- ing techniques,
chitectural strategy. This technique sets the stage for a fresh integrating GNSS
approach to designing the forthcoming era of high-energy and wheel odometry
rechargeable batteries. The successful showcasing of high- to boost precision
rate, dendrite-free lithium metal within 3D MIEC structures in plant location
is expected to inspire the development of viable solid-state and classification.
batteries using a ‘Li-free’ anode methodology. This enhancement Figure illustrating the BonnBot-I platform
reduced tracking (Credit: Ahmadi, Halstead & McCool)
accuracy error from
Qibbot: The quickest human- 8.3% to 3.5%, assessed on a new publicly accessible corn
operated combat robot dataset. They also introduced a unique setup of weeding
Shandong, China-based Qibot Robot company, claims they tools on linear actuators, tested in simulations.
have created the world’s swiftest boxing robot. At over
1.9-metre (six feet) in height, this single-handed robot can
be remotely Wearable ultrasound scanner: Early
controlled breast cancer detection
and boasts a MIT researchers have
response delay created wearable ultra-
of merely 12 sound gear to improve
milliseconds. breast cancer survival
The team rates by detecting early
presented the tumours. The team aims
ambitious task 98% survival via
of constructing frequent screening.
Qibbot in action during its match with Ai-guided bot a large-scale They made a compact
(Credit: https://interestingengineering.com) robot boasting ultrasound scanner using
low latency. To innovative material. A
overcome the bot’s mechanical and controller challenges and flexible, 3D-printed patch
enhance speed and performance, they innovatively inte- with magnets attaches it In hopes of improving the breast cancer
survival rate, MIT researchers designed
grated a ‘feed-forward’ controller with the standard feedback to a bra for skin contact, a wearable ultrasound device that could
allow patients to detect tumors when
controller in the control algorithm. This new controller was allowing versatile breast they are still in early stages (Credit:
designed to predict system lags, acting proactively to coun- imaging at six positions Canan Dagdeviren)
teract the latency induced by mechanical systems and the with adjustable angles.
virtual reality tools employed by human operators. This new Tested on a 71-year-old with small cysts, the device detects
approach was crafted to predict and proactively counteract early tumours. Linked to standard ultrasound, it’s becom-
latency from mechanical systems and virtual reality tools. ing smartphone-like. Reusable patch for home use, aiding
high-risk or screening-limited cases, matches traditional
ultrasound’s resolution, views 8cm deep, improving com-
A robotic system for weed control fort and reliability in breast cancer detection. Researchers
and crop monitoring seek AI-driven analysis for evolving diagnostics, surpassing
Researchers at the University of Bonn have developed a radiologist image comparisons.
robotic system called BonnBot-I that may aid farmers in
more efficiently managing weeds and monitoring crops.
The robot employs localisation sensors, including GPS and AI model enhances trust and
odometry, enabling it to navigate fields, locate, classify, reduces bias
count plants, and manage weeds using integrated tools. The Researchers at the University of Waterloo have designed an
system seamlessly integrates with the Robot Operating Sys- artificial intelligence (AI) model that mitigates bias, ampli-
tem. The team curated a new dataset for training algorithms fies trustworthiness and precision in decision-making and
to identify and count corn, a challenging crop for computer machine learning (ML)-driven knowledge organisation.

WWW.EFYMAG.COM ELECTRONICS FOR YOU EXPRESS | SEPTEMBER 2023 13

 research & innovation
By analysing extensive X-ray data on protein interactions,
the researchers unveiled intricate patterns within protein
components, obscured by environmental influences. They
developed a methodology to extract these patterns and unveil
concealed insights, leading to the creation of a novel com-
puter model termed Pattern Discovery and Disentanglement
(PDD). This innovative PDD model has transformed pattern
detection, demonstrated through numerous studies that pre-
dict patients’ medical outcomes based on health records.
Technique to reform nanosensor
manufacturing
Engineers at Macquarie University have unveiled a method
for producing nanosensors that reduces carbon intensity
and costs while improving efficiency and versatility. The
researchers have
identified a common
issue wherein initial
sensor fabrication
often produces
non-functional out-
comes, necessitating
adjustments, and
high furnace tem-
Nanoparticle sensors are smaller than human peratures degrade
fingernails (Credit: Macquarie University) polymer-based sen-
sors. The formation
of nanoparticles forms a weakly bonded network, creating
gaps that impede electrical signal transmission, rendering
the sensor non-functional. However, the introduction of a
single ethanol droplet onto the sensing layer prompts sur-
face atoms of nanoparticles to move without oven heating.
This method enhances nanosensor efficiency and respon-
siveness, activating it within a minute, surpassing tradi-
tional 12-hour heating. The technique’s success depended
on precise ethanol volume determination through careful
experimentation. By eliminating the heat-intensive process,
this innovation opens doors for versatile nanosensor ma-
terials, revolutionising a formerly energy-intensive process
into a remarkably efficient one.
Analysing lithium movement in
solid-state batteries using isotopes
A research team from Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Germany
and several collaborators have witnessed lithium (Li) ions’
movement through the electrolyte in real time for the in-
augural time. Utilising the distinct transparency of lithium
ions, researchers effectively tracked their movement
through the electrolyte using operando neutron radiog-
raphy and in situ neutron tomography. By constructing a
14 September 2023 | electronicS For You expreSS
lithium-sulphur battery with a lithium6 anode, they could
differentiate mobile lithium ions from the solid electrolyte
during discharge. This method highlights the non-uniform
diffusion of Li and allows for faster testing of new electro-
lytes with the Li6 isotope, potentially leading to the discov-
ery of more efficient lithium diffusion processes.
Shift towards cleaner future
by hydrogen evolution reaction
on gold (Au) electrodes
Researchers at Chiba University have deepened their under-
standing of AuNi electrocatalysts by investigating their sur-
face structure, atomic arrangement, and hydrogen evolution
reaction (HER) activity. The team assessed the HER activity
of the AuNi/Au electrode in an electrochemical cell with
sulfuric acid using
cyclic voltammogram
(CV) and linear sweep
voltammogram (LSV)
measurements. X-ray
photoelectron spec-
troscopy (XPS) and
surface X-ray diffrac-
tion (SXRD) analysis
revealed that the HER
A set of screen-printed electrodes activity was influenced
(Credit: Washington State University) by the Au substrate’s
surface structure.
Ni dealloying enhanced HER activity by creating surface
defects. This decrease in atomic occupancy was attributed
to Ni dissolution from the surface-alloy layer, activating the
HER at low-coordination Au sites adjacent to Ni. The study
provides insights into the AuNi surface alloy’s structural
and electrochemical properties, paving the way for ad-
vanced Au-based catalysts for electrolysis and fuel cells.
A computer vision teleoperation
system adaptable to various robots
Researchers at NVIDIA and UC San Diego have developed
AnyTeleop, a teleoperation system driven by computer vi-
sion designed for broader application scenarios. The team
created AnyTeleop, an affordable teleoperation system
versatile for various robots and tasks, which translates
human hand and wrist positions to robotic movements.
Its compatibility spans different robotic components and
environments, excelling in both close and distant scenarios.
Additionally, it captures detailed human movement data,
boosting robot training for autonomous tasks and outper-
forming specialised systems in initial tests, highlighting its
transformative potential in teleoperation.
www.eFYmag.com
TRULY INNOVATIVE ELECTRONICS
Amongst numerous press releases of new products received by us, these are the ones
we found worthy of the title Truly Innovative Electronics
Powerful and secure
SoCs for digital health
applications
Ambiq has launched Apollo4 Lite
and Blue Lite system on chips (SoCs),
providing feature-rich capability, opti-
mised memory, and powerful graphics
performance. With secureSPOT technol-
ogy, these SoCs deliver robust security
in a lightweight solution. The SoCs are
suitable for digital health applications
like stethoscopes and glucose and blood
pressure monitoring. They provide a
secure Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) con-
nection to devices and the cloud. The
chips have an ultra-low-power Cortex-
M4 core operating up to 192MHz, effec-
tively reducing overall system power
consumption and extending device
battery life. Both SoCs feature an audio
subsystem, graphics processing unit
(GPU), and abundant magnetoresistive
random access memory (MRAM) and
static random access memory (SRAM).
The chips are designed for advanced
security and powerful graphics in small
form factors, which is crucial for device
adoption.
Ambiq
https://ambiq.com
Award-winning edge
AI processor boosts
battery devices
performance
NDP200 Neural Decision Processor
(NDP) from Syntiant Corp. has been
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
INNOVATION UPDATES
awarded ‘Best Product of the Year’ by
the tinyML Foundation. The processor
architecture is designed for always-on-
edge AI vision applications and allows
full control of multiple independent
networks. It
can operate
concurrent-
ly at less
than 2MW
power with near-zero latency. This
makes it suitable for tasks like person
detection, object classification, motion
tracking, and occupancy monitoring.
The NDP200 offers precise neural pro-
cessing for battery-powered consumer
and commercial devices such as IP and
security cameras, video doorbells, and
teleconferencing equipment, among
other applications. Utilising the Syn-
tiant Core 2 programmable deep learn-
ing architecture, the NDP performs
vision processing with highly accurate
inference at under 1MW. Compared to
its predecessor, the NDP200 delivers 25
times the tensor throughput, signifi-
cantly boosting ML performance.
Syntiant Corp.
https://www.syntiant.com
World’s tiniest and most
efficient GNSS sensor
The QLX300+ launched by Qualinx
stands as the tiniest and most energy-
efficient
GNSS sensor
globally,
using up to
one-tenth
the energy
of other existing devices. The sensor
can simultaneously receive signals from
navigation satellites like GPS, Galileo,
GLONASS, and Beidou. This energy-
efficient product extends battery life
using zinc-air or single-cell batteries. Its
Baseband Engine with 100+ reconfigu-
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU EXPRESS | SEPTEMBER 2023
rable channels achieves high sensitivity
and fast time-to-first fix (TTFF). The
integrated low-noise amplifier (LNA)
matching network eliminates the require-
ment for external components, leading
to the lowest possible reduction in the
bill of materials (BoM) cost. The product
arrives in an industry-standard wafer-lev-
el chip-scale package, offering a single-
chip solution in the smallest form factor.
The sensor is an independent GNSS
solution catering to diverse applications
like wearables and asset/fleet/livestock
tracking. Its compact size, ultra-low
power consumption, and economical
operation suit various needs, making
it a prime option for connectivity and
tracking across applications like smart-
watches, healthcare monitoring, etc.
Qualinx
https://qualinx.io
Revolutionary AI
data centre memory
advancements
Micron Technology, Inc. has launched
the industry’s first 8-high 24GB HBM3
Gen2 memory,
featuring band-
width exceeding
1.2TB/s and pin
speed surpass-
ing 9.2GB/s. This
marks a notable
enhancement of up to 50% compared
to presently available solutions. With
a 2.5-fold increase in performance per
watt compared to earlier iterations, the
HBM3 sets new records for critical arti-
ficial intelligence (AI) data centre meas-
ures such as performance, capacity, and
power efficiency. These improvements
reduce training durations for substan-
tial language models like GPT-4 and
onward, optimise AI inference infra-
structure utilisation, and establish an
15

unparalleled total cost of ownership
(TCO) superiority. The memory solution
caters to the rising needs of the gen-
erative AI landscape, accommodating
multimodal and multitrillion-parameter
AI models.
Micron Technology, Inc.
https://www.micron.com
World’s first 14-channel
battery diagnosis IC
for EVs and ESSs
Autosilicon has launched the world’s
first 14-channel battery diagnosis IC
(BDIC) for electric vehicles (EV) and
energy storage systems (ESS). BDIC
significantly
enhances
measurement
precision,
operational
current, and
compactness
compared to electrochemical impedance
spectroscopy (EIS) equipment. A single
BDIC assesses up to 14 cells’ imped-
ance, which helps diagnose, predict,
and inspect battery cells’ health, includ-
ing state of health (SoH) and remaining
useful lifetime (RUL). An algorithm and
software measure the internal tem-
perature of individual cells using BDIC,
eliminating the need for external tem-
perature sensors. This enables the early
detection of internal or localised hot-
spots in battery cells, mitigating the risk
of fires or explosions. BDIC enhances
the battery diagnosis function of exist-
ing battery management systems (BMS)
and lays the foundation for battery cell
grading necessary for the reutilisation of
discarded batteries. It can be effectively
employed in various battery diagnosis
fields and battery-as-a-service (BaaS)
businesses.
Autosilicon
https://www.autosilicon.com
Ultra-sensitive camera
for precision monitoring
and remote operation
Canon’s MS-500 is the world’s first
ultra-high-sensitivity interchangeable-
16 SEPTEMBER 2023 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU EXPRESS
TRULY INNOVATIVE: TECH
lens camera (ILC) equipped with a
25.4mm single photon avalanche diode
(SPAD) sensor featuring the world-
leading pixel count of 3.2 megapixels.
The camera offers low-light capability,
coupled
with
broadcast
lenses opti-
mised for
telephoto
focal
lengths,
making
it a prospective choice for precision
monitoring applications. The bayonet
lens mount empowers the camera to
recognise and capture subjects that
are kilometres away. The B4 mount,
integrated 1.3x optical magnifier, and
25.4mm type SPAD sensor unite to
ensure precise colour monitoring of
distant subjects under both well-lit
conditions and darkness. The camera
is robust and reliable, functioning 24/7
across temperatures from -20°C to
45°C. It effortlessly toggles between
manual and automatic modes for the
detachable IR cut filter, capturing extra
IR light for post-dark shooting. Addi-
tionally, the convenience of remote
operation is also available.
Canon Inc.
https://www.canon-europe.com
Enhancing IoT with
capacitor-based backup
power innovation
Blues have introduced Scoop, a capaci-
tor-based backup power add-on board.
Unlike lithium polymer batteries
(LiPOs), this capacitor functions across
wider
temperature
ranges,
boasts a
lower self-
discharge
rate, and
sidesteps
the shipping restrictions associated
with lithium batteries. Scoop’s stand-
out advantage lies in its power outage
detection capability, which is vital for
mission-critical scenarios susceptible
to substantial consequences from power
interruptions. Scoop facilitates the IoT
device in making a seamless transition
to backup power, detecting the altera-
tion in charge, and promptly sending an
alert for power loss. The board has the
capacity to fuel up to 200 connections to
Notehub on a complete charge, contin-
gent on the wireless coverage available
and data transmission volume in the
vicinity. This encompasses nearly four
hours of uninterrupted operation.
Blues
https://shop.blues.io
Fast and efficient
automotive battery
monitoring ICs
ABLIC has introduced the S-19114 Series,
a line of automotive high-withstand
voltage battery monitoring ICs known for
their fastest voltage detection response,
particularly suitable for challenging con-
ditions. These ICs have a compact design
with an ultra-compact automotive pack-
age, reducing its footprint by approxi-
mately 20% compared to previous
models. The voltage detection response
time has been significantly improved,
enhancing its suitability for demanding
environments. They operate with low
current consumption, ensuring continu-
ous battery monitoring. The wide-rated
voltage range of the monitoring voltage
input pin (-30V to 45V) eliminates the
need for conventional dividing resistors
that typically lead to higher standby cur-
rents. This advancement, combined with
reduced capacitors and smaller package
sizes, results in substantial space savings
in automotive applications. The Series
finds utility in automotive battery voltage
detection, battery management systems
(BMS), onboard chargers, and DC/DC
converters.
ABLIC
https://www.ablic.com
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 NEW PRODUCTS
COMPONENTS & CHIPS
SoC for 5G devices
MediaTek has unveiled the Dimensity
6100+ chipset, designed to empower
the next generation of mainstream
5G devices with better performance
and higher power efficiency. The
chipset offers a
range of impres-
sive features at a
competitive price
point, making
budget smartphones more powerful
and feature-rich. The SoC offers an
enhanced 5G modem supporting up
to 140MHz 2CC 5G carrier aggrega-
tion, delivering reliable connectivity
and improved battery life for a longer
user experience. The Dimensity 6100+
chipset is equipped with two Arm
Cortex-A76 big cores and six Arm
Cortex-A55 efficiency cores, ensuring
powerful performance. It supports
AI-powered cameras, enabling features
like AI-bokeh for stunning portraits
and selfies, and AI-colour technology
for immersive visual experiences. With
support for up to 108MP Non-ZSL
camera, 2K 30fps video capture, and
a 10-bit display, the Dimensity 6100+
chipset will allow smartphone manu-
facturers to offer better smartphone
performance at a cost-effective price.
MediaTek
https://www.mediatek.com
Wireless power charging SoC
Indie Semiconductor has introduced the
iND87200, an integrated automotive
wireless power charging system-on-
chip (SoC) that revolutionises in-
cabin portable device charging designs.
Designed to comply with the wireless
18 SEPTEMBER 2023 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU EXPRESS
MAKE IN INDIA
power charging (WPC) ‘Qi’ standard,
the iND87200 simplifies and acceler-
ates the development of cost-effective
in-cabin device charging solutions.
The SoC supports the Qi 2.0 standard,
ensuring enhanced charging reliability
even while the vehicle is in motion.
The iND87200 features a dual-core
design with an Arm Cortex-M4F pro-
cessor, 2MB of embedded Flash, and
256kB of SRAM, along with a dedicat-
ed Arm Cortex-M0
processor for the
WPC stack. This
architecture allows
for the separa-
tion of compute
resources, enabling the execution of
user-specific software without timing
or interrupt constraints. Indie Semicon-
ductor’s wireless charging solution in-
tegrates essential components such as
power management, DC-DC converter,
signal conditioning, WPC inverter driv-
ers, power FETs, LED drivers, and fan
drivers. It supports various serial inter-
faces, providing multiple connectivity
options for the vehicle and peripherals.
The iND87200 reduces the external bill-
of-materials by almost half compared
to existing discrete implementations,
simplifying system complexity, improv-
ing reliability, and enabling faster time-
to-market for automotive OEMs.
Indie Semiconductor
www.indiesemi.com
Advanced data-logging F-RAM
devices
Infineon Technologies has launched
two advanced Ferroelectric RAM (F-
RAM) memory devices in response
to the growing demand in the auto-
motive event data recorder (EDR)
market. The 1Mbit and 4Mbit data-
logging components instantly capture
and store critical data long-term.
The 1Mbit units
are the first auto-
motive-qualified
serial F-RAMs in
the industry. They
function effectively
between -40°C and +125°C. The
devices offer fast, reliable read/write
speeds of up to 50MHz in serial pe-
ripheral interface (SPI) and 108MHz in
quad serial peripheral interface (QSPI)
mode. They have a 10 trillion read/
write cycle endurance, suitable for
logging data every 10 microseconds
for over 20 years. Their zero delay
write captures data until just before a
trigger event. Operating between 1.8V
and 3.6V, they come in an 8-pin small
outline integrated circuit (SOIC) pack-
age. Notably, they retain data for 100
years post power loss, ensuring data
reliability for many applications.
Infineon Technologies
https://www.infineon.com
IR sensor for motion detection
in building automation
STMicroelectronics has launched a
human-presence and motion detector.
The device is designed to augment
security systems,
home automa-
tion equipment,
and IoT devices,
which gener-
ally utilise passive
infrared (PIR) sensing technology. The
STHS34PF80 sensor, equipped with
thermal transistors, can detect station-
ary objects. Whereas conventional
PIRs rely on a Fresnel lens to sense
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

movement, this innovative detec-
tor enables a more straightforward,
lens-free construction, simplifying the
overall design. The sensor is suitable
for alarms, security systems, home
automation, smart lighting, Internet
of Things (IoT) devices, smart lock-
ers, and smart wall pads. The sensor
offers a wide coverage up to four
metres and an 80° viewing angle. Its
10µA operating current consumes less
power compared to conventional PIRs.
The compact dimensions of 3.2mm
x 4.2mm x 1.455mm are suitable for
swift automated assembly. Moreover,
the sensor stands robust against direct
lighting disruptions and possesses
a high tolerance to electromagnetic
interference (EMI).
STMicroelectronics
https://www.st.com
High-power connector series
Harwin has launched the Kona high-
power connector series equipped with
backshells. Made from aerospace-
grade aluminium 6061 alloy, these
backshells prevent
unwanted electro-
magnetic interfer-
ence (EMI) from
the connector/cable
assembly, safeguarding adjacent sys-
tems. Their dual-component design al-
lows technicians to easily incorporate
comprehensive 360° electromagnetic
compatibility (EMC) shielding, crucial
when addressing EMI issues late in
design or retrofitting equipment with
unforeseen EMI problems. Board and
panel mount options provide thorough
shielding. These connectors are uti-
lised in missions including New Space,
20 SEPTEMBER 2023 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU EXPRESS
NEW PRODUCTS
electric vehicles (EVs), unmanned
aerial vehicles (UAVs), and robotics.
The 8.5mm-pitch connectors support
up to 60A per contact and come in 2-
to 4-contact variants. Using beryllium
copper boosts durability and allows
-65°C to +150°C operation. They
withstand 3,000V without flashover,
have safe shrouded, recessed contacts,
and feature thumbscrew mate-before-
lock for easy use.
Harwin
https://www.harwin.com
High-voltage gas discharge tube
Bourns Inc. has introduced its next-
generation 2-electrode high-voltage
gas discharge tube (GDT) Model
GDT28H series. Designed to fulfil the
protection needs of modern industrial
powerline equip-
ment, this series
also caters to the
rapidly expand-
ing demand for
energy electrification solutions in both
consumer and commercial sectors.
The series boasts a high voltage gas
discharge tube, ensuring consistent
insulation from -40 to +125°C. It of-
fers a 1kV-3.3kV DC sparkover voltage
range, quick response, and durability.
GDT is suitable for AC isolation due
to its voltage range and surge rate.
The devices, 8mm x 6mm in size, can
handle 5kA or 10kA impulse discharge
and guarantee 10GΩ insulation resist-
ance at 100V. The tube is designed for
power supplies, medical gear, air-
conditioning, and lightning protection,
aligning with IEC 62368-1 standards.
The series’ longevity and standout fea-
tures position it as the top choice for
surge protection and isolation tasks.
Bourns Inc.
https://www.bourns.com
Industrial air sensor modules
Innodisk has launched an indus-
trial air sensor module with through
subsidiary, Sysinno, featuring accu-
rate sensing, easy implementation,
and minimal computing power. The
modules provide instant feedback
on temperature,
humidity, and
various air quality
indicators. The
modules enhance
smart poles, EV chargers, and kiosks
in emerging smart cities. In hospitals,
they boost air and service quality. In
smart factories, they help regulate
humidity and air purity, promoting
a healthier workspace. The modules
integrate seamlessly with systems like
industrial personal computers (IPCs),
PCs, edge servers, and embedded sys-
tems via inter-integrated circuit (I2C)
or a universal serial bus (USB) sensor
carrier board. They ensure low power
consumption and prevent overheating.
Due to Innodisk’s high manufactur-
ing quality standards, these modules
outperform other original equipment
manufacturer (OEM) air sensors, hav-
ing passed multiple accuracy tests,
making them reliable for various
fields.
Innodisk
https://www.innodisk.com
A compact NB-IoT module
u-blox has launched LEXI-R4, a
compact module designed to meet the
demands of size-limited applications.
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

The module measures 16mm x 16mm
and supports all long-term evolution
for machines (LTE-M) and narrow-
band Internet of Things (NB-IoT)
bands and offers a radio frequency
(RF) output power of
23dBm. It can oper-
ate on a 2G network
for added flexibility.
The module is suited
for various use cases, including small
asset trackers like pet and personal
trackers, micro-mobility devices, and
luggage tags. However, its versatility
extends to other applications such as
alarm systems, vending machines, and
stolen vehicle recovery. The compact
module achieves a 40% reduction in
footprint compared to similar mod-
ules, allowing the potential integration
of larger antennas for improved RF
performance or accommodating larger
batteries. Additionally, the module
supports Global Navigation Satel-
lite System (GNSS) AT commands, is
compatible with GNSS bundling, and
integrates effortlessly with other GNSS
modules for improved performance
and energy efficiency.
u-blox
https://www.u-blox.com/en
Screwless terminal blocks
Omni Pro Electronics has introduced
the EB4862 series of easy-wiring
‘screwless’ terminal blocks. These
blocks offer a user-friendly push-button
solution. With a finger-friendly lever
that requires minimal
force for operation,
these terminal blocks
come in a modular
design with 30 positions and can be
colour-coded to prevent wiring errors.
The innovative push-to-connect system
allows for easy insertion of both solid
and stranded wires without the need to
depress the lever. The terminal blocks
feature a 37° angled wire entry, provid-
ing a clear view of the wire entry and
lever on the same 45° plane, which
aids in rapid field wiring. Constructed
22 SEPTEMBER 2023 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU EXPRESS
NEW PRODUCTS
for durability, the terminal blocks uti-
lise UL 94V-0 polyamide PA66 insulator
body material and brass contact block
material with tin plating. They have an
operating temperature range of -40°C
to 119°C and are suitable for vari-
ous applications, including irrigation
controls, Wi-Fi controllers, thermostats,
pool/spa controls, keypads, sensors,
detectors, and alarms. With a voltage
rating of 300V AC and a current rating
of 8A, the terminal blocks can accept
wire sizes from 14 to 22AWG, provid-
ing a versatile and reliable wiring
solution for a wide range of electrical
systems.
Omni Pro Electronics
www.omnipro.net
BOARDS
Arduino Nano ESP32
Arduino has launched the Arduino
Nano ESP32, the first Arduino board
built around an Espressif ESP32
microcontroller. The board features
a NORA-W106 module from u-blox
with a USB-C connector, 16MB flash,
and compatibility with MicroPython
and the Arduino IoT
Cloud. This innova-
tive board couples
the user-friendly and
adaptable environ-
ment of the Arduino with the energy-
efficient potential of the ESP32-S3
system-on-a-chip microcontroller. The
applications are limitless in home
automation, gaming, and education.
Designed with a nano form factor, this
compact board is ideal for standalone
projects due to its small footprint.
Powered by the ESP32-S3 microcon-
troller, it provides Arduino-supported
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The board also
supports HID, allowing emulation of
devices like keyboards, enhancing
computer interaction possibilities.
The Nano ESP32 provides immedi-
ate Arduino Cloud support. Sharing
information across devices, integration
with Alexa and much more is possible
with this Arduino board.
Arduino
https://www.arduino.cc
An ARM-based single-board
computer
ASUS IoT has announced the Tinker
Board 3N series, an ARM-based single-
board computer (SBC) for the Indus-
trial Internet of Things (IIoT). The
next unit of computing (NUC) sized
SBC series supports
Linux Debian, Yocto,
and Android, offer-
ing an option for
various IIoT projects.
The thermal design ensures efficient
operation, while its durable build and
enhanced computing performance
make it suitable for smart manufac-
turing applications in the IoT revolu-
tion. The board offers enhanced GPU
performance for graphics processing
with low energy usage. It is suitable for
IoT gateway, human-machine interfac-
ing (HMI), and factory automation.
The board includes mechanical design
improvements for suitable embedded
application use. Its compact NUC-scale
dimensions allow for deployment in
space-constrained areas and flexible
system integration. The board operates
smoothly within a temperature range
of -40 to 85°C, meeting the demands of
industrial automation.
ASUS IoT
https://iot.asus.com
Development board for
automotive gateway systems
Renesas Electronics Corporation has
launched a development board, R-Car
S4 starter kit. The board is designed
for automotive gateway systems and
is highly affordable. The development
board is built around the company’s
R-Car S4 system on chip (SoC), which
boasts computing capabilities and a
wide range of
communica-
tion features.
These features
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

enable cloud communication and safe
vehicle control. With the starter kit,
engineers have a convenient solution
to kickstart their initial evaluation of
various automotive applications. It
is designed for developing car serv-
ers, connected gateways, connectivity
modules, and more. Rapid application
development becomes achievable with
this accessible and feature-rich develop-
ment board. R-Car starter kits simplify
the setup for automotive Linux environ-
ments and are ideal for new automotive
software engineers. The board features
two Ethernet ports, two controller
area network flexible data-rate (CAN
FD) ports, and one local interconnect
network (LIN) port for diverse com-
munication. With 128GiB universal
flash storage (UFS) and 64MiB serial
peripheral interface (SPI) flash memory,
it ensures smooth operations.
Renesas Electronics Corporation
https://www.renesas.com/in/en
A development board with
Ethernet
The Pico RP2040 board by ADIY is
their first microcontroller, featuring a
robust dual-core processor, extensive
on-chip memory, and a unique
programmable I/O subsystem.
This provides unmatched ca-
pability and versatility for pro-
fessionals. PICO With Ethernet
is a microcontroller evaluation
board based on the Raspberry
Pi RP2040 and fully hardwired
TCP/IP controller W5500—and
works the same as the Rasp-
berry Pi Pico board but with additional
Ethernet via W5500. The board, tailored
for the RP2040, is an affordable, adapt-
able platform designed to align with the
Raspberry Pi Pico’s pins. Powered by a
dual-core Arm Cortex-M0+ processor,
it reaches 133MHz speeds and offers
264kB on-chip SRAM, 4MB Flash mem-
ory, and supports 3.3-5.5V inputs. With
27 GPIO pins, four as analogue inputs,
it also features a reset button. Its 40nm
manufacturing ensures efficiency, mak-
24 SEPTEMBER 2023 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU EXPRESS
NEW PRODUCTS
ing it suitable for battery use. The chip,
featuring built-in DMA, on-chip librar-
ies, and drag-and-drop programming
via USB, streamlines development, and
offers enhanced customisability with an
on-chip clock, temperature sensor, and
8 I/O state machines.
ADIY
https://adiy.in
Graphics cards for professional
workloads
AMD has launched two AMD Radeon
PRO W7000 series lineup models, the
AMD RadeonPRO W7600 and AMD
RadeonPRO W7500
workstation graphics
processing unit (GPU).
The latest graphics
cards are tailored for mainstream tasks
in various professional sectors such
as media & entertainment, design &
manufacturing, architecture, engineer-
ing & construction. These graphics
cards boost professional processes by
prioritising efficiency and enhancing
performance. They are fine-tuned to
provide top-tier price-to-performance
ratios and stability and reliability. The
graphics cards offer compute units and
ray accelerators at 32 and 28 respec-
tively. The memory interface is set at
a 128-bit width. As for the power con-
sumption, the total board power var-
ies: 130W requires a 6-pin connector
while 70W can be drawn directly from
the peripheral component intercon-
nect express (PCIe) bus. The series is
designed to help professionals achieve
top-notch results efficiently, even with
tight budgets and deadlines.
AMD
https://www.amd.com
TEST & MEASUREMENT
A battery health diagnostic tool
KUSAM-MECO has launched the bat-
tery internal resistance tester model
KM-930. Designed to evaluate the
health of rechargeable batteries such
as lead storage and lithium types, this
device gauges internal resistance and
voltage. It also measures temperature
to offer a complete understanding of
battery health. The meter employs a
4-terminal test to accurately measure
a battery’s internal resistance unaf-
fected by contact
resistance between
the test wire, terminal,
and electrode. Con-
trolled by a microprocessor, it precisely
detects battery resistance, voltage, and
temperature without interrupting the
UPS system, utilising AC-low-resistance
measurement and noise reduction
technology. The device also offers data
storage, retrieval, alarm, and auto-
shutdown functions, making it suitable
for battery production, installation, and
equipment manufacturing. The tester
model has a USB interface for data
transfers and Bluetooth support. Users
can store data manually or automati-
cally. Additionally, preset judgement
thresholds like PASS, WARNING, and
FAIL simplify assessments.
KUSAM-MECO
https://www.kusamelectrical.com
Next-generation high-definition
oscilloscope
Teledyne LeCroy has launched Wave-
Surfer 4000HD high-definition oscil-
loscope with a 30.7cm touchscreen
display. The oscilloscope with HD4096
technology has higher resolution over
traditional 8-bit ones
and reduced noise
for optimal measure-
ments. The 12-bit
analogue to digital
converters (ADCs)
support the capture of fast signals and
support up to 1GHz bandwidth. Further-
more, the company says that a 5GS/s
sampling rate guarantees unparalleled
accuracy and precision in measure-
ments. The high-performance input
amplifiers deliver flawless signal clarity.
At the same time, the system’s low-noise
design ensures an optimal pathway for
accurate transmission of signal nuances
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

to the oscilloscope screen, achieving
a precision 16 times nearer to perfec-
tion. The oscilloscope supports over 30
probes in nine categories, enhancing
versatility. The MAUI with OneTouch
interface offers intuitive operation,
drastically reducing setup time with
drag-and-drop. Most tasks can be done
with a single touch, highlighting its
user-centric design.
Teledyne LeCroy
https://www.teledynelecroy.com
ENTERPRISE SOLUTION
Private 5G solutions for
enterprises
VVDN Technologies has introduced
a dependable, secure, and ready-to-
deploy 5G Enterprise solution. The
private 5G package includes open
radio access network (ORAN) radio
units, customised central unit/distrib-
uted unit (CU/
DU), and 5G
Core. Driven by
open, standard-
based ORAN
architectures, the solution caters to
ultra reliable low latency communica-
tions (URLLC) and enhanced Mobile
Broadband (eMMB) needs, ensuring
uninterrupted indoor coverage in
dense environments. The cloud-native
5G core offers a dependable, scalable,
and distributed network, aiding opera-
tors and integrators in deploying IoT,
private networks, and multi-access
edge computing (MEC) networks.
The production-ready radio units are
tailored for private 5G networks across
diverse regions and markets. Their
portfolio includes low power (4T4R
1W) and mid power (4T4R 20W) radio
units optimal for private 5G setups.
VVDN Technologies
https://www.vvdntech.com
Smoke and gas detectors
for safety
Hikvision India has launched HF-S2E
Eco and NP-FY200 in the photoelec-
26 SEPTEMBER 2023 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU EXPRESS
NEW PRODUCTS
tric smoke detector category and
HF-GM100 in the carbon monoxide
gas detector category. The photo-
electric smoke detector is a smarter
and faster solution for detecting
smouldering fires than other smoke
detectors. The detectors are de-
signed to promptly detect smoke,
fire, and other hazards, triggering
alarm signals to alert users. The
carbon monoxide gas detectors find
applications in various scenarios,
including shops, residences, hotels,
parking areas, and other relevant
settings, where early carbon monox-
ide detection is crucial for ensuring
safety. The smoke detector alerts for
low voltage, tampering, and maze
dirty issues, increasing its depend-
ability. The Figaro sensor ensures
precise detection. Powered by a
durable lithium battery, it includes
a test and self-check function for
periodic checks. The detector also
offers silence and reset modes for
user control.
Hikvision India
https://www.hikvisionindia.com
MISCELLANEOUS
RTL design studio with AI
Cadence Design Systems Inc. has
launched the Joules register transfer
level (RTL) Design Studio to acceler-
ate the RTL design and implementa-
tion process.
The tool em-
powers front-
end designers
by providing
actionable
insights and debugging capabilities
through a unified cockpit. Users can
achieve fully optimised RTL designs
before the implementation handoff
by leveraging generative artificial
intelligence (AI) for RTL design ex-
ploration for big data analytics. The
RTL Design Studio enables designers
to obtain quick and accurate physi-
cal estimates, resulting in up to 5x
increased productivity and up to 25%
improvement in the RTL’s quality of
results (QoR). The tool integrates with
a lint checker for early error detection,
streamlining the design process. The
unified cockpit provides RTL designers
with feedback, violation analysis, and
cross-probing between RTL, schemat-
ic, and layout.
Cadence Design Systems Inc
https://www.cadence.com/en_US
Next-generation GH200 Grace
Hopper superchip platform
NVIDIA has announced the next-gen-
eration NVIDIA GH200 Grace Hopper
platform, powered
by the new Grace
Hopper superchip
with the world’s
first HBM3e proces-
sor. The platform is
built for the emerg-
ing demands of accelerated computing
and generative artificial intelligence
(AI). The dual setup provides a stag-
gering 3.5x more memory capacity
and triple the bandwidth compared
to its predecessor. This configuration
encompasses a server with 144 Arm
Neoverse cores, eight petaflops of
AI processing prowess, and a gener-
ous 282GB state-of-the-art HBM3e
memory. Using NVIDIA NVLink, it
links multiple superchips for efficient
generative AI model processing. With
the HBM3e memory clocking in at
a speed 50% greater than its HBM3
counterpart, the platform achieves an
astounding combined bandwidth of
10TB/sec. Consequently, this platform
can operate models that are 3.5 times
larger than before, coupled with a
memory bandwidth that’s thrice as
fast, enhancing overall performance.
NVIDIA
https://www.nvidia.com/en-in
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 Tech: Trends
EDGE COMPUTING:
Benefits For Businesses And Users
All the smartness that this world
needs cannot be handled by
the cloud alone. It needs a team
of helpers—at the edge
E
dge computing is not a new term.
It has been around since the 1990s,
when a group of researchers from
the Massachusetts Institute of Technol-
ogy (MIT) invented a content delivery
network (CDN) that could serve web and
video content from edge servers deployed
close to users, to save bandwidth. This
Janani G. Vikram is a prototype, developed by the MIT spin-off
freelance writer based company Akamai, is considered one of the
in Chennai, who loves
to write on emerging earliest examples of edge computing.
technologies and Indian Since then, there has been a lot of
culture. She believes in
relishing every moment discussion around edge computing and
of life, as happy the Internet of Things (IoT). However, the
memories are the best
savings for the future technology has really come of age now,
thanks mainly to the rising interest in
artificial intelligence (AI) and, of course, a
much-needed fillip from fast 5G networks
and powerful mobile processors.
Edge computing is basically a distrib-
uted computing framework that moves
processing and storage to the edge of the
network—that is, as close as possible to the
28 September 2023 | electronicS For You expreSS
users and sources of data, such as the In-
ternet of Things (IoT) or local edge servers.
So, why would someone want to do that?
Because, speed matters! Today, everyone
wants instant answers and solutions, and the
cloud alone cannot handle this crowd. This
is true not just for futuristic or high-stake ap-
plications like self-driving cars and military
operations but also for common ones like
shopping and marketing campaigns.
Delays are costly
From industries to automobiles and traffic
signals, every device is racing to become
smart. Relying solely on the cloud to ac-
commodate this exponential growth of
users would result in increased latency—an
intolerable outcome. And, it can be more
serious than a customer getting irritated by
a delay in connecting to a local restaurant’s
menu. A millisecond’s delay in decision-
making in an autonomous car could cause
an accident, or lack of connectivity in a
www.eFYmag.com

surveillance drone could mean not
spotting an impending missile attack!
In today’s scenario, reducing latency
is of utmost importance. On-device
processing, in tandem with the cloud
and on-premise data centres, can
handle this situation very well. It
also brings with it other perks like
creating personalised customer expe-
riences and improved security.
No wonder there is such a surge
in interest in edge computing,
and tech giants including Google,
Microsoft and, Qualcomm have
been upgrading their offerings to
empower developers to scale and
enable AI at the edge. Proper edge
computing requires a seamless link
between cloud, core, and edge. With
thousands of hardware nodes to be
managed, it is believed that DevOps
will play an important role in this
transition.
“There have been significant
advances in edge computing. Many
of the leading tech giants have
brought in hardware architectural
innovations, which provide increased
computation, storage, and overall
processing at the edge. Some of the
hardware development boards are
increasingly accessible from a cost
perspective. Also, better connectiv-
ity solutions enabled by 5G bring
faster communications between edge
devices and enterprise systems,”
says Ajay Chaudhary, Associate Vice
President - Engineering, Global-
Logic. “5G provides an average data
transfer speed that is ten times faster
than 4G, making it a key enabler of
edge-based systems. This enhanced
connectivity enables edge devices
to communicate more quickly with
enterprise systems, resulting in faster
decision-making based on the data
collected at the edge.”
Many a change, here and there
Edge computing has already started
bringing about changes—small and
large—in fields ranging from shop-
30 SEPTEMBER 2023 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU EXPRESS
TECH: TRENDS
2024
2023
Text-to-image
Dialog and NLP
Programming
Mathematical reasoning
Combinatorial optimisation
Image understanding
Video understanding
Collaborative robotics
0.1
A significant number of generative AI models can run on the device, offloading the cloud
(Source: Qualcomm Whitepaper “The Future of AI is Hybrid”)
ping and ticketing to autonomous
vehicles and Industry 4.0. “Amongst
the emerging applications of edge
computing, the most important ones
include manufacturing, smart cities,
healthcare, as well as autonomous
vehicles and military operations,”
says Chaudhary.
Here is a small glimpse of what
it can do for you...
• Irked by the time it takes to
redirect you to the local store, when
you visit a retail website? This can
be avoided by using edge comput-
ing. Location-aware edge computing
devices will not only load the local
site automatically but also show
you relevant offers and customise
the homepage with your preferences
and shopping lists, without even a
blink’s delay!
• At large sporting events, the
same ticket is sometimes scanned at
multiple entrances, as it takes time
for the scanned code to get updated
in the cloud database. This scam
can be avoided using scanners that
communicate with each other at
the edge. No network? No wor-
ries. Frauds will still be called out.
Likewise, it can help reduce latency
in almost every kind of security and
surveillance solution.
• Data collection for marketing
1 10 100 1000
Model size (billions of parameters)
campaigns eat into the bandwidth
and cause delays, which are some-
times noticeable by the customer.
With edge computing, market-
ing campaigns can be conducted
smoothly without disturbing the
customer experience.
• Edge computing can reduce
latency and improve transaction
times in the trading of non-fungible
tokens (NFTs), otherwise considered
a bandwidth-intensive operation.
• Sophisticated sensors can take
corrective action on defects as soon
as they are detected, without waiting
for instructions from a centralised
system, thereby improving quality
control and saving time.
• Edge computing is an integral
part of all Industry 4.0 efforts. “Dur-
ing the manufacturing process, cer-
tain autonomous processes require
real-time decision-making to avoid
any disruption in the production
line. Edge devices are responsible for
controlling these processes,” explains
Chaudhary. For example, an assem-
bly line robot would place internal
orders for a component, as soon as it
realises that only a few are left in its
stock pile.
• Medical devices can alert
healthcare professionals in real time,
based on built-in business rules,
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

when a patient’s condition requires
immediate care. These would happen
in true real-time fashion, without any
dependency on the cloud platform.
At times, this could be a life-saver,
especially in remote areas where con-
nectivity can be unreliable.
• Edge computing devices are the
main components of military equip-
ment, according to Chaudhary. “Edge
devices have business rules for dif-
ferent battle conditions. These edge
devices acquire data in real time and
respond as per the battlefield condi-
tions. Furthermore, modern edge
devices have larger storage capaci-
ties, allowing drones used in military
surveillance to store more data for
longer durations. This improved en-
durance enhances their effectiveness
in extended operations,” he says.
• Independent decision-making,
without reliance on the cloud, is
imperative for self-driving cars. The
edge devices store AI models with
details of different traffic conditions
and the way the car must react to
these. Autonomous vehicles use
these to detect and drive through
different traffic conditions. It would
be impossible to wait for instructions
to come from the cloud platform for
every single situation, as delays are
totally unacceptable in this use-case.
• Thanks to edge computing,
drones have become invaluable in re-
mote locations where communication
is limited. “For instance, agricultural
drones equipped with pesticide sprin-
klers can take videos and analyse
local conditions of insect infections,
allowing them to decide precisely
where to sprinkle pesticides. This
intelligent approach saves cost and
effort, and reduces pesticide wastage,
as the pesticide is targeted only to the
affected areas,” explains Chaudhary.
• Edge computing is a true ally in
field operations, especially in remote
locations with constrained resources.
Take the example of elevator main-
tenance—elevators come in various
32 September 2023 | electronicS For You expreSS
Tech: Trends
Benefits of Edge Computing
To the user:
• Low latency, i.e., faster response times
• More personalisation
• Real-time updates
To the business:
• Cost savings
• Bandwidth optimisation
• Decentralisation of data
• Real-time reports
• Enhanced security
models, making it difficult for a
technician to be an expert in all of
them, and connectivity is often dis-
rupted in the lift maintenance room.
In such scenarios, field technicians
can receive support through aug-
mented reality (AR) or virtual reality
(VR) devices, which enable them to
access large digital models, manu-
als, and an extensive knowledge
database. Edge computing enables
technicians to find such assistance
even in remote operational sites,
such as basements, where connec-
tivity is limited.
• Chaudhary adds that remote
diagnostics kits are also gaining
popularity as they monitor the real-
time status of machines, allowing
for prompt diagnosis and error rec-
tification as needed. “Advancements
in edge computing facilitate closer
collaboration with the command
centre through video-based assis-
tance, enabling quick issue resolu-
tion and avoiding any disruptions in
operations,” he says.
AI at the edge
Almost every use case we have
discussed has AI involvement in it.
Going a step ahead, experts feel that
mobile devices can even run genera-
tive AI models, with up to a certain
number of parameters. For example,
LLaMa, a seven billion parameters
AI model developed by the Stanford
University, can run on a Snapdragon
Insider smartphone.
It is believed that specialised
AI models like, for example, an AI
model for medical assistance with
less than 100 billion parameters, will
be more popular in the future than
jacks-of-all-trades like ChatGPT. And
these might well run on mobile de-
vices. We are moving towards hybrid
AI, where most of the execution will
happen on the edge device (phones,
tablets, computers, AR/VR headsets,
etc), while training of the AI models
will happen on the cloud.
Chaudhary sums up, “The in-
tegration of AI on the cloud and AI
at the edge is of utmost importance
in today’s technological landscape.
Cloud-based AI has revolutionised
data processing and analysis with its
vast computational capabilities and
storage. However, edge AI comple-
ments this approach by offering
unique advantages. It involves deploy-
ing AI algorithms and models directly
on edge devices or gateways, closer
to the data source, providing reduced
latency, enhanced privacy and secu-
rity, offline functionality, and band-
width optimisation. By harnessing the
strengths of both cloud-based AI and
edge AI, industries can create a com-
prehensive and efficient AI ecosystem
that addresses diverse use cases and
ensures real-time decision-making and
seamless operations.”
According to a recent report by
Grand View Research, the global
edge computing market is projected
to reach $155.9 billion by 2030, grow-
ing at a compound annual growth
rate (CAGR) of 37.9%. This is quite
like the booming growth of cloud
a couple of years ago. No wonder,
edge is in the news almost every
day—whether it is T-Mobile’s initia-
tive with Google Cloud’s Distributed
Cloud Edge, or SAP’s collaboration
with SingTel to develop 5G edge
computing solutions. We can see a
lot more interesting happenings in
this space in the near future! Stay
tuned.
www.eFYmag.com
 EV Sales Fall By 55% In June 2023 YoY EV Sales Grow By 137%
Post FAME-II Subsidy Revision The Indian light vehicle market has experienced a 9.8% growth
Electric two-wheeler sales in India plummeted by over 55%, to 45,734 to 2 million units in H1 2023, with EVs accounting for 2.4%
units, in June 2023 following a 21% price increase by original equipment of the market share. The market witnessed a remarkable 137%
manufacturers (OEMs) due to the FAME-II subsidy revision. A JMK year-on-year growth in EV sales to 48,000 units. Tata Motors
Research and Analytics report compared prices of various EV OEMs dominated the growing EV market with a 72% share, by selling
and highlighted the significant impact of the price hike on sales figures. 34,000 EVs in H1 2023 followed by MG (10%) and Mahindra’s
Notable OEMs and their sales declines due to price hikes included Ola XUV 400 (9%). Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 contributed to
Electric (38% decline), TVS iQube (62% decline), and Bajaj Auto’s Chetak a combined market share of over 2%, with plans to launch
(73% decline). The sales impact from the subsidy revision might indicate five distinct EV models by 2032.
trends for FY2025 and the cessation of FAME subsidies by March 2024.
100%
88%
90% India’s Light Vehicle Sales H1 2023:
Others
80% 73% Toyota 9% 2 Million Units
69% 70% 69% 69%
70% 5%
62% Kia 42% 42% BEV Market Share in India: H1 2023
7%
60% Top six Indian Maruti Total
auto brands Suzuki market 48,000 units
50% 10%
Mahindra market share Tata
40% 38% 35% 34,000 units
in H1 2023 Motors
30% 26% 25% 14% Others MG
21% Tata
20% 14% 17% 18% Motors 15% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Hyundai
10% 5%
Others include MG (10.8%),
0% Mahindra (9%), Citroen (3.5%),
Ola Matter Ather TVS Ampere Okaya Bajaj Hop BYD (2.9%), Hyundai (1.5%),
Electric AERA 450X iQube Chetak Electric and Kia (0.5%)
Price increase (%) MoM sales drop in June 2023 (%)

(Source: JMK Research) (Source: https://canalys.com)

Overall Indian Smartphone Market Falls China’s Smartphone Sales Fall By 4% YoY In Q2
By 10% In 1H23 China’s smartphone sales dropped by 4% YoY in Q2 2023, hitting the
The Indian smartphone market experienced a 10% year-on-year decline lowest Q2 sales figure since 2014. Sales declined through April and May,
in the first half of 2023, shipping 64 million units, as reported by IDC. with a 25% MoM boost in June attributed to the 618 e-commerce festival,
While the market grew by 10% in the second quarter, it declined by 3% which failed to translate to YoY increase due to a weak performance from
YoY with 34 million units. The average selling price (ASP) declined by 8% June 1 to June 18. Sales of OEMs excluding Apple declined by 5.5% YoY,
QoQ but grew by 13% YoY to reach US$241 in 2Q23. Shipments through with major Android OEMs facing YoY declines, except Huawei and realme.
the online channel decreased by 15% YoY, while the offline channel grew Despite positive growth from Apple, Huawei, and realme, overall market
by 11%, accounting for a 54% share. Apple’s iPhone 13 and OnePlus’ Nord sentiment was affected by internal and external macroeconomic factors.
CE3 Lite were the top shipped 5G models in 2Q23. Various strategies,
including discounts and special schemes, were employed to clear 4.3% Others 4.9%
inventory before the upcoming festive season. 2.4% realme (+8%) 2.7%
6.9%
Huawei (+58%) 11.3%
25%
14.9%
Mi (-9%) 14.0%
20%

18.3% Honor (-21%)

Unit Market Share

15% 15.0%

10% 18.0% OPPO (-8%) 17.2%

5%
15.5% Apple (+7%) 17.2%
0%
Q2 2022 Q3 2022 Q4 2022 Q1 2023 Q2 2023 vivo (-14%)
19.8% 17.7%
vivo Samsung realme OPPO Xiaomi YoY Sales Growth (%)
OnePlus Apple Poco Tecno Infinix Q2 2022 Q2 2023

(Source: https://www.idc.com) (Source: Counterpoint Research)

34 SEPTEMBER 2023 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU EXPRESS WWW.EFYMAG.COM

At-a-glance view of key industry trends that
can shape the future of your business…

Global Tablet Shipments Fall By 11%
Global tablet shipments declined by 11% annually in Q2 2023, reaching
the lowest volume since Q1 2020. In contrast, Chromebook shipments
increased by 1% annually in the same period, after seven consecutive
quarters of decline, due to the resurgence of education demand,
particularly in North America. Apple maintained its leading position in the
tablet market, shipping 12.3 million units and holding nearly two-fifths of
the global tablet market share. Samsung recorded a 14% decline in
tablet shipments, followed by Amazon (33%) and Lenovo (39%).
Huawei shipped the least number of tablets (1.7 million units).
Global Semiconductor Sales Increase 4.7% QoQ
Global semiconductor sales increased by 4.7% in the second quarter of
2023 compared to the first quarter but were down by 17.3% compared
to the same quarter in 2022. A report compiled by the Semiconductor
Industry Association (SIA) said that global chip sales increased by 1.7% to
$41.5 billion in June 2023. Regional variations were observed in month-
to-month sales: Americas (4.2% increase), China (3.2% increase), Japan
(0.9% increase), Europe (0.1% increase), and Asia Pacific/All Other (0.5%
decrease). Despite the year-on-year decline, the market shows signs of
rebounding, with consistent monthly growth over the second quarter.

June 2023 = –17.3% Y/Y

Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan
’96 ’97 ’98 ’99 ’00 ’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 ’19 ’20 ’21 ’22 ’23
Revenue Y/Y % Change

(Source: https://canalys.com) (Source: https://www.semiconductors.org)

Global Electronics Manufacturing Industry Records Rising Labour Costs

Three-fifths of the global electronics manufacturing industry recorded a 59% increase in labour costs and a 56% hike in material costs, reported IPC.
However, the number of companies experiencing rising costs has declined. The majority of manufacturers indicated employee retention this year is
comparable to 2022. Roughly 18% indicate retention has been more difficult this year, 18% indicated it has been easier than in 2022, and 55% report it
as the same. To hire new employees, 66% of electronics manufacturers have raised salaries/rates beyond what was anticipated, with 54% looking for
potential employees in non-traditional places. About 39% have reportedly improved benefits packages to attract new workers.

Current Direction of Key Business Indicators (Total)

Diffusion Index
Labour costs 129

Material costs 126

Inventory available to your customers 115

Inventory available to you from your suppliers 112

Capacity utilisation 108

Shipments 108

Orders 107 Expanding

Profit margins 96 Contracting

Backlogs 95

Ease of recruiting/finding skilled talent 90

Rising Remaining Flat/No Change Declining

(Source: ipc.org)

WWW.EFYMAG.COM ELECTRONICS FOR YOU EXPRESS | SEPTEMBER 2023 35

 STARTUPS& INNOVATORS
With 15-Minute Rapid Charging Tech, An Amazon For Revolutionising Analogue Radio
1 Exponent Eyes Commercial EVs 2 Manufacturing Services 3 Frequency IP Development In India

WITH 15-MINUTE RAPID CHARGING TECH,

1 EXPONENT EYES COMMERCIAL EVs
Exponent Energy (Exponent), with its 15-minute rapid charging tech, aims to help the electric vehicle
OEMs launch and sell economically priced electric vehicles. The startup says that its patented ‘water-
based’ off-board thermal management system can charge an electric three-wheeler equipped with
batteries provided by Exponent from 0 to 100% in 15 minutes
What this means for commercial
EVs. According to Vinayak, the biggest
hurdle in India’s race towards EV adop-
tion is the efficiency of these vehicles.
He points out towards degradation of
battery life and slow charging capabili-
ties as two factors hindering the growth.
In numbers, fast charging generated 246
times more heat than the industry aver-
age of 4-hour charging.
“If you rapidly charge, your bat-
tery life decreases, and chances of
battery mishaps increase. We realised
that charging a battery as fast as we
can was not the only problem state-
ment, but making sure that the health
of batteries remains positive even after
rapid charging was,” he explains.
TUV India (TUV Nord Group,
e^pump and e^pack
Germany) tests found only 13% deg-
radation after 3,000 charging cycles

A
lso undergoing a trial with
a major commercial bus
manufacturer, the startup
says it will launch the tech for
electric bus OEMs soon. However, it
has no immediate plans to venture
into the two-wheeler segment, Arun
Vinayak, Co-founder & CEO, told
Electronics For You during an exclu-
sive conversation. Once launched,
the tech will charge electric buses
from 0 to 100% in 15 minutes.
He says, “We don’t differentiate
in vehicle forms from a technology
point of view. The energy consump-
tion by two-wheelers deployed in
the logistics segment is much lesser
than that consumed by three- and
four-wheelers. The question we want
to answer is not how many electric
vehicles we are helping in charging
rapidly, but how much energy we
can save while doing the same.”
“Two years from now, we might
enter the two-wheelers segment. But
for now, we know that most Indian
startups don’t die of starvation, but
they die of indigestion,” he adds.
of 15-minute rapid charging. Vinayak
noted that even in real-life condi-
tions, this deterioration would not be
any bigger than 16% to 18%.
In the real world, this would mean
that the 3,000-cycle warranty can
make EVs apply for five-year financ-
ing (most commercial EVs in India
cannot be financed for over three
years at the moment). Moreover, it
will allow commercial EV drivers to
spend maximum time on the road, a
prerequisite for ensuring profit in the
logistics industry.

36 SEPTEMBER 2023 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU EXPRESS WWW.EFYMAG.COM


How does the tech work
(explained by Exponent).
Lithium (Li) ions flow from
the cathode to the anode
when charging a cell and
get absorbed. The faster you
charge, the more ions flow,
crowding around the anode. If
unchecked, this crowding leads
to lithium plating, resulting in
significant cell degradation. (L to R) Sanjay Byalal, COO, and Arun Vinayak, CEO, Exponent Energy
Exponent solves this by
combining their battery management
system (10 times more accurate than
the industry standard), virtual cell
model, and dynamic charging algo-
rithms. This allows them to proactively
sense lithium crowding in real time
and ensure each cell is rapidly charged
without significant degradation.
Further, Exponent has built
an advanced HVAC system that is
‘off-boarded’ from the vehicle to its
e^pump. While charging, the e^pump
transfers refrigerated water through
the e^plug to cool every Li-ion cell in
the e^pack. This ensures the e^pack’s model, we are selling the charger
AN AMAZON FOR
2 MANUFACTURING SERVICES
Amazon introduced us to the world of on-demand products. Everything at the click of a button!
A startup based in Tamil Nadu has extended this idea to manufacturing services
F
ounded in 2021 by Dr V.
Tamizhinian (Tamizh), Frigate
Engineering Services Private
Limited is an emerging B2B platform
that digitalises manufacturing for
its clients worldwide. The startup
provides on-demand manufacturing
services and prototype development
through a supply chain.
With a background in me-
chatronics, Tamizh started his career
as a designer, but yearned to wit-
ness the realisation of those designs
through manufacturing. So, in 2011,
Tamizh started seeking out various
small businesses and created pro-
38 September 2023 | electronicS For You expreSS
strategy: Innovators
temperature doesn’t exceed 35°C in
ambient conditions.
Expansion and raising funds.
Focused on commercial electric
vehicles for the next 24 months, the
startup is sure its franchisee model
for setting up these electric charging
“pumps” will thrive. There are 30
Exponent pumps set up in Bengaluru Chairman and CEO Dr Pawan Mun-
(each costing sub-`500,000), most of jal’s family office, Motherson Group,
which are under the franchise model. and has raised $18 million. Reliance-
“As a startup, there is no point in
putting equity in everything. We are
selling the charger via the franchisee
totypes for them, in addition to his
regular job at a global original equip-
ment manufacturing (OEM) firm.
Initially, what used to be a side
hustle became a full-fledged business
after Tamizh recognised the value of
creating a marketplace that brought
dispersed suppliers together and con-
nected them with potential custom-
ers beyond their existing circle. From
2021-22, Tamizh operated the com-
pany as a one-person enterprise. “My
vision was to address the demand-
side challenge by becoming a single
point of contact for all outsourced
components. I started with machin-
with vehicles, we are deploy-
ing these for fleet operators,
we are working with the
finance organisations, so, we
have made the entire com-
mercial EV ecosystem work
together,” Vinayak explains.
This business model around
chargers is allowing the startup
to save on capital. On the
battery side, the company can
make 1,000 plus batteries per
month and is finalising an electronics
contract manufacturer to scale up to
three times the current capacity. Its
expansion plans include venturing out
into five more major Indian cities.
Exponent is backed by Lightspeed
India, YourNest VC, 3one4 Capital,
AdvantEdge VC, Hero MotoCorp’s
backed electric-three maker Altigreen
is one of the prominent customers of
the startup.
—Mukul Yudhveer Singh
ing and expanded into sheet metal
fabrication and achieved an asset
turnover of 4 to 5 million rupees
within the first year,” he says.
In 2022, Tamizh onboarded
Karthikeyan Prakash, Chandrashek-
har C., and Iniyavan Vasanthanas as
co-founders to develop a common
platform to serve their customers,
providing an overview of their ongo-
ing projects with Frigate. Frigate’s
platform allows the client to track
the project’s progress at various
stages, from initiation to raw mate-
rial procurement, manufacturing
commencement, quality control ini-
www.eFYmag.com

Frigate’s web application
(L to R) Co-founders Dr V. Tamizhinian, Chandrashekhar C.,
Karthikeyan Prakash, and Iniyavan Vasanthanas
tiation, and sales confirmation. “We
have employed a tech-based and
data-driven approach that involves
working closely with suppliers in
advance. Through this method,
we gather around 120 data points,
establishing checkpoints throughout
the order process, and understand
the customer’s needs comprehen-
sively,” explains Tamizh.
The details of the customers are
taken via the Electronics Approval
Authority (EAA) to access a wealth
of parameters and information about to potential customers, effectively
the customer and generate a score
which is updated based on their
performance. The service buyers can
access this information to identify
the ideal manufacturer for their
specific components. Elaborating
40 SEPTEMBER 2023 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU EXPRESS
STRATEGY: INNOVATORS
on the quality of information
collected, Tamizh adds, “We
assess whether the customer
has the necessary resources
in-house or if they plan to
outsource certain aspects.
We examine their financial
turnover over the past three
years and their track record
in content delivery over a
decade.”
The startup has a dynam-
ic pricing system, including
credit cycles, depending on the loca-
tion, product type, services needed,
demand, and materials. It takes cuts
from the transactions, with margins
spanning 10% to 20% per transac-
tion, all managed by the platform.
“From the buyer’s perspective,
we offer an end-to-end supply chain
solution with manufacturing at its
core. On the seller’s side, our solu-
tion is comprehensive marketing. By
listing their machinery within our
platform, we enhance their visibility
increasing their revenue potential by
up to 20%,” says Tamizh.
With its hybrid (in-house and
outsourced) product development
and manufacturing facility in Trichy
and Coimbatore, Frigate makes vari-
ous commodities such as castings,
forging, injection moulding, machin-
ing, heavy fabrication, electrical and
electronic components, plastic and
other composite materials. At its
in-house facility, the startup manufac-
tures PCBs and plastic and metal en-
closures with respect to its electronics
production capabilities. Tamizh says
the focus is on assembling a com-
plete product without engaging in the
design and development phase.
Tamizh says that Frigate’s busi-
ness model is primarily geared
towards global OEMs. “We’ve con-
sciously chosen not to work with In-
dian OEMs, as we believe we are ad-
dressing a genuine problem for global
high-cost countries, such as the USA
and the UK, who lack low-cost manu-
facturing capabilities and often rely
on countries like China, Vietnam, In-
donesia, and India. We aim to bridge
this gap by facilitating manufacturing
in India,” he elaborates.
Frigate secured a pre-seed round
funding of `18.5 million with invest-
ments ranging from `500 thousands
to `10 million in April 2022. The
startup raised more funding from a
seed round of `120 million in June
2023 from Arali Ventures, Capital A,
and Java Capital.
The startup’s platform currently
serves 27 customers. As part of its
plans, Tamizh says they want to make
it more intelligent by incorporating
artificial intelligence (AI) into the
dashboard. “The next version of the
platform will be out by 2024. We’ll be
fully operational on the platform, cur-
rently at around 30-40% completion,”
Tamizh adds.
The company plans to expand to
the US with a new subsidiary and
open operations offices in key Indian
manufacturing areas, such as Jam-
nagar, Rajkot, Faridabad,Kolhapur,
Ludhiana, Gurgaon, and Hosur. The
company is also planning to open its
third office in Chennai.
—Yashasvini Razdan
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

REVOLUTIONISING ANALOGUE RADIO
3 FREQUENCY IP DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA
Silizium Circuits, an Indian startup pioneering analogue RF IP development, is reshaping India’s
semiconductor landscape, focusing on hard IPs and innovative protection strategies
I
n the dynamic landscape of the
semiconductor industry, the
emergence of specialised com-
panies catering to analogue and RF
design has become increasingly sig-
nificant. Two friends, Dr Arun Ashok
and Rijin John, with an impressive
academic background and a com-
mon vision for advancing analogue
radio frequency (RF) front-end intel-
lectual property (IP) development
in India, came up with an interest-
ing semiconductor startup, Silizium
Circuits.
The startup is focused on the
development of analogue radio
frequency IP. The company’s
contribution to IP development is
creating hard IPs - integral compo-
nents embedded within electronic
devices. The strategic approach
caters to companies or clients seek-
ing to fabricate their chips but often
requires external IP partnerships due
to the intricacies involved. Sizilium
emerges as a potential partner.
Clients can allocate their resourc-
es towards core functions by offering
IPs that address specific design
aspects, ensuring timely product
releases. The IP provisioning model,
typically characterised by licensing
or royalty-based agreements, not
only helps clients but also generates
revenue for the startup. While IPs
can encompass software, the com-
pany primarily specialises in hard
IP, encapsulated within a graphic
data system (GDS) file format that
safeguards its details.
The company utilises the Ca-
dence digital and analogue tool-
chain, complemented by various
other code writing and simulation
42 September 2023 | electronicS For You expreSS
strategy: InnOVatOrs
Co-founders (L to R) Rijin John and Dr Arun Ashok
tools. However, their work encom-
passes more than just coding; it also
involves ensuring that the written
code can be transformed into a func-
tional chip. This intricate process in-
volves synthesis, timing analysis, and
place and route procedures, all facili-
tated by electronic design automation
(EDA) tools provided by companies
like Cadence and Synopsys.
When it comes to safeguarding IP,
the company adopts a comprehen-
sive approach. They pursue domestic
and international patent applications
for developments with patentable
potential, predominantly in the US.
“In addition to this, we also do other
formalities with our clients, like sign-
ing a nondisclosure agreement (NDA)
document,” adds Arun.
In the domain of hardware
development, the company oper-
ates within the confines of foundry
nodes, which essentially dictate the
minimum size achievable in the
manufacturing process. Being rooted
in analogue and RF specialisation,
the company’s focus spans 65 nano-
metres and beyond, encompassing
nodes such as 65nm, 130nm, and
180nm. A pivotal consideration in
IP development is ensuring compat-
ibility with the customer’s chosen
technology. While their in-house
products thrive in the 65nm and
higher nodes, the company also
accommodates the diverse tech-
nological needs of clients, extend-
ing their expertise to encompass
lower technology nodes like 22nm
or 28nm, as necessitated by the
project at hand.
Within the Indian landscape,
where most semiconductor com-
panies are in the digital domain,
Sizilium Circuits is a potential
partner to most of them. Compar-
ing their IP designs with products
developed internationally involves
assessing various factors like power,
price, performance, and area (PPA).
Remarkably, Sizilium’s offerings out-
shine their foreign counterparts in
these aspects, offering a superior so-
lution. “In addition to these things,
we also provide multiband support
that is not present in other modules
in the market globally. So, these are
the two things we are scoring points
where the other products are lack-
ing,” adds Arun.
“The future of the semiconductor
industry in India holds immense po-
tential. After Corona, every country
is trying to think of an alternative
for logistics or supply chain. India’s
semiconductor imports are close
to the oil imports. Together with
the government initiative to reduce
semiconductor imports, the market
is very good,” says Rijin. “Just like
the world has been seeing China as
a powerhouse, within a few years, it
will soon be India for semiconductor
design, for sure,” Arun adds.
—Nidhi Agarwal
www.eFYmag.com
 industry News industry updates
India to implement import restrictions on laptops,
tablets, PCs from November 1
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade
(DGFT) has imposed import restric-
tions on laptops, tablets, PCs, and other
electronic items falling under the HSN
8741 category starting November 1, 2023.
Initially, DGFT had imposed immediate
restrictions but deferred the implementa-
tion. The new regulations will require a
valid ‘Licence for Restricted Imports’ for
the clearance of import consignments
of these items. The government aims
to boost domestic manufacturing and
reduce dependency on imports, particu-
larly from China, by introducing these
import restrictions.
PEOPLE (on the move)
Muneesh Chellani joins SFO Technologies
as President Electronics
Muneesh Chellani has been appointed
President, Electronics, at SFO Technologies,
a subsidiary of NeST Group. His expertise
is expected to enhance SFO Technologies’
position in the tech industry. The former COO
of INDIC EMS Electronics Private Limited,
Chellani, has over 25 years of experience.
SFO Technologies, excelling in manufacturing
services and product technologies, serves a global clientele in
sectors like healthcare, telecom, industrial, and energy. NeST
Group anticipates Chellani’s leadership will enhance their
standing in the tech industry.
PMI Electro appoints Aanchal Jain as CEO
Electronics design and manufacturing company, PMI Electro,
has appointed Aanchal Jain as its new CEO to drive innovation,
growth, and expansion in the EV industry.
Jain’s extensive global experience and
academic background, including a PhD
from Northwestern University and an MSc
from The London School of Economics and
Political Science, make her uniquely qualified
for the role. PMI Electro has over 1,180
e-buses operating in 28 cities across India.
Jain’s appointment comes at a crucial time as the company
focuses on expanding its portfolio and production capacity in the
EV industry, with significant capital investments and expansion
needed to meet growing demand.
44 September 2023 | electronicS For You expreSS
Representational image
Mahindra Group appoints Pamela Tikku
as VP, Head of Auto Group Public Affairs
Pamela Tikku has joined Mahindra Group as
the Vice President and Head of Auto Group
Public Affairs. With an experience of over 17
years in the auto industry, Tikku aims to drive
Mahindra’s policy influence in the automotive
sector at both Central and State government levels, contributing
to the company’s future automotive initiatives. Tikku has held
significant positions in the industry, including Deputy Director
(Powertrain) and Chief Business Officer at ICAT (International
Centre for Automotive Technology). She began her automotive
journey at Rico Auto Industries and later joined Honda Siel Cars
India in 1999. This strategic hire aims to bolster Mahindra’s
influence in the rapidly evolving automotive industry landscape.
Hemant Mallapur is now VP of Tejas Networks
Hemant Mallapur has been appointed
as the Vice President of Tejas Networks’
research and development team. Mallapur
was previously the co-founder and executive
VP of Engineering at Saankhya Labs. Tejas
Networks had acquired the majority of
Saankhya Labs in July 2022, making this
move a strategic one to enhance their global
telecom equipment capabilities. Mallapur clarified that this
appointment is not a job change, as Saankhya Labs is now a
subsidiary of Tejas Networks. In addition to Saankhya Labs,
Mallapur has experience working with companies like Genesis
Microchip, Sage Inc., and Synopsys.
www.eFYmag.com
 industry news

INTERNATIONAL news
TSMC, Bosch, Infineon, NXP partner to build chip fab
in Europe
TSMC, Bosch, Infineon, and NXP are collaborating on a Euro-
pean Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (ESMC) GmbH
joint venture in Dresden, Germany, to construct a chip fabrica-
tion facility to meet the increasing demand in the automotive
and industrial sectors. The project’s success is dependent on
regulatory approvals and securing over 10 billion euros of public
investment. TSMC will hold a 70% ownership stake in the joint
venture, while Bosch, Infineon, and NXP will each hold a 10%
equity stake. The planned fab aims to have a monthly production
capacity of 40,000 300mm wafers using advanced semiconductor
technologies. It will focus on advanced semiconductor manu-
facturing using TSMC’s technology and is expected to generate
high-tech professional jobs.
Renesas to acquire Sequans Communications to expand
IoT offerings
Renesas Electronics Corporation is set to acquire cellular IoT
chips and modules maker, Sequans Communications, valuing
the latter at $249 million, including net debt. Renesas will initiate a
tender offer to acquire all outstanding ordinary shares and ameri-
can depositary shares (ADS) of Sequans for $3.03 per ADS in
cash, resulting in Sequans becoming a privately held company.
The deal is expected to close by the first quarter of 2024. Upon
completion of the acquisition, Renesas plans to integrate Sequ-
ans’ cellular connectivity products and IP into its core product
lineup, expanding its presence in the Wide Area Network (WAN)
market space.
Infineon to boost investment in Malaysia chip plant
German chipmaker Infineon is significantly increasing its invest-
ment in its Malaysia plant after it reported better-than-expected
Q3 revenue growth of 13% year-on-year (YoY) at 4.09 billion
euros in a semiconductor market marked by mixed trends. The
company plans to invest around 3 billion euros for the full year,
focusing significantly on construction at Kulim, in Malaysia,
aiming to build the world’s largest 200mm SiC power fab. The
combined facilities in Malaysia and Villach, Austria, are expected
to generate annual revenues of 7 billion euros. The company
reconfirmed its revenue outlook for the year at around 16.2 billion
euros, which was raised in May. Infineon’s third-quarter adjusted
result was down 10% from the previous quarter at 1.067 billion
euros, and the margin slightly missed expectations at 26.1%.
Intel terminates $5.4B planned acquisition
of Tower Semiconductor
Intel has cancelled its planned $5.4 billion acquisition of Tower
Semiconductor, a contract chipmaker based in Israel, citing the
failure to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals. Intel initially
announced the acquisition in February 2022 to bolster its presence
in the semiconductor industry. China’s regulatory approval for the
deal was not secured within the required timeframe, potentially due
to the broader technology tensions between the two countries. This
move impacts Intel’s efforts to expand its foundry business and
highlights the challenges posed by the US-China technology battle.
TSMC to invest $2.9 billion to expand in Taiwan
Taiwanese chipmaker, TSMC, is investing $2.9 billion to expand
its chip packaging capacity in Taiwan in response to the growing
demand for AI-related products. While the company can manu-
facture advanced chips, it requires additional capacity to package
them efficiently. The investment is expected to start yielding
results by 2024, with efforts to meet customer demands. The
new packaging facility will be situated in Tongluo Science Park in
Taiwan and is projected to employ around 1,500 local workers.
Tenstorrent secures $100 million funding from Hyundai,
Samsung
Canadian AI chip startup, Tenstorrent, led by industry veteran Jim
Keller, has secured $100 million in funding from Hyundai Motor
Group, Samsung, and other investors. This investment will help
Tenstorrent develop AI chips for various applications, challenging
market leader Nvidia. The funding round includes $30 million from
Hyundai, $20 million from Kia, and $50 million from Samsung’s
Catalyst Fund and other investors. The funding was structured as
debt converting to stock later, with a new valuation expected after
another equity fundraising round. The company previously raised
$234.5 million and had a valuation of $1 billion. Hyundai plans
to integrate Tenstorrent technology in future Hyundai, Kia, and
Genesis vehicles.
Volkswagen EV deliveries rise by 48%
Volkswagen’s electric vehicle (EV) deliveries increased by 48% in
the first half of 2023, with EVs accounting for 7.4% of total deliver-

Indian electronics exports
grow by 56%
Electronics exports from India
experienced a remarkable growth of
over 56% in the April-June period,
reaching `572.2 billion, compared
to `365.3 billion in the same period
of the previous year. This surge in
electronics exports has elevated the
sector to become India’s fourth-
largest category of exports. This
growth was primarily led by mobile
phones, which accounted for 52%
of the total electronics exports,
contributing around `300 billion in
the first quarter of the current fiscal
year. This increase is substantial
compared to the 38% contribution
observed a year ago. Apple’s iPhone
dominated exports, constituting 35%
of all electronics exports and 66% of
total mobile exports in the first fiscal
quarter.
Foxconn to build iPhone 15
in India
Apple’s upcoming iPhone 15 will be
manufactured at Foxconn’s Tamil
Nadu plant in India, aiming to
reduce the production gap between
its Indian and Chinese operations.
The announcement of the new
iPhone is scheduled for September
12th. The Sripreumbudur plant of
Foxconn is prepared to increase the
production of India-made iPhones.
Apple started producing 7% of its
devices in India by March, reducing
the gap between iPhone 14 produc-
tion in China and India. The success
of increasing manufacturing in India
will depend on component availabil-

46 September 2023 | electronicS For You expreSS www.eFYmag.com

 industry news

ies, a rise from 5.6% in first half of 2022. The group, which
includes brands like VW, Audi, Skoda, Cupra, and Porsche,
delivered around 322,000 EVs during this period. Volkswa-
gen expects higher EV sales in the year’s second half due to
‘seasonal effects’ and reduced delivery times. However, due
to logistics bottlenecks, Volkswagen has reduced its overall
delivery guidance by 500,000 for the year.
onsemi secures $1.95 billion in LTSAs with eight solar
inverter suppliers
onsemi has secured $1.95 billion in long-term supply agree-
ments for its advanced power technologies in the booming
solar inverter market by partnering with eight solar inverter sup-
pliers. The company’s advanced die technology, customised
module design, and packaging offer competitive advantages
to solar inverter manufacturers, enabling them to excel in time-
to-market, product development, supply resilience, and quality
assurance. Solar inverters, responsible for converting DC from
solar panels to AC, face energy loss during the conversion.
onsemi said its technology addresses this, making inverters
compact, lightweight, and highly efficient, reducing energy
wastage and overall system costs.
Stellantis, Samsung SDI to establish second EV battery
unit in US
French-Italian automaker Stellantis and South Korean battery
manufacturer Samsung SDI are collaborating to establish a
second joint-venture plant in the US for manufacturing EV
batteries, with production slated to commence in 2027. This
initiative aligns with Stellantis’ goal to introduce 25 new battery
electric vehicles in North America by the decade’s end. The
plant’s initial production capacity will be 34 gigawatt hours
(GWh). Stellantis and Samsung SDI are already collaborat-
ing on their first joint battery plant in Indiana, with plans for an
initial capacity of 23GWh.
EU approves $47.5B CHIPS Act to promote
chip manufacturing
The European Union has approved a $47.5 billion incentive
plan known as the CHIPS Act to enhance chip manufactur-
ing, attract investments, and promote research and develop-
ment in EU nations. This move aims to reduce dependency
on foreign chip supplies and strengthen the EU’s industrial
base for semiconductors. The incentive plan is anticipated to
raise the semiconductor market share from 10% to 20% in the
EU by 2030. Notably, Intel, a US-based semiconductor company,
has initiated the construction of a new production unit in the EU
region.
460 companies express interest in receiving
US chip subsidy
The US Commerce Department reported that over 460 companies
are interested in receiving government semiconductor subsidies
to enhance the country’s competitiveness with China’s technol-
ogy initiatives. President Biden’s ‘Chips for America’ Act, signed a
year ago, allocated $52.7 billion for US semiconductor production,
research, and workforce development. Detailed guidelines for ac-
cepting and evaluating subsidy applications have been developed
over the past year, along with assembling a team of 140 individu-
als. Expected direct funding awards may range from 5% to 15% of
project capital expenditures, and total award amounts are gener-
ally capped at 35%.
Nvidia, Uber-backed startup Serve Robotics to go public
Serve Robotics, an autonomous sidewalk delivery robot startup
and Uber spinout, is going public through a reverse merger with
Patricia Acquisition Corp, a blank-check company. The company
has raised a total of $56 million and plans to use the financing to
expand into new markets in the US and enhance its technology.
The merger with Patricia was completed recently, following Serve
Robotics raising $30 million in a funding round led by existing
investors, including Uber, Nvidia, and Wavemaker Partners. Uber
will hold a 16.2% stake in the startup and Nvidia will hold an 11%
stake after the merger.
Tesla acquires wireless charging startup Wiferion
Tesla has officially acquired Germany-based wireless charging
startup, Wiferion, to accelerate the development of its wireless
charging platform potentially. This move aligns with Tesla’s interest
in self-driving technology and the potential for vehicles to charge
themselves autonomously. Wiferion is known for its inductive
charging technology for industrial robots and electric vehicles.
The exact cost of the transaction hasn’t been disclosed, but it’s
expected to be between $50 million and $100 million. Founded
in 2016, Wiferion has deployed over 8,000 chargers, mainly for
industrial robots.

ity and the smooth production flow
at Foxconn.
Union Cabinet approves
allocation of `576.13 billion
for e-Bus Sewa scheme
The Union Cabinet has approved
the allocation of `576.13 billion
for procuring 10,000 new electric
buses across 169 cities under the
PM e-Bus Seva scheme. The central
government will contribute `200
billion and the state governments
will cover the rest. The scheme
focuses on enhancing urban mobil-
ity, environmental sustainability,
and climate change preparedness.
The scheme’s duration extends until
2037, with government support
pledged for a decade.
Servotech to set up
`3 billion EV charger plant
in UP
Servotech Power Systems has signed
an MoU with the government of
Uttar Pradesh to establish an EV
charger manufacturing plant in the
state. The project, aligned with the
Uttar Pradesh Electric Vehicle Manu-
facturing and Mobility Policy 2022,
involves an investment of nearly `3
billion and aims to create over 500
jobs. The plant will manufacture
10,000 EV DC fast chargers annu-
ally, catering to domestic and export
markets, and is scheduled to become
partially operational by the first
quarter of 2025. The company’s sub-
sidiary will manufacture EV charging
components and batteries, aligning
with its expansion plans.

www.eFYmag.com electronicS For You expreSS | September 2023 47

 industry news

Calendar of Forthcoming Electronics

Hiranandani Group to set up
ATMP unit, chip fabrication
Fairs/Exhibitions/Seminars/Events in Noida
Event, Date and Venue Topics Contact address for details Hiranandani Group’s subsidiary,
IFA Berlin 2023 The mega consumer electronics and home appliances trade Website: https://www. Tarq Semiconductors, plans to
September 1-5, 2023 show IFA is a great meeting place for key retailers, buyers, electronicsforu.com/events/ifa-
Messe Berlin Exhibition and experts from the industry and the media. It showcases berlin-2023, establish an assembly, testing, mar-
Grounds exhibitors’ brands to a global audience, generates qualified www.indo-german.com
Berlin, Germany leads, and strengthens existing relationships. IFA Berlin
keting, and packaging (ATMP) unit
offers discounted voucher codes to trade visitors! and a compound semiconductor fab
Open Source India 2023 Open Source For You magazine, in partnership with India’s Website: https://www. plant in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The
October 12-13, 2023 Open Source community and industry, brings various opensourceindia.in
NIMHANS Convention stakeholders under one roof to accelerate development and approval for the fab plant is expected
Center, Bengaluru deployment of open source in India, and beyond. by October. The company aims to
Productronica 2023 World’s leading trade fair for electronics development and Website: https://productronica.com
November 14-17, 2023 production. Companies from the fields of PCB & EMS, SMT,
address the demand for compound
Munich, Germany semiconductors, inspection and quality, future production semiconductors critical for high-
and smart factory, and cables, coils and hybrids will present
their solutions and products. power applications. Initial invest-
India Electronics Week India’s No. 1 event for creators of smart electronics Website: www.indiaelectronicsweek. ment of `25 billion is planned for the
January 31 - solutions to discover latest techniques, best practices and com ATMP unit, while the investment for
February 2, 2024 technologies for developing electronics better, cheaper and
KTPO, Whitefield faster, and meet service providers, suppliers and partners the fab plant remains undisclosed.
Bengaluru who can enable growth of your business.
The company plans to partner with
IoTShow.in 2024 The conferences and hands-on workshops, cutting-edge Website: https://www.iotshow.in
January 31 - talks and trainings by industry stalwarts and thought leaders firms from the US and Japan for
February 2, 2024 will help build the skills you need to get ahead in the field. expertise in semiconductor fabri-
KTPO, Whitefield
Bengaluru cation. The project’s first phase is
Since this information is subject to change, all those interested are advised to ascertain the details anticipated to commence within 24
from the organisers before making any commitment. months of receiving approvals.

Hyundai Motor signs APA to
acquire GM’s Talegaon plant
Hyundai Motor India has signed an
asset purchase agreement (APA) to
acquire and assign assets related
to General Motors India’s Talegaon
Plant in Maharashtra. The company
plans to invest `200 billion in Tamil
Nadu to expand its capacity and
establish an electric vehicle ecosys-
tem. The APA covers the acquisition
of land, buildings, machinery, and
manufacturing equipment situated at
the Talegaon plant. The completion
of the acquisition is subject to certain
conditions and regulatory approvals.
The company is aiming to launch
new electric vehicle models in India
in the near future.
Government appoints TCS
to transform Government-e-
Marketplace
The Indian government has chosen
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to
enhance and transform the Gov-
ernment e-Marketplace (GeM), an
end-to-end marketplace for central
and state governments, and public
sector undertakings (PSUs), to
procure common use goods and
services. TCS will introduce an open
source, open-API architecture and
advanced AI/ML technologies to
the platform, enabling it to handle a
predicted six-fold increase in GMV.
The current GeM platform handles a
Gross Merchandising Value (GMV) of
`2,000 billion and serves over 70,000
buyers and 65,000 billion goods and
service providers, including 800 bil-
lion MSEs.
Parliament passes law to
auction and mine lithium
reserves
The Indian parliament has passed
a new law allowing the govern-
ment to auction and mine newly-
discovered lithium reserves, among
other minerals. The law removes
lithium and other minerals from
the list of atomic minerals, allow-
ing private companies to explore
and mine them, which was previ-
ously restricted. Lithium reserves
were discovered in the Jammu and
Kashmir region, and more reserves
are anticipated to be found in the
near future. Besides lithium, other
minerals such as titanium, beryl,
niobium, and zirconium will also
be open for mining and auction,
expanding beyond state-run compa-
nies’ limitations.
Foxconn signs `16 billion
deal with Tamil Nadu for
mobile component plant
Foxconn has signed a significant `16
billion deal with Tamil Nadu (TN)
government to establish a mobile
component manufacturing facility
in the Kancheepuram district. This
marks Foxconn’s first major invest-
ment in India after parting ways with
Vedanta, indicating a renewed focus
on the Indian market. The invest-
ment is expected to employ around
6,000 people. The company is still
considering the location and working
on expanding its chip manufacturing
capacity in India. Foxconn and TN
have discussed various investment
opportunities, including potential
expansions in EVs and electronic
components, with the aim of making
TN a prominent electronics manufac-
turing hub in Asia.
India, US launch joint call
for proposals on quantum
tech, AI
India and the US have jointly
launched a call for proposals on criti-
cal and emerging technology, focus-
ing on quantum technologies and
artificial intelligence. US Secretary of
Energy, Jennifer M. Granholm, met

48 September 2023 | electronicS For You expreSS www.eFYmag.com


with India’s Union MoS for Science
& Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, to
discuss the bilateral collaboration
in technology. The Indo-US Science
and Technology Forum (IUSSTF)
and the Secretariat for USISTEF will
facilitate the call for proposals. Initia-
tives can be proposed by startups,
academic institutions, governments,
and commercial enterprises, as long
as they focus on applied R&D, have
a business plan, proof of commercial
concept, and sustainable commercial
potential.
Government imposes
penalties on OEMs under
FAME-II
The Ministry of Heavy Industries
received complaints against 17
original equipment manufactur-
ers (OEMs) under the FAME India
Scheme Phase-II in the past 18
months. The manufacturers were
investigated for complaints about
PMP compliance and ex-factory
price breach. Examination of reports
from testing agencies revealed that
six OEMs were fully PMP compli-
ant, while seven were violating PMP
norms. Penalties were imposed
on non-compliant OEMs, includ-
ing holding incentive payments
and refunds for excess amounts.
Four OEMs agreed to refund excess
amounts to customers/purchasers
of electric vehicles (EVs) due to ex-
factory price breaches.
BEL partners with Gabriel
Power, Energy, and CoRover
for AI-based energy solutions
Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has
formed partnerships with Gabriel
Power and Energy Pvt Ltd and
CoRover Pvt Ltd to advance energy
solutions and AI-driven conversa-
tional platforms. BEL’s partnership
with Gabriel Power and Energy Pvt
Ltd intends to introduce and manu-
facture various energy products in
India, including EV chargers, smart
meters, green hydrogen generation,
hydrogen gensets, and solar steam
solutions for the government and
private sectors. CoRover Pvt Ltd and
BEL have signed a two-year MoU to
50 September 2023 | electronicS For You expreSS
industry news
SNIPPETS
• Jammu smart city receives prototype electric bus model; to commence trial run soon
• BEST expands electric double-decker bus fleet to 24
• Banks may ease lending norms for solar units
• Landscape Capital acquires stake in Navitas Semiconductor for $729,000
• Amara Raja Batteries to enter two-wheeler market to power growth
• Uno Minda Eyes `16 billion revenue from EV systems by FY26
• U-blox, ORBCOMM partner to merge terrestrial and satellite IoT communications solutions
• Infineon, startup Jiva Materials partner for recyclable PCBs
indigenously develop and deploy operations is crucial for accelerating
CoRover’s BharatGPT platforms, product learning cycles, introduc-
focusing on AI-based conversational ing a wider range of products more
solutions. BEL’s latest partnerships quickly, and supporting high-volume
are set to enhance energy solutions manufacturing solutions.
and AI-driven platforms, contrib-
uting to India’s technological and EV charging at public
manufacturing advancement. stations subject to 18% GST
Charging electric vehicle batteries at
Tata Group to invest GBP public charging stations is subject
4 billion in UK gigafactory to an 18% GST, according to the
Tata Group plans to invest GBP Karnataka Authority for Advance
4 billion in establishing a battery Ruling (AAR). The AAR determined
gigafactory in the UK. Jaguar Land that the activity of charging an
Rover (JLR) and Tata Motors will be EV constitutes a supply of service
the anchor customers, with supplies rather than a supply of electricity or
starting from 2026. Tata Sons, the movable property. The ruling came
parent company of Tata Group, plans about when a power distribution
to build a 40GW battery cell gigafac- company sought to establish public
tory. This will be one of Europe’s charging stations for EVs and pro-
largest battery cell manufacturing posed an electric vehicle charging
facilities. The gigafactory’s primary fee comprising energy and service
objective is to provide electric mobil- charges. The Ministry of Power’s
ity and renewable energy storage clarification was referenced, stating
solutions for the UK and European that EV charging within station
customers. premises does not involve selling
electricity to individuals.
Applied Materials works
to bring foreign suppliers Tata Power launches RFID
to India cards for EV charging
Applied Materials aims to encourage Tata Power has launched RFID-
its suppliers from Europe, Japan, and enabled cards to enhance the
other regions to establish operations convenience and accessibility of its
in India. The company said it attract- EV charging infrastructure, which
ed 25 suppliers to Semicon India includes over 40,000 home charg-
2023. This move is part of Applied ers, 4,000+ public and semi-public
Materials’ strategy to enhance the charging points, and 250 bus-charg-
local supply chain and support its ing points across India. The RFID
expansion in the Indian market. The card aims to simplify the EV charging
company plans to invest $400 million process and promote the adoption
in a new engineering centre in Ben- of electric vehicles by providing tap,
galuru, India, focusing on chipmak- charge, and go functionality. The
ing tool technology development. card’s built-in chip ensures efficient,
While Applied Materials does not secure, and seamless initiation of
manufacture in India, local suppli- charging sessions and payments,
ers’ proximity to Applied Materials’ boosting user confidence.
www.eFYmag.com
 strategy: Industry

ARE ELECTRONICS ‘MADE IN INDIA,’

Or Merely ‘Assembled’?
A couple of years ago, India dreamt of becoming a hub for electronics product manufacturing.
Today, let’s assess the reality of that dream and identify the key components required to
transform it into a substantial industry

T
Yashasvini Razdan he World Trade Organization’s
(WTO) Information Technology
Agreement ushered in a new era for
Indian consumers in 1997, granting access
to global consumer electronics brands and
cutting-edge technology at competitive
prices. From the iconic Sony Walkman,
which revolutionised music on-the-go, to
the ubiquitous smartphone of today, these
devices became integral to our lives.
However, the influx of foreign consumer
electronics brands did not bode well for
prominent domestic brands such as Onida,
Videocon, BPL, Zenith, etc, who struggled
to achieve comparable scale and value ad-
dition.
Interestingly, the entire electron-
ics market was not rattled by this wave.
Certain sectors, such as industrial elec-
tronics (energy meters and inverters) and
2-wheeler automotive electronics, remained
relatively less impacted by the influx of
global brands. This was because these two
realms of electronics already had a local
ecosystem which designed, manufactured,
and produced components domestically.
These indigenous manufacturers found a
robust market by supplying their products

52 September 2023 | electronicS For You expreSS www.eFYmag.com


(Value in ` crore)
Post pandemic CAGR 14%
Pre-pandemic CAGR 17%
472,304
381,718
317,331
268,105
229,615 243,263
190,366
38,263
39,064
2014-15 2015-16
Production
Fig. 1: India electronics market trend (Source: MeitY annual report 2020-21, DGCIS data)
to renowned energy meters and util-
ity companies and automakers such
as Bajaj, TVS, Hero, etc, enabling
them to maintain their foothold in
the Indian market.
Fast forward to today, India’s
electronics manufacturing industry
is ambitiously aiming for a $300
billion target output, with a hopeful
projection of $120 billion in exports
by the financial year 2026-27. This
growth trajectory aligns with the
country’s broader vision of achiev-
ing a $1 trillion digital economy by
2025. While these goals are inspir-
ing, it is important to acknowledge
a crucial aspect: India continues to
heavily rely on electronics imports
to meet its domestic demand.
Rising input costs due to high im-
ports, coupled with surging domestic
demand for consumer electronics,
have now, more than ever, created
a pertinent need for an electronics
manufacturing ecosystem that adds
high value to India’s local compo-
nent manufacturing capability.
Copying cues from the
neighbours
As India scales up resources to en-
courage consumer electronics com-
panies to ‘Make in India’, its neigh-
54 September 2023 | electronicS For You expreSS
strategy: Industry
835,702
817,691
797,548
687,987
564,910
533,550
497,484
458,006
388,306 401,450 385,081 402,168
340,901
287,559
82,929 81,961
41,220 61,908
39,980
2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21
Imports Exports India market demand {(Prod-Exp)+Imp}
bours have become the front-runners approach, it took China 40 years to
in electronics manufacturing for achieve exports worth $900 billion!
more than four decades. The Indian If we compare the starting points
Council for Research on Interna- of India, China, and Vietnam in the
tional Economic Relations (ICRIER) electronics sector, the East-Asian
released a report that underlines the countries possessed a more robust
potential for India to learn from the manufacturing base and export-
success stories of China and Vietnam oriented industries from the out-
in the electronics sector. set, only after which they built a
During the early ecosystem- competitive domestic ecosystem and
establishing days, the two countries technical capabilities. This ultimate-
prioritised exporting at scale to the ly resulted in higher participation in
global market, over achieving high global value chains, increasing their
levels of domestic value addition. share of domestic value addition in
Both countries focused on attracting exports. On the other hand, India
foreign investments by offering a large had to focus on skill development
and relatively low-cost labour force. and workforce training to meet the
China went the extra mile to demands of the electronics industry.
increase domestic value addition by Competing with Chinese global
investing in research and developing value chains worth $900 billion
technical capabilities to become a seems like a fool’s errand, but India
key player in manufacturing high- has been taking significant steps
tech components, from primar- to establish a competent domestic
ily being an assembler. With this manufacturing ecosystem, in the
DVA = Total Exports×DVAratio where,
DVA refers to the total value of domestic inputs used in exports;
DVAratio refers to the domestic value addition per unit of output (or total demand).
To increase DVA of smartphones, one could increase the number of smartphones exported
or the DVAratio in each smartphone, say from 25% to 75%. By this logic, if both SCALE
and RATIO can be increased simultaneously, it would lead to an even higher DVA and
hence, faster job creation.
(Source: ICRIER Report, Globalise to Localise)
www.eFYmag.com

form of incentives and developing
electronics manufacturing clusters.
The question is, how effective are
these schemes in increasing local
value addition?
The Catch-22 of PLI
To catch up with the success of
China and Vietnam, the Indian gov-
ernment introduced the production-
linked incentive (PLI) scheme for
mobile phones and large-scale elec-
tronics manufacturing, with mobile
phones being the ‘belle of the ball’.
As a part of her Budget 2024
speech, Finance Minister Niramala
Sitharaman announced that mobile
phone production in India had in-
creased from 58 million units valued
at about `189 billion in 2014-2015
to 310 million units valued at over
`2,750 billion in the last financial
year, as a result of various gov-
ernment initiatives, including the
phased manufacturing programme.
The PLI for IT hardware has benefit-
ted companies such as Dell, Optie-
mus Electronics, Dixon, Bhagwati
Products, etc. The PLI for the large-
scale electronics manufacturing
(LSEM) sector has attracted leading
global players, including Foxconn,
Samsung, Pegatron, Rising Star, and
Wistron, while leading domestic
companies, including Lava, Micro-
max, Optiemus, United Telelinks Ne-
olyncs, and Padget Electronics, have
also participated in this scheme.
Despite the whopping numbers
for mobile phone exports, India
relies heavily on imports for crucial
components. The scheme prioritises
assembly of mobile phones over
manufacturing the complete-knock-
down (CKD) kit in India. In addi-
tion, it is no secret that the incentive
implies that the government pays
all manufacturers in India—irre-
spective of nationality—6% of a
phone’s invoice price, coming down
to 4% in the fifth year for every
incremental unit produced in India.
56 September 2023 | electronicS For You expreSS
strategy: Industry
“We must shift our focus to ‘higher value addition,’ which can be
accomplished by developing a local component manufacturing
ecosystem, contributing 40% of the value, and investing in local IP
and technology development, which adds another 30%.”
former Managing Director, Arrow Electronics, India
This, along with the tax incentives,
power, and land subsidies offered
by the state governments, amount
to a mammoth expenditure on the
State’s part. However, the question
remains—How much value is added
to India through this expenditure?
To answer that question, we dive
deeper into the pool of numbers.
Reports from the Electronics Indus-
tries Association of India (ELCINA)
show that the import dependency
has reduced from 60% to 40%. Out
of the total $120 billion worth of
electronics products demand, almost
$80 billion was domestically manu-
factured, while $40 billion were
finished goods imports in 2022.
Wonderful news, isn’t it? Howev-
er, what most reports fail to mention
is that out of the $80 billion of prod-
ucts that have been domestically
manufactured, only 15% of the total
electronics used has been locally
manufactured. So, eventually, India
earns approximately $12 billion in
an electronics market worth $120
billion. This is because the subsidy
is paid only for finishing the phone
in India, not on how much value
manufacturing in India adds.
Industry expert and former Ar-
row Electronics, India, Managing
Director Sanjeev Keskar explains
this further. He says, “If we import
CKD kits of mobile phones and
only perform SMT assembly in
India, it results in less than 10% of
value recognition, and to achieve
even that, we are offering a 4% PLI
incentive. In the long run, this strat-
egy is not viable. Instead, we must
shift our focus to ‘higher value ad-
dition,’ which can be accomplished
by developing a local component
—Sanjeev Keskar, Industry Expert and
manufacturing ecosystem contribut-
ing 40% of the value, and investing
in local IP and technology develop-
ment, which adds another 30%.”
“We possess exceptional talent
in semiconductor chip VLSI and em-
bedded electronics design. However,
much of this talent is employed
in captive design centres of global
companies or design services firms.
While we secure jobs, we often miss
out on the intellectual property (IP)
value they create. Therefore, it is
imperative to prioritise the suc-
cess of Indian startups in chip and
embedded electronics design in con-
junction with developing a robust
local component ecosystem. Relying
solely on manufacturing CKD kits
would prove disastrous in the long
run,” Keskar says.
Weighing in the components
The proposed timeline for achieving
the $300 billion target is the finan-
cial year 2026—with the current rate
of domestic value addition, 15-20%
for mobile phones and 25-30% for
other electronic components. These
numbers currently fall short of the
target of 35-40% and 45-50% set by
the PLI scheme for mobile phones
and electronic components.
Even though electronics exports
and domestic consumption has
increased by 14% over the last six
years, data from ELCINA shows that
the Indian component industry con-
tinues to face direct and indirect op-
portunity losses. The report collated
data from the Ministry of Electronics
and Information Technology (MeitY)
and ELCINA’s esitmates, showing
that $121 billion worth of electron-
ics equipment was made in India in
www.eFYmag.com

(Value in US$ billion)
66
60
31.8 30
9.9 9.8
2018-19 2020-21
Domestic electronic equipment production - 1
1 - MeitY 2020-21 annual report and removing the components production
2 - ELCINA CTF BOM model analysis
3 - ELCINA forecast of how the components production ramp up could be achieved 2018-19 data was ELCINA CTF estimation
Fig. 2: Potential for manufacturing electronic components in India
2022-23. To meet this demand, $52
billion worth of components were
required but only $3 billion worth of
components were produced domes-
tically.
Keskar explains, “In any electron-
ics product, components contribute
approximately 40% of the total
value, 25% for semiconductors, 10%
for passives, connectors, and cables,
and 5% for bare PCBs. With a pro-
jected $300 billion growth potential,
the demand for passive components
and bare PCBs is expected to reach
around $30 billion and $15 billion,
respectively, both of which are
predominantly imported currently.
Unlike semiconductor fabrication
labs, assembly, testing, marking, and
packaging (ATMP) facilities, pas-
sive components, and PCBs do not
require massive investments.”
Global electronics products rely
heavily on passive components,
accounting for about 48% of the
components, and active components
comprise the remaining 52%. The
Confederation of Indian MSMEs
in ESDM and IT (CIMEI) Director-
General Jairaj Srinivas believes India
can manufacture simple components
such as transformers, capacitors,
and transistors. “These components
58 September 2023 | electronicS For You expreSS
strategy: Industry
164
121
89
68
52
39
25
15
2021-22 2022-23 2023-24
Components required for meeting domestic requirement - 2
do not require extensive expertise.
By encouraging and supporting local
production of these passive compo-
nents, India can create a self-sus-
taining ecosystem for the electronics
industry and reduce dependence on
imports, fostering domestic manu-
facturing,” he adds.
Currently, the government has
introduced the Scheme for Promo-
tion of Manufacturing of Electronic
Components and Semiconductors
(SPECS) to support the manufacture
of passive components and the PCB
sector. “Under this scheme, a 25%
incentive on capital expenditure in-
vestment is offered for manufactur-
ing these products, following a re-
imbursement policy. However, there
is a need to modify this scheme
to encourage wider participation,
including MSME industries. With a
projected $45 billion opportunity in
the next five years, this sector holds
immense potential and can signifi-
cantly contribute to India’s electron-
ics manufacturing capabilities,”
Keskar adds.
Salvaging the squirming sector
The domestic electronics manu-
facturing sector is squirming to
compete with the likes of Wistron
300
222
120 120
89
75
45
2024-25 2025-26
Domestic component production ramp up to be required - 3
and Foxconn, who, with their
gargantuan resources, have set up
massive assembly units but con-
tinue to import essential electronics
components. Creating a level play-
ing field for domestic manufacturers
by reducing the bureaucratic red
tape for infrastructure expansion,
boosting intellectual property (IP)
creation and investment in research
and development of embedded
electronics products can contribute
to almost 30% of the value in the
electronics industry.
Infrastructure. These oppor-
tunities can be availed to ensure
the success of Indian MSMEs that
design electronics products in India
and electronics design-as-a-service
startups, by creating pathways to
quality infrastructure and access to
funding to establish huge manufac-
turing facilities to compete with the
industry behemoths.
In April 2020, the government
of India announced the Electronics
Manufacturing Cluster 2.0 (EMC 2.0)
Scheme to establish a complete eco-
system for ESDM manufacturing/pro-
duction. While many may welcome
this move, the EMC 2.0 Scheme fails
to provide specific details about
whether it provides investment for
www.eFYmag.com
 strategy: Industry
assembly or manufacturing units.
“Passive components account for about 48% of the components,
Srinivas says that under the scheme,
and active components comprise the remaining 52%. To
CIMEI has signed an MoU with the foster domestic manufacturing, India can manufacture simple
Uttar Pradesh state government, components such as transformers, capacitors, and transistors,
requesting 500 acres of land from which do not require extensive expertise.”
the government to set up a complete —Jairaj Srinivas, Director-General,
electronics manufacturing ecosystem. The Confederation of Indian MSMEs in ESDM and IT (CIMEI)
As per the scheme, the government
will bear the majority of the costs for In contrast, India’s current spending and beyond. Small businesses can
land development and setting up a on research and development in the access research facilities without
common facility centre. MSME sector is only 2.5%. Small incurring substantial costs through
“The production-linked incen- businesses often struggle to allocate such research opportunities, thereby
tive for the components is yet to be funds for research and development promoting R&D activities,” he adds.
finalised. However, we have spoken due to limited financial resources. The electronics components
to nearly 15 companies in Taiwan Despite having Centres of Excellence market in India measures up to
and China interested in setting up for different electronics domains $64.2 billion, of which a significant
their manufacturing units as joint and various incubation centres, the amount continues to be imported.
venture partners in India. Under this success rate for startups and small To reduce dependency on imports
arrangement, the Indian partner will businesses working in the ESDM and become truly atmanirbhar in
hold a 51% stake, and the foreign industry remains low. the ESDM sector, initiatives such as
partner will hold 49%. This ensures To promote collaborative efforts the design-linked incentive scheme,
that India has a major stake in with respect to research and devel- for MSMEs and startups, propel
the organisation, and manufactur- opment, Srinivas suggests collabora- manufacturers to increase domestic
ing will occur within the country, tion and engagement by companies value addition, ultimately creating
thereby strengthening the supply with substantial financial resources a high-value-addition electronics
chain and minimising disruptions, and significant corporate social industry and generating employ-
especially in component-level manu- responsibility (CSR) funds to invest ment in electronics component
facturing,” adds Srinivas. in R&D initiatives. “These compa- manufacturing. While the PLI
Research and development. One nies can contribute to the develop- schemes encourage investments in
of the main reasons India’s neigh- ment of common facilities centres the sector, there is a dire need to
bours accelerated their lead in the and establish contract research establish and treat the components
electronics revolution was the focus organisations that cater to various industry differently regarding incen-
on developing technical capabilities. sectors, including the ESDM sector tives. Longer gestation period and a
smaller investment-to-sales ratio call
While manufacturing abilities may take some time to develop, harnessing what is in hand for extended incentive periods to en-
can help strengthen the sector. With many design houses and startups, incentivising
sure a positive return on investment
design activity in India through the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme will attract
domestic and global players in the semiconductor industry. The scheme provides financial in component manufacturing for
and infrastructural support to companies setting up fabs or semiconductor-making plants, investors. With nearly 50% of value
encouraging innovation, reducing dependence on foreign manufacturers, and boosting addition in the component ecosys-
India’s position in the digital revolution. tem, focusing on localised manufac-
The DLI scheme consists of three components: turing can boost the nation’s overall
Chip design infrastructure support. C-DAC will establish the India Chip Centre economic growth and resilience.
to provide state-of-the-art design infrastructure and facilitate access to supported
While the Sony Walkman may
companies.
Product design linked incentive. Approved applicants engaged in semiconductor be long gone and forgotten, we can
design can receive up to 50% reimbursement of eligible expenditures, with a ceiling of certainly hope that soon enough
`150 million per application. every smartphone will have the ma-
Deployment linked incentive. Approved applicants deploying semiconductor designs jority, if not all, of the components
in electronic products can receive an incentive of 6% to 4% of net sales turnover over 5 completely manufactured, and not
years, with a ceiling of `300 million per application. just assembled, in India.
So far, seven startups with product applications ranging from artificial intelligence (AI)
to vector processes and image sensors have been approved for funding. The scheme is The author, Yashasvini Razdan,
part of the $10 billion India semiconductor mission announced by the government in 2021. is a Technology Journalist at EFY

60 September 2023 | electronicS For You expreSS www.eFYmag.com

 strategy: startUPs

CAN A BUSINESS PLAN

Be An Asset?
Your business plan is not just a document; it is your guiding star in the entrepreneurial galaxy.
So, why settle for a static plan? This is the author’s take on embracing the dynamism, infusing
narratives, and committing to sustainability in this part of his ongoing series

propositions, better scaling possibilities,

and better access to funding.
So, where does a business plan fit into
all this?

And why it is necessary?

In the dynamic and ever-evolving world of
startups, having a well-structured busi-
ness plan is akin to a compass guiding
you through uncharted waters.
At its core, a business plan serves as a
roadmap, illuminating the path to suc-
cess by outlining your startup’s mission,
vision, strategies, and goals. But beyond
this conventional wisdom, there is more
to what it entails. The question really is—
can a business plan be an asset? And if
yes, what must go into it?
Clarity amid chaos. It would be an
understatement to say the current world
is more chaotic than we would like. Add

M
AnAnd TAmboli
is a serial entrepreneur,
speaker, award-winning
author, and an
emerging-technology
thought leader
ost startups are typically val-
ued on future earnings. This
is risky, because the future is
unpredictable, and the numbers are not
being linked to reality.
Many Indian startups, unfortunately,
are overvalued. Look at the recent news
and market. Looks like the funding
winter is coming, realistic valuation is
on the cards. The valuation bubble is
bursting with a reset in sight.
In the fast-paced arena of startups,
where ideas flourish and innovation
reigns supreme, valuations have always
been a sort of black magic.
But when you get them right, the
benefits are multifold. They often result
in operational efficiency, better value
to that life of a startup, which is often rife
with ambiguity and uncertainty. A well-
thought-out business plan brings clarity
to your vision, helping you articulate your
unique value proposition, target audience,
and market differentiators. It is a tool for
making critical decisions with confidence.
Strategic direction. Beyond being
just a document, it is a strategic tool that
helps you define short-term and long-term
objectives. This plan should evolve along-
side your business, adapting to market
shifts and insights while maintaining your
core values. More so, it is a brain dump of
founders or CEO that others can read and
understand. Without that people may feel
they have understood the vision, but it
would be only partially correct.

62 September 2023 | electronicS For You expreSS www.eFYmag.com


Investor magnet. Savvy investors
are drawn to startups armed with a
comprehensive business plan. Not
because they like PowerPoint decks
or anything such. But because they
understand the value of writing your
thoughts and ideas on paper. It not
only showcases your dedication,
market understanding, and financial
projections, but it also increases your
chances of securing funding due to
increased confidence.
When should you write one?
While conventional wisdom dictates
a business plan should be drafted
before launching your startup, it is
only partly true.
What one must recognise is that
a business plan is not a static docu-
ment. It is a living document that
evolves with your business. I won’t
be afraid or feel any less if I were to
revisit and revise the business plan
as I progress.
What should you cover and
what you shouldn’t?
This is not to give you conventional
business plan writing tips. If you
are reading this, it is likely that you
already know what a business plan
is and what it covers.
However, if the goal is to not just
keep it as a document and convert
it into an asset, then a few more
details must go into it.
Adaptability strategy. With so
much chaos and moving targets,
TEL 15(WI)N and TEL 15(WI)N-HS Series
Ultra compact 15 Watt DC/DC converters
(DIP-16) for industrial applications
ƒ Highest power density of 4.51 W/cm3
ƒ Standard or heatsink package
ƒ 6-side shielded metal case with
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
STRATEGY: STARTUPS
a plan that describes how your
business can pivot in response to
unexpected market changes will go
a long way. Show that you are not
just planning for success but also
for resilience.
Customer storytelling. Conven-
tionally, customer stories have no
place in a business plan. But that
is where an asset differs from a
plan. Try to incorporate narratives
of how your product or service
could change a customer’s life. This
humanises your business and adds
emotional depth. It also makes you
think differently.
Sustainability commitment.
This is probably a new one. Earlier
ESG was only on the agenda for big
companies. Now it is everyone’s
business. In today’s conscious
consumer landscape, detailing your
commitment to sustainability and
ethical practices can be a unique
selling point.
While these are a few key things
to add to your business plan, I
might also cover a few things that
should be avoided.
Overly optimistic projections.
While optimism is crucial, unre-
alistic financial projections can
undermine your credibility. Balance
ambition with grounded projections.
Nearly every second startup I have
seen has had out-of-the-roof projec-
tions. They don’t account for infla-
tion, unforeseen market changes,
tax implications, etc.
insulated baseplate
ƒ Wide 2:1 and 4:1 input
voltage ranges
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU EXPRESS | SEPTEMBER 2023
Lengthy jargon. More often I
see people trying to stuff too much
jargon, just to appear and show off
that they know the industry. This
is vanity and I highly recommend
against it. Instead, communicate
your ideas clearly and succinctly.
The goal is to communicate, not to
show off.
Excessive detail. Do not drown
in minutiae. Focus on the big picture
and key strategies, leaving room for
adaptability.
The point is
Crafting a business plan is more
than just a ritual; it’s a strategic
exercise that empowers your startup
to navigate the unpredictable waters
of entrepreneurship.
By blending conventional wis-
dom with daring, unconventional
ideas, you can create a business
plan that not only secures funding
but propels your startup toward
sustainable success.
A business plan is not a static
manuscript; it’s a dynamic blueprint
that evolves with your journey,
embracing change, and harnessing
innovation.
And most importantly, when you
add things that are beyond conven-
tion but still relevant, a business plan
can become an asset. An asset that
can be used by everyone in the busi-
ness. An asset that is not just stored
in a file folder but frequently used for
strategising and executing.
www.tracopower.com
IEC 62368-1 UL 62368-1
63
 STRATEGY: INTERVIEW
Opportunity

“With QUALITY,
COST, And
INNOVATION,
India Can Lead
The GLOBAL
DETONATORS
India is poised to achieve a significant
milestone by 2023 as it becomes one of the
first countries to eradicate the use of electric
INDUSTRY”
detonators to trigger the main explosive. Over
60 years old, GOCL Corporation Limited has
been an active player in the Indian mining
explosives market. Recently, the company
has focused on diversifying its already
heterogeneous product portfolio, including
energetics and explosives, special projects,
and realty. It has also entered the EMS and
electronics market. In an email interaction,
Pankaj Kumar, MD & CEO of GOCL Corp. Ltd,
discussed the progressive trends of electronic PANKAJ KUMAR
MD & CEO,
detonators in India and the world GOCL CORP. LTD

How do you see the fact that the
Indian government is phasing out
the electric detonators?
As per the government of India
notification, electric detonators are
to be phased out from April 2024.
The decision is primarily driven
by the need to address security
concerns and prevent the potential
misuse of such explosive devices
by anti-social elements, terrorist
organisations, and individuals with
malicious intent. Electric detona-
tors, due to their electrical initiation
mechanism, have the potential to
be triggered remotely, making them
susceptible to unauthorised use.
How has the overall demand and
supply for electronic detonators
been in the last 2-3 years? What are
the key factors that have affected it?
Over the past 2 to 3 years, the
demand for electronic detonators has
witnessed significant growth, primar-
ily due to the rapid development
and expansion happening in various
sectors in India. With the country
experiencing a growth rate of 7-8%,
there has been a substantial increase
in mining activities, infrastructure
development projects, and the con-
struction of critical transportation
links such as the North East Link and
tunnel networks. This has simulta-
neously increased the demand for

64 SEPTEMBER 2023 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU EXPRESS WWW.EFYMAG.COM


efficient and safe explosive solutions
that aid in excavation, blasting, and
controlled demolition processes.
Additionally, the focus on safety
and compliance has intensified, lead-
ing to a shift towards using electronic
detonators over conventional alter-
natives. Electronic detonators offer
enhanced precision, accuracy, and
control, resulting in improved safety
measures during blasting operations.
These innovative detonators also pro-
vide greater flexibility and precision
in blasting operations, enabling more
efficient resource utilisation and
minimising environmental impact.
What future do you see for the
electronic detonators market in
India? Any major trends?
Electronic detonators offer several
advantages over traditional electric
detonators, including ease of opera-
tion. According to a market research
report by MarketsandMarkets, the
Indian electronic detonator market
is projected to grow at a CAGR of
6.4% between 2021 and 2026 due to
the increasing demand for electronic
detonators in mining and quarrying
operations, as well as infrastructure
development projects.
With the ban on electric detona-
tors by the government of India start-
ing in April 2024, there is expected
to be a significant increase in the
demand for electronic detonators.
Is India a lucrative market for deto-
nators, or do the main margins come
from exports? Also, is India a ‘net
consumer’ or a ‘net creator’?
India is indeed a lucrative market
for detonators, but the margins for our
company also come from exports. The
growing nature of the Indian economy
presents significant opportunities for
detonator manufacturers, given the
substantial infrastructure development,
mining projects, and tunnelling activi-
ties taking place across the country.
India’s status as a net creator
66 September 2023 | electronicS For You expreSS
strategy: interview
rather than just a consumer in the
detonator industry contributes to
the export-oriented approach. With
the country’s strong manufacturing
capabilities and emphasis on quality
and safety standards, India has es-
tablished itself as a reliable supplier
of detonators in the global market.
What differences do you see in
the texture of domestic and
international detonator markets?
Do you tackle both with different
strategies?
The domestic market will move
towards an increase in the value
of after-sales service in addition to
product quality and cost. With the
increase in coal production, mining
activities, and infrastructure pro-
jects in the country, the demand for
detonators and explosives is bound
to increase exponentially.
The international market re-
ceives world-class quality products
from multinationals and local play-
ers. The challenge for us is to supply
them at a lower cost while maintain-
ing the same quality.
Our strategy to tackle both mar-
kets is to produce quality products
at the right cost and come up with
new products from time to time to
suit market needs ahead of others.
What are the key elements that
need to be worked upon for India to
be a global leader in detonators?
To establish India as a global
leader in detonators, there are three
key elements that need to be focused
on: quality, cost, and innovation.
Ensuring high-quality standards is
crucial to building trust among global
customers. This involves implement-
ing stringent quality control meas-
ures throughout the manufacturing
process, from sourcing raw materials
to final product assembly. Adhering
to international safety standards,
certifications, and best practices will
enhance the reliability, performance,
and safety of detonators.
Competitiveness in terms of cost
is essential for increasing markets
globally. By optimising production
processes, adopting efficient technolo-
gies, and implementing cost-effective
supply chain management, Indian
manufacturers can offer detonators at
competitive prices without compro-
mising quality.
Further, innovation is highly es-
sential for providing the most ad-
vanced and customised solutions that
cater to specific industry requirements
and address emerging market trends.
Investing in research and develop-
ment, collaborating with academic
institutions, and fostering a culture
of innovation within the explosives
industry are vital. Developing new
technologies, initiating advancements
in initiation systems, and enhancing
the precision, safety, and environmen-
tal sustainability of detonators will
give India a competitive edge.
Going forward, what challenges do
you see for the detonators and elec-
tronics industry?
Looking ahead, both the detona-
tors and electronics industries are
expected to face certain challenges as
the market is highly competitive with
numerous players. The presence of
multiple manufacturers and suppliers
creates intense competition, driving
companies to differentiate themselves
through product innovation, quality,
and cost competitiveness. Sustain-
ing a competitive edge amidst this
competition will require continuous
improvements and adaptation to
changing market dynamics.
With increasing competition and
evolving market dynamics, con-
solidation within the detonators and
electronics industries is likely to oc-
cur. Companies may explore mergers,
acquisitions, or strategic partnerships
to enhance their market position,
expand their capabilities, and achieve
economies of scale.
www.eFYmag.com
 STRATEGY: MY STORY

“BOOKS
Have Been
AN INTEGRAL
Part Of
MY LIFE”
PROF. S. SADAGOPAN
AN EDUCATOR AND THOUGHT LEADER

From the social impact-driven, spiritual ideology of Ramakrishna Mission, since his schooldays, to
becoming a legend in the Indian technology education landscape, Professor S. Sadagopan, an educator
and thought leader, has embarked on an insightful journey. In a conversation with Sudeshna Das,
consulting editor at EFY, he candidly shares the story of his life

H
ailing from Mylapore, a
neighbourhood exuding
old-world charm in the
heart of Chennai, India, Professor
S. Sadagopan was born in 1951 into
an educated, middle-class family.
Despite losing his father at a young
age, he spent his formative years
amidst the quaint surroundings of
Mylapore. His resilient mother, now
aged 96, single-handedly raised him,
instilling a strong foundation for his
future endeavours.
“I lost my father when I was
seventeen. Just on the day of the
death, he said that he was dying as
a happy father as he had instilled a
better value system in me. He used
to say that, for us, God is like a
traffic cop and God is not con-
fused. So obviously, there are only
green and red and no amber in his
signal. This lesson made me very
intuition-driven. Before making
any decision, intuitively, I see if
it’s green or red. I do not question
it; I consider it the Lord’s wish. My
mother raised me almost single-
handedly. It was quite tough, but
she has done it extremely well. She
is a big, big motivator and an influ-
encer on my life.”
Traveling down the early years
“Mylapore used to be called a place
for intellectuals. It was a nice neigh-
bourhood with an old sandstone
church and a beautiful sea beach.
The church traces its origin back
to St. Thomas!” Prof. Sadagopan
describes. He started his schooling
in a 100-year-old institute, named P
S High School, in the same local-
ity. Later, he was associated with
the Ramakrishna Mission School in
Chennai.
The association with Ram-
akrishna Mission made a deep

68 SEPTEMBER 2023 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU EXPRESS WWW.EFYMAG.COM


impact on Prof. Sadagopan. The
ideologies of Shri Ramakrishna and
Swami Vivekananda remain the
guiding factor in Prof. Sadagopan’s
journey of life. He got interested in
meditation and began volunteering
for social causes during his school
days under different initiatives by
Ramakrishna Mission. “As a school
student, I got into the habit of vol-
unteering. I volunteered in the free
medical centre cum dispensary run
by the Ramakrishna Mission. I used
to distribute medicines as per the
prescriptions.”
Prof. Sadagopan is to date quite
fascinated by the libraries at his
school and Ramakrishna Mission.
He still remembers the amazing
teachers that mentored him and en-
couraged him on a lifelong spiritual
journey. Prof. Sadagopan opines,
“My experiences at school and
Ramakrishna Mission shaped my
personality.”
“I have learned a lot while
volunteering with Ramakrishna
Mission for a charitable dispensary
project. The patients had to pay five
paise for availing of the consulta-
tion. Even in those days, five paise
was a nominal amount, but collect-
ing the same involved lots of work.
So, I asked Swamiji the reason
behind making the service charge-
able with a nominal amount. He ex-
plained that those ‘5 paisa’ contribu-
tions from each patient were hardly
making any difference in our overall
cost. However, that contribution
would ensure the sincerity and regu-
larity of the patients for that service.
Actually, after paying that nominal
fee they valued the service more and
stopped wasting medicines. It was a
touching lesson for me.”
Pursuing the engineering
dream
Prof. Sadagopan completed his
schooling in 1967 and joined the
College of Engineering, Guindy,
70 SEPTEMBER 2023 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU EXPRESS
STRATEGY: MY STORY
Prof. S. Sadagopan at the India Software Product Management Summit 2020 (ISPMS 2020)
University of Madras, India, to pur-
sue BE (Hons) (1973). He narrates
“It is one of the oldest engineering
colleges in the country. I was a day
scholar there. My house was about
five kilometres away and I used to
commute by bicycle.”
The college gave him a much
wider canvas to paint. While remem-
bering his learning days, Prof. Sada-
gopan says, “In those days, there
was no separate computer science
department. However, we started
with analogue computers, and later,
a very modest IBM 1620 computer
in a government department. There
was a professor in charge who used
to allow us extra practice time, after
office hours. However, there was
not enough money to pay for IBM
training; so we all used to dig up the
manuals and learn to program by do-
ing it ourselves.”
During his engineering days,
Prof. Sadagopan got opportunities
to participate in various interesting
projects and to do an internship at
a reputed company. However, the
huge library at Guindy was the most
important attraction. “I still remem-
ber there was a famous textbook
called ‘The Dynamics and Ther-
modynamics of Compressible Fluid
Flow’ by Professor AH Shapiro of
MIT.” The librarian was struggling to
find the right place—was she to put
it under dynamics, thermodynamics,
or fluids? I guided her to resolve this
matter and we became good friends.
As a result, I was allowed to borrow
more books. I think books have been
an integral part of my life.”
Then, the Indian higher educa-
tion system was in an experimental
phase concerning the engineering
syllabus. It allowed Prof. Sadagopan
to study more elective courses and
interesting projects even outside the
department. He focused more on
mathematics and electronics and also
did some unusual experiments.
Sdagopan defines himself as a
‘365 day holiday’ person as he has
been enjoying his study and work just
like his leisure. “When people talk
about work-life balance, I get amused,
because I think that it seamlessly
flows into each other,” he explains.
His zeal for learning manifested even
in leisure pursuits, exemplified by
his grasp of Hindi and translation of
Prabhudutt Brahmachari’s lectures
during his college days.
Shaping up
the professional life
“I wanted to go for academics and
higher studies after completing my
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

Prof. S. Sadagopan receiving NDTV Digital Pioneer Award
engineering degree,” Prof. Sadago-
pan informs. However, destiny led
him to Engineers India, a Delhi-
based consulting firm. A talent
search culminated in his recruit-
ment, offering a novel perspective
on his potential. He remembers,
“They had a very unusual policy as
they invited only the top two rank
holders of twenty premiere Universi-
ties for an interview. So as a young
person of about 20 years, I found
that suddenly a company took the
trouble of discovering me, even giv-
ing me a first-class train ticket to go
to Delhi, and finally appointed me
in a job for which I never applied.
And of course, the job was also
paying well, a four-figure salary of
1,040 rupees. It was a good salary
in 1973. So, I joined the company as
a computer engineer in the System
Engineering and Computer Services
Department.” As a part of that
team, Prof. Sadagopan was actively
involved in the computerisation of
materials management for IPCL!
That job gave Prof. Sadagopan
exposure to the advanced applica-
tions of computer engineering. He
got an opportunity to take special
computer training from a team of
German experts and some interest-
ing projects like planning the road
network and the bus network for
Hyderabad and Delhi, and planning
for the slurry pipeline of Kudremukh
Iron Ore.
72 SEPTEMBER 2023 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU EXPRESS
STRATEGY: MY STORY
Prof. Sadagopan narrates,
“I was having fun at my job;
however, I wanted more fun
and more opportunities to
learn. Thus, I started look-
ing for higher studies. Those
days, there was no email
facility, but I remembered
Professor Ravindran who
came from Purdue Univer-
sity to teach in IIT Madras.
He had also given lectures
in my engineering college
at Guindy. So, I contacted
him and he guided me to my higher
studies. I cleared TOEFL and GRE
and landed myself at Purdue Univer-
sity.” Purdue University is one of the
largest engineering institutions in the
United States. “The Purdue Univer-
sity President used to use a very nice
marketing statement - The first man
on the moon happens to be a Purdue
alumnus; as of now, the last man on
the moon also happens to be a Pur-
due alumnus!” says Prof. Sadagopan
remembering his alma mater.
The Purdue University days
were quite memorable for Prof.
Sadagopan. That was a time when
computer science was getting main-
stream and the computer centre at
Purdue was managed very well. In
Prof. Sadagopan’s words, “Purdue
was quite ahead of the computer
revolution to solve diverse problems
of humanity.” He enjoyed dabbling
in large computing, large computa-
tional problem-solving, and decision
support. He also got involved in an
optimisation library that was used
by several departments—agriculture,
engineering, science, and business—
Awards and Accolades
• Fulbright Fellowship (1995)
• Champion of Humanity, Award of Hindustan Chamber of Commerce (2009)
• Rotary Honor of Vocational Excellence by Rotary Northwest Bangalore District 3190 (2013)
• Engineering Watch “Campus Preparedness” Award (2015)
• Cisco NDTV “Digital Pioneer” Award (2016)
• Distinguished Alumnus Award, College of Engineering Guindy (2021)
• IT Visionary Award, StrategINK (2023)
to use resources optimally. “We
used to work on computer programs
that were open, much before the
word open source was invented. It
was a set of Fortran programs for
linear and integer optimisation used
by the whole university.” Prof. Sada-
gopan explains. Later he applied
that experience to share scientific
and engineering program libraries at
IIT Kanpur.
While discussing the influence of
faculty members at Purdue Uni-
versity, Prof. Sadagopan mentions,
“Professor Ravindran at Purdue
University influenced me a lot. His
way of assessing students was dif-
ferent from the traditional methods.
He used to say that students do not
haggle for more marks if they know
what they deserve and why they
deserve it. His explanation helped
me to develop the habit of giving
copious notes for all the quizzes,
homework, and examinations that
I corrected as a teaching assistant.
I always find that students take ex-
ams seriously not only for obtaining
marks but also for learning perspec-
tive; it is for the teachers to provide
that learning environment”
Purdue University is located near
Chicago, the place where Swami
Vivekananda represented India
at the Parliament of the World’s
Religions in 1893. “Because of my
connection with Ramakrishna Math,
I was very curious to know about
Swami Vivekananda’s coverage
and journey in Chicago, as I was
inspired by the way Swami Vive-
kananda presented India there. I
found something amazing about it
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

in Purdue library—I could access
the newspaper of 1893 in 1976 and I
was able to find Swami Vivekanan-
da’s coverage in the local news-
papers of the United States. I was
amazed to see Swami Vivekananda’s
picture on the front page of the Chi-
cago Tribune though his name was
depicted in the typical American
style—Swami as his first name and
Ananda as his last name!”
Facilitating India’s
technological progress
While Prof. S. Sadagopan’s voyage
has been a tapestry of intriguing
experiences, his impact on India’s
technological landscape remains
unparalleled. From his decision to
return to India immediately after
pursuing his PhD abroad to his
instrumental role in pivotal IT ini-
tiatives, his journey has been an em-
bodiment of dedication and strategic
vision. Though he does not consider
it as a strategic decision, he prefers
to let life go as it is.
After returning to India, he ap-
plied for jobs in three places—IIT
Kanpur, IIT Madras, and IIT Bom-
bay. The Indian Institute of Technol-
ogy (IIT) Kanpur became his abode
for the next 16-17 transformative
years. Prof. Sadagopan says, “I had
a great time at IIT Kanpur. Because
then, the city did not have much to
offer, so, all of our activities were
confined within the institute. All
faculty members used to stay at the
campus.” He used to return home
for a cup of evening tea with a
newspaper in hand. There was no
television in those days so news-
papers were the main source of
information. Prof. Sadagopan men-
tions the excellent student-academic
relationship at IIT Kanpur. During
this period, he got involved in some
nation-building projects. The ERNET
(Education & Research Network
of India) project in 1985-86 stands
as a testament to his contribu-
74 SEPTEMBER 2023 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU EXPRESS
STRATEGY: MY STORY
Among MIIT students and staff
tions, reflecting his commitment to
advancing the nation’s technological
infrastructure.
In an era when the Internet was
in its infancy, Prof. Sadagopan’s in-
volvement in the ERNET project was
transformative. It was not an easy
task to share data and programs.
Prof. Sadagopan says, “In the process
of building ERNET, the country de-
veloped and internalised the technol-
ogy of the internet. In 1995, when
VSNL launched internet across the
country, many of the engineers were
trained by ERNET project.”
At IIT Kanpur, Prof. Sadagopan
got a liberal work environment that
allowed him to experiment with
education technology. Therefore,
he along with other team members
continued experimentation with
office automation and multime-
dia teaching content development
among other things. During this
period the country was also going
through several changes, mainly
for computer policy and technology
adoption. Prof. Sadagopan remem-
bers, “It was the time between 1979
and 1995. The Ministry (at that time
it was a department) of Electronics
became centre stage and computer
policy was introduced. I had been
quite involved with all of them.
I also started working with the
Ministry of Electronics.” During that
tenure, he took an active part in the
growth of IT company CMC Limited
and also got involved in the large-
scale project for the computerisation
of the railway reservation system.
In 1995, Prof. Sadagopan joined
IIM Bangalore as a professor in the
QMIS (quantitative methods and in-
formation systems) area. The grow-
ing emphasis on industry-academia
interactions prompted Prof. Sadago-
pan to establish the ERP Centre with
help from SAP and Ramco. He also
established the supply chain centre
with help from Siemens.
In 1999, Prof. Sadagopan joined
IIIT Bangalore as the first director
of the institute and spent the next
22 years there. IIITs represent a
set of new-generation universities
started in India in the late 90s with
a special focus on IT. IIIT Bangalore
is one of the first such institutes. As
the first director of IIIT Bangalore,
he was involved in the visioning,
planning, and executing the growth
of this institute, which is counted
as one of the premier institutes in
India.
“Before joining IIIT Bangalore
as director, I never thought that I
would do an administrative job. I
am a hardcore nut-bolt kind of en-
gineer. However, I am an intuition-
driven person. I decided to join the
IIIT intuitively after receiving an
invitation from the Chief Secretary
of the State mentioning that the gov-
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

Prof. S. Sadagopan with his wife
ernment wanted me to do that.”
Prof. Sadagopan was involved
with several large-scale IT initiatives
in India, including:
• RTGS from the Reserve Bank
of India
• Algo Trading from the National
Stock Exchange
• UPI from NPCI
• Core banking in several public
sector banks, including the Bank of
India, Canara Bank, and the Indian
Overseas Bank
• Post Office Bank
• SAP implementation at leading
public sector companies, including
Indian Oil, BHEL, NTPC, and private
sector companies, including Tata
Motors, Ashok Leyland, and Maruti
Udyog
Large-scale projects that have a
global impact include:
• Chairing MOSIP (Modular
Open Source Identity Platform) that
built an open source version of the
Citizen Identity project (like AAD-
HAAR), during 2017-2021; MOSIP is
76 SEPTEMBER 2023 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU EXPRESS
STRATEGY: MY STORY
currently being
implemented in
about a dozen
countries
• As the Men-
tor Director in-
volved in setting
up the Myanmar
International In-
stitute of Informa-
tion Technology
(MIIT), Manda-
lay; during 2016-
2021, this institute
was sponsored
by the Ministry of
External Affairs
of the Indian
government and
the government
of Myanmar
• Conceptual-
ising and execut-
ing the hugely
successful IITB
- upGrad Data Science program, the
largest online education program in
India during 2016-2021
• MINRO (Machine Intelligence
and Robotics) Centre funded by the
government of Karnataka during
2014-2021
The professor has been serving
on the boards of several higher edu-
cational institutes, including IIITs
at Gwalior, Delhi, Bhubaneshwar,
Dharwad, Kottayam, Chennai
(IITDM - Kancheepuram) as well as
MAHE, Jain University, Sai Uni-
versity, Dayanand Sahar and RV
University. He was a member of the
Karnataka Knowledge Commission
and Chief Minister’s Vision Groups
on High Education and IT.
He has served on the boards
of several corporations, including
Bharat Electronics, BEML, Bank of
India, National Mineral Develop-
ment Corporation, NLC, National
Stock Exchange, Indian Overseas
Bank , NESL, Tata Elxsi, VisualSoft,
Coempt, and Informatics.
The professor is also a fellow of
the UK’s IET (formerly IEE), Com-
puter Society of India, and Institu-
tion of Engineers (India). Apart from
that, he is a senior member of the
IEEE and ACM. Prof. Sadagopan’s
research work has appeared in sev-
eral international journals, including
IEEE Transactions, the European
Journal of Operational Research, the
Journal of Optimization Theory and
Applications, Naval Research Logis-
tics Simulation and Decision Sup-
port Systems. Moreover, he served
as a visiting faculty at the Rutgers
University, USA, and the Asian Insti-
tute of Technology, Bangkok.
He was actively involved with
the startup ecosystem in India. “We
started teaching about entrepreneur-
ship long back in the 70s when the
word ‘startup’ was not so popular.
In the late 80s and the early 90s, the
startup ecosystem gradually started
growing. I have been mentoring
dozens of startup companies, many
founded by my former students, in
the past two decades. I have also
been involved with VCs and venture
funds as a part of their startup in-
vestment committee. I helped many
startups through that engagement.”
Being a people person
Prof. Sadagopan describes himself as
a ‘people person’ as most of his ac-
tivities are people-centric. He further
explains, “I travel a lot because I visit
my friends often and, in the process,
I ended up going to 40 countries and
hundreds of towns. But I never travel
only to visit a place.”
“I do not pursue any activity
that normally people associate with
hobbies. I hardly play any games.
However, I read lots of books, but
honestly speaking, I never read a
single novel or any popular maga-
zine. I have not watched any movie
in the last 50 to 60 years, except a
biopic of Mahatma Gandhi. I have
completely zero knowledge about
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

movies. In that sense, I am a very
serious kind of person.”
In terms of passion, he would
love to be able to positively influence
human beings. As he reflects on his
journey, Prof. Sadagopan’s people-
centric approach radiates. He says,
“When people ask me what is the
one thing about which I am proud,
I mention my contribution to an
unusual employability enhancement
project. It was initiated in IIIT Banga-
lore by Smt Meira Kumar, the former
Speaker of the Lok Sabha. We took
some 100 students who happened to
be unemployed engineers belonging
to SC/ST communities. They were
facing difficulties in getting jobs,
even though some reservations were
available to them. We felt that if we
give them world-class courses, cur-
riculum, and facilities, they would
be able to get jobs in world-class
companies. We ran a competition
to select students for special train-
ing. We designed and conducted a
one-year training program for them.
I used to be involved with each of
them intensely. We also got funding
from Infosys for providing laptops
to each trainee. At the end of the
training, all of them got jobs in big
companies, including IBM, HP, etc.”
Later, the same model was replicated
more than once and Prof. Sadago-
pan’s closeness with his students
continues to grow as he narrates, “I
get very close to my students. I have
known them and their families for
the last 30 to 40 years.”
Prof. Sadgopan was also involved
with an e-governance project funda-
mentally. He mentions, “I interacted
with senior level bureaucrats, politi-
cal leaders including chief ministers,
ministers, prime ministers, etc. As
a teacher, I always feel touched to
see the respect given to the teach-
ers in our country. I keep telling my
American friends that a professor
at Harvard University is respected
firstly because of his association
www.efymag.com
strategy: my story
Few of Prof. Sadagopan’s favourite things
• Music: Devotional Carnatic music
• Books: Reads lots of books but not novels. The ‘Autobiography of A Yogi’ by Paramahansa
Yogananda is one of his favourite books. He is also quite influenced by the collected works
of Swami Vivekananda and Sri Aurobindo.
• Food: Traditional vegetarian food
with Harvard, and secondly because
he is also a reasonably rich guy.
However, in our country, teachers
are respected irrespective of their
economic condition.”
Prof. Sadagopan follows an
interesting mentoring style which he
partly learned from his professor. He
remembers, “My professor told me
that there are two ways in which he
can guide me. In the first option, he
had multiple projects with prede-
fined scopes. Therefore, I could join
any one of those and complete my
PhD in a reasonably fast time. But
in this method, I would miss the
fun of defining my problem. In the
second option, I would be allowed
to define my problem and solve
the same under the guidance of my
PhD supervisor. The second option
required more time, but it was more
interesting. Therefore, I opted for
the second option.” Prof. Sadagopan
also follows the same style while
mentoring his students. Rather than
defining their problems, he encour-
ages them to identify some interest-
ing problems and solve them.
“The mentor should be like a life
coach. The life coach should always
be around. He should allow you
to jump into the water and play as
long as you can. Only when you are
likely to be risking your life, the life
coach should come into play; oth-
erwise he should just be observing.
That is my mentorship model.”
His wife is a constant support
and a part of his extended academic
life. Prof. Sadagopan says, “My wife
is a simple person. She has been
a great support for me in lots of
things that I would not have been
able to do. Just like me, her life
electronics for you express | september 2023
centres around our students. She
also travels with me to most places
and most of the students know her.
Lots of times they come to visit her
at home even if I am not there and
love to taste South Indian coffee
and food made by her.” She is also
a good typist and used to help his
students in typing their projects,
especially those who were not able
to arrange a laptop or personal com-
puter for typing. Due to her support,
many students mention her name
in the acknowledgment section of
their MTech and PhD theses. These
students include many celebrity
technocrats, for example, the current
CEO of TCS K Krithivasan, and the
current IT Minister Ashwini Kumar
Vaishnaw
Prof. Sadagopan is closely as-
sociated with IIIT Bangalore (IIITB)
even after his formal retirement. Re-
cently, he and his wife attended the
Convocation 2023, where Integrated
MTech students of the year 2018
graduated. “Many parents remem-
bered his request way back in 2018
at the time of admissions, to visit
IIITB only after 5 years to see their
wards graduate, with the assurance
that the wards will be safe in IIITB!
I forgot the same, but my students
and their parents remembered and
asked me if I would keep my pledge.
I had no option but to be there!
Prof. Sadagopan would like to
remain active with his work and
students until the last moment of his
life. “I would like to keep working
until the last minute and disappear
just like that. That’s what I want.
Whether it is one year from now or
10 years from now or 30 years from
now.”
77
 strategy: interview
Startups

“STARTUPS, With Their

Entrepreneurial MINDSET And
Nimbleness, Often Hold
THE KEY TO INNOVATION”
TE Connectivity recently partnered with the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce
(BCIC) Startup Hub to launch an accelerator programme in India. In an interesting conversation
with Electronics For You’s Yashasvini Razdan, Rahul Mathur, Director, revealed
the company’s plans as an accelerator for startups

how has the indian market evolved

in recent years, and how has te
adapted its focus to cater to the
specific needs of the indian market?
The Indian market has his-
torically faced challenges due to
its relatively small size and slow
growth. However, over the past few
years, there has been a significant
shift in this landscape. The im-
portance of India for an industrial
technology company like TE has
been steadily growing, leading to
a significant shift in the landscape.
rahul TE has recognised this change
mathur and actively focuses on the Indian
Director,
te connectivity market. We are now able to cater
to the specific needs of the Indian
market by offering India-specific
solutions. This involves working
closely with our OEM custom-
ers to understand their
requirements and develop-
ing products tailored to
the Indian market. This
increased focus on
India has been a key
area of emphasis for
us recently.

78 September 2023 | electronicS For You expreSS www.eFYmag.com

Could you give me more details
about your collaboration with BCIC?
We intend to be ‘venture clients’
for these startups and enable them
to work on their PoC or prototypes
in our manufacturing facility. We
want them to develop products and
new technologies for India and the
globe. BCIC will provide the business
framework, external support, and
consultation so TE can run this pro-
gramme. The framework allows us to
select the right startups and provide
support in areas such as business
mentoring or connecting them with
academia or other technology part-
ners in the industry. So, that is what
BCIC is doing—building the ecosys-
tem to support the startup’s needs.
TE will connect the startups
directly to the business by driving
it. We’ll be the sponsors, and they
will be the users. This way, their use
cases and projects won’t be limited
to research and development or a
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
PoC (proof of concept). They can
work directly with businesses and
even scale globally, if possible.
In this collaborative project with
BCIC, would you call yourself an
accelerator or an incubator?
An incubator supports a startup
at the early stage. We’re more of
an accelerator because we’d want
to partner with startups ready with
a minimal viable product or a PoC
to provide them with use cases to
implement. We want to be their first
and, if possible, biggest customer
and support their growth. They’ll
also get good mentorship regarding
technology and business via aca-
demia and business consultants. It’s
an opportunity for collaboration.
For example, in the manufactur-
ing sector, we’re looking for startups
that can assist us with Industry 4.0,
enhancing our throughput, manu-
facturing capabilities, and process
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU EXPRESS | SEPTEMBER 2023
efficiency. These startups will get
connected with experienced engi-
neers who have substantial knowl-
edge and exposure to the shop floor.
This expertise will be valuable for
startups to progress from PoC to final
product development and scaling.
Startups are looking for a large
organisation that can use or adopt
their products, and we intend to
be the marquee customer for these
startups and leverage their capabili-
ties. That’s why we’d call ourselves
an accelerator.
What are your selection criteria for
patronising a startup?
We have very simple criteria—the
startup must be sponsored by a busi-
ness from any segment—manufactur-
ing, operations, product development,
technology, or even a C-suite execu-
tive. The other criterion is that the
startup’s solution should be unique
and competitive for India and globally.
79

How do accelerator programmes
benefit large and established
companies like TE?
Startups, with their entrepre-
neurial mindset and nimbleness,
often hold the key to innovation.
Companies don’t need to solve
every problem internally, and there
are challenges and areas better
suited for startups. We have ob-
served some remarkably innovative
and interesting ideas emerging in
the marketplace. Unburdened by the
constraints of a large organisation,
startups can bring these ideas to a
stage where established companies
can then engage and collaborate
with them.
What is the average investment you
make in accelerating a startup?
The key aspect we bring to start-
ups is our commitment to long-term
business opportunities. Currently,
startups have access to funding
and technical/business mentorship.
However, they often lack validation
of their PoC and a long-term com-
mitment to any potential business
opportunities. As a client, we offer
the most significant value by provid-
ing that validation and the potential
for sustained business engagement
to startups.
How many startups have you incor-
porated in this programme till now?
We’re in the process of selecting
startups as we’ve just launched the
startup accelerator. We are review-
ing about 50 startups and have
narrowed down to three startups to
engage with. So that process is on
right now.
Will the startup accelerator involve
a two-way business interaction
between your company and the
startups, or will it be one-way?
We will offer our products for
the startups to incorporate, but it
is not mandatory for them to use
80 September 2023 | electronicS For You expreSS
strategy: interview
them. While our wide range of
products makes it likely for startups
to utilise them, our primary focus
is to find the best solution for their
needs, irrespective of whether it
involves using our products or not.
We will support and optimise their
product using our products, but it is
not mandatory.
What will be the impact on your
accelerator if a startup isn’t finan-
cially successful?
As an accelerator, we fully com-
mit to investing significant time and
effort into working with startups.
Ensuring the startup’s viability is
crucial, and we, as accelerators, will
evaluate this during the selection
process. However, it’s important
to note that predicting the success
or failure of a startup is inherently
uncertain. Engaging with startups
involves embracing this unpredict-
ability.
Which sectors do the startups
associated with TE Connectivity’s
accelerator programme belong to?
From an industry perspective,
our growth focus areas include
mobility, smart cities, and smart
energy. However, we are not limiting
ourselves solely to these three areas.
TE Connectivity is involved in vari-
ous business segments across differ-
ent industries, and we have a wide
range of offerings. We intend to
leverage startups on a global scale.
If we come across a startup that
aligns with our product roadmap,
whether in manufacturing, product
fit, or technological compatibility in
areas such as processes or materials,
we are open to engaging with them
regardless of sector specificity.
How does TE Connectivity plan to
leverage all these opportunities and
build bridges to overcome the
challenges in achieving the same?
TE is a global organisation with
a substantial presence as a $16
billion company. Our deep engage-
ment with original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs) and exten-
sive knowledge of industry stand-
ards and specifications enables
us to offer valuable insights and
guidance. We understand the indus-
try’s evolving landscape, including
testing requirements, technology
advancements, and potential chal-
lenges. When collaborating with in-
novative startups, we leverage our
global experience to provide them
with comprehensive support and
connect them to the larger ecosys-
tem. This ensures they can develop
the right products, qualify them
effectively, and successfully bring
them to market.
How is IoT transforming the Indian
startup ecosystem in energy, smart
cities, and infrastructure?
IoT includes ‘data and devices,’
which encompasses service provid-
ers like AT&T and Verizon and
infrastructure companies like Sie-
mens. We have observed a unique
trend where many startups work
on edge computing, creating an
M-shaped curve in the ecosystem.
This indicates opportunities for
startups and larger infrastructure
service providers, with the centre
being an exciting space for conver-
gence. The centre holds potential
for further developments, espe-
cially for IoT use cases. Examples
include further innovations in
smart meters, connecting EV infra-
structure to networks for mobile
app interactions such as selecting
EV charging stations and mak-
ing payments online. IoT enables
a wide range of applications and
use cases, including factory floor
monitoring, energy efficiency im-
provements, and utilising AR/VR
for training purposes. The possibil-
ities enabled by IoT are extensive
and diverse.
www.eFYmag.com
 UPGRADE
To A Complete Electronics For You!

Thanks for being a loyal

electronics for you EXPRESS reader.
Upgrade to Electronics For You and
read all the awesome content.

What’s the difference between

electronics for you EXPRESS
and Electronics For You? Electronics For You
Access of full e-zine edition
electronics for you EXPRESS Delivery of print edition*
Access of EXPRESS e-zine edition Access the complete Tech Articles
Delivery of print edition Access the complete Business Articles
Access the complete Tech Articles Access the complete DIYs
Access the complete Business Articles Access all the past issues
Access the complete DIYs Customer support
Access all the past issues
Customer support 1 Issue (Ezine edition) `50
1 Issue (Print edition) `100
`50 `0.00 12 Issues (Ezine edition) `420
12 Issue (Print edition) `840

*Not applicable for Ezine edition

SUBSCRIBE NOW >>> Visit: https://subscribe.efy.in

For any assistance, call: +91-98111 55335 or write at: support@efy.in

 DESIGN: TIPS

Innovating In The
POST-PANDEMIC WORLD:
Technology, Workplace, And Design
Embrace innovation, automation, and foresight—
your blueprint for hardware victory in a world
reshaped by the pandemic and beyond

The author, Ronak Desai,
works at Infineon as the
System Hardware Application
Director. With over 22 years of
experience in the Embedded
Industry, he specialises in the
Design and Development of
Embedded Products and Set-top
box applications. His expertise
encompasses microprocessor/
microcontroller/RF and Wi-Fi-
based products
T
he pandemic has changed the
way we work, the way we live,
and now how we design hard-
ware boards/products. This article talks
about tips for a successful first attempt
at hardware/product design, considering
post-pandemic challenges.
Electronics component shortages
and design impact
Component shortages (due to end of
life and longer lead times) in the entire
industry are a very common issue post-
pandemic. It impacts all ongoing design
and production projects. Even products
undergoing production are affected and
it causes engineers to redesign products
as well as continually monitor the sup-
ply and demand of BOM (Bill of Mate-
rial) parts and take appropriate actions.
Designing boards with multiple footprints
for key parts will help hardware designers
to design boards with multiple manufac-
turers. End-of-life (EOL) checks before
freezing design and during every stage
of design will help hardware engineers
to avoid design changes at the last mo-
ment. Entire BOM component selection
with alternate manufacturers, as well as
procurement of entire BOM components

82 SEPTEMBER 2023 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU EXPRESS WWW.EFYMAG.COM


for 2-3 years of product demand in
the design phase, helps to address
this issue. Having a strong vendor
relationship for component avail-
ability and shortage information is a
must-do in the current scenario.
Overcoming lab access
limitations and remote work
challenges
Getting 100% lab access can be a
challenge due to lockdown, travel
restrictions, or engineers working
from home options. It enables engi-
neers to spend time and automate
lab instruments for all test cases.
Engineers can remotely access the
instruments while working from
home and still perform all planned
test cases. This avoids human errors
due to manual testing and helps to
improve overall test convergence
and test time. It helps engineers to
store test results using automation
for future builds.
Reusable schematic and layout
blocks
Designing hardware schematics
and layouts in the form of reusable
blocks that can be used for all future
designs will help hardware design-
ers to build error-free designs and to
use the same components in all fu-
ture designs. It enables designing at
a low cost, as the same components
require huge quantity for production
builds. Hardware blocks should be
error-free and fully validated/char-
acterised before they are certified as
reusable blocks. This method will
help to standardise components and
other design accessories across all
products.
Component part database
80% of hardware design and pro-
duction DFM/DFA issues are due to
using incorrect/unverified footprints
in design. Building a component
part database with all certified and
proven footprints will help avoid
www.eFYmag.com
design: tips
DFM/DFA issues in production
builds. These footprints should be
linked with the production build
environment through PLM (Product
Life Cycle Management) system so
that they will be reusable across all
designs. These PLM tools can be
linked/interconnected with com-
ponent life cycle checking tools so
that engineers can track Active/EOL
status using the PLM system, and it
will help to identify EOL parts in the
early phase of design.
Hardware tool automation
Hardware engineers can use tickle
scripts to automate schematic and
layout tools and implement different
design rules checking (DRC). It will
help to reduce manual verification-
related issues. This automation will
reduce design as well as verifica-
tion cycles and avoid schematic and
layout-related issues.
Designing quick prototyping
using development kits,
conductive ink, and 3D print
Building quick prototyping using
development kits/evaluation kits
and 3D print (in case of mechani-
cal design) will help the hardware
designer prove concepts before they
go into the final design. Designing
a quick prototype using conductive
ink for a small design with fewer
components avoids fabrication and
PCB lead time costs.
ECAD (electronic tool) and
MCAD (mechanical tool)
collaboration
Creating 3D step files for every
footprint used in the design and
integrating them with the mechani-
cal tool will help designers to review
complete product design in 3D form
and do mechanical integrity checks
with other interconnecting boards. It
avoids connector mating as well as
accessibility-related issues. It helps
designers to review boards in end
electronicS For You expreSS | September 2023
product form factors with review-
ers so that they will get exactly the
same look and feel.
Driving standardisation
through design templates
Engineers can make different tem-
plates and checklists for hardware
design files like schematic tem-
plates, BOM templates, FR4 layout
fabrication templates, flex layout
fabrication templates, and me-
chanical design templates to reduce
design errors. It helps engineers
to implement best practices across
all designs. By designing a proper
layout template engineers can avoid
maximum CAM queries and fabrica-
tion issues. With the help of proper
design templates, engineers can
communicate all design challenges
and constraints to the fabrication/
manufacturing house without phone
calls. It also helps engineers to
produce designs globally at multiple
locations. Using proper templates,
hardware designers can make ca-
pability matrices for assembly and
fabrication vendors, which will help
designers to select the best vendor
for each job based on design com-
plexities.
Pre- and post-circuit simulation
Pre- and post-circuit simulation
tools will help the hardware de-
signer to verify low-speed as well as
high-speed interface signals using
simulation tools. This avoids multi-
ple spins of boards as well as signal
integrity issues. It’s a challenge for
hardware engineers to select the cor-
rect and accurate simulation tool to
get the best results.
So, there you have it—a tool-
box brimming with insights to
revolutionise your hardware design
journey. As we step into the future
of hardware design, remember: it’s
not just about circuits; it’s about
adaptability, innovation, and turning
challenges into triumphs.
83
 DESIGN: CIRCUIT
Interesting Reference Designs Of
Title of Reference Precise Polyphase Meter with Temperature Sensing
Design
Image
Key This reference design for a 3-phase energy meter provides a
Attractions reliable solution for various metering applications. The design
features PC software for easy meter evaluation and calibra-
tion. It also offers features such as temperature sensing, phase
indication, harmonics measurement, and pulse output for extra
functionality.
Highlights The MAXQ3183 3-phase energy meter reference design from
Analog Devices offers accurate energy measurement and power
monitoring. The design utilises the polyphase multifunction
analogue front end (AFE) and the MAXQ2000 microcontroller.
It is designed for 3-phase four-wire systems, operating at AC
conditions of 50Hz/60Hz, 220V, 9A. The design offers a meter
constant of 6400, achieving a meter accuracy of class 0.5s for
active power and class 2 for reactive power measurements. The
reference design also includes serial communication with a PC,
supporting baud rates of 1200/9600/57600/115200. The design
comes with PC software that facilitates easy evaluation and
calibration of the meter. This software enables the display and
retrieval of various parameters such as voltage root mean square
(RMS), current RMS, power factor, harmonics, and more. It
also includes calibration screens for adjustments in gain, phase
angle, and linearity. The user-friendly graphical interface aids in
a more comprehensive understanding and examination of meter-
ing functions. Additional features include temperature sensing,
phase sequence indicator, harmonics measurement, and pulse
output to increase functionality. The inclusion of a serial periph-
eral interface (SPI) slave interface streamlines communication,
and the use of a compact thin shrink small outline package
(TSSOP) contributes to space efficiency.
Applications The reference design is suitable for various metering applications
such as electricity metering, water metering, gas metering, etc.
OEM Brand Analog Devices (ADI)
URL https://www.electronicsforu.com/electronics-projects/electron-
ics-design-guides/reference-design-for-a-precise-polyphase-
meter
84 SEPTEMBER 2023 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU EXPRESS
3-Phase Energy Meter with Harmonics Analysis
This reference design for a 3-phase energy meter can provide
accurate measurements in a 220V, 5(10)A system. The design
provides precise measurements and flexible outputs, suitable for
various meter designs, from basic to those needing harmonic
analysis.
The MCP3909/dsPIC33F reference design from Microchip is
tailored for a 3-phase energy meter and is built upon a 16-bit
dsPIC33F microcontroller unit (MCU). It is proficient in delivering
accurate measurements within a 220V, 5(10)A system. The design
employs 16-bit analogue-to-digital converters (ADCs) for precise
analogue conversion, while the computational tasks are carried out
by a PIC18F2520 flash MCU. Additionally, the design integrates the
USB interface module, facilitating meter evaluation and calibra-
tion through the ‘3-phase energy meter software’ compatible with
Windows XP or Windows 2000. An LCD module is also featured
for supplementary energy meter firmware design and evaluation.
The reference design can accurately measure active energy pulse
output, active power, root mean square (RMS) current and voltage,
and over 100 serially accessible output registers. The integration
of the dsPIC33F’s DSP engine and a quasi-synchronous sampling
algorithm leads to cost savings and simplified design. The design
provides features like flash-based calculations for streamlined
energy measurement, and wide-range ADCs for precise analogue
conversion at 128 samples per line cycle. The meter includes
calibration and correction registers for precise fine-tuning and user
configurability, and with its command-driven operation and mode
registers users can customise features like positive-only energy
accumulation and no-load threshold mode.
The reference design is suitable for various meter designs, from
basic energy meters to those requiring comprehensive harmonic
analysis.
Microchip
https://www.electronicsforu.com/electronics-projects/electronics-
design-guides/reference-design-for-a-3-phase-energy-meter-with-
harmonics-analysis
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

SMART ELECTRIC METERS
Class 0.5 3-Phase Smart Meter
This reference design for a Class 0.5 three-phase
smart meter offers precise energy consumption
measurement within ±0.5% in three-phase elec-
trical systems. It enables accurate billing, energy
management, and monitoring of active power and
power factor.
The TIDM-THREEPHASEMETER-F67641, a refer-
ence design from Texas Instruments (TI), serves as
an accurate three-phase electricity meter, providing
energy consumption measurements within a range
of ±0.5%. This design enables accurate billing,
streamlined energy management, and the monitor-
ing of key parameters, including active power and
power factor. The design ensures compliance with
ANSI/IEC Class 0.5 accuracy requirements, adher-
ing to the highest standards for precise energy
measurement. Equipped with the TI Energy Library
firmware, the MSP430F67641 system-on-chip
(SoC) facilitates the calculation of all critical energy
measurement parameters, including active and re-
active power and energy, root mean square (RMS)
current and voltage, power factor, line frequency,
and fundamental and total harmonic distortion
(THD) readings, providing a robust foundation for
accurate energy analysis. The design also supports
add-on communications modules for wireless
connectivity such as ZigBee, Wi-Fi, Wireless
M-Bus, and IEEE-802.15.4g, offering flexible data
transmission and efficient communication with ex-
ternal systems. Additionally, the SoC incorporates a
160-segment display, presenting a convenient user
interface for real-time energy consumption monitor-
ing and enabling consumers to make informed
decisions. Powering directly from the three-phase
line voltage, the smart meter design simplifies the
overall setup by eliminating the need for additional
power supplies.
The reference design can be used for real-time
monitoring of parameters like active power and
power factor.
Texas Instruments (TI)
https://www.electronicsforu.com/electronics-pro-
jects/electronics-design-guides/reference-design-
for-a-class-0-5-3-phase-smart-meter
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
DESIGN: CIRCUIT
Polyphase Smart Meter
This reference design for a polyphase smart
meter is supported by various compliance
certifications and facilitates metrology and
calibration routines for billing. The design offers
a dynamic range from 10mA to 100A, accom-
modating an expanded temperature spectrum.
The YBILL-IT-RX21ASMARTMETER is a refer-
ence design from Renesas for a polyphase
smart meter, utilising the RX21A microcontroller
unit (MCU) as its core component. The design
is backed by various compliance certifications
and facilitates metrology and calibration routines
for billing. Depending on the specific configura-
tion, the MCUs come with three, four, or seven
independent 24-bit delta-sigma analogue-
to-digital converters (ΔΣ-ADC), making the
platform suitable for single-phase, split-phase,
and three-phase plus neutral billing electricity
meters. It has a dynamic range between 10mA
and 100A over an enhanced temperature range
and calibration data stored in the flash memory.
It features all necessary Cenelec standards for
electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and safety,
along with an intuitive PC GUI that provides en-
gineers with comprehensive information during
the design phase. The GUI enables engineers to
trim and analyse data measured by the ΔΣ-ADC
channels, offering graphical feedback on ADC
data, as well as prepared data after calibration
steps, frequency analysis, and separation of
active/reactive energy usage. Renesas’ ‘Bill It! -
smart meter RX21A’ reference platform presents
an all-in-one solution for engineers looking to
develop polyphase meter designs. It integrates
metrology and application processing capabili-
ties, making it a powerful and efficient option for
smart meter development.
The reference design can be used to design a
customised billing electricity meter based on the
user’s needs.
Renesas
https://www.electronicsforu.com/electronics-
projects/electronics-design-guides/reference-
design-for-a-polyphase-smart-meter
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU EXPRESS | SEPTEMBER 2023
The author, Nidhi Agarwal, works
as Technology Journalist at EFY
Single Phase Energy Meter
This reference design for a single-phase power me-
ter, equipped with a high-performance analogue front
end, sophisticated functionality, and sturdy compo-
nents, ensures accurate energy measurement, com-
pliance with international standards, and efficient
operation. The design is tailored for measuring and
recording active and reactive energy in single-phase
two-wire networks with direct connection.
The Kinetis M Series one-phase power meter
reference design from NXP offers an accurate,
cost-effective, and feature-rich solution for energy
metering in single-phase two-wire networks. The
precise energy measurement, adherence to interna-
tional standards and efficient operation are ensured
by the high-performance analogue front end,
advanced functionality, and durable components
of the system. The reference design incorporates
a high-performance analogue front end (AFE) and
an embedded programmable gain amplifier (PGA),
resulting in greatly improved energy measurement
accuracy. Specifically tailored for single-phase
two-wire networks with direct connections, the
reference design efficiently measures and registers
active and reactive energy. The design uses the
Kinetis KM34Z128 microcontroller unit (MCU) with
an ARM Cortex-M0+ core at up to 50MHz. An inte-
grated buck converter ensures efficient power, with
extra power for optional modules like non-volatile
memory (NVM) for data logging. A 3-axis Xtrinsic
tilt sensor is included for tamper detection. The
design includes a battery for MCU backup during
outages, ensuring uninterrupted meter operation for
events like button presses or tampering. It features
tamper switches for cover protection and an RF
module for remote meter reading and monitoring.
The Kinetis M Series design comes with extensive
software, advanced metering algorithms for
precision, and the MQX operating system with a
peripheral library for easy application integration.
The reference design is suitable for residential
metering, industrial metering, sub-metering, etc.
NXP
https://www.electronicsforu.com/electronics-pro-
jects/electronics-design-guides/reference-design-
for-a-single-phase-energy-meter
85
 do-it-yourself: CirCuit idea
EF Y
upta
ik G
Satv

SHORT CIRCUIT PROTECTION

Of Electrical Motor And Battery
In Electrical Vehicle
b

T
he sources of energy are
various types globally, but
for vehicles, the world still
depends on crude oil in the form of
petrol and diesel. We are well aware
that petrol and diesel are limited re-
sources for long-term use. Therefore,
the importance of electrical power is
increasing day by day, and the world
is actively seeking solutions in the
form of electrical power.
Currently, the demand for elec-
tric vehicles (EVs) is continuously
increasing in the market. However,
there are several issues with the per-
formance of EV components, such as
motor short circuits, battery heating,
power losses, and heating of operat-
ing coils.
In various information sources,
we often come across incidents of
EVs catching fire or batteries over-
heating and exploding. In this pro-
ject, we will discuss how to protect
the motor and battery against short
circuits by using a relay in electric
vehicles. A lab-tested prototype is
shown in Fig. 1.
Many times, the terminals of
batteries and other power supplies
accidentally get short-circuited. This
can cause them to overheat, degrade,
and even produce arcs. A short circuit
occurs when current travels along an
unintended path, typically encounter-
ing little to no electrical impedance.
Short circuit protection is essential
to prevent excessive current flow and
ensure the safety of equipment. It
operates instantly, tripping the circuit
as soon as an overcurrent is detected.
Fig. 1: Prototype tested in EFY lab
Parts List
Semiconductors:
LED1 - 5mm green LED
LED2 - 5mm red LED
Resistor (1/4-watt, ±5% carbon):
R1 - 1-kilo-ohm
Miscellaneous:
Batt.1 - 12V DC battery, 7ah or
more
S1 - 6 amps on/off
S2 - Push to on switch
PZ1 - Piezo buzzer
RL1 - 12V, 1CO relay
M1 - 12V DC Motor
Working and testing
Fig. 2 illustrates the circuit diagram
for short circuit protection of the
electrical motor and battery in an
electric vehicle. The circuit is built Fig. 2: Schematic circuit diagram of short circuit
around a 12V DC motor (M1), a 12V protection for motor
one-changeover relay (RL1), a piezo
buzzer (PZ1), and several other step, the relay circuit is normally
components. open. The positive terminal of the
To operate this project, first of all battery is connected to the relay
assemble the project-based compo- coil terminal (A2) using a one-way
nents given in the parts list. After switch, while the negative terminal
that follow the given four easy steps of the battery is connected to the
to understand it’s working. common terminal of the relay. If you
Step 1. In the initial operation close switch S1, the red LED (LED2)

86 September 2023 | electronicS For You expreSS www.eFYmag.com


Fig. 3: Author’s prototype of protection circuit
will glow, and the buzzer will sound,
indicating that the battery is charged.
Step 2. Press the momentary
push-to-on switch S2 while ensur-
ing that S1 is closed. This action
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
DO-IT-YOURSELF: CIRCUIT IDEA
connects the negative discharged, and both the red LED
supply to terminal (A1) (LED1) and the piezo buzzer are ena-
of the relay coil, ener- bled. The motor is disconnected from
gising relay RL1. The the battery, ensuring the protection
common terminal of of both the motor and the battery.
RL1 disconnects from This circuit effectively resolves the
the normally closed problem of short circuits in electri-
(NC) contact and con- cal vehicles. By using this method,
nects to the normally you can save the motor from dam-
open (NO) contact. In age caused by short circuits and
this state, the green prevent battery discharge. This, in
LED (LED1) will glow, turn, extends the lifespan of batteries,
and the motor will turn which are a crucial component of EVs.
on, starting the vehi- Considering the high cost of batteries,
cle’s operation. this circuit offers valuable protection
Step 3. In this step, for both the motor and the batteries of
manually short-circuit electrical vehicles. The author’s pro-
the motor terminals to totype of the circuit protection for the
simulate a short circuit electrical motor and battery in an elec-
condition in an EV. The tric vehicle is shown in Fig. 3.
voltage across the motor will drop to
zero, causing relay RL1 to de-ener- Abhishek Sharma is
gise, as depicted in Fig. 2. Assistant Professor, Electrical
Step 4. Consequently, due Engineering, Geetanjali Institute
of Technical Studies, Udaipur
to the short circuit, relay RL1 is
150,000-plus
Readers Like You
Will Read This Ad.
Budget friendly ad
options available...
Interested? Email: growmybiz@efy.in
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU EXPRESS | SEPTEMBER 2023 87
 Oscilloscopes with 12 Bits
All the Time
High Denition Oscilloscopes (HDO®) use HD4096 Technology to Provide 12 bits of resolution all the time from 200MHz upto 8GHz

* No tradeoff of resolution, sample rate, bandwidth

* Clean, crisp waveforms
* More signal details
* Unmatched measurement precision

WAVESURFER HDO4000A HDO6000B WAVERUNNER MDA8000HD WAVEPRO HD

4000HD 8000HD

High Definition
High Definition Oscilloscope Motor Drive Analyzer
Oscilloscope

Technology HD4096 Technology

Bandwidth 200 MHz – 1 GHz 200 MHz – 1 GHz 350 MHz – 1 GHz 350 MHz – 2 GHz 350 MHz – 2 GHz 2.5 GHz – 8 GHz

Channels 4 4 4 8 8 4

Resolution 12-Bit all the time 12-Bit all the time 12-Bit all the time 12-Bit all the time 12-Bit all the time 12-Bit all the time

Max. Sampling Rate 5GS/s 10GS/s 10GS/s 10GS/s 10GS/s 20GS/s

Max. Memory 25Mpts 25Mpts 250Mpts 5Gpts 5Gpts 5Gpts

Std. Toolbox Basic Basic Advanced Advanced Advanced Advanced

12.1” color capacitive 12.1” color capacitive 15.6” color capacitive 15.6” color capacitive 15.6” color capacitive 15.6” color capacitive
Display
touch touch touch touch touch touch

For enquiry, please contact:

204, 2 nd Floor, SG ALPHA TOWER – 1, PLOT NO. 9/INS-10, SECTOR – 9,

VASUNDHARA, GHAZIABAD, UTTAR PRADESH – 201012, INDIA

PHONE: 91-120-4264690, MOB: 91-9958023024

sales@aargtech.com; www.aargtech.com

88 SEPTEMBER 2023 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU EXPRESS WWW.EFYMAG.COM

 ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
Client Name Page No.
Aargtech Test polutions Ehttp://www.aargtech.comF .................................................................... 88
ADexpo horea Co., itd Ewww.adexpokorea.comF....................................................................... 98
Asus Technology Pvt itd Ehttp://www.asus.com/inF ............................................................... 23, 90
Binay lpto Electronics Pvt itd Ewww.binayiED.comF........................................................Gatefold
Chipmax Designs Pvt itd Ewww.neodenindia.comF............................................................... 55, 93
Coilcraft Electronics Marketing India Private iimited Ehttps://www.coilcraft.comF ....................... 45
Conins Pune Ehttps://www.coninspune.comF............................................................................... 93
Daiichi gitsugyo India Pvt itd Ehttps://djkindia.co.inF.................................................................... 25
Digi-hey Electronics Ewww.digikey.inF............................................................................................ S
Dynavation Electronics Private iimited Ehttps://dynavationelectronics.comF............................... 59
Ecv Expo Pune 2024 Ewww.efyexpo.com/puneF......................................................................... 51
Ecv Group of Publications: pubscription pcheme Ehttps://subscribe.efy.inF ............................... 75
El Camino Technologies Pvt itd Ehttps://www.elcamino.inF......................................................... S7
Electronic Assembly Ehttps://www.lcd-module.deF....................................................................... 39
Electronic Assembly Ehttps://www.lcd-module.comF .................................................................... S5
Electronics Industry Directory Ehttps://efy.in/electronics-industry-directoryF ................................ 41
element14 India Pvt itd Ehttps://in.element14.comF ..................................................... cront Cover
Embedded Days 2024 Ehttp://www.indiaelectronicsweek.comF................................................... 29
Emertxe Information Technologies Pvt itd Ehttps://www.emertxe.comF ...................................... 57
Fillet Engineering Services (http://filletengg.co.in)....................................................................... S1
earwin Plc rh Ehttps://www.harwin.comF .................................................................................... 39
eashstudioz Technologies Pvt itd Ehttps://www.hashstudioz.comF............................................. 59
eioki India Private iimited Ehttps://www.hioki.com/globalF .......................................................... 21
India Electronics teek Ehttp://www.indiaelectronicsweek.comF .................................................... 7
96* SEPTEMBER 2023 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU EXPRESS
Client Name Page No.
Innodisk Taiwan Ehttps://innodisk.ai/5hetjnF............................................................................. S9
IoTshow.in EIoTshow.inF ............................................................................................................... 31
gay Enterprise Ehttps://jenterprise.inF........................................................................................... 91
hioxia pingapore Pte. itd Ehttps://www.kioxia.comF .................................................................... 71
hyoritsu Electric India Pvt itd Ehttps://kyoritsuelectric.comF ............................................ 33, 49, 53
Mango pemiconductors India Private iimited Ehttps://www.mangosemiconductors.comF .......... S1
Mouser Electronics India PsT itd Ewww.mouser.inF...................................................................... 9
National Controlling & Equipments Ewww.nacei.comF ................................................................. 91
NioM Tech Pvt itd Ehttps://nanotech-tmi.comF............................................................................. 89
Nhh pwitches eong hong Co., itd Ewww.nkkswitches.com.hkF ................................................. 17
lpen pource India Ewww.opensourceindia.inF ...................................................................... 94, 95
Pinetics Private iimited Ehttps://pinetics.comF............................................................................. 79
Premier Industries Ewww.solderwire.co.inF .................................................................................. 89
nuantel Technologies India Private iimited Ehttps://quantel-global.comF.................................... 19
oajguru Electronics EIF Pvt itd Ewww.rajguruelectronics.comF..................................................... 27
oIGli Technologies eh iimited Ehttps://www.rigol.comF............................................................ 73
pakthi Accumulators Pvt itd Ehttps://sakthipower.comF............................................................... 91
palicon Nano Technology Pvt itd Ehttps://www.salicontech.comF ............................................... 93
pamsung India Electronics Pvt itd Ehttps://samsung.comF ......................................................... 97
TDh India Private iimited Ehttps://www.tdk.com/en/index.htmlF .................................................. 43
TME pilsAhIA Ewww.tme.comF................................................................................................. 29
ToACl Electronic AG. Ewww.tracopower.comF........................................................................... S3
sAoTA Microbattery Pte. itd Ehttps://www.varta-ag.comF ........................................................... 37
WWW.EFYMAG.COM