Nexte

Issu

Contents
play
st Dis
• Late nologies
e c h et
t Mark
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r Ind ital
• Sola ing Dig
• Buy imeters
Mult

March 2016
VOL. 04 | NO. 11
ISSN-2454-4426

EDITOR : RAmESH CHOPRA Tech Focus Buyers’ Guide

EDITORIAL : EDITORIAL SECRETARY
CORRESPONDENCE PHONE: 011-26810601; E-mAIL: EDITSEC@EFY.IN
38 Gesture Recognition
Beckons The Next
Wave Of UI
60 Choosing The Right
Sound Level Meter
(TECHNICAL qUERIES: EFYLAB@EFY.IN)
SUBSCRIPTIONS & : PHONE: 011-26810601 OR 02 OR 03
mISSING ISSUES E-mAIL: SUPPORT@EFY.IN
BACk ISSUES, : kITS‘N’SPARES, NEw DELHI 18 Safety DO-IT-Yourself
BOOkS, CDS, PHONE: 011-26371661, 26371662 How To Avoid Incorrect Use Of AC Fuse
PCBS ETC. E-mAIL: INFO@kITSNSPARES.COm
In DC Circuit
ExCLUSIvE : IBH Books & magazines Distributors Ltd
NEwSSTAND C/o Amar Chitra katha Pvt Ltd 22 Connectors
DISTRIBUTOR 2nd Floor, Sumer Plaza,
Exploring USB Type-C And USB Power Delivery
marol maroshi Road, marol,
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Phone: 022-49188888/01
28 Tech Focus
A ‘Minority Report’ Style Gesture Interface: 86 Introduction To Smart Wi-Fi
ADvERTISEmENTS
Do We Really Need It? 88 IoT Wi-Fi Temperature-Logging System
NEw DELHI : PH: 011-26810601 OR 02 OR 03
(HEAD OFFICE) E-mAIL: EFYENq@EFY.IN 92 4-Channel Multi-Mode Audio Amplifier
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44 Innovation 94 Infrared Sensor Based Power Saver
E-mAIL: EFYmUm@EFY.IN 1btn: The Button That Can Control All 96 Vibration-Activated Smart CRO Probe
BENGALURU : PH: 080-25260394, 25260023
IoT Devices 99 Android Smartphone As Barcode/QR Scanner
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46 Healthcare 106 Implementation Of Shannon Encoding Algorithm
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52 Components
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What Drives Power-Conversion Components
CHINA : POwER PIONEER GROUP INC.
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56 Test & Measurement From Gates To FPGA, Deeds Teaches Complete
What Drives RF Test Equipment Digital Design .......................................................... IV
jAPAN : TANDEm INC., PH: 81-3-3541-4166
EEGLAB For Electrophysiological Signal Processing.. VII

SINGAPORE
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E-mAIL: jkmEDIA@EFY.IN Make in India 08
10
Q&A
Useful Websites
UNITED STATES : E & TECH mEDIA 72 Manufacture: ESD-Control Ionisers
For Class-0 Devices
12 Tech News
PH: +1 860 536 6677
74 Make in India: Industry News
E-mAIL: vERONIqUELAmARqUE@GmAIL.COm
78 Market Survey: What’s Likely To Make
83 New Products
T&M Industry Grow Faster
108 First Look
Printed, published and owned by Ramesh Chopra. Printed at International
Print-o-Pack Ltd, C-4 to C-11, Hosiery Complex, Phase-II Extension, NOIDA-201305, eStyle 113 Business Pages Ads
Gautam Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, on the first day of each month and published
from D-87/1, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-1, New Delhi 110020. Copyright 2016.
All rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction of any material from
110 Buyers’ Guide: Digital Blood Pressure
Monitoring Devices
123
128
Electronics Mart Ads
Product Categories Index + Attractions During 2016
this magazine in any manner without the written permission of the publisher is
prohibited. Although every effort is made to ensure accuracy, no responsibility
whatsoever is taken for any loss due to publishing errors. Articles that cannot 112 Do-It-Yourself: Increase Battery Life
Of A Smartphone
129 Advertisers’ Index
be used are returned to the authors if accompanied by a self-addressed and
sufficiently stamped envelope. But no responsibility is taken for any loss or delay in
returning the material. EFY will not be responsible for any wrong claims made by
an advertiser. Disputes, if any, will be settled in a New Delhi court only. Interviews

SUBSCRIPTION RATES
68 Microcontrollers:
“Mcus play a major role... in terms of intelligence 69 sensors:
“sensor-fusion solutions are triggering
better performance in wearables”
at a higher level” — Vishal Malhotra, national sales head
Period Newstand Price You Pay Digital Overseas — Krishnananda shenoy, AVP and principal
Year (`) (`) (`) Digital Print - automotive, infineon technologies india, and Andy Wong, architect, engineering services, infosys
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Please send payments only in favour of EFY Enterprises Pvt Ltd

4 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU PLUS WWW.EFYMAG.COM


AuDio BuffER
I have a query regarding ‘High-Im-
pedance Audio Buffer with JFET’ DIY
article published in February issue.
Please clarify whether the circuit is for
single channel or stereo.
Sreenivasa Kharideha
Through email
The author Petre Tzv Petrov replies:
The circuit published is designed for
a single-channel audio system. If you
want stereo input, you should use two
similar circuits, one per channel. For
quadro input, you should use four
circuits, one per channel. You can use
as many circuits as you wish with the
same power supply to make a multi-
channel buffer.
TEch focuS
In Tech Focus article titled ‘High-Flying
Solutions To Connect The World’
published in January issue, on page
48, in first column, dynamic spectrum
sharing (DSA) should be dynamic
spectrum access (DSA).
Nirakara Mahanta
Odisha
The author Janani Gopalakrishnan
Vikram replies:
In literature, both terms—dynamic spec-
trum sharing (DSS) and dynamic spec-
trum access (DSA)—are used for the
same concept, almost synonymously.
homE AuTomATion
The ‘Home Automation System’ DIY
article published in May 2015 issue is
an awesome project. I am doing it as
my final-year project but I need your
help for connecting different electron-
ics devices that could be controlled
through this system.
Naveen Kumar
Through email
6 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
FEEDBACK
YOUR SUGGESTIONS
The author Kulbhushan Srivastava
replies:
First, make multiple relay-interface
modules and provide device IDs for
all modules in the firmware dur-
ing programming. The same device
ID should match with the touch
control panel.
Corrections
In ‘Device for Charging Three 12V Batter-
ies’ DIY project published in January issue,
on page 133, charging voltage for BATT.1
mentioned as (15V-0.7V) x 2=13.6V is
wrong. It should be (15V-0.7V) x 2=28.6V.
Pamarthi Kanakaraja
Assistant professor,
Usha Rama College of Engineering and
Technology,
Andhra Pradesh
EFY. Thanks for pointing out. Actually,
use of braces in the given equation is
wrong. If J1 is opened and J2 is closed,
charging voltage should be 15-(0.7x2)=15V-
1.4V=13.6V.
In ‘Low-Cost LPG Leakage Detector’ DIY
article published in January issue, under
Circuit and Working, Darlington transistor
TIP122 (T2) should be TIP122 (T1).
Dinesh Kumar
Through email
EFY. Thanks!
In ‘Why e-Waste Cannot be Taken Lightly’
article published in January issue, on page
26, in the table titled ‘Urban mine: An esti-
mate of material value of e-waste in 2014,’
under Materials, gold is given symbol Ag
(in periodic table), instead of Au.
Satya N. Nambu
Hyderabad
EFY. Thanks for pointing out the mistake!
In ‘Low-Cost Dusk-Dawn Controller’ project
published in January issue, switches S1
and S2 along with loads should be on
drain side of T1. It is because as per data-
sheet, VGS should be 10V and threshold is
up to 4V to fully turn on the MOSFET.
Shatrajit Soraisam
Through email
EFY. Thanks!
In ‘Fingerprint Door Unlock System Using
Arduino’ DIY article published in January
issue, position/orientation of the LCD con-
nector in the PCB is wrong.
Pramod Kumar
EFY. Thank you for pointing out the
mistake! However, we regret the inability
to include under ‘Spot an Error’ category
since the emails were received after the
deadline.
In Jackson Hsu’s interview, published in
January issue, on page 104, ESR is wrong-
ly expanded as erythrocyte sedimentation
rate. In the context of capacitors, ESR
stands for equivalent series resistance.
Deb Biswas
EFY. Thanks!
‘Spot An Error’
AWARD Winners
In First Look section, in ‘Windows 10
phone from Microsoft,’ published in
January issue, battery rating is wrongly
given as 3340mAh instead of 3000mAh.
Siddharth Kaul
In First Look section, in ‘Lenovo
Announces Idea Center Stick 300’
published in January issue, contents are
given for Nighthawk x8 AC5300.
Adil Khan
In ‘Device For Charging Three 12V Batteries’
DIY article published in January issue, one
end of resistor R5 (3.3k) is floating in the
PCB layout. It should be connected to the
rectified output or positive terminal of
capacitor C2.
A. Samiuddhin
In ‘Device for Charging Three 12V
Batteries’ DIY article published in
January issue, on page 133, it is wrongly
mentioned that when jumpers J1 and J2
are opened, charging voltage for battery
(BATT.1) will be around 15V-0.7V=14.3V. It
should be 12.9V. If jumpers J1 and J2 are
closed, charging voltage for battery BATT.1
will be 14.3V.
Parveen Kumar
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

Ques. how to design a
pulse code modulator
and demodulator?
sourabh
ans. To study and design pulse code
modulation (PCM), refer to Fig. 1.
The analogue signal is provided to
the low-pass filter, which is used to
remove noise from the audio signal.
Then, the audio signal is sampled to
obtain a series of sampling values.
Next, the signal passes through
a quantiser to quantise sampling
values.
The signal passes through
Analogue
an encoder to encode quan-
Input
tisation values and then con-
verted to a digital signal. The
increasing number of bits of
PCM prevents the signal from
distortion, but bandwidth also
increases due to the increasing
capacity of data.
Block diagram for pulse
code demodulation is shown
in Fig. 2. While transmitting a
PCM signal, it is hard to avoid
noise interference. Therefore
before PCM signal is sent to
demodulator, a comparator
is utilised to convert the signal to its
original level.
PCM signal is a series of pulse-
wave signals. Hence, before demodu-
lating, the series pulse-wave signal is
converted to parallel digital signal by
a serial-to-parallel converter.
Then, the signal passes through an
n-bits decoder (normally D/A convert-
er) to recover the digital signal to its
original quantisation value. However,
this value not only includes the origi-
nal audio signal, it also includes a lot
of high-frequency harmonics. There-
fore a low-pass filter is used to remove
the unwanted signal at the final stage.
8 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
Q&A
THINGS YOU WANTED TO KNOW!
For details on pulse code modula-
tor and demodulator circuits, please
refer http://site.iugaza.edu.ps/mabu-
hasna/files/lab2.pdf
Q2. which low-cost rF
wireless modules are
readily available in the
market?
pamarthi kanakaraja
a2. Please find below some links
for low-cost, long-range, high-quality
wireless RF module products that
Parallel to
LPF Sampler Quantiser Encoder
Converter
CLK
f >2W
Fig. 1: Block diagram of pulse code modulation
PCM
Serial to
+ Comparator Parallel Decode S/H
Noise Converter
CLK
Fig. 2: Block diagram of pulse code demodulation
are most often used in medium- and
low-volume products for consumer
applications such as garage door
openers, wireless alarm systems,
industrial remote controls, smart-
sensor applications and wireless
home automation systems. You may
select a low-cost wireless RF module
as per your requirement.
www.electroncomponents.com/
RF-Transmitter-Reciever-433Mhz?filter_
name=RF%20transmitter-receiver
www.raviyp.com/embedded/154-
low-cost-and-long-range-rf-module-
1200-meter-1-2km-in-india
www.alibaba.com/showroom/
wireless-low-cost-rf-module.html
Q3. can you explain the
concept oF sound-can-
cellation headphones
and provide links For
their circuit diagrams?
vipul
a3. There are several methods of
noise cancellation in headphones.
The idea behind majority of designs
involves placing a microphone on the
outside of the headphones to pick up
ambient noise. This noise is
then inverted and played into
Serial the ear with music so that you
get reduced unwanted ambient
PCM
sound.
Modulation Other designs contain more
Signal
complex feedback systems
such as those using a micro-
phone on the inside of the
headphones to determine the
LPF level of noise cancellation that
is required.
Additionally, digital designs
Analog
Output
that incorporate adaptive filter-
ing are prevalent in many com-
mercial products today.
Noise-cancelling head-
phones come in either active or
passive types. For detailed informa-
tion, please find below a link for the
circuit diagram of sound-cancellation
headphones.
www.instructables.com/id/Analog-
Noise-Cancelling-Headphones/
electronics.howstuffworks.com/
gadgets/audio-music/noise-canceling-
headphone3.htm
Answers compiled by EFY senior application engineer,
Nidhi Kathuria. Letters and questions for publication
may be addressed to Editor, Electronics For You,
D-87/1, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase 1, New Delhi
110020 (e-mail: editsec@efy.in) and should include
name and address of the sender
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 USEFUL Websites
Field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are ICs that can be programmed to perform any
logic function. Given in this section are a few websites that could be useful in learning and
understanding the technology behind FPGA
ni.com
In the past, FPGA technology was
only available to engineers with
a deep understanding of digital
hardware design. This site unfolds
the details of FPGA. It allows users
to learn about FPGA design with NI
LabVIEW system design software.
The white paper on the site is a good
resource on FPGA fundamentals.
Videos on Getting Started With
LabVIEW FPGA, too is an excellent
resource for understanding FPGAs.
www.ni.com/fpga-hardware/
FPGa Central
FPGA Central claims to be the world’s
largest FPGA and CPLD portal. The
site provides a central place for
FPGA and CPLD vendors and users
to share experiences and information
about FPGA design, development,
verification, validation, process, tools
and products. FPGA tutorials on the
site have been created by 1-CORE
Technologies, an FPGA design
services provider.
www.fpgacentral.com/docs/fpga-tutorial
10 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
ALL ABOUT FPGAs
Compiled by nira j sahay
fpga4fun.com
FPGA is a wonderful technology
but can be intimidating. This is
what Jean P. Nicolle, creator of
this website, believes. As many
FPGA vendors are providing
affordable parts and free tools,
now is the right time to learn,
claims Nicolle. fpga4fun.com
provides information on FPGAs
and FPGA projects to build with
an FPGA board. It provides
examples and a great learning
experience for beginners as well
as professionals. It reflects the
author’s experience and opinions
on FPGA technology.
www.fpga4fun.com/FPGAinfo1.html
xilinx.com
www.xilinx.com/training/fpga-tutorials.htm ISE Design Suite, ChipScope Pro and
altera.com
Altera Corp. is a pioneer in
programmable logic solutions.
It offers FPGAs, systems on
chips with embedded processor
systems, complex programmable
logic devices (CPLDs) in
combination with software tools,
intellectual property, embedded
processors and customer support.
Apart from several tutorials and
online courses, the site has a free
online course on How to Begin
a Simple FPGA Design. This
training is for engineers who have
never designed an FPGA before.
They can learn about the basic
benefits of designing with FPGAs
and how to create a simple FPGA
design using Quartus II.
www.altera.com/education/training/
courses/ODSW1010
Xilinx is the world’s leading provider of
all-programmable FPGAs, systems on
chips and 3D integrated circuits. These
devices are coupled with a next-generation
design environment and intellectual
property to serve a broad range of
customer needs, from programmable logic
to programmable systems integration. The
website has a dedicated FPGA Tutorials
section, which includes tutorials on
Embedded Development Kit.
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 Tech NEWS TECHNOLOGY UPDATES

Will LTE-U destroy Wi-Fi

they claim would be a better mobile broadband
Licensed band LTE Band 3 (1.8 GHz) LTE Band 5 (850 MHz)
experience.
Unlicnsed band 5 GHz
The proposal for LTE-U was originally
given by Qualcomm for using 4G LTE radio
communications technology in unlicensed
LTE Network LTE Network Wi-Fi Network LTE Network spectrum such as 5GHz band, which is used by
PCell
PCell PCell SCell SCell dual-band Wi-Fi equipment. Verizon is pushing
to make it popular by equipping phones with
SCell 5 GHz 5 GHz
LTE LTE
LTE Wi-Fi LTE LTE
chips that can make better use of LTE-U.
Macro Cell Small Cell Macro Cell Wi-Fi AP Macro Cell Small Cell LTE-U will not replace LTE; instead it will
App based (ABC) or improve LTE’s speed and coverage in areas having
network based (IFOM or MPTCP)
heavy congestion. It is a small-cell technology
unlike LTE that is broadcast from large towers.
(a) LTE-A CA: CA using (b) Multi-RAT CA (c) LTE-U: CA using licensed
licensed LTD bands (Carrier aggregation between LTE and Wi-Fi) LTE and unlicensed LTD What’s good is that, the devices currently making
use of Wi-Fi will be able to run on LTE-U as well.
Comparison between LTE-A CA, Multi-RAT CA and LTE-U But the performance of Wi-Fi can suffer, in case of
bad network architecture, in the presence of LTE-U.
There seems to be a battle going on between the propo- However, there is a possibility that Wi-Fi and LTE-U may co-
nents of Wi-Fi and those keen to introduce a new technol- exist after proper mechanisms have been arrived at.
ogy—LTE in Unlicensed Spectrum (LTE-U). Besides the Based on 3GPP Rel. 12, LTE-U targets early mobile
expensive spectrum that companies like Airtel, Reliance operators’ deployments in the USA, South Korea and India,
and Vodafone bid for, there are unlicensed airwaves that with co-existence tests defined by LTE-U Forum. Likewise,
are traditionally used for cordless phones, remote con- defined in 3GPP Rel. 13, Licensed Assisted Access (LAA)
trols and monitors, etc. Wi-Fi also makes use of this free targets deployments in Europe, Japan and some other
spectrum. But companies like Verizon and Qualcomm are countries. LTE-Wi-Fi Link Aggregation (LWA) will be used for
getting ready to exploit this unlicensed spectrum for what deployments where the carriers already have Wi-Fi in use.

A microdrone, the spying tool of the future

A team of researchers at Johns Hopkins University, USA, in The device can be controlled from a great distance and is
conjunction with US Air Force Office of Scientific Research equipped with a camera and built-in microphone.
at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Arlington, Virginia, is
helping develop what they are calling a micro aerial vehicle
(MAV) that will undertake various espionage tasks.
The robotic insect can effortlessly infiltrate urban
areas, where dense concentrations of buildings and
people, along with unpredictable winds and other
obstacles make it impractical. It can also land precisely on
human skin, use its super-micron size needle to take DNA
samples and fly off again at speed. All people feel is the
pain of a mosquito bite without the burning sensation and
the swelling.
The device can inject a micro radio frequency
identification (RFID) tracking device right under the skin
and can be used to inject toxins into enemies during wars. US Air Force’s micro aerial vehicle

12 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU WWW.EFYMAG.COM

 Tech News

Smartphone that can bend for

controlling apps
Researchers at Queen’s University’s Human Media Lab
have developed the world’s first full-colour, high-resolution,
wireless flexible smartphone that combines multi-touch
with bend input. They have named the phone ReFlex, and
it allows users to experience physical tactile feedback when
interacting with their apps through bend gestures.

ReFlex in action (Image courtesy: www.phys.org)

According to Roel Vertegaal (School of Computing),

director of Human Media Lab, when this smartphone is bent
down on the right, pages flip through the fingers from right
to left, just like these would in a book. More extreme bends
speed up the page flips. Users can feel the sensation of the
page moving through their fingertips as the phone vibrates.
This allows eyes-free navigation, making it easier for them to
keep track of where they are in a document.
Vertegaal gave another example where when users play
Angry Birds game with ReFlex, they bend the screen to stretch
the sling shot. As the rubber band expands, they experience
vibrations that simulate those of a real stretching rubber band.

RFID chip that cannot be hacked

A research team at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT) has developed an RFID chip that it claims is virtu-
ally impossible to hack. To combat the issue of security,
researchers came up with a two-point solution; an on-chip
power supply whose connection to the chip circuitry would
be nearly impossible to cut and a set of non-volatile memo-
ry cells that can store whatever data the chip is working on
in case a power failure begins to take place.
To make this high-end chip, exclusive ferroelectric
crystals were used. As a crystal, ferroelectric material
contains a 3D lattice of molecules, where equal and
opposite charges produce electrical polarisation due to
a separation between these, replicating the dynamics

14 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU WWW.EFYMAG.COM

 Tech News
of a capacitor. When an electric field is applied, cells’
polarisation can be aligned in two ways depending on
the direction of the field. This represents the two possible
values of a bit of information that the chip stores.

VR headset maps brain

during surgery
Virtual reality (VR) is becoming quite useful when it
comes to the medical field. At Angers University Hospital,
France, physicians used a VR headset to map a patient’s
brain during surgery to remove a tumour. The patient was
conscious during the procedure in which doctors used a
virtual environment to map zones of the brain. Until now,
said mapping and monitoring neural connections in certain
areas were not easily achieved in the operating room.

The patient was played a piece of VR software that activated certain parts of the
brain that would normally be very difficult to test (Image courtesy: www.t3.com)

Neurosurgeon Philippe Menei explained, “By totally

controlling what the patient sees and hears, we can put
him in situations that allow us to do tests on certain
connections that were not possible before.”

Neural chip performs AI tasks

Researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT), USA, have developed a new energy-efficient neural
chip that can run powerful artificial intelligence (AI) algo-
rithms locally, without depending on the Internet for heavy
data processing. The chip is called Eyeriss and is ten times
as efficient as a mobile GPU, and can possibly increase the
task-handling capability of mobile devices.
A neural network is a vast virtual network of
information processors, modelled to emulate the processing
technique of the human brain. It is used to execute
powerful computational processes and to run algorithms
that are too heavy for a single low-power device to handle.
Eyeriss has 168 cores, and each of these has its own
memory unlike a single, shared memory bank found in

WWW.EFYMAG.COM ELECTRONICS FOR YOU | MARCH 2016 15

 Tech News
other GPUs. Hence, the cores would not have to transmit
data back and forth the memory bank, thus saving time
and energy. This also facilitates communication between
individual cores without the need for it to be routed
through the main memory.
Cockroach-like robot could save
people during earthquakes
Scientists at University of California, Berkeley, USA, have
drawn robotic inspiration in a cockroach’s ability to squish
through the tiniest of cracks and still move at tremendous
pace even under compressed state.
CRAM, the compressible robot, with a real cockroach
(Image courtesy: www.cbsnews.com)
The flexibility of cockroaches allows them to travel at
4.8kmph. Using a high-speed camera, scientists observed
that the insects could manage themselves into a space
less than a quarter of their height by minimising the size
of their exoskeletons to nearly half, and this adjustment
would take them just a second. They also observed that the
exoskeleton collapse does not slow them down; it continues
by means of body-friction legged crawling.
This gave them a hidden potential robot. They laid out
an arrangement of plates, laminated in a way similar to the
exoskeleton and wrapped it around a robot. They named it
CRAM, or Compressible Robot with Articulated Mechanisms.
Polymer-coated contact lenses
transform into next-gen electronics
Scientists from Future Industries Institute (FII) of University
of South Australia have completed research on polymer film
coating, which can conduct electricity on a contact lens and
possibly integrate electrical circuits that are safe for human
wear. This breakthrough could provide one of the safest
methods of bringing people and their smartdevices closer
together, according to FII associate professor, Drew Evans.
16 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
The conductive polymer used in the study is poly
(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) deposited
from vapour phase onto hydrated hydrogel substrates,
which were further plasma-treated for providing better
adhesive property.
Researchers also seek to produce medical benefits
through biocompatible conducting polymers at nano-
scale and grow these directly on a contact lens.
Bee pollen boosts battery
performance
According to a new research, bee pollen could play an
important role in battery research. Scientists at Purdue
University, USA, have been researching ways to make
better batteries, and have recently discovered that pollen
grains and their unique microstructures could be put to
use as an efficient type of energy-storage unit.
The scientists were trying to improve on conventional
lithium-ion batteries, which have an anode made of
carbon (usually graphite) and a cathode made of lithium-
cobalt-oxide. The electrolyte that runs through the battery
is made of lithium salts.
They found that if they could turn pollen into a
carbon anode with a more useful microstructure than
graphite, they might be able to create a battery with the
ability to store more energy. So they took pollen from
honeybees and cattails, and turned these into little pieces
of carbon. They superheated a section of bee pollen and
a section of cattail pollen to 1112°F (600°C) in a space
that was filled with argon gas, which stops carbon from
burning up.
They then reheated the pollen based carbon pieces to
create more empty pockets in the pollen structure, which
increases their capacity to store energy.
Traffic lights that recognise,
favour cyclists
Forty per cent of residents in Copenhagen commute by bikes
and have access to a city-wide network of protected bike
lanes and sleek infrastructure built just for them. The city
aims to be carbon-neutral by the year 2025.
To achieve this goal, the city’s latest intelligent transport
systems action plan calls for making riding a bike or taking
the bus more appealing. Copenhagen wants to cut bus travel
times by five per cent to 20 per cent and cycling travel times
by ten per cent, among other measures. To do that, the city
is installing 380 intelligent traffic signals that will spot and
prioritise buses and bikes. This will ensure that traffic flows
better, so people can save time in the greenest possible way.
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

How To Avoid Incorrect Use Of
AC Fuse In DC CIrCuIt
U
Dipen Khandhediya
is general manager -
engineering at Schneider
Electric India Pvt Ltd
Shailendra Somani is
design and engineering
head of engineering
- solar business at
Schneider Electric India
Pvt Ltd
Deepak Sharma is
manager - design
and execution
(product validation/
monitoring solution/
solar farm design and
commissioning) at
Schneider Electric India
Pvt Ltd
Fig. 1: Typical solar system
from PV modules to inverter
18 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
safety
sing an incorrect fuse in a circuit
could have potentially disastrous
consequences to people and
equipment. In a solar system consisting
of multiple strings of photovoltaic (PV)
modules, strings are protected using direct
current (DC) fuse links that are installed in
a combiner or array junction boxes. This
article attempts to give a sneak peak into
the rationale behind the selection of fuses
for a PV DC system.
AC versus DC
Alternating current (AC) is quite simple for
a fuse to break as the AC source reverses
the flow of electrons 100 times in a second
in 50Hz circuits. When current reverses, it
goes to zero in magnitude. A zero current
flow is very easy for a fuse to interrupt;
at this point, current flow stops and there
is no longer any energy to sustain the arc
across the melted fuse element.
DC, on the other hand, can be very dif-
ficult for a fuse to break. Here the current
flows in a single direction. There is no zero
point to aid the fuse in extinguishing the
arc. DC fuses are relatively sophisticated
devices that have a different construction
as compared to simple AC fuses. DC fuses
contain additional elements to extinguish
the arc.
For AC and DC fuses, standard rated
voltages are different and there is no strict
mathematical relationship between these.
A fuse rated at 1000V
AC may be rated at
500V DC or 750V DC,
dependant on its con-
struction. As a general
rule of thumb, a stand-
ard AC fuse will need
to be derated by 50
per cent, that is, 1000V
AC would be rated at
500V DC to be safe.
However, you should
consult the fuse manufacturer for test re-
sults or further specifications on each fuse
before making any assumptions.
AC fuses are generally designed to take
a load in excess of their rated current,
sometimes 160 per cent to 200 per cent
of their rated value for up to ten seconds.
Within a PV system, current is limited by
the constant-current-source design of PV
modules, so obtaining enough current to
break an AC rated fuse in a reasonable
amount of time could be quite difficult.
DC rated fuses designed specifically
for PV applications are meant to break at
the rated current in a short time, provid-
ing maximum protection for cabling,
junction boxes and PV modules. If the
fuse does not state DC rating, or it is not
mentioned on the product specification
sheet, it could be that it is not approved
for use in DC applications. Or it may be
that the product has not been approved
by an internationally-recognised electri-
cal approval body or by the manufacturer,
who may or may not have testing facilities
to conduct the product test. Fuse holders
should also be inspected for DC rating.
To protect yourself and your custom-
ers, always use the correct DC-rated prod-
uct for your PV installations. If you use
an incorrectly-rated product, you could be
liable for any damage caused or for loss of
life, in the event of things going wrong.
Using a fuse in a PV system
Fuses play a very important role in solar
power projects. There are various loca-
tions where these are used in solar PV
systems. The locations may include string
combiner boxes, array boxes and even the
DC side of the inverter system.
Fuses are also used on the AC side of
the system. AC fuses are different as com-
pared to DC fuses. But in this article we
are considering only DC fuse design.
In case of a large number of strings
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
connected in parallel, it is necessary
to ensure protection of PV panels and
the system against reverse current
and over-current (OC).
Fuses are primarily used to pro-
tect the system against short-circuit
and fire hazards. Fuses in PV installa-
tions are subjected to extreme condi-
tions of the environment like expo-
sure to sunlight that causes abnormal
temperature of the fuse, which affects
the performance of the fuse. Thus,
sizing and selection of the right fuses
and cables must be ensured.
Moreover, PV modules also pro-
duce continuous current. This makes
it all the more important to have
proper fuse sizing.
A fuse is an over-current device
that is designed to sacrifice itself to
protect electrical systems. Fuses are
designed to open circuits when put
under stress by excessive current flow
caused by overloads or faults. Choos-
ing the right fuse for an application
will prevent fires and other damages
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
that may be caused when something
goes wrong. Typical problems may
include a cable coming loose in the
inverter circuit, a cable shorting to
Earth, accidental cutting of a cable,
an animal or rodent chewing through
cabling, weather damage and so on.
Fig. 1 illustrates a typical solar
system from PV modules to inverter.
Fuse ratings
Fuses are rated by current and volt-
age, and are usually rated solely for
AC, solely for DC or for both AC and
DC. If incorrect fuses are used for DC
applications, voltage rating may need
to be derated and you would have
to consult the fuse manufacturer for
further information on their product.
This is because of the greater arc en-
ergy that needs to be absorbed during
the breaking process.
Key steps of fuse sizing for
solar PV fuse selection
Following steps should be used for
the proper sizing of a fuse of a string
as per article 690.8 of National Elec-
trical Code 2011.
1. Calculate maximum circuit cur-
rent.
2. Calculate nominal fuse ampere
rating.
3. De-rate fuse nonimal rating due to
abnormal temperature conditions.
4. Calculate the nameplate ampere
rating of fuse.
5. Verify fuse rating with respect to
conductor rating.
Over-current protection (either
fuses or breakers) must be included
in a PV source or output circuit only if
you have three or more array strings.
PV module manufacturers usually
specify the maximum number of
strings that can be connected in paral-
lel without adding any fuse protec-
tion, by means of maximum reverse
current capacity of a PV module.
Fuses are usually placed inside a
combiner box (if your system is using
a combiner box) or inside the DC dis-
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU | MARCH 2016 19

connector or an array junction box.
Most over-current devices are
rated for a maximum operating tem-
perature of 45°C. This works fine for
everyday household wiring. On the
other hand, because of their location
outdoors or inside attics, PV compo-
nents may be subjected to a lot more
heat. Thus, if you plan to place any
fuses or breakers in high heat, you
should refer to the product specifi-
cation sheets/temperature-raised-
adjustment factors. Otherwise, the
circuit may experience nuisance trips
or blown fuses in hot weather.
Fig. 2: PV fuse temperature curve
To determine normal OC device rat-
ing, start with the following equation:
Circuit current rating=Imax
OC current capacity =Imax ×
number of module strings×1.56
On the DC side of the circuit,
short-circuit current (Isc) is used for
this calculation. If your fuse is to be
placed inside a combiner or an array
junction box, for example, Isc will be
equal to the short-circuit current spec
for the modules.
For our sample array of Sharp
modules, the calculation is given as:
6.35A (short-circuit current)×
1.56 = 9.906A
Since fuses are sold in standard
sizes (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15,
20, 25, 30 amps, etc), UL states that
you must select the closest size at or
just above the current rating value.
20 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
safety
For 9.906A, that means a 10A fuse.
For PV circuits incorporating a
normal inverter with a transformer
built into it, only one of the two po-
larities (positive or negative) in a pair,
usually the ungrounded, or hot wire
should have fuse. However, if you
have a transformer-less inverter, both
wires in the pair must have fuse.
In case you are wondering, the
1.56 multiplier in the current rat-
ing calculation is a shortcut that
incorporates two NEC formulae that
apply to PV circuits.
The first is: Imax×1.25, which
equals what the NEC calls continu-
ous current of a circuit.
The second formula is: Continu-
ous current×1.25, which provides
a cushion above the first value in
order to avoid nuisance trips due
to minor current fluctuations. Now,
if you take 1.25×1.25 (or 1.25
squared), you get 1.56.
For our sample grid-tied system
with a normal transformer-less in-
verter, a two-array string and a volt-
age (measured earlier) of 420.36V,
the junction or combiner box we
purchase must be rated for 1000V
DC (that is, the standard size) to ac-
commodate the positive and negative
conductor for at least two strings and
have a minimum 20A rating. So
Isc per string=6.35A
Number of strings in parallel=2
Total current flowing through the
circuit=6.35×2=12.7A
Taking fuse rating factor of
1.56=12.7×1.56=19.81A
Fuse rating to be considered
should thus be rated at >20A.
Therefore 20A conductor selected
is 6sqmm copper cable that is capa-
ble of handling such current rating.
The system can now function
safely.
Fuse-deration curve with respect
to temperature is given in Fig. 2.
IEC 60269-6 standard
Unlike typical grid-connected AC
systems, the available short-circuit
current within PV systems is limited
and the over-current protective de-
vices need to operate effectively on
low levels of fault current. For this
reason most manufacturers have
conducted extensive R&D of fuse
links that are specifically designed
and tested to safely protect PV
systems with high DC voltages and
low-fault currents.
International Electro-technical
Commission (IEC) recognises that
protection of PV systems is different
for standard electrical installations.
This is reflected in IEC 60269-6 (gPV)
standard, which defines specific
characteristics that a fuse link should
meet for protecting PV systems.
Manufacturers’ ranges of string
and branch PV fuse links have been
specifically designed to meet this
standard. These PV fuse links are
fully tested to the requirements of
IEC 60269-6. However, manufac-
tures of PV fuse links exceed the
requirements of IEC 60269-6 as these
operate at 1.35 x In (1.35 times the
nominal current). These also meet
the requirements of UL 2579 and
are thus suitable for protecting PV
modules in reverse-current situa-
tions. While the standard does not
recognise a specific symbol, a com-
bination of symbols for fuse link and
strings are often used to indicate that
a fuse link is suitable for protecting
strings in PV systems.
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

Exploring USB Type-C And
USB power Delivery
Rajaram Regupathy
works with GoArks
Software Systems,
developing USB Type-C
and USB solutions. He
has product patents in
embedded domain and
is a senior ACM member.
He has published books
on Linux USB, Android
USB and USB Type-C
Fig. 1: USB Type-C receptacle (Ref: USB Type-C specification)
Fig. 2: USB Type-C plug (Ref: USB Type-C specification)
22 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
ConneCtors
E
very now and then there is an
innovation or advancement that
changes the way we operate, the
way the world operates. These innova-
tions and advancements in technology
create opportunities for businesses and
provide improved features to consumers.
These are also widely and swiftly adopt-
ed. USB Type-C is one such technology
advancement that will soon be found in
most devices. Apple and Google have
taken the lead, whereas companies like
Dell and many more are following suit.
USB interface is the most widely-
adopted interface specification that is
being used across all industries. This
interface has slowly eliminated legacy
serial and parallel ports. Now with
advancements in computing technolo-
gies, devices are far more efficient and
have reduced form factors. This has
necessitated a change in the existing
USB connectors.
USB Type-C specification is targeted
towards new, compact and power-
hungry devices and brings in a new
flavour to the USB connector. This new
ecosystem is also managed by another
new specification, namely, USB Power
Delivery (PD) specification, which al-
lows managing power and functionality
over the new USB Type-C connector.
This article aims to provide an insight
into USB Type-C specification, USB PD
specification and new functionalities you
shall see and experience with the new
USB Type-C ecosystem.
USB Type-C overview
USB Type-C cable and connector specifi-
cations cover mechanical, assembly and
connection detection and configuration
part of the USB Type-C ecosystem.
Unlike the legacy USB connector that
has separate connectors for host and
devices, Type-C connector uses the same
connector for both host and device. The
host and device relationship is negoti-
ated using the configuration channel
(CC) signal.
USB Type-C interface can be classi-
fied into two major types, namely, USB
Type-C receptacle and USB Type-C plug.
USB Type-C receptacle. USB Type-C
interface on a host or device is gener-
ally a receptacle connector as illustrated
in Fig. 1.
The receptacle in Fig. 1 provides
multiple sets of signals to enable the
desired functionality irrespective of the
plug orientation. For a full-featured USB
Type-C receptacle, all indicated signals
are required.
USB Type-C plug. USB Type-C plug
interface is a connector that is present
in a cable or device like mouse or flash
drive with only one CC pin and one set
of USB 2.0 lines as shown in Fig. 2. The
single CC pin allows orientation detec-
tion and the other CC pin of the recepta-
cle is used for sourcing VCoNN.
It is important to note that the super-
speed lines are cross-connected on Tx
and Rx in a cable.
Let us now take a brief look at the
signal lines on the USB Type-C connector.
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

Configuration channel pins.
CC1/CC2/CC. A CC signal is used to
detect connection, orientation and
also configure the devices into their
operating modes. Based on connec-
tion orientation, one of the CC lines
acts as VCoNN signal to provide power
to the other end.
Power pins. VBUS are for USB bus
power and can carry up to 20V/5A.
These are available only after con-
nection detection.
VCONN are used to provide power
to the attached plug and are applied
via the unused CC pin based on
connection orientation.
Auxiliary pins. SBU1/SBU2.
The side-band use (SBU) pins are
provided for adding additional
functionality either through future
USB specification or during alter-
nate mode functionality or as an
audio accessory.
USB 2.0 pins. DP/DM. D+ and
D- pins are used to support USB
2.0 in all three modes, namely, low
speed, full speed and high speed.
These pins are provided as pairs in
a receptacle to support the plug-flip-
ping feature and are shorted in the
plug connector.
Super-speed pins. RXn+/RXn-,
TXn+/TXn-. These lines are used
to implement Rx and Tx of USB 3.1
super-speed interface. These are
shared by other interfaces when in
alternate mode.
USB PD specification
Even before the new USB Type-C
connector was introduced, USB-IF
published USB PD specification,
which defines how a USB interface
can deliver 20V to its port partner.
Version 1.0 of the specification uses
BFSK on VBUS line for protocol
communication.
Later, with the introduction of
USB Type-C interface connector,
USB PD specification has moved on
from BFSK on VBUS to BMC based
protocol communication on the CC
signal line. A new specification ver-
sion 2.0 has been released with the
24 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
ConneCtors
above-mentioned changes allowing
USB PD protocol to negotiate higher
power with the port partner and
also jump to alternate functionalities
like Displayport, MHL and others
over USB Type-C signals.
A USB Type-C device can be
broadly classified into two catego-
ries: USB Type-C device and USB
Type-C device with PD capability.
A standalone USB Type-C device
supports up to 5V/3A operations
and orientation detection, whereas a
USB-Type-C device with PD capabil-
ity supports up to 20V/5A opera-
Fig. 3: USB Type-C DFP-UFP connection
Fig. 4: USB PD DFP-UFP connection
tion and multiple interfaces using
alternate modes.
USB Type-C host or down
stream facing port (DFP) to USB
Type-C device or upstream facing
port (UFP) connection. When two
simple forms of USB Type-C devices,
a USB host and a USB device, are
connected, a USB host will present
an Rp on the CC line and a USB
device will present an Rd on the CC
line as shown in Fig. 3.
When the above devices get
connected, a drop in the CC line
for a DFP and a rise in the CC line
for a UFP confirms a connection.
The rise and drop is to a predefined
voltage range as defined by USB
Type-C specification.
Based on the CC line voltage
range, a UFP will identify the type
of DFP connected and its power
capabilities. Also, a DFP can identify
if a UFP is connected directly or
through a USB Type-C cable with
VCoNN requirement.
USB Type-C host (DFP) to
USB Type-C device (UFP) with
PD support. A USB Type-C device
with PD support is an advanced
USB Type-C device that provides
or consumes up to 20V/5A power.
It can also enter modal operations
to reuse USB Type-C signals for
additional functionalities. Fig. 4
illustrates USB Type-C device with
PD support connection.
PD communication using PD
controller starts after a successful
USB Type-C connection. At the start
of the process, a PD source starts
sending its capabilities over the CC
line using BMC encoding. The sink
decodes capabilities of the source
and requests the power it requires.
Based on the request, the source
may accept the request and change
its VBUS to output the requested
power. The source then sends a
source-ready packet to the sink
indicating acceptance.
When the port partners agree
on power, state is called contract.
This is the basic state require-
ment for any further protocol or
mode negotiation.
Things you can do with
USB Type-C
A USB Type-C cable plays a key role
in the USB Type-C ecosystem and
can dictate the behaviour of the
ecosystem. In the USB Type-C envi-
ronment, cable products are called
electronically-marked cables that
can be built with intelligence for
robust and better user experience.
The flip side to this is that us-
ers need to be educated about the
cables’ capability. This section ex-
plores key things that a USB Type-C
cable can do, which the legacy USB
cables can not.
Can talk. Unlike legacy USB
cables, USB Type-C cables can be
electronically marked and these
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

respond to commands from a
host device. In a USB Type-C
ecosystem, a host sends series
of discover commands to
know about the cable and de-
cide further action on how to
set up the ecosystem. Thus, a
cable plays a key role in decid-
ing the USB Type-C ecosystem. Fig. 5: Legacy USB hub
Can decide the power a
source can provide. During the
discover process, a host device
receives identity of a Type-C
cable that contains details like
manufacturer name, type of
cable, USB capabilities, VBUS
current handling capability
and so on. This information
about VBUS current capabil-
ity restricts a power provider
its power capability adver- Fig. 6: USB Type-C USB hub solution
tisement. This means, even
though a power provider is capable
of providing 5A to a consumer and
the cable in its identity commu-
nicates its limits as 1.5A, current
capability is restricted to 1.5A.
Can be active or passive. A USB
Type-C cable can be categorised as
electronically-marked or non-elec-
tronically-marked cables, where the
latter is dumb and does not contain
any electronics inside.
Electronically-marked cables
can be further classified as pas-
sive cables that are USB Type-C
cables that do not support data bus
signal-conditioning circuits but can
respond to discover commands,
and active cables that are Type-C
cables that support data bus signal-
conditioning circuits along with
discover commands.
26 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
ConneCtors
This classification of the cables
enables bringing more interesting
functionalities along with some
complications to the end user.
Can enter modes. Type-C con-
nectors allow functionalities like
Thunderbolt or HDMI over existing
USB signal lines. This is achieved
through CC protocol. Such alternate
modes are not restricted to a host or
a device but can also be extended to
a cable. For example, these alternate
modes can help an active enable sig-
nal conditioning or at times perform
some other proprietary action before
entering alternate mode between a
host and a device.
USB Type-C hub
Another major change the USB Type-
C technology brings in is on the USB
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hub front, which is now a mul-
ti-function device that supports
functionalities like Display Port
or MHL, along with USB in a
USB hub solution.
Let us now explore what a
legacy hub solution looks like
and how it can be modified to
a Type-C solution. Fig. 5 illus-
trates a simple legacy hub con-
troller with four downstream
ports and an upstream port, all
supporting USB functionality.
In simple terms, a USB
Type-C hub solution is just a
tweak of the above legacy so-
lution with Type-C controllers
managing ports and signals as
illustrated in Fig. 2.
Fig. 6 is a break up of a
USB Type hub, which has the
following features:
• Three USB-A 3.0
• Mini display port
• Two USB-C
From Fig. 6, it is easy to under-
stand how an existing legacy USB
hub design can be tweaked to a
USB Type-C hub. It is important to
note that in this new hub model
a USB Type-C controller manages
the signal lines of the USB Type-
C connector after successful CC
protocol negotiation.
Some key points to remember in
a USB Type-C hub solution are:
• Only an upstream port of a hub
can support alternate mode, that is,
functionality other than USB.
• When operating in display port
mode, a USB Type-C hub may not
support USB 3.0 functionality and
will operate in USB 2.0 mode.
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

A ‘Minority report’ Style
GeSture interfAce:
Do We Really Need It?
Janani
Gopalakrishnan
Vikram is a
technically-qualified
freelance writer,
editor and hands-
on mom based in
Chennai
Fig. 1: Tongue-n-Cheek, a
non-contact tongue-gesture-
recognition system (Courtesy:
University of Maryland)
28 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
tech focus
F
rom text to graphics, from keyboards
to mice to touchscreens, we have
come a long way. Gestural interface
comes next in this logical progression
of human-machine interfaces (HMIs).
The journey has already begun. We have
advanced gesture sensors and software
stacks to understand these gestures and
use these as inputs for various applica-
tions. Products and projects like Mi-
crochip’s GestIC, Nintendo Wii, Intel’s
RealSense, Leap Motion, Google’s Soli,
Microsoft’s Kinect and Handpose, and Gest
gloves do show some promise.
Many industry watchers also believe
that the future of the Internet of Things
(IoT) depends on the success of gesture
based interaction because these devices
will be very deeply intertwined in our lives,
and we must be able to interact naturally
with these if we are not to go crazy!
However, most of today’s gesture inter-
faces have some constraints. Many work
together with touch and not independently.
Others might require you to sit in front of
the computer within the acceptable range,
wear a gesture-control device, ensure
that the room is properly lit and probably
even train the computer to your hand size
and movements.
Recall scenes from the movie Minority
Report and you begin to wonder whether
the existing technologies are anywhere close
to that kind of intuitive gesture control. Can
you grab files in the air and throw these into
folders? Would it be possible to sift through
and organise tonnes of data within min-
utes? Would it be possible to use gestures to
simulate a plan and implement it?
There is abundant research happening
around the world to enable all this, and we
will probably be interacting with comput-
ers using purely gestures sometime in
the future. However, would that really be
necessary for all of us?
Not all tech works for all devices
Some experts feel that gestures might not
be needed for all kinds of computing. Take
the example of touchscreens. While ini-
tially not very successful in larger comput-
ers, these have evolved into de facto tech
for smartphones and tablets. Gesture based
interfaces too might make it big only in
such specialised applications. For example,
handling files on a laptop or doing some-
thing on the phone are more of personal-
ised tasks. You do not want to be gesturing
to such personal devices, drawing every-
body’s attention to what you are doing.
However, in more collaborative environ-
ments, or when the user has disabilities
that hamper the use of regular user inter-
faces (UIs), or under demanding environ-
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

mental conditions, gestures might be
really useful. For example, a scuba
diver could do with a robot assistant
that understands gestures. He or she
could point at objects and instruct
the robot to click photographs from
specific angles.
Or, let us say a health-awareness
video is being shown to a group of
illiterate people in a village. The
viewers are not tech-savvy, the
environment is likely to be noisy and
the people might even speak differ-
ent dialects. If the computer could
understand their gestures to carry
out instructions like replay or volume
control, it might improve the effec-
tiveness of the presentation.
When you are on a snowy peak
wearing heavy gloves, it might not
be easy to use a touchscreen. Gesture
computing could be a life saver then.
Baby monitors, computing systems
for people with disabilities, support
systems for people working under
dangerous environments and more
could also work with gesture systems.
Let us look at some projects that
aim to improve the use of gestures in
such specialised applications.
Working with the tongue
When we think of gesture based
computing, the first thing that comes
to mind is people with sensor-stud-
ded gloves waving their hands this
way and that. But how do people
with paralysis communicate with
their computer, when it is not pos-
sible for them to move their arms
or legs? Such patients can only use
head, tongue and eye movements as
inputs for gesture-interface systems.
Of these, tongue based systems
are popular for paralysis patients
because tongue is a flexible organ
that can be used to perform several
gestures. It is also considered to be
intuitive and more reliable because
the tongue is controlled by the
cranial nerve, which is embedded in
the skull and is not easily damaged
during spinal cord injuries.
However, current tongue based
30 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
tech focus
Do gloves irk you
Well, even Tom Cruise wore gloves in Minority Report. But you might not have to. Gesture
interface start-up UltraHaptics has developed a ready-to-test technology for users to
receive tactile feedback without wearing any special devices or touching any surfaces.
The technology helps them feel menu options in air, interact with virtual objects or get
feedback for mid-air gestures, by using ultrasound to project sensations through the air
and directly onto the users.
The company was founded in 2013 to build on a technology originally developed at University
of Bristol, UK. They are now working with Tier-1 customers to evaluate their solution.
UltraHaptics was co-founded by Sriram Subramanian, a professor of informatics at University
of Sussex, UK, with research interests in exploring new forms of interactive systems.
input systems are very intrusive. at this year’s Consumer Electronics
These often require magnetic sensors Show (CES 2016) held at Las Vegas,
to be built into dentures or artificial USA, as well.
teeth, or for contact with the skin us- Intuitive infotainment. BMW
ing electromyography (EMG) sensors. showcased a few gesture controls
This can be quite uncomfortable as in its 7-series, achieved through
EMG electrodes can cause skin abra- sensors on the cabin roof, monitor-
sions in the long run. ing the area near the infotainment
To address this problem, re- panel. The controls, which experts
searchers at University of Maryland, have reviewed favourably, enable
Baltimore County, USA, recently you to change the volume through a
proposed a novel contactless sen- circular motion of the index finger,
sor called Tongue-n-Cheek, which answer or dismiss a call by pointing
uses micro-radars to capture tongue straight or swiping right, and config-
gestures. The prototype system is in ure one other setting of your choice
the form of a helmet to be worn by by swiping down two fingers.
the user. It comprises a sensor array BMW also showcased AirTouch,
with three micro-radars bolted to a futuristic UI implemented in its
thinly-cut acrylic sheets attached to prototype Vision Car. Building on the
the helmet. existing gesture-recognition system,
The team has fabricated a AirTouch lets both driver and pas-
custom-designed printed circuit sengers to control the car’s features
board (PCB) to house a filtering with gestures using sensors that
circuit, an amplifier and an analogue- record 3D hand movements in the
to-digital converter. The micro-radars area ahead of the infotainment panel.
act as proximity sensors to capture The display is also rather large and
muscle movements when the patient panoramic, enabling users to point to
performs tongue gestures. Tongue- required menu choices more easily.
n-Cheek system then converts these AirTouch is intuitive, in the
movements into gestures using a sense that it attempts to anticipate
novel signal-processing algorithm. the next command and reduces
Tests have showed that the system the steps required by the driver
could decipher tongue gestures with to complete a task, with minimal
95 per cent accuracy and low latency. distractions. For example, as soon as
the driver activates the phone with a
Wish you a safe drive simple gesture, the system automati-
Not having to fumble with buttons cally opens the contacts list so that
and levers would be a huge help for a call can be placed easily.
drivers and, understandably, auto- Volkswagen also demonstrated
makers are exploring the use of ges- some gesture features like control-
tures to control car functions. This ling the infotainment panel, opening
was one of the prominent themes and closing doors and more.
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 tech focus
Effortless control through eye synthetic covering, which veils a actor in the movie.
movements. Quantum Interface and piezoelectric sensor. This kind of The result is Mezzanine, an im-
EyeTech also unveiled technologies on-off prevents the system from mersive collaboration tool that brings
that could help intuitively control accidentally reading random hand together physical environments,
cars, gaming systems and other gestures as commands. people, resources, much like what
devices by simply moving the eyes. Once the system is powered on, you witnessed in Minority Report.
In a pre-CES interview, Jonathan instructions are read using proxim- Mezzanine is based on Underkoffler’s
Josephson, COO/CTO of Quantum ity sensors that detect changes in belief that a gestural computing sys-
Interface, commented, “Interacting the surrounding electrical fields tem does more than just allow users
with technology should be fun and caused by the driver’s hand move- to point and gesture at the computer
easy. It should also be natural and ments. Drivers can adjust the seat to give instructions.
intuitive. If you think about it, we forwards or backwards, upwards According to the company, a
look with our eyes to see what we or downwards, inclination of the gestural computing environment
want before we do anything else.” thigh support or backrest simply is a spatial, networked, multi-user,
Together with EyeTech, they by brushing fingers across the multi-screen, multi-device comput-
unveiled what they claim to be the seat, which, in turn, activates the ing environment. With Mezzanine,
fastest and most natural way to required motors. It is also possible all walls turn into screens, pulling in
interact inside the vehicle. Quan- to retrieve frequently-used settings people and workspaces from across
tum Automotive Head-Up Display by repeated pressing on the console. the globe. A rack-mountable Mez-
(QiHUD) is a solution that combines This is helpful in cases where a zanine appliance acts as the hub for
eye tracking and predictive technol- group of drivers use the same car. the collaborative work session. There
ogy for easier adjustment of controls The researchers plan to commercial- is a 3D tracking system that handles
while driving. The eye-tracker de- ise the technology very soon. in-room gestural-control aspects. This
tects the direction of the eye move- consists of a ceiling-mounted sen-
ment, while user intent is predicted Helping everyday Tom Cruises sor array, a base radio and wireless
and confirmed with touch or voice. John Underkoffler is the now- wand-control devices.
Adjusting seats. Infotainment famous man who invented g-speak The wand is a spatially-tracked
apart, another task that often Spatial Operating Environment, the handheld device that provides direct
distracts drivers is the pulling of hands-free interface that Tom Cruise pointing control within Mezzanine.
levers to adjust seats. Scientists from used in the iconic movie Minor- Apart from the many screens and
Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for ity Report, which always comes to cameras, there is a special white-
Silicate Research and Isringhausen mind when one thinks of gesture board camera, which, coupled with
GmbH have developed a seat that based interfaces. Underkoffler then the wand, enables easy snapshots
can be moved and adjusted using founded Oblong Industries to make of a traditional or digital whiteboard
simple gestures. The prototype seat real-world products using g-speak. surface. Multiple-edge devices in and
features a gesture interface located Guess what? He figured that eve- out of the room can be combined us-
in a panel along its side. To be- ryday workplace problem solving ing a Web app. The resulting experi-
gin adjusting, drivers activate the with Big Data is as challenging as ence is apparently seamless, easy to
system by pressing on the panel’s the fantastic problems faced by the configure and use, and quite close to
a real-world collaborative experience.
Blinding light can be crippling, too Mezzanine makes use of g-speak,
Gesture recognition under water is challenging. But, that is just one use case. Gesture a spatial operating environment in
recognition can be difficult in blinding light as well as foggy or smoky conditions, too. which every graphical and input
However, in many such situations it might also be the only possible mode of communication. object has real-world spatial identity
Consider fire-fighting robots. Under choking environments, it might only be possible to and position. This makes it possible
communicate through gestures. What a dilemma! for any number of users to move
Solutions like Episcan3D try to overcome this predicament. It is a low-power depth camera both 2D and 3D data around between
that can work under bright sunlight, scan difficult objects and image through fog. According any number of screens. g-speak is
to the team, “The sensor can capture images where most light from ambient sources is agnostic of screen size, which means
blocked out. It can also selectively image light paths based on type (single or multiple
a person working on a laptop in
bounce) or based on the range of depths these correspond to.”
a café can work just as effectively
Episcan3D was collaboratively developed by researchers at University of Toronto and
as somebody participating from a
Carnegie Mellon University. Of the four key researchers, two are Indian. Read more about it
at www.cs.cmu.edu/~ILIM/episcan3d/html/index.html#about conference room. Different compo-
nents of this environment such as

32 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU WWW.EFYMAG.COM


Fig. 2: Underwater robot Artu obeys hand signals
(Courtesy: i2.wp.com/www.cadincadout.com)
g-speak software development kit
and runtime libraries, plasma multi-
user networking environment, glove
based gestural systems and so on
can be licensed by customers to fit
into their own solutions.
Garnishing education
with gestures
Gestures can make education much
more effective, claim researchers
across the world. Embodied cogni-
tion, or learning with the involve-
ment of the whole body, helps
understand and assimilate concepts
better. Research shows that it re-
duces cognitive-processing load on
the working memory and provides
new relations with objects or envi-
ronments (a psychological concept
known as affordances), which are
not possible while a person is using
only the brain.
For some years now, education
researchers have been proposing
the use of mixed reality for teaching
children difficult concepts. Mixed
reality is the merging of real and
virtual environments. For example,
to learn about the movement of
planets, you could have a virtual
environment representing the Sun
and orbits, while children move
around the orbits like planets. Quite
34 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
tech focus
recently, schools
have started experi-
menting with the ac-
tual use of embodied
cognition and mixed
reality, using gesture
based interfaces like
Kinect, Nintendo Wii
and Leap Motion.
When a good
tale begins, even
the clouds stop and
listen. Storytelling
is one of the oldest
forms of teaching.
When an effective
storyteller narrates a
story, children drop
what they are doing
and sit around to
listen. If just a one-way story nar-
ration can be so effective, imagine
how much one can learn through
interactive storytelling.
A group of researchers from vari-
ous universities in China recently
got together to develop a gesture
based puppetry-assisted storytell-
ing system for young children. The
system uses depth-motion-sensing
technology to implement a gesture
based interface, which enables chil-
dren to manipulate virtual puppets
intuitively using hand movements
and other gestures.
What is novel about this system
is that it enables multiple players to
narrate and to interact with other
characters and interactive objects
in the virtual story environment.
A cloud based network connection
is used to achieve this multi-player
narration in a virtual environment
with low latency.
A user study conducted by the
team shows that this system has
great potential to stimulate the learn-
ing abilities of young children, by
promoting creativity, collaboration
and intimacy among young children.
Underwater helpers
When you are in deep waters, you
would love company. Well, divers,
swimmers and explorers would like
some help, too. If you are exploring
a sunken ship, for example, a robotic
helper that can move heavy chunks
on your way or take pictures as
instructed could be very useful. Euro-
pean Union project CADDY, or Cogni-
tive Autonomous Diving buddy, is a
heavily-funded attempt to build the
perfect underwater companion robot
to support and monitor human op-
erations and activities during a dive.
CADDY’s success depends on the
reliability of communication between
the diver and the robot. However,
underwater environment poses con-
straints that limit the effectiveness of
traditional HMIs. This has inspired
many research teams to explore ges-
ture based solutions to communicate
with CADDY underwater.
Researchers from National Re-
search Council - Institute of Studies
on Intelligent Systems for Auto-
mation, Genova, Italy, propose to
overcome this problem by developing
a communication language based on
consolidated and standardised diver
gestures, commonly employed during
professional and recreational dives.
This has lead to the definition of a
CADDY language called CADDIAN
and a communication protocol. They
have published a research paper that
describes the alphabet, syntax and
semantics of the language, and are
now working on the practical aspects
of gesture recognition. Read all about
the proposed solution at www.tiny-
url.com/j8td6km
Jacobs Robotics Group of Jacobs
University in Bremen, Germany, is
another group that is researching
within CADDY to develop similar
solutions for 3D underwater percep-
tion to recognise a diver’s gestures.
Their self-contained stereo camera
system with its own processing unit
to recognise and interpret gestures
was recently tested on Artu, a robot
developed by Roman CADDY part-
ner CNR.
Artu is a remotely-operated vehi-
cle that used to be steered via a cable
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 tech focus

Back to primitives is the right way into the future

If you are game for more introspection, take a look at Debaleena Chattopadhyay’s research
paper (www.pages.iu.edu/~debchatt/wader/Chattopadhyay-Debaleena-ITS-2015-DC.pdf),
which suggests exploration of interaction primitives to develop truly-intuitive gesture based
interfaces.
Interaction primitives are the basic units that constitute an interface control. She writes,
“Instead of assuming that our familiarity with everyday gestures in the physical world directly
translates into our ability to perform those exact gestures in touch-less interfaces, we need
to examine what makes a touch-less primitive motor intuitive. Or, which primitives allow
unconscious application of our pre-existing sensorimotor knowledge (for example, visual
perception or motor skills) during touch-less interactions?” This would result in more natural
and accurate touch-less interfaces in the future.

from a ship or from the shore. When poor literacy levels.

Jacobs Robotics Group’s gesture-
recognition system was mounted on
the underwater robot and integrated
into its control system, divers could
directly control the robot underwater
using sign language.
Gestures are vaguer
than 0s and 1s
As useful as gestures are, these are
not easy to implement in an HMI.
In an ideal system that does not
require wearables or controlled
environments, and also does away
with the support of touchscreens
and other devices, the possibility
of achieving unambiguous inputs
is very bleak. Developing a simple
system like that could involve im-
mense efforts to not just develop the
hardware but also to define an ideal
set of gestures suitable to the user
group. Because when a dictionary
of accepted gestures is not defined,
communication could be too vague
and only another human would be
capable of understanding it.
One example of such efforts
comes from a group at IIT Gu-
wahati, Assam, which aimed to
standardise seven gestures to
represent computational commands
like Select, Pause, Resume, Help,
Activate Menu, Next and Previ-
ous. The gestures were to be used
by pregnant women watching a
televised maternal health informa-
tion programme in rural Assam.
Participants belonged to the low
socio-economic strata and most had
A participative study deduced 49
different gestures that participants
performed to represent the seven
computational functions. Accord-
ing to the team, they selected seven
body gestures based on frequency of
use, logical suitability to represent
functions, decreased possibility that
the gestures would be accidently
performed (false positives) and ease
of detection for the chosen technol-
ogy (technical limitations).
If such a simple application
requires such long research to ar-
rive at the right gestures, you can
imagine how much more complex
the situation gets when a large and
varied user base is expected, special
audiences like disabled people or
young children are involved, or
when difficult environments like
mines or oceans are involved.
Indeed, gesture based computing
is a difficult dream to achieve, but
it could take computing to several
people who really need it. In a book
totally unrelated to computers,
American author Libba Bray wrote
an oft-quoted line, “That is how
change happens. One gesture. One
person. One moment at a time.”
This holds true for intuitive
gesture interfaces, too. One gesture
could save a man from drowning.
One gesture could help a paralysed
person live independently. One ges-
ture could help a child learn about
planets. One gesture could forge a
business deal. One gesture could
change the world!

36 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU WWW.EFYMAG.COM

 tech focus
Gesture recoGnition
Beckons The Next Wave Of UI
U
ser interface (UI) design problem:
Too many steps to do something.
Engineers have been enabling ad-
vances here by moving from physical keys,
switches and knobs to resistive touch-
screens and later to capacitive screens
that accept multi-touch inputs, swipes and
other gestures. Also seen are various wear-
Dilin Anand is a able controllers and vision based systems
senior assistant that let you control electronics without
editor at EFY. He
is B.Tech from laying a finger on a physical device.
University of Calicut, It is now six years since Microsoft
currently pursuing
MBA from Christ disrupted gaming with optical sensors in
University, Bengaluru its Kinect, and gesture technology looks
ready to take a leap in 2016.
Swiping your way through screens
It all starts with recognising touch, swipes
and gestures. GestureTek is a company
that has been into 3D video gesture con-
trol since the early 2000s. They have been
keeping up with display technology, too,
and now offer 4K displays with multi-
touch enabled on these. Their multi-touch
tables offer up to 32 touch points on
Fingers gesturing above a 213cm displays.
Project Soli chip by Google
38 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
They also have GestTrack3D, a patented
3D gesture-control system for develop-
ers, original equipment manufacturers
and public-display providers. Their soft-
ware development kit comes with a set of
one-handed and two-handed gestures in
the library.
Of course, sometimes you do not have
the budget to swap out existing displays for
newer ones. In such cases, DISPLAX Skin
Multitouch is a patent-pending technology
that lets users turn non-conductive flat
surfaces into multi-touch surfaces that are
liquid and ultraviolet rays resistant.
DISPLAX features a proprietary noise-
cancelling technology called XTR-Shield
that helps reduce the gap between the
sensor and the display, which also helps
remove parallax. It uses a projected capaci-
tive technology and can handle up to 20
simultaneous touches with a relative ac-
curacy of one millimetre.
PQ Labs G4 overlay is another compo-
nent with a similar use case that can be
fixed in front of a television or monitor to
change it into a multi-touch display.
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

The latest in the line up is prob-
ably French Bixi, a portable gesture
device. It is a combination of Gorilla
Glass and Bluetooth Low Energy
(BLE) with optical sensing that can
detect eight gestures.
Wearables and gesture
recognition
Seen as the easiest way to break
the stranglehold of keyboards and
mice, gesture control through gloves
is a promising area. Apotact Labs
recently brought out a glove called
Gest, which uses skeletal mod-
els and motion-processed data to
sense gestures.
Essentially a glove-like controller,
it comes with a software develop-
ment kit (SDK) that allows engineers
to build new applications for the
platform. The glove packs 15 sensors
including accelerometers, gyro-
scopes, magnetometers and more.
The vendor claims that their software
is smart enough to learn how you
use your hands and uses that to cre-
ate a personalised model.
Alternatively, as a more portable
solution, Thalmic Labs brought out
Myoarmband, which measures elec-
trical activity in the forearm muscle
to make sense of gestures. It lets you
control drones or integrate these with
Oculus Rift. However, the unique fac-
tor here is also its weakness, as there
are many reports that the product is
not ready for primetime yet.
Aria Wearable is more of a watch-
like device from Deus Ex Technol-
ogy, which will let you interact
with electronics through simple
finger gestures.
Funded by Menlo Ventures and
Sequoia Capital, Nod probably
uses the smallest form factor for a
wearable gesture controller. It is a
BLE-enabled gesture-control ring. It
comes with highly-sensitive sensors
built into the hardware that allows
developers and engineers to make
use of up to 12,600-dots-per-centime-
tre (32,000dpi) sensitivity.
Gesture-control rings have been
40 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
tech focus
Ivan Poupyrev from Google ATAP holding a chip as he demonstrate an interaction sensor
Plug-n-Gesture
Cube camera-projector system is a
plug-n-play style device that has the
vision system and gesture-recognition
software in place inside the box. This
makes it easy to deploy in places with
non-technical staff, where its camera-
projector combo can detect the motion
of people walking by.
in the works for a long time, includ-
ing ones that did not really take
off. Now we have Ring Zero from
the firm Logbar. It is a product that
was first seen at Kickstarter but is
now available to all. Developers
can access Ring SDK for iOS, but
the one for Android is still a work-
in-progress. The drawback here is
that it requires the user to wear the
sensing instrument.
Just smile and wave
3Gear Systems is a start-up pursu-
ing the vision that gesture control
should be implemented without
having to touch any electronics in
the first place. They are pursuing
that vision through vision-enabled
gesture recognition powered by a
tiny camera-controlled device.
Leap Motion is another company
into this same space, but they offer a
gesture-recognition solution in a box.
Their device can be used with devic-
es like laptops and even Oculus Rift.
It works by using a mix of two cam-
eras and three infrared light emitting
diodes (LEDs). The cameras track
light from the LEDs at a wavelength
of 850 nanometers. This wavelength
is outside the visible spectrum, so
users cannot see it at all. Once this
piece of hardware gets data, it passes
it to Leap Motion tracking software
that does all data crunching.
ArcSoft’s technology enables
gesture recognition on devices hav-
ing stereoscopic or even single-lens
devices. This enables using natural
hand gestures as well as face, eye
and finger motions to interact with
devices. ArcSoft claims that their
capabilities for hand gestures are
highly accurate, detecting clear ges-
tures at five metres even under low-
light or back-lighting conditions.
Another example is Seoul based
VTOUCH, which lets users control
devices by tracking their eyes and
fingers using a 3D camera.
AMD, too, is interested in this
area, probably to strengthen the
market for their accelerated process-
ing units. AMD Gesture Control
software is freely available, which
allows users to utilise cameras such
as their devices’ built-in cameras as
gesture-recognition tools. The com-
pany claims it delivers good
accuracy in low-light conditions.
TedCas is a firm that specialises
in building touch-free natural UI
based medical environments. They
focus on the use of optoelectronic
devices to deliver intuitive interac-
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 tech focus
for developers and they aim to tap
Commercial applications being driven by the augmented reality segment.
gesture-recognition technology Eyefluence is a company that
Automotive applications enabling gestures to control lighting, audio volume, air-conditioning recently came out of stealth with a
and the like not only increase safety levels, these also create a more interesting driving ` 950 million funding. They have
experience and hence create more value for the vehicle. created a unique eye-tracking sys-
In industrial applications, gesture control can replace actual contact by the operator
tem that can understand gestures
and hence improve safety, efficiency and productivity. There are also capacitance based
sensing solutions used in handheld devices. from the eyes in real-time.
Optical based sensing solutions available in small footprint with low power
consumption are more economical and easy to deploy compared to imaging based
What is up next
sensing solutions. Imaging based sensing with camera solutions can deliver 3D scanning An Apple insider claims that the
and more precise motion detection. The computing algorithms are sophisticated and thus, company has a new patent for 3D
such design development costs are generally higher and cycles generally longer. gesture control. The technology lets
a computer identify hand motions
and development to select custom- made by a user. More interestingly,
Parting thought ers. DS536A module combines a it can also learn gestures such that
“Any sufficiently-advanced technology is time-of-flight sensor and diffused la- it can spot these even if part of the
indistinguishable from magic.” ser illumination and a 3-axis acceler- gesture is blocked from the camera.
—Sir Arthur C. Clarke ometer. It has a lower resolution and This could enable a much more
narrower field-of-view, and has been consumer-friendly response where
tions as a way to prevent contact available since September 2015. gestures made in non-ideal condi-
infections. One of their products is OPT8140 from Texas Instruments tions will still be detected and acted
called TedCube, which is a small de- is a time-of-flight sensor. It can be upon. If implemented perfectly, it
vice that can connect to any gesture- seen in DepthSense 325 camera as could be as significant as the touch
control sensor to translate gestures well as Creative Senz3D camera. response that the original iPhone
into generic keyboard and mouse MLX75023 sensor, featuring Soft delivered in a time of frustrating
commands. TedCube can be con- Kinetic technology and manufac- touch-enabled devices.
nected to any system or equipment tured in Melexis’ automotive-grade Sensing through materials is
to control it. complementary metal oxide semi- something that cameras and vision
conductor mixed-signal process, is cannot manage by themselves.
Gesture-development platforms claimed to be the highest-resolution Google seems to have taken a lead
Soft Kinetic’s iisu is a platform for 3D sensor available for automobile here with their Advanced Technolo-
natural gesture development and safety and infotainment markets. gies and Projects (ATAP) project.
deployment, which enables full-body OnTheGo Platforms is a firm that Named Project Soli, this looks like
skeleton tracking as well as precise built a gesture-recognition system that the first realistic solution here.
hand and finger tracking. It also can work on any mobile device with a Google’s solution runs at 60
supports legacy cameras such as the standard camera. gigahertz to capture anywhere
original Kinect, Asus Xtion, Mesa SR Atheer is another firm that has a between 3000 frames per second
4000, Panasonic D-Imager and, of similar system but relies on infrared and 10,000 frames per second. A
course, Soft Kinetic DepthSense 311 light. Interestingly, Atheer acquired device made from a solution like
and DepthSense 325 (aka Creative OnTheGo so that a combination this can measure the motion of the
Senz3D) as well as Flash, Unity, C# of their technologies could allow finger and hands in free space with
and C++ environments. them to bring out a much more so much accuracy that even rubbing
They are also making available capable product. fingers together would be detected
their DS536A module for prototyping Sony has SmartEyeGlass available with precision.

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42 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU WWW.EFYMAG.COM

 InnovatIon
1btn: The BuTTon That Can Control
All IoT DevIces
T
he Internet of Things (IoT) is fast
making its presence felt in all
walks of life—right from an opera-
tion theatre to a home theatre set-up. But
with all the worry about security and
power issues, no one wants their devices
to be connected to everything 24/7. This
story on innovation is about one such
device that comes to life only when you
Priya Ravindran
is a technical trigger it. It wakes up from slumber,
journalist connects to the Internet, does the job
at EFY
assigned to it and lets you know with its
multi-colour light emitting diode about
the outcome. Once done, it goes back to
rest. How do you trigger it? Just by press-
ing one button!
1btn, or One Button, as the name
suggests, is a button powerful enough
to trigger a multitude of actions. It could
be to send an email, a text message, post
a tweet or even invoke a remote server
script. The latter, say the innovators, is
the most powerful thing 1btn can do, as it
ultimately passes on full control into your
hands, a delight to hackers and makers.
1btn comes packed with tremendous
Putting together
the neat package
44 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
potential to control anything connected
to the Internet, literally!
Be at your creative best
and customise your button
Have you watched the Amazon dash
button advertisement? 1btn is an
advanced version of the same, with
extended capabilities and the first in
the Indian market. A scalable and pro-
grammable version, its interface is Web
based and does not rely on a smart-
phone, although it could work with
one. 1btn can be configured multiple
times in the console to make it perform
different actions at different time slots.
You can now execute your plan for
a king-size lifestyle. You wake up in
the morning and a press of the button
turns on the coffee maker and the
geyser. A push in the next hour opens
your garage door and locks your
house safely. An action before lunch
time orders your favourite dish from
your daily restaurant and even calls a
cab to deliver it to you.
Send out a meeting alert to eve-
ryone on the floor, get your kids to
push the button to let you know they
reached home safe, or even send a
message to your parents to remind
them to take their tablets. Use it to
control your stopwatch for workouts or
connect to If This Then That (IFTTT)
service using Maker Channel and let
it command the Internet for you. The
possibilities are enormous. You just
need to write your code and pressing
the button kicks it off.
Why not use a smartphone
instead
1btn being just a button is typically
designed for a single task. It is the
simplest user interface for single-
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
repetitive-programmable tasks.
When pressed, it provides immedi-
ate physical feedback and triggers
immediate action. A smartphone
falls short when you compare
the number of steps needed to
get the action running and, of
course, the ease of configuration
and use. Designed with simplicity
in mind, One Button is the crea- Just press to trigger the button
tors’ effort at bringing the IoT to
mainstream users. to decide on the right approach in each button and you can even
making it work better, using lesser name it for easy recall.
Overcoming the initial hurdles power,” he adds. On being pressed, the but-
T. Anand, founder and CEO of ton wakes up from sleep, con-
Knewron Technologies, and his From pressing the button nects to the Internet via the
team of developers, talk about how to seeing the LED glow Wi-Fi router and sends a service
they have put together the button. At the heart of the button is a Wi-Fi request to the API. The request
“The first and foremost task was system on chip (SoC), ESP8266, is then processed and a pass/fail
to decide on the dimensions and which is a Wi-Fi module in itself is sent back to the button, which
shape of 1btn; good enough for and has an integrated Transmis- displays a green/red light, cor-
people to use it in their daily lives sion Control Protocol/Internet respondingly. All this happens in
and house or offices easily, with- Protocol (TCP/IP) stack that helps less than seven seconds.
out compromising on the aesthet- connect any microcontroller to the With a rechargeable lithium-
ics of their own stuff. Cramming Wi-Fi network. Pre-programmed polymer battery inside, the device
many features and capabilities in with attention command (AT com- can be easily charged. One charge
that size was a challenge, thereaf- mand) set firmware, the SoC has certainly can go way beyond 350-
ter,” Anand says. powerful onboard processing and plus presses and more, say the
“We learnt from competitors storage capabilities. developers, which for a typical
about issues their products have The very first usage of a new usage means about two months.
and reviews by existing users, and button demands configuration to
accordingly worked out our offer- connect to your home/office Wi-Fi. The way forward
ings. There were many power-sav- Register online, create your user Launched in January 2016 at
ing battery-charging-related prob- account and add the device to your Electronics Rocks and IoTShow.
lems and, thus, it took us a while list. A unique MAC ID differentiates in conference, the makers are
offering at minimal cost and
The developers speak one-year-free back-end services.
There is an option of using mul-
“While 1btn has a simplified interface, it packs a lot of punch, especially with its open tiple buttons to work together by
source design and multitude of design/configuration options. This is especially for integrating ReST API calls into
hackers and makers. the application and accordingly
“You can completely rewrite 1btn firmware and make it do something else of your liking. programing 1btn. One can even
Even better, you can modify API end-points in their native firmware and re-route these avail only back-end services to
somewhere else. go with one’s own 1btn via a
“On the other hand, if you wish to use existing infrastructure along with your own, you subscription model.
could redirect button press action to your personal cloud URL and then invoke some The team is also working on
intelligent script written by you to do the heavy-lifting. You can also modify or retrofit
integrating Global System for
1btn to be used as a home automation/monitoring device for certain applications. For
Mobile Communications and
example, button contacts from 1btn could be taken out in the form of probes and used
as contact/no-contact sensors. Bluetooth Low Energy into 1btn
to advance its capabilities. Hav-
“Compared to other global competitor variants, 1btn is scalable and programmable.
Unlike many other buttons that are pre-programmed and bound with certain APIs/ ing come up with a beta version
interfaces all their lifetimes, 1btn comes in a fully-programmable condition. You really in just three months, 1btn is on
own the hardware!” its way to becoming a completely
open source product.

WWW.EFYMAG.COM ELECTRONICS FOR YOU | MARCH 2016 45


Assistive electronics
For The Old And Disabled
Dr S.S. Verma
is a professor
at Department
of Physics, Sant
Longowal Institute
of Engineering and
Technology, Sangrur,
Punjab
Stephen Hawking,
who suffers from
Lou Gehrig’s disease
46 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
healthcare
E
lectronic devices have not only
transformed the lifestyle of com-
mon people by providing com-
fort, security and entertainment, but
have proved a boon for people with
injuries or physical disabilities. This
type of electronics is generally called
assistive electronics.
There are many people using assis-
tive electronic devices. Stephen Hawking
is an important example with the best
use of these. In 1963, he contracted mo-
tor neurone disease and was given two
years to live.
Hawking suffers from a rare early-
onset, slow-progressing form of amyo-
trophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also
known as motor neuron disease or Lou
Gehrig’s disease, which has gradu-
ally paralysed him over the decades.
He communicates using a single
cheek muscle attached to a speech-
generating device.
Yet, he went on to become a brilliant
researcher and professorial fellow at
Gonville and Caius College. From 1979
to 2009 he held the post of Lucasian
professor at Cambridge, the chair held
by Isaac Newton in 1663.
Hawking has more than a dozen
honorary degrees and was made Com-
mander of the Order of the British Empire
(CBE) in 1982. He is a fellow of The Royal
Society and a member of the US National
Academy of Science. He is regarded as
one of the most brilliant theoretical
physicists since Albert Einstein. He is the
former Lucasian professor of mathemat-
ics at University of Cambridge and author
of A Brief History of Time, which was an
international bestseller. His other books
for the general reader include the essay
collection Black Holes and Baby Universe
and The Universe in a Nutshell.
At present, Hawking is at Dennis
Stanton Avery and Sally Tsui Wong Avery,
as director of research at Department of
Applied Mathematics and Theoretical
Physics and founder of Centre for Theo-
retical Cosmology at Cambridge.
For his communication, he initially
raised his eyebrows to choose letters on
a spelling card, but in 1986 he received a
computer program called Equaliser, which
is used to help people suffering from
ALS who have lost the ability to speak
and write. Hawking could simply press a
switch to select phrases, words or letters
from a bank of 2500-3000 that are scanned.
The program was originally run on
a desktop computer, but later a small
computer was attached to his wheelchair.
Released from the need to use somebody
to interpret his speech, he commented
that, “I can communicate better now than
before I lost my voice.”
Hawking gradually lost the use of his
hand and, in 2005, began to control his
communication device with movements
of his cheek muscles. With this decline,
there is a risk of him developing locked-in
syndrome, so he is collaborating with re-
searchers on systems that could translate
his brain patterns or facial expressions
into switch activations.
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
Assistive electronic devices
There are a number of assistive
electronic devices or rehabilitation
equipment to aid people with injuries
or physical disabilities. These are
tools, products or types of equipment
that help people with disabilities or
injuries, or the elderly perform daily
tasks and activities. These devices
may help to move around, see, com-
municate, eat or get dressed/un-
dressed, and help a person improve
the quality of life and maintain a
sense of independence.
Well-designed high-quality
assistive devices promote greater
independence by enabling people
to perform tasks that they were
formerly unable to accomplish or
had great difficulty accomplishing,
by providing enhancements to or
changed methods of interacting with
the technology needed to accom-
plish such tasks.
An assistive device could be a
wheelchair, smartcane for the blind,
hearing aid, Braille smartphone,
smartbelt, smartring or a disabil-
ity product (like a bionic organ).
Certain devices like eyeglasses and
hearing aids require an expert’s as-
sessment, but devices like wheel-
chairs, walkers, bath seats and grab
bars are easily obtainable.
Given below are some high-tech
assistive electronic devices that are
helping those with disabilities lead
full and fulfilling lives.
Assistive devices for mobility/
ambulation can also be referred to
as ambulatory aids. Such aids like
canes, crutches and walkers provide
an extension of the upper extremi-
ties to help transmit body weight
and provide support for the user.
A combination of electronics
and computer devices gives indi-
viduals suffering from paralysis,
cerebral palsy and stroke the ability
to participate in spoken communica-
tion using only their eyes. Using a
sophisticated eye-tracking system,
they can interact with an onscreen
keyboard, allowing them to enter
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
words and phrases, which are then
translated into spoken text via the
device’s text-to-speech mechanism.
SmartCane is an electronic travel
aid that fits on the top-fold of the
white cane. It serves as an en-
hancement to a regular white cane
and overcomes its limitations by
detecting knee-above and hanging
obstacles. For safe mobility, it is
important that such obstacles are
detected early.
The cane has other uses as well.
As a spatial-awareness device, it can
detect the presence of objects in its
surroundings. Also, as compared to
Hearing aid
the white cane, the detection dis-
tance is increased from 0.5 meters
to three meters. It informs about the
presence of objects before actually
touching these with the cane and
thus helps in preventing unwanted
contact. This avoids socially-awk-
ward situations like collision with
people while walking or unsafe col-
lision with animals or into trash.
SmartCane uses ultrasonic range
to detect objects in its path and
generates tactile output in the form
of different vibratory patterns. These
vibrations convey the distance in-
formation and thus enable the user
to negotiate obstacles from a safe
distance. With simple orientation
and training, any visually-impaired
person who is a regular user of the
white cane for mobility can benefit
from this device.
Travelling alone can be a chal-
lenge for the visually impaired,
whether it is across the country or
down the street. There is always the
possibility of taking a wrong turn
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU | MARCH 2016 47

or getting disoriented in the shuffle
of busy pedestrians. That is where
a personal navigation device, which
is a very small GPS locator, plays an
important role.
As the user walks down the
street, the device speaks directions
and locations, so the user always
knows where he or she is and where
he or she is headed. In addition, the
user can plan and store routes and
tag locations for later reference.
Designed as an affordable GPS
accessory (and not a replacement)
to the cane or guide dog, the device
offers an incredible amount of
The DEKA robotic arm (Image courtesy:
www.dekaresearch.com)
security, confidence and a wealth
of useful information, allowing
blind people to travel independently
without the fear of getting lost or
wandering in the wrong direction.
Speaking of mobility for the
blind, engineers are developing a car
that can actually be driven by the
blind. The aim is to integrate several
computer systems, sensors and
cameras to observe the environment
around the vehicle and provide
alternate forms of sensory input,
including sound and vibration. This
may include seat vibrations of vari-
ous strengths and locations, pulsing
vibration signals in gloves worn
by the driver, auditory alerts from
a headset and a sort of screen that
paints a virtual picture of the sur-
roundings using compressed air.
The technology is extremely
promising, and even if the vehicle
never makes it to the street as a le-
48 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
healthcare
gal, safe and affordable car, the sen-
sors and innovations coming out of
the project are sure to help in other
areas. Not only could this serve as a
means of independent, safe trans-
portation for the visually impaired,
but also for many individuals with
physical and mental handicaps
that prevent them from operating a
motor vehicle. Whether it is fur-
ther study of brain re-mapping and
alternate sensory input, practical
implications of better sensors and
safety devices that can be applied
to all motor vehicles or an all-out
safe and practical means of driving
blind, this technology excites many.
A group of researchers have
developed a highly-sophisticated,
highly-functional prosthetic arm and
the results are amazing—a less-
than-3.6kg prosthetic arm with such
precision and control that it can peel
a grape. The arm supports a number
of customisable controls and modu-
lar components, making it easy to
tailor to the wearer’s individual
needs, whether he or she requires
only a hand or an entire arm and
shoulder socket.
Another promising feature of the
arm is its sensory feedback system.
Hand sensors measure the strength
of the hand grip, for instance, and
provide feedback to the wearer in
the form of vibrations that grow
stronger as the strength of the grip
increases. This enables the wearer
to learn what level of grip strength
is appropriate for specific tasks and
how much pressure is being applied.
Development on the cochlear
implant first began in the late 1950s,
and the first commercial implant
device received approval in 1984.
However, cochlear implants have
come a long way. Initially, the
single-channel implant provided
mostly static, while early com-
mercial implants with five chan-
nels allowed for some indication of
cadence and rhythm.
Today’s cochlear implants,
however, have more than 20 sound
channels, allowing wearers to hear
with much better quality. The im-
plants are still far from perfect, with
background noise continually being
a problem, but the technology has
advanced to such a point now that
voices can be heard with enough
clarity to be readily understood and
identified, making verbal communi-
cation possible and productive.
Cochlear implants are pretty
amazing and only grow more so as
the software and hardware continue
to improve. More than just a hearing
aid, these first pick up a sound via
a microphone, which carries the
signal to a small computer worn be-
hind the ear, where it is transferred
to a digital signal and transmitted
to the implant itself. Once received
by the implant, the device directly
stimulates the auditory nerve,
providing an entirely new means of
auditory sensory input.
Stairs are nearly everywhere
and navigating these in a traditional
wheelchair is impossible. Enlist-
ing the services of others to drag or
carry the person up and down the
stairs is dangerous, inconvenient
and often embarrassing. iBot is a
self-balancing, stair-climbing wheel-
chair for the physically disabled.
Using self-balancing technology,
it aims to give wheelchair-bound
individuals the freedom to navigate
any terrain.
Advancements in wearable
technology enable people with dis-
abilities to carry on with everyday
functions. Winkymote is an infrared
remote control hidden in make-up
that helps quadriplegics change TV
channels by blinking. This develop-
ment has grown to include metal-
ised false eyelashes that can activate
various electronic devices and other
cosmetics tech products.
People with epilepsy experi-
ence seizures at any time, often
without warning. In May 2013,
senior engineering students at
Rice University in Texas developed
Seizure Monitoring and Response
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
Transducer (SMART) belt to detect
signs of seizures. This belt can also
wirelessly send messages to guard-
ians or caretakers. It is meant for
people aged six and above, and is
still under development (at the time
of this writing).
There are mobile phones with
Braille number keys, but what
about touchscreen smartphones?
Researchers are developing a phone
with a screen comprising a grid
of pins. When the user receives a
message, the pins form shapes and
characters using shape memory
alloy technology.
With Lucy 4 keyboard, people
with limited or no use of their hands
can operate a computer. The user
mounts a battery-operated laser
pointer on the glasses or headband
and selects keys on the custom
stand-up keyboard. A woman
named Janine who has cerebral
palsy created Lucy and even created
a website and an introductory video
using her invention. Lucy 4 key-
board allows people with disabilities
to compute, while lessening fatigue.
DynaVox’s EyeMax uses eye-
tracking technology for computing,
watching television, reading books
and speaking for people with limited
mobility. EyeMax’s camera tracks
the user’s eye movements, allowing
him or her to use the device simply
by blinking or gazing.
The form of home automation
called assistive domotics focuses on
making it possible for the elderly
and disabled to remain at home,
safe and comfortable. Home auto-
mation is becoming a viable option
for the elderly and disabled who
prefer to stay in the comfort of their
homes rather than move to a health-
care facility. This field uses much of
the same technology and equipment
as home automation for security,
entertainment and energy conserva-
tion but tailors it for the elderly and
the disabled.
Home robots are helpful for
people who cannot easily clean
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their homes with traditional equip-
ment. These use localised naviga-
tion to clean their environments
thoroughly.
Bionic devices are revolution-
ising prosthetics, giving users
more control.
Google Glass is often seen as a
gadget for tech-savvy geeks who
want to remain connected at all
times, but Catalin Voss is work-
ing to create face-tracking software
for the augmented reality glasses.
It is a tool for users with autism
and related disorders. The face-
A New York City Marathon competitor
uses a racing wheelchair (Image courtesy:
en.wikipedia.org)
tracking engine helps people better
recognise and understand others’
facial expressions and, in turn,
their emotions.
A Kerala based IT company has
developed a smartring to control
electronic gadgets such as mobile
phones, car music systems, home
appliances and more. It can be worn
on a finger and used to switch on
and off electronic gadgets includ-
ing mobile phones without picking
these up. The ring can also be used
as a car key and enables users to
attend phone calls or control the
music system without taking their
hands off the steering wheel.
It uses smart, low-energy tech-
nology such as Bluetooth for com-
munication with connected devices.
It can transmit natural gestures as
commands to a Bluetooth-connected
device such as a smartphone, music
player, gaming console, digital inter-
face inside a car or television set.
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU | MARCH 2016 49
Further scope
Assistive electronics technology
can be customised with the use of
electronics to make life easier for
a disabled person. The personal
computer can be the backbone of
independence for millions of indi-
viduals with sensory, physical and
learning disabilities.
Many people with disabilities
face a variety of challenges in terms
of providing computer input, inter-
preting output and reading docu-
mentation. For such persons, the
keyboard, mouse and monitor are of
prime concern. Therefore adaptive
hardware and software have been
developed to provide alternatives.
Screen-reader programs are
designed to allow even completely
blind people use the computer. These
convert text and icons to speech so
they can use a computer without
needing to look at the monitor.
Accessible computer equipment
and compute-access aids can make
it easier for users to use word-pro-
cessing programs, surf the Internet
and send emails, but these can also
help non-computer users handle
many non-computing tasks.
Any system that aids individu-
als who are not independent verbal
communicators is known as an aug-
mentative communication system.
The system can include speech,
gestures, sign language, symbols,
synthesised speech, dedicated com-
munication aids or microcomput-
ers. Voice-recognition and dictation
systems are powerful assistive
technologies that allow persons with
disabilities control a computer and
dictate documents verbally using
spoken commands.
A number of companies as
well as individual entrepreneurs
are focussing on people living
with disabilities. They are creating
adaptive devices to help improve
their customers’ lives. Legislation
(Disabilities Discrimination Act)
and social awareness and con-
cern for persons with disabilities
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
are also fostering development of
assistive technology.
Incorporating assistive technol-
ogy, these gadgets include anything
that help people complete everyday
tasks, and these cover all ranges of
complexity. This is a very exciting
time for new developments in assis-
tive technology. Development pro-
grams are regularly updated so new
and previously-unseen technology
is en-route to improve accessibility
for the disabled.
With the advent of e-book
readers like Kindle, Sony E-reader
and Nook, there could be another
wave of new methods for people
with learning disabilities and other
conditions to access e-books and
books. However, not all devices
have text-to-speech capability, and
if this proves useful, other produc-
ers of e-book readers will probably
follow suit and adopt that utility in
the near future.
Specialty computer stores
often carry items like screen-
reading software that include
screen-enlargement features for
persons with vision impairments.
Voice-recognition systems, modi-
fied keyboards and computer mice
are also available for people with
mobility and dexterity limitations.
By current estimates, more than
4000 assistive technologies have
been designed for the disabled and
seniors. These include everything
from wheelchairs to a wide assort-
ment of high-tech tools.
Many companies today are
turning their research and devel-
opment to assistive technologies.
To benefit from using an assistive
device, there is a need to consult
a healthcare professional such as
doctor, pharmacist or an occupa-
tional therapist to find out what is
available to suit individual require-
ments. It is important to not let the
disability or sensory loss infringe
on the lifestyle, especially when
tools and devices exist to help and
overcome these obstacles.
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU | MARCH 2016 51
 components

What Drives Power-Conversion

ComPonents
T
he need of the hour is higher speed
at lower power consumption. A
laptop is expected to boot-up quickly
and its charge to last for at least a few
hours. Military equipment must function
right in the most stringent conditions. No
one wants to go in search of a particular
kind of charger for a mobile just because
the one he or she has cannot function
Priya Ravindran
is a technical on the available alternating current (AC)
journalist power line in another country.
at EFY
These are scenarios we never give a
second thought to. But essential parts
driving each of these are transistors,
transformers and rectifiers put together on
or around a chip, coming to the fore as a
power supply system. Right from a simple
torch to something as complex as a satel-
lite system, power-conversion components
play a vital role in their functioning. This
article tries to look at the latest develop-
ments in this sector of electronics and
what makes these improvements kick in.
Moving away from silicon
In order to improve system efficiency
and lower the form factor, increasing
the switching frequency of the system is
one viable solution. Critical components
for high-frequency action of power-
management components are metal oxide
semiconductor field-effect transistors
(MOSFETs), accompanied by related driv-
ers. Higher the frequency, higher is the
required gate charge, and it is common
Fig. 1: Comparison of GaN
and Si (Image courtesy: to use MOSFETs in parallel to achieve an
www.mouser.com)
IV characteristics comparison
Tmax between GaN and Si in the same dimension.
1 (a.u.) (Gate length/width 0.25/1000mm)
Maximum field Maximum
GaN 1 operating
Drain current
effective lower resistance and higher gate
charge. But, there is also a need to make
sure that switching loss is lower.
Even with all the enhancements in the
silicon wafer, power-conversion compo-
nents ask for more. While going to lower
and lower nodes certainly helps achieve
higher switching frequencies in the order of
GHz, power-related devices demand a MHz
range. Thus, there is a shift towards using
materials like gallium-nitride (GaN) and
silicon-carbide (SiC).
Lower switching loss. GaN and SiC
offer a higher band gap as compared to
silicon, and thus the system design itself
undergoes a change. GaN MOSFETs were,
in the past, mainly used in low-voltage
applications (<100V). Now, GaN based
devices target voltage ranges from 200V to
700V, while SiC based devices target a volt-
age range above 700V. The first 600V-650V
GaN was commercialised by Transphorm
& Efficient Power Conversion Corp. (EPC)
in 2014, and now companies like Infineon
and Texas Instruments (TI) have joined this
trend. Started off by Cree, SiC MOSFETs are
now being manufactured by Microsemi,
STMicroelectronics, Toshiba and Infineon,
to name a few.
Gate-charge driver is as important.
While the main advantage is that GaN and
SiC offer high-frequency support with lower
switching loss, and a smaller form factor,
driving the gate circuit for these materials
requires a negative voltage to be applied,
moving away from the traditional silicon
based approach. To make it easy to cope
with this change, designers are coming up
with specialised drivers.
While there have been efforts to provide
components and drivers in a single pack-

strengh GaN
(a.u.) 1
frequency age for easy end use, the design process is
(A/min)

(a.u.)
complex. Some vendors prefer to separate
Si Si out the two in order to offer more flexibility
Maximum 1 On-resistance
current (a.u.) 1 (a.u.) Drain-to-source voltage (V) in matching existing drivers with transistors
of different ratings.

52 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU WWW.EFYMAG.COM

Spanning a range of voltages
and temperatures Harvest energy and use it efficiently
With power-conversion components Take the case of a sensor that is fitted into a wall. It is left untouched, but expected to do
present in all kinds of electronic its job sincerely, day in and day out. Would someone have to monitor its battery levels
regularly? Instead, put a small board next to it and fit in a solar panel, not unlike modern
devices/gadgets, it is imperative for
electronics calculators. The sun would then take care of keeping the battery charged.
these to support a range of tem- Using brushless DC motors in appliances like fans, variable speed drives for
perature and voltage operations. controlling motors in air-conditioners and refrigerators, and employing smartmeters in
Components are rated according to smartgrids helps reduce energy loss and conserve energy.
grids. Commercial applications are Further, renewable energy power supplies such as solar/electric vehicles and telecom/
the ones working at least power server power supplies demand high efficiencies of nearly 99 per cent. Energy harvesting
and temperature ranges, but have also comes into utmost importance when dealing with the Internet of Things applications.
to take into account power fluctua-
tions. Ones used under the hood of Robert L. Chao, founder, Advanced
automobiles and light emitting di- Semitrex Technologies, Linear Devices Inc., explained how
a Californian start-up,
odes (LEDs) need to support about MOSFET based current balancing
claims to have come
150°C temperature. Reliability and up with one-size-fits- is enabling reduced power use in
high tolerance are prime deciders all power supply on a superconductor stacks. He says, “A
for military-grade components, chip, Tronium, which MOSFET array balances leakage cur-
while those that go into space can provide an output Tronium power
supply SoC (Image rents in each cell by exponentially
electronics need to withstand many from 1.8V to 48V. The courtesy: www. varying currents relative to selected
design of the chip is semitrex.com)
kinds of radiations. based on a capacitive- operating voltages. This method
Products that work on AC mains voltage-reduction technology termed compensates for leakage-current
like LED bulbs and inverters take muxcapacitor, and it completely does away imbalances with small voltage
in 220V AC input and convert it to with magnetic and inductive components. imbalances so that maximum rated
high-range voltages. High voltages voltage limits are not exceeded.”
demand heavy device capability, and powered devices like mobile phones
to support these, there are MOSFETs, and wearables perform power con- Varying models for different
bipolar transistors and insulated-gate version at direct current (DC) range, end applications
bipolar transistors (IGBTs), compet- and at much lower levels. Battery While designing power-conversion
ing in the same space. is expected to charge fast, be stable components, lifestyle of consum-
Traditionally, voltage handling and reliable. A power supply also ers and application of the system
was highest for bipolar technology. needs to tolerate high voltages and also define scalability of the design.
With IGBT disrupting this technol- not break down in such scenarios. Current-handling capability and
ogy, it is now common to find IGBT To add to the burden, there is the failure protection of the designed
modules in high-voltage equip- case of wireless charging. circuit reflects its complexity, cost
ment like the uninterrupted power Many battery-operated systems and size.
supply (UPS). use two or more supercapacitors Consider the case of a meter-
Batteries to the rescue. Battery- in series. In an earlier interview, ing device. Presently, a majority
of digital residential meters are
Is AC losing out to DC? non-communicative, with no elec-
tronic controlling capabilities. Power
Most appliances used in daily life have a rectifier circuit that converts supplied AC current
into direct current (DC), and store energy or use it to power the system. With solar and requirement for such systems will
battery-powered technologies gaining importance, DC-to-DC conversion is becoming the hardly be 0.5W to 2W. However,
norm. Output of a solar photovoltaic system is low-voltage DC that can be boosted to suit futuristic smartmeters look to inte-
requirements. These are highly efficient and preferred. It is in the case of home lighting grate communication capabilities
systems that AC is still preferred, as AC loads with high power rating are easily available. and remote control facilities within,
High-voltage DC transmission (HVDC) is also a growing trend, showing promise in and this would demand a difference
improving overall system efficiency and renewable energy opportunities. In a white paper,
Stephen Oliver, vice president, VI Chip Product Line, Vicor Corp., has said that, innovative in the design. Thus, system develop-
conversion, control and distribution approaches in power-conversion technology, enabled ers design variant models of power-
by advanced semiconductors and conversion topologies are making HVDC practical for sourcing circuits.
distribution.
HVDC offers tangible and significant benefits for both sourcing options and system Conquering heat
end-to-end performance. A research by France Telecom and China Mobile estimates that Small sizes and higher packing
DC distribution can save eight per cent to ten per cent of power across the board.
densities automatically come with

WWW.EFYMAG.COM ELECTRONICS FOR YOU | MARCH 2016 53

 components
the drawback of
higher heat generation.
MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS REPORT
µModule from Linear
Technology facilitates
sharing of the heat-
sink between digital
microcontroller circuits
and the module. Balasubramanian, Bhupinder Esmond Wong, Hemant Kamat, Kaustubh Sanjay Dixit, Vikas Kumar
Happiest Minds Kathpalia, VP, business chief technology Karnataki, applications Thawani,
There is also anoth- Technologies senior application development and officer, Shalaka chief engineer, engineer, Texas analog applications
er trend that is seen. engineer, Vicor Corp. supplier marketing,
Arrow’s global
Technologies FluxGen Engineering
Techologies Pvt Ltd
Instruments India engineer, Texas
Instruments India
Instead of adding heat- components Asia-
Pacific business
sinks and fans, the
industry is trying to
use the printed circuit board (PCB) Quad Flat No Leads packaging is that operation of a power-sourcing
itself to dissipate the heat gener- dominant. TO-XX packaging offers a circuit is stable and noise-free. In
ated. There are two developments to wide range of small-pin-count pack- a sensor based data-acquisition
counter this problem. One is to use ages for discrete parts like transis- circuit, a slight change in output of
a material on the PCB that removes tors or diodes. Smaller the pack- the powering circuit can result in
heat, and/or use multi-layer boards, age, higher is the professionalism large variations in sensor calibra-
and the other is to adopt multi-pur- required to solder the components. tion, resulting in erroneous data.
pose packaging technologies. This packaging trend not only Thus, precise voltage regulation
Packaging plays a vital role. satisfies the need to fit in maximum of power-sourcing circuits is of
Requirement for reduced package things into minimum space but also prime importance for maintaining
size has resulted in tiny lead-less takes care of miniscule-size restric- system integrity.
or ball grid array (BGA) packaging tions demanded by peripheral com- Improving efficiency. Vicor has
with extremely small pitches. This ponent interconnect express (PCIe) come up with Factorised Power
requires reduced power consump- cards and wearable devices. Architecture (FPA) to solve power-
tion, leading to reduced voltages. related performance issues. Enabling
Increases in thermal stresses on Making performance count components are integrated power
chips create a requirement for Optimising the performance of a components called VI Chips. FPA
thermal pads, for effective heat dis- chip within its limits of cooling, aims at providing the highest degree
sipation. Heat from the chip goes packaging and power supply capa- of system flexibility, power density,
into the power pad, from where it bilities is a mighty challenge. While conversion efficiency, transient
is transferred to the surface of the dynamic voltage frequency scaling responsiveness, noise performance
PCB and then dissipated. is one traditional method, MIC95410 and field reliability.
7A load switch from Design with caution. Design of
Micrel permits power the PCB also comes into prominence
partitioning in systems, when inductive components like
and is also capable of motors and solenoids are involved.
controlling power-up These components tend to create
sequence using a ramp spikes in current, and PCB parts
signal. have to be designed with optimum
A stable and noise- protection to handle this surge.
Fig. 2: Vicor’s FPA: Factorising regulation, isolation and voltage
free source. It is also There is also a need to build isola-
transformation (Image courtesy: http://powerblog.vicorpower.com) necessary to make sure tion into these solutions, separating
the secondary from the effects of the
In the years to come, cars might drive design changes primary winding of the transformer.
While trends in power-conver-
In a white paper by Arthur Russell, principal applications engineer, Vicor Corp., the author sion components are not advanc-
says that in an electric vehicle scenario, most of the previously mechanically-powered ing as rapidly as, say, the Internet
systems are now implemented as electrical consumers. Power steering is now a high-
power electrically-actuated drive-by-wire system. Air-conditioning uses a brush-less DC or
of Things or infotainment, tried-
3-phase AC motor driven compressor and parking brakes use a motor to electrically actuate and-tested new developments are
the callipers. These systems significantly increase the demand for safe-to-touch 12V power. here to stay. Keep on the lookout
for more.

54 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU WWW.EFYMAG.COM

 test & measurement
What Drives RF TesT equipmenT
F
rom defence radars, magnetic reso-
nance imaging (MRI) and mobile
communications, to microwave ovens
and Wi-Fi, radio frequency (RF) signals
are present all around you. While this is a
testament to the importance of RF, it also
shows why it is critical to make sure that
the numerous RF applications in the world
Dilin Anand is a work perfectly as designed, and are also
senior assistant able to coexist with each other.
editor at EFY. He
is B.Tech from This article takes a look at some of
University of Calicut, the latest tools available to solve RF
currently pursuing
MBA from Christ design challenges.
University, Bengaluru
Get a comprehensive view of the
device under test
Field-programmable gate array based signal
processing continues to benefit test equip-
ment in terms of speed and capacity. This
has allowed RF instrument manufacturers to
integrate more functionality into a single box.
Dr Jan Benhelm, head of marketing,
Zurich Instruments AG, says, “Combining
this digital-signal-processing capability with
the finest analogue front-ends allows us
to design instruments with unprecedented
performance, lowest input noise and highest
dynamic range, and at the same time, offer-
ing a complete toolset for time and frequen-
cy domain analysis has become possible.
“Zurich Instruments UHFLI lock-in
amplifier with a bandwidth of 600MHz
leverages this to offer the fastest lock-in
amplifier on the market today, but it also
comprises an oscilloscope, digitiser, boxcar
average, real-time arithmetic unit, para-
metric sweeper, FFT spectrum analyser, 4x
PID controllers, 4x auxiliary outputs and 2x
signal generators.”
Rohde & Schwarz With these multiple functions at hand,
vector network analyser
the user can simultane-
ously analyse signal in-
puts in different ways and
get a comprehensive view
of the setup or device
under test. One of the big-
gest advantages of digital
signal processing over
analogue is that you can
56 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
copy a signal without loss of signal-to-noise
ratio. This opens a multitude of possibili-
ties limited only by the amount of available
memory and signal-processing capacity.
Software to help you set up
Instrument-control tools like LabOne work
across all instrument platforms to provide
a high level of support to the user when
setting up demanding measurements. One
prominent example is the feedback-loop
operation. “It does not matter if you are
testing your new micro-electro-mechanical
systems (MEMS) gyro or phase-locking two
lasers, LabOne will help you to find the
right proportional-integral-derivative (PID)
parameters and characterise the feedback-
loop performance. If needed, autotune
feature will automatically try to reduce the
standard deviation of the error signal by ad-
justing PID parameters,” adds Dr Benhelm.
Model functions of the transfer function
and step response are provided that can
easily be compared to measurements with
the parametric sweeper or the built-in oscil-
loscope. Some application fields are MEMS
characterisation, fluorescence lifetime spec-
troscopy, THz spectroscopy, synchrotron
experiments, mass spectroscopy and pulsed
radar applications.
Newer equipment
improve productivity
The new source-phase-control option is intro-
duced on high-performance network analys-
ers, which aim to help study device response
under varying phases. This option would
prove to be useful for engineers carrying out
active load pull measurements on amplifiers.
Another recent development is the abil-
ity to control the phase of multiple signal
sources (internal and external) for testing
differential IQ modulators. This used to be a
lot more difficult earlier.
Ashutosh Dwivedi, application engineer,
Keysight Technologies, says, “High-end
network analysers are targeted at customers
that include those working on wafer-level
device characterisation and device mod-
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

elling. A new option of automatic
fixture removal is introduced that
enables users to easily de-embed the
test fixture/carrier plate used during
device testing.”
Another broader trend, which
is good for both wafer-level users
as well as normal analyser users, is
that, spectrum analyser feature is
now introduced in network analys-
ers. This would enable users to carry
out device-under-test analysis under
modulated conditions or analyse
spurious and harmonic responses of
the device with a single connection,
which will ease the measurement ef-
fort and overall test throughput.
Dwiwedi adds, “Newer economy-
range network analysers also feature
direct receiver access that improves
the system dynamic range. This is
a good option for people looking
for economical options for active-
device-characterisation systems at
lower frequencies.”
Keysight has also launched low-
cost network analysers for manufac-
turing lines as well as multi-port net-
work analysers that work on modular
platforms like PXI, which can be used
for simultaneous testing of multiple
devices for very fast measurements
during production testing.
April Fang, sales manager at
Siglent, explains, “Newer spectrum
analysers include support for four
independent traces and cursors,
demodulation at zero span, advanced
power measurement and a quasi-peak
detector following CISPR 16.”
Fang adds that newer instruments
come with newer capabilities like
importing stored limit templates that
make it easy to evaluate electromag-
netic interference levels for pre-
compliance testing. Their SSA3000X
includes a front-panel audio-output
jack for listening to amplitude modula-
tion and frequency modulation
demodulated signals as well Major contributors to this report
as a single-page menu that  April Fang, sales manager, Siglent
gives easy access to important  Ashutosh Dwivedi, application engineer, Keysight
measurement functions.  Dr Jan Benhelm, head of marketing, Zurich Instruments AG
 Shayan Ushani, editor, Analog Arts Inc.
“I particularly like Tektro-
58 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
test & measurement
nix RSAA306 and our own Analog
Arts SL987. These products are port-
able and offer full-featured spectrum- focus on wideband signal genera-
analysis capability,” adds Shayan
Ushani, editor, Analog Arts Inc.
Better usability
More firms have started unifying
the user interface design across
their product lines so as to help
engineers work easier and faster
when they switch between different
equipment lines.
For instance, frequency upgrada- threat environment).
bility lets customers buy equipment
that can handle lower frequencies
and then later upgrade to the fea-
ture set of higher-end equipment.
While the upgrade is a software
licence change in standard equip-
ment, it is a hardware upgrade
when making upgrades such as
moving from 26GHz to 40GHz.
Test system requirements
When you build a system for RF testing,
following are the instrument types that you optical design who need high optical
would probably need:
 Signal generator
 Oscilloscope
 Connectors and cables
 Spectrum analyser
 Network analyser
 T&M software for automation
 Device under test
How instrument costs vary to 32GHz, 44GHz or even 50GHz range
India is becoming a hot market for high-
technology products such as RF test
equipment. Ushani says, “In India, just like for field testing, microwave network
in similar markets, cost of these products
has always been a big factor in customers’
decision-making criteria. Knowing this,
manufacturers of such equipment have
been trying to develop these instruments
with consistently lower price tags.”
Overall, vendors say that pricing of
equipment remains mostly the same with
the only exception being effects due to the
fluctuating value of the rupee.
Improved specifications
In signal generation, newer equipment
tion with a maximum of 120MHz in
the economy line of equipment and
160MHz in mid-range equipment.
If you need more, high-end equip-
ment can go up to 2GHz by using an
external arbitrary waveform genera-
tor. These would be of use to engi-
neers working to develop solutions
for the defence market, electronic
warfare testing (such as generating a
High-end equipment feature an
ultra-fast settling time. Keysight has
some high-speed signal generators
such as UXG X-series, which can
cover from 10MHz to 40GHz.
Arbitrary waveform generator port-
folio has also grown to use ultra-high
bandwidth. While it was 5GHz earlier,
newer equipment can handle up to
32GHz of analogue bandwidth. It can
also handle up to 92 gigasamples per
second. Predominantly used by guys in
data rate, it can also be used for optical
receiving testing and modulation like
PAM-4, PAM8 and DMT. It also has an
ultra-low jitter value so you get a very
clean signal at such a high bandwidth
and with a high data rate.
FieldFox is another product line that
has gone up from 26.5GHz to cover up
in the same handheld form factor. This
is a battery-operated instrument useful
establishment and field testing of mili-
tary radars working in microwave and
mmWave frequency bands.
Looking forward to 2016
Going by the number of updated
instruments, 2015 seems to have been
quite the year for various RF test
equipment. Vendors also talked about
a renewed focus on giving
importance to the engineer
using the equipment, through
updates to the user interface,
support software and produc-
tivity enhancing features.
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 buyers’ guide
Choosing The Right
SOUND LEVEL METER
W
hen performing acoustic testing,
choosing a proper sound level
meter (SLM) testing system is
the key. An SLM is commonly used in noise
pollution studies for quantification of differ-
ent kinds of noise, especially industrial, en-
vironmental and aircraft. However, reading
from an SLM does not correlate well with
human-perceived loudness, which is better
Biswajit Das is
manager-R&D, measured by a loudness meter.
EFY Labs
Types of SLMs
Integrating meter. An integrating meter is
one that can measure an equivalent continu-
ous sound level (Leq) and is required for any
proper occupational or environmental noise
monitoring. This meter is usually mandated.
Non-integrating meter. A non-integrating
meter displays only the instantaneous noise
level at any one time and is suitable only for
spot checks and very steady noise levels.
As per IEC standards, SLMs of the two
classes, Class 1 and Class 2, have the same
functionality but different tolerances for
errors. Class 1 instruments have a wider
Fig. 1: A sound level meter
in use
60 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
frequency range and a tighter tolerance than
lower-cost, Class 2 units.
ANSI specifies SLM as three different
types, namely, 0, 1 and 2. Type 0 is used in
laboratories, type 1 for precision measure-
ments in the field and type 2 for general-pur-
pose measurements. Type 1 meter is preferred
for designing cost-effective noise controls.
Frequency weighting
Frequency weighting selections allow users
to choose how the meter will treat sound
measurements over its specified frequency
range. Certified SLMs offer noise measure-
ments with A, C and Z frequency weighting.
A human ear responds more to frequen-
cies between 500Hz and 8kHz and is less
sensitive to very-low-pitch or high-pitch nois-
es. In A weighting (expressed as dBA), the
meter gives more weight to certain frequen-
cies. In other words, sound levels at certain
frequencies are boosted or cut (to match how
the human ear responds to sound).
In C weighting (expressed as dBC), all
frequencies are treated the same (no boost-
ing or cutting of sound level).
Z weighting (expressed as dBZ) is a flat
frequency response of 10Hz to 20kHz ±1.5dB.
Frequency weighting A is the only
weighting that is mandated by the interna-
tional standard; frequency weightings C and
Z are optional fitments.
Fig. 2: A, C and Z frequency weightings for sound
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

Why frequency
is important
Consider the following exam-
ple. A whistle blows at about
45dB, while a thunder is at
100dB. But, a thunder has fre-
quency of only 50Hz, whereas
the whistle has a frequency
of 1000Hz or more. Decibel
level is not enough to under-
stand the quality of sound;
frequency is equally impor-
tant. Hence, an SLM that has
better response over a large
frequency range is considered
more accurate.
Leq (equivalent continu-
ous sound level). In indus-
tries, noise-measurement
time-averaged value (in deci-
bels) is used instead of sound
exposure level. Leq is the
average sound pressure over a (SL-1352)
period of time. Unlike nu-
meric values, decibel values
cannot be averaged directly
because these are logarithmic
values. Hence, these can-
not be added or subtracted
directly.
SLMs automatically calcu-
late Leq during and after the
measurement has finished.
These sample the noise level
16 times per second and then
convert dB readings back
into sound pressure levels,
add these up, divide by the
number of samples and return
Leq back in dB form. SLMs
that integrate such logarithmic
values by taking samples at
frequent intervals over a period of
time are integrating SLMs.
Time weighting (fast/slow
response time). Sound level meas-
urements using any grade of SLM
can be fast (125 milliseconds time
constant) and slow (one second time
constant). These weightings date
back to the time when SLMs had
analogue meters and defined the
speed at which the meters moved.
As these time constants were set in
62 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
buyers’ guide
stored or used to calculate
SOUND LEVEL METERS other acoustic parameters that
Make/Brand Description need time weighting.
AMPROBE • IEC 651 type 2, ANSI 1.4 type 2 Following terms are
(SM-20A) • Dynamic range: 50dB used to express sound
• Time weighting: Fast (125 milliseconds) and level, clearly indicating time
slow (1 second)
• Frequency range: 31.5Hz to 8kHz
weighting as well as fre-
• Frequency weighting: A and C quency weighting: LAS (slow,
B&K • IEC 651 type 2 A weighted sound level),
Precision • Accuracy: ±1.5dB LAF (fast, A weighted sound
(735) • Auto ranging: 30dB~130dB level), LCS (slow, C weighted
• Resolution: 0.1dB sound level) and LCF (fast, C
• 32,000 records data logger
• Frequency weighting: A and C weighted sound level).
Slow response is most
Cirrus • IEC61672-1 class 1 and ANSI S1.4 type 2
Optimus • Frequency weightings: Simultaneous A, C and Z often used for listening to
(CR-17x • Time weightings: Simultaneous F, S and I conservations/OSHA pro-
Series) • Measurement range: Single 120dB grammes and is an averaging
• 4GB memory capable of storing over 10,000
measurements
of sound level over time.
• Voice tag audio recording Fast response is most
• Acoustic fingerprint audio recording commonly used for product
HTC • IEC61672-1 class 2 and ANSI S1.4 type 2 noise-reduction efforts and
Instruments • Frequency weighting: A and C can detect quick noise bursts
• Time weighting: Fast (125 milliseconds) and
such as fireworks.
slow (one second)
• Data logger function and memory for 262,100 Sound level data logger.
readings Tango and EXTECH HD600
HTC • IEC61672-1 class 2 and ANSI S1.4 type 2 data-logging SLMs measure,
Instruments • Frequency weighting: A and C display and store sound-
(SL-1350) • Measurement parameters: LP, Leq and LN level measurement data. Up
• Manual storage of 30 sets of data to 20,000 readings can be
stored in the meter, each
Lutron • IEC 61672 class 1 with date and time stamp.
(SL-4033SD) • Auto range: 30dB to 130dB Readings can be recalled on
• Frequency weighting: A and C the meter’s display or can be
• Time weighting: Fast/slow downloaded to a PC.
• Available for external calibration adjustment
• Real-time SD memory card data logger Included software permits
users to view, graph, print
TES • IEC 61672-1 class 2, ANSI S1.4 type 2
(TES-1150/ • Dynamic range: 65dB and export data to a spread-
TES-11561) • Frequency weighting: A, C and Z sheet. This capability can
• Time weighting: Fast, slow and impulse be applied to many applica-
tions such as airport-noise
analysis, construction-zone
monitoring, traffic intersec-
tions, concert venues, environmen-
tal impact studies and others.
IEC 61672-1:2013 is the Noise dosimeter. These are
international standard that ideal for industries where shifts
specifies SLM functionalities are involved, such as construc-
tion (building sites), entertainment
and performances (orchestras) and emergency services
(police forces). Rather than having
a health and safety officer follow
standards, these have continued in or stay with workers throughout
digital meters, now being calculated assessment, each employee can be
or simulated before being displayed, left to his or her own device, while
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 buyers’ guide
Many of these apps allow smart-
Selecting SLMs
phones to be used as an SLM and
Selection of SLMs is always based on application. For the sake of simplicity, we categorise provide a cost-effective solution to
applications as general-purpose and special. Although this is a very crude way of help determine noise levels in differ-
classification, it simplifies the selection criteria to a great extent.
ent environments.
General-purpose. This is when the purpose is to simply measure noise from various
Based on this availability, ques-
sources and log these instantaneously. Common applications are quantifying loudness of
a source (industrial, community, traffic and so on). For example, to check noise emitted tions that are asked frequently are:
from the water pump and verify if it’s within acceptable limits. For such applications, 1. Can a smartphone SLM app be
most-widely-used SLMs are type 2 with A frequency weighing complying with IEC 61672- used as an informative substitute
1 standard. for measuring sound levels?
Special. Special application refers to noise monitoring for any of the following purposes: 2. If such uses occur, will the accu-
• Industrial and environmental racy be acceptable to substitute
• Occupational for measurements made with a
• Community/neighborhood
• Research dedicated and calibrated SLM?
The answer to the first question
For all the above applications, SLMs that can be used are type 1 or type 2 with A and C
frequency weighing and Leq measurement. is yes and to the second question
For environmental noise pollution monitoring, Central Pollution Control Board of India the answer should be, “Let us not
recommends a type 1 instrument with integrating (Leq) feature and compliance with IEC get carried away at this time.” An
61672-1 (2002-05) class 1 standard. analogy might be: Can a pickup
For occupational/workplace noise monitoring, a type 2 SLM is sufficient for general-purpose do the same job as a semi-tractor?
noise surveys as per OSHA. The reason for this is that the human ear is subjected to noise- To a limited extent, yes, in that
induced hearing loss at 4000Hz (typically from 4000Hz to 6000Hz) and a type 2 SLM easily it can haul products, but will
covers this frequency range.
have its limitations.
For community noise monitoring, a type 2 SLM is sufficient as decibel values are more
important than frequencies. Certain guidelines enforced by national and international bodies
Smartphone SLM apps were
decide the decibel limit for each zone such as The WHO Guidelines for Community Noise 1999. selected based on their ability to
For laboratory and research purpose such as to evaluate the efficiency of earmuffs or noise measure occupationally relevancy
abatement procedures, type 1 SLM is must. criterion, as given below:
Rishabh Kumawat, director of Ambitec Systems Pvt Ltd, is currently working on air quality 1. Ability to report un-weighted
research to create awareness on the health hazards posed by air pollution. He is responsible (C/Z/flat) or A weighted sound
for developing collaboration with foreign brands for promotions under Instrumex. levels
2. Slow and fast response
the noise dosimeter takes accurate noise measurements, meets stand- 3. Equivalent continuous sound
and detailed measurements through- ards from around the world (includ- level (Leq) or time-weighted
out the day. This type of device is ing the UK, EU, OSHA, MSHA and average (TWA)
particularly useful for measuring ACGIH), type approved from PTB, Kardous and Shaw acquired
daily noise exposure of workers who LNE & Applus+ to IEC 61672- representative samples of popular
move about a lot during their shifts 1:2002, is easy to upgrade at any smartphone apps. Of the 130 for
and for those who work at night. time and carries a 15-year warranty. iOS, ten [Adv Decibel Meter, Decibel
“Our SLM is built on internal Meter Pro, iSPL Pro, Noise Meter,
standard 94dB/1kHz square-wave SLMs applications NoiSee, Sound Level Meter, Sound-
generator for calibrating certain in- Accurate SLMs are expensive and Meter, (Real) SPL Meter, SPL Pro and
ternal amplifier circuits. An electric not accessible to average people. SPLnFFT] met the selection criteria.
condenser microphone is used for On the other hand, smartphones A total of 62 Android apps
high accuracy and long-term stabil- that are widely available allow for were examined, and only four (SPL
ity,” says Vijay Nagori, CEO of In- various downloadable applications. Meter, deciBel Pro (dBA), dB Sound
struments & Machinery Sales Corp.
Optimus, the latest genera-
tion of SLMs, combines the latest
digital technology with ease of use,
guarantees high performance with
class 1 and class 2 SLMs, measures
everything you need simultaneously
to save time, is designed for basic,
occupational and environmental Fig. 3: Smartphones’ SLM applications

64 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU WWW.EFYMAG.COM

 Meter and
MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS Noise Meter)
TO THIS REPORT partially met
the selection
criteria and
were subjected
to additional
testing.
Rishabh Kumawat, Vijay Nagori, Overall,
director, Ambitec CEO, Instruments &
Systems Pvt Ltd Machinery Sales Corp.
Android based
apps lacked the
features and
functionalities found in iOS apps. This is likely due
to the development ecosystem of Android market-
place and users’ expectations for free or low-priced
apps, and the fact that Android devices are built by
several different manufacturers.

The future
SLMs are an attempt to reciprocate sound as it is
heard by the human ear. It is the perfect instrument
that uses a transducer (microphone) to generate elec-
trical signals, which are processed by the electronic
circuitry to display the most accurate representation
of sound waves.
But with external factors like temperature, humid-
ity and dust, the microphone starts losing its sensi-
tivity. Onboard electronics also have shelf lives of
their own.
As long as the device is away from the human
ear, decibel level shown on it will still not be the
exact representation of sound that hits the ear drum.
MIRE. To overcome this, the concept of micro-
phone in real ear (MIRE) is evolving. As the name
suggests, the microphone is placed inside the ear.
This is possibly the closest that we can get at present
in simulating the sound as heard by the human ear.
Development of such a minute microphone that
also has precision in measurement is currently un-
derway. Application of this is for advanced research
in developing more effective ear muffs and studying
noise-induced hearing loss more closely.
Smartphones. With the growing development of
smartphones, general-purpose applications are easily
served by some Android and iOS apps that make use
of the microphone of the smartphone as input to take
various types of measurements.
Studies have been carried out to evaluate the per-
formance of smartphones as SLMs, but it is still not
clear if smartphones can replace basic type 2 SLMs.
In future, better-quality smartphones may
replicate measurements taken by type 2 SLMs,
but periodic calibration of microphones will be a
big question.

WWW.EFYMAG.COM ELECTRONICS FOR YOU | MARCH 2016 65


Equip Yourself With
the latest In design And
development software
EEGLAB
EEGLAB is an interactive MATLAB
toolbox for processing continu-
ous and event-related EEG, MEG
and other electrophysiological data
incorporating independent com-
ponent analysis, time/frequency
analysis, artefact rejection, event-
related statistics and several useful
modes of visualisation of the aver-
aged and single-trial data.
Raspbian
Raspbian is a free operating sys-
tem based on Debian optimised for
Raspberry Pi hardware. It has basic
programs and utilities, and comes
with over 35,000 packages and pre-
compiled software bundled in a for-
mat for easy installation on the Pi.
Arduino IDE 1.7.5
Arduino project provides an inte-
grated development environment
based on Processing project, which
includes support for C and C++
programming languages for pro-
gramming microcontrollers (MCUs).
Arduino is an open source
computer hardware and software
company, project and user commu-
nity that designs and manufactures
MCU based kits for building digital
devices and interactive objects that
can sense and control objects in the
real world. The project is based on
MCU board designs, manufactured
by several vendors, using various
MCUs. These systems provide sets
of digital and analogue I/O pins
that can be interfaced to various
66 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
efy dvd
SHANOSH KUMAR
Some popular resources
Wireshark. Wireshark is a free and open source packet analyser. It is used for network
troubleshooting, analysis, software and communications protocol development, and
education. Wireshark lets users put network interface controllers that support promiscuous
mode into that mode, so they can see all traffic visible on that interface, and not just traffic
addressed to one of the interface’s configured addresses and broadcast/multicast traffic.
Speccy. This tool provides detailed information about the hardware components and
the operating system of a computer. The information becomes handy when you want to
upgrade existing hardware, find out which specific hardware is installed on the computer, if
the current hardware matches the system requirements for the software you are installing
and so on. Speccy analyses the computer and displays a report of the make and model of
all installed hardware found on it. This includes:
1. Motherboard
2. Central processing unit
3. Random access memory (RAM); including which RAM slots on your motherboard
are being used
4. Optical drives
5. Graphics cards
6. Hard drives
7. Audio
8. Peripherals
9. Network
Speccy accesses hardware sensors on various components and reports their current
temperature. It also allows you to save a report of your computer’s hardware if you wish
to share it with another person or support forum for troubleshooting purposes.
expansion boards (shields) and pvbrowser
other circuits. The boards feature pvbrowser is an application frame-
serial communication interfaces, work that provides a specialised
including USB on some models, for browser for the client computer and
loading programs from personal an integrated development environ-
computers. ment for creating servers that imple-
ment visualisation. It also provides
openSCADA data-acquisition programs (daemons)
openSCADA is the companion pro- for many protocols that connect the
ject to Eclipse SCADA. It is platform- real world with the server. It runs on
independent and based on a modern Linux/Unix/Windows/OS-X. pv-
system design that provides security browser clients are also available for
and flexibility. It provides develop- Maemo, MeeGo and Android.
ment libraries, interface applica- Shanosh Kumar is working as media consultant at
tions, mass configuration tools, EFY, Bengaluru. He is currently pursuing MBA from
front-end and back-end applications. Christ University, Bengaluru
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

Modelling with Modelica
In OpenModelica
Y
ou are trying to rig up a sim-
ple circuit. A signal source,
power supply and a few pas-
sive components are all you need. I
am sure you would prefer simulating
it first, to test and make sure you do
not burn out the circuit. How about
doing the same in an open source
software environment? This month’s
DVD story talks about OpenModelica
(OM), a modelling and simulation
environment intended for industrial
and academic usage.
Based on GNU general-public
licence version 3, OM offers a plat-
form for modelling, compiling and
simulating Modelica based mod-
els. Graphical editing is similar to
MATLAB Simulink. OM is supported
by the non-profit organisation Open
Source Modelica Consortium.
The website for OM can be
found at www.openmodelica.org. It
offers support to Windows, MAC
Fig. 1: Modelling an RLC circuit
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
efy dvd
PRIYA RAVINDRAN
and Linux operating systems (OSes).
If your OS has no pre-built binaries,
or if you are unable to install the
latest release, version 1.9.3, on your
system, OM provides facilities to
install the tool on a virtual machine
(VM). Their website even provides
a pre-built VM that contains all
libraries and clients that come with
OpenModelica. However, a virtuali-
sation engine like VirtualBox will be
needed to run the VM.
Simulate faster on multi-core
systems
With the norm today being quad-
core and octa-core, using the multi-
core property of OM enables faster
simulation of your model. When the
feature is enabled, OM partitions the
system of equations and assigns one
core for every part, thus simulta-
neously processing using shared
memory. While simulating, you can
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU PLUS | MARCH 2016
even turn various flags on or off to
deliver results in a specific manner.
Re-simulating is also possible for
manipulating variables in the model.
By compiling to efficient Java Script,
OM can also simulate in a Web
browser on a client computer.
An interactive shell to work
with Modelica
The shell called OM Shell parses and
interprets commands and expres-
sions, and displays the results of the
various processes performed. The en-
vironment allows you to load classes
and even execute commands. You
can also find simple history facilities,
completion of file names and certain
identifiers in commands, in the ses-
sion handler.
Elements to help you create
better models
There is a model widget for each
class, keeping pace with the
apps trend. With a status bar
and a view area, navigation and
display are hassle free. Com-
ponents can be dragged and
dropped into the icon view on
the widget from the library. A
system library, a standard library
and a user library come to your
aid. After enabling the con-
nect mode, components can be
linked to one another to create a
complete model.
As you work with your
model, there is always a need
to cross-check or revisit certain
sections of documentation
or design. To help you with
easy access to these, there are
browsers for library, documen-
1I
 efy dvd
ated for quick and clear analysis,
What Modelica is and what you can do with it and these can be time or parametric
Modelica is an object-oriented, declarative, multi-domain modelling language for component- plots. There is also a 3D visualisa-
oriented modelling of complex systems, like systems containing mechanical, electrical, tion library called Modelica3D.
electronic, hydraulic, thermal, control, electric power or process-oriented sub-components.
On the face of it, Modelica seems similar to C++, Java or even Verilog. What Make the most of your
differentiates it from other object-oriented programming languages is that it is a modelling
language that mainly uses mathematical equations, which are translated into algorithmic
Python skills
code in another language (typically C) and then compiled and executed together with a Calling external functions from C
simulation engine. It looks at blocks of algorithmic code as equation blocks that have no comes automatically with OM. Call-
pre-defined causality. However, algorithmic statements inside Modelica function bodies have ing external Python Code from the
the usual algorithmic causality.
same, and vice versa, is an added
There are many simulation environments for Modelica. Some commercial ones
are Converge, Dymola, MapleSim, SimulationX and Wolfram SystemModeler, whereas advantage. OM also provides a
Modelicac, Jmodelica.org and OM are free simulation environments. Of the free ones, scripting interface for Python, called
Modelicac only supports a small sub-set of Modelica, Jmodelica.org does not include a OMPython, and PySimulator, a Py-
graphic model editor in its free version and only OM offers a complete free environment. thon package that provides simula-
tion and post processing/analysis.
tation, variables that can be used in plot to generate plots or process data,
your code and messages displayed, csv and plt formats come handy. Analyse, debug and optimise
especially the ones citing errors. Generating outputs in mat for- If the model being simulated has
Also, Welcome Perspective mat will allow you to post-process non-linear equation systems, it
shows a list of recent files and lat- the same in MATLAB or OCTAVE. is useful to enable performance
est news to help you create better You can even specify the variables analysis while simulating, as the
models; you create your model in that should be passed onto the tool would then take into account
Modelling Perspective and you can output file. execution times of user-defined
view the results of simulation in Using commands, you can also functions as well as linear, non-
Plotting Perspective tabs. obtain a mathematical representa- linear and mixed-equation systems.
tion of a model using an Extensible A profiling test also comes in handy
Edit your graphical models Markup Language (XML) represen- for analysis.
with ease tation or a MATLAB representation. Fault-tolerance levels can be
OM graphic connection editor As always, graphs can be gener- studied using Figaro extensions, to
called OMEdit makes the process get a grip of static or dynamic reli-
of creating, browsing, editing and ability analysis. Debugging involves
simulating models smooth. Usage going through the transformations
of pre-defined models from stand- made and the algorithms processed.
ard libraries for creating your own To optimise the model under
user-defined models for use and scrutiny, OM offers a few facili-
component interfaces to intercon- ties. Built-in dynamic optimisation
nect components makes the design is provided using OM and IpOpt.
process simple. CasADi framework can also be used
Further, sub-systems for specify- for the same. For the case of a static
ing simulation parameters like time, optimisation, the classical Parameter
values and more, and a plotting Sweep Optimisation using OMOptim
interface to create plots from simu- is recommended.
lated models add glitter.
OM finds its way to
Generate outputs in IIT Bombay
varied formats As mathematical modelling and
OM supports generation of output simulation is indispensable for
files in formats like mat, plt, csv progress in all engineering areas, it
and empty. The kind of output you is no surprise that OM has found
require can be decided based on the users at IIT Bombay. Prof. Kannan
type of data required, speed of simu- Moudgalya from the institution says
lation and size of the file. When us- that the open source electronics
ing external scripts or tools like GNU Fig. 2: Parametric plot of Van der Pol simulation design automation software eSim,

2
II MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU PLUS WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 launched soon through the award-
A sample source code winning Spoken Tutorial methodol-
model DCMotor ogy developed at IIT Bombay. Keep
Modelica.Electrical.Analog.Basic.Resistor resistor1(R = 10); watching www.spoken-tutorial.org.
//Observe difference between Modelica Standard Library 2.2 and 3.1 regarding default
Peter Fritzson, director of Open
values,
In 3.1 there is Modelica.Electrical.Analog.Basic.Inductor inductor1(L = 0.2); Source Modelica Consortium, adds
Modelica.Electrical.Analog.Basic.Ground ground1; that the chemical engineering
Modelica.Mechanics.Rotational.Components.Inertia load(J = 1); // MSL version 3.1 department at IIT Bombay is using
// Modelica.Mechanics.Rotational.Inertia load(J = 1); // MSL version 2.2 OM for modelling and simulation. It
Modelica.Electrical.Analog.Basic.EMF emf1; is in the process of making chemi-
Modelica.Blocks.Sources.Step step1; cal engineering building blocks and
Modelica.Electrical.Analog.Sources.SignalVoltage signalVoltage1;
equation
CAPE-OPEN thermodynamics avail-
//connect(step1.outport, signalVoltage1.inPort); able in the environment.
connect(step1.y, signalVoltage1.v);
connect(signalVoltage1.p, resistor1.p); Learn as you model
connect(resistor1.n, inductor1.p); OM has an electronic notebook
connect(inductor1.n, emf1.p); sub-system, DrModelica tutoring
// connect(emf1.flange_b, load.flange_a); // MSL version 2.2
sub-system and DrControl for teach-
connect(emf1.flange, load.flange_a); // MSL version 3.1
connect(signalVoltage1.n, ground1.p); ing about control systems, together
connect(ground1.p, emf1.n); with Modelica. You can also import
end DCMotor; and export works between different
Modelica tools or between certain
developed by FOSSEE group at IIT value of the resistor that will make non-Modelica tools. Why not give it
Bombay, is dependent on OMOptim the rise time less than 0.3 seconds. a shot this month?
for optimisation. Using this, one can A complete set of self-learning
solve problems such as finding the instructional material will be Priya Ravindran is a technical journalist at EFY

Are You into the Business of LED Lighting?

Here’s a Good News for You

Presents
Section Highlights

BAZAAR
• Dedicated Section on LEDs & LED Lighting
• In Conversation with Industry Experts
• Product Focus
• New Product Launches
An excellent platform to get noticed • Upcoming Market Trends
• Government Guidelines & Policies

WWW.EFYMAG.COM ELECTRONICS FOR YOU PLUS | MARCH 2016 III

3

From Gates To FPGA, Deeds Teaches
Complete Digital Design
ANNET SUSAN THOMAS AND JAI SACHITH PAUL
L
ogic design is a vital part of
modern electronics curricu-
lum. Through this article, we
try to familiarise our readers with a
smart digital system design environ-
ment called Deeds, or Digital Elec-
tronics Education and Design Suite.
Deeds includes a set of simula-
tors, tools and learning guides to
help academia get a solid under-
standing of the principles of digital
design. The software was
developed at Department
of Electrical, Electronic,
Telecommunications
Engineering and Naval
Architecture (DITEN), Uni-
versity of Genoa, Italy. The
latest release of the design
suite version 1.95.500 is
included in the DVD ac-
companying this month’s
EFY Plus.
Simulators used
The three simulators that
could be found in Deeds
are Deeds-DcS (digital- Fig. 1: A digital system designed with the help of Deeds-FsM
circuit simulator), Deeds-
FsM (finite state machine) A quick glance at Deeds
and Deeds-McE (micro-
Software
computer emulator). With
Type
the help of Deeds, a user
Areas covered : Combinational logic networks
can easily design complex
networks with a combina-
tion of standard logic, state
machines and embedded
microcomputers.
Deeds-DcS is a user-
Main developers : Giuliano Donzellini and team
friendly circuit simulator
Developed at
with a graphical schematic
Latest stable
editor and a comprehen-
release
sive library of logic com-
Website
ponents. As the purpose
IV MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU PLUS
efy dvd
of the design suite is to cater to the
needs of academia, inclusion of
commercial part Deeds-DcS library
is based on standard logic functions.
Within the library, there can be
user-definable devices implemented
as finite-state machines or 8-bit
microcomputer components for em-
bedded and interrupt based systems.
Finite-state machine components
defined by Deeds-FsM tool as per
: Digital Electronics Education and Design Suite
: Digital electronics learning environment
Sequential logic networks
Finite-state machine design
Microcomputer programming (at Assembly level)
Microcomputer interfacing
FPGA programming
: DITEN, University of Genoa, Italy
: Version 1.95.500 (Jan 02, 2016)
: www.esng.dibe.unige.it/deeds
algorithmic-state machine (ASM)
paradigm can be saved in files and
could then be directly imported as
the component of schematic editor
in Deeds-DcS.
Users can find all necessary
components for an Assembly
language based microcomputer
programming inside Deeds-McE.
They can find a source code editor
with syntax highlighting, assembler
and interactive debugger
with Assembly code in
execution, central process-
ing unit registers, memory
contents and I/O ports
state. The debugger can
run programs all at once
or step by step. A single
line of code could be used
to assemble, link and load
the program in the emu-
lated system memory.
The latest version
Users can find a whole
new set of digital-to-
analogue-converter (DAC)
components in the latest
version of Deeds. Adders,
counters, timers, random
access memory (RAM),
read only memory (ROM)
and other enhanced com-
ponents are also included
in the library. Let us a
take a quick look at some
interesting inclusions.
DAC. DAC component
is symbolised by a penta-
gon on the left side and a
square empty area at the
right. At the time of simu-
lation, converted values
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

The FPGA extension
The FPGA extension allows users to
export and test projects on FPGA boards
without being familiar with the FPGA and
its development tools. Projects can range
from elementary to simple, but these
must be meaningful embedded systems.
This allows students to focus only on
the essential steps of design. They can
visualise their results immediately from
the lab itself.
VHDL code generated by Deeds is
observable, modifiable and reusable. It
can thus act as the path and stimulus
for transition from schematic entry to
hardware description languages.
A microcomputer based
digital signal generator
Let us discuss an interesting use
case where the general-purpose 8-bit
microcomputer is programmed to work
as a DSP. Here, the software is used to
implement a low-frequency digital waveform
generator that fits on FPGA boards.
For this we need a sine-wave generator,
a modulator and a display system. Output
of the digital-signal generator could be
used to drive a row of LEDs available on the
board. The resulting display will resemble
movements of a pendulum and would be
quite interesting for students.
Output of this digital system can be
observed on the timing diagram almost as
it were an analogue signal.
are plotted by a pen at the empty
square, forming a chart logging
generated waveform. Input side of
DAC acts as a parallel register and
output side as a data-display de-
vice. Data gets loaded and carried
to the data-display device at the
positive clock edge.
DAC register is reset and output
chart is cleared when clear input
is activated. It should be noted
that no analogue output is really
generated.
Advanced ROM. Component
library has been improved with
two new ROM types. Contents
at ROM could be edited, giving
users the possibility of initialis-
ing the memory with a sampled
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
simulation capabil-
ities of the simula-
tor to deliver effec-
tive learning. From
their vast academic
experience, the
developers came
up with an active
learning methodol-
ogy where students
learn digital elec-
tronics by actually
working on these.
For teaching
Fig. 2: Simulating the functionality of FsM component state by state
theory. While
before inserting it in Deeds-DcS schematic teaching theory,
the lecture ap-
pears as HTML
pages with texts
and figures. In the
recent releases of
Deeds, built-in
Web browsers have
been removed so
that users could
use a normal Web
browser.
For students,
the page looks like
a regular online
Fig. 3: Deeds-McE book. Since figures
and visual objects
waveform. There are provisions for are connected to editing and simu-
viewing and changing the wave- lation tools of Deeds, most of these
forms in the memory with the help figures are active.
of waveform button. They can also For solving exercises. In Deeds,
find Fourier series utility at the end exercises are presented in the
of the list. form of HTML pages, containing
Toggling values of input com- text and figures of assignments.
ponents. When animation mode Deeds allows students to check the
of simulation is on, input compo- correctness of solutions obtained
nents like Clock Generator, Input manually and provides graphical
Switch and Input Dip-Switches have tools for editing Web pages con-
the ability to produce automatic taining their reports until they are
repetition. When the component satisfied with their work and use
is clicked and held for some time, Deeds to deliver reports through
value of the input component starts the network.
to toggle. Change in value is very Designing electronic systems.
slow so as to facilitate observation As we have seen earlier in the
of circuit behaviour. article, the finite-state machine
module and the microcomputer
Its use in a classroom board emulator can be simultane-
Deeds targets to utilise the conver- ously made use of for a digital
gence of learning materials with system design. Modules can also
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU PLUS | MARCH 2016 V
 efy dvd

Fig. 4: A digital system with the new DAC component

imply an intelligent
use of simulation
tools and a good
user initiative.

Making a
footprint
worldwide
Deeds has been used
Fig. 5: Microcomputer based digital signal generator by thousands of
students in Italy and
abroad, from hands-
on tutored labo-
ratories to project
based learning and
distance education.
Projects are avail-
able in Italian and
English languages,
and are translated
to Turkish, Spanish
and Catalan lan-
guages.
Fig. 6: Timing simulation of a signal generator Deeds has been
made available free
be independently made use of for of charge to institutions and people,
testing system parts separately. and has been adopted by universi-
While designing an electronic ties and secondary technical educa-
system in the classroom, students tion schools. Metropolia University
can be given an assignment that (Helsinki, Finland), University of
contains specifications and func- Deusto (Bilbao, Spain) and School
tional description of the system. of Business and Engineering Vaud
Features available in a professional (Switzerland) are some of these.
development environment are repli- The fact that teachers’ roles over-
cated within the scope of the educa- lap with developers’ roles guarantees
tional purpose of the project. continuity between tools and educa-
Assignments can be downloaded tional situations.
from the Web page where project de-
velopment phases are guided. Such Both the authors are assistant professors at
instructions are not step by step and Department of ECE, SETCEM, Thrissur

VI MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU PLUS WWW.EFYMAG.COM


EEGLAB For
ELEctrophysioLoGicAL
siGnAL procEssinG
E
EGLAB is a GNU general-pub-
lic-licensed MATLAB toolbox
for processing electrophysi-
ological data from electroencepha-
lography (EEG), magnetoencepha-
lography (MEG) and others. Users
can perform tasks like independent
component analysis (ICA), time/
frequency analysis (TFA), artefact
rejection and several modes of
data visualisation.
The toolbox, called ICA/EEG
toolbox in 1997, has travelled a long
way from its initial release on the
Internet as a set of data-processing
functions. This was done by Scott
Makeig in Computational Neurobiol-
ogy Laboratory under the direction
of Terry Sejnowski at Salk Institute,
USA. Graphical interface along with
artefact-removal functions were add-
ed by Arnaud Delorme, and the first
stable and fully-documented version
of EEGLAB was made in 2003. A
number of biomedical engineers
and method developers worldwide
have made effective use of the tool
since then.
What the software is
capable of
EEGLAB toolbox contains more than
380 stand-alone MATLAB functions,
over 50,000 lines of code and about
20 user-contributed plugins.
Data analysis and processing.
Users can input data in about 20
binary file formats and involve some
amount of data pre-processing.
There is an interactive graphical
interface that allows processing of
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
efy dvd
JAI SACHITH PAUL
System requirements
Operating system: Linux/Unix, Windows, Mac OSX or others capable of running
MATLAB
Software: MATLAB 7 or later. Some latest toolboxes require object-oriented
programming capabilities of MATLAB 7.6 or later
Recommended MATLAB toolboxes: Signal-processing toolbox, statistics toolbox
(depending upon applications). Normally, just basic MATLAB licence suffices
try to model
event-driven
dynamics of the
brain or visu-
alise processed
data for better
analysis, the
toolkit provides
the necessary of-
ferings. Analysis
of data as an in-
dividual dataset
or as a study-set
containing mul-
tiple datasets
could be done
with the help of
EEGLAB window and its plots EEGLAB.
high-density biomedical data using Who can make use
techniques composed of ICA, TFA of the toolkit
and other standard averaging meth- Hundreds of programming experts
ods. Artefactual ICA components and researchers make use of EE-
can be eliminated from the data. GLAB for biomedical applications.
Detailed analysis and processing An expert MATLAB user.
can be carried out on ICA compo- EEGLAB offers a well-structured
nents representing activities of the programming environment, which
brain. Tutorial and Help windows enables an experienced MATLAB
along with command history func- user to play around with EEG
tion allow users to run batch or signals. The user can store, access,
custom data-analysis scripts. measure, manipulate and visualise
Data visualisation. If users event-related EEG data. He or she
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU PLUS | MARCH 2016 VII
7

can find improved algorithms for
artefact rejection, too. EEGLAB is a
good starting point for those who are
trying to master independent compo-
nent analysis.
The toolkit provides a full struc-
ture for description of EEG data. This
structure includes signal, trials, chan-
nel location, reaction time, type of
trials and others. An expert program-
mer can make use of this structure
either from MATLAB command line
or in MATLAB scripts.
Research programmers and
methods developers. They can share
their newly-developed methods with
the research community around the
world as EEGLAB plugins, which au-
tomatically appear in EEGLAB menu
and which users can download.
efy dvd
Some useful plugins
Given below is the list of some major plugins available with EEGLAB:
FASTER. This is a fully-automated, unsupervised method for high-density EEG data processing.
ERPLAB. This toolbox helps in analysing event-related potential (ERP) data. The plugin extends
the capabilities of EEGLAB, providing a robust tool for ERP processing, visualisation and analysis.
NBT. Neurophysiological Biomarker Toolbox (NBT) proposes a standardised way of data storage
and analysis so as to allow various research projects to merge, compare or share their data and
biomarker algorithms.
NFT. Neuroelectromagnetic Forward Modeling Toolbox (NFT) generates realistic head models
from available data and computes numerical solutions for solving the forward problem of
electromagnetic source imaging.
SIFT. Analysis and visualisation of multivariate causality and information flow between sources of
electrophysiological (EEG/ECoG/MEG) activity can be carried out with the help of this toolbox plugin.
DIPFIT. This toolbox plugin sources localisation of ICA component sources of EEG data.
FMRIB. This plugin helps in the removal of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)
artefacts in EEG data.
BCILAB. This plugin toolbox helps to built and test brain computer interfacing models.
MPT. This toolbox is used for comparison and inference of probabilistic multi-subject EEG
source data.

How efficient is EEGLAB in
comparison with commercial
EEG software
When it comes to making a decision
of whether to move along with an
open source solution like EEGLAB or
rely on expensive proprietary ones,
several parameters come into con-
sideration. If you are willing to pay
heavily for commercial software, you
can expect expert support personnel
willing to help you round the clock
for your project.
For an open source project like
EEGLAB there are no dedicated
personnel for user support and the
assistance delivered depends on
availability and advancement on
other projects.
Available features. Although
some commercial toolboxes come
with more methods for issues like
source localisation, EEGLAB offers
far more features than its commer-
cial counterparts. As development is
carried out by open source scientific
research community, latest develop-
ments in the area are often first re-
flected in EEGLAB and later adopted
by commercial software.
Scripting capabilities. EEGLAB
makes use of flexibility and the
range offered by MATLAB for its
scripting. Commercial providers
usually rely on their own propri-
etary language. Running MATLAB
code within their scripts lim-
its its capabilities.
Stability of code. Validation of
the code is not always strictly car-
ried out as per industry standards.
Also, the software is always under
constant development. Thus, in
comparison with the most-reliable
commercial counterpart, stability of
the code cannot be guaranteed. If
some stability issues are brought to
the notice of developers, these are
addressed in the future revisions of
the software.
Graphical interface. The graphi-
cal user interface of EEGLAB may not
be as refined as that of proprietary
software. Processing is mainly done
in EEGLAB using command line and
the graphical user interface is used as
just a tool to facilitate processing.
Within three years of its first
stable release in 2003, there were
around 25,000 downloads for the
software from about 73 countries.
Today, the toolbox is counted
among the most-widely-used
signal-processing environments by
cognitive neuroscientists for EEG
data processing.
The author is assistant professor, Department of
ECE at SETCEM, Thrissur

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VIII
8 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU PLUS WWW.EFYMAG.COM

VISHAL MALHOTRA
NATIONAL SALES HEAD -
AUTOMOTIVE, INFINEON
TECHNOLOGIES INDIA
ANDY WONG
SENIOR REGIONAL MARKETING
MANAGER FOR INDUSTRIAL
MICROCONTROLLER (IMC),
PMM DIVISION, INFINEON
SINGAPORE APAC
Q. What are the prime features
being driven by modern MCUs?
A. MCUs play a major role
not only in terms of speed and
performance but also in terms of
intelligence at a higher level. In-
troduction of smart features on the
interior and exterior of cars is driv-
ing the need for faster processors.
MCUs with high data-processing
capabilities are in demand. Driving
this demand further is the concept
of connected cars.
Q. What are the defining factors
separating technology advances in
CPUs versus those in MCUs?
A. Unlike CPUs, which are driv-
en by advancing technology nodes,
MCUs with their peripherals and
multi-functional capabilities have
to address a wide range of applica-
tions used in different industries.
For example, AURIX MCU for
automotive has ten cores, four of
which are core-checkers to ensure
that the six multi-cores are properly
working at all times in the harsh
68 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
IntervIew
Microcontrollers:
MCUs Play A Major Role...
In Terms Of IntellIgenCe
At A Higher Level
What is driving more engineers to
use modern microcontrollers (MCUs)
for their latest designs? This interview
takes a look at the little things about
MCUs. Vishal Malhotra, national
sales head - automotive, Infineon
Technologies India, and Andy Wong,
senior regional marketing manager for
Industrial Microcontroller (IMC), PMM
division, Infineon Singapore APAC,
speak with Dilin Anand from EFY
automotive environment.
Q. How are things advancing on
8-, 16- and 32-bit architectures?
A. With advances in technology
and development of smaller node
sizes, cost difference between a
32-bit MCU and an 8-bit or a 16-bit
MCU is becoming insignificant. In
my point of view, it is foreseeable
that 32-bit architecture would be-
come the mainstay architecture for
MCUs of the future.
Q. What would you like to see in an
MCU designed specifically for IoT
applications?
A. The Internet of Things’s
(IoT’s) key requirement is connec-
tivity, which includes both wired
and wireless. Connectivity in itself
needs to consider security and real-
time control. Infineon’s XMC4800,
for example, is an MCU with built-in
etherCAT for real-time applications
in Industry 4.0 space.
In the consumer space of IoT
applications, ultra-low power and
connectivity on demand will be the
key considerations.
As for automotive, the most
important feature required is
secured connectivity.
Q. How are firms like yours step-
ping up to the security game?
A. XMC4000 Safety Package
is an example of the trend going
forward. Users receive not just MCU
hardware but also detailed docu-
mentation and certified software
test library, including consultancy
and implementation support by an
embedded engineering tool supplier.
Q. What benefits do software bun-
dles like this offer to engineers?
A. Modern MCUs will be more
customisable, not only from a hard-
ware standpoint but also software
bundling to better address the ap-
plications in focus. XMC4000 MCU
further advances the development
of functional safety in industrial
applications such as factory auto-
mation, industrial motor control
and robotics.
Q. How are the latest chips reduc-
ing power consumption compared
to those launched last year?
A. Low-power systems break
into low-power active and low-
power standby. Real-time high
speed and low power are contradic-
tory to one another. By developing
multiple low-power domains and
proper system partitioning, an MCU
is likely to be more adept at meet-
ing the demands of different IoT
applications.
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 IntervIew
Sensors:

SenSor-FuSion SolutionS
Are Triggering Better Performance
In WearableS
KRISHNANANDA Convergence of physical and virtual worlds has created new opportunities
SHENOY across industry segments. How have these sensors evolved? Krishnananda
AVP AND PRINCIPAL Shenoy, AVP and principal architect, engineering services, Infosys, speaks
ARCHITECT, ENGINEERING
SERVICES, INFOSYS with Dilin Anand from EFY

Q. What broad advances are ena-
bling new capabilities in sensors?
A. Extremely-small connected
devices and machines have sensors
attached that play a very active role
in gathering data. Collected data can
then be used to derive meaningful
insights via analytics.
Sensors as a whole have
undergone many architectural
changes that have resulted in new
capabilities for modern sensors.
Advancements in micro-electro-
mechanical systems (MEMS) and
field-programmable gate array based
sensors, systems on chip, efficiency
algorithms of signal processing and
other microcontroller advances
have also contributed to new
sensor capabilities.
Q. What is driving miniaturisation in
sensors?
A. Numerous advances includ-
ing those in material science and
manufacturing technology drive
miniaturisation of sensors, result-
ing in more reliable and predictable
sensors. Adoption of MEMS has
increased primarily due to advance-
ment in technology related to the
manufacturing process node. These
have also helped in bringing down
cost, triggering affordability and
mass adoption of sensors into port-
able products, thus catalysing the
Internet of Things revolution. It has
also resulted in better reliability and
accuracy of measurements.
Q. What factors are responsible for
evolution in modern sensors?
A. Integrated connectivity and
inbuilt processing capability are the
prime ones. Wide choice of connec-
tivity is now available based on the
industry application that particular
sensor was designed for. Sensors are
now integrated with Ethernet, Wire-
less Mesh, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, Bluetooth
and related technologies. These have
been increasingly becoming smart
and intelligent with integration of
connectivity, better processing as well
as better memory capabilities.
Q. What are the capabilities that
modern sensors have enabled?
A. Higher processing power of
modern sensors has enabled these to
handle more complex signal process-
ing. This is primarily of help to digitise
analogue data that the sensor collects.
More processing can now also be done
on the sensor or right at the edge for
better latency and real-time actions.
Sensors have helped in creating
feedback loops between users, product
development and design team and
production people on the shop floor.
Traditionally, this was not possible.
Q. Could you give an example of this
feedback loop being of aid in a real-
world use case?
A. An example could be where us-
ing predictive analytics, real-time as-
set information is collected efficiently
and accurately and analytics run to
make the right decisions in terms of
operations, maintenance, over-haul
and asset replacement.
Q. What is the impact of sensors in a
non-industrial segment like wearables?
A. Acceptance of wearables across
medical, mobile and digital health
has driven a lot of innovation in their
design and development. For exam-
ple, wearables require ever smaller
components, lower power consump-
tion and an ever-increasing number of
embedded features.
At the same time, MEMS sensors
are getting integrated with multiple
sensors such as an accelerometer or
gyroscope. Sensor-fusion solutions
are triggering better performance
in wearables through embedded
power management.
Q. What is driving R&D on next-gen-
eration sensors?
A. Need for sensor R&D has been
triggered by multiple reasons. Energy
harvesting is an important one due to
its potential for better energy manage-
ment by utilising the surroundings
including motion, light or difference
in temperature.
Another example is the use of tech-
nologies like LoRa for conserving sensor
power. Network innovations such as
evolution of software defined network-
ing and deployment and adoption of
IPV6, and mesh network for connectiv-
ity are some network innovations that
are impacting sensors R&D.

WWW.EFYMAG.COM ELECTRONICS FOR YOU | MARCH 2016 69

 make in india
Manufacture:

ESD-control IonISErS
For claSS-0 DEvIcES
E
lectrostatic discharge (ESD) protection is
the primary failure-control mechanism
implemented by organisations handling
ESD-sensitive components (ESDS). Various
industry statistics point to 28 per cent of elec-
tronic component failures to ESD. However,
with increasing use of Class-0 ESDS in elec-
tronics assemblies, this failure rate is expected
to increase significantly unless adequate
Ankan Mitra is a
volunteer chapter failure-control mechanisms are implemented.
officer of Surface
Mount Technology
Association (SMTA),
Ionisers
India Chapter, While several techniques like continuous
holding the position
of chapter VP. monitoring and additional redundant ground-
He is also iNARTE ing are deployed for Class-0 components, ion-
ESD engineer and
electronics trainer isers are the most effective solution for protec-
for design and tion while handling Class-0 components.
manufacturing
Ionisers are used for neutralising any
undesired electric charge present on ESDS
or mandatory insulator present in an ESD-
protected area (EPA). These come in various
forms that can be simple desktop fan type,
horizontally-mounted fan on table-top or
advanced ionisers with feedback mechanism
and provision for continuous performance
through connection to a computer or some
other data-logging system.
An ioniser fan is directed to the area
where work is being performed to ensure
required charge neutralisation. Also, for
feedback-controlled ionisers, feedback sensors
are spaced as per the manufacturer’s recom-
mendations on the work surface.
Basic working principle
Fig. 1: Basic working While some ioniser equipment have many
principle of ESD
control ioniser advanced features, the basic working princi-
ple of the equip-
ment is detailed
in Fig. 1.
A typical
ioniser has trans-
former (part 1 in
Fig. 1) connected
to power supply,
which amplifies
charges and feeds
to a metal mesh (part 3), which gets charged.
A fan (part 2) forces charged ions (part 4) to
be subjected on EPA (part 5), which can be a
work-station or a larger EPA.
However, DC-type ionisers use separate
sources for generation of positive and nega-
tive voltages.
Key features to be considered
Some key criterion when selecting an ESD
ioniser are:
Identify class of ESDS component being
handled. Depending on the class of com-
ponent being selected, ionising capacity is
defined. Else, this can say whether an ESD
control ioniser is required at all.
Activity being performed. This includes
points including a manual or an automated
operation and different material of the surfaces
coming in contact (for example, sponge surface
coming in contact with plastic-body compo-
nent). Sufficient samples need to be considered
of peak voltage generation due to all activities.
Sensitivity of performance. Cycling nature
of charge generation on the work-surface will
determine precision of the feedback mecha-
nism of ionisers.
Area to be covered. Spread of the work-
surface to be covered determines whether
the equipment should be desktop fan-type or
curtain-type ceiling-mounted.
Specialised work or re-work. Some of the
work requires focussed ionisation depending
on the type of work being done in a localised
area, which may involve some static generat-
ing materials, too.
Power back-up. Good ionisers have auto-
matic shutdown protection inbuilt within the
equipment.
Charge balance indicator. Ionisers also
have a charge-balance indicator with provi-
sion for connection to an alarm and a data-
logger for continuous monitoring.
Modularisation of key elements of the
ioniser. The equipment should be modular
and easy to dismantle and assemble since
ionisers require regular maintenance.

72 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU WWW.EFYMAG.COM

 Interference with other measure-
ment equipment. While ioniser equip-
ment are sufficiently shielded to prevent
any electromagnetic interference with
other equipment, it needs to be verified
and confirmed that any measurement
values are not affected due to the opera-
tion of ESD-control ionisers.
Decay time
Static decay time is a critical perfor-
mance parameter for ESD-control ionis-
ers. This is the time required to reduce
electrostatic voltage to a defined lower
voltage level. Typically, a 152mm x
152mm (6-inch x 6-inch) metal plate
with total capacitance of 20pF is
charged to a defined potential. It is
then placed at a defined distance from
the air ioniser. A high-impedance volt-
meter is used to monitor voltage decay
on the plate as a function of time. This
method is popularly called charge-plate
verification mechanism.
Typically, the defined voltage,
which is the possible final residual
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
Fig. 2: Types of ESD-control ionisers
voltage on the work-surface being
used for activity, should be suffi-
ciently in the safe zone for the class
of component being handled.
Problems faced
An ESD-control ioniser needs to be
periodically verified for expected
performance and calibrated at mini-
mum manufacturer-recommended
calibration frequency.
The ioniser has sharp emit-
ter points that need to be cleaned
of any contamination since this
changes the performance drastically.
After every maintenance, it is also
recommended to verify charge bal-
ance and decay time, which some-
times require significant time to com-
Periodic verification of
ESD-control ionisers
ESD Association in the USA has the
following standard for periodic verification
of ESD-control ionisers:
ANSI/ESD SP3.3-2012: ESD Association
Standard Practice for the Protection of
Electrostatic Discharge Susceptible Items
– Periodic Verification of Air Ionizers
plete, hence resulting in a disruption
in the manufacturing process flow.
Therefore any maintenance or related
task on the ESD-control ioniser needs
to be planned in advance.
Conclusion
With highly-sensitive ESDS coming
into main-stream manufacturing,
ESD-control ionisers have become
inevitable for necessary process
control and any type of failure pre-
vention. Ionisers are still considered
as a secondary protection mecha-
nism. Their use does not satisfy the
requirements for an EPA.
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU | MARCH 2016 73
 Industry NEWS
Maharashtra hopes to be
electronics hub by 2020
Maharashtra government is count-
ing on the electronic system design
and manufacturing (ESDM) policy for
developing the state as an electronics
hub, with an annual turnover of US$
12 billion by 2020. The policy plans to
increase the ESDM sector’s exports to
US$ 2 billion and create additional em-
ployment for 100,000 people by 2020.
The government has signed a
memorandum of understanding (MoU)
with Vedanta group’s Anil Agarwal-led
Twinstar Display Technologies, pro-
moted by Volcan Investments, to set up
an LCD manufacturing unit, known as
Panel FAB. Under the agreement, Twin-
star Display Technologies will invest
US$ 10 billion over five phases.
DeitY to launch EDF
The government’s Department of
Electronics and Information Technol-
ogy (DietY) has joined hands with
Canbank Venture Capital Fund to
launch Electronic Development Fund
(EDF). This initiative is a way to
devise a fund of funds to participate
in daughter funds, which, in turn,
will provide risk capital to companies
developing new technologies in the
area of electronics, nano-electronics
and IT.
The idea of EDF was first proposed
National Action Plan for telecom sector
Ministry of Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has signed
an MoU with Department of Tel-
ecommunications (DoT) to develop
and implement National Action Plan
for skills development in the telecom
sector by using public sector units
(PSUs) under DoT. This unifies the
74 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
MAKE IN INDIA
The government will offer inves-
tors many incentives including indus-
trial promotion subsidy. Additionally,
all new and expansion units will be
eligible for interest subsidy on term
loans availed from banks and public
financial institutions for acquisition of
fixed assets for the eligible project.
The eligible new ESDM units will
get a power tariff subsidy to the tune of
one rupee per unit for a period of three
years in category A and B areas and
five years in other parts of the state.
New ESDM units will also be ex-
empt from paying electricity duty for
15 years and from stamp duty during
the investment period, for acquiring
land and for term-loan purposes.
by National Policy of Electronics
in 2011, but did not generate much
interest until Prime Minister Nar-
endra Modi picked it up again and
launched it during the inauguration
of Digital India Week on July 1, 2015.
Sectors that fall in the periphery
of EDF include start-ups, government
and private-sector companies and in-
stitutions, micro, small and medium
enterprises (MSMEs), larger estab-
lished corporate and scientific and
research or educational institutions.
goal of fulfilling the requirements for
skilled manpower in the telecom sec-
tor and providing quality options for
employment/entrepreneurship.
MSDE and DoT will make a uni-
fied effort to mobilise financial as-
sistance for different activities under
National Ecosystem for the Develop-
On the Move
Samsung appoints
Srini Sundararajan as
head of network business
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd has
appointed Srini Sundararajan
as head of network business
at Samsung India Electronics
Ltd. He will be in charge of
managing operations and further
developing business opportunities
of Samsung’s mobile network
business in Southwest Asia.
Facebook India head
Kirthiga Reddy steps down
Kirthiga Reddy, managing director
for Facebook India, has quit the
world’s largest social networking
firm due to personal reasons. She
joined the Menlo Park, California-
headquartered company in July
2011, and is credited to be the first
Indian employee of the firm.
Exits at Apple India
Apple’s long time India head
Maneesh Dhir has resigned and the
company is now looking for a new
country manager. Dhir joined Apple
in 2010 as country manager for India
and under his reign, sales from the
country grew from a mere US$ 100
million to over US$ 1 billion.
Sharad Mehrotra, Apple’s
enterprise mobility head in India,
has quit and set up a handset
company. Mehrotra, who was with
Apple India since October 2007,
has co-founded Hyve Mobility,
which will launch Android based
smartphones, the operating system
that rivals Apple’s iOS.
ment of Telecom Skills.
The partnership will also ensure
that the two ministries make joint
efforts to use old telephone ex-
changes of PSUs under DoT that are
no longer in use, or exchanges that
have become outdated for the tel-
ecom sector, for training purposes as
well as to upgrade these exchanges,
as per needs.
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 Calendar of Forthcoming Electronics
Fairs/Exhibitions/Seminars/Events
Name, Date and Venue
China Information Technology
Expo
April 8-10, 2016
Shenzhen Convention and
Exhibition Centre, China
AsiaWorld-Expo
April 11-14, 2016
Hong Kong
Global Sources Electronics
April 11-14, 2016
AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong
National Electronics Weeks
2016
April 12-14, 2016
Birmingham, UK
Global Sources Mobile
Electronics
April 18-21, 2016
AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong
Connect EXPO
April 19-20, 2016
Melbourne, Australia
Consumer Electronics China
April 20-22, 2016
Shenzhen Convention and
Exhibition Center, China
Industrial Automation 2016
April 25-29, 2016
Hannover, Germany
Internet of Things Applications Addresses the opportunity for the Internet of
Europe
April 27-28, 2016
Berlin, Germany
Del Mar Electronics &
Design Show
May 4-5, 2016
San Diego, California, USA
CES Asia 2016
May 11-13, 2016
Shanghai New International
Exhibition Centre, Shanghai,
China
LED Expo 2016
May 12-14, 2016
Bombay Exhibition Court,
Mumbai
CommunicAsia2016
May 31-June 3, 2016
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
CWST-Expo2015
June 9-11, 2016
Bombay Exhibition Centre,
Mumbai
8th Future of Wireless
International Conference
June 21-22, 2016
London, UK
NIWeek
August 1-4, 2016
Austin Texas, USA
IFA Berlin
September 2-7, 2016
Berlin, Germany
Open Source India
October 21-22, 2016
NIMHANS Convention Center,
Bengaluru
Mechatronika 2016
December 7-9, 2016
Prague, Czech Republic
IEEE International Conference
on Power Electronics, Drives
and Energy Systems
December 14-17, 2016
Trivandrum, India
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
Topics
Largest and most comprehensive exhibition of
electronics and ICT industry in China
World’s largest electronics sourcing show
World’s largest electronics sourcing show
UK’s largest gathering of electronics and
manufacturing professionals
World’s biggest mobile electronics
sourcing show
Australia’s fastest growing business
technology event with over 7000 visitors meet
200 exhibitors
Platform that unites international exhibitors
with Chinese retailers keen to bring new
products to their customers
Manufacturers present solutions for
manufacturing and process automation,
robotics, image processing, efficient drive
technology and more
Things (IoT)
Covers electronic components, fabrication,
design and other aspects of electronics
manufacturing
Premier event for the Asian consumer
technology market for global brands and
budding start-ups, alike
Platform for its exhibitors and visitors to
source and explore the latest in trend products Website: http://led-expo-mumbai.
and technologies from around the globe
International communications and information
technology exhibition and conference
Presentation platform for coil winding,
insulation, stamping, transformer
manufacturers, coil winding machines and
allied industry
A leading conference for discovering the latest Cambridge Wireless
in cutting-edge wireless technology
Annual global conference for graphical system National Instruments
design organised by National Instruments
Leading trade show for consumer electronics
and home appliances
Premier open source conference in Asia
targeted at nurturing and promoting the open
source ecosystem in the subcontinent
Topics include ICT, power electronics,
sensors, EMC, actuators, modelling and
simulation, robots, industrial applications,
military technologies, measurement and
diagnostics, bio-mechatronics, among others
The conference provides a platform for
discussions, networking and publication of
the benefits of power electronics and its allied
technologies
Contact address for details
China Information Technology Expo
Website: www.citexpo.org
AsiaWorld-Expo Management Ltd
Website: www.asiaworld-expo.com
Global Sources Electronics
Website: www.globalsources.com
National Electronics Weeks 2016
Website: www.new-expo.co.uk
Global Sources Electronics
Website: www.globalsources.com
Connect EXPO
Website: www.connectexpo.com.au
CE China
Website: www.b2b.ifa-berlin.com/en/
Exhibitors/ApplicationCEChina2016
Industrial Automation 2016
Website: www.hannovermesse.de/en/
exhibition/trade-fair-line-up/industrial-
automation/
IDTechEx
Website: www.idtechex.com
Del Mar Trade Shows Inc.
Website: www.mfgshow.com
CES Asia
Website: www.CESAsia.com
Messe Frankfurt
in.messefrankfurt.com
CommunicAsia2016
Website: www.communicasia.com
Brandscope Exhibitions
Phone: +91- 9699807207, 9899107207
Website: www.cwstexpo.com
Website: www.cambridgewireless.co.uk/
futureofwireless
Website: www.ni.com/niweek
IFA Berlin
Website: www.b2b.ifa-berlin.com/en/IFA/
AboutIFA
Open Source India
Website: http://osidays.com/osidays/
Department of Air Defence Systems
Website: http://mechatronika.fel.cvut.cz/
Government Engineering College Thrissur
Website: www.pedes2016.org
Continued on next page...
New policy for solar zones
Indian government is set to launch
a policy regarding setting up of solar
zones in India. This aims to boost
renewable energy projects as well as
manufacturing of equipment. Upen-
dra Tripathy, secretary, MNRE, said,
“We are bringing out a new policy
for what would be called solar
zones, each of which will be spread
over 100sqkm and will be divided
into three parts.”
Tripathy also said that the
government will offer ` 10 million
to each state for making a detailed
project report. The government will
mark solar connectivity points in
the report, while business partner-
ships will be settled between the
land owner, the solar power com-
pany and the state. The zones will
promote wind energy, too.
Indian government to fund
solar projects
Funds worth US$ 50 billion will be
provided by Indian government for
grid-connected solar PV projects
totalling 5GW till 2020. This means
that there will be an investment of
US$ 4.4 billion and 30,000 jobs will
get created.
These projects will be on a build,
own and operate basis through
Viability Gap Funding (VGF) route.
This is under Batch-IV of Phase II
of Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar
Mission (JNNSM).
A VGF of US$ 50.5 billion will be
offered through this programme. It
will encompass years 2015-2016 till
2019-2020. Funds will be distributed
via Solar Energy Corp. of India.
Environmental regulations
open the door for UVC-LED
based sensors, systems
Paris Climate Pact highlighted the
need for countries across the world
to urgently address the issue of
planet-warming carbon emissions.
In recent weeks, governments in
Asia and Europe have been battling
another key environmental concern,
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU | MARCH 2016 75

Snippets
Andhra Pradesh to be developed
as electronics manufacturing hub
Union minister for communication and
information technology Ravi Shankar
Prasad has said that Andhra Pradesh
would be developed as a major
electronics hub. He also announced
several initiatives planned in this direction.
MIC Electronics, LG Innotek join hands
Domestic electronic display systems
manufacturer, MIC Electronics, has
signed an agreement with LG Innotek,
Korea’s leading smartphone camera
module maker, to jointly manufacture
energy-efficient LED lighting products
using components made by LG Innotek.
Onida aims to be US$ 1 billion
company by 2020
Consumer electronics brand Onida is
aiming to join the billion-dollar club in
the next four years with a six-fold jump
Continued from previous page...
Calendar of Forthcoming Electronics
Fairs/Exhibitions/Seminars/Events
Name, Date and Venue Topics
India Electronics Week An exhibition for the global electronics industry
March 2-4, 2017
Bangalore International
showcasing concurrently six events: Electronics
For You Expo, Electronics Rocks, T&M India,
Exhibition Centre, Bengaluru LED Asia, Raksha India and IoT Show
Look up under ‘Events’ section in www.electronicsforu.com for a comprehensive list
Since this information is subject to change, all those interested are advised
to ascertain the details from the organisers before making any commitment.
that is, smog caused by automobile
and factory emissions. To limit vari-
ous types of air and water pollution,
governments and regulatory bod-
ies have implemented several new
regulations. To demonstrate compli-
ance, industries now need to deploy
networks of monitoring sensors.
Deep ultraviolet (UVC) LEDs
offer a way to create sensors that are
lower in cost, yet meet the sensitiv-
ity levels and real-time reporting
requirements needed to comply
with the new regulations. Crystal
IS’s deep UV LEDs meet this criteria
along with industry-leading lifetime
of Optan (3000 hours at maximum
drive current), providing the added
benefit of longer replacement cycles.
76 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
Make in india
in revenue on the back of smartproducts
targeting youth, besides focusing on
expansion in non-metro markets.
Dr Ajay Kumar receives IESA
Technovation SARABHAI Award 2015
India Electronics and Semiconductor
Association (IESA), the premier body
for the ESDM industry in India, has
awarded Dr Ajay Kumar, additional
secretary, DeitY, the prestigious IESA
Technovation SARABHAI Award 2015 for
his outstanding contribution to the ESDM
industry and its ecosystem.
Microchip to acquire Atmel
for US$ 3.56 billion
USA based Microchip will acquire Atmel
with a total equity value of about US$
3.56 billion and a total enterprise value
of about US$ 3.40 billion. As per the
deal, Microchip will repurchase the
approximate number of shares it issues
in the acquisition.
Contact address for details
EFY Enterprises Pvt Ltd
Phone: +91-11-40596605
Fujifilm aims for 20 per cent
growth in India
Fujifilm India is aiming for 20 per
cent growth in the next financial
year by driving strong marketing
initiatives. The company is also
launching a new concept, Wonder
Photo Shop, which will have a range
of photo imaging products and ser-
vices including the company’s cam-
era and photography equipment.
Yasunobu Nishiyama, MD, Fuji-
film India, has said, “India being an
important market for Fujifilm ranks
among top positions when it comes
to marketing spends.” The company
is also participating in marquee
industry events across the country.
Siemens pauses investments
in India
German company Siemens, one of the
early multinationals to join Make in
India campaign, has put a pause on
investments in India, but is bullish on
long-term opportunities in the country.
The company has a diversified pres-
ence but has been hurt, like its peers,
by the slowdown in capital expendi-
ture and problems in the power sector.
While there is recovery in other
businesses that cater to power trans-
mission—railways and roads sectors—
the company awaits signs of sustain-
able and consistent recovery in the
economy, according to Sunil Mathur,
CEO, Seimens India.
In September 2015, parent company
Siemens AG committed to invest US$ 1
billion in India to add 4000 jobs to its
existing workforce of 16,000, becoming
the first major European conglomerate
to commit to Make in India initiative.
Sharp likely to be taken over
There seems to be a bid to take over
the Japanese company Sharp, which
has been making losses. Its loss for
the year ending in March 2016 is
likely to be nearly US$ 700 million.
While Taiwan’s Foxconn Technol-
ogy Group seems to have offered as
much as US$ 5.1 billion for the com-
pany, it is possible that Sharp may
go to Innovation Network Corp. of
Japan, even though it may offer US$
2.6 billion only. Traditionally, Japan
does not like selling its precious assets
to competing countries.
Sharp is important for Japan’s mo-
bile industry to which it provides LCD
screens. Its IGZO technology is known
for better screen resolution, touch
sensitivity, battery life and more.
Foxconn could use the technology in
its factories in China.
There is also the likelihood of
Sharp joining hands with Japan
Display to create a new company for
making LCD and LED panels. The
new entity would be capable of com-
peting with Samsung Display.
Check efytimes.com for
more news, daily
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 make in india
Market Survey:
What’s Likely To Make
T&M indusTry Grow Faster
A
s electronic gadgets increase in
complexity and feature advanced
wireless capabilities, testing has
become imperative.
Global Industry Analysts Inc. (GIA)
forecasts that the global market for general-
purpose electronic T&M instruments will
touch US$ 6.8 billion by 2020. The Indian
Sudeshna Das is
T&M market is driven by both global and
senior executive domestic demand. Growth in the market is
editor at EFY a factor of growth registered by key end-use
segments like power, automobiles, electronics
and telecommunication hardware.
Defence and other government sectors have
also been instrumental in driving the growth
of this sector. Increasing R&D activities across
various industries, institutes and organisations
are expected to further augment the same.
“There is steady growth of the T&M sector
in India every year and we expect the sector to
grow by minimum 15 per cent on year-on-year
basis. Customers would prominently provide
growth for players who are either enhancing
the functionality of the product or coming up
with most cost-competitive products in the
market,” states Narendra J. Goliya, chairman
and managing director, Rishabh Instruments.
This growth will be driven by technologi-
cal developments, expanding end-use ap-
plications, growing need for validating the
functioning and performance of equipment
and stringent quality, safety and environmen-
tal standards for manufactur-
“There is steady growth ing, maintenance and use of
of the T&M sector in equipment. While military
India every year and and aerospace remains the
we expect the sector to primary end-use market,
grow by minimum 15
emerging applications in com-
per cent on year-on-year
basis. Customers would munications, semiconductor
prominently provide growth for players manufacturing, automotive
who are either enhancing the functionality electronics and IT hardware
of the product or coming up with most are poised to fuel future
cost-competitive products in the market.” growth in the market.
—Narendra J. Goliya, chairman and “We live in an age of rap-
managing director, Rishabh Instruments
idly-evolving technology and
78 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
the T&M domain has continuously leveraged
from and contributed to cutting-edge technol-
ogy,” opines Sudhir Tangri, country general
manager, Keysight Technologies.
India growth story
Various initiatives flagged off by the govern-
ment of India such as Make in India, devel-
opment of smartcities and others will likely
boost the power and communication sector in
India and eventually contribute to the growth
of the T&M industry.
“A big business opportunity is brewing for
the T&M industry in India owing to various
government initiatives such as Make in India
and Digital India. There is optimism in the
market currently and we have seen a number
of policy developments that have brought
back the trust in India growth story. Initia-
tives like Make in India, 100 smartcities, Digi-
tal India and defence manufacturing push will
all have a positive impact on Indian economy
in the days to come,” says Tangri.
Make in India has already begun to witness
a host of multinational companies and global
manufacturing giants looking to set their base
in the country. While commenting on related
opportunities for the T&M segment, Tangri
says, “We strongly believe in the bright future
of defence manufacturing in India. As the gov-
ernment pushes for a comprehensive domestic
defence manufacturing ecosystem, many of
the global aerospace and defence giants have
shown interest in our country.”
“Coming to telecommunication and mo-
bile, India holds huge potential. With Make in
India creating a wave of optimism and oppor-
tunity, mobile manufacturing is all set to pick
further momentum. We are looking forward
to the burgeoning opportunities in mobile and
aligned verticals,” he adds.
Madhukar Tripathi, senior manager -
marketing, Anritsu India Pvt Ltd, says “India
is emerging as the manufacturing hub for mo-
bile handsets and other consumer electronics
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
goods. Government’s focus on Make
in India is impacting T&M industry
growth. We are witnessing demand
from the mobile handset manufactur-
ing market.
“Further, government’s push to
the defence sector will also create a
positive impact on the T&M industry.
Mobile service providers, cable TVs
and broadcast market is expanding
and we see some demand from these
markets as well,” he adds.
Power plays key role
As mentioned earlier, new govern-
ment policies like Make in India,
smartcities, Clean Energy and UDAY
Scheme will encourage the power
sector in India. This, in turn, will
accelerate the growth of the T&M
sector. Ajay Goyal, managing direc-
tor, Megger (India) Pvt Ltd, explains,
“Demand for electricity in the country
has been growing at a rapid rate and
is expected to grow further in the
years to come. With growing demand,
power generation, transmission and
distribution companies will have
to invest in reliable, accurate and
efficient equipment to protect their
assets from failures. Therefore growth
prospects of the T&M industry seem
very promising in India.”
T&M equipment is required to
ensure efficiency in generation,
transmission and distribution of
power. Narendra Goliya states, “We
clearly see sufficient availability of
power for all users across India and,
hence, the new emerging area in the
power sector would be quality of
power. In times to come, attention
of all power instruments users will
be drawn to assured power qual-
ity. Ultimate performance of devices
would depend on quality of power
and, hence, manufacturers will have
to produce equipment that will help
analyse the same and subsequently
improve on it.”
Over the past decade, power com-
panies have realised the significance
of efficient testing practices and they
have taken measures to make sure
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
“A big business
opportunity is brewing
for the T&M industry in
India owing to various
government initiatives
such as Make in India
and Digital India. There
is optimism in the market currently
and we have seen a number of policy
developments that have brought back the
trust in India growth story. Initiatives like
Make in India, 100 smartcities, Digital
India and defence manufacturing push,
will all have a positive impact on Indian
economy in the days to come.”
—Sudhir Tangri, country general manager,
Keysight Technologies
“Demand for electricity
in the country has
been growing at a rapid
rate and is expected
to grow further in the
years to come. With
growing demand, power
generation, transmission and distribution
companies will have to invest in reliable,
accurate and efficient equipment to
protect their assets from failures.
Therefore growth prospects of the T&M
industry seem very promising in India.”
—Ajay Goyal, managing director,
Megger (India) Pvt Ltd
that they procure the most-reliable
equipment for testing. This has been
the key driver that has influenced
growth of the T&M industry.
Goyal says, “In order to avoid
losses, transmission and distribution
companies perform routine testing
of their equipment. Such a change of
trend has also influenced growth of
the T&M industry. Insulation resist-
ance testing and transformer testing
are major demand-generating areas.”
Automation is the new techno-
logical trend in the power sector and,
hence, demand for automated prod-
ucts would grow. Accordingly, new
technological advancements like data
logging DMMs and auto power-cal-
culating power clamp meters would
show good growth. Online trans-
mission-line-monitoring systems,
compact Tan-delta testing machines,
automatic breaker testing machines,
discrete monitoring of power loss at
each feeder by DISCOM and others
would be the key areas of interest.
Best practices in demand
Increasing awareness for predictive
maintenance among manufacturers
in India is also a driver for growth
of the T&M industry. Continuity of
processes has direct correlation with
productivity of the organisation and,
hence, predictive maintenance is
gaining more and more importance,
which, in turn, is driving the growth.
“Many OEMs have adopted best
testing practices that again raise the
growth level of the T&M sector. On
the other hand, demand from cus-
tomers to fulfill the needs of complex
process issues is forcing T&M com-
panies to innovate continuously. The
result is development of high-end
devices like power clamp meters/
power-quality analysers with unique
features and advantages are seen in
the market,” says Narendra Goliya.
Need for reliable and efficient
testing practices is vital for main-
taining equipment at sub-stations.
Adoption of efficient testing prac-
tices is gaining importance along
with routine testing. Multi-function-
al testing kits are the latest trend,
which have stirred a lot of interest
among the decision makers of main-
tenance departments. They have
realised that if one kit can provide
multi-functional testing capability,
then they prefer it over using many
different testing kits for individual
applications. Such a tool saves
time, money and most importantly,
the effort that goes behind testing
procedures. New instruments have
a better graphical user interface
(GUI) and provide ease of opera-
tion and automated testing, which
increase productivity.
“Technology is changing in the
direction of true root mean square
(TRMS) readings, which give more
correct values, made possible using
microcontrollers and software,” says
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU | MARCH 2016 79

Premchand Goliya, chairman and
managing director, Meco Instru-
ments Pvt Ltd.
Coined for connectivity
Technology has never been so excit-
ing before and it will get even more
so as consumers continue to de-
mand better ideas and innovation to
help improve people’s lives through
end-to-end connectivity. “We are al-
ways on the lookout for devices that
will feed our insatiable appetite for
new gadgets such as smartphones,
mini drones, cameras and other cool
and trendy items that will make us
feel good. What many people do
not understand are the processes
that each product has to go through
to ensure usability and functional-
ity for the intended purpose, and
behind each of these steps—design,
manufacture and test,” says Tangri.
The Internet of Things (IoT)
is the new buzzword coined for
smart and connected electronic
devices to enable greater efficiency
and productivity in our daily lives.
These devices aim to permeate into
our homes, vehicles and buildings,
managing security, safety, energy,
inventories and even our well-being.
Proliferation of smartdevices has
begun to influence the design and
use of T&M equipment.
Test techniques and solutions
will continue to evolve to ensure
that smartdevice developers and
manufacturers can reduce time to
market and ramp quickly to high-
volume manufacturing, ensuring that
all smartdevice consumers can get
the high-quality product they want,
when they want it.
“Connected lifestyles, machine-
to-machine (M2M), smartcities and
the IoT are some of the trends that
will lead the growth of the T&M
industry. Connected cars, connected
lifestyles, higher data and lower cost
of smartphones are some trends
seen in the telecom market. Opera-
tors are using new technologies like
MIMO, Vo LTE, LTE-Advanced and
80 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
make in india
STRENGTHS
• Continuous technological advancements
in testing equipment like use of multi-
functional testing kits
• Ongoing practice of procuring most-
reliable testing equipment
• Adoption of best testing practices by OEMs
• Stringent quality and safety standards for
end products
SWOT
OPPORTUNITIES
• Introduction of government initiatives like
Make in India, Digital India and others
• Growth of domestic manufacturing in
areas like defence, telecommunications
and mobile
• Growth in power demand requires
investment in reliable, accurate and
efficient equipment
• Requirement of efficient generation,
transmission and distribution of power
• Increasing awareness on predictive
maintenance among manufacturers
• Proliferation of smartdevices
SWOT analysis of T&M industry (Compiled by Sneha Ambastha, EFY Group)
LTE Carrier Aggregation to improve
spectrum efficiency and customer
experience of high data speed,”
says Tripathi. According to him, 4G
roll out and 5G R&D in the telecom
industry will create opportunities for
the T&M industry.
“5G presents a number of new
design and test challenges. While
technologies that will constitute 5G
are still being worked on, ITU-R
has identified three main usage
scenarios for 5G: enhanced mobile
broadband with up to 20Gbps peak
data rate, massive machine-type
communications and ultra-reliable
and low-latency communications.
“To meet the requirements for
this next generation of mobile com-
munications, researchers are looking
to a wide range of enabling technolo-
gies in RF, microwave and millime-
ter-wave frequencies, ranging from
advanced waveforms and multiple-
access schemes to multiple-antenna
techniques such as massive MIMO
and beam-forming. Being the first
and best in 5G depends on tools that
WEAKNESSES
• Enforcement of quality standards
like harmonics level, etc not yet
mandatory by the government
• Need to revive important quality
norms like ISI
THREATS
• Lack of industry awareness about
usability and functionality of testing
equipment
• Various unscrupulous players not
adhering to standard engineering
and commercial practices
• Quality affected because
government tender business done
only on L1 basis
• Increasing focus on quality of
end-use segments time consuming,
which affects growth of this
industry
let you explore new signals, scenari-
os and topologies,” explains Tangri.
Both Tangri and Tripathi indicate
the unique opportunities related to
the consumer electronics market in
India. Consumer electronics have
infiltrated every part of our lives and
have had a broad influence in how
we interact with everyday things.
Whether it is telling your car’s navi-
gation system where you want to
go or using a touchscreen to set up
your refrigerator, new capabilities
enable features that have not been
previously possible in T&M equip-
ment. Touchscreens have revolu-
tionised the consumer electronics
market and are working their way
into the T&M environment.
“A combination of the right
hardware with a design for touch UI
enables us to use equipment easily
and efficiently. Designs for touch UIs
are crucial for creating an effective
and usable touchscreen environ-
ment; it is not enough to simply add
a touchscreen to an existing UI. The
number-one goal of T&M equipment
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

is to be able to identify, isolate and
analyse a system as quickly and ef-
ficiently as possible. Having an effec-
tive touchscreen implementation on
an instrument can reduce the time it
takes to configure the instrument and
analyse signals,” explains Tangri.
Quality brings success
The definition of quality can be sub-
jective, often determined by the cus-
tomer’s unique perspective. Never-
theless, experts who provided inputs
for this report believe that objective
standards of quality contribute
towards quantifiable benchmarks.
Narendra Goliya says, “As every
customer segment wants its systems
to function properly and to ensure
reliability on consistent basis, focus
on quality and safety is increasing
gradually. Customers are willing to
spend extra money for good quality.”
Quality parameters can be di-
vided into three categories:
1. Functional
2. Safety
3. Reliability
“Separate focus on safety would
be necessary in times to come and
India must have a special safety
certification lab and adherence to
IEC norms. At the same time we
must play an active role in the
formation of IEC standards,” opines
Narendra Goliya.
The following quality and safety
norms would always remain impor-
tant in this segment:
1. Compliance to over-voltage
“BEE should implement
energy-efficiency
requirement more
vigorously in local
production of electronic
appliances and goods,
which will help increase
demand for instruments. The government
should fund small and medium industries
with special grants, say, 50 per cent of the
cost for buying instruments for improving
quality of production.”
—Premchand Goliya, chairman and
managing director, Meco Instruments Pvt Ltd
82 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
make in india
categories like CAT IV, III, II and
I that ensure instruments to be
safe in different working envi-
ronments
2. Compliance to Ingress Protection
that ensures protection from dust
and water
3. Compliance to IEC 61010-1 Safety
Norms for T&M products
Goyal comments, “Testing can
be extremely hazardous, if not
done in the right way with the right
equipment. One of the core values
of my organisation is safety. Test-
ing equipment must comply with
CAT, IEC, IEEE, CIGRE and other
such norms.”
Narendra Goliya feels that en-
forcement of quality standards (for
example, harmonics levels) should
be mandated by the government.
He says, “Time has come to revive
important quality norms like ISI.
Non-adherence to standard engi-
neering and commercial practices
by various unscrupulous players are
the further roadblocks in the growth
of this sector.
“Quality takes a backseat when
government tender business is done
only on L1 basis. It would be es-
sential for the government to foster
quality practices and build a quality
culture by adding screening on qual-
ity and specification front before a
tender is floated.”
Quality requirements in end-use
segments can also accelerate growth
of the T&M industry. However,
bringing in increased focus on
quality in end-use segments can be
time consuming. This slow pace of
change will no doubt hinder growth
of the T&M sector.
For example, Tripathi says, “The
telecom sector has invested hugely
in spectrum procurement but is not
willing to invest in T&M. Rather,
mobile network operators have
adopted rental model, managed
services model and CAPEX model
that reduce procurement of T&M
equipment in this segment.”
Other industry experts also feel
“Connected lifestyles,
M2M, smartcities and
the IoT are some of the
trends that will lead to
the growth of the T&M
industry. Connected
cars, connected
lifestyles, higher data and lower cost of
smartphones are some trends seen in
the telecom market. Operators are using
new technologies like MIMO, Vo LTE, LTE-
Advanced and LTE Carrier Aggregation
to improve spectrum efficiency and
customer experience of high data speed.”
—Madhukar Tripathi, senior manager -
marketing, Anritsu India Pvt Ltd
the importance of making customers
aware and convinced about qual-
ity, safety and maintenance prac-
tices through the use of right T&M
instruments. They expect positive
intervention of regulatory bodies to
facilitate this shift.
“BEE should implement energy-
efficiency requirement more vigor-
ously in local production of elec-
tronic appliances and goods, which
will help increase demand for in-
struments. The government should
fund small and medium industries
with special grants, say, 50 per cent
of the cost for buying instruments
for improving quality of produc-
tion,” suggests Premchand Goliya.
Way forward
T&M companies work as solution
partners with decision makers in the
electronics system design and manu-
facturing industry by offering solu-
tions and services for leading-edge
electronic design and test. The move
of ESDM industry players towards
adoption of T&M solutions will help
move the technology forward.
As Tangri rightly comments, “We
have helped many of the world’s
greatest visionaries and innovators
achieve elusive breakthroughs that
advance technology. The result?
Ideas that are already making the
world a better place and technolo-
gies that are making businesses
more productive.”
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 NEW Products MAKE IN INDIA

Components • LCD display with backlight

MECO INSTRUMENTS PVT LTD

www.mecoinst.com
Metal line switches MONOS (1T-MONOS) flash memory
SCHURTER is expanding its PSE, technology that can be used in com-
piezo metal switch and MCS 30, the bination with a variety of processes Automatic transformer
mechanical metal switch series, with such as CMOS and bipolar CMOS turn-ratio meter
new illumination possibilities pow- DMOS (BiCDMOS), and provides high This automatic transformer turn-ratio
ered by variable program/erase (P/E) endurance and meter, VTRM, has the following key
input voltages. low rewrite energy consumption. features:
The RGB colour • Fully-automatic measurement of
technology used Renesas Electronics Corp. transformer turn-ratio
www.renesas.com
makes it possible
to indicate up
to seven illumi- Fingerprint sensor
nation colour Fingerprint Cards (FPC) has launched
options with just one switch. Variable FPC1268, a touch fingerprint sen-
power supply offers a homogenous sor in FPC1200 series with FPC
and brilliant illumination within a OneTouch. The new sensor can be
voltage range of 5V DC to 28V DC. completely hidden under the cover • Excitation current, HV and LV volt-
glass of smartphones, allowing for age, polarity and per cent devia-
SCHURTER Electronics (India) Pvt Ltd fingerprint capability without a dedi- tion measurement
www.SCHURTER.co.in
cated button. • 3-phase connections enable sim-
pler and faster testing
Analogue timer Fingerprint Cards AB
www.fingerprints.com
• Test voltage through on/off switch
SHAVISON has launched a series of and LED indication
DIN rail-mounted analogue timers. • 0.1 per cent accurate measurement
These are avail- t&m by 24-bit technology
able in different • Reverse-polarity indication by LED
operating modes, Multi-function appliance meter and LCD
namely, On Delay, MECO offers a single-phase multifunc- • Over-current protection for short-
On Delay/Interval, tion appliance meter, TRMS, model ened winding
Star-Delta, Cyclic EM09 (20A, 5A and 1A). It measures
On First or Off ten parameters VEER ELECTRONICS
www.veerelectronics.com,
First, True Power on ten display www.veerpoweranalyzer.com
Off, Forward-Pause- pages on a
Reverse and Pulse large LCD dis-
On First or Off First. These are avail- play (20mm). RC analyser
able in different time ranges, too. All It is equipped Anritsu’s MT8820C radio communica-
timers have a setting accuracy of ±5 with five keys to view all parameters tion (RC) analyser now integrates with
per cent of full scale and repeat accu- and for programming of the meter.
racy of ±0.5 per cent or 50 minutes. Key features are:
• Measures V, A, PF, Hz, kW, kVA,
Shavison Electronics Pvt Ltd kVar, kWh, kVAh and kVarh
www.shavison.com
• TRMS measurement
• Auto/manual scroll display (user
Flash memory technology selectable) both DASY6 and cSAR3D from Schmid
Renesas has announced the develop- • Portable, easy to carry and simple & Partner Engineering AG (SPEAG) to
ment of 90-nanometer one-transistor to use provide seamless specific absorption

WWW.EFYMAG.COM ELECTRONICS FOR YOU | MARCH 2016 83


rate compliance testing that signifi-
cantly reduces assessment costs and
maximises flexibility.
Anritsu India Pvt Ltd
www.anritsu.com, www.speag.com
Temperature controller
RE57 is a compact temperature control-
ler with universal input selection range
with RTD, ther-
mocouples and
standard signals.
It is equipped
with relay and
SSR driving
outputs. Features include switching
between auto and manual mode, and
timer function.
Rishabh
www.rishabh.co.in
Signal analyser
X-series signal analysers provide
significantly-enhanced capabilities for
developers
for creating
next-genera-
tion devices.
Most notable
is a multi-
touch user interface that streamlines
measurement setup and creates a solid
foundation for new solutions. Perfor-
mance improvements and feature en-
hancements address emerging needs
in aerospace, defense and wireless
communications.
Keysight Technologies Inc.
www.keysight.com
LIGHtInG
Solar streetlight
All-in-one solar streetlight is a com-
pact lighting solution integrating solar
panels, LED light, lithium-ion battery
and a PIR motion sensor. It incorpo-
rates proprietary Systellar LED driver
technology that combines world-class
battery-charging technology with high-
efficiency electronics.
84 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
New Products
The streetlight uses a PIR motion
sensor to adjust LED light bright-
ness intelligently. On detecting any
movement, LED glows at full bright-
ness. If no movement is detected for
more than one minute, brightness is
reduced to one-third.
Systellar Innovations
www.systellar.co.in
LED floodlight
R. STAHL has developed an LED light
source floodlight for Zone 2 hazard-
ous area type number 6525. The
Luminaire is IEC Ex certified, with its
design conforming to the latest IEC
standard. It is available in two vari-
ants with wattages: 120W and 210 W.
120W variant comes without a heat-
sink, while 210W variant is provided
with a heat-sink.
R. Stahl
www.rstahl.com
mIsCeLLaneous
Windows 10 IoT core
Toradex has announced the availabil-
ity of a technical
preview of Win-
dows 10 IoT Core
on an ARM based
system on module
(SoM). The pre-
view is designed to test and evaluate
the new features of Windows 10 IoT
Core on an industrial-grade embedded
computing platform. It is based on Co-
libri T30 powered by NVIDIA Tegra 3,
a powerful ARM Cortex-A9 quad-core
embedded processor.
Toradex
www.toradex.com
Cloud based IDE
Microchip Technology has an-
nounced its MPLABR Xpress Cloud
based integrated development envi-
ronment (IDE). This online devel-
opment platform is the easiest way
to get started with PICR microcon-
trollers, with zero downloads, sign-
in or setup needed to start design-
ing. Microchip’s free, Cloud based
IDE brings the features of MPLAB
X IDE to Internet-connected PCs,
laptops or tablets.
Microchip Technology Inc.
www.microchip.com
Video management solution
SATATYA SAMAS is an all-in-one en-
terprise video management solution,
which provides complete centralised
control over security and safety to the
staff entrusted with overall security.
This intelligent preventive solution al-
lows centralised control with detailed
and contextual live monitoring and
playback, fool-proof management of
the connected devices and identifying,
notifying and reacting to any unex-
pected events.
MATRIX COMSEC
www.MatrixSecuSol.com,
www.MatrixComSec.com
3D printer
Nobel 1.0 is a highly-accurate profes-
sional desktop SL 3D printer, with a
print resolution up to 300 microns
and a layer
thickness of
25, 50, and
100 microns.
It has a
maximum
build size
of 128mm x
128mm x 200mm (5-inch x 5-inch x
7.9-inch). Nobel 1.0 is a plug-and-play
3D printer featuring a USB port; users
can simply plug in a USB drive and
press print.
XYZprinting
www.3idea.in
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 Do-it-yourself
JIT
WA
BIS S
DA

Introduction to Smart Wi-Fi

PRASHANT SAHAY AND T. ANAND

W
e need faster tools and software developers, working with (BOARD1), micro-USB cable, LM35
media to prove our ideas, hardware is always a pain, and this temperature sensor (IC1) and a resis-
and this is where ready-to is one of the biggest reasons why tor (R1).
use modules like Smart Wi-Fi enter. many ideas never exit a computer. Smart Wi-Fi has ESP8266 Wi-Fi
Fig. 1 shows the top side of Smart Smart Wi-Fi enables making a prod- module along with an onboard voltage
Wi-Fi module. uct quickly and reliably. With open regulator, USB port, battery charger,
The module is low-cost and ver- software resources and hardware user button and debug RGB LED.
satile; all a developer needs is a USB data, moving to the final product af- Temperature is sensed by IC1 and
cable and it is ready to work. For ter the proof of concept is also easy. its output is measured with ADC pin
One of the major aims for of BOARD1. BOARD1 sends data to
writing this article is to show the the serial port. Data can be seen in
versatility of this product and show the serial terminal of ESPlorer tool.
how quick the development can be. Real-time temperature data is
In this article a few tests with Smart uploaded over ThingSpeak (www.
Wi-Fi are discussed, which show the thingspeak.com).
applicability of this module for de-
velopment of the Internet of Things Construction and testing
(IoT) products. An actual-size, single-side PCB of
Fig. 1: Smart Wi-Fi module Smart Wi-Fi is shown in Fig. 4 and its
Circuit and working component layout in Fig. 5.
Embedded The circuit diagram of the Smart ESP8266 module has many tools
PC System
Device Wi-Fi is shown in Fig. 3. It is that are freely available, and you
(SmartWiFi)
built around Smart Wi-Fi module can select these as per your require-
CLOUD ment. For a person new to this kind
Temperature PARTS LIST of development, following tools are
ThingSpeak
sensor Semiconductors: recommended. Download and install
(LM35) BOARD1 - Smart Wi-Fi
IC1 - LM35 these as per your PC configuration.
Fig. 2 Block diagram of the introduction of Resistor (1/4-watt, ±5% carbon): 1. ESPlorer for serial port interface
Smart Wi-Fi R1 - 10-kilo-ohm with Smart Wi-Fi (http://esp8266.
Miscellaneous:
- Micro-USB cable ru/esplorer/)
IC1 1
NC GND
40
2. CP210x USB drivers (www.silabs.
2 39
LM35 GND NC
GND

3 38
RST ESP_TXD
Vs
Vo

4 37
ADC ESP_RXD
5 36
1

CH_PD IO4
6 35
IO16 IO5
7 34
IO14 IO0
8 33
IO12 IO2
9 32
IO13
10 BOARD1 IO15 31
3.3V GND
11 SmartWi−Fi 30
3.3V GND
12 29
3.3V CP_RST
13 28
3.3V CP_RXD
14 27
GND CP_TXD
15 26
R1 5V NC
10K 16 25
5V NC
17 S2 24
GND
18 23
S1 GND
19 22
BATT+ GND
20 21
BATT− GND

Fig. 3: Circuit diagram of the Smart Wi-Fi Fig. 4: Actual-size PCB pattern of Smart Wi-Fi Fig. 5: Component layout of the PCB

86 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU WWW.EFYMAG.COM


Fig. 6: Key generated for posting data on
ThingSpeak
Fig. 7: Data posted on ThingSpeak API
com/products/mcu/Pages/USBt-
oUARTBridgeVCPDrivers.aspx)
3. Smart Wi-Fi comes with the latest
version of NodeMCUfirmware pre-
loaded
4. NodeMCU API (https://github.
com/nodemcu/nodemcu-firmware/
wiki/nodemcu_api_en)
We describe two tests (TEST1,
TEST2) in this article. Before down-
loading the code in Smart Wi-Fi, you
will need to connect it to the PC us-
ing a micro-USB cable. Start ESPlorer
tool and set the port and baud rate
[9600 default] and press Open Tab to
open the port. It is ready to use now.
We have used ESPlorer v0.2.0-rc2
version, and the corresponding test
procedure is described below.
Test 1 (Temperature sensor
interface with Smart Wi-Fi)
The code here is for data read on
the ADC and sent to the serial port
locally. Open Temperature_Inter-
face.lua file (given in DVD), type
=call(“Temperature_Interface.lua”) on
the left side of Send and press Send.
We can now observe data into the
serial terminal of ESPlorer tool. The
code will keep sending data over the
serial port every 15 seconds. In the
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
code, we use internal timer # 1 of
ESP to call an inline function every
15 seconds. The function reads ADC0
value, which it receives in terms
of millivolts, and divides it by ten.
As the resolution of LM35 is 10mV
per degree Celsius, dividing by ten
provides the actual temperature in
Celsius. We can print this value to
the serial port using print function:
tmr.alarm(1, 15000, 1, function()
current_temp = adc.read(0)/10;
print(fmt(“Temperature : %3.1f C”, current_
temp));
end);
Test 2 (Temperature data
upload on the Internet using
ThingSpeak API)
In Test 1, we connected a temperature
sensor and observed the data locally.
This data can be used in multiple
ways as per the application. In Test 2,
we will make the same data available
on the Internet and it would be acces-
sible from anywhere in the world.
We use ThingSpeak API, which is
a freely-available tool used to access
and present data over the Internet.
Before using ThingSpeak API, you
need to create a user account for
ThingSpeak and a channel. You
will get an API key (Fig. 6) for the
channel and then you can upload
your data and present it in a graphi-
cal form. The only limitation is the
frequency of posts, which is limited
to 15 seconds.
Before going ahead with data
upload, the local Wi-Fi router needs
to be paired with Smart Wi-Fi. Use
the following command to connect it
to your Wi-Fi router:
call(“conenctap”,”your router
SSID”,”your router password”);
This command will pair Smart
Wi-Fi to the Wi-Fi router you want to
connect with. The response will be
the IP address assigned to Smart Wi-
Fi by the router.
Open ThingSpeak_upload.
lua file (given in DVD), type
=call(“Thingspeak_upload.lua”)
on the left side of Send and press
Send. Data output on ThingSpeak API
is shown as:
Error: Reference source not found.
The application code that will post
data to ThingSpeak server (Fig. 7) is
given below.
myKey = “put your API key here”
function post()
call(“setLED”, 2);
field1 = adc.read(0)/10;
print(fmt(“%3.1f”,field1));
call(“httpsend”, “api.thingspeak.com”, 80, “/
update?api_key=”..myKey..”&field1=”..field1);
call(“setLED”, 0);
tmr.delay(50);
end
call(“connectap”,” your router SSID “,” your
router password “)
tmr.alarm(1, 15000, 1, post)
Applications of Smart Wi-Fi
Smart Wi-Fi is an IoT-enabler tool.The
applications it can cater to are only
limited by the imagination of makers.
The very basic applications could be
for smarthomes or smartoffices.
This module can be used for data
logging, data monitoring and more,
and provides very good support for
product development. It also has
all features to act as a full-fledged
product.
Conclusion
Using Smart Wi-Fi module, we have
seen how easy it is to interface and
connect sensors to the Internet. Tools
like ESPlorer and open source LUA
scripts make development very easy
and fast. Platforms such as Thing-
Speak add to the benefits and provide
support for testing and development
of an IoT product.
Prashant Sahay is BE in
instrumentation and controls from
University of Pune. He enjoys
designing electronic products. He is
working as senior product engineer
at Knewron Technologies
T. Anand is managing director
at Knewron Technologies
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU | MARCH 2016 87
 Do-it-yourself
IMA
PRAT I
UM AR
K
IoT Wi-Fi
TemperaTure-Logging SySTem
OSHO GERA
H
ere is a temperature data- or PC through Wi-Fi using
logging system based on ThingSpeak API.
PIC16F887 microcontroller
(MCU), Wi-Fi and ThingSpeak appli- Circuit and working
cation programming interface (API). Circuit diagram of the IoT
ThingSpeak is an open source Inter- Wi-Fi temperature-logging system
net of Things (IoT) application and is shown in Fig. 3. It is built around
API to store and retrieve data from PIC16F887 MCU (IC4), ESP8266
things over the Internet. It enables
you to collect, store, analyse, visu-
alise and act on the data received
Test Points
from sensors or electronic circuits. Test point Details
Block diagram of the tempera- TP0 0V (GND)
ture-logging system is shown in TP1 5V
Fig. 1. Author’s prototype is TP2 3.3V
shown in Fig. 2. Temperature data TP3 Low when S1 is pressed
transmitted from the circuit board TP4 Low when S2 is pressed
can be accessed on a smartphone
POWER ESP8266
SUPPLY
WIFI MODULE
PIC16F887
LM35 TEMP. MICROCONTROLLER
SENSOR
16X2 LCD MODULE
CIRCUIT BOARD
REMOTE
ACCESS
DEVICES
SMARTPHONE
Fig. 1: Block diagram of the temperature-logging system
Wi-Fi module, logic-level shifter,
LM35 temperature sensor (IC3),
3.3V regulator LM1117-3.3 (IC2), 5V
regulator 7805 (IC1) and 16x2 LCD
module (LCD1).
PIC16F887 MCU. This is a high-
performance RISC CPU, 8-bit CMOS
MCU, and has 8192-word flash
memory, 368 bytes SRAM, 256 bytes
EEPROM and 35 I/Os. It supports
up to 20MHz oscillator/clock input
Fig. 2: Author’s prototype and has a wide operating voltage
88 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
range of 2.0V-5.5V. Its inbuilt A/D
converter has a 10-bit resolution and
three internal timers. It supports
enhanced USART module, in-circuit
serial programming (ICSP), 3-wire
SPI and I2C.
ESP8266 Wi-Fi module.
ESP8266 Wi-Fi module (Fig. 4) is a
self-contained system on chip (SoC)
with an integrated TCP/IP protocol
stack that can give any MCU access
to your Wi-Fi network. ESP8266 is
capable of either hosting an applica-
tion or offloading all Wi-Fi network-
ing functions from another applica-
tion processor.
Each ESP8266 module comes
pre-programmed with an AT com-
mand set firmware.
This means that
you can simply
hook this up to
WIFI ROUTER your Arduino
device and get
about as much
Wi-Fi ability as a
Wi-Fi shield can
THINGSPEAK
offer (and that is
just out of the box).
ESP8266 module
COMPUTER
is an extremely
cost-effective board
with a huge and an
ever-growing community.
This module requires a 3.3V DC
regulated supply. Power consump-
tion of the ESP module is around
250mA when transmitting. You
need proper power supply. Do not
power it directly from a 5V supply
source. It also needs a level shift-
ing/conversion to protect the 3.3V
device from 5V.
Logic-level shifter. ESP8266
module is not capable of converting
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 TP1
CON1 FOR 1 IC1 3 +5V
ADAPTOR 7805 VR1 10K
R1 TP3 CONTRAST
+ C1 2 1K R2
C2 10K
− 1000u 0.1u POWER S1
35V RESET1

3
2

1
12V, 1A LED1 C3
0.1u

VDD
11 32

Vss
VO
D7
1 VDD VDD

14
MCLR 40
2 RB7

D6
GND RA0 39
TP2 IC2 IC3 RB6

13
2 3 3 RA1 38
RB5
LM1117 LM35

D5
4 37

16x2 ALPHANUMERIC LCD

+3.3V RA2 RB4
GND

12
−3.3

Vcc
36

VO
5 RA3 RB3

D4
1 RB2 35
6

11
RA4 34
RB1
3

1
7

D3
C4 C5 RA5
IC4 RB0 33
R4 10K

10
100u 8

LCD1
10u RE0 RD7 30
PIC16F887

D2
16V 16V 9 RE1 RD6 29

9
R3 10 RE2 RD5 28

D1
470E RD4 27
15

8
RC0
LED2 BVCC LOGIC AVCC RC7 26 RX

D0
16 RC1 25 TX
POWER LEVEL RC6

7
R5 BSCL ASCL 17 RC2 RC5 24

R/W EN
10K BSDA SHIFTER ASDA
18 RC3 RC4 23

6
BGND AGND
MODULE 19 RD0 RD3 22
RD2 21
C6 20

5
RD1

A/VEE
10u, 16V

RS
Vss Vss OSC1 OSC2

4
14

K
31 12 13
1 2

15

16
S2 UTXD GND TP0
RESET2
3
CH_PD
WIFI 4
GPIO2
TP4 ___ MODULE
5 6
RST GPIO0
7
Vcc
ESP8266 URXD
8 R6 100E

Fig. 3: Circuit diagram of the temperature-logging system

PARTS LIST 5V signal to 3.3V.

LM35 temperature sensor. The
Semiconductors: LM35 series is of precision inte-
IC1 - 7805, 5V voltage regulator
IC2 - LM1117-3.3, 3.3V linear
grated circuit temperature sensors,
regulator whose output voltage is linearly
IC3 - LM35 temperature sensor proportional to Celsius (Centigrade)
IC4 - PIC16F887 MCU
temperature. LM35 is rated to operate
LED1-LED2 - 5mm LED
Level-shifter - 8-pin logic-level shifter over -55°C to +150°C, while LM35C
Wi-Fi module - 8-pin ESP8266 Wi-Fi module Fig. 4: ESP8266 Wi-Fi module is rated for a -40°C to a +110°C
LCD - 16×2 alphanumeric LCD temperature range. This sensor has
Resistors (all 1/4-watt, ±5% carbon): a linear scale factor of 10mV/°C and
R1 - 1-kilo-ohm
R2, R4, R5 - 10-kilo-ohm
operates from 4V to 30V.
R3 - 470-ohm Power supply. Power supply
R6 - 100-ohm section includes a 5V regulator 7805
VR1 - 10-kilo-ohm preset
(IC1) and a 3.3V regulator LM1117-
Capacitors:
3.3 (IC2). The MCU, logic-level
C1 - 1000µF, 35V electrolytic
C2, C3 - 0.1μF ceramic disk shifter and LCD are powered by
C4 - 100µF, 16V electrolytic 5V and ESP Wi-Fi module by 3.3V
C5, C6 - 10µF, 16V electrolytic supply. Voltage for ESP8266 for all
Miscellaneous: Fig. 5: Logic-level shifter its pins is 3.3V. If you are using an
S1-S2 - Tactile switch
CON1 - DC adaptor connector adjustable voltage regulator, care-
Adaptor - 12V, 1A DC power supply 5V to 3.3V. We used an external fully set proper voltage to 3.3V.
- 8-pin berg strip female logic shifter/converter as shown in In this project, temperature data
connector for level-shifter
Fig. 5. +3.3V, CH_PD and RST pins from LM35 sensor is fed to pin 2 of
module
- 8-pin pin berg strip female are kept at 3.3V for normal function- PIC16F887 MCU. This data is given
connector for Wi-Fi module ing of ESP8266. Logic-level convert- to ESP8266 Wi-Fi module through a
er is a device that safely steps down logic-level shifter. Temperature data

WWW.EFYMAG.COM ELECTRONICS FOR YOU | MARCH 2016 89


transmitted from the Wi-Fi
module can be accessed
on a remote device like a
smartphone or laptop us-
ing ThingSpeak’s website.
ESP8266 Wi-Fi module
has two GPIO pins that
can be used for connect-
ing to the Internet through
an MCU using specific
firmware. However, these
are not used in this project
and it works on the de-
fault firmware.
ESP8266 Wi-Fi module
is used here to connect
to your Wi-Fi modem
and upload temperature
data to ThingSpeak. You
can view that data from a
smartphone or laptop in
the form of a plotted-line
graph. Fig. 6: Actual-size PCB layout of the Wi-Fi temperature-logging system
In this project, an LCD
is also used as a user
interface device to see
circuit configuration status
and temperature data.
Data lines (D0 through
D7) of the LCD are con-
nected to port B of IC4.
Software
espIOT code for PIC16F887
MCU is written in C lan-
guage. It is compiled using
MPLAB IDE version 8.91
and HI-TECH C compiler
version 9.83.0.10920. The
generated hex code is
burnt into the MCU chip
using MPLAB ICD 2 pro-
grammer board.
Construction
and testing
An actual-size, single-side Fig. 7: Component layout of the PCB
PCB layout of the Wi-Fi
temperature logger is shown in Fig.
6. and its component layout in Fig.
7. When the circuit is switched on,
the program initialises the LCD and
flashes welcome message ‘ESP Temp
Logger’ on the LCD.
90 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
Do-it-yourself
com and then create your
own channel by creating a
field as shown in Fig. 8.
After saving the
channel, you will receive
channel ID and two API
keys—a write API key
(it is to be used in our C
code) and a read API key
(it is used to check the
data from website on your
smartphone or PC). Make
a note of these keys as you
will need these later.
Before using the system,
ensure that ESP8266 mod-
ule baud rate is changed
to 9600 as most of these
have 115200. Also, a Wi-Fi
modem with an Internet
connection should be kept
near your circuit board.
Next, make the fol-
lowing changes in the
espIOT.C code:
1. Replace eRocks14 with
your own Wi-Fi name
2. Replace erocks2014 with
your own Wi-Fi pass-
word
3. Replace API key with
your own API key
received
ESP8266 works on basic
AT commands similar to
the ones used in any GSM
module interfacing project.
It can be easily checked
and tested from Hyper-
Terminal of Windows.
The link to AT commands
is www.pridopia.co.uk/
pi-doc/ESP8266ATCom-
mandsSet.pdf
In the latest version of
ESP8266 firmware, baud
rate setting command
AT+CIOBAUD is no longer
If there is any display problem supported. You can replace this
on the LCD, check voltages at vari- command by AT+IPR. The detail
ous points as listed in the test point of this command can be found
table. If the LCD is showing a proper on www.esp8266.com/viewtopic.
message, go to www.thingspeak.com php?f=13&t=718
First, sign in to www.thingspeak. When you open your chan-
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
Fig. 8: New channel
Fig. 9: Temperature data plotted graph on
www.thingspeak.com
nel under Data IMPORT/EXPORT
section, you will get your API key.
Call this link www.api.thingspeak.
com/update?key=[THINGSPEAK_
KEY]&field1=0 by changing the
field value and give any number you
want to upload. In Private View sec-
tion, you will see a graph of the data
as shown in Fig. 9.
For checking the results on a
smartphone or PC, a link is provided
in the respective channel. It would
EFY Note
The source code of this
project is
included in this
month’s EFY DVD and
is also available for free
download at source.
efymag.com
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
be something like http://
api.thingspeak.com/chan-
nels/channel_id/feed.
json?key=api_key
In this link, API key
is replaced by Read API
key and channel ID is
replaced by the user’s
channel ID. Copy and
paste this link in search
bar of the browser in
your smartphone or PC.
You will get the recorded
temperature data infor-
mation.
If temperature data has been
uploaded, you will be able to see
the graph here. Temperature data on
www.thingspeak.com is shown in
Fig. 9. You are now ready to go with
your first IoT project.
Applications
This project can be used as a guide
for various other related projects
for your home systems; not just
temperature but also energy con-
sumption and many other inter-
faces that can be easily checked on
your smartphone.
Osho Gera is a second-year
B.Tech student, studying at
Bharati Vidyapeeth’s College of
Engineering, New Delhi
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU | MARCH 2016 91
 Do-it-yourself
A
DH
RA MA
R
SHA

4-Channel
Multi-Mode Audio AMplifier
PETRE TZV PETROV

S
ometimes we need configu-
CON4 CON3 CON2 CON1
rable multichannel amplifiers FOR FOR FOR FOR AUDIO
CON11
FOR
for experiments or for use in IN4 IN3 IN2 IN1
INPUT
IC1 TDA1554Q 12V DC IN
+ −
offices or schools. Here is a circuit

NINV1

GND1

GND2
OUT1

OUT2

OUT3

OUT4

NINV2
M/SS
INV1
GND

INV2
VP1

VP2
RR

NC

NC
based on TDA1554Q, configured R1 3K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

for multi-mode function with four

RIGHT
LEFT

RIGHT

LEFT
C1
BTL1 S1
channel outputs. 1u, 50V
R9

Circuit and working R2 3K C2 1u, 50V 22K C9

R3 3K 2200u
25V
The circuit of the simple 4-chan- C3 1u, 50V
D1
BTL2 S2 IN4001
nel multi-mode audio amplifier is R4 3K C10
2200u
shown in Fig. 1. It has four chan- C13 25V
C4 1u, 50V 47u
nels and each channel can provide
35V C11
C14
around 11W over a load of 2-ohms 1000u 2200u
25V
and around 6W over a load of 25V
C5 C6 C7 C8
C15 C16
4-ohms. The circuit will also work 0.1u 0.1u 0.1u 0.1u
2200u 2200u
C17
2200u
C18
2200u
C12
with loads of 4-ohms to 16-ohms. 35V 35V 35V 35V
2200u
Mode selection. The multi-mode R5
2.2E
R6 R7
2.2E 2.2E
R8 25V
2.2E
function includes single-channel and CON10 CON9 CON5 CON6
OUT2
CON7
OUT3
CON8
OUT4
BOUT1 BOUT2 OUT1
bridge-tied load (BTL) modes. These
are controlled using switches S1 and GND

S2. In bridge mode, output power Fig. 1: Circuit of the 4-channel multi-mode audio amplifier
can be around 22W on a 4-ohm load
is reduced by two or
X1 = 230V AC PRIMARY TO 12V, 6A
PARTS LIST SECONDARY TRANSFORMER four times. Conse-
Semiconductors: C22 22n C20 22n quently, input ca-
IC1 - TDA1554Q audio power F1
2.5A pacitors C1 through C4
amplifier D5 D3
D1 - 1N4001 rectifier diode
C24
0.1u
should have enough
D2-D5 - 6A05 rectifier diode 440V CON13 capacity to give the
Resistors (all 1/4-watt, ±5% carbon): S3 FOR
R1-R4 - 3-kilo-ohm R10 D4 D2 12V
required sound in the
ON/OFF
R5-R8 - 2.2-ohm 100E OUTPUT low-frequency range.
R9 - 22-kilo-ohm CON12
FOR X1 C21 22n C19 22n Power supply. The
R10 - 100-ohm C23
230V AC
Capacitors: 50Hz 2200u circuit for the power
35V
C1-C4 - 1µF, 50V electrolytic
GND
supply is shown in Fig.
C5-C8 - 0.1µF ceramic disk D2−D5=6A05 DIODE
C9-C12 - 2200µF, 25V electrolytic 2. Transformer X1 used
C13 - 47µF, 35V electrolytic Fig. 2: Power supply circuit of the amplifier during testing was rated
C14 - 1000µF, 25V electrolytic
C15-C18, C23 - 2200µF, 35V electrolytic
at 12V AC, 6A. Ratings
C19-C22 - 22nF ceramic disk with a good heat-sink, power supply for X1 can be up to 8A and diodes
C24 - 0.1µF, 440V polyester
and montage. should preferably be Schotky or other
Miscellaneous:
X1 - 230V AC primary to 12V, 6A Gain of each channel is fixed at low-drop diodes with 10A rating.
secondary transformer 20dB in single-channel mode and
F1 - 2.5A fuse
CON1-CON4 - 3.5mm stereo female 26dB in BTL mode. Construction and testing
panel-mount connector Input resistance of each chan- An actual-size, single-side PCB
CON5-CON10 - 2-way panel-mount spring-
loaded speaker connector nel of TDA1554Q amplifier (IC1) is layout of the 4-channel multi-mode
CON11-CON13 - 2-pin connector terminal around 60-kilo-ohm. When two or audio amplifier is shown in Fig. 3
S1-S3 - On/off toggle switch
four inputs are paralleled, resistance and its component layout in Fig. 4.

92 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU WWW.EFYMAG.COM


Fig. 3: Actual-size PCB pattern of the 4-channel multi-mode audio amplifier
Fig. 4: Component layout of the PCB in Fig. 3
An actual-size PCB pattern for the
power supply is shown Fig. 5 and its
component layout in Fig. 6.
After assembling the circuit on
the PCB connect 12V supply from
CON13 to the amplifier circuit at
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
Fig. 5: Actual-size PCB pattern of the power supply circuit
Fig. 6: Component layout of the power supply PCB
CON11. Outputs for BTL mode are available
Switch on at CON9 and CON10. Switch S3
the circuit by and fuse F1 should be mounted on
closing pow- the rear panel.
er switch S3. It is recommended to use 2-way
You can give panel-mount spring-loaded speaker
audio inputs connectors for CON5 through
from any CON10 and 3.5mm stereo female
audio source panel-mount connectors for CON1
like an MP3 through CON4.
player, lap-
top or DVD
player to CON1 through CON4. Petre Tzv Petrov was a researcher
and assistant professor in
If switches S1 and S2 are open, Technical University of Sofia
the circuit is in single-channel (Bulgaria) and expert-lecturer in
OFPPT(Casablance), Kingdom of
mode. If closed, these are in BTL Morocco. Now he is working as
mode. The 4-channel outputs are an electronics engineer in the
private sector in Bulgaria
available at CON5 through CON8.
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU | MARCH 2016 93
 Do-it-yourself
.
S.C DI
W IVE
D

Infrared Sensor Based

Power Saver
FAYAZ HASSAN

Q Circuit and working

uite often you forget to switch
off the light or fan when
going out of the room. The
simple circuit presented here will
automatically switch off electri-
cal appliances like lights or fans as
you vacate a room, after a prede-
termined time period. It will also
switch on the light when you enter
the room again. This will reduce un-
necessary power consumption. Fig.
1 shows the pyroelectric/passive
infrared (PIR) motion sensor used in
the circuit.
(a) Front side
Fig. 1: PIR motion-sensor module
The circuit diagram of the PIR sen-
sor based power saver is shown in
Fig. 2. It is built around bridge recti-
fier DB107 (BR1), PIR motion sensor
connected across connector CON2,
timer NE555 (IC1), two 1N4007 rec-
tifier diodes (D1 and D2) and a few
other components.
The circuit uses a PIR sen-
sor, which detects the presence of
people through change in the infra-
red radiation from the room when
(b) Rear side
people enter or leave the room. The
PIR sensor outputs around 3.3V high
signal whenever it detects radiation
change in front of it.
IC1, resistor R3, potmeter VR1
and capacitor C3 are used as a timer
here to convert small time span of
PIR signal to a long delay. Output
of IC1 at pin 3 drives transistor T2,
which, in turn, controls relay RL1.
Electrical loads like lights or fans are
controlled through this relay.
230V AC mains power is con-
nected across connector CON1.
It is stepped down to 9V through
transformer X1, rectified by bridge
rectifier BR1 and filtered by capaci-
tor C1. Thus we get around 9V DC at
test point TP1. This 9V DC voltage is
used as power supply for the circuit.
When the circuit is first switched
on, capacitor C3 charges through
potmeter VR1 and resistor R3. During
this time, voltage at pins 2 and 6 of
IC1 is less than two-thirds of its sup-
ply voltage, and so output pin 3 goes
high. This energises the relay through

BR1 R6
D1
DB107 TP1 VR1 2.2K
3 C1 1N4007
1
~ + 1000u
1M N/O
9V AC LED2 D2
_ 4 25V SAVE MODE
2
~ R1
2.2K
R3
1N4007
N/C
L 220K 7 DIS RESET 4
N TP2 RL1 L
R2
E 9V, 1C/O N
Vcc 10K 6 TP4
R4 8
TH
IC1 Vcc RELAY E
OUT
CON1 1K C4
GND TP3 NE555 CON3
FOR T1 0.1u
2
230V AC X1 TRI O/P 3 T2 FOR
CON2 LED1 BC547
50Hz R5 BC547 LIGHT/FAN
FOR PIR POWER C2 C3 1 5
1000u GND CV 4.7K
SENSOR TP0 0.1u C5
25V 0.01u

GND
X1 = 230V AC PRIMARY TO 9V, 300mA SECONDARY TRANSFORMER

Fig. 2: Circuit diagram of the PIR sensor based power saver

94 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU WWW.EFYMAG.COM

 PARTS LIST
Semiconductors:
IC1 - NE555 timer
T1, T2 - BC547 npn transistor
D1, D2 - 1N4007 rectifier diode
BR1 - DB107 bridge rectifier
LED1, LED2 - 5mm LED
Resistors (all 1/4-watt, ±5% carbon):
R1, R6 - 2.2-kilo-ohm
R2 - 10-kilo-ohm
R3 - 220-kilo-ohm
R4 - 1-kilo-ohm
R5 - 4.7-kilo-ohm
VR1 - 1-mega-ohm potmeter
Capacitors:
C1, C3 - 1000µF, 25V electrolytic Fig. 3: Actual-size PCB pattern of PIR sensor based power saver
C2, C4 - 0.1µF ceramic disk
C5 - 0.01µF ceramic disk
Miscellaneous:
CON1-CON3 - 3-pin connector
X1 - 230V AC primary to 9V,
300mA secondary
transformer
RL1 - 9V, 1C/O relay
- PIR sensor module

Test Points
Test point Details
TP0 GND
TP1 Around 9V
TP2 Around 3.3V after motion
is detected
TP3 0-9V depending on human
movement in front of the PIR
TP4 Around 9V after detecting
human movement
transistor T2, and the appliance is
switched on.
When capacitor C3 charges
above two-thirds of the supply volt-
age, IC1’s output pin 3 goes low and
de-energises the relay and switches
off the appliance after some delay
that can be adjusted through potme-
ter VR1.
Whenever motion is detected
by the PIR, its output pin goes high
(around 3.3V) for a while depending
on the setting on the PIR. The high
signal from the PIR is fed to the base
of transistor T1, which, in turn, dis-
charges capacitor C3 through resistor
R4. When the capacitor’s charge
(voltage) reaches less than two-thirds
of the power supply, output pin 3 of
IC1 goes high again (initial stage)
and load is switched on.
When the load is switched off,
LED2 glows. This indicates that the
Fig. 4: Component layout of the PCB
circuit is under power-save mode.
Construction and testing
An actual-size, single-side PCB for
the PIR sensor based power saver is
shown in Fig. 3 and its component
layout in Fig. 4. Enclose the PCB in
a small box in such a way that you
can easily connect 230V AC input to
CON1 and the light/fan to CON3 at
rear end of the box. Connect the PIR
using a 3-wire cable to the PCB at
CON2 and install it at a suitable loca-
tion in your room.
Before using the PIR in the cir-
cuit, manually check it by connecting
Vcc and GND pins of PIR to a 9V (or
12V) battery. Then check for change
in voltage at signal output pin with
respect to ground by waving your
hand in front of the sensor. Adjust
sensitivity and time controls of the
PIR as per requirement (else turn
both presets clock-wise to have high-
est sensitivity and high time signal).
The dome surface of the PIR should
be clean for better sensing.
After manually checking the PIR,
remove the battery and connect the
PIR to the PCB. You can assemble
the circuit on the PCB with terminal
connectors for CON1 (input) and
CON3 (output).
Verify that voltages at the test
points are as per the table before us-
ing the circuit. Check to see if LED2
is off and relay is energised. After
some time, LED2 will glow and the
relay will get de-energised. Your
circuit is now ready!
EFY notes. Some PIR sensors re-
quire an initial stabilisation time of
10 to 60 seconds in order to function
properly. During this time, any mo-
tion in its field-of-view (near 15m
range) should be avoided.
Main DC voltage at TPI is un-
regulated.
Fayaz Hassan is a manager
at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant,
Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
His interest includes MCU projects,
mechatronics and robotics

WWW.EFYMAG.COM ELECTRONICS FOR YOU | MARCH 2016 95

 Do-it-yourself
.
S.C DI
IVE
DW

Vibration-Activated
Smart CrO PrObe
K. MURALI KRISHNA

H
ere is a simple, low-cost,
(a) (b)
energy-saving and device-
saving circuit for an elec-
tronics lab, service centre, electron-
ics workshop, or wherever a CRO is
in use. A vibration sensor attached
to a CRO probe senses motion when
you pick up the probe and turns on
the CRO. It turns the CRO off when
the probe is idle for a specified
amount of time. (c)
Generally, in a repair station, a
CRO is used for a very short time.
But in most cases, the user fails to
switch off the CRO immediately af-
ter use. The service engineer mostly Fig. 1: Author’s prototype: (a) internal part of the prototype, (b) prototype with CRO and (c) vibration
concentrates on faults rather than sensor with CRO probe
noticing whether the CRO is on or
off. This results in wastage of power, VIBRATION
As shown in Fig. 3,
CAPACITIVE RELAY
reduction in CRO lifetime and leads SENSE STORAGE OUTPUT the circuit is built around
to phosphorus burn in the cathode COMPARATOR COMPARATOR DRIVER IC LM324, which is
ray tube (CRT) due to electrons hit- a low-cost, quad op-
ting the screen on the same spot for CRO OFF erational amplifier (with
HDX − 2NC
a very long time, which again leads ADJUSTABLE AUDIO four op-amps). Op-amps
VIBRATION ACKNOWL−
to reduction of CRT lifetime. Fig. 1 SENSOR
DELAY
EDGEMENT
in this circuit are config-
shows the author’s prototype. ured in comparator and
Fig. 2: Block diagram of the vibration-activated smart CRO probe inverted-buffer modes.
Circuit and working Here, HDX-2NC, a
The block diagram of the vibration- normally-closed vibration sensor is
activated smart CRO probe is shown Test Points used. A vibration sensor is a small
in Fig. 2. A vibration sensor fixed Test point Details two-terminal component connected
on the CRO probe senses the vibra- TP0 0V across connector CON2 in series
tions picked up by the probe. This TP1 Around 12V with resistor R1. Point A in the
vibration signal is sensed, stored in a TP2 Around 12V
circuit is connected to pin 3 of IC1,
capacitor, compared with a reference TP3 1.2V
which is its non-inverting terminal.
voltage and fed to the relay driver Under normal conditions, point A
TP4 Around 12V after
to switch on the CRO. An additional detecting vibration is connected to ground via sensor
circuitry is provided to switch off the HDX-2NC. During vibration, its con-
CRO and give an audio acknowledge- tact opens for a very small amount
ment in the form of a beeping sound. across connector CON2, quad com- of time.
The circuit diagram of the parator LM324 (IC1), 1N4148 and Op-amp A1 acts as an input
vibration-activated smart CRO probe 1N4007 diodes (D1 and D2), relay comparator. Resistors R2 and R3 act
is shown in Fig. 3. It is built around driver transistor BC547 (T1), 12V as potential dividers and produce
bridge rectifier DB107 (BR1), vibra- single-changeover relay (RL1) and a around 1.2V at point B in the circuit.
tion sensor HDX-2NC connected few other components. When there is vibration, 12V is pro-

96 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU WWW.EFYMAG.COM

 TP1 S1
SPST
R1 R3
D1 D2 N/O
10K 100K
1N4148 1N4007
Vcc 4
1 OUT1
OUT4 14
TP3 N/C CON4
BR1 B
2 IN1
FOR
TP2 13 RL1
DB107 R4 A1
IN4
R6 12V, 1C/O CRO
3 3 A4
L
1
~ + C1
2.2K A IN1
IC1 IN4
12 15K R7
10K
RELAY
N 12V AC L
_ 4
1000u LM324 T1
~
2 5 N
35V IN2 10
CON1 IN3 TP4 C3 BC547
A2
FOR VR1 6 A3 CON3
C2 CON2 IN2 9 1u,25V
230V AC 10K IN3 FOR
X1 100u FOR 7
50Hz R2 OUT3 8
PZ1 230V AC
25V HDX−2NC 11
R9 10K R5 R8 50Hz
10M 2.2K 2.2K
X1 = 230V AC PRIMARY TO 12V, LED1 PZ1 = PIEZO BUZZER
500mA SECONDARY TP0 VIBRATION LED2 LED3
TRANSFORMER CRO ON CRO OFF

GND

Fig. 3: Circuit diagram of the vibration-activated smart CRO probe

duced at the non-inverting terminal
of op-amp A1, which is greater than
1.2V at its inverting terminal. As a
result, around 12V is produced at
the output of A1. This is indicated
by the glowing of vibration-sense
indicator LED1.
The 12V produced at output of
A1 charges capacitor C2 via diode
D1. D1 allows the flow of current
in only one direction, that is, from
op-amp A1 to capacitor C2. When-
ever there is a vibration, C2 charges
to the maximum voltage and slowly
discharges through resistor R9.
Maximum discharge time of
C2 is around 30 minutes. Potmeter
VR1 is used to set delay. Op-amp
A2 is configured as a compara-
tor, which compares the capacitor
voltage against the set potmeter
voltage. When C2 discharges, volt-
age decreases at the non-inverting
terminal of A2. When voltage at C2

WWW.EFYMAG.COM ELECTRONICS FOR YOU | MARCH 2016 97

 Do-it-yourself

LED1 LED2 LED3

VIBRATION CRO ON CRO OFF

15 20
10 25
5 30
AUTO S1
MIN MAX
MANUAL
DELAY (VR1)

Fig. 6: Proposed front panel

PARTS LIST
Semiconductors:
IC1 - LM324 op-amp
Fig. 4: Actual-size PCB pattern of the vibration-activated smart CRO probe T1 - BC547 npn transistor
D1 - 1N4148 signal diode
D2 - 1N4007 rectifier diode
BR1 - DB107 bridge rectifier
LED1-LED3 - 5mm LED
Resistors (all 1/4-watt, ±5% carbon):
R1, R2, R7 - 10-kilo-ohm
R3 - 100-kilo-ohm
R4, R5, R8 - 2.2-kilo-ohm
R6 - 15-kilo-ohm
R9 - 10-mega-ohm
VR1 - 10-kilo-ohm potmeter
Capacitors:
C1 - 1000µF, 35V electrolytic
C2 - 100µF, 25V electrolytic
C3 - 1µF, 25V electrolytic
Miscellaneous:
S1 - SPDT switch
Fig. 5: Component layout of the PCB PZ1 - Piezoelectric buzzer
CON1 - 2-pin AC power plug
CON2 - 2-pin connector
(pin 5 of A2) decreases beyond the happens because C3 initially acts as CON3-CON4 - 2-pin terminal connector
X1 - 230V AC primary to 12V,
set voltage (at pin 6 of A2), output a short circuit and charges to +12V 500mA secondary transformer
of A2 at its pin 7 goes low. Output and blocks further current passing RL1 - 12V, 1C/O relay
- HDX-2NC vibration-sensor
of A2 is connected to relay driver through the buzzer. Increasing C3 module
transistor T1. value makes the buzzer beep longer. - CRO with probe
When A2 output is high, relay This acknowledgement is like a com-
RL1 energises and the CRO gets AC munication between the user and the wire) to connect the sensor. Connect
mains power supply via relay con- circuit. LED3 also flashes when the AC mains supply’s live wire L and
tacts to operate it. At the same time, beeping sound is produced. neutral N across CON3.
the CRO-on indicator LED2 glows. Auto and manual modes are pro- Potmeter VR1 is calibrated in
On time of the CRO can be set as vided by mode switch S1. When S1 terms of time. 10.45V is the maxi-
per requirement using VR1. With a is open, the circuit is in auto mode. mum C2 charging voltage when sen-
small voltage set via VR1 at inverting With S1 closed, the circuit is in sor is subjected to vibration. During
terminal pin 6 of A2, greater will be manual mode and bypasses the relay. calibration mark the minimum (one
the delay. Similarly, with more volt- minute) and maximum (25 minutes)
age set, smaller will be the delay. Construction and testing delays. Proposed front-panel dial is
An extra op-amp (A3) is used to An actual-size, single-side PCB for shown in Fig. 6.
provide acknowledgment to the user the vibration-activated smart CRO Provide proper insulation between
that the CRO has switched off after probe is shown in Fig. 4 and its com- AC and DC voltages. Ensure all test
some idle time. For this, A3 is used ponent layout in Fig. 5. After assem- points have voltages as per the table
in inverting-buffer mode. When out- bling the circuit on the PCB, enclose before using the circuit. Main DC
put of A2 is high, output of A3 will it in a suitable box. Connect 230V AC voltage at TP1 is unregulated.
be low, and vice versa. input across CON1 and CON3. Con-
When the CRO is off, output of nect the CRO across CON4. K. Murali Krishna is a former faculty
A3 will be high. Due to this, the Fix the vibration sensor on of Aditya Engineering College,
Surampalem. Presently, he is
buzzer gets activated and produces a top of the CRO probe as shown in working as a telecom technical
beep sound whose loudness gradual- Fig. 1(c). Use a highly-flexible and assistant, BSNL Rajahmundry,
Andhra Pradesh
ly decreases within a short time. This lightweight wire (like an earphone

98 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU WWW.EFYMAG.COM


Android SmArtphone
As Barcode/QR Scanner
W
e are all familiar with
barcode scanners used in
shopping malls, logis-
tics and other places. These can
scan only barcodes and are usu-
ally wired. Also, these can scan
only one type of barcodes. Using
Android smartphones, we can
easily read barcodes, QR codes
and some other codes for contacts
sharing and website addresses seen
in advertisements.
We can even use our Android
smartphones as
physical scan-
ners and read
scanned values
on a connected
PC. These smart-
phones use their
Fig. 1: Android Barcode
Reader and QR cameras to scan
Scanner app icon the code and
Fig. 2: Windows software/driver
Fig. 3: Smartphone screen view
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
Do-it-yourself
MADHURAM MISHRA
send the scanned data to the con-
nected/paired Windows PC, using
Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
There are various free and paid
apps available on Google Play Store
for Android smartphones. In this
article, Barcode Reader and QR
Scanner app is used for demonstrat-
ing the use of Android phones as a
barcode reader and a QR scanner.
The app should be installed in
an Android device and software
should be installed on the Win-
dows PC in which we need to get
the barcode data. The barcode in
the PC will automatically appear at
the curser location once the initial
setup is done.
This app has been tested with
Moto G (2nd generation) mobile
Fig. 4: Moto G (2nd generation) screenshot
BIS
W
DA AJIT
S
(Xiaomi Redmi 1S smartphone was
used by author) and Windows 7
laptop using Wi-Fi network. If you
are using Wi-Fi mode, then both the
smartphone and PC must be con-
nected to the same Wi-Fi network.
Setup and connection
to detect barcode
Set up your wireless network. Exact
setup details will depend on your
Windows version and phone model.
Please check Microsoft and phone
manufacturer support on how to
connect to a wireless network,
if needed.
Install Kinoni Barcode Reader
app Barcode Reader and QR Scanner
(Fig. 1) on your phone from Google
Play Store.
Download and install Kinoni Bar-
code Reader Windows drivers (Fig.
2) to your PC.
Start Kinoni Barcode Reader app
on your phone.
Wait for a few seconds while
your phone and PC automatically
connect via Wi-Fi. After a connec-
tion is established, you will see a
camera viewfinder image on your
phone screen and a pop-up on
the PC system tray. If connection
fails, please check troubleshooting
section below.
Start the PC application, in which
you can send barcodes. For testing
purposes, you may use Notepad ap-
plication. Make sure focus is on the
window you want to send barcodes
to (Fig. 3).
Troubleshooting
If you experience connectivity prob-
lems using Kinoni Barcode Reader,
check for the following typical issues:
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU | MARCH 2016 99
 Do-it-yourself
Open Windows Task Manager
Services to make sure both Bonjour-
service and KinoniSvc are running. If
not, start these by right-clicking and
choosing Start Service. If you do not
see Bonjour-service or KinoniSvc,
please reinstall the required Win-
dows drivers.
Check firewall settings. Your fire-
wall application can block the traffic
between PC and phone. If you use
Windows firewall, Kinoni Barcode
Reader Windows installer will auto-
matically configure it to allow traffic.
If you are using third-party fire-
wall software like Norton or F-Secure,
configure these to allow Bonjour-
service traffic on UDP port 5353. Also
allow KinoniSvc to accept incoming
connections to TCP port 5055.

Settings in Android app

In App Settings (Figs 4 and 5), we
can select Connection Type as Wi-Fi
or Bluetooth. After selecting Blue-
tooth, select the paired device by tap-
ping Bluetooth (not at check box).
There is an option for select-
ing 1D barcodes, QR codes, data
matrix and the like. We can set to
beep or vibrate or both when a
code is scanned.
There is option for flash LED
settings when scanning a barcode.
Other options available are invert
colours and others. These options
are for Barcode Reader and QR Scan-
ner app only, and other apps may
have different options.
This method of using Android
smartphone as a barcode scanner
is very useful for students, small
business owners and hobbyists for
various applications that require
barcode reading work. Using this
method, they can directly insert
barcode data at the cursor location
in Windows PC, which is very useful
to insert barcode data in MS Excel
and inventory management applica-
tions. This method may not act as a
replacement for an actual physical
barcode reader, but is very useful for
less-demanding barcode scanning.
Fig. 5: Xiaomi Redmi 1S screenshot
There are issues with certain
mobile phones when using these as
barcode scanners. This app has been
tested in EFY Labs using Samsung
Galaxy (Xiaomi Red MI 1S smart
phone has been used by author) and
the barcode scanning and Windows
PC data appeared at the cursor loca-
tion perfectly.
Some hardware may not be com-
patible with this application and the
app may not function. The camera
in a smartphone without Auto Focus
may not be able to read the barcode
accurately. But it is good for scan-
ning barcode in places where there
is good light.
There are certain apps available
in Google Play Store that require
setting COM Port in Windows PC for
connection with Bluetooth. The app
used in this article can send data
using Bluetooth without setting
COM port.
Madhuram Mishra is a
student of ME digital
communication at NITTTR,
Bhopal

100 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU WWW.EFYMAG.COM

 Do-it-yourself
EO
I TH
SAN

FIFO DesIgn Using Verilog

NIDHI KATHURIA

P
resented here is a first-in,
first-out (FIFO) design using
Verilog that is simulated
using ModelSim software. In this
article, we design and analyse FIFO
using different read and write log-
ics. We have considered 64 inputs,
each having 32-bit data.
FIFO design
FIFO is an approach for handling
program work requests from queues

Write SINGLE PORT FIFO PIN DESCRIPTION

Clock Read
Clock Pin name I/O Function
Reset FIRST IN
Input Data<31:0> Input To enter the data when Write Enable (active high) and Write Clock
Write Read
FIRST OUT are asserted.
Enable Enable
Input Output
Output Data<31:0> Output To receive the data when Read Enable(active high) and Read Clock
MEMORY
Data Data
are asserted.
Write Clock Input To perform write operation from input port.
Read Clock Input To perform read operation from output port.
Fig. 1: FIFO memory I/O
Write Enable Input To perform write (active high) operation from input port.
Read Enable Input To perform read (active high) operation from output port.
Reset Input For reset the FIFO

Fig. 2: Create Project window

Fig. 5: Workspace window

Fig. 3: Add items to the Project window

Fig. 4: Create Project File window Fig. 6: Adding new files

102 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU WWW.EFYMAG.COM


Fig. 7: Workspace section
Fig. 8: Compilation window
Fig. 9: Start Simulation window
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
Clock domain that supplies
data to FIFO is often referred to
as write or input logic, and clock
domain that reads data from FIFO
is often referred to as read or out-
put logic. Pin diagram of FIFO is
shown in Fig. 1 and its description
in the table.
FIFOs are used in designs to
safely pass multi-bit data words
from one clock domain to another,
or to control the flow of data
between source and destination
sides sitting in the same clock
domain. If read and write clock
domains are governed by the same
clock signal, FIFO is said to be
synchronous. If these are governed
by different (asynchronous) clock
signals, FIFO is said to be asyn-
chronous. A synchronous FIFO
example is described here.
Input port is controlled by
write-clock and write-enable
inputs. Data is written into FIFO
on every rising edge when it is
asserted. Output port is controlled
by read-clock and read-enable
inputs. Data is read from FIFO on
every rising edge and read-enable
is asserted.
Software program
Verilog has been used for register-
transfer logic (RTL) coding and
verification. The bottom-up design
has been followed in this article in
order to facilitate easy debugging
or stacks so of the various modules.
that the old- ModelSim is an easy-to-use yet
est request is versatile VHDL/SystemVerilog/
handled first. In Verilog/SystemC simulator from
hardware, it is Mentor Graphics. It supports
either an array behavioural, register-transfer-level
of flops or read/ and gate-level modelling.
write memory To start FIFO design simula-
that stores data tion, install ModelSim V10.4a on a
from one clock Windows PC and follow the steps
domain and on mentioned below.
request supplies 1. Start ModelSim from the desk-
the same data top; you will see ModelSim
to other clock 10.4a dialogue window.
domains follow- 2. Create a project by clicking
ing FIFO logic. Jump Start on Welcome screen.
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU | MARCH 2016 103
 Do-it-yourself
3. Create Project window pops up
(Fig. 2). Select a suitable name
for your project. Set
Project Location to E:\FIFO_
DESIGN (in our case) and leave
the rest as default, followed by
clicking OK.
4. Add items to the Project win-
dow pops up (Fig. 3).
5. On this window, select Create
New File option.
6. Create Project File window
pops up. Give an appropriate
file name (say, FIFO32.v) for
the file you want to add, and
choose Verilog as Add file as
type and Top Level as Folder
Fig. 10: Library tab (Fig. 4).
7. On the workspace section of
the main window (Fig. 5),
double-click on the file you
have just created (FIFO32.v in
our case).
8. Type your Verilog code
(FIFO32.v) in the new window.
Since we have considered 64
inputs, first data being 32’
h42_41_4C_4C and last being
32’h41_52_54_49, our main
goal is to verify that first data
comes out in the simulation
output window. Note that these
inputs are arbitrary and so you
Fig. 11: Add wave to the project can enter any 32-bit data.
9. Save your code from File menu.
10. Add relevant source files that
form the internal architecture
of FIFO. These include D-
Flipflop, 2-bit mux, Basic cell,
32-bit word, core and so on.
Add new files to FIFO project
by right-clicking FIFO32.v file.
Select Add to Project→New File
options as shown in Fig. 6.
Give File Name mux21 and fol-
low the steps from 7 through 9 as
mentioned above.
Similarly, add other files to the
project and enter respective Verilog
codes in these files.
Details of this FIFO can be
obtained from the relevant source
files, which are sub modules
Fig. 12: Selecting and monitoring signals of FIFO.

104 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU WWW.EFYMAG.COM


Fig. 13: Simulation window
Fig. 14: Wave window
The final workspace window is
shown in Fig. 7.
Compiling/debugging
project files
1. Select Compile→Compile All
options.
2. The compilation result is shown
on the main window. A green
tick is shown against each file
name, which means there are no
errors in the project (Fig. 8).
Simulating FIFO design
1. Click on Library menu from the
main window and then click on
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
plus (+) sign next to the work
library. You should see the name
FIFO that we have just compiled
(Fig. 9).
2. Now in work library, select
tb_FIFO and click on OK (Fig.
10). This will open sim-Default
window as shown in Fig. 11.
3. Go to Add→To Wave→All items
in design options.
4. Select the signals that you
want to monitor for simulation
purposes. Select these as shown
in Fig. 12.
5. Selected signals are the test
bench to verify FIFO functional
EFY Note
The source code of this
project is
included in this
month’s EFY DVD and
is also available for free
download at source.
efymag.com
behavior. We are now ready to
simulate our design by clicking
Run from Simulate menu bar as
shown in Fig. 13.
Now, click on Zoom Full from
Wave window. Your simulation
output waveform will be as shown
in Fig. 14. Note that, we have
already provided 32-bit input
values to all 64 address locations.
You can check the first data as 32’
h42_41_4C_4C in the first location
on this screenshot. By scrolling
the cursor towards right, you can
see the data in the last location as
32’h41_52_54_49.
Thus, the result of FIFO de-
sign is verified from this output
waveform.
Future applications
FIFO logic described here can be
further refined to make more ad-
vanced-level projects. For example,
in system on chip designs, there
are components that often run on
different clocks. So to pass data
from one component to another,
we need an asynchronous FIFO.
Sometimes, even if the source
and request sides are controlled
by the same clock signal, FIFO
is needed. This is to match the
throughputs of the source to the
request. For example, the source
may be supplying data at the rate
at which the request cannot handle
or, in other case, may be placing
requests for data at a rate at which
source cannot supply. Here, a syn-
chronous FIFO is used that acts as
an elastic buffer.
Nidhi Kathuria is a senior
application engineer at EFY
Tech Center, New Delhi
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU | MARCH 2016 105
 I
NIDH IA
A THUR
K
Implementation of Shannon
Encoding algorithm Using LabVIEW
K.M. ABUBEKER, JOSE J. EDATHALA AND SHINTO SEBASTIAN
I
n the field of data compression,
Shannon coding is a lossless
data-compression technique for
constructing a prefix code based on a
set of symbols and their probabilities.
In the lossless compression scheme,
which is popular for compression of
Fig. 1: Block diagram window of Shannon’s encoding
using LabVIEW
Fig. 2: SubVI to find the length and CDF of
message symbols
Fig. 3: SubVI to find the binary equivalent of the
CDF of message symbols
106 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
Do-it-yourself
text or binary files, actual informa-
tion can be recovered without any
loss of data. Compression is ac-
companied by mapping or encoding
the original information to some set
of code words, and decompression
or decoding is carried out on these
code words for retrieval of
correct information.
For further informa-
tion you may refer to
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/shan-
non_coding
Shannon’s encoding
algorithm
Described below are algo-
rithm steps for the imple-
mentation of Shannon’s
encoding algorithm:
1. Sort the symbols in decreas-
ing order of their probabilities. Total
probability should be equal to one.
2. Find the cumulative dis-
tribution function (CDF) of the
given probabilities.
3. Find the length of the code
word of each symbol by using the
equation L= Log2 [1/p(x)]
4. Find the binary equivalent of
the CDF and limit the length of the
code word in accordance with the
last step. The generated code word
should satisfy the prefix and instan-
taneous properties.
LabVIEW
LabVIEW VIs have front panels and
block diagrams. The front panel
is the user interface (UI) and the
block diagram is the programming
behind the UI. After we build the
front panel, we can add code using
graphical representations of func-
tions to control front-panel objects.
Code on the block diagram is the
graphical code, also known as G
code or block diagram code.
Implementation of
Shannon’s algorithm
Implementation of Shannon’s algo-
rithm will familiarise the following
functions/components. Among these,
the important one is modularity, which
is the same as a sub-routine in text
based programming languages. The
current VI shown in Fig. 1 is designed
by using two SubVIs. One SubVI is
used to find the length and CDF of the
source symbols as shown in Fig. 2, and
the other to find the binary equivalent
of the CDF as shown in Fig. 3.
Modularity. Modularity defines the
degree to which a program is com-
posed of discrete modules such that a
change made to one module has mini-
mal impact on other modules. Mod-
ules in LabVIEW are called SubVIs. A
VI within another VI is called a SubVI.
A SubVI corresponds to a sub-
routine in text based programming
languages. When you double-click
a SubVI, a front panel and a block
diagram appear, rather than a dia-
logue box in which you can configure
options. The front panel includes
controls and indicators. The block
diagram includes wires, front-panel
icons, functions, possibly SubVIs
and other LabVIEW objects that also
might look familiar. As you create
VIs, you might find that you perform
a certain operation frequently.
Sort 1D Array function. It returns
a sorted version of the array with
elements arranged in ascending order
as shown in Fig. 4. The array can be
a 1D array of any type and the sorted
array is the output array.
If the array is an array of clusters,
the function sorts the elements by
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

Fig. 4: Sort 1D Array function
Fig. 5: Array-to-Cluster function
Fig. 6: Unbundle-by-Name function
Fig. 7: Logarithm Base 2 function
Fig. 8: Bundle function
Fig. 9: Quotient and Remainder function
comparing the first
elements. If the first
elements match, the
function compares
the second and
Fig. 10: Clusters subsequent elements.
The connector pane
displays default data types for this
polymorphic function.
Array-to-Cluster function. It
converts a 1D array to a cluster of
elements of the same type as the ar-
ray elements as shown in Fig. 5. The
array is a 1D array of any type and
each cluster element is the same as
the corresponding element in the ar-
ray. Cluster order matches the order
of elements in the array.
The default number of elements
in the cluster is nine and the maxi-
mum cluster size for this function
is 256. Use this function when you
want to display elements of the
same type in a front-panel cluster
indicator and also want to ma-
nipulate the elements on the block
diagram by their index values.
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
Unbundle-by-Name function. It
returns the cluster elements whose
names you specify as shown in Fig.
6. Input cluster is the cluster whose
elements you want to access and el-
ement 0..m-1 is the element of input
cluster called 0..m-1.
We do not have to keep track
of the order of the elements within
the cluster. This function does not
require the number of elements to
match the number in the cluster.
After you wire a cluster to this
function, you can select individual
elements from the function.
Logarithm Base 2 function. It
computes base 2 logarithm of x. If
x is 0, log2(x) is negative infinity
as shown in Fig. 7. Here, x can be
a scalar number, array or cluster
of numbers, array of clusters of
numbers and so on. log2(x) is of the
same numeric representation as x.
Bundle function. If x is not
complex and is less than 0, log2(x) is
NaN (not a number).
It assembles a cluster from indi-
vidual elements as shown in Fig. 8.
The cluster is one whose value you
want to change and element 0..n-1
accepts any data type, and output
cluster is the resulting cluster.
You can also use this function to
change the values of individual ele-
ments in an existing cluster without
having to specify new values for all
elements. To do so, wire the cluster
you want to change to the middle
cluster terminal of this function.
When you wire a cluster to this
function, function resizes automati-
cally to display inputs for each ele-
ment in the cluster.
Quotient and Remainder func-
tion. Computes integer quotient
and remainder of the two inputs
as shown in Fig. 9. x and y can
be scalar numbers; x-y*floor(x/y)
is the remainder and floor(x/y) is
the integer quotient. This function
rounds floor(x/y) to the nearest
integer towards infinity.
Clusters. Clusters group data
elements of mixed types as shown in
EFY Note
The source code of this
project is
included in this
month’s EFY DVD and
is also available for free
download at source.
efymag.com
Fig. 10. A cluster is similar to a record
or struct in text based programming
languages. An example of a cluster is
LabVIEW error cluster, which com-
bines a Boolean value, a numeric
value and a string.
Testing procedure
1. Install LabVIEW
2. Click LabVIEW on the desktop
3. Open Shannoncode.vi
4. Provide source symbols a0..a3 with
probabilities so that total probability is
equal to one
5. Click Operate→Run
Generated codes should satisfy the
prefix and instantaneous properties
Bundling several data elements
into clusters eliminates wire clutter
on the block diagram and reduces the
number of connector pane terminals
that subVIs need. The connector
pane has, at most, 28 terminals. If
your front panel contains more than
28 controls and indicators that you
want to pass to another VI, group
some of these into a cluster and as-
sign the same to a terminal on the
connector pane.
Most clusters on the block dia-
gram have a pink wire pattern and
data-type terminal. Error clusters
have a dark-yellow wire pattern and
data-type terminal. Cluster elements
have a logical order unrelated to their
position in the shell. The first object
you place in the cluster is element
0, second is element 1 and so on.
If you delete an element, the order
adjusts automatically. The cluster
order determines the order in which
the elements appear as terminals on
Bundle and Unbundle functions on
the block diagram.
K.M. Abubeker, Jose J. Edathala and Shinto Sebas-
tian are assistant professors in the department of
electronics and communications engineering, Amal
Jyothi College of Engineering, Kottaym, Kerala
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU | MARCH 2016 107
 Price
` 12,499
FIRST Look ESTYLE
Compiled by
nehA chAudhAry

Price
` 1999
Advent unveils
Bluetooth headset
STK India launches action camera A treat for music lovers
The explorer’s camera
Advent, the flagship brand of Adit Infratel Pvt Ltd,
The action camera is a go-anywhere, rugged, compact, wa-
has launched its latest Bluetooth headset BT500 in the
terproof camera, complete with 19 accessories. It is high on
EchoPhonz series with built-in mic. This ergonom-
specifications and is best suited for an active lifestyle. From
ically-designed headset has chrome borders, comes
everyday life to hair-raising memories, STK explorer camera
with Bluetooth version 3.0 and offers a range of up
records your favorite memories. It weighs only 58gm,
to ten metres. Delivering crisp studio-quality sound
comes with a tough waterproof case for underwater use
with enhanced bass, EchoPhonz BT500 packs up to
(the case is water resistant up to 30m) and has a 900mAh
six hours of successive playing time, thanks to its in-
battery with 90 minutes standby time. It features a variety
built powerful rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The
of mounting options. The handlebar mount secures the
foldable headband and ear cups make it convenient
camera to handlebars, poles and more, while the helmet
to carry around—simply fold it, store in the backpack
mount fixes it to any helmet.
and head out! The headset sports on-ear controls to
After shooting, you can connect the camera to a smart-
perform various functions like switching between
phone via Wi-Fi, and transfer and share pictures and videos
music and calls and volume control. Additionally,
instantly with the mobile app. The app (available for iOS and
EchoPhonz BT500 comes with FM, a mini USB charg-
Android) turns the smartphone into a viewfinder to watch
ing interface and a micro-SD slot.
recorded action or live streams from the camera as well as
makes it a fully-functional remote control, enabling you to
start and stop video recording and take photos via your device.
Smart fitness band by ENRG
A true companion for all fitness activities
Wallet speakers by Spider Designs
A portable speaker, power bank and Bluetooth in one Actiwear by ENRG is a smartband that stands out for
its sleek design. You can tie it around your wrist and
This innovative wallet is a portable speaker that has anti- carry on with your daily activities. It tracks all activi-
slip backing, aluminium finish and is incredibly thin and ties, workouts and calories burned, distances travelled
scratch resistant. The resilient brushed aluminium chas- and sleep patterns. It also keeps you updated about
sis is accented with ceramic ally-bonded chamfered edge new messages and incoming calls through real-time
for timeless appearance. The wallet makes it possible to notifications. Some interesting features include a
enjoy music, with an eight-hour battery life, while charging 75mAh lithium-ion-polymer battery that lasts around
another device with a side USB port. Streaming music and five days, Bluetooth version 4.0 and dual control mode
media to paired devices is easy via Bluetooth, allowing you (touchscreen and gesture control).
to take a call and then return to your music. The versatile, Price
dual-microphone conference mode provides echo and ` 2990
noise cancellation that reproduces your calls as if everyone
is in the same
Price room. The
` 1399 featured pow-
er bank has
a capacity of
3000mAh for
recharging
your devices.

108 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU WWW.EFYMAG.COM

 Price
` 29,990

GizMo ByTes
Truecaller launches TrueSDK for
Pioneer India unveils AV player simplifying user registrations
A perfect travel companion Phone directory app Truecaller has
launched TrueSDK that helps users
AVH-X5890BT comes with Pioneer’s unique AppRadio mode technology, which utilise their Truecaller credentials to log
is compatible with both iPhone and Android phones. With AppRadio mode, in to third-party apps and verify their
compatible navigation and music apps can be viewed and controlled directly phone numbers (if required), saving
from AV player’s touchscreen. AppRadio can be easily connected by plugging in them time. The service can be used by
the phone with its original data cable. Some compatible applications with Pio- developers to sign up, update users’
neer AppRadio mode include Navmii (offline navigation app), Navitel (naviga- information or verify their phone number
tion app with detailed map data), EC Touch for accessing smartphone’s music based identities in their mobile apps
through users’ consent.
and AppRadio Live for online services like checking weather information, finding
nearby events, accessing Internet radio, news reader and much more.
The touchscreen head unit features a 17.8cm-wide touchscreen with LED
Remix OS, the Android operating
backlight display, AUX input, USB port, smartphone apps compatibility, built-in
system for desktop
Bluetooth, Siri voice control (through Bluetooth) and offers two-year warranty. Remix OS is the unofficial desktop
operating system (OS) for personal
computers that is based on Android
OS. It is neither made nor is being
Zebronics launches Price promoted by Google as their own
gaming cabinet ` 9950 OS for desktops (Google already has
Chrome OS). Remix OS, on the other
For the gaming enthusiast hand, has been made by three ex-
Google employees whose company goes
Zebronics gaming cabinet H2 not only by the name Jide Technology. The OS
adds character and attitude but also is still in its alpha stage.
muscles professional gaming and high-
end graphics, while ensuring extensive Exam Central by Amazon India
cooling advantages, aesthetically- Xander Audios A one-of-a-kind portal for exam books
appealing design and expandability for has been launched by Amazon India.
its users. H2 sports a rugged build qual-
launches multimedia Exam Central can be found under
ity with sturdy structure, glossy speaker Books Department on the website.
armour-inspired front panel and Users can access sample question
For the music lover in you papers, solved papers and articles from
black interiors.
academicians for entrance exams. The
To disperse accumu- XA - 599BT is a powerful
portal also features exam information
lation of heat gener- 5.1-channel pro-logic set that
and calendars, preparation books,
ated by the system, H2 comes equipped with a 20.3cm study material, exams-preparation tips
comes with dual 80mm (8-inch) sub-woofer for an impact- as well as FAQs.
side fans with a back ful bass experience. Its 10,000-
Price grill and provision for watt PMPO is delivered via six LogiMonkey launches iOS app
` 2700 optional fan on the rear speakers to create a phenomenal Mobile app LogiMonkey that offers
panel, for superior cooling cinema and music experience. It local delivery solutions has launched
airflow. Utilising seven ex- is completely remote controlled, its mobile app for iOS users in a bid to
pansion slots, the cabinet is compatible comes with a super-large LED dis- expand its foothold. The application
with most GPUs available in the market play and can be connected easily and its services were available only on
Android till now. Established in 2015,
and could absorb up to ATX mother- with most devices/music players
LogiMonkey thrives on its expertise in
boards. It comes with audio, three USB and smartgadgets such as PCs,
local delivery, and handles and delivers
2.0 and one USB 3.0 ports located on the tablets and mobile phones through everything from personal possessions to
top of the front panel for easy access. Bluetooth, USB, SD and FM. official properties.

The prices, features and specifications are based on information provided to us, or as available on various websites and portals. EFY cannot vouch for their accuracy.

WWW.EFYMAG.COM ELECTRONICS FOR YOU | MARCH 2016 109

 Buyers’ GUIDE ESTYLE

Digital Blood Pressure

Monitoring Devices
EFY BUREAU

E
lectronic blood pressure (BP) devices,
also called BP monitors or digital
monitors for BP, are battery-operated
monitors that use a microphone to detect
blood pulsing through the arteries. While
you have the option of choosing between
devices that measure BP at the upper arm,
wrist or finger, the most-popular ones are
upper-arm devices. This is because these
are expected to give most-accurate and
consistent results.

Buy what you can afford

BP monitors vary in price depending on the
number of extra features that these have.
Add-on features such as built-in memory
could be helpful but might not be so neces-
sary. At the most basic level, all you need
is a clinically-validated monitor and a pen
and paper to record the readings.
Hisao Masuda, MD, Omron Healthcare
India, emphasises that, “Ideally, the device
should be clinically validated for accuracy
by a governing body such as National Ac-
Dr Morepen BP One BP09
fully-automatic BP monitor
A digital BP monitor for home use
creditation Board for Testing and Calibra-
tion Laboratories (NABL).”
A quick glance at online marketplaces
like Amazon and Snapdeal indicate that
almost all leading brands and models are
available online. Because most market-
places offer discounts, there are some
models that are available at a very low
price online as compared to pharmacies.
At the time of writing this article, most de-
vices were available within the price range
of ` 1500 to ` 4000.

Important features for selection

Given below is a checklist of features you
may want to review while selecting the
device for you.
Cuff size. Make sure you have the right
cuff size. An upper-arm BP monitor would
come with a cuff that you need to wrap
around your arm. If you use a cuff that is

110 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU WWW.EFYMAG.COM

the wrong size for you, BP reading
will be incorrect. Measure around
your upper arm at the midpoint be-
tween your shoulder and elbow, and
choose your cuff size from the chart
given in the table.
Cuff inflation. Recent devices
come with a feature where once
the cuff is wrapped around the
arm, it inflates automatically. But
there are devices for which you
have to inflate the cuff manually.
For users who have to measure BP
themselves, automatic inflation is a
preferable choice.
Irregular heartbeat monitor.
Many BP monitors can also detect
irregular heartbeat while calculating
BP and send alerts regarding those
to the users.
Memory. Larger the memory,
more readings can be stored in the
device. This is an important feature
for those who need to regularly
review the history of BP readings,
while consulting with their doctors.
Multi-user capability. Some
machines have the capability of
storing readings for more than one
user. This is an extremely useful
feature for households where more
than one individual needs to record
BP readings.
Body-movement detection. This
feature allows the device to detect
body movement and, more impor-
tantly, adjust the readings accord-
ingly. It is expected to make the
readings more accurate.
Sphygmomanometer display.
Some devices display traditional
BP measurements by displaying a
sphygmomanometer-like bar, which
is useful for traditional doctors who
like to get a feel of the old time.
Some popular brands
available in India
 Citizen
 Dr Morepen
 Omron
 Panasonic
 Rossmax
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
UPPER-ARM BP MONITOR
CUFF SIZES
Measurement (cm) Cuff size
18-22 Small
22-32 Medium
32-45 Large
Most home BP monitors come with a medium-size
cuff; you may need to order a different-size one
separately
Batteries. BP-measurement de-
vices are typically battery-powered.
However, some have rechargeable
batteries. In terms of convenience
and long-term cost-benefits, you
may want a model with recharge-
able batteries.
LCD display size. All brochures
list this feature. Though not a criti-
cal one, it is obvious—the larger the
display, the better and bigger is the
information displayed.
Weight. This is an important
feature for those who carry their BP
device with them wherever they go.
What next
Some of the latest BP devices being
launched are harnessing the power
of mobile devices. These come
bundled with apps, which get down-
loaded on the mobile device.
The devices focus on measur-
ing BP and transmitting data to
the mobile device. Their apps use
the power of the mobile device to
display the information and provide
interesting reports and analytics.
Then there are products that
focus on better-designed cuffs to
reduce errors because of their incor-
rect placement of cuffs.
However, this product category
now faces competition in the form
of wearable devices. Latest health-
focused wearable devices include
smartwatches that have BP moni-
tors. While these do not offer ac-
curacy comparable to a standard BP
device, as of now, it is to be seen
how their growing popularity may
affect demand for traditional BP-
monitoring devices.
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU | MARCH 2016 111
 do-it-yourself
Increase Battery Life
Of A Smartphone
M
ost smartphones these
days have huge, high-
resolution screens,
powerful processors and a lot of
memory to multitask and handle
extremely complex tasks. These
tasks consume a lot of power due to
heavy usage, so most people have
to rely on power banks for backup.
The same applies for laptops and
tablets, too.
Most smartphones come with
lithium-ion and lithium-polymer
batteries that can be recharged
quickly, but do not guarantee long
life. Users often end up replacing
the battery or the device itself,
which can be quite expensive in the
long run.
Given below are some tips for
prolonging battery lifecycle and us-
age between recharge cycles.
Keep the battery cool. Exposing
the battery to high temperatures can
put a lot of stress on it. According to
research, cycling, high temperature
and ageing decrease the perfor-
mance of the battery over time.
Keep the devices in a cool environ-
ment to enhance their lifecycle.
Also, avoid exposure to dust to
keep vents clean and save the fans
from running on overtime, which
leads to additional stress.
Go for paid apps. Ad-supported
apps reduce battery life by two to
three hours on average, as per a
study. A phone’s processor is like
its brain and ads eat up a lot of that
brain power, hence slowing it down.
Not all free apps drain your bat-
tery, though, but ads take up extra
112 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
ESTYLE
EFY BUREAU
bandwidth and come with process-
ing burden. Paying for apps would
be beneficial and cost effective in
the long run.
Turn off location tracking. Apps
such as Facebook and Instagram
drain the battery as these constantly
track users’ location using GPS.
Turn off location tracking for apps
that do not need tracking.
For most Android devices, go
to Settings > Location, and toggle
it off to disable location tracking
entirely. Functionality to set app-
level permissions is only enabled in
Android M.
On iOS 9, go to Settings > Pri-
vacy > Location Services and turn
it off on a per-app basis, leaving
location access on for just important
apps.
Go for partial recharges. Instead
of letting the battery cycle all the
way from 100 per cent capacity
down to zero, keeping the depth of
discharge to 50 per cent can increase
the number of discharge cycles by
three times.
Set the charge threshold to start
at 40 per cent capacity and stop at
50 per cent, to optimise for many
years of usage.
Turn down display brightness.
On most devices, brightness set-
tings are easily accessible and you
can also apply screen-dimming
techniques through third-party apps
like Lux, which overlays an opaque
graphic to reduce brightness and
change the colour cast of the screen.
However, a software layer only
saves power on OLED screens, while
LCD screens can only save power
by decreasing backlight brightness.
Reduce the amount of time your dis-
play stays on while inactive to save
a fractional amount of battery life.
Schedule app updates when
plugged in. Any processor- or
bandwidth-intensive activity is likely
to consume a lot of CPU power. For
this reason, it is best to schedule
app updates to happen only over
Wi-Fi, or when you are plugged in.
Turn on low-power mode. Not
all Android phones come with
battery-saver mode, but if you are
using Android 5.0 or later, you
are likely to have this feature. It
automatically kicks in when your
battery hits 15 per cent and disables
background app refreshes, location
tracking and other syncing activity
to save battery.
With Android Marshmallow, a
new feature called Doze puts your
phone in deep-sleep mode when it
is lying unused for a long time.
With iOS 9, iPhones have a
low-power mode that cuts down on
background refreshes, visual effects
and automatic downloads. Access
this under Settings > Battery.
Go on flight mode. The phone’s
distance to a mobile tower can af-
fect standby time. So if you are in
a place with no network, turn your
smartphone into Airplane mode
(also called Flight mode on some
devices) to conserve battery life,
rather than letting your phone con-
stantly seek a tower.
This turns off Wi-Fi as well,
which helps in saving power.
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

Products Page No.
Automation & Robotics
Eita Technologies ............................................. 125
Evolute Solutions Pvt Ltd...................................114
Microchip Technology Hong Kong Ltd ................ 35
ST Microelectronics Marketing Pvt Ltd ............... 41
Toshiba India Pvt Ltd .......................................... 63
United Tectsa .................................................... 120
Batteries & Power Supplies
Arham Electronics & Electricals
product categories index
Products Page No.
Mouser Electronics (India) Private Limited ........... 7
Renesas Electronics India Pvt Ltd. ..................... 43
S.M. Semiconductors ....................................... 125
Sancon India Pvt Ltd ........................................ 120
Smec Electronics India Pvt Ltd ..........................114
United Tectsa .................................................... 120
Virginia Panel Corporation.................................. 61
Display Systems
Radiant Electronics .......................................... 123
Products Page No.
Key Operations & Electrocomponents
Pvt Ltd ............................................................. 73
SAR Engineering Corporation ......................... 125
PCBs, Assemblies & Sub Assemblies
Aaraavi Circuit ................................................. 125
Circuit Systems India Ltd ................................... 31
Circuitronix ....................................................... 123
Sahasra Electronics Pvt Ltd .............................115
Products Page No.
Test & Measurement Equipment (Including
Indicators & Monitors)
Anritsu India Pvt Ltd .......................................... 57
Crown Electronic Systems................................ 124
Dinteck ............................................................. 123
FLIR Systems ............................................. 65, 121
Good Will Instrument Co. Ltd .......................... 130
Keysight Technologies India Pvt Ltd ................. 2, 5
Meco Meters Pvt Ltd............................... 47, 49, 51

(Nimra Products) .......................................... 124 Plugs, Sockets & Connectors Metro Electronics .............................................. 125

BB Battery India Co. Pvt Ltd .............................. 17
Digital Promoters (I) Pvt Ltd ............................. 123
Exide Industries Ltd ............................................ 81
Kandhari Photo Electronics P Ltd .................... 125
Minmax Technology Co. Ltd ............................... 59
Mornsun Guangzhou Science & Technology
Co. Ltd ............................................................. 77
National Controlling & Equipments ................... 125
Nippon India ......................................................119
Piyush Electronics & Electricals (P) Ltd............ 121
Rajmane Telectric P Ltd .................................... 101
Educational Training Kits
ISOFT ...............................................................116
Resonent Technolabs Pvt Ltd ............................118
Industrial & Manufacturing Equipment
Elixir Electronics .............................................. 124
Inde Enterprises ................................................ 39
Indium Corporation .......................................... 101
Indus Robotics & Automation Research
Pvt Ltd ............................................................114
Max Technology & Co. ....................................... 37
Anand Enterprises ........................................... 123
Punith Electronics .............................................119
Radio & Broadcast Equipment
Elixir Electronics .............................................. 124
Reseller and Distributors
Digi-Key Electronics ............................................ 3
Element14 India Pvt Ltd ....................................... 1
InkOcean/Hitech Printers ................................... 31
LWI Electronics Inc. ........................................... 23
NANJING GLARUN ATTEN Technology
Co. Ltd ............................................................. 33
Rishabh Instruments Pvt Ltd .............................. 91
SIGLENT Technologies Co. Ltd .......................... 85
Tektronix India Pvt Ltd ...................................... 130
Zeal Manufacturing Co. .....................................116
Trade Shows and Events
Cyber Media (India) Limited .............................. 27
Times Network ..................................................... 9

Sakthi Accumulators Private Ltd ....................... 125
Shavison Electronics Pvt Ltd .............................111
SM Electronic Technologies Pvt Ltd ................... 25
Srishti Electronics ............................................. 123
Cabinets, Enclosures & Accessories
Shrey Plastic Moulders .................................... 125
SPM Electronics And Systems ......................... 125
Universal Electronic Agencies ..........................119
Components (Including Active & Passive)
Digi-Key Electronics ............................................ 3
Noel Precision Products .................................. 125
Resonent Technolabs Pvt Ltd ............................118
IT Products
MathWorks ........................................................ 21
Materials (Including Chemicals & Consumables)
Chandsons Industries ...................................... 123
HK Wentworth (India) Pvt Ltd ............................. 55
K2 Engineers ................................................... 123
Progressive Engineers ..................................... 121
Mouser Electronics (India) Private Limited ........... 7
Training and Certification Institutes
Services CADD Centre Training Services
KMTS Engineering Pvt Ltd ............................... 123 Private Limited ...............................................113
ERT Tech. Services ......................................... 125
Solar Products
MathWorks ........................................................ 21
Evolute Solutions Pvt Ltd...................................114
Macon Power ................................................... 124
Wires & Cables
Systellar Innovations ........................................116
Sagar Switch Gear ...........................................117
Switches & Relays
Electronics Relays (India) Pvt Ltd .....................118 Miscellaneous

Element14 India Pvt Ltd ....................................... 1 Optics & Optoelectronics Piyush Electronics & Electricals (P) Ltd............ 121

LWI Electronics Inc. ........................................... 23 Binay Opto Electronics Pvt Ltd ..................... 14, 15 Telecom Products United Tectsa .................................................... 120
Maruti Electronics (Mumbai) .............................118 Buljin Elemec Pvt Ltd ....................................... 124 Evolute Solutions Pvt Ltd...................................114 InkOcean/Hitech Printers.................................... 31

EFY Magazine Attractions During 2016

MONTH TECHNOLOGY FOCUS MARKET SURVEYS BUYERS’ GUIDE eSTYLE BUYERS’ GUIDE
FOR ELECTRONICS LABS
January Latest Technologies for Enabling Connectors and Terminals Development Boards Microwave Ovens Under ` 10,000
the Internet
February Drones Security and Surveillance Desktop Power Supplies 126cm (50-inch) Flat-Panel Televisions
March Intuitive Gesture Control Test and Measurement Noise Meters Blood-Pressure Monitors
Equipment
April Latest Display Technologies Solar Industry Digital Multimeters Wireless Printers for Homes
May Solid-State Storage 3D Printers 3D Printers Under ` 100,000 Fitness Wristbands
June Affordable Virtual Reality The Internet of Things Wi-Fi and Radio Frequency Modules Earphones
July Connected Homes and Appliances Home Automation Budget-Friendly Oscilloscopes Wireless Routers for Homes
August Self-Driving Cars LED Lighting LED Chips and Bulbs Low-Priced Tablets
September Solar Cells to Inverters: What’s New Strategic Electronics Soldering/Desoldering Stations 3G/4G Dongles
October Sensors Consumer Electronics LCD and OLED Display Modules Smart Televisions
November The Internet of Things Medical Electronics Desktop PCB Manufacturing Equipment Blood-Sugar Monitors
December Materials: 3D Printing to Solar Panels Materials and Chemicals Motors and Drives Low-Priced Laptops

128 MARCH 2016 | ELECTRONICS FOR YOU WWW.EFYMAG.COM


Client name Page No.
Aaraavi Circuit ........................................................................................125
Alive .........................................................................................................50
Anand Enterprises .................................................................................123
Anritsu India Pvt Ltd .................................................................................57
Arham Electronics & Electricals (Nimra Products) ................................124
BB Battery India Co. Pvt Ltd ....................................................................17
Binay Opto Electronics Pvt Ltd (www.binayLED.com) .....................14, 15
Buljin Elemec Pvt Ltd (www.flexiblepcb.com)........................................124
CADD Centre Training Services Private Limited ................................... 113
Chandsons Industries ............................................................................123
Circuit Systems India Ltd ........................................................................31
Circuitronix .............................................................................................123
Crown Electronic Systems ....................................................................124
Cyber Media (India) Limited.....................................................................27
Design in India .........................................................................................95
Digi-Key Electronics (www.digikey.com)....................................................3
Digital Promoters (I) Pvt Ltd ..................................................................123
Dinteck ...................................................................................................123
EFY Group: 3-people .............................................................................126
EFY Group: EB Corporate ....................................................................122
EFY Group: Subscription .........................................................................67
EFY Group: Thank for You IEW 2016................................................70, 71
Eita Technologies ...................................................................................125
Electronics Relays(India) Pvt Ltd........................................................... 118
Element14 India Pvt Ltd.............................................................................1
Elixir Electronics .....................................................................................124
ERT Tech. Services................................................................................125
Evolute Solutions Pvt Ltd (www.evolute.in) ........................................... 114
Exide Industries Ltd (www.exide4u.com) ................................................81
FLIR Systems (www.flir.com)...........................................................65, 121
Good Will Instrument Co. Ltd (www.goodwill.com.tw) ..........................130
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
advertisers’ index
Client name Page No.
HK Wentworth (India) Pvt Ltd ..................................................................55
Inde Enterprises (www.indeonline.in) ......................................................39
Indium Corporation (www.paigegroup.com) ..........................................101
Indus Robotics & Automation Research Pvt. Ltd. ................................ 114
InkOcean/Hitech Printers .........................................................................31
IOTshow.in..............................................................................................131
ISOFT..................................................................................................... 116
J.S. ELECTRONICS (www.whixtech.com)............................................124
K2 Engineers .........................................................................................123
Kandhari Photo Electronics P Ltd ..........................................................125
Key Operations & Electrocomponents Pvt Ltd. .......................................73
Keysight Technologies India Pvt Ltd (www.keysight.com) ....................2, 5
Kits‘n’Spares ............................................................................................13
KMTS Engineering Pvt Ltd ....................................................................123
LEDasia.in ................................................................................................29
LEDBazaar ..............................................................................................19
LEDbazaar.in ........................................................................................... 11
LWI Electronics Inc. (www.livewireinfo.com) ...........................................23
Macon Power .........................................................................................124
Maruti Electronics (Mumbai) (www.marutibuzzers.com) ....................... 118
MathWorks ...............................................................................................21
Max Technology & Co. (www.maxtechnoloindia.com) ............................37
Meco Meters Pvt Ltd (www.mecoinst.com) .................................47, 49, 51
Metro Electronics ...................................................................................125
Microchip Technology Hong Kong Ltd (www.microchip.com) .................35
Minmax Technology Co. Ltd (www.minmax.com.tw)...............................59
Mornsun Guangzhou Science & Technology Co. Ltd .............................77
Mouser Electronics (India) Private Limited ................................................7
NANJING GLARUN ATTEN Technology Co. Ltd ....................................33
National Controlling & Equipments ........................................................125
Nippon India (www.nipponindia.com) .................................................... 119
Client name Page No.
Noel Precision Products ........................................................................125
Piyush Electronics & Electricals (P) Ltd (www.pact.in)..........................121
Progressive Engineers ..........................................................................121
Punith Electronics .................................................................................. 119
Radiant Electronics ................................................................................123
Rajmane Telectric P Ltd (www.rajmaneteletric.com) .............................101
Renesas Electronics India Pvt Ltd. ..........................................................43
Resonent Technolabs Pvt Ltd ................................................................ 118
Rishabh Instruments Pvt Ltd ...................................................................91
S.M. Semiconductors.............................................................................125
Sagar Switch Gear ................................................................................. 117
Sahasra Electronics Pvt Ltd (www.sahasraelectronics.com) ................ 115
Sakthi Accumulators Private Ltd ............................................................125
Sancon India Pvt Ltd. .............................................................................120
SAR Engineering Corporation ...............................................................125
Shavison Electronics Pvt Ltd (www.shavison.com)............................... 111
Shrey Plastic Moulders (www.shreyplasticmoulders.com)....................125
SIGLENT Technologies Co. Ltd...............................................................85
SM Electronic Technologies Pvt Ltd ........................................................25
SMEC Electronics India Pvt Ltd............................................................. 114
SPM Electronics And Systems (spmelectronics.com) ..........................125
Srishti Electronics (www.acedigital.co.in) ..............................................123
ST Microelectronics Marketing Pvt Ltd ....................................................41
Systellar Innovations (www.systellar.in)................................................. 116
Tektronix India Pvt Ltd (www.tektronix.com)..........................................130
Times Network ...........................................................................................9
Toshiba India Pvt Ltd................................................................................63
United Tectsa .........................................................................................120
Universal Electronic Agencies (www.easternradio.co.in) ...................... 119
Virginia Panel Corporation .......................................................................61
Zeal Manufacturing Co. (zeal-services.com) ......................................... 116
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU | MARCH 2016 129