Growing maturity of artificial intelligence (AI) technology is enabling leaping advances in automated optical inspection (AOI) for the manufacturing sector. ADLINK is working with leading information technology (IT) provider Fujitsu to introduce a False Call Reduction (FCR) system - a new smart manufacturing solution built with Fujitsu's robust AI computing power and ADLINK's extensive experiences in collecting manufacturing data and developing manufacturing applications. They expect to bring the solution into action on the surface mount technology (SMT) production lines by year end.Quality control is a step in the manufacturing process that is critical to production yield and product quality optimization. It has generally been performed by human workers and automated optical inspection (AOI) until the rise of smart manufacturing wherein AI is reshaping production line systems. As part of its active undertakings in AI-enabled solutions, ADLINK began collaborations with Japan-based IT technology provider Fujitsu in 2020 to integrate Fujitsu Advanced Image Recognition(F|AIR) with ADLINK's edge computing industrial PC (IPC) to boost visual inspection accuracy above 90% and thereby reduce AOI false call rates on SMT production lines so that manufacturers can achieve higher precision quality control.With defect detection being an essential part of quality control, manufacturers have been making use of AOI equipment to help production line workers identify defects at a higher level of accuracy. To make the process more efficient, maturing AI technology is being introduced in AOI to tap the power of deep learning algorithms and make defect detection more intelligent and more accurate.AOI may not necessarily increase production line efficiencyAccording to Ming-Che Cheng, Business Development Director, Smart Factory Business Center, IoT Solutions & Technology Business Unit of ADLINK , when manufacturers incorporate AOI equipment on their SMT production lines for quality control, they generally configure AOI settings with rigorous standards. This results in a high number of false calls, each of which requires reexamination by human workers and manual data update or input. Such added processes not only hinder efficient production line operation but also burden human workers with so much work that they may be prone to misjudge defective products as good products due to fatigue, causing return, rework or even damage to manufacturers' business reputation.ADLINK joins forces with Fujitsu to create a new integrated AI platformADLINK is endeavoring to find a solution to the issue, noted Cheng. After years of development, ADLINK's AI-based inspection hardware has reached maturity. For software capabilities, ADLINK turns to Fujitsu in hopes of leveraging its robust AI software strength to jointly build a hardware-software integrated FCR system. According to Jung-Lang Wang, technical manager, Digital Co-creation, Fujitsu, global IT heavyweights flex their muscles by presenting powerful supercomputers. Fujitsu builds F|AIR on top of its high-performing servers and has put the solution to use at its production bases in Europe. It is then in search of partners to help bring F|AIR to Asia, the world's manufacturing hub. The partnership between ADLINK and Fujitsu is a perfect match. By combining Fujitsu's F|AIR and ADLINK's edge computing IPC, they offer manufacturers engaging in SMT processing an ideal solution that reduces AOI false calls.Boosting the FCR system's adoption by ensuring continuous uptimeFeaturing a non-intrusive design, the partnership FCR system can be installed without having to shut down the SMT line. It can be up and running after simple parameter adjustments, which can be replicated to other production lines. It can learn from the training models about defects in images while in operation and reduce false calls by more than 90% without having to train on a large quantity of images. Then, the significantly reduced number of images determined to have defects are turned over to human inspectors who can take the time to conduct reexamination and improve quality of work. Furthermore, the FCR system can aggregate the reexamination results for subsequent training. Not only is the inspection process made more efficient, manufacturers get to enjoy higher units per hour (UPH). More importantly, all software and hardware run in parallel to existing AOI equipment so manufacturers' past investments will not go to waste.Based on a deep learning algorithm, the FCR system will deliver a higher level of accuracy with a larger quantity and variety of training images. That is, the system will grow in accuracy with the time it runs on the SMT line. Aside from training purposes, the images it collects on the production line can also be used to trace production history for manufacturers to improve product quality and for customers to gain insights into the production process through visual data.The FCR system is built for small-volume large-variety productionThe FCR system now runs on ADLINK's own SMT line. It is especially suitable for small-volume large-variety production, said Wang. Its deep learning implementation allows it to accommodate a diverse range of production requirements. ADLINK and Fujitsu will continue to work together and expand the application scope for the system to help manufacturers address challenges in AI-based visual inspection.ADLINK turns to Fujitsu in hopes of leveraging its robust AI software strength to jointly build a hardware-software integrated FCR systemDaniel Yang, president of ADLINK (left) and Yuguchi Akashi, Fujitsu Taiwan president (right)

Nexcom's Network and Communication Solutions Group (NCS), leading supplier of network appliances, is ready to take on the challenges of 5G technology with its newest uCPE (Universal Customer Premise Equipment) solutions. Under development the past three years, these solutions were developed through NCS' active participation in early access programs of strategic partners in networking technology. These efforts finally materialized this quarter in several 5G proof-of-concept (POC) deployments across different regions of the world.Matthew Liu, NCS' director of Product Line Management, says, "The advent of 5G has become the ultimate driving force to commercialize technologies heartily discussed nowadays, such as AI, IoT, cyber security, and FWA. Due to the requirements of eMBB (enhanced Mobile Broadband), URLLC (Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communications), and mMTC (massive Machine Type Communications), which are all so critical in the 5G world, Nexcom has launched a 100G NIC card and is collaborating with strategic partners to create 200G/400G cards."Nexcom expects that FWA technology will completely change IT infrastructure by using 5G wireless broadband to replace the last mile of fixed physical lines. NCS will soon introduce to the market "NexCPE," a new uCPE product line based on FWA (Fixed Wireless Access), as a welcome addition to Nexcom's product portfolio.Nexcom has additionally rolled out a video to showcase NCS' capabilities in networking. For more information on the Network and Communication Solutions Group, please visit Nexcom's website.Nexcom's Network and Communication Solutions Group (NCS) has a passion for innovation

Digi-Key Electronics, a global electronic components distributor, announced today that it has partnered with Septentrio, a leader in high-precision GNSS positioning solutions. Digi-Key now offers mosaic-X5 globally for customers who need secure and reliable high-accuracy positioning in a compact and low-power form factor.Septentrio's mosaic-X5 features complete multi-frequency multi-constellation technology and tracks every existing and future signal from all Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) constellations. Such signal diversity coupled with advanced anti-jamming technology allows mosaic-X5 to deliver centimeter-level positioning with maximum availability even in challenging industrial environments. This makes mosaic-X5 an ideal positioning solution for applications such as robotics, automation, telematics and many more."Our mosaic-X5 is an advanced GNSS receiver module without performance compromises. With its small form factor and low-power design, mosaic-X5 brings high-performance positioning to volume applications," said Francois Freulon, head of product management for Septentrio. "Having Digi-Key as a distributor enables us to scale and reach out to find new markets and applications where secure high accuracy positioning is required.""Digi-Key is excited about the new partnership with Septentrio," said David Stein, vice president of global supplier management for Digi-Key. "Demand for high-accuracy GNSS receivers with secure and robust positioning is growing strongly, as they continue to be implemented into new applications and devices. Digi-Key offers customers an easy path to order, develop, and deploy with the latest technologies available, including Septentrio's robust and precise GNSS devices, which have the latest anti-jamming and anti-spoofing technology."For more information about Septentrio and to order the mosaic development kit or the mosaic-X5 module, please visit the Digi-Key website.Septentrio mosiac-X5, a high-end GNSS receiver module delivering reliable centimeter-level positioning, is now available on the Digi-Key website

Wireless communication modules are the important and indispensable components of Digital Economics, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data Analytics. The vast business landscape includes consumer electronics, Smart City and Industrial IoT applications. These powerful devices and use cases are eye-catching and also enabling severe competition at the same time. Wireless module makers put immense resources to invest wide-scale deployment for multiple wireless technologies. Other things like passing the telecommunication certifications of global telecom giants will cost a fortune and highly time constraints. The challenges are overwhelming in searching the balance between financial investment and time to market product roadmap.Wireless modules makers are strengthening the competitive edge by strongly manage production costs and manufacturing facilities. Keeping a tight relationship with PCB manufacturers, semiconductor chip makers and other related supply chain partners are essential strategies to drive better time-to-market schedules with massive production capacity and cost effectively while maintaining high quality. These are survival skills in the market. Moreover, because the product differentiation strategy playing a key role to engage business with regional telecoms, the successful business will rely on the broad range of wireless module product offerings plus good branding and company reputation.Founded in 1999, Fibocom is the first wireless modules provider listed in China Shenzhen Stock Exchange in 2017. The company's main business of wireless modules have been applied in wide wireless frequency bands to support the needs of various wireless embedded systems, provision of solution plans, sales of parts, components and solutions. Over the years, Fibocom has well developed the modules for wireless broadband ranging from 5G, 4G, 3G, 2G, LTE Cat 1, NB-IoT, LTE Cat M, Android enabling intelligence, automotive grades communication modules, GNSS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules, as well as techniques related to 5G standards of Non-standalone (NSA) and standalone (SA) architecture. With the commercial launch of 5G licenses globally, Fibocom has accelerated the implementation of 5G applications with its 5G module product lines aiming commercial notebook PC and IoT market sectors.Continuing success in China, Fibocom expanding business in Asia PacificMr. Lingpeng Ying, CEO of Fibocom, talks through this interview. Following its success in the China market, Fibocom is aggressively expanding the business to Asia Pacific regions leveraging the growing 5G ecosystems and booming networking and telecommunication market. Since 2014, Fibocom started to enter a strategic partnership with Taiwan networking & communication, PC and industrial PC companies.Through the early experience from building partnership with global brands, Fibocom invests major engineering resources to support customers. Today, the engineering teams account for roughly 70% of its total workforce. Taking 5G product lines as an example, the multi-mode and multi-band product series need to support a broad range of frequency bands covering FR1 (Sub-6 GHz) and FR2 (millimeter wave or mmWave) spectrums. The certification tests of various telecom networks are time consuming and very costly process. Fibocom has granted global broadband certificates based on 3GPP standards and provided many popular form factors to meet diversified industrial requirements.China 5G roll-out benefiting revenue rising of wireless module makersAfter landing the services of 4G LTE to provide 150Mbps data transmitted speed, China is shifting gears to 5G services quickly for fast upgrade, Ying observed. These bold steps drive big business opportunities. The fancy applications like smart healthcare, remote work and several Smart City use cases are introduced to China market and gaining most attentions. It is obviously that a good user's experience relying on seamless data connectivity. And wireless module makers play a key role to ensure the quality and performance. Being the most disruptive technology and huge China investments of 5G networks, it is to supercharge wireless module makers across the globe.Fibocom quickly grabs the opportunity to take lead in the notebook PCs and tablets market. Through highly cooperative efforts with the PC industry and long-term partnership with Intel, the growth momentum is strong. In the first quarter of 2020 during the global COVID-19 pandemics, the ramping revenue is reaching 50% on-year increases, said Ying. If looking at market sectors of commercial and education notebook PC, Fibocom is even taking 90% of market share. And more positively, the robust demand for commercial notebooks and Chromebooks stoked by coronavirus-induced lockdowns has also added significant growth momentum to the company's shipments in the coming months.Always connect PC for commercial usage is a key driving forceThe impressive sales performance is linked with the strong demands from global PC brands like HP, DELL and Lenovo. Especially in Europe and North America market, although mostly still providing 4G LTE networks right now, the ACPC, meaning "Always Connect PC", is a getting popular product category welcomed by business travelers, IT experts and engineering service teams of global companies. The cross-region internet access service promoted by broadband operators is another big boost for commercial PC brands. Fibocom's wireless module product offerings with full bandwidth support of global 4G bands and dedicated Intel M.2 strategic partnership contribute Chromebook or notebook business to go after big opportunities.Meanwhile, in the industrial PC sectors, there are many production facilities and machinery in the remote geographical places is relying on the connected PC to control critical procedures and systems. All these control requires wireless connectivity to transmit data streams performing the high quality features to fit the industrial requirements or standards. This all contribute a very good results to use Fibocom wireless modules. And furthermore, according to existing order status, the production capacity has been fully booked before end of June (pls update the dates), 2020. Fibocom's notebook wireless module shipments for first-half 2020 are also expected to see a double-digit on-year growth.Non-PC markets boosting big expansion for chasing massive sales growthWith the success in the PC market, Fibocom does not slow down to penetrate the market in the consumer electronics and industrial IoT market. This sector what popular named as "Non-PC" market is becoming another revenue engine for driving consistent revenue generation. The company face the challenges to choose directly compete with key players in the market. The first move is to sign Snapdragon X55 MODEM Chipsets supply and license agreement with Qualcomm. And Fibocom product development teams continue to introduce series 5G wireless modules to the market and embrace Qualcomm ecosystems.Taking recent announced FG150(W) and FM150(W) 5G modules as an example, this series product offerings, both supporting SA & NSA network architectures with solutions of one design for multiple access, are SDX55 chipsets based and supporting all major frequency bands of 5G Sub-6GHz and mmWave networks usage. At the same time, it also provides the compatibility with LTE and WCDMA. Leveraging M.2 interface and LGA packaging design, these series provide several interfacing standards including USB, PCIe and RGMII to support mainstream applications such as ACPC, wireless Access Point or Router, CPE Gateway devices, drone and robotics devices aiming to enable use cases of 5G+8K TV video streaming, smart grid, smart healthcare, smart city, smart manufacturing services. It principally engages in the promotion of Internet of Things (IoT) and mobile Internet wireless communication technologies and applications. With the commercial launch of 5G licenses globally, Fibocom has accelerated the market penetration of 5G applications with its 5G module.Meanwhile, Fibocom invest another technology development by Intel and Mediatek for joining development to use new generation of cost effective 5G chips. This action will invest another round of 5G market campaigns and preparation future business opportunities.Customization design does mattersThe competition between regional Telecoms is very complicated and fierce. To provide customized services targeted for various segmentations will be an essential winning strategy. Ying points out, Fibocom is not only a module maker but also a trustable partner to build a tightly bound for mutual benefits by deeply investing IoT technologies to maintain a long turn strength.For instance, European Telecoms manage providing quality services in vast geographical areas through a wide frequency bands, Ying continues. Some of major Telecoms in South European countries even provide the services including the Latin American region. A single integrated module design to fit those wide ranges of frequency bands will be a powerful differentiation to simplify the product offerings and save the cost. And one of the most important strengths is improving the lead time to meet the market requirements.The Fibocom's offerings could provide products covering the massive and wide frequency bands by solid technology know-how to fit the demands. Using fewer modules means to save more PAs and RFEEs, which will make entire product more competitive and reduce the time to apply Telecom certification. The mix of LGA packaging and M.2 interface is another unique product strength for helping system integrators to quickly search the balance between time to market and best fit pricing considering the scale of production volume. Both LGA and M.2 modules of Fibocom offerings continue to maintain pin-to-pin compatible with existing design. These sincere development considerations from the stages of product initiating to scale mass production are welcomed by customers.Through the technology expertise and engineering support, the company is building its long turn strength and having a better positioning to engage the business with PC or networking ODMs, Ying said proudly.Internet of Things, Robotics and Industrial IoT applications boosting future growthFor better exploring the use cases in IoT, Fibocom continue build stable and reliable embedded wireless modules based on 3GPP 4G LTE and 5G standards. In the recent development of 5G NR technologies, the development of SA mode under 5G networks is getting more attentions. Both NSA and SA technologies can quickly deploy 5G networks to support eMBB, uRLLC and mMTC services. And there are more and more use cases and scenarios to be certified and tested to release high value of 5G applications. For these reasons, Fibocom divides its solutions to four major categories named , MBB (Mobile Broadband) modules, Massive IoT modules, Smart modules and Automotive-grade modules. And each of them is granted industrial safety and telecom certifications in every major country.Having a wide range of product lines increases the chances of wining more customers, Fibocom looks at two most potential market. They are IoV(Internet of Vehicle) and M2M(Machine to Machine) sectors. The IoV development is achieving greater cooperation with global brands. And it is expanding the business with the applications of mobile payment, Vehicle Information System and Smart Grid applications. The global brands such as Lenovo, Amazon, HP and Dell contribute stable revenue growth for corporate operation.New Wi-Fi 6 and blockchain LTE Cat 1 modules to boost 5G landing applicationsRecently, Fibocom new released W600 Wi-Fi 6 module is based on Qualcomm QCA6391 platform, complies with IEEE 802.11. ax standard, supports multiple indoor data communication protocol and intensified wireless connection scenarios. Compared with previous Wi-Fi 5 devices, W600 provides 4 times bigger data transmission capacity, 37% speed increasing and 75% low latency performance improvement.W600 equips with a multiple wireless platform to accommodate WLAN and Bluetooth technologies together through PCIe interface. It cold further link with FG150 5G module to provide 5G capability by connecting to 5G networks to access broadband world. The combination will provide user a complete wireless connection scenario from indoor to outdoor connection.In the other hand, targeting the world's first LTE Cat 1 module with Blockchain inside, Fibocom is launching L610 in the market. Based on UNISOC 8910DM LTE Cat 1 bis chipset and Aitos's BoAT (Blockchain of AI Things) framework, Fibocom L610 combines technologies of IoT and Blockchain, which is providing significant and valuable product suite to the IoT industry in terms of scalability and security concerns. That is, in case of 2G/3G's absence, LTE Cat 4's costiveness, and NB-IoT's lower speed, Fibocom L610 LTE Cat 1 module is a new choice for IoT application requiring medium communication speed. More than that, by leveraging Aitos's BoAT Blockchain SDK at the application layer, L610 affords major Blockchain capabilities including the true value to make the entire transaction ledger visible to all participants.Fibocom invested IoT cloud platforms and software solutions to cultivate industrial solutions targeting typical application scenarios include smart logistics and transportation, assets tracking and connected devices in the industrial usages, which aims to protect and bring out the full potential of the IoT data analytics. The increasing demands for mobile network capacity driven by Industrial IoT applications results in massive business opportunities. With the strong technology support, Fibocom is continuing to develop new wireless products and help ODM partners and system integrators in Asia Pacific region enabling new services and applications and unlock the new potential of future IoT world.Leading in China market by strong product offerings and pushing the further growth across Asia-Pacific regionMr. Lingpeng Ying, CEO of Fibocom

iCatch Technology, a global leader in digital image processing specialized in edge AI, low-power and connected camera devices, today introduces the Ci3 series ISP for OE automotive camera module applications. Ci3 series has incorporated iCatch's 7th generation ISP, which is specially designed for automotive imaging scenario, to support ultra high dynamic range (HDR), LED flicker mitigation (LFM), RGGB/RCCC/RCCB/RGBIR CMOS sensors and advanced dewarping engine to fulfill the stringent image quality requirement by automakers.Ci3 series is designed to support the most advanced automotive grade CMOS sensor to enable ultra high dynamic range (HDR) imaging and LED flicker mitigation (LFM) simultaneously. HDR can help the camera overcome the high contrast scene, such as tunnel or garage entrances, to provide visible information to the driver or the ADAS computing unit. With the adoption of LEDs, traffic lights and car headlight/tail light cause flicker to the video captured by the automotive camera module. LFM can adapt to the a wide range of frequencies to greatly reduce the LED flicker effect to produce a smoother video which is crucial for ADAS processing, such as forward collision warning and traffic sign recognition.Ci3 series also includes iCatch's 2nd generation RGBIR engine. It produces state-of-the-arts color accuracy and image details comparing to existing solutions in the market. With iCatch's Ci3 series ISPs, RGBIR camera module combines both RGB and IR cameras into one to provide accurate RGB imaging for the daytime and IR imaging for the nighttime. This is ideal for in-cabin applications, such as driver monitoring or passenger monitoring systems.In addition to the ISP, Ci3 series also has an embedded dewarping engine. It can be used for lens distortion correction or can generate multiple view angles (Multi-view) from a single camera to assist the driver. For example, the multi-view function can be applied to camera monitoring systems to avoid blind spots or to rear view camera for different backup scenarios.Ci3 series is AEC-Q100 Grade 2 qualified and its small form factor and low power consumption makes it especially suitable for 1080p automotive camera module.For more information, please refer to this link or send us a request via www.icatchtek.com/RequestsCI3 MHDR ConceptCI3 RGBIR DemosaicCi3 Multi-view Dewarp

All supply chains face risks caused by unpredictable events, such as trade wars, natural disasters and data breaches, that often lead to multiple disruptions. Most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a largescale impact on both demand and supply, exemplifying the need for stronger supply chains.A second wave could result in further global widespread disruption, making supply chain resiliency even more crucial. Despite this, a recent Gartner survey showed that only 21% of respondents stated they have a highly resilient network today, which includes the ability to shift sourcing and manufacturing activities around quickly.In order to successfully accomplish a resilient supply chain, sourcing components from various suppliers and geographically diversifying stages of the production is key. Though supply chain diversification is vital in protecting manufacturers against shocks, its importance is usually only reminded when weaknesses start to show.According to PwC, CFOs expecting to change the breadth of their supply chains went from 30% to 42% from the beginning of March compared to the end of the month. This correlates with the spike in factory shutdowns caused by force majeures put in place by governments around the globe.Paul Romano, COO at Fusion Worldwide, acknowledges, "Companies normally look to introduce secondary suppliers to their supply chains during chaotic events, such as the MLCC shortage in 2018, but quickly forget the necessity once the issue is resolved. With the pandemic, companies will also need to also geographically diversify their supply chains to lessen their dependence on a single location."Geographical diversification is a long-term solution due to the amount of time and investment required. Despite this, it is a powerful step in securing supply chains. By strategically placing and outspreading where product is produced, procured and stored, companies are more able to safeguard against unexpected future catastrophe.China, for instance, is already considered one of the fastest growing sources of foreign direct investment in India. In 2019, Sany, a Chinese multinational manufacturing company, announced the US$140 million expansion of its Pune facility. Tsingshan, a top Chinese stainless-steel producer, also disclosed its US$1 billion investment into the construction of an India plant.In the shorter term, companies can diversify their vendor base and products. In a time of escalating disruption, it is important to start improving strategic sourcing strategies as soon as possible. Vetting processes, especially, need to be conducted without delay to ensure that new suppliers are compliant and reliable.Tobey Gonnerman, EVP of trade at Fusion Worldwide, states "Strong vendor partnership with open market suppliers are critical to an OEM's ability to deal with supply chain adversity. Those who wait until the shortages occur to interact with these suppliers are the ones most severely impacted; both in terms of the over-cost they are faced with and from a quality assurance perspective."To ensure adaptability against shocks, such as a resurgence in COVID-19, below are some risk mitigation strategies:- Establish alternative sources with the ability to supply components normally produced by a single source. Those who depend on a single source will face massive supply chain disruptions if their component source experiences a supply issue.- Expand the allowable number of manufacturers, or AVL. This allows companies to gain more options when supply chain disruptions occur. A company with a large AVL will have the ability to easily solve component shortage issues and is more able to leverage these suppliers to maintain supply.- Understand what critical links in the supply chain are vulnerable to unpredictable events, then promptly set up risk management and contingency plans. It is important that companies have complete awareness of what will be affected in their supply chain, the gravity of the impact and how prepared they are to deal with it. Companies that are more heavily hit by shocks are those who did not set up a resilient supply chain before there was an issue affecting it.- Utilize sources for market intelligence. By closely monitoring market events and the status of their supply chains in relation to it, companies are equipped to take proactive actions and immediately react.- Geographically diversify. With manufacturers of certain components condensed in one region, one type of product will be greatly affected by political events and natural disasters. By spreading out factory and supplier location, companies will be more protected against condensed shocks.By diversifying vendors and locations, manufacturers are not only increasing their ability to be flexible but are also more able to adapt to a constantly changing market. This results in their supply chains being less affected by shocks and gives them a competitive advantage in the availability of materials.Shock proofing your supply chain - A global approachA resurgence in COVID-19 could result in additional lead time and pricing increases. Source: z2data.comThe top three places capacitors are being manufactured account for 56% of its global production.Source: z2data.com

STAr Technologies, Inc. (the acronym for "Semiconductor Test Architects"), a leading supplier in integrated test systems, WAT/Wafer sort probe cards, and ATE for the semiconductor industry, is celebrating its 20-year anniversary. In 2000, a group of parametric test experts, led by Chairman & CEO Dr. Choon-Leong Lou, set out a vision to provide customers with the highest quality turnkey test solutions, innovative technology, and professional engineering services. Over the last 20 years, the corporate vision has become a reality and grown into a total solution provider in semiconductor and optical devices.Founded in Hsinchu Taiwan, STAr Technologies' business is based on providing advanced turnkey solutions that allow customers to maximize the benefits and minimize costs for both wafer-level and package level testing. During the past 20 years, STAr has built a tradition of excellence in manufacturing and assembly in close cooperation with industry partners to meet the unique test performance demands while satisfying customers' needs. To ensure consistent quality and rigorous attention to maintaining our high standards, STAr is ISO 9001 certified and has adopted information and production management systems that exceed industry standards. These practices ensure alignment with the original vision and mission goals of STAr Technologies, Inc."STAr Technologies has crossed another milestone as our company completes 20 years of its establishment on August 29. This accomplishment is incredible for any company. We have achieved this success through the dedication and passion of all our team members, ongoing development, stringent engineering procedures, and customer service that exists throughout all our business units and organizations. We have dedicated ourselves to 20 years of test industry. This year, we will be looking back at what we have achieved and creating a long-term strategy for the future," remarked by company founder and CEO, Dr. Choon-Leong Lou.Visit the website for more information.STAr Technologies celebrates its 20th anniversary on August 29

The COVID-19 crisis has taken a heavy toll on hospital resources all over the world, seriously challenging medical devices' ability to maintain full-load operation over extended periods of time. Hospitals rely on high-quality uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems to protect their mission-critical devices and support them with a stable and continuous power supply so that they maintain reliable operation to keep patients healthy and safe.In view of the importance of UPS products to the healthcare industry, APD's UPS business team has built a series of customized lithium-ion UPS products based on its robust R&D capabilities. Not only does it aim to provide high-reliability and high-quality power solutions for factory automation, 5G and IoT applications but it also targets medical applications as a key focus area.According to Peter Hu, general manager of APD's UPS business team, comprising a core group of engineers previously from Phoenixtec, has robust capabilities in UPS technology and has been devoted to developing and manufacturing customized UPS for leading Japanese firms for many years. Rising popularity of electric cars is driving advances in lithium-ion battery technology, making lithium-ion batteries available at continuingly lower costs and with continuingly enhanced safety. Eyeing the potential of lithium-ion UPS going forward, APD is actively engaging in customized lithium-ion UPS development. In line with its corporate strategy to target special-purpose applications and niche products, APD is focusing efforts toward power protection solutions for healthcare IT systems (including databases, servers and computers used by healthcare institutions and professionals).APD's lithium-ion UPS products feature compact and lightweight design, long product life and easy maintenanceHu noted using lithium-ion batteries in place of traditional lead-acid batteries for UPS systems has multiple benefits. Lithium-ion battery UPS systems have twice the energy density and twice the life span compared to lead-acid battery UPS systems, so they enable a significant reduction in maintenance and replacement costs. Their footprint is also reduced by half, in keeping with users' expectation for small and lightweight UPS systems. Lithium-ion batteries are superior to lead-acid batteries for UPS systems in every way. With growing and wide-spread use, their prices will become more competitive. There is no better time than now for businesses to incorporate lithium-ion UPS products.APD's UL 60601-1 certified lithium-ion UPS is proven to effectively reduce leakage current and electromagnetic interference, enabling optimal protection for medical devices. Furthermore, in consideration of the fact that a lithium-ion UPS system packs twice the energy density in half the footprint of traditional systems, APD takes every precaution to design their systems with safe components. It selects only premium quality protection conponents that comply with the most rigorous standards so medical device manufacturers and users can rest assured of the safety of APD's lithium-ion UPS products.Aside from hospitals, factories also suffered COVID-19 impact. Labor shortage resulting from quarantines and lockdowns is now compelling manufacturers to speed up their transition toward factory automation, giving rise to increasing demand for UPS systems. Hu pointed out that designing UPS systems for factory automation applications is particularly challenging as they must be able to sustain extreme temperature conditions when operating at unmanned factories with minimum air conditioning. Moreover, they often need to come with different I/O connectors and interface ports to accommodate special power supply configurations. Some manufacturers require zero downtime switchover, which is a challenge to APD but also a force driving APD forward.APD foresees surging UPS demand from 5G and IoT applications going forward in the future. Most 5G and IoT devices operate in remote environments with poor electricity supply so they are in need of UPS systems with higher performance, longer life span, smaller size, lighter weight and wider operating temperature range. These are all APD's advantages and will help APD expand into the 5G and IoT application markets.In summary, APD's UPS systems enable the most reliable protection for medical devices and factory automation machinery so users can rest assured that their mission-critical equipment will maintain stable and uninterrupted operation, especially in this unprecedented situation.Peter Hu, general manager of APD's UPS business teamAPD new lithium-ion UPS series

With the 5G era fast approaching, the market generally expects AIoT applications to rapidly become widespread across different industries mainly because large-scale connectivity is an essential requirement for enterprises looking to tap the power of AIoT and 5G happens to provide the missing piece of the puzzle.Seeing that 5G, artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) developments are reaching maturity, Lenovo is exerting efforts toward its 3S strategy - Smart IoT, Smart Infrastructure and Smart Vertical, with which it aims to enable businesses across different fields to obtain information in real time, in a snap and without error and to optimize operation flow, lower costs and enhance security. With Lenovo's solutions, businesses can then leverage big data analytics and computing for high-quality decision making to thereby deliver outstanding sales performance. Lenovo is also working with partners to jointly develop wide-ranging smart edge computing solutions, which will facilitate digital transformation for enterprises.Expanding market footprint with its 3S strategy, Lenovo accelerates the development of smart edge computing solutionsAccording to Anderson Hsu, General Manager, Lenovo DCG Taiwan, 75% of enterprise-generated data will be processed at the edge by 2025, wherein the high bandwidth data transmission enabled by 5G will play an instrumental role. As a multi-national corporation with a global operation spanning across 180 cities and a determination to meet ever-changing customer needs all over the world, Lenovo is devoting company-wide resources to riding the 5G wave and is committed to centering its product development on 5G advancements for all its offerings including end devices such as laptops, tablets and mobile phones, mid-tier equipment such as IoT gateways and back-end data center infrastructure, which make up a cutting-edge product roadmap for the mobile era."Lenovo's 3S initiative is of utmost importance for the corporation," noted Hsu. It plays a critical role in helping Lenovo's customers resolve pain points and capture rising business opportunities. Hsu further pointed out that Lenovo has been introducing multiple key offerings aimed to bring its 3S blueprints to life. For Smart Infrastructure, it has made available hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) solutions integrated with VMware, Nutanix or Microsoft Azure Stack HCI. For Smart IoT, Lenovo has developed its Lenovo Intelligent Computing Orchestration (LiCO) with an aim to accelerate the popularity of smart IoT applications. It has also launched the ThinkSystem SE350 (Edge Server) product line, which not only supports powerful AI inference but can also serve as a 5G baseband unit (BBU). After entering the market in 2019, ThinkSystem SE350 has received enthusiastic responses and won several international awards. As ThinkSystem SE350 was developed locally at Lenovo's Taipei R&D center, Taiwan-based customers will enjoy ready access to end-to-end technical support, helping speed up their AIoT build-up.Hsu emphasized that Lenovo will not be able to achieve smart edge computing by itself. This has to be accomplished through teamwork so not only is it working closely with Intel to preemptively develop products powered by the latest computing technology but it is also collaborating with ISV and IHV partners to create a myriad of Smart Vertical solutions to address wide-ranging application scenarios.Ted Lin, Advisory Technical Manager, Lenovo DCG Taiwan, added that Lenovo's Smart Vertical development targets seven focus areas - smart manufacturing, smart traffic, smart industrial park, smart agriculture, smart security surveillance, smart healthcare and smart energy. Lenovo's 3S initiative has brought a slew of smart manufacturing, smart retail, smart healthcare and smart telecom solutions to reality with more to follow.5G + AIoT ignites disruptive innovations, driving the new industrial revolutionAccording to Lin, 5G reaches speeds 20 times faster than 4G and achieves 1/20 the latency of 4G. Although 5G's high data rate and low latency enables endless possibilities, there are still challenges to overcome. To help industries address these challenges and capture business opportunities, Lenovo is committed to building complete edge computing solutions.The Lenovo Edge Server can uninterruptedly collect sensor measurements, aggregate the measurements into "big data," build deep learning models and perform inference in the field. With continuous optimizations, the process can maximize AIoT value. Capable of supporting enterprises' private 5G networks, Lenovo Edge Server can generally be used for three purposes. First, with a GPU/FPGA card, it can be used for enhanced mobile broadband applications. Second, it can serve as a micro data center to speed up the processing and exchange of massive sensor data. Third, it can support HCI for critical IoT backend tasks.Leveraging its close collaboration with Intel around the globe, Lenovo has easier access to more affordable computing resources so it can accelerate the development of machine vision and AI functionalities, which are instrumental to security surveillance, automated optical inspection (AOI), healthcare and many other application scenarios.Roger Huang, director, DIGITIMES Research, expects 5G to unlock a world of new applications. For example, the combination of 5G and AI-based analysis will give rise to more meaningful interpretations of massive data. From an enabler perspective, 5G+X will facilitate digital transformation for enterprises. With 5G being an enabler, the true value does not come from network connectivity but actually hinges on the application. He thinks the availability of 5G will allow the industry to break free from the closed-ended telecom equipment supply chain and instead form alliances to promote open-source 5G networks, which will make the integration of software and system increasingly important.Jeff Lin, vice president and director of innovative AI product development of TPI Software highlighted that AI applications for businesses need to be built on three pillars - the right AI product and technology, a professional introduction team and proper computing power. In line with this thinking, TPI Software has unshackled itself from the traditional KM model and built a whole-new product mix including RPA robots, AI telephone chat robots and expert assistant systems. By tapping the computing power of the underlying Lenovo ThinkSystem SE350 Edge Server, TPI Software's products target the digital workforce opportunities in the post-pandemic era.According to Billion Wan, general manager of MegAAOI, recently established in 2019, MegAAOI may be a newcomer to the AIoT market but it is actually a pioneer in AI- and IoT- enabled automated optical inspection (AOI). Ahead of the rest of the world in introducing AI AOI applications for semiconductor devices that have been validated by leading manufacturers, MegAAOI has developed a hexahedral AI AOI machine and COF potting AI AOI machine. Going forward, it will endeavor toward a machine as a service (MaaS) model to lower the barrier for manufacturers to adopt AI AOI. MegAAOI selects Lenovo ThinkSystem SE350 as the host for its AI AOI solutions as SE350 comes with CPU and GPU to handle separate workloads, expandable GPU power, 4/5G connectivity and robust support for AI edge inference.In the rapidly changing world of 5G, Lenovo will continue to join forces with partners to usher in the new IoT era. Through a diverse range of IoT sensors and big data platforms, Lenovo will consolidate smart edge computing power to help enterprises optimize production yield, realize high-quality decision making and deliver outstanding operation performance in a more precise and efficient manner.Anderson Hsu, General Manager, Lenovo DCG Taiwain

The need for memory solutions in embedded systems is rapidly increasing, in line with the surging growth of Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and 5G-enabled smart applications. Furthermore, to address the ever-increasing consumer demand for a better user experience, developers are adding more software into embedded applications. This has given rise to the emergence of serial NAND which offers higher capacity than serial NOR. As a leader in the non-volatile memory market, Macronix is the world's largest NOR flash supplier and among the world's top three SLC NAND providers.Based on its extensive volume production experience accumulated over the years and its commitment to memory products for application in embedded systems, Macronix has excelled in product quality and production capacity. In addition, its complete range of serial NAND offerings are being enthusiastically embraced by system integrators and IC design firms.Macronix advanced its SLC NAND product further in early 2020 by offering the compelling cost advantaged 19nm product, which is critical for NAND Flash products. In addition, Macronix operates its own fabrication facilities and so enjoys customer satisfaction for being able to maintain supply stability. According to Psyche Kuo, deputy director of product marketing at Macronix, to address the need for larger serial flash capacities by applications in embedded systems, Macronix enables improved cost and performance advantages with its 19 nm serial NAND, raising the bar in a very competitive market. Moreover, Macronix has also led the market in its initiative to remove ECC from serial NAND flash, giving SoC processors complete control over ECC functionality.Macronix sets an example for premium quality and cost efficiency by encouraging SoC processors to handle ECCIt is a common practice for NAND flash to have built-in ECC whether it is implemented through an external ECC controller that is packaged with the NAND chip or NAND on-Die ECC. However, built-in ECC designs do not achieve significant cost saving. In fact, non-ECC memory can enable direct and clear cost benefits in embedded designs. Taking the mainstream 8 I/O SLC NAND for example, a large part of the current designs on the market leave ECC processing to SoC processors because of the compelling advantages in quality, cost and performance. This is also what drove Macronix to introduce non-ECC serial NAND solutions.It is easier for SoC processors to perform BCH calculation for 8-bit ECCSLC NAND technologies have advanced faster in terms of processing nodes. Thanks to stable and reliable product performance and significant savings in unit cost, SoC processors coming on the market are likely to take responsibility for ECC to accommodate increasingly large application programs in embedded systems. Like standard SLC NAND that processes 8 I/O, the SoC processor only needs to handle BCH calculations for 8-bit ECC, which is a simple for processor design teams. This means that today's serial NAND products with built-in ECC are only interim solutions and ECC handled by SoC processors will become the mainstream in the long run.Performance boost is the main force driving the popularity of ECC being handled by SoC processorsProcess technology for NAND peripheral logic lags far behind SoC process nodes so built-in ECC on NAND chips underperforms ECC handled by SoC processors. In comparing the performance between built-in ECC on serial NAND chips and serial NAND ECC handled by SoC processors, Kuo noted the latter delivers almost twice I/O performance based on 133MHz clock rate and 4KB page size. If the time the processor spends on ECC is taken into consideration, overall system performance is still 28% to 55% better than built-in ECC on serial NAND chips. This demonstrates the benefit of allowing SoC processors to carry out ECC.SoC processors assuming ECC processing responsibility enables transparency and full processor control over serial NANDHaving SoC processors perform ECC allows them to control serial NAND to better meet system requirements on memory quality. Particularly in the case of applications that impose demanding requirements on memory lifespan, SoC processors can design in more robust ECC to increase the read cycles and program/erase cycles, which is fundamental to enhancing serial NAND endurance and reliability. For example, with SoC processors performing 12-bit ECC, serial NAND flash can withstand 1.4 more read cycles and 1.47 more program/erase cycles compared to SoC processors performing 8-bit ECC, achieving more than 40% improvement. Not only are SoC processors in full control over serial NAND ECC, they can further refine the indication mechanisms for serial NAND errors to precisely determine when to effectively move data without doing excessive and unnecessary data relocations. This also significantly improves reliability and performance. In contrast, built-in ECC on NAND chips is like a black box which the host has little control over to effectively meet system needs.Reducing compatibility issues among serial NANDSubject to suppliers' progress of process technology, serial NAND products on the market may be manufactured on different process nodes, including 3x nm nodes, 2x nm nodes, or the latest 19nm node. They also come with different ECC capabilities, resulting in wide-ranging serial NAND EEC specifications on the market. This makes it difficult for SoC processors to implement a uniform design to decide when to move data from a bad block to a good block. More often than not, SoC processors need intricate designs to work with built-in serial NAND EEC. In addition, serial NAND products with built-in EEC have different ECC protection ranges due to different suppliers' definitions of spare areas under the page structures so it is difficult to control in software So having SoC processors taking over ECC eliminates the hassle of handling different ECC protection ranges because SoC processors can make the decision on the ECC protection range. To summarize, when SoC processors have full control, serial NAND compatibility is of little concern, making processor design easier and more straightforward.Suppliers and customers of SoC and serial NAND all benefit from the trend to have ECC handled by SoC processorsHaving SoC processors take over ECC allows them to be in full control so this is an ideal solution that creates an overall, winning solution. However, the serial NAND market is still full of diverse ECC specifications developed during its transition period. In view of this, Kuo suggests that developers have the processor's initial boot loader disable serial NAND's internal ECC if they decide to have the processor handle ECC. This will allow the processor to use the same firmware to work with different serial NAND products, regardless of whether built-in ECC exists, thereby maximizing system flexibility.NAND flash lifespan can be increased with SoC processors having the ability to decide on the ECC strength and the proper time to move data. This is why Macronix is able to immediately win support from the largest chip maker in Taiwan and China as a result of launching its advocacy campaign promoting SoC processors handling ECC. Aside from cost and performance advantages, developers will have a complete grasp of system integrity and security, thereby fully realizing the value of next-generation SoC design.Home gateways, as an example, is a popular product that combines a modem and a home router into a single smart home device. It enables the Gigabit Ethernet Passive Optical Network (GPON) to expand into broadband and smart home markets. As smart home applications and services generally require large amounts of image processing and data transmission, developers of home gateway SoC chips make use of digital signal processors (DSP) and application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) architectures to cope with a diversity of data processing needs. They also incorporate multiple data security implementations, robust virtual private network (VPN) functionality, cryptographic algorithms and a slew of other technologies. SoC capability and performance are rapidly growing with advancements of semiconductor process technologies. SoC chips need higher flash memory capacity to store program code and data while requiring flash memory to deliver optimal performance and reliability. Incorporating serial NAND that hands over ECC processing to SoC processors will boost system performance and contribute to the success of network communication SoC products.Macronix's 19nm serial NAND is well positioned in niche and high-value-added products. By removing built-in ECC from its 19nm serial NAND memory products, Macronix allows customers to fully enjoy the high-performance advantage brought by cost saving and processor control. This is in line with Macronix's strategy to move toward customization, which enables it to effectively grasp diverse market needs. Macronix offers a complete lineup of 3V serial NAND available in 1/2/4Gb capacities that is now ships. These products have been used in SoC chips for network communication devices and consumer electronics. Long-term development potential for these products looks promising.Kuo spoke candidly that it may take a considerable time for the business model of embedded systems to make this necessary transition. To meet the needs of the market that lack the R&D resources, Macronix still maintains some serial NAND product lines with built-in EEC. With broad product solutions for the transition period in place, its ability to maintain stable supply, quickly adjust production capacity, and strengthen necessary partnerships, Macronix will help expand the use of serial NAND into more embedded applications.Psyche Kuo, deputy director of product marketing at Macronix