As telecom services become more diversified, operators who rely on traditional proprietary network appliances require strenuous effort in developing new services. The use of software-defined networking (SDN), network function virtualization (NFV) along with virtual customer premises equipment (vCPE) will grow in significance and set to open new territory for the industry.Telecom operators are bound to vendor lock-in imposed by telecommunications equipment manufacturers (TEM). Despite the fact that the core telecom network and devices built on a closed architecture defined by TEM ensure service performance and quality, the push towards service diversity is still in motion. For example, network communication and services are gradually becoming integral parts within the telecom industry, with many operators shifting their focus to network services. However, using existing traditional equipment either incurs high costs or lacks the capability to deliver the right functions that meet the expectations of operators.Within this dilemma of stalled progress, NFV is seen as the ray of hope for paving a new way for telecom operators. Hadwin Liu, Chief Architect of NEXCOM Network and Communication Solutions Business Group, explains that NFV is generally favored as it is built upon industry open standards, and uses universal hardware platform, virtualization technology and software to enable network functions that are only available on expensive, proprietary equipment. This helps operators to be less reliant on TEMs or system integrators, greatly reducing the deployment cost of equipment.The NFV value chain consists of hardware (one of which serves as the main platform for vCPE), cloud operating system, application software and other components. Operators can list these components as open bids without having to worry about interoperability issues between heterogeneous components. For businesses who have invested in the development of x86-based enterprise vCPE, this will present a vast pool of opportunities.Rising Significance of vCPE for Offloading Cloud WorkloadsLiu points out that the concept of NFV operation focuses on translating network functions such as network security, WAN optimization and load balancing, into service processes that can be executed on a virtual machine. These processes are not closely bounded to the underlying hardware. In other words, businesses can simply use control commands of back-end cloud data centers to flexibly insert NFV virtual machines or remove devices.As the number of end devices increases, more processing burdens are placed on the cloud center. As a result, the concept of "fog computing" has emerged to relieve the heavy processing load. The idea of fog computing is to share the workload of the cloud by using end devices with stronger computing power to enable vCPE functions to take place. Compared to traditional CPE, vCPE differs greatly as traditional CPE typically only handles simple network processing tasks that require only a dual-core processor and small amount of system memory. vCPE, on the other hand, requires high processor core count, large system memory and network bandwidth capacity.In terms of processor core count, vCPE basically requires four processor cores. The first core is used to run cloud operating systems such as Wind River, while the second core is dedicated for network switching (OVS). The remaining two cores are then used to run VNF virtual machines. For applications that require additional VNFs or network switching performance (OVS-DPDK), a higher processor core count is required.Besides telecom businesses, another possible driving force for enterprise vCPE could come from traditional dedicated devices used for delivering network functions and performance. The main focus of these devices centers on allowing users to enjoy services offered by providers, while at the same time allowing room to access NFV services provided by other vendors. However, industry experts have evaluated that the development of dedicated devices may not be as significant as telecom services.x86 to Non-x86 Cross-Platform Migration with NFV Virtual MachinesNEXCOM looks forward to the potential development of enterprise vCPE, and has vigorously revitalized its product lines; vCPE-related products from now on utilize Intel-based solutions as the core architecture. Not only Intel Virtualization Technology is full-featured and complete, it is also widely used throughout the industry as the main platform for various applications, thus ensuring high degree of integration. Furthermore, to strengthen the competitiveness of enterprise vCPE products, NEXCOM has been actively investing resources in building two specialized teams with distinct roles. The first specializes in non-x86 technology while the second specializes in software technology. These investment and research efforts have come together as the foundation for NEXCOM's unique niche.For non-x86 technology, NEXCOM plans to reserve a wider resource space for platform migration. For example, a virtual service running on an x86 platform can be migrated to non-x86 platforms based on vendors like NXP's SoC. As a result, octa-core processor coupled with OVS hardware acceleration can be made available with competitive pricing to target the budget-constrained customer base. As for software technology, interoperability between devices and virtual machines will be assured, and if any issues are encounter by users, consultations are provided.NEXCOM's enterprise vCPE is currently divided into three product series, which are NSA 7135, NSA 5160 and NSA 1150, from high-end to low-end respectively in that order. NSA 7135 features Intel Xeon processor E5 family with support for up to 44-core processors. NSA 5160 features Intel Xeon processor D-1500 family with support for up to 16-core processors. Lastly, NSA 1150 features Intel Atom processor family with support for 2- to 8-core processors.Using universal hardware, virtualization, and software technology, services can be flexibly delivered by vCPE with reduced cost, time, and effort.

Conexant Systems, Inc., a leading provider of audio and voice technology solutions that enable a more natural user experience, today announced that it is collaborating with Amazon to release an Alexa Voice Service (AVS) approved AudioSmart 2-mic Development Kit for smart home applications, and are making it available to manufacturers and developers via the Amazon AVS for Raspberry Pi project. Featuring the Conexant AudioSmart CX20921 high-performance Hands-free Voice Input Processor, and Alexa wake word technology, Conexant's AudioSmart 2-mic Development Kit for Amazon AVS will allow product developers to quickly and easily build products with Alexa that offer an ideal voice user experience.Enabling speech recognition and voice control from a distance requires overcoming substantial acoustic challenges related to echo cancellation, background noise, position of microphones, speaker placement and more. Conexant's dual-microphone voice processing solution is designed to recognize the Alexa wake word and deliver speech requests for processing from anywhere in the room, even in noisy, real-world conditions. The solution also enables voice barge-in capabilities, allowing users to interrupt their Alexa device when its playing sound. The AudioSmart 2-mic Development Kit will save engineering time and reduce costs related to developing noise robust voice-enabled devices."We created our AVS for Raspberry Pi project to help expedite the development of Alexa smart home products," said Steve Rabuchin, Vice President Amazon Alexa. "Conexant's AudioSmart 2-mic Development Kit for Amazon AVS unlocks serious voice capture capabilities, allowing developers to achieve a far better AVS user experience through vital voice processing technologies that overcome acoustic and distance challenges. Utilizing Conexant's AVS approved solutions will help third-party manufacturers quickly innovate with Alexa."The core component of the development kit is Conexant's AudioSmart CX20921 Voice Input Processor running its industry-leading hands-free voice pre-processing software technology. The Conexant hands-free voice input processor system captures the user's voice from anywhere within the room, separates the voice commands from music and voice prompts being played out of the device, even with background noise present, and provides a clean audio signal to the AVS cloud for speech recognition processing. This solution ensures that AVS hears only the user's command, and nothing else, which in turn provides a consistently accurate AVS experience.Beyond prototyping, Conexant expedites time to market by directly providing third-party manufacturers with cost-effective, production-ready hardware solutions and voice pre-processing software technology. Key benefits of the Conexant AudioSmart CX20921 Voice Input Processor include:• Cost-effective hands-free voice interaction with only two microphones• Proprietary Smart Source Pickup technology both detects voice and cancels noise from any direction, even if it's coming from the same direction as speech• Voice barge-in enabled by full duplex stereo acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) - detects the Alexa wake word even during loud playback of music or voice prompts• High-dynamic range analog-to-digital converters (ADC), optimized for far-field, supports connections to analog microphones and PDM interfaces for connection to digital MEMS microphones"We created our AudioSmart 2-mic Development Kit to provide third-party AVS developers with a high-performance alternative to multi-mic array designs, supporting high-volume consumer price points," said Saleel Awsare, President at Conexant. "Our AudioSmart 2-mic Development Kit was designed to be easily integrated into any AVS system prototype based on the Raspberry Pi, and we worked closely with Amazon to ensure excellent hands-free voice performance capabilities with AVS. Together with Amazon, we are providing the tools that developers need to prototype with a two-microphone voice capture system and Conexant's advanced voice pre-processing technologies. Our development kit is based on proven technology that is currently deployed in millions of consumer devices and enables developers to quickly create working AVS device prototypes in just a couple of weeks opposed to several months."To learn more about Conexant and this announcement, please visit www.conexant.com/amazon-avs/ follow them on LinkedIn, like them on Facebook, and view their videos on YouTube.About Conexant:Conexant Systems, Inc. is the CE industry's go-to source for hardware and software solutions that offer unrivaled performance for audio and voice applications. The company combines its significant IP portfolio in DSP, analog and mixed signal technology with embedded software to enrich and expand audio and voice capabilities of products across nearly every vertical of the CE space. Founded in 1999, Conexant is a privately-held fabless semiconductor and audio technology engineering company headquartered in Irvine, California with offices and design centers worldwide.About Amazon:Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.

CEVA Technology Symposium 2016 was held in Hsinchu, Taiwan on November 21, 2016 and two more sessions were held later in Shenzhen and Shanghai respectively. Each year CEVA holds a series of annual events in Asia with growing numbers of participants and growing reputation. This is the 10th year of the symposium series and it has become an important annual technology event in the semiconductor industry that are highly regarded by semiconductor firms and IC design houses.CEVA is the leading firm for silicon intellectual property (SIP) in digital signal processing (DSP). The firm's core technology provides memory bandwidth for data processing and unique DSP engines. CEVA chips have been installed in numerous types of smart devices, and today more than 90% of the mobile phones have some CEVA technology inside. Through many years of hard work in developing the DSP core and building a comprehensive semiconductor ecosystem, CEVA has successfully assisted many IC design houses around the world to speed up product development, shorten time-to-market and expand their markets.CEVA Technology Symposium's theme this year was about the development trend and direction of DSP applications. It was a technological feast with discussions on Internet of Things (IoT) smart devices and machine learning applications that use connectivity and neurological technologies. Without a doubt, the rise of new types of smart devices and computer vision has promised to make IoT applications to a main growth engine for the semiconductor industry. Technologies such as computer vision, face recognition, ultra-high resolution, scene detection, machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), image formation and visualization allow imaging devices to feature innovative designs.CEVA and its partners displayed products and applications developed using the CEVA platform at the interactive booths at the Hsinchu symposium, which also saw participation of semiconductor firms and IC design houses from China. China's semiconductor industry has been growing rapidly. With increasing investments and major mergers, the development in China is providing strong stimulations to the global semiconductor industry. The Hsinchu symposium featured a keynote speaker from China-based Brite Semiconductor – a firm invested by China-based Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) – to introduce China's semiconductor manufacturing and design processes, giving the participants a glimpse of some other options for system on a chip (SoC) solutions with which they could speed up the development of IoT applications.IoT and computer vision to shape the future mainstream applications of DSP technologyCEVA Technology Symposium 2016 arranged keynote speeches in the morning and two technology sessions in the afternoon that respectively discussed the topics of IoT and computer vision, exploring issues concerning electronic devices' connectivity functions and smart capabilities as featured in imaging, vision, audio, sensor, connectivity and AI applications. CEVA invited IC design houses such as NextG-Com, Sensory, ArcSoft, Corephotonics, Almalence, emza Visual Sense, StradVision, Socionext, and Pilot.ai, and their partnering firms to jointly display their products and applications that use CEVA's DSP technology.Smart IoT devices head toward wide-area communication technologyThe increasing popularity of IoT and Big Data analytics-enabled smart devices means smart IoT devices have to have strong connectivity abilities that support different industry standards such as 3G/4G baseband, WiFi, Bluetooth BLE and Zigbee. Different products supporting various connectivity technologies have been introduced for different market segments. In addition to frequently-renewed radio frequency (RF) solutions for WiFi and Bluetooth, LTE products that are low in power loss and costs with longer range of connectivity have been the focus of CEVA and chipmakers.Electronic sensors and smart IoT devices that are connected to one another are estimated to reach 50 billion units around the world in 2020. Therefore, competition is expected to heat up among different transmission standards. It is foreseeable that there will be a lot of smart products for indoor or smart home solutions competing for market share. One single device will need to support multiple network connection technologies such as a combination of WiFi, Bluetooth and Zigbee, and a key to the device's success will be lower cost and power loss.Short distance connectivity is important but as more IoT devices are heading outdoors, long-distance connectivity applications have been emerging with the introduction of many devices for smart farming and long-distance transportation. As demand for long-distance connectivity has been growing, 3GPP stepped up efforts standardizing the three major low-power loss long-distance wireless network standards: NB-IoT, LTE-M, and EC-GSM. The standards were completed in June 2016.Smart IoT devices with lower-power wide-area telecommunication technologies are expected to show an impressive cumulative annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30% to reach around 2.1 billion units in the market by 2022. The applications will include smart cities, smartwatches, smart hydrometers and gas meters, and smart vending machines. This is seen as an important engine driving strong growth in the next few years. CEVA expects wide-area smart IoT devices to become a success.Computer vision increases machine learning efficiency pushing image recognition applications to grow rapidlyTo improve the "smartness" of electronic devices, the crown jewel of the DSP technology application is computer vision and image recognition. DSP core used to process the input and analysis of large amounts of image data for automobile solutions in pedestrian detection and parking space tracking has attracted much media attention.In the consumer electronics market, many leading smartphone makers adopt dual-lens cameras – one lens with 1x standard wide angle and the other 2x optical zoom. The dual-lens camera will require more capabilities of image processing and computing algorithm to support growing and wider adoption of visual applications. Hence DSP technology has become irreplaceable. Whether it is smart home, security monitoring, self-driving vehicles or drones, the smart functions require high-density algorithms to analyze the specific features of different images. DSP technology plays a leading role in image and voice recognition.From the point of view of image resolution, HD, UHD, 4K and even 8K streaming of videos with frame rates from 30fps to 60 fps has become mainstream. The challenge is that large amounts of data have to be processed and stored. The DSP core from the fifth-generation CEVA XM6 has enhanced processing abilities and achieved low power loss, which is important to mobile devices. As a result of joint efforts with partners through the design and application of 3D images and neural network systems, the product has higher smart recognition quality for future smart applications.CEVA has introduced its second-generation CEVA Depp Neural Network (CDNN2) this year. It has simplified machine learning in lower-power embedded systems and provided a smooth route from offline training to real-time testing with CEVA Network Generator. The machine learning algorithm can be optimized through the unique target network testing and deployment solution within a few days. The product can achieve higher efficiency with lower power loss compared to platforms that use the GPU structure. CDNN2 fully utilizes CEVA-Xm6 image forming and vision DSP processing to increase the learning speed of deep learning in embedded systems by up to four times compared to systems based on the GPU structure. At the same time, the power loss is 25 times lower with memory bandwidth achieving 15 times lower.There are some important real world examples of smart machines. Smart home applications can use facial or voice print recognition to unlock or open doors. This can also be integrated with service suppliers. There are also examples of high-precision developments in smart farming. Supported by an integration of camera-equipped drones and Big Data analysis and prediction, farming has seen revolutionary changes. Moreover, ADAs automated systems that can integrate eight to 12 sensors combined with V2V or V2X communication standards to connect vehicles can be used to develop self-driving cars.Always-on, always-sensing and always-connected: The three necessities of IoT devicesOne of the keynote speakers, Moshe Sheier, director of strategic marketing at CEVA, showed the almost unlimited market opportunities for IoT. DSP technology promises to grow in popularity in the ever-growing and ever-changing IoT market. With the explosive development of smart mobile devices, DSP technology will play a key role to stimulate the never-ending innovative ideas in the semiconductor industry.The continuous improvement of the semiconductor process and the design trend towards making extremely low-power loss network devices and sensors are great news for DSP technology. The smartness of today's electronic devices has greatly changed our lives. AI, as demonstrated in the cloud services offered by Amazon, Apple, and Google, shows a world of robots without a human-like exterior in voice assistant applications such as Siri and Alexa. Such technologies are expected to be widely used in other applications, triggering a revolutionary impact on people's lives.Wearable devices, headphones, and smart medical small-size earpieces integrated with microphones, as well as Apple's AirPods, integrate the always-on technology with the extremely low-power loss technology. Through highly-integrated designs, the always-connected technology, which enables control and monitoring functions, has been seen in many smart city and smart home applications including lighting, smartwatches, vending machines and devices used by cycling teams. Self-driving vehicles integrate the always-sensing technology with other automobile technologies such as laser-based Lidar, video conferencing cameras and V2X. The IoV and machine learning technologies have been developing rapidly.Sheier noted that today's smart IoT devices face three major challenges: more sensor integration, improvement of edge processing and new connectivity technologies to bring them all together. CEVA believes that firms should invest wisely in the always-on, always-sensing, and always-connected technologies.Edge processing for real-time responseOnce sensors have collected image and audio data to the smart device, the next challenge is edge processing. With improvements in this technology, the smart device can process video and audio data without relying on the cloud computing servers. This greatly improves the data processing ability of the devices, making it possible to respond in real-time and increase data security. This technology allows smart devices to reduce computing cost, power loss, and response time.The key development in the drone and self-driving vehicles is edge processing, which now allows real-time control and better management of the drones through the gesture mode. Edge processing also reduces the barriers of data transmission bandwidth for applications such as drones and self-driving cars that require real-time response. With V2X data transmission technology, self-driving cars can process up to 4,000GB of data per day with edge processing. This fully utilizes the potential of DSP chips.Although cloud computing services continue to play an important role, the technology is still controversial on the level of personal security and privacy. Smart IoT devices have local intelligence to strengthen real-time processing and this will help meet a number of requirements: security in data processing; fewer limitations on wireless transmission bandwidth; real-time response and management that is critical to personal safety; and longer battery life enabled by low power loss. The development of smart IoT devices allows DSP technology to expand to new horizons.DSP Group voice processing chip enters new fieldsDSP Group's voice recognition and voice processing chips adopt the always-on listening function, which is attractive for smart devices that aim to improve user experience. Users can give voice commands to start the timer and the step meter, and drivers can use voice control to start the GPS navigation. This technology has been adopted by South Korea-based smartphone makers.The always-on listening technology needs to coexist with low power loss because smart devices need a long battery life. A DSP chip which uses CEVA TeakLite-410 DSP core only uses 0.2mA power during voice activation. On the voice detection mode, the chip uses less than 0.5mA of power, substantially reducing the burden on the battery.For better consumer experience with voice control and to shorten time-to-market, DSP Group provides a full development kit for design teams to build products that supports special commands in various languages. There are also specific designs for specific phonetics used in certain Asian countries.Voice recognition applications have been expanding. The Tokyo Olympics in 2020 is expected to have many devices that adopt voice recognition technology for announcements and interpretations. The IC design sector is aware that such applications can be easily adopted for the tourism industry. The applications can connect with the cloud services to provide interpretation services, with edge processing to help recognize the natural language. The DSP engine can demonstrate its capabilities through the always-on, noise reduction, voice control and respond, echo reduction and long-distance sound detection features.As Sheier noted in the keynote speech, IoT can also be called "Infinite Opportunities for Technology." IoT and smart applications will be pushing the next big growth in the semiconductor and electronics industries. Through CEVA's DSP technology, IC design houses are ready for the challenge.CEVA Director of Strategic Marketing, Moshe SheierTaiwan Country Manager, Barbara Yu

Innodisk, the service-driven provider of flash, memory and peripheral modules for industrial and embedded systems, has launched a new series of digital input/output expansion cards: the EMUI-0D01 series. These digital input/output expansion cards aim to fulfil the IoT communication needs of industrial systems, for example: sensors, alarms and switches. Innodisk's digital input/output expansion cards are designed with industrial standards in mind. They are equipped with 4 ports of 32-bit programmable digital input/output signals including 4 sets of external interrupt signals as a response to different needs.These series expansion cards provide API, which supports Windows and Linux as well as test utilities and sample codes. Users can quickly verify the functionality of the card and easily integrate it into their applications. Furthermore, Innodisk USB interface Mini expansion cards support two types of installation. Users can install it using the Mini slot on the motherboard or, alternatively, via the USB pin header and the third mounting hole."We hope to give embedded system providers more flexibility with highly integrated hardware and software solutions. This will allow our customer to meet dynamic market in a much easier way," said Chico Hsiao, Innodisk product manager of the embedded peripherals division.Product InformationThe Innodisk digital input/output expansion card series is currently available. The EMUI-0D01 series is equipped with dual USB signal input, industrial-grade design, four ports of 32-bit programmable digital input/output signals and two flexible methods of installation. For additional information, please contact your local Innodisk sales representatives or distributors, or visit us at http://www.innodisk.com/.Innodisk launches digital input/output expansion cards suitable for industrial systems

Advancements in video encoding technologies have enriched people's surroundings with eye-popping video clips played on digital signage everywhere. In fact, applications of digital imaging technologies are not limited to business and entertainment sectors but can expand vertically to different industries including education, healthcare and even manufacturing which have growing demand for high-definition video capture and Internet live streaming video.For example, in the education sector, many schools are looking to make use of technology to revolutionize education. They hope to use video streaming technology to send educational content such as teaching materials and test questions to specific groups of students or classrooms for instant playout, adding broadcast to multimedia education.In view of the rising trend of industrial applications, AVerMedia, as a global leader in imaging and video technologies, has been devoted to the R&D of software and hardware technologies to develop complete solutions for video capture, editing, steaming and playout. AVerMedia plans to focus on four target fields of application – education, healthcare, industrial testing and streaming services – in 2017, and will make every effort to fulfill the video application requirements by all the industries.First to launch 4K/HEVC streaming solutionsEvange Chuang, Senior Director of CRD BU (Capture, Record, Deliver), AVerMedia, pointed out AVerMedia has been a long-term provider of USB dongles, TV tuner cards and set-top boxes (STB) to the world and therefore has accumulated extensive experiences in video decompression technologies. It has been further expanding its R&D efforts into video streaming and hopes to keep refining streaming quality with continuingly advancing software technologies so that high-definition display quality is possible even with limited network bandwidth. The current expansion into industrial applications is also based on its core competence in video capture and live streaming, which has enabled AVerMedia to quickly achieve tremendous results in B2B applications by extending its success in the B2C sector.It is worth mentioning that since its establishment over 20 years ago, AVerMedia has gone through multiple changes during the evolution of video technologies, including the transition in video encoding from MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.264 to H.265 (HEVC) and in display quality from Full HD to 4K. The company has always been a pioneer in each of the technology migrations and now leads the industry in launching 4K/HEVC frame grabbers and streaming servers. AVerMedia has also further introduced a streaming management system that helps users control the captured video content and stream it to specified application sites easily and quickly. Judging from its technological edge and completeness of product offerings, AVerMedia is fully prepared in its expansion into the industrial application market.As to the four target markets AVerMedia has set heart on, it is working with some schools to test its streaming services. AVerMedia solutions have been used to compress and stream 4K video for live broadcast at several ceremonial events. Evange made a point that streaming applications are widespread and encompass not only digital TV and broadcast but also VOD, in-car multimedia, digital signage and distance learning, which are all areas that hold diverse development potential.Evange added that all live webcast streaming video applications have to include a number of necessary elements – the front end, management system and playout – to be able to capture video content and instantly push it to playout devices in a range of different network environments through a central management system. There are a great number of vendors competing for opportunities in the video streaming market. However, most of them focus on only one single element among the front end, playout or management interface and the market still lacks any integrated solution for live streaming broadcast. This goes to show that AVerMedia indeed has great advantage in its expansion into the streaming application market as it is capable of supplying integrated solutions encompassing the front end, management system and playout and supporting on-spot live streaming broadcast.As to the education sector, the development trends are progressing toward making use of e-curriculum and multimedia broadcast and therefore video capture, online streaming video and content management solutions are much in demand. For example, the principal can just sit in his office and speak to a camera and the video content can instantly be streamed to all the classrooms for playout. As such, a morning assembly of students can take place rain or shine. Also, exams such as English listening comprehension tests now more cleverly designed with added images or photographs can be transmitted to specified test sites through streaming technologies. These are examples to demonstrate how diverse the use scenarios can be. AVerMedia has just started its collaboration with academic institutions and is committed to bringing education-related applications to reality.Devoted to research on deep learning to keep enhancing imaging technologiesApplications related to healthcare concentrate on the capture and backup of image data. That is, 2D or 3D image data output from a variety of instruments of different brands are compiled at one image work station for simultaneous processing. Evange explained AVerMedia not only supplies professional-grade frame grabbers that can capture original video content from different instruments but also provides SDK that can help with conversion of heterogeneous file formats from the different instruments, followed by video compression. The underlying imaging tasks are pre-processed so that healthcare professionals can save more time and efforts for the development of a range of customized applications.Industrial testing is an area where AVerMedia has made great achievements. Evange indicated that many STB manufacturers are devoted to the development of video technology transition from Full HD to 4K. Video output is growing rapidly in volume so testing traditionally done by manual work to verify items such as color validity and data integrity is no longer suitable. Measures should be taken to automate the testing flow. Accordingly, after careful selection, STB manufacturers have adopted AVerMedia's video capture and SDK solutions so that they can capture video images and immediately compare them with reference samples.The main reason why AVerMedia is winning the favor of the STB manufacturers is that compatibility is crucial to common frame grabbers but it is not the case with industrial testing scenarios which need to screen out products not up to standard in precision and accuracy, said Chuang. Common frame grabbers offer no help with restoring the original image. After understanding this special requirement, AVerMedia leveraged its R&D capability and quickly developed an auxiliary device that can analyze actual image signals and when used with video frame grabbers, can assist STB manufacturers screen out non-conforming products.Evange reiterated image processing is AVerMedia's core technology. However, to create additional values, image processing has to transcend beyond applications in video capture, storage and streaming and to further include imaging data analyses. In view of this, AVerMedia is actively devoting R&D resources to the development of smart imaging analysis solutions based on deep learning through Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). Computer programs or systems can thereby develop themselves via a training process and become highly intelligent with the ability to actively capture specific features and eliminate weaknesses of traditional imaging technologies. When AVerMedia successfully develops the technology, the R&D results can be integrated with existing video capture, live streaming and content management solutions as well as value-added software and SDK services to complement each other and create powerful applications that bring values to customers.Evange Chuang, senior director of CRD BU (Capture, Record, Deliver), AVerMedia4K HDMI 2.0 PCIe Frame Grabber

The interactive white board (IWB) market in APAC region is expected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 20 percent during the forecast period. On the basis of end–users, the market is segmented into education sector, business sector and others. Among end–users, education sector is the most dominant segment mainly driven by low price of IWB and its benefits to students in teaching applications. Reported by Digital Journal on Oct 20 2016. Another news reported by Washington post on Nov 10 2016, Microsoft and Google have both gotten into the IWB market this year. These two potential players are creating new competition for the large-size IWBs.PALWONN/ABONTOUCH (ABONTOUCH is PALLWONN's subsidiary) had joined in the highly competitive market by introducing AbonMax serial touch display in 2016 Computex Taipei. AbonMax serial touch display was segmented into 65" and 55" product models. On the basis of hardware, the end-user can choose optional PC, Camera, audio conference system, etc. Or, just purchase touch display to pair with personal PC/laptop for use. In regarding to software configuration, AbonMax series touch display were designed to be operated under WINDOWS 10 or MAC OS system, pairing with the PC enhanced its greatest advantage.As from technical point of view, AbonMax serial touch display uses projected capacitive touch panel technology (PACP) which is major trend of touch technology in consumer market currently. PALWONN/ABONTOUCH continued to invest not only on R&D resources but also on the design approach of ITO materials for overcoming ITO's high impedance characteristic since 2011. The optimized projected capacitive touch application design using ITO materials was successfully developed for achieving not only uniform signal but also moving toward larger size touch panel.The hardware configuration based AbonMax serial touch display also provided numerous advantages from cost perspective. End-user has to paid USD8,999/USD21,999 for purchasing 55"/84" MS Surface Hub, USD 6,000 for 55" Google Jamboard. Despite of above competitors, It only costs less than USD 6,000 to deploy an PALWONN/ABONTOUCH IWB system including a small-form-factor computer, 1080p wide angle camera, audio conference system and a stand which can support the device standing on floor. AbonMax touch display provided HDMI, VGA and DVI interfaces and USB interfaces for touch panel's connection.As from software application point of view, AbonMax serial touch display has great flexibility since the system is based on WIN10 or MAC OS. AbonMax devices are compatible with APPs in App store. The most used APPs are IWB for education system and conferencing system for business. Various of APP providers have released ready-to-go solutions for both applications already. End-users will enjoy a joyful user experience. Google Jamboard was designed based on Android system. Its memory size is also relatively smaller than the others due to most of memory was linked to cloud memory.PALWONN/ABONTOUCH announced the mass production of 55-inch / 65 inch large-size PCAP touch display which was produced by specially-customized production line in 2016 Taipei COMPUTEX. Furthermore, PALWONN/ABONTOUCH is looking forward completing 84-inch touch panel product design in 2017. Such a large-size touch panel products is going to go into everyone's daily life. In addition, PALWONN/ABONTOUCH will attend 2017 CES held in Las Vegas USA and EmbeddedWorld exhibition held in March 2017 at Nuremberg Germany. Interested customers and manufacturers are sincerely welcomed to visit PALWONN/ABONTOUCH in both exhibitions. Despite of Microsoft Surface Hub and Google Jamboard, PALWONN/ABONTOUCH provided another cost-competitive PCAP IWB to end-users.Comparative statement of similar product

CAYIN Technology, a 12-year-professional Digital Signage provider, invites all to join its booth at this years' InfoComm MEA (Booth Z5-E40). As a proud industry pioneer, CAYIN is dedicated to providing better performance, and bring higher resolution to its digital signage solutions, in order to elevate user experience and improve efficiency. Both SMP-2100, a dual HDMI compact player, and SMP-8000QD, a 4 display distinct output player with 4K resolution, will be making a debut in the UAE during InfoComm MEA 2016.SMP-2100, appearing for the first time in the Middle East, is the perfect choice for a durable and compact player with high performance. The fanless metal player comes with the new and improved software, SMP-NEO2. Not only is it equipped with 2 HDMI outputs, the SSD allows it to withstand rough handling while providing steady content playbacks. SMP-2100 will be showcasing one of the major functions from the software update, a powerful content with unlimited video zones.CAYIN will also be introducing SMP-8000QD, which has all the perks from its predecessor, SMP-8000, but with extra possible display combinations. The SMP-8000QD is tailored to fit for video walls or multi-display on budget. Visitors will experience a rotation between the standard 4-output video wall feature, and the distinct mode that will have 4 individual contents displaying simultaneously.Both additions come with the advanced SMP-NEO2 management software. While it maintains the intuitive design, this latest version is leaner and lighter, with faster response rate and a more stable performance optimized to match the hardware. On top of that, the software no longer has limitations on the quantity of video, image, and ticker zone, while complying with each player's specification. To improve security, the added feature of online registration provides an anti-theft environment to protect your data and the software itself.CAYIN sincerely welcomes visitors to discover a great digital signage adventure, and share the light and inspiration to the future at the booth. Join us at this year's InfoComm MEA from 6 - 8 December 2016, at booth Z5-E40, Dubai World Trade Centre.CAYIN Technology in BriefCAYIN Technology is a 12-year professional digital signage solution and software developer from Taiwan. By offering a complete portfolio of appliance-based digital signage solutions, CAYIN dedicates itself to being a reliable partner to clients worldwide and has successfully set up various applications globally. In order to best facilitate the deployment of its products, the company also provides tailored services to satisfy the ever-growing market demand for almost limitless applications.Join CAYIN at InfoComm MEA 2016 to discover the next-gen digital signage

Clientron Corp., a global leading provider of POS (point of sales), Thin Client and embedded systems, announced the launch of the Bello620, a new POS terminal model in the Bello series, featuring an ultra-compact & sleek design and a 12" bezel-free touch screen, while retaining the practical design of optional dual customer displays for improving the customer experience. The Bello620 POS series is aimed at retail and hospitality industries for optimizing store management and expanding business.Featuring a lightweight and slim design, the Bello620 is designed with a solid aluminum enclosure for better heat dissipation; small footprint design for counter space saving and offers IP64 water & dust-proof front panel protection. With streamlined capability and innovation, the multi-functional POS terminal Bello620 series takes advantage of power-efficient Intel quad-core processors with speeds up to 2GHz to deliver outstanding computing, graphical and media performance in a compact, economically efficient form factor and a fanless architecture. In addition, the system power switch of the Bello620 is designed with a touch-control pad that does away with mechanical structures, adding to the excellent durability and sturdiness of the device.The Bello620 series offers users optimal ease of management; maintenance is easy and the installation of key components is simple. Moreover, the system provides rich I/O ports and optional built-in peripherals, enabling flexibility for users in a variety of POS applications. With state-of-art configurations, POS peripheral options include MSR, iButton, smart card reader, RFID reader, fingerprint reader and barcode scanner. Moreover, its smart mechanical design supports attached VFD and 8"/10" customer displays for the most demanding hospitality and retail environments.Bello620 samples are available now. For more products information, visit the Clientron website: http://www.clientron.com/.About ClientronClientron was founded in 1983. The company is dedicated to providing global intelligent solutions to our clients. With design, manufacturing and service abilities, Clientron offers high-quality and high-performance computing platforms including Thin Client, POS and Intelligent Systems. We are steadfast in our commitment to develop and provide even more advanced IoT client solutions and services for our partners and customers to build an intelligent e-World. Visit us at http://www.clientron.com/.Clientron introduced new 12" All-in-One POS Bello620 with lightweight and ultra-slim design.

The fast growing economy has increased energy use and resulted in problems including pollution and resource depletion. Reducing energy consumptions and carbon emissions has therefore become a worldwide effort. An analysis on the overall power consumption distribution shows that air conditioners and their most energy-hungry chiller units constantly account for more than 40% of electricity use so they have become the top priority in the mission to save energy.Sweltering temperatures in summer bring skyrocketing electricity consumption by air conditioners and people can forget about the goal to reduce energy use and carbon emissions. In response, the international community is starting to promote the new cooling seasonal performance factor (CSPF) standard, which can more accurately evaluate operating efficiency of air conditioners in real-life use scenarios compared to the conventional energy efficiency ratio (EER) that is calculated based on fixed criteria without considering ambient temperature and the variation of indoor cooling load. To keep up with international standards, the Ministry of Economic Affairs established CNS 3615 and started to include CSPF in Taiwan's national standards on January 1, 2016.CSPF plays an important role in helping push the introduction of highly energy-efficient air conditioners, indicated Min-Yu Liou, manager, Commercial Air Conditioning Design Department, Tatung Company. Based on the current EER standard, Grade 1 water-cooled packaged air conditioning units are required to have an EER higher than 5.14. Manufacturers will have difficulty meeting the Grade 1 requirement if not using variable frequency technology. To a certain degree, CSPF offers some freedom for manufacturers to have better chances at challenging the highest grade product design. In addition, consumers also have more opportunities to choose a truly energy-efficient model.Air-cooled chiller unit – a very attractive choice for its space saving featureLiou continued to point out that Tatung has been making all efforts in developing air conditioning products with optimum energy efficiency in accordance with national energy standards. In terms of commercial air conditioners, the website of the Bureau of Energy, Ministry of Economic Affairs has a list of the manufacturers who have products meeting the energy efficiency standards for chiller units of air conditioning systems, and Tatung has obtained a total of 65 certificates, far surpassing competitors. It should be noted that Tatung is one of the only two manufacturers that have received certificates for air-cooled fixed capacity chiller units.In general, Tatung offers a wide variety of chiller units and has the highest number of models meeting energy efficiency standards, which represents their reliable quality and performance, commented Chien-Hsiu Huang, manager, Air Conditioning Business Planning Department, Tatung Company.Chiller units with air-cooled condensers are distinguished from common water-cooled units in that they do not need cooling water towers but only require essential components including air handling units and indoor air supply units. This means savings on both cost and space for business owners as they will not need to build an equipment room and can place the chiller unit at an outdoor location with natural ventilation. Tatung has accumulated 23 energy efficiency certifications for its air-cooled chiller units. These products with their built-in advantages are extremely competitive for use at small- to medium-sized commercial areas. For example, a university recently purchased two Tatung 20-ton air-cooled chiller units in consideration of the cost and space saving advantages.Liou indicated that besides focusing on air-cooled chiller units, Tatung is also developing small water-cooled chiller units that offer space saving features to encourage more business owners to opt for highly energy-efficient air conditioners.Special parallel design raises energy-efficiency by over 30%Another highlight of Tatung's commercial air conditioning systems is the use of parallel chiller units with chilled water as the conductive medium, achieving an energy saving efficiency surpassing common chillers by over 30%.Huang explains the parallel system design is similar to the VRV variable-frequency and multi-connected air conditioner. The VRV design aims to allow multiple compartments to simultaneously cool down when one of the connected units is in operation. Tatung's parallel system has a similar structure except it uses chilled water as the medium while the VRV uses refrigerant. Take the 40-ton conventional chiller unit for example. Usually, one 10-ton compressor and one 10-ton heat exchanger make up an independent system and four such independent systems form a chiller unit. In order to obtain 100% heat exchange capacity, there is no other way but to run four compressors at the same time. Parallel chiller units offer a breakthrough from such limitation.Compared to the same 40-ton conventional model, although Tatung's parallel system also comprises four compressors, it abandons the independent system design and its four compressors share the use of a large 40-ton heat exchanger. This design allows the user to achieve 100% heat exchange capacity with only one or two compressors running at a low cooling load. This translates to 1/3 to 1/2 savings on the electricity use without diminishing the cooling effects at all.Despite the design similarity between parallel chiller units and VRV units, the two target different market segments. VRV units aim to replace large-scale packaged air conditioners while parallel chiller units look to take over conventional chiller units with independent structural design. Unlike VRV units, the manufacturing of parallel chiller units does not involve complicated processes, such as refrigerant pipe covering, filling and welding so the production costs are lower than VRV units. The largest parallel chiller unit Tatung offers now is a 120-ton system that is suitable for spaces from 1,587 square meters to 1,984 square meters, if not considering factors such as sunlight exposure and heat insulation.Chien-Hsiu Huang (left) and Min-Yu Liou, managers of Tatung Company.

Leading semiconductor test equipment supplier Advantest Corporation (TSE: 6857) will exhibit the industry's widest range of test solutions for diverse applications throughout the Internet of Things (IoT) at this year's SEMICON Japan trade show, coming December 14-16 to Tokyo Big Sight in Tokyo, Japan. Again this year, Advantest is a gold sponsor of the show.In booth #2445 in Hall 2, Advantest will showcase both its newest test solutions and its market-proven products. Displays will be organized into four general categories of IoT applications: Industrial, Wireless/Wearables, Connected Homes, and Connected Automobiles. Featured products and services will include industry-leading test and measurement platforms, performance-enhancing modules and channel cards, e-beam metrology and lithography tools, test handlers, downloadable test programs, burn-in test systems, probe cards and field-services.Technical insight will be provided through live and virtual-reality demonstrations as well as digital graphics, allowing visitors to learn all about the latest IC test innovations offered by Advantest worldwide."We are committed to providing our customers with solutions for measuring the connected world and everything in it," said Judy Davies, vice president of Global Marketing Communications at Advantest. "Our exhibit at this year's SEMICON Japan tradeshow embodies that commitment in ways that will be both informative and entertaining for new and continuing customers alike."On December 15 at 2:20 p.m., Shin Kimura, vice president of Advantest's ASD Test and Measurement Business Group, will present a paper on "IoT Society and Test Technology" during the half-day Autonomous & Connected Car Forum in Reception Hall A of the conference tower. In addition to being a presenter, Advantest is a sponsor of this forum.Connect on Social MediaFor the latest information on test solutions from the industry leader, follow Advantest on Twitter @Advantest_ATE.About Advantest CorporationA world-class technology company, Advantest is the leading producer of automatic test equipment (ATE) for the semiconductor industry and a premier manufacturer of measuring instruments used in the design and production of electronic instruments and systems. Its leading-edge systems and products are integrated into the most advanced semiconductor production lines in the world. The company also focuses on R&D for emerging markets that benefit from advancements in nanotech and terahertz technologies, and has introduced multi-vision metrology scanning electron microscopes essential to photomask manufacturing, as well as groundbreaking 3D imaging and analysis tools. Founded in Tokyo in 1954, Advantest established its first subsidiary in 1982 in the USA and now has subsidiaries worldwide. More information is available at http://www.advantest.com/.