As the COVID-19 pandemic starts to level off in 2022s, LitePoint hosts the Innovation and Testing Technology Forum in Taipei and Hsinchu city on August 2 and 4 respectively. This annual event is targeted to share the latest trends in wireless technologies including 5G frequency range expansion, 5G O-RAN white-box solution, the early specification for super-fast Wi-Fi 7 and the latest ultra-wideband (UWB) use case applications. LitePoint provides a complete wireless test solution that enable customers to test wireless devices with optimized test time reduce to capture the latest market trends and opportunities.Elvin Ren, LitePoint's General Manager of Sales in Taiwan, India and South East Asia, gave his welcoming speech to kick-off the forum this year. Driven by 5G and Wi-Fi technologies, Taiwan networking OEM/ODM vendors have a strong growth potential and can benefit from the upcoming location awareness applications with Internet of Things (IoT). LitePoint sees a positive trajectory in business opportunity in wit UWB with many new customers approaching LitePoint for UWB test solutions. To meet the testing challenges and expand business opportunities, LitePoint's strategy help the electronics supply chain accomplish rapid volume manufacturing through optimized test equipment and turnkey test automation.Simplicity Through Innovation to lead test automation developmentThe keynote speech of Dr. Rex Chen, LitePoint's Director of Strategic Business Development for 5G, share insights on the latest trends in 5G mobile, CPE and O-RAN development as well as the challenges ahead in the 5G deployment journey. As global mobile data traffic doubles roughly every three years, the exponential data consumption drives the demand to open up more frequency bands and 5G infrastructure deployments. This has created new opportunity for various wireless products, especially the rapid growth of 5G CPE devices in FWA (Fixed Wireless Access) applications in North America as many households are upgrading their residential broadband Internet access.5G FWA CPE devices integrate both 5G and Wi-Fi technologies into a single device and accelerates the broadband coverage in rural and suburban areas. On the other hand, 5G Small Cells solves the "Density Problem" and small cells play an important role to solve the "5G Infrastructure Problem". Essentially, small cells are enablers for better network coverage, address the high data rate concern, and boosts the business in O-RAN solutions.His presentation also cover several mainstream wireless technologies including the latest development of Wi-Fi technology with Wi-Fi 7 getting the most attention and will debut on the market in 2024 or 2025 for volume production. Another highlight is UWB device shipment growth is expecting a 35% CAGR through 2025. The driving force is the huge adaptation of automotive, mobile payment and IoT applications.Leveraging the product strategy of "Simplicity Through Innovation", LitePoint simplifies wireless testing with a single-box test solution that is easy to use and high optimized for production floor. This approach is expanding the millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency bands, supporting accomplish effective mass production through multi-DUT (Devices Under Test), OTA (Over the Air) testing, and production line testing with automated test equipment. LitePoint is monitors the advancement of different wireless technologies closely to move quickly develop a more cost-effective test solutions that customers can benefit from as well.Latest developments of Wi-Fi 7 and testing solutionsYoung Huang, Deputy Manager of LitePoint Application Engineering Department, continue the discussion with Wi-Fi 7. The released Draft 2.0 specification has attractive features with data speed reaching 46 Gbps which is 4.8 times of Wi-Fi 6. New features such as MLO (Multi-Link Operation, will be able to transmit and receive on both the 5 GHz and 6 GHz multiple frequency bands simultaneously and enhance the throughput of a single data session and avoid unpredictable channel blocking or frequency interference. With standard specification of maximum bandwidth at 320MHz and modulation of at 4096 QAM and up to 16×16 MIMO, the technology supports new emerging applications that require very high rate rates such as multiple-user AR/VR, cloud gaming, and 8K media streaming applications.Talking about important testing cases in this session, Huang highlighted technologies such as EHT packet formats, IEEE channel distribution and Wi-Fi 7 data transmission speed. With a denser constellation, test equipment requires higher transmitter accuracy to measure Error Vector Magnitude (EVM)and raise the testing barriers in Wi-Fi 7.With global Wi-Fi 7 chipsets expecting to sample chips in 2023, LitePoint test solution offering ranges from IQxel series models including IQxel-M4W 6G for testing Wi-Fi 6 devices, IQxel-MW 6G, IQxel-MW 7G for testing 160MHz bandwidth feature, and IQxel-MX for testing 320MHz bandwidth requirements. For production, the IQxel-M8X and IQxel-M16X models are will be suitable for volume production.Recent trends and advances in UWB positioningChris Chao, Engineering Manager of LitePoint Application Engineering Department, share insights on Micro-Positioning by connecting the rapid growth of the UWB market. The success of UWB can largely be attributed to the popularity of 3D positioning, indoor precise positioning, smart home applications and automotive use cases. In China, UWB has emerged as a promising navigation technology with a rapid market growth and his talk address the three major product trends in UWB, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi 802.11az.Further, Chao introduce four major distance measuring technologies including Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI), Time of Flight (ToF), Angle of Arrival (AoA) and Channel Sounding/ Phase. UWB chips are integrated with mainstream devices like smartphone, wearable and other mobile devices to provides accurate 3D positioning within 5 to 10 cm accuracy with lower power consumption, high security and high interference resistance functions.The Wi-Fi 802.11az specification, or called Next Generation Positioning (NGP), is highly regarding as next generation positioning technology for indoor use case. The core distance detection scheme is based on ToF. Major Wi-Fi chip makers are preparing to launch new products based on market needs. Another unique feature of 802.11az enabling multiple device positioning identification through one UPLINK signaling sequence in OFDMA and this feature has triggered a surge of versatile new applications in the market.LitePoint provides comprehensive testing solution to test the devices with various mixed positioning technologies. The IQxel-MW 7G and IQxel-MX are targeted for Wi-Fi and BT's high accuracy distance measurement. LitePoint's IQgig-UWB tester is used to fulfill the Conformance Test following FiRa Certification. and for UWB device characterization and design verification in R&D. LitePoint is a market leader and dominant player for UWB test solutions.IQ3107 RF-Port Switch and APLC 2.0 solving more 5G bands and cable lossFrank Hung, LitePoint Senior Engineer, share test solutions that extend beyond 5GHz frequency bands. The 3GPP R17 standard has released new frequency bands including FR1 spectrum band n96 ranging from 5.925 to 7.125 GHz with 1200 MHz bandwidth. 5G FR2 band n263 will extend to 57 to 71 GHz and reserve another 14GHz bandwidth to support new metaverse applications.Overall, the frequency bands for 5G New Radio (5G NR) extends from 400MHz to 70GHz. LitePoint test solution address the entire spectrum covering these 5G frequency ranges with the IQxstream-5G, IQgig-IF and IQgig-5G among its product portfolio.Wider frequency bands combined with more antennas design for user devices have result in new technical challenges for 5G device testing. For example, in production lines more antennas will require test equipment with adequate RF ports. At the same time, it will increase the path loss affecting the measurement accuracy and consume more setup time. To solve these problems, LitePoint's IQ3107 RF-Port switch for RF test port expansion from from 4 to 16. The IQ3107 also enable Multi-DUT device testing to for improve volume test efficiency. To deal with path loss problems in production setup, LitePoint uses Auto Path Loss Calibration(APLC) software to lower setup cost and high precision automatic calibration capabilities.One Box testing solutions for Small Cell and O-RAN RU device TestsThe last speaker was Vito Liao, Deputy Manager of LitePoint Application Engineering Department. His presentation address the topics of CPE, Small Cell and O-RAN Radio Unit device testing solution.Liao introduce the important test items and use cases for small cell and O-RAN testing per 3GPP 38.141 specification. These testing scenarios cover both Tx and Rx such as Total Power Dynamic Range(TPDR), Time Alignment Error(TAE), Cumulated Adjacent Channel Leakage Ratio(CACLR) and Operation Band Unwanted Emission(OBUE) among others.LitePoint's IQxstream-5G+ is a one box tester solution to address these market segments and test requirements such as 1024 QAM modulation and 2x2 MIMO testing. Because the complete setup procedures for each test item is complex to setup and install, LitePoint provides IQfact5G Shop Floor software tool to make the entire procedures easier to manage including calibration and parameter setting. Furthermore, LitePoint's IQmi software tool is designed to support customers to implement customized auto-testing procedures or process flows.The Evolving Roles of Small Cells in Wireless InfrastructureThe last session for the day was an industry panel to discuss the opportunities and challenges of 5G deployment and in particular with Small Cell and O-RAN. Eric Huang, DIGITIMES Vice President moderated this panel among with panelist guests that include Jacky Chou from Qualcomm, Dr. Rex Chen from LitePoint, Selena Hsu, from Auray Technology and Tsaiyu Huang from Alpha Networks. The panel discussed about the industry trends in O-RAN and the requirements for successful roll-out that is scalable and cost effective.The panelists share insights about the role the Taiwan OEM and supply chain can play a role in the overall O-RAN ecosystem. First, system integration is critical to support multi-vendor model across the value chain from both the hardware site as well as software component.. Further, the shift to open software and server-based platforms make O-RAN deployment very cost effective but it also raises quality checks and cybersecurity risk assessment that need to address the critical issue.One way that Taiwan can become a major value chain provider in 5G O-RAN is by establishing local test laboratory and certification capability for the industry. This test service provider can help OEM's and ecosystem partners to verify the compatibility and system performance before launching on a major global telecom network provider. And at the same time, these testing help solution providers to identify and fix issues early on and enable a smoother working relationship with the right partners to penetrate the target global markets.Meanwhile, participating in O-RAN PlugFest events offered by regional telecom operators and players is another way to accelerate development of O-RAN technologies. From LitePoint product offering, a simplified and highly reliable single box test solution simplifies the test challenges for customers in launching their 5G O-RAN and small cell products out in the market.Elvin Ren, LitePoint's General Manager of Sales in TaiwanDr. Rex Chen, LitePoint's Director of Strategic Business Development for 5GYoung Huang, Deputy Manager of LitePoint Application Engineering DepartmentChris Chao, Engineering Manager of LitePoint Application Engineering DepartmentFrank Hung, LitePoint Senior EngineerVito Liao, Deputy Manager of LitePoint Application Engineering DepartmentPanel discussion: Eric Huang, DIGITIMES; Tsaiyu Huang, Alpha Networks; Selena Hsu, Auray Technology; Rex Chen, Ph.D., LitePoint (from left to right)

Taiwan's role in the global supply chain has changed dramatically due to the importance of the semiconductor industry in technological development and its critical position at the core. In view of increasingly complex geopolitical situations, how we could maintain our operational resilience and help to deepen regional economic cooperation are topics of ever greater interest. Intensifying competition between China and the US, resulting in the rise of Asia's global status, climate change, carbon footprint, etc. are also driving changes in industry structures and corporates' business models.DIGITIMES will be hosting the "Supply Chain Summit" on 27-28th September 2022 in Taipei, Taiwan (Hybrid Event). Over 50 leading companies/brands will be present, along with Taiwanese and international experts, to share their perspectives on how to manage global supply chain risks, maintain resilience, and deliver sustainable growth.The event will lead experts to discuss the hottest topics, focusing on regionalization, digitalization, and ESG issues in the electric vehicles, semiconductors, and smart manufacturing industries. Renowned speakers include the Harvard Business School's Professor Willy C. Shih (impact of supply chain decarbonization on logistics and global trade), the Wall Street Journal's chief economics commentator Greg Ip ("supply chain policymakers' response to inflation and economic disruption"), and the Hinrich Foundation's research fellow Alex Capri ("impact of geopolitics on supply chain risk management").In addition, Tata Motors will lead KPMG, AWS, Schneider Electric, Chunghwa Telecom, Winbond Electronics Corp., and Advantech Co., to offer their views on supply chain management. We aspire to drive forward our industry's overall development through knowledge and experience sharing.We cordially invite you to invite you being part of the "DIGITIMES - Supply Chain Summit" which is a unique opportunity to understand the latest thinking, strategy, plans, and technologies in our industry. Beyond physical on-site participation, conference attendance will also be available online, with bilingual translation provided. Please sign up on our event site as soon as possible, limited places are available.Register now: https://pse.is/4f8ux9For more information please visit the event site: https://bit.ly/3CGBJt1Media Contact: Michelle Lee Michelle.lee@digitimes.com +886-2-87128866 #832DIGITIMES - Supply Chain SummitAbout DIGITIMES:DIGITIMES was established in 1998 as the leading professional media platform in Greater China that reports development in the technology industry's global supply chain, regional competitive landscape, applications, and market evolutions. Our research teams provide research, production, and sales data, and professional analyses from upstream to midstream, downstream, and end markets. We also bring ideas and views on industry trends as well as forward-looking perspectives to our clients through our consulting practices.

The miscellaneous applications of the Internet of Vehicles (IoV) and autonomous-driving systems in the automotive market range from in-vehicle entertainment, mobile office and navigation, to name a few. This has lifted the curtain on the surging growth of this area, as well as the rapid emergence of secure automotive memory to satisfy the storage needs for low-level code, data and parameters. Moreover, it plays a key role in several segments, such as advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS), heads-up display (HUD), electronic dashboard, navigation, infotainment, and transmission systems. Behind such prospecting smart vehicle solutions, a very real concern is information protection and cybersecurity under the hood.To guard drivers' and passengers' rights and promote the awareness of cybersecurity in car manufacturers and supply chains, beginning July 2022 car manufacturers must comply with regulations before engaging in the design of new models in Europe, Japan and Korea. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) further specified, in Regulation No. R155 and No. R156, the rules governing the automotive cybersecurity management system in the car manufacturing supply chain. From July 2024, all new cars in the world should be compliant with this new cybersecurity regulation. International car brands therefore require automotive semiconductor sectors to deliver products that meet the International Organization of Standards' ISO/SAE 21434 framework.In the North American market, the launch of the ISO/SAE 21434 standard is in full swing. Vehicle information protection and cybersecurity standards will dominate the automotive electronics and semiconductor sectors. In future smart vehicles, whose electronic devices are connected to a network, a semiconductor embedded will be mandated to be equipped with cybersecurity. Information protection and cybersecurity, therefore, have become a fundamentally vital element in automotive electronics.ArmorFlash series of secure flash memory expands its touch with ISO/SAE 21434 certificationDr. Donald Huang, director of product marketing at Macronix International, pointed out in a recent interview the pressing need for memory security to achieve confidentiality, integrity and availability of automotive electronic data. Macronix has developed a family of secure flash memory solutions: the ArmorFlash portfolio, with features that include building keys, encryption, decryption, authentication, and anti-tempering. In addition, the memories have "unpredictable" physical properties that cannot be copied, which enables high-level encryption and various applications related to confidential information.Many leading technologies have leaned towards using biometric sensors in chips as the foundation of coding. Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) are employed to program and generate "fingerprints" for chips. An essential secure component is added to the memory chip as a secure ID or key that applies to an array of identity authentication or mechanisms, such as crypto keys or security boot. Highly favored by international graphics processor unit (GPU) and automotive microprocessor (MPU) foundries, these functionalities lead their way to the supply chain of automotive market seamlessly.The ISO/SAE 21434 standard, announced in August 2021, covers the complete life cycle of a vehicle and emphasizes the requirements for cybersecurity risk management. Macronix immediately formed a project team to gear up for intensive planning to adhere to the standard. ISO/SAE 21434 includes 15 clauses, detailing engineering requirements for cybersecurity risk management. Among those 15 requirements, conducting a threat analysis and risk assessment (TARA) is of particular significance for compliance.TARA compliance report for ArmorFlash accelerates the certification of ISO/SAE 21434Macronix initiated a verification activity of ArmorFlash for ISO/SAE 21434 at the end of 2021. In May 2022, the company accomplished TARA and received a report, showcasing plenty of scenarios where threats and attacks could happen. The verification of TARA is needed at the development phase of automotive design to identify underlying threats and vulnerabilities. Meanwhile, a common framework would be defined to support the requirements of cybersecurity and risk management from the fundamentals.Attaining the TARA compliance report for ArmorFlash has marked a new milestone for Macronix and its secure memory for automotive applications. The company is conducting ISO/SAE 21434 process certification, followed by the ISO/SAE 21434 product certification specifically for the ArmorFlash™ MX78 flash memory series. The goal is to provide secure flash memory solutions compliant with international information security standards to fulfill the requirements of the automotive industry.The ArmorFlash portfolio has already achieved various industry safety certifications, including "functional safety" steered by ISO 26262, CAVP of National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), FIPS 140-2 Level 2 under CMVP, and Arm PSA Level 1. With each step, the Macronix memory portfolio has served as a shining example in the collaboration with international GPU and automotive MCU chip foundries. Their offerings have been adopted by top-tier car manufacturers and automotive electronics manufacturers, helping them produce phenomenal revenue.Dr. Huang stated that Macronix memory solutions have been widely used in major brands worldwide across computers, communications, consumer electronics, 5G, medical, automotive, and various industrial-control sectors. As the needs for information protection and cybersecurity in IoV and smart vehicles escalate, a strong memory demand is inevitably soaring in the automotive market. ArmorFlash can help Macronix win top-tier car manufacturers' continuous trust to address broad applications, and as a result, bolster its global reach.Macronix ArmorFlash completed ISO/SAE 21434 TARA

Synopsys today announced its collaboration with Saigon High-Tech Park (SHTP) to advance IC design talent in Vietnam, with Synopsys supporting SHTP's establishment of a chip design center through donations from its University Software Program. The collaboration aims to cultivate advanced IC design talent and facilitate semiconductor development in Vietnam.Dr Robert Li, Synopsys Sales Vice President of Taiwan and South Asia, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on August 26 with Dr Nguyen Anh Thi, President of SHTP in Vietnam. Through Synopsys Academic & Research Alliances (SARA), Synopsys will provide its University Software Program, which includes curriculum, educational resources, and "Train the Trainers" program to the SHTP for setting up its chip design center. SHTP will invest in the IT infrastructure of setting up the design center in the next three years."Synopsys is known for its industry-leading semiconductor design software, IP and software security solutions," said Nguyen Anh Thi. "The collaboration for SHTP chip design center in Vietnam can benefit from the company's world-class design technology by cultivating our future chip designers with the latest industry trends while they are still in school. The cooperation can also help facilitate the development of Vietnam's semiconductor industry.""SHTP is the innovation hub of Vietnam's high-tech industry and we are happy to support SHTP's establishment of chip design center with Synopsys advanced technology and University program initiatives," said Robert Li. "Throughout recent years, Synopsys has introduced many innovative technologies to our Vietnam partners to help them strengthen IC design capability and shorten time-to-market. We hope the collaboration with SHTP will not only bring new technologies to our partners in Vietnam, but also cultivate young talent and help thrust the development of Vietnam semiconductor industry."SHTP has become the economic, technological, and intellectual base of Ho Chi Minh City and the Southern Economic Region of Vietnam in recent years. SHTP chip design center is authorized to welcome lectures from three universities belonging to Vietnam National University at HCM City, including HCM City University of Technology, University of Science and University of Information Technology, to attend the Synopsys train the trainers program and also do the training at SHTP chip design center, according to the MoU.Synopsys is committed to helping the Vietnam semiconductor industry cultivate its IC design talent through ongoing cooperation with both academia and business. Li added that "The successful development of the semiconductor industry requires teamwork among government, research universities and entrepreneurs collaborating together. Synopsys will work closely with the SHTP to help fortify semiconductor industry development and further its leadership in the region."Dr Robert Li (frond left), Synopsys Sales Vice President of Taiwan and South Asia, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on August 26 with Dr Nguyen Anh Thi (front right), President of SHTP in Vietnam.

ADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of industrial-grade DRAM modules and NAND Flash products today announces its first industrial-grade PCIe Gen4x4 M.2 2280 solid state drive, the IM2P41B8. Utilizing the ultra-high-speed PCIe Gen4x4 interface, it delivers excellent read and write performance for processing large data loads, and the durability and security industrial-grade applications require.The IM2P41B8 M.2 2280 is equipped with WDC's 112-layer 3D TLC flash memory with a maximum capacity of 4TB. With the PCIe Gen4x4 interface and NVMe 1.4 support, the IM2P41B8 offers performance that is 230% higher than PCIe 3.0, random read and write speeds of up to 220,000/175,000 IOPS, and sustained read and write speeds of up to 7000/6500MB/s. What's more, it features 3K P/E cycle rating for excellent durability.With the increasing complexity of big data analysis, machine learning, and artificial intelligence algorithms, higher-performance storage devices are required to process even more data. The IM2P41B8 is equipped with an 8-channel controller that can be used to add additional equipment and flexibly build smaller, more compact industrial systems. Meanwhile, the built-in DDR4 DRAM buffer increases the available bandwidth, significantly improving data access speed, providing smoother real-time data analysis.With the support of ADATA's advanced R&D technology, the next-generation PCIe 4.0 industrial-grade SSDs support LDPC ECC error correction mechanism, RAID Engine, and End-to-End Data Path Protection technology, which can effectively improve the accuracy and integrity of data transmissions. In addition, with Thermal Throttling, temperatures can be automatically adjusted to prevent overheating and enhance stability. In addition, in view of the characteristics of the Internet of Things and big data analysis, IM2P41B8 supports AES 256-bit encryption technology, which can reduce security risks when processing large volumes of data.ADATA has worked towards the integration of software and firmware and introduces A+ SSDTOOL monitoring software, A+ OPAL encryption software, industrial-grade wide temperature tolerance (-40°C to 85°C) and other technologies into its products, creating a new era of ultra-high-efficiency, large-capacity, high-stability, high-speed computing.For more product details, please visit ADATA Industrial's website:IM2P41B8: https://industrial.adata.com/en/product/IM2P41B8ADATA launches its 1st industrial-grade PCIe Gen4x4 SSD – IM2P41B8.

ADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of industrial-grade DRAM modules and NAND Flash products, today expands on its DDR5 series lineup with the announcement of new industrial-grade DDR5 4800 ECC U-DIMM and ECC SO-DIMM memory modules. The DDR5 modules are designed for the latest Intel 12th Generation Alder Lake processors, and future DDR5 platforms, making them suitable for a wide range of applications, including servers, data centers, workstations, networking, telemedicine, edge computing, and High-Performance Computing (HPC).ADATA's industrial-grade DDR5 ECC U-DIMM and ECC SO-DIMM memory modules utilize original SAMSUNG ICs and offer capacities of 16GB and 32GB. DDR5 performs at twice the bandwidth of DDR4 with data transfer rates of up to 4800 MT/s, while also operating at a lower 1.1V for improved energy efficiency. In addition, they feature on-module Power Management ICs (PMIC), which improve power management and provide a more stable power supply with per-module granularity. What's more, the DDR5 ECC U-DIMM and SO-DIMM memory modules are equipped with On-die ECC (error correcting code) and Side-band ECC technologies for more reliable data transmissions.All ADATA industrial-grade DDR5 memory modules feature thermal sensors to prevent overheating for improved stability and use 30µ PCB gold plating for improved signal transmission, plus anti-sulfuration protection and conformal coating technology for resilience against pollution, dust, and humidity.For more product details, please visit ADATA Industrial's website:DDR5 ECC U-DIMM: https://industrial.adata.com/en/product/DDR5_ECCUDIMMDDR5 ECC SO-DIMM: https://industrial.adata.com/en/product/DDR5_ECCSODIMMADATA Industrial expends on its DDR5 series lineup with the launch of ECC modules.

As Taiwan enters the "dog days of summer," its electricity consumption has repeatedly hit new highs, and the importance of energy conservation and green energy has become ever more prominent. MEAN WELL, the world's leading brand of standard power supplies, has long been committed to improving product performance to assist all sectors in efforts of energy conservation and carbon reduction; especially in recent years, various industries have faced the impact of ESG, and the demand for energy-conserving and green energy products is even more intense. MEAN WELL's diversified products, through flexible combination of 3+N System Solutions, can help customers quickly achieve energy-conservation goals."3" here refers to Rack Power, Modular Power and System Power and "N" represents the infinite possibilities of MEAN WELL's product combination and flexibility. Under the 3+N System Solutions framework, MEAN WELL's new generation of industrial-grade chargers and inverters, bidirectional power supplies, and energy-saving burn-in system solutions have become energy-saving tools for all fields.MEAN WELL 3+N system solutionsEris Wu, Chief Technical Service Officer at MEAN WELL: "If an enterprise wants to reduce electricity bills while taking into account power stability and net-zero carbon emissions, peak-shaving and valley-filling of the energy storage system and bidirectional power conversion can store energy during off-peak hours and discharge during peak hours, so as to maximally allow for no distinct peaks or lows. Only by reducing stress on the power system can further save electricity costs, save energy, and reduce carbon." When electricity bills are about to rise, companies must step up and take countermeasures.Redundant, Portable Power Products are Becoming Readily AvailableMEAN WELL's new generation of industrial-grade chargers and inverters have complete specifications, ranging from low to high wattage, thus fully meeting requirements for battery charging, green energy storage, power backup, mobile device charging, mobile power supply, and stationary energy storage.Generally speaking, in places where there is no alternating current, electricity mostly relies on fuel generators to generate alternating current to meet demand. However, generators are not only noisy and polluting, they are also not in line with environmental protection; also, DC-AC inverters play an important role in green energy applications. In response to such needs, MEAN WELL's NTS/NTU series of inverters and NPB series of chargers are paired with customer battery systems, which can solve power supply problems in various places without AC power, and can also be used as battery-based UPS backup power sources."As long as customers select products from MEAN WELL's website according to charging current and load required for the application; and with the support of the global technical service team, they can quickly find the system solutions that they need," said Tony Hsieh, Section Manager of MEAN WELL's Technical Service Center.MEAN WELL continues to develop miniaturized products and increase the freedom of product installation to expand the scope of application further. For example, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals have primarily adopted many mobile disinfection lights; MEAN WELL's miniaturized products can be directly integrated with the main body of these mobile systems to provide mobile charging functions and improve the mobility of devices. Similarly, medical carts, floor scrubbing robots, and other devices can also benefit from the convenience of MEAN WELL power supplies. In addition, through the combination of software, applications such as burners can quickly set voltage and current, making them more convenient.Bidirectional Power Supplies Convert + Recycle PowerMEAN WELL bidirectional power supplies are mainly used in battery R&D and testing. In recent years, with the development of green energy and sustainable development, battery consumption has grown rapidly. Thus, a good battery can help save energy and reduce carbon. From battery manufacture to shipment, charging and discharging processes of the battery must be repeated to maintain the level of function and performance of the battery.In the past, a charger and an inverter had to be used separately to perform charging and discharging. The heat energy generated by the discharge through resistance would dissipate into the air, causing the temperature of the working environment to rise. As the name suggests, MEAN WELL's bidirectional power supply combines those two devices—a charger and an inverter. In addition to charging the DC battery through AC, it can discharge seamlessly in the reverse direction within 1ms. The battery or the load terminal recovers the DC energy and is then converted into AC power, which is directly fed to the mains grid."In this way, the 1ms seamless switching function can graph the complete charge and discharge curve. The cost of charging and discharging equipment can be reduced, space can be reduced, and the maintenance work can be simplified as well. Furthermore, heat dissipation is greatly reduced, meaning the temperature rise of the working environment will be limited and the amount of air-conditioning can be reduced, all resulting in lower power consumption," said Simon Kuo, Product Manager of the Product Strategy Center.MEAN WELL's BIC-2200 series of Bidirectional Power Supplies has been top-rated since its launch. In addition to the above advantages, complete safety certification is another reason why MEAN WELL products are so well-received by both domestic and foreign customers. It is reported that many world-renowned automatic test equipment (ATE) manufacturers have adopted MEAN WELL's bidirectional power supplies to meet the high requirements of standard battery testing of European, American, and Japanese vehicle manufacturers.Example of a lithium battery manufacturing process using BIC-2200 seriesEnergy saving rate of the energy-saving burn-in system is as high as 80%MEAN WELL provides various energy-conserving products to its customers and strives to save electricity as a company internally. For example, for the burn-in process, MEAN WELL has developed and designed its Energy Recovery System (ERS) ERG-5000, which recycles and reuses the power used initially for burn-in testing.A small part of the insufficient electric energy is provided by the mains AC, giving an energy-saving rate as high as 81%. ERS saves electricity and reduces emissions of GHGs and harmful gases.The adoption of this energy-conserving burn-in system has earned MEAN WELL recognition in the "3rd Enterprises Environmental Protection Award" held by the Environmental Protection Administration. Now, MEAN WELL not only uses the ERS internally, but has also promoted it to industry partners, helping everyone save energy and reduce carbon.

MEAN WELL, the world's leading brand in standard power supplies, has recently been actively promoting its 3+N System Solutions. "3" here refers to Rack Power, Modular Power and System Power and "N" represents the infinite possibilities of MEAN WELL's product combination and flexibility. Eris Wu, Chief Technical Service Officer at MEAN WELL, states: "We mainly recommend the CMU2 Multi-Industry General-Purpose Smart Controller with a wide range of choices for system power supply, high-voltage centralized power supply, high-peak power supply, and energy-saving burn-in system, which can quickly satisfy the requirements of customers for equipment system applications."CMU2 multi-industry general-purpose smart controllerThe CMU2 controller combines digitization and intelligenceCMU2 is MEAN WELL's latest generation Multi-Industry General-Purpose Smart Controller. Different from the previous generation LCD display interface, the CMU2 uses a full-color touch screen. "In an era when a device is in each person's hands, this is the most intuitive operation method, which is very user-friendly. In the future, it can be directly modified for different appearances and uses through software and firmware, and it's extremely scalable," said Simon Kuo, Product Manager of the Product Strategy Center. Therefore, even if there are dozens of power supplies to be controlled, the user can still handle them all, with just one finger.The CMU2 system power controller can control up to 64 3200W power supplies. The system power supply is composed of several separate power supplies. For example, MEAN WELL's DRP-3200 series Rack Mount Power Supplies is one of customers' most commonly used power supply options.Taiwan Photon Source (TPS) synchrotron high-power light sourceCMU2 has earned the approval of national research centers MEAN WELL's CMU2 and system power supply combination is suitable for applications with high power consumption, including: industrial applications, water treatment, electric vehicle EV charging, electronic product aging operating systems, UV curing equipment, horticultural lighting, lasers, etc. Tony Hsieh, Section Manager of MEAN WELL's Technical Service Center, emphasized: "In these applications, digital and smart management of centralized power configuration can save a lot of trouble." CMU2 has built-in firmware and software for different applications, such as voltage and current adjustment required for power management, power monitoring, or burn-in time and load setting required for burn-in devices.The stability, intelligence, and cost-effectiveness of MEAN WELL power supply systems have always been very well-received. The recent successful introduction into national research centers is one more testament to MEAN WELL system power supplies being ready for the global stage. Solution components provided by MEAN WELL to research centers include: DRP-3200 series Rack Mount Power Supplies, DHP-1UT-A 1U Rack Mountable Power Supply Case, CMU2 Multi-Industry General-Purpose Smart Controller and 19-inch 15U Standard Case; output power of the parallel solution can reach up to 128kW.This system power solution will be used as a high-frequency system power supply for research centers, and will provide the RF amplifier with the energy needed to amplify tiny signals into the system.DC high-voltage centralized power supply enters the field of lightingDC high-voltage centralized power supply is an emerging power supply option for the 3+N system solutions. This is especially true considering that the energy issue has not diminished over the past two years. From power outages in China in 2021 and the reduction in natural gas supply caused by the Russo-Ukrainian War this year; hydrogen energy has even attracted attention again recently. These phenomena have drawn the market into paying increasingly more attention to DC high-voltage centralized power supplies.Tony Hsieh said, "The conversion efficiency of a DC centralized power supply in the system is higher as compared to AC power; this can reduce loss and is a good choice for environmental protection and energy conservation. In addition, it is easy to integrate in various power grids, which also makes DC centralized power supply promising for applications such as green energy power generation and energy storage systems."MEAN WELL is committed to implementing ESG, and believes it is responsible for promoting energy conservation and green energy. As the world's second-largest LED lighting driver power solutions manufacturer, MEAN WELL decided to enter the lighting field and provide a complete solution for DC high-voltage centralized power supply lighting. Market acceptance is expected to increase rapidly after power supply specifications become clearer.It is worth mentioning that the New Suzhou Intelligent Campus, which will be completed in the fourth quarter of this year, will use DC 380V wiring to supply the power needed for plant lighting and various machinery and equipment using a DC centralized power supply. It is undoubtedly the best demonstration field for DC centralized power supply.High-peak power supply saves cost and sizeMEAN WELL always tries its best to meet the needs of various customers. It is necessary to provide several times the rated current energy for many applications that use DC motors or capacitive loads to start the equipment instantly. MEAN WELL also launched the HRP-N3 series Peak Power Solution with built-in power factor correction AC-DC power supply. This series of power supplies has three power models: 150W/300W/600W.Take the industrial robot arm as an example: this device uses a DC motor as the driver for its movement and displacement to complete various actions. MEAN WELL's HRP-N3 series Peak Power Solution can provide a maximum of 350% peak power for 5 seconds, which is enough to supply DC motors with the power needed to complete instantaneous actions reliably and quickly.In general, when more power is required, common practices include: Replacing power supplies with higher power specifications, connecting more power supplies in parallel, and optimizing the system. However, these methods have the disadvantages of greatly increasing cost and taking up precious space. In contrast, HRP-N3, which can instantly provide peak power to equipment, reduce costs, reduce volume, and facilitate the installation of user-end equipment, making it the best solution.

STAr Technologies, a provider of semiconductor test solutions, releases a new Sagittarius-WLR integrated platform for advanced Wafer-Level Reliability (WLR) tests. Sagittarius-WLR is developed to address new device reliability qualification needs for advanced nanometer node technologies. More than 30 test algorithms are newly developed or revised to meet advanced reliability qualifications including ultra-fast NBTI/PBTI, HCI, GOI/TDDB, isothermal electromigration, etc. Sagittarius-WLR is one of the most comprehensive all-encompassing software for fast, predictive, and qualified solutions for advanced technology nodes semiconductor devices with reliability qualifications.The Sagittarius-WLR covers most of the critical reliability test requirements and features parallel multi-device and multi-tester operations to reduce qualification time. With dynamic parallel execution mode, users can concurrently run multiple devices to reduce qualification time by stressing and testing devices in parallel. At the same time, the multi-tester operation mode allows independent and a maximum of 32 virtual testers running tests in parallel under one hardware configuration. This flexibility will enable all kinds of test splits and dynamic test selection with parallel automated test operations.Furthermore, Sagittarius-WLR is designed with functions that allow users to have efficient reliability with real-time display of Pass/Fail judgment and test data. This test system can further be applied for electrical process-control monitoring (PCM), reliability monitoring, and reliability qualification. The system data will simultaneously be stored in the file management system as raw data in office CSV or any user-defined format locally or in the cloud for online data analysis with software tools provided. Hundreds of copies of Sagittarius-WLR have been installed and all can be upgraded with the new capabilities and can successfully improve reliability qualification efficiency and increases throughput.Yu-Ming Chien, President of STAr Technologies test business group, comments on this high-value test system, "STAr is devoted to the development of semiconductor reliability test for decades and continues to provide solutions that enhance measurement efficiency and accuracy. Sagittarius-WLR is the best-integrated test platform and indeed improves reliability qualification efficiency and proven track records with installations covering all the top foundries."

In response to the serious global issues of energy conservation and carbon reduction, brushless DC motors (BLDC Motors) are playing a significant role and forming an important industry trend due to their improved energy efficiency. BLDC motors have the advantages of a simple structure, high efficiency, long life, low noise and smaller size. The research institute, Grand View Research, has predicted that during the period 2021 to 2028, the BLDC motor global market size will expand to US$26.3 billion, with a CAGR of 5.7%.Holtek Semiconductor (HOLTEK) has been deeply embedded into the BLDC motor drive industry chain for many years, retaining a focus on motor drive MCU development as well as algorithm technology. The company has strict control over the full process from design, research and development to production, enabling Holtek to provide its customers with a range of high-quality motor control MCUs as well as providing stable product delivery. Holtek's already released 32-bit Arm Cortex-M0+ HT32F65xxx series of BLDC MCUs have passed the UL/IEC 60730-1 Class B motor control software safety certification. When combined with Holtek's HT32 BLDC Motor Workshop motor development platform, customers have the ability to easily import BLDC motor control solutions, thus greatly reducing the development effort and technical threshold required for the design of related BLDC motor applications.BLDC motor microcontroller research and development1. FOC (field-oriented control) control requires accurate motor current information, a robust digital circuit MCU internal control mechanism and improved analog IP performance2. For cost-sensitive 2-shunt and 1-shunt current sampling technology, Holtek released the HT32F652xx series. By using its internal high-speed 2Msps 12-bit ADC and OPA together with a flexible digital trigger mechanism, it is able to offer solutions for increasingly complex motor control requirements.3. Have an excellent understanding of the key high-voltage and high-current technologies to develop a series of SoC MCUs which include an integrated Gate-driver and Driver. These are suitable for small scale highly integrated products which have limited driver board space, such as electric assisted bicycles, electric scooters, power tools, vacuum cleaners and low-voltage motor modules, etc.Reliable and stable BLDC motor drive algorithm developmentHOLTEK has accumulated many years of BLDC drive technology experience and is able to provide appropriate algorithms for different product application.1. Square Wave Sensorless: the high torque characteristics of square wave technology still retain an important market presence. Holtek provides special back-EMF filtering technology which is able to provide reliable startup, low speed stability and commutation accuracy.2. FOC Sensorless:-Patented rotor initial position detection technology (IPD): This is able to detect the rotor initial position when the motor is stationary to resolve the rotor pulsating when using the positioning method.-Zero failure rate adaptive start-up technology: In situations where IPD is unable to be used, this will reduce mechanical vibration during motor startup. This technology can be adapted for various fan blades to allow a stable motor start.-A maximum speed of 150,000 rpm can be obtained.3. Multiple Stability Compensation-Hall sensor compensation is used to improve the Hall sensor angle deviation which can result in unstable estimated angle values.-Dead time compensation can improve current distortion, reduce harmonics and decrease audible noise.-Capacitor voltage ripple compensation will increase torque stability.-Current loop voltage compensation can control current surges and improves current control response.4. Increase the speed range-Weak field control to reach speeds exceeding the rated speed.-Over modulation technology used where weak field control cannot be used to increase speed.5. Automatic control parameter identification-Automatic identification of motor parameters within seconds.-Current loop PID gain without trial and error.BLDC motor control scheme foremost choice1. In addition to conforming to the complete UL 60730 standard self-inspection procedure, the HT32F65xxx series of MCUs also conform to the UL/IEC 60730-1 Class B motor control software safety certification. Here a complete program library and manufacturing inspection platform are provided, reducing both customer cost and time to achieve UL certification.2. The HT32 BLDC Motor Workshop motor development platform provides customers with an intelligent tool to assist with parameter configuration. This user-friendly platform includes a real-time monitoring debugging interface, ensuring that customers have an easy to use means to import BLDC motor drive technology into their product applications.3. Provides innovative remote services, where remote assistance can be provided to make adjustments without being in the same location or having the same equipment as the customer. This greatly reduces required time and travel thus greatly improving service efficiencies.HOLTEK provides complete BLDC motor solutions and high-quality technical services, which assist customers to reduce their development learning threshold resulting in much reduced development times. Refer to the HOLTEK official website for a more complete BLDC Motor MCU selection table and reference solutions.HOLTEK can supply complete BLDC motor drive solutions