The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the global economy. However, thanks to their unique market position and manufacturing capabilities, the Taiwan and China-based cross-strait PCB makers achieved good results in 2020. Increasing demands for 5G infrastructure, cloud data centers and high-performance computing led to stronger growth momentum. These market forces are creating an increase in demand and interest in printed circuit boards (PCB), in particular high-end multi-layer boards (MLB), high density interconnect (HDI) PCBs and flexible PCBs (FPCB).We met up with Pierce Weng, General Manager of Orbotech PCB Taiwan, to talk about the company's new process-enabling solutions for FPCB manufacturing. For 40 years, Orbotech, a KLA company, has been developing advanced yield enhancement solutions for the manufacturing of electronics. Through its long-time partnership with Taiwanese and Chinese PCB makers, Orbotech has enabled the electronics manufacturing service industry to maintain its leading global position.Orbotech Infinitum and Orbotech Apeiron series provide a big boost for FPCB manufacturingFlex circuits are widely used in almost all popular electronic products, especially smartphones, tablets and notebooks. 2020 was a bumper year for flex manufacturing and FPCB makers had to respond quickly in order to meet the strong demand. To help its customers achieve their business objectives, Orbotech has announced two new roll-to-roll (R2R) products for FPCB manufacturing. The solutions are for roll-to-roll direct imaging (DI) and UV laser drilling. Both overcome many of the yield, throughput and quality challenges inherent in flex material manufacturing. Leveraging newly developed and field-proven technologies, the solutions facilitate high quality, cost-effective mass production of the ultra-thin FPCB boards that are critical in new generations of advanced electronics.The first solution is the Orbotech Infinitum series - a roll-to-roll direct imaging solution for mass production of FPCBs. Leveraging Orbotech's new DDI Technology (Drum Direct Imaging ) for optimal material handling and high-speed imaging, the systems deliver high yield and production throughput. The Orbotech Infinitum delivers fine line structure and uniformity enabled by continuous exposure and high depth-of-focus (DoF) with Orbotech's LSO Technology (Large Scan Optics Technology). The systems are compatible with a wide range of resists and processes enabled by simultaneous multi-wave exposure thanks to Orbotech's MultiWave Technology. The two models named Orbotech Infinitum 10 and Orbotech Infinitum 10XT both offer maximum efficiency and cleanliness with options for roll widths of 260mm and up to 520mm.The next solution is the Orbotech Apeiron series. A powerful UV laser drilling system for flex roll-to-roll and sheet-by-sheet drilling, it delivers high drilling throughput, quality and accuracy. Using Multi-Path Technology, its precise laser beam and four large scan area drilling heads can drill in four locations simultaneously, optimizing laser power usage. Its small footprint design leverages its internal roll-to-roll mechanism, enabled by the new Roll-Inside Technology. The third technology driving this innovative solution is Orbotech's CBU Technology (Continuous Beam Uniformity) that provides built-in beam validation tools to ensure beam accuracy and quality for size, roundness and energy distribution. Orbotech Apeiron offers both roll-to-roll and sheet-by-sheet handling of thin flex cores with the ability to simultaneously drill two panel sheets, side by side for maximum drilling capacity.Based on its experience and expertise as well as its close partnerships with PCB makers, Orbotech has developed a wide range of solutions designed specifically to meet the demanding requirements of FPCB and advanced HDI PCBs. Orbotech offers an entire suite of solutions for mass production including DI (Direct Imaging), AOI (Automated Optical Inspection) and AOS (Automated Optical Shaping) - the 3D shaping of opens, shorts and nicks. Orbotech's product offering is in great demand from PCB makers. With its announcement of the Orbotech Infinitum and Orbotech Apeiron series, Orbotech continues to maintain its market leadership as it optimizes the handling of the most delicate flex materials during direct imaging and UV laser drilling processes.Taiwan PCB makers see optimistic outlook in 2021With the year finally coming to an end, Mr. Weng reviewed the business development of 2020 in PCB sectors. 5G smartphones did not meet their forecasts during the early months of 2020, mainly because the global brands' flagship models were postponed. But mid-end and entry level lower price phones took a major step up in volumes and maintained an overall upward trend for the mobile phone market. Meanwhile, some leading investments for 6G technology have been initiated. This will contribute to higher-end process equipment and manufacturing solutions and increase demand for Orbotech's wide range of innovative solutions and product offerings.In addition to mobile phone PCB sectors, HDI boards were one of the fastest growing technologies during 2020. With the widespread adoption of 5G base stations worldwide and major Taiwan PCB makers enjoying robust orders for notebooks, tablets and PC servers, HDI PCB makers are showing strong growth. Successful manufacturing of HDI and multi-layer PCBs have thinner lines, tighter spacing, tighter annular rings and use thinner specialty materials. First tier PCB makers are working in close collaboration with Orbotech's engineering teams developing special equipment including laser drills, laser direct imaging and sequential lamination process solutions. In order to successfully produce this type of board, it requires additional time and a significant CAPEX investment in manufacturing processes and equipment.Pierce Weng, GM of Orbotech PCB Taiwan, gives upbeat sales forecast on high-end PCB process enabling solutions

Fibocom, a leading provider of cellular embedded wireless module solutions for the Internet of Things, is proud to announce that its 5G module FG360 based on MediaTek T750 chipset platform has completed the world's first 5G data call and end-to-end data transmission services under 5G SA network.FG360 is a 5G module with high integration, high data rate and great cost performance. Through a high degree of integration, the FG360 5G module enables customers to design their products with the best performance and the most optimal cost in the application scenarios such as home, enterprises, venues, etc.First, power on FG360 and connect it to the computer. After the module is turned on normally, three debugging ports can be enumerated in the device manager interface of windows, and the network operator information can be viewed through the AT command "AT+COPS?".1. FG360 supports auto-dialing after power-on: After the module is powered on and running, it will automatically activate the PDN dial-up Internet access without manual operation.2. FG360 provides a dual-band wireless connection: The Wi-Fi function can be turned on through a mobile phone or a computer, and the hotspots FG360_5G_NA and FG360_24G_NA can be searched, without mutual interference, dual-band concurrent.3. Connect to Wi-Fi hotspot: FG360_5G_NA via mobile phone or computer, and you can go online directly. In addition, you can enter the WebUI configuration interface by visiting 192.168.1.1, and perform normal Wi-Fi, routing, call and other function settings. Enter the overview interface to see the devices connected to the hotspot.In addition to wireless connection, it can also be connected through the Ethernet interface. When the interface is working normally, the indicator flashes, and the computer will recognize the network, you can access the external network, or you can access 192.168.1.1 to enter the WebUI configuration interface.Fibocom FG360 will be available in two versions, FG360-EAU will be launched for EMEA/APAC markets, and FG360-NA will be launched for the North American market, mainly for smart terminals such as fixed wireless access (FWA), CPE, gateways, routers, industrial monitoring terminals, and telemedicine terminals. The FG360 5G module plans to achieve mass production in Q3 2021.See more about Fibocom 5G Lab (Shenzhen) under 5G SA network environment.Fibocom FG360Fibocom FG360Fibocom FG360

Macronix International, a leading integrated device manufacturer in the non-volatile memory (NVM) market, announced that STMicroelectronics (ST) is using Macronix OctaBus flash memory for several STM32 microcontroller (MCU) platforms, including the STM32H72x/73x, STM32L5 and the recently announced STM32U5. Macronix's MX25 OctaBus family is providing the high-performance memory on select STM32 Discovery Kits and Evaluation Boards."Finding an external memory solution that allows our STM32 devices to demonstrate the full range of their exceptional performance and features is key to the success of our industry-leading family of MCUs," said Daniel Colonna, marketing director, Microcontroller Division, STMicroelectronics. "By helping developers exploit the full capabilities of the STM32 MCUs, Macronix, with its OctaBus non-volatile memories, is a member of the ST Partner Program and a contributor to the extensive STM32 ecosystem.""We're pleased to continue our valuable partnership with STMicroelectronics and to deliver innovative solutions that unleash the exceptional performance of the wide STM32 offering," said F.L. Ni, vice president of marketing at Macronix. "STM32 family is designed to cover the full spectrum of performance, high memory integration and power savings for smart, connected products."The highly advanced STM32 devices embed up to two Octal SPI ports supporting the OctaBus interface, which comprises Macronix's octaflash 8 I/O NOR and OctaRAM memories. OctaBus memory devices have been designed to meet current and emerging trends of demanding applications that require extremely high performance, reliability and an enhanced user experience.The MX25LM/UM OctaBus memories meet the growing demand for "instant-on" performance and real-time system responsiveness for external memories in automotive, industrial and consumer applications. The ultra-high-performance OctaBus memory products can perform up to an operational frequency of 250MHz with 500MB/s read throughput, which is the industry's fastest. The OctaBus memory devices enable system architects to meet customers' demanding expectations for systems with a rich graphical user interface and achieve ultra-fast response times.The MX25LW/UW OctaBus memory family has exceptional features for efficient management of over-the-air (OTA) software updates and data logging. Those features of the MX25LW/UW family are also a natural extension as execute-in-place (XIP) memory for STM32 MCUs. OctaBus memory offered in densities up to 2Gb can support the most advanced graphical user interfaces.The STM32 family of 32-bit microcontrollers, based on the Arm Cortex-M processor, is designed to offer new degrees of freedom to MCU users. It offers products combining very high performance, real-time capabilities, digital signal processing, low-power / low-voltage operation, and connectivity, while maintaining full integration and ease of development.Macronix and STMicroelectronics combine their high-performance flash memory and MCUs for rapidly emerging applications

In the first half of 2020, the automotive industry took a hard hit from COVID-19 with demand nosediving, production shutdowns and allocation shifts focusing on telecommunications and industrial automation. As a result, sales went down a whopping 34%.By the end of the year, demand for automobiles began to mend as sales improved by 19%. Though this is lower than previous years, some car manufacturers have already started to see the effects of this rebound and are predicting sales to reach that of 2019 - one of the best years in the industry.Despite the automotive industry expecting to see explosive growth, its recovery is already being hindered by widespread electronic component shortages that are predicted to last until 2023. A dominating factor is the limited supply of raw materials, such as glass substrates, 8-inch wafers and ABF substrates, that are causing production and global supply to continue to narrow.The most common affected automotive components include MCUs, MLCCs, resistors, DRAM and FLASH memory, LPDDR4s, accelerometers, converters, regulators and MOSFETs. In response, many automotive electronics suppliers, including NXP, Renesas and Microchip, announced price increases and extended lead times. For example, NXP's lead times have increased to 52 weeks for its automotive MCUs.With foundry capacities experiencing a 100% utilization rate, the automotive industry is competing with telecommunications and consumer electronics for limited supply. As a result, automakers like Volkswagen, Nissan and Toyota, are cutting production and idling plants.As 2021 progresses, more shortages are on the horizon, including LPPDR5s used in automotive applications, SSDs used in electric vehicle applications, and precious metals, which are needed for catalytic converters. The impact of the current shortages is exponential. General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co., for instance, are potentially facing $61 billion in lost revenue for the year due to difficulty securing needed chips.Due to its effect on the industry, automakers are looking to their governments for support. This has led the U.S., Japanese and German governments to ask Taiwanese officials for aid in convincing TSMC to re-prioritize its capacity and focus on automotive-grade parts. The European Union has also approached Taipei for support. In response, TSMC announced its plan to reallocate its wafer capacity to pump out auto-related products as it works toward increasing production capacity altogether.Because of the time and resources required to expand capacity, not all manufacturers are following in TSMC's footsteps. Infineon and Renesas have stated they will adjust production based on demand with no specific plans while NXP has not shown any indication of increasing its capacity.Unfortunately, the situation could get worse if semiconductor manufacturers forecast based on immediate need only. The growing demand for electric vehicles and autonomous capabilities will require twice as many semiconductors as internal combustion engine automobiles."In order to fulfill their needs, automotive manufacturers are starting to approve multiple manufacturer part numbers for certain builds and are incorporating VMI programs with various suppliers," states Jair Cruger, Fusion Worldwide's Purchasing Director, EMEA.As the automotive evolution progresses, automakers are focusing on further integrating technology in automobiles like Bluetooth connectivity, driver assistance, navigation and hybrid electric systems, which require more chips and components. This is trend is expected to continue because of growing demand for big data and analytics, cloud computing and digital services to increase vehicle connectivity with owners and dealers - all of which will also add pressure to limited component supply.With over 40% of the cost of a new car attributing to semiconductor-based chips and the demand of semiconductors in other sectors also growing, the global market is expected to be worth $129 billion in 2025 - triple the size it was in 2019."Increased competition for technology allocation will mean that automakers have to plan even further ahead and think more strategically to ensure their supply chains are stable," Cruger continues.This overlap between both the automotive and technology industries will result in bottleneck allocation issues in semiconductor products for technology manufacturers. Simultaneously, automakers will require a complete overhaul of their vertical supply chains to rely on strategic partnering with specialty technology firms."To prepare supply chains for the massive growth, having an accurate forecast, keeping enough buffer stock and planning inventory for at least 6 months to a year will be key. By doing so, companies will be better prepared for lead time stretches and other unpredicted events," says Dylan Chew, Fusion Worldwide's Global Director of Purchasing.Additionally, by incorporating multiple sources into supply chains and strategically utilizing the open market, companies will have multiple opportunities to cover their supply chains. As we have learned over the past few years, companies who put all their eggs in one basket don't have a safety net when supply chain disruptions occur.

Veeam Software, the leader in Backup solutions that deliver Cloud Data Management, announced its expansion of public cloud support with the upcoming general availability of NEW Veeam Backup for Google Cloud Platform - completing Veeam's support for all three major public cloud providers.With the majority of organizations now running hybrid or multi-cloud environments and 72% of those using public cloud currently having more than one vendor in place, Google Cloud is one of the top five-largest public cloud infrastructure providers worldwide. With this new offering, Veeam delivers a single platform to protect, secure and manage all applications and data - cloud, virtual and physical - enabling organizations to accelerate hybrid-cloud adoption."Veeam recognizes the strategic importance of the cloud to our 400,000+ global customers and we are committed to providing broad platform support and choice," said Danny Allan, chief technology officer and senior vice president of product strategy at Veeam. "As we now expand public cloud support even further with the general availability of Veeam Backup for Google Cloud Platform, we have simultaneously expanded our partnership with Google Cloud, enabling Veeam to jointly engage customers through the Google Cloud Marketplace. Additionally, with Veeam recently acquiring Kasten, customers can also acquire Kasten's K10 data management platform, purpose-built for Kubernetes, through the Google Cloud Marketplace."Veeam helps customers address security and data protection responsibilities by delivering Google Cloud backup and recovery to protect and secure applications and data, utilizing and automating Google Cloud-native technologies to quickly and reliably overcome any cloud data loss.New functionality of Veeam Backup for Google Cloud Platform includes:*Google Cloud-Native: Simple yet powerful web UI, deployable from the Google Cloud Marketplace starts protecting data in minutes; Policy-Based Automation of Google Cloud-native snapshots for fast and frequent recovery points, and rapid full- and file-level recovery options to overcome any cloud data loss. *Cost Optimization: Industry-first cost calculation to align service-level objectives (SLOs) with budgets while avoiding cloud overspend; back up to Google Cloud object storage for cost-effective long-term retention and compliance. *Security: Overcome security threats including ransomware as well as insider threats by isolating backup data from production (cross-project/cross-region); layered security to protect against brute force attacks with multi-factor authentication (MFA). *Hybrid-Ready: Portable data format and integration with Veeam Backup & Replication external repositories enables easy recovery outside of Google Cloud; utilizes flexible Veeam Universal Licensing (VUL) to simplify license management and enable Cloud Mobility.New Veeam Backup for Google Cloud Platform free edition (up to 10 Google Cloud workloads can be backed up with unlimited restore options and basic support) and BYOL edition (VUL with flexible Cloud Data Management and production 24/7 support) will be available shortly in the Google Cloud Marketplace.For more information, please visit www.veeam.comVeeam expands Google Cloud partnership and increases public cloud support with Veeam Backup for Google Cloud Platform

In a collaboration between Imagination Technologies and PaddlePaddle, Imagination's IMGDNN API has been integrated into Paddle-Lite, growing the artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem for developers worldwide.Paddle-Lite is part of Baidu's deep learning framework PaddlePaddle (Parallel Distributed Deep Learning), and the IMGDNN API enables developers to target PowerVR-architecture-based graphics processing units (GPUs) and neural network accelerators (NNAs) to achieve maximum performance for their applications. At present, the NNA has been integrated into the Paddle-Lite framework through this interface. The move increases the number of frameworks supported by Imagination's hardware platforms and enables developers to run AI applications inside heterogeneous systems, such as those containing CPUs, GPUs and NNAs, more easily.For example, the "Imagination NNA + CPU" heterogeneous computing system can be established so developers can make the best use of the NNA and CPU.Developers can now take advantage of the full PaddlePaddle toolset, including PaddleSlim, a compression tool for optimising pre-trained neural network models and converting them so they are suitable for execution on Imagination's NNA. The code has already been merged into the PaddlePaddle's development branch and will appear in the next major stable release V2.8.Yunkai Wang, Ecosystem Product Owner, PaddlePaddle, says, "It is exciting to be collaborating with Imagination in the AI space. PaddlePaddle's Paddle-Lite inferencing engine can support multiple types of hardware, operating systems, and AI models comprehensively and the successful integration with Imagination's hardware enriches our ecosystem further. We look forward to working with Imagination in the future to accelerate AI innovation."Imagination's award-winning NNA IP is highly-scalable and specifically designed to accelerate machine learning workloads at the edge. It is silicon-proven and has been licensed into markets including automotive, mobile, AIoT and datacentre/desktop. Featuring ultra-high performance per mm2 the new IMG Series4 multi-core is highly power-efficient and can scale to 500 TOPS and beyond. Architectural highlights include Imagination Tensor Tiling to reduce bandwidth needs as well as mature software and tools.IMG Series4 recently won two awards; the Best Automotive Technology award from the World Intelligent Vehicle Conference and the Most Potential Enterprise award at the Elecfans IoT Conference.Andrew Grant, Senior Director, Artificial Intelligence, Imagination Technologies, says, "We are honoured to join PaddlePaddle's hardware ecosystem and will support PaddlePaddle's team in technology and the ecosystem. Imagination NNA can support all mainstream AI frameworks at present and the support for Paddle Lite engine means our ability in this area continues to strengthen."

Connected devices for a diversity of applications are burgeoning thanks to widespread availability of 4G communication. As these connected devices are everywhere in our daily lives, any product security vulnerability could result in data breach and comprise user privacy. With governments and leading enterprises around the globe stepping up cybersecurity efforts, manufacturers have begun to engage third-party cybersecurity test labs to help validate their security implementations. Onward Security operates an ISO 17025 certified lab, which has been authorized by Amazon Alexa, CTIA and ioXt for device testing and security assessment. It is also only authorized Taiwan company by CREST to provide penetration testing service.Committed to cyber security, Onward Security delivers professional testing and compliance services to help Taiwan-based manufacturers meet security requirements in markets at home and abroad.Enabling high bandwidth, low latency and massive connection capabilities, 5G networks are considered the backbone supporting the operation of smart systems and the last of piece of the puzzle for IoT. Onward Security CTO Daniel Liu points out to system developers and adopters that American and European governments are closely watching security threats arising from vulnerabilities in emerging IoT and 5G-enabled devices that may be inherent in the product design or introduced during product deployment. Not only can such vulnerabilities lead to significant business loss, but they may also pose a threat to national security. In response, American and European governments are tightening the restrictions on cybersecurity compliance on the part of system developers and equipment suppliers. Products are required to get certified before entering the market and afterwards their security measures need to be examined on a regular basis against the latest data breaches and cyberattacks. Manufacturers have to stay on top of any security risks of their products so as to uphold their brand image and value.According to AustCyber, the global cybersecurity market is currently worth around US$173 billion and is forecast to grow to US$270 billion by 2026 and 77% of cybersecurity spending will be for externally managed security services. Optimizing the use of corporate resources by engaging third-party services has become a trend in the cybersecurity market. In view of the recent increase in cyberattacks on IoT devices, R&D engineers' lack of cybersecurity awareness and manufacturers not being careful enough, it is a must that connected devices pass cybersecurity assessment. As such, obtaining IoT cybersecurity certification marks for their products is something that Taiwan-based manufacturers have to pay attention to, Liu emphasized.With a focus on IoT device cybersecurity since establishment, Onward Security develops AI cybersecurity products and offers compliance consultation and international certification services. Having accumulated a wealth of experience in mobile communication technology testing and research, including 2G GSM, 3G UMTS and 4G LTE, Onward Security has also devoted resources toward 5G applications that are at the center of market attention. It has built a complete 5G simulation environment to which 5G-enabled devices can connect to allow test engineers and researchers to conduct security inspection and assessment.It is challenging for manufacturers to gain a precise understanding of various IoT cybersecurity regulations and successfully pass certification. According to Liu, Onward Security's compliance service team has helped ensure Taiwan-based manufacturers' products meet cybersecurity regulations and industry standards, for example, smart bus systems, smart street light, as well as IP camera security and device security. Not only does Onward Security assist manufacturers obtain Taiwan's cybersecurity marks for their products, but it also operates a cybersecurity test lab that has been authorized by multiple international organizations. As Taiwan's most comprehensive IoT cybersecurity testing and compliance service provider, Onward Security has drawn manufacturers across different fields of expertise for strengthened collaborations. This goes to show that Taiwan's manufacturing sector is beginning to take IoT cybersecurity seriously. Liu calls out to manufacturers to pick up the pace of cybersecurity certification so as to capture preemptive opportunities in the 5G era.At IoT Cybersecurity Mark Achievement Presentation, held by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the National Communications Commission, Onward Security CTO Daniel Liu receiving certification of extending NVR/DVR and NAS as accreditation scope, signifying the company's robust capability to help vendors strengthen IoT device security

Winbond Electronics Corporation, a leading global supplier of semiconductor memory solutions, has revealed that its low-power, high-performance LPDDR4X DRAM technology is supporting the latest breakthrough in edge computing from Flex Logix for demanding artificial intelligence (AI) applications such as object recognition.The Winbond LPDDR4X chip is being paired with Flex Logix's InferX X1 edge inference accelerator chip, which is based on an innovative architecture that features arrays of reconfigurable Tensor Processors. This provides higher throughput and lower latency at lower cost than existing AI edge computing solution when processing complex neural networking algorithms such as YOLOv3 or Full Accuracy Winograd."We chose the Flex Logix InferX X1 edge accelerator because it delivered the highest throughput per dollar, which is critical to drive volume mainstream applications," said Robert Chang, Technology Executive of DRAM Product Marketing Center at Winbond. "The price/performance advantage of using InferX with our LPDDR4X chip has the potential to significantly expand AI applications by finally bringing inference capabilities to the mass market."To support the InferX X1's ultra-high speed operation while keeping power consumption to a minimum, and Max 7.5TOPS, Flex Logix has paired the accelerator with the W66CQ2NQUAHJ from Winbond, a 4Gb LPDDR4X DRAM which offers a maximum data rate of 4267Mbps at a maximum clock rate of 2133MHz. To enable use in battery-powered systems and other power-constrained applications, the W66 series device operates in active mode from 1.8V/1.1V power rails, and from a 0.6V supply in quiescent mode. It offers power-saving features including partial array self-refresh.The Winbond LPDDR4X chip operates alongside the InferX X1 processor in Flex Logix's half-height/half-length PCIe embedded processor board for edge servers and gateways. The system takes advantage of Flex Logix's architectural innovations, such as reconfigurable optimized data paths which reduce the traffic between the processor and DRAM, to increase throughput and reduce latency.Dana McCarty, VP of Sales & Marketing for Flex Logix's AI Inference Products said, "The combination of the unique InferX X1 processor and Winbond's high-bandwidth LPDDR4X chip sets a new benchmark in edge AI performance. Now for the first time, affordable edge computing systems can implement complex neural networking algorithms to achieve high accuracy in object detection and image recognition even when processing data-intensive high-definition video streams."The 4Gb W66CQ2NQUAHJ is comprised of two 2Gb dies in a two-channel configuration. Each die is organized into eight internal banks which support concurrent operation. The chip is housed in a 200-ball WFBGA package which measures 10mm x 14.5mm.For more information about 1Gb SDP (CS in H1'22), 2Gb SDP, 4Gb LPDDR4/LPDDR4X products, go to www.winbond.com.For more information about the InferX X1 edge inference accelerator, go to flex-logix.com/inference.Winbond's low-power, high-performance LPDDR4X DRAM

Digital transformation of the manufacturing sector driven by Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and autonomous driving enabled by Internet of Vehicles (IoV) are key focus areas of today's industrial development and they offer tremendous business opportunities. In particular, with 5G commercialization kicking off, vendors have high hopes for the explosive market potential to be ignited by 5G, featuring low latency and high-speed data transmission.However, flourishing market developments also introduce rising cybersecurity risks to the diversity of connected devices. There have been frequent reports about manufacturers under cyberattacks. It is foreseeable that cybersecurity risks will only multiply when the Internet of Everything (IoE) era is here. Accordingly, both suppliers that look to capture preemptive IoT opportunities and manufacturers that want to undertake digital transformation cannot afford to overlook the importance of how to meet the latest cybersecurity requirements.During a recent interview, TUV NORD management gave an in-depth look into IEC 62443, a series of standards aimed to address the security of industrial automation and control systems (IACS), Automotive Software Performance Improvement and Capability Etermination (ASPICE), which provides the framework for software development and capability test in the automotive industry, and ISO/SAE 21434, which provides standardized cybersecurity engineering elements for vehicles. TUV NORD hopes to keep vendors abreast of the latest standards and enable them to begin early preparation and to foster a cybersecurity culture so that they can capture rising opportunities and ensure sustainable success.Becoming the target of cyberattacks, manufacturers must deal with IACS cybersecurity threatsAccording to David Lin, Senior Technical Manager, Industrial Service, TUV NORD, manufacturers have always focused on safety, making efforts to prevent equipment failure from causing harm to human safety. However, when factory machines now become connected to networks, manufacturers have to start taking into consideration how security will affect safety. IEC 62443 was established with an aim to address this issue. It provides a set of standards for IoT applications that complement what was missing from operational technology (OT) security frameworks in the past. The IEC 62443 standard is different from the Common Criteria for Information Technology Security Evaluation (referred to as Common Criteria or CC), which the IT industry has long been practicing.Jack Liao, Senior Manager, Product Certification, Industrial Service, TUV NORD, added IEC 62443 makes it clear that it is aimed to ensure the availability of critical infrastructure such as harbors, power plants, docks and airports and prevent cybersecurity breaches from disrupting services. It is not the same as ISO 27001, which is a specification for an information security management system that highlights data confidentiality.This is also why the EU is strongly promoting IEC 62443 as IACS standards. When cyberattacks are launched against a country, it is imperative that infrastructure services maintain continuous operation without interruption. The same is true in the case of Taiwan, nicknamed Silicon Island. Should the semiconductor supply chain that Taiwan takes great pride in fall under cyberattacks, the global market will feel the impact.This sheds light on the importance of IEC 62443 and the challenges it is intended to address. Within the vast scope of IACS cybersecurity, IEC 62443 highlights "defense in depth," a multi-layered defense mechanism with several levels of security requirements distributed throughout the system from the outer layer management to the core product technology. More specifically, taking network devices for example, IEC 62443 specifies requirements for each of the seven layers of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model, enabling all-round protection against any potential cybersecurity threat.IEC 62443 includes four parts - General, Policy and Procedure, system and Component. Taiwan-based manufacturers have to pay attention to establishing a management system that guarantees the security of the connected devices and minimizes the risks of cyberattacks. With global IACS manufacturers taking the lead in obtaining IEC 62443 compliance certification, Taiwan-based IACS manufacturers have to follow suit so as to be able to enter the global market and capture the next wave of opportunities. In the meantime, they also need to build up IEC 62443 compliant development processes and create IEC 62443 compliant products.David Lin noted that although parts of the IEC 62443 standard are still under development, the quantity of certificates issued worldwide has increased from three in 2019 to more than 50 in 2020, indicating the new standard is growingly accepted. With EU mandating IEC 62443 compliance for all infrastructure equipment by year-end 2023, IEC 62443 will become widespread and vendors should take early action and get a closer look at IACS cybersecurity.Three main automotive electronics standards ensure information security and functional safetyAmong automotive network security standards, the Cyber Security Management System (CSMS) and ISO/SAE 21434 are two new sets of standards. According to Jack Liao, CSMS and ISO/SAE 21434 can be considered as extensions of IEC 62443. CSMS focuses on the management system while ISO/SAE 21434 addresses the technology and development process.In line with the spirit of IEC 62443, CSMS and ISO/SAE 21434 also highlight availability and defense in depth with an aim to ensure cybersecurity for automotive networks. CSMS is set to go into effect in January 2021. EU will mandate a certified CSMS for approval of new vehicle types from 2022 and for first registrations of all existing vehicle types by 2024.As to ISO/SAE 21434, which looks at cybersecurity engineering and the entire development process, there is currently only a draft version as IEC 62443 is still under development. The finished version is not expected until the first half of 2021. Nevertheless, with automakers strongly promoting ISO/SAE 21434, all automotive electronics component suppliers will have to get ready to meet their customers' requirements.Apart from automotive network security, automotive electronics suppliers also need to take functional safety standard ISO 26262 and ASPICE into consideration.David Lin thinks ISO/SAE 21434, ISO 26262 and ASPICE are the three indispensable elements to Taiwan-based suppliers looking to foray into the automotive electronics market.In practice, ISO/SAE 21434 and ISO 26262 focus more on the methodology while ASPICE provides a framework that connects the development process. As such, suppliers are advised to first incorporate the ASPICE process and then based on that, introduce the ISO/SAE 21434 and ISO 26262 frameworks to reap the biggest benefit.Jack Liao added that ISO/SAE 21434 and ISO 26262 are similar in that they are both based on a V-model as a reference process model for the different phases of product development. The difference is that the former targets information security and the latter functional safety. As software will play a critical role in autonomous driving in the future, if suppliers develop software using the ASPICE process, they will be able to ensure robust security for the entire automotive electronics system. Taiwan-based automotive electronics suppliers including developers of IC chips, software, modules and subsystems all need to follow ISO/SAE 21434, ISO 26262 and ASPICE to build their products in accordance with their product's characteristics.In conclusion, Jack Liao emphasized that IEC 62443, ISO/SAE 21434 and ISO 26262 are all established with an aim to drive security policy formation and foster security culture. This has to be a full-scale effort by every level of the corporation from top to bottom. Only by doing so can a corporation internalize cybersecurity awareness instead of just using the security certification to penetrate into the market.As a wide variety of IoT applications reach maturity over the next few years, cybersecurity incidents will skyrocket. It should be noted that all these cybersecurity standards will go into effect by 2024. It is essential that suppliers take early action and actively build up a cybersecurity culture to enable themselves to overcome future security challenges and capture rising opportunities.Jack Liao (right), senior manager of Product Certification and David Lin (left), senior technical manager, Industrial Service, TUV NORD

Fibocom, a leading global provider of IoT (Internet of Things) wireless solution and wireless communication modules, releases its latest 5G LGA module FG360 during the CES 2021 event. The module is based on the MediaTek chipset platform and will be available in two versions. FG360-EAU will be launched for EMEA/APAC markets, and FG360-NA will be launched for the North American market.FG360 is a 5G module with high integration, high data rate and great cost performance. It is designed based on MediaTek's T750 chipset platform which adopts a 7nm compact design with a 5G NR FR1 modem, a quad-core Arm Cortex-A55 processor and rich essential peripherals all integrated on a single chipset. Through a high degree of integration, the FG360 module enables customers to design their products with the best performance and the most optimal cost.FG360 supports 5G Sub-6GHz 2CC Carrier Aggregation 200MHz frequency to improve the utilization of spectrum resources and ensure an extended 5G coverage. FG360 can support SA peak rate downlink up to 4.67Gbps and uplink up to 1.25Gbps, enhancing the 5G wireless experience of customers. FG360 can also support multiple WIFI connections such as 5G 4×4, 2.4G 4×4, and 5G 2×2+2.4G 2×2 dual-band Wi-Fi 6, allowing smart end devices to enjoy the full benefits of high-speed 5G + WIFI 6 connectivity.FG360 has faster transmission speed, better carrying capacity, and lower network latency. It supports both 5G SA and NSA network architectures and compatible with 5G NR, LTE and WCDMA standards, eliminating customers' investment concerns at the initial stage of 5G construction and responding to the commercial demand for rapid landing. FG360 comes with a rich set of interfaces including USB3.1, PCIe3.0, SPI, SDIO, GPIO, UART, etc., and two 2.5Gbps SGMII interfaces to allow for a variety of LAN configurations.The highly integrated 5G module FG360 aims to empower the next generation of 5G connectivity. It offers a perfect solution for operators to achieve wide service coverage in a short time frame and offer fiber-like fixed wireless access (FWA) services through 5G CPE, gateways and routers. Empowered by the FG360 module, 5G FWA services will be able to bring a more affordable broadband alternative to areas with limited DSL, cable or fiber services and help consumers and businesses in less developed areas to access the high-speed wireless networks.Engineering samples of FG360 will be available in January 2021 and massive production of the product is expected in Q3 2021. Fibocom will be the first in the industry to provide engineering samples of 5G modules based on the MediaTek chipset platform.About FibocomFounded in 1999, Fibocom is a leading global provider of IoT (Internet of Things) wireless solution and wireless communication modules. We are committed to bringing reliable, accessible, secure, and intelligent wireless solutions to every IoT application scenario for the increasingly digitalized industries and enriched smart life of the whole society. In 2017, Fibocom become the first stock-listed wireless module provider in China.Fibocom provides technically advanced and high-performance 5G, 4G, NB-IoT/eMTC, 3G, and 2G, smart, auto-grade, GNSS, Wi-Fi/BT wireless modules. By technically embedding Fibocom's wireless solutions into IoT devices that will become smart and remotely manageable with stable data transmission between devices and operation center, we empower the intelligent future of all industries that mainly include smart retail, ACPC (Always Connected PC), industry 4.0, smart grid, smart homes, smart agriculture, smart cities, telemedicine, metering, smart security surveillance, and the intelligently connected cars, etc. We have many long-term industry customers including Fortune Global 500 enterprises, which is an important driven power of our fast development.Fibocom is headquartered in Shenzhen, China, and has R&D centers in both Shenzhen and Xi'an. We are globally located with more than 30 subsidiaries and regional operation centers in China, Americas, EMEA, and Asia Pacific Regions. Currently, we have more than 1000 global employees, and provide products and services in more than 100 countries and regions.Fibocom FG360