The following are news announcements made during the past week:
High-Speed Connectivity Deployed by Network Operators Drives Shipment of More than 7 Million Radio Modules, Says Cambium Networks
PRESS RELEASE:
Cambium ships more than seven million wireless broadband modules that provide affordable high-speed connectivity to connect industry, enterprises and residential customers
Cambium Networks, a leading global provider of wireless networking solutions, today announced that high-speed connectivity being deployed by network operators around the world, drove shipment of more than seven million radio modules. Proven to support education and spur economic development, affordable internet connectivity can now be rapidly deployed to connect any business or community. Cambium Networks’ fixed wireless networking solutions bridge distances from 2m to 245 km, leverage both licensed and unlicensed spectrum, support indoor and outdoor deployments, and provide capacity from kbps for SCADA transport to multiple Gbps licensed microwave networks. Cambium Networks is connecting the unconnected – people, places and things – from node to NOC.
“Connectivity is essential to business and residential applications, and network operators are choosing Cambium Networks equipment to provide consistently reliable connectivity,” said Atul Bhatnagar, President and CEO of Cambium Networks. “These high-speed wireless broadband solutions connect public Wi-Fi networks, industry, education, and residential networks. As RF spectrum becomes increasingly scarce, network operators prefer our solutions because they offer industry-leading spectral efficiency and can deliver the highest throughput in the smallest available spectrum.”
The 7 million radio modules are deployed around the world and are at work in a broad range of vertical markets and applications. The following are examples of innovation and quality at work.
Pixius Communications in Kansas was experiencing peak customer traffic between 9 and 11 p.m. due to streaming video applications. The PMP 450m with cnMedusa Massive MU-MIMO technology delivers more than 400 Mbps in a 20 MHz channel. “We have serviced downloads up to 118 Mbps during peak customer usage,” said Rob Reif, Production Manager, Pixius Communication. “I would expect these customers to be more than satisfied with their currently uncapped internet service from the PMP 450m access point.”
EverestLink provides Wi-Fi connectivity to schools, businesses and residences in the Himalayas with point-to-point backhaul and cnPilot indoor and outdoor Wi-Fi technology. “Everest Link’s commitment to our community doesn’t stop at providing the connectivity we need for the tourist industry,” said Tsering G. Sherpa, Chief Executive Officer, Everest Link. “We’ve begun a distance-learning program in certain schools, because few teachers are available to go to remote Himalayan schools.”
P and R Communications, a utilities system integrator in the United States, has deployed cnReach to provide wireless backhaul for SCADA connectivity for Fairborn Water in Ohio. “The design and implementation of the cnReach network was painless, said Mitchell Davis, Wireless Engineer, P&R Communications. “We enjoyed ease of installation and operation, with sites taking 2-3 hours to complete. Being able to operate on ISM while we waited for the MAS licensing to complete was a great advantage.”
VIA EXPRESS TECNOLOGIA E TELECOMUNICAÇÃO (VETT) is an internet service provider in Dourados, Brazil with thousands of business and residential customers whose existing network was struggling to keep up with demand. To meet growing connectivity needs, VETT deployed anePMP 2000 access point with ePMP Elevate software. “”By only replacing the access point with ePMP, without any physical change on customer side, we could improve real throughput in at least six times,” said Icaro Calheiros, Network Supervisor, VETT. “Now we have a network, which supports VoIP service and streaming applications like Netflix.”
Imec, Analog Devices Sign Strategic Research Partnership to Develop IoT Devices
PRESS RELEASE:
Imec, the world-leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies and Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI), the leading global high-performance analog technology company, today announced they have entered into a strategic research partnership to develop the next generation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. With two initiatives already underway, imec and ADI aim to innovate devices that are not only low-power but that also come with largely improved—or completely new—sensing capabilities. This new collaboration is the latest example of imec and ADI’s long history of jointly developing high-performance low-power, cost effective circuits and systems.
The IoT continues to grow and mature, and by 2020, it is expected to consist of billions of connected, “smart” objects that rely on unobtrusive sensors to constantly monitor the environment, provide status reports and receive instructions. By intelligently processing the data gathered, these devices then drive some type of short-term or long-term action. Today, however, the underlying sensors, and the chips upon which they are built, are often too big, too expensive and not accurate enough to be practical.
One joint research initiative that has already been started in the framework of the strategic collaboration focuses on localization technology.
“Building on imec’s world-leading position in innovative ultra-low power implementations, ADI and imec will pursue the development of a low-power sensor for highly accurate indoor localization in the context of smart building or smart industry solutions,” stated Kathleen Philips, imec program director. “Concretely, we want this sensor to localize objects with a superior accuracy in a robust manner and achieve up to five times better accuracy than today’s best-performing solutions.”
A second initiative includes the creation, and ultimately the commercialization, of a highly-integrated liquid sensor that can be used in a variety of application domains, such as the analysis of water, blood or urine.
Kathleen Philips added: “Our single-chip sensor comprises multiple electrodes and excels in terms of cost and size, while demonstrating industry leading sensitivity and accuracy.”
“Imec is widely recognized for its long-standing and global leadership when it comes to the development of ultra-low power circuits and devices, as well as innovative and smart algorithms,” noted Peter Real, Senior VP and CTO, ADI. “We have chosen to take our collaboration with imec to the next level because its expertise in each of those domains—and its position at the crossroads of both the scientific and industrial communities—is fundamental to helping us successfully develop the next generation of IoT sensors.”
“In ADI we have found a partner that brings to market professional-grade, high-value-add sensor systems. Thanks to ADI’s commercial insights, in combination with its innovative mindset, we can build differentiating technology that meets IoT market requirements today and tomorrow,” added Rudi Cartuyvels, Executive Vice President at imec.
STMicroelectronics Combines Development Ecosystem With Alibaba AliOS for Chinese Cloud-to-Node IoT Platform, Announces Automotive Processors With Built-in Security Set to Protect Connected Cars Against Cyber Threats
PRESS RELEASE:
AliOS availability on ST’s STM32 platform shortens IoT node design cycle and time-to-market for the Chinese market
STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, announced today its cooperation with Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm and business unit of Alibaba Group (NYSE: BABA), to provide a complete cloud-to-node IoT solution to the market. The cooperation will allow any designer to easily create IoT nodes and gateways using ST’s key semiconductor building blocks for the IoT, run Alibaba’s IoT operating system AliOS on the node, and seamlessly connect with the Alibaba Cloud for faster time-to-market of large-volume IoT applications.
With the official release of AliOS, ST has made the AliOS available to run on its robust STM32 microcontroller (MCU) platform, the market’s broadest Arm Cortex-M MCU portfolio and a leading choice for Chinese IoT designers. Beyond processing, designers will get access to ST’s complete portfolio covering all the key building blocks for the IoT, including connectivity, security, sensors, power management, and signal conditioning. ST’s modular and interoperable IoT development platform spans state-of-the-art semiconductor components, ready-to-use development boards, free software tools, and common application examples.
The ST/Alibaba collaboration assures development efficiency and access to the first Chinese IoT turnkey platform, bringing greater convenience and productivity to developers when creating IoT nodes and to integrators when connecting to the Alibaba Cloud. Customers also get a head-start on time-to-market with AliOS’s pre-validation of all software components on the platform, easing security provisions and field device upgrades.
“By collaborating with Alibaba, we can provide developers in China with the STM32 platform to build IoT nodes running AliOS. This gives customers a head-start to using the combination of AliOS Node-to-Cloud complete vertical solution and the broad portfolio of ST’s IoT technologies that includes sensors, processing, security, connectivity, and power,” said Arnaud Julienne, Vice President, Microcontroller, Memory, and Secure MCU & IoT, Asia Pacific Region, STMicroelectronics.
“Alibaba, a rich and powerful platform for everyone to conduct business, will help different IoT market players, both large and medium/small businesses, to find their customers or vendors. Alibaba is cooperating with ST to build joint solutions from Cloud to Node, to include security in applications, and we definitely believe AliOS and ST chipsets can help customers achieve their targets in the IoT mass-market,” said Ku Wei, general manager of IOT BU of Ali Cloud BG.
In addition, the company is leading the race to protect connected cars against cyber threats with its latest automotive processors that feature a dedicated, built-in security module.
Millions of connected cars are already on the road, and industry analysts predict there will be more than 250 million by 2020http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2970017. Connected services supported by on-board telematics units, Wi-Fi hotspots, Bluetooth devices – and aftermarket equipment such as on-board diagnostics (OBD) dongles — enable drivers and passengers to be safer, more productive, socially connected, and better entertained on their journeys. Unfortunately, all this connectivity builds a real surface of attack for hackers.
Automotive groups are quickly addressing security measures to support growth in valuable markets for connected services such as content streaming, location-based assistance, intelligent emergency support, and remote software updates over the air of in-car electronic control units (ECU), while preventing hackers exploiting the connections for their own ends. Experts recommend manufacturers employ a range of techniques, including establishing trust in connected devices and securing all connections, to provide multiple layers of defense throughout the vehicle’s circuitry and software.
ST is helping the industry meet these challenges by combining its expertise in security chips – proven in financial and government applications worldwide — and automotive semiconductors that meet important industry safety and quality standards. The newTelemaco3P telematics and connectivity processors (STA1385 and its variants) are the first automotive microprocessors to integrate a powerful, dedicated, isolated Hardware Security Module (HSM), which acts like an independent security guard to watch data exchanges and encrypt and authenticate messages. The HSM securely checks the authenticity of received messages and any external devices that try to connect and protects against eavesdropping.
With this HSM on-chip, Telemaco3P devices are ahead of the general-purpose application processors typically found in current connected-car systems, which lack dedicated hardware-based security. ST’s new chips are also extremely robust, with a 105°C maximum temperature rating for use in locations that can become extremely hot, such as on top or directly beneath the roof in a smart antenna.
“Realizing the benefits of connected cars requires strong protection against cyber-attacks,” said Antonio Radaelli, Infotainment Business Unit Director, Automotive and Discrete Product Group, STMicroelectronics. “Our new Telemaco3P processors combine ST’s proven expertise in hardware security and knowledge of the automotive industry’s standards and requirements to lay solid ground for safe and enjoyable connected motoring.”
The new automotive processors are part of a comprehensive ST strategy to offer products with embedded security functions that include stand-alone Secure Elements (ST33) and embedded Flash microcontrollers (SPC5).
ST is providing engineering samples of the STA1385 to lead partners now and full production is scheduled for mid-2018.
ThingPark China Accelerates IoT, LoRaWAN Market in China With Launch of Ecosystem Lab for Developers, Marketplace
PRESS RELEASE:
ThingPark China Market will give Chinese IoT solution sellers access to both Chinese B2B customers and the global ThingPark Market audience
LoRa Alliance All Members Meeting, ShuZhou, China, October 17th, 2017: ThingPark China, a leading LPWA IoT platform and solutions development provider, announced today the opening of an IoT Ecosystem Lab in Beijing enabling device makers, application providers and customers to connect, test and evaluate their IoT solutions with its localized ThingPark LoRaWAN SaaS platform. ThingPark China is also opening its online Marketplace to IoT devices and solutions providers in China. ThingPark China Market will enable Chinese IoT devices and application sellers to accelerate the monetization of their IoT solutions with business customers in China, and also to benefit from the global audience and IoT sales opportunities enabled by Actility’s ThingPark Market.
Bing Liu, CEO of ThingPark China said, “Our Ecosystem Lab and Marketplace will help accelerate the growth of LoRaWAN-based IoT in China by supporting the local ecosystem at every stage from developing and testing their products to distributing solutions to local customers and taking them to market worldwide. We’re bringing the tried and tested solutions from Actility and adapting them to the needs of the local market.”
Chinese device makers and application developers will be able to create a free account on the ThingPark China developer SaaS platform, hosted in China, giving them access to LoRaWAN connectivity and a suite of tools and APIs, including a self-test capability, to support the integration of their solution with ThingPark. A dedicated Ecosystem Lab facility in Beijing will provide a location with LoRaWAN coverage. Within the facility, developers will be able to use the self-testing tools for devices using the Chinese LoRaWAN frequency bands, and also prepare for international distribution by testing against European, APAC and US channel plans. For customers who prefer to develop and test in their own location, ThingPark China will offer a Developer Kit and gateway pre-configured to connect remotely to the ThingPark China developer platform.
Along with support for developers to create their products, the opening of the ThingPark China Market will provide the opportunity for them to sell local-market IoT products to business customers in China with a user experience optimized for Chinese buyers, and also to sign up to the international ThingPark Market, through which they can sell IoT devices and solutions for any region to customers around the globe, who will be able to buy them in almost 30 different local currencies.
“Here at the LoRa Alliance All-Members Meeting, we can see how quickly the interest and commitment to LoRaWAN is growing in China,” says Bing Liu, “and we’d like to extend an invitation to any company that is interested in adopting, developing and marketing LoRaWAN products globally to join our ecosystem, make use of our lab facilities, developer kits or online tools and sign up for our Market to accelerate their progress in bringing their solution to this dynamic and fast-growing market.”
Industrial Internet Consortium, Avnu Alliance Announce Liaison
PRESS RELEASE:
The Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC), the world’s leading organization transforming business and society by accelerating the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and Avnu Alliance (Avnu), a community creating an interoperable ecosystem of low-latency, time-synchronized, highly reliable networked devices using open standards, announced they have agreed to a liaison to work together to advance deployment and interoperability of devices with Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) open standards. Under the agreement, the IIC and Avnu willwork together to align efforts to maximize interoperability, portability, security and privacy for the industrial Internet.
Joint activities between the IIC and the Avnu will include identifying and sharing IIoT best practices, realizing interoperability by harmonizing architecture and other elements, and collaborating on standardization.
“Both Avnu and the IIC are well aligned to pursue the advancement of the IIoT. An example of this is Avnu’s participation in the IIC TSN testbed where members have an opportunity to try their equipment and software on the testbed infrastructure. This provides the participants with the ability to discover what’s working and what is not and provide feedback that helps speed market adoption,” said Gary Stuebing, IIC liaison to Avnu. “The lessons learned in our TSN testbed fuel the ability of both of our organizations. TSN could open up critical control applications such as robot control, drive control and vision systems.”
“Our liaison agreement and work with the IIC TSN Testbed demonstrates real-world applications and solutions with TSN and helps to accelerate readiness for the market. The testbed stands as a showcase for the value that TSN standards and ecosystem of manufacturing applications and products bring to the market, including the ability for IIoT to incorporate high-performance and latency-sensitive applications,” said Todd Walter, Avnu Alliance Industrial Segment Chair. “Our collaboration with IIC and the work coming out of the TSN Testbed is already having a direct impact on suppliers and manufacturers who see the technology as a value add for their system structure.”
Avnu and IIC are meeting for a TSN Testbed plugfest later this month to evaluate and trial TSN device conformance tests that are being developed as a baseline certification in the industrial market.
The IIC Liaison Working Group is the gateway for formal relationships with standards and open-source organizations, consortia, alliances, certification and testing bodies and government entities/agencies. The agreement with the Avnu is one of a number of agreements made by the IIC’s Liaison Working Group. For a list of current liaisons, click here.
Tech Data to Distribute iDevices Smart-Home Products
PRESS RELEASE:
Tech Data (Nasdaq: TECD) today announced an agreement with iDevices to distribute its line of Smart Home Technology products to retailers and solution providers. iDevices manufactures a premium line of connected power, lighting and climate control solutions for homeowners, professional installers and builders.
“The smart home and the Internet of Things (IoT) continue to build mindshare with consumers,” said Linda Rendleman, vice president of Product Marketing, Endpoint Solutions at Tech Data. “Tech Data excels at leveraging next-generation technologies and specialized skills to benefit the entire IT channel, and iDevices is a terrific fit within our end-to-end product portfolio. iDevices is compatible with Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa and Google Home products without the use of a network hub. We think this versatility, as well as iDevices’ intelligent product design and dependable performance, makes for a compelling offering in the smart home space.”
Smart Home is an emerging technology and one of the fastest growing categories in IT retail, and Tech Data stands ready to help channel partners deliver this up-and-coming technology to their commercial and retail end-user customers. With iDevices’ products, consumers can transform their homes into smart homes quickly and easily, while still using their favorite iOS or Android devices. They can also control iDevices products simply with the sound of their voice through Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant, and can access their home remotely from anywhere in the world.
“Tech Data’s continued evolution in the IT channel is one of the primary reasons we’re excited to join forces with them to expand our distribution throughout their retail channels,” said Chris Allen, president of iDevices. “Tech Data’s substantial customer base, coupled with our comprehensive line of premium smart home products, is a partnership that we’re confident will benefit both companies going forward.”
For additional information on this iDevices distribution agreement, retailers and solution providers can email [email protected], visitwww.techdata.com or call (800) 237-8931.