Electronics Weekly – Microsemi PAX Switch, Toshiba Photorelays & More

Pasternack RF Analyzer Cable Assemblies

(Image courtesy of Pasternack.)

Pasternack has launched a series of handheld, RF analyzer, phase-stable cable assemblies. Typical applications include field testing, tower measurements, handheld network analyzers and site maintenance. The series consists of 19 models designed to deliver optimal amplitude and phase stability with flexure. They feature VSWR as low as 1.2:1 and maximum operating frequency of 27 GHz, depending on the configuration.

The test cables provide a crush resistance of 1200 psi and an operating temperature range of -55C to +105C. They are made with silver-plated copper cable conductors, stainless steel-body connectors, a UV-resistant jacket and multi-layer armor for crush and torque resistance. The cables are offered with 7/16, N, SMA, TNC or 3.5mm connector options and each serialized assembly includes test data. They can be used as replacement cables for FieldFox, Site Master, CellAdvisor and Sitehawk handheld analyzers.

Information concerning pricing and availability can be found on Pasternack’s website.

Microchip SAM Microcontrollers

(Image courtesy of Microchip.)

Microchip has released the SAM D5x and SAM E5x microcontroller (MCU) families. The SAM D5/E5 microcontrollers combine the performance of an ARM Cortex-M4 processor with a Floating Point Unit (FPU). This combination offloads the CPU, increasing system efficiency and enabling process-intensive applications on a low-power platform.

Running at up to 120 MHz, the D5x and E5x MCUs feature up to 1 MB of dual-panel Flash with Error Correction Code (ECC), enabling live updates with no interruption to the running system. Additionally, these families are available with up to 256 KB of SRAM with ECC, vital to mission-critical applications such as medical devices or server systems.

Both the SAM D5x and E5x families contain cryptographic hardware and software support, allowing developers to incorporate security measures at a design’s inception. Hardware-based security features include a Public Key Cryptographic Controller (PUKCC) supporting Elliptic Curve Cryptography and RSA schemes as well as an Advanced Encryption Standard cipher and Secure Hash Algorithms.

For more information, visit Microchip’s website.

Microsemi PAX Advanced Fabric PCIe Switch

(Image courtesy of Microsemi.)

Microsemi has announced the availability of its Switchtec PAX advanced fabric Gen3 PCIe switch, which provides fabric connectivity for scalable, multi-host systems and just a bunch of flash (JBOF) supporting single root input/output (I/O) virtualization (SR-IOV), NVMe and multi-function endpoints.

These PAX PCIe switches, which are interconnected with configurable high-speed fabric links, virtualize PCIe domains and SR-IOV endpoints. System development is simplified through a fabric application programming interface (API) and the ability to utilize off-the-shelf NVMe host drivers, significantly reducing time-to-market for complex multi-host systems.

Additional details and technical schematics are available on Microsemi’s website.

TI Display Evaluation Module

(Image courtesy of Texas Instruments.)

Texas Instruments (TI) has released the 0.2-inch DLP2000 chipset and DLP LightCrafter Display 2000 evaluation module (EVM), allowing developers to implement DLP display technology with virtually any low-cost processor.

The EVM's dual connector is set up to support any flexible GPIO-driven video interface capable of up to 24-bit red/green/blue (RGB)-capable processor, including the BeagleBone Black development board based on TI Sitara AM335x processors, and includes software drivers and BeagleBone Black code examples for programming. This makes the technology more accessible for developers to incorporate DLP Pico displays into applications.

The device’s datasheet and diagrams are available on TI’s website.

Toshiba Photorelays

(Image courtesy of Toshiba.)

Toshiba has added two mid-voltage products, the 100V TLP3823 with a 3A drive current, and the 200V TLP3825 with a 1.5A drive current, to its lineup of large current photorelays. These devices can be used to replace mechanical relays in applications including industrial equipment, general purpose inverters, HVAC, building automation equipment, semiconductor testers, and more. The photorelays are housed in 8-pin DIP packages and are available with both Gull Wing (SMD) and wider creepage options.

Unlike mechanical relays, photorelays have no physical contacts subject to wear and tear, an advantage that can lead to greater product reliability. The use of photorelays also supports the development of smaller and thinner products. Toshiba's photorelays offer a guaranteed pulsed on-state current that is three times larger than that of a continuous on-state current, ensuring a bigger margin for design safety.

For more information, visit Toshiba’s website.

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