NEWS XCORE.AI
XMOS unveils low cost,
flexible AI processor
XCORE.AI DELIVERS HIGH PERFORMANCE AT A
COMPETITIVE PRICE. NEIL TYLER REPORTS
XMOS has announced the xcore.ai which delivers highperformance
AI, DSP, control and IO in a single device
with prices from $1.
Usually this type of capability would be deployed
either through a powerful (and costly) applications
processor or a microcontroller with additional
components to accelerate key capabilities. The xcore.
ai crossover processor from XMOS, however, has been
architected to deliver real-time inferencing and decisioning at the edge, as well as signal processing,
control and communications, enabling electronics manufacturers to integrate high-performance
processing and intelligence economically into their products.
Smart devices typically require energy-hungry and costly connectivity to the cloud. This,
according to XMOS, comes marred with challenges around latency, connectivity, privacy and energy
consumption. By providing efficient, high-performance compute at the edge, the xcore.ai looks to
deliver solutions to each of these challenges while at the same time keeping cost low.
xcore.ai is being described by the company as a new generation of embedded platform. It’s a
versatile, scalable, cost-effective and easy-to-use processor and with its fast processing and neural
network capabilities, xcore.ai has been designed to enable data to be processed locally and actions
taken on device - within nanoseconds.
XMOS CEO Mark Lippett said: “xcore.ai delivers the world’s highest processing power for a dollar.
This, coupled with its flexibility means electronics manufacturers (no matter their size) can embed
multi-modal processing in smart devices to make life simpler, safer and more satisfying.”
Product demos will be available from June 2020.
Binging secure ultra-wideband solutions to market
Renesas is to license 3db Access’s UWB
technology and collaborate in bringing
secure access solutions to a variety of
connected applications.
The collaboration with 3db Access,
a fabless semiconductor company
specialising in secure ultra-wideband
(UWB) low power chips, combines
each company’s technical expertise in
performance, size reduction, ultra-low
power consumption, and security to deliver
multi-receiver UWB solutions.
Renesas is augmenting its MCUs and RF
connectivity capabilities with 3db’s secure
ranging UWB chips, which are designed for
use in IoT applications.
According to the company, this will
accelerate a roadmap of ICs and modules
that leverage both companies’ strengths
and product portfolios to bring best-in-class
UWB solutions to market.
The collaboration also gives Renesas
customers access to advanced UWB
solutions that are IEEE 802.15.4z dual
HRP/LRP compliant and utilize an RF
architecture that achieves 10x lower
power consumption through the support
of LRP-mode. 3db devices also provide the
smallest UWB silicon area compared to
competitive ICs.
Commenting Dr. Amit Bavisi, Vice
President of Engineering, IoT and
Infrastructure Business Unit at Renesas
said, “We believe that our combined
technical expertise, differentiated IP, and
global operations will allow us to design
the smallest and highest performance
system solutions that provide secure
distance ranging access to our customers’
next-generation products.”
Dr. Boris Danev, CEO of 3db Access
added, “The combination of 3db Access’
UWB domain knowledge and positioning
products fits perfectly with Renesas’
embedded system processing and global
market expertise.”
Filtronic launches
generation E-band
transceiver module
Filtronic has launched Morpheus II, its new
generation of mmWave transceiver modules
for E-band (71 – 76GHz and 81 – 86 GHz)
applications in carrier grade mobile backhaul.
The company said the Morpheus II is
based on Filtronic’s proven E-band transceiver
platform, of which over 36,000 units have
already been shipped and deployed.
The module contains all the transmit and
receive functions necessary for the RF section
of an E-band radio link, and provides a simple
connection to a high data rate full-duplex
modem. It is designed for easy incorporation
into outdoor units, giving OEMs the advantage
of a rapid time-to-market while requiring
minimal engineering resource.
Demand for E-band mmWave radio links
is growing rapidly, as they can provide high
capacity and high data rate XHaul for the
latest 5G networks.
In 2018 E-band accounted for around 7%
of wireless links and is expected to see yearon
year growth rates of around 36%, according
to research from the Dell’Oro Group.
Standard modules have a linear transmitter
power control range of -4dBm to +16dBm,
with an output third order intermodulation
product (IP3) of typically up to +34dBm at
the top end of the range. An enhanced power
option, extending the control range up to
+25dBm, is also available. With a low phase
noise of ‑112dBc/Hz at 1MHz, the transceiver
modules support a channel bandwidth in
excess of 2GHz. They have demonstrated
system performance at data rates of 10Gb/s
with spectrally efficient 256QAM, and are
capable of supporting even higher order
modulation schemes. The internal low phase
noise VCOs can be adjusted via an SPI
interface in 31.25MHz steps,to support ECC/
ITU channel arrangements.
A single transmit/receive interface is
provided by the integrated diplexer, which
connects directly to an external antenna via
a standard WR12 interface. The interface
between the Morpheus II E-band module and
the customer modem is via a single 50-way
connector that supplies all communication
between the module and the modem.
These Morpheus II transceiver modules are
20% smaller and 50% lighter than the current
Orpheus models.
8 25 February 2020 www.newelectronics.co.uk
/www.newelectronics.co.uk