French-Italian semiconductor company STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM) was upgraded by Morgan Stanley on Wednesday, with the firm citing a "robust recovery" coming in the back half of next year. "The rollover in autos/industrials is coming into view ...

STMicroelectronics upgraded by Morgan Stanley on coming 'robust recovery'

Dutch semiconductor companies accounted for approximately 9 percent of the global market share for semiconductors.

Indonesia in Pursuit of Dutch Semiconductor Investors

Here is your Pro Recap of the biggest analyst cuts you may have missed since yesterday: downgrades at ON Semiconductor, STMicroelectronics, Diodes, Lyft , UDR, and Sonic Automotive.InvestingPro subscribers got this

ON Semi clobbered with downgrades; Lyft 'likely' to disappoint: 6 big analyst cuts

STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM) and Diodes (NASDAQ:DIOD) were all downgraded at Baird on Tuesday, as the investment firm cited worries about supply, demand "normalization." Analyst Tristan Gerra lowered his rating on all three semiconductor firms to neutral,

ON Semiconductor, STMicro, Diodes cut to neutral at Baird on supply, demand issues

Wells Fargo initiates Shopify as buy Wells said in its initiation of the stock that it sees an "attractive buying opportunity." " SHOP's angle of attack has shifted and found an ideal balance of operational ambition and financial discipline.

Here are Tuesday's biggest analyst calls: Tesla, SoFi, Pinterest, Roku, Boeing, Apple, Shopify, Chewy and more

The global automotive sensors market is projected to attain a valuation of US$ 19.2 billion in 2023 and is estimated to reach US$ 44 billion by 2033, expected to incline at a CAGR of 8.6% during the forecast period.

Automotive Sensors Market Forecast: Surging to US$ 44 Billion by 2033 with 8.6% CAGR, Enhanced Safety Features Drive Growth

STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, is holding its first-ever ST Taiwan Tech Day at the Taipei New Horizon on November 2.

Technology Starts with You: First-ever ST Taiwan Tech Day focuses on four mega trends to showcase the latest innovations

A multi-million investment in STMicroelectronics is one of the key measures that will lead Malta to develop more sustainable economic niches, according to Finance Minister Clyde Caruana.

Budget 2024: Malta’s new economic niches - semiconductors and aircraft leasing

Mouser launched more than 16,000 part numbers ready for shipment. Some of the products introduced by Mouser from July through September include: • Seeed Studio NVIDIA® Jetson Orin™ Nano 8GB Developer Kit The NVIDIA Jetson Orin™ Nano 8GB Developer Kit by Seeed Studio delivers up to 40 TOPS performance for entry-level edge artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics.

Mouser Electronics adds over 16,000 new parts

STMICROELECTRONICS

stmicroelectronics

130 Stories To Learn About Opensource

331 Stories To Learn About Iot

Earlier this year, investors warned startups to "prepare for the worst." Due to the global financial crisis, the looming recession, and the war in Ukraine, no one expected to see large rounds. And yet, startups continue to innovate and even manage to support their Ukrainian friends, who found themselves in the worst of the crisis. With support from the international community, Ukrainian-founded startups keep raising money, keep winning grants, and bring their ideas to all corners of the world. Among Ukraine supporters, there’s New York-based firm . It launched a $50 million fund to specifically support startups founded in Ukraine. Amazon Web Services has recently provided 52 Ukrainian startups with nearly $1 million worth of credits for using its cloud-computing services. More than 30 Ukraine-founded startups have received up to $75,000 from Google’s $5 million fund created in March to support Ukraine. ffVC The war was supposed to sever ties between Ukrainian entrepreneurs and the international startup community — many Ukrainians cannot even leave the country because of martial law. However, Ukrainian allies took care of this: they provide online consultations for Ukrainian techies and give free tickets to tech conferences to those who can travel abroad. Thanks to all this, dozens of startups with Ukrainian founders managed to raise funding and continue working on their Next Big Thing. Here’s my pick of 10 of them. Unstoppable Domains — $65 million Blockchain startup raised $65 million in a Series A round in July. The startup was valued at $1 billion. This round brought its external funding to a total of $72 million. Unstoppable Domains In total, 17 investors participated in the round led by Pantera Capital. Among them, there are Polygon, Rainfall Capital, Mayfield, Alchemy Ventures, and OKG Investments. Unstoppable Domains allows its users to register a crypto domain name on the Ethereum blockchain and turn them into NFTs. This gives the owners broader control and ownership and allows them to shorten their long crypto-wallet addresses. The startup has already registered over 2.5 million domains, generating over $80 million in sales. The most popular domains include .crypto, .nft, .wallet, and .bitcoin. The company employs 80 people and has offices in San Francisco and Kyiv. It was founded in 2018 by Matthew Gould, Braden Pezeshki, Bradley Kam, and Ukrainian . Bogdan Gusiev AirSlate — $51.5 million Workflow automation startup raised $51.5 million in a Series B round in June. The startup was valued at $1.25 billion. This round brought its external funding to a total of $181.5 million. AirSlate Chicago-based G Squared led the round with participation from UiPath Ventures. AirSlate provides its users with no-code tools for automating business processes, including PDF editing and e-signature workflow. The startup boasts more than 900,000 customers and 100 million users worldwide. Founded in 2008 and formerly named PDFfiller, AirSlate employs over 900 people. It has offices in Boston, Wroclaw and Kyiv. The company used to have an office in Saint Petersburg but, in July, it would be shutting it down. announced Its founders are and Ukrainian-born . Borya Shakhnovich Vadim Yasinovsky Preply — $50 million Tutoring platform raised $50 million in a Series C round in July, not disclosing its valuation. This round brought its external funding to $101.1 million. Preply In total, eight investors participated in the round led by Owl Ventures, which focuses on education. Among other investors, there are Educapital, Evli Growth Partners, Hoxton Ventures, and Diligent Capital. Preply develops a platform that allows tutors to teach 50 languages, including English, German, Arabic, French, Polish, and Ukrainian. It uses AI to find teachers depending on students’ schedules and learning goals. The startup says it has from 190 countries. 32,000 tutors Preply was founded in 2012 by three Ukrainian entrepreneurs — , , and . The startup employs over 400 people and has offices in Barcelona, New York and Kyiv. Dmytro Voloshyn Kirill Bigai Sergey Lukyanov Spin Technology — $16 million Data protection software developer raised $16 million in a Series A round in August, bringing its funding to $18 million. The company was valued at $55 million. Spin Technology The money came from Santa Barbara Venture Partners, Blu Venture Investors, and Blueprint Equity (lead investor). Spin Technology is a SaaS data protection company defending enterprises against ransomware, human error, and other cloud threats. Its software acts like an antivirus program, detecting ransomware across platforms like Google Workspace and Microsoft Office 365. It can automatically assess risks and make backups if needed. The startup caters to enterprise clients. It has partnered with over 1,600 companies, including Outbrain, Autodoc, Miller and Toyota. Founded in 2016 by Odesa-born , the company now has four offices: in Los Angeles, Palo Alto, Odesa, and Kyiv. It employs about 80 people. Dmitry Dontov ATLANT 3D — $15 million Nanotechnology startup raised $15 million in a Series A round in September, bringing its total funding to $17.2 million. It didn't disclose the valuation at which it closed the round. ATLANT 3D British VC West Hill Capital led the round, but other investors haven’t been disclosed. ATLANT 3D is a deep-tech startup that works on a tech that enables the manufacturing of materials and electronics at the atom level. “(We are) revolutionizing electronics of tomorrow atom by atom,” reads its motto. According to its website, it works — among other organizations — with STMicroelectronics, Sony, and NASA. Although the startup is based in Copenhagen, it was co-founded in 2018 by Ukrainian , who now leads the company as CEO. The ATLANT 3D’s website lists 10 employees, half of them PhDs Maksym Plakhotnyuk Fintech Farm — $7.4 million In the company’s first Seed round in January, raised $7.4 million, not disclosing its valuation. Fintech Farm Flyer One Ventures and Solid led the round; four other investors are AVentures Capital, TA Ventures, u.ventures, and Jiji. Dmytro Dubilet, the co-founder of U.K.-based Fintech Farm, was one of the founders of Ukraine’s neobank Monobank, which now has about 4.5 million users. Now, Fintech Farm is going to use the raised money to launch a similar product for the Nigerian market. Its name is . Fibo The company was co-founded by , , and serial entrepreneur . The company employs around 200 people and has two offices — in Dnipro and Kyiv. Alexander Vityaz Mykola Bezkrovnyy Dmytro Dubilet Salto X — €5.2 million Web3 startup raised €5.2 million in a Seed round in July, not disclosing its valuation. Salto X The round was led by Copenhagen-based venture fund byFounders and Frankfurt-based Blockwall. Box Group, crypto fintech 3Commas, and angels such as Liu Jiang and Alex Gluchkowski also participated in it (in total, six investors). Salto X uses blockchain to develop a remote-friendly alternative to stock options for European companies. Contributors receive NFT certificates for the cliff period. According to the startup, “it gives transparent access to equity compensation to contributors regardless of geography.” The startup was founded in 2021 by Estonians and , Latvian , and Ukrainian . Registered in Tallinn, the company doesn’t have a physical presence, with its 16 employees working remotely from Latvia, Estonia, and Ukraine. Ragnar Sass Elise Sass Krists Avots Tanya Chaikovska PromoRepublic — €2 million SaaS startup raised €2 million in a Pre-Series A round in June, not disclosing its valuation. This round brought its external funding to $3.9 million. PromoRepublic Ukraine-based fund NetSolid Investments put €200,000 into the startup in this round. The names of other investors have not been disclosed. The Ukraine-Finnish-U.S. startup develops a social media marketing platform, catering to enterprises, marketing agencies, and SMBs. According to its website, the company has over 50,000 clients, including Curves International, doTERRA, Expedia Group Mannatech, and EZCORP. Founded back in 2014 by trio , , and , the company now employs over 50 people (contractors included). It has offices in Helsinki, London, New York, and Kyiv. Max Pecherskyi Mike Baranovskyi Val Grabko Cargofy — $2 million Freight-tech startup raised $2 million in a Seed round in February. The startup did not disclose its valuation, but according to , the company was valued at $10-15 million. Cargofy Forbes JKR Investment Group led the round, which also saw participation from Flyer One Ventures, Fair East Labs, and two angel investors — Murat Abdrakhmanov and Hannu Turunen. Dubbed Uber for truck drivers, Cargofy develops an AI-driven digital logistics platform that helps link up truck owners with people seeking to ship goods in Eastern Europe, India, and the U.S. Over the last three years up to February, the company had organized about 46,000 deliveries. Founded in 2014 by , , and , Cargofy now employs about 60 people. It’s based in Cedar Rapids in eastern Iowa. Overall, it has three offices in two countries, but the company’s website doesn’t specify where. Dimitri Alexiou Alex Kovalchuk Stakh Vozniak Choice QR — €1.5 million FoodTech startup raised €1.5 million in a Seed round in July, bringing its external funding to €2.4 million. The company did not disclose its valuation in the latest round. Choice QR Five investors participated in the round: Seedcamp, Reflex Capital, Purple Ventures, J&T Ventures, and Presto Ventures (lead investor). Choice QR develops a restaurant payment app. Using it, hospitality businesses can create a website for pick up and delivery, as well as digital menus, which allow their guests to order food and pay through QR codes. Over 7,000 businesses use the service, according to the Choice website. The company was founded in Kyiv by two Ukrainians — and — in 2021. Now it is based in the Czech Republic but still has an office in Ukraine. Alex Ilyash Vladimir Olyanitsky Originally published . here

Startups With Ukrainian Roots Raise $200+ Million in 2022

Startups con raíces ucranianas recaudan más de $200 millones en 2022

Les startups aux racines ukrainiennes lèvent plus de 200 millions de dollars en 2022

यूक्रेनी जड़ों के साथ स्टार्टअप ने 2022 में $200+ मिलियन जुटाए

ウクライナにルーツを持つスタートアップが 2022 年に 2 億ドル以上を調達

Startups com raízes ucranianas arrecadam mais de US$ 200 milhões em 2022

Các công ty khởi nghiệp có nguồn gốc từ Ukraine Huy động được 200 USD + Triệu vào năm 2022

乌克兰血统的初创公司在 2022 年筹集 200 多万美元

Differences Between RFID and NFC Systems, their Applications, and Alternatives

As I can see, electronic design companies are far more undervalued by the media than the software ones. But the fact remains that the market is fairly large and continues to snowball in growth. According to the , the size of the electronic design services, combined with contract manufacturing, has reached almost $400 bln in 2018 and will grow by up to more than $650 bln by 2025. Grand View Research comprehensive report To overcome this grave injustice, I’ve prepared my research on electronic design companies that are working on a contractual basis. Let me first explain how I selected them. Trustworthy Electronic Design Services: Selection Criteria The electronic design services domain is comprised of a relatively large amount of companies from around the globe. But have no illusions: not all of them are trustworthy. That’s why all the companies from the list below: Have at least ten years of history (the youngest one established in 2009); Covering a variety of services (instead of extremely specialized companies with a single focus); Acts as an official partner of at least one or at least one . semiconductor company from the top 50 member of the Semiconductor Industry Association The list of electronic design companies as follows: Promwad Website: https://www.promwad.com/ Location: Vilnius, Lithuania Founded: 2004 No. of employees: 51 — 200 Services: electronic product design, hardware development, PCB design, FPGA design, embedded software development, automotive electronics development The Promwad electronics design house was founded in 2004 to create new products for their clients. Since that time, the company has opened new offices in the USA and EU and has successfully finished 300+ projects. The number of devices manufactured under the design they made has surpassed by 3 mln. Among the noteworthy clients of Promwad is Qoobi B.V., and the device Qoobi ONE, where Promwad took part, received the in the category “Best of the Best.” Among the others are Parrot, Prestigio, Lapka (acquired by Airbnb), and various famous businesses. What’s to the reason why I included it to the listing, Promwad is an official partner of top 50 members NXP, Texas Instruments, STMicroelectronics, Fujitsu, and Analog Devices. Red Dot Award in 2019 Variscite Website: https://www.variscite.com/ Location: Lod, Israel Founded: 2003 No. of employees: 51 — 200 Services: SOM development and manufacturing, board design, OEM manufacturing The main focus of this Israeli-born company is Systems on Modules design, development, as well as manufacturing. Since 2003, Variscite has passed the 1 mln of shipped SoM devices milestone. Variscite’s business is mostly product-oriented. That’s why their clients aren’t detailed out. What is clear, is that the company is a with early access to their ARM-based i.MX8 family solutions. And it is a reason why the company won its seat here. key partner of NXP Semiconductors/Freescale TOPIC Embedded Systems Website: https://topic.nl/en Location: Best, Netherlands Founded: 1996 No. of employees: 51 — 200 Services: embedded software development, hardware development, FPGA development, technical consulting With more than 20 years of experience, TOPIC is a trusted European embedded solutions developer. The company focuses on FPGA, digital hardware, and embedded software projects. The domain expertise includes healthcare, robotics, aerospace and defense, automotive, transport and logistics, as well as semiconductors industries. Along with the services, the company has its products. Among these include systems on modules, some ready-made building blocks, as well as operating systems for FPGA and SoC. TOPIC is a , a chartered member of SIA, which made it possible to enlist the company here. premium partner of Xilinx DesignLinx Hardware Solutions Website: https://www.designlinxhs.com/ Location: Nashua, New Hampshire, USA Founded: 2009 No. of employees: 11 — 50 Services: FPGA design, embedded software development, ITAR compliance, board-level design, AWS/AI/ML support The DesignLinx Hardware Solutions company has a keen focus on FPGA design services, as well as on several other niche ones. The company is veteran-owned, which makes it well adapted to defense business orders. Defense Logistics Agency is one of the leading partners of the DesignLinx, as well as some other government and private companies. It has been a of the Xilinx Alliance since 2011, as well as an official partner of both Intel and Analog Devices. As you can see, DesignLinx is worthy of being here. premier member L-CARD Website: https://en.lcard.ru/ Location: Moscow, Russia Founded: 1987 No. of employees: 51 — 200 Services: modular DAQ systems, ADC/DAC boards, fuel measuring sensors, R&D outsourcing, OEM manufacturing The L-CARD company has a rather long history for a Russian one. The official year of establishment is 1987, however, the laboratory was established in 1980 as a part of a state-owned research institute. The main focus is the development and manufacturing of measuring equipment but the design and development services branch is also here. The electronic equipment designed by L-CARD is used by 3,000+ clients globally. For example, its DAQ system is installed on the . The only partnership that meets our criteria is Apple’s MFi licensing program membership as an official developer of iPhone/iPad-compatible devices. Swedish MAX IV synchrotron Hectronic Website: https://hectronic.se/ Location: Uppsala, Sweden Founded:  1989 No. of employees: 11 — 50 Services: embedded solutions, embedded Systems, COM modules, Qseven, ARM modules, COM express This Swedish company has more than 30 years of history in embedded product development services. Moreover, it acts as a manufacturer, as well.  Hectronic is a part of , and among their clients are ABB, Saab/Scania, Ericsson, and Atlas Copco. discoverIE Group PLC The industries in which the company has strong expertise include maritime and offshore, transportation, medical, defense, industrial automation, as well as telecommunications. The company wins millions of dollars worth of contracts pretty regularly. Among the official partners are Mitsubishi Electric, AMD, Intel, NXP, and Texas Instruments. RT-RK Website: https://www.rt-rk.com/ Location: Novi Sad, Serbia Founded: 1991 No. of employees: 1001 — 5000 Services: hardware product development, FPGA rapid prototyping, embedded software development, home automation services RT-RK positions itself not only as a company but as a Serbian national research institute. Not only national but international: it has offices in Bosnia and Croatia, as well. The company has a significant history as the near-shore development partner for Cirrus Logic and Marvell. This is the main reason to call RT-RK trustworthy here. The company has a rather wide focus, including embedded, TV, automotive, home appliances, DSP, defense, FPGA, and even UX. It constantly participates in major tech exhibitions like . CES Softeq Website: https://www.softeq.com/ Location: Houston, Texas, USA Founded: 1997 No. of employees: 201 — 500 Services: hardware design, embedded systems development, custom software development Softeq is a full-stack development company in both the hardware and software fields. With that said, the majority of their finished projects are software-related. The list of clients includes Coca-Cola, Nvidia, HP, Epson, and other famous enterprises. For many years, the company works in close . This fact made it possible to include Softeq in our list. partnership with SK Hynix According to the company website, its key domains are consulting, product development, and digital strategy. What’s mostly covered in the hardware-related industry are consumer electronics. Among the most eye-catching projects is the Hunity curved wrist screen smartphone.

Top Electronic Design Service Companies You Should Consider in 2020

Power electronics is a basis for systems, devices, and gadgets applicable for a wide range of industries: from consumer electronics to complex automotive solutions. Environmental concerns, trends for electrification of sectors and our day-to-day life, and widening of devices' functionality lead to pervasive usage of power electronics solutions. Besides, all these tendencies evoke more strict requirements for the functionality and security of power electronics. It’s no wonder that power electronics have been enjoying drastic enhancement in the last 10 years. Along with that, there is an onrush of the technologies used for power electronics components development and we are going to talk about the most popular one - Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology. What is Gallium Nitride? Gallium Nitride, or just GaN, is a type of wide bandgap semiconductor material used for creating the basic power electronics components. They are: Resistors; Capacitors; Inductors; Transistors: MOSFETs (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor), IGBT (Gate Bipolar Transistor); Thyristors; Diodes. These main elements provide vital functionality for a power electronics system since they control electricity flow, store energy in magnetic and electric fields, and switch electric currents. So, conductivity is of great importance for any power electronics device. Gallium Nitride semiconductor technology has high conductivity because of the high mobility of electrons in a GaN crystal. Actually, GaN is not the only material that is used for creating power electronics components. GaN is compared to Silicon (Si) and Silicon Carbide (SiC) technologies. They also provide high electrons mobility and are highly conductive as well. However, Gallium Nitride has a wider bandgap, which is . The wider bandgap allows GaN technology to provide higher power density, operate at higher voltages and temperatures, reduce switching losses, and, what is more, it is cheaper to manufacture. 3.4 eV, while SiC has a 3.26 eV bandgap and Si has 1.12 eV The difference in bandgaps of Gallium Nitride, Silicon Carbide, and Silicon As a result, using GaN-based components you can create highly secure and cost-effective power electronics solutions. Let’s explore where GaN technology is put to good effect and what its prospects are. The GaN Technology Prospects Gallium Nitride semiconductor devices gain in popularity. The market is growing since there is a surge in demand for power electronics solutions with low power consumption and better energy efficiency. This demand is yielded by the unrelenting growth of innovative electronics development. Electronics devices and systems are becoming smarter and more comfortable to use for the end-users. More functionality makes a device consume more energy. According to the research conducted by Grand New Research company, the GaN semiconductor devices market is predicted to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 24.4% from 2022 to 2030 to reach USD 12.47 billion by 2030. Nowadays, the usage of GaN technology is widespread among the industries and segments based on power electronics. Thus, GaN material is more commonly used for building RF power transistors, FETs (Field effect transistors), and IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors). Another segment where GaN technology dominates is the power IC (Integrated Circuit) segment. The usage of GaN material opens the way to creating wireless telecommunication modules with new, fresh functionalities and features. For example, which is a 5G wireless module duel-channel IC. This 5G module is intended to be used for base stations, terminals, and point-to-point data transmission. Qorvo, Inc. developed QPF4005 GaN material enables the devices to consume less energy and operate for a longer period of time. In so doing, this technology allows for the implementation of reliable and advanced products for such industries as automotive (electric vehicles), consumer electronics, healthcare, industrial, and communication technology. The industries where GaN technology gains in popularity It’s time to find out what manufacturers use GaN technology for creating next-generation power electronics components. What Suppliers Use GaN technology? A Quick Survey Nowadays, we can see a quest for improvements in the power electronics design area, and the suppliers of electronics components launch new products to satisfy this demand. Here are three famous manufacturers that provide GaN-based semiconductor components development: produces a wide range of GaN-based power electronics units including drivers, high-voltage converters, transistors, and integrated smart GaNs. The STMicroelectronics GaN products can be used for building custom wearables, wireless chargers, electric vehicle chargers, DC-DC converters, and automotive motor control solutions. STMicroelectronics specializes in building components and solutions for automotive and industrial sectors and offers high-quality power electronics components tailored to this field. They produce their own unique Infineon’s CoolGaN™ transistors with a faster switching speed. Infineon offers power GaN transistors, and GaN-based RF solutions for a wide range of applications: automotive, industrial, mobile, smart home, and smart city. NXP® Semiconductors Now, let’s see what service companies use GaN-based products for building custom power electronics. Service Companies for GaN-based Power Electronics Development There are plenty of off-the-shelf power electronics products on the market. However, they sometimes don’t match specific needs and requirements for size, functionality, and other parameters. In this case, you can find a team of professionals to develop a custom power electronics solution for you and your business. As we learned, you can find GaN-based components that perfectly fit specific industries and that you can use for creating your product. Now, let’s take a look at several companies that use the components made of GaN to create custom power electronics from scratch. . This team is highly experienced with GaN products from STMicroelectronics, Infineon, and NXP® Semiconductors. Besides, the Integra team is an official partner of STMicroelectronics and have the access to the DevKits and all the necessary documentation. Integra Sources: https://www.integrasources.com/ The company provides custom power electronics design for EV charging stations, battery management systems, power converters, lighting control systems, and motor controllers. . The company creates ready-to-go power electronics solutions and prove custom design services using GaN-based components as well. They create power converters, battery chargers, and control modules. Converdan: https://www.converdan.com/ Besides, they develop a wide range of services in custom power electronics design: E-mobility power solutions, solar inverters, energy storage, motor drives and converters for HVAC, and power supplies. . This team can take your product on a full-cycle journey of the development process: from R&D to manufacturing. The company builds custom low voltage and high-power electronics. Smart Power Solutions: https://www.smartpowersolutions.com/ They use GaN power components from various suppliers to create custom power electronics solutions for a number of applications: smart grid, EV charging, fuel cells, automotive, and traction auxiliaries.

What Is GaN Technology and Its Place in Power Electronics

We're thrilled to announce the launch of the Embedded GUI Contest, a contest sponsored by open source , , , , and . RT-Thread IoT OS LVGL STMicroelectronics Nuvoton Technology Corporation NXP Semiconductors The mission is to develop a project with provided hardware and run the open-source RT-Thread IoT OS and LVGL(Light and Versatile Graphics Library). - NXP RT1060EVKB *20 (Free Hardware) - STM32F469 Discovery*20 (Free Hardware) - Nuvoton NuMaker-HMI-N9H30*20 (Free Hardware) The hardware available for this contest: All participants whose project is selected will receive free hardware. Cash prizes are on the line for the Embedded GUI Contest, and the stakes are extremely high: 1st prize is $1,000 + Certificate 2nd prize is $500 +Certificate (two 2nd prize awards will be given out) 3rd prize is $100 +Certificate (five 3rd prize awards will be given out) Getting started is easy, ! Be creative, and wow us! write your project proposal Now (Submissions deadline: May 1, 2022 at 11:59 pm PST) Resources Attached: Open Source RT-Thread IoT OS! What about it? RT-Thread is an open-source embedded real-time operating system, with its rich middle-tier components and extensive hardware and software ecosystem delivering robust support for the Internet of Things (IoT) industry. Since its inception in 2006, RT-Thread has powered 1 billion devices, which includes applications for wearable devices, smart home appliances, energy, automotive electronics, medical electronics, consumer electronics, and many other industries. Go to RT-Thread Github: https://github.com/RT-Thread/rt-thread RT-Thread website: https://www.rt-thread.io/ Open Source LVGL! LVGL (Light and Versatile Graphics Library) is a free and open-source graphics library providing everything you need to create an embedded GUI with easy-to-use graphical elements, beautiful visual effects, and a low memory footprint. Check out the project: https://lvgl.io/ NXP Semiconductors: NXP Semiconductors enables a smarter, safer and more sustainable world through innovation. As the world leader in secure connectivity solutions for embedded applications, NXP is pushing boundaries in the automotive, industrial & IoT, mobile, and communication infrastructure markets. Our Purpose: Bringing together bright minds to create breakthrough technologies that make the connected world better, safer and more secure More info about NXP RT1060EVKB: https://www.nxp.com/products/processors-and-microcontrollers/arm-microcontrollers/i-mx-rt-crossover-mcus/i-mx-rt1060-crossover-mcu-with-arm-cortex-m7-core:i.MX-RT1060 https://github.com/RT-Thread/rt-thread/tree/master/bsp/imxrt/imxrt1060-nxp-evk https://github.com/RT-Thread/rt-thread/tree/master/bsp/imxrt/imxrt1060-nxp-evk/applications/lvgl ST Microelectronics: At ST, we are 48,000 creators and makers of semiconductor technologies mastering the semiconductor supply chain with state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities. An independent device manufacturer, we work with more than 200,000 customers and thousands of partners to design and build products, solutions, and ecosystems that address their challenges and opportunities, and the need to support a more sustainable world. Our technologies enable smarter mobility, more efficient power and energy management, and the wide-scale deployment of the Internet of Things and 5G technology. ST is committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2027. Further information can be found at www.st.com. More info about STM32F469 discovery: https://www.st.com/en/evaluation-tools/32f469idiscovery.html https://github.com/RT-Thread/rt-thread/tree/master/bsp/stm32/stm32f469-st-disco/applications/lvgl https://github.com/RT-Thread/rt-thread/tree/master/bsp/stm32/stm32f469-st-disco Nuvoton Technology: Nuvoton Technology Corporation (Nuvoton) was founded to bring innovative semiconductor solutions to the market. Nuvoton was spun-off as a Winbond Electronics affiliate in July 2008 and went public in September 2010 on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE). Nuvoton focuses on the developments of microcontroller, microprocessor, smart home, cloud security IC, battery monitoring IC, component, visual sensing and IoT with security and has strong market share in Industrial, Automotive, Communication, Consumer and Computer markets. Nuvoton owns 6-inch wafer fabs equipped with diversified processing technologies to provide professional wafer foundry services. Nuvoton provides products with a high performance/cost ratio for its customers by leveraging flexible technology, advanced design capability, and integration of digital and analog technologies. Nuvoton values long term relationships with its partners and customers and is dedicated to continuous innovation of its products, processes, and services. Nuvoton has established subsidiaries in the USA, China, Israel, India, Singapore, Korea and Japan to strengthen regional customer support and global management. For more information, please visit http://www.nuvoton.com More info about Nuvoton HMI EVB, check: https://direct.nuvoton.com/tw/numaker-hmi-n9h30 https://github.com/RT-Thread/rt-thread/tree/master/bsp/nuvoton/nk-n9h30 https://blog.lvgl.io/2022-02-18/numaker-hmi-n9h30-review Let's explore the journey of Embedded GUI Development.

Introducing the Embedded GUI Contest

The Internet of Everything extends the embedded devices that emphasize human-computer interaction to describe a more intelligent connection with graphical user interface (GUI) and voice to best clarify the value of the Internet of Things. We now have easy access to enjoy high-definition, high-nature interaction experiences pervaded through daily life, for example, the smartphone. However, introducing a colorful UI into a resource-limited embedded device (MCU) is not easy. So partnered with , , , and to bring this webinar (and a design contest we will soon be launching), opening an opportunity for embedded developers that come from everywhere to explore more possibilities with embedded GUI. Topics feature several, such as discussing the best-fitting GUI for your projects, hardware commits to human-computer interaction, skills to simplify GUI development. Also, many examples and projects showcases will be introduced. RT-Thread IoT OS LVGL STMicroelectronics NXP Nuvoton ⏰ Time: 3/15/2022, 8:00 AM PST ✅ The e-certificate is provided to attendees. ✅ Free to register What is RT-Thread? is an open-source, neutral, and community-based real-time operating system (RTOS). RT-Thread has a Standard version and Nano version. RT-Thread For resource-constrained microcontroller (MCU) systems, the Nano version that requires only 3 KB Flash and 1.2 KB RAM memory resources can be tailored with easy-to-use tools. For resource-rich IoT devices, RT-Thread can use the online software package management tool, together with system configuration tools, to achieve intuitive and rapid modular cutting, seamlessly import rich software packages; thus, achieving complex functions like Android's graphical interface and touch sliding effects, smart voice interaction effects, and so on. Key features: Designed for resource-constrained devices, the minimum kernel requires only 1.2KB of RAM and 3 KB of Flash. A variety of standard interfaces, such as POSIX, CMSIS, C++ application environment. Has rich components and a prosperous and fast-growing package ecosystem Elegant code style, easy to use, read and master. High Scalability. RT-Thread has high-quality scalable software architecture, loose coupling, modularity, is easy to tailor and expand. Supports high-performance applications. Supports all mainstream compiling tools such as GCC, Keil and IAR. Supports a wide range of architectures and chips. What is LVGL? LVGL (Light and Versatile Graphics Library) is a free and open-source graphics library providing everything you need to create an embedded GUI with easy-to-use graphical elements, beautiful visual effects, and a low memory footprint. LVGL has now registered as a software package of RT-Thread. By using or , RT-Thread users can easily download LVGL source code and combine with the RT-Thread project. Together, we're on a mission to make Embedded GUI Development easier. Env tool RT-Thread Studio IDE

Introducing the Embedded GUI Webinar and Design Contest

Home automation involves automating household environment equipment. To achieve that, we have created a smart bulb that is easy to install, and the attached equipment can be controlled over a web browser or smartphone app. The aim of this project is to control different home appliances using a web browser or smartphone. 1. Introduction The project is showcasing a simple way of using the the BleuIO Dongle to turn on and off a light bulb that is connected to the STM32 Nucleo-144 via a 5V Relay. You will need two dongles, one connected to the Nucleo board and one connected to a computer, running the web script. When the BleuIO Dongle is connected to the Nucleo boards USB port the STM32 will recognize it and directly start advertising. This allows the other Dongle to connect to it. It will also accept 3 different inputs from the UART: 0	Send ATI (Request device information) command to BlueIO Dongle.
1	Manually turn the light bulb on
2	Manually turn the light bulb off input	result We have used a STM32 Nucleo-144 development board with STM32H743ZI MCU (STM32H743ZI micro mbed-Enabled Development Nucleo-144 series ARM® Cortex®-M7 MCU 32-Bit Embedded Evaluation Board) for this example. If you want to use another setup you will have to make sure it support USB Host and beware that the GPIO setup might be different and may need to be reconfigured in the .ioc file. WARNING – THIS PROJECT INVOLVES HIGH VOLTAGES THAT CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. PLEASE TAKE ALL NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS, AND TURN OFF ALL POWER TO A CIRCUIT BEFORE WORKING ON IT. What you will need Two BleuIO dongles ( ) https://www.bleuio.com/ The script for the dongle (available on the source code inside web script folder) A board with a STM32 Microcontroller with a USB port. (A Nucleo-144 development board: NUCLEO-H743ZI2, was used developing this example. ( ) https://www.st.com/en/evaluation-tools/nucleo-h743zi.html To connect the dongle to the Nucleo board a “USB A to Micro USB B”-cable with a USB A female-to-female adapter can be used.) STM32CubeIDE ( ) https://www.st.com/en/development-tools/stm32cubeide.html A 5V Relay A light bulb Connecting the relay NOTICE OF RISK; DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY Always be very careful when experimenting with AC, electrical shock can result in serious injuries! For the DC part of the Relay circuit connect S (signal) to pin PE4 on the STM32 NUCLEO board, also connect the Power supply (+) and ground (-) to +5V and GND respectively. Pinout and Connection to STM32 About the Code You can get the project HERE https://github.com/smart-sensor-devices-ab/stm32_bleuio_lightbulb_example This project-based on our previous STM32 project ( ) with these changes in the .ioc file: https://github.com/smart-sensor-devices-ab/stm32_bleuio_example In the pinout view we set the GPIO PE4 to OUTPUT and labeled it to ‘lightbulb’. In the USBH_CDC_ReceiveCallback function in USB_HOST\usb_host.c we copy the CDC_RX_Buffer into a external variable called dongle_response that is accessible from the main.c file. void USBH_CDC_ReceiveCallback(USBH_HandleTypeDef *phost)
{
    if(phost == &hUsbHostFS)
    {
        // Handles the data recived from the USB CDC host, here just printing it out to UART
        rx_size = USBH_CDC_GetLastReceivedDataSize(phost);
        HAL_UART_Transmit(&huart3, CDC_RX_Buffer, rx_size, HAL_MAX_DELAY);

        // Copy buffer to external dongle_response buffer
        strcpy((char *)dongle_response, (char *)CDC_RX_Buffer);

        memset(CDC_RX_Buffer,0,RX_BUFF_SIZE);
        USBH_CDC_Receive(phost, CDC_RX_Buffer, RX_BUFF_SIZE);
    }

    return;
} In main.c we create a simple interpreter so we can react to the data we are receiving from the dongle. /**
  * @brief Simple dongle interpreter
  * @retval None
  */
void dongle_interpreter(uint8_t * input)
{

    if(strlen((char *)input) != 0)
    {
        if(strstr((char *)input, "\r\nADVERTISING...") != NULL)
        {
            isAdvertising = true;
        }
        if(strstr((char *)input, "\r\nADVERTISING STOPPED.") != NULL)
        {
            isAdvertising = false;
        }
        if(strstr((char *)input, "\r\nCONNECTED") != NULL)
        {
            isConnected = true;
            HAL_GPIO_WritePin(GPIOE, GPIO_PIN_1, GPIO_PIN_SET);
        }
        if(strstr((char *)input, "\r\nDISCONNECTED") != NULL)
        {
            isConnected = false;
            HAL_GPIO_WritePin(GPIOE, GPIO_PIN_1, GPIO_PIN_RESET);
        }
        if(strstr((char *)input, "L=0") != NULL)
        {
            isLightBulbOn = false;
            HAL_GPIO_WritePin(Lightbulb_GPIO_Port, Lightbulb_Pin, GPIO_PIN_RESET);

            writeToDongle((uint8_t*)DONGLE_SEND_LIGHT_OFF);

            uart_buf_len = sprintf(uart_tx_buf, "\r\nLight bulb is %s\r\n", isLightBulbOn ? "on":"off");
            HAL_UART_Transmit(&huart3, (uint8_t *)uart_tx_buf, uart_buf_len, HAL_MAX_DELAY);
        }
        if(strstr((char *)input, "L=1") != NULL)
        {
            isLightBulbOn = true;
            HAL_GPIO_WritePin(Lightbulb_GPIO_Port, Lightbulb_Pin, GPIO_PIN_SET);

            writeToDongle((uint8_t*)DONGLE_SEND_LIGHT_ON);

            uart_buf_len = sprintf(uart_tx_buf, "\r\nLight bulb is %s\r\n", isLightBulbOn ? "on":"off");
            HAL_UART_Transmit(&huart3, (uint8_t *)uart_tx_buf, uart_buf_len, HAL_MAX_DELAY);
        }
    }
    memset(&dongle_response, 0, RSP_SIZE);
} In main.c we create a simple interpreter so we can react to the data we are receiving from the dongle. /**
  * @brief Simple dongle interpreter
  * @retval None
  */
void dongle_interpreter(uint8_t * input)
{

    if(strlen((char *)input) != 0)
    {
        if(strstr((char *)input, "\r\nADVERTISING...") != NULL)
        {
            isAdvertising = true;
        }
        if(strstr((char *)input, "\r\nADVERTISING STOPPED.") != NULL)
        {
            isAdvertising = false;
        }
        if(strstr((char *)input, "\r\nCONNECTED") != NULL)
        {
            isConnected = true;
            HAL_GPIO_WritePin(GPIOE, GPIO_PIN_1, GPIO_PIN_SET);
        }
        if(strstr((char *)input, "\r\nDISCONNECTED") != NULL)
        {
            isConnected = false;
            HAL_GPIO_WritePin(GPIOE, GPIO_PIN_1, GPIO_PIN_RESET);
        }
        if(strstr((char *)input, "L=0") != NULL)
        {
            isLightBulbOn = false;
            HAL_GPIO_WritePin(Lightbulb_GPIO_Port, Lightbulb_Pin, GPIO_PIN_RESET);

            writeToDongle((uint8_t*)DONGLE_SEND_LIGHT_OFF);

            uart_buf_len = sprintf(uart_tx_buf, "\r\nLight bulb is %s\r\n", isLightBulbOn ? "on":"off");
            HAL_UART_Transmit(&huart3, (uint8_t *)uart_tx_buf, uart_buf_len, HAL_MAX_DELAY);
        }
        if(strstr((char *)input, "L=1") != NULL)
        {
            isLightBulbOn = true;
            HAL_GPIO_WritePin(Lightbulb_GPIO_Port, Lightbulb_Pin, GPIO_PIN_SET);

            writeToDongle((uint8_t*)DONGLE_SEND_LIGHT_ON);

            uart_buf_len = sprintf(uart_tx_buf, "\r\nLight bulb is %s\r\n", isLightBulbOn ? "on":"off");
            HAL_UART_Transmit(&huart3, (uint8_t *)uart_tx_buf, uart_buf_len, HAL_MAX_DELAY);
        }
    }
    memset(&dongle_response, 0, RSP_SIZE);
} We also update the handleUartInput function so we can have manual control over the light bulb via the UART. /**
  * @brief Simple uart input handler
  * @retval None
  */
void handleUartInput(UARTCommandTypeDef cmd)
{
    switch(cmd)
    {
        case UART_RX_0:
        {
            // 0
            uart_buf_len = sprintf(uart_tx_buf, "\r\n(0 pressed)\r\n");
            HAL_UART_Transmit(&huart3, (uint8_t *)uart_tx_buf, uart_buf_len, HAL_MAX_DELAY);
            if(isBleuIOReady)
            {
                writeToDongle((uint8_t*)DONGLE_CMD_ATI);
            } else
            {
                uart_buf_len = sprintf(uart_tx_buf, BLEUIO_NOT_READY_MSG);
                HAL_UART_Transmit(&huart3, (uint8_t *)uart_tx_buf, uart_buf_len, HAL_MAX_DELAY);
            }
            uartStatus = UART_RX_NONE;
            break;
        }
        case UART_RX_1:
        {
            // 1
            uart_buf_len = sprintf(uart_tx_buf, "\r\n(1 pressed light bulb on!)\r\n");
            HAL_UART_Transmit(&huart3, (uint8_t *)uart_tx_buf, uart_buf_len, HAL_MAX_DELAY);
            HAL_GPIO_WritePin(Lightbulb_GPIO_Port, Lightbulb_Pin, GPIO_PIN_SET);
            uartStatus = UART_RX_NONE;
            break;
        }
        case UART_RX_2:
        {
            // 2
            uart_buf_len = sprintf(uart_tx_buf, "\r\n(2 pressed light bulb off!)\r\n");
            HAL_UART_Transmit(&huart3, (uint8_t *)uart_tx_buf, uart_buf_len, HAL_MAX_DELAY);
            HAL_GPIO_WritePin(Lightbulb_GPIO_Port, Lightbulb_Pin, GPIO_PIN_RESET);

            uartStatus = UART_RX_NONE;
            break;
        }
        case UART_RX_NONE:
        {
            break;
        }
        default:
        {
            uartStatus = UART_RX_NONE;
            break;
        }
    }
} We put the interpreter function inside the main loop. /* Infinite loop */
  /* USER CODE BEGIN WHILE */
  while (1)
  {
    /* USER CODE END WHILE */
    MX_USB_HOST_Process();

    /* USER CODE BEGIN 3 */
    // Simple handler for uart input
    handleUartInput(uartStatus);
    // Inteprets the dongle data
    dongle_interpreter(dongle_response);

    // Starts advertising as soon as the Dongle is ready.
    if(!isAdvertising && !isConnected && isBleuIOReady)
    {
        HAL_Delay(200);
        writeToDongle((uint8_t*)DONGLE_CMD_AT_ADVSTART);
        isAdvertising = true;
    }
  }
  /* USER CODE END 3 */ How to setup project Downloading the project from GitHub Either clone the project, or download it as a zip file and unzip it, into your STM32CubeIDE workspace. Get project HERE https://github.com/smart-sensor-devices-ab/stm32_bleuio_lightbulb_example Importing as an Existing Project From STM32CubeIDE choose File>Import… Then choose General>Existing Projects into Workspace then click ‘Next >’ Make sure you’ve chosen your workspace in ‘Select root directory:’ You should see the project “stm32_bleuio_example”, check it and click ‘Finish’. Running the example In STMCubeIDE click the hammer icon to build the project. Open up the ‘STMicroelectronics STLink Virtual COM Port’ with a serial terminal emulation program like TeraTerm, Putty or CoolTerm. Serial port Setup: Baudrate: 115200 Data Bits: 8 Parity: None Stop Bits: 1 Flow Control: None Connect the BleuIO Dongle before running the example. In STMCubeIDE click the green play button to flash and run it on your board. The first time you click it the ‘Run Configuration’ window will appear. You can just leave it as is and click run. You should be greeted by this welcome message: Wait until the message: “[BleuIO Dongle Ready]” is shown. You can now connect with the other dongle using the script. You can also use the uart commands (0, 1 or 2): Press 0 to get device information. 1 to turn on lightbulb. 2 to turn off lightbulb. Dongle response will be printed to UART. Controlling the light from a web browser We wrote a simple script that connects to the dongle and sends signals to toggle the light from the web browser. For this script to work, we need connected to the computer. BleuIO USB dongle BleuIO javascript library Chrome 78 or later, and you need to enable the flag in #enable-experimental-web-platform-features chrome://flags A web bundler – ( ) parcel js Steps Create a simple Html file called index.html which will serve as the frontend of the script. This Html file contains some buttons that help connect and signal to the remote dongle, which is connected to stm32. `<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head> <meta charset="UTF-8" /> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" /> <link href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/bootstrap@5.1.3/dist/css/bootstrap.min.css" rel="stylesheet" integrity="sha384-1BmE4kWBq78iYhFldvKuhfTAU6auU8tT94WrHftjDbrCEXSU1oBoqyl2QvZ6jIW3" crossorigin="anonymous" /> <title>Control Light using Bleutooth Low Energy</title> </head> <body class="mt-5"> <div class="container mt-5"> <h1 class="mb-5">Control Light using Bleutooth Low Energy</h1> <button class="btn btn-success" id="connect">Connect</button> <button class="btn btn-warning" id="lightOn" disabled>Turn On</button> <button class="btn btn-danger" id="lightOf" disabled>Turn Off</button> </div> <div class="container mt-5"> <img id="light" src="light_off.png" alt="" /> </div> <script src="script.js"></script> </body> </html>` Create a js file called script.js and include it at the bottom of the Html file. This js file uses the BleuIO js library to write AT commands and communicate with the other dongle. import * as my_dongle from "bleuio";
const dongleToConnect = "[0]40:48:FD:E5:35:A5";
import lightOnImg from "./light_on.png";
import lightOfImg from "./light_off.png";
document.getElementById("connect").addEventListener("click", function () {
  my_dongle.at_connect();
  document.getElementById("lightOn").disabled = false;
  document.getElementById("lightOf").disabled = false;
  document.getElementById("connect").disabled = true;
});

document.getElementById("lightOn").addEventListener("click", function () {
  my_dongle
    .ati()
    .then((data) => {
      //make central if not
      if (JSON.stringify(data).includes("Peripheral")) {
        console.log("peripheral");
        my_dongle.at_central().then((x) => {
          console.log("central now");
        });
      }
    })
    .then(() => {
      // connect to dongle
      my_dongle
        .at_getconn()
        .then((y) => {
          if (JSON.stringify(y).includes(dongleToConnect)) {
            console.log("already connected");
          } else {
            my_dongle.at_gapconnect(dongleToConnect).then(() => {
              console.log("connected successfully");
            });
          }
        })
        .then(() => {
          // send command to control light
          my_dongle.at_spssend("L=1").then(() => {
            console.log("Turned on");
            document.getElementById("light").src = lightOnImg;
          });
        });
    });
});

document.getElementById("lightOf").addEventListener("click", function () {
  my_dongle
    .ati()
    .then((data) => {
      //make central if not
      if (JSON.stringify(data).includes("Peripheral")) {
        console.log("peripheral");
        my_dongle.at_central().then((x) => {
          console.log("central now");
        });
      }
    })
    .then(() => {
      // connect to dongle
      my_dongle
        .at_getconn()
        .then((y) => {
          if (JSON.stringify(y).includes(dongleToConnect)) {
            console.log("already connected");
          } else {
            my_dongle.at_gapconnect(dongleToConnect).then(() => {
              console.log("connected successfully");
            });
          }
        })
        .then(() => {
          // send command to control light
          my_dongle.at_spssend("L=0").then(() => {
            console.log("Turned off");
            document.getElementById("light").src = lightOfImg;
          });
        });
    });
}); The script js file has three button actions; connect and control light. Now we need to know the ID of the other dongle connected to STM32 so that we can connect to it. You can use this web terminal to get the dongle ID. Open this site and click connect to dongle. https://bleuio.com/web_terminal.html Select the appropriate port to connect. Once it says connected, type . This will show dongle information and current status. "ATI" If the dongle is on peripheral role, set it to central by typing "AT+CENTRAL" Now do a gap scan by typing "AT+GAPSCAN" Once you see your dongle on the list ,stop the scan by pressing control+c Copy the ID and paste it into the script (script.js) line #2 You will need a web bundler. You can use parcel.js Once parcel js installed, go to the root directory and type . This will start your development environment. “parcel index.html” Open the script on a browser using parcel js. You can easily connect to the dongle and turn on-off light from there.

A Guide to Making a BLE-Enabled Smart Bulb with STM32

Brushless DC motors have some significant advantages over brushed motors, largely because of the electronic commutation. It allows the controller to switch the current promptly and thus regulate the motor’s characteristics effectively. In this article, we’ll consider the peculiarities of a brushless DC motor controller. You will learn about its operating principles as well as the design features and challenges you should know about before building your own device. Introduction The history of the first brushless DC (BLDC) motor dates back to 1962. The implementation of this new type of electrical motor was made possible thanks to a invented shortly before. Using electronics instead of a mechanical commutator with brushes was a breakthrough in electrical engineering at that time. transistor switch BLDC motors have found wide application in various industries - from computer hard drives to electric transport and industrial robots. In some fields, they have almost squeezed out brushed DC (BDC) motors. High performance and durability are among the major advantages of a brushless DC motor. Nevertheless, it will hardly edge out BDC motors completely as it is still a costly solution with a complex construction and control system. A BLDC motor controller can perform the same functions and apply similar methods as a . However, there are some conceptual differences in their arrangement and implementation. This article will shed light on the characteristics of a brushless DC motor controller, that is how it works, how it is built, and what it works best for. brushed DC motor controller Working Principles of BLDC Motors and Controllers A BLDC motor controller regulates the speed and torque of the motor; it can also start, stop, and reverse its rotation. To understand the working principles of the controller, let us start first with the construction of a brushless motor. Its major components comprise: an or made of permanent and in many cases neodymium magnets; armature rotor anda with windings that create a magnetic field when energized. stator The rotor’s magnets and stator’s windings provide the rotation of the motor. They attract each other with opposite poles and repel each other with the same poles. A similar process takes place in a brushed DC motor. The essential difference is in the method of switching the current applied to the wire windings. In a BDC motor, this is a mechanical process triggered by a commutator with brushes. In a BLDC motor, it happens electronically with the help of transistor switches. A BLDC motor controller detects the position of the rotor either by using sensors (for example, a ) or sensorlessly. The sensors measure the rotor’s position and send out this data. The controller receives the information and enables the transistors to switch the current and energize the required winding of the stator at the right time. Hall-effect sensor Types of BLDC Motors and Controllers Depending on the rotor’s placement, BLDC motors can be of two types: (the rotor is internal, and the stator is on the outside of the motor); inrunner motor (the rotor is external, so the permanent magnets spin around the stator together with the motor’s case ). outrunner motor Inrunners have a more lightweight construction and a better rotational speed because of their smaller rotating diameter. In their turn, outrunner motors have a higher torque because of the longer arm and greater electromotive force applied to the rotor. Three-phase brushless DC motors can have two different types of winding connections: ( ) or connection (windings meet at the center forming a wye); - wye Y star - ( ) connection (windings are connected in series forming a triangle). delta Δ The wye configuration has a neutral wire connected to ground. This can protect the motor from overvoltage and overload. The delta connection has no neutrals, so it works better for motors with a balanced load. However, each of these types can show efficient performance depending on your requirements. BLDC motor controllers differ according to the method they use to detect the rotor’s position. You can make the measurements with the help of position sensors or using a sensorless technique. There are plenty of options among sensors, including: Hall-effect sensors; rotary encoders; variable reluctance sensors; resolvers; optical sensors. The sensorless BLDC motor controller works without a sensor; it detects the rotor’s position by estimating ( ). This is the voltage created in the stator’s windings by the rotating armature. By measuring the back EMF, you can determine the position of the rotor: the closer the rotor’s magnet, the higher the back EMF. back electromotive force back EMF Application Area of BLDC Motors and Controllers The key benefits of a brushless DC motor arise from its construction features. The electronic commutation provides improved current switching. It results in increased torque, effective speed control over a wide range, and thus better performance of the motor. Using electronics instead of mechanical parts that wear makes it a low-maintenance and long-lasting solution. In addition, the absence of brushes leads to minimum power loss and a low level of ( ) and noise. electromagnetic interference EMI That’s why BLDC motors find wide use in devices and systems with a long operational lifetime, including: industrial applications; electric vehicles; unmanned aircraft systems; computer equipment;consumer electronics; robotics. Thanks to the arrangement, BLDC motors can power small-sized yet high-performance devices which also expands their application area. Of course, there are inexpensive low-power systems that do not need a programmable brushless DC motor controller . Here, the use of a BDC motor with a simple controller could make more sense. But if you still prioritize higher efficiency and durability over simplicity and cost-effectiveness, a brushless DC motor can be a viable option for your project. with feedback Building a BLDC motor controller requires strong expertise in both electronic design and embedded software development. If implemented properly, a control unit can ensure the smooth operation of your motor and extend its lifespan. In the next section of this article, we’ll provide more details on how to design a brushless DC motor controller. BLDC Motor Controller Circuit Design A typical BLDC motor controller has a or circuit. Unlike an , this circuit configuration has only two switches - one high-side and one low-side transistor. half-bridge half-H bridge H bridge Most brushless motors use two or three-phase power systems. So in a BLDC motor controller circuit diagram, this will look like two or three half-bridges (depending on the number of phases) with a pair of switches each. Let’s take a closer look at a 3 phase brushless DC motor controller with Hall-effect sensors to view the basic principles of its circuit design. The stator has three-phase windings located at 120° to one another. Each winding has a vector representation of voltage and current applied to the stator. The BLDC motor controller Hall sensors identify the rotor’s position. Upon receiving the sensor data, the power switch the current, injecting it into the right winding. In a high-power brushless DC motor controller, s and switches can replace MOSFETs. MOSFETs IGBT GaN Either integrated or discrete gate drivers can control the transistors. The drivers of a brushless motor controller schematic act as intermediaries between the switches and a microcontroller (MCU). The three-phase BLDC motor controller circuit includes six steps necessary to complete a full switching cycle (that is to energize all the three windings of the stator). By turning the high-side and low-side transistors on and off, the current flows through the stator windings in sequence. Designing a BLDC motor controller, you can consider different approaches to current switching, including and commutation. The names of these methods relate to the signal waveforms. trapezoidal sinusoidal With the trapezoidal commutation, two windings out of three can stay energized at the same time. In the sinusoidal control method, the phase shift complies with the law of sines. It provides smoother current switching between the phases. The trapezoidal commutation is simpler, but it may cause the vibration of the motor at low speeds. Implementation of sinusoidal current waveforms can ensure flawless operation of your motor. However, this type of commutation becomes challenging at high speeds. Typically, a sinusoidal brushless motor controller circuit uses ( ). It helps regulate the current injected into the rotor’s windings and run the commutation process more smoothly and efficiently. This applies especially to controllers that get feedback on the output signal and adjust the input power by varying the duty cycle. pulse-width modulation PWM closed-loop A duty cycle is the percentage between the current pulse and the complete cycle of the current signal. A BLDC motor speed controller changes PWM duty cycles to create sinusoidal signals. PWM switching frequency can be different for various applications. Although it should be high enough to prevent power loss. The physical limitations of the stator determine the maximum frequency level. However, there are also the specifications of the control unit itself. So even if the stator allows you to increase the PWM frequency, you will not be able to do that because of the limited capabilities of your DC brushless motor controller. As an option, you can employ to control the operation of a BLDC motor. This method relates to the sinusoidal commutation too. It allows you to establish the upper and lower limits of the current supplied to the motor. As soon as the current reaches its upper or lower range, the transistor switches turn off or on respectively and change the average current using the law of sines. hysteresis You can implement a BLDC motor controller half-bridge as either an integrated circuit (IC) or as discrete components. This is one of the most common dilemmas you might face as you start figuring out how to design a BLDC motor controller. A discrete circuit can be less reliable since the components should be assembled and soldered onto the board separately. A brushless DC motor controller IC has a smaller size, low production costs, and simplifies the design process. However, integrated circuits have power limitations. Above that, the failure of one component will lead to the replacement of the entire BLDC motor controller IC, not just this component. Challenges of Making a BLDC Motor Speed Controller Building a brushless DC motor controller circuit, you might come across some challenges. Depending on the motor’s functionality and application, you’ll need to choose suitable hardware and implement the required algorithms. For example, BLDC motor controllers used in power electronics deal with high current and voltage. They require a high switching frequency. Here, it will make sense to use discrete components, including high-power transistors, such as IGBT and GaN. external The rotor’s positioning accuracy is one of the biggest challenges of any brushless motor controller. You can achieve this by using either sensor or sensorless measurements. Position sensors offer a relatively simple detection method that you can implement without sophisticated control algorithms. However, their use complicates the arrangement and maintenance of the motor. The sensorless method (back EMF measurement) can cut the cost of the bill of materials (BOM) and simplify your brushless DC motor controller design. The major challenge here is to make the rotor move first, since back EMF will not appear when the rotor is at rest. Thus, the controller will not receive the required information. In addition, back EMF is proportional to the rotor’s speed. So the positioning accuracy will decrease if you run the motor at low speeds. To measure the back EMF correctly, think through your brushless DC motor controller schematic as well as its software. You need to install current and voltage converters, add noise filters, and build ( ) algorithms. digital signal processing DSP Nevertheless, a lot depends on the particular implementation of the measuring method. To achieve improved accuracy, you can combine different techniques. For example, you can use an optical sensor or a rotary encoder together with a Hall-effect sensor. To detect the rotor’s position, you can also measure the back EMF and additionally receive data from a Hall-effect or laser position sensor mounted on the motor. The main programming challenges in a BLDC motor controller design lie in the microcontroller’s firmware development. It involves commutation, detection of the rotor’s position, generation of PWM signals, and other functions. Some microcontroller manufacturers offer embedded software tools that can help you write custom firmware for your motor controller’s MCU. For example, our partners from STMicroelectronics created the that contains hardware and software development kits, firmware libraries, and other toolsets intended for the design of BLDC motor controllers. STM32 ecosystem for motor control In most cases, the MCU of a closed-loop motor controller uses a ( ) algorithm. It is necessary for regulating the speed, torque, and other characteristics of the motor. For example, a PID algorithm can analyze the current speed, compare this value with the setpoint, and calculate the PWM duty cycle that should be applied to the motor to stabilize its speed. proportional-integral-derivative PID In one of our projects, we created a BLDC motor controller circuit design for a bespoke gear drive. Our major tasks included the detection of the rotor’s position and regulation of the rotational speed with high accuracy. Using a rotary encoder assisted with the positioning task, but the speed control became a challenge. The difficulty occurred because of the low resolution of the MCU peripherals, namely the timer that generated PWM signals. To solve this task, we implemented a custom PID algorithm to compensate for the limited range of bits. Conclusion Brushless DC motors have been in use for over fifty years. Their application area ranges from a small-sized consumer device to a complicated industrial automation system. The all-electronic control system increases torque, improves wide-range speed regulation, and enhances other characteristics of the motor. Despite the reliability and high efficiency, such motors are not universal. First of all, they have a high price and a complex controller’s implementation. Thus, for some projects, a could become a reasonable option. brushed DC motor controller One of the key design challenges of a BLDC motor controller lies in determining the position of the rotor. You can accomplish this in different ways, such as: using a suitable sensing device; measuring back electromotive force created in the stator’s windings; combining various methods to achieve the desired result. The design of brushless DC motor controls can take resources and require unconventional engineering solutions at both hardware and software levels. Also published on: https://www.integrasources.com/blog/bldc-motor-controller-design-principles/

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