Smart Grid
Toshiba's Proposal Reaches Major Milestone in IEC International Standardization for Smart Grids
Toshiba Corporation today announced that the International Electrotechnical Commission has endorsed a committee draft for vote of an International Standard, proposed by Toshiba, that will secure a much higher level of interoperability among subsystems in electricity transmission and distribution systems.
Meter-Reading Between The Lines
The UK's proposed network of 4G-connected smart meters without line links amounts to a whole new, highly critical infrastructure; needing equally critical test procedures. Marc Meulensteen, Business Development Manager with Sprirent Communications, expands in this article from ES Design magazine.
The Last 30 Miles And Beyond
Ambitious global efforts are pushing the development and implementation of Smart Grids at various levels. The first steps have already been successfully taken, but there is still a long way to go. Philip Dingle, Segment Manager Power Utilities and Networks, Electrical Sector for EMEA at Eaton, explores further in this article from ES Design magazine.
Smart Meter Service Disconnect Switches From Fairchild Semiconductor
Smart e-meters need the ability to remotely disconnect the loads from the grid to better manage the system during high demand usage or during a shortage of power sources. The function must be tolerant of the noisy environment of the smart meter as it is directly connected to the incoming feed from the grid and controlled by a micro-controller.
TI Supports Thingsquare Mist To Deliver Low Power RF Connectivity To The IoT
To further support the development of the Internet of Things, Texas Instruments announce support of the Thingsquare Mist IoT open source firmware for select TI hardware platforms for connected home automation products, connected lighting, and smart city projects. For maximum scalability, manufacturers can select from several TI IP/6LoWPAN solutions including the sub-1 GHz CC1101 or CC1120 RF transceiver combined with an ultra-low power MSP430 MCU or the CC2538 system-on-chip with integrated ARM Cortex M3, RF transceiver and memory.
Silicon Labs Best-In-Class Wireless Transceiver For Chinese Smart Metering Market
Silicon Labs announce a high-performance, ultra-low-power wireless transceiver optimized for China's rapidly growing smart metering market. Silicon Labs' new Si4438 EZRadioPRO IC is designed to maximize wireless range and battery life while reducing bill of materials cost by 30 percent for smart meters. Designed for the 425-525 MHz ISM band, the Si4438 transceiver also provides an ideal sub-GHz wireless solution for in-home energy management systems and other smart grid infrastructure applications such as long-range back-haul communications to utilities.
Altera FPGA-Based HSR/PRP Reference Design Targeting Smart Grid Automation Equipment
Altera expands its FPGA-based solutions targeting smart energy systems with a High-availability Seamless Redundancy and Parallel Redundancy Protocol reference design targeting smart grid substation automation equipment. Developed jointly with Flexibilis Oy the IEC 62439-3-compliant reference design includes Flexibilis Redundant Switch intellectual property implemented on an Altera low-power, low-cost Cyclone-class FPGA or Cyclone V SoC.
ANS6201, an Analog Front End that makes Power Line Communication for smart grids more reliable
AnSem NV announces the availability of a flexible and low power Analog Front End (AFE) for power line communication (PLC) in the lower frequency bands. The ANS6201 is a single chip Analog Front End built in 0.18µm TSMC technology that integrates all main blocks, including filters, for a narrowband OFDM PLC transceiver.
TI Expands Fully Integrated SoCs For Polyphase Smart Meters Portfolio
Texas Instruments today announced 60 new fully integrated metering SoCs to be demonstrated at DistribuTECH 2013. The MSP430F677x SoCs can achieve electricity measurement accuracy that meets or exceeds global regulatory requirements for smart polyphase e-meters including IEC 62053-22 and ANSI C12.20 Class 0.2 standards.In addition, the large integrated memory on MSP430F677x SoCs enables more sophisticated metering features; while advanced anti-tampering protection helps electric utilities prevent power theft and meter manipulation.
Freescale To Demonstrate End-To-End Connected Solutions For Smart Metering At DistribuTECH
Freescale plans to demonstrate a broad set of solutions for the smart grid market at the DistribuTECH Conference & Exhibition in San Diego, Calif., taking place Jan. 29-31. At the Freescale booth (#1145), attendees will see Freescale technology supporting the "last mile" of smart grid ecosystem, including Internet of Things-accessible devices.
Silicon Labs To Showcase Wireless AMI Solutions At DistribuTECH
Silicon Laboratories will showcase its wireless solutions for advanced metering infrastructure at DistribuTECH, the utility industry's leading smart grid conference, held in San Diego, California, Jan. 29-31. Silicon Labs' mixed-signal devices, including wireless radios, ultra-low-power 8-bit microcontrollers, 32-bit Precision32 MCUs and digital isolators, assist in the communications, sensing, calibration, timing, processing, security and reliability of smart meters.
New medium voltage inductive coupler for smart grids
PREMO MICU-300A-S/LF inductive cupler transmits the PLC signals between power line and PLC data transceiver without connection of communication cable to power line. This inductive coupler has a safer installation (High insulation > 5 kV) than a capacitive coupler.
IBM, STMicroelectronics and Shaspa Advance Smarter Home Initiative
STMicroelectronics and Shaspa today announced a collaboration to tap cloud and mobile computing for manufacturers and service providers to provide innovative ways for consumers to manage and interact with their homes' functions and entertainment systems using multiple user interfaces such as voice recognition and physical gestures for a smarter home.
STMicroelectronics and Tatung Collaborate to Enable Smarter Homes
The era of the smart, connected home that offers its occupants a greener, safer, more convenient and more enjoyable lifestyle has been brought closer through a unique collaboration announced today by STMicroelectronics and Tatung. Working together, the two companies have developed an array of smart-home appliances that can be interconnected to form a smart-home ecosystem.
Power Line Communication make a Smarter Grid
Nexans has recently hosted a technical conference highlighting the vital role that Power Line Communications solutions, deployed over existing electrical distribution infrastructure, will play in the creation of Smarter Grids.
TE Connectivity Launches NECTOR Power Systems
Buildings are alive. They have the intelligence to sense and react, anticipate and illuminate. Increased demand for total comfort and convenience are driving the change of how a building's power runs within the walls, ceilings, and floors for lighting, security, and beyond.
New IEEE Standards for Wireless Data Networking designed to help Utilities Modernize Communications Infrastructure for Smart Grids
IEEE today announced updates to four wireless communications technologies in the IEEE 802 family of standards, as well as a new IEEE 802 standards-development project. The new standards support the global utility industry's needs for smart grid data communications infrastructure and build on the IEEE Standards Association portfolio of more than 100 active IEEE standards or standards in development pertaining to the smart grid.
Automatic for more of the people
With interoperability now clearly defined by the new ISO/IEC standard (ISO/IEC 14543-3-10), will it help drive demand for home automation systems? Chief Executive Office of EnOcean, Laurent Giai-Miniet, investigates.
TI ZigBee wireless network processor first to offer ZigBee Smart Energy, ZigBee Home Automation and ZigBee Light Link standards for a single end-device
TI today announced that the CC2538 is the industry's first ZigBee wireless network processor to offer the three most popular ZigBee standards for one end-device (ZigBee Smart Energy, ZigBee Home Automation and ZigBee Light Link).
Maxim’s Complete Smart-Meter SoC Combines Metrology, Security, and Communication
Maxim introduces Zeus, an important advance in integration and security protection for the smart grid. Zeus is a complete smart-meter system-on-a-chip that offers highly accurate metrology, multiple layers of security, and plenty of processing horsepower for today's advanced communication protocols.
ST SoC pairs with smart media-server software for the Ultimate Connected Home
STMicroelectronics has revealed that it is demonstrating a significant leap forward in home multimedia at IBC 2012. ST's demonstration combines the power of the Company's STiH416 ("Orly") connected-home System-on-Chip device with Twonky Server software from PacketVideo to enable the ultimate connected-home experience.
GreenPeak to Provide ZigBee connectivity for the entire Home
GreenPeak has today revealed that it is expanding its product portfolio and customer target base. GreenPeak ZigBee chips are already integrated into leading cable industry set-top boxes to enable power saving and long range RF based connections for remote controls.
Smart home and Business with Vision Security intelligent and secure certified door lock
Vision Security has developed a Z-Wave network-enabled door lock for the smart home and business. The security solution with the designation "ZM1702" is based on the Z-Wave wireless standard and offers a range of intelligent functions. For example, owners can open and lock the door wirelessly from an Alarm Panel, PC, Tablet or Smart Phone. Moreover the lock features a keypad control panel for which specific access codes can be programmed, even remotely.
STMicroelectronics Showcase Energy-Saving Smart Home Solutions at TECHNO-FRONTIER 2012
STMicroelectronics has announced that it will be demonstrate its latest solutions for smart homes at TECHNO-FRONTIER in Tokyo Big Sight, Japan, on July 11 – 13, 2012 in booth 6C-207. Making the most efficient use of electricity is becoming critical for everyone due to escalating electricity prices and the advance of global warming.
Maxim’s High-Density QAM Modulator Chipset Enables the Next-Generation Connected Home Experience
Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. announces a new high-density, wideband, scalable QAM modulator chipset: the MAX5880 digital upconverter and MAX5882 RF digital-to-analog converter. The MAX5880/MAX5882 delivers up to 32 times more broadband cable capacity per RF port compared to a conventional analog upconverter, and saves up to 93% in power dissipation per QAM channel. The QAM modulator chipset performance exceeds Cable Labs DOCSIS 3.0 RF specifications.
Marvell Announces Enhanced LTE-PON Platform for Service Providers
Extending its always-on, connected lifestyle vision to next-generation networks, Marvell today announced an end-to-end, enhanced LTE-PON platform designed to facilitate fast and efficient end-user access to home and public cloud content.
Marvell's All-Encompasing Cloud Services Solutions Power the Connected Lifestyle for Businesses and Consumers
Marvell today announced an end-to-end cloud services and infrastructure platform that accelerates the connected lifestyle for businesses and consumers. Marvell is the only company to offer networking, compute and storage solutions that support all three clouds – private, public, and home – as well as fiber and mobile Internet service infrastructure. With this all-encompassing approach, Marvell is connecting every aspect of the digital lifestyle – whether at home, at work, or on the go.
RF65x9 Smart Energy Transmit/Receive Front End Modules for AMI/AMR and Smart Grid solutions
The RF65x9 series of Transmit/Receive Modules integrate a complete solution in a single Front-End Module for AMI/AMR and Smart Grid solutions. The FEMs integrate a PA, transmit filtering, input and output switches, a Tx or receive attenuation path, and an LNA with bypass mode.
What’s Next for Internet-Enabled Smart Lighting?
What if every light bulb had an Internet IP address? Since NXP Semiconductors N.V. first raised the question at LIGHTFAIR International (LFI) nearly one year ago, interest in IPv6-enabled smart lighting has soared. The potential energy and cost savings – as well as the comfort, convenience and lifestyle benefits for the consumer – have mobilized a growing ecosystem of innovators in lighting, connectivity, energy management and home automation to enable and support wirelessly controlled intelligent lighting.
Operation Lifetime Doubles in Smart Meters and Other Wireless Sensor Node Applications with New Wireless Transceiver from STMicroelectronics
STMicroelectronics today introduced a high-performance, ultra-low-power wireless transceiver for Automatic Meter Infrastructure and other wireless sensor node applications, such as alarm and security systems, home and building automation, and industrial monitoring and control. ST's SPIRIT1 transceiver combines excellent receiver sensitivity with unbeatable current consumption, delivering 50% power reduction over existing solutions in the market.
Broadcom Introduces Industry's First Set-Top Box Platform for Secure Convergence of Pay-TV and Open Internet Applications
Broadcom Corporation today introduced the BCM7435, the industry's first 40nm Dual Core Hybrid Gateway system-on-a-chip (SoC) with Web domain security. This new technology enables operators to securely deliver premium broadcast content converged with Web-based content and services to multiple screens in the connected home.
Z-Wave.Me presents Z-Way controller software at CeBIT 2012
The networked home is one of the hot topics at this year's CeBIT. And just how easy it is to set up, organise and operate home control devices based on Z-Wave via the Web will be demonstrated by the Z-Wave alliance member Z-Wave.Me from 6 to 11 March at stand B29 in Hall 13. The prime focus at the stand will be the demonstration of the Z-Way controller software, which the user can operate from a local control unit (PC, laptop, iPad, etc.) or online.
Z-Wave announces 600th certified product: RCS TECHNOLOGY EM52 Whole House Energy Meter
The Z-Wave Alliance today announced that it has certified its 600th product. This major milestone solidifies its position as the leading consortium dedicated to Home Control and Smart Energy development. The 600th Z-Wave product is a Whole House Energy Meter designed to provide timely and accurate consumption data.
Synopsys Announces Industry's First HDMI 1.4 PHY IP in 28-nanometer Processes for Multiple Foundries
Synopsys, Inc. today announced the immediate availability of DesignWare HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) 1.4 PHY IP in advanced 28-nanometer (nm) processes for multiple leading foundries. System-on-chip (SoC) designs for high-end mobile multimedia and digital home applications are migrating to 28-nm processes to minimize power consumption and maximize performance. The DesignWare HDMI 1.4 PHY IP has been optimized for low power, small area and high performance at 28-nm, enabling design teams to quickly integrate the HDMI interface into their chips with less risk and effort.
Digi Releases Next Generation ZigBee Smart Energy Gateway
Digi International has introduced the ConnectPort X2e for Smart Energy, a low-cost, enhanced version of the company's ZigBee Smart Energy gateway. The gateway connects ZigBee Smart Energy devices from a Home Area Network (HAN) to an energy service provider via broadband.
