Industrial facilities require extensive data to optimize revenue and minimize costs, and Moxa has delivered with a new Ethernet switch designed for Network speeds of up to 10 GB.

Moxa has introduced a new lineup of high-bandwidth Ethernet switches specifically tailored for industrial applications. The lineup includes a layer 3 rack mount series designed to deliver speeds of up to 10 GbE, as well as a layer 2 DIN rail mount series offering speeds of up to 2.5 GbE. These switches are designed to cater to the high-speed networking needs of industrial environments.

To enhance production, efficiency, and component quality tracking, industrial facilities require extensive data to optimize revenue and minimize costs. Although numerous high-speed Ethernet switches are available commercially, not all are suitable for the demands of an industrial setting. This is why Moxa has introduced two new families of high-bandwidth industrial switches; The MRX layer 3 rack mount series and the EDS-4000/G4000 series layer 2 DIN rail switches.


The MRX-Q4064 (above) and MRX-G4064 are equipped with 6+2 fans to maintain stable operating temperature ranges. Image used courtesy of Moxa
 
MRX Series Ethernet Switches

The MRX series of industrial Ethernet switches currently comprises the MRX-Q4064 and the MRX-G4064 and are layer 3 rack-mount devices. These advanced switches are capable of supporting a significant number of field devices with minimal latency and high bandwidth, making them ideal for various industrial environments. They offer flexible port configurations to accommodate diverse industrial setups. Additionally, both switches are designed to regulate temperature with 8 fan modules and feature a dual power supply for effective power management and seamless, uninterrupted operations and bridge IT and OT networks.

Each MRX features a modular design and is well-suited for large industrial networks. Both the MRX-Q4064 and MRX-G4064 can accommodate up to 64 ports.


Data in the 21st Century is required faster and in higher volume than ever before. Image used courtesy of Adobe Stock
 
The MRX-Q4064

    (16) 10GbE built-in
    (48) 2.5GbE ports supported through modules


Dimensional drawing of rack mount options for the MRX series of Ethernet switches. Image used courtesy of Moxa
 
The MRX-G4604

    (8) 10GbE ports built-in
    (56) 2.5GbE ports support through modules

The MRX device is equipped with a command line interface (CLI) for streamlined management, an out-of-band management (OOBM) port for secure remote access, and port mirroring for efficient monitoring and security management.

The EDS-4000/G4000 Series

This comprehensive portfolio of layer 2 DIN-rail Ethernet switches comprises 68 different models and has uplink options of up to 2.5GbE. These layer 2 switches are designed to build a secure and reliable industrial network with the MRX-G4064 and MRX-Q4064 series switches. All EDS-4000/G4000 series switches are compliant with the IEC 62443-4-2 industrial cybersecurity standard to block any malicious activity with DHCP snooping features.


The EDS-4008 has a compact and modular design that allows easy adaptation to suit the customer's needs. Image used courtesy of Moxa

The EDS-4000/G4000 series of switches offers a wide range of advanced features designed to elevate your networking capabilities.

Familiarity with Moxa’s technology affirms that the EDS switch is equipped to support Turbo Ring, Turbo Chain, and MRP technologies, thereby ensuring network redundancy. Moreover, these devices are designed to be compatible with PROFINET, Ethernet/IP, and Modbus TCP communication protocols, enabling them to be customized to align with the specific requirements of individual systems.

Startup Morse Micro, a fabless Wi-Fi HaLow silicon vendor, along with its partners, showcased several new Wi-Fi HaLow-enabled devices at CES 2024. These include a wireless home security camera with AI, edge AI security cameras, routers for long-range IoT and remote-area connectivity solutions. Morse Micro is an EE Times Silicon 100 startup to watch.

Wi-Fi HaLow technology is the first Wi-Fi standard that is specifically tailored for IoT applications. The Wi-Fi HaLow 802.11ah standard, operating in the sub-GHz frequency band, delivers a combination of benefits, including lower power consumption, high data rate, extended range, higher throughput and advanced security. It also offers lower deployment costs and interoperability.

Morse Micro, in collaboration with its partners, will demonstrate Wi-Fi HaLow technology breakthroughs across a range of IoT applications at CES. Here are few of the latest new products adopting Wi-Fi Halow.
AI-enabled smart home security camera

Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. has introduced its new Type 2FR connectivity module, driven by NXP Semiconductor’s RW612 wireless microcontroller (MCU) with an integrated tri-radio. Measuring 12 × 11 mm, the tri-radio module is 50% smaller than a discrete implementation. It delivers high integration, efficiency and tri-radio capabilities that Murata claims is a breakthrough in IoT connectivity. Applications include smart home devices, smart appliances, enterprise and industrial automation as well as smart city and smart energy solutions.

The module supports communication protocols such as dual-band Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) 5.3, 802.15.4 and Ethernet. Importantly today, Type 2FR is ready for Matter, allowing compatibility with Matter over Wi-Fi, Matter over Thread and Matter over Ethernet.

The Wi-Fi and Ethernet capability allows the IoT device to function as a border router to address new applications, according to the company.

The module features a 260-MHz Arm Cortex-M33 core, 1.2-MB RAM, 16-MB flash memory and NXP EdgeLock security to meet a broad spectrum of IoT applications. The module  can operate in co-processor mode. The RW612 is supported by the NXP MCUXpresso ecosystem of software and tools. The solution has full regulatory certification and offers multiple external antenna options for compliance and reliability.

Murata will showcase its Matter-enabled tri-radio module portfolio at CES 2024, LVCC, West Hall, Booth #6300. Samples will be available at the same time.

NXP Semiconductors N.V. has expanded its automotive radar one-chip family, introduced this time last year, with the launch of the new SAF86xx. The device monolithically integrates a high-performance radar transceiver, a multi-core radar processor and a MACsec hardware engine for secure data communication over automotive Ethernet.

The radar one-chip, together with NXP’s S32 high-performance processors, vehicle network connectivity and power management, delivers a full system solution that readies the path for software-defined radar, from smart sensors to future streaming sensors, NXP said. This includes 360-degree sensor fusion, better sensor resolution and AI-based object classification.

The highly integrated 76 to 81 GHz radar SoC is used for streaming low-level radar sensor data at up to 1 Gbit/s. NXP said it will help carmakers optimize next-generation ADAS partitioning for software-defined vehicles and provide a smooth transition to new architectures. It also will allow OEMs  to introduce new software-defined radar features during the lifetime of the vehicle with over-the-air (OTA) updates.

“Using our new SAF86xx radar one-chip family, OEMs can quickly and easily migrate their current radar platforms to new software-defined vehicle architectures,” said Steffen Spannagel, SVP and GM, ADAS, NXP Semiconductors, in a statement. “A network of connected radar sensors with software-defined functions on a dedicated S32R radar processor in a distributed architecture can enhance radar-based perception to support advancements in autonomous driving. That includes 360-degree sensing, more powerful AI-based algorithms and secure OTA software updates.”

The SAF86xx  shares a common architecture with the SAF85xx introduced last year and also leverages 28-nm RFCMOS performance for improved radar sensor capabilities, compared to prior-generation 40-nm or 45-nm products. Other features include an extended detection range beyond 300 meters and more reliable detection of small objects like curb stones as well as vulnerable road users including cyclists and pedestrians.

The SAF86xx supports NCAP safety functions and advanced ADAS and autonomous driving applications, including advanced comfort features for SAE levels 2+ and 3. It is developed in accordance to ISO 26262 Safety Element out of Context (SEooC) methodology supporting ASIL Level B, in accordance to ISO/SAE 21434 (as a component-out-of-context) and meets the latest security requirements through its HSE security engine

The SAF8xxx family, featuring the SAF86xx and SAF85xx, can be tailored for OEM applications. It supports a range of sensor outputs, including object, point cloud-, or range-FFT-level data for smart sensors in today’s architectures and streaming sensors in future distributed architectures, NXP said. It is sampling now for alpha customers.

NXP also announced that automotive electronics supplier HELLA will use NXP’s SoC family for its 7th generation radar portfolio, including front, rear, corner and side radar. NXP’s radar portfolio is on display at CES 2024, LVCC, booth CP-18.

STMicroelectronics has introduced its Teseo-LIV4F GNSS module that leverages the company’s Teseo IV single-die receiver technology, which includes L1 and L5 frequency-band support. It provides positioning accuracy better than one meter in embedded geolocation systems.

Delivering simultaneous multi-constellation and multi-band GNSS, the Teseo-LIV4F also extends multi-constellation compatibility to include navigation with Indian constellation (NavIC or IRNSS, the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System).

Easing design with the single-die receiver technology, the low power consumption modules in an ultra-compact form factor come with Teseo-LIV4FSW firmware. This allows users to leverage the Teseo Suite PC-based application for free firmware configuration and updating, while the evaluation environment saves development time.

The Teseo-LIV4F module can be used for a variety of position, navigation and timing (PNT) applications. These include insurance, goods tracking, tolling, anti-theft systems, people and pet location, vehicle tracking, emergency calls, fleet management, vehicle sharing, diagnostics and public transportation. It provides real-time assisted GNSS that allows prediction of satellite data based on previous observations.

The Teseo-LIV4F GNSS module with an on-board temperature-compensated crystal oscillator (TCXO) and dedicated real-time clock (RTC) oscillator offers fast time to first fix (TTFF). Key features include 49-mA GNSS L1 and L5 tracking current and 10-μA standby current for extended battery runtime and tracking sensitivity of -162 dBm to help maintain accuracy when signal strength is low.

The Teseo-LIV4F module is officially certified in accordance with CE, FCC and ICES regulations. The operating temperature range from -40°C to 85°C enables use in harsh environments such as outdoors and in factories.

In production, the Teseo-LIV4F GNSS module is available in a 9.7 × 10.1-mm LCC-18 pin package. It is covered by ST’s extended product-longevity assurance for industrial ICs.

Infineon also offers the Teseo-LIV4FM dual-band GNSS measurement engine module with the same size and pin-out of the Teseo-LIV4F. It provides precise positioning for applications such as micro mobility, agriculture and navigation with centimeter level accuracy using the MCU-host RTK/PPP algorithm. Engineering samples of Teseo-LIV4FM are available now with production scheduled for the end of 2023.

Molex has introduced its MX60 series of contactless connectivity solutions. Designed to replace physical cables or connectors, the low-power, high-speed, solid-state devices feature miniaturized mmWave RF transceivers and built-in antennas in one package for faster and simpler device-to-device communications.

This results in greater design flexibility, seamless device pairing and increased communications reliability, said Molex. Applications include video displays and consumer electronics as well as industrial robotics and devices operating in harsh environments.

The MX60 series is based on wireless chip-to-chip technology acquired in 2021 through the purchase of core technology and intellectual property from Keyssa Inc., a provider of high-speed contactless connectivity. The technology operates at data rates from 1-to-5.4 Gbits/s on the 60-GHz band with no Wi‑Fi or Bluetooth interference.

The first devices replace traditional DisplayPort, Gigabit Ethernet and USB SuperSpeed connectors to reduce development time, cost and risk, said Molex. A space-saving, contactless solution that provides USB2 and other low-speed interfaces is currently in development.

“Every piece of real estate counts when designing smartphones, AR/VR glasses, smartwatches and other consumer devices,” said Walter Rivera, senior manager, Wireless Connectivity Product Manager for the Micro Solutions Business Unit at Molex, in a statement. “By combining USB2 and other low-speed interfaces in one contactless solution, we will offer product developers a critical head-start as they won’t have to worry about fitting extra components into ever-shrinking form factors.”

The MX60 series also improves product reliability in harsh environmental conditions, such as dust, moisture and corrosion. The contact-free solutions are sealed and provide lower risk in applications with ingress and repeated motions including high-vibration and rotational products, in comparison to physical metal-to-metal contacts.

These solutions can be used in a range of applications including smartphones, AR/VR glasses, tablets, self-driving vehicles, video walls, industrial robotics, medical wearables and wireless docking stations.

Production samples are available for the MX60 USB SuperSpeed for high-vibration and harsh environments, including mobile devices and networking applications; the MX60 Gigabit Ethernet for wireless infrastructure, industrial automation, medtech and networking applications; and the MX60 DisplayPort Main and Auxiliary, a high-speed replacement for conventional DisplayPort connectors.

Insight SiP has unveiled the ISP3080 UWB-BLE module, a fully integrated device that only requires power to create a fully functioning ultra-wideband (UWB) and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) node, complete with integrated antennas. Sized at 12 × 12 × 1.5 mm, the module incorporates both system-in-package technology for miniaturization of RF technologies and the company’s proprietary Antenna-in-Package techniques.

The UWB-BLE module is based on the QM31100 UWB transceiver with the latest UWB technology from Qorvo together with Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF52833 BLE chip. According to Insight SiP, the UWB solution significantly improves power consumption and interoperability when compared to previous generations, and conforms to the FiRa standard, which is rapidly gaining acceptance.

The device enables UWB connections to other vendors’ FiRa compatible chipsets and UWB-equipped mobile phones including the latest generation of Apple, Google and Samsung devices. Other applications for the module include secure entry, real-time location systems, ticketing and barrier control, and hands-free key solutions.

The RF module’s ultra-low power can be achieved by using Bluetooth and the integrated accelerometer to switch on the UWB transceiver only when necessary. It offers a range of peripherals that allow a selection of digital and analog connections that include UWB, SPI, UART, I2C and programmable general purpose I/O, and on-board analog-to-digital converters.