IoT

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.

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 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.

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...

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 ...

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.

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.

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-tam...

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 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 re...