Altum RF Achieves ISO 9001 registration for the Sydney Design Center
Certification of quality management system expanded to the Sydney Design Center
EINDHOVEN, NETHERLANDS – March 5, 2025 – Altum RF, a leading supplier of high-performance RF to millimeter-wave semiconductor solutions for next-generation markets and applications, is proud to announce the expanded scope of its ISO 9001:2015 registration for its quality management system. In addition to its headquarters in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, Altum RF’s design center in Sydney, Australia, has now also achieved ISO 9001 certification. This milestone underscores the company’s commitment to delivering high-quality, reliable, and high-performance semiconductor products, while maintaining excellence across design, development, manufacturing, and sales processes.
“This is another significant achievement for our Sydney Design Center,” said Tony Fattorini, VP of Engineering at Altum RF and Manager of the Sydney office. “For years, our team has developed custom and catalog products with a strong focus on the quality and predictability of our designs. Successfully passing the ISO 9001:2015 certification audit without any findings is a great confirmation that our processes and procedures are well-structured and effective.”
“We are very proud to mark another important milestone in the growth of our quality management system,” stated Greg Baker, CEO of Altum RF. “This expanded ISO 9001:2015 certification not only reflects our company’s strategic growth and expansion but also reinforces our status as a trusted and reliable supplier of semiconductor solutions.”
The ISO 9001:2015 certification was awarded by TÜV Nederland, a part of the international TÜV NORD GROUP, a global leader in quality systems certification with over 100 years of experience. TÜV NORD operates in more than 70 countries and is renowned for its rigorous standards in certifying quality management systems.
For more information about Altum RF and its products, visit www.altumrf.com.
Cavli alternatives for Quectel and u-blox
You have certainly heard about the challenges in the mobile communications module market and may even be affected yourself. The manufacturer u-blox is discontinuing its product line for mobile communications modules. Furthermore, Chinese manufacturers of communication modules in the USA are subject to trade restrictions for certain industries and applications.
We would therefore like to support you with these challenges. Our partner Cavli offers various alternatives for mobile communications modules. Some of these are pin-to-pin compatible and some are functionally compatible (not pin-to-pin).
Below you will find a selection of alternative product suggestions.
Cavli Alternativen 100% pin-to-pin compatible with Quectel
We would also be happy to discuss your exact requirements with you in order to consider other alternatives and options if necessary.
If you are interested or have any questions, just contact us!
Wolfspeed Unveils Cutting-Edge Silicon Carbide Module Solution to Boost Clean Energy Capacity
Innovative 2300V modules utilize 200mm silicon carbide technology to deliver energy efficiency for various applications, including renewable energy, energy storage, and high-capacity fast-charging infrastructure
Company announces partnership with EPC Power, a premier utility-scale inverter manufacturer
Wolfspeed, Inc. (NYSE: WOLF), the global leader in silicon carbide technology, today unveiled a silicon carbide module designed to transform the renewable energy, energy storage, and high-capacity fast-charging sectors through improved efficiency, durability, reliability, and scalability. The 2300V baseplate-less silicon carbide power modules for 1500V DC Bus applications were developed and launched utilizing Wolfspeed’s state-of-the-art 200mm silicon carbide wafers.
The 2300V baseplate-less silicon carbide power modules for 1500V DC Bus applications were developed and launched utilizing Wolfspeed’s state-of-the-art 200mm silicon carbide wafers.
Wolfspeed also announced today that it is partnering with EPC Power, a premier North American utility-scale inverter manufacturer. EPC Power will be employing the Wolfspeed® modules in utility-grade solar and energy storage systems, which offer a scalable high-power conversion system and high-performance controls and system redundancy.
“The solar and energy storage market remains among the fastest-growing segments of the renewable energy industry. As the pioneers of silicon carbide, we are driven to create solutions that will open the door to a new era of modern energy,” said Jay Cameron, Wolfspeed Senior Vice President and General Manager, Power. “Energy efficiency, reliability, and scalability are top of mind for our customers, such as EPC Power, who recognize the substantial advantages Wolfspeed’s silicon carbide brings to the table.”
“Silicon carbide devices open the door to a step-change in inverter performance and reliability. With our commitment to extreme reliability, performance, and security in our new ‘M’ inverter while also forging a deep commercial relationship with key suppliers, Wolfspeed was the obvious choice,” said Devin Dilley, President and Chief Product Officer, EPC Power.
With mounting global investment in renewable energy, the solar energy market is estimated to reach a $300 billion market capitalization by 2032.[1] According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), 2024-25 will see the highest energy demand growth rate since 2007, reinforcing the need for efficient and reliable clean power.[2] Wolfspeed’s silicon carbide solution helps bridge this crucial gap, supporting the next era of modern energy technologies while reinforcing U.S. clean energy manufacturing leadership.
Cameron continued, “This platform further validates our investments in 200mm wafer technology and production as the potential of silicon carbide continues to be recognized by industry leaders across all mission-critical applications.”
Click here to learn more about Wolfspeed’s partnership with EPC Power.
Industry Leading Switching Performance
Wolfspeed’s 2300V modules will improve system efficiency, while reducing the number of passive components. They offer 15% greater voltage headroom compared to similar silicon carbide modules, improved dynamic performance with consistent temperature stability, and a substantial reduction in EMI filter size. Wolfspeed’s technology achieves a 77% reduction in switching losses over IGBTs and a 2-3x reduction in switching losses for silicon carbide devices intended for 1500V applications.
Market Scalability Through Design Simplification
2300V silicon carbide modules will allow system designers to leverage lower cost printed circuit boards to cut manufacturing costs and significantly reduce development time compared to legacy bus bar solutions.Furthermore, Wolfspeed’s 2300V modules will enable the industry to adopt the two-level topology, resulting in simplified system design and reduced driver count compared to IGBT-based three-level configurations. The benefits of 2300V modules support a building block approach to easily scale power tenfold, from kilowatts to megawatts.
Prolonged System Lifetimes & Durability
Wolfspeed’s 2300V silicon carbide modules will allow customers to further enhance the lifetime and durability of their systems. This is achieved through an optimized Failure in Time rate for continuous 1500V DC operation and improved cosmic ray susceptibility compared to a 2000V design. When used in a two-level implementation, 2300V modules reduce the amount of potential single points of failure across the system.
Visit our website for additional information about technical specifications of Wolfspeed’s pioneering 2300V module technology.
About Wolfspeed, Inc.
Wolfspeed (NYSE: WOLF) leads the market in the worldwide adoption of silicon carbide technologies that power the world’s most disruptive innovations. As the pioneers of silicon carbide, and creators of the most advanced semiconductor technology on earth, we are committed to powering a better world for everyone. Through silicon carbide material, power modules, discrete power devices and power die products targeted for various applications, we will bring you The Power to Make It Real™. Learn more at www.wolfspeed.com.
EPC flips the switch on modular, reliable grid-scale energy storage
For decades the power grid has served as a reliable conduit for electricity between power producers and consumers, seamlessly delivering electricity with the flip of a switch. Increasing demand for electricity created from renewable sources, including solar and wind, creates new challenges for the existing power grid including integrating energy storage to ensure sufficient electricity during peak use times.
EPC Power, a premier utility-scale inverter manufacturer offering cutting edge power conversion solutions, has partnered with Wolfspeed to create a solution to the energy storage challenge. Utilizing the power of silicon carbide, “M” is the industry’s first utility-scale string-style inverter that makes grid-tied energy storage more efficient, reliable, and scalable than ever before.
Challenge
Create an energy storage inverter with industry-leading efficiency and power density
Design a modular system that addresses a wide range of power and voltage levels with a single inverter building block
Ensure system is low maintenance, easily serviced and mass produceable for rapid global deployment
Solution
Partnership between two innovative companies to design the 2300 V Wolfspeed WolfPACK™ power module into EPC Power’s novel energy storage solution
Innovation
“M” Inverter – the industry’s first modular string-style central inverter optimized for battery-based energy storage systems
Grid-ready flexible inverter covering a wide range of power and voltage levels delivering industry-leading efficiency and power density
Low maintenance and service needs
Easily mass produced to rapidly deploy a solution on a global scale
‘M’ is for Modularity
Traditional energy storage systems use central inverters in power conversion. These monolithic devices operate at 4-6 megawatts and are prone to downtime due to the system size and complexity. Central inverters are further taxed when storing significant loads of renewable energy for extended periods of time. EPC’s “M” inverter combines the flexibility of string-style inverters typically seen in residential and commercial solar systems, with the scale necessary to power entire cities with renewable energy.
Using a modular approach “M” enables customized central-style inverters by connecting multiple small inverters. “M” inverters are significantly smaller with fewer passive components, have a wide AC and DC operating range and offer world-class power density. The “M” modular system is easier to install and maintain than central inverters and delivers superior up-time with fewer points of failure.
“M” bridges the gap between two inverter architectures creating stable and reliable battery storage at a significantly higher voltage level. By breaking energy into smaller blocks, power companies can design inverter systems to better match specific needs at specific energy storage sites.
The Key to Innovation
“Technology unlocks business opportunity. Silicon carbide is a tool and if you can glean the benefits from it in the system you can make a paradigm shift in technology. Wolfspeed SiC is enabling EPC to make a paradigm shift in how energy is created and stored globally.”
Devin Dilley President & Chief Product Officer, EPC
EPC knew leveraging the unique benefits of silicon carbide was key to unlocking reliable energy storage at the grid-level. Wolfspeed’s new 2300 V silicon carbide Wolfspeed WolfPACKTM power module was designed specifically for 1500 V bus applications and enabled the shift from a typical three-level architecture to a simplified 2-level power conversion system. This solution significantly cut development time and cost by moving the system design from a legacy bus bar to lower cost PCBs.
Figure 1 compares a complex 3-level NPC system architecture that utilizes 1200 V IGBTs to the drastically simplified 2-level system utilizing the 2300 V WolfPACK power module.
The simpler 2-level system has a reduced driver count and control complexity, along with improved scalability.
SiC module’s switching performance enabled EPC to dramatically scale down the size of “M,” reducing the number of passive components and overall system cost. This innovation makes installation and maintenance easier creating the industry’s first inverter optimized for utility-scale battery energy storage.
EPC worked closely with Wolfspeed experts to prolong the “M” system’s lifetime by maximizing the 2.3 kV WolfPACK’s 7-8x reduction in cosmic ray FIT compared to a similar 2 kV device. Capitalizing on this feature enables M’s longer lifetime and higher reliability which directly translates to less field failures and lower maintenance costs.
The Power of Partnership
As the creator of the world’s most advanced silicon carbide semiconductor technology, Wolfspeed provides hands-on support throughout the design process to help customers maximize the benefits of silicon carbide. This philosophy guides Wolfspeed’s partnerships with innovators in the marketplace and enables the world’s most disruptive technologies.
“EPC and Wolfspeed’s philosophies align so well. How can you not partner with the company that pioneered the commercialization of silicon carbide and is years ahead of the competition?”
Adam Kabulski Vice President, Global Sales & Marketing, EPC
“Wolfspeed and EPC came to the table, rolled up their sleeves and got to work,” said Jay Cameron, Vice President and General Manager for Wolfspeed Power. “I am impressed with EPC’s level of ambition and capability, pushing all of us to move efficiently toward the launch of products that revolutionize the grid and provide a more sustainable future for us all.”
About EPC
EPC Power is a leading provider of power conversion solutions, specializing in utility-grade solar and storage inverters. With a commitment to innovation, quality, and customer satisfaction, EPC Power delivers reliable and scalable solutions to meet the evolving needs of its customers. For more information, visit www.epcpower.com.
16-bit low error absolute angle Hall sensor IC
Conntek presents the KTH7801, an affordable and universal absolute angle Hall sensor IC that stands out from the competition.
The KTH7801 can cover a wide range of applications thanks to its advanced technology and flexible configuration options.
The KTH7801 offers impressive resolution of up to 16 bits, enabling accurate angle measurements in both on-axis and off-axis configurations. With the ability to handle a speed range of 0 to 120,000 rpm, it delivers fast and precise angle outputs – ideal for applications that place the highest demands on angle measurement and speed control.
Flexible angular output modes for versatile applications
The KTH7801 supports various output options to enable easy integration into different systems:
ABZ quadrature pulse output: Programmable with up to 4096 positions per revolution, the sensor provides high-resolution position data.
4-wire SPI interface: This enables efficient angle readings and direct communication with microcontrollers.
2-wire SSI Output: A compact and reliable solution that simplifies system design.
In addition, the KTH7801 can also represent angles via a PWM output, where the duty cycle represents the angle value.
The KTH7801 is equipped with advanced features that make its integration and use easier:
Built-in magnetic field strength detection: Users can program high and low magnetic field thresholds, allowing for real-time monitoring and adjustment. This supports the selection of the optimal magnet and the perfect mounting configuration.
Multi-programmable memory (MPT): Critical configuration parameters such as zero angle position, ABZ settings and magnetic field thresholds can be permanently stored.
Robust, versatile and powerful
The KTH7801 combines precise angle measurement with digital signal output. Its integrated Hall element and the analog-to-digital converters generate highly accurate digital angle data, which is further processed and filtered by an ATAN module. With support for zero point adjustments, rotation direction adjustment and more, optimal accuracy is ensured.
The versatile design of the KTH7801 makes it the ideal choice for a wide range of applications in industrial automation, robotics, motor control and measurement technology.
The modules from SOLO Motor Controllers enable the easy application of modern technologies for controlling motors.
SOLO Motor Controllers presents a family of compact FOC motor controllers that can drive and control various types of electric motors such as DC brushed motors, BLDC, PMSM and EC coreless motors on a single platform. The power ranges from 11A to 92A at 40V to 60V. The modules are equipped with state-of-the-art technologies such as a dual-core parallel processing architecture and are very user-friendly. The parameterization is done intuitively using the „Motion Terminal“ software, which runs in the browser regardless of the system.
The SOLO controllers named PICO, MINI, UNO and MEGA support sensor-based and sensorless FOC algorithms for torque, speed and position control. Digital Hall sensors or ABN quadrature encoders can be connected as feedback. There are also digital and analog inputs and outputs as well as active security measures to protect the applications from unforeseen behavior. Parameterization and control takes place either via USB, UART or CAN. The CANopen protocol is implemented according to CiA DS301. For easy implementation, there are example codes for Arduino, Phyton, C++, SimTools and Simulink.
Realtek Ameba IoT Series Joins Matter CSA Alliance to Create a New Smart Home Lifestyle
Matter is an open standard for smart homes. Since its release and the commencement of certification development, Realtek has been actively involved in various development and testing collaborations. In 2024, Realtek’s Ameba IoT series (RTL8720x / RTL8721x / RTL8722x / RTL8730E / RTL8777G / RTL8771) officially joined the Matter CSA Alliance, becoming the partner for customers developing smart home products and providing strong support for creating a new smart home lifestyle.
What is Matter?
Matter is a smart home technology standard developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), formerly known as the Zigbee Alliance. Its purpose is to provide a unified and interoperable standard for smart home devices, enabling seamless collaboration among smart devices from different brands.
Why do consumers need Matter?
In the past, smart devices were not able to operate across different platforms. For example, Google Home could not communicate with platforms like Alexa. This not only increased the difficulty for consumers to upgrade their smart systems but also hindered the development of smart devices. However, with the emergence of smart home appliances that support Matter technology, consumers can now quickly build smart home systems, save on construction costs, and further increase their willingness to purchase.
Realtek Ameba IoT Series Supports Matter
The Ameba IoT series has officially joined the Matter CSA Alliance. The Matter standard encompasses various commonly used communication protocols such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Thread. Ameba IoT can provide Matter-supported solutions, facilitating the development and prototyping of Matter-compatible devices, thereby reducing customers’ development time and costs. Additionally, the Matter standard includes clear requirements for device security, data encryption, and authentication, enhancing overall device security at the hardware level and helping products meet higher security standards. Smart home appliances supporting the Matter standard often emphasize power consumption management. Ameba IoT also offers optimized low-power solutions, extending the usage time of smart devices and improving user experience.
Realtek Matter Solutions
Matter Gateway with Advanced Controller Solutions
Realtek’s Matter Gateway, equipped with advanced controller solutions, supports Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, and Thread protocols. This series includes the RTL8720CM, RTL8722DM, RTL8730E, and RTL8720E, which can all serve as the main processor responsible for running applications, third-party IPv6 protocols, and OpenThread API. These main processors communicate with the RTL8771 via UART, and the RTL8771 supports RCP mode, which can reduce the main processor’s load and enhance overall system efficiency and performance.
Realtek Matter SDK enables rapid project development and implementation
The Matter SDK is specifically designed to support and implement various functions of the Matter protocol. Realtek offers open-source support for Ameba IoT Matter, based on the official Matter development, available on GitHub: Ameba IoT Matter GitHub.
Realtek provides a comprehensive Matter product service, covering everything from PKI-DAC, product development, and testing validation to mass production tools, ensuring that customers can successfully develop and launch high-quality smart home products. Currently, many customers are using Realtek’s Matter SDK for product development, achieving seamless interoperability with the Google, Apple, and Amazon ecosystems.
In the future, Matter will be widely applied in smart homes and even expand to industrial and urban fields. Realtek’s Ameba IoT product series already supports the Matter protocol, meeting customer needs in various application scenarios and helping them bring products to market more quickly. Realtek offers flexible and powerful solutions that facilitate seamless device connectivity and enhance user experience.
24-bit absolute angle encoder IC with integrated TMR sensors
Conntek achieves new best values in magnetic position sensors and enables new fields of application.
The KTM5900 can replace optical encoders with the incremental ABZ output, e.g. for motor feedback systems. It is suitable for both on-axis and off-axis applications and therefore offers a high level of flexibility in mechanical design due to its very small design.
The KTM5900 has a 12-bit multi-pole pair counter for up to 4096 pole pairs.
The KTM5900 supports versatile output modes including a 36 Mbps SPI absolute angle output, a programmable ABZ quadrature incremental output with up to 65536 edges, a programmable UVW output for up to 256 pole pairs and a PWM output. Other features of the KTM5900 include automatic linear and nonlinear calibration, Z signal calibration, absolute position synchronization for multipole applications, automatic TMR adjustment for orthogonal signal calculation, and programmable operational amplifier gain. Additionally, the KTM5900 features two industry-leading 2MHz 16-bit SAR ADCs to improve performance and precision.
Particular emphasis was placed on functional safety in the KTM5900. There is an 8-bit CRC verification for the SPI transmission of the angle values and many self-diagnosis alarm functions are implemented.
A key advantage of the KTM5900 is its ability to automatically detect non-linear errors during normal operation and correct them with just a press of a button or an SPI command. In addition, the KTM5900 features a 256-point correction table that allows the user to improve absolute accuracy by storing non-linear error corrections from optical encoders in the KTM5900.
Using a single-pole magnet, both the one-button self-calibration and 256-point error correction table can achieve excellent INL ≤ 0.025°.
Cambridge IC presents the CAM622, a new high-resolution resonant inductive encoder IC with ABN output.
Based on the existing inductive resonator position detection technology, Cambridge IC has developed a new sensor processor with a scalable high-resolution quadrature encoder output (ABN/ABZ). Both the sensor and the position target are made of easily available circuit board material (e.g. FR4) with printed coils. The sensor board has electrical connections to CAM622 circuitry. The target is passive and contactless. Only two small capacitors must be fitted here to build an inductive resonator. This design enables an extremely compact construction.
The CAM622 sensor processor is embedded inside a customer’s product. It includes an SPI interface used for programming parameters including the number of AB cycles, and position of the N pulse. The maximum number of AB cycles is 16384, to yield 65536 edges per revolution and 16-bit resolution.
The CAM622’s SPI interface may also be used to read measurement results directly, including absolute position and diagnostics.
No calibration is necessary. The CAM622 measures position 33,000 times per second, at rotation rates of up to at least 60,000 rpm.
For evaluation the CAM622 ABN Board is available. It connects to a Windows PC via an adapter for programming and evaluation. It includes a regulator and line driver for stand-alone differential ABN operation from a 5V supply.
28/42/60mm Stepper Motors with integrated Controller, Driver, Absolute Encoder and Serial Interface.
With the MocDrives, Mocontronic is introducing a series of mechatronic stepper motors. There are three families with 28 mm, 42 mm and 60 mm flange dimensions. With a holding torque of 0.06 Nm up to 3.1 Nm, the MocDrives can be used in a wide variety of applications. The electronic control is based on integrated chipsets and offers extremely smooth running and precision. The MocDrives are equipped with an integrated absolute encoder for position monitoring. The modules are controlled via RS485, USB or CAN bus. The MocDrives can be operated both remotely and using script programming via a serial protocol. Numerous inputs and outputs offer the option of connecting additional peripherals, such as limit and reference switches or analog sensors.
The following derivatives are currently available:
