Qualcomm Adds New IoT Solutions

Qualcomm’s product development department has been busy extending the chip-maker’s presence in the smart device market. This news release announces what they term to be next-generation IoT devices. The new devices are Qualcomm QCS8550, Qualcomm QCM8550, Qualcomm® QCS4490 and Qualcomm® QCM4490 Processors.

  • The new Qualcomm QCS8550 and Q/CM8550 Processors combine maximum compute power, extreme edge AI processing, Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, and vivid graphics and video to enable and quickly deploy performance-heavy IoT applications, such as autonomous mobile robots and industrial drones.
  • The Qualcomm QCS4490 and QCM4490 Processors deliver key advanced features such as premium connectivity and next-gen processing to industrial handheld and computing devices. The solutions are equipped with both 5G and Wi-Fi 6E for multi-gigabit speeds, extended range, and low latency, and powerful, efficient processing to handle complex computing tasks. The Qualcomm QCS4490 and QCM4490 Processors are designed with planned support for Android releases through version 18, meaning they can be used in industrial designs through 2030, providing flexibility and longevity for maximizing development time and cost savings.

Betacom Unveils Private 5G Ecosystem with Private Wireless Networks

Betacom recently talked with me about its new Private 5G Ecosystem. To me the term ecosystem implies a (usually) proprietary software platform where a company hopes to recruit a critical mass of companies to commit. This ecosystem looks more like what I’ve been taught to be more resilient and perhaps useful—loosely coupled. And certainly private 5G networks are finally coming to fruition after a long gestation.

Betacom and its partners, including Google Cloud, Intel, Ingram Micro Inc. and Qualcomm Technologies, are collaborating to design, validate and deploy solutions for a variety of enterprise applications – setting the stage for the next phase of economic and business evolution driven by connectivity, automation, artificial intelligence, machine learning and real-time data. (I apologize for allowing almost every buzz word into the article.)

The partner initiative will help to expedite solutions through open collaboration aimed at building an ecosystem of pre-tested Industrial IoT devices and applications, integrated with mobile edge compute, supported by established system integrators and powered by private 5G.

The ecosystem currently includes 15 companies from across the technology spectrum – each with unique domain and industry expertise. Charter members include: 

  • Industrial IoT Devices:, Axis Communications, Ingram Micro Inc.,  Qualcomm Technologies, SVT Robotics, and Vecna Robotics
  • Applications: ADB SAFEGATE Americas, Evolon,  Ingram Micro Inc., and Solis Energy 
  • Mobile Edge Compute: Google Cloud, Ingram Micro Inc., and Intel
  • System Integrators: CDW,  Ingram Micro Inc., and QuayChain 5GaaS Technology: Airspan, Druid Software, FibroLAN, and Qualcomm Technologies

Honeywell Introduces New Transmitters for Condition-based Monitoring of Rotating Equipment

A couple of news items recently pushed my way from the foundation layer of the famous Purdue Pyramid. This one comes from Honeywell, a company that usually talks to me about software and sustainability. This release concerns transmitters for condition-based monitoring of rotating equipment. This is an important layer of data generation for the famous Industrial Internet of Things.

Honeywell March 8, 2023 introduced Versatilis Transmitters for condition-based monitoring of rotating equipment such as pumps, motors, compressors, fans, blowers, and gearboxes that provide relevant measurements of rotating equipment, delivering intelligence that can improve safety, availability, and reliability across industries.

These are a multi-variant instrument based on the low power, long range LoRaWAN protocol known for low power consumption and easy installation. Easy configuration is achieved through a mobile application over Bluetooth.

They can seamlessly integrate with Honeywell’s Experion HS and other SCADA or asset management platforms. When used with Honeywell’s analytics software, this technology can predict equipment failures such as asset imbalance, misalignment, and bearing-related issues before they happen, helping to reduce unplanned downtime.

Futureproof Mobile Automation with Moxa Next-Generation Industrial Wi-Fi Access Points/Clients

Moxa sends releases about new products at times. I don’t write about the essential backbone of automation/IoT/digital transformation often enough. It’s not always sexy. But it is essential. Maybe 5G gets a little sexy, but implementation seems still distant.

This news concerns wireless networking designed to enhance Autonomous Guided Vehicles and Autonomous Mobile Robots. These solutions continue to gain traction not only in warehousing but also in manufacturing.

Moxa introduced its AWK Series, a new lineup of next-generation industrial wireless networking solutions offering 802.11ac Gigabit Wi-Fi, IEC 62443-4-2 SL2 certified security, and dual-band Turbo Roaming for unmatched wireless reliability and availability. When combined, these advanced features meet the current and future demands of applications where Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) are at the heart of boosting productivity and operational safety, such as mobile automation and IP surveillance in mining, manufacturing, healthcare, and transportation, among others. The Moxa AWK Series is made up of three models: the AWK-3252A, AWK-4252A, and AWK-1151C AP/bridge/client.

Moxa AWK Series AP/bridge/clients simplify wireless operations and the integration of mobile systems outfitted with complex sensors and cameras, while also addressing the heightened requirements for industrial-grade reliable networks. With speeds of up to 400 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 867 Mbps on the 5 GHz band, AWK Series AP/bridge/clients enable a high-bandwidth, dynamic mobile environment to accommodate a large number of devices and support high-volume data communication. In addition, support for one-to-many network address translation (1-to-n NAT) helps optimize the machine integration flow by simplifying IP address assignment while avoiding IP conflicts between existing devices connecting to the OT network wirelessly.

Nokia at Mobile World Congress–5G Positioning and Industrial Edge

I wish I were in Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress, but at least the sun is shining in northern Illinois as I accumulate news from the event. And the word of the day is 5G. This post focuses on Nokia and how it has moved on from the mobile handset business.

Two things: first of two moves by Dell Technologies this time with Nokia plus 5G positioning (as in manufacturing a piece) technology with Bosch. Check out the “hardware-as-a-service” model and high end compute. I spent some time working with a team at Dell several years ago as they searched for a manufacturing use case. Looks like they’re playing with a new one. 

Nokia bolsters MX Industrial Edge Capabilities

  • Nokia MXIE to leverage high-performance Dell PowerEdge server family to support the increasing processing needs of Industry 4.0 use cases
  • Nokia introduces MXIE GPU support for advanced real-time video analytics applications and to unlock future business-critical AI and machine learning OT use cases
  • Nokia to offer MXIE in a Hardware-as-a-Service model, reducing CAPEX requirements to allow more enterprises to digitalize operations leveraging OT data

Nokia announced it is working with other industry-leading technology providers as it boosts the capabilities of the off-the-shelf, Mission-Critical Industrial Edge (MXIE) to manage the growing digitalization demands of industries. Nokia will also make it possible for many more enterprises to realize the value of operational technology (OT) data with the introduction of MXIE in a Hardware-as-a-Service (HaaS) model.

As enterprises implement a growing number of Industry 4.0 use cases, such as autonomous robots in a factory or warehouse leveraging real-time situational awareness for safety, or zero-fault manufacturing using advanced real-time video analytics for efficiency, demand is growing for high-capacity, on-premise edge processing. To support this, Nokia is introducing a new high-performance, high-capacity infrastructure platform from Dell Technologies, beginning with the Dell PowerEdge XR11 server to further increase the processing power of the MXIE to handle the most demanding and complex workloads.

The new Dell PowerEdge XR11 server-based MXIE featuring 3rd Generation Intel® Xeon® Scalable Processor introduces physical graphics processing unit (GPU) support. The high-performance NVIDIA A2 Tensor Core GPU enables versatile *AI inference acceleration.

This, for example, will unlock business-critical use cases that rely on real-time monitoring of video feeds and alerts using applications such as Nokia Scene Analytics or Atos Computer Vision Platform, which uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) for quality assurance and video analytics solutions for mission-critical applications.

By offering MXIE in a HaaS model, Nokia will enable more enterprises to begin their digitalization journey. This will reduce up-front capital investment, and allow them to benefit from MXIE capabilities on a subscription basis.

Nokia and Bosch Set a New Bar for 5G Positioning and Look Ahead to 6G

  • Proof-of-concept network in Germany demonstrated accuracy within 50 cm
  • Nokia and Bosch are continuing their joint research in 6G, exploring the integration of sensing technologies in future 6G systems

Nokia and Bosch announced that they have jointly developed 5G-based precision positioning technology intended for new Industry 4.0 use cases. The two have deployed the proof of concept in a Bosch production plant in Germany, where extensive tests under realistic manufacturing conditions have shown an accuracy within 50 cm in 90 percent of the factory footprint.

The positioning technology tracks mobile and portable devices connected to the 5G network, accurately determining their positions where no global navigation satellite service coverage is available, for instance in factories, warehouses or underground facilities. As part of the factory test, an enhanced private 5G network was able to determine the precise position of assets such as automated guided vehicles (AGVs), mobile robots and mobile control panels – tracking their movements throughout the plant in real time.

Traditionally, 5G positioning works by measuring the time it takes for mobile signals to travel from a mobile device to different base stations and anchor nodes in the network. As signals take longer to reach nodes that are further away, the positioning system can triangulate its source. Nokia and Bosch have built upon that foundation by equipping 5G nodes with multiple receive antennas, which enable the network to detect the incoming angles of signals. Advanced Nokia Bell Labs algorithms interpret this time-delay and angle-of-arrival information to determine the most probable position of the mobile device. Their proof-of-concept achieves a level of accuracy well beyond the current cellular position state-of-the-art, providing a sneak peek at what 5G networks, both public and private, will be capable of in the future.

Precision localization is important for many applications in industrial environments, such as robot navigation, asset tracking and worker safety. Realizing both high-performance connectivity and high-accuracy positioning within a single private network’s infrastructure also has many operational benefits, such as reducing the complexity of IT infrastructure, leading to a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) and higher returns on investments.

WePower Launches and Demos Gemns Energy Harvesting Generators

No sooner had interest in wireless sensors developed batteries were identified as a weak point. Sending maintenance crews out routinely to replace batteries became a sticking point. For every difficulty lies an opportunity. Technologies to harvest energy from equipment vibrations and other sources went into development.

Here we are many years later and a notice of more kinetic energy harvesting came my way thanks to an exhibit at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in January.

WePower Technologies introduced Gemns Energy Harvesting Generator (EHG) product line. The Gemns product line includes three distinct products, each of which use both permanent and oscillating magnets to harvest kinetic energy through electromagnetic induction: the Gemns G100 Integrated RF Switch, the Gemns G200 EHG, and the Gemns G300 EHG.

The kinetic energy transient provided by each of these Gemns products can be used to trigger a sensor, perform a reading, form a data packet, and transmit a radio signal with the range and reliability necessary to advance the RF communication needs of the IoT industry.

The three products are:

  • Gemns G100 Integrated RF Switch – A wireless industrial push button, the G100 has been tested to over 1 million activations and has served as the initial proof of concept for the growing Gemns product lineup. The G100 includes space for Gemns’ energy harvesting circuit and another PCB that would typically be the transmitter. Anticipated applications beyond industrial will include automotive, smart home and city, and aerospace.
  • Gemns G200 EHG – The workhorse of the Gemns lineup, this is our most powerful EHG. Initially designed for industrial IoT applications in safety and limit switches, the expected applications where the G200 will excel include automotive, home/office IoT, and other higher energy applications.
  • Gemns G300 EHG – A high-output device that requires less force to activate, making it useful for consumer products in lighting and smart home devices, as well as in future IoT products where new activation methods will be explored.

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