In January 2020, Semtech joined the Euridis Association, an international non-profit industry association promoting the development of standards and protocols.

Semtech has introduced the first product in its new LoRa Edge™ platform – a highly versatile and low power software defined LoRa®-based platform that will enable a wide portfolio of applications for indoor and outdoor asset management. The first product of the platform, the LoRa Edge™ multi-technology asset management platform (LR1110), is a game-changing geolocation solution that significantly reduces the cost and complexity of locating and monitoring Internet of Things (IoT) assets in a secure environment.

Reducing Clamping Voltage

In part one, we learned transient voltage suppressor (TVS) clamping voltage is a key protection parameter. TVS manufacturers are constantly working to lower clamping voltage to keep up with ever shrinking IC geometries and increased sensitivity to overvoltage events. One method to achieve lower clamping is to engineer the device to “snapback” to a lower voltage once triggered. The snapback can be shallow, or deep depending on the intended application. One method of achieving a deep snapback is to design a self-triggering thyristor TVS structure (Figure 4).

I cannot tell you how many times I have heard this in reference to silicon-based Transient Voltage Suppressors (TVS). In all fairness, TVS manufacturers have probably perpetuated this notion. After all, we usually refer to these devices as TVS diodes or electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection diodes. Technically, a diode is a two terminal device that conducts current primarily in one direction. A TVS, or TVS diode, is a two terminal device that is designed to conduct current in the reverse breakdown region. However, calling it “just a diode” implies any TVS diode, or any diode type for that matter, can be effortlessly chosen and relied upon to protect your circuit. Following this assumption will most likely lead to disappointing results.

Geolocation is one of the most compelling and fast growing Internet of Things (IoT) applications. The anticipated market size for “Geo IoT” is expected to reach $74 billion by the end of 2025 from its current value of $40 billion, according to Market Insight Reports.

Since the 18th century, industrialization and overconsumption have contributed to the rapid depletion of nature's raw materials. Smart connectivity carves a path for us to be more efficient in our use of these materials, effectively reducing the rate at which we are consuming and wasting natural resources.

One of the greatest hurdles to plague any wireless industry is network coverage. That same hurdle is true for the Internet of Things (IoT). Over the last several years, Semtech has worked to create a vibrant ecosystem to drive demand for IoT applications based on its LoRa® devices and the open LoRaWAN® protocol. With a permission-less, omnipresent network in the unlicensed spectrum, some of the barriers to creating and adopting a new class of low power, wide area applications have been removed.

Ethernet ports are exposed to external transient events in the form of electrostatic discharge (ESD), electrical fast transient (EFT), lightning, and cable discharge events (CDE). External transient voltage suppressor (TVS) diodes are commonly used to protect the Ethernet PHY chips from these threats. However, we find that a lot of confusion exists on how to best connect the TVS diode for maximum effectiveness. Common wisdom would suggest connecting the diode near the RJ-45 connector, from each signal line to ground. In actuality, the TVS should be connected across the signal pair and located on the PHY side of the connector. In this blog, we will examine why.

The increasing deployment of Semtech’s LoRa® devices and the open LoRaWAN® protocol is a global phenomenon. Leading industry analyst IHS Markit predicts up to 43 percent of all low power wide area network (LPWAN)-based Internet of Things (IoT) applications are expected to be based on LoRa devices and/or LoRaWAN networks by 2023*. Today, estimates place the number of LoRa-based gateways deployed at over half a million, providing connectivity to support up to two billion potential end devices**. Additionally, it is estimated the total number of LoRa-based end nodes deployed reached 135 million at the beginning of 2020**, enabling a nearly endless number of innovative use cases.

For most of my career at Semtech, I’ve been responsible for SDI-based products and technology, often extolling the features and benefits of copper-based, long-reaching audio and video (AV) signals. While SDI product lines matured into a meaningful business for the Signal Integrity Products (SIP) group at Semtech, there has been significant investment and record growth in optical fiber transmission technology for enterprise computing and communications. Fiber connectivity is now the backbone of worldwide communications with SIP optical products at the heart of this fiber revolution.