DIPOL Weekly Review

No. 31/2011 (Oct. 3, 2011)

"Wafer biscuit" made up of 1000 layers - the future of electronics.

Sony has announced the purchase from U.S. company Ziptronix its chip bonding technology. The seemingly irrelevant information covers potential for technological breakthrough in several areas of modern technology, including electronics, telecommunications, photography.

Ziptronix developed a breakthrough method for bonding semiconductor layers. Its ZiBond(TM) low temperature oxide bonding and DBI(R) direct bond interconnect technologies allow combinations of materials previously impossible.
Sony will use these technologies in image sensors for all types of motion and still cameras. The company is a market leader in this field. The whole market is worth about $ 16 billion, and Sony invests heavily to keep its position.
In particular, the new solutions will be used in the production of modern Backside-Illuminated CMOS (BSI CMOS) image sensors which must integrate light-sensitive elements, signal amplifiers and analog-digital converters with the silicon substrate.
The new way of bonding will allow for more accurate connections and higher density of photosensitive elements (larger number of pixels) on the same surface.

Today's 5-megapixel cameras will be able to reach 16 megapixels, which is especially important in the production of miniature mobile devices.

ZiBond technology is one of several ways to connect chips and build 3D ICs. IBM and 3M have also announced the development of a similar technology capable of bonding up to 1000 layers.
(source: ibm.com)

ZiBond is a way to get three-dimensional integrated circuits - 3D ICs. A 3D IC is a chip in which two or more layers of active electronic components are integrated both vertically and horizontally into a single circuit. The integration significantly reduces the size of electronic components, the length of connections between elements and power consumption. 3D IC technologies seem to be the future of electronic industry and are intensively developed and improved. The biggest problems facing the designers and manufacturers are the accuracy of connections (especially when a bonding technology requires high temperature and pressure) and difficulties with heat build up and cooling.

A 3D-IC composed of four layers. The enlarged section of the structure shows a connection
through the layer of silicon (TSV) and microchannel used for heat dissipation.
(source: esl.epfl.ch)

Closure of the competition "Engagingly about Antennas" - announcement of results on October 17.

The entries to the contest


Worship no god but ... Jerzy Malicki	A look at Morocco Marcin Wolnik	Antennas Wojciech Romanski

Three-dimensional content on several televisions.

Signal HDMI 3D splitter 1x4 H3215 enables the user to connect up to 4 modern TV sets equipped with HDMI inputs to a source of high-definition signal, including 3D content. The amplified output signals can be transmitted via HDMI cables over distances up to 15 m. This product is ideal for demonstration of HD and 3D televisions and other equipment in stores, for offer presentation in superstores etc., as well as for conference rooms to split the signal from the computer to several monitors.

H3215 - application diagram

Optical fibers - new possibilities for video surveillance.

The diagram below illustrates the application of fiber optic transmission for the construction of extensive CCTV systems.
The DVR is connected via coaxial cable with 4 cameras located in the same building. Other four cameras, located outside the building, are connected through video converters ULTIMODE L2402. The video from the cameras is transmitted via a single fiber optic cable, at a distance up to 2000 m.

Diagram showing the application of ULTIMODE devices for local and global transmission

Hikvision DS-8108HFI-S DVR M78080 with Fast Ethernet interface is connected to an optical GbE network via M-023G 1Gb/s L10025 media converter.

The video and control signals in the surveillance station are provided via ULTIMODE V-021D L2102 multimode media converter.
The optical fiber simultaneously transmits the video from the BNC output of the DVR and the data between the port of the system control unit and the port of the DVR. Such configuration enables the operator to control the system even when the DVR is located up to 2 km away from the station.

The use of fiber optics is desirable not only for transmission over long distances, but also for data transmission in areas with high levels of electromagnetic interference, where it is difficult to use wireless means. Implementation of ULTIMODE devices provides optimum results and may be the cheapest way to build extensive video surveillance systems.

How to join two optical fibers? - Mechanical splice.

The main problem in installing optical networks is joining of optical fibers. If the length of an fiber optic link is not large and the route is easily accessible, the installer can use the previously ordered patch cable with suitable connectors. A problem occurs in systems with longer cables and connections with fibers located in risers and ducts.

There are three options for connecting/terminating optical fibers:

fusion splicing,
mechanical splicing,
use of quick assembly connectors.

Mechanical splices are suitable for connecting optical lines in similar cases like fusion splices, e.g. to connect pigtails in distribution boxes, repair damaged optical cables etc., eliminating complex and costly process of fiber welding. It greatly facilitates and speeds up the installation work and provides similar results (typical attenuation of a fusion splice is below 0.1 dB and of a mechanical splice below 0.15 dB).

Mechanical splices eliminate need for expensive fusion splicers and services of highly qualified staff - everything the installer has to do is removing the protective layers, cleaving the fibers and inserting them into the connector. The assembly process should take no more than 60 seconds. Mechanical splices are reusable - the fibers can be disconnected at any time.

The main features of the mechanical splice ULTIMODE FAST-MS1 L5550 offered by DIPOL:

suitable for optical fibers with buffer coating diameters of 250 microns and 900 microns
suitable for multimode and single-mode optical fibers
the time needed to perform the operation is about 30-60 seconds
low loss: 0.1 ... 0.15 dB
reuse up to 5 times without deterioration in performance


Mechanical splice ULTIMODE FAST-MS1 L5550	Installation of a mechanical splice

How to take advantage of modern CCTV cameras.

The main factors determining the usefulness of a CCTV camera for environments with changeable lighting conditions include the type of the sensor and signal processor, and application of ICR filter.

Selection of cameras for specific lighting conditions

The features of the cameras from the diagram above:

Code	Name	Features	Recommended application
M11207	SN-BXC0586DCN BOX	690HTVL, ICR, OSD WDR Pixim, 0.06lx	capturing people against the light
M11192	u-cam 630 BOX	650TVL, Effio, OSD ICR, 2D-NR, 0.03lx	video monitoring in the twilight
M10741	cam 622 ceiling	600TVL, 3.6mm, OSD, 0.03lx	overall observation of rooms
M11249	n-cam 250 compakt	600TVL, OSD 3.6mm, 0.01lx, IR up to 40 m	poorly lit outdoor areas

Day/Night Box Camera: u-cam 630 (D-WDR, 650 TVL, Sony Effio-E, ICR, 0.03 lx)

Live video from U-cam 630 M11192 camera equipped with Effio DSP.

It provides vivid colors during the day and good visibility at night.

Which kind of CCTV system will be better for the customer, megapixel IP or analog?

The question must be answered by every installation company offering CCTV systems. The market position of megapixel cameras providing superior image quality at affordable prices is continually growing. An example of such a device is the camera Pixord P600 K1532. It offers image resolution of 1600x1200 pixels, which means nearly five times more picture elements than in the case of a high resolution analog camera (704 x 576).

Screenshots from CCTV recordings (the scale has been maintained)


Analog CCTV system	Megapixel IP CCTV system

Images from analog and megapixel cameras.

The differences can be seen better after enlarging each image by clicking on.

How to wirelessly connect to the Internet provided in the 802.11n standard?

When the Internet is distributed wirelessly, we need an AP (wireless router) with WISP (Wireless Internet Service Providers) mode enabling configuration of its wireless interface as WAN port.
The router can be directly connected to a suitable outdoor antenna via 50 ohm RF cable (e.g. Tri-Lan 240 E1171_100).

A home network with wireless connectivity to the Internet

List of equipment that can be used in such installation:

Device no. 1 - the device with access to the Internet, responsible for its distribution to multiple computers within the local network:

N2956 - WISP access point TP-Link TL-WR743ND with built-in router and 4-port switch.

Device no. 2 - for wired access to the network from a desktop PC:

N2997 - PCI NIC TP-LINK TG-3269 10/100/1000 Mb/s,
N2998 - PCIe NIC TP-LINK TG-3468 10/100/1000 Mb/s,
N2999 - PCI NIC TP-LINK TF-3239DL 10/100 Mb/s.

Device no. 3 - for wireless access to the network from a desktop or mobile PC:

N2922 - 802.11n USB adapter TP-LINK TL-WN722N, 150 Mb/s with external 4 dBi antenna,
N2924 - 802.11n USB adapter TP-LINK TL-WN721N, 150 Mb/s ,
N2925 - 802.11n USB adapter TP-LINK TL-WN7200ND, 150 Mb/s High Power (500 mW),
N2926 - 802.11n USB adapter TP-LINK TL-WN822N, 300 Mb/s 100 mW,
N2927 - miniature 802.11n USB adapter TP-LINK TL-WN723N 150 Mb/s,
N3221 - 802.11n USB adapter TP-LINK TL-WN821N, 300 Mb/s.

New products offered by DIPOL:


Compact camera 600 TVL 0.01 lx M11249	AC power strip R912023	Optical power meter L5812	AV+IR transmitter R94110

Worth reading:

Wider coverage of wireless network. It happens that in a large apartment or house the residents cannot use their WiFi network in some rooms due to high attenuation of the signal through walls and ceilings. The solution to this problem is to install an additional device in the midway point between the main access point and the area without adequate wireless coverage. The installed device should operate in repeater mode...

Power supply of multiswitch systems. Multiswitch systems for hundreds of users are becoming increasingly common these days. The manufactures of the multiswitches have to provide means for effective power supply of such large systems. The multiswitches from reputable manufacturers often have two ways of power supply.
TERRA multiswitches of MSR series are powered from built-in AC/DC adapters, whereas cascadable multiswitches and those of MSV series can be powered from external power supply R71465 or from multichannel amplifiers SA-x01 ( R70501, R70901 )...