[Editor's Note] The 4th Industrial Revolution has ushered in an era of connectivity, with cutting-edge technologies merging across industries. Following the 4th Industrial Revolution, which is characterized by hyper-connectivity, hyper-fusion, and hyper-intelligence, the concept of the 5th Industrial Revolution, centered around the European Union, has recently emerged, with human-centeredness, sustainability, and resilience at the forefront. This is an era in which humans and machines (robots) collaborate, and as interaction in the connected world becomes more important, connectivity for smart homes, electronic devices, and automobiles is expected to become an important element. Connectivity, which means connectivity, refers to various functions and services that can be experienced through wireless networks. The author examines connectivity solutions from major semiconductor companies that are achieved through the integration of various technologies.

Following Industry 4.0, the next-generation industrial revolution that is the fusion of existing industries and information and communication technology (ICT), discussions on Industry 5.0 are active, especially in the European Union.

If the main concepts of Industry 4.0 were hyper-connectivity, hyper-fusion, and hyper-intelligence, the core elements of Industry 5.0 are human-centeredness, sustainability, and resilience, which can be seen as an extension of existing concepts to solve the problems of Industry 4.0.

In particular, as global market volatility intensifies due to COVID-19, the key concepts of Industry 5.0 can provide more effective ways to respond to the new era.

In this new paradigm, humans will work in the field in a new way, not in opposition to machines, but in a collaborative relationship. This is the key to implementing the next generation of IoT connected devices and innovative applications. The connectivity environment is already changing rapidly due to the proliferation of devices and the rapid increase in data volume according to Industry 4.0, and the resulting technical requirements are becoming increasingly complex. Connectivity becomes more important in Industry 5.0, where the interaction between humans, machines, and the connected world becomes more important.

Accordingly, major semiconductor companies are introducing solutions that support seamless, extensive, and reliable connectivity through the integration of various technologies based on their long-standing technological expertise.

■ NXP's 'Trimention' UWB radar detects ultra-fine motion

NXP has added the industry’s first single-chip solution combining ultra-wideband (UWB) radar and fine ranging capabilities to its Trimension portfolio.

UWB radar provides safety and convenience in various situations. In particular, the 'ultra-fine motion detection' function is installed in smart homes and automobiles, and can prevent child neglect by sending a safety warning when a child is left in the back seat of a car.

To enable IoT, mobile and automotive developers to quickly integrate these capabilities, the expanded portfolio includes the Trimention SR160 for IoT applications and upcoming Trimention devices for mobile and automotive applications.

■ Infineon's 'Wi-Fi 6', Home Network Congestion↓

Infineon's Wi-Fi 6 family meets wireless connectivity needs and reduces congestion in home networks.

Wi-Fi 6 is the latest generation Wi-Fi standard. With the increase in home activities following the COVID-19 pandemic and the increased demand for VR devices and OTT, Wi-Fi 6 can alleviate home network congestion while also improving network efficiency, device battery life, latency, and range.

Infineon is expanding its secure AIROC high-performance wireless connectivity portfolio with a Wi-Fi 6/6E and Bluetooth 5.2 combo product. The AIROC Wi-Fi 6/6E combo solution operates in the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and the new greenfield 6 GHz spectrum and is optimized for high-quality video and audio streaming applications such as game consoles, AR/VR, smart speakers, media streaming devices and automotive infotainment.

■ TI simplifies introduction of Internet of Things (IoT) application 'Matter'

Texas Instruments (TI) is helping to simplify the adoption of Matter for Internet of Things (IoT) applications by offering a software development kit that supports Matter on its Wi-Fi and Thread SimpleLink wireless microcontrollers (MCUs).

Matter is an open source connectivity protocol that provides a unified application layer based on proven technology. This wireless MCU is expected to enable the design of ultra-low power battery-operated smart home and industrial automation IoT applications. In particular, the new wireless MCU for IoT applications helps to seamlessly connect with interoperable Matter devices.

TI said SimpleLink wireless MCUs can reduce standby power consumption by up to 70 percent compared to comparable devices in Thread applications and extend battery life up to four years with short polling times of just five seconds. For long-range connectivity applications, the wireless MCU's high-efficiency integrated power amplifier uses the industry's lowest power consumption—101 mA at +20 dBm—enabling reliable connections while reducing battery power consumption at higher output powers.

■ STM, 'ST60', supports short-distance communication without physical connectors