ECN-Electronic Component News articles from June 2006

ECN-Electronic Component News archives from June 2006

Public awareness, positive image.(Editor's View)
June 1, 2006... When people ask me what I do for a living and I tell them, the usual reply is "Wow. That's cool." They appear to want to make their next act a quick trip to the newsstand to pick up whatever magazine I happen to be the editor of along with...

Amplifiers optimize bandwidth and reduce power consumption in video designs.(Leading Off)
June 1, 2006... Fairchild Semiconductor has entered the high-performance amplifier market with five operational amplifiers. The 210 MHz FHP3x50 and the 50 MHz FHP3x30 families are designed for high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) video...

Fully integrated PoE PD interface modules.(Leading Off)
June 1, 2006... C & D Technologies has launched a family of fully integrated Powered Device (PD) interface modules for Power over Ethernet (PoE) applications. The NMPD Series of compact power extraction modules are said to be the industry's first PD interfaces...

Solid-state flat panel touchscreen computers.(Leading Off)
June 1, 2006... Sealevel Systems, Inc. has announced the SeaPAC[TM] family of flat panel touchscreen computers designed to operate over a wide temperature range without fans or other moving parts. Available with AMTFT LCDs ranging in size from 6.4" to 17",...

19" industrial grade Bluetooth wireless devices.(Leading Off)
June 1, 2006... The PSI-WL Series is an interoperable set of license-free Bluetooth standard radios designed to allow for the movement of RS-232, RS-422 and RS-485 serial data around the factory floor. Class I, Div 2 approved, these high-speed radios offer...

212W AC/DC switcher in 3" X 5" package.(Leading Off)
June 1, 2006... XP Power has announced a 212W, single output AC/DC switcher dubbed the EMA212. Designed for communications applications, the power supply has been developed to meet the needs of networking equipment, voice over IP systems, wireless LANs,...

Chip family combines 6 X 4 array of 18-bit processors.(Leading Off)
June 1, 2006... IntellaSys Corporation has announced its Scalable Embedded Array[TM] (SEA) Platform to launch multicore processor devices for next-generation embedded applications. Packing 24 core processors, each of which can operate at one billon...

EMI components.(PRODUCT TECHNOLOGY REVIEW)
June 1, 2006... The CORGOM WG Series EMI filter from Tyco Electronics was recently introduced to the electronics market. This filter is appropriate for applications requiring a low-cost method of providing industry compliance for conducted EMI/RFI emissions....

Microcontrollers: timers keep software in check.(EMBEDDED SYSTEMS)
June 1, 2006... Embedded controllers rely on watchdog timers (WDTs) to keep their software on a straight-and-narrow path. These timers, now found in most microcontroller chips (MCUs), decrement a count preset by programmers. When the count reaches zero, or...

Set-top box chips; IPSTBs for the global market: balancing low cost versus advanced features.(SEMICONDUCTOR HIGHLIGHT)
June 1, 2006... IP Set-top boxes (IPSTBs) are already the de facto media center technology in millions of homes. To reach the global market, the industry must adapt until it finds the right mix of product features and price. Engineers face a familiar...

Smart cards: what's new? For smart cards, security is the key.(Cover story)
June 1, 2006... Here in Salt Lake County, our library system issues smart cards that let residents access library services that include Internet connections. The generic term "smart card" covers many devices, from plastic cards that provide secure memory to...

VME Single board computer with operates at 1.7 GHz.(BOARDS & MODULES)
June 1, 2006... Interface Concept has unveiled a high performance, VME Single board computer based around the Freescale[R] 1.7 GHz MPC7448 PowerPC[R]. This low power PowerPC design provides 1 GB of SDRAM-DDR with ECC. This processor board is suitable for use...

AdvancedTCA blade features four AdvancedMC expansion sites.(BOARDS & MODULES)
June 1, 2006... Artesyn Communication Products has announced its KAT4000, a configurable AdvancedTCA (ATCA) blade for telecom infrastructure applications. The blade, equipped with four AdvancedMC expansion sites, features a versatile switched fabric with...

Accelerator cards for network applicances and storage applications.(BOARDS & MODULES)
June 1, 2006... Cavium Networks has announced its OCTEON XL accelerator cards that are targeted at secure network services and compression acceleration in appliances and storage systems. The standard PCI/PCI-X form-factor cards, which are offered in a range of...

Intel Pentium M-based processor for rugged applications.(BOARDS & MODULES)
June 1, 2006... Dynatem has introduced its Intel Pentium M-based CRM1 which supports an x86 processor that is suited for embedded, rugged applications with its low power consumption. The highs-peed 855GME/6300ESB chipset supports a 66 MHZ PCI-X expansion bus...

Four-port synchronous PCI adapter for military/radar applications.(BOARDS & MODULES)
June 1, 2006... Sealevel Systems, Inc. has announced the ACB-MP+4.PCI, a four-port PCI bus RS-232/422/485 synchronous serial interface. Designed using the Zilog Z85230 Enhanced Serial Communication Controller (ESCC), the board is suitable for military,...

COM Express CPU has Dual-Core processor.(BOARDS & MODULES)
June 1, 2006... The EUROCOM[R] 400 CPU from American ELTEC features the Dual-Core Intel[R] Xeon[R] processor LV 2.0 GHz with dual CPU capabilities in combination with the COM Express platform, the PICMG-defined form factor for computers on modules that...

DC Ball bearing, 40 mm fan provides 22.3 cfm airflow.(ELECTROMECHANICAL/MECHANICAL DEVICES)
June 1, 2006... Air Performance Tech's AP4056 DC Ball bearing fans for applications requiring substantial airflow in low profile/1U high applications measure 40 mm X 56 mm and provide up to 22.3 cfm of airflow with an unregulated 12V input. They draw a maximum...

VGA cooler for low profile applications.(ELECTROMECHANICAL/MECHANICAL DEVICES)
June 1, 2006... Jaro Components, Inc. has announced its lightweight, high cfm, aluminum-designed IC cooling fan. The AB6812 model dissipates heat while maintaining an operating noise of 28.5 dB [+ or -]10 percent. In addition, this fan is compatible with...

Westinghouse-type replacement panel switches for utilities.(ELECTROMECHANICAL/MECHANICAL DEVICES)
June 1, 2006... Type W and Type W-2 "Westinghouse" replacement switches for the power industry are available exclusively from Electroswitch. The Type W Switch is available with maintained, momentary, slip or lateral contacts that are silver-plated and...

DIN rail type temperature/process controller for single loop control.(ELECTROMECHANICAL/MECHANICAL DEVICES)
June 1, 2006... Athena Controls, Inc. has announced Series IZC DIN rail type temperature/process controllers. Stackable to the required number of zones, the CE approved IZC auto-tuning controller is designed for precise control of a single control loop with...

Safety relays have forcibly guided contacts.(ELECTROMECHANICAL/MECHANICAL DEVICES)
June 1, 2006... Elesta Relays GmbH has announced its SIF Series safety relays with four and six poles for compact subassemblies. They have forcibly guided contacts with a protective separation between coil and contacts, and contacts side-by-side. Double- and...

USB keyboard for industrial computers.(EMBEDDED SYSTEMS)
June 1, 2006... White Electronic Designs Corp. has introduced an industrial QWERTY keyboard tailored to embedded computation applications. The PicoPad[R] is a sealed elastomer keypad, making it resistant to contaminants and appropriate for users who need to...

Processor cores provide converged RISC/DSP functionality.(EMBEDDED SYSTEMS)
June 1, 2006... MIPS Technologies has announced that its 32-bit MIPS32[R] 24KE[TM] processor core family has been released for general availability and licensing. With its RISC/DSP functionality, the 24KE core family is appropriate for power-sensitive consumer...

Embedded server connects serial devices to Ethernet, internet.(EMBEDDED SYSTEMS)
June 1, 2006... The Newport[R] embedded i[R]Server connects any serial device (RS-232, RS-485 and TTL) to an Ethernet network and the internet. Users can put their devices on a TCP/IP Ethernet network without the need to write a single line of code. The...

RoHS-compatible CompactFlash cards.(EMBEDDED SYSTEMS)
June 1, 2006... WinSystems has introduced RoHS-compatible CompactFlash cards with densities of 128 MB, 256 MB, 512 MB, 1 GB and 2 GB. They will work with SBCs or computer systems with a CompactFlash socket. The parts are targeted for applications that need...

cPCI Pentium M SBC.(EMBEDDED SYSTEMS)
June 1, 2006... The F14 CompactPCI (cPCI) single board computer (SBC) from MEN Micro features a 2 GHz Intel[R] Pentium M processor and is suitable for harsh environmental conditions in applications such as industrial automation, medical systems and...

Ada environment for RTX-based Windows real-time systems.(EMBEDDED SYSTEMS)
June 1, 2006... DDC-I has announced the availability of its SCORE[R] Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for Ardence's RTX, a real-time enabling technology for Windows applications. This IDE is fully integrated with RTX version 6.x, a real-time extension...

Compact 486/586 computer with fast boot-up time.(EMBEDDED SYSTEMS)
June 1, 2006... Based on a high-performance 486/586 core, the SBC1491ET from Micro/sys is a full-featured PC/104 (3.55" X 3.775") computer that has a sub-5 second boot-up time using an industrial BIOS or DOS operating system. The board can operate in a...

ADCs offer true 16-bit resolution.(INTEGRATED CIRCUITS)
June 1, 2006... Analog Devices has introduced two ADC devices targeted for high-end instrumentation, medical and wireless communications applications that enable designers to maintain low noise and high dynamic range, even at high input frequencies. The AD9460...

1.3 megapixel CMOS image sensor for camera phones.(INTEGRATED CIRCUITS)
June 1, 2006... Eastman Kodak Company has released a 1.3 megapixel CMOS image sensor for the high-volume camera market. The KAC-01301 image sensor was optimized to enable cost-effective designs in next-generation mobile phones The KAC-01301 outputs raw,...

High-precision offset-free data acquisition ICs for automotive.(INTEGRATED CIRCUITS)
June 1, 2006... austriamicrosystems has introduced its AS8500/AS8501 family of precision sensor interfaces used for the acquisition of physical quantities. These products are capable of collecting a variety of measurements that can be displayed in the form of...

Optical fiber interconnect system is flexible and scalable.(OPTOELECTRONICS & DISPLAYS)
June 1, 2006... ITT has announced the Cannon PHD line of optical interconnects. The fiber optic connector system is flexible and scaleable. The Cannon PHD optical core connector bodies and structured cable systems have been engineered to support...

Midget flange-based LED indicators for rugged applications.(OPTOELECTRONICS & DISPLAYS)
June 1, 2006... DDP offers a warm-white midget flange LED lamp to retrofit and replace incandescent light bulbs. The Tl 3/4 midget flange-based LED is suited for indicators used for backlighting switches, pushbutton rockers and panel builders in harsh...

CMOS chip provides HD video to digital still cameras.(OPTOELECTRONICS & DISPLAYS)
June 1, 2006... OmniVision Technologies' OV5620 small form-factor, 5 megapixel CMOS camera chip features advanced high-definition (HD) video modes and vivid colors for next generation digital still cameras (DSCs) and hybrid cameras that take both still and...

LED module offers nine colors from a single package.(OPTOELECTRONICS & DISPLAYS)
June 1, 2006... Opto Technology, Inc. has introduced its OTLA-0100 high density, multi-chip LED module that offers nine distinct wavelengths of light. It features nine LED chips packaged into a compact, thermally conductive ceramic substrate. This product can...

Super White LED Light Strips are Inter-Connectable.(OPTOELECTRONICS & DISPLAYS)
June 1, 2006... LEDtronics' Series STP50XC Super White Inter-Connectable 5 mm LED Light Strips may be used alone or connected to one another to configure lighting situations for channel, reverse-channel letters, signs, displays, under-the-counter, cove...

Pluggable 14-slot AdvancedTCA Full Mesh Backplane.(PACKAGING & INTERCONNECTS)
June 1, 2006... Elma Bustronic Corporation has developed a 14-slot Full Mesh ATCA Backplane with full pluggability. The backplane features an 18-layer stripline design with pluggable fan tray, shelf manager and power entry connectors. Compliant to the PICMG...

Adhesive film.(PACKAGING & INTERCONNECTS)
June 1, 2006... TechFilm Services, Inc. has introduced T2781, a thermally conductive electrically insulating high strength adhesive film that provides desirable thermal performance coupled with adhesion gold, copper and aluminum. When tested to the ASTM E1461...

Connector system provides flexible routing channels.(PACKAGING & INTERCONNECTS)
June 1, 2006... Molex[R] Incorporated has introduced a series of 0.40 mm (.016") pitch Micro Coax connectors. The connectors feature an insulation displacement technology (IDT) method used to terminate the center conductor of the ultra-thin 42 AWG coaxial...

Conductive Fabric gaskets for use in handheld devices.(PACKAGING & INTERCONNECTS)
June 1, 2006... Laird Technologies has introduced Poron[R] Conductive Fabric (PCF) gaskets. The gaskets are RoHS compliant EMI shields comprised of Rogers Poron, the company's proprietary fabric and conductive adhesive. This combination creates an atmosphere...

Industrial data connection family expands.(PACKAGING & INTERCONNECTS)
June 1, 2006... Phoenix Contact's Variosub plug connector family has expanded to include connection systems for industrial Firewire, USB and SC RJ (fiber optics). These additions to the Variosub family enable cabling and connection to reach the factory floor,...

High Current PCB Connectors and Contact Series.(PACKAGING & INTERCONNECTS)
June 1, 2006... Anderson Power Products[R] has introduced the High Current Connector and Contact Series. Suitable for applications that require high current connections to a PCB, the connectors may be arranged in one or two row configurations. When used with...

Socket for 0.4 mm pitch QFN.(PACKAGING & INTERCONNECTS)
June 1, 2006... Ironwood Electronics has introduced a QFN socket for 0.4 mm pitch devices. The SS-QFN104A-01 socket, designed for a 12 mm package size, operates at bandwidths up to 11.5 GHz with less than 1 dB of insertion loss. Designed for up to 500,000...

Chassis for system builders.(PACKAGING & INTERCONNECTS)
June 1, 2006... Antec, Inc. has introduced Atlas, an addition to its line of server cases for professional system builders and power users. The case features an air cooling system that consists of one rear 120 mm TriCool[TM] three-speed adjustable fan and two...

Two-component, room temperature curing epoxy adhesive.(PACKAGING & INTERCONNECTS)
June 1, 2006... Master Bond has developed a two-component, room temperature curing, nickel filled, electrically conductive epoxy adhesive called EP76M. It has a one-to-one mix ratio by weight or volume, a volume resistivity of 5 [ohm]cm to 10 [ohm]cm and...

85W thick film power resistor.(PASSIVE & DISCRETE COMPONENTS)
June 1, 2006... Ohmite has announced the TFH85, a heat sinkable resistor that offers an 85W power rating (at 25[degrees]C case temperature) in a compact TO-264 package. Available in two or three terminal versions, the "P Package" features a middle terminal...

RoHS-compliant SMD aluminum capacitors.(PASSIVE & DISCRETE COMPONENTS)
June 1, 2006... Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. has introduced a surface-mount aluminum capacitor series designed to provide capacitance values up to 680 [micro]F. The 140 CRH RoHS-compliant SMD aluminum capacitor is both lead (Pb)-free and solderable under lead...

SMD inductor/transformer with dual core design.(PASSIVE & DISCRETE COMPONENTS)
June 1, 2006... Datatronics has introduced the DR359 Series Surface Mount Inductor/Transformer which features a dual coil design in a compact, low-profile. Standing .315" above the circuit board in a square package, the inductor/transformer features both...

SIP signal diode arrays are RoHS compliant.(PASSIVE & DISCRETE COMPONENTS)
June 1, 2006... TT electronics BI Technologies recently released its RoHS-compliant D Series signal diode arrays. The series features four to 14 pin counts in single inline packages (SIPs). They are offered in multiple configurations and five different circuit...

Re-banding duplexer meets FCC mandate.(PASSIVE & DISCRETE COMPONENTS)
June 1, 2006... K & L Microwave has released its WSD-00420 800 MHz re-banding duplexer in response to FCC mandate for signal spectrum separation among Enhanced Specialized Mobile Radio (ESMR). This 800 MHz duplexer provides signal interference protection among...

Power factor corrected converter provides up to 1,000W.(POWER SOURCES)
June 1, 2006... Absopulse Electronics has introduced its PFCF419 AC/DC power supply that provides up to 1,000W from 90V AC to 264V AC universal input. It is rated for an output of 24V DC at 42A or 48V DC at 21A continuous duty with other outputs available upon...

Low-noise, fan-cooled peak power supplies.(POWER SOURCES)
June 1, 2006... Lambda has introduced a series of 200W peak power supplies with an integral variable-speed, temperature-controlled fan. An extension of the company's NV-175 family, the single and multiple power supplies are well suited for medical, light...

Switcher Series provides more power in the same size case.(POWER SOURCES)
June 1, 2006... Deltron has added seven L Series power supply models capable of providing 250W in the same case size as existing 200W models. Units can be used as individual modules placed within the customer's equipment or part of Deltron's RA20A 1U racking...

CCFL inverter with small form factor.(POWER SOURCES)
June 1, 2006... Endicott Research Group (ERG) has announced an inverter with a small form factor in both open frame and vacuum encapsulated versions. The S Series DC/AC inverter can power up to two CCFLs (cold cathode fluorescent lamps), and it weighs 12g....

Quarter brick bus converter for networking applications.(POWER SOURCES)
June 1, 2006... Cherokee International announced its 500W 4:1 intermediate bus converter in a quarter-brick package. The C-BUS (CBQ4248G1 model) provides 42A in a 12V nominal output at nearly 97 percent efficiency at full load without a heat sink. Designed for...

Inductors offer high power, low profile and RoHS compliance.(POWER SOURCES)
June 1, 2006... Cooper Bussmann Electronic Technologies has introduced the Coiltronics[R] SD3112, 3114 and 3118 series of low profile, RoHS compliant inductors. Applications include LED driver and flash circuits, hard disk drives, backlighting and EL panels....

Dual-output converter for CCD and OLED applications.(POWER SOURCES)
June 1, 2006... Maxim has introduced the MAX8614, a small dual-output step-up DC/DC converter to generate voltage outputs up to +24V positive and -10V negative with 100 mA output current. The output is adjustable with external resistors for digital still...

VME compatible DC/DC or AC/DC power converter.(POWER SOURCES)
June 1, 2006... Schaefer, Inc. has introduced the C3700 Series of 1,250W, 6U high, VME/Eurorack/wallmount compatible DC/DC and AC/DC converters. The series is available in nine standard DC input voltage ranges from 10V DC to 800V DC as well as AC input voltage...

Fully featured PWM controller.(POWER SOURCES)
June 1, 2006... National Semiconductor has introduced the LM5035 which integrates a voltage-mode PWM controller with high-side and low-side 2A peak gate drivers plus two programmable, secondary-side synchronous rectifier FET drivers. Applications for LM5035...

DC/DC power converters.(POWER SOURCES)
June 1, 2006... Delta Electronics has introduced the S36SE, a 1" X 1" power module, into its Delphi Series of board mounted DC/DC power converters. The S36SE converter operates from an input voltage range of 18V to 75V and is available in output voltages from...

Li-Ion battery charger chip for compact applications.(POWER SOURCES)
June 1, 2006... STMicroelectronics' L6924D battery charger chip integrates all of the required power elements, plus other functions, into a 3 mm X 3 mm package intended for use in mobile phones, PDAs, digital cameras and MP3 players. All key charging system...

Current monitor with current transformer and relay output.(POWER SOURCES)
June 1, 2006... Carlo Gavazzi has announced its DIB01CM Series, a current monitoring relay with an 8A Form C contact output. The built-in current transformer, with 12 mm through-hole is said to save panel space and reduces wiring time. It is constructed in a...

Reference torque transducer.(SENSORS & ACTUATORS)
June 1, 2006... HBM has introduced the TB2 torque transducer. Specifications for the relative standard deviation of repeatability is <[+ or -]0.01 percent; the temperature effect on zero is <[+ or -]0.02 percent/10K; and the linearity deviation, including...

Wet/wet differential pressure sensor.(SENSORS & ACTUATORS)
June 1, 2006... American Sensor Technologies has added the Model 5000 wet/wet differential pressure sensor to its line of hydrogen-compatible pressure sensors. The diaphragm is constructed of 316L stainless steel wetted materials that resist hydrogen...

Compressed air dewpoint monitor.(SENSORS & ACTUATORS)
June 1, 2006... Omega has introduced the RHB-CAC1S2 compressed air dewpoint monitors which are fully NIST traceable and employ a chilled mirror sensor. The ruggedized aluminum NEMA 12 (IP55) enclosure houses the sensor, control circuitry (including flow...

Weld immune proximity sensors.(SENSORS & ACTUATORS)
June 1, 2006... Pepperl+Fuchs has introduced two Rhino[TM] style weld-immune inductive proximity sensors. Available in 20 mm flush mountable and 40 mm non-flush mount sensing ranges, these sensors feature a weld slag resistant sensing face and all-metal...

Temperature and velocity scanner controls up to 32 sensors.(TEST & MEASUREMENT)
June 1, 2006... Advanced Thermal Solutions has introduced the ATVS-2020[TM] temperature and velocity scanner to measure heat and air speeds for thermally characterizing electronic devices. The scanner features low profile, flexible sensors for minimal...

Panel meters.(TEST & MEASUREMENT)
June 1, 2006... Hoyt Electrical Instrument Works, Inc. has announced its 3100 Series meters. The panel meters series consists of an industrial styled, high impact plastic cast that is available for surface, window, or bezel mounting applications in four sizes:...

The Kal-tech project.(PEER to PEER)
June 1, 2006... (Editor's Note: In the May I issue Editor's View column, I asked ECN readers to suggest what they thought my father had in mind to make with the odd assortment of electronic components he had ordered and which arrived the day of his funeral....

Letters to the editor.(PEER to PEER)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2006... "On the Peer to Peer page of the April issue, along with the Thank You! discussion was a response regarding reed relays. I'd like to comment on the response. When driving an inductive load, I believe the concern with relays is not the current,...

Question of the month ...(PEER to PEER)
June 1, 2006... Where do you see yourself in the next five years? a) in my present field of engineering b) involved in management or sales c) advance my education in my field d) retire