ECN-Electronic Component News articles from November 2008

ECN-Electronic Component News archives from November 2008

Fear itself.(Editor's View)
November 1, 2008... Everyone is worried about the global economy, and many are afraid that the U.S. electronic design and manufacturing industry is facing dire straights. To those who worry, I say that the primary American electronic markets are amongst the most...

Synchronous switching buck controllers provide output current up to 12 A.(Leading Off)
November 1, 2008... National Semiconductor introduced a family of Simple Switcher synchronous buck controllers. The new Power Wise Simple Switcher controller family includes four synchronous buck controllers for communications and industrial systems. The LM3150...

Servo drive delivers 4.8 KW continuously.(Leading Off)
November 1, 2008... Using SimpIIQ core motion control technology, Elmo Motion Control's Solo Guitar guitar servo drive supplies up to 4.8 kW of continuous power or 5.4 kW of peak power. The 46.70 mm x 61 mm x 80 mm (1.84" x 2.40" x 3.15") device operates from a DC...

Compact MEMS microphones tout crystal clear recording in portables.(Leading Off)
November 1, 2008... Wolfson Microelectronics' WM7110 and WM7120 silicon MEMS-based analog microphones feature a compact size and high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). They are suited for use in consumer applications requiring low power consumption. The company's...

Sensors developed for highly accurate medical thermometers.(Leading Off)
November 1, 2008... New disposable thermometers from Epcos are characterized by accuracy of up to [+ or -] 0.1 K and a short response time of 7s for fast, easy measurement of a patient's body temperature. These disposable sensors are based on proven ceramic...

High-CV switch mode power supply capacitors offer high capacitance, reduced form factor.(Leading Off)
November 1, 2008... AVX developed a stackable multilayer capacitor series that features a reduced footprint, increasing printed circuit board (PCB) space. Offering high capacitance values with low ESR, the TurboCap MLCs are designed to handle high ripple current...

PCIe Gen2 switches support multicast and multi-root partitioning.(Leading Off)
November 1, 2008... IDT announced a series of PCI Express (PCIe) system interconnect switches that provide high levels of performance, availability and optimal resource use in enterprise applications. The switches support multicast and multi-root partitioning. The...

Switches & relays; From solid state to toggles, tactiles and slides, manufacturers continue to offer a wide selection of switches. This section presents, side-by-side, some recently introduced switch products.(PRODUCT TECHNOLOGY REVIEW)
November 1, 2008... STMicroelectronics' STCC 08 is positioned as the first solid-state AC-switch driver to integrate switch-supervision, allowing designers to save board space and reduce workload for mains-powered devices designed to meet IEC 60335-1 and IEC...

Kits for kids: future engineers can jump into kits at many levels.
November 1, 2008... I'll begin this column with a recommendation: start kids with a set of basic hand tools. When my son went to college, he had tools to hang pictures, connect TV sets and CD players, and tighten desks and shelves. As a result, he met most of the...

Integrated drivers optimize stepper motor controller design: stepper motor system designers demand increased value such as reduced BOM costs with higher performance, which is helping stepper motors gain popularity in many applications historically reserved for DC motors.(Motor Drivers & Controllers)
November 1, 2008... Stepper motor system designers today require more than simple drivers. They demand increased value such as reduced BOM costs with higher performance, which is helping stepper motors gain popularity in many applications historically reserved for...

Touchscreens press deep into consumer electronics: a look at how the various touchscreen technologies fit into the consumer electronics world.(Consumer Electronics)
November 1, 2008... Touchscreen technology has become more prominent in recent years, especially in the consumer and kiosk markets. PDAs, ATM machines, supermarket check-outs, and Apple's iPhone are among the most well-known uses of touchscreen technology. ...

DDS ICs and IP make waves: DDS techniques generate solid sine waves, but pay attention to tradeoffs and error sources.(Signal Sources)
November 1, 2008... You can think of direct digital synthesis (DDS) as a technique that lets a digital value control the frequency of a sine wave. At its simplest, a DDS circuit involves a binary counter, a ROM programmed with equally spaced sine values for one...

Test challenges when integrating high speed serial links in RF-IC.(The New Face of Test)
November 1, 2008... The purpose of this article is to review technical design and test challenges associated with the integration of high speed serial links in mobile RF-IC. It will describe how to set up a combination of DigRF protocol analyzer/exerciser with...

Test is ultimately an issue of quality.(Street Talk)
November 1, 2008... Test is ultimately an issue of quality. Production departments collect test statistics to determine production quality, but the tests themselves might fail. For example, Type I errors are false positives--calling good products bad. Type II...

The LXI standard: it's about your time.(The New Face of Test)
November 1, 2008... The LXI Standard is currently the fastest growing test and measurement platform. By leveraging the versatility and accessibility of Ethernet and the web, the LXI Standard lets engineers quickly build powerful, intuitive test systems. By...

ATCA blade employs dual processors.(BOARDS, MODULES & EMBEDDED SYSTEMS)
November 1, 2008... Coupling with the Intel 5100 memory controller hub (MCH) chipset operating with up to 1,333 MHz front side bus, JumpGen Systems' PRA-200 Advanced TCA (ATCA) node blade supports dual quad-core processors. The board can be deployed with one or...

Video capture board compresses for 16 inputs.(BOARDS, MODULES & EMBEDDED SYSTEMS)
November 1, 2008... The Picolo V16 H.264 from Euresys is a one-lane video capture board with audio capability uses H. 264 on-board compression to handle up to 16 video inputs. Each video input delivers simultaneously a raw and compressed video stream to allow...

Frame grabber supports gigabit Ethernet vision.(BOARDS, MODULES & EMBEDDED SYSTEMS)
November 1, 2008... Performing alignment, measurement, and identification in vision applications, ADLINK Technology's PCIe-GIE62 PCI Express frame grabber demonstrates support for Gigabit Ethernet Vision. The card uses the bandwidth of a PCI Express x4 lane for up...

Hard disk drives hold 120 GB per platter.(BOARDS, MODULES & EMBEDDED SYSTEMS)
November 1, 2008... Integrating into portable media players, camcorders, and mobile PCs, Toshiba Storage Device Division's dual-platter MK2431GAH and single-platter MKxx3lGAL Series 1.8" HDDs exhibit 120 GB per platter. The parallel ATA-interfaced components offer...

AMC card supplies MIL-STD-1553 and ARINC 429 channels.(BOARDS, MODULES & EMBEDDED SYSTEMS)
November 1, 2008... Uniting multiple protocols onto one card, Data Device Corporation's BU-65590A multi-I/O AMC card provides up to four dual redundant MIL-STD-1553 channels operating in BC,RT, MT or RT/MT modes; eight ARINC 429 receive channels; and four ARINC...

Smaller SSDs replace traditional drives.(BOARDS, MODULES & EMBEDDED SYSTEMS)
November 1, 2008... Available in densities of 8 GB, 16 GB, and 32 GB, low-density solid state drives (SSDs) from Samsung are 30 percent smaller than 2.5" SSDs and use the SATA II controller technology being used on Samsung's MLC-based 128 GB SSD. The SSD at 32 GB...

Relay yields 5 A current.(ELECTROMECHANICAL/MECHANICAL DEVICES)
November 1, 2008... Measuring 0.62" x 0.43" X 0.44", Hasco Components International's SPDT Hasco relay switches a current of 5 A with a less expensive 2 A option. The device exhibits a coil voltage range from 3 V DC to 48 V DC with a sensitive version for drawing...

Gearmotors possess fail-safe disc brakes.(ELECTROMECHANICAL/MECHANICAL DEVICES)
November 1, 2008... Functioning on the power-"off" brake-"on" principle, Bison Gear & Engineering's VWDIR08 and VWDIR88 fractional horsepower parallel shaft AC gearmotors work with fail-safe disc brakes. The instruments include gear ratios from 27:1 to 750:1,...

Brushless fans supply 417 cfm.(ELECTROMECHANICAL/MECHANICAL DEVICES)
November 1, 2008... Having an impeller design, Jaro Thermal's Air-Mover Series brushless fans deliver 417 cfm (5,300 rpm) of high-flowing air. The 172 mm X 150 mm x 51 mm instruments operate with a static pressure of 1.690" of [H.sub.2]O and a voltage from 24 V DC...

Brushless DC motor operates at 120 W.(ELECTROMECHANICAL/MECHANICAL DEVICES)
November 1, 2008... Combining with 32 mm planetary gearheads, Maxon Motor's EC-pow-ermax 22 brushless DC motor operates between 90 W and 120 W. The existing rotor comprising two pole pairs is fitted with magnetic material. For electronic commutation, the magnetic...

Heaters target hazardous areas.(ELECTROMECHANICAL/MECHANICAL DEVICES)
November 1, 2008... Having a NEMA 4 rating, Omega Engineering's CREX020 Series hazardous area convection heaters perform in areas with explosion hazards. The devices prevent the formation of condensation and temperature fluctuations, and protect against frost in...

Stepper motor/driver/controller offers USB interface.(ELECTROMECHANICAL/MECHANICAL DEVICES)
November 1, 2008... Coming in a NEMA 17 package, Arcus Technology's DMX-J-SA stepper motor/driver/controller integrates a built-in USB 2.0 interface for communication and programming tasks. The single-axis solution exhibits a current rating of 2 A max at 24 V, and...

Pressure switches implement magnetic sensing.(ELECTROMECHANICAL/MECHANICAL DEVICES)
November 1, 2008... The CSS Series and CSC Series of current pressure switches from Setra Systems use magnetic current sensing technology. They are intended for HVAC/R, industrial, and lighting applications that use electric motors to drive fans, pumps, and...

DC/DC regulators integrate buck control ICs and trench technology MOSFETs.(INTEGRATED CIRCUITS)
November 1, 2008... Coming in a 5 mm x 6 mm x 0.9 mm Power QFN package. International Rectifier's SupIRBuck family point-of-load (POL) DC/DC voltage regulators integrates synchronous buck control ICs and benchmark HEXFET trench technology MOSFETs. The components...

Recovery rectifier yields high switching speed.(INTEGRATED CIRCUITS)
November 1, 2008... Coming in the GPR-4AM voidless glass-bead axial-leaded case, Central Semiconductor's CPR5U-040 5 A 400 V recovery rectifier exhibits a switching speed of 25 ns. The 660[degrees]C metallurgical bonded component operates in commercial,...

LED lamp consumes under 8 mA.(OPTOELECTRONICS & DISPLAYS)
November 1, 2008... Designed to replace 120 MB incandescent bulbs, DDP's 120MBLS-X-CX 120 V AC line voltage wide-angle LED lamp draws [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DDP 800-421-6815, www.ddpleds.com

LCD module displays high luminance.(OPTOELECTRONICS & DISPLAYS)
November 1, 2008... Viewing with a horizontal and vertical angle of 176[degrees], NEC LCD Technologies' NL804BC24-04 9" amorphous-silicon TFT LCD module demonstrates a luminance of 530 cd/[m.sup.2]. The unit operates with a contrast ratio of 800:1 using UA-SFT...

Laser diode offers 6 W.(OPTOELECTRONICS & DISPLAYS)
November 1, 2008... Providing power for pumping amplifiers in cable and FTTx networks, Bookham's Telcordia GR-468-CORE un-cooled fiber-coupled multimode laser diode delivers up to 6 W of power in a 105 [mu]m multimode fiber with a 0.22 NA. The component extends...

Receptacle connector functions at 20 Gbps per lane.(PACKAGING & INTERCONNECTS)
November 1, 2008... Meeting SFF-8470/8473 requirements, Meritec and Cinch Connectors' NX+ PCB SMT multilane receptacle connector maintains 20 Gbps per lane performance (80 Gbps for entire 4x connector). The IEEE-802.3ap KR-specified product shows backward...

Audio connectors demonstrate one-touch connect/disconnect.(PACKAGING & INTERCONNECTS)
November 1, 2008... Accommodating cable and panel-mount applications, ITT Interconnect Solutions' Mini-XL Series male and female audio connectors exhibit one-touch connect/disconnect with availability in three- to six-pin contact arrangements. The RoHS-compliant...

Enclosure exhibits EMC protection.(PACKAGING & INTERCONNECTS)
November 1, 2008... Presenting a height of 1U, Elma Electronic's SlimKit 19" EMC enclosure provides EMC protection via EMC contacts integrated into the sheet metal and enclosure sidewalls with punched and formed EMC "spoons." The device offers fewer screws, depths...

Film performs in medical devices.(PACKAGING & INTERCONNECTS)
November 1, 2008... Allowing for Z-axis conductivity, Adhesive Research's ARcare 95000 4 mil (0.10 mm) electrically conductive polymer film suits biosensors, defibrillators, medical monitoring devices, electrodes and electrical interconnections. The self-supported...

Ethernet connectors perform at 10GIG.(PACKAGING & INTERCONNECTS)
November 1, 2008... Terminating four to eight wires, Weidmuller's RJ45 Ethernet connectors offer a performance rating of 10 GIG with full eight-wire termination of 22 to 26 AWG conductors, as well as having 10/100 and GigE performance ratings. The devices require...

Connectors target MicroTCA applications.(PACKAGING & INTERCONNECTS)
November 1, 2008... Meeting PICMIG specifications, Conec's MicroTCA connector program suits MicroTCA applications. The MTCA.0-specified series consists of AMC backplane connectors in press-fit technology (Part # 47-000001), and power output connectors in press-fit...

Connectors yield 40 A DC current.(PACKAGING & INTERCONNECTS)
November 1, 2008... Offering over-molded cut-to-length cable assemblies or field-wired-on-site versions, Wieland's PST 40il pluggable connectors carry 40 A of DC current in a temperature range from -40[degrees]C to 85[degrees]C. The IP 68-rated interconnects...

OCXOs suit microwave signal sources.(PASSIVE & DISCRETE COMPONENTS)
November 1, 2008... Bliley Technologies' NV26AJ Series oven-controlled crystal oscillators (OCXOs) are appropriate for radar, communications, and test system applications from 30 MHz to 130 MHz. The components demonstrate output up to 15 dBm, typical power...

Attenuators offer four attenuation values.(PASSIVE & DISCRETE COMPONENTS)
November 1, 2008... Measuring 0.125" x 0.250" x 0.015", State of the Art's MTA1225 Series multi-tap attenuators offer standard attenuation values of 1 dB, 3 dB, 6 dB and 10 dB on a single chip. VSWR for all four values is [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] State of...

Capacitors target high voltage bus apps.(PASSIVE & DISCRETE COMPONENTS)
November 1, 2008... Presenting voltage ratings from 100 V DC to 500 VDC, ITW Paktron's RA Series MLP film capacitors perform in high voltage bus applications. The devices show capacitance values from 0.1 [mu]F to 10 [mu]F in commercial and military infrastructure...

Silicon carbide power transistors offer improved performance.(PASSIVE & DISCRETE COMPONENTS)
November 1, 2008... Operating in motor drives, DC/DC conversion, welding systems and power electronics, TranSiC's BITSIC-1220 and BITSIC-1206 NPN power bipolar junction transistors are made from silicon carbide. The components demonstrate chip operation at...

VCO delivers 9 dBm output power.(PASSIVE & DISCRETE COMPONENTS)
November 1, 2008... Operating from 75 MHz to 85 MHz with a control voltage from 0.5 V to ~4.5 V, Crystek's CVCO55FL-0075-0085 VCO displays a typical output power of 9 dBm. The 0.5" x 0.5" SMT-packaged oscillator has a typical phase noise of -123 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz...

Coupling chip antenna geared to micro communication products.(PASSIVE & DISCRETE COMPONENTS)
November 1, 2008... Featuring sensitivity to environmental interference, the 5320 coupling chip antenna from Yageo Corporation is intended for micro communication products including Bluetooth headsets and smart phones. Requiring from 3 mm to 5 mm in clearance on...

AC/DC power modules accept universal input voltage.(POWER SOURCES)
November 1, 2008... Coming in a 1.46" x 0.91" x 0.59" package, V-Infinity's VSK-S3 line of 3 W AC/DC power modules yield a universal input voltage in a range from 85 V AC to 264 V AC or 110 V DC to 370 V DC. The UL 60950-approved devices come in six models with...

Circuit breakers achieve high voltage ratings.(POWER SOURCES)
November 1, 2008... Enabling service entrance, feeder, or branch circuit protection, Altech's UL489 DC molded-case circuit breakers possess voltage ratings of 125 V in one pole and 250 V from two to four poles at up to 63 A. The 17.5 mm per pole tools present a...

UPSes include circuit protection.(POWER SOURCES)
November 1, 2008... POWERVAR's 2.2 kVA and 3 kVA UPSes include surge diverter, noise filter, and low-impedance isolation transformer. When on battery, the UPM models provide power for eight to 10 minutes, depending on load. Other features include user hot...

Power supplies deliver 240 w continuously.(POWER SOURCES)
November 1, 2008... Offering output voltages from 3.3 V to 48 V in 0.1 V increments, GlobTek's GT (M) 9110P Series medical and ITE open-frame power supplies provide up to 240 W of continuous output power with 20 cfm of airflow and 150 W while convection cooled....

DC/DC converters target board-level applications.(POWER SOURCES)
November 1, 2008... The FED20W Series of modular packaged DC/DC converters from Astrodyne are designed to meet power conversion requirements in board-level product applications such as data acquisition, communications and industrial I/O. The FED20W Series provides...

Fuses rate up to 25 A.(POWER SOURCES)
November 1, 2008... Complying with characteristics according to UL 248-14 complements, Schurter's UST 1206 Series 1206 chip fuses exhibit current ratings from 7 A to 25 A. The cURus-approved components offer voltage ratings of up to 63 V DC and 32 V AC, a breaking...

PFC controller offers 500 W power factor.(POWER SOURCES)
November 1, 2008... Operating at a constant frequency in continuous and discontinuous conduction modes, Power Factor One's PF8803 power factor correction (PFC) controller helps designers gain near unity power factor from 75 W to 500 W. The eight-lead SOIC- and...

Power supplies meet industrial safety standards.(POWER SOURCES)
November 1, 2008... Measuring 3"x 5" x 1.3", the ECM140 Series of compact open frame single-output AC/DC power supplies from XP Power meets the electrical safety standards of both IEC 60601-1/EN 60601-1 for medical equipment and IEC 60950-1/En 60950-1 for...

Battery chargers use MOSFET circuitry.(POWER SOURCES)
November 1, 2008... Converting AC power to usable DC power, AMETEK Prestolite Power's Prestolite Advanced Charger (PAC) Eclipse Series high-frequency battery chargers use MOSFET power conversion circuitry. The devices recharge any 100 percent discharged flooded or...

UPS supports green initiatives.(POWER SOURCES)
November 1, 2008... Intended to support green initiatives, the Eaton 9130 UPS can operate in a high-efficiency mode of greater than 95 percent when power conditions are within acceptable limits. Available in versions rated from 700 VA to 3,000 VA with a 0.9 output...

AC/DC supplies satisfy low and medium applications.(POWER SOURCES)
November 1, 2008... The Mean Well GS Series of miniature external 18 W to 90 W AC/DC power supplies from PowerGate is designed for low and medium power applications with 18 W, 25 W, 40 W, 60 W, and 90 W platforms. Consisting of 57 single-output models with outputs...

Wireless data loggers record with four inputs.(TEST & MEASUREMENT)
November 1, 2008... Using the ZigBee wireless protocol, Fourier Systems' DataNet wireless data loggers offer four recording inputs for direct measurement and recording of PT-100 thermocouple (J, K, and T), voltage, current, frequency, and pulse. The devices come...

Oscilloscopes utilize SDA II.(TEST & MEASUREMENT)
November 1, 2008... Predicting bit error rates directly on the eye visually, LeCroy's SDA 7xxZi Series oscilloscopes integrate SDA II with IsoBER to determine the minimum eye opening, and detecting cross-talk by analyzing the vertical eye closure. The instruments...

Test instrument combines DSO/DMM and data logging.(TEST & MEASUREMENT)
November 1, 2008... Storing data logging memory to 17,000 points, Protek Test and Measurement's Model S2505 integrates a battery-operated dual-channel 5 MHz bandwidth DSO providing 50 Ms/s sampling rate and a 10,000-count true rms DMM. The DSO section performs...

Tool suite verifies software development aspects.(TEST & MEASUREMENT)
November 1, 2008... Covering the DO-178B certification in the avionics sector, LDRA Technology's LDRA tool suite v7.7 uses the LDRA Testbed foundation to verify aspects of software development from requirements through run time. It integrates TBvision to show how...

The CellScope.(ON THE LIGHT SIDE)
November 1, 2008... Somewhere in Africa, a traveling health worker arrives at a remote village and finds a patient who may have malaria. The nearest health clinic is hundreds of miles away, and it will take days to get there. Diagnosis requires a trained clinician...

Brainstorm.(Energy Star)
November 1, 2008... On June 2, 2008 the EPA released a "technical amendment" to their Energy Star solid state lighting criteria and declared it effective immediately, without consulting industry. Further, their amendment gives credence to certain older...

Embedded power conference strives to fill power vacuum.(efficiency Zone)(Conference news)
November 1, 2008... On September 17-18, the Marriott Hotel in San Jose hosted the first annual Embedded Power Conference, focusing on "increasing power-management issues." I attended this inaugural event, and it was well worth the price of admission (press get in...

Electric bike sports revolutionary half-hour recharge time.(efficiency Zone)
November 1, 2008... Bicycling is generally considered one of the most efficient forms of transportation. In many countries (particularly ones where the average income precludes weekly gasoline fill-ups), the bike is the primary mode of transport. Yet for a variety...

Advanced Design Techniques and Realizations of Microwave and RF Filters.
November 1, 2008... by Pierre Jarry and Jacques Beneat John Wiley & Sons,Hoboken, NJ. 2008. 354 pages. $115. ISBN: 978-0-470-18310-6. (www.wiley.com) Radio frequency (RF) and microwave filters are crucial ingredients in many consumer electronics. Devices such...

Mobile Displays Technology and Applications.
November 1, 2008... Edited by Achintya K. Bhowmik, Zili Li, & Philip J. Bos. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, West Sussex, England. 2008. 650 pages. $170. ISBN: 978-0-470-72374-6. (www.wiley.com). Display technology is an omnipresent companion in our daily...

Electromagnetic Field Interaction with Transmission Lines.
November 1, 2008... Edited by Farhad Rachidi & Sergey V. Tkachenko. WIT Press, Southampton, UK. 2008. 288 pages. $190. ISBN: 978-1-84564-063-7. (www.witpress.com). Ultra-wideband (UWB) radio technology is an important component in many consumer electronics...

Web exclusive: low-power is life saver for medical electronics devices.(Web Bytes)
November 15, 2008... Designers of portable medical devices face unique challenges. Their chosen field is known for regulatory scrutiny, protracted design and life cycles, and a need for unparalleled robustness in the finished product. In addition, design objectives...

Should Energy Star exist? Government never furthered any enterprise but by the alacrity with which it got out of its way.(Editor's View)
November 15, 2008... The recent Energy Star controversy must inevitably be discussed in a broader context. To sum up current events: on June 2nd, the EPA violated Energy Policy Act (EPACT) 2005 by releasing a "technical amendment" (version 4.2) to their Energy Star...

Pico-ITXe board features stackable I/O expansion.(Leading Off)
November 15, 2008... VIA Technologies' VIA EPIA-P710 is marketed as the world's first single board computer based on the Pico-ITXe specification of the Small Form Factor Special Interest Group (SFF-SIG). Supporting up to four customizable I/O expansion modules, the...

Single core convergent processors perform at low power.(Leading Off)
November 15, 2008... Analog Devices added the Blackfin BP51x Series to its convergent-processor family. These offerings are intended to reduce cost, power consumption, software complexit, and development schedules in a spectrum of mobile lifestyle, industrial,...

High-speed in-circuit debugger supports 8-, 16- and 32- bit PIC microcontrollers and dsPIC DSCs.(Leading Off)
November 15, 2008... Microchip Technology introduced a high - speed development tool that supports in-circuit programming and debugging the company's Flash-based 8-bit PIC microcontrollers (MCUs), and its line of 16- and 32- bit MCUs and 16-bit dsPIC digital signal...

LEDs for direct display backlighting emit 15 percent more light than preceding series.(Leading Off)
November 15, 2008... The Advanced Power TOPLED Plus from OSRAM Opto Semiconductors is said to be the brightest color LED in its class, providing 15 percent more light for direct display backlighting than standard Advanced Power TOPLEDs. Depending on the display,...

Optocoolers fulfill high voltage circuitry and power requirements.(Leading Off)
November 15, 2008... Nextreme Thermal Solutions announced the availability of its OptoCooler HV Series RoHS-compliant high voltage and high heat pumping thermoelectric coolers optimized for standard circuitry and power requirements. The OptoCooler HV14 operates at...

Miniature RGB digital light sensors with infrared-blocking filter.(Leading Off)
November 15, 2008... Texas Advanced Optoelectronic Solutions announced what it asserts are the industry's smallest RGB digital color sensors. The TCS3404 and TCS3414, with integrated red, green, and blue (RGB) filters, can derive the color chromaticity and...

Power supplies: a wide variety of power supply types were recently introduced--battery charger/simulator, DIN rail supply, modular, switch mode, external supply, and a medically-approved model. We present them here, side-by-side, for quick reference.
November 15, 2008... Keithley Instrument's Model 2308 portable device battery/charger simulator is designed to provide low-cost testing of both the growing range of mobile phones with new, complex transmission schemes and other types of new portable devices that...

Take a new look at Ada: the Ada language offers an easy path to solid code.(ADA Update)
November 15, 2008... The world of computer technology has two incompatible characteristics. First, many computer systems have long lives. Second, students and many engineers pay attention to only the latest technologies, and they believe old technologies have died...

Solutions for complex DC/DC power conversion needs: in embedded DC/DC converters in industrial applications, the system architecture can be quite complex. Consider the impact of the choice of the converter power stages in DC/DC applications.(DC/DC Converters)
November 15, 2008... Many industrial systems, like test and measurement equipment, require embedded DC/DC converters, as the amount of computing power required in these applications is increasing. This computing power is This computing power is provided by DSPs,...

Perfect vision: adoption of the Camera Link standard addresses challenges for machine vision designers.(Industrial Communications)
November 15, 2008... In many quality control operations, the human eye has been replaced by the unblinking lens of the digital camera. A machine vision (MV) system is intended for non-contact optical sensing and is ideal for use in quality control (QC) systems for...

Cable is Fieldbus Foundation certified.(NEW PRODUCTS)
November 15, 2008... Northwire's DataCell Foundation fieldbus cable is FF-844-certified by the Fieldbus Foundation. All versions are ITC (instrument tray cable)/PLTC (power-limited tray cable) rated for exposed-run (ER) applications and pass the same crush and...

Cordgrips lock onto cabinets or housings.(NEW PRODUCTS)
November 15, 2008... Heyco's Snap-In cordgrips provide cord and cable strain relief in limited clearance application inside electrical cabinets and product housing. They operate in industrial power supplies, packaging equipment, control panels, security cameras,...

Power Factor Correction goes digital: good PFC techniques improve power quality.(Power Factor Correction)(Correction notice)(Cover story)
November 15, 2008... Most power-conversion applications require a DC source, which uses a rectifier that draws non-sinusoidal line currents. As a result, line-current harmonics have become a significant problem and they lead to overheating of transformers and...

Automated test goes software-defined.(The New Face of Test)
November 15, 2008... Software-defined instrumentation is the new face of automated test. Scientists and engineers performing leading-edge research and designing custom measurement and control systems have used software-defined instruments, also known as virtual...