Design News articles from December 2005

Design News archives from December 2005

Clap clap clap clap clap.
December 5, 2005... Here on Design News, we are big on recognition. Actually some people think it's just our excuse to have lots of big parties, but the truth is that we love to recognize engineers who do great things. For over 20 years, Design News, in...

Help wanted: so many jobs, so little time.
December 5, 2005... I THOUGHT I WAS PRETTY SHARP BACK IN '82 with my new engineering technology degree. Here I am world. I thought. As singer Rod Stewart put it once: "Look how wrong you can be." According to this graph, http://rbi.ims.ca/4402-538,...

Not our problem.(Readers Sound Off)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Like Karen Field's recounting of buying pirated software on eBay, I recently had a rather unpleasant experience myself. I bid for and won the auction for some Arturia Moog Modular software (an emulation of the great Moog Modular analog...

Ask questions first, then bid.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Karen Field's complaint about having to pay shipping and currency exchange for the software she bought on eBay is totally bogus. Every item I've ever bought on eBay did not include shipping. But yes, there are issues with some items on eBay....

Around the block a few times.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Read your editorial where you related engineers' stories about their cars, http://rbi.ims.ca/4402-536. I have one, too. Recently, I was in the market for a mid-sized reliable four-door transporter in the $7 to $9K range. In the midst of my...

Love my Lexus.(Readers Sound Off)
December 5, 2005... I just finished reading the cover story on Lexus reliability http://rbi.ims.ca/4402-537 and your column in the October 10 issue of Design News. Here's my two cents: I own a 1998 Lexus GS300 that I purchased new. My odometer is about to hit...

"New" at ten years old.(Readers Sound Off)
December 5, 2005... Just read the article in Design News on the Oldies and found it very informative. I have a 1994 Lexus I bought used, with very low mileage. I now have a little over 60,000 actual miles on the car and my husband won't even consider selling it...

What"s that smell?(Readers Sound Off)
December 5, 2005... I really enjoyed your editorial. I believe in the "Oldies but goodies" principle. You asked about our experiences... here is mine. I own a 1988 Toyota Corolla. I bought it used in 1995. It has close to 200,000 miles on it and the biggest...

It's a status thing.(Readers Sound Off)
December 5, 2005... I get a real kick out of those readers with their overpriced Lexus cars and proud of the fact that they have high mileage on them. I bought only one Japanese car in my life--a 1981 Honda Accord. It was supposed to be a great car and reliable. I...

Bridging islands of information: how is open PLM different from other types of PLM software?
December 5, 2005... While there are a number of so-called "open" solutions on the market, they are limited because they generally connect within their own systems. But to be truly open, companies need to go beyond scattered islands of information and manual...

Not all manufacturing is moving to China.
December 5, 2005... At CSA International, we are committed to expanding our staff and capabilities in the Far East and Europe. But we are also committed to expanding in North America. While the other leading laboratory is eliminating technical positions and...

Mind your I's and Q's.(SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION: THE DATA DETECTIVE)
December 5, 2005... Most people who use cell phones, portable PCs, and other wireless devices understand the benefits of radio-frequency communications. Because consumers always expect more capabilities, designers must push communications to higher frequencies,...

Slack variable.(Cartoon)
December 5, 2005... THE SERIOUSLY CAFFEINATED ESCAPADES OF A MUTANT ENGINEERING SUPER MONKEY!! STORY: KAREN FIELD ART: DANIEL GUIDERA [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

RAQ's rarely asked questions: strange but true stories from the call logs of Analog Devices.
December 5, 2005... Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock Q. My clock is accurate to 1 ppm--what could possibly need improvement? A. The phase noise or jitter. The performance of any ac sampling system is critically dependent on the use of a sampling clock with...

Software comes to radio: software defined radios are in the military's future.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Communication problems have plagued military personnel and first responders for years, particularly when groups working together can't find a common radio frequency. Software defined radio may reduce problems by making it easy to shift from one...

Digging virtual training: cat trainer hits low price point.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Bulldozers and other off-highway equipment have sophisticated electronic controls, but challenges such as moving tons of dirt still intimidate people, creating a shortage of operators. Caterpillar hopes to reduce this shortage with virtual...

Iridium takes flight: network for Homeland Security.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The Iridium (http://rbi.ims.ca/4402-534) Satellite cell phone network was a flop for Motorola, but the 66 satellites may yet prove useful for Homeland Security, among others. Iridium Satellite LLC of Bethesda, MD, and Impeva Labs Inc. in Mt....

New and notable product design.
December 5, 2005... Dual and tri-axis acceleration measurements provide new functionality to several products. Here are five examples. 1 DIGITAL AUDIO PLAYER Samsung YP-T8QW (http://rbi.ims.ca/4402-541). A triaxial accelerometer designed into this...

Enclosure hardware done right!
December 5, 2005... WEBCAST NOW AVAILABLE ON-DEMAND MODERATOR Joseph Ogando, Senior Editor, Design News A senior editor at Design News, Joe's 10 years of experience covering plastics and materials technologies have made him a well-recognized face in...

Diesels get top rankings in fuel efficiency.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Hybrid vehicles may get all the attention when it comes to fuel savings, but it turns out diesel cars are holding their own in government rankings. Advanced-technology diesel vehicles captured four of the top ten spots for the most...

Illinois group sending discarded electronics products back into use.(Environmental news engineers can use)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Not all electronics products headed for landfills are useless. A 16,000-square-foot warehouse in Peoria is filled with discarded electronics products, many of which will get recycled back into use. A not-for-profit group, Recycling for...

Americans believe Japanese best at hybrids.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Even as U.S. automakers are putting a greater emphasis on hybrid vehicles, the American consumer still believes the Japanese car makers are more committed to producing hybrids, according to a poll conducted by TechnoMetrica Market Intelligence....

Moving liquid through vibration: matchbox-sized sensor can do in-line measurements of transmission fluids, process liquids, or human blood.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... For decades, engineers have measured viscosity with mechanical means. Now, a new technique uses electronics to measure the viscosity of a fluid, thus enabling fast, real-time measurements of liquids ranging from helicopter transmission...

Projects pose Grand Challenge: engineering schools go for hands-on approach.
December 5, 2005... Colleglate engineering curriculum has helped keep the U.S. in the forefront of technology since the Sputnik days, but educators and students alike feel the need to augment textbook learning with more projects. "The way things work in the real...

Massive computing system making in-roads on superconductor behavior: sixty-four refrigerator-sized units use 2 million Watts of electrical power.
December 5, 2005... In a demonstration of massive computing power, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have employed two Cray Research supercomputers--about 6,000 processors and 43 trillion floating point operations per second--to make a breakthrough in...

Tin whisker problem looms over aerospace and defense: engineers in aerospace and defense are sending out anonymous warnings that the tin whisker problem is not being taken seriously.
December 5, 2005... Budget cuts at industry OEMs and a "ho hum" attitude at the Department of Defense (DoD) may allow tin whiskers to form in electronics systems, according to a Lockheed Martin engineer and a retired DoD engineer. According to the Lockheed Martin...

Caterpillar opens its doors: a test group forms that works well with others.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Caterpillar's new testing group, Engine Systems Technologies and Solutions, is inviting other manufacturers of equipment from engines to construction machinery to avail themselves of its services. The company maintains the machines and the...

One company ... One complete solution.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Industry: Medical Daedal XR Series precision linear positioners have achieved global recognition for consistent accuracy, reliable performance, high strength, and unmatched versatility. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION...

New clarity for plastic glazing: NHTSA clarifies position on polycarbonate for automotive windows.(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
December 5, 2005... The best thing about polycarbonate automotive glazing is that it's not glass. But that's also the worst thing about it, at least from a regulatory standpoint. Federal safety regulations and tests related to glazing understandably revolve around...

Fluid control by wire: MR fluids gain notice.
December 5, 2005... Lord Corp.'s orders for its Tactile Feedback Device rose sharply this year, a result of surging interest in the devices for x-by-wire applications, says Jim Toscano, manager of global sales and marketing for the company's materials business....

Fast cars, FEA, and more integration in the future: Virtual Product Development Conference draws a large crowd.(FE analysis )
December 5, 2005... Someone talking about designing a car that goes 375 kph is just the kind of thing that draws a standing-room-only crowd of engineers. And that was definitely the case when Luca Furbatto, head of the stress analysis and materials group at...

Delivering high bandwidth to VMEbus: the venerable VMEbus is renewing its competitiveness with a generation of boards that boost bandwidth into the gigabit-per-second range.
December 5, 2005... VMEbus, a decades-old technology that was supposed to be on its last leg five years ago, is re-positioning itself for a new era as vendors roll out a generation of circuit boards with high-speed fabric interconnects. VME, long a staple of...

Aerogels heat up: these nanotech insulating materials have left the lab.
December 5, 2005... Nanotechnology may be the wave of the future, but not all nanotech qualifies as new. Consider, for example, aerogels, which have been around for more than 70 years. Also called "frozen smoke," these materials take the form of a solid silica...

Skip the housing: motor vendors give OEMs a shot at built ins.
December 5, 2005... Motors are decreasingly viewed as drop in components and more and more seen as integrated parts on a machine, according to motor marketing guru, Dan Jones. Known as "parts sets," frameless motors have been found in precision inspection and...

Reusing hard-to-reuse models: here is an easy way to reuse surfaces and features from supplier's lower geometric resolution models on future designs.
December 5, 2005... THERE IS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT PART AND design reuse. For us, that also means reusing any aspect of a previous design, such as surfaces and features. In a multi-CAD environment you're going to work with different geometric resolution models....

Who supplies the industry's must have analog products?
December 5, 2005... The universe of Standard Linear products is so vast, suppliers often struggle to maintain the right portfolio at the right price your designs need. Thought no vendor could possibly cope with the demands? Think again. TI is the reliable source...

Steel slide ... Ideal gate resistor value ... Screen material ...(Letter to the Editor)
December 5, 2005... Dear Search Engineer: I need to sense the presence of four ball bearings in an assembled steel slide, and the ball bearings aren't visible. Can I use an inductive sensor to sense the changing permeability of the cross section as it is fed...

8 X 8 Packet8 VideoPhone: broadband videophone.
December 5, 2005... Taking advantage of voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) without a monitor, keyboard, mouse, or computer requires a sophisticated videophone. Packet8's videophone delivers delay free audio and up to 30 frames per second video quality on a...

Support across the board[TM]: bringing products to life.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... At Avnet Electronics Marketing (EM), support across the board is much more than a tagline for us. From initial design through end of life--we are deeply committed to driving maximum efficiency throughout the product lifecycle. Take Lab X and...

America's high-tech quandry: in the U.S., engineering has lost the prestige it once enjoyed. Now, the country must figure out how to stay competitive with China, India, and other Asian countries determined to become the next engineering superpowers.(Cover Story)
December 5, 2005... IN TECHNICAL AND ACADEMIC CIRCLES, THE WORD IS USUALLY SPOKEN IN A WHISPER: a million. China is headed toward a million engineers a year, the experts say. The number is so big, so far from our own experience, that reasonable people hesitate to...

Embedded CAE tools make a complex design simpler to analyze: an integrated CAD-CAE environment helps engineers perform linear, nonlinear, and dynamic analyses on a wretchedly complex mechanism.(ANALYSIS)
December 5, 2005... I am a CAE Specialist with ASC, a company that creates specialty vehicles. One of the products that we designed is a convertible header latch, which is a complex mechanism that secures the front bow of the top to the windshield frame structure....

DirectIndustry.com: the virtual industrial exhibition.(WEB RESOURCES)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Aimed at industry professionals, DirectIndustry, is a BtoB site presenting all the industrial equipment and components available on national and international markets. Available in five languages, the virtual industrial exhibition offers...

Product Watch: press release newsletter.(WEB RESOURCES)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... DirectIndustry has created a monthly e-mail newsletter for new products. For exhibitors at DirectIndustry it only takes 30 seconds to upload a press release. Each release is sent out in the Product Watch links to the exhibitor's website and...

New parametric searches to website: enables quick, detailed searches.(UltraVolt Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... UltraVolt Inc., a world-leading manufacturer of high voltage power supplies, announced the addition of two parametric searches to its website that enable users to search for the characteristics they require and compare results quickly to find...

Dc/dc uModule: low profile.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The LTM4600 is a [mu]Module that provides complete 10A switching power supply in a 15X15 mm footprint, low profile (2.8 mm) land grid array. It is a synchronous switchmode dc/dc step-down regulator with built-in indicator. It accommodates an...

Differential amplifiers: three types.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The company has released three different types of differential amplifiers designed to meet the needs of designing broadband test and measurement equipment, automatic test equipment, and various aerospace and military applications: the 1010DA:...

Pushbutton switch: subminiature.(CIT Relay and Switch)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The RPH series pushbutton switch offers DPDT, 4PDT, and 6PDT. The switch function is offered in both latching and non-latching, and options include PC terminals or snap-in PC terminals, and single-stage mounting chassis, PC mounting bracket, or...

Powermod connectors: high performance.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The company's PowerMod connectors are designed for compatiblity with lead-free re-flow soldering. They are manufactured from high temperature plastic Polyphenylene Sulfide, making them ideal for use in the lead-free, reflow solder process,...

Embedded PC: direct connection for EtherCAT I/O terminals.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The CX1020 embedded PC features a direct connection for EtherCAT I/O terminals. It has a 600 MHz Intel Celeron M CPU; it uses Compact Flash as its boot and memory medium so it needs no rotating media. It is engineered to provide the same...

Expansion boards: eliminate alias frequencies.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The company's signal-conditioning expansion boards for its DAP boards are designed to make it easy to implement signal conditioning in data acquisition systems. MSXB 064 and MSXB 065 provide differential instrumentation amplifiers with optional...

Liquid level sensor: non-invasive.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Designed as a unique, non-invasive ultrasonic sensing solution, the levelprox sensor provides accurate point level detection of liquids through metal container walls. The product mounts to the outside of a container and is ideal for high...

Sensors: oversized status indicator.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The WORLD-BEAM QS30 Series sensors are available in standard 10 to 30V dc or 12 to 250V ac universal voltage formats. They feature a 30-mm threaded barrel or side hold mounting option, IP67 sealed housing with EMI/RFI protected circuitry, and...

Single-board computer: Pentium 4.(ELECTRONICS)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The ATX-807 single-board computer features a Pentium 4 Prescott (90 nm) CPU with 400/533/800M FSB selectable speed and is Intel VRD 10.1 compliant to support future advanced processors. Two DIMM sockets support up to 2 Gbytes DDR memory and...

Speed sensor: self-calibrating.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The ATS616LSG speed sensor is designed for non-TPOS camshaft applications, providing improved EMC and ESD, and eliminating the need for an external switching capacitor. It uses a dual-element Hall IC that switches in response to differential...

Oscilloscope: PC-based tester.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The USBee AX Test pod is designed as a PC-based pod that functions as a programmable oscilloscope, logic analyzer, and digital signal generator in one compact unit. It is used for testing and controlling electronic circuit designs, and it can...

Spring connection system: easy wire terminations.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The FRK spring connection system is designed to reduce wiring time up to 80 percent when compared to screw clamp terminations. It provides fast wire termination for solid wire or stranded wire with a ferrule. The system requires no tools and...

Graphics module: flexible.(PC-MIP and PMC graphic controllers )(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The PC-MIP and PMC graphic controllers are meant to give designers of embedded systems the flexibility of configuring application-specific capabilities in a FPGA for systems based on either the Intel or PowerPC architectures. The mezzanine...

Microprocessor: digital display.(ELECTRONICS)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The MR Flow Transmitter is a variable area flow meter that provides a digital display of both flow rate and total accumulated flow. Both can be displayed in any one of a number of user-selectable measurement units. It combines state-of-the-art...

Rolling diaphragm pump: pulsation-free air flow.(Thomas Products Div. )(Model 1101 pump)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Engineered to use a rolling diaphragm design that combines the best features of rotary and diaphragm pumps, the Model 1101 pump's diaphragm does not move up and down; rather, it rolls in the cylinder. This increases airflow relative to size and...

Firmware: provides full support.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The company has released R2.0 of its IPM Sentry Shelf Management firmware, which provides full support for the company's IPM Sentry ShMM-500 and ShMM-300. This enables users to take advantage of the 7 X processor speed improvement. It includes...

Cam Switches: reliable.(Cam Switches )(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The Series 20 Cam Switches feature double-break, silver-plated contacts housed in rigid thermostat plastic for long, reliable life. The product's versatility enables various configurations with up to 12 decks and up to 12 positions. They are...

Heat exchangers: efficient performance.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The Brazepak heat exchangers are engineered for applications requiring high performance in a small size. The brazed-plate products are compact and economical in a range of applications, including refrigerant condensers and evaporators, and oil...

Log detector: enhances sensitivity.(FLUID POWER)
December 5, 2005... Featuring superior sensitivity, the LT5537 high-performance log detector enables more accurate measurement of lower levels of RF and IF signals. It has a wide operating frequency range from near dc to 1 GHz according to the company. It features...

High flow volume booster: aluminum construction.(FLUID POWER)
December 5, 2005... The Type 6000 high flow volume booster is engineered to deliver high air flow capacity and fast action throttling control. It is offered in aluminum or 316 stainless steel construction. It is a one-to-one signal to output relay, which when used...

High flow valves: for large bore actuators.(FLUID POWER)
December 5, 2005... The VQ5000 series of high flow valves are designed for use in automotive, brickwork, forestry, mineral processing, machine tool, and metal casting industries to drive large bore actuators. The five-port solenoid valve is engineered for large...

Miniature vacuum gauge: with dual scale.(FLUID POWER)
December 5, 2005... The company's miniature vacuum gauge is provided with a dual scale for accurate indication of vacuum ranging from 0 to -30 in HG. The dial diameter is 7/8 inch with an overall depth, front to back, of 17/64 inch. It employs a brass-geared...

Platen heaters: cast aluminum.(FLUID POWER)
December 5, 2005... The company's cast aluminum bake and chill platens for waver processing applications use a high-density, mineral-insulated heating element, formed to offer a specific heat profile and cast onto 99.7 percent pure aluminum. The surfaces can be...

Viscosity control systems: sensitive.(FLUID POWER)
December 5, 2005... The company's line of viscosity control systems are designed for fluids ranging from hypodermic needle coatings at 1/2 CPS to silicone caulk at 1 million CPS. They are engineered to be sensitive enough to detect changes in the viscosity of...

Solenoid valve: instant acting.(FLUID POWER)
December 5, 2005... The company's new solenoid valve features a typical response time of less than 30 msec, enabling nearly instantaneous correction of payload position or rotation through thrust vectoring. It features a compact and lightweight design that uses a...

Meter, mix, and dispense system: piston-based.(DTIC Dispensing Technologies)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The EZ-mixVR variable ratio meter, mix and dispense system is a piston-based, software-driven, positive displacement system that offers accurate mixing without changing gears or other time-consuming mechanical adjustments. It features 0.1 ml...

Micro Air Nozzle: for precision blowoff.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The Micro Air Nozzle is billed by the company as the smallest available, providing precision blowoff with a directed high-volume, high-velocity airflow. It projects less than one inch pass the mounting surface, which is designed to permit...

Roller pumps: durable.(Delavan Ag Pumps Inc)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The Diamond series 5500 roller pumps feature a special alloy body and end plate for maximum durability. This design enables the product to last up to 10 times longer than conventional cast-iron pumps when pumping harsh agricultural chemicals,...

Heat transfer fluids: three varieties.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The company's line of heat transfer fluids features three different products to suit various applications. The MG mid-range fluid is a food-grade non-aqueous heat/cool fluid. The LR heat transfer fluid is a food-grade fluid that operates...

Roots pumps: maintenance-free.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The company's maintenance-free magnetically-coupled roots pumps are statically sealed against atmosphere, eliminating rotating seals that wear and leak. This is designed to permit safer, environmentally-friendly operation by getting rid of...

Electronic pressure switch: non-contact.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Designed for use in hydraulic and pneumatic applications, the PK Series pressure switch features no moving parts that can wear or break over time. It features a 316 stainless steel process connection, and its welded, gas-tight measuring cell...

Hose identification markers: track hose installations.
December 5, 2005... PAGE-Indent[TM] hose identification markers feature a clear silicone sleeve with encapsulated data, such as date of service, flow direction, part-, location-, or lot-number, a symbol, color coding, or radio frequency identification tag. They...

Planetary drive: shift-on-the-fly capability.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The GFT 45 T2/T3 dual ratio planetary drive is designed to reduce speed and increase torque delivered from a hydraulic motor in order to drive a drum, sprocket, or wheel. Ideal applications include propelling construction, agriculture, and...

Turbo pump: for clean applications.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The On Tool[TM] Booster Pump is the first turbo pump that goes from atmosphere to high vacuum, according to the company. It is designed for clean applications that operate without any particulate matter, corrosive gases, or condensation. It can...

Transducer: for linear measurements.(MOTION CONTROL)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The SP2 string-pot transducer is designed for linear measurements in environmentally challenging OEM and testing applications where a compact, single voltage divider device is necessary. It is offered in stroke lengths of 4.75, 12.5, 25, and 50...

Scara robots: compact bodies.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The TH550 and TH850 scara robots are engineered with high-speed operations, high-payload capacities, and compact bodies. The TH550 reaches composite speeds of 6.21 m/sec, and the TH850 accelerates to 8.03 m/sec. Three-axis speeds for both reach...

Online service: price quote in 60 seconds.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Called the world's largest rapid prototype and part building service, RedEye RPM is an online extension of the company's existing BuildFDM service. RedEye augments this service by enabling automated, instant quoting, and ordering around the...

Linear guide systems: multiple configurations.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... DryLin W linear guide systems join the DryLin suite of linear bearings and slides with plastic guide elements. They are available in multiple rail configurations and styles to provide more design options. They are engineered as a low-cost,...

Stock lifters: for progressive dies.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The T2SL series of stock lifters now includes the T2SL-170 model, which is available with either a threaded piston rod or a slotted top plate. Both versions are engineered for use in self-contained mode or hosed system modes. It features all...

Vibration monitor: for outdoor applications.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The Octavis vibration monitor product line now includes a durable metal unit for washdown, metalworking, and outdoor applications. It resists oils and coolants, is designed to withstand extreme washdowns. The product is ideal for a variety of...