Design News articles from July 2008

Design News archives from July 2008

Stress Is Bad For You - and For Analog ICs.
July 14, 2008... By James Bryant Q. You recently mentioned that mechanical stress alters the calibration of precision analog ICs. Does this mean that mounting them incorrectly can make them inaccurate? A. Indeed it does! But do not worry too much. We...

The Case of the Peaked Planetor.
July 14, 2008... By Kenneth Russell, Professor Emeritus, MIT, Cambridge, MA Type the word 'planetor' into a computer search and you will get back a bunch of references to a blocky type face. The planetor in this article is a carpentry tool for rapidly...

Everything Is 'At Stake'.(Editorial)
July 14, 2008... By John Dodge, Editor-in-Chief Engineers as a whole are an altruistic lot so we are introducing a new monthly column online and in our Aug. 11 issue that explores how to mine this thick vein of talent and good will. 'At Stake' will be...

Best of the Engineering Marketplace.
July 14, 2008... Compiled by Elizabeth M. Taurasi and Sasha Brown-Worsham PCB Piezotronics' New ICP Pressure Sensors Elizabeth M. Taurasi, Sasha Brown-Worsham Detect combustion instability Series 106, 116, 122, 123 and 124 are designed...

Olympic Cyclists.
July 14, 2008... By Charles J. Murray, Senior Technical Editor, Electronics Low-power wireless provides a foundation for better training Wireless technology will play a new and unexpected role this Olympic season, as cyclists use it to measure the power...

How to Avoid the Next Big Dig Tragedy.
July 14, 2008... By Doug Smock, Contributing Editor, Materials and Fastening Engineers need to understand basic failure modes of polymers, such as creep resistance, and rely less on supplier data sheets The dust has settled from the Big Dig...

Hoofing It from Paris to Beijing.
July 14, 2008... By Beth Stackpole, Contributing Editor, Design Tools Virtual-reality professor takes off on a 6,000-mile ultra-marathon to help create a bio-realistic 3-D model of a human foot What do marathon running and 3-D virtual reality technology...

Direct Digital Manufacturing Aids Assembly Operations.
July 14, 2008... By Joseph Ogando, Senior Editor, Motion Control Direct digital manufacturing's high-tech future has yet to arrive, but Oreck uses the technology right now as a way to produce jigs, figures and assembly aids Direct digital manufacturing...

Camera Phones Read to the Vision Impaired.(KNFB Reading Technology Inc's Reader Mobile)(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... By Terry Costlow, Contributing Editor Vision impaired, blind and learning-disabled users can hear printed text including menus, documents, signs and receipts. The Reader Mobile unit from KNFB Reading Technology Inc. leverages the...

Fast forward for store security cameras.(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... By Terry Costlow, Contributing Editor Digital video recorders revolutionized TV viewing for many. Now, they're transforming the role of security cameras. Walgreens is installing DVRs throughout its chain of 6,200 drug stores, using them to...

Staring at Little White Lines.(cameras in cars)(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... By Terry Costlow, Contributing Editor Cameras are playing a key role as the auto industry looks forward to active safety systems. One is set to debut when Fiat's Lancia unveils the Delta. It uses TRW Automotive's video-based lane departure...

Enjoy Traffic Jams Without Leaving Home.(traffic camera )(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... By Terry Costlow, Contributing Editor Connecticut is the latest region to make its traffic camera data available on the Web. Drivers who want to check roadways before they leave home can pick any of the state's 153 cameras. TrafficLand, a...

Optical Chip Handles Imaging and Bioanalysis.(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... By Terry Costlow, Contributing Editor When the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is doing the judging, even the compact cameras in cell phones are too large. DARPA wants to combine biosensors with integrated printed optoelectronics...

Case #123: This Jukebox Plays Your Mood.(Jukebox Hero )(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... Staff Sometimes the music around you just doesn't fit your mood. The Jukebox Hero designed by Zach Glueckert and friends may solve that problem. It can operate as a normal Jukebox with individual songs available. It can also operate on...

Honda Produces Lower-Cost Hybrid.(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... By Rob Spiegel, Contributing Editor Honda Motor Co. will soon launch a less expensive hybrid car to encourage more people around the world to adopt cleaner automotive technology and reduce car emissions. The newly designed model will be a...

Energtek's Natural Gas Three-Wheeler.(Yamaha RS100T)
July 14, 2008... By Rob Spiegel, Contributing Editor The natural gas technology company Energtek Inc. has introduced a three-wheel vehicle with a two-stroke engine that has been converted to run on natural gas. Over the next year, Energtek will convert...

Plastic Bearing Is Eco-Green.(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... By Rob Spiegel, Contributing Editor Plastic cable producer Igus Inc. has developed a tribologically optimized plastic plain bearing that requires neither oil nor grease as a lubricant. Since they are lubricant-free, no contaminants escape...

Not Just for Groceries Anymore!(development of barcode scanners)
July 14, 2008... By Kevin Craig As a young boy growing up in the late 1950s, I remember well trips to the grocery store on a Saturday morning with my dad and going to the checkout line where a person would quickly read the price of the item, punch the keys...

Sensing Technology Marches on at Annual Sensors Expo.
July 14, 2008... By Randy Frank, Contributing Editor Wireless and industrial vibration sensors were two hot topics on the show floor Drawing on the images Hollywood has created for robots, the sensing capability of cockroaches and group behavior of...

Automotive Climate Control System Cuts Fuel Costs.
July 14, 2008... By Charles J. Murray, Senior Technical Editor, Electronics Comfort equation benefits occupants and design engineers Engineers at TRW Automotive (http://rbi.ims.ca/5717-535 ) say they've developed a climate control system that could save...

Steel Makes Its Case for Fuel Tanks.
July 14, 2008... By Doug Smock, Contributing Editor, Materials and Fastening New grades boost formability, while flex fuels may create problems for plastic Plastics have grabbed a better than 80 percent share of the market for automotive fuel tanks in...

Electric Motor Breaks New Ground.(NovaTorque )
July 14, 2008... By Joseph Ogando, Senior Editor, Motion Control A patented electric motor design from NovaTorque improves efficiency and design flexibility by shoehorning an axial motor design into a rotary motor package Of all the ways to divvy up...

Siemens Aims High and Low with Upgrades.(Siemens PLM Software)
July 14, 2008... By Beth Stackpole, Contributing Editor, Design Tools New versions are the first to feature synchronous technology and a smorgasbord of other productivity enhancements Siemens PLM Software announced a new version of the NX enterprise...

How Much for That Motor?
July 14, 2008... By Richard Halstead, President, Empire Magnetics Inc. Custom motors tend to give the first-time buyer sticker shock Most engineers only have experience with mass-produced electric motors and very few have an understanding of the design...

Playing the Building Project Has Actuators Striking a Musical Note.
July 14, 2008... By Joseph Ogando, Senior Editor, Motion Control Installation uses pneumatic and electric actuators to transform a New York City ferry terminal into an enormous instrument The sound of pneumatic and electric actuators may already be...

Integrated Drive Safety.
July 14, 2008... By Al Presher, Contributing Editor More safety-related software functions in drives create flexibility What are the most exciting developments in safety for motion control and automation? Safety integrated into individual products...

Servo Rated Ball-Detent Torque Limiters.
July 14, 2008... By Andrew Lechner, Contributing Writer Newer style torque limiters adapted for modern motion control As a primary or redundant safety device, backlash-free ball-detent torque limiters serve as a mechanical circuit breaker for machine...

Exoskeleton Motorcycle Dubbed 'Segway on Steroids'.(Product/service evaluation)
July 14, 2008... By Michelle Hopey, Web Editor, Mechatronics The Deus Ex Machina is an electric, wearable motorcycle, powered by electronic hybrid technologies using ultracapacitors and doped nanophosphate batteries It's only a concept, but the Deus Ex...

Social Networking.
July 14, 2008... By Manoj Babu Mathew, infosys Social networking sites and platforms are becoming a forum for engineering problem solving. Manoj Babu Mathew explains how Infosys (http://rbi.ims.ca/5717-543 ) benefits from social networking. How does...

Safety in Automation.
July 14, 2008... By Al Presher, Contributing Editor The spotlight on safety is creating opportunities for safe technologies Safety technologies are benefiting from the surge of interest in machine safety, even though it is being propelled in large part...

Hall Effect Finds Niche in Current Sensing.(DHAB dual-range automotive sensor)(ACS714 Hall Effect sensor)(ACS715 Hall Effect sensor)
July 14, 2008... By Charles J. Murray, Senior Technical Editor, Electronics Technology saves money, reduces power consumption, eliminates bulk The venerable Hall Effect sensor is gaining popularity these days in electrical current sensing applications,...

Ethernet Components Do More.
July 14, 2008... By Joseph Ogando, Senior Editor, Motion Control Automation products gain enhanced communications, security functionality With the explosion in Ethernet-based automation systems, engineers have more and more options in the types of...

Amplifiers Handle Small Signals.(auto-zero amplifier)
July 14, 2008... By Jon Titus, Contributing Editor I encountered my first 'chopper' circuit in an old ignition spark coil. Basically, a buzzer chopped a dc current that passed through a coil. A separate step-up coil produced several thousand volts at low...

The Power of Video.(development of online videos)
July 14, 2008... By Joseph Ogando, Senior Editor, Motion Control Don't dismiss the video content on supplier websites. there can be engineering nuggets in the footage. You don't have to spend much time surfing the Web to see just how popular online...