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Buck Regulator Includes Programmable LDO
November 19, 2008 11:31 am | Product Releases | CommentsProviding the 5 V needed for the gate drive bias, Semtech’s SC417 point-of-load (POL) synchronous buck regulator uses an adjustable 150-mA LDO for operation from a single rail. The RoHS-compliant unit offers an input voltage range from 3 V to 28 V, internal crossover circuitry, pseudo fixed frequency adaptive on-time control, SmartDrive technology, and
Cameras Present 20 µm Row Spacing
November 19, 2008 11:09 am | Product Releases | CommentsTargeting the color line scan camera market, e2v’s 4S and 3V 4,096-pixel EliiXA monochrome cameras exhibit row spacing of 20 µm center-to-center. The 18-kHz 4S device offers a sensor with 4 sensitive lines, with a “one-line-blind-spot” between each, and an overall scene area that is 7 lines in height. The 3V model grabs scenes running at 54 kHz with the multi-line sensor operating
Sensor Appliance Works from Any Web Browser
November 19, 2008 10:37 am | Product Releases | CommentsFilling the gap between building control systems and basic thermostats, MAMAC Systems’ Maverick IP sensor appliance enables monitoring and control to be done from any device using a Web browser. The device can be utilized to send instant alarms to users upon deviations from preset building conditions to a computer, PDA, or cell phone. The product incorporates
Capacitors Cover Wide Capacitance Range
November 19, 2008 9:57 am | Product Releases | CommentsDesigned for voltages from 4 VDC to 100 VDC, Epcos’ SMD family aluminum electrolytic capacitors operate over a capacitance range from 0.1 µF to 15 µF. The components offer sizes from 4 mm D × 5.4 mm L to 10 mm D × 10 mm L, as well as temperature ranges from -40°C to 85°C and from -40°C to 105°C. The RoHS-compliant B41142 Series within the family
Industry Focus: Eliminating Medical Device RF Interference
November 19, 2008 9:44 am | by Christopher Keuling, Associate Editor | Articles | CommentsWireless RF interference found in medical devices causes tainted results and misdiagnoses. Medical professionals and patients rely on these results to pursue the correct course of action for a given illness. There are several companies and collaborations looking into solutions of how to reduce and/or remove interference in the medical field. This month, we take a look at some of the causes of wireless interference and answers that are being worked on now in today’s medical devices, as well as future devices.
Cover Story: PCB Routers Cut Time and Copper
November 19, 2008 9:12 am | by Jon Titus, Senior Technical Editor | Articles | CommentsAt 3:00 PM on a Friday afternoon you devise a new design for a low-noise amplifier you've worked on for months. You want to try the circuit right away, but a quick-turn printed-circuit board (PCB) house cannot deliver boards until next week. You know another engineering group uses a PCB router to produce prototype boards in about an hour, so you decide to try it.
Coaxial Connectors Offer CABLINE-VS Intermateability
November 19, 2008 9:07 am | Product Releases | CommentsMeasuring 0.5 mm, Tyco Electronics’ LCD Coaxial Embedded Display Interface (LCEDI) family of LCD coaxial connectors present full intermateability with I-PEX Co., LTD’s CABLINE-VS Series. The interconnects is designed to accommodate consistent digital data transmission through 1, 2, or 4 DisplayPort standard lanes at a bit rates of 1.62 Gbps and 2.70 Gbps through
Embedded Systems: C and C++ Tools Reduce Code Errors
November 19, 2008 8:44 am | by Jon Titus, Senior Technical Editor | Articles | CommentsProgrammers now have many tools that help reduce or eliminate problems. Unfortunately, they might not know these tools exist. "In 1998, the UK's Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) published their standard for the C language to promote 'safe C' in the UK automotive industry," explained Chris Tapp, a field-applications engineer at LDRA. "The software industry has seen MISRA-C as a way to encourage good programming practice, focus on coding rules, and ensure well designed and tested safe code."
AC/DC Power Supplies Exhibit High Efficiency
November 19, 2008 8:06 am | Product Releases | CommentsComing in a 3” × 5” × 1U form factor, ROAL Electronics’ RCA600 Series 600-W configurable AC/DC power supplies demonstrate 90% efficiency. The UL/EN60950-approved instruments consist of a 600-W AC chassis with 4 slots, and 3 output modules supplying output power of 150 W at 5 V, 12 V, and 24 V. The EN6100-3/4- and EN55022-B EMC-standardized
Computer-on-Module Supports Fastboot Technology
November 19, 2008 7:04 am | Product Releases | CommentsDesigned to enable boot times measured in milliseconds, Kontron’s nanoETXexpress-SP computer-on-module uses QNX’s fastboot technology for Intel Atom processors, which eliminates the need for a BIOS on x86 platforms. The 55 mm × 84 mm component presents compatibility with the PICMG COM Express standard (pin-out Type 1), and perform in low-power
DC Hipots Demonstrate High Accuracy
November 19, 2008 6:18 am | Product Releases | CommentsPerforming dielectric testing of insulation and high-voltage cables, Ross Engineering’s Megmeter Series battery-powered DC hipots exhibit a digital display accuracy of ±0.500% for voltages up to 42 KVDC and leakage currents down to 0.001 mA. The instruments offer an overcurrent trip function designed to minimize arcing damage, as well as determines resistance of
Semiconductor Highlight: Leadless Packages Empower Your Design
November 19, 2008 6:15 am | by Ian Moulding, Business Manager, Diodes Incorporated | Articles | CommentsSemiconductor packaging has evolved from the through-hole packages of the 1970’s, through surface mount leaded packaging in the 1990’s to leadless package technologies of today such as quad/dual flat no leads (QFN/DFN), ball grid arrays (BGA) and chip scale packaging (CSP). It can be argued that it is semiconductor package innovations such as these that have allowed the industry to exploit the successive IC process shrinks and achieve product performances that were previously unobtainable.
Power Modules Feature Wide Voltage Range
November 19, 2008 5:36 am | Product Releases | CommentsFeaturing 7-W to 30-W models with 3.3-VDC to 48-VDC single-, dual- and triple-output voltages, the TMP Series of Encapsulated AC/DC Power Supply modules from TRACOPOWER is available in either PCB Mount with Solder Pin or Chassis Mount with Screw Terminal packages. The modules feature an operating temperature range of –25°C to 50°C without derating, universal AC input
Ceramic Capacitors Developed for Hybrids and PEVs
November 19, 2008 5:31 am | Murata Power Solutions Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsDeveloped for the power electronics market (including advanced technology vehicles), the EVC series of multilayer monolithic ceramic capacitors (MLCC) from Murata Electronics has dimensions of 32 mm (L) × 40 mm (W) × 3.7 mm (T). The maximum rated capacitance value is rated at 630 VDC, and has aneffective capacitance of 12 µF at 400 VDC
Boxes Integrate EMI/RFI Shielding Capability
November 19, 2008 5:18 am | Product Releases | CommentsComing in sizes of 2.13” × 1.97” × 0.62” and 2.13” × 1.97” × 0.75”, TEKO Enclosures’ RF-PCB boxes are designed for on-board EMI/RFI shielding of components. The enclosures are manufactured in hot tin-plated mild steel with flanged removable lids and 4 locating legs on each side for securing the box onto the PCB. The deeper size incorporates contact fingers into
