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Active Latch Is Intermateable with Other Existing Elements In Modular Systems
January 3, 2008 8:37 am | Product Releases | CommentsFCI introduced the Minitek CTW Active Latch, a low profile housing mateable with other elements in the modular system. The Minitek Active Latch is designed for use in harsh and high vibration environments and is appropriate for industrial or automotive applications. The 2 mm latch houses crimp-to-wire systems, enabling discrete wiring to be attached and unattached to PCB boards with an audible click.
Red Laser Diode Offers High Optical Output of 150 mW at 640 nm
January 3, 2008 8:28 am | Product Releases | CommentsMitsubishi Electric completed development of the ML520G51 red laser diode with an optical output standard of 150 mW at 640 nm. It is intended for use in mobile projectors, laser show devices as well as in other applications in the industrial and medical environment. This red laser diode appears bright to the human eye and is capable of emitting deep reds in the 640 nm range.
Solid State Relays Cut ON Resistance By 50 Percent
January 3, 2008 8:21 am | Stmicroelectronics | Product Releases | CommentsSTMicroelectronics introduced a quad high-side intelligent power switch (IPS) -- the VNI4140K -- which is produced using the latest generation of ST’s VIPower technology to achieve a 50 percent saving in Rds(on) compared to earlier devices with the same die size, officials said. The reduction in on-resistance and quiescent current saves energy through lower losses. IPS devices integrate a logic interface, drivers and protection circuits on the same chip as a power stage
8-bit Arbitrary Waveform Generator Features up to 4 Giga Samples Memory
January 3, 2008 7:36 am | Product Releases | CommentsStrategic Test announced the UF2e-6110 two-channel 125 MS/s 8-bit Arbitrary Waveform Generator (AWG) PCI Express card. With synchronous multi-channel capability, the AWG card is suited for creating complex waveforms in applications that include I&Q signal generation, RADAR system development, communications testing, laser positioning, and HDTV signal generation
Power Management IC Maximizes Energy Performance in Multi-Kilowatt Systems
January 3, 2008 7:13 am | Product Releases | CommentsTexas Instruments introduced a single-chip, interleaved power factor correction (PFC) control circuit for multi-kilowatt communications, server and industrial systems. In line-operated systems with power levels from 75W to 1 kW and above, the UCC28070 helps reduce total harmonic distortion, allowing systems to maximize usable outlet power and accommodate extreme variations and disturbances
Hot-Swap Inverter Modules Provide up to 1500VA/1200W
January 3, 2008 6:32 am | Product Releases | CommentsUNIPOWER announced a series of hot-swap, high power density telecom inverters. The INV1000 Series are 1000VA/800W and 1500VA/1200W sine wave inverter modules which operate from a 48V DC input and provide either a 115V AC or 230V AC nominal output.
Military and Aerospace Systems Still Rely on Proven COTS Technology
January 3, 2008 5:55 am | by Doug Patterson, VP-Worldwide Sales & Marketing; Aitech Defense Systems Inc. | Articles | CommentsBecause of its inherent benefits including decreases to development times and increases in component compatibility, COTS (commercial-off-the-shelf) has been adopted by a vast number of industries, including the aerospace, military and space exploration markets. Most embedded systems within aerospace and military applications perform a function in some way related to mission-critical operation of the larger system and/or platform, making performance, reliability and functionality imperative to the design and manufacture of the embedded computing system. These systems must therefore operate flawlessly in very specific and defined ways while exposed to extreme environments, including high shock and vibration resistance, wide, dynamic temperature ranges, high humidity (or immersion), and the absolute vacuum of deep space.
Demystifying ZigBee and 802.15.4
January 3, 2008 4:58 am | by John Schwartz, Digi International | Articles | CommentsIn today’s world, wireless networks are becoming more ubiquitous, and they are implemented using a variety of protocols that are specifically designed for radio frequency systems. Some protocols that are in use are proprietary to individual vendors, while others are industry standards. Recently, a lot of attention has been given to 802.15.4 and ZigBee, but there is still some ambiguity as to what is different about 802.15.4 and ZigBee and what kind of networks or systems would benefit from these particular protocols.
The next great read?
January 3, 2008 4:01 am | by Chris Warner, Executive Editor | Articles | CommentsIf you got a head start on your holiday shopping in the days before Thanksgiving, you were greeted at Amazon.com with a message by founder and CEO Jeff Bezos announcing the release of Kindle, the company’s handheld e-book reading device. I have to admit, when a colleague first told me about Kindle, I reacted with a great big yawn.
Three-Phase BLDC MOSFET Pre-Driver Controller ICs
January 2, 2008 10:24 am | Product Releases | CommentsAllegro MicroSystems introduced two automotive grade (temperature and voltage rated) three phase BLDC motor controller integrated circuits. These control ICs integrate the commutation logic on-board, which lessons the burden on the system microprocessor. If desired, the Hall sensor inputs can be driven directly by a microprocessor, which makes
Tips Help Reduce Power Demands
January 2, 2008 10:09 am | by Jon Titus, Senior Technical Editor | Articles | CommentsJon Titus provides tips aimed at helping embedded-systems designers save power. Areas covered are peripherals, power sources, memory and more.
Low-Power Quad-Core VME DSP Engine Offers 64 GFLOPS Performance
January 2, 2008 10:04 am | Product Releases | CommentsCurtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing announced the availability of the CHAMP-AV5, its first P.A. Semi-1682 Power Architecture-based DSP VME compute engine. The 6U board combines dual low-power 2 GHz dual-core 1682 processors with a reconfigurable Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA co-processor to
10 Tips Make Embedded-System Code Easy to Maintain
January 2, 2008 9:18 am | by Timothy Stapko, Digi International | Articles | CommentsIn the rush to get a product out the door, programmers often ignore code maintenance — a key aspect of application development. For applications with short lives, this rush may not pose a significant problem because once deployed, no one will touch the code again. Embedded systems applications, however, may have lives that span decades, and early coding mistakes can result in significant bug-fix and update costs later on.
Low Profile PCI 24-Channel TTL I/O Board for Control and Automation
January 2, 2008 6:48 am | Product Releases | CommentsFor PC-based control and automation of sensors, switches, and security controls, the Omega Engineering OMG-PIO-24-LPCI low-profile PCI board provides 24 channels of buffered digital I/O, emulating 8255 mode zero. The board is CE-compliant and compatible with the MD1 low-profile and universal bus (3.3V and 5V) and ships with a ribbon cable terminating in a standard 50-pin insulated displacement connector.
AdvancedTCA Handle Does Not Require Assembly
January 2, 2008 6:43 am | Product Releases | CommentsElma Electronic Inc. announced a second Generation AdvancedTCA (ATCA) handle that does not require assembly. The one-piece handle simply has two screws to attach it to the panel/PCB. The handle's alignment pin is part of the handle mold, making it sturdier and increasing drop-test survivability. The handle is engaged/disengaged with a unique slide-motion which prevents the handle from being accidentally tripped or bumped into and broken. The slide-motion switch opens the handle
