Serving the Electronic Design Community Since 1956
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
Photoelectric Sensors With Error-Free Alignment
January 2, 2008 6:07 am | Product Releases | CommentsPepperl+Fuchs' RAL series photoelectric sensors feature a multiple-beam light grid and one-piece metal slot housing in widths from 50 mm to 150 mm, 5 kHz switching frequency, a one-shot timer, beam suppression and sensitivity adjustment, and can detect targets as small as 0.5 mm with response times as fast as =0.1 ms. The sensors require just one transistor with N/O or N/C PNP output.
720W Power Supplies Provide Constant Voltage or Constant Current
January 2, 2008 5:54 am | Product Releases | CommentsAcopian's 720W power supplies can be used to provide either a constant voltage or a constant current. Models with wide output voltage ranges can be adjusted down to 0V, and both voltage and current can be programmed with 0V to 10V control voltage inputs. Voltage and current monitor outputs and an inhibit terminal are included on the pluggable connectors that enable easy wiring of the control and input leads.
Honoring the best
January 2, 2008 4:38 am | Articles | CommentsAs I watched the evening news on Thanksgiving weekend, I was struck by how much politics and the upcoming Presidential race is interwoven with the way Americans are celebrating the holiday this year. Even as lawn signs continue to dot every landscape in the wake of Election Day 2007 (everyone will take down all those signs they put up, right?)...
Global CFL Maker Ready to Shine
December 27, 2007 10:46 am | Blogs | CommentsProductive Product: The Wall Street Journal (may require site registration) has a story about Aurora, Ohio's TCP Inc., the world's largest manufacturer of spiral compact-fluorescent light bulbs. TCP was the idea of a Chinese immigrant who is now benefitting from the Western energy-efficiency push -- they had sales of $300 million this year
It's Good to Drop the Ball!
December 27, 2007 5:10 am | Blogs | CommentsEnergy News: What's worth $1 million, shines with 9,576 Philips Luxeon LEDs, and is built from 672 Waterford crystals? It's the 2008 New Years Eve ball to be dropped in New York's Times Square next week. This year is the 100th anniversary of the famed ball, now controlled by computers
Last-Minute Green Holiday Gifts
December 21, 2007 5:48 am | Blogs | CommentsOp-Ed: We searched and searched, and came up with perfect holiday gifts for environmentally conscious technophiles. Here are 10 in no particular order. It doesn't matter if you celebrate a belated Bodhi, Chanukah, Christmas, Diwali, Eid-Ul Adha, Festivus, HumanLight, Kwanzaa, or anything else -- every earthy engineer loves a present. Try LED holiday lights, solar chargers, practical books, recycled wrapping, a high-tech energy meter, low-power PC, or digital ornaments.
Constant Current LED Driver IC Specified Up to a Maximum of 40V
December 20, 2007 10:42 am | Product Releases | CommentsAllegro added a high-brightness, adjustable constant current LED driver to its portfolio of display driver ICs. Targeted at the automotive lighting market, this LED driver is also a fit for industrial and consumer LED applications. This device is designed to operate over the typical automotive battery and temperature ranges. The input voltage range is specified down to
Dual Multiband Transceiver with FPGA Offers Improved Signal-to-Noise, SFDR
December 20, 2007 10:07 am | Product Releases | CommentsPentek released its Model 7141 Dual Multiband Transceiver with FPGA. It is a complete software radio system for connection to HF or IF ports of a communications system. The device's signal-to-noise ratio and the spurious free dynamic range are improved by 10 dB, when compared to many competitive products, according to the company. It accepts two full scale
High-Power 3W LED MR16 Bulbs Replace 20-to-30W Incandescents
December 20, 2007 10:00 am | Product Releases | CommentsLEDtronics drop-in replacement MR16 3W LED bulbs can handle voltages variations of from noisy AC/DC power supplies, thereby eliminating the need to stock bulbs of different voltages. The bulbs have bi-pin bases identical to MR16 bulbs, making light output of 102.9 lumens using only 2.6W at 12V DC, 120.6 lumens using 3.7W a 12V AC, and 140.7 lumens using 3.8W at 24V DC.
Shielded SMD Power Inductors for use in Portable Electronics
December 20, 2007 9:45 am | Renco Electronics, Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsRenco Electronics, Inc. announced the expansion of the RL-8100 Series of Shielded SMD Power Inductors. This series now has seven package sizes with a total of 125 standard inductance values up to 180 uH and current capabilities up to 3.50A.
Encapsulated DC/DC Converter for Heavy Duty Applications
December 20, 2007 9:41 am | Product Releases | CommentsAbsopulse Electronics’ PDC 250 line of DC/DC converters are designed for operation in harsh environments. Full encapsulation in a thermally conductive MIL-spec. silicon rubber compound ensures immunity to shock, vibration, humidity, moisture, salt and airborne contaminants. The unit performs to full specification at temperatures from -40°C to 70°C with installation on an appropriate size heat-sinking plate.
Sychronous Buck Power Block Offers Space Savings In POL Converters
December 20, 2007 9:26 am | International Rectifier | Product Releases | CommentsInternational Rectifier introduced the iP1206, a fully optimized device for synchronous buck applications including telecom and networking equipment. It is the latest addition to the iPOWIR integrated power conversion stage product line, designed for two-phase single output applications up to 30A or dual independent outputs up to 15A.
Parallel Pure Sine Wave Inverter
December 20, 2007 9:19 am | Product Releases | CommentsSchaefer, Inc. introduced the InverTek 1000 pure sine wave inverter with parallel capability. The inverter has a power rating of 1000W, which can be paralleled for ease of integrating additional units as application demands increase. Pure sine wave outputs ensure clean, utility grade pow It specifies an input voltage of 12V DC with outputs of either 115V AC or 230V AC. Units feature a low power
High-Density Modular Power Supply for Noise Sensitive Applications
December 20, 2007 9:07 am | Product Releases | CommentsBravo Electro Components introduced its XUP Series of Modular/Configurable Power Supplies. The low noise/ripple of less than 10 mV(typical) and operating temperature of -40°C to +75°C make them suitable for sensitive equipment in harsh environments. The SEMI F47 compliant power supply family consists of four power chassis that are 2.5" tall and 7.3" deep. The 2UP chassis' width is 4.13" with space for
