Articles
Alternate energy: Trends and dependence on electronics in power conversion
September 10, 2012 2:03 pm | by Nagarajan Sridhar, Texas Instruments | CommentsWith prosperity rising at a global level the demand for energy has been increasing significantly over the last decade. However, there are concerns of energy supply and distribution to many areas of the world with little or no infrastructure. Furthermore, using fossil fuel as the main energy supply in the long run has been strongly debated.
VoLTE: What makes voice over IP “carrier grade"?
September 7, 2012 12:57 pm | by Mike Keely, Director, Product Management, Wireless at Spirent Communications | CommentsAt first glance Voice over LTE (VoLTE), the next generation of wireless voice technology, looks suspiciously like VoIP service over a wireless connection. At a very basic level it is exactly that: digitized voice-band audio transmitted as IP packets and demodulated into voice-band audio. Then what is the difference between VoLTE and over-the-top services like Skype, Vonage or Gizmo5?
IEEE 802.11ac: The promise of increased performance
September 4, 2012 12:19 pm | by Joe Zeto, Sr. Manager Market Development, Ixia | CommentsDigital content consumption is on a steep rise – witness the mass adoption of multiple connected devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops. This surge and the increased reliance on wireless networks –not to mention the growth of video content, which is expected to reach more than 86 percent of global consumer traffic by 2016 according to the Cisco Visual Networking Index...
A guide to enjoying the (inevitable) robot takeover
August 30, 2012 11:02 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsLet's face it: Robots are better than people.They’re more dependable than humans (i.e. no sick days), they’re usually cheaper, and they don’t complain. The downside is pretty obvious as well, at least with the primitive robots we have today:
Brainstorm: LEDs
August 30, 2012 9:45 am | CommentsAlthough LED lighting is still in the early adoption phase, high brightness lighting class LED devices are currently used in a wide variety of different applications due to the many advantages they offer over traditional light sources such as incandescent light bulbs and fluorescent tubes. The development of ever more efficient LED devices is ongoing as device technology continues to be improved.
Pieces from classic sci-fi dystopias are falling into place
August 29, 2012 12:52 pm | CommentsOn June 5, the literary world lost a true legend with the passing of Ray Bradbury. His death – along with some recent events here in local news – got me thinking back to my teenage years where his masterpiece Fahrenheit 451 was required reading at my high school along with George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four (and I’d be remiss if I didn’t italicize titles of literary works when thinking about my high school English-Lit teacher).
Simple techniques to improve solar panel efficiency using a microcontroller or SOC
August 28, 2012 4:54 pm | by Gautam Das G, Applications Engineer at Cypress Semiconductor | CommentsToday, people are more concerned about fossil fuel exhaustion and environmental problems caused by conventional power generation and renewable energy sources than ever before. Among the renewable resources, photovoltaic panels and wind-generators are primary contenders. They have the advantage of being maintenance and pollution-free...
Keep remote sensors energized
August 28, 2012 4:31 pm | by Sol Jacobs, VP and General Manager, Tadiran Batteries | CommentsSelecting a primary battery capable of delivering 25 years of continuous operation is an important consideration, especially in situations where the battery replacement is difficult or impossible or not cost effective, as battery failure is commonly identified as the first or second major factor contributing to overall system failure.
Designing low-cost wireless sensor networks for real-world applications
August 28, 2012 4:18 pm | by Brad Walters, President & Kelly Lewis, Engineering Manager, Monnit Corp., www.monnit.com | CommentsIt is no surprise that industries around the world are moving toward the implementation of wireless sensor networks which, contrary to their wired counterparts, are readily deployed with minimal effort while providing clear advantages in cost, size, power, mobility and flexibility. The cost and hassle of installing and maintaining wired systems has prompted many industries to embrace wireless sensors...
Why Nikola Tesla deserves a museum
August 27, 2012 9:52 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsNikola Tesla is arguably one of the most underappreciated scientists in history. He was a very cool, brilliant guy, but money wasn’t really his strong suit. He built a laboratory called the Wardenclyffe Tower in Shoreham, New York, which he lost due to his financial problems. The tower that Wardenclyffe was named for was destroyed in 1917, 15 years after it was built.
Would you eat printed meat?
August 21, 2012 1:56 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Comments3D printing is a hot topic issue in the tech world with everything from printed guns to printed arms making headlines around the world.The newest 3D item to hit the scene? Printed meat. Modern Meadows,a firm looking to develop “high value, food grade animal protein”
Expanding DC-DC converter module operating temperature
August 21, 2012 12:24 pm | by Ann-Marie Bayliss, Product Marketing Manager, Murata Power Solutions | CommentsThe current trend for integrated circuits is to lower operating voltages that speed switching while limiting on-chip power dissipation to acceptable levels. The combination of denser logic, faster switching speeds, and lower operating voltages creates the need for DC-DC converters that handle increasing load current levels, in turn implying more heat generation from resistive and semiconductor volt-drops.
Careful designers get the most from brushless DC motors
August 20, 2012 10:10 am | by Jon Titus, Technical Contributor | CommentsA brushed-DC motor comprises external permanent magnets and electromagnets wound on a rotating core. Brushes manufactured from graphite and other materials switch, or commutate, electricity to the coils as they rotate to sustain motion. A brushless-DC (BLDC) motor turns this construction inside out and places
Novel zero-voltage switching topology enhances buck regulator's performance
August 17, 2012 1:06 pm | by Chris R. Swartz, Vicor Corporation, www.vicorpower.com | CommentsTo improve efficiency, designers must focus on both power transmission and power conversion performance. Higher-voltage operation is key to efficiency, since it reduces I2R loss. In addition, by using a one-stage down conversion chain instead of two stages (i.e. 36 V to 1 V, rather than 36 V to 12 V, then 12 V to 1 V), you can reduce overall loss. To achieve the efficiency and density improvements...
Wireless switches solve the remote sensor connection conundrum
August 16, 2012 6:28 pm | by Todd Hanson, Honeywell Sensing and Control (S&C), http://sensing.honeywell.com | CommentsMany large facilities, campuses, warehouses and industrial organizations face a challenge. How do you efficiently install and manage a sensor and/or switch network distributed across a large area? How can you manage and control the troubleshooting and maintenance costs and time involved? How do you handle retrofits and changes to the network without extensive downtime and expense?
