Serving the Electronic Design Community Since 1956
Enclosures Present Latching Outside of Sidewalls
October 29, 2008 8:48 am | Product Releases | CommentsDesigned to reduce the rise of compromised protection due to side penetrating rivets or screws, AD Products’ Adalet Premier Series fiberglass enclosures have hinges and latching located on the outside of the sidewalls. The NEMA 4X- and IP 66-rated devices inhibit the accumulation of dust, dirt, and debris while operating from -40°F to 250°F. The units use a patent-pending additive that is said to
FM Amplifier Module Delivers Security
October 29, 2008 7:51 am | Product Releases | CommentsMeasuring 250 mm × 180 mm × 53 mm, Res-Ingenium’s FM1K-108 Class B FM amplifier module uses built-in protection circuitry to protect against overdriving, SWR over-voltage, and thermal runaway. The component supplies 1 kW of linear CW output power over a frequency range from 87.5 MHz to 108 MHz in FM and HDFM radio broadcast applications. The product offers
Rocker Switches Receive UL and VDE Approvals
October 29, 2008 7:27 am | Product Releases | CommentsComing in single- and double-pole versions, Phaseda LLC’s RL3-6 Series oval rocker switches achieve UL, cUL, and VDE approvals, as well as RoHS compliance. The devices exhibit a UL ratings at 16 A and 0.33 hp at 125 VAC for high power and motor applications, and 10 A at 125 VAC for small appliances. The units demonstrate a VDE rating of 10(4) A and 6(2) A at
Industry Focus: Perfect Vision
October 29, 2008 7:07 am | by P. Lindsay Powell, Business Development Manager, 3M Electronic Solutions Division | Articles | CommentsIn many quality control operations, the human eye has been replaced by the unblinking lens of the digital camera. A machine vision (MV) system is intended for non-contact optical sensing and is ideal for use in quality control (QC) systems for quality assurance (QA). Industries exploiting MV include automotive component manufacturing, electronics assembly, semi-conductor production, food processing and pharmaceuticals manufacturing.
Battery Protection ICs Offer Cell-Balance Functions
October 29, 2008 6:48 am | Product Releases | CommentsConsuming 7 A current max, Seiko Instruments’ S-8209A and S-8209B Series battery protection ICs exhibits charge and discharge cell-balance functions in lithium-ion and lithium-polymer rechargeable battery packs. A voltage detection circuit enables overcharge detection and release voltages of up to 4.4 V at -25 mV and -50 mV accuracy, cell-balance detection and
Analyzer Measures Spectral Monitoring and Interference
October 29, 2008 6:14 am | Product Releases | CommentsMaking measurements of RF readings, Bird Technologies Group’s SignalHawk VNA handheld spectrum analyzer performs spectral monitoring and interference analysis. The “Made in the USA” instrument shows one-port cable insertion loss measurements and high-resolution determination of distance-to-fault, and streamlines testing procedures. The device passes drop and splash
Pluggable Connector Designed for Modular Wiring
October 29, 2008 5:42 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe 890 Series WINSTA MINI pluggable connector from WAGO is designed for modular wiring systems. The 890 Series WINSTA MINI fits through 5/8" knockout (2-pole) or 7/8" knockout (3-pole) and features a voltage/current rating of 600-V/10-A. CAGE CLAMP'S Spring Pressure Connection Technology terminates all conductor types. A strain relief system features housings
TSPDs Protect Next-Gen Telecom Equipment
October 29, 2008 5:24 am | On Semiconductor | Product Releases | CommentsDesigned to protect the next generation of high speed telecom equipment, a family of low capacitance Thyristor Surge Protection Devices (TSPD) from ON Semiconductor protect DSL chipsets and line drivers. With differential capacitance of less than 3 picofarad (pF) across the operating voltage range, the TSPDs include a current withstand capability of greater than 50 ampere (A)
APD Receivers Incorporate Thermoelectric Cooler
October 29, 2008 4:58 am | Product Releases | CommentsPerforming in military laser radar and optical communications, and commercial telecommunications applications, Voxtel’s VDHAX line of hermetically-packaged avalanche photodiode (APD) receivers use Nextreme’s OptoCooler UPF4 thermoelectric cooler. The cooler integrates directly into the VDH-A TO-8 package to deliver >45°C of cooling curing operation via Nextreme’s thin-film thermal bump technology. The component removes a maximum of 610 mW of heat at
Automotive HDD Possesses Low Energy Consumption Efficiency
October 28, 2008 11:48 am | Product Releases | CommentsMeasuring 69.85 mm × 111 mm × 9.50 mm, Toshiba Storage Device Division’s MK8057GSC 80 GB SATA automotive-grade HDD exhibits an energy consumption efficiency of 0.01 W/GB. The 98 gram component shows an average seek time of 16 ms, interface transfer rate of 1.5 Gb/s, rotational speed of 4,200 rpm, and an operating temperature range from
Switching Regulators Exhibit High Efficiency
October 28, 2008 11:16 am | Product Releases | CommentsOperating at an ambient temperature of up to 60°C without a heatsink or forced cooling, Tracopower’s TSR-1 Series 1 A switching regulators operate at a full load efficiency of up to 96%. The 9 models offer input voltages from 4.75 VDC to 32 VDC, output voltages from 1.50 VDC to 15 VDC, output current of 1 A, and direct operation from a 24 VDC bus voltage. The instruments act as
Embedded Systems: Take a New Look at Ada
October 28, 2008 11:14 am | by Robert Dewar, President and CEO, AdaCore | Articles | CommentsThe world of computer technology has two incompatible characteristics. First, many computer systems have long lives. Second, students and many engineers pay attention to only the latest technologies and they believe old technologies have died out. The "yesterday's-fashion” phenomenon has applied to the Ada programming language, too. If engineers have heard of Ada at all, they may assume it is an old US Department of Defense technology that disappeared long ago.
Cover Story- Power Factor Correction Goes Digital
October 28, 2008 10:41 am | by Vinaya Skanda, Senior Applications Engineer, Microchip Technology. | Articles | CommentsMost power-conversion applications require a DC source, which uses a rectifier that draws non-sinusoidal line currents. As a result, line-current harmonics have become a significant problem and they lead to overheating of transformers and inductive equipment, degradation of system voltages and increased stress on components. In addition, stringent limits imposed on harmonic currents by international groups make the need to improve power quality even more important. Power-factor correction (PFC) can help solve these problems.
Motion Controller Manages Four Axes
October 28, 2008 10:32 am | Product Releases | CommentsPairing with FANUC servos, GE Fanuc Intelligent Platform’s PACMotion motion controller module controls up to 4 axes plus a master axis in motion applications in the packaging, assembly, metalworking, and printing industries. The component uses PACcore multi-processor architecture bridged by virtual dual port memory and a PCI backplane to decrease the degrading of
UHF Reader ICs Utilize Protocol Engine
October 28, 2008 9:45 am | Product Releases | CommentsKnown as “SimplyGen2”, austriamicrosystems’ AS3990 and AS3991 single-chip UHF reader ICs use an EPC Class 1 Gen 2 protocol engine. The 9 mm² 64-pin QFN-packaged components include an integrated power amplifier, require 32 registers to enable full RF, filtering, and protocol control, and operate over a temperature range from -45°C to 85°C. The products can
