Articles
Design Talk - Chips and DIPs
June 1, 2009 11:57 am | by poe, ehternet, power, transformer, REACH | CommentsHere are some essays on design for you on Power over Ethernet (PoE), Transformer Basics, and info on the REACH chemical regulations.
Brainstorm: Solid-State Lighting Adoption
June 1, 2009 10:59 am | CommentsThis Month's Question: What do you think is the chief factor preventing the mainstream adoption of solid-state lighting?
Silicon Oscillators Offer EMI Improvements
June 1, 2009 10:50 am | by Greg Zimmer, Linear Technology, www.linear.com | CommentsOne of the most difficult electronics design challenge is to track down and eliminate electromagnetic interference (EMI). Switching regulators, a common source of EMI, continue growing in usage due to their space and efficiency advantages over linear regulators. For the designer, however, the EMI and associated regulatory requirements can present a significant challenge. To specifically address EMI in switching regulators, a multi-phase, spread-spectrum silicon oscillator is an appropriate solution.
Fathoming the future
June 1, 2009 10:31 am | by Alix Paultre, Editor in Chief | CommentsOnce upon a time, if you wanted to know the future you went to a colorful character who told you your fortune by examining bird guts, tea leaves, or other obscure random pattern generator. They were called witch doctors, clairvoyants, and fortune-tellers. Today we call them business analysts.
New PICMG 2.30 Draft Standard for cPCI Can Extend Legacy System Life
May 22, 2009 10:14 am | by Charles Staley and Lindsay Powell, 3M Electronic Solutions, www.3m.com | CommentsTo take advantage of advances in high-speed serial data transmission technologies, PICMG is releasing a new option for its popular CompactPCI standard. The new PICMG 2.30 Compact PCI PlusIO standard is based on PICMG 2.30 core specification and defines the migration path from parallel PCI to the serial PCI Express.
The Climate is Right for Wireless Environmental Sensors
May 21, 2009 2:39 pm | by Sol Jacobs, Tadiran Batteries, www.tadiran.com | CommentsThe effects of man-made climate change, once seen as a problem for future generations, is now viewed as an immediate threat, have led to significant technological investments to build a more sustainable future. From measuring the decline of snow packs in Antarctica and the North Pole, to measuring the impact of man-made dams on salmon migration patterns, to the development of systems that better predict natural disasters, remote wireless sensors are playing an increasingly critical role in advanced scientific technology.
Wireless ICs in Automotive Security Applications
May 18, 2009 1:01 pm | by Gilles Cerede, Melexis Technologies, www.melexis.com | CommentsLet's start with a tough question: What is the difference between TPMS system and PKE system? Nothing! A TPMS system is placed inside the wheel and composed of a sensing device that measures temperature and pressure. When appropriate, for example before starting the engine, the car requests a measurement through a wireless link. If a pressure default occurs in one of the wheels, the car warns the driver through a signal on the dashboard. In PKE applications, the user carries a key fob device which contains an encoded identifier (ID). When the driver enters their car, the car requests the key fob ID through the wireless link. If the ID matches the ID stored by the car,
A Visit to the 2009 Embedded Systems Conference – Part II
May 18, 2009 11:37 am | CommentsWith over 8,000 attendees, this year’s Embedded Systems Conference (ESC) was a pleasant surprise to an industry expecting a low turnout. Held in San Jose from March 30 to April 2, the event had a nice assortment of new tech and devices. Here is our second portion of our two-part coverage of the event.
Making lemonade
May 18, 2009 11:21 am | by Alix Paultre | CommentsThere's an old saying, "you can even get used to hanging, if you hang long enough". This industry has been on a rollercoaster for over a decade, between the Dot-Bomb, the Telecom collapse, the Internet, the housing bubble, the bank crisis, and disruptive technologies, we've been beaten about like a Pinata on Cinco de Mayo.
Design Talk: Prototyping and Design
May 18, 2009 10:29 am | by Edited by Alix Paultre | CommentsThere are always things to consider when prototyping a design. Here are a few essays on the subject to aid you in your efforts.
Comprehensive System Solutions
May 4, 2009 1:56 pm | by Peker Arkadly and Tom Kapucija, Microsemi Corporation | CommentsComprehensive System Solutions Drive LED Backlight Units in TV Displays By Peter Arkadly and Tom Kapucija, Microsemi Corporation Although the LCD TV display market has not experienced as quick a conversion rate to LED backlighting as the laptop notebook segment
Brainstorm - Military Electonics
May 4, 2009 9:46 am | by Edited by Jason Lomberg | CommentsThis Month's Question: Will autonomous devices supplant remote-controlled in the area of military applications?
Sensor Zone May 2009
April 30, 2009 5:45 am | by Steve Tomko and Helge Hornis, Ph.D, Pepperl+Fuchs | CommentsAutomated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS) are at the heart of any fully automated warehousing system. As in all automated solutions, users demand nearly perfect, (i.e., 100%) availability and exceptionally fast operation at the lowest possible price point. While the raw speed of an ASRS along each axis of motion is limited by the selected drives’ components, modern sensor technology
Autonomous military robots: A short survey
April 10, 2009 8:18 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsThe four soldiers move from their concealed position and “stack” themselves, one behind the other, parallel to the door. The #2 man throws an M84 grenade (flashbang) into the room, then yells “frag out!” The flashbang detonates, and the fire team storms through the “fatal funnel” (door). In those first moments, the #1 man must instantaneously...
Broadband at Light Speed
April 7, 2009 5:35 am | by Alfred Poor, Contributing Editor | CommentsNetflix is rapidly changing its movie rental business from sending polycarbonate discs through the mail to streaming bits across the Internet. Skype typically has about 15 million people making voice and video calls over the Internet at any given time. And more than 5 million people watch more than 5 million hours of free online video coverage
