Articles
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?
A new foundation for 1-D barcode reading
August 14, 2012 12:39 pm | by Bill Silver, Senior Vice President & Senior Fellow, Cognex Corporation | CommentsThe linear barcode reading market is currently dominated by opto-mechanical laser scanners. Image-based barcode readers offer potential advantages including no moving parts, improved yields on poorly printed or damaged codes, the ability to save images of misread objects, and the ability to read 2-D symbologies.
Roundtable: How should we improve LEDs?
August 14, 2012 12:27 pm | CommentsQ: While LEDs contine to gain widespread adoption, what challenges must the industry address to maintain or improve progress? Experts from the field weigh in on the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to LEDs talking about everything from price to efficiency and what the industry must do to make (or break) LEDs
Would you trust brakes that think for you?
August 14, 2012 11:34 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsIn keeping with the vehicle safety theme I’ve self-cultivated with Signal and the inflatable seatbelt, let’s take a look at the world of brakes, specifically Automatic Emergency Braking Systems (AEBS). The idea behind AEBS is that in the event that you, the driver, are unable or incapable of braking in order to avoid a collision with a car, pedestrian, object, your garage door, etc. the car will take (complete or partial) control...
Internet sales tax could foster anti-business climate
August 14, 2012 10:44 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsThe prospect of an Internet sales tax has hung over the head of e-commerce like the Sword of Damocles. It’s the boogeyman that threatens to pull the World Wide Web into the stone age of brick-and-mortar. But the ugly rumors may finally be true. A bill under consideration in the Senate would impose an Internet sales tax and amend any “competitive” disparity. Prepare to spend a lot more for your online purchases.
Getting more efficiency out of your UPS system
August 13, 2012 9:40 am | by Peter Panfil, vice president of Global Power, Emerson Network Power | CommentsOne of the biggest challenges data center managers face today is to maintain or improve availability in increasingly dense computing environments while increasing efficiency and reducing costs. Recent advances in technology are providing new options to help data centers meet these sometimes conflicting objectives.
