Articles
Differential signaling best practices
December 19, 2012 11:45 am | by Clark Kinnaird, Industrial Interface Systems Engineer, Texas Instruments | Texas Instruments | CommentsDifferential signaling is used for noise immunity in Ethernet, RS-485, CAN and USB. In ideal cases, all common-mode noise is rejected. In real-world applications, there are several design techniques and component parameters to consider in order to keep the data flowing with high confidence.
Avoid cracked screens: An airbag for your smartphone
December 19, 2012 9:34 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsAs the proud new owner of an iPhone 5, I have but one concern: Can this phone survive my clumsy self? For the past three years, I’ve been the increasingly less proud owner of a Blackberry Bold. It was slow, bulky, people mocked me for having it, and viewing a website was as much fun as going to the DMV, but, man, could that thing take a hit like Floyd Mayweather.
Stabilization systems and frequency response of inertial MEMS
December 18, 2012 10:00 am | by Mark Looney, Analog Devices | CommentsStable platforms are a necessity for achieving the best performance in UAV-mounted surveillance equipment, maritime microwave receivers, vehicle-mounted infrared imaging sensors, and similar instrument systems. Yet these systems must operate through vibration and other undesirable kinds of motion.
Design electronics for cold environments
December 17, 2012 4:14 pm | by Jon Titus, Technical Contributor | CommentsEngineers at Agilent Technologies found a need for a digital multimeter (DMM) technicians and electricians could use in cold environments. "I went to college in Canada where temperatures often got down to below -20°C," said Boon Juan Tan, R&D manager in Agilent's Basic Instruments Division.
Beyond sensor fusion: Making smartphones smarter
December 17, 2012 4:09 pm | by Ian Chen, Executive Vice President, Sensor Platforms, Inc., www.sensorplatforms.com | CommentsSensor fusion is now integrated into most smartphones and tablets, enabling many mobile apps. But consumers want more: they want their mobile devices to be even smarter without having to learn any new interfaces themselves. This article provides an overview of a new class of sensor applications that go beyond sensor fusion....
Significant challenges remain for miniaturization of devices
December 14, 2012 4:20 pm | by AJ Smith, Honeywell Sensing and Control | Honeywell Sensing And Control | CommentsDevice miniaturization is integral to the design and development of a wide range of medical devices, including analytical test equipment, ventilators, and infusion pumps. Making devices smaller and lighter helps conserve valuable real estate in patient rooms, enabling equipment to be placed closer to the patient as well as allowing more space for medical professionals to work.
Augmented reality helps retailers get personal
December 14, 2012 12:16 pm | by Chris Warner, Executive Editor | CommentsWe’ve all been there. You’re shopping at your favorite store, perhaps running an errand for someone else. But in order to make the purchase, you need to know if it’s right for you. The sales associate is busy helping someone else, or they may be missing in action. You just need the details about the product so you can get it right the first time without having to return it later....
Will the Blackberry 10 save RIM?
December 13, 2012 10:55 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsThough Research in Motion (RIM) is banking on the Blackberry 10 release in early 2013 to save the company, Karl Volkman, the Chief Technology Officer of SRV Network, isn’t convinced.“I think it might be too little too late,” Volkman says of the Canadian communications company.
Pressure sensor safety requirements in hazardous environments
December 12, 2012 1:40 pm | by Karmjit S. Sidhu, VP Business Development, American Sensor Technologies, www.astsensors.com | CommentsMany of us associated hazardous environments with the oil and gas industries where it is common to see mandatory safety requirements for “intrinsically safe” and “explosion proof” (flame proof) equipment. Other industries including nuclear power generation, chemicals, sub-sea, mining, dusty and high temperature environments also fall within the hazardous environment category.
MCU tools help estimate and minimize power use
December 12, 2012 9:58 am | by Jon Titus, Technical Contributor | Silicon Laboratories Inc. | CommentsJosh Norem, an application engineer at Silicon Laboratories, gave me a demonstration of the company's Power Estimator tool available within the larger, free AppBuilder software. The Power Estimator tool now covers the SIM3L1XX Device, although Silicon Labs plans to add sleep-mode power conditions and other MCUs soon.
Disintegration provides the energy-efficient answer for today’s feature-packed handsets
December 11, 2012 1:09 pm | by Charles Limonard, Dialog Semiconductor | CommentsThe path towards higher silicon integration seems inexorable. Already, the suppliers of baseband and applications processors into the mobile-phone and tablet markets are looking at the move to 14nm and 16nm finFET-based processes as they seek further cost savings and performance improvements.
Undersea defense applications demand robust battery technology
December 10, 2012 4:43 pm | by Mike Sink, Saft, www.saftbatteries.com | CommentsUnmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) and sonobuoys continue to occupy a critical role in undersea warfare, and the design of such technologies – especially with regard to their power systems – is acutely important due to their growing indispensability to a variety of tactical defense operations.
The smartphone, the cloud, and the automobile
December 10, 2012 10:58 am | by Andy Gryc, QNX Software Systems | CommentsCES has become an important event for automakers to showcase their cars and, especially, the electronics in these cars. Automotive was a top line item in 2012, and 2013 will be no different. This trend is not surprising, considering that since the 1930s, when the Galvin brothers and Blaupunkt introduced the radio into the automobile....
Next big thing: Electric buses
December 10, 2012 9:06 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | CommentsElectric cars are a very hot topic, particularly with Motor Trend picking the Tesla S as its Car of the Year, but rarely do you hear anyone talk about electric buses. America is not a country of public transportation. We lack the infrastructure—mostly due to the logistical complications of trying to accommodate for such a large geographical area
Laser-structured, high-performance polymers are ideal combination for miniaturization
December 6, 2012 4:15 pm | by Anthony Verrocchi, Technical Marketing Engineer, Ticona Engineering Polymers | CommentsAs the requirements for medical devices become more demanding, accessing new technologies and materials to miniaturize components is essential. Miniaturization of medical devices is dependent upon the reliability of their assembled components, which is crucial for proper functioning devices.
