ECN Magazine Articles

What steps are necessary to keep counterfeit components out of the supply chain?

kpanetta — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:36:42 +0000

What steps are necessary to keep counterfeit components out of the supply chain? Are more industry standards needed?

Opening the door to smart battery design

Jason Lomberg — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:02:10 +0000

The worldwide transition to ever smarter mobile devices, including phones or connected tablets, has obliterated the line that once existed between phones and computing devices. Today’s multitasking devices enable work, finance, entertainment and social interaction on the go like never before. This mobile revolution presents challenges for device designers that need to produce nearly constant innovation in design while achieving ever tighter cost margins. It also opens market opportunities for both authorized and unauthorized third parties to offer aftermarket devices such as batteries.

Evolution of light sensor integration

Jason Lomberg — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:59:34 +0000

Light sensing technology, in the form of photodiodes and phototransistors, was invented around the 1950s. Since the inception of the first optosensors, the devices have gradually found their place in commercial and industrial applications, but their adoption was limited due to the size, cost and overall performance.

Certifying industrial systems using IEC 61508

cwarner — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:52:57 +0000

With recent advances in automation, software is no longer a small part of electro-mechanical systems, but instead forms the underlying technology providing functional safety for many products. As a result, the requirement for software functional safety has become critical in industrial automation, transportation, nuclear energy generation and other markets. To ensure functional safety, many have adopted IEC 61508 as the basic standard, on which sector-specific values are built.

Designing for heat

Jason Lomberg — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:53:01 +0000

A few things to consider when designing for a harsh environment

I want to start off with a look at the four methods of cooling: conduction, convection, radiation, and pumping. What? They don't teach the four methods of cooling in physics class? Only the first three? The fourth method is a combination of the first three with the addition of pumps.

Wireless networks balance military’s defense-in-depth, custom requirements

Jason Lomberg — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:44:14 +0000

Wireless and wired technologies have advanced to the point where automated control systems are routinely networked together. Information can be shared and tasks performed across long distances, via the Internet, linking systems in large industrial spaces, or across remote or rugged areas. Networked control systems (NCS) offer many benefits such as far greater efficiency than manual controls, leading to savings on personnel and resources.

What improvements would you like to see from distributors in the next 12 months?

kpanetta — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:29:40 +0000

What improvements would you like to see from distributors in the next 12 months?

Precision Resistors: From the drawing board to reality

kpanetta — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:18:13 +0000

Commercial and military aircraft manufacturers are promoting the replacement of older hydraulic and pneumatic control systems by

Hybrid capacitor characteristics, performance, and applications

kpanetta — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:15:03 +0000

An electrolytic capacitor has two electrodes, one with a dielectric, that relies on electrostatic charge storage.

Smart electronics reduce energy consumption and improve performance of piezoelectric ultrasonic motors

kpanetta — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:10:47 +0000

Piezoelectric ultrasonic motors (piezo motors) are a distinct class of rotary and linear actuators requiring unique driving circuits to achieve practical, reliable, precise and efficient operation.