Automotive
10 must-see posts from September
October 1, 2012 12:28 pm | by The ECN Editors | Articles | CommentsHere’s a rundown of the most read, most popular, most awesome articles for September. They all come with a witty, engaging summary just in case you missed them the first time or want to check up on an old favorite. Keep checking out the Lead and follow us on twitter @ecnmagazine for our most up-to-date articles.
Engineering Newswire 5: The world's fastest electric motorcycle
October 1, 2012 9:54 am | Videos | CommentsIn this episode of Engineering Newswire, brought to you by PD&D TV: A group of dedicated engineering students from San Jose State University is attempting to build a self-balancing electric motorcycle. German researchers think they may have found a better way to protect astronauts, and future Mars colonists, from cosmic radiation.
LED spotlight includes improved spot beam pattern
September 28, 2012 4:47 pm | Larson Electronics Llc | Product Releases | CommentsLarson Electronics’ Lxlite.com has released a high grade LED spotlight designed for demanding applications which require a more precisely focused light beam. The LEDLB-21-3C-R 21 Watt LED Spotlight produces a 1,750 lumen light beam reaching over 500 feet in length with better beam control and less spread than normally found with LED spotlights.
Nobody's driving: California governor signs legislation paving the way for driverless cars
September 26, 2012 9:10 am | by TERENCE CHEA Associated Press | News | CommentsGov. Jerry Brown rode to Google headquarters in a self-driving Toyota Prius before signing legislation Tuesday that will pave the way for driverless cars in California. The bill by Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla will establish safety and performance regulations to test and operate autonomous vehicles on state roads and highways.
Electric car maker Tesla unveils solar-powered charging stations to promote longer trips
September 25, 2012 10:04 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsTesla Motors Inc. unveiled a solar-powered charging station on Monday that it said will make refueling electric vehicles on long trips about as fast as stopping for gas and a bathroom break in a conventional car.CEO Elon Musk said at a news conference at the company's design
This app could save your teen driver’s life
September 25, 2012 9:26 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Articles | CommentsWe’ve all seen it. You’re driving down the road and see someone driving erratically only to find that person is messing with the radio, yelling at their reprobate children, shaving, eating, or applying makeup. Distracted driving has taken on an entirely new meaning with the advent of texting.
Thermal interface material exhibits thermal conductivity of 1.10 W/m°K
September 24, 2012 2:47 pm | Product Releases | CommentsSarcon 30QR from Fujipoly is a low hardness thermal interface material that exhibits a thermal conductivity of 1.10 W/m°K and a thermal resistance of .57 °Cin2/W. This material is available in roll or sheet form and can easily be die-cut, molded or extruded to accommodate your unique application specification...
Toyota drops plan for widespread sales of electric car
September 24, 2012 8:53 am | by DYLAN LOVAN Associated Press | News | CommentsToyota Motor Corp has scrapped plans for widespread sales of a new all-electric minicar, saying it had misread the market and the ability of still-emerging battery technology to meet consumer demands. Toyota, which had already taken a more conservative view of the market for battery-powered
Software helps developers with driver assistance systems
September 20, 2012 2:13 pm | Product Releases | CommentsSPACE Automotive Simulation Models (ASM) now work with PreScan, a software program from TASS for high-quality sensor and environment simulation. This tool combination enables developers to optimize the efficiency of intelligent assistance systems at an early stage with highly precise sensor simulation and flexible, reproducible traffic simulation.
New airport system facilitates smoother take-offs and landings
September 20, 2012 9:13 am | by Eurekalert! | News | CommentsFor airline passengers who dread bumpy rides to mountainous destinations, help may be on the way. A new turbulence avoidance system has for the first time been approved for use at a U.S. airport and can be adapted for additional airports in rugged settings across the United States and overseas.
Robotic tuna is built by Homeland Security
September 20, 2012 9:11 am | by Eurekalert! | News | CommentsNo question about it… they're very good at what they do. But they don't take well to orders, especially those to carry out inspection work in oily or dangerous environments, or in any kind of harsh environment, for that matter. Still, they're one of the fastest and most maneuverable
LED for automotive front lighting offers low thermal resistance and high light output at high currents
September 19, 2012 12:07 pm | Osram Opto Semiconductors | Product Releases | CommentsThe new Oslon Black Flat LED from Osram Opto Semiconductors is a high-performance light source for automotive front lighting systems that offers high light output at high currents, uniform light distribution, thermal stability and exceptionally good contrast for seeing and being seen.
SignalGuru app helps drivers avoid red lights
September 17, 2012 8:47 am | by Natasha Baker, Rueters | News | CommentsResearchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a system that uses dashboard-mounted smartphones to help drivers avoid red lights and reduce fuel consumption.The app called SignalGuru predicts when a traffic signal is about to change, and the speed
Power MOSFETs address emerging eco-design standards
September 17, 2012 8:47 am | Stmicroelectronics | Product Releases | CommentsA new family of rugged, high-efficiency power products from STMicroelectronics is positioned to enable technology companies to satisfy stricter power and efficiency targets set by eco-design standards and to target green-energy applications such as solar micro-inverters, photovoltaic string inverters and electric vehicles.
When smart cars get street smart
September 13, 2012 8:47 am | by Chris Warner, Executive Editor | Articles | CommentsIn recent years, there’s been a lot of buzz about automotive infotainment systems — features that are built into recent model cars that can offer anything from satellite navigation, DVD players, internet access and more. This has led to concern from regulators about driver inattention and its impact on safety.
Bike alone? You need this helmet sensor
September 11, 2012 4:12 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | CommentsAs a naturally clumsy person, I’m all about using technology to improve safety, whether it’s in a car or on a motorcycle. If there was a device that would beep before my knee collided with a desk, cubicle wall, low table, or other immovable object, I would own 12.
10 must-see posts from August
September 6, 2012 4:23 pm | by Editors | Blogs | CommentsHere’s a rundown of the most read, most popular, most awesome articles for August. They all come with a witty, engaging summary just in case you missed them the first time or want to check up on an old favorite. Keep checking out the Lead and follow us on twitter @ecnmagazine for our most up-to-date articles.
Three-phase gate-drive IC serves automotive applications
September 6, 2012 3:39 pm | International Rectifier | Product Releases | CommentsInternational Rectifier today introduced the automotive-qualified AUIRS20302S three-phase gate driver IC for 12V, 24V and 48V vehicle applications including high-voltage air conditioner compressors, pumps, BLDC motor drives up to 600W and high-voltage motor drives.
End your parking woes with this foldable car
September 5, 2012 3:12 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | CommentsAnyone who has ever lived in a city knows what it feels like to drive around attempting to find street parking before giving up and dumping the car in an expensive garage. If you frequently suffer from No Parking Spaces Syndrome (or NPSS)...
Power supplies designed for compact spaces
September 4, 2012 2:23 pm | TDK-Lambda Americas, Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsTDK Corporation announces the new TDK-Lambda ZWS-BP series of single output, PCB-type AC-DC power supplies. Based on the popular ZWS series, the ZWS-BP is 30 percent smaller than its predecessor, thus simplifying equipment design and is offered in two mid-power output models – ZWS150BP (150W) and ZWS240BP (240W). With a 200% peak power capability, the ZWS-BP is ideal for use in electromechanical equipme
A guide to enjoying the (inevitable) robot takeover
August 30, 2012 11:02 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Articles | CommentsLet's face it: Robots are better than people.They’re more dependable than humans (i.e. no sick days), they’re usually cheaper, and they don’t complain. The downside is pretty obvious as well, at least with the primitive robots we have today:
Interconnect solutions provide automatic coplanarity compensation
August 29, 2012 1:44 pm | Product Releases | CommentsAutosplice has introduced a new series of specialized Solderball Pin Array (SPA) interconnect capabilities that leverage the company’s industry-leading Solderball Pin Technology by creating pre-defined arrays and header configurations that are targeted to meet application-specific requirements.
Ensuring safety through automobile electronics
August 27, 2012 10:31 am | by Anthony Le, Winbond Electronics, www.winbond.com | Blogs | CommentsHow many of us have seen cars swerving on the road because the driver is on the phone or texting? The reality is that more drivers are using mobile devices in cars and more electronics are being designed into new cars, such as smart phones, infotainment systems with large tablet-like displays, and various inputs/warning systems resulting in information overload. These gadgets dramatically
SPDT RF switch suits battery-powered and automotive telematics applications
August 24, 2012 10:21 am | Product Releases | CommentsPeregrine Semiconductor announced the availability of the SPDT PE42421 RF switch, which is available in a miniature, six-lead SC-70 package. With its small package size, ESD performance of 2 kV on the RFC port, low voltage support down to 1.8V VDD, and low power consumption of
Blade fuses suit space-constrained electrical systems
August 23, 2012 12:02 pm | Product Releases | CommentsLittelfuse, Inc. has introduced its new MICRO3 line of blade fuses. This new line combines two individual fused circuits in a single sub-miniature body, making it an desirable for space-constrained electrical systems. The fuse is less than 15 mm wide and offers the same 5-mm terminal spacing and electrical
