Features
The Lead
ECN’s Veteran’s Day tribute: Remembering those who’ve served
November 9, 2012 2:50 pm | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Articles | Comments
On the cusp of Veteran’s Day, I’m reminded that a disproportionate number of our friends and colleagues served in the military. And that makes me proud to work in this industry. ECN — and her parent company, Advantage Business Media — is no exception. You can’t swing a dead cat (or give a resounding Hoooah!) without hitting a veteran.
Brainstorm: Holiday wish lists
November 28, 2012 3:56 pm | Articles | Comments
Like many engineers, all of my best ideas happen in the shower ... along with bad singing. So,...
What steps are necessary to keep counterfeit components out of the supply chain?
May 21, 2013 3:36 pm | Articles | CommentsWhat steps are necessary to keep counterfeit components out of the supply chain? Are more industry standards needed? Stop having unrealistic pricing expectations. Understand and qualify quality vendors of all kinds. Allocations and obsolescence are part of our industry, we have to identify a realistic market price to ensure the vendors we trust and work with can meet our needs without sacrificing quality.
Opening the door to smart battery design
May 21, 2013 12:02 pm | by Robert Rozario, Application Engineering Manager, Infineon Technologies | Articles | CommentsThe 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.
Evolution of light sensor integration
May 21, 2013 10:59 am | by Darrell Benke, Sr. Marketing Manager, Opto Sensors and Lighting, ams AG | Articles | CommentsLight 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.
What improvements would you like to see from distributors in the next 12 months?
May 16, 2013 2:29 pm | Articles | CommentsWe asked our industry experts and ECN readers to weigh in on our distributors question: What improvements would you like to see from distributors in the next 12 months? Here is what they had to say about the current state of the industry and hot it needs to be improved...
Faster FET testing with SMUs
May 16, 2013 11:12 am | by Mary Anne Tupta, Senior Staff Applications Engineer, Keithley Instruments | Keithley Instruments | Articles | CommentsField effect transistors (FETs) are important semiconductor devices because they are fundamental components of many devices and electronic instruments. Some of the countless applications for FETs include their use as amplifiers, memory devices, switches, logic devices, and sensors.
Project aims to track big city carbon footprints
May 14, 2013 9:46 am | by ALICIA CHANG, AP Science Writer | News | CommentsEvery time Los Angeles exhales, odd-looking gadgets anchored in the mountains above the city trace the invisible puffs of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases that waft skyward. Halfway around the globe, similar contraptions atop the Eiffel Tower and elsewhere around Paris keep a pulse on emissions from smokestacks and automobile tailpipes.
Engineering Update #10: Smart home robots & the printable bionic ear
May 9, 2013 11:20 am | Videos | CommentsThis episode of Engineering Update from ECN is brought to you by Mouser Electronics. In this week's headlines: Honda has recently announced that it is teaming up with Japan's Sekisui to design model households using smart technologies. So far, the robotics program has created humanoid robots and a personal mobility vehicle.
New technology propels 'old energy' boom
May 6, 2013 10:16 am | by JONATHAN FAHEY, AP Energy Writer | News | CommentsTechnology created an energy revolution over the past decade - just not the one we expected. By now, cars were supposed to be running on fuel made from plant waste or algae - or powered by hydrogen or cheap batteries that burned nothing at all.
The green death
April 30, 2013 3:45 pm | by M. Simon, Technical Contributor | Blogs | CommentsBeing "green" has gone from a technical effort to economically reduce energy use and avoid waste where such avoidance makes sense to actively reducing our effectiveness to show how committed we are to the Green Religion. And there is so much of this going on. In my opinion we would be much better off worshiping trees. Or cows.
Integrating sensors into mobile devices
April 30, 2013 3:34 pm | by Jim Steele, Ph.D., Vice President of Engineering, Sensor Platforms | Articles | CommentsSensors have been an important addition to smartphones ever since accelerometers were first used to determine screen orientation. Now a wide variety of sensors, including magnetometers, barometers, and gyroscopes, are found in many other devices, such as watches, glasses, headsets, and shoes.
New construction materials and techniques enable LVDT linear position sensor operation in diverse environments
April 30, 2013 3:04 pm | by Lee Hudson, Applications Engineer, Macro Sensors, www.macrosensors.com | Macro Sensors | Articles | CommentsThe LVDT Linear Position Sensor is a robust sensor adaptable to a variety of applications. A very reliable sensing device with no moving parts, LVDTs are often the best linear feedback technology when it comes to reliability and longevity. However, in the past, LVDTs were limited by its own sensitivity to the environment that caused errors in linear feedback.
Pressure sensor construction addresses challenges in wet environments
April 30, 2013 2:09 pm | by Karmjit Sidhu, Vice President Business Development, American Sensor Technologies, www.astsensors.com | Articles | CommentsAccurate measurement of low pressure with respect to atmospheric reference (typically called vented or gauge reference) requires that pressure sensors breathe under dry, humid and wet conditions. In humid and wet environments, challenges are posed on how to operate the pressure sensor without allowing water into the back end of the sensors....
Taking the LEED in energy efficiency
April 29, 2013 11:14 am | by M. Simon, Technical Contributor | Blogs | CommentsThere is a push on to make buildings more energy efficient. This is in part being accomplished by making them meet LEED Standards. What does LEED stand for? Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. LEED promises to "Reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions".
Engineering Update #9: The gossiping Pinoccio and the power line inspecting Skysweeper
April 26, 2013 9:09 am | Videos | CommentsThis episode of ECN's Engineering Update is brought to you by Mouser Electronics. In this week's headlines: A new device named Pinoccio is a socially-adept networking tool designed with the Internet of Things in mind. The microcontroller allows engineers to connect their own handmade devices to the internet as well as other devices in the home.
NREL and Stanford team up on peel-and-stick solar cells
April 17, 2013 12:47 pm | by EurekAlert! | News | CommentsIt may be possible soon to charge cell phones, change the tint on windows, or power small toys with peel-and-stick versions of solar cells, thanks to a partnership between Stanford University and the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
Schools should take a pass on essay grading software
April 16, 2013 4:16 pm | by Chris Warner, Executive Editor | Articles | CommentsOne of the joys of high school and college was receiving my blue essay book back from my teacher or professor. I couldn’t wait to read their comments in the columns of the book, especially when one of my essays was laden with jokes or sarcasm. But that was often a two-way street, as when my thesis statement would indicate my essay was going to go in a direction my instructor found dubious.
Engineering Update #8: Glasses-free 3D and a near replacement for Knight Rider
April 11, 2013 10:04 am | Videos | CommentsA new screen protector from Nanovue, called the EyeFly, gives mobile devices a glasses-free 3D display. Made out of a thin, transparent film, the nano-engineered EyeFly is essentially a piece of plastic film with thousands of finite lenses on the surface that use nano-imprinting technology.
An engineer's wishlist for car infotainment systems
April 5, 2013 2:51 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor | Blogs | CommentsWith Google's self-driving car hitting the road and all sorts of driver-assistance features hitting the showroom, it's a crazy time for drivers and designers alike. Cars are practically overflowing with (good and bad) attempts to integrate outside technology (smartphones, weather apps, virtual assistants) into vehicles interfaces.
Simplify switched-mode power-supply measurements using dedicated oscilloscope software
April 4, 2013 11:25 am | by Art Pini, Technical Marketing Engineer, Teledyne LeCroy | Articles | CommentsThe analysis of a switched-mode power supply requires the ability to measure device, control loop, and line-related functions. To this end, most oscilloscope manufacturers have created power analysis software, which combines all these elements into a simple-to-use toolbox.
One accelerometer interrupt pin for both wakeup and non-motion detection
April 2, 2013 4:48 pm | by Jay Esfandyari, Gang Xu, Fabio Pasolini, STMicroelectronics | Stmicroelectronics | Articles | CommentsMEMS accelerometers can output different kinds of interrupt signals such as data ready, freefall, portrait/landscape, single-click/double-click, and impact detection, etc. Some accelerometers have built-in wakeup and motionless detection features to automatically switch between lower output data rate (ODR) at low power mode and higher ODR at normal mode....
NTC thermistors versus voltage output IC temp sensors
April 2, 2013 10:05 am | by Brian Gosselin, Jr., Texas Instruments | Texas Instruments | Articles | CommentsElectronic engineers are finding that thermometry is becoming increasingly more popular in modern applications. Two types of commonly used temperature sensing solutions are negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistors and voltage output integrated circuit (IC) temp sensors.
Solar-powered plane set for flight across America with visits to Phoenix, Dallas, NYC
March 29, 2013 6:40 am | by TERENCE CHEA, Associated Press | News | CommentsA solar-powered plane that has wowed aviation fans in Europe is set to travel across the United States with stops in Phoenix, Dallas, Washington, D.C., and New York, organizers of the trip announced Thursday.
Post-Sandy legislation: Backup generators would prevent long gas lines
March 28, 2013 4:12 pm | by Chris Warner, Executive Editor | Blogs | CommentsFive months have passed since Superstorm Sandy, and legislators are nipping around the edges of bolstering the fuel distribution system so more gas can get to the consumer in the case of a widespread power outage or other state of emergency.
Engineering Update #7: Self-healing, laser-resistant chips and NYC's new touchscreen subway maps
March 28, 2013 10:24 am | Videos | CommentsIn this episode of Engineering Update, brought to you by Mouser Electronics www.mouser.com, we're talking about self-healing, laser resistant chips, New York City's new interactive, touchscreen subway maps, and BMW and Continental's new project into developing "co-pilot" driving technology.
Internet sales tax will only benefit the state
March 25, 2013 3:34 pm | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Articles | CommentsGet ready to pony up more dollars for online purchases. On Friday, the U.S. Senate passed the innocuously-titled "Marketplace Fairness Act" through the upper chamber on a 75-24 vote. The bill would require e-tailers to collect and remit sales tax on interstate commerce, even when the business has no physical presence in the state.
