august 2014 | volume 5, issue 8 www.electronicspecifier.com SUPERIOR DIMENSIONAL ACCURACY FOR WEARABLES End-of-Life Cables & Connecting Comms, Computing & Control Power End of life does not mean End of Mission System delivers 40Gbps for telecoms SMARC form factor COM targets IoT Supply boasts 4kW variable frequency Save up to 50% with our new prices online today! Up to 8 price columns now available on over 90k products Services and prices to support your production business OLD PRICES NEW PRICES Quantity Price (£) Quantity Price (£) 1 1.830 1 1.830 10 1.520 10 1.520 100 1.360 100 1.360 SAVINGS* 200 1.220 400 1.010 2000 0.972 4000 0.819 8000 0.737 10% OFF 26% OFF 29% OFF 40% OFF 46% OFF Extra New ks Price Brea (Up to 8) Better Value Want to buy in even bigger quantities? Ask for a quote on farnell.com/quotes *The savings shown are an example, actual savings vary by product. Prices are updated daily on our website and are subject to change. farnell.com Contents 04 06 10 12 14 16 18 20 26 30 32 34 36 38 40 Comment News 16 Distribution Blog End of Life 20 Electronic Specifier Survey Cables & Connecting Comms, Computing & Control Power Actives Passives Test & Measurement Design 24 Sensors Automotive Wireless 38 36 Editor: Ellie Burns ellie.burns@electronicspecifier.com Ad sales: Ben Price ben.price@electronicspecifier.com Designer: Stuart Pritchard stuart@origination-studio.co.uk Publishing Director Steve Regnier steve.regnier@electronicspecifier.com Head Office: ElectronicSpecifier Ltd Comice Place, Woodfalls Farm Gravelly Ways, Laddingford Kent. ME18 6DA Tel: 01622 871944 www.electronicspecifier.com Copyright 2013 Electronic Specifier. Contents of Electronic Specifier, its publication, websites and newsletters are the property of the publisher. The publisher and the sponsors of this magazine are not responsible for the results of any actions or omissions taken on the basis of information inthis publication. In particular, no liability can be accepted in result ofany claim based on or in relation to material provided for inclusion. Electronic Specifier is a controlled circulation journal. electronicspecifier.com 3 Comment Wearable technology is almost here – What’s next? Now that early adopters are beginning to purchase the first devices which can be classified as “wearable”, it is only a matter of time before the marketplace is flooded with items of clothing, jewellery and watches that will help us communicate, navigate and so on. Only the other Sunday, the glossy supplement in a leading UK paper featured a pair of shoes that know where they are going – even if the wearer doesn’t!! It seems they use Google Maps for directions and then vibrate the left or right shoe to tell the wearer where to go..so to speak. Most wearable technology offerings are pretty unattractive which is no surprise since they come from manufacturers known more for their technology leadership than fashion design. Maybe this will begin to change with the seemingly imminent arrival of the Apple iWatch, which those in the know reckon will be later this year. After all, mobile phones weren’t so smart or good looking before the iPhone came along in 2007. And it will be easy for all the big fashion brands to climb aboard the wearable technology bandwagon since all the necessary technology-type innovation has been done, so incorporating that into their products should be pretty straightforward. And not only fashion. Sports equipment giant Nike has already worked on joint ventures with Apple and rumours are spreading that a so-called iBand with a serious fitness focus is on the cards. Exciting stuff!!! However, losing these wearable gadgets will still have the same effect as losing a tablet or smartphone – inconvenience at best. 4 electronicspecifier.com Embedded? It is fanciful to suggest that embedded technology will be the next big thing after wearables? By embedded we don’t mean technology embedded in things, but technology embedded in people. Will people go for elective, optional surgery to place the latest must-have device inside their body? We readily accept replacement bits to keep us mobile as well as implants to keep us alive, but how about devices to help us communicate and control things? It could bring a whole new meaning to “Intel Inside” We are open to suggestions for possible uses for such implanted devices and we guess some development needs to be done to make these tiny items powerful enough and long lasting. Being “chipped” will not be for everyone and the comparisons with pet chipping will inevitably bring a negative reaction. We did read somewhere ages ago of a call for baby’s to be chipped to constantly monitor their health and location. The embedded device would then be removed when the child reaches 16 or 18. Perhaps they will take the place of a SIM card, contactless payment card, passport, door key, car key – the list of potential applications could be pretty huge and it will be interesting to see how people adapt to being an integral part of the Internet of Things!!. Without doubt, there will already be many companies working to develop these embedded devices. If or when they become available, we would like to see them come with an off switch – for a variety of reasons!! Intelligent Design Starts with Intelligent Analog PIC® Microcontrollers Analog design is difficult and consumes precious development time. Microchip’s intelligent PIC® MCUs integrate analog functions such as high performance Analog-to-Digital Converters, Digital-to-Analog Converters and op amps providing simple-to-use interfaces that ease analog design. A single-chip solution enables reduced system noise and provides higher throughput, while dramatically reducing design time and cost. Applications ■ Environmental quality sensors ■ Portable medical equipment ■ Industrial equipment ■ Power conversion ■ Efficient motor control ■ Lighting ■ Power measurement and monitoring ■ Energy harvesting equipment ■ Solar inverters microchip.com/intelligentanalog The Microchip name and logo, the Microchip logo and PIC are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their registered owners. © 2014 Microchip Technology Inc. All rights reserved. DS00001743A. MEC0003Eng07.14 News It’s official: Agilent becomes Keysight Technologies And now it is official. Keysight Technologies has begun operations today after it was announced that the electronic measurement business of Agilent Technologies has begun operating under the Keysight name. It will remain a wholly owned subsidiary of Agilent Technologies until early November when the separation is expected to be completed and Keysight begins trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol KEYS. It is another new journey for what was the Hewlet-Packard test and measurement business before that business was rebranded Agilent Technologies in 1999. Keysight will carry on the baton in industry segments of communications; aerospace and defense; and industrial, computers, and semiconductors. Keysight’s separation from Agilent was announced in September 2013. “As we launch our new company, we are mindful of our rich heritage as part of Agilent and prior to that, Hewlett-Packard,” said Ron Nersesian, Keysight president and CEO. Read more... 6 electronicspecifier.com Neuromorphic computing a potential reality with atomic switch The mammalian brain continues to reign supreme in completing tasks based on both memory and environmental clues, even though computers have revolutionized information processing. This contrast in performance stems from the radically divergent physical structures and operating mechanisms of neuronal networks and digital circuits. Read more... Where there’s manufacturing, there’s a way Recent years have been some of the most economically challenging since the industrial revolution; in the last five years the British economy contracted by 7% and so as we enter a new financial year many companies will be breathing a sigh of relief. By Jonathan Wilkins, Marketing Manager, European Automation. Read more... Report finds analog unit shipments grew 15% in 2013 In its mid-year update to the 2014 McClean Report, IC Insights have highlighted that between 2013 and 2018, analog unit shipments are forecast to grow at an average annual rate of 8.9%. This is faster than the 7.2% forecast for the total IC market and faster than all other major IC product categories. The mid-year update also showed how analog unit shipments grew 15% in 2013 to become the first IC product category to ship more than 100 billion units in a calendar year period. Read more... News ARM technology licensed by Atmel For devices requiring image, video and display capabilities, Atmel has licensed processor and security IP from ARM. Atmel plans to integrate the Cortex-A7 processor, Mali-V500 video accelerator, Mali-DP500 display processor and TrustZone technology into silicon for wearable devices and automated factory tasks which are reliant on image processing, such as identifying faulty products. The energy efficiency and small die area ARM Mali-V500 and Mali-DP500 enable full HD 1080p 60fps Amphenol_RADLOK_190x136mm.indd 1 resolution capabilities on a single core suited for costconscious applications. The video accelerator and display processor also feature support ARM TrustZone technology for hardware-backed content security. The Mali-DP500 display processor enables Atmel SoCs to deliver UI functionality such as multilayer composition, scaling and post-processing with support from ARM’s Frame Buffer Compression (AFBC) protocol. Read more... Dialog Semiconductors donates £80,000 to UTC Swindon Dialog Semiconductors has donated £40,000 to UTC Swindon for specialist equipment, as well as an additional £40,000 for the first academic year, it has been announced. Opening in September 2014 and catering for 600 students aged 14-19, the college will provide courses for young people who aspire to a career in engineering. Read more... 09/07/14 16:44 News NürnbergMesse celebrate success on 40th anniversary On it’s 40th anniversary, NürnbergMesse celebrates continued success. In 2013, the company’s revenue was €193m, the highest in it’s history. The company have continued this success into 2014, with event formats developing more positively than the average for the sector and the global orientation gaining more importance. The reasons for the most recent success of NürnbergMesse are varied – but one thing in particular becomes clear: The trust placed in NürnbergMesse by some 27,000 exhibitors and 1.13m visitors in 2013 is reflected in 174 trade fairs, congresses, public events and company events. Read more... In-vehicle apps will be mainstream by 2018 According to a report published by Juniper Research, the use of in-vehicle apps is expected to reach 269m by 2018, a fivefold increase on last year’s figure. The report, ‘Connected Cars: Consumer & Commerical Telematics and Infotainment 2014-2018’, suggests that this growth will be due to invehicle apps becoming more mainstream. In-vehicle apps will become more mainstream, the report argues, because of the introduction of apps such as Apple’s CarPlay and the integration of such apps in vehicles as standard, with MirrorLink being used by OEMs, content providers and automotive entertainment specialists. Poor school careers advice deters future engineers According to a new poll by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, UK pupils are receiving poor careers advice from teachers who lack understanding of business and industry. The survey reveals 42% of the 2,030 people polled believe careers guidance in UK secondary schools is poor, 26% adequate and just 10% good. The results come as the Institution launches a Teacher Industrial Partners’ Scheme (TIPS), which will see Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) teachers being offered two-week work placements within industry to help them better explain the highly diverse career opportunities to their students. Read more... Read more... Peregrine and RFMD settle outstanding litigation Peregrine Semiconductor and RF Micro Devices have jointly announced that the companies have settled all their outstanding claims. While specific financial terms of the agreement remain confidential, the two companies have 8 electronicspecifier.com entered into patent cross licenses and have agreed to dismiss all related litigation. Jim Cable, CEO, Peregrine Semiconductor, commented: “We are pleased that we have reached agreement with RF Micro Devices and resolved all of our outstanding litigation under terms that recognise Peregrine’s unique role in the invention and commercialisation of RF SOI technology. Read more... Connecting Global Competence Welcome to Planet e. The entire universe of electronics at a single location! Tickets & Registration www.electronica.de/en/tickets 26th International Trade Fair for Electronic Components, Systems and Applications Messe München November 11–14, 2014 www.electronica.de years Distribution Daily posts on the world of electronic parts distribution in EMEA by electronics industry veteran Mick Elliott mick.elliott@electronicspecifier.com UK Deal Unites Foremost, NKK Foremost Electronics has been appointed as a UK distributor for NKK’s specialist switch products. Alan Cook, Managing Director of Foremost Electronics comments, “We are very pleased to become a distributor for NKK. With our long experience of supplying specialist and value-added eMech products to the UK market, their latest range of products for the audio, broadcast and complex HMI applications will be a great fit with our existing product portfolio and customer base.” NKK have a wide and growing range of specialist switches for high quality audio equipment and “audiophiles” and a number of recently introduced OLED SmartSwitches and innovative illuminated push button switches for complex HMI applications. Read more... Digi-Key Marches On In Europe Digi-Key President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Larson is looking relaxed and happy in his usual London hotel haunt. Not entirely surprising as he is in Europe, and more specifically the UK, a region and area fuelling phenomenal growth for the Thief River Fallsbased distributor. “Europe is a shining star for us,” he observes. That’s almost an understatement when you look at the numbers. In Europe sales will be up 26.4 per cent in 2014 at £178.5m or 222.6m Euros. Germany, the manufacturing engine of Europe is purring along nicely. Read more... Farnell element14 Inks Swissbit Pact Farnell element14 has signed a direct agreement with Swissbit, a supplier of industrial DRAM modules and Flash storage products. The world-wide agreement covers EMEA, North America, APAC and Japan regions. Swissbit products are particularly targeted at the industrial computer markets including Embedded 10 electronicspecifier.com Computing, Automation, Measurement, Communication, Network, Military, Aerospace, Transportation, Casino Gaming and Medical Equipment. Mike Buffham, Global Head of Product & Pricing at Premier Farnell, said: “This new direct agreement with Swissbit is exciting because it expands our award-winning technology solutions product offering around industrial DRAM modules and Flash storage products. We have listened to our customers, and delivering an extensively stocked Swissbit range of products enhances our global Semiconductor line card. Read more... THE TOTAL SOLUTION Comprehensive programs for the critical semiconductors needed... with no compromises. www.rocelec.com Re-introducing Intel’s MQ80C196KB CHMOS Microcontroller • 978.462.9332 Re-introducing Altera’s EP1810GC-35 EPLD Re-introducing AMD’s AM27C512 CMOS EPROM The Intel MCS-96 Family of microcontrollers is most commonly used in embedded systems for motor control, modem, printer and pattern recognition applications. The 68-pin microcontroller from Rochester is pin-for-pin compatible, uses a true superset of the M8096 instructions and is offered in a variety of packages, speeds and temperature ranges. The complex EP1810 erasable programmable logic devices (EPLDs). The EP1810 devices offer LSI density, TTLequivalent speed, and low power consumption. EP1810 devices have 48 macrocells, 16 dedicated input pins, and 48 I/O pins. EP1810 devices are divided into four quadrants, with each containing 12 macrocells. Macrocells can be individually programmed as D, T, JK or SR flipflops, or combinatorial operation. Available in a 68pin ceramic PGA package or a 68-pin J-lead package, the EP1810. The AM27C512 product family is a 512-Kb, UV erasable PROM, organized as 64K words by 8 bits and operates from a single 5V supply. Created for high speed and low power, the 27C512 is available in windowed ceramic DIP packages as well as one-time programmable PDIP and PLCC package. Datasheet Datasheet Datasheet Check Inventory Here Check Inventory Here Check Inventory Here End of Life End of Life does not mean End of Mission As technology advancements continue to accelerate, shorter semiconductor life cycles are more commonplace. Today, the average semiconductor life cycle is three to five years. This includes device prototype, introduction, design-in, production, low-volume, and end-of-life phases. Once a semiconductor manufacturer decides to discontinue a product, an EOL notice is issued, giving customers a last-time buy date (usually within 6 to 12 months). After that date, customers need to find an alternative supply of their critical devices. An EOL event poses significant challenges to customers as they find ways to source devices for ongoing production, maintenance, and repair. Many OEMs either do not forecast a last-time buy correctly, or cannot afford a sufficient last-time buy and the associated handling and storage costs. These OEMs are left with few options as reliable supplies of the discontinued component from authorized distributors diminish over time, eventually becoming obsolete. Note that the term “obsolete” is not the same as EOL but refers to component availability in the Authorized channel. One solution is to work with authorized continuing semiconductor manufacturers 12 electronicspecifier.com By: George Karalias, Director of Marketing & Communications at Rochester Electronics that can re-create the device and provide continuing manufacturing services. redesign the system, or engage with an authorized continuing manufacturer. Scenario Unauthorized Sources Recently, a reputable aerospace and electronics manufacturer experienced an EOL event for a critical semiconductor device that quickly turned into an obsolescence scenario. The company needed to outfit more than 150 military aircraft with a critical semiconductor device — an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) in a current loop scheme that decodes internal aircraft safety operations. Vital to the performance of the aircraft, the semiconductor device could not be found for procurement through any of the original manufacturer’s authorized channels. As a result, the OEM was left with few options; purchase the device from an unauthorized source, Purchasing devices from an unauthorized source comes with many risks. Unauthorized distributors cannot guarantee authenticity, quality, traceability, reliability, or continuous availability of parts. Additionally, there is no easy way to be sure that the devices been properly stored and handled so that quality and reliability have been preserved. Counterfeiting is still a growing problem throughout the electronics industry. As counterfeiters become more sophisticated, more companies are receiving re-marked devices with falsified part numbers and company logos, empty devices with no die, falsified RoHS compliance paperwork, and cloned semiconductors that appear to pass visual inspection standards. End of Life The use of counterfeit and substandard devices has farreaching negative consequences, not the least of which is a negative reflection on reputable component manufacturers and distributors. In addition, they cause purchasing dilemmas for component buyers and production delays for equipment manufacturers. If the defective parts make it into the field, end users experience equipment failures. For mission-critical applications such as military, medical, and aerospace, faulty equipment can result in loss of life. These failures damage the credibility of the equipment manufacturer. In worst-case scenarios, counterfeit components can cause legitimate manufacturers to be driven out of business. Re-design Challenges The aerospace and electronics manufacturer desperately wanted to avoid a re-design. They knew the project could cost millions of dollars from drawing board to requalification, and they knew it would be difficult to get funding. In addition, a re-design would interrupt production for an extended period of time. It was also determined that if they were to re-design the system using next generation semiconductors, the new semiconductor devices would likely reach EOL prior to the military aircrafts life cycle – thus creating another EOL and obsolescence scenario. Solution After carefully considering the options and the potential impact on its reputation, engineering resources and costs, procurement costs and timeto-market, the aerospace and electronics manufacturer chose to partner with an authorized continuing manufacturer to solve its obsolescence issue. Utilizing an expansive inventory of wafer and die, the continuing semiconductor manufacturer re-created the critical devices, matching the performance characteristics and specifications of the original devices. The continuing manufacturer was able to recreate the semiconductor devices based on a source control drawing (SCD); documents, graphs and electronic data from the original manufacturer; and two original device samples. entire systems or risk purchasing counterfeit/substandard devices. A re-design of an integrated circuit system can potentially cost millions, in addition to a lengthy re-qualification and retesting process, which would mean innumerable lost hours of development time that could be better spent on creating new products. Continuing semiconductor manufacturers deliver a convenient, reliable, and long-term option that saves companies from the issues intrinsic to pursuing gray market or counterfeit product options. A re-engineered semiconductor is ultimately a fraction of the cost of a re-design, and given the government regulations in place to ensure continuing semiconductor manufacturer integrity, provides the best continual procurement solution. Semiconductor re-creation reduces the impact of EOL scenarios. Without the ability of continuing semiconductor manufacturers to re-engineer critical components, companies would be forced to redesign George Karalias is the Director of Marketing and Communications for Rochester Electronics and has worked with the company for ten years. His experience in the high tech and computer industries started in 1983 when he graduated from Boston College. electronicspecifier.com 13 Survey ElectronicSpecifier Research Shows Importance of Quality and Support for Board-Level Products ElectronicSpecifier recently conducted research amongst embedded engineers about board-level embedded products. The project, conducted by Napier Partnership Limited and sponsored by Mouser, found that support and quality were some of the most important factors that determined which embedded board products were selected. Embedded engineers use a wide range of boards, although the most common requirement is for processor/computing, which represented over half the sample. Data acquisition, RF and communications were the next subsystems that were most commonly implemented using a third party board. Over the last three years, there has been a significant increase in the number of off-theshelf boards that are used in embedded systems (see Figure 1). Of the engineers surveyed, 18% said that the number of off-the-shelf boards in their systems had increased “a lot”, 34% said the number had increased “a little”, and only 4% said that the number of offthe-shelf boards had decreased. The increase in the use of offthe-shelf boards means that a quarter of the embedded systems engineers now state that a large proportion of their systems are boards designed and manufactured by other companies. Whilst most of the engineers surveyed use 3rd party boards in production systems, 25% use them in prototyping and switch to their own boards for production systems. These trends indicate that time-tomarket is an important factor for engineers, and when asked, the engineers 14 electronicspecifier.com rated it as the second biggest challenge they faced after overall system cost (Figure 2). The pressure on engineering resources was also seen when the engineers were asked how board vendors could help them (Figure 3): 62% wanted more reference designs, whilst 55% asked for improved development tools, 51% wanted vendors to write more application notes and 44% asked them to improve the quality of their documentation. In fact documentation was the second most important factor in determining which board the engineers selected: 86% said it was important or very important when selecting a vendor. Quality of documentation ranked just below overall product quality, but ahead of metrics such as price and support. Unlike other products, engineers are very open to choosing boards from new suppliers; only 19% said that it was important that the Survey boards came from approved vendors. System reliability was ranked next in the list of design challenges, which meant that size (30%) and power consumption (27%) were not seen as particularly critical problems. This is a little surprising, particularly considering the amount of energy board vendors are putting in to lowering the power drawn by embedded boards. The research has shown that engineers look well beyond the product itself when selecting a board for their system. Perhaps it should not be surprising that ease-of-use, documentation and support are important after all the decision to buy boards rather than design and build them in-house is frequently driven by resource and time constraints. The risks, however, of choosing a product with poor documentation and support was summed up by one respondent who said, “I like to know what I am doing with the board so I do not look stupid in front of my co-workers.” Whilst it is concerning that the documentation and support for some products clearly still falls short of what engineers require, it’s also a great opportunity for boardlevel product suppliers, both manufacturers and distributors, who can help engineers and ensure they look smart in front of their colleagues. eRIC4 eRIC - The Sub 1GHz RF Transceiver eRIC9 Experience the Real Power of Low Power Do you get the maximum performance from your RF modules? It’s all about the software! easyRadio optimises performance ensuring per modules reach parameters defined in chip specifications. For maximum performance choose LPRS. +44 (0) 1993 709418 info@lprs.co.uk www.lprs.co.uk A low cost powerful solution from LPRS. Cables & Connecting IP68 connectors with a first mate, last break ground contact Expanding the Mid Power SPEC Pak connector family, Anderson Power Products has announced that the connector is available with a first mate, last break ground contact capable of accepting 6-10awg (13.3-5.3mm²) wire. This makes the Mid Power SPEC Pak suitable for 3 phase, 4 wire configurations up to 600V AC and 80A. Wire-to-wire/board connectors are compact and cost-effective Waterproof wire-to-wire and wire-to-board connectors, claimed to be compact and cost-effective, have been introduced by JST. The JWPS series have a seal ring that protects from moisture, dirt, scratches and cracks by sealing at the mating side in the header or tab housing, making them suitable for extreme moisuture and submersion applications. This seal is made from rubber, while the tab contact is made from a copper alloy, making the connectors both compact and cost-effective. With a double spring construction and a ‘sqeeze to release’ locking system, the contact system provides contact force, preventing accidential unmating. This locking system is also internal to the housing, preventing contact back out and damage through handling external locking lances. Read more... SSMA connector performs in high vibration environments Exceeding the IP67 industry standard, these connectors are environmentally sealed to IP68. This rugged, compact connector is UV, chemical and flame resistant. Highly adaptable, the Mid Power SPEC Pak family enables users to customise the connector to meet unique design requirements. They can be configured with up to four colour coded, 6-10awg power or ground contacts. Read more... 16 Datasheet... electronicspecifier.com An SSMA connector, claimed to perform in high vibration environments, has been developed by Aviel for a military aerospace manufacturer. The manufacturer required a connector with termination onto a 0.085” semi-rigid cable, chassis mounting, a SSMA interface and an operating frequency of up to 26Ghz. A standard chassis mount SSMA connector meets these requirements, but does not perform in a high vibration environment. Aviel’s connector has a floating body and pin that allow both axial and radial movement while maintaining an operating frequency of up to 26Ghz. To ensure that it performs in a high vibration environment, the company have designed the connector so that the pin movement is independent of the body. Read more... Cables & Connecting Cable gland range offered with expert specification advise A mainstream and specialist range of cable gland solutions are now available from Hylec-APL. This range has been made available in response to how cable gland design has become increasingly varied, as manufacturers begin to realise that they need to offer their customers a distinct advantage in order to hold on to their market share. With this variation it can be hard to find the cable gland, which is why the range from Hylec-APL offers end-users and OEMs the flexibility to choose the perfect solution for their application. With low price, simple installation and IP68 protection, a standard dome top gland may seem like a fairly straight forward product to specify. Read more... THE GOLD STANDARD Connector system delivers 40Gbps for telecomms Offering high density performance with datarates up to 40Gbps, Molex has revealed that its Impel backplane connector system is available for use with the company’s Backplane Pin Map Configurator. Read more... Datasheet... Comms SMARC form factor COM targets IoT devices An SMARC form factor computer-on-module, which has been certified by Intel for Intel Gateway Solutions for the IoT, has been introduced by ADLINK Technology. Used with ADLINK’s SEMA Cloud, the LEC-BT can be used to develop IoT devices. The module uses a single, dual, or quad core Intel Atom processor E3800 series system-on-chip of 1.32.2GHz and has soldered memory of up to 4Gb DDR3L at 1066/1333MHz, including ECC. The LECBT is 82x80mm in size and has onboard eMMC flash and ECC memory support. With SMARC, the module operates from 5-10W, enabling smaller quieter and cleaner systems. The module, which operates from -40 to +85ºC, is suitable for industrial automation. Read more... 18 Datasheet... electronicspecifier.com Panel PC offers a slim design & flexible architecture Offering a slim design and flexible architecture for fast system deployment, the GOT3177T-834 panel PC has been released by Axiomtek. Powered by an Intel Bay Trail-D Celeron processor, the 17”, fanless PC is equipped with a 5:4 aspect ratio flush. The panel PC features a wide operating temperature range of -10 to +50°C, making it suitable for use in harsh environments. Adding to this suitability is the PC’s IP65 front bezel waterproof enclosure. Read more... Datasheet... Modules offer flexible expansion interfaces & ECC memory Incorporating 4th Gen Intel Core processors, a line of COM Express products has been released by DFI with the intention of targeting intelligent system development. Included in DFI’s product roll-out was the HM961, HM960 and HM920, all of which are designed on the Mobile Intel QM87 and Intel HM86 chipsets. Read more... Datasheet... 3U networking platform delivers high-density processing Featuring up to 12 hotpluggable blades powered by Intel Xeon E3 12xx series processors, WIN Enterprises’ latest 3U networking platform delivers high-density processing. Supplied as standard with two 10GbE SFP ports, two GbE SFP ports and two GbE RJ45 ports, the PL80540 can also accommodate expansion modules for an additional six 10GbE SFP ports and sixteen GbE copper/fibre LAN ports. Read more... Datasheet... Comms Host connector series performs at 32Gbps per channel To meet the demand for a faster form factor signal transmission interface, Yamaichi Electronics has introduced a series of 32Gbps host connectors. The CN120038 series Quad Small Formfactor Pluggable plus (eQSFP+) host connector and its cage accessories are 100% footprint compatible with existing 10 and 25Gbps QSFP standards. The host connector series is also compatible with many InfiniBand and Ethernet QSFP modules on the market. These include 40 and 100Gb Ethernet modules and QDR/FDR/EDR InfiniBand. Read more... Mini module is both cost and energy efficient A mini module, claimed to be both cost and energy efficient and thus suitable for industrial control automation, medical equipment, gaming machine, telecomms, POS, kiosk and transportation applications, has been released by DFI. The BT9A3 is powered by the Intel Atom processor E3800 SoC product family, which is primarily Platforms have low-cost shelf manager and universal AC power System platforms which are standard, high versatile configurations designed to meet a wide range of development needs, have been released by VadaTech. The first two chassis in the Express Development Platforms series, the EXP100 and EXP200, feature six AMC slots and two AMC slots respectively in 1U enclosure height. Both versions have an integrated low-cost shelf manager and universal AC power. The two-slot is a basic low-cost design with one Intel-based processor AMC (VadaTech’s AMC720). The routing across the backplane is point-to-point, allowing any fabric to be utilised (10 or 40GbE, SRIO, PCIe, Aurora, etc). The result is a compact, versatile, and lowcost development platform for MicroTCA/AMC based requirements. The six-slot Exp200 provides more optional modules with a 6Gbps SATA storage AMC and a 16core Cavium-based packet processor. The six-slot chassis has PCIe Gen 2 across the fat pipes (ports 4-7) and an option for 10GbE on ports 8-11. Read more... aimed at 24 hour operating intelligent systems. These SoCs range from single core, dual core and quad core. The onboard graphics features one DDI (HDMI/DVI/ DP) and one dual channel LVDS display interfaces that support high resolution. Moreover, the advanced Intel HD Graphics integrated in processor brings enhanced stereoscopic 3D capabilities, immersive web browsing and spectacular HD playback; as well as makes this embedded module particularly suitable for graphics-intensive devices. Read more... Datasheet... electronicspecifier.com 19 Power AC power supply boasts 4kW variable frequency The PCR4000M, a 4kW variable frequency AC power supply, has been made available by Kikusui’s UK Distributor Telonic Instruments. The power supply expands Kikusui’s exisiting PCR500M, PCR1000M, PCR2000M and PCR4000M variable frequency (40-500Hz) AC power supplies. The PCR4000M features AC, DC and AC+DC output, memory function, current limit and selectable start phase. Users are able to measure not only voltage, current and power of the AC and DC output, but also apparent power, reactive power, power factor, crest factor and current peak hold. Equipped with an RS-232C interface, the device comes complete with control/ logging software as standard. Read more... 20 electronicspecifier.com AC/DC power supplies combine high power with small footprint A series of AC/DC power supplies, designed to provide up to 300W from a compact 127 x 81mm footprint, has been announced by Powersolve. The JB301/ JB301D Series is available in four mechanical options, including U channel and enclosed, to suit the widest range of applications. The JB301/JB301D Series operates from a 90-264VAC input voltage range, with power factor correction to EN610003-2 class D. Read more... Datasheet... Programmable power design tool updated with Arduino The latest version of the company’s intuitive programmable power design tool, PowerArchitect 5.1 has been released by Exar. This updated version now supports the XRP7720 and XRP7725 programmable power ICs, the XRP9710 and XRP9711 power modules and the latest universal PMICs and development boards. Read more... Synchronous buck converters feature 96% efficiency Featuring efficiencies of up to 96%, Texas Instruments has introduced the TPS65261 and TPS65262 integrated triple- output synchronous step-down switching regulators. The next generation DC/DC converters are suited for applications such as digital television, settop boxes, home gateway and access point networks, wireless routers, point-of-sale machines and surveillance equipment. Read more... Datasheet... POWERSOLVE All the power products you will ever need available from one supplier 27 Years in Power www.powersolve.co.uk www.powersolvemobile.com TEL: 44-1635-521858 Email: sales@powersolve.co.uk Power DC/DC converters offer wide input voltage range of 24-110V DC/DC converters offering a wide input voltage range and high efficiency, have been released by MTM Power. The PCMDS150WK-IP65 150W converters are available with a wide input range for battery voltages of 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 80, 96 and 110V according to EN 50 155. This is enabled by the push-pull topology used while developing these converters. Read more... Switching ICs meet US DoE EPS efficiency regulations A series of switching ICs suitable for mobile devices which are subject to 30mW no-load limitations, has been Power supply provides output of 1800W over 180-264VAC released by Power Integrations. The LinkSwitch-3 series delivers primary-side regulation for chargers and adapters up to 10W, making them suitable for smartphones and tablets which are subject to upcoming mandatory US DoE EPS efficiency regulations and EU CoC Tier 2 guidelines. Read more... Datasheet... The TFE-1800-48, an 1800W, 48VDC front end power supply designed in a sub-1U horizontal package, has been introduced by Tectrol Europe. Along with secondary isolation from 1500VRMS and output adjustable to 54VDC for PoE requirements, the power supply features universal AC input and active PFC and I2C interfaces for advanced status and control functions. Read more... DC/DC converters target harsh industrial environments Operating over a wide temperature range from -60 to +125°C, the TEC-100 and TEC-200 series isolated DC/ DC converters are designed for industrial applications and harsh environment conditions. Introduced by Schaefer, the converters provide 100 and 22 electronicspecifier.com 200W of continuous power at high efficiencies of up to 93%. Featuring both 2:1 and 4:1 wide input ranges of 9-18, 9-36, 18-36, 18-75 and 3675VDC, the TEC-100 and TEC-200 series are comprised of five single output models offering output voltages in the range of 5-28VDC. Read more... Datasheet... Power 1kW power supply suits harsh environment electronics Expanding the company’s XF series high reliability, ruggedised COTS modular power supplies, Excelsys Technologies has announced the 1000W XFN powerPac model. The power supplies are designed for application such as harsh environment electronics, including industrial and MIL/COT’s. Read more... Datasheet... Output on phase angle AC/DC power supplies offer efficiencies up to 92% Expanding the company’s N series AC/DC power supplies, Powerstax has announced the 504W NM0501 and 1008W NM1001. Both of these power supplies feature 90-264VAC inputs and power efficiency levels of up to 92%, enclosed in ultra-low profile 1U format packages. Powerstax have stated that the N series products are based on a proprietary design which lowers energy consumption and improves thermal performance, with minimal forced air cooling required. This enables reduced AC loads, lower power system operational costs and increased reliability. The ultralow profile 1U package allows the NM0501 and NM1001 to be easily implemented into designs using industry standard 1U chassis, freeing up additional space. Read more... Datasheet... Power Power supplies offer built-in solar array simulator Three DC power supplies, the PVS10005, PVS60085, and PVS60085MR, have been introduced by B&K Precision. Delivering output power of up to 5.1kW, the PVS Series boasts excellent regulation, low noise, and fast transient response times. Offering a built-in solar array simulator (SAS) function to generate photovoltaic I-V curves, the Switching regulator for Thunderbolt applications power supplies provide high power density in a compact 2U form factor making them suited to high voltage testing up to 1000 V, motor inverter testing, and solar array testing applications. Read more... Datasheet... AC/DC power supplies offer 89% efficiency at up to 70°C AC/DC power supplies which are suitable for use within harsh environments, have been released by Power Sources Unlimited. The TXM series of AC/DC power supplies, which are available from 15W-320W, operate at up to 70°C and have a working efficiency of up to 89%. Featuring a lowprofile metal case with a screw terminal connection, the series can be used with a variety of equipment. Read more... 250W AC/DC PSUs target industrial and medical applications Suitable for industrial and medical applications, XP Power has announced a 250W model in the GCS series of high efficiency single output AC-DC power supplies. They GCS250 is supplied in the an industry standard 127x76.2mm (3x5”) open frame package, an enclosed covered version and top or end-mounted fan cover options. Read more... 24 electronicspecifier.com Datasheet... Texas Instruments has introduced what the company claims is the first fully integrated power solution for bus-powered Thunderbolt applications. The TPS65980 DC/ DC switching regulator integrates all power management functions required for a Thunderbolt bus-powered device, reducing the total BOM cost by 50% and solution size by 40% compared to discrete solutions. Ti has also claimed that the TPS65980 is the only solution recommended and approved for Thunderbolt bus-powered solutions, significantly reducing design time. The DC/DC switching regulator supplies up to 3.5A of output current, enabling bus-powered endpoint devices to deliver up to 10W at over 90% efficiency. Read more... Datasheet... Convection-cooled Medical Power with Ultra High Efficiency Convection-cooled 25 W ECS25 2” x 3” ECS65 ECP60 45 W ECS45 60 W ECS60 80 W 2” x 4” Visit our website for more information or to request a copy of our new Power Supply Guide and see our complete line of power products. 2.5” x 5” Selector App Available GCS180 GCS150 2 x MOPP • ECP180 Medical BF approved • ECS130 100 W Up to 250 Watts • Up to 95% efficiency • ECS100 120 W ECP225 Forced-cooled 150 W CCB200 200 W 3” x 5” CCB250 250 W CCM250 XP Power provides a wide range of medically approved power supplies with convection-cooled ratings for all healthcare power solutions. 4” x 6” Actives Microcontroller suited for lowpower RF applications Featuring improved read zone and battery performance for ultra-low power applications, Texas Instruments has announced the RF430F5978 microcontroller. This highly integrated RF solution is suited for low-power RF applications, such as wireless sensor networks, data-loggers, active transponders, remote monitoring systems, container tracking, access control and asset control/management systems. The RF430F5978 features a 3D low-frequency (LF) wake-up and transponder interface (which can function even without a battery supply), an integrated 1GHz RF transceiver and programmable MSP430 core. An integrated 128-bit AES security encryption/decryption coprocessor adds advanced security for data protection, product authentication and secure access control. Read more... 26 Datasheet... electronicspecifier.com Low jitter clocks are the industry’s most frequency-flexible Comprising high-performance clock generators and highly integrated multi-PLL jitter attenuators, Silicon Labs has announced the nextgeneration Si534x ‘clock-treeon-a-chip’ portfolio. They are claimed to be the industry’s most frequency-flexible clock solutions offering industryleading jitter performance for high-speed networking, communications and data centre equipment in internet infrastructure. Read more... Datasheet... Rochester re-introduces Freescale MC68000 32-bit MPUs Authorised to continue manufacturing Motorola/ Freescale’s MC68000 family of 32-bit microprocessors, Rochester Electronics offers the MC68020/MC68EC020, MC68030/MC68EC030, and MC68040/ MC68EC040/MC68LC040 devices in a variety of packages and frequencies to meet commercial through military application requirements. Read more... Datasheet... IMAGIS uses Cortus’ APS1 processor core for touchscreen designs Cortus and IMAGIS have announced that they are working together to develop touchscreen designs based on Cortus’ APS1 processor core. This 32-bit processor core has been designed to replace the 8-bit microcontroller core, with Cortus claiming it saves silicon area and reduces code size, making it more cost effective. The APS1, which has 64kB of program and data memory, features Ethernet 10/100 MAC, USB 2.0 and USB 2.0 OTG interfaces. The processor core provides licensees with a scalable choice in embedded computational performance and silicon area to meet a wide variety of application needs. Read more... Datasheet... Actives Crystal series offers 43% improvement in total tolerance A series of crystal units for use in a broad range of consumer and industrial applications has been released by Murata. Based on the company’s XRCGB-F family, the XRCGBF-P crystal units have an improved frequency tolerance of ±20 ppm (at +25°C) and an (-30 to + 85°C). Compared to previous crystal units that had a combined tolerance of ±70 ppm, these ±40 ppm units represent close to a 43% improvement in total tolerance. improved frequency shift by temperature of ±20 ppm max. Read more... FPGAs deliver highest performance in the smallest package The newest member of the ECP5 family, Lattice Semiconductor has announced that the LFE5UM-85 delivers the highest performance in the family in the same packages as smaller devices. This enables engineers to design prototypes with the best performance for convenience and flexibility, then optimise for cost in a lower density device when they go to production. Read more... Datasheet... Actives PCIe clock buffers reduce size and power consumption Expanding the company’s PCIe timing portfolio, Integrated Device Technology has introduced what it claims to be the industry’s first 1.5V PCI Express (PCIe) buffer family. Operating from the same supply voltage as modern SoCs and FPGAs, the 9DBU buffers allow designers to use the same power rail. This reduces system complexity, physical size, and power consumption. Offered in 2-9 output configurations to address PCIe applications, the 9DBU family operates from a 1.5V supply. This results in the industry’s lowest power consumption for PCIe timing devices, with eight-output devices using just 40mW. This reduces cooling requirements and lowers operating costs. The buffers support both nonPLL fan out and PLL zerodelay-buffer modes. Read more... 28 electronicspecifier.com VCO is suitable for radio and satellite applications A VCO, suitable for a variety of applications, has been introduced by Crystek. The CVCO55CC-2756-2756, which is suitable for use in digital radio equipment, fixed wireless access, satellite communications systems and base stations, operates at 2756MHz, with a control voltage range of 0.5-4.5V. The VCO features a typical phase noise of -116dBc/Hz at 10KHz offset and output power of +4 dBm, and operates from -40 to +90°C. Read more... Datasheet... Overclocking DRAM series features a speed of 3100MHz An overclocking DRAM series, which has a speed of 3100MHz and a bandwidth of 24.8GBps, has been introduced by ADATA. The XPG V3 series is based on the fourth and fifth generation Intel Core processors, and latest Z97 platform. The overclocking DRAM, which supports Extreme Memory Profile version 1.3, utilises Thermal Conductive Technology to reduce the system temperature. Read more... Datasheet... Module’s pitch allows mounting on standard PCB substrate A current-to-digital converter module, designed to reduce the cost and complexity of CT scanner system design, has been introduced by Analog Devices. Available in a 15mm² BGA package, the ADAS1131 is a 256-channel, 24-bit current-to-digital converter whose 0.8mm pitch enables designers to mount the device on a standard PCB substrate. Read more... Datasheet... Actives ‘World’s first’ 8Gb DDR3 components with single chip-select 8Gb DDR3 components with a single chip-select, claimed to be the world’s first, have been introduced by I’M Intelligent Memory. The JEDEC specification JESD79-3 has always allowed an 8Gb density for DDR3 memory devices. While most DRAM manufacturers are waiting for a 2 x nm process to fit such high memory capacity into a single DRAM IC package, I’M has manufactured 8Gb DDR3 components utilising existing 30nm manufacturing technologies. Read more... Hall encoder’s 10-bit angle detection saves energy A hall encoder, claimed to save energy, has been introduced by iC-Haus. The iC-TW11, which allows for a 10-bit angle detection, has a sampling rate and 10Hz, with an average current consumption of typically 3μA. In standby mode between measuring cycles the idle current cuts back to approximately 100nA. In normal operation the iC-TW11 supports sampling rates of 4kHz with an activated filter and automatic amplifier gain for 10-bit resolution at maximum accuracy. Read more... Clock generators replace multiple high performance crystals Suited for enterprise networking and storage applications requiring jitter clock synthesis solution and small form factor, Microsemi has announced the ZL30250 and ZL30251 flexible clock generators. The ultra-low jitter solution (160fs [12kHz-20MHz integration band]) can replace multiple high performance crystals and crystal oscillators. This lowers bill of material (BOM) cost and eases design and testing of timing solutions. According to Microsemi, the ZL30250 and ZL30251 clock generators provide designers with an industry leading solution for applications in wired and wireless communication equipment, enterprise switch and routers, enterprise networks, storage area networks, along with industrial automation. Read more... Passives SMPS MLCCs target harsh environment applications up to 200°C Extending its high temperature SMX series stacked SMPS MLCCs, AVX has added 25V ratings in 3-5 case sizes and 500V ratings in 1-6 case sizes. Claimed to provide significant advantages over typical MIL-qualified MLCCs (rated to 125°C) and comparable wet tantalum capacitors, the capacitors are designed for use in high temperature, harsh environment applications up to 200°C. Read more... Datasheet... Latching relay offers strong shock & vibration resistance The L115F1 Series latching relay boasts the ability to withstand heavy contact load with strong shock and vibration resistance. Offering up to 50A and UL/ cUL approved, the CIT Relay Read more... which they claim are the smallest electronic components in the industry. The RASMID (ROHM Advanced Smart Micro Device) families include ultracompact chip resistors in 03015 (0.3 × 0.15mm) size as well as Schottky barrier diodes in 0402 (0.4 × 0.2mm) size. Read more... 30 electronicspecifier.com Offering power ratings of 2 and 6W in compact 1206 and 2512 case sizes, the PCAN series of high-power, surfacemount precision thin film chip resistors has been announced by Vishay Intertechnology. The aluminium nitride substrates of the resistors have enlarged backside terminations in order to reduce the thermal resistance between the topside resistor layer and the solder joint on the end user’s circuit assembly. & Switch relay is suited to energy smart applications. The 1A, 1B and 1C contact arrangements have contact ratings of 30A, 40A and 50A. Devices feature superior dimensional acuracy for wearables Based on innovative proprietary packaging and manufacturing technologies, ROHM have introduced a family of devices Thin film chip resistors reduce thermal resistance According to Vishay, the reduced thermal resistance enables the devices to provide four times the power handling capability of commercial chip resistors. This makes the devices suited for use in power supplies for industrial, telecommunications, test and measurement, medical and military and aerospace equipment and instrumentation. Read more... Datasheet... Passives Capacitors offer wide capacitance and voltage range Multi-throw switches feature operating temperatures to 105°C Featuring a capacitance range of 4.7-35µF and a voltage range of 4001500V, AVX has unveiled the FRC series medium power DC-link film capacitors. The devices are suited for applications such as DC filter circuits, solar inverters, industrial inverters, power converters, UPS systems and motor drives. The FRC series devices are available with nine voltages in the 400-1500V range, capacitance values of 4.7-35µF, tolerances of ±5 and ±10% and lead lengths of 4 and 8mm. Featuring four snap-in terminals that facilitate easy mounting to PCBs. Read more... Datasheet... Shock-safe SMD fuseholder features stabilising posts Providing increased stability during board assembly and fuse replacement, SCHURTER has announced that ts FPG7 shocksafe SMD fuseholder is now equipped with two stabilising posts. The company have claimed that this is the only shock-safe SMD fuseholder on the market for 5x20 mm cartridge fuses. Read more... Datasheet... electronicspecifier.com 31 The PE42442 and PE42452, highisolation, multithrow switches succeeding the PE42451, have been introduced by Peregrine Semiconductor. These switches feature enhanced operating temperatures up to 105°C maximum, logic control of 1.8V, power supply of 2.3-5.5V, insertion loss, isolation and ESD protection of 4kV HBM. Read more... Datasheet... Test & Measurement LabVIEW 2014 speeds data acquisition, analysis The month of August always sees National Instruments usher in the latest version of its LabView systems design software. LabVIEW 2014 standardises the way users interact with hardware through reuse of the same code and engineering processes across systems, which scales applications for the future. This saves time and money as technology advances, requirements evolve and timeto-market pressure increases. The software also simplifies purchasing through the LabVIEW suites, which offer relevant, essential LabVIEW add-ons and complementary software specific to automated test, embedded control and monitoring, and hardware-inthe-loop and real-time test. In addition, it provides access to acquisition hardware such as the rugged and flexible 4-slot CompactDAQ system and CompactRIO system, software-designed instruments such as the PXI Express 8-channel high-resolution oscilloscope and the softwarebased VirtualBench all-in-one instrument. Read more... 32 electronicspecifier.com Software upgrade cuts 4K and UHDTV1 hardware costs To eliminate the need for customers to purchase costly hardware replacements in order to shoot, prepare and deliver 4K/UHDTV1 programming Tektronix has developed software to enable its WFM8200 and WFM8300 waveform monitors and WVR8200 and WVR8300 rasterisers to be upgraded to support 4K and UHDTV1. Read more... Datasheet... Threaded probe travels 5.6mm, mounts at 4mm Peak Test Services has added a new threaded longtravel probe to its range of spring-contact test probes for contacting printed-circuit boards in automatic test systems. The new P61/G has a travel length of 5.6 mm nominal (7 mm maximum), and is designed for mounting at 4 mm (157 mil) centres. Current rating is 10 A, and typical resistance is 25 milliohms. Read more... JTAG/Boundary Scan hardware interface stars at Autotestcon JTAG Technologies will be showcasing the new JTAG/ boundary-scan hardware interface product compatible with the Virginia Panel (VPC) mass interconnect system at Autotestcon 2014 in St. Louis (Sept 15-18) The JT 2147/ VPC is a signal conditional module that allows ‘ideal world’ connections from JTAG Technologies PXI and PXIe DataBlasters to the VPC connection system. Read more... Test & Measurement All-in-one transport tester solves network problems The new MT1000A Network Master Pro from Anritsu is an all-in-one optical network field tester that supports the multiple communications protocols used in today’s converged telecom networks. The tester is portable, compact and user-friendly and it is aimed at technicians who install and maintain mobile-access, fixed-access, metro and core transmission telecoms networks. Read more... Datasheet... Arbitrary/function generators feature intuitive operation A range of arbitrary/function generators that feature isolated output channels which allows their use in the development of floating circuits in power Power semiconductor test platform meets JEDEC standard electronics applications have been launched by Yokogawa. The FG400 Series combines intuitive operation with comprehensive sweep and modulation facilities. The instruments allow the creation of basic, application specific and arbitrary waveforms. Read more... Datasheet... An automated test system that meets the requirements of JEDEC standards and may be used for product development characterisation has been launched by Intepro. The system is a solution for reliability and extended lifetime testing of power semiconductors including IGBT, MOSFET, SCR, diode and bipolar parts and modules. The SemTest system is comprised of a test system, thermal oven and test software with optional chiller and cold plates. Read more... Digital radio test set upgraded for Motorola radios Aeroflex has added additional test and alignment capabilities for Motorola APX Series Radios on its 3920B Digital Radio Test Set. The new test capabilities focus on Phase II Transmit and Receive tests. The Aeroflex Automated Test and Alignment procedure provides fully automated test and alignment of Motorola APX radios without the need for user interaction. Read more... Datasheet... electronicspecifier.com 33 Design Emulex has adopted Synopsys’ VIP for the Ethernet protocol Synopsys has announced that Emulex has adopted it’s Verification IP (VIP) for the Ethernet 1G/10G/40G/100G protocol. This is based on Synopsys’ SystemVerilog and UVM architecture, offering ease of use, ease of integration, performance, configurability, coverage, and debug within UVM environments. The VIP also supports Synopsys’ Protocol Analyzer, a protocol-centric debug environment. “We adopted Synopsys verification IP because timeto-market and the ability to deliver the highest speeds and newest features to our customers are critical,” said Margie Evashenk, Chief Development Executive, Emulex. Read more... Starter kits speed time-to-market for IoT devices Providing various drivers for rich Internet applications using HTML5, Toshiba’s BTZ5000-2MA-A1 and RBTZ5000-6MA-A1 starter kits speed the development of web applications using the Toshiba TZ5000 Application Processor Lite (ApP Lite) series. The kits enable users to easily introduce embedded development environments and speed time-to-market for IoT, streaming media and other content-rich consumer devices. Read more... Middleware provides solid foundation for IoT development A comprehensive middleware solution, called X-Ware, has been released by Express Logic with the aim of providing a solid foundation for IoT development. X-Ware consists of the company’s ThreadX RTOS and FileX, NetX, NetX Duo, USBX, GUIX, GUIX Studio, and TraceX middleware offerings. The company claim that X-Ware provides all that’s needed for embedded systems to meet the functional and usability requirements of IoT devices. The components of X-Ware can operate individually, but achieve optimum performance when integrated with the ThreadX RTOS. Read more... Tool targets the acceleration of mainstream PCB design Three additions to the Cadence OrCAD product line has been introduced, targeting the acceleration of the mainstream PCB design process and the boosting of 34 electronicspecifier.com productivity and efficiency. The OrCAD products include OrCAD Engineering Data Management (EDM), a comprehensive collaboration and management environment for OrCAD Capture; OrCAD Library Builder, a rapid automated part builder; and OrCAD Documentation Editor. Read more... Design HMI software enhances temperature controller Human machine interface software has been released by CD Automation to enhance its temperature controller. With the REVO HMI, the REVO TC can monitor up to 30 zones from a 4.3, 7, or 10” colour display. The zone description area can also be tapped into, giving access to an advanced parameter and setup page for each zone. The REVO HMI can display four or eight loop pages, which feature a zone description that can be edited by the user, on-off pushbutton, setpoint display and setting, temperature measured display, power output value, generic alarm status, deviation graph and trend display push button for each zone. Read more... Prototyping tool speeds time-tomarket A prototyping tool which speeds time-to-market, has been introduced by Cadence. Protium is an expansion of the Cadence Palladium XP II suite. Built using Xilinx Virtex-7 2000T FPGAs, the prototyping tool provides automated memory compilation, external bulk memory support, and RTL name preservation throughout the flow, which minimises FPGA bring-up steps. Read more... Win a Microchip PICDEM FS-USB Demo Kit and MPLAB ICD3 In Circuit Debugger! Electronic Specifier Product is offering its readers the chance to win a PICDEM FS-USB Demo Kit and MPLAB ICD3 In Circuit Debugger. The PICDEM FS-USB (DM163025-1) is a demonstration board for the PIC18F2x/4xK50 family of USB MCUs. These devices support full-speed USB communication without the need for an external crystal, which allows significant cost savings and reduced design effort. The demo kit provides all of the hardware needed to demonstrate and develop a complete USB communication solution. The microcontroller for the PICDEM FS USB board DM163025-1 is the PIC18F45K50, the superset (largest memory and pin count) device of the PIC18(L)F2X/45K50 family. Microchip are also giving away an MPLAB ICD3 In Circuit Debugger to use with the PICDEM FS-USB Demo Board. For the chance to win these development kits, please log onto www.microchip-comps.com/esp-fsusb These devices implement powersaving nanoWatt Technology, Enhanced Flash program memory, and feature USB modules with the following: • USB 2.0 compliance • Full-speed (12 Mbit/s) and low-speed (1.5 Mbit/s) operation • Support of control, interrupt, bulk and isochronous transfers • Support of up to 32 endpoints • 1 Kbyte of dual access RAM for USB • On-chip features for a true single chip USB implementation, including - USB transceiver - USB voltage regulator - USB pull-up resistors For the chance to win a Demo Board and Circuit Debugger, please visit www.microchip-comps.com/esp-fsusb and enter your details in the online entry form. Sensors Sensors enhance miniaturisation with vacuum measurement A line of MEMS Pirani Vacuum Sensors, targeted at HVAC and industrial applications, has been introduced by Posifa Microsystems. Designated the PVC 1000 family, the sensors enhance miniaturisation by employing a vacuum measurement solution which is based on the principle that the thermal conductivity of gases is proportional to pressure in the low vacuum range. The sensors measure minute changes in resistance to a heated element, resulting from heat transfer to the surrounding gas. The heated element (measurement resistor) consists of a platinum thin-film resistor residing on a thermal insulating membrane. Read more... 36 Datasheet... electronicspecifier.com AC current sensor fits existing solid conductors Capable of being clamped onto an existing solid conductor without having to disconnect it, the PA3828NL 50/60Hz, di/ dt AC current sensor has been unveiled by Pulse Electronics. The clamp-on sensor is suitable for applications include metering, industrial motor control, power monitoring, circuit protection and current fault monitoring. For high precision power measuring applications at 50/60Hz AC, the sensor features a linear current range of 0.1-200A with 1.0% accuracy. Read more... Datasheet... Sensirion integrates IoT technology and implementation After integrating a humidity and temperature sensor within a smartphone, Sensirion claims to have become the first company in the world to integrate IoT technology and implementation within a single source. The company’s primary focus was not only on the development and production of the humidity and temperature sensor, but also on the implementation and integration of the sensor. Read more... Capacitive touch sensing IP enables HMI Suitable for home appliances and healthcare equipment, such as blood pressure and blood glucose meters, Renesas has announced the development of intellectual property (IP) that implements industry-leading capacitive touch sensing technology. The company will also be providing development tools to ease application development. Compared to Renesas’ Sensors MEMS sensors detect height differences of only 50cm The company’s most accurate ever pressure sensor, the 2SMPB-01-01 absolute pressure sensor from Omron Electronic Components can detect height differences of as little as 50cm and provide readings relative to a perfect vacuum to ±6Pa. The sensor is suited for measuring altitude, atmospheric pressure or water depth in wearable electronics, activity monitors, industrial and marine instruments and mobile phones and cameras. Read more... Datasheet... Touch screen pyrometer hub for up to six temperature sensors A touch screen pyrometer hub has been launched by Calex. The PM180 provides temperature measurement, configuration, alarm display and data logging for up to six non-contact infrared temperature sensors, and may be connected to other PM180 units as part of a larger system. The sensors are connected via the RS485 Modbus interface, and the password-protected touch screen interface of the PM180 allows full configuration of each sensor. Read more... applications R8C/3xT microcontrollers, the IP achieves five times greater high-touch sensitivity. With high- noise immunity allowing the technology to pass strict noise tests, the IP supports the mutual capacitance method which is more reliable and versatile than the common self-capacitance method. Read more... Datasheet... Magnetic field sensor ICs based on proprietary technology Ismosys is now sampling Crocus Technology’s CTSX Series of magnetic field sensor ICs. Currently comprising three device families, the sensors leverage the company’s proprietary Magnetic Logic Unit (MLU) technology to deliver higher performance and lower-cost to a wide variety of sensor applications. Advantages over conventional sensor technologies, says Crocus, include proprietary differential programming; high resolution; high sensitivity – greater than Hall Effect sensors; low hysteresis; excellent linearity; excellent frequency response; contactless DC and AC current sensing capabilities; low power consumption; and up to 250ºC operating temperature. The new devices are ideal for position, rotation & speed sensing applications and are also aimed at switching and current sensing applications – where they can be used to replace bulky coils and transformers. Read more... Datasheet... electronicspecifier.com 37 Automotive HCMOS oscillators meet AEC-Q200 requirements In order to meet the advanced clocking requirements in modern vehicle systems, Fox Electronics has expanded its XpressO product line to include three sizes of automotive-grade, HCMOS oscillators featuring the same exceptionally low jitter as the rest of the series. These models conform to AEC-Q200 requirements, making Filters boast broad capacitance & temperature spectrum them suited for automotive applications. Read more... Datasheet... Logic gates target automotive & aeronautics applications Designed for high-reliability, extreme temperature and extended lifetime environments, X-REL Semiconductor has announced the XTR54000 multi-function logic gates. Suitable for automotive, aeronautics and down-hole applications, the devices can be used as a drop in replacement of standard 54HC and 74HC logic gates for 2.8-5.5V operation. Read more... Datasheet... Ceramic disc safety capacitors target EVs and PHEVs Providing high reliability for Class X1 (440V AC) and Y2 (300V AC) automotive applications, Vishay announces the AY2 series of AC-linerated ceramic disc safety capacitors. These AEC-Q200qualified devices are optimised for on-board chargers and battery management in electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), as well as highreliability industrial applications. Read more... 38 electronicspecifier.com A series of 3-terminal feedthrough filters, designed to meet automotive demands for EMC components in emerging safety and infotainment applications, has been introduced by TDK Corporation. Available in case sizes EIA 0603 to EIA 1206, the filters have rated capacitance values ranging from 22pF to 1μF and rated voltages from 10V to 100V. Datasheet... Able to withstand temperatures of up to 125 °C, the components are rated for high currents up to 10A making them suited for a wide range of noise suppression applications in automotive electronics. The broad capacitance and high reliability of the components fulfil requirements for EMC filtering, even in applications connected directly to the battery. Read more... Automotive Illuminated pushbutton series allows for easy customisation Available in either snap-in or threaded bush mounting, the FP30 series pushbutton has been launched by APEM. Large and lightweight, the pushbutton is available in a 1.5mm x 2.5mm snap in version and 1mm x 9mm threaded brushing version. Fully illuminated, the pushbutton is offered in many different actuator and bezel colors, a smooth gloss finish, and can be pad printed or laser etched with over 100 different symbols. Offering 7 different LED colors and 12V, 24V, and 48V resistors, the FP30 series is available with either silver or gold plated contacts. The gold plated contact have been nominally rated for 200mA @ 12VDC for over 1 million electrical operations and at least 400,000 mechanical operations. Read more... Arrays feature gold terminations for conductive gluing Featuring gold terminations for conductive gluing, the ACAS 0606 ATAU resistor array has been introduced by Vishay Intertechnology. The resistor arrays combines high-temperature operation to 155°C with relative tolerance down to ±0.05%, as well as relative TCR down to ±5 ppm/K. The company claims that the resistor arrays enable significantly more accurate performance than two high-precision discrete resistors. Read more... Datasheet... Compiler provides support for RH850 automotive MCUs An addition to the TASKING C compiler for automotive application development has been announced, providing support for the RH850 architecture from Renesas Electronics. The TASKING VX-toolset for RH850, from Altium, is the first compiler to incorporate support for the latest MISRA C:2012 guidelines for C programming, in addition to the MISRA C:1998 and C:2004 guidelines. Read more... 55V buck controller targets automotive applications Claimed to be the most versatile high voltage buck solution available, Intersil has introduced a 55V synchronous buck controller with 3A integrated high side and low side drivers. The ISL78268 provides up to 96% step-down efficiency for a wide variety of load currents from under 5 to over 25A to support 12, 24, or 48V high current buck requirements for automotive and industrial applications. Read more... Datasheet... electronicspecifier.com 39 Wireless Wireless module is suited for sub 1GHz WiFi systems Designed for use in all available frequency bands, power limits and broadcast standards worldwide, the eRIC (easyRadio Integrated Controller) wireless module from LPRS provides IoT and other wireless control or communication system builders with an SoC fully integrated wireless controller. This enables a single device to be set to the local standard for legislation in the end user market. The most common standards for ISM frequency bands are 433 and 868MHz for Europe and 315 and 915MHz for the USA. Coming into force in 2016, the 802.11.AH standard will move away from the current dependence on 2.4GHz devices. This allows designers to use longer range and more reliable sub 1GHz WiFi systems. Read more... 40 Datasheet... electronicspecifier.com 2W wireless power receiver optimised for wearables Supplied in a compact package suited for small form factors such as wearable technology, Integrated Device Technology has claimed that the IDTP9026 is the world’s smallest 2W wireless power receiver and battery charger. The device has a solution size requirement of less than 30mm2, compared to 65mm2 for other available solutions. It is compliant with the Wireless Power Consortium’s (WPC-1.1) standards. Read more... Recorder captures tunable IF signals up to 360MHz A recorder, capable of capturing a wide band of signals in real time to disk, has been introduced by Pentek. The RTR 2729A, designed for Talon RF/IF signal recording and playback systems, is equipped with a 3.6 GHz 12-bit A/D converter. With its DDC, the recorder can capture tunable IF signals with bandwidths up to 360MHz continuously, for over four hours. Read more... Antennas specifically target industrial applications The availability of a range of antennas from HUBER+SUHNER has been announced by Lane Electronics. Designed specifically to overcome the harsh environments found in industrial applications, the antennas can be installed directly on cabinets or access points, omnidirectional or directional antennas for installations mounted away from the access point, vehicle antennas and units for installation on the building wall or mast. Read more... Wireless Industry’s highest power handling L-band SMT limiter M/A-COM Technology Solutions has announced the introduction of an L-band limiter which the company claims features four times the power handling capability than the nearest competing alternative. The 200W CW (Continuous Wave) power MADL-011014 is suited for demanding applications requiring high peak and CW power receive protection in Air Traffic Management and Radar systems. Read more... Datasheet... Tag discovers UHF RF fields without batteries Introduced by Farsens, the PHOTON is a UHF RF field detector passive tag which uses an LED driven by energy harvested from an RF field to indicate strength and orientation of an RF field. It is equipped with an LED which will illuminate brighter when the RF field is stronger in a specific point and orientation. It is suitable for detection at ranges up to 3m. The battery free PHOTON tag is designed to assess the status of ageing RFID implementations, since RFID reader and reader antennas deployed several years ago may not perform correctly. Read more... Datasheet... WiFi and HCI modules enable WiFi and Bluetooth integration WiFi and HCI modules, which when combined are claimed to enable seamless integration of Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity for enterprise and industrial applications, have been released by Laird. The the 45 series Enterprise-Grade WiFi modules and BT830 Series Bluetooth v4.0 UART HCI modules are suitable for AIDC devices, medical devices, barcode scanners and M2M connectivity. The 45 series WH-SSD45N and WH-MSD45N 802.11 a/b/ g/n Enterprise-Grade WiFi modules enable integration of WiFi connectivity for enterprise security and roaming. Read more... Multi-stack radio chips support IEEE 802.15.4 protocol A series of patented multistack low-power radio chips, which support Thread’s IEEE 802.15.4 MAC/PHY protocol, have been released by GreenPeak Technologies. This is an IoT and Smart Home standardisation effort, as many other manufacturers within the industry are supporting this protocol, along with a 2.4GHz band, which the GP71x series also supports. These chips also support Thread’s IPv6 protocol, which enables chip upgrades using software rather than hardware. Read more... electronicspecifier.com 41 International Conference and Exhibition for Power Electronics, Intelligent Motion, Renewable Energy and Energy Management São Paulo, 14 – 15 October 2014 Power On! pcim-southamerica.com