EPN Online - Top product

MOSIS to offer Cortus APS3R and peripheral IP

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0200

SAN FRANCISCO - DAC 2012: Cortus and MOSIS, a provider of prototyping and small volume production services for custom ICs, have signed a agreement whereby the latter with offer the Cortus 32bit APS3R processor IP and associated peripherals to customers. The deal will support the licensing of Cortus IP from design through prototyping to volume production with MOSIS.The IP is claimed to offer the smallest silicon footprint and lower power dissipation available today for 32bit processor cores, making them suitable for embedded SoC applications such as short range wireless communication, video processing, touchscreen displays, automotive sensors and SIM cards.The production service allows multiple products to be fabricated on a shared mask set and silicon wafer; cost sharing is based on the area used by each design. Both integrated device manufacturers and fabless semiconductor companies can "dramatically" reduce chip development costs when only 10s of samples are needed for evaluation. The service is equally cost-effective for low volume production, typically up to 1,000 pieces of each device, says the company. It also says that when device evaluation is complete, migration to a dedicated wafer run for high volume production is easily realised.The agreement covers the APS3R 32bit modern RISC microcontroller and Cortus peripherals, which are commonly used standard ones, such as timers, counters, UARTs, GPIO, I2C and SPI as well as an Ethernet MAC, USB 2.0 device and USB 2.0 OTG module.MOSIS is at DAC, booth 1119. Cortus is at DAC, booth 304.

Starter Kits with USB Plug

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Energy Micro has introduced two starter kits that are suitable for designing battery-powered products such as portable health and fitness devices and smart accessories. Based on the EFM32 Leopard Gecko and Giant Gecko microcontrollers, the kits incorporate onboard debug and the company's real-time current probe, the energyAware profiler and all of the features required to demonstrate the microcontrollers' 400nA sleep modes and 1Mbyte built-in flash memory. The kits support 240-strong ARM Cortex-M EFM32 Gecko microcontrollers and SEGGER J-link. The EFM32-GGSTK3700 kit is based on the EFM32GG990F1024 microcontroller with 1Mbyte on-chip flash and 128kbyte RAM memory. The other kit, the EFM32LG-STK3600, is fitted with a 256kbyte EFM32LG990F256 microcontroller. The microcontrollers can directly control a TFT display and have an USB driver that supports the host, device and On-The-Go protocols. The kits are additionally equipped with light, metal and touch sensors. According to the company, the kits enable to investigate the Gecko's low energy sensor interface, which allows passive sensing of 16 sensors without host CPU intervention. The starter kits also include an USB plug, 32Mbyte on-board NAND flash, LCD, LEDs and push-buttons.

HiPer Silicon Design Suite

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0200

SAN FRANCISCO - DAC 2012: Tanner EDA showcases its Tanner Analog FastSPICE (T-AFS), offering Berkeley Design Automation's Analog FastSPICE platform as an add-on to it's EDA's full-flow HiPer Silicon design suite. The HiPer Silicon provides a complete analogue design flow from schematic capture and waveform probing to physical layout and physical verification. Now, with Analog FastSPICE AFS), claimed to be the world's fastest nanometer circuit verification platform for analogue, RF, mixed-signal and custom digital circuits, customers have access to foundry-certified nanometer SPICE accuracy which is five to 10 times faster than any other simulator on a single core and an additional two to four times performance increase, with multi-threading. Users will be able to verify analogue or RF circuits with access to the latest foundry nanometer CMOS technology. For circuit characterisation, the T-AFS platform includes the industry's only silicon-accurate device noise analysis and delivers near-linear performance scaling with the number of cores. The T-AFS add-ons can be purchased and added to existing HiPer tools. Each T-AFS token license will enable 50k element capacity. Users will have the option to linearly scale tokens for larger designs. Multi-core is also supported and is scaled linearly (add one T-AFS token for every core). List pricing for token licenses: $30k/token/ year, five packs of tokens are $100k/ year, and 10 packs of tokens are $150k/ year. Transient noise tokens also can be added to any T-AFS package at a cost of $25k / token/ year.Tanner EDA is at DAC 2012, booth 1126

Programmable Transducers

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Current transducers from LEM are user-programmable to design the latest generation of motor drives and inverters. The HO series of open-loop ASIC based current transducers are based on Hall-effect current sensing technology. They measure AC, DC or pulsed currents with a nominal value of 8, 15 or 25A RMS, with a response time of 2 to 6μs. These parameters, as well as reference voltage, over-current detection limits, fault reporting and low-power mode, are user-programmable by a serial digital bit-sequence, generated by the system's host microcontroller. The designer can program the transducer to output a reference of 0.5, 1.5, 1.65 or 2.5V on a dedicated pin. Alternatively, it can be configured to make measurements relative to an external reference. The transducer provides offset and gain drift figures (over -25 to +85ºC) while typical accuracy is 1 and 2.8%, at +25 and +85°C, respectively, without offset, and with a high level of insulation between primary and measurement circuits. The transducer operates from a single supply voltage at 3.3 or 5V. It occupies a PCB-mountable, small (12x23x12mm), package which weighs only 5g, yet incorporates three separate primary conductors for multi-range measurement configurations.

Integrated Audio Codec

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Texas Instruments has introduced an integrated audio codec with embedded miniDSP cores. The TLV320AIC3262 codec integrates five amplifiers and two miniDSP cores, and offers the ability to interface up to three devices simultaneously, such as application, Bluetooth and baseband processors. The inclusion of the company's audio and voice algorithms, and the third-party algorithms, available on the codec and as additional licenses, helps to create multi-purpose and HD audio designs for mobile phones, tablets and computing devices. The miniDSP technology enables wideband noise and echo cancellation at up to 16kHz to create clear, HD voice quality for circuit-switched or VoIP calls, including video conferencing applications. By offloading the duties of the host processor to the codec, audio playback quality and processing speed is improved, claims the company. The codec has three asynchronous audio buses and asynchronous sampling rate conversion, which allows to connect multiple audio sources and to mix multiple sample rates, says the company. It also has an intelligent speaker protection algorithms control voice coil temperature and diaphragm excursion to enable maximum possible loudness without damaging the speaker. The codec is available in a 4.8x4.8mm wafer level chip scale package.

Optimised Debug and Test Solution

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0200

PLS has collaborated with Infineon Technologies and several key customers to develop an optimised test and debug solution, the Universal Debug Engine (UDE) 3.3, for the new multi-core architecture of the 32-bit microcontroller family AURIX.The first AURIX architecture based microcontroller (MCU), TC275T, contains three TriCore processor cores (version 1.6). Two of these are optimised for maximum performance (high-performance TriCore CPU 1.6P) and can execute up to three instructions in one cycle at a maximum clock frequency of 200 MHz. With the third core, a high-efficiency TriCore CPU 1.6P, lowest possible power consumption and an efficient data exchange with the peripherals are the most important factors. It can execute a maximum of one instruction per cycle and is currently clocked at a maximum of 200 MHz. The UDE 3.3 allows management and control of the various TriCore-CPUs within one user interface. This is supported by a flexible multicore program loader that enables the loading of program code and data as well as symbol information separately for each core. Management of the cores is carried out by a multicore run control manager, which offers a definition of core groups. Therefore, a very flexible control of the run-time behaviour of the complex architecture is possible. If required, programs for the integrated hardware security module (HSM) can also be developed with the UDE version 3.3. The HSM offers vehicle manufacturers a configurable system integrity protection of their control units and, due to its flexibility, is also equipped to meet future security requirements. The UDE 3.3 also makes debugging of program code on the new high-performance Generic Timer Module (GTM) easier. For the first time, Infineon has also implemented an Aurora GigaBit Trace (AGBT) interface on the Emulation Device in order to increase testability of the AURIX microcontroller with multi-core architecture. The trace memory can be greatly enlarged by connecting external hardware, which in turn allows the management of high-end trace tasks with large amounts of data, for example code coverage.

400mA Micro DC/DC Step-Down Converters

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Torex Semiconductor has launched two 400mA micro DC/DC step-down converters with an integrated coil. The XCL208 converter operates with fixed frequency PWM control and the XCL209 has automatic PWM and pulse frequency modulation switching control providing fast response. Both the converters measure 2.5x2.15x1.05mm and are claimed to minimise EMC emissions. They deliver a stable output with peak-to-peak ripple voltage of less than 10mV. Operating from input voltages of 1.8 up to 6V, the converters are suitable for RF circuits and can be used to replace low-dropout voltage regulators. The output can be fixed internally within 0.8 to 4V in 50mV steps or adjusted externally between 0.8V and VIN by using two external resistors. The converters have a switching frequency of 3MHz and are available in a slim 10B03 package.

Batteryless, Wireless Technology

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0200

OEMs can break into new application areas for energy harvesting using the EnOcean ESK 300 starter kit. The kit can be used to create energy-autonomous wireless applications in building automation, smart homes, smart metering, industry and logistics, says the company. It consists of a switch module (PTM 200) for building services, components for different switch applications (PTM 330, ECO 200), a temperature sensor module (STM 330), a USB gateway (USB 300), PC software for visualisation (DolphinView Basic) and a sample case for industrial switching solutions. With the PTM 200, it is possible to implement energy-autonomous wall mounted switches or handheld transmitters. Combining the PTM 330 wireless module with the ECO 200 mechanical energy converter is a basis for wireless switches in an industrial environment. The solar-powered STM 330 sensor can measure temperature in a room or on machinery. This module is characterised by its extremely low power consumption; a measured value, transmitted every 15minutes, requires 3.6hours of charging in daytime and 200lux for uninterrupted operation. The USB 300 bi-directional gateway transfers both measured data and switch commands to a PC. Data is received over the DolphinView Basic software, which visualises all information on the computer. EnOcean is offering EPN readers the chance to win one of two ESK 300 starter kits, in this month's Reader Offer.

Quad-Core Application Processor

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Samsung Electronics has introduced a quad-core application processor built on the 32nm high-k metal gate low-power process technology. The 12x12x1.37mm Exynos 4 Quad processor offers performance exceeding 1.4GHz based on the ARM Cortex A9 quad-core, and is suitable for smartphones and tablets. It is also suitable 3D games, video editing, and calculation-intensive simulation. The processor includes a hot-plug to support on-off switching for each core and the per-core dynamic voltage and frequency scaling, which reduces power consumption by adapting different levels of voltage and frequency when changing workloads, claims the company. The processor also includes an HD 30Frames/s video hardware codec engine for 1080pixel video recording and play-back, an embedded image signal processor interface for camera operations, and an HDMI 1.4 interface for sharp and crisp multimedia content transmission.

RTD Sensor Measurement Module

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0200

National Instruments has announced the NI PXIe-4357 RTD module, the latest addition to its SC Express sensor measurement family for PXI Express. The module is optimised for temperature measurements with Pt100 RTD sensors for a variety of thermal monitoring applications. The module integrates sensor-specific signal conditioning with 24-bit ADCs to sample all 20 channels at 100S/s and offers typical accuracies of up to 0.09°C. To expand a system's channel count, engineers can integrate additional NI PXIe-4357 modules or use other SC Express modules to add complementary sensor inputs including thermocouples, strain gages, accelerometers and FBG optical sensors to the same system. The module offers 20 channels that integrate 24-bit delta-sigma analogue-to-digital converters with anti aliasing and low-pass filters. It synchronises with other members of SC Express family within the same PXI chassis.

Industrial Gate Driver Optocoupler

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0200

For fast switching of power IGBTs and MOSFETs in industrial and solar inverters, UPS and motor drives a gate driver optocoupler must handle networks greater than 690V AC and constant DC voltages greater than 1000V DC. They also require a minimum creepage and clearance distance of 10mm. In response, Fairchild Semiconductor has developed the FOD8320 2.5A output current gate driver optocoupler. It uses the company's Optoplanar packaging for high insulation voltage and high noise immunity performance. The co-planar packaging technology is designed with 35kV/µs minimum common mode noise rejection which is claimed to eliminate the capacitive charge buildup that occurs in the over-under construction. The wide body, 5pin SOP allows for a creepage distance greater than 10mm and 0.5mm internal insulation. It operates at -40 to +100ºC.

Media Access Control Security Cores

Thu, 31 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Algotronix has announced MACsec (media access control security) cores that secure data on Ethernet links at up to 10Gbit/s. The IP cores comply with IEEE 802.1AE and are available for FPGAs or SoC technology to meet gigabit Ethernet for 1 and 10GbE throughputs. The cores' architectural design allows 10Gbit/s to be achieved in available 40 or 28nm FPGAs, says the company. The IP cores support both 128bit encryption keys and standardised 256bit keys for enhanced security in metropolitan area networks. They provide confidentiality and authentication in the link layer two and prevent eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks, as they detect any alteration or replay of frames, claims the company. The IP cores authorise ports to communicate securely, and detect misuse such as attempted denial of service, claims the company. The IP cores are suitable for use in data centre and cloud-based systems.

Low Power TFT Displays

Thu, 31 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Densitron has just extended its TFT range with the addition of Pixel Qi displays which it claims are highly energy-efficient and have full indoors and sunlight readability. Using patented reflective screen technology, the displays can operate in transmissive, transflective and reflective modes. With the backlight full on, they operate in transmissive mode and render quality full-colour images, full-motion video and high screen brightness just like standard backlit LCDs, says the company. With middle to low backlight, the TFT is in transflective mode and offers colour and clear visibility in ambient light conditions, comparable to standard LCDs with full backlight whilst consuming much less power. Standard TFT modules can be difficult to read in high ambient light levels, but when the backlight is switched off on these displays, they become a reflective black and white (64 grayscales) display akin to e-paper but with support for rapid update and video, enabling full usability under bright sunlight. The displays have a standard LVDS interface and low power consumption of just 0.4W (sunlight mode, 1000 to 5000 nit screen brightness), 1 to 1.7W (office lighting, 200 to 300 nit screen brightness) and 1.7 to 2.5W (dark room, 100 to 200 nit screen brightness).

Integrated IQ Modulators

Thu, 31 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Richardson RFPD has availability and full design support capabilities for a pair of new integrated IQ modulators from Analog Devices. These are the latest additions to a range of quadrature modulator and synthesiser solutions that offer small footprints and require minimal external components. Both are suitable for next generation communications systems requiring high signal dynamic range and linearity, including cellular systems like GSM/EDGE, CDMA2000, W-CDMA, TD-SCDMA and LTE, as well as broadband wireless access systems and satellite modems. The integration of the IQ modulator, phase locked loop (PLL), and voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) provides for significant board savings and reduces materials cost and design complexity. The ADRF6703 is designed for RF outputs from 1550MHz to 2650MHz. Key features include: internal LO frequency ranging from 2100MHz to 2600MHz; noise floor of159.6 dBm/Hz @ 2140 MHz, baseband bandwidth of 750MHz (3dB); SPI serial interface for PLL programming; and integrated LDOs and LO buffer. The ADRF6704 is designed for RF outputs from 2050MHz to 3000MHz. Key features include: internal LO frequency range from 2500MHz to 2900MHz; noise floor of -158.3 dBm/Hz @ 2700 MHz; baseband bandwidth of 750MHz (3dB); SPI serial interface for PLL programming; integrated LDOs and LO buffer; and power supply of 5 V/226 mA.

Channel-power measurements

Thu, 31 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Agilent Technologies has enhanced its FieldFox RF analysers with options for time-domain analysis and channel-power measurements. With time-domain analysis the individual frequency response of one of a series of reflections can be determined. Using the powerful gating function, unwanted responses such as connector mismatch or cable discontinuities can be removed. The time-domain capability is useful when testing devices such as transmission lines, fixtures and connectors. Device discontinuities can be measured, visualised and characterised using a suite of analysis tools, shortening the time it takes to remove or fix the cause of unwanted discontinuities. The channel-power meter is geared toward engineers and technicians in the wireless installation and maintenance arena. It enables channelised average power measurements, without requiring an external USB power sensor. It provides better accuracy for banded power measurements, reducing errors caused by out-of-band signals. A large display, simple settings, and a price tag that's less than buying an external USB sensor make the channel power-meter option ideal where cost is important. The RF analysers - N9912A and N9923A - are designed for installation and maintenance engineers working in the wireless, aerospace and defense industries.

Magnetic Rotary Position Sensors

Thu, 31 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Magnetic rotary sensors have been added to the Posirot range, by ASM Sensors. The PRAS20 and PRAS21 sensors are non-contact position sensors which use an external magnet to provide a signal over 0 to 360°. By using an external magnet, the sensor provides continuously, wear-free operation, says the company. The sensor output is an analogue voltage signal, 0.5 to 4.5V. The PRAS20 version is available in 0.5 to 10V and 4 to 20mA outputs. A redundant output is optional. The PRAS21's housing has a height of less than 6.35mm and is rated IP60. The resolution is rated at 0.03% of full scale (60 to 360°) and 0.1% full scale (15 to 45°), the repeatability is ±0.03% (60 to 360°); ±0.1% (15 to 45°) and linearity is ±0.5% full scale. The sensors can be used, for example, in surgical table positioning.

Embedded Wi-Fi Modules

Thu, 31 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Extending its portfolio of embedded Wi-Fi modules, Alpha Micro Components has introduced the Gainspan GS1011MIPS and GS1011MExS, two of the smallest modules on the market. At 19.4mm x 28.7mm, they provide a smaller footprint. The modules offer complete 802.11b ultra low power Wi-Fi client or AP solutions. The GS1011MIPS provides low power Wi-Fi connectivity with +8dBm of transmit output power, while the GS1011MExS is an extended range solution offering best in class transmit power of +18dBm. Both modules offer easy system integration and minimal use of host resources. They provide both UART and SPI interfaces, making it possible to connect to any 8/16/32 bit microcontroller using simple AT commands. The modules are pre-loaded with serial to Wi-Fi firmware with complete Wi-Fi functionality including security, WPS and provisioning features running on the module as well as the networking stack, an embedded HTTP server with network configuration pages, and limited AP capability for ease of provisioning. The modules feature built-in trace or external antenna options through a U.FL connector, an industrial operating temperature range from -40 to 85°C, and are certified or pre-certified for all major regulatory requirements including FCC, IC and ETSI. Other modules in Alpha Micro's portfolio include the soldered down GS1500M (802.11b/g/n).

Epoxy Preforms for Sealing Capacitors

Thu, 31 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Multi-Seals has introduced Nano-forms epoxy preforms to provide precision seals on microelectronics. The performs have outside and inside diameters of 0.89 and 0.28mm respectively. They allow highly repeatable placement of minute amounts of epoxy with precision, claims the company. With dimensional tolerances of ±0.0005inch for critical applications, the preforms can control epoxy volume up to 0.00002cc for a typical configuration. They also have closely controlled pre-mixed ratios of resin to catalyst. The performs are suitable for sealing fibre-optics, sub-miniature switches, capacitors, diodes, and LEDs The pre-shaped, one-part resins are solid at room temperature. When heated, the performs melt and cure, forming a consistent seal that protects components from dust, moisture, oil, flux, solvents, and conformal coatings.

Teledyne Technologies Buys LeCroy;

Thu, 31 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Teledyne Technologies has acquired LeCroy which will be merged into a wholly-owned subsidiary of Teledyne. The deal is worth $291m, and has been approved by the boards of Teledyne and LeCroy. In addition, LeCroy directors and executive officers, including founder Walter LeCroy, have agreed to vote their shares in favour of the transaction. "LeCroy will broaden our portfolio of analytical instrumentation businesses by adding a leader in electronic test and measurement solutions," said Dr. Robert Mehrabian, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Teledyne. "We are particularly impressed with LeCroy's strength in the market for high-performance oscilloscopes. Furthermore, I am excited about the potential for LeCroy to provide an ideal commercial outlet for our unique Indium Phosphide (InP) process technology and ultra high frequency mixed signal design capabilities developed at Teledyne Scientific Company, our R&D laboratories." Thomas Reslewic, President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of LeCroy, responded, "This transaction provides a substantial premium for our shareholders and provides exciting opportunities for our customers and employees. We believe Teledyne can help us accelerate our high-end oscilloscope programmes to deliver real-time bandwidth well beyond 100GHz by utilising Teledyne's leading InP technology. Furthermore, through a combination of Teledyne's microwave and mixed signal design capabilities with LeCroy's signal processing expertise, as well as our respective market channels, we envision growing our markets and adding new products such as signal generators and multi function instruments." Founded in 1964 and headquartered in Chestnut Ridge, N.Y., LeCroy is a leading supplier of oscilloscopes, protocol analysers and signal integrity test solutions with approximately 500 employees worldwide. For its fiscal year ended July 2, 2011, LeCroy had sales of approximately $178.1m.

HDMI Jitter-Cleaning Repeater Chip

Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Parade Technologies has added the PS8401 HDMI jitter-cleaning repeater chip to its portfolio of HDMI interface and signal conditioning devices. The chip compensates for HDMI signal skew caused by long signal traces, connectors and cables. It provides high interface rates up to 2.97Gbit/s. The interface clock rates have continued to increase as display resolution, colour depth, and refresh rates increase, claims the company. The HDMI 1.4 specification includes display formats, such as 4x2k and 1080pixel 3D, which increase clock rate requirements up to 297MHz. The chip contains an HDMI receiver that recaptures the signal data and removes noise, a retiming circuit that removes the timing jitter, and an HDMI transmitter that outputs a clean, restored HDMI signal. The chip is available in a 5x5mm thin QFN and is suitable for use in an HDMI video source, personal computers, and portable devices.

Integrated, Compact Power Modules

Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Integrated, compact µIPM power modules are designed for high efficiency appliance and light industrial applications, for example refrigeration compressor drives, air-conditioning fans, dishwashers, and automation systems. International Rectifier's patent-pending µIPM family offers up to a 60% smaller footprint than existing three-phase motor control power ICs. The modules comprise three-phase, surface-mount motor control circuits in a 12x12x0.9mm PQFN package. PCB copper traces dissipate heat to negate an external heatsink. Standard QFN technology eliminates through-hole, second pass assembly and improves thermal performance compared to traditional DIL modules. The modules have a common pin-out and package size and high-voltage FredFET MOSFET switches optimised for variable frequency drives and the company's high-voltage driver ICs. DC current ratings range from 2 to 4A, 250 and 500V.

Low-Power Multi-Core Processors

Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Texas Instruments has introduced three low-power DSPs based on its KeyStone multi-core architecture using TMS320C66x DSPs. The TMS320C6654, TMS320C6655 and TMS320C6657 multi-core DSPs are suitable for use mission critical, industrial automation, testers, embedded vision, imaging, video surveillance, medical, and audio and video infrastructure. The 3.5W TMS320C6657 features two 1.25GHz DSP cores, delivering up to 80GMAC/s and 40GFLOP/s. The 2.5W TMS320C6655 and 2W TMS320C6654 single core DSPs deliver up to 40 and 27.2GMACs, and 20 and 13.6GLOPS, respectively. All the DSPs also have a high bandwidth and an external memory controller. They support extended temperature ranges from -55 to +100°C. The DSPs also include universal parallel port and multi-channel buffered serial ports.

500V Power MOSFETs for PC Silverboxes

Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Infineon Technologies has introduced the 500V CoolMOS CE power MOSFETs. The power MOSFETs are suitable for designing power supplies used in applications such as consumer electronics, PC silverboxes and lighting switched-mode power supply. The power MOSFETs have low area specific on-state resistance, reduced switching losses and high body diode ruggedness, claims the company. They use Superjunction technology at light load conditions. The MOSFETs' on-state resistance enables low conduction losses and reduces energy stored in output capacitance, claims the company. High body diode ruggedness and reduced reverse recovery charge make the power MOSFETs suitable for use in soft switching applications. The power MOSFETs are available with 280 and 500mΩ on-state resistance and are housed in a transistor outline-220 package.

Waterproof Snap-in Connectors

Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Foremost Electronics has two new compact and lightweight families of waterproof snap-in connectors from Binder. The 720 series of miniature connectors and the 620 sub-miniature series offer the same key features to designers. They feature a snap-in lock offering fast and convenient mating even in areas of restricted access with reliability greater than 500 mating cycles. Two sizes accommodate 3 to 12 contacts with the flexibility of male or female options in both connectors and sockets. Internal elastomeric seals mean the range is dust and waterproof to IP67 with excellent electrical characteristics of up to 7A and 250V. The low cost all plastic modular design uses polyamide housings, polyurethane moulded cables and gold plated contacts, brass pins and phosphor bronze sockets. Options include adaptors for flush mounting, colour coded versions, sockets with solder and dip-solder contacts.

Data Acquisition Modules

Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Data Translation has released the DT9862S, an addition to its series of high-speed simultaneous USB data acquisition modules. The DT9862S offers sampling rates of up to 10MHz and a bandwidth of 300MHz with crystal controlled sampling for low jitter, precise applications. This makes the module ideal for RF communication applications such as sonar and satellite surveillance and other areas where under-sampling is required for high-quality measurements. An external clock input enables the user to lock the under-sampling to a multiple of the signal under test. The USB module provides two simultaneous analogue inputs, each with a dedicated 16-bit A/D converter and an input range of +/- 1.25V. The maximum sampling rate in streaming mode is 10MHz for one channel or 7MHz for two channels. The bandwidth of 300MHz allows for accurate under-sampling or periodic signals up to this frequency. In addition, the data acquisition module features 32 digital input/output lines, two counter/timers (32-bit), and three quadrature decoders. The analogue inputs and the DIO lines can be run simultaneously and synchronously, and are galvanically isolated from the USB 2.0 port up to ±500 V. The module is available installed in a compact metal connection box with SMA connectors and ships with a comprehensive software package.

Photo Triangulation Sensor

Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Designed as an SoC, the iC-LO is a triangulation sensor specifically designed for the assembly of diffuse reflective photoelectric sensors with switching outputs. It integrates photodiodes, LED driver, microcontroller interface, signal conditioning circuitry, and signal filter unit. In addition to the sensor, all that is needed to create a triangulation measurement set-up are a transmitting LED and a low-cost microcontroller. The optical array is divided into one near diode, 127 middle diodes, and one far diode. Two AC amplifiers are integrated together with the optical array to enable high interference and ambient light suppression and a dynamic range of up to 100dB. Using a filter glass, an ambient light suppression of up to 100kLux can be obtained. The number of averaged measurements can be set to digitally filter the signals with measurement rates of up to 13.9kHz. The integrated lowside LED driver generates transmitting pulse currents of up to 1.2A. An external laser diode driver can also be activated for laser triangulation. The pulse duration of the illumination signal can be set through the SPI. Data is output through two anti-valent switching outputs and an additional output for the weak received light alarm.

PCAP Touch TFT Displays

Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Projective Capacitive (PCAP)-integrated TFT displays have been created for non-consumer device makers who are looking to achieve an iPad-like look and feel for devices with touch technology in medical and industrial products, says andersDX. The range consists of display sizes from 4.3 to 15inches and resolutions from WQVGA to WXGA , including some options with MVA and IPS wide viewing technology. The display is integrated to a PCAP touch sensor using air gap lamenation techniques and has an optically bonded black border cover lens, providing a flush finish familiar in many consumer products. The displays are available with both single and multi-touch (up to five simultaneous touch points on 5.7 and 7inch) options and have been designed for seamless integration into existing and new designs. They connect through an I²C interface and with no recalibration required. They are designed for rigourous and demanding environments, says the company, with high touchscreen durability, high transparency, and wide viewing angles. The displays are offered with customised, decorated cover glass or PMMA for enhanced front panel styling, which can include printed logos, cut-outs for buttons, speakers, hard buttons and rounded edges, together with LED illumination.

Complex Modulation Signals

Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Tektronix says that its OM4000 Series Optical Modulation Analyser can now drive the DSA8300 Digital Sampling Oscilloscope to perform analysis on PM-QPSK, QAM, and other complex-modulation signals with higher vertical resolution than real-time based solutions at lower total system cost. This enhancement offers optical networking designers and manufacturers the flexibility to choose between real-time and equivalent-time acquisition systems to suit their measurement needs. Pairing the analyser with the oscilloscope gives higher vertical resolution than that accomplished with real-time oscilloscopes, and it lowers overall system costs. Key capabilities provided by the DSA8300 in this application include: 16-bit vertical resolution and 450µV RMS noise floor at 60 GHz for added dynamic range and accuracy; up to 60GHz bandwidth on four channels to help future-proof the system for next generation baud rates; and timing jitter as low as 450fs RMS to enable visibility into real signal performance. The analyser solutions enable efficient and accurate characterisation of serial communications in fiber at 100Gb/s and beyond. With coherent lightwave analysis capabilities, Tektronix provides the acquisition and display of constellation diagrams, Q plots, polarisation analysis, and source laser stability to better understand fiber-based signal quality.

Axial-leaded carbon film resistors are for use in remote communications infrastructure and industrial equipment

Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Stackpole's HDM series are axial-leaded carbon film resistors. The resistors provide good moisture resistance, claims the company. The resistors can survive 100h in a pressure cooker at 120°C, over 98% relative humidity and two atmospheres' pressure, according to the company. The resistors are suitable for use in industrial equipment and controls, industrial power systems, HVAC, remote communications infrastructure, outdoor lighting and security, electronic irrigation controls, UPS and emergency power systems, and instrumentation.

Energy-Measurement Analogue Front End