Notable & Newsworthy

July 2018
Optimizing Thermal-Management for Best Performance and Reliability

Figure 1: Adding a heatsink to boost top-side cooling of thermally enhanced power package

Power conversion is common to almost all electronic systems. Efficiency is critical, whether the objective is to maximize runtime for a small battery-powered device, reduce utility costs to power data-center servers, or others such as ensuring cost parity for renewables. Efficiency is never 100%, even in t
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Date:
07/31/2018
Is Form Over Function Ever a Real Choice for Computing Equipment?
Apple is a company that is not a stranger to this column. The company’s design methodology and choices are often market-leading and deserve the praise they get. Then again, some of those design choices tread the line between genius and madness, and over time, some decisions really have turned out to be genius an
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Date:
07/31/2018
150 W Thick Film Power Resistor Reduces Component Counts
MALVERN, Pa. — Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. introduced a new AEC-Q200 qualified thick film power resistor featuring a clip mount TO247 package for direct mounting on a heatsink. For automotive applications, the Vishay Sfernice LTO 150 offers industry-high power dissipation of 150 W at a +45 °C case temperature an
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Date:
07/31/2018
IC Offers High Accuracy for Real-Time Power Measurement
CHANDLER, Ariz.— In systems that use both AC and DC power, the implementation of dual-mode power monitoring traditionally requires multiple ICs to ensure superior performance and accuracy. Growing applications such as solar inverters, smart lighting and cloud servers often use both modes to maintain safe opera
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Date:
07/31/2018
Are Self-Driving Cars Too Rational?
In one sense, this was inevitable – the idea that we’re not the most intelligent species on this planet unnerves us. But it’s more than that – the fact that A.I. is so coldly logical dregs up fears of a robot apocalypse and our own irrelevance. So when we put A.I. in the driver’s seat, there was bound to
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Date:
07/31/2018
Auto Infotainment Evolutionary and Revolutionary Developments
A few of my favorite TV programs include “Weaponology,” “Future Weapons,” “Modern Marvels” and the science show “Connections.” They all explore the various paths of technological change and interrelations and the significant effects that this change has on society, including that in order for on
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Date:
07/31/2018
Digital Step Attenuators Available in Various Configurations
pSemi's digital step attenuator (DSA) portfolio now includes a family of value, high-performance DSAs. The value DSA family—the PE43620, PE43650, PE43665 and PE43670—are offered in a 2-bit, 5-bit, 6-bit or 7-bit configuration and feature industry-leading attenuation accuracy at an entry-level price point.    Available in compact QFN packages, th
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Date:
07/31/2018
Transient Protection Solutions in Automobiles

Figure 1: MLV (left) vs. TVS diode (right) temperature derating

Thanks to modern technology, passenger vehicles are now safer, more enjoyable, and more efficient than ever. Today’s automobiles utilize incredible amounts of computing power to improve the overall driving experience in several different ways. For example, arrays of sensors and dedicated processing units n
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Date:
07/31/2018
Silicon Carbide Devices for Automotive Power Electronics
Automotive OEMs and their suppliers have been on the high power, high growth vehicle electrification path for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs)/electric vehicles (EVs) and beyond even to electrification of busses, trucks, trains and more electric aircraft (MEA). With high power demands beyond the efficiency and r
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Date:
07/31/2018
AC-DC Power Supply Offers Wide Operating Temperature
MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass. - Sager Electronics is now stocking MEAN WELL’s MPM-05-30 Miniature, Medical Grade AC-DC Power Supply. The MPM series is one third the size of the previous version, but offers a wider operating temperature, higher efficiency, and lower no-load power consumption.  The new series co
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Date:
07/30/2018
ESD Diode Designed for Automotive Circuit Protection
TEMPE, Ariz. – ProTek Devices introduced a new circuit protection diode suited for automotive applications, such as Controller Area Network (CAN) bus lines. The new PAM3CAN diode is qualified by the Automotive Electronics Council (AEC). The PAM3CAN is designed to protect two automotive CAN bus lines from the
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Date:
07/30/2018
Three £5 million energy research hubs and a new £1 million network in solar energy that will build multidisciplinary collaborations between universities, academic bodies and industry were announced today by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The three Supergen Energy hubs will
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Date:
07/27/2018
New Geometric Shape Used by Nature to Pack Cells Efficiently

a) Scheme representing planar columnar/cubic monolayer epithelia. Cells are simplified as prisms. b) Scheme illustrating a fold in a columnar/cubic monolayer epithelium. Cells adopt the called "bottle 23 shape" that would be simplified as frusta. c) Mathematical model for an epithelial tube. d) Modelling clay figures illustrating two scutoids participating in a transition and two schemes for scutoids solids. Scutoids are characterized by having at least a vertex in a different plane to the two bases and present curved surfaces. e) A dorsal view of a Protaetia speciose beetle of the Cetoniidae family. The white lines highlight the resemblance of its scutum, scutellum and wings with the shape of the scutoids. Illustration from Dr. Nicolas Gompel, with permission. f) Three-dimensional reconstruction of the cells forming a tube. The four-cell motif (green, yellow, blue and red cells) shows an apico-basal cell intercalation. g) Detail of the apico-basal transition, showing how the blue and yellow cells contact in the apical part, but not in the basal part. The figure also shows that scutoids present concave surfaces.

As an embryo develops, tissues bend into complex three-dimensional shapes that lead to organs. Epithelial cells are the building blocks of this process forming, for example, the outer layer of skin. They also line the blood vessels and organs of all animals. These cells pack together tightly. To accommodate the curvi
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Date:
07/27/2018
High-Voltage Meter Rated to 140 KVDC / 100 KVAC
Poway, CA—Vitrek introduces the HVL-150 Smart Probe that expands the measurement range of the company’s Model 4700 Precision High-Voltage Meter to 140 KVDC / 100 KVAC(rms). The HVL-150 benchtop probe features Vitrek’s proprietary ultra-low thermal coefficient attenuator technology that minimizes the effe
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Date:
07/26/2018
N-Channel Surge Stopper Protects Against 150V Transients
NORWOOD, MA - Analog Devices announces the Power by Linear LTC7862, a high efficiency switching surge stopper with overvoltage and overcurrent protection for high availability systems. The LTC7862 drives an N-channel power MOSFET stage. During normal operation the LTC7862 passes the input voltage through to th
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Date:
07/26/2018
750 kW Gaseous Generator Features New G33.9L Engine
WAUKEHSA, Wis. – Generac Industrial Power’s experience and innovative technological advances in natural gas generators continues with its latest generator set. The new 750 kW generator is the company’s largest and most powerful gaseous generator to date. The 750 kW design features Generac’s new G33.9
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Date:
07/26/2018
Europe Thrives on Renewables Despite Unpredictable Weather

This graphical abstract shows the impact of long-term weather variability on the operation of the European power system and how this scales with uptake of wind and solar power out to 2030. We find that ambitious decarbonization leads to much greater influence of long-term weather patterns, with a 5-fold increase in operational variability by 2030. Several relevant metrics can be reasonably approximated by linear functions of variable renewable penetration, providing a shortcut for estimating the impacts of intermittency.

Researchers in Ireland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom have shown how long-term weather patterns affect wind and solar renewable energy technologies across Europe. Using 30 years of meteorological data, the scientists have examined and further modelled the impact of renewable energy on the electricity sector ou
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Date:
07/26/2018
AC Power Sources Offer Lowest Noise Specifications on Market
Based on proven linear technology, the AMX Series of precision linear AC power sources from Pacific Power Source offer the lowest voltage distortion, highest voltage and current slew rates, lowest output impedance, and lowest noise specifications on the market. Available in power levels from 500VA to 30kVA, fo
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Date:
07/25/2018
WASHINGTON - The science questions that could be answered by an electron ion collider (EIC) - a very large-scale particle accelerator - are significant to advancing our understanding of the atomic nuclei that make up all visible matter in the universe, says a new report by the National Academies of Sciences, En
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Date:
07/25/2018
Current-Compensated Ring Core Chokes for 800 V DC
TDK Corporation presents a new series of EPCOS current-compensated ring core power line double chokes. The RoHS-compatible B82724J8*N040 series features a high-rated voltage of 800 V DC or 250 V AC in continuous operation and was developed specifically for use as DC link chokes in frequency converters. A further ad
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Date:
07/25/2018
PSDcast - The New IEEE Power Over Ethernet Standard
In this very special episode of the PSDcast, we're discussing the new IEEE standard, 802.3bt, and we're honored to speak with Texas Instruments' David Abramson, who toiled for six years to help create the new standard ...
Date:
07/25/2018
Organic Solar Cells Used in Roof Tiles Generating Power

A solar tile

An international team of materials scientists from France, Russia and Kazakhstan found a way to boost the efficiency of organic solar cells several times. The new study, published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A, has shown that ordered structures based on organic molecules can be used to produce solar power
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Date:
07/25/2018
MALVERN, Pa. — Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. introduced two new series of surface-mount Automotive-Grade power LEDs in PLCC-2 and ultra compact MiniLED packages. Utilizing the latest advanced AllnGaP technology in the smallest chip size available, the Vishay Semiconductors VLMx335xx and VLMx235xx series deliver hi
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Date:
07/25/2018
Feds Back Rice U. Study of Nanoscale Electrocatalysis

Rice University's Stephan Link and Christy Landes are both professors of chemistry and of electrical and computer engineering.

HOUSTON - The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Basic Energy Sciences has awarded Rice University researchers $1.1 million to study single nanoparticles and their ability to act as electrocatalysts. The Rice laboratories of Christy Landes and Stephan Link, both professors of chemistry and of electrical and comput
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Date:
07/25/2018
450 Watt Power Supply for Medical and Industrial Applications
TRACO POWER has announced the release of their TPP 450A series, a 450 watt family of power supplies in an open-frame, 3x5” package featuring 91%~94% efficiency. Full load operation from -40°C to +50°C (with airflow) and a leading conduction cooled rating, up to 320W at +50°C in a small 3x5” footprint.
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Date:
07/24/2018
Photodiodes for Low-Level Light and Short Pulse Detection
Latham, NY, USA –  Marktech Optoelectronics announced the availability of its standard and custom Silicon avalanche photodiodes (Si APD’s), in quantities from prototype to OEM volumes. Marktech Si APD’s offerlow-level light and short pulse detections of wavelengths between 400 nm and 1100 nm. They
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Date:
07/24/2018
Low IQ Buck Controller for Battery-Powered Applications
NORWOOD, Mass.-- Analog Devices, Inc. announced the Power by Linear LTC3372, a highly integrated power management solution for systems that require multiple low voltage outputs generated from an input voltage as high as 60V. The LTC3372 features a 60V synchronous buck switching regulator controller followed by
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Date:
07/24/2018
PMICs Power Next-Generation Consumer Applications
San Jose, Calif.—With a pair of feature-rich, high-performance and scalable power-management ICs (PMICs) from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc., designers of mobile systems can now maximize performance per watt while increasing system efficiency for computationally intensive deep-learning systems on chip (SoCs), FP
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Date:
07/24/2018
Hydrogen and Plastic Production: Catalyst With Dual Function

Dulce Morales, Steffen Cychy, Stefan Barwe, Dennis Hiltrop, Martin Muhler and Wolfgang Schuhmann (from left)

Chemists at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) have developed a new, low-cost catalyst for plastic production. It turns a biorefinery product into a starting material for the synthesis of plastics, which could represent a sustainable alternative to widespread PET. At the same time, the potential energy source hydrogen ca
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Date:
07/24/2018
New Video Game Teaches Teens About Electricity

This is a screenshot from Wired.

A new video game, designed by researchers at the University of Cambridge, gives teenagers an understanding of electricity by solving a series of puzzles in a bid to encourage more of them to study engineering at university. The game, called Wired, is available to download and play for free from today, and teach
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Date:
07/24/2018
Creating Material to Miniaturize Telecommunication Devices

Modern communication systems often employ optical fibers to carry signals across or between devices, combining more than one function into a single circuit. However, signal transmission requires long optical fibers, which makes miniaturizing the device difficult. Instead of long optical fibers, scientists have started testing planar waveguides. In the Journal of Applied Physics, investigators report on a laser-assisted study of a type of glass that shows promise as a material for broadband planar waveguide amplifiers. This is a microscopy image of ultrafast laser ablation craters in tellurite-based glass

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Modern communication systems often employ optical fibers to carry signals across or between devices. The integrated optics in these devices combine more than one function into a single circuit. However, signal transmission requires long optical fibers, which makes it difficult to miniaturize th
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Date:
07/24/2018
Resistor Series Provides Robust & High Measurement Accuracy
RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Bourns, Inc. announced latest current sense resistor families, the Model CSM2F Series. Adding to Bourns' range of high-powered current sense resistors, this new series is manufactured using a metal alloy element that is electron-beam welded to tinned copper terminals, which gives them excellent
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Date:
07/24/2018
Power Delivery Input Protection Switch Features True Reverse Blocking
SUNNYVALE, Calif. - Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Limited (AOS) announced a new Type-C Power Delivery compliant input protection switch with up to 28V over-voltage protection.  The AOZ1376 is a smart protection switch with reverse current blocking capability intended for applications where internal circuitry
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Date:
07/23/2018
A New 'Periodic Table' For Nanomaterials

Molecules interact and align with each other as they self-assemble. This new simulation enables to find what molecules best interact with each other to build nanomaterials, such as materials that work as a nano electrical wire.

The approach was developed by Daniel Packwood of Kyoto University's Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS) and Taro Hitosugi of the Tokyo Institute of Technology. It involves connecting the chemical properties of molecules with the nanostructures that form as a result of their interaction. A mac
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Date:
07/23/2018
Nanocrystals Emit Light by Efficiently 'Tunneling' Electrons

Left: schematics of the tunnel junction formed by two edge-to-edge silver single crystal cuboids with an insulating barrier of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The top inset shows that photons are generated through inelastic electron tunneling. The device performance can be engineered by tuning the size of the cuboids (a, b, c), the gap size (d), and the curvature of silver cuboid edges. Right: TEM image of the tunnel junction, where the gap is around 1.5 nm.

Using advanced fabrication techniques, engineers at the University of California San Diego have built a nanosized device out of silver crystals that can generate light by efficiently "tunneling" electrons through a tiny barrier. The work brings plasmonics research a step closer to realizing ultra-compact li
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Date:
07/23/2018
DOE Invests $64 Million in Advanced Nuclear Technology

Hyun Gook Kang, associate professor of mechanical, aerospace, and nuclear engineering at Rensselaer, is the principal investigator.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced nearly $64 million in awards for advanced nuclear energy technology to DOE national laboratories, industry, and 39 U.S. universities in 29 states. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has been awarded $800,000 for analysis of nuclear power plants' accident propagation and
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Date:
07/20/2018
Power Monitoring IC Measures Power from 0V to 32V
CHANDLER, Ariz.— Managing and reducing power consumption is crucial in low-voltage, high-power applications such as Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) and embedded computing devices. These devices must first accurately measure power before they can manage it, but precision po
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Date:
07/19/2018
Fuse Series Protects Both Digital and Analog Multimeters
Jersey City, NJ - Bel Fuse-Circuit Protection, a Bel group company, announces their latest fast-acting, high breaking capacity fuse series, the 0ADHC, which is a ceramic tube fuse in a compact 10x38 mm package, designed specifically to protect both digital and analog multimeters.     The 0ADHC Series i
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Date:
07/19/2018
Future Electronic Components to be Printed Like Newspapers

Roll-to-roll laser-induced superplasticity, a new fabrication method, prints metals at the nanoscale needed for making electronic devices ultrafast.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- A new manufacturing technique uses a process similar to newspaper printing to form smoother and more flexible metals for making ultrafast electronic devices. The low-cost process, developed by Purdue University researchers, combines tools already used in industry for manufacturing metals on
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Date:
07/19/2018
Processing Tricks Allow Creation of New Laser Material

By doping alumina crystals with neodymium ions, engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a new laser material that is capable of emitting ultra-short, high-power pulses -- a combination that could potentially yield smaller, more powerful lasers with superior thermal shock resistance, broad tunability and high-duty cycles.

By doping alumina crystals with neodymium ions, engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a new laser material that is capable of emitting ultra-short, high-power pulses--a combination that could potentially yield smaller, more powerful lasers with superior thermal shock resistance, br
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Date:
07/18/2018
Digital Controllers for Cloud Computing and Communications
TOKYO, Japan – Renesas Electronics Corporation announced two new PMBus-compliant, fully digital DC/DC controllers that provide single output point-of-load (POL) conversions for FPGAs, DSPs, ASICs, network processors and general purpose system rails. The ISL68300 with integrated MOSFET drivers and ISL68301 wit
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Date:
07/18/2018
Heat Pipe Line Available in Lengths of 70-600 mm
NORWOOD, Mass. - Advanced Thermal Solutions, Inc. (ATS) is pleased to announce the expansion of its line of high-performance, off-the-shelf, flat and round heat pipes. By the end of 2018, ATS will provide the broadest offering of off-the-shelf heat pipes on the market. The application of heat pipes in the th
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Date:
07/18/2018
 Rittal North America Expands Blue E+ Cooling Unit Generation

Blue e+ cooling units are currently the most efficient of their kind on the market, and Rittal is now also expanding its products into the lower output range with a new 1.6 kW device.

Schaumburg, IL -- Cooling units with new 1.6kW output class. Rittal Blue e+ cooling units are currently the most efficient of their kind on the market. The manufacturer is now expanding its range of cooling units with the addition of a device with an output class of 1.6 kW. Besides being 75 percent more energy-efficient th
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Date:
07/17/2018
Electric Car Batteries Use Electrolytes For Longer Ranges
College Park, Md. -- The success of electric car batteries depends on the miles that can be driven on a single charge, but the current crop of lithium-ion batteries are reaching their natural limit of how much charge can be packed into any given space, keeping drivers on a short tether. Now, researchers at the Un
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Date:
07/17/2018
Electronic Stickers Streamline Large-Scale Internet of Things
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Billions of objects ranging from smartphones and watches to buildings, machine parts and medical devices have become wireless sensors of their environments, expanding a network called the "internet of things." As society moves toward connecting all objects to the internet
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Date:
07/17/2018
New 3D Printing Camp Inspires Teens in STEM
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. ­— The technology of 3D printing is exploding across numerous industries from 3D-printed homes to healthcare devices and components used in space craft and aircraft. Middle and high school students in a new Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University summer camp learned first-hand last week
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Date:
07/17/2018
Jumpers Offer Current Ratings From 14.2 to 63.2 Amps
RALEIGH, NC – Stackpole's HCJ Series, a surface mount chip jumper, offers current ratings ranging from 14.2 amps for the 0402 up to 63.2 amps for the HCJ2512. In comparison, the typical rated current for a standard 2512 thick film jumper is 3 amps. The HCJ0402 has a maximum resistance of 3 milliohms while the other siz
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Date:
07/17/2018
Filter Capacitors Cover Voltage Range From 250 to 850 Vrms
TDK Corporation presents the new, extensive B3237* series of EPCOS MKD 3-phase capacitors for filter applications. The capacitors cover a voltage range from 250 VRMS to 850 VRMS in 10 stages and are available with capacitances of between 3 x 10 µF and 3 x 400 µF. Depending on the type, the capacitors are
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Date:
07/17/2018
Test Software Compliant With MIL-STD-1399
SAN DIEGO – AMETEK Programmable Power has introduced a Shipboard Power Test Software Option compliant with MIL-STD-1399 Section 300B of the Department of Defense Interface Standard for Electric Power, Alternating Current.   The test option is available for use with five of the company’s AC power sourc
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Date:
07/17/2018
Mixed Signal Oscilloscope Includes 8 GHz Bandwidth
BEAVERTON, Ore. – Tektronix introduced the 6 Series MSO mixed signal oscilloscope. The new oscilloscope extends the performance threshold of midrange oscilloscopes to 8 GHz and delivers a 25 GS/s sample rate simultaneously on all 4 channels – an industry first for this class of oscilloscope – to accommodate t
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Date:
07/17/2018
Step-Down Battery Charger Features Digital I²C Telemetry
NORWOOD, MA - Analog Devices announces the Power by Linear LTC4162, a highly integrated, high voltage multi-chemistry synchronous monolithic step-down battery charger and PowerPath manager with onboard telemetry functions and optional maximum power point tracking (MPPT). The LTC4162 efficiently transfers power fr
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Date:
07/17/2018
Wireless Access Point Enhances Network Performance
SUNNYVALE, Ca. – Ruckus Networks, an ARRIS company, announced the Ruckus R730, the industry’s first IoT- and LTE-ready, 802.11ax wireless access point (AP). The high-capacity, 12 spatial-stream R730 works in concert with the new Ruckus Ultra-High Density Technology Suite to smoothly deliver high-resolution, la
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Date:
07/17/2018
5 Watt AC/DC Modules for Wide Mains Voltages up to 480VAC
RECOM announces the global release of its exclusive 5W AC/DC converter, the RAC05-K/480 series, which accepts input voltages of up to 480VAC. They are also OVCIII rated with a 6kV surge protection, and operate reliably at industrial temperature ranges. This series is ideally suited for housekeeping operations in I
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Date:
07/16/2018
MLCCs Include Voltage Ratings From 16–100V
FOUNTAIN INN, S.C. – AVX Corporation has extended its range of space-level ESCC QPL 3009/041 X7R base metal electrode (BME) multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) — the first range of ESCC BME MLCCs fully qualified for use in European, Asian, and American space market applications — with new 0402 and 2220 cas
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Date:
07/16/2018
How to Build Efficient Organic Solar Cells

This is Feng Gao, associate professor at Linköping University, Sweden.

Twenty-five researchers from seven research institutes have put their heads together to draw up rules for designing high-efficiency organic solar cells. The research is led by Feng Gao, associate professor at Linkoping University, Sweden. Organic solar cells, made from carbon-based materials, present unique ad
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Date:
07/16/2018
Emotional Robot Lets You Feel How It's 'Feeling'
ITHACA, N.Y. - Cornell University researchers have developed a prototype of a robot that can express "emotions" through changes in its outer surface. The robot's skin covers a grid of texture units whose shapes change based on the robot's feelings. Assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering
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Date:
07/16/2018
An Easy Perovskite Catalyst for the Oxidation of Sulfides
Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology have developed a ruthenium-based perovskite catalyst that shows strong activity even at low temperatures (down to 313 K). The reusable catalyst does not require additives, meaning that it can prevent the formation of toxic by-products. The oxidation of sulfides is a
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Date:
07/13/2018
Pure Sine Wave Inverters Offer Wide Input Ranges
ABSOPULSE has recently released the CSH 2K-3U7 series of rugged sine wave inverters for cranes and other severe environment applications. The inverters are designed to run peripheral equipment in crane operator cabins such as air conditioners, heaters and lights. They offer a 250Vdc nominal input voltage with a
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Date:
07/13/2018
Strengthening US Manufacturing Using Advanced Robotics

Robot assembly.

Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) has awarded $1.4 million in project funding to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as part of its first round of funding to strengthen U.S. manufacturing. ARM selected projects that will generate timely impact on the national manufacturing landscape and serve as examples of
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Date:
07/13/2018
50A µModule Regulator Scalable to 250A Runs Cool
NORWOOD, MA - Analog Devices announces the Power by Linear LTM4678 dual 25A or single 50A step-down µModule regulator with PMBus digital interface. By stacking and exposing its two inductors on top of BGA package, the LTM4678 uses the inductors as heat sinks to transfer heat from inside, keeping the device co
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Date:
07/13/2018
MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass. - Sager Electronics expands its hours of operation, today announced its selection as NMB Technologies 2017 Distributor of the Year. NMB Technologies awarded the honor at the 2018 Electronics Distribution Show (EDS) held May 15-18 in Las Vegas, Nevada. "NMB is delighted to recognize
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Date:
07/13/2018
Online Simulation Tool Designed for Capacitors
FOUNTAIN INN, S.C. – AVX Corporation released the new SpiCAT online simulation tool. Designed with users in mind, new SpiCAT simulation software offers access to two separate portals — SpiMLCC and SpiTAN, which supersede SpiCap III and SpiTan IV — that provide electrical and performance characteristics by
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Date:
07/13/2018
Singapore - Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) is partnering with the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) to develop innovative and energy-efficient solutions in the recycling and recovery of resources from electrical and electronic waste (e-waste). The agreement
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Date:
07/13/2018
Medical 15 Watt DC-DC Converter in 1.0 x 1.6
TRACO POWER has announced the release of their THM 15 family of medical 15 Watt DC/DC converters with a wide 2:1 input range in a 1.0 x 1.6 x 0.40” footprint. The THM 15 series are a reliable solution not only for medical equipment but also for demanding ITE. These 15 Watt DC-DC converters provide high isola
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Date:
07/12/2018
Can Ultrashort Electron Flashes Help Harvest Nuclear Energy?
The lab of Fabrizio Carbone at EPFL and their international colleagues have used ultrafast Transmission Electron Microscopy to take attosecond energy-momentum resolved snapshots (1 attosecond = 10-18 or quintillionths of a second) of a free-electron wave function. Though unprecedented in itself, the scientists al
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Date:
07/12/2018
Power IC Brings Reduced Heat Generation to Data Centers
IRVINE, Calif. -- Fabless power semiconductor company Helix Semiconductors announced that Agility Power Systems (Agility) is using the MxCTM 200 IC for its innovative, 1 kilowatt, high-efficiency 48VDC to 12VDC power converter. Agility designs highly efficient switched capacitor power conversion devices targeted at
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Date:
07/11/2018
DC Panel Meters Calculate Power up to 96 kW
Murata introduces the new DCM20 series of multifunction panel meters from Murata Power Solutions. For DC systems, these meters measure DC voltage and current, calculate power up to 96 kW, and display values either manually selected or continuously cycling. The miniature panel-mount product provides an input vo
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Date:
07/11/2018
DCM Expands Enhanced Output Voltage Regulation Models
Andover, MA – Vicor Corporation introduced 25 new products to its growing family of DC-DC converter modules (DCMs) with tighter output voltage regulation of ±1%.  With unrivaled power densities of 1,032W/in3, the new series allows engineers to drive loads requiring tighter regulation with minimal additio
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Date:
07/11/2018
FOUNTAIN INN, S.C. – AVX Corporation developed a cost-effective, ultra-high-reliability, three-piece STRIPT contact system for linear LED and coplanar PCB connections in off-road vehicle lighting applications. Designed to absorb broad end-to-end mating tolerances, handle up to 20A of continuous current, and ex
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Date:
07/11/2018
DC/DC Controller Draws Only 9µA in Battery-Powered Systems
NORWOOD, MA - Analog Devices announces the Power by Linear LTC3894, a high-voltage step-down DC/DC controller that draws only 9µA quiescent current with the output enabled in Burst Mode operation. Its wide 4.5V to 150V input voltage range can effectively eliminate the need for external surge suppression devices. The
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Date:
07/11/2018
A Step Closer to Single-Atom Data Storage

LEFT: STM image of Holmium single atom magnets. RIGHT: and Cobalt helper atoms on magnesium oxide.

Despite the rise of solid-state drives, magnetic storage devices such as conventional hard drives and magnetic tapes are still very common. But as our data-storage needs are increasing at a rate of almost 15 million gigabytes per day, scientists are turning to alternative storage devices. One of these are singl
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Date:
07/11/2018
Traco expands TPP 15/TPP 30 series of medical power supplies
Model extension in the TPP15/30 Series gives more options for powering medical devices   All models in the series feature   Extended operating temperature range –25°C to +85°C Certified to IEC/EN/ES 60601-1 3rd edition for 2xMOPP and IEC/EN/UL 62368-1 EMC c
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07/11/2018
Multi-chip module PWM Buck Regulators have high current density
ON Semiconductor announced the release of three new highly-efficient mid-voltage PWM buck converters. Supporting a wide input voltage range of 4.5 V to 65 V, an output current of up to 10 A and output power of 100 W, ON Semiconductor’s new FAN6500X family of buck converters combines the time tested fixed
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07/11/2018
University of Nottingham eMotorbike comes 2nd in TT Zero Cup
The electric super bike from the student developer team at the University of Nottingham won second place in the all-electric TT Zero Cup at the legendary Tourist Trophy motorcycle race on the Isle of Man. On the 60.73 km circuit, with a lap time of 18:58:294 minutes and an average speed of 191 km/h, Daley Mathison
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07/11/2018
Industry’s Smallest Through-Hole Reed Relay
Pickering Electronics has announced industry’s smallest reed relay. The Series 124 is part of Pickering’s new ultra-high density 4mm2 TM reed relay range product line, which takes up the minimum board area of only 4mm x 4mm, allowing the highest packing density possible. Series 124 relays are also the lowest
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Date:
07/11/2018
Designers can extract vital signs and raw data for their wearable designs with the MAX-HEALTH-BAND, as well as monitor clinical-grade electrocardiograph (ECG) and heart rate with the MAX-ECG-MONITOR from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. (NASDAQ: MXIM). The MAX-HEALTH-BAND evaluation and development platform, a wrist-wor
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Date:
07/11/2018
Compact 3W and 10W board-mount power supplies
XP Power is launching its low-cost VCE03 and VCE10, 3W and 10W series of board-mounted AC-DC power supplies with extended universal input range from 85VAC to 305VAC, covering all nominal AC inputs from 100VAC to 277VAC in a single ultra-compact design. Both the VCE03 and VCE10 provide a complete AC-DC solution
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07/11/2018
A2B Transceivers Deliver Unparalleled Flexibility
Analog Devices announces three enhanced Automotive Audio Bus (A2B) transceivers that deliver unprecedented capability to tailor system-level performance to even the most stringent electromagnetic compatibility requirements. The new AD242xW series offers configurable transmit power levels, enabling the developer to
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Date:
07/11/2018
CUI Partners and SnapEDA Offer Free PCB Footprint Files
CUI today announced that it has teamed up with SnapEDA to provide designers with a catalog of free, ready-to-download PCB footprints and symbols for CUI’s range of board mount electromechanical components. Circuit board design has historically been a time-consuming and challenging process due to the variety of pro
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Date:
07/11/2018
Mouser Adds 25 New Suppliers in First Half of 2018
Mouser Electronics has added more than 25 new suppliers YTD to its already vast line card of over 700 suppliers. With an already extensive portfolio of products and suppliers across the board, the additional suppliers bolster the product choices for Mouser’s unique design engineer customer base and component buye
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Date:
07/11/2018
Quint Power DIN-mount power supplies at RS Components
RS Components is stocking the latest Phoenix Contact Quint Power DIN-rail power supplies, giving easy access to the innovative features and flexibility of these space-saving PSUs. The 4th generation of Quint Power covers power ratings up to 100W, with 24V output voltage and 1.3A, 2.5A, and 3.8A nominal curre
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Date:
07/11/2018
ESD protection range for USB Type-C surge protection
Nexperia has optimised its TrEOS ESD protection diode series for use with USB Type-C interfaces. The new USB3.2 standard introduces an optional capacitor at the Rx inputs, so Nexperia is now launching two groups of devices, one that delivers extremely high surge robustness for positioning between the connector an
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Date:
07/11/2018
M12 Slim Design with HARAX Quick Connect
Following the trend of miniaturisation, HARTING is expanding its M12 family in the field of slim design connectors with HARAX insulation displacement Quick Connect connectors – the slim, field-installable solution for automation technology. This allows fast and uncomplicated cabling on site. The new A and
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Date:
07/11/2018
VINCOTECH adds flow E1/E2 Product Family
Vincotech, a supplier of module-based solutions for power electronics, today announced the release of the new flow E1/E2 product family. Featuring the latest chip generations, these products also deliver superior thermal performance. The industry's broadest portfolio of standard products just got bigger: Vin
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Date:
07/11/2018
New 650V IGBTs Deliver Class-Leading Efficiency with Soft Switching
ROHM has announced the availability of two new types of 650V IGBTs that combine class-leading low conduction loss with high-speed switching characteristics. This makes them ideal for power conversion in general-purpose inverters and converters for consumer appliances, such as ACs and IH (Induction Heaters), as
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Date:
07/11/2018
Infineon’s CoolGaN opens up a new horizon in power management
The key benefits of gallium nitride (GaN) are, amongst others, high power density, best-in-class efficiency and decreased system costs. Infineon Technologies is starting volume production for CoolGaN™ products by the end of 2018, the company announced during PCIM Europe. Engineering samples of the high reliable Ga
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Date:
07/11/2018
Transducer’s for leakage current measurement of PV inverters
The LDSR model is an innovative, low cost and lightweight (25g) component, with a reduced footprint. The LDSR is dedicated to measuring the leakage current of 300 mA nominal up to 900 mA peak at 2 KHz frequency. Its main application is in transformerless photovoltaic (PV) inverters for the residential market, wh
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Date:
07/11/2018
New evaluation board for three-phase BLDC motor drive ICs
Toshiba Electronics Europe announces a new evaluation board for their TPD420xF series of brushless DC (BLDC) three-phase motor driver ICs to speed up the process of prototyping and developing new motor drive solutions up to 80W including white goods, home devices such as hair dryers as well as coolers for fresh go
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Date:
07/11/2018
High-Speed, Multichannel Mux/Demux Signal Switch ICs
Diodes Incorporated today announced at the PCI-SIG® Developers Conference in Santa Clara, a line of signal switches, clock generators and clock buffers for PCI Express® (PCIe®) 4.0 technology applications. Addressing the expanding market for signal routing with different protocols in PCs, servers, embedded applicatio
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Date:
07/11/2018
Authorised Yuasa battery distributor Gresham Power Electronics, the Salisbury based Defence and Commercial power conversion specialist, announces the availability of two series of high reliability VRLA batteries (valve-regulated lead-acid) from Yuasa’s wide industrial product range. VRLA batteries are more commo
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Date:
07/11/2018
DIN Rail Power Supplies offer simplicity without compromise
PULS Power PIANO PIC series is designed for applications that require reliable DIN rail power supplies designed to deliver the most widely specified features and performance required by customers. PIC units offer this simplicity without making compromises on PULS’ renowned qualities; efficiency, service lifetim
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Date:
07/11/2018
PV Series Offers SMD Versions of 5mm and 7mm Disk Varistors
RALEIGH, NC – The PV Series from Stackpole offers two chip sizes, 3225 and 4032. These two sizes correspond to the equivalent 5mm and 7mm disk MOV's offering protection for circuits with working voltages ranging from 11 Vrms to 300 Vrms. The PV Series varistors are UL recognized with the capability to handle up t
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Date:
07/10/2018
AVX Now Qualified to Produce & Supply MIL-PRF-123 Capacitors
FOUNTAIN INN, S.C. – AVX Corporation is now qualified to produce and supply MIL-PRF-123 capacitors at its corporate headquarters in Fountain Inn, South Carolina, and has had its M123 Series ceramic chip capacitors added to the Defense Logistics Agency’s (DLA’s) Qualified Parts List for MIL-PRF-123. Available in
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Date:
07/10/2018
Emerson Expands ASCO Series 045 Solenoid Pinch Valves
ST. LOUIS, MO – With one of the broadest offerings of fluid-handling and control products for the clinical diagnostic market, Emerson is expanding its ASCO Series 045 solenoid pinch valves to include a new 3-way format. Previously, the series included only 2-way normally-closed (NC) and normally-open (NO) op
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Date:
07/10/2018
Salt Leads to Cheaper and More Efficient Batteries
A new design of rechargeable battery, created using salt, could lead the way for greener energy. Researchers at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) have joined forces with a specialist group at the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics (SINAP), Chinese Academy of Sciences on designs for the novel en
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Date:
07/09/2018
New Microscopy Works at Extreme Heat

Afsaneh Rabiei is pictured here with the device she developed that can capture scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images in real time at temperatures up to 1,000 degrees Celsius while applying stresses as high as two gigapascal.

A new microscopy technique allows researchers to track microstructural changes in real time, even when a material is exposed to extreme heat and stress. Recently, researchers show that a stainless steel alloy called alloy 709 has potential for elevated temperature applications such as nuclear reactor structures. "Alloy 709 is ex
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Date:
07/09/2018
MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass. - Sager Electronics announces its certification to the latest industry standards: ISO 9001:2015 and AS9120B. The ISO 9001 quality management system is a tool designed to help organizations improve efficiencies and customer satisfaction. The latest revision, ISO 9001:2015, has been update
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Date:
07/06/2018
Ethernet PSE Controller Passes IEEE 802.3bt Conformance Tests
NORWOOD, MA - Analog Devices announces the Power by Linear LTC4291/92 isolated 4-port power source equipment (PSE) controller chipset, the first of its kind to pass a series of IEEE 802.3bt (PoE++) Power over Ethernet (PoE) conformance tests administered by Sifos Technologies. PoE naturally presents system and net
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Date:
07/06/2018
Thermoelectric Generator Has Thermal Difference of Only 5ºC

Conventional thermoelectric generator (left) and newly developed thermoelectric generator (right).

Objects in our daily lives, such as speakers, refrigerators, and even cars, are becoming "smarter" day by day as they connect to the internet and exchange data, creating the Internet of Things (IoT), a network among the objects themselves. Toward an IoT-based society, a miniaturized thermoelectric ge
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Date:
07/06/2018
Bacteria-Powered Solar Cell Converts Light to Energy, Even Under Overcast Skies
University of British Columbia researchers have found a cheap, sustainable way to build a solar cell using bacteria that convert light to energy. Their cell generated a current stronger than any previously recorded from such a device, and worked as efficiently in dim light as in bright light. This innovation could
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Date:
07/05/2018
CMOS Op-Amp Delivers Leading-Class Low Noise
Kyoto and Santa Clara, Calif. –  ROHM announced the availability of a CMOS op-amp featuring the lowest noise in the industry optimized for industrial applications requiring high-accuracy sensing, such as accelerometers used in sonar systems, and optical sensors that handle ultra-small signals. In recent
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Date:
07/05/2018
PSDcast - Hard vs Soft Switching

Bruce T Renouard, the CEO of Pre-Switch.

On this episode of the PSDcast, we're chatting with Pre-Switch about hard and soft switching and some of the fundamental differences between the two ...
Date:
07/03/2018
Nitride Semiconductor for Environmental Photovoltaics

(a) This is a copper and Copper Nitride. (b) Theoretical Calculation for P-type and N-type Copper Nitride. (c) Direct Observation of Fluorine Position in Fluorine-doped Copper Nitride. (a) An image of thin film copper plates before and after reacting with ammonia and oxygen. Copper metal has been transformed to copper nitride. (b) Copper insertion for an n-type semiconductor and fluorine insertion for a p-type semiconductor. (c) Nitrogen plotted in red, fluorine in green, and copper in blue. Fluorine is located at the open space of the crystal as predicted by the theoretical calculation.

A Tokyo Institute of Technology research team has shown copper nitride acts as an n-type semiconductor, with p-type conduction provided by fluorine doping, utilizing a unique nitriding technique applicable for mass production and a computational search for appropriate doping elements, as well as atomically resolved mi
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Date:
07/03/2018
Artificial Intelligence Accurately Predicts Distribution of Radioactive Fallout
Tokyo - When a nuclear power plant accident occurs and radioactive material is released, it is vital to evacuate people in the vicinity as quickly as possible. However, it can be difficult to immediately predict where the emitted radioactivity will settle, making it impossible to prevent the exposure of large nu
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Date:
07/02/2018
Push-In Connectors Allow For Easy Wire Termination
MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass. - Sager Electronics is now stocking TE Connectivity’s Flex Grip Wire Connectors. These push-in connectors have operating levers for fast, easy and releasable wire termination and accommodate for a combination of 24–14 AWG (0.2–4.0 mm2) solid and stranded wires. The transparent body allo
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Date:
07/02/2018
Power Modules Available in Various Topologies
MALVERN, Pa. — Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. expanded its portfolio of power modules in the SOT-227 package with seven new devices featuring ThunderFET power MOSFETs and standard, FRED Pt, and Trench MOS Barrier Schottky (TMBS) diodes. The Vishay Semiconductors modules are available in dual, single-phase bridge, an
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Date:
07/02/2018
10A Boost µModule Regulator Ideal for Driving LEDs
NORWOOD, MA - Analog Devices announces the Power by Linear LTM8005 boost DC/DC µModule (power module) regulator designed for driving LEDs. The LTM8005 includes a DC/DC controller, power switch, Schottky diode and current sense resistor in a 9mm x 11.25mm x 2.22mm BGA package. The LTM8005 operates from a 5V to 3
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Date:
07/02/2018
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