Notable & Newsworthy

August 2018
Capacitive Isolation: The Future AC/DC Power Conversion

Figure 1: Various Galvanic Isolation Technologies

Capacitive isolation is a mature solution developed over the past decade to replace optocouplers in signal isolators, isolated gate drivers, isolated transceivers, and other applications. However, the potential to use capacitive isolation to replace optocouplers in offline adaptors is often neglected. This articles ex
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Date:
08/31/2018
A Quick Guide to Automotive DC-DC Converter Test

Figure 1. Block Diagram

An automotive DC-DC converter receives high-voltage battery output and converts it to a lower voltage to power on board devices such as the instrumentation panel, entertainment system, sensors, LED lighting, and any other on board devices requiring low voltage DC power.  Manufacture’s strategies in DC-DC co
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Date:
08/31/2018
Using 3D Printing to Explore the Boundaries of the Constitution
Quick – how do you feel about gun control? How about a printable gun with no serial number that’s immune to metal detectors? Still certain? One of the hottest test and measurement themes is rapid prototyping, and while medical applications might pay the bills, 3D-printed guns have dominated public discourse
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Date:
08/31/2018
Medical-Grade Power Supply Features Operation From 80-264VAC
MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass. – Sager Electronics is now stocking Mean Well’s MFM Series 05-30 Watt AC-DC medical grade power supply. The MFM-05-30 series is a high density, small size AC-DC on-board, medical grade power supply. It features operation from 80-264VAC, a low no load power consumption less than 0.075W,
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Date:
08/30/2018
Air Pollution Can Put a Dent in Solar Power
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Ian Marius Peters, now an MIT research scientist, was working on solar energy research in Singapore in 2013 when he encountered an extraordinary cloud of pollution. The city was suddenly engulfed in a foul-smelling cloud of haze so thick that from one side of a street you couldn't see the bui
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Date:
08/30/2018
High-Performance Non-Fullerene Organic Solar Cells

Non-fullerene polymer solar cells exhibit high performance and are easy to commercialize.

Organic solar cells (OSCs) has driven their efficiencies to above 10% to reach a viable level for commercialization. However, the increase in the photoactive layer thickness has resulted in lower efficiency levels, which therefore brings much complex manufacturing process. A research team, led by Professor
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Date:
08/30/2018
Precision Meets Power, It's the Refulator

Figure 1. LT6658 Typical Application

Precision analog designers often rely on the quiet humble voltage reference to power their DAC and ADC converters. This is beyond the fundamental role of the reference, which is designed to solely provide a clean precise stable voltage to a converter’s reference input. With some caveats, this usually works, wh
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Date:
08/30/2018
Squaring the Circle

Figure 1: Hardly larger than a conventional sensor, but with unparalleled dynamic range: the R&S NRQ6 frequency selective power sensor.

It may sound obvious, but for precise power measurements with RF signals the instrument of choice is an RF power meter. Two power detection technologies have become established: thermal measurements and diode measurements. Thermal power sensors determine power based on the heat generated by an input signal in a
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Date:
08/30/2018
Picking the Right Hipot Tester for the Job

Figure 1. Hipot is applied to both conductors and leakage is measured in return circuit through the ground connection

Hipot testers offer a range of capabilities starting with dielectric withstand and insulation resistance testing but also, in many instances, providing accurate low-resistance measurements and low-resistance/high-current outputs to test ground resistance and ground bond integrity.  Selecting the right one for
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Date:
08/30/2018
Battery Testing with an Electronic Load

Figure 1 – Battery Application mode on RIGOL’s DL3000 Series Electronic Load

As the electronics industry continues to grow, so does the need for better batteries, and battery technology that reduces their size, improves their reliability, and increases their capacity.  Engineers require an instrument that is capable of testing batteries to ensure they can meet the requirements of th
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Date:
08/30/2018
E-Commerce Platform Allows CAD Visualization of Components
Plano, TX – The e-commerce platform www.rutronik24.com has launched a new feature enabling developers to choose between different CAD models of the components available on the site and download them for use in their own design programs. To achieve this, Rutronik24 has partnered with Ultra Librarian. Rutronik24 is workin
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Date:
08/29/2018
18kW HVDC Power Shelf Features 240 to 380Vdc Inputs
Bel Power Solutions announces the the SPSPFE3-07 power shelf, which provides rectification, system management and power distribution from HVDC mains (240/380Vdc) power into a main output of 12 VDC for powering intermediate bus architectures up to 15kW (5+1) in high performance servers, routers and network switches. Each SPSPFE3-07
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Date:
08/29/2018
Surface Mount Inductors for Multi-Purpose Applications
Signal Transformer announces their new SCIHP0412, SCIHP0420 and SCIHP0420TB Series of Surface Mount Inductors (SMD) for Notebooks, Tablets and Multi-Purpose Applications. These new series of SMD Inductors are ideal for tablets, notebook/desktop, server applications, battery powered devices, low-profile and high-current pow
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Date:
08/29/2018
Murata Invests in MEMS Sensor Manufacturing in Finland
Smyrna, GA – Murata announced that is expanding its MEMS sensor manufacturing by building a new factory in Vantaa, Finland to increase the sensor production capacity. Total value of the investment is five billion yen. With the expansion, the company estimates to create 150–200 new jobs in 2018–2019. The ME
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Date:
08/28/2018
MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass. – Sager Electronics is now stocking Molex’s Ultra-Fit and Nano-Fit Power Connectors. Ultra-Fit Power Connectors solve four key design challenges while offering the premium housing features of proven Mini-Fit and Micro-Fit 3.0 connector systems: color-coded housings mitigate the risk
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Date:
08/28/2018
Gas-Sensing Drones Draw NSF Backing

Rice University postdoctoral researcher Riccardo Petrolo shows one of several autonomous aerial drones being prepared to monitor for pollutants. The National Science Foundation awarded a grant to the Rice lab of electrical and computer engineer Edward Knightly to develop the platform.

Rice University researchers, in a collaboration with Baylor College of Medicine and Houston nonprofit Technology For All (TFA), are developing a fleet of autonomous aerial drones that coordinate with each other to detect, track and model the environment and let neighborhoods know of airborne perils that can be
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Date:
08/28/2018
New Molecular Wires for Single-Molecule Electronic Devices

The proposed wire is 'doped' with a ruthenium unit that enhances its conductance to unprecedented levels compared with previously reported similar molecular wires.

Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology designed a new type of molecular wire doped with organometallic ruthenium to achieve unprecedentedly higher conductance than earlier molecular wires. The origin of high conductance in these wires is fundamentally different from similar molecular devices and suggests a
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Date:
08/28/2018
Supercapacitors Rated for Operating Temperatures to 175°C
FOUNTAIN INN, S.C. – AVX Corporation has increased the maximum operating temperature for its TWD High-Temp Max-Cap (HTMC) Series axial leaded, hermetically sealed wet tantalum capacitors from 125°C to 175°C. Based on a well-established wet tantalum design, the newly improved TWD HTMC Series capacitors provid
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Date:
08/28/2018
AC-DC Power ICs Offer Highest Power Density in the Industry
IRVINE, Calif. -- Fabless power semiconductor company Helix Semiconductors announced Murata Group represented by Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. as the first to co-develop the new MxC 300 transformerless chipset for their AC-DC converter modules. Helix Semiconductors’ MxC 300 is a two-chip solution th
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Date:
08/28/2018
Next-Generation Material in Energy Storage Devices

The fabrication schematic diagram of FeCo-selenide//Fe2O3 asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC). The FeCo-selenide and Fe2O3 electrodes serve as positive and negative electrodes respectively that both show excellent electrochemical performance. In addition, the fabricated ASC was connected to form a series circuit to light the "CUMT" board, which can be viewed as a promising candidate for large scale hybrid devices applications.

In a paper to be published in the forthcoming issue of NANO, a team of researchers from the China University of Mining and Technology have fabricated an asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) based on FeCo-selenide nanosheet arrays as positive electrode and Fe2O3 nanorod arrays as negative electrode. There is evidence that F
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Date:
08/28/2018
A Novel Nanoactuator System Has Been Developed

Gold nanoparticles tethered on a BSA-protein-protected gold surface via hairpin-DNA are moved reversibly using electric fields, while monitoring their position and DNA conformation optically via changes of its plasmon resonance (by color).

Researchers at University of Jyväskylä (Finland) and University of Tampere (Finland) together with BioNavis Ltd (Finland) have developed a novel nanoactuator system, where conformation of biomolecule can be tuned by electric field and probed using optical properties of gold nanoparticle. Over the past deca
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Date:
08/28/2018
TVS Array for Circuit Protection in Popular Data Interfaces
TEMPE, Ariz. – ProTek Devices introduced an ultra-low-capacitance transient voltage suppressor array (TVS array) for circuit protection in popular data interface connections such as Gigabit Ethernet, FireWire, USB 2.0 and 3.0, and HDMI 1.4 and 2.0. The very low capacitance for the new PLR0521U TVS array is 0.
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Date:
08/27/2018
Developing Novel Light Beams From Synchrotron Radiation
A new study has demonstrated a method that produces novel light beams from synchrotron light sources, opening up a new way to generate X-ray beams. Structured light, created using the process of generating and applying light to a surface, is important in many of today's devices, such as 3D scanners, dual photo
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Date:
08/27/2018
Water Vapor Annealing Technique on Diamond Surfaces for Next-Generation Power Devices

Schematic illustration of the formation of OH-terminated diamond (111) surface by water vapor annealing of H-terminated one.

Kanazawa - Diamonds are adored for their dazzling beauty, often displayed in exquisite jewelry. But, this solid form of carbon is also renowned for its outstanding physical and electronic properties. In Japan, a collaboration between researchers at Kanazawa University's Graduate School of Natural Science an
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Date:
08/27/2018
Federal R&D Increased 3% Between Fiscal Years 2016 and 2017
Federal obligations for research and development (R&D) totaled an estimated $118.3 billion in Fiscal Year (FY) 2017, an increase of 2.8 percent from total federal R&D obligations in FY2016. Total obligations for research declined 0.3 percent to $66.5 billion in FY2017. Data are from the most recent Su
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Date:
08/27/2018
Getting a Charge out of MOFs

At left, a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image of an iron BDP MOF crystal; at right, an iron BDP MOF single-crystal device bonded to a platinum microelectrode array.

MOFs - or metal-organic frameworks - are highly customizable porous network solids featuring cages that can come in many sizes and can attract and hold a variety of chemical components, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and hydrogen gases. And it's this versatile specificity that gives MOFs so much potential for
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Date:
08/27/2018
AVX Receives 4-Star Supplier Excellence Award from Raytheon
FOUNTAIN INN, S.C. -- AVX Corporation was recently honored with a 4-Star Supplier Excellence Award from Raytheon’s Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) business unit. Now in its twelfth year, the annual Raytheon IDS Supplier Excellence Awards recognize suppliers who have provided outstanding service and partnership in
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Date:
08/27/2018
Axial Lead Battery Strap Fuses for Rechargeable Battery Packs
Bel Fuse-Circuit Protection announces their latest Axial Lead Battery Strap PTC fuses, the 0ZSA & 0ZSC Series, which are designed for use in rechargeable battery packs, lithium cell and battery packs. These fuses can be used in a variety of applications, such as battery packs for mobile phones, computers, co
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Date:
08/24/2018
A Novel Graphene Quantum Dot Structure Takes the Cake

Electrons arranged in a wedding-cake like structure, a concentric series of insulating (red) and conducting (blue) rings, due to magnetic confinement in graphene. The height of each tier represents the energy of the electrons in that tier.

In a marriage of quantum science and solid-state physics, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have used magnetic fields to confine groups of electrons to a series of concentric rings within graphene, a single layer of tightly packed carbon atoms. This tiered "wedding cake,&quo
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Date:
08/24/2018
Chemists from the University of Waterloo have successfully resolved two of the most challenging issues surrounding lithium-oxygen batteries, and in the process created a working battery with near 100 per cent coulombic efficiency. The new work, which appears this week in Science, proves that four-electron conv
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Date:
08/24/2018
Computing Catalysts

Reaction mechanism showing a proton transfer from the superacid catalyst to isobutylene. This is the first step in the PIB polymerization process.

PITTSBURGH ... Polyisobutylene (PIB) is a workhorse polymer that is found in a multitude of products, ranging from chewing gum, to tires, to engine oil and gasoline additives. Although commercially produced in large quantities since the 1940s, PIB chemistry was a mystery - scientists weren't sure how the reaction mec
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Date:
08/24/2018
PoE Injectors Conform to IEEE802.3bt Standard
Fremont, CA — “The proliferation of Ethernet connected devices is expanding the need for power above the 30 watt level, as currently specified in the IEEE802.3at standard for Power Sourcing Equipment. To address these higher power requirements, the IEEE committee has been drafting the IEEE802.3bt standard, which
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Date:
08/23/2018
Tubular Wirewounds for High-Power Load-Dump Applications
RALEIGH, NC - Stackpole's EWT series of vitreous enamel coated tubular wirewounds is a good choice for high-power load-dump applications. It is available in power ratings from 25 watts up to 300 watts. he vitreous enamel coating withstands temperatures of up to 500C and allows operating temperatures up to 350C. The EWT's r
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Date:
08/23/2018
Brownies Reach For The Stars With New Space Badge

This is Girlguiding and STEM.

Girlguiding, the Royal Astronomical Society and the UK Space Agency have teamed up to give girls and young women in the UK unique and exciting opportunities to engage with astronomy beyond the classroom. As part of the partnership, the Royal Astronomical Society, through its RAS 200: Sky & Earth programme
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Date:
08/23/2018
Ferrite Beads Offer a High Magnitude of Attenuation
Cary, IL, USA — Coilcraft offers a broad range of wirewound ferrite beads in standard package sizes from 0201 (0603) to 1812 (4532). Superior attenuation and frequency performance enable smaller solution sizes compared to traditional thick-film chip ferrite beads. Ferrite beads are used as low pass filters to
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Date:
08/22/2018
Expanded Series of Surface Mount Inductors for Lighting
Signal Transformer announce their new SCIH1040HC and expanded SCIHP1367, SCIHP1350, SCIHP1338, SCIHP0718 and SCIHP0724 Series of Surface Mount Inductors (SMD) for Lighting Applications. These new series of SMD Inductors for Lighting complement existing Signal Series SMD SCRH5D28, SCRH129 and SCMS7D43AY. Emergence of LEDs a
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Date:
08/22/2018
Improved Thermal-Shock Resistance in Industrial Ceramics

At high temperatures, ceramics are susceptible to thermal-shock fractures caused by rapid temperature-changing events, such as cold water droplet contact with hot surfaces. In a novel interdisciplinary approach, engineers at the University of New Mexico report in AIP Advances the use of a cheap, simple, water-repelling coating to prevent thermal shock in ceramics. These are snapshots of hot surface and cold droplet interaction at 3 milliseconds at 300 degrees Celsius: (a) on as-received alumina ceramics and (b) on an engineered hydrophobic surface.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Ceramic materials are used in nuclear, chemical and electrical power generation industries because of their ability to withstand extreme environments. However, at high temperatures, ceramics are susceptible to thermal-shock fractures caused by rapid temperature-changing events, such as cold wa
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Date:
08/22/2018
Improved Understanding of Industrial Electrode Processes

Part of the Bochum research team: Alexander Botz, Denis Öhl and Tsvetan Tarnev (from the left)

In the industrial production of chlorine, recently special electrodes have been introduced, which consume much less current than conventional systems. The method requires oxygen which is introduced into hot, highly concentrated sodium hydroxide solution, in which it is poorly soluble. It is still unclear how in
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Date:
08/22/2018
BGA Package for 48V Cool-Power ZVS Buck Regulator Portfolio
Andover, MA – Vicor Corporation announced the PI354x-00-BGIZ, the latest addition to the 48V Cool-Power ZVS Buck Regulator portfolio, offering a new BGA package option to the existing PI354x-00-LGIZ LGA series. PI354x Cool-Power ZVS Buck Regulator’s high performance ZVS topology enables 48V direct to PoL
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Date:
08/22/2018
Powerbox presents Enhanced Rail Power Solutions at Innotrans 2018
From low power board-mounted DC/DC converters up to fully customized power solutions delivering multi-kilowatts, PRBX-ERPS is one of the most flexible and adaptable power solutions for railway applications. Designed to reduce time to market and meet specific rail industry requirements, PRBX-ERPS building blocks and
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Date:
08/22/2018
Powerstax appoints new Design Engineer
Harit recently completed his Masters in Electrical Power Engineering from University of Greenwich with Distinction. “I really appreciated the warm welcome I received from everyone at Powerstax,” Harit comments “I am proud to be starting my career at a company where I can be involved in the complete design cy
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Date:
08/22/2018
950V CoolMOS P7 Superjunction MOSFET
Infineon Technologies ushers a new member of its CoolMOS™ P7 family, the 950 V CoolMOS P7 Superjunction MOSFET. It meets even the most rigorous design requirements: for lighting, smart meter, mobile charger, notebook adapter, AUX power supply and industrial SMPS applications. This new semiconductor solution de
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Date:
08/22/2018
550 Watt Ultra High Density Power Supply
Gresham Power Electronics announces the introduction of its latest micro-footprint, Ultra High Density (UHD) 550W output power supply the OF(M)550. The product range has been designed for use in applications including industrial and telecom systems, medical equipment and LED lighting. This new series of open f
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Date:
08/22/2018
Maxim 5kVRMS Reinforced Digital Isolator
To better protect industrial systems from the dangers of high-voltage signals, equipment designers can now turn to the new robust and reliable MAX22445 5kVRMS four-channel reinforced digital isolator from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. (NASDAQ: MXIM). Delivering up to 2x greater throughput at 4x lower power co
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Date:
08/22/2018
Compact 200 Watt metal cased power supplies
It extends the existing TXM series which ranged from 15 to 150 Watt with an additional 200 Watt series. With a compact metal case and screw terminal block connections, they are easy to install in any equipment. There are three models of single output voltages from 12 VDC to 48 VDC. They also feature an universal in
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Date:
08/22/2018
Three new housings for D-Sub InduCom connectors
The new models, with 25, 15 and 9-poles respectively and three straight cable-entry points each, complement the existing 50-pole and 37-pole units, each having three straight cable-entry points. The straight cable inputs lead to easier and faster assembly, even under cramped space conditions. The wide range of st
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Date:
08/22/2018
Würth Wireless Connectivity from Digi-Key
The product range encompasses highly efficient wireless transmission solutions in the Bluetooth or Wireless M-Bus standard as well as proprietary wireless modules in the frequency ranges 169, 433, 868, 915 MHz and 2.4 GHz. Thanks to their low power consumption, these high-quality, compact components are ideal so
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Date:
08/22/2018
Simultaneous power supply for mainboard and 24V peripherals
The new industrial PC PSU BEA-750H from Bicker Elektronik, Donauwörth/Germany, offers in addition to the regular ATX outputs for current mainboards a strong 24VDC output, which can be loaded with up to 7 amps and thus provides enough power to ensure the reliable supply of displays, receipt printers, card readers, coi
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Date:
08/22/2018
Calculating a New Design

Dr. Wei Xiong (left) and Dr. Albert To in Pitt's ANSYS Additive Manufacturing Research Laboratory.

PITTSBURGH ... A research collaboration led by the University of Pittsburgh's Swanson School of Engineering is one of 15 national projects to receive nearly $8.8 million in Department of Energy (DOE) funding for cost-shared research and development initiatives to develop innovative technologies that enhance fos
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Date:
08/21/2018
Asia's First Fully Solar-Powered Quadcopter Drone
Aircraft that can take off and land directly without the need for a runway - such as helicopters and quadcopters - are attractive for personal, commercial and military applications as they require less physical space and infrastructure compared to traditional fixed wing planes. A team from the National University of
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Date:
08/21/2018
Seeking a New Element in Artificial Intelligence: Trust
BROOKLYN, New York, Tuesday - For decades, the cybersecurity community has devised protections to fend off malicious software attacks and identify and fix flaws that can disrupt the computing programs that are central to all aspects of life. Now, a team of researchers from New York University Tandon School of En
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Date:
08/21/2018
Power Test Solutions Available From 6kVA to 150kVA
For an unparalleled selection of precision AC and DC power sources at power levels from 6kVA to 150kVA, look no further than Pacific Power's AFX Series.  Now available in a new 2018 A version with expanded frequency and voltage ranges. Fully programmable and capable of AC, DC or any combination of AC plus
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Date:
08/21/2018
Miniature Coaxial Connector Offered With 40GHZ SMP Interface
DOWNERS GROVE, ILLINOIS -- Hirose has launched a series of MIL compliant coaxial connectors that deliver excellent high frequency performance up to 40Ghz. The SMP Series mmWave connector features a user-friendly push-on lock and is available in wide variations including plug, jack, adapter and terminator. Offer
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Date:
08/21/2018
A GPS for Inside Your Body

This is MIT professor Dina Katabi.

Medical processes like imaging often require cutting someone open or making them swallow huge tubes with cameras on them. But what if could get the same results with methods that are less expensive, invasive and time-consuming? Researchers from MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) le
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Date:
08/20/2018
Electrons Congregate so it Could be Useful to 'Valleytronics'

Elliptical orbits of bismuth surface electrons in a large magnetic field. The orientation and interference patterns of the electronic states reveal that the electrons prefer to occupy a single valley. Image created using a theoretical model of the data.

A Princeton-led study has revealed an emergent electronic behavior on the surface of bismuth crystals that could lead to insights on the growing area of technology known as "valleytronics." The term refers to energy valleys that form in crystals and that can trap single electrons. These valleys p
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Date:
08/20/2018
AC/DC Power Supply Offers Full-Load Operation up to 65°C
TRACO POWER has released the TPP 450-M series of medical & industrial approved 450 watt power supplies in a small 3.15 x 5.83 x 1.60” enclosed with fan package. High efficiency up to 94% combined with industrial grade components enable -40°C ~ +80°C operation (full load operation up to +65°C @ 230VAC in
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Date:
08/17/2018
CELEST: New Benchmarks in Energy Storage Research

Doctoral candidate Niyousha Karimi Paridari studies electrochemical properties of various materials for use in new energy storage technologies.

Electrochemical energy storage is a key technology of the 21st century. Now, the Center for Electrochemical Energy Storage Ulm & Karlsruhe (CELEST), one of the most ambitious research platforms in this area worldwide, has started operation. It combines finding-oriented research with close-to-practice development an
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Date:
08/17/2018
Color Effects From Transparent 3D Printed Nanostructures

Light hits the 3-D printed nanostructures from below. After it is transmitted through, the viewer sees only green light -- the remaining colors are redirected.

Most of the objects we see are colored by pigments, but using pigments has disadvantages: such colors can fade, industrial pigments are often toxic, and certain color effects are impossible to achieve. The natural world, however, also exhibits structural coloration, where the microstructure of an object causes va
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Date:
08/17/2018
Digital Isolator: 2x More Throughput at 4x Lower Power
SAN JOSE, Calif.—To better protect industrial systems from the dangers of high-voltage signals, equipment designers can now turn to the new robust and reliable MAX22445 5kVRMS four-channel reinforced digital isolator from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. Delivering up to 2x greater throughput at 4x lower power co
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Date:
08/16/2018
Metal Film MELF Offers Precision Performance
RALEIGH, NC - The MLF / MLFM metal film MELF from Stackpole Electronics offers precision performance in a low self-heating, surface mount package. The thin film technology provides tolerances as tight at +/- 0.1% and TCR as low as 10 ppm in a wide range of resistance values. This technology also provides exception
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Date:
08/16/2018
HOUSTON -- American Electric Technologies, Inc. announced that it has completed the closing of the previously announced agreement to sell certain assets of its M&I Electric Industries, Inc. subsidiary to a subsidiary of Myers Power Products, Inc. The Company also announced the resignation today of its Ch
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Date:
08/15/2018
App That Will Extend Your Smartphone Battery Life
New research out of the University of Waterloo has found a novel method to extend the battery life of smartphones for up to an hour each day. The researchers have developed an app which smartphone users can use to reduce the energy consumption of their devices without any significant impact on perfor
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Date:
08/15/2018
Molecular Switch Detects Metals in the Environment

When a metal ion is inserted, the molecule changes geometry, acting as an on/off switch.

An international team, led by researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, has designed a family of molecules capable of binding to metal ions present in its environment and providing an easily detectable light signal during binding. This new type of sensor forms a 3D structure whose molecules ar
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Date:
08/15/2018
AVX to Participate in Panel Discussion at COMVEC 2018
FOUNTAIN INN, S.C. – AVX Corporation has been invited to participate in a technical panel discussion about artificial intelligence and machine learning for commercial vehicles at the COMVEC 2018 conference and exposition, which will take place September 11–13 in Rosemont, Illinois, and will focus on disruptive te
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Date:
08/15/2018
Power Supplies Designed for Low-Power IoT Applications
PLANO, TX – RECOM's latest 15W and 20W AC/DC power supplies are designed for low-power IoT and household applications. Based on the footprint of the compact RAC10-K modules, these new modules feature high-efficiency over a wide load range and minimal standby power consumption. The RAC15-K and RAC20-K Ser
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Date:
08/15/2018
µModule Regulator with Digital Power System Management
NORWOOD, MA - Analog Devices announces the Power by Linear LTM4686, a dual 10A or single 20A ultrathin step-down µModule regulator with a PMBus interface housed in a 16mm x 11.9mm x 1.82mm LGA package. The 1.82mm package height allows the LTM4686 to be placed on a PC board very close to its load such as an FP
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Date:
08/15/2018
18kW Power Shelves Compatible with Open Compute Rack Designs
Bel Power Solutions and Protection announces the SPSPFE3-05G and SPSPFE3-06G power shelves, which provide rectification, system management and power distribution from 3-phase AC (3W+N+PE) power into a main output of 12 VDC for powering intermediate bus architectures up to 15 kW (5+1) high performance servers, ro
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Date:
08/15/2018
MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass. - Sager Electronics is now stocking ebm-papst's ACi4400 Series GreenTech EC Compact Fans. ebm-papst's ACi4400 Series GreenTech EC Compact Fans are now even more versatile with the addition of 90 – 264 VAC models. The expanded series of fans include all of the features and benefits of the
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Date:
08/14/2018
Computational Method for Designing a New Type of 2D Carbons
Zeolites are porous minerals that occur both naturally but also are being synthesized artificially. Because of their stability and durability, they are used in industrial water purification, catalysis, adsorption, and even in blood-clotting powders (e.g. QuickClot used by the US military). A recent applicati
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Date:
08/14/2018
Stretchable Electronics as Multipurpose as Your Smartphone

This is the device compared to a US dollar coin.

By stacking and connecting layers of stretchable circuits on top of one another, engineers have developed an approach to build soft, pliable "3D stretchable electronics" that can pack a lot of functions while staying thin and small in size. The work is published in the Aug. 13 issue of Nature Electronics. As a proof of concept
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Date:
08/14/2018
Medical-Grade Ethernet Magnetics Qualified to UL 60601
In the rapidly changing healthcare industry, hospitals rely heavily on interconnected medical devices and systems as much as the medical professionals that utilize them.  That’s why patient safety, operator safety, and workflow productivity are crucial for busy hospitals and imaging centers. The Networkin
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Date:
08/14/2018
Power Supply Includes Medical and Industrial Safety Approvals
Artesyn Embedded Technologies announced the LCM3000 series AC-DC single-output enclosed power supplies, which can supply up to 3000 watts output power with medical and industrial safety approvals. Designed to be a cost-effective forced-air bulk front end power supply, the LCM3000 series offers configurable nominal ou
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Date:
08/14/2018
CF-Rated Medical Power Supply Suited for Surgical Instruments
Phelps, NY – Bear Power Supplies has designed and is shipping a CF-rated medical power supply for surgical instruments and other medical applications. The rugged 9-Watt AC/DC converter is sealed and encapsulated to withstand wash down and rigorous drop testing. It meets UL60601-1 and UL60601-2 standards for medica
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Date:
08/13/2018
Another Step Forward on a Universal Quantum Computer

This is a nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond with two crossed wires for holonomic quantum gates over the geometric spin qubit with a polarized microwave.

Yokohama, Japan - Researchers have demonstrated holonomic quantum gates under zero-magnetic field at room temperature, which will enable the realization of fast and fault-tolerant universal quantum computers. A quantum computer is a powerful machine with the potential to solve complex problems much faster th
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Date:
08/13/2018
Over hundreds of millions of years of evolution, the magical nature has given birth to a myriad of biological materials which serve either as the skeletons of the organisms or as defensive or offensive weapons. Although these natural structural materials are derived from relatively sterile natural components, su
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Date:
08/13/2018
Automotive-Grade Quad Step-Down Regulators Reduce Footprint
NORWOOD, MA - Analog Devices announces the Power by Linear ADP5138, automotive-qualified, high-efficiency, 3.2MHz synchronous quad output buck regulators, incorporating a unique fixed frequency, peak current mode, PWM control architecture that reduces conducted and radiated emissions. The device’s high-efficiency bu
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Date:
08/13/2018
Inductor Offers a 50% Reduction in DCR
MALVERN, Pa. — Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. introduced the first device in its new IHSR series of high-temperature commercial inductors. Designed for multi-phase, high-current power supplies and filters in computer, industrial, and telecom applications, the Vishay Dale IHSR-4040DZ-51 offers a 50 % reduction in
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Date:
08/13/2018
Power Integrations Certifies USB PD Adapters
San Jose, Calif. – Power Integrations announced that a range of adapter designs based on Power Integrations’ InnoSwitch 3-Pro and InnoSwitch3-CP ICs have achieved compliance with USB Power Delivery (PD) 3.0 standards. During a recent workshop in Portland, Oregon, nine adapter designs featuring InnoSwitch3 devices
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Date:
08/10/2018
Four Argonne Experts Collect Dept. of Energy Honors

The Department of Energy gave Distinguished Achievement awards to Argonne's Andrew Burnham, Keith Hardy, Amgad Elgowainy and Jeongwoo Han in June. The researchers help advance transportation, sustainability and mobility at the laboratory.

Four researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory -- Andrew Burnham, Keith Hardy, Amgad Elgowainy and Jeongwoo Han (now with Exxon) -- have earned Distinguished Achievement awards for helping to reimagine transportation, sustainability and mobility. Argonne's Burnham, an
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Date:
08/10/2018
Indicator Series Delivers Uniform Intensity & ESD Protection
FARMINGDALE, N.J. – Dialight announced the launch of a new 597 SMD series of LED indicators. The four new indicators offer tighter intensity binning, reduced light bleed, and electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection for high-performance electronics, networking and control panel applications. The new 597 SMD products inclu
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Date:
08/09/2018
PSDcast - Silicon Carbide Devices in Cascode Arrangements

Anup Bhalla, VP of Engineering from United Silicon Carbide.

In this episode of the PSDcast, we're discussing wide band-gap semiconductors and talking to UnitedSiC about the idea of using silicon carbide devices in cascode arrangements ...
Date:
08/09/2018
Output Modules Support Medical & Industrial Applications
FORT COLLINS, Colo.—Excelsys Technologies Ltd., an Advanced Energy company, announced the upcoming release of two new CoolMod DC output modules expanding the CoolMod offering. The CmH is the dual output module and the CmF is the bulk power module for the CoolX Series of convection cooled modular configurable power
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Date:
08/09/2018
RALEIGH - The PowerAmerica Institute at N.C. State University, a member of Manufacturing USA, recently awarded funding to six new member projects that will enhance wide bandgap technologies in the United States. In addition, PowerAmerica awarded funding for 20 projects to be led by existing members for a total of $20 million in project funding for this cycle. A detai
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Date:
08/08/2018
A new Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining study has found that using ethanol from corncobs for energy production may help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in China, if used instead of starch-based ethanol. China has committed to limiting its emissions by 2030, and biofuel is considered the key to lower emiss
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Date:
08/08/2018
3D-Printed Shape-Shifting Soft Robots Crawl, Jump, Grab

This is a time-lapse photo for various designs of developed magnetic active material.

ADELPHI, MD. - New 3-D printed robotic structures can squeeze in tight spaces like a crack in the wall of a cave, jump over trip wire or crawl under a vehicle - all complex Army-relevant functions impossible for humans to perform safely. Investigators at the Army's Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies (ISN), loc
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Date:
08/08/2018
Seed Coats Could Lead to Strong, Tough, Flexible Materials

Characteristic features of the seedcoat of Portulaca oleracea , an annual succulent commonly known as verdolaga or purslane. A) Photograph of the P. oleracea flower, B) Photograph of the tiny black seeds from P.oleracea , C) SEM image of the P. oleracea seedcoat, D) a magnified area of the seedcoat of P.oleracea.

DURHAM, N.H. - Inspired by elements found in nature, researchers at the University of New Hampshire say the puzzle-like wavy structure of the delicate seed coat, found in plants like succulents and some grasses, could hold the secret to creating new smart materials strong enough to be used in items like body ar
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Date:
08/08/2018
HOUSTON (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- American Electric Technologies, Inc. (the “Company”) announces that it has entered into an agreement to sell the U.S. assets of its M&I Electric Industries, Inc. subsidiary to Myers Power Products, Inc. The purchase price for the assets will be $17.3 million resulting in cash proceed
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Date:
08/07/2018
Multilayer Chip Beads With High-Rated Currents
TDK Corporation has developed the new MPZ0603-H series of multilayer chip beads for power lines in an IEC 0603 package (EIA 0201) that feature twice the rated current and about half the DC resistance of the existing MPZ0603-C series. Thanks to a newly developed technology for the internal electrodes, TDK was ab
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Date:
08/07/2018
PSDcast - The Formula E Electric Racing Series

Mitch Van Ochten from ROHM Semiconductor

In this episode of the PSDcast, we're discussing the premier electric racing series, the Formula E championship. In particular, we're exploring ROHM Semiconductor's official technology partnership with the Venturi team.
Date:
08/07/2018
PROVIDENCE, RI – Mahr Inc. announced a new family of Micromar 40EWRi-L digital micrometers with high-speed measuring spindle positioning. The digital micrometers, with the latest MarConnect interface, allow measurements that are 10 times faster than a standard micrometer, saving the operator time when numerous
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Date:
08/07/2018
Power Supply Designed for Cost-Sensitive Applications
Bel Power Solutions announces the ABH50 Series, a 50 W open-frame power supply designed for cost-sensitive industrial applications. The ABH50 features a highly efficient quasi-resonant flyback converter and meets DOE requirements for standby power and Class B EMI with Margin. This open frame PSU features an input
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Date:
08/07/2018
DC-DC Converters Perform Local Voltage Conversion to 48V
MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass. - Sager Electronics is now stocking TDK-Lambda’s i3A Series of 100W non-isolated DC-DC converters. TDK-Lambda's i3A power modules perform local voltage conversion from a 12V, 24V, or well-regulated 48V bus. The i3A series utilizes a low component count that results in both a low cost
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Date:
08/07/2018
NAI Responds to China Tariff Issues
Troy, MI – NAI has formulated a response strategy to the immediate sourcing issues associated with the China Tariff disputes. NAI is experiencing a very recent trend with companies shifting the sourcing of their procurements to North American production facilities as a hedge, until the longer-term tariff di
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Date:
08/07/2018
Electrodes for All-Solid-State Batteries

The batteries were made by stacking various layers via thin-film deposition methods. The LNMO/Li3PO4 interface showed spontaneous migration of Li ions and had an unprecedentedly low resistance.

Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology have addressed one of the major disadvantages of all-solid-state batteries by developing batteries with a low resistance at their electrode/solid electrolyte interface. The fabricated batteries showed excellent electrochemical properties that greatly surpass those of
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Date:
08/06/2018
Molded Inductors for Automotive and Industrial Applications
Pulse Electronics Power Business Unit has released the PA434X.XXXANLT series of automotive grade molded inductors and the extension of commercial grade molded inductors by adding the PA4546, PA4547 and PA4548 series to the existing line of industrial grade inductors. The PA434X.XXXANLT series is offered in
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Date:
08/06/2018
Resistors Feature Power of 8 kW in Standard Mill Bank Size
MALVERN, Pa. — Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. introduced a new series of high power, high current mica grid resistors in the standard mill bank size. Offering designers a lower cost option to the standard stainless steel grid design, Vishay Milwaukee GREM resistors feature EDG technology for improvements in po
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Date:
08/06/2018
10 Watt DC/DC Converter With a Wide 4:1 Input Range
TRACO POWER has announced the release of their TEL10WI series of 10 watt DC/DC converters in the DIP-16 package measuring 0.94 x 0.54 x 0.31”, the series sets the new standard for 10 watt power density with 3.83 W/cm3. Approved to UL62368-1 & UL60950, the TEL10WI are economical solutions for space-critical and
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Date:
08/03/2018
Marketing 'Virtual Audit' Technology
Case Western Reserve University, through its Great Lakes Energy Institute, recently entered into a one-year agreement with Johnson Controls to further develop and begin marketing the new technology--software which uses smart-meter electricity datasets to conduct a "virtual" energy audit of a commercial or
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Date:
08/03/2018
Fast, Cheap, and Colorful 3D Printing

This brightly colored dragon was produced by 3D printing, using gold nanorods as photosensitizers.

People are exploring the use of 3D printing for wide-ranging applications, including manufacturing, medical devices, fashion and even food. But one of the most efficient forms of 3D printing suffers from a major drawback: It can only print objects that are gray or black in color. Now, researchers have tweaked th
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Date:
08/02/2018
Large Supercrystals Promise Superior Sensors

Sandia National Laboratories researcher Hongyou Fan holds a vial of gold supercrystals he will characterize in the X-ray scattering instrument to his right.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Using an artful combination of nanotechnology and basic chemistry, Sandia National Laboratories researchers have encouraged gold nanoparticles to self-assemble into unusually large supercrystals that could significantly improve the detection sensitivity for chemicals in explosives or drugs. "Our supercrys
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Date:
08/02/2018
Core module for future wireless charging infrastructure
Before electric cars can become a means of transport for everyone, a charging infrastructure needs to be introduced that can serve the mass market. The engineering company Finepower is developing a charging system that can charge the batteries in all vehicle types wirelessly, regardless of their manufacturer, as
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Date:
08/02/2018
High-voltage analog input module added to OpreX lineup
Yokogawa Electric Corporation has announced the development of the GX90XA-10-V1 high-voltage analog input module. The new product will be released on July 9th as part of the OpreXTM Data Acquisition family of data collection and control solutions. The GX90XA-10-V1 module enables Yokogawa recorders and data
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Date:
08/02/2018
DRQ DC/DC Converters Delivers 1K Watts at 97% Efficiency
Murata has announced the 1 kW DRQ-11.4/88-L48 Series of quarter brick, intermediate bus, DC/DC converter modules that address the growing power requirements of high-reliability networking and telecommunications infrastructure equipment. The fully regulated DRQ-11.4/88-L48xx Series provides 11.4 Vout at 88 A, with a Vin Range
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Date:
08/02/2018
New CMOS op-amp delivers class-leading low-noise
ROHM today 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 years, in addition to IoT devic
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Date:
08/02/2018
TTI, Inc. Acquires Compona AG of Switzerland
TTI, Inc announced the acquisition of privately held Compona AG of Switzerland and the company’s German subsidiary Cosy Electronics GmbH. Both Compona and Cosy are specialty distributors of interconnect products and provide services such as in-house assembly of specific connector ranges and full support on cu
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Date:
08/02/2018
Industrial Magnetometer and eCompass for Precision Motion Sensing
Geneva -- With industrial-grade longevity that assures availability for 10 years, the STMicroelectronics IIS2MDC magnetometer and ISM303DAC eCompass enable both reliable, low-power tamper detection for smart meters and precision motion and distance sensing in applications from industrial automation and robotics to sma
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Date:
08/01/2018
Microcontrollers Evolve to Support BLDC Automotive Needs

Figure 1 - PC Board

As car manufacturers strive to find ways to increase energy efficiency, and therefore reduce CO2 emissions, the adoption of low-powered, low-weight electric motors for auxiliary units - which work separately from the main drive motor - is on the increase. The electrification of comfort and safety devices like fa
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Date:
08/01/2018
Simplifying Complex Measurements With a Source Measure Unit

Figure 1. The use of one SMU channel on the input terminal and another on the output terminal replaces several instruments.

In today’s fast paced world of electronics design, complexity represents evil and must be avoided at all cost while simplicity represents all that is right and good. Ok, maybe it’s not quite that extreme, but when it comes to test and measurement, simplicity is the engineer’s best friend because it saves ti
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Date:
08/01/2018
Technology-Driven Optimization for Power and Thermal Tradeoffs

Figure 1 – Highest optimization potential exists at the system-level

Traditionally the key concerns and optimization targets in chip development have been summarized as “PPA”—performance, power and area. Depending on the application domain, the relative weighting of those three design objectives can vary greatly. In mobile devices, power has been key for quite some time. In
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Date:
08/01/2018
One Giant Leap for the Power Industry
Welcome to the July/August edition of Power Systems Design. Traditionally, things quieten down a bit over the summer period and we get a chance to take some well deserved rest and relaxation. This year that rest is even more welcome as things seemed to increase in intensity as the year went on. Things came to a
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Date:
08/01/2018
The Many Flavors of Automotive Electronics
Our automotive/infotainment issue just might be the most diverse offering of the year – most of us drive cars, so OEMs have a wide variety of avenues to approach one of the industry’s most universal topics. Thus, the July/August issue covers such varied themes as audio amplifiers, MLCCs, and SiC MOSFETs, all
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Date:
08/01/2018
High-Current, Low-Profile SMT Inductors
SAN DIEGO -- Pulse Electronics introduces a new series of high-current, low-profile SMT inductors. These products offer the highest energy storage density of any inductor on the market. The inductors have high current (>40Apk) and low profile (2.1mm to 5.0mm) features, and they offer soft saturation, no thermal ag
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Date:
08/01/2018
12 mm Mated Connectors Comply with ANSI/VITA 42.0 XMC Standard
New Albany, IN: As an ANSI/VITA member, Samtec, a privately held $713MM global manufacturer of a broad line of electronic interconnect solutions, is proud to release new connector sets compliant with the revised ANSI/VITA 42.0-2016 XMC Standard. VITA 42 XMC defines an open standard for supporting high-speed, switched
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Date:
08/01/2018
Board-to-Board Connector Delivers High Transmission Speeds
DOWNERS GROVE, ILLINOIS -- Hirose has developed a miniature board-to-board connector that combines a rugged design with high-speed transmission speeds of more than 10Gpbs to support a number of industrial applications. Featuring a pitch of only 0.8mm pitch, the ER8 Series contacts are optimized for signal integrity
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Date:
08/01/2018
2.5A Backup Power Manager Provides High-Efficiency Charging
NORWOOD, MA - Analog Devices announces the Power by Linear LTC4041, a complete supercapacitor backup power management system for 2.9V to 5.5V supply rails that must be kept active during a main power failure. Supercapacitors have higher power density than batteries, making them ideal for systems requiring high pe
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Date:
08/01/2018
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