Industrial

July 2019
PSDcast - The Global Deployment of 5G Technologies

Ken Bednasz at Telit

5G's the future of telecommunications, and as such, it's significantly faster and more reliable than the status quo. And in this episode of the PSDcast, we're chatting with Ken Bednasz at Telit about 5G and its global rollout. Telit's one of the leading enablers of the IoT, so they have a rather unique perspective on the
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Date:
07/31/2019
Chip Resistors with Resistance Values from 1 ohm to 1Meg ohm
RALEIGH, NC – Stackpole has increased the power rating of its popular RPC Series. The RPC-UP from Stackpole offers 0805 and 1206 size chip resistors with excellent pulse withstanding and high power ratings. RPC0805-UP is rated at 0.5W and 400V working voltage and the RPC1206-UP is rated at 0.75W and 500V. Re
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Date:
07/31/2019
Emerson Collaborates with Dragos on Cybersecurity Protection

Emerson and Dragos, Inc. have signed a global agreement that will enable power producers and water utilities to further strengthen the security of their critical assets.

PITTSBURGH — Emerson and Dragos, Inc., developer of the Dragos Platform for industrial cybersecurity asset detection, threat detection and response, have signed a global agreement that will enable power producers and water utilities to further strengthen the security of their critical assets. Emerson will in
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Date:
07/31/2019
AC-DC Power Supplies Offer Multiple Mounting Options
TUALATIN, Ore. — CUI’s Power Group announced the addition of 3 W and 5 W models to its line of low power, encapsulated ac-dc power supplies. Available in board mount, chassis mount, wire lead, and DIN rail configurations, the single output PSK‑S3 and PSK‑S5B series are housed in compact packages measuring as
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Date:
07/30/2019
Powercast: 3 FCC Approvals for Over the Air Wireless Power

Powercast long-range wireless power technology gains FCC approval to power on-shelf retail applications like wirelessly illuminated product packaging, interactive end cap displays and electronic paper displays (EPD) such as electronic shelf-edge labels.

PITTSBURGH -- Powercast Corporation announced that its radio-frequency (RF)-based long-range over-the-air wireless power technology has received three new certifications from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) – totaling seven since 2007 – adding retail applications to the company’s existing FCC ap
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Date:
07/29/2019
Camera can Watch Moving Objects Around Corners

Objects -- including books, a stuffed animal and a disco ball -- in and around a bookshelf tested the system's versatility in capturing light from different surfaces in a large-scale scene.

David Lindell, a graduate student in electrical engineering at Stanford University, donned a high visibility tracksuit and got to work, stretching, pacing and hopping across an empty room. Through a camera aimed away from Lindell - at what appeared to be a blank wall - his colleagues could watch his every move. That's because, h
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Date:
07/29/2019
A Computer That Understands how you Feel

Kragel is combining machine learning with brain imaging to learn more about how images impact emotions.

Could a computer, at a glance, tell the difference between a joyful image and a depressing one? Could it distinguish, in a few milliseconds, a romantic comedy from a horror film? Yes, and so can your brain, according to research published this week by University of Colorado Boulder neuroscientists. "Machine learning technology is
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Date:
07/26/2019
The Apollo Guidance Computer – History's Unsung Hero

Margaret Hamilton posing next to stacks of software she and her team at the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory developed for the Apollo computer.

We’ve all heard that the computer on Apollo 11 had less memory than modern calculators. And that’s true, but the disparities are even more astounding, and on the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, I wanted to take a gander at the piece of hardware that made Apollo 11 possible, the Apollo Guidance
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Date:
07/24/2019
Ultrathin Transistors for Faster Computer Chips

Schematics of the new transistor: the insulator in red and blue, and the semiconductor above

For decades, the transistors on our microchips have become smaller, faster and cheaper. Approximately every two years the number of transistors on commercial chips has doubled - this phenomenon became known as "Moore's Law". But for several years now, Moore's law does not hold any more. The miniaturization has
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Date:
07/24/2019
Valleytronics Core Theory for High-Efficiency Semiconductors

A diagram on the formation of valley domain in molybden disulphide, a 2D crystal material, and its current signal control.

A DGIST research team discovered a theory that can expand the development of valleytronics technology, which has been drawing attention as a next generation semiconductor technology. This is expected to advance the development of valleytronics technology one level further, a new magnetic technology of next generation th
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Date:
07/24/2019
New Material for Wearable Devices to Restore Conductivity

Contrary to typical materials, the electrical conductivity of which decreases when the shape of the materials is changed by an applied tensile strain, the new material developed by the KIST research team shows a dramatic increase in conductivity under a tensile strain of 3,500%.

The research team of researcher Hyunseon Seo and senior researcher Dr. Donghee Son of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology's (KIST, president: Byung-gwon Lee) Biomedical Research Institute and postdoctoral candidate Dr. Jiheong Kang and Professor Zhenan Bao of Stanford University (chemical engineering) ann
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Date:
07/24/2019
GaN Technology Breaks into Power Supply Designs

Click image to enlarge

Figure 1: Synchronous rectification in a secondary circuit

The ideal AC-DC power supply will be compact, reliable and cool running. This has been the request from equipment designers in the industrial and medical industries since the dawn of the electronic age. With the advent of switch mode power supplies in the 1970s, the industry took a quantum leap towards this go
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Date:
07/23/2019
Five Reasons Why Your IoT Application Needs Fog Computing

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Figure 1: IoT with and without Fog Computing

Cloud computing in the IoT is about centralized data processing. In contrast, fog computing focuses on moving computational power, storage capacity, device-control capability, and networking power closer to the devices. Fog computing is a term created by Cisco that is used to describe computing on devices in
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Date:
07/23/2019
Cybersecurity Clouds Over the Bright Future of Smart Grids

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Figure 1: The evolving Smart Grid energy infrastructure

Cybersecurity represents a dark cloud overshadowing the “smart grid” modernization of the existing electrical grid system that enhances customers' and utilities' ability to monitor, control, and predict energy use. The need for a secure enterprise-level architecture in defending against pote
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Date:
07/23/2019
DC-DC Conversion for 48 V – 12 V Automotive Applications

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Figure 1: Example comparison of AEC qualified Si MOSFET and eGaN FET

Recent evolution in automotive powertrain technology has motivated the use of a dual 48 V and 12 V bus in mild hybrid vehicles, which can provide an 8 − 15% fuel consumption reduction. The 48 V Li-ion battery bus furthermore supports higher power loads such as air conditioning, faster heating of the cabin, an
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Date:
07/22/2019
Intel Enpirion DC-DC Voltage Bus Converter
Intel Enpirion EC2650QI 12V DC-DC Step Down Voltage Bus Converter offers extremely high-efficiency, with integrated low ON-resistance MOSFET switches and small-signal control circuits in an advanced 5.5mm x 5.5mm x 0.9mm 36-pin QFN package. The EC2650QI Voltage Bus Converter features an output voltage that tracks on
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Date:
07/22/2019
Automotive-Grade IHLP Inductors for Under the Hood Apps
MALVERN, Pa. — Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. introduced its smallest Automotive Grade IHLP low profile, high current inductors to date. Offered in the 3.3 mm by 3.3 mm 1212 case size to save space in next-generation ADAS and sensor applications, the Vishay Dale IHLP-1212AZ-A1 and IHLP-1212AB-A1 combine operating temperature
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Date:
07/22/2019
TTI Now Stocks Murata's LoRa Module
Fort Worth, Texas – TTI, Inc., is now stocking the Murata LoRa Module Type ABZ (CMWX1ZZABZ). Murata’s Type ABZ module is a new, compact, low cost, low power wide area network (LPWAN) wireless module that supports the LoRaWAN long-range wireless protocol. This new stand-alone module measures 12.5 x 11.6 x 1.
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Date:
07/18/2019
Mikrotron Introduces its First CoaXPress 2.0 Camera
(POWAY, CA) -- Mikrotron is redefining video acquisition speed and performance with the launch of its first camera to feature the ultra-fast CoaXPress 2.0 (CXP 2.0) interface: the EoSens 1.1CXP2. By being one of the first camera manufacturers to introduce a CXP 2.0 camera, Mikrotron is extending the advantages
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Date:
07/18/2019
Flexible Connectivity for Industrial Vision Applications
HILLSBORO, OR – Lattice Semiconductor Corporation announced the availability of the latest in a series of new reference designs featuring the Lattice CrossLink FPGA for video bridging applications. The SubLVDS to MIPI CSI-2 Image Sensor Bridge reference design provides industrial device customers with a flexible, ea
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Date:
07/17/2019
Low Profile Digitizer with Industry Leading Performance
BEAVERTON, Ore. -- Tektronix, Inc. unveiled the 6 Series Low Profile Digitizer, the first 4-channel digitizer to offer up to 8 GHz bandwidth, 25 GS/s sampling rate and a 12-bit ADC on every channel, all in a space-saving 2U rack form factor. In contrast to alternative digitizers that interleave sample rate, bandwid
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Date:
07/17/2019
Switching Regulator Extends Battery Life in IoT Designs
DALLAS – Texas Instruments (TI) introduced an ultra-low-power switching regulator with the industry’s lowest operating quiescent current (IQ) at 60 nA – 1/3 that of the nearest competitive device. The TPS62840 synchronous step-down converter delivers very high light-load efficiency of 80% at 1-µA load, wh
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Date:
07/16/2019
6 W Multi-Blade Power Adapter Boasts Ultra-Compact Package
TUALATIN, Ore. — CUI’s Power Group announced the introduction of a next-generation 6 W wall plug-in ac-dc power supply with interchangeable ac blades designed for global use. The SMI6B series features an ultra-compact package measuring 1.85 x 1.36 x 1.04 in (47 x 34.5 x 26.5 mm), while complying with the US
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Date:
07/16/2019
Mouser Electronics Now Stocking Portfolio of Xilinx Products
Mouser Electronics, Inc. announces a new global distribution agreement with Xilinx, Inc., the leader in adaptive and intelligent computing, to stock one of the industry’s broadest portfolios of Xilinx products, including digital downloads of development software and IP. Xilinx is the inventor of the FPGA, hardware programmable system-
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Date:
07/15/2019
2D Perovskite Materials Have Unique, Conductive Edge States

Topographical view of the surface of the perovskite layer (l) and electrical current image of the same layer showing the conductive edges.

A new class of 2D perovskite materials with edges that are conductive like metals and cores that are insulating was found by researchers who said these unique properties have applications in solar cells and nanoelectronics. "This observation of the metal-like conductive states at the layer edges of these
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Date:
07/15/2019
Hirose Expands WTB Series with Center Lock Version
DOWNERS GROVE, ILLINOIS -- Hirose has extended the locking options for its 2.0mm pitch DF51 Series wire-to-board connector. The new DF51K Series features a space-saving center lock design. The user-friendly positive lock provides a clear tactile click and secures a reliable connection. Available in multiple widths, t
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Date:
07/15/2019
AD Front End for Industrial Systems and Sensor Flexibility
The AD4110-1 is a complete, single-channel, universal input analog-to-digital front end for industrial process control systems where sensor type flexibility is required. The high voltage input is fully software configurable for current or voltage signals and allows direct interface to all standard industria
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Date:
07/12/2019
ADCs Feature Throughput Rates up to 4 MSPS

EVAL-AD738xFMCZ

The AD7380/AD7381 are a 16-bit and 14-bit pin-compatible family of dual simultaneous sampling, high speed, low power, successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converters (ADC) that operate from a 3.0 V to 3.6 V power supply and feature throughput rates up to 4 MSPS. The analog input type is dif
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Date:
07/12/2019
Automated Control System for High Pressure Hydraulic Pumps
Erie, PA - High Pressure Equipment Company (HiP), a subsidiary of Graco Inc., introduces the PT2020 first-of-its-kind Automated Controller System for air-driven high pressure hydraulic pumps. The PT2020 controller is designed to provide automated pressure control for a wide range of hydrostatic testing. Operators si
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Date:
07/12/2019
PSDcast - Qualifying SiC Devices to Stringent Standards

Avi Kashyap with Microchip.

In this episode of the PSDcast, we're talking to Avi Kashyap with Microchip about one of the biggest challenges for silicon carbide vendors - qualifying their SiC devices to stringent industrial, automotive, and harsh environment standards, one example being AEC- Q101, a stress test qualification for automotive-grade dis
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Date:
07/11/2019
Peltier Coolers Offer Precise Temp Control for Centrifuges
Centrifuges are commonly used in medical research for protein, genetic and cellular analysis. Centrifugation involves spinning samples at a fast rate to build up physical forces and release heat. Dense components migrate away from the center axis, while less dense components migrate towards the axis. Depending o
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Date:
07/10/2019
Funding for new Semiconductor Research Centre Announced

An artist's impression of the new Centre for Integrative Semiconductor Materials (CISM).

A new state-of-the-art facility that will bring together groundbreaking research with technology development in the field of semiconductor science and engineering is to be built at Swansea University, following the announcement of a major £30 million capital investment by the UK Research Partnership Investment Fu
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Date:
07/10/2019
Helix Semiconductors' MxC 200 Power ICs Stocked at Digi-Key

Helix’s MxC 200 family of configurable 15W DC-DC power ICs are now available worldwide from Digi-Key.

IRVINE, Calif. -- Fabless power semiconductor company Helix Semiconductors and Digi-Key, a leading electronic components distributor, announced that the two companies have entered into a global distribution partnership. Under the terms of the agreement, Digi-Key will distribute Helix Semiconductors’ MxC 200 fa
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Date:
07/09/2019
Analytics Platform for Industrial Control Systems Security
McLean, VA—Cynash Inc. announces the commercial availability of its Cynalytic analytics appliance for serial communications-based ICS/SCADA control networks. The combination of Cynalytic and Cynash’s SerialTap sensors brings new visibility and analysis to serial communications—shedding light on ICS cyber bli
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Date:
07/09/2019
Semiconducting Nanotubes that Form Spontaneously

The tubes consist of several walls that are perfectly uniform and just a few atoms thick. They display optical properties that make them perfect for use as fluorophores or photocatalysts.

If scientists could find a way to control the process for making semiconductor components on a nanometric scale, they could give those components unique electronic and optical properties - opening the door to a host of useful applications. Researchers at the Laboratory of Microsystems, in EPFL's School of Enginee
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Date:
07/08/2019
A New Way of Making Complex Structures in Thin Films
CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Self-assembling materials called block copolymers, which are known to form a variety of predictable, regular patterns, can now be made into much more complex patterns that may open up new areas of materials design, a team of MIT researchers say. The new findings appear in the journal Nature Co
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Date:
07/05/2019
PSDcast - A Design Win for Students in Massachusetts
In this episode of the PSDcast, we're discussing an engineering design win that happens to benefit over 26,000 students. Since 2009, Generac Industrial Power has held its Engineering Power Symposium, and the highlight of the event is its Project of the Year Award. And this year, Generac gave the prestigious
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Date:
07/03/2019
AI-Designed Heat Pumps Consume Less Energy

The method uses artificial intelligence to design next-generation heat-pump compressors.

Researchers at EPFL have developed a method that uses artificial intelligence to design next-generation heat-pump compressors. Their method can cut the pumps' power requirement by around 25%. In Switzerland, 50 - 60% of new homes are equipped with heat pumps. These systems draw in thermal energy from the surrou
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Date:
07/03/2019
Building Trust in Artificial Intelligence
From telecommunications to road traffic, from healthcare to the workplace - digital technology is now an intrinsic part of almost every area of life. Yet how can we ensure that developments in this field, especially those that rely on artificial intelligence (AI), meet all our ethical, legal and technological co
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Date:
07/02/2019
Sampling of Quantum States of Light in a Silicon Chip

By exploring complex integrated circuits, photonic states can be generated and processed at larger scales.

Scientists from the University of Bristol and the Technical University of Denmark have found a promising new way to build the next generation of quantum simulators combining light and silicon micro-chips. In the roadmap to develop quantum machines able to compete and overcome classical supercomputers in solvin
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Date:
07/02/2019
Engineering Design Kits Offer Rapid Prototyping
RALEIGH, NC – Stackpole’s engineering design sample kits offer the design engineer lots of options for prototyping new design concepts. For general purpose requirements, thick film RMCF kits offer each resistance value in 1% tolerances in a single decade or 5% tolerances in a two decade span. These kits
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Date:
07/02/2019
Connectors Increase Current Ratings to 13A
MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – TE Connectivity (TE) introduced an extension of its VAL-U-LOK connector product line that increases the maximum current rating from 9A to 13A in the broadly accepted 4.2mm centerline spacing connector system. TE’s new 13A VAL-U-LOK connectors support high current requirements for wire
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Date:
07/01/2019
A Cold-Tolerant Electrolyte for Lithium-Metal Batteries

Improvements to a class of battery electrolyte first introduced in 2017 -- liquefied gas electrolytes -- could pave the way to a high-impact and long-sought advance for rechargeable batteries: replacing the graphite anode with a lithium-metal anode.

Improvements to a class of battery electrolyte first introduced in 2017 - liquefied gas electrolytes - could pave the way to a high-impact and long-sought advance for rechargeable batteries: replacing the graphite anode with a lithium-metal anode. The research, published July 1, 2019 by the journal Joule, bu
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Date:
07/01/2019
MiLiQuant: Putting Quantum Technology into Practice

A diamond on a parabolic light collecting lens is the main component of the new angular rate sensor.

Quantum technology is about to make the leap from scientific research to concrete applications. Contributing to this is the new MiLiQuant research project in which businesses and universities are cooperating to develop new applications for quantum technology. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (B
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Date:
07/01/2019
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