Electronic Products & Technology October 2019

CANADA’S INFORMATION LEADER FOR ELECTRONIC ENGINEERS AND DESIGNERS

EPT.CA

OCTOBER 2019

AGRI TECH

AIS develops autonomous robots for use in agricultural nurseries p.8

TEST FOR STEM

Future-proofing university labs attracts the best and brightest p.14

TEST CHALLENGES Report shows link between test equipment and making electronic hardware p.18

SUPPLY CHAIN PM 40065710

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Mouser shares its insights on today’s distribution challenges p.10

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INSIDE Cover photo: Getty Images Photos (this page, from top): Mouser Electronics; Tektronix; AIS; Kraken Robotics Inc.

Columns

4 EDITORIAL Disruption lurks in distribution channels 8 WEST TECH REPORT Burnaby-based AIS cultivates autonomous robots

OCTOBER 2019

COVER STORY

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In every issue

6 NEWSWATCH 12 NEW PRODUCTS 21 AD INDEX 22 A LOOK BACK Tariff talk was topical 40 years ago

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SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Mouser details how it is tackling issues impacting component supply streams TEST IN EDUCATION Modern test equipment is imperative to invest properly in the STEM field TEST EQUIPMENT Keysight report underscores importance of test units for electronic hardware manufacturing

6 Is your company ready for the digital transformation?

Automation and the future of work will be bright.

As manufactured products and processes become more complex, they give rise to a host of new jobs.

Special keynote address at EPTECH Waterloo, October 29

Irene Sterian Photo: Credit tk here

President & CEO, ReMAP Director, Technology & Innovation, Celestica

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• Why manufacturing matters in the global economy • How the future of work will change, but will not disappear • What you can do today to accelerate your digital journey

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October 2019 / EP&T

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EDITORIAL

Disty disruption is part of managing supply chain The tsunami of disruption continues to impact supply chains around the globe and the electronic component ecosystem is no different.

Rapidly escalating trade wars and historically high electronic component shortages have nudged up the cost of components to OEMs, designers and purchasers. Its impact on traditional distribution channels has caused shifts in sourcing strategies, as well as slowed down the introduction of new products.

At a time when electronic components are being incorporated into every type of design, the demand for these parts is outpacing supply, and has been for a while.

This problem is further exacerbated by component makers’ production capacity. While demand is growing, production is not. Part vendors are not increasing their production capacity and they are not building new factories. Who can blame them?

There is tremendous risk and cost associated with the investment of new production lines, new plants. What happens if this demand tapers off?

Amazon’s foray into component distribution

More disruption lurks amid the explosion of the digital era, as e-commerce behemoth Amazon. com Inc. has begun dipping its toe into the component supply chain waters. Albeit, Amazon Business operates strictly as a niche player for now. Despite its delivery prowess, Amazon cannot match what traditional broadline, full-service distributors do – and that is more than just sell parts.

There is the global presence, the

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Volume 41, Number 7 EDITOR Stephen Law slaw@ept.ca · (416) 510-5208 WEST COAST CORRESPONDENT

SENIOR PUBLISHER Scott Atkinson satkinson@ept.ca · (416) 510-5207 ACCOUNT MANAGER Joanna Malivoire

jmalivoire@ept.ca · direct 866-868-7089

MEDIA DESIGNER Andrea M. Smith

asmith@annexbusinessmedia.com

CIRCULATION MANAGER Anita Madden

amadden@annexbusinessmedia.com Tel: 416-442-5600 ext. 3596

ACCOUNT COORDINATOR Tracey Hanson thanson@annexbusinessmedia.com VICE PRESIDENT – EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER

Tim Dimopoulos tdimopoulos@annexbusinessmedia.com COO Scott Jamieson

technical support, there are the terms, the quality and compliance.There are many elements to the distribution of components that are very specific to our industry – and hard to replicate.

Supply chain industry pundits agree that Amazon Business does not pose a great a concern today, because it won’t offer those capabilities in the nearterm future. But, it would be a mistake not to continue to keep an eye on how the digital giant proceeds in this space.

of the distribution of electronic components.

These defections are a blow for the ECIA, since membership fees are indexed to their turnover. Together, sales of Arrow, Avnet and Electrocomponents represent some USD$50-billion. Industry pundits say the decision could be related to a rise in direct sales of component manufacturers. The word is that the new Arrow/Avnet/ Electrocomponents consortium will reportedly be more distributor-centric than the ECIA.

Disty players exit ECIA

Cover Story Q&A

Additional ripples appeared within disty related waters recently, as the strategy of major electronic components handlers - Arrow, Avnet and Electrocomponents - announced that they are withdrawing from the Electronic Components Industry Association (ECIA), and that they will create a new association advocacy for the distribution of electronic components.

The group called Global Electronics Distributor Association (GEDA), will aim to defend the interests of the major retailers.

GEDA is expected to become official this November - opening its membership doors to providers eager to ‘advance the cause’

facebook.com/EPTmag/

ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS & TECHNOLOGY / October 2019

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OCTOBER 2019

Sohail Kamal sohail@nextgear.ca

Connect with EP&T magazine @EPTmagazine

Canada’s information leader for electronic engineers and designers

/ept-magazine

Our cover story in this issue provides a street-level look at what one of the major electronic component distributors is doing to battle issues such as allocation, tariffs, compliance regulations and component obsolescence.

Page 10-11 presents a Q&A conversation with Mark Burr-Lonnon, senior vice president of global service & EMEA and APAC business at Mouser Electronics Inc. Be sure to read what one significant disty player is doing to ride the waves of ongoing change.

STEPHEN LAW Editor slaw@ept.ca info@ept.ca

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NEWSWATCH PCB BOARDS

MICROART SERVICES COMPLETES AS9100D CERTIFICATION

An employee at Microart Services in Markham ON inspects a pcb board.

learning to the Patriot One staff.

XTRACT’s novel neural network architecture and data fusion techniques are robust, efficient and require less memory than comparable standards. With several strategic PATSCAN deployment initiatives in progress, including with Johnson Controls International and Bleutech Park-Las Vegas announced over the last month, the Company sees this move as both necessary and a key differentiator for its future platform development.

PATRIOT ONE ACQUIRES AI FIRM XTRACT TECHNOLOGIES

Patriot One Technologies Inc., Vancouver-based developer of the PATSCAN Multi-Sensor Covert Weapon Detection Platform, has acquired XTRACT Technologies Inc., a Vancouver-based developer of advanced Artificial Intelligence solutions.

The Transaction follows demonstrated success of an ongoing collaborative project between the two firms that was announced in late July 2019.

The XTRACT acquisition is part of an ongoing strategic initiative by Patriot One to bring together leading-edge technologies and services that will enhance the power of its PATSCAN Platform, which offers a layered, multi-sensor approach to concealed threat and disturbance detection.

“With new sales opportunities arising every day for a covertly deployed, multi-sensor security solution, integrating XTRACT more deeply into our development and day-to-day operations made perfect sense,” says Martin Cronin, Patriot One’s CEO and president. “We are thrilled to have this highly talented group join our ranks; as they share our vision for creating a world safer from acts of mass violence.”

The XTRACT team will bring additional leading-edge expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine 6

ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING

MAGNA OPENS NEW ELECTRONICS FACILITY

Magna officially opened its new electronics facility in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan.

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Aurora ON-based global automotive supplier Magna International opened a new electronics manufacturing facility in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan. The facility consolidates three nearby locations into a single state-of-the-art facility that combines 21st-century manufacturing with people-first workplace design and functionality.

By opening the 230,000-square-foot facility with an investment of nearly $50 million, Magna solidifies its presence in Grand Blanc Township and is positioned to continue its leadership in

vision-based driver assistance systems.

The new facility allows Magna to accelerate large-scale deployment of future technologies such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), advanced robotics and micro-LED lighting.

Serving many of the world’s automakers, Magna Electronics Holly ships ADAS components to more than 330 different locations in North and South America, Europe and Asia. The division started manufacturing automotive-grade cameras in 2005 and has steadily increased its annual output as driver assistance systems have grown through regulatory measures and consumer demand.

MARINE ROBOTICS

KRAKEN LAUNCHES OCEANVISION PROJECT

Kraken Robotic Systems Inc., St. John’s NL, has launched the initial phase of its OceanVision project, expected to begin deploying its sensors and unmanned underwater platforms late this September.

The platforms are designed to conduct ultra-high definition seabed imaging and mapping on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland and other areas of Atlantic Canada.

OceanVision is a three-year, $20 million project focused on the development of new marine technologies and products to enable an underwater data acquisition and analytics as a service business. OceanVision enables the acceleration of Kraken’s strategy from sensors and system sales to becoming an integrated provider of Robotics as a Service (RaaS) and Data as a Service (DaaS).

The OceanVision project will result

Photo: Microart Services; Magna International

Microart Services Inc., Markham ON, has achieved AS9100D certification following an extensive independent audit by BSI. With Revision D only recently released, Microart joins a small select group to have achieved compliance to the more rigorous Revision D standard.

AS9100D certification is specific to the aerospace industry and is available to companies that design, develop, produce aerospace or related products.

Any company that is compliant with AS9100D has proven to its testing body that it operates under a very stringent quality management system and can readily meet the demands of international aerospace customers and regulatory bodies.

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in an end-to-end digitalization solution offering advanced sensors, robots and data analytics as a turnkey service for imaging and mapping of the seafloor as well as seabed assets and infrastructure, according to Karl Kenny, Kraken’s president and CEO. “Today, high fidelity data is an absolute requirement for coherent input to machine learning algorithms – otherwise it’s garbage in, garbage out.,” Kenny says. “We are uniquely positioned in the underwater industry as Kraken will build, own and operate the sensor-laden drones; Kraken (and partners) will run the missions; and Kraken (and partners) will analyze the data for our customers.”

Kraken’s KATFISH high speed Synthetic Aperture Sonar towfish will be used to acquire ultra-high definition seabed images and bathymetry during the OceanVision project.

activities and the commercial launch of Harmonic Medical’s focused ultrasound technology in North American and European markets. As a result of this project, the company expects to create up to 26 full-time jobs, including in engineering and manufacturing.

“We are poised to bring to market the world’s most advanced therapeutic ultrasound platform that will enable novel treatments for a wide range of diseases from women’s health to cancer,” says James O’Reilly, CEO, Harmonic Medical. “The contribution will accelerate commercialization of this technology, grow our operations in Canada, and help establish our firm as a global leader in focused ultrasound.”

VENDOR SPECIAL EVENT

WEIDMULLER CANADA HOSTS OPEN HOUSE

Weidmuller Ltd. recently hosted an open house, welcoming customers, staff and members of the distribution channels in Canada to view the firm’s renovated facility in Markham ON. Among the highlights of the revamped 30,000-square foot building is the newly added training centre, used for product demonstrations and technical information sessions.

The firm also upgraded its warehouse optimization, which includes the addition of new equipment, a revised layout and flow that improved the velocity set-up for inventory, according to Terry Hodgson, executive VP regional Americas president USA.

“We expect recurring revenues from RaaS/DaaS to become a significant part of our future revenue mix and strategic growth. Rapid subsea data acquisition and analytics will make it possible to significantly reduce the cost of obtaining high quality data allowing end-users to make more informed operational decisions in near real-time.”

MEDICAL DESIGNS

Photo: Kraken Robotic Systems Inc.; Harmonic Medical Inc.

HARMONIC MEDICAL RECEIVES FUNDING FOR ITS MED TECH

Medical technology developer Harmonic Medical Inc., Burlington ON, will set out to accelerate commercialization of its innovative, non-invasive ultrasound therapy equipment used to treat uterine fibroids, now that it has received FedDev Ontario contribution of more than $2.1 million.

Using focused ultrasound technology, Harmonic Medical has developed a safe and effective system to treat uterine fibroids with- out surgery. FedDev Ontario’s contribution will support final-stage product development @EPTmagazine

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HD 1000i Shears is one of many medical devices created by Harmonic Medical Inc.

“Connecting our customers to industrial revolutions since 1975 in Canada, we specialize in delivering smart connectivity solutions from device to Cloud,” adds Javi Richmond, managing director of Weidmuller Canada.

The festivities, which also included lunch and plant tours, were led by Dr. Timo Berger, chief marketing and sales officer of Weidmuller, who is based in the firm’s German headquarters in Detmold.

“Our global strategy will continue to

expand our business into emerging or growth sectors, such as IIoT.We have a great market position here in Canada, and we will use that as a base for new business development,” says Berger.

PEOPLE

TECH VET JOINS TERRAHUB

TerraHub recently announced the appointment of Evan Hu as co-founder and chief technology officer of artificial intelligence. Hu joins TerraHub to drive the company’s strategy and growth in the areas of machine learning and artificial intelligence.

“We are honoured to have Evan join our team, he brings a wealth of experience and a successful track record in growing knowledge-based businesses.” says TerraHub CEO Dan Giurescu.

MONTREAL AI START-UP DEEPLITE HIRES CEO

Deeplite Inc., a Montreal-based startup that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically make deep neural networks faster, lighter and energy-efficient – creating Lightweight Intelligence – has appointed successful Canadian technology entrepreneur Nick Romano as president and CEO. After being spun out of TandemLaunch, a company creator and seed fund, the appointment of Romano is an important step towards the fullscale commercialization of Deeplite’s software platform.

Deeplite is an automated proprietary solution that allows AI teams to optimize their deep learning models for deployment from cloud to edge computing. Deeplite optimized models significantly reduce cloud expenses for cloud-based AI solutions and can enable direct deployment to edge devices such as autonomous cars, IoT devices and smartphones, creating opportunities for new applications.

M2S APPOINTS PRES & CEO

M2S Electronics Ltee., Quebec City based designer and assembler of electromechanical & electronic integrated systems, has appointed a new president and CEO of the company.

Nicolas St-Germain joins the firm after having worked for small and large corporations in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and France over the last 25 years.

He has a bachelor and a master in electrical engineering as well as a MBA. Visit ept.ca for the latest new products, news and industry events.

October 2019 / EP&T

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WEST TECH REPORT

AIS farms electric autonomous robots

Burnaby-based Advanced Intelligent Systems creates vehicles designed to assist workers in the agricultural nursery business uses a set of sensors to observe its surrounding environment to autonomously make decisions about its tasks or pass the information to an operator. BigTop can operate independently or it can be controlled by an operator.

“AIS was started with a vision to create autonomous automation to tackle tasks that are hazardous for people to perform,” explains Doust.

The idea of creating affordable robots to support agricultural workers is a challenge to bring to fruition, so when asked what aided their success so far, Doust referenced their location and their advisory board.

BigTop is an autonomous, four-wheeled robotic vehicle set to assist agricultural nurseries.

Reduce carbon footprint

“We have 36 people on our team,” says Doust. “So a $2.2 million dollar grant is really big news. But, more than this being big news, the fact that the Canadian government is validating the direction we are taking with our product development is worth a whole lot more than just receiving the money.” The funding perhaps is based on the success of AIS’s current flagship product, BigTop, that they have started commercializing. Doust explains that the new product will be an autonomous electric vehicle that can tow carts and will replace fossil fuel burning diesel trucks in greenhouses.

“Simply put, these electric vehicles in nurseries will have a huge impact on carbon footprint,” Doust beams proudly.

Bigtop is a four wheeled autonomous mobile robot that can lift objects in a greenhouse such as potted trees, transport them, and space them as required. It 8

“Vancouver is a great place to have a start-up. Access to talent is always challenging, but partnering with universities has created the opportunity for us to attract bright minds at an early stage in their career,” says Doust.

“AIS enjoys the support of the industry and also a stellar advisory board. The executive team at AIS have decades of engineering and business experience.”

Eliminates injury days

As more robots begin to work alongside human labour, AIS will continue to develop

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products that support the industry’s work force, which is is facing a labor shortage. Hiring workers to perform the repetitive and labor intensive tasks necessary in nurseries and greenhouses is challenging, and these labourers are prone to experience repetitive stress injuries. AIS’s autonomous robots, with customizable software, provide solutions that are kind to worker’s backs.

“We (AIS) tackle automation of undesirable and dangerous tasks, which allows workers to do tasks that are not strenuous on their body hence avoiding injuries at

work,” explains Doust. “For instance, BigTop, addresses moving pots, and eliminates the 18 days of injury per annum related to back injuries per worker.”

AIS also recently announced that they will work with a partner, AgriNomix, to create solutions for nurseries and greenhouses faced with labor intensive tasks.

“We are very excited to partner with AgriNomix to provide a solution for nursery and greenhouse growers to make their operations more efficient and productive,” Doust notes.

“AgriNomix is the most reputable and biggest distributor of automation in horticulture in North America. We are very proud of our relationship with AgriNomix and often collaborate with them to find out their client’s biggest pain points to design suitable products for horticulture.”

Sohail Kamal is EP&T’s West Coast correspondent. sohail@nextgear.ca

Photo: Credit Advanced Intelligent Systems

Riding the wave of receiving substantial funding support from the Federal Government, Burnaby-based Advanced Intelligent Systems (AIS) has set out to develop an autonomous electric vehicle that will solve several pain points for customers.

Netting a grant worth $2.2 million from the Government of Canada through its Sustainable Development Technology Canada program, AIS describes the windfall as ‘non-diluted government financing’. Supporting the horticulture industry’s technological revolution, AIS’s goal is to have its electric vehicle replace diesel tractors in agricultural nurseries.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with AIS’s CEO, Afshin Doust, about the funding, how they qualified for it and why they love to do what they do.

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SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

COVER STORY

Challenges in the electronics supply chain Mouser Electronics details how it is tackling such issues as allocation, tariffs, compliance regulations and component obsolescence. BY STEPHEN LAW

Electronic component shortages are a classic case of demand outstripping supply. Today’s innovation boom is putting increased pressure on the need for electronic components. What are distributors, such as Mouser, doing to address allocation issues?

Regardless of whether allocation is at play, our Product Operations team constantly assesses our inventory position and the

past, current and forecast environments to best support our customers. For example, building depth and breadth across our product lines is one way we work to meet customers’ needs in times of restricted supply. We stock the widest selection of components in the industry — currently more than one million different parts.

This strong inventory position insulates us greatly. Mouser’s corporate structure and distribution model uniquely position us to adapt quickly to global market fluctuations. While the industry saw shortages in IP&E products like MLCCs, we haven’t been affected as much as other

A massive expansion is underway at Mouser’s corporate headquarters and global distribution center in Mansfield, Texas.

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distributors because of our vast inventory.

We continue to strengthen our line card by adding new manufacturers, giving our customers the widest assortment. Our focus on the newest products and technologies resonates with engineers worldwide. We are expanding our distribution facilities and capabilities at our corporate headquarters to meet future global demand. We opened a Canada branch office last year in the Waterloo/ Kitchener area (Catalyst137) , and are excited to be able to serve Canada with local support.

All these developments are turning into procurement headaches as it becomes difficult for original equipment manufacturers to meet production schedules, limiting their growth. What can distributors do to prevent lead times from becoming extended and what are the challenges related to component obsolescence?

Ultimately suppliers are in control of their lead-times, but we can take actions to help protect our customers.

Our teams continually evaluate our customers’ activity and plan our purchase orders accordingly to help build breadth and depth in line with demand.

We also maintain open lines of

Photos: Credit Mouser Electronics

EP&T spoke with Mark Burr-Lonnon, senior vice president of global service & EMEA and APAC business at Mouser Electronics Inc., Mansfield TX.

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issue. Plus we offer product alternatives, even providing the level of risk on the substitute part so customers can make an informed decision.

The need for component information such as tariffs, country of origin and final assembly location has become vital. What can distributors do to ensure customers have the information needed to maintain compliance and reporting requirements?

We have invested heavily in our people and we employ knowledgeable and dedicated staff members equipped to handle quality and trade compliance questions. These teams continually refresh this kind of component data in our system because it is vital for Mouser to receive, stock and ship products effectively. We also have strong partnerships with our shipping carriers, including FedEx and UPS, working together to make the import/ export process as streamlined as possible for customers.

As an authorized distributor for more than 750 manufacturers, our teams can provide timely and expert assistance to customers. We can answer their questions and make sure they have the necessary paperwork on traceability of products, customs paperwork, etc.

Mouser ships orders same day with the assistance of state-of-the-art automation.

Mark BurrLonnon, senior VP, stands near a stack of Mouserbranded boxes in the firm’s global distribution center. communication with our suppliers regarding product on order or in transit.

Providing our customers with information on product status and the availability of alternative options is imperative to providing best-in-class customer service. @EPTmagazine

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We fully understand that engineers do not want to design with older components, so we flag these components on our website as NRND (Not Recommended for New Design) or EOL (End of Life), and notify customers when obsolescence is an

During periods of component shortages, counterfeiters flood the market with fake, damaged or re-labelled parts.

What can distributors do to ensure customers receive legitimate parts?

This underscores the importance for customers to purchase only from authorized distributors. Mouser is registered to AS9100D/ISO9001:2015. Having aerospace registration demonstrates to our customers that Mouser is committed to only authorized genuine components with the least risk of counterfeit.

Additionally, Mouser is the first distributor to be accredited and fully meet the coveted SAE AS6496 standard for anti-counterfeit measures in authorized electronic component distribution.

AS6496 sets requirements for the avoidance, detection, mitigation and disposition of counterfeit products in the authorized distribution supply chain.

Overall, having this standard means we can provide full traceability to the original manufacturer on every product we stock and sell.

We have a zero tolerance policy and strict procedures in place, which mitigates the risk and helps to reassure our customers that they can order with confidence.

October 2019 / EP&T

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DESIGN SOURCE

NEW PRODUCTS inductance values from 1.2 to 56nH (with, 5%, 3% or 2% tolerance), devices improve Q Factor performance – up to 84 at 2.4GHz. Devices provide self-resonant frequencies as high as 27.5GHz and current ratings up to 2.3 Amps (Irms). www.coilcraft.com

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UV CURABLE SYSTEM IS NOT OXYGEN INHIBITED

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0402-SIZED CHIP INDUCTOR IS LOWPROFILE

COILCRAFT 0402CT Series low-profile wire wound chip inductors feature a ceramic core and a maximum height of 0.45mm, 30% lower profile than competitive products.

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HYBRID POLYMER ALUMINUM ELECTROLYTIC CAPACITORS ARE ROBUST

TDK CORP SMD series hybrid polymer aluminum electrolytic capacitors are available in 25Vdc/ 330¾F and 35Vdc/ 270¾F versions, each with dimensions of 10 x 10.2mm (d x l). The robust devices are RoHS-compatible, qualified to AEC-Q200, and designed for a maximum operating temperature of 125 °C, while delivering a long service life of at least 4,000 hours. compact devices provide low ESR value of ≤20m� and high ripple current capability of 2.8A at 125°C and 100Hz. www.tdk.com

SUPER COMPACT EMC FILTER COMES WITH A NEUTRAL LINE

SCHURTER FMAD NEO single-stage EMC filter series for 3-phase systems with a neutral line are compact with high performance. Suitable for use in more portable industrial machines, products provide a wide temperature range that extends its capabilities for use in demanding climatic applications.

Product’s design is almost cubed and much more compact than older rectangular generations, using the latest materials and components to achieve a high filter attenuation relative to its compact dimensions.

Filters are designed for currents from 16A to 230A at an ambient temperature of 50 °C. www.schurter.com/datasheet/ FMAD_NEO Visit ept.ca for the latest new products, news and industry events.

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Manufacturer?

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Non-franchised Distributor?

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FEATURE

Future-proofing university labs attracts the best and brightest Modern test equipment is imperative for investing in STEM field. BY JAMES MCGREGOR For the Canada and the U.S. to preserve its historical lead in science and technology, universities will need to attract approximately a million more STEM field-graduates, according to government economic projections. Educational initiatives have had some success in increasing STEM interests, but many university research facilities that are supposed to engage and steer students toward STEM careers haven’t kept pace.

New research suggests universities that invest in modernizing their engineering labs with the latest technologies attract more satisfied and curious students, and inspire more innovative work. The data clearly shows that if you want to improve peoples’ perceptions of a lab, it is vital to improve the quality of the equipment.

The latest research breakthroughs in Internet of Things

Lab quality: OK, but not great

Assortment of 3D printers.

(IoT), 5G and other STEM frontiers cannot be achieved with tools designed for yesterday’s

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understand the best and worst aspects of working within university labs, how satisfied they are with the quality of their tools, and what are the key requirements for creating a high-performance lab.

The lab experience is intrinsically tied to the quality of the lab, the study found. Respondents said that the freedom to pursue their passion projects and explore “curiosity-driven” research (as opposed to risk averse, profit/ loss research) is the best thing about working in engineering labs. Working with curious students who are interested, engaged and eager to learn in a flexible environment was a major motivator as well. “Teaching other people concepts and then seeing a realization that expands their minds” is immensely rewarding, said one respondent.

STEM challenges. As a result, having the most relevant, up-todate technologies is an important incentive for attracting the most passionate students.

Budget pressures, however, constrain many institutions from future-proofing their labs. Many states are cutting funding for public universities, and federal funding for basic research on university campuses has declined since 2008.

Yet schools in desperate need of upgrading their research facilities don’t necessarily need major cash infusions. Rather, focusing on a few core technologies that are most in-demand in university labs today could be a wiser way to manage a lab on a budget.

Newark, the Development Distributor, recently surveyed engineering students, faculty and staff across the country working in lab settings to

This sentiment was then followed by the need to work with cutting-edge technologies in order to teach them to students.

Consequently, having access to the latest supplies and technologies, particularly tools that would not otherwise be available, was repeatedly cited as a major perk of the job. “I get to play with equipment I could never afford,” explained another respondent.

Yet, costs negatively impacted the experience. “Worrying about funding, and if the device or service is free or billed, and not being able to help due to lack of funding,” were typical concerns cited by one respondent.

So it was no surprise when the study revealed lukewarm satisfaction for the overall state of university labs. Less than onethird (30%) of respondents believe the quality of their lab is excellent, while just over half (52%) said their labs are good at best.

Similarly, when asked about their lab equipment, approximately 45% said they were somewhat satisfied with the equipment and technologies in their university’s labs, while only 30% of respondents were very satisfied.

When asked which lab equipment are the most important to

Photo: Credit Newark; Tektronix

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keep up-to-date in order to be considered a high performance university lab, five technologies rose to the top. Significant majorities of respondents believe it is critical to have the most up-to-date versions of single-board computers such as the Raspberry Pi (89%), 3D printers (66%), oscilloscopes (61%), spectrum analyzers (60%), and digital multimeters (58%).

The good news for lab managers is that focusing on these core, favored technologies may be the best way to

future-proof their labs, while dealing with budget constraints. For example, 3D printers are in high demand in university labs because their costs are tumbling and they can be used to create or replace other lab instrument parts, holders and models.

As the IoT market continues to expand, the latest single board computers are in high demand as well. Many are available from manufacturing and engineering communities in the form of low-cost educational kits designed for universities. They often provide

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courseware for developing embedded products, including Linux kernels, drivers and development tools.

Even traditionally big-ticket equipment, such as oscilloscopes, are becoming more affordable. An 8 Gigahertz oscilloscope that cost upwards of a half-million dollars five years ago, can now be acquired for under $40,000. While that is still a lot of money, the investment is much more attainable for labs on a budget.

Manufacturers are also able to extend the life and modernity of oscilloscopes and other expensive equipment with free software updates, providing additional cost-savings over having to replace aging equipment.

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Attracting and retaining the best faculty and students will require state-of-the-art facilities that foster both boundless curiosity and ground-breaking innovations. New research shows a near linear correlation between the quality rating of a lab and the satisfaction with the lab equipment. But at a time of declining university budgets, major facility upgrades are out of reach for most public institutions. University labs can improve their competitiveness while containing costs by upgrading the equipment that are most relevant to today’s engineering challenges in IoT, 5G and other emerging markets.

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FEATURE

Report exposes current challenges in test equipment Findings underscore importance of T&M to ensure quality in electronic hardware manufacturing Keysight Technologies commissioned Dimensional Research to conduct a survey to understand the current challenges for achieving electronic hardware manufacturing quality. Additionally, the research sought to understand the habits of using and maintaining test equipment. The findings underscore the importance of test and measurement to ensure quality in electronic hardware manufacturing and the impact of quality on the bottom line.

The research finds that ensuring quality for electronic hardware is getting significantly harder as nearly every company surveyed has already experienced a quality problem. Quality challenges originate from grow-

Nearly 9 out of 10 companies believe the risk of poor quality [manufacturing] can be contained with proper testing equipment. ing customer demands and tighter tolerances to increasing manufacturing complexity and pace. Quality problems track directly to the bottom line by increasing costs, stalling market momentum and disappointing customers.

The Results

Electronic hardware manufacturing supplying industries such as telecommunications and automotive have become increasingly complex. For example, autonomous vehicles require complex systems of

Chart 1: For your company’s most recent quality issue, were you able to identify and correct the quality issues?

Impact of poor test practices

Chart 2: What is the biggest challenge to maintaining product quality today?

Chart 3: What was the business impact of the most recent quality issue?

Chart 4: Which of the following has been caused by test equipment that was out of calibration?

connected sensors and electronics to help navigate and keep users entertained during their journey. In communications, technologies such as LTE and upcoming 5G enable

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devices. The common denominator in these systems is highly sophisticated and precise electronics. The complexity and challenges in testing these products requires accuracy, repeatability, and reliability. Nearly 9 out of 10 companies believe the risk of poor quality can be contained with proper testing equipment. (See Chart #1) According to the survey, 64% of respondents confirmed that ensuring product quality is growing more difficult. The increased complexity of electronics requires a comprehensive test strategy consisting of design, performance and operation to offer accurate, repeatable, and reliable results to measure quality. Yet, that test strategy itself is complex. Survey respondents report a variety of factors that make maintaining quality a challenge such as the increasing speed of manufacturing, more demanding customer requirements, increasing metrics for quality, and tighter tolerances. (See Chart #2)

devices to always be connected, monitored and controlled from anywhere, allowing anything and everything to work together including connected lightbulbs, power systems and industrial

While extreme product quality issues can make headlines, 92% of survey respondents said that they suffer significant business impact from error-prone test equipment. Survey respondents report that quality issues frequently impact the bottom line, citing increased costs to repair or dispose of defective products and lost business, potential lawsuits and regulatory penalties, as well as lost time-to-market or market advantages, damaged customer relationships and a tarnished brand. (See Chart #3) Looking further into quality issues, survey respondents reported that testing equipment that is out of calibration has caused product rejection, recalls, loss and returns. Further, 49% of companies surveyed said that they lose $100,000 or more for every 1% of yield lost. Test and measurement in electronics manufacturing is increasingly complicated. Ultimately, a business and the quality of its products depends on a comprehensive test strategy with accurately calibrated equipment. (See Chart #4)

Photo: Credit Keysight Technologies

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October 2019 / EP&T 21

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A Look Back Celebrating four decades of electronics design Marking its 40 th anniversary this year, EP&T will feature this special column throughout 2019, providing readers with a peek at our past, while paying homage to our history.

In this issue, A Look Back puts it focus on the Ottawa Report, which appeared in EP&T’s September issue in 1979. The column, titled: Tariff reductions may open foreign markets to Canadian secondary industry, was authored by the late Gordon Hutchison, a regular editorial contributor to EP&T.

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The original column stated:

Accessible Domestic Market

While these trade negotiations may have partly opened foreign markets for 22 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS & TECHNOLOGY / October 2019

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our producers, our already very accessible domestic market will be even more attractive to offshore suppliers. The negotiators didn’t give away the whole store and the principal areas affected include: • Duties have been reduced or eliminated on a wide range of instruments, home entertainment products and major component parts in such equipment and on semiconductor devices.

• Computers and data entry, preparation and handling equipment, reduced to 3.9%.

• Most other computer peripheral equipment and associated hardware to be duty-free.

• Telephone and telegraph apparatus tariffs to be reduced to 102%.

The More Things Change

Ironically, here we sit 40-years later and tariff talk remains equally relevant within the electronics ecosystem in Canada. This spring, the United States imposed a tariff on consumer goods manufactured in China, placing immediate strain on the electronics ecosystem globally. More than 800 categories of Chinese goods have been impacted, many of which fit into the electronics devices sector. The tariffs have increased the costs of materials for electronics, thus impacting the price consumers pay on end-user devices.

I guess it goes to show that ‘the more things change, the more they remain the same.

Photo: Getty Images

The electronics industry has never been terribly impressed with our national stance on tariffs and trade.

Canada has an open door policy and industry feels that the door only swings in one direction. This latest round of international negotiations goes only a small way to improve the situation for advanced secondary industry. But, in a drought, even a light shower is welcomed.

The spirit behind the multinational trade negotiations which started six years ago in Tokyo was to reduce tariff levels so that Canadian manufacturers and primary producers would have greater access to world markets. In order to convince other nations to lower their tariffs and to agree to riding their administrations of non-tariff barriers, Canada had to offer complimentary reductions. On a weighted average, Canadian import tariffs are scheduled to go down by some 40% over the next eight years.

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