What’s New in Electronics Jan Feb 2013

Jan/Feb 2013 Vol.32 No.7

WHEN THE WORLD COUNTS ON ENGINEERS, THEY COUNT ON RS COMPONENTS

contents

A.B.N. 22 152 305 336

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Jan/Feb 2013

Chief Editor Janette Woodhouse Publisher Geoff Hird Art Director/Production Manager Julie Wright Art/Production Tanya Scarselletti, Jeanette Teuma Colleen Sam Circulation Manager Sue Lavery circulation@westwick-farrow.com.au Copy Control Mitchie Mullins

on the cover 4 Carbon devices are poised to replace and outperform silicon 6 Spray-on lithium-ion batteries

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Short Circuits

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The first all-carbon solar cell

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September 2012 Total CAB Audited Circulation (Aust + NZ) 6,058 (87% personally requested) Printed and bound by Pegasus +61 2 8822 0716 Print Post Approved PP247345/00005 ISSN No. 0728-3873 All material published in this magazine is published in good faith and every care is taken to accurately relay information provided to us. Readers are advised by the publishers to ensure that all necessary safety devices and precautions are installed and safe working procedures adopted before the use of any equipment found or purchased through the information we provide. Further, all performance criteria was provided by the representative company concerned and any dispute should be referred to them. Information indicating that products are made in Australia or New Zealand is supplied by the source company. Westwick-Farrow Pty Ltd does not quantify the amount of local content or the accuracy of the statement made by the source.

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JAN/FEB 2013 - What's New in Electronics

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on the cover

Helping engineers keep the world running for 75 years From humble beginnings in a British garage selling radio spares, RS Components has come a long way to become the world’s leading high-service distributor of electronics and maintenance products, shipping around 44,000 parcels a day and serving over one million customers worldwide.

Ask any engineer and chances are they are familiar with the RS catalogue. A veritable Bible to engineers, the RS catalogue is used by engineers through the entire production life cycle, from development in university labs to manufacturing facilities across industries.

WNIE caught up with Jeremy Edward, Country Manager for Australia and New Zealand, RS Components, as the company celebrates 75 years of excellent service in helping engineers keep the world running.

WNIE: RS Components has been around for a long time. How does the company stay ahead in this day and age?

Jeremy: In the highly competitive electronics industry, designs and prototypes are being churned out at a breathtaking rate. An ever-shortening time to market means that optimum performance is required from the drawing board to the production line. RS has decades of experience in working alongside engineers and has developed an infrastructure to cater to their needs.

Take, for instance, our extensive range. With over 550,000 products, our product portfolio covers everything from semiconductors, passives, electromechanical components, development kits and tools to automation & control products. We have the industry’s best range of connectors as well as an unrivalled array of over 200,000 global automation & control and test & measurement products. We’ve built strong relationships with over 2,500 leading suppliers and, as a result, we’re able to constantly update our offer so that customers can have 24/7 access to the latest technologies available.

We understand the need for speed in this industry. To be close to our customers, we’ve built a network that spans 32 countries and 17 warehouses worldwide, including Auckland and Sydney. Our commitment is to get you the product as soon as possible - same day, next day or under a week depending on the market and product. Our Sydney warehouse carries over 90,000 automation & control and electronic products, ready for same-day dispatch for next-day delivery to major cities and up to 92% of Australia. We’ve also set up trade counters in Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland to provide customers with the option of picking up products immediately.

WNIE: Customer service is everything these days. Does RS have any innovations in this area?

Jeremy: The customer is at the heart of everything we do and our dedicated technical experts and award-winning customer service teams

4 What's New in Electronics - JAN/FEB 2013

are on hand to help you find exactly what you need. Getting the product to the customer is one thing but providing value-added services to enhance the buying experience is another.

Take our website, for instance. It is more than an online catalogue. It is a valuable and reliable resource for designers and engineers because we publish the technical data they need. The website is also equipped with dynamic parametric search capabilities to make the search process quick and easy. We also offer the option of flexible order quantities and industry-standard production-ready packaging, ready for insertion into production machinery.

RS also provides free online design tools and resources to keep engineers updated in the rapidly evolving world of electronics.

DesignSpark is a gateway to online resources and support for electronic design engineers and features a variety of free end-to-end design tools. We also offer DesignSpark PCB: a free, market-leading professional-standard PCB design software; as well as platforms for innovation such as development kits.

In addition, we’ve created ModelSource, a new, free and unique, web-based component library hosting over 80,000 free schematic and PCB symbols in more than 20 formats, including PADS, ORCAD, ALTIUM and CADSTAR. These libraries are aligned with the RS board-level product offer and enable engineers to focus on innovation instead of spending time on creating the basic building blocks of their design.

For more information about RS Components, visit: www.rsaustralia.com or www.rsnewzealand.com

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nanotechnology

© iStockphoto.com/Rafał Głębowski

Carbon devices are poised to replace and outperform silicon Ten thousand working transistors placed on a single chip using standard semiconductor processes IBM scientists have demonstrated a new approach to carbon nanotechnology that opens up the path for commercial fabrication of dramatically smaller, faster and more powerful computer chips. For the first time, more than ten thousand working transistors made of nanosized tubes of carbon have been precisely placed and tested in a single chip using standard semiconductor processes. These carbon devices are poised to replace and outperform silicon technology, allowing further miniaturisation of computing components and leading the way for future microelectronics.

Aided by rapid innovation over four decades, silicon microprocessor technology has continually shrunk in size and improved in performance, thereby driving the information technology revolution.

Silicon transistors, tiny switches that carry information on a chip, have been made smaller year after year, but they are approaching a point of physical limitation. Their increasingly small dimensions, now reaching the nanoscale, will prohibit any gains in performance due to the nature of silicon and the laws of physics. Within a few more generations, classical scaling and shrinkage will no longer yield the sizable benefits of lower power, lower cost and higher speed processors that the industry has become accustomed to.

Carbon nanotubes represent a new class of semiconductor materials whose electrical properties are more attractive than silicon, 6 What's New in Electronics - JAN/FEB 2013

particularly for building nanoscale transistor devices that are a few tens of atoms across. Electrons in carbon transistors can move more easily than in silicon-based devices, allowing for quicker transport of data. The nanotubes are also ideally shaped for transistors at the atomic scale, an advantage over silicon. These qualities are among the reasons to replace the traditional silicon transistor with carbon - and coupled with new chip design architectures, will allow computing innovation on a miniature scale for the future. www.electronicsonline.net.au

nanotechnology

IBM researcher Hongsik Park observes different solutions of carbon nanotubes. Carbon nanotubes, borne out of chemistry, have largely been laboratory curiosities as far as microelectronic applications are concerned. Carbon nanotubes naturally come as a mix of metallic and semiconducting species and need to be placed perfectly on the wafer surface to make electronic circuits. For device operation, only the semiconducting kind of tubes is useful, which requires essentially complete removal of the metallic ones to prevent errors in circuits. (Credit: IBM)

The approach developed at IBM labs paves the way for circuit fabrication with large numbers of carbon nanotube transistors at predetermined substrate positions.

The ability to isolate semiconducting nanotubes and place a high density of carbon devices on a wafer is crucial to assess their suitability for a technology - eventually more than one billion transistors will be needed for future integration into commercial chips. Until now, scientists have been able to place at most a few hundred carbon nanotube devices at a time, not nearly enough to address key issues for commercial applications.

“Carbon nanotubes, borne out of chemistry, have largely been laboratory curiosities as far as microelectronic applications are concerned. We are attempting the first steps towards a technology by fabricating carbon nanotube transistors within a conventional wafer fabrication infrastructure,” said Supratik Guha, Director of Physical Sciences at IBM Research. “The motivation to work on carbon nanotube transistors is that at extremely small nanoscale dimensions, they outperform transistors made from any other material. However, there are challenges to address such as ultrahigh purity of the carbon nanotubes and deliberate placement at the nanoscale. We have been making significant strides in both.”

Originally studied for the physics that arises from their atomic dimensions and shapes, carbon nanotubes are being explored by scientists worldwide in applications that span integrated circuits, energy storage and conversion, biomedical sensing and DNA sequencing.

The road to carbon Carbon, a readily available basic element from which crystals as hard as diamonds and as soft as the ‘lead’ in a pencil are made, has wide-ranging IT applications.

Carbon nanotubes are single atomic sheets of carbon rolled up into a tube.

The carbon nanotube forms the core of a transistor device that will work in a www.electronicsonline.net.au

fashion similar to the current silicon transistor, but will be better performing. They could be used to replace the transistors in chips that power our data-crunching servers, high-performing computers and ultrafast smartphones.

Earlier this year, IBM researchers demonstrated carbon nanotube transistors can operate as excellent switches at molecular dimensions of less than 10 nanometres - the equivalent to 10,000 times thinner than a strand of human hair and less than half the size of the leading silicon technology. Comprehensive modelling of the electronic circuits suggests that about a five to 10 times improvement in performance compared to silicon circuits is possible.

There are practical challenges for carbon nanotubes to become a commercial technology, notably, as mentioned earlier, due to the purity and placement of the devices. Carbon nanotubes naturally come as a mix of metallic and semiconducting species and need to be placed perfectly on the wafer surface to make electronic circuits.

For device operation, only the semiconducting kind of tubes is useful, which requires essentially complete removal of the metallic ones to prevent errors in circuits. Also, for large-scale integration to happen, it is critical to be able to control the alignment and the location of carbon nanotube devices on a substrate.

To overcome these barriers, IBM researchers developed a novel method based on ion-exchange chemistry that allows precise and controlled placement of aligned carbon nanotubes on a substrate at a high density - two orders of magnitude greater than previous experiments, enabling " Carbon nanotubes represent the controlled placement of individual a new class of semiconductor nanotubes with a density of about a bilmaterials whose electrical lion per square centimetre.

The process starts with carbon nano- properties are more attractive than tubes mixed with a surfactant, a kind of silicon, particularly for building soap that makes them soluble in water. nanoscale transistor devices that A substrate comprises two oxides with trenches made of chemically modified are a few tens of atoms across. " hafnium oxide (HfO 2) and the rest of silicon oxide (SiO 2). The substrate gets immersed in the carbon nanotube solution and the nanotubes attach via a chemical bond to the HfO 2 regions while the rest of the surface remains clean.

By combining chemistry, processing and engineering expertise, IBM researchers are able to fabricate more than ten thousand transistors on a single chip. Furthermore, rapid testing of thousands of devices is possible using high-volume characterisation tools due to compatibility to standard commercial processes.As this new placement technique can be readily implemented, involving common chemicals and existing semiconductor fabrication, it will allow the industry to work with carbon nanotubes at a greater scale and deliver further innovation for carbon electronics.

IBM Australia Limited Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S189

JAN/FEB 2013 - What's New in Electronics

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newproducts

Connectors Turck has introduced its own connectivity portfolio to its range of products. The product lines, TXL and TEL, are available with angled or straight M8 or M12 connectors.

With different combinations of 3-, 4- or 5-pin female and male connectors and cable lengths from 30 cm up to 10 m, users will find a cordset to suit most applications.

The connection and extension cordsets of the TXL line combine the different requirements that previously had to be reserved for special cables in a single series. The cables are jacketed in abrasion-resistant polyurethane (PUR). TXL cables are halogen and silicon free and are flame retardant, weld-splatter resistant, particularly suitable for trailing cables, and resistant to oil and chemicals. The TXL line meets the requirements of the North American cULus standard as well as the European RoHS guidelines.

The PVC cables of the TEL series are resistant to acids and alkalis, as well as being flame retardant and cULus and RoHS approved.

Micromax Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S373

GNSS receiver module Trimble’s Buffalo B1919 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver module provides L1 frequency GPS and GLONASS, using the NMEA protocol from two serial ports and a PPS timing output. Buffalo can acquire and track GPS and GLONASS separately or use a combined solution of GPS and GLONASS. Galileo support will be available through a firmware upgrade.

The product has an onboard low-noise amplifier that is compatible with both active and passive antenna implementations. It includes an onboard RTC and TCXO. The receiver also has built-in antenna detection for open and short circuit conditions.

The modules match the footprint of Copernicus II and Condor C1919 GPS receiver modules, providing an upgrade path for existing designs. The module’s 28 reflowsolderable, surface-mount edge castellations provide an interface for designs without the need for I/O and RF connectors.

The receiver features powerful positioning performance in a 19 x 19 x 2.54 mm package.

Step Global Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S120

Mini PCI Express card

Auto-focus control IC for smartphone camera modules ON Semiconductor has introduced the LC898212XA-MH, an auto focus (AF) control IC for camera modules in smartphones. The solution is integrated, programmable and provides fast, accurate auto focus convergence while apparently consuming less power and generating less noise interference than competing solutions. The space-saving design has been optimised for thinner and lighter smartphones.

The product features digital logic with a closed-loop control system and a function for a positioning sensor. Its closed-loop architecture provides for accurate auto focus control while also lowering power consumption relative to open-loop solutions.

The function for a positioning sensor is a constant current digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and gain adjustable operational amplifier to ensure accurate sensing.

The output of the positioning sensor is read by an integrated 10-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC).

The control circuit filter coefficients are adjustable via a I2 C interface, allowing the product to be programmed for optimal convergence time when paired with various different actuators.

The device also incorporates an improved pulse width modulation (PWM) drive system to further lower power consumption while also minimising noise which can affect image quality.

The product is housed in a lead-free, halogen-free WL-CSP 12-pin package.

Future Electronics Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S145

8 What's New in Electronics - JAN/FEB 2013

Telit Wireless Solutions has introduced a Mini PCI Express card with an embedded M2M module designed for industrial applications.

The HE910-based Mini-PCIe adapter card enables secure 3G cellular data, voice and video communication for embedded PCs in a variety of commercial and industrial applications, including ATMs, kiosks, digital signage, surveillance, fleet management and other applications benefitting from alwayson wireless data connection, monitoring and control.

The ‘plug-and-play’ Mini PCI Express card slot and 52-pin card edge connector allows application developers to easily integrate M2M capabilities into their solutions.

Designed for M2M applications requiring high bandwidth and worldwide coverage, the HE910 with Mini PCIe Adapter combines premium radio access technology UMTS/HSPA+ with backward compatibility to GSM, GPRS and EDGE networks. It includes HSDPA 21.0 Mbps (Cat 14), HSUPA 5.7 Mbps (Cat 6), embedded TCP/IP protocol stack and custom Telit AT commands. Support for USB and RIL drivers for Windows and Linux environments is available. Users can also choose to add integrated, high-sensitivity A-GPS functionality.

Glyn Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S427

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newproducts Protocol analysis in MSO entry level Apart from functions like parameters with statistics, Hameg Instruments provides the option HOO12, which allows triggering and decoding of CAN and LIN protocols. Combined with the options HOO10/11 for I2C, SPI and UART/RS232, Hameg provides users in the automotive, medical, aircraft and automation industries with a complete solution for the development of embedded systems.

The HMO series oscilloscopes decode 2 CAN buses simultaneously, hence they are especially useful for system designers.

A table presentation for the decoded values of all protocols has been implemented which presents all information of a message telegram in one line. Special trigger properties allow the precise isolation of single messages. For individual measuring tasks, the 2/4 analog channels and 8/16 digital channels can be annotated.

Users who are mainly interested in the protocol level may even use the least expensive oscilloscope of the HMO series, the 70 MHz HMO722 and the CAN option to analyse this bus.

Automated test management software National Instruments has introduced NI TestStand 2012, the latest version of its automated test management software.

With its modular process architecture, NI TestStand 2012 helps engineers increase the flexibility and throughput of their automated test systems. The modular framework makes test set-up easier, expands test and reporting flexibility, and makes it possible for engineers to simultaneously test and report during parallel testing.

Features include: asynchronous result processing makes it possible to continue testing devices while simultaneously generating reports or data logging; plug-in architecture facilitates advanced customisations, including multiple report formats, with minimal code changes; NI Idea Exchange Community-requested features that reduce development time, including drag-and-drop code module files for step autogeneration, improved array and string manipulation, and more.

National Instruments Australia Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S381

Conducted common mode testing for electricity meters

TDK Corporation has extended its product range of EPCOS multilayer varistors with the E series. The series is designed to assure protection from current surge pulses in automotive electronics. With glass passivation, the SMD protection components are qualified to AEC-Q200 with an extended stress test, making them rugged and reliable.

The range of their operating voltages extends from 14 to 40 VDC. In addition to reduced leakage currents, the components are characterised by increased temperature stability up to +150°C.

The EM TEST CWS 500N4 is a solution in a compact single-box design to test for EMC immunity to conducted, common mode disturbances in the frequency range 0 Hz (DC) to 165 kHz. Such test requirements are specified in IEC 61000-4-16 and cover continuous mode testing as well as short-term testing with DC, 16 2/3 Hz, 50 Hz and 60 Hz with four test levels each and a sweep mode from 10 Hz to 165 kHz. To address the risk disturbance currents between 3-150 kHz causing incorrect energy readings between photovoltaic inverters and measuring electricity meters subsequently feeding the wrong information to the grid, the CWS 500N4 can be used for testing electricity metering equipment as per TR 50579 and Draft standard IEC 61000-4-19, Annex C. The CWS 500N4 consists of all the necessary parts to perform full-compliant tests as per IEC 61000-4-16, including the signal generator, the LF amplifier, a DC rectifier module, a semiconductor power switch and rms measurement of voltage and current, and is able to generate all continuous mode test levels up to 30 V (DC, 16 2/3 Hz, 50 Hz and 60 Hz) and the frequency sweep 15 Hz to 150 kHz without any additional external voltage source.

For remote control via the EM TEST ICD control software, both a GPIB and USB interface are available. The ICD control software supports the various test routines and can automatically generate a test report including all test data as well as a range of multiple interruption functions.

When manually operated, the user is offered the Quick Start test routine for easy and efficient testing of specific test points without software. Front-panel menu and function keys enable the user to program their test routines quickly and accurately.

The cursor allows fast control of all test parameters of the programmed routine, thus test procedures are simplified and confidence is generated that every step is carried out correctly.

TDK Australia

Consultant Technology Australia Pty Ltd

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R935

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In accordance with the protocol analysis of the CAN bus, Hameg has a 200 MHz differential probe HZO40 and a 800 MHz differential probe HZO41. Both have good electrical properties (3.5 pF resp. 1 pF input capacity, 1 MΩ resp. 200 kΩ input resistance), a variety of practical accessories and customisable power supply options. Combined with the respective HMO series oscilloscope (or any other one), many measurements on differential signals are possible without loading the signal.

Rohde & Schwarz (Australia) Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S303

Multilayer varistors for automotive electronics

10 What's New in Electronics - JAN/FEB 2013

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newproducts Compact ethernet radio modems The compact, long-haul WL series of ethernet radio modems is designed to help users build networks quickly and efficiently.

The upright units have a narrow footprint - only 40 mm wide and incorporate a range of models including a 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 900 MHz option. The high-throughput modems provide effortless connectivity for line-of-sight distances from 5 to 20 km.

All models have a standard in-built routing function and black/ white list for controlling traffic. A built-in signal strength tester measures both bandwidth and the signal strength between two radios. In addition, all units include dual diversity antenna connections and a choice of different antenna accessories to provide reliable wireless connectivity.

The digital I/O connection can be configured for either/or option.

The WL series provides remote wireless I/O mapping where up to 31 x I/O units can be daisy-chained to a transceiver at each end. A selection can be made on digital, analog and combinational input and output types of I/O units.

The 2.4 GHz model can be set up in a mesh network topology providing redundancy and greater reliability for industrial ethernet devices. Each transceiver also has a built-in conversion for serial Modbus RTU to Modbus TCP. DIN rail mounted and operating from 10-30 VDC, the plug-and-play WL models provide easy configuration due to the built-in web browser and feature LED status indicators. The series is suitable for use in any industrial and watertreatment plant, factory or mine site as well as in any remote-monitoring application.

Weidmuller Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S302

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JAN/FEB 2013 - What's New in Electronics

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newproducts Connector DC-DC converter Mornsun’s VRB-LD-50W high-performance DC-DC converter comes in a small 50.8 x 25.4 x 10.2 mm package with up to 93% efficiency and 50 W power. It is said to have the highest power density in the industry for a non-brick unit.

A smart design process structure, coupled with cleaver circuit optimisation, makes the device resistant to interference while restraining radiation.

The 50 W unit complies with and meets EN55022 class A without any external circuit. Reaching a higher level, such as class B, is achieved with minimal components in a simple circuit.

The product has a wide input range of 2:1. The output is tunable and has overtemperature protection, over-voltage protection, short-circuit protection, 1500 VDC isolation, a remote on/off control pin and is encased in a shielded metal case with an isolated base.

The device features smart structural design, advanced heat dissipation and temperature de-rating performance. Due to its high efficiency and good thermal design, the product can work within a temperature range of -40 to 85°C.

The Han-Yellock 10 is a compact connector.

Based on the Han-Yellock 30 and 60 sizes, functionalities have been adapted to meet the requirements of compact units and systems.

Universality and efficiency are the keynotes of the uses the connector can be put to. Currently with 25 different contact inserts, it meets needs from energy supply to data transmission. One size can transmit power of up to 40 A/690 V and sensitive data signals, eg, in ethernet applications. In addition, multipole varieties with up to 21 contacts are available. Contact inserts are also possible for optical data transmission.

The key features are ease of handling and operation. The locking mechanism integrated in the housing locks both housing halves reliably during the connection process. Unlocking is a similarly intuitive process. A brief push on the activation button is all that is required. The robust stainless steel locking mechanism is deactivated, allowing both connector halves to be separated from each other.

Data transmission has a particular need for clear solutions to ensure suitable EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) properties. The product provides this due to the nesting of both housing halves and the direct electrical connection between the housing and the adjacent surface. Even the use of larger diameter sheathed cabling is addressed by having an M25 cable input.

Harting Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S095

DLPC Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R964

Sealed USB A-B and B-A connectors Conxall has introduced the latest in the Data-Con-X family of products, the sealed USB A-B and B-A connectors.

The type A and B connectors are sealed to IP67 and IP68 NEMA 250 (6P) when mated. Feed-through termination is available on the panel for field installation which is easy to assemble. It is also available in a quick-connect bayonet or a threaded-style interface. This is a RoHScompliant assembly.

The connectors can be used in any sealed data transmission, for military or industrial GPS location devices, instrumentation, medical data carts, data acquisition units and for general industrial electronic applications.

Clarke & Severn Electronics Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S036

LED bulb replacements Marl International has introduced a series of BA15d LED bulb replacements using half the power of the existing range and based on the latest surface-mount LED technology. The Marl 240 Series of LEDs is manufactured using the company’s surface-mount line and is designed to be aesthetically pleasing.

The LED bulb replacements draw one-quarter of the power of a standard BA15d incandescent bulb for which it is a plug-in replacement. With a rated life of 100,000 h continuous illumination, they often outlast the control panel in which they are fitted and can thus be eliminated from the maintenance schedule. They can also operate utilising a much wider voltage range from 8-48 VAC/DC or 48-130 VAC/DC. Like the existing range, they are electrically bipolar, fully potted for increased reliability and suitable for high-vibration applications. Colours offered are warm white, amber, white, red, green and blue. For a filament lamp replacement, the warm white version can be used behind a coloured lens.

Aerospace & Defence Products Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S090

12 What's New in Electronics - JAN/FEB 2013

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newproducts Industrial diagnostic and charging catalogue Australian owned and operated company Durst Industries has released its 28-page 2013 catalogue which features its range of heavy-duty jump starters, industrial workshop battery chargers and battery load testers. It also includes the latest tools and accessories as well as the SmartWasher Parts washing system designed for the automotive and mining industries. With over 16 different models of jump starters, there is a model available to start anything from a 16 L Caterpillar to a family sedan.

Durst battery chargers for industrial demands or workshop requirements are designed to meet the needs of such companies such as Ferrari, Maserati, GM, Ford, Hyundai, Audi, VW, etc. Solutions to programming power supply problems and battery testing can be found in the catalogue, together with a comprehensive range of load testers and analysers, multimeters, clamps and meters, and diagnostic tools.

Durst Motor & Electric Industries Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S371

Ultra-broadband power amplifier Model AMF-4D-02002650-90-20P is a compact, rugged, single-bias, ultra-broadband coaxial amplifier. The amplifier has over 25 dB of gain from 2.0 to 26.5 GHz in a 2.5 x 2.1 cm housing without the field-replaceable 2.92 mm connectors. Gain flatness is a maximum of ±2.5 dB (±2.0 dB is typical).

The product has a maximum noise figure of 9.0 dB in the full band, though the typical value is near 6.0 dB. The amplifier operates from -40 to 75°C of base temperature, has a P1 dB minimum of 20 dBm, IP3 of typically 26 dBm and a current draw of maximum 450 mA from a single 15 VDC supply. Port VSWR is typically less than 2:1 for both input and output.

A composite metal body with a CuW base provides good thermal characteristics, while a hermetic sealing option is available if required.

With its built-in sequencing, regulation and reverse bias and overtemperature and overcurrent protection, only a single positive bias is required. Frequency options from as low as 100 MHz to as high as 40 GHz are available.

ASD Technology Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S092

SEMIPACK

®

Comprehensive Product Range – Industrial Standard

For drives, softstarters and power supplies Diode / thyristor modules High reliability 15 A - 1200 A 800 V - 2200 V

+61 3- 85 61 56 00

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JAN/FEB 2013 - What's New in Electronics

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newproducts Fully integrated online AC UPS The Power Leap DCLeap UPS provides uninterruptible and clean power (pure sine wave) for a data centre’s mission-critical applications. With high-voltage DC bus options like 48 VDC or ±384 VDC, users can reduce the installation cost significantly. Fuelled by cleaner fuel choices like hydrogen, LH2P, natural or LP gas, or methanol, EcoLeap increases the reliability of the telecom sites while improving the availability of the AC power.

It provides a significant reduction in installation, cooling and maintenance costs against traditional UPSs by eliminating or reducing AC genset, PDUs, transfer switches, CPS plant capacity and battery reserve size.

The DCLeap UPS comes in 10 to 20 kVA modular sizes with two-stage inverter/charger building blocks providing a parallel system with 120/208/230/240/380/480 VAC at 50/60 Hz. The system provides redundancy, hot swappability and load sharing for incremental growth (pay-as-yougrow) between 10 to 400 kVA. High-density modular inverters provide up to 100 kVA in a single 23″ full-height rack or cabinet for maximum space saving.

Significant reductions in installation costs can be achieved due to reduced current and lower maintenance. This is due to the elimination of AC generator and/or batteries. A single unified system can be deployed with high-efficiency AC UPS and DClink with DClink, GenLeap and EcoLeap. This eliminates upstream equipment and provides higher availability.

Powerbox Australia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R833

Entry-level mixed domain oscilloscopes Tektronix has expanded its MDO4000 Series of Mixed Domain Oscilloscopes to include two new entry-level models with the same features and functionality at a more affordable price level.

Inexpensive RF technologies are being integrated into everyday applications from apparel tags, to livestock monitoring clips, price displays on store shelves and short-range wireless remote control of household objects. While many of these are lower-performance applications, the addition of RF makes debug challenges greater than ever. The new MDO4000 models address this trend by providing a low-entry-point solution that allows engineers to capture time-correlated analog, digital and RF signals for a complete system view, saving days or even weeks of debug time.

The MDO4014-3 and MDO4034-3 models provide four analog channels, 16 digital channels and one RF channel. The new models have lower analog bandwidth of 100 MHz or 350 MHz respectively, sufficient for many embedded designs incorporating RF. RF frequency range for both models extends from 50 kHz to 3 GHz. The MDO4000 Series has the tools of the Tektronix MSO4000B Series mixed signal oscilloscopes along with an integrated spectrum analyser, providing time correlated analog, digital and RF signal acquisition in a single instrument. This allows engineers to debug entire wirelessenabled embedded systems with one tool that operates with the familiarity of an oscilloscope.

In addition to the MDO4000 models, Tektronix also has the TPA-N-PRE pre-amplifier for use on all MDO4000 Series oscilloscopes. The pre-amplifier accessory lowers the noise floor of the RF channel, enabling engineers to see low-level signals without reducing dynamic range.

Development kit RS Components has available the GR-Sakura, a low-cost development kit for Gadget Renesas. Gadget Renesas is a project of Renesas Electronics Corporation to offer a series of boards with an easy-to-use, cloud-based software environment for people who have no embedded programming experience as well as experienced embedded professionals to do rapid prototyping.

GR-Sakura is an Arduinocompatible board based on Renesas’s high-performance, 32-bit RX63N series of microcontroller (MCU). The software environment is web based and development can be done entirely through a web browser.

Built to encourage design and innovation, the board is claimed to be user friendly enough even for non-professional engineers to embark on electronics projects.

The two models currently available are the GR-Sakura and the GR-Sakura-Full. Both models utilise the USB connection with a PC, tablet or smartphone to connect to the internet and also support ethernet connections.

Features and specifications include: GR-Sakura - RX63N MCU evaluation board: RX63N (R5F563NBDDFP) (operating frequency: 96 MHz, flash memory: 1 MB, RAM: 128 KB, FPU internal (floating point)) ethernet support, USB function/host support, digital I/O pins: 55, analog input pins: 16, XBee support, JTAG support.

GR-Sakura-Full - all the specs of the GR-Sakura with the addition of a pin header, LAN connector (RJ45), DC power jack and a microSD card socket.

RS Components Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S333

Tektronix Southeast Asia Pte Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S323

14 What's New in Electronics - JAN/FEB 2013

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battery power

© iStockphoto.com/Fotovika

Spray-on lithium-ion batteries Researchers at Rice University in the US have developed a lithium-ion battery that can be spray painted onto virtually any surface.

Mike Smyth, specialist technical writer

The rechargeable device consists of paintedon layers that represent the components in a traditional battery. To prove that any surface can be used, the materials were airbrushed onto ceramic bathroom tiles, flexible polymers, glass, stainless steel and a beer stein just to see how well they bonded to the substrate.

The complete battery consists of five layers - two current collectors, a cathode, an anode and a polymer separator. The first layer is a positive current collector comprising high-purity, single-wall carbon nanotubes with carbon black particles dispersed in N-methylpyrr-olidone.

The second layer is the cathode of lithium cobalt oxide, carbon and ultrafine graphite powder mixed with a binder. The third layer is a polymer separator paint containing Kynar Flex resin, poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) and silicon dioxide dispersed in a solvent.

Layer four acts as an anode consisting of lithium titanium oxide and ultrafine graphite, again in a binder. The final layer is the

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negative current collector of commercially available conductive copper painted diluted with ethanol.

During the experiment at Rice, one battery was connected to a solar cell and, using a laboratory light as an energy source, a fully charged battery bank powered 40 LEDs at 2.4 V for six hours. After 60 charge and discharge cycles, the batteries showed only a small storage capacity loss.

Giving some background on the battery’s development, Rice graduate student Neelam Singh said one of the hardest parts of the research was the time-consuming formulation and mixing and testing paints for the five layers.

The researchers said the batteries were " The rechargeable device consists very consistent in their capacities - within of painted-on layers that represent the ±10% of the target.

“The most difficult challenge,” said Singh, components in a traditional battery." “was achieving mechanical stability and the separator played a critical role. We found that the nanotube and the cathode layers were sticking very well but if the separator was not mechanically stable, it would peel off the substrate. PMMA gave the right adhesion to the separator.”

In the future she sees the possibility of integrating painted batteries with recently developed printed solar cells to create an energy-harvesting combination. They also envisage their batteries as snap-together tiles that can be configured in any number of ways.

JAN/FEB 2013 - What's New in Electronics

15

battery power

She said they are looking for electrolytes that would make it easier to create painted batteries in the open air. With present technology, lithium-ion looks like the battery of today and the immediate future. Although its history goes back to 1912, it had to wait until the 1970s for a practical rechargeable device to become available.

The energy density of lithium-ion is about twice that of nickel-cadmium and there is potential for higher energy densities, according to Siomar Batteries. The high cell voltage of 3.6 allows battery pack designs with only one cell, whereas a nickel-based pack would need three 1.2 V cells in series.

There is no memory effect and no need for planned cycling.

The self-discharge rate is less than half that of nickel-cadmium and lithium is more environmentally friendly when it comes to disposal.

However, despite the positives, lithium-ion does have some disadvantages. A protection circuit to limit the peak voltage of each cell during charging and to prevent the cell voltage from dropping too low on discharge is a vital component. The cell temperature also has to be monitored so that the difference between charge and discharge is limited to between one and two degrees.

Capacity deterioration can be seen after a year even if the battery is not used and the device sometime fails completely after two or three years. However, this phenomenon is not just peculiar to lithium-ion.

Nickel-metal-hydride devices, for example, " Lithium in some form or another are very sensitive to ageing, especially if they are exposed to high temperatures. and in some combination Storing in a temperature of around 15°C appears to be the metal of the with the battery on a 40% charge is the future for high output batteries." manufacturer’s recommendation for reducing the effects of ageing.

Siomar summarises lithium-ion as: Advantages: • High energy density with potential for higher capacities • No need for priming when new • Low self-discharge - less than half that of nickel-based batteries • Low maintenance and no memory • Special cells can provide very high current, eg, power tools Limitations: • Requires a protection circuit • Subject to ageing • Transport restrictions but not to personal batteries • About 40% more expensive to make than nickel-cadmium • Not a fully mature technology with metals and chemicals changing A variation on lithium-ion is lithium polymer, a technology going back to the 1970s when a dry solid polymer electrolyte was first

used. The plastic-like film electrolyte is non-conductive but allows ion exchange.

It replaces the traditional porous separator which is soaked with electrolyte.

Again, according to Siomar, the design is simpler with a cell of just one millimetre.

However, the battery is a poor conductor with the internal resistance too high, making it unable to deliver the current bursts needed for many modern devices and provide the power to spin up the hard drives of mobile computing equipment, for instance. Heating the cell to 60°C and higher improves the conductivity but this is unworkable for portable applications.

As a compromise, gelled electrolyte has been added with commercial cells using a separator/electrolyte membrane made of a porous polyethylene or polypropylene separator filled with a polymer that gels on filling with the liquid electrolyte.

Lithium-ion polymer has failed to be the godsend that was expected of it. Its superiority and low manufacturing costs have not been achieved, neither have there been improvements in capacity. In fact, the capacity is slightly less than that of the standard lithium-ion battery. Where lithium-ion-polymer finds its market niche is in wafer-thin batteries for applications including credit cards.

Lithium in some form or another and in some combination appears to be the metal of the future for high output batteries. They already power mobile phones, tablets and portable computers and banks of them are providing the electrical energy source for electric and hybrid cars.

Lithium is a metal that is widely available and relatively safe. While lead acid is going to be hard to shift as the choice for conventional motor vehicles and many stationary power applications, lithium-ion seems certain to go on developing into wider and more exciting uses as the technology matures.

Talk to the transformer company that speaks your language.

Faraday offers a range of: RFI / EMI / EMC Power RF Filters EMC Antennas – Dipoles to Horns Amplifiers – RF & Microwave (DC – 4000W) and RF Modules Shielded Enclosure – Anechoic Chambers – Antenna Measurement Systems Absorber – EMC Test Boxes – MIL-STD Test Equipment RF Shielding – Magnetic Shielding – MRI Shielding

(03) 9729 5000

sales@faradayshielding.com.au

16 What's New in Electronics - JAN/FEB 2013

• Real technical engineering support • Custom Design to the major standards • Make direct replacements of standard parts • One local manufacturing facility • Two company owned China production facilities

And all available to you, so contact:

Designers & Manufacturers of Transformers and Wound Components

www.marque-magnetics.com Ph: +64 9 818 6760 F: +64 9 818 1442 E: info@marque-magnetics.com 11 Culperry Rd, Glendene, Auckland, New Zealand

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newproducts Network analysis tablet

Torque tester The Mecmesin Vortex-I PC-controlled torque tester brings quality control measurement straight to the point of manufacture. The machine’s simple set-up means manufacturers can test clockwise and counterclockwise torques of packaging components, such as the application and release torque of screw closures.

The unit is designed for R&D as well as routine measurements, providing users with detailed results data and reporting capabilities, if required. Users have the choice of viewing a graphical ‘live’ display of the test for observational purposes, or multiple test results in tabulated form, to begin making comparisons and, subsequently, to evaluate them in more depth with a choice of calculations.

Password protection allows ‘administrators’ to alter test set-up and template design, thereby avoiding any accidental changes to programmable functions.

With a selection of models rated up to 10 Nm, the unit completes Mecmesin’s range of three motorised torque testing systems, which includes the basic Vortex-d and the tablet PC driven Vortex-Xt test system.

Fluke Networks’ latest version of the OptiView XG v9 network analysis tablet provides network professionals with an intuitive, graphical view of network infrastructure to help speed up root cause identification and resolve issues quickly. The Network Navigator capability reduces the time it takes to understand network issues by instantly and simply displaying network topology and problems.

Also included is inline testing that eliminates the need for an external tap or span port when observing conversations between client and application servers. This delivers fast and exact insights into real-time traffic flows and visibility into client/server conversations without the need for packet capture and port spanning.

If detailed packet analysis is required, the inline function captures all full line-rate speed, assuring complete analysis. In addition, the product’s existing network virtualisation feature has been enhanced, increasing visibility into new virtualised architecture, which improves workflow in data centre environments.

Fluke Networks Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S325

SI Instruments Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S317

Digital media processor Advantech’s ARK-DS762 and ARK-DS262 are part of its 3rd generation Intel Core i technology that delivers up to 15% more CPU performance, up to 60% more 3D graphics performance and up to 1.8 x transcode speeds via Quick Sync Video.

Designed for advanced digital media player and signage projects, the ARK-DS762 combines high processing and graphics performance (Intel 3rd Gen Core up to 45 W TDP) with rich I/O (including USB 3.0) and extra flexibility via optional expansion modules. The ARK-DS762 can support 3 x HDMI independent displays and supports Microsoft Kinect technology that allows a screen to become a virtual interactive mirror that can be controlled with gestures or spoken commands. It’s suitable for multidisplay applications in retail stores, stadiums, corporate lobbies, restaurants, hotels and other public spaces.

The compact ARK-DS262 (200 x 119 x 30 mm) turnkey signage solution is an Intel OPS (Open Pluggable Specification) digital signage platform that helps standardise the design and development of media players and displays. The ARK-DS262 is powered by a 3rd generation Intel Core i7/i3 with built-in graphics, which enables it to generate compelling video and 3D animation. ARK-DS262 also supports 1 x GigaLAN, 1 x COM ports and 2 x USB3.0, giving a selection of data communications for display applications.

Advantech Australia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R933

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HMI devices for graphic-intensive applications Phoenix Contact has expanded its HMI product line to include the TP 5000 series. In addition to the high-performance Intel Atom 1.6 GHz CPU, the devices have a range of functions.

The Visu+ runtime software is available on three different displays for visualisation. These display diagonals extend from 30.73 cm (12.1″) through 38.1 cm (15″) up to 43.2 cm (17″).

The integrated OPC server or additional ethernet-based drivers are used to link to the control level. Further, these devices can be connected to Profinet. This offers advantages such as IP allocation via the engineering station or PLC for commissioning, connection monitoring for operating tasks, as well as location identification functionality for service and support. In addition to the standard interfaces, such as ethernet (2x), USB (4x), and RS232, the device also has a VGA interface. Multistation operation can be set up by connecting an external monitor.

The devices are suitable for large machines and plants where HMI SCADA functionality is required. They can also be used in almost any sector due to the high-quality aluminium housing, which is dust protected and water resistant at the front in accordance with the IP65 standard.

Rittal Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S378

JAN/FEB 2013 - What's New in Electronics

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SINCE 1937, PUTTING OUR CUSTOMERS FIRST HAS MADE US THE WORLD’S NUMBER ONE* 2000

1990

Electrocomponents PLC joins the FTSE 100 Index of the UK’s largest companies.

International expansion into Asia and Europe begins.

1937

1998 1937 JH Waring and PM Sebestyen establish Radiospares in London.

WHEN THE WORLD COUNTS ON ENGINEERS, THEY COUNT ON US

Our fully transactional B2B website – a UK industry first – supports fast, 24/7, hassle-free orders of electronics and maintenance products.

Transforming imagination into reality One of the world’s leading film effects companies, New Zealand-based Weta Workshop has partnered with RS Components for over a decade. The effects specialists behind the Lord of the Rings, Avatar and the upcoming trilogy, The Hobbit, Weta Workshop is a multi-award-winning conceptual design and physical manufacturing facility that serves the world’s entertainment and creative industries.

Jon Ewen, Purchasing Officer at Weta Workshop, says, “The main reason we turn to RS Components is that they have such a wide range of products all in one place.” What’s more, RS Components’ quick delivery times means that most orders arrive the next day, which is vital in the film industry.

The nature of Weta’s work means that they have a wide and varied requirement, as no two projects are ever the same. With an unrivalled range of electronics and maintenance products, RS Components is perfectly placed to meet this need.

“WITH SUCH A WIDE RANGE OF PRODUCTS, RS CAN OFFER ALTERNATIVES THAT KEEP US MOVING FORWARD.”

Jon Ewen Purchasing Officer, Weta Workshop Wellington, New Zealand

2002 We are first to market with a free e-Procurement tool, RS PurchasingManagerTM, saving businesses time and money.

2012 RS Components wins Britain’s most coveted business award, the ‘Queen’s Award for Enterprise’.

2012

2011 Now dispatching one parcel every two seconds, we receive the ‘Operational Excellence Award’ at the prestigious Supply Chain Distinction Awards.

Innovative solutions for forward-thinking businesses Through an enduring commitment to exceptional service, RS Components enables companies like KK Electrical to work smarter and more efficiently. The New Zealand-based electrical contractor relies on us to supply its specialist automation requirements. Owner Ken Sullivan says the benefits RS Components brings to his business are absolute supply certainty and quick next-day delivery#.

“My local wholesaler just can’t compete with that. They might promise overnight delivery but that is rarely the case and while I might save a few bucks, it’s nothing compared to the cost of having my guys stand around idle waiting for parts to materialise,” says Sullivan.

“WHEN I ORDER THROUGH RS COMPONENTS, I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I’M BUYING AND WHEN I’LL GET IT. THAT ALLOWS ME TO PLAN PROJECTS WITH CERTAINTY AND MEET MY COMMITMENTS.”

Ken Sullivan Owner, KK Electrical Christchurch, New Zealand #

* RS Components is the trading brand of Electrocomponents, the world’s leading high-service electronics and maintenance distributor with sales revenue of £1.27 billion as of 31 March 2012.

As the leading high-service distributor of electronics and maintenance products globally, we provide:

Widest range online & in stock Same-day dispatch, on-time delivery Expert local language support Smart search, tools & platforms Latest leading technologies Flexible order quantities

Win tickets to the FA Cup Final with our 75th Anniversary Share Your Story competition at www.rs-components.com/75

FOR ALL YOUR ELECTRONICS AND MAINTENANCE NEEDS, VISIT www.rsaustralia.com www.rsnewzealand.com

Please refer to your local RS online site for local delivery terms and conditions.

WE HELP ENGINEERS KEEP THE WORLD RUNNING

Reducing robot energy consumption Robots could reduce their power consumption by as much as 10-fold by ‘stutter jumping’ - taking a short hop before a big jump.

The formula for the two-part jump was discovered by analysing nearly 20,000 jumps made by a simple spring-based ‘pogo-stick’ laboratory robot under a wide range of conditions.

“If we time things right, the robot can jump with a tenth of the power required to jump to the same height under other conditions,” said Daniel Goldman, an assistant professor in the School of Physics at the Georgia Institute of Technology. “In the stutter jumps, we can move the mass at a lower frequency to get off the ground. We achieve the same take-off velocity as a conventional jump but it is developed over a longer period of time with much less power.”

The amount of energy that can be stored in batteries can limit the range and duration of robotic missions, so the stutter jump could be helpful for small robots that have limited power. Optimising the efficiency of jumping could therefore allow the robots to complete longer and more complex missions.

© iStockphoto.com/Kirsty Pargeter

Controlling the electrical conductivity of graphene

© iStockphoto.com/Oleksiy Mark

Researchers at the Nanoelectronics Research Institute of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), in joint work with a NIMS team headed by Dr Kazuhito Tsukagoshi, a MANA Principal Investigator at the NIMS International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, have developed a novel technique for controlling the electrical conductivity of graphene.

In the technique developed, a helium ion beam is irradiated on graphene using a helium ion microscope to artificially introduce a low concentration of crystal defects, and it becomes possible to modulate the movement of electrons and holes in the graphene by applying a voltage to the gate electrode. Although this phenomenon of conduction control by introduction of crystal defects had been predicted theoretically, there were no examples in which on/off operation at room temperature was achieved experimentally. It is possible to introduce the technique developed in this work in the existing framework of production technology, including large area wafers.

20 What's New in Electronics - JAN/FEB 2013

Code exchange for Pi users Committed to speeding the adoption of new technology for engineers and enthusiasts, the element14 Community has launched the Code Exchange to complement its Raspberry Pi Group. Integrated with GitHub, the Code Exchange provides Pi users a secure environment to easily upload and modify code and to collaborate with peers. The exchange also provides a range of user guides, educational examples and Python programming tutorials from the Python Foundation to help Raspberry Pi users get started.

The element14 Raspberry Pi Group has 7700 global members, attracts 38,000 weekly visits and continues to grow. Pi users and enthusiasts have an open forum to exchange project ideas through the group and they can purchase the 512 MB Raspberry Pi Model B and a range of accessories, including the WiPi adaptors and PiView cables to connect to Wi-Fi networks and VGA monitors. element14’s ‘Double the Memory Raspberry Pi Challenge’ celebrates the new higher performance capabilities of the Raspberry Pi Model B. Pi fans are invited to blog about what they could do with double the memory power for a chance to win a Samsung Galaxy Tablet. Entries must be received by 16 December, and the Community will choose the winner from among five finalists.

To join the discussion online and for more information about Raspberry Pi and Code Exchange, visit www. element14.com/raspberrypi.

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World demand for batteries to reach $132 billion in 2016 World demand for primary and secondary batteries is forecast to rise 8.1% per year to $132 billion in 2016. China will remain the largest national market for batteries, bolstered by an over 12% annual increase in product sales through 2016 as consumer electronics, electric bicycle, and motor vehicle output and use continue to climb.

Battery demand in India will expand faster than in any other nation, as the nation’s manufacturing base and personal incomes grow further. South Korea will also record strong market advances, driven by expanding motor vehicle and © iS tock pho electronics output. Battery demand in Japan, the US and Western to.c om/ pea Europe will rise at a rate below the world average through 2016, but rley e suppliers in these markets will benefit from revitalised manufacturing industries and higher consumer spending.

These and other trends are presented in World Batteries, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc, a Cleveland-based industry market research firm.

Demand for secondary batteries is expected to rise at a faster rate than demand for primary batteries.

Many common electronic devices use secondary batteries. In addition, use of grid storage systems to regulate electrical generation system output is expected to increase quickly, further bolstering secondary battery sales. Lithium-based secondary batteries are expected to register the fastest demand gains of any type of battery due to their high performance characteristics. Primary battery suppliers will see a shift away from low-cost, low-performing battery types towards higher output, more expensive primary batteries, which will contribute to value growth through 2016. Demand for these batteries will be spurred by greater use of devices traditionally powered by primary types - such as flashlights and electronic lanterns, clocks and radios - as income levels climb in developing nations.

Battery sales to industrial and other markets will post the fastest gains of any market through 2016. Advances will be stimulated by increasing gross fixed investment, expanding global manufacturing output and ongoing industrialisation activity in developing nations. The automotive battery market will also record strong increases based on expanded output and use of conventional and hybrid motor vehicles, with replacement batteries accounting for more than two-thirds of the 2016 demand total. Rising incomes in developing nations will drive greater use of basic battery-powered devices, while increased use of portable, high-drain electronics will fuel growth in the consumer market.

Living power cables discovered Years ago, Danish scientists from Aarhus University discovered a seemingly inexplicable electric current on the sea floor. Now new experiments have revealed that these currents are mediated by a hitherto unknown type of long, multicellular bacteria that act as living power cables.

The Desulfobulbus bacterial cells, which are only a few thousandths of a millimetre long each, are so tiny that they are invisible to the naked eye. And yet, under the right circumstances, they form a multicellular filament that can transmit electrons across a distance as large as 1 cm as part of the filament’s respiration and ingestion processes.

The discovery was made by scientists at Aarhus University in Denmark and USC and published in Nature on 24 October.

The team studied bacteria living in marine sediments that power themselves by oxidising hydrogen sulfide. Cells at the bottom live in a zone that is poor in oxygen but rich in hydrogen sulfide, and those at the top live in an area rich in oxygen but poor in hydrogen sulfide.

The solution? They form long chains that transport individual electrons from the bottom to the top, completing the chemical reaction and generating life-sustaining energy.

Aarhus and USC researchers collaborated to use physical techniques to evaluate the long-distance electron transfer in the filamentous bacteria. Moh El-Naggar, assistant professor of physics at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and

Sciences, and his colleagues had previously used scanningprobe microscopy and nanofabrication methods to describe how bacteria use nanoscale structures called ‘bacterial nanowires’ to transmit electrons many body lengths away from cells.

“Until we found the cables, we imagined something cooperative where electrons were transported through external networks between different bacteria. It was indeed a surprise to realise that it was all going on inside a single organism,” said Lars Peter Nielsen of the Aarhus Department of Bioscience and a corresponding author of the Nature paper.

“You have feeder cells on one end and breather cells on the other, allowing the whole living cable to survive,” El-Naggar said.

© iStockphoto.com/Tatiana Popova

www.electronicsonline.net.au

JAN/FEB 2013 - What's New in Electronics

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newproducts Single board computer

The latest Raspberry Pi Model B offers double the memory of the previous model.

512 MB means that graphics, multimedia and network performance have all improved.

It also features new connector pins, a reset circuit, technical fixes and mounting holes.

There has been a small change to the GPIO pin out of revision 2.0 to add ARM JTAG support and to present a different I2C peripheral from that which is used on the camera interface. Users wishing to produce portable GPIO code should either avoid using these pins or add code to check the board revision and use this result to drive the correct pins appropriately. Two GPIO pins have been interchanged to allow a missing debug signal (ARM_TMS) to appear on P1 pin 13.

A reset circuit has been implemented, although in the standard build the required header is not fitted. Users wishing to use this circuit should fit an appropriate header to P6. Shorting P6 pin 1 to P6 pin 2 will cause the BCM2835 to reset.

The resettable fuses protecting the USB outputs have been removed. This feature was implemented on some later revision 1.0 PCBs by replacing the fuses with links; revision 2.0 permanently implements this modification. It is now possible to power the RPI from a USB hub that backfeeds power but it is important that the chosen hub cannot supply more than 2.5 A under fault conditions. element14 Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S237

Servo motor controller The ESCON 36/3 is maxon motor’s servo controller. Its design allows the setup of cost-efficient drive systems solely using Hall sensor feedback (no encoder necessary) without waiving the comprehensive 4-quadrant operation capabilities. It is designed for control of brushless DC motors with Hall sensors up to approximately 100 W. A drift-free dynamic speed behaviour enables a speed range of 0 to 150,000 rpm.

The controller provides a wide range of functions with fully configurable digital and analog inputs and outputs and can be run in various operating modes. Operating mode examples are: as an open or closed loop speed controller or as a current controller. It is matched to maxon’s range of motors and thus allows dynamic drive solutions.

The servo controller has been designed specifically with easy start-up and userfriendliness in mind. Hence, no in-depth knowledge of drive technology is required.

As far as the hardware is concerned, the ESCON 36/3 comes fully equipped with everything that is needed. For example, no additional external filters or motor chokes are required.

A wide range of input voltages and operating temperature allows for flexible use in almost all drive applications, in automation technology. It includes machine manufacturing, equipment engineering and mechatronics. With its efficiency of 95%, the ESCON 36/3 offers solutions for mobile, highly efficient yet consumptionoptimised applications. maxon motor Australia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R923

Power supply with 310 and 1500 W models The LCM series of AC-DC power supplies now includes the LCM300 and LCM1500, rated for 310 and 1500 W loads. Alongside the existing 600 W LCM600 unit, the series can provide for almost any AC-DC embedded power requirement.

Featuring robust screw terminals, the units are suitable for use in industrial and medical applications. They are backed by a comprehensive set of industrial and medical safety approvals and certificates.

Variable speed ‘Smart Speed’ fans draw on software controls to match fan speed to the unit’s cooling requirement and load current. Slowing the fan not only saves power but also reduces wear, thus extending its life. The MTBF of the LCM300 and LCM1500 units is greater than 500,000 h.

A digital control loop optimises efficiency across a wide load range. The efficiency of both the LCM300 and LCM1500 is greater than 91% at full load (230 VAC nominal input) and is at least 80% at all loads higher than 25%. Power factor correction is implemented internally, offering a typical power factor of 0.99 (LCM1500) or 0.98 (LCM300). Both units accept operating inputs between 90 and 264 VAC. Maximum input current for the LCM300 is 5 A and 18 A for the LCM1500. The compact LCM300 has a power density of 7.1 W/in 3, and the LCM1500, 12 W/in3.

Both the series units will be available in versions offering 12, 15, 24, 36 and 48 V outputs; the LCM1500 additionally offers a 28 V unit. All output voltages can be trimmed to ±20% (LCM300) or ±10% (LCM1500) of their nominal value, which means that almost any output voltage between 10 and 53 V can be provided by LCM series parts.

Emerson Network Power Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S372

22 What's New in Electronics - JAN/FEB 2013

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newproducts Data recovery software Eaton Corporation’s Intelligent Power Manager software is designed to enhance disaster data recovery and planned migration within VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager. It provides automatic virtual machine synchronisation and initiation of a backup site to avoid data loss and reduce downtime during power outages, when shutting down servers is unavoidable.

The Intelligent Power Manager software achievement of VMware Ready certification, VMware’s highest level of endorsement, followed a detailed validation process.

The qualification signifies that the software has met VMware integration and interoperability standards and works effectively with VMware cloud infrastructure, which will speed time-tovalue within user environments.

Keeping critical workloads operational and preventing data corruption are a data centre’s top priorities during power outages and VMware’s vCenter platform offers users the required capability and control to preserve mission critical data and business continuity.

Traditionally, when a virtualised data centre loses power, technicians must manually initiate the recovery process in a specific sequence, often in the face of intense time pressure. The product increases productivity and response time by identifying the power failure immediately, initiating a backup site, and triggering VMware Site Recovery Manager’s disaster recovery failover and planned migration processes. The VMware Site Recovery Manager capability enables IT personnel to view, monitor and administer not only physical and virtual servers, but also uninterruptible power systems (UPSs), power distribution units (PDUs) and other power devices through VMware’s vCenter Server platform.

EMC testing CDN network

The Teseq coupling/decoupling network (CDN) model HSS-2 is designed for surge testing of balanced unshielded wire pairs. Examples include ethernet 1, 2, and 4 pair communication buses and coupling is achieved via a 40 Ω resistive impedance in series with capacitive coupling elements.

The unit is suitable for 10, 100 and 1000 Base T as well as for powerover-ethernet (PoE). It is safe to use and even with a surge test voltage of 2 kV, auxiliary equipment is subject to 65 V maximum. The decoupling network provides testing in accordance with IEC 61000-4-5 (edition 3/77/67A/CD2012-05) and provides a surge pulse shape for the equipment under test (EUT) that is independent of auxiliary equipment. Insertion loss for the CDN is typically 9 dB at 100 MHz. This coupling network can be used with any surge generator, eg, the Teseq NSG 3060, NSG 3040 or the Schaffner Modula Series.

Westek Electronics Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S319

Eaton Industries Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R593

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JAN/FEB 2013 - What's New in Electronics

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newproducts

RF interconnect catalogue Samtec’s latest RF interconnect catalogue is now available. It offers customers 24-hour free samples, no minimum order quantities and two- to three-day lead times for standard product orders. This year’s catalogue features solutions for high-speed and high-density needs and systems that are suitable for high-vibration applications.

The catalogue introduces Samtec’s new offering of 75 Ω optimised adapters, which convert BNC to High-Density BNC, and N Type to MMCX for increased panel density.

For increased flexibility, customers can utilise Samtec’s online tools to select mix-and-match options and receive product information including technical drawings, pricing, delivery and 3D models.

Samtec USA Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R928

DC/DC converters Soanar offers power supplies designed for harsh environments, with a temperature range of -40 to 70°C, humidity levels up to 95%, a high level of particle ingress protection and an extreme vibration rating.

The company provides standard, modified and custom DC/DC converters for any onboard rail vehicle or trackside application. There is a strong focus on compliance to relevant safety, environmental and EMC regulations including EN50155, EN50121, IEC60571, SN29500, IEC61373 and more.

With standard output power ratings from 50 to 500 W and a wide input voltage range of 43 V to 154 VDC (suited for use on board passenger and locomotive vehicles), the DC/DC converters feature single or dual output voltages of 5, 12, 15 or 24 V, or 48 VDC. The DC/DC converter offering includes the ability to modify any standard product to the user’s requirement, whether custom input or output connections, input/output voltages, power ratings, signals for monitoring and fault analysis or a new design from the ground up. The product also has flexible mounting options such as a 19″ rack, wall mount and DIN rail.

Soanar Limited Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S021

24 What's New in Electronics - JAN/FEB 2013

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newproducts Enclosure breather and drain vents

Stahlin’s nonmetallic breather vent allows an enclosure to ‘breathe’, allowing the free passage of air.

The nonmetallic drain vent protects electrical equipment housed inside an enclosure by properly draining unwanted moisture or accumulated water from within.

Both vents maintain UL Type 4X enclosure integrity as a recognised component.

The vents can be used with any enclosure material type such as fibreglass, stainless steel, carbon steel and polycarbonate.

Well Connected

Switches Plus Components Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S308

Intelligent 32-channel USB digital I/O module The USB-104 form factor digital I/O module from Acces I/O provides 32 lines of independently selectable buffered digital I/O. The USBDIO-32I features onboard intelligent firmware that provides watchdog timer, configurable power-on defaults, contact debouncing and latching, digital pulse generation and matrix mapping functionality. It is a USB 2.0 high-speed device and is compatible with both USB 1.1 and USB 3.0 computer ports.

All I/O lines are buffered by tri-state buffer transceivers capable of sinking 64 mA or sourcing 32 mA. The buffers are configured under program control for input or output. 10 kΩ pull-ups (to +5 VDC) on the board allow for contact monitoring and ensure a known signal level at power-up.

Power is supplied to the cards via the USB cable. If high source current capabilities are required, an external power option may be used. The I/O wiring connection is via an industry-standard 50-pin connector. For external circuits, fused +5 VDC power is available at the connector. This resettable fuse is rated at 0.5 A. The USB-DIO-32I is supplied in a rugged industrial case. An OEM (board only) option is also available. With the OEM option, its PCB size and pre-drilled mounting holes match the PC/104 form factor.

This allows the modules to be added to any PC/104, PCI-104, or PCI/104-Express stack making them suitable for embedded applications.

Interworld Electronics&Computer Ind Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R845

GNSS receiver

The NV08C-CSM is a fully integrated multiconstellation satellite navigation receiver. It is compatible with GPS, GLONASS and future Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) Galileo and Compass as well as satellite-based augmentation systems (SBAS) EGNOS, WAAS and MSAS. Specifically designed for use in LBS and M2M applications, the device has a small form factor and good performance. It offers high sensitivity and high-performance acquisition and tracking, combined with low power consumption. It also features assisted GPS/GLONASS/ Galileo (A-GNSS), dead reckoning and power-saving functionalities.

Applications include IVSS, navigation, asset tracking, surveillance and security.

Featuring two RF channels (GPS and GLONASS) and three-stage SAW filtration for better noise immunity, the product provides a variety of interfaces, flexible power supply options and a supply voltage for an active antenna. The compact and fully featured GNSS receiver can be integrated on a 2- or 4-layer PCB with minimum additional passive components.

An evaluation/development kit is also available to enable developers to quickly familiarise themselves with the NV08C-CSM’s features and functionalities.

Wide range of Cable Assemblies including: • FFCs and FPCs • Custom-Made such as Moulded RS232 Data Communications • Automotives • Waterproof & RF Cable Assemblies • Locally made Cable Assemblies for prototyping 3 Small Volumes 3 Quick Turnaround • UL Approved and RoHS Compliant Cable Assemblies Semiconductor IC’s Resistors Capacitors Potentiometers Crystals

Oscillators Filters LED’s & LCD’s Relays Sensors

Switches Connectors Fasteners Enclosures GPS Modules

Ampec Technologies Pty Ltd Sydney: Web: E-mail:

(02) 8741-5000 www.ampec.com.au sales@ampec.com.au

M2M Connectivity Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S291

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JAN/FEB 2013 - What's New in Electronics

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newproducts Handheld cases Hammond Electronics’ 1553T range of T cases is designed for use in a wide variety of handheld instrumentation, data capture and controller application across all industries.

Initially available in two sizes, 165 x 80 x 28 mm and 210 x 100 x 32 mm, the enclosures feature recessed areas for keypads and displays, and are available with or without a battery compartment.

Versions without a battery box have two removable end panels; the battery versions have a single panel at the top of the unit. The battery box in the larger unit accepts 4 x AA or 2 x 9 V cuboid batteries, 2 x AA or 1 x 9 V in the smaller; connectors for both types are supplied.

The removable plastic end panels are easily machined to provide cut-outs to suit LEDs, connectors and switches as required.

Moulded in flame-retardant ABS, the units have a smooth, curved shape that fits into the hand. They are produced in light grey or black, both with overmoulded contrasting soft side grips as standard. Both top and base are provided with PCB mounting standoffs and the two shells are assembled together with screws into brass inserts, allowing repeated access to the interior without degrading the closure.

Hammond Electronics Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S375

Scalable power supply system Renesas Electronics Corporation has announced a chipset implementing the voltage regulator (VR) for CPU power supplies used in PCs, servers and storage systems. It comprises the R2A30521NP, a VR controller that integrates a microcontroller (MCU)-based digital interface, and the R2J20759NP, a pulse width modulation (PWM)-Driver-MOSFET device (DrMOS) with an integrated current detection circuit.

Renesas intends to supply the chipset as a system solution that enables power supply systems conforming to VR12.0, VR12.5 and the latest VR12.6 VR standards from Intel to achieve greater power density, better power efficiency and more precise operation.

The VR 12 solution is for MCU, analog and discrete power device technologies. The solution is a digital-analog hybrid system that combines the flexibility of MCUs with the stability of analog circuits to achieve precise high-speed control at a low level of current consumption.

Key features include: approx 40% smaller board area compared to existing Renesas designs. In contrast to conventional technologies that use inductor current to measure output voltage, Renesas’s system uses an intelligent power device, R2J20759NP, which has its own built-in current detection circuit, eliminating the need for current detection lines on the board or filters to reduce noise. In addition, the R2J20759NP has a compact QFN40 package and can supply up to 40 A per phase; low current for extended battery life in connected-standby mode; support for scalable power supplies with a variety of configurations.

In addition, the system has far greater noise tolerance because it requires no external lines for current detection. Two-stage settings - independent in hardware and software - are supported for protection functions essential to a power supply system, such as overcurrent.

The VR controller R2A30521NP uses a serial interface to exchange power or system status information with the CPU or other high-level system, and based on this information, it uses a dedicated clock for switching the operating mode. This ensures that the operating mode is always optimal for the power device.

Renesas Technology Singapore Pte Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S397

26 What's New in Electronics - JAN/FEB 2013

Infrared sensor for thermometer

The Ircon 7V series of infrared sensors has been added to the Modline 7 infrared thermometers. The new models provide solutions for the semiconductor industry and are one of eight in a series launched by Ircon earlier this year.

Combined with Ircon ModView Pro software, the thermometers provide a good solution for demanding industrial environments.

The PROC-7 processor box allows full sensor operation through a push-button panel and is part of a full line of accessories offered for the Modline 7 series thermometers.

The rugged, IP65 (NEMA 4) sealed sensor system has the flexibility to meet nearly any continuous temperature monitoring and control requirement. The thermometers are used in a wide range of industrial applications, including semiconductor manufacturing, metals processing, furnace refractory, primary and secondary glass, as well as plastics thermoforming.

The thermometers provide good versatility with extended temperature ranges -40 to 3000°C, high-resolution optics and fast response times. The thermometer’s sensing head can operate as a stand-alone sensor, providing simultaneous analog and digital outputs of process temperatures. Motorised focus control and both through-the-lens and laser sighting are standard on all units.

The thermometer’s intuitive sensor design features integral water-cooling in a stainless steel enclosure. The high-temperature water jacket with integrated air purge capability reduces installation and set-up time and is intended for use in ambient temperatures up to 315°C. An optional air purge collar accessory enables the lens to be cooled and kept free of debris in hot dusty environments.

In addition, the standardised installation accessories and common Windows ModView Pro software platform minimise multiple product configurations at the user’s facility. Sensor set-up and monitoring can be accomplished either from the rear panel of the instrument or from the ModView Pro software. This allows for remote PC-based sensor configuration, temperature monitoring, trending and archiving via an intuitive graphical user interface. For example, users can change the temperature display from degrees Fahrenheit to degrees Celsius, adjust emissivity levels, scale the range, focus the sensor, activate filters (eg, peak hold, valley hold and averaging) and save data for future reference or graphing.

The thermometers use high-speed digital signal processors with an RS485 serial data communications networking capability that supports up to 32 sensors. The ModView Pro software is included with all new Modline 7 series thermometers.

AMS Instrumentation & Calibration Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S392

www.electronicsonline.net.au

solar power

The first all-carbon solar cell Researchers have developed a solar cell made entirely of carbon, an inexpensive substitute for the pricey materials used in conventional solar panels.

Stanford University scientists have built the first solar cell made entirely of carbon, a promising alternative to the expensive materials used in photovoltaic devices today. The results are published in an online edition of the journal ACS Nano.

“Carbon has the potential to deliver high performance at a low cost,” said study senior author Zhenan Bao, a professor of chemical engineering at Stanford. “To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a working solar cell that has all of the components made of carbon. This study builds on previous work done in our lab.”

Unlike rigid silicon solar panels that adorn many rooftops, Stanford’s thin-film prototype is made of carbon materials that can be coated from solution. “Perhaps in the future we can look at alternative markets where flexible carbon solar cells are coated on the surface of buildings, on windows or on cars to generate electricity,” Bao said.

The coating technique also has the potential to reduce manufacturing costs, said Stanford graduate student Michael Vosgueritchian, co-lead author of the study with postdoctoral researcher Marc Ramuz.

“Processing silicon-based solar cells requires a lot of steps,” Vosgueritchian explained. “But our entire device can be built using simple coating methods that don’t require expensive tools and machines.”

Carbon nanomaterials The Bao group’s experimental solar cell consists of a photoactive layer, which absorbs sunlight, sandwiched between two electrodes.

In a typical thin-film solar cell, the electrodes are made of conductive metals and indium tin oxide (ITO). “Materials like indium are scarce and becoming more expensive as the demand for solar cells, touch-screen panels and other electronic devices grows,” Bao www.electronicsonline.net.au

said. “Carbon, on the other hand, is low-cost and Earth-abundant.”

For the study, Bao and her colleagues replaced the silver and ITO used in conventional electrodes with graphene - sheets of carbon that are one atom thick - and single-walled carbon nanotubes that are 10,000 times narrower than a human hair. “Carbon nanotubes have extraordinary electrical conductivity and light-absorption properties,” Bao said.

For the active layer, the scientists used material made of carbon nanotubes and ‘buckyballs’ - soccer ball-shaped carbon molecules just one nanometre in diameter. The research team recently filed a patent for the entire device.

“Every component in our solar cell, from top to bottom, is made of carbon materials,” Vosgueritchian said. “Other groups have reported making all-carbon solar cells, but they were referring to just the active layer in the middle, not the electrodes.”

One drawback of the all-carbon prototype is that it primarily absorbs near-infrared wavelengths of light, contributing to a laboratory efficiency of less than 1% - much lower than commercially available solar cells. “We clearly have a long way to go on efficiency,” Bao said.

“But with better materials and better processing techniques, we expect that the efficiency will go up quite dramatically.”

Mark Shwartz

Improving efficiency The Stanford team is looking at a variety of ways to improve efficiency.

“Roughness can short-circuit the device and make it hard to collect the current,” Bao said. “We have to figure out how to make each layer very smooth by stacking the nanomaterials “Carbon has the potential to deliver really well.”

The researchers are also experimenting with high performance at a low cost." carbon nanomaterials that can absorb more light in a broader range of wavelengths, including the visible spectrum.

“Materials made of carbon are very robust,” Bao said. “They remain stable in air temperatures of nearly 600°C.” The ability of carbon solar cells to outperform conventional devices under extreme conditions could overcome the need for greater efficiency, according to Vosgueritchian. “We believe that all-carbon solar cells could be used in extreme environments, such as at high temperatures or at high physical stress,” he said. “But obviously we want the highest efficiency possible and are working on ways to improve our device.”

“Photovoltaics will definitely be a very important source of power that we will tap into in the future,” Bao said. “We have a lot of available sunlight. We’ve got to figure out some way to use this natural resource that is given to us.”

JAN/FEB 2013 - What's New in Electronics

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newproducts Microwave analysers Agilent Technologies has announced 14 FieldFox handheld analysers that deliver benchtop-instrument accuracy in fieldtest environments. Designed for harsh conditions and hard-toreach locations, the analysers cover satellite communications, microwave backhaul, military communications, radar systems and a wide range of applications.

The microwave analysers can be configured as cableand-antenna analysers, spectrum analysers, vector network analysers or all-in-one combination analysers. Each compact, 3 kg package is available in four frequencies: 9, 14, 18 or 26.5 GHz. FieldFox microwave vector network analysers provide full two-port S-parameter measurements with a low trace noise of ±0.004 dB and dynamic range of 94 dB (up to 18 GHz).

The VNAs offer QuickCal function which enables hassle-free calibration without external accessories.

Wireless test tool measurements The Fluke CNX Wireless System is a set of test tools that wirelessly connect multiple measurement modules and send simultaneous readings to a master device up to 20 m away. The rugged, customisable tool set lets users choose various measurement modules based on their specific troubleshooting scenario. It simplifies troubleshooting by enabling up to 10 simultaneous electrical and temperature wireless measurements.

At the core of the system is a CAT III 1000 V/CAT IV 600 V multimeter with a screen that displays its readings along with live readings from up to three other measurement modules. For more complex troubleshooting, users can view live measurements from up to 10 modules simultaneously on a computer equipped with the CNX PC Adapter.

The modules, which include ACV, AC Current Clamp, iFlex AC Current Clamp and K-Type Temperature units, can take live measurements or log up to 65,000 sets of data. Logged data can be saved to a computer in .csv format.

The system lets users place modules in hazardous or awkward places and then watch the readings from a safe distance. For example, technicians can de-energise a panel, connect voltage or current modules to all three phases and close and re-energise the panel. The measurements can then be read outside the arc flash zone.

By leveraging the most common electrical test tool, the multimeter, the Fluke CNX system lets technicians extend their existing capabilities and skills, helping them meet market demand for more complex three-phase work without retraining on more complex test tools.

Fluke Australia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S321

EPIC single board computer

FieldFox microwave spectrum analysers provide amplitude accuracy of ±0.5 dB at power-up, with no warm-up required, allowing field users to precisely characterise transmitter power.

They can detect more signals in the band of interest with phase noise of -111 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz offset, and measure low-level signals in the presence of high-power transmitters with spur-free dynamic range of 105 dB. The combination analysers’ base function is cable and antenna analysis, and users can configure the instrument to do spectrum and vector network analysis as well. To further save space in a field kit, FieldFox analysers can be ordered with a built-in power meter, independent signal generator, vector voltmeter, interference analysis, variable DC source, frequency counter and built-in GPS receiver.

The NANO-QM770, from IEI Technology, is an EPIC SBC with Socket G2 for the 3rd generation Intel Core processor family. It supports dual-channel DDR3 1600/1333/1066 MHz up to 8 GB. The product supports advanced three independent displays with a combination of dual HDMI port and DVI port. It features dual PCIe GbE, 3 x COM ports, 4 x USB 3.0 ports, 2 x SATA 6 Gbps ports and a Realtek ALC662 HD codec audio connector.

The Mobile Intel QM77 Express chipset on the boards supports Intel Active Management Technology (AMT) 8.0. Users can remotely diagnose and repair problems using Intel 82579 PHY for Intel AMT 8.0 support.

Based on the Intel QM77 Express chipset with Intel AMT 8.0 support, IEI developed iEZman and One Key Recovery to combine the power of remote KVM control with simplified system recovery and backup management. All IEI products can be remotely controlled using the company’s iEZman and One Key Recovery.

Agilent Technologies Aust Pty Ltd

ICP Electronics Australia Pty Ltd

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R658

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S143

28 What's New in Electronics - JAN/FEB 2013

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newproducts Digital signal controllers Microchip Technology has released the dsPIC33 GS family of digital signal controllers (DSCs). The DSCs offer new features while lowering power consumption, enabling higher efficiency in AC-DC and DC-DC power supplies, HID and LED lighting, solar inverters and other power conversion applications.

The five-member dsPIC33FJ09GS302 family is optimised for digital-power applications via integrated high-speed ADCs, a zero-wait-state signal processing core and flexible high-resolution PWMs. These peripherals are integrated for streamlined interoperation, enabling submicrosecond digital control loops.

Other features of this family include on-chip analog comparators with programmable hysteresis and rail-to-rail operation, and an on-chip PMBus address selection current source to reduce external components. The DSCs offer the lowest power dissipation of any of the GS family members and are the first available in a 20-pin SSOP package and the smaller 36-pin VTLA package, which has a 5 x 5 mm footprint.

The MPLAB Starter Kit for Digital Power (part # DM330017) allows users to explore digital power conversion using Microchip’s dsPIC33 GS architecture in popular digital power-conversion topologies. The kit includes a buck converter and a boost converter with onboard programmable loads for each, along with an LCD for voltage, current, temperature and fault conditions. An onboard debugger/programmer with a USB interface is included.

Microchip’s full suite of standard development tools supports the dsPIC33FJ09GS302 family, including the MPLAB integrated development environment.

Microchip Technology Australia Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S324

Mobile data terminal The iVC-3 is a mobile data terminal made for the fleet management of truckload carriers. It is designed to facilitate fleets, improve safety measurement systems, reduce carrier interventions and enhance ROI. The device is equipped with a multitasking onboard terminal to collect in-vehicle data, evaluate driver performance and carry multichannel communications with a dispatch centre.

The product is safety- and performance-oriented, integrating with dispatch systems to driver operational efficiency. It enables safe, accurate and efficient routing while providing real-time broadcasting and two-way communication to relay critical information to drivers. The terminal can collect vehicle data and driver logs, and track vehicle and driver performance through a direct interface with the vehicle’s sensor inputs of data bus. It can even monitor cargo and trailer status in conjunction with sensor inputs, including temperature, lock, gas sensor, etc.

The rugged instrument can operate in extreme temperatures of -30 to 70°C, is able to withstand high vibration and shock, and has a compact design for mobile applications. It features 2 x USB 3.0 ports, GPS/3G/Wi-Fi support, isolated 4xDI/4xDO, optional UPS support and support for a dual independent display with LVDS and SDVO. Backplane Systems Technology Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S094

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JAN/FEB 2013 - What's New in Electronics

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newproducts Boundary-scan controller JTAG Technologies’ DataBlaster JT 37x7/PXIe is a high-performance boundaryscan IEEE Std. 1149.1 controller. The unit offers support for the PXIe/Compact PCI-express slot format that features in some of the latest automatic test equipment based on the PXI(e) standards.

The DataBlaster JT 37x7/PXIe was developed to satisfy the growing requirements for high-speed in-system programming (ISP) of flash memories, serial memories and CPLDs as well as complex digital circuit testing. The ETT (Enhanced Throughput Technology) system offers users sustained test clock speeds of up to 40 MHz and features an onboard flash image buffer memory.

It is supplied with the complementary QuadPOD system which offers four synchronised TAPs (test access ports) able to support multiTAP test targets (UUTs) or gang programming of four single TAP targets. QuadPOD can also house the full range of JTAG Technologies’ SCIL modules, allowing the user to deploy custom test interfaces (BDM, I 2C etc) or the mixed signal DAF (digital, analog frequency) measurement module.

The scalable DataBlaster JT 37x7/PXIe range starts with the entry model JT 3707/PXIe, suitable for high-speed test applications and in-system PLD programming. Companion models JT 3717/PXIe and JT 3727/PXIe, optionally fitted with an ETT module for flash ISP, support high-throughput flash programming as well as test and PLD programming.

ProDigital Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R920

CompactPCI PlusIO SBC The MEN Mikro Elektronik F75P CompactPCI PlusIO SBC unites the benefits of a 1oo2 multiprocessing system and the ruggedness and flexibility of the CompactPCI PlusIO standard on one single card.

It is designed for rail applications and brings functional safety to the board level using redundant Intel Atom processors. While two redundant CPUs with independent RAM and flash memory increase system safety, a third processor controls the I/O interfaces.

Two of the total three Intel Atom E680T processors with 1.6 GHz and 512 MB DDR2 RAM are set up to be redundant, forming the safe control unit of F75P. The third Intel Atom with 1 GB DDR2 controls I/O. It passes on the commands to the interfaces that were sent by the two control CPUs across an FPGA-based communication interface.

Two supervisor units monitor the environmental conditions specified for the two control CPUs and put the system into a safe state, for instance if the maximum operating temperature was exceeded.

To increase the availability of a system, users can also connect two F75P SBCs to form a cluster.

Every F75P based system can be certified up to SIL 4 - a correspondent certificate

by TÜV Süd is currently in preparation.

The standard front I/O of the unit comprises one VGA interface, two fast ethernet and two USB, while its rear gives access to one PCI Express port, four USB, one SATA and two fast ethernet.

Extended temperature range of -40 to +85°C, EN 50155 conformity, conformal coating and assembly of M12 connectors make the unit safe and robust - especially in rail applications where space is at a premium.

Dominion Electronics Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S318

30 What's New in Electronics - JAN/FEB 2013

Fibre-optic transmitters and receivers Omron fibre-optic transmitters and receivers are SC interface optical communication modules that transmit or receive multiple signals over a single multimode fibre.

Designed for high-speed HDMI quality data transmission, they are suitable for applications such as medical and video surveillance.

The P1xX4C-SX4x-01MM transmitters and receivers are SX4 Mini Modules which transmit four video or data channels over one multimode fibre, with each channel capable of transmitting up to 1.65 Gbps (model = V) or 3.5 Gbps (model = D).

With a microcontroller preprogrammed for optimal optical transmission onboard, the SX4 modules include fully integrated electrical-to-optical transmitters versatile enough to be designed into a variety of systems.

The P1xX6B-SX51x-02A transmitters and receivers are SX51 Data Modules that transmit up to four 3.4 Gbps data channels plus two side-band channels (one each direction) across a single multimode fibre. They can transmit or receive over 6.6 Gbps (model = V) or 14 Gbps (model = D) of data. With integrated drivers and amplifiers, the data modules eliminate the need for in-house optical design expertise.

Mouser Electronics Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S118

www.electronicsonline.net.au

defect mapping

Paperless defect mapping © iStockphoto.com/mediaphotos

Sechan Electronics is a contract manufacturing services company committed to developing, testing and manufacturing military electronics systems and subsystems for the US Department of Defense and Prime Contractors. Sechan’s relationship with Aegis Software extends back over 11 years, beginning with the initial purchase of software modules CircuitCAM and CheckPoint.

So when Sechan need a replacement for its paper-based defect mapping process, it chose Aegis’s Quality System - a decision that has paid off handsomely for the company.

“We purchased Aegis CircuitCAM and Check Point initially for work instruction and machine program generation. Given the great performance of those products and Aegis, we took the next step with their shop floor solutions,” commented Matthew Leber, CCA Manager at Sechan. “I have been working in the electronic manufacturing field since 1990 and these products add up to the single greatest tool I have seen to drive process improvement. Defects are identified down to the pin level, while the Aegis software also includes traceability, part number association and numerous other valuable features.”

The Aegis software solution gives Sechan a manufacturing operating system that fulfils its long-held strategic ambitions - and not just for real-time control. The company uses the electronic data captured to calculate DPMO levels and drive quality initiatives for continuous process improvement. All activities are supported by the software’s automatic generation of standard reports, and custom reports can usually be produced in a few minutes. Additionally, reports triggered by real-time events have proved useful in ensuring that all personnel are notified immediately of any event affecting them.

Sechan’s Aegis environment now extends to over 75 licences covering NPI, manufacturing, inspection, test and quality functions for the entire production area. The company has also implemented Aegis xLink technology to electronically capture data from Viscom AOI and AXI systems as well as flying probe and www.electronicsonline.net.au

in-circuit test equipment to complement manual data collection.

The Aegis installation covers Sechan’s 11,150 m2 facility, which now houses three surface mount lines, one wave solder and one selective solder process. Production activities include circuit card assembly, cable and wire harness assembly, and electromechanical assembly.

This environment of extensive manufacturing information and on-demand paperless reporting contrasts greatly with the set-up it replaced. Data from the previous QA system was weak, with limited reference pointers. Deriving reports was a cumbersome exercise, with no drilldown or useful data provided. These drawbacks made driving process improvements difficult and time-consuming.

Aegis software is regarded by Sechan as a comprehensive, wellintegrated system that accomplishes the company’s goals in an easy and user-friendly format. Personnel from Sechan’s manufacturing engineering, QA and IT departments participated in the implementation effort, using phone support from Aegis when small issues arose.

Sechan feels that Aegis has always been quick to investigate any such issues, resolving these with appropriate fixes. Aegis deployment engineers assisted with the initial training for, and implementation of, automated report generation, xLink connections with the AOI and test systems, and general system checks as needed in an efficient manner.

Sechan’s Quality Management system is in full compliance with AS9100:2009 and ISO " Dashboards will display 9001:2008, with demonstrated CMMI Level production and quality metrics as 3 capabilities. actionable data for the operators In the future, Sechan intends to make further use of Aegis in refining its quality on the factory floor. " environment. Dashboards will display production and quality metrics as actionable data for the operators on the factory floor. The company also plans to expand the capture of other critical quality and test data to further reduce the number of disparate data sources in the factory; reports and metrics will become available from one integrated manufacturing solution.

Aegis Software http://www.aiscorp.com/en/

JAN/FEB 2013 - What's New in Electronics

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newproducts CompactPCI blade with remote management The Adlink cPCI-6520 series is a 6U single-slot CompactPCI (cPCI) processor blade designed for applications such as robust computer makers, intelligent system integrators and the military sectors. It is available with its 22 nm 3rd generation quad- and dual-core Intel Core i7 and Mobile Intel QM77 Express Chipset with dual-channel DDR3-1333/1600 ECC memory up to 16 GB capacity.

The series delivers good computing power, I/O and memory capacity, and flexible connecConsultantTech_AD.pdf 1 15/10/2012 10:43:14 AM tivity for robust computing applications requiring server-class performance. It has enhanced management features such as PICMG 2.9 compliant IPMI, remote management based on Intel vPro technology and optional Trusted Platform Module (TPM) for security management.

Wide temperature range support is available from -40 to 85°C (operating).

The series has good processing and graphics performance for applications requiring reliable, scalable CompactPCI products with the latest quadcore CPU, 2D/3D graphics engine with multiple displays.

Three independent display functionality is provided via two dual-mode DisplayPorts and DVI/VGA graphics interfaces. The DisplayPort interface supports single-link DVI or HDMI with a passive adapter cable and analog VGA output via an active adapter cable. When coupled with an Adlink XMC-G460 graphics module installed in the XMC site or an Adlink cPCI-R6700 Rear Transition Module, the series supports up to four independent displays.

On-card connectivity includes two front-panel GbE egress ports, three USB 3.0 ports, bootable CompactFlash socket, onboard 7-pin SATA 6 Gbps connector for external storage device and SATA 6 Gbps direct connector for an onboard 2.5″ drive to provide flexible storage capabilities. The series also provides a PMC/ XMC expansion site supporting 64-bit 133 MHz PCI modules or PCI Express x8 XMC modules. Rear I/O storage interface includes up to three SATA ports with RAID 0/1/5/10 support and up to eight SAS ports supporting hardware RAID by the cPCI-R6200 RTM. The series can operate in a system slot as a master or in a peripheral slot as a standalone blade for high-density computing applications. It provides dual-channel DDR3-1333/1600 with ECC up to 16 GB with one channel soldered onboard up to 8 GB and one channel socket up to 8 GB. The flexible memory design ensures that it is a reliable platform for ruggedised applications. The series is also validated for reliability in extended temperature conditions ranging from -20 to 70°C. Select SKUs can support extreme temperatures ranging from -40 to 85°C with optional conformal coating.

Compatible operating systems for the cPCI-6520 include Windows XP, Windows 7, Fedora 16, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.2 and VxWorks 6.9.

ADLINK Technology Inc

Microminiature socket receptacle Mill-Max has added a microminiature option to its organic fibre plug (OFP) receptacle line-up. The 4428-0-43-15-0414-10-0 socket receptacle is the company’s smallest OFP receptacle. Optimised for high-density packaging down to 1 mm pitch, this microminiature, ultralow-profile receptacle accepts 0.008 to 0.013″ device leads or mating pins and can be soldered into a hole as small as 0.030″.

Mill-Max’s OFP solder barrier receptacles are discrete sockets for through-hole soldering into printed circuit boards.

These open-bottom receptacles are fitted with OFPs to prevent contamination of the internal contact during the soldering process. When the device/mating lead is plugged into the receptacle, the OFP is knocked out, allowing the mating lead to pass through the fingers of the internal contact and make a reliable electrical connection. The 4428 features an open-bottom construction designed for pin pass-through requirements such as board-to-board or board-to-module interconnection.

The 4428 is also available packaged on tape and reel, part number 4428-0-6715-04-14-10-0. Tape and reel packaging permits these through-hole components to be placed simultaneously with surfacemount parts on pick-and-place assembly lines, eliminating the need to hand place the receptacles in an additional manufacturing step.

The 4428 features a gold-plated, precision-machined brass shell assembled with the company’s #04 gold-plated beryllium copper contact clip with a 2 A current rating.

Walcom Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S306

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S395

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PMM7010 Precompliance EMI Test Receiver • Fast, easy Debug & Test during product development • Inbuilt 16 Amp/250 Volt LISN for conducted emission testing • High quality EMI Test Receiver with new SMART Detector • Includes all CISPR standard Detectors • New PMM PES Emission Test Software Suite • Inbuilt Pulse Limiter Protection • Operating Bandwith 150khz - 1 GHZ

CONSULTANT TECHNOLOGY AUST. PTY. LTD. PHONE: (02) 9452 3831 FAX: (02) 9451 7421 EMAIL: sales@contec.com.au WEB: www.contec.com.au 32 What's New in Electronics - JAN/FEB 2013

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newproducts Low input current optocouplers in SOP-4 Mini-flat package Vishay Intertechnology’s VOM617A and VOM618A series of optoelectronics with low input current optocouplers and phototransistor outputs feature low input currents of 1 mA (VOM618A) and 5 mA (VOM617A) in the compact SOP-4 mini-flat package. This saves 30% PCB space over the DIP-4 package.

Both models in the series each offer nine different current transfer ratio (CTR) ranges from 40 to 600%, providing designers with increased flexibility. They are designed for isolated feedback loops, I/O isolation and isolation in switchmode power supplies, AC adapters, motor drivers, solar inverters, networking switches, telecom line cards and home appliances. The optocouplers protect equipment users from electrical shocks and protect the microprocessors within these systems from being damaged by voltage spikes.

The devices are also known as optoisolators and feature a GaAs infrared emitting diode that is optically coupled to a silicon phototransistor. The SOP-4 package provides a 3750 VRMS isolation voltage rating and creepage and clearance distance of ≥5 mm. The optocouplers are moulded using an eco-friendly ‘green’ compound and are RoHS-compliant and in accordance with WEEE 2002/96/EC. They are certified to UL, CSA, VDE, FIMKO and CQC safety standards. Samples and production quantities have standard lead times of four to six weeks.

Braemac Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R905

SWIR detector The XFPA-1.7-640-LN2 SWIR detector is designed to have low noise and high sensitivity for low-light-level measurements. The product is suitable for R&D spectroscopy or semiconductor failure analysis tasks. These demanding applications, where very low light levels need to be measured, require image sensors with low dark current, low noise and good responsitivity in the SWIR range.

The InGaAs detector is optimised for 77K operation, using liquid nitrogen (LN2) cooling, and is based on an SFD (source follower per detector) read-out topology for ultralow noise levels (<20 e-).

Additionally, a very low dark current of less than 5 e-/pixel allows for integration times of several hours.

The high-resolution 640 x 512 InGaAs detector with 20 µm pixel pitch features a maximum full frame rate of 2.5 Hz. The frame rate can be increased when a smaller region of interest is selected.

A non-destructive read-out mode simplifies operation when long integration times are used.

Key benefits of the product are: low noise; high sensitivity; low dark current; long integration time; measures extremely low light signals; extends SWIR imaging to the visible.

Applied Infrared Sensing Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S082

CIRCUIT BOARDS? Inductive linear position sensor The LI inductive linear position sensor is suitable for closed-loop control applications. It has new electronics architecture that increases the effective output rate of the sensor from 1 to 5 kHz. In conjunction with the short signal run time (130 µs) and the highly resolved SSi output, the sensor can achieve the performance of potentiometers but without their disadvantages. Unlike potentiometers, the LI sensors offer permanent protection to IP67, provide non-contact measuring and are wear-free.

The magnetic field immune sensors are suitable for measuring axes with high-speed controls such as those used in injection moulding machines. Other application areas include axis measurement in packaging machines, presses or machine tools.

With the high speed and precision of the sensor (system resolution of 1 µm), machine builders can keep the position error in motor control applications to a minimum. As with all inductive linear position sensors, the high-speed variant has very short blind zones and can tolerate up to a 4 mm offset of the positioning element (perpendicular to the measuring axis). As well as the high-speed variant with an SSI interface and 16-bit resolution, the analog variant of the sensor will also be available in the future with the higher output rate of 5 kHz. The analog sensor has a 0 to 10 V or 4 to 20 mA output.

All LI sensors are available in 10 measuring lengths from 100 to 1000 mm. An 8-pole M12 connector is used for the connection.

Turck Australia Pty Ltd

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Tel +61 2 9807 7081 satcam@satcam.com.au

www.satcam.com.au

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S320

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JAN/FEB 2013 - What's New in Electronics

33

the page Mike Smyth, specialist technical writer

What is it with traffic lights?

They often make me see red and seem to be stuck on that colour.

They just don’t seem to have kept up with today’s traffic flow and demands on road space.

Seeing red about traffic lights

To my mind they are insensitive to the job they have to do and seem to be set in a time warp of time switches. Insensitive? By this I mean they do not react quickly enough to changing traffic conditions and I am convinced this behaviour contributes to jams and back-ups.

Their erratic behaviour makes many of us see red so there has to be a better way of living with them. While they may control vehicles quite well for much of the time, electronics could bring them into the 21st century and ease some of our frustrations.

Having gone beyond pneumatic rubber pads set into the road to induction loops buried beneath the road, I am suspicious of the many time-switches that appear to control traffic flow rather than the traffic itself.

How many times, late at night, have you approached a light showing green only to have it change to red for NO REASON WHATSOVER when you are just too far away to go through the intersection while ghostly invisible traffic moves through the crossing.

Take another example of pent-up frustration. You’re waiting to turn right at a controlled crossing. There is a long, long gap in the traffic coming towards you but do the lights change to let you cross? No. A time switch says it is not yet your turn so sit there you must. And when the lights finally change in your favour, only half the queued vehicles get through before the red comes on again, so long was the wait.

While we’re on the subject of waiting, whatever happened to the pelican crossing? There are still a few survivors of the amber flashing lights set allowing drivers to move across them if no one is in the road.

Forget expensive conversions, why can’t all pedestrian crossings allow drivers to cross so long as no one is on the crossing? What a difference to traffic smoothing this would make in evening out the flow.

While we’re on about traffic flow, what about those selfish drivers who clog up the left lane on a filter light. Why is it not compulsory to follow the line of the arrow? If you are in the wrong lane, too bad!

Yes, I know there are command centres where traffic is watched and supposedly collected from roadside cameras and controlled from information displayed on television screens. But it is impossible to watch every junction and every light in a city the size of Sydney. And this is where on-site electronics could be so useful in assessing and acting on local conditions. While lights may cope with an average traffic flow, they need finetuning to avoid those stupid delays outside the average.

34 What's New in Electronics - JAN/FEB 2013

Traffic lights have a long history. We can blame the English for introducing them in 1867 when they looked like escaped railway semaphore signals. In those days the road signals were lit by gas until one of them blew up, killing the operator and the use of gas. So it came down to the Americans to produce the modern, electrically powered signal which was then adopted and adapted worldwide.

Widely used as they are, I do not believe they truly work as well as they could in today’s road conditions. They need to be more sensitive and respond faster to traffic flows.

More sets of lights on main roads should be linked to provide a continuous flow of vehicles, even if they travel slowly.

And this is where the electronics should be working for us drivers. With today’s microprocessors, surely it is possible to prevent hold-ups on turns and stop-start progress along main roads. And it would be a much cheaper option than building new motorways that only tend to move the traffic snarls a little further down the road.

We talk a lot about the need for ever more and wider roads, and endless freeways. A far cheaper option that would go a long way to alleviating many of our suburban traffic problems would be to overhaul the workings of our traffic lights.

However, let’s not expect to see the green light very soon - environmental colour or not. www.electronicsonline.net.au

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