Electronic Products and Technology October 2011 by Annex Business Media

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electronic products and technology - OCTOBER 2011 electronic products and technology

MEDICAL ELECTRONICS

MEDICAL

MEDICAL ELECTRONICS

ELECTRONICS

MEDICAL ELECTRONICS

AN EP&T SPECIAL REPORT PAGE 16

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT/DISTRIBUTION Page 8 NEWARK/ELEMENT14

SEMICONDUCTORS & ICs Page 14

REDPINE SIGNALS

TEST & MEASUREMENT Page 23 TEKTRONIX

Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069240 Canada Post: Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Business Information Group, 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON M3B 2S9 circulation@ept.ca

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e d i t o r i a l electronic products andtechnology technology electronic products and Volume 33 Number 7

October 2011

Stephen Law Editor 416.510.5208 slaw@ept.ca

David Boss, P.Eng. Contributing Editor

Sohail Kamal

West Coast Correspondent

Joanna Malivoire

Peter Loney

Account Manager Direct: 866.868.7089 jmalivoire@ept.ca

Publisher 416.510.5207 pdloney@ept.ca

Renesas’ speedy recovery from quake is “miraculous” The earthquake and subsequent tsunami that rocked Japan’s coastline on March 11th of this year literally shaked the foundations of Renesas Corporation’s Naka fab, producers of 70% of the world’s microcontrollers supply. Built to withstand ‘8’ on the Richter scale, the facility suffered from such extreme damage, experts projected a minimum 6 to 9 month recovery plan. In a recent interview with Ali Sebt, COO of Renesas Electronics America and Kevin Simmonds, president of Canadian operations, the firm’s return to normal operations 3-months sooner than expected was simply “heroic and miraculous”. This was achieved through effective planning, teamwork, help from partners and customers, capped by a “monumental amount of dedication, sacrifice and communication,” Sebt says. Roughly 80,000 people contributed to the company’s recovery on a global basis, including 2,500 external employees, all of whom shared a sense of urgency and optimism from the beginning. “The biggest surprise and the most gratifying thing for me was the groundswell of support Renesas received from its own employees, customers, suppliers, contractors and even competitors,” he adds. “It was clear to me that these people were determined not to let this earthquake stop us from succeeding.” In the early stages of the disaster, news reports kept North Americans abreast of recovery efforts in Japan, and Renesas customers were very understanding to delays in the supply chain of their ordered MCUs, according to Simmonds.

“For the first couple of weeks, our Canadian customers were very understanding,” says Simmonds, who received updates via daily teleconferences from corporate HQ. “This was no small sacrifice for some of these customers, as Renesas’ products impact 70% of their revenues. Everyone understood that it was not our fault. In the end, we’ve come away with stronger customer relationships.” During our telephone chat in September, Sebt said he expected Renesas would be close to 100% capacity by this month and likely exceed its production capacity in November. Ensuring future stability, Sebt walked me through Renesas’ New Business Continuity Plan, which focuses on strengthening and prioritizing a stable contingent product supply for customers. “Over the course of time, the whole supply eco-structure will morph to reflect a similar strategy, thus providing redundant supply sources,” he says. Truly a testament to teamwork and dedication, Renesas’ rebuilding story has provided our industry with an amazing example in courage and learning from adversity -- sometimes with unexpected benefits. Renesas is now also sharing a YouTube video that details its rise from the depths of disaster, candidly detailing the rebuilding process. It can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Vwkdf7j65IQ Stephen Law, Editor slaw@ept.ca Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/EPTmagazine

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EP&T (Electronic Products & Technology) is published nine times per year: Monthly in February, May, August, September, October, Bi-Monthly January/February, March/April, June/July, November/December by: 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto ON M3B 2S9 info@ept.ca Website: www.ept.ca Tel: 416.442.5600 Fax: 416.510.5133 Sales: 416.510.5207 • Editorial 416.510.5208

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Editorial Purpose: Electronic Products & Technology provides timely, comprehensive coverage of the latest worldwide developments and trends in electronic products, equipment and systems, and interprets their significance to manufacturers and end-users in the Canadian marketplace. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069240 Canada Post: Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: EP&T Circulation Dept., 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON M3B 2S9, Subscription Inquiries: 416.442.5600 x3552 • circulation@ept.ca EP&T (Electronic Products & Technology) assumes no responsibility for the validity of claims in items reported. © 2011 This publication or any part of it may not be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form whatsoever without the express written consent of the publisher. From time to time we make our subscription list available to companies and organizations whose products and services we believe may be of interest to you. If you do not want your name to be made available, please contact EP&T with your subscription number. Printed in Canada We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities.

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NEWSWATCH N E W S WAT C H NEWSWATCH electronic products and technology • october 2011

Avnet and NXP host USB workshops

Quebec tech groups strike strategic partnership

Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas Inc. recently teamed up with NXP Semiconductor recently to host its Speedway Design Workshop - USB Made Easy. Featuring hands-on labs with Avnet’s team of field application engineers (FAEs), the seminar demonstrated how to develop USB applications based on NXP’s fully scalable Cortex-M USB portfolio. This Speedways (pictured here) was held recently in Mississauga ON, along with multiple cities across North America. Featuring NXP’s low cost LPCXpresso development platform, the course explored how NXP microcontrollers are making the task of developing USB enabled devices faster and speeding time to market. The LPCXpresso labs focused on the Cortex-M0 LPC11U00 and pin-to-pin compatible Cortex-M3 LPC1300 microcontroller series. This device is the latest addition to the Cortex-M0 family, providing a highly configurable, full speed USB 2.0 device controller; bringing unparalleled design flexibility and reliable USB connectivity for consumer electronics and mobile devices. “USB is quickly becoming the main ‘communication protocol of choice’ for most applications,” says Shelley Carpenter, marketing manager for microcontrollers at NXP Semiconductor. “This training shows customers how easy it truly is to implement USB in their solutions with NXP’s technology.”

Aiming to become the definitive voice for the electronics industry within Quebec, two industry related associations have formed a strategic partnership in hopes of better showcasing the technological developments within the Province. Quebec’s electronic industry association or RIE (Regroupement de l’industrie électronique du Québec) recently announced its official affiliation with VERi-T, specialists in commercial project management & business development for high tech companies. Working synergistically through collaborative partnerships, the group intends to promote regional high tech activities to a global audience, according to René Boutin, RIE business development manager. “The electronic industry has changed dramatically in past years and we have witnessed OEM’s and developers working very hard to keep their business position,” says Boutin. “Now is the time to share that experience to the world and demonstrate the benefits of local innovation built in recent years in Quebec.” Marking its 10th anniversary this year, RIE was originally established to act as a liaise or industry representative to government authorities and a bridge to educational institutes and businesses. “RIE also offers support through its technical, commercial and other industry related activities,” adds RIE president François Verdy-Goyette. “We want to make people aware of these activities, many of which are planned over the next few months.” Among recent activities included a conference and dinner (in French), which featured speakers: Gilles Gagnon, vice-president business development at R2G2; and Walter Poggi, president of RETLIF. Earlier this month, another conference & dinner was held at the same location under the title of “WorldWide open markets... could globalization be reversed?”. The event was led by guest speaker Yves Lusignant, president of Ciblexpert.

Online directory eliminates procurement of counterfeit semis

Hi-Tech Fasteners expands into Canada

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) and Rochester Electronics, Newburyport MA, have developed an online resource to counteract the growing problem of counterfeit and substandard semiconductors entering the global marketplace. The Electronics Authorized Directory is a free, worldwide directory of original semiconductor manufacturers and their authorized distributors. Buyers can access this list to make sure they are buying from vendors who can ensure traceability and authenticity of components, thereby eliminating the risk of procuring counterfeit or substandard devices from unauthorized sources. The directory is available online at www.authorizeddirectory.com

Vendor Managed Inventory VMI, or various integrated supply programs, have always been a significant part of IRWIN’s 40year history. We take responsibility for a broad spectrum of “C” class items, allowing our clients to focus on higher-value activities. IRWIN can supply consumables, tools and electro-mechanical components — expanding existing programs beyond both generic and non-standard hardware. Furthermore, we can provide 3rd party logistics, value-added components and subassembly production. We always tailor the source plan and replenishment process to provide you the best possible value.

Broy Engineering marks its 50th Anniversary Toronto-based EMS provider Broy Engineering Ltd. marked its 50th anniversary of being in business by hosting its staff on a recent boat cruise of the Toronto Harbour. “It is quite an accomplishment for any company to survive this long, let alone be growing in these uncertain economic times. We here at Broy are all very proud of this landmark achievement,” says company president Peter Roy. Peter Roy, president (left) Broy Engineering is a full service EMS provider, and company founder with both surface mount and through-hole producDenis Roy on right. tion capabilities, while also providing a full range of testing and engineering design and support. The firm received its ISO 9001:2008 certification in March of 2010 and its SMT process qualification and development was completed by a Certified SMT process engineer. In addition, the company is equipped with an electronic quality management system database.

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Factory authorized stocking distributor of electronic hardware components, Hi-Tech Fasteners Inc., Frederick MD, has established a beachhead in Canada with the recent addition of a sales office based in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Launched as Hi-Tech Fasteners—Canada, the new entity will service all customers throughout Canada. “Given how much our sales in Canada have grown the past few years, it was clear to us the time was right to enter this marketplace on a full-time basis,” says Hi-Tech Fasteners president Tom Waller. “We believe our aggressive inventory strategy fills a void in Canada, and offers us greater partnering opportunities with our customer base than we have ever had before.” During the expansion announcement, general manager Mark Mertz and sales manager Mark Williams introduced Steve Hill, formerly with Rush Electronics Ltd (Mississauga, ON), as the sales manager for Hi-Tech Fasteners Canada. “In opening a new venture such as this, we felt it was important to tap someone with detailed knowledge of the products we offer and the Canadian marketplace as a whole,” Mertz said. “Given Hill’s background and experience with both the customer base and our valued suppliers, we believe we found the perfect person for the job.” Hi-Tech Fasteners distributes dozens of leading engineered fastener, electronic hardware, and mechanical component lines specified by the electronics, telecommunications, medical, computer, aerospace, instrumentation, and other high-tech and commercial industries.

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SMTA ‘Shines Through’ with fund raising golf The SMTA recently held its 15th Annual Electronics Manufacturing Industry Charity Golf Tournament, raising money for Shining Through Centre for children with Autism. “The objective of the tournament is to create an annual gathering of surface mount and electronic manufacturing professionals, as well as to raise money for Shining Through Centre,” stated master of ceremonies, Jim Schirripa, Henkel Canada. The tournament has been supporting this cause for a number of years, as it costs in excess of $60,000 for a full day therapy program, per year, per child, explained Schirripa. Tournament organizers included Schirripa, Gus Papastavros, Comtree; Danny Santoro, HiscoCan; Kathy Gemmill, Microart; Geoff Zacour, SMT Industrial Supply; Kon Akbar, Stentech; and Steve Saito, Henkel Canada. Pictured above with tournament organizers Gus Papastavros (far left) and Jim Schrippa (far right) is the winning foursome of the SMTA industry golf tournament. From left are Danny Santoro; Mathew Taylor; Brett Rivers; and Mike Eales, HiscoCan.

full online product listings at.ept.hotims.com

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electronic products and technology • october 2011

Analog resistive USB touch-screen controller has turnkey chip option mTouch AR1100 analog resistive USB touch-screen controller. is a high-performance, USB plug-and-play device that provides advanced calibration capabilities as a USB mouse or single-input digitizer. Device is available as a turnkey chip or board product, supporting all 4-/5-/8-wire touch screens, with free drivers for most major operating systems. Product is suitable solution as a drop-in touch controller to universally support the entire standard resistive-touch portfolio. MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY

west tech report

ACAMP – Taking Western Canada’s technology firms to market By Sohail Kamal, EP&T West Tech Report columnist

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Lightweight backshell protects against EMI/RFI ‘A’ series new generation back shell for D- subminiature connectors include a back shell that combines a number of features that meet the needs of EMI/RFI protection requirements for cable connectors. Devices include lightweight aluminum material with a zinc content of less then 1%, an important factor in applications restricting the use of zinc. Wall thickness provides a robust product and maintains the goal of a lightweight back shell. POSITRONIC

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3:1 hybrid combines IR LED emitter with proximity and ambient light sensors SFH 7773 ‘3 in 1’ digital sensor combines the functions of a digital ambient light sensor and a digital proximity sensor in a single compact unit. Device also simplifies the elimination of crosstalk by combining the emitter and detector chips together – eliminating the design requirements that are usually necessary to suppress crosstalk. Installation of a separate IR emitter to enable the proximity sensor function is no longer necessary. Device detects objects up to a distance of 15 cm (5.9 in.) while simultaneously measuring the intensity of the ambient light. OSRAM OPTO SEMICONDUCTORS http://ept.hotims.com/34486-42

In past articles, we have looked at various infrastructure support that exists for the high tech industry, and how we need to strengthen our emerging technologies and encourage enterprise. This is exactly what the Alberta Centre for Advanced MNT Products (ACAMP) aims to deliver to its technology clients, providing access to world-class equipment, facilities, expertise and a network of organizations that support and develop micro and nano technology devices, advanced materials and manufacturing worldwide. I recently had the chance to speak with ACAMP’s CEO, Ken Brizel and CFO Rosy Amlani, about the not for profit organization’s services in support of the commercialization of Alberta-based tech products. What is your niche – what size companies do you serve? ACAMP is a manufacturing and development organization, with experts recruited from all over the world. The group’s primary interest is to help small and medium enterprises (SME) build their businesses and take their technologies to market, according to Brizel. “We focus on design for manufacturing and developing products for real market opportunities,” says Brizel. ACAMP’s services encompass key areas identified as critical for the commercialization of MNT products - marketing & business development, product development, packaging and assembly, test and characterization. What makes ACAMP so successful? Brizel says when he joined the firm in the summer of 2008, ACAMP had its first five clients, which were board members. Today, it has 85 active clients and about 40 that they are engaged in talks with. “Our model is quite unique in North America, you won’t find another ACAMP. Our approach is real world help, we are not academics. We have all come from industry with between seven to 30-years of experience,” adds Brizel. Any words of advice for a budding tech entrepreneur? “Stick to it, don’t give up, network globally and build for real market opportunities,” Brizel says.

Western Extras In other Western Canadian news, BC’s HST referendum will see an end to the new business friendly tax. This may be a burden for some BC firms as they compete with Canadian firms in other provinces, which enjoy a more efficient tax system. RP Electronics has expanded to a new location in Vancouver, providing more lines and better selection, to help buyers in search of locally available stock. RP Electronics now provides approximately double the showroom size, supported by a 16800-sq-foot warehouse in Burnaby BC.

Disconnect and fuse terminal blocks come in multiple varieties 2006 Series Disconnect and Fuse Terminal Blocks provide a wide selection of fusing choices and UL ratings. Each device utilizes firm’s TOPJOB S footprint, providing dual jumper rows and accommodates conductors 20–8 AWG. Products consist of push-in termination for ferruled or solid conductors, including firm’s exclusive pivoting disconnect and blade-style fuse models. To terminate stranded conductors, insert a screwdriver to open clamping unit, insert conductor and remove screwdriver. A blown fuse indicator is optional on all fuse terminal blocks. WAGO http://ept.hotims.com/34486-46

Balanced line rack system connects three air cooled units PM36218BP-8 standard 24.3 kW Balanced Line Rack System uses 8.1 kW 48V pluggable power supplies and connects three air cooled units in a three phase 19” power-shelf/rack. This provides user with balanced individual power-line phases along with all of the standard features, such as protection from current overloads and over temperature. Product comes in a 5” x 5” x 17.5” package yielding a phasebalanced power factor corrected 24.3 kW 19” rack system. PIONEER MAGNECTICS http://ept.hotims.com/34486-43

Circular connectors are modular, compact, robust M23 circular connectors are modular, compact and robust for signal, power and hybrid applications. Product family includes signal connectors ranging from 6– to 19–poles, along with a 6-pole (5 +PE) power version, and a hybrid connector with 4 power contacts and 4 signal contacts. All contacts are gold-plated, guaranteeing over 1,000 mating cycles and currents from 8A-28A at voltages of 100V-800V, depending on the connector. Crimping contacts provide the patented SLS Technology (Spring Loaded Socket) for high-level contact stability. WEIDMULLER http://ept.hotims.com/34486-44

Cables for fiber-optic sensors are shock resistant E32 series of shock and vibration resistant cables for fiber-optic sensors are CE compliant and can withstand higher temperatures (350-Celsius). Devices are unaffected by electrical noise as the fiber optic cables only transfer light. Product comes in through-beam or reflective sensing style to adapt to design requirements, are cut-to-length for custom field installations, provide side-view sensing heads for right angle detection and spot diameter lenses are available. OMEGA

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Low VF Schottky diode saves space in surface mount package CTLSH01-30 and CTLSH01-30L Low VF Schottky diodes come in a space saving, low profile TLM2D3D6 surface mount package. Devices have a peak reverse voltage rating of 30V and a maximum forward current rating of 100mA. CTLSH01-30 has a low forward voltage drop (VF) of 410mV at 10mA and a low reverse leakage current (IR) of 30nA, while the CTLSH01-30L provides an even lower VF of 300mV. Both of these devices are ideal for space constrained designs requiring energy efficiency. CENTRAL SEMICONDUCTOR http://ept.hotims.com/34486-47

Edge card solutions available in varied pitches High Speed Edge Card Sockets come in a variety of pitches and orientations to support many application needs. Solutions include designs for standard high speed, micro pitch, Serial ATA and PCI Express applications, as well as designs optimized for signal integrity performance. HSEC8 Series 0,8mm Edge Rate socket provides firm’s rugged Edge Rate contact system, optimized for signal integrity, and can achieve performance up to 8 GHz (SE) and 10.5 GHz (DP) at 3dB insertion loss. BEC5 Series provides a bi-level mating design (two levels of contacts on a 1mm centerline, staggered), which creates a card effective 0,5mm pitch and saves pcb real estate. This socket accepts standard .062” (1,60mm) and .093” (2,40mm) pcb cards. SAMTEC http://ept.hotims.com/34486-48

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electronic products and technology • october 2011

Supply Chain Management/Distribution

The element14 knode

Engineering design information to a web-connected world By Jeff Jussel, senior director of global technology, Newark/element14

Electronic system design requires engineers to gather information for many different technologies from many different places. So where is the best place for an engineer to find all this information? That is the question that Newark/element14 set out to answer when it commissioned a study by Technology Forecasters Inc. (TFI) focused on the key challenges faced by design engineers in improving electronic system design efficiency. The results of this study, released in September 2011 show an opportunity for an independent, web-based source of technology solutions and design information to address the needs of design engineers. The scope of the TFI study covers the external information gathering needs for design engineers throughout the entire design process, from initial specification and technology research, through detailed design, prototype testing and evaluation, and finally to engineering release and production. The study surveyed engineers across the globe in big and small companies, and asked them where they spent their time searching for information, which information was the hardest to find, and about their perceptions concerning the value and quality of the information they found at those sources. The study was conducted both through written surveys and through many phone conversations with engineers around the world. Not surprisingly, the study found that most of the time spent searching for external technology information was spent during the early stages of the design process. This makes sense, as it is during the initial conceptual design, and detailed implementation stages that engineers are most likely to need external technical information. In these initial stages of the design process, the designer is often left to single-handedly gather information from a variety of sources. Ideally, the experienced engineer will have a set of “go-to” places to search for information – and indeed the survey found that seasoned engineers were somewhat less likely

Source: Technology Forecasters

to encounter difficulties and delays in this information gathering phase. Yet, even the experienced designers spent unproductive weeks during this process – exposing a big opportunity for improvement to the design process. In a typical design process, the electronic design engineer begins by researching the technology; including gathering information about design protocols and standards, learning about existing architectures, and discussing possible new approaches with experts in the field. In today’s world, the starting point for this search is usually a general purpose search engine like Google. Unfortunately, while a Google search will return thousands of items on a term like ‘Zigbee,’ it will probably add days to the engineer’s workload to sift through the results to find the relevant technical data. Further, engineering research also requires digging through dozens of vendor web sites to search for the latest product information, each with different structures and data formats.

“Unfortunately, while a Google search will return thousands of items on a term like ‘Zigbee,’ it will probably add days to the engineer’s workload to sift through the results to find the relevant technical data” The element14 knode provides an engineering-focused search tool that helps speed up and simplify electronic engineering design research by consolidating relevant technical information into a single learning center and combining it with technology forums for connecting semiconductor supplier experts and engineers with similar design interests. The next step in the design phase may include testing potential technologies for their performance and suitability to the application. For hardware analysis, an engineer can use a development platform as an “instant prototype” of a portion of the design. A single resource for all development kits, arranged by application type and by supplier, can help accelerate the design process by defining the right parts for the system. Similarly, system software can be prototyped using off-the-shelf software elements for specific applications. Engineers download trials for real-time operating systems and software stacks to evaluate different implementation options. By finding compatible application software and hardware solutions together

in one location, engineers can devote more time to adding differentiating features to their systems rather than debugging interfaces between vendor products. The system Source: Technology Forecasters development prorequired for each new design project. cess also benefits from the consolidation Furthermore, most of the design data of design tool information and experrequired for design analysis is in dispatise into a single location. The process rate formats, making objective informathrough which engineers look for design tion comparisons difficult. As with many tools can require lengthy evaluation cycles web-based searches, the design engineer and designers are often forced to develop is certain to find that some of the benchmarks for testing different types of information is incomplete or inaccurate, tools before interpreting the results. The potentially based on old specifications or hardware development process requires from sources that haven’t kept the informany tools; including pcb tools for schemation current – and in some cases from matic design and layout, FPGA synthesis sources that no longer exist. The results tools, or analog simulation and analysis of the study show that engineers could tools. save significant time in their design proOn the software side there are also cess through the availability of accurate many different IDEs, compilers and and easily comparable design data. debuggers, all with unique features and But specifically what content should benefits depending on the choice of be provided on a centralized hub of techmicroprocessor in the system. The develnology solutions? The study found the opment tool decision process can be design information that engineer’s value accelerated through the availability of an most highly is app notes and techniextensive library of pre-created benchcal papers. Simulation models also rank marks and demos. Further, access to the highly, which underscores how difficult combined experiences of a community it can be to get accurate models for the of engineers that have already used the design flow. But the most highly prized tools can also inform the decision so that data solution is clearly the reference the acquisition process does not impede design. This reflects the need for a valid design development. starting point for design that implements The main issue facing engineers is simbasic functions for a specific protocol and ply not having enough time. Everyone can avoids “reinventing the wheel” – saving relate to being busy, and engineers doing time and allowing design engineers to electronic design are especially pressured to focus their time on components that are meet aggressive product design schedules. unique to their particular system. Pulling together information from multiple While basic component information is sites adds to this time pressure, as engigenerally easy to find on vendor and neers scour the web for component data, distributor web sites, there are some data app notes, design models, development points that are harder to come by. For tools and standards specifications, to name just a fraction of the technical information continued on page 12

Source: Technology Forecasters

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supply chain management/distribution

electronic products and technology • october 2011

Weidmuller speeds customer service on connector orders Customers ordering connectors from Weidmuller can now expect delivery with 48-hours thanks to the recent launch of the firm’s Speedline service. The service provides smart packaging to simplify ordering and inventory management. All components are individually sealed and packaged, including complete HDC assemblies that are kitted for each unique customer order. Speedline guarantees the availability of its Heavy Duty Connector (HDC) products, which feature scratch resistant and corrosion proof housings, rust proof stainless steel levers and latching tabs, laser etched part numbers, preattached bulkhead gaskets, and are IP65 and NEMA 4X rated. Customers can also order inserts and housings that are compatible with other manufacturers’ products.

Manufacturer of transformers and inductors, Brownsburg Electronik Inc., Lachute QC, has appointed Optimum Components Inc., Markham ON, as its sales representative covering the OEM and distribution channels in Ontario. “Brownsburg has an excellent reputation within our industry as a high quality innovative magnetic supplier,” says Optimum president Mike Potter. “They are a perfect fit for our product linecard and will enable us to further support our customers”. CSA approved and UL recognized Brownsburg Electronik boasts a work force of more than 80 and operates within a 41,000 sq. ft. facility. The firm was founded in 1976. Brownsburg Electronik has also appointed Paul Champagne of PMC Agencies as sales representative for all OEM manufacturers and distributors in the Vancouver area. Champagne has more than 30 years experience in the electronics industry and has a diversified knowledge of the transformer and inductor marketplace.

E-T-A’s certified distributor program successfully completes 1st year

TTI authorized to distribute for Murata power products TTI Inc., Fort Worth TX, has signed an agreement with Murata Electronics North America to become an authorized distributor of its power solutions products, including dc-dc converters, ac-dc power supplies, magnetic and digital panel meters. “Historically TTI has focused on the distribution of the base components that support our customers’ power requirements, but with Murata’s Power Solutions, we can address our customers’ requirements for off-the-shelf power supply modules as well,” says Jeff Ray, vice-president product management. Tony Coalson, senior vice-president, sales Americas, Murata Electronics North America, added, “TTI has been one of Murata’s top distributors for nearly 20-years. The extension of the recently acquired Murata Power Solutions product line to TTI enables us to gain access to an extremely focused, operationally excellent distributor that services the targeted industrial equipment and controls, telecommunications, computing and medical equipment markets. TTI’s demonstrated performance in Murata’s core capacitive and electromagnetic products gives us the utmost confidence that our mutual end customers will benefit from having TTI servicing their dc-dc-converter, ac-dc power supply, magnetic and digital panel meter requirements.”

NTE Electronics launches revamped website Global electronic components supplier NTE Electronics Inc., Bloomfield NJ, has launched a brand-new website with a fresh look and improvements in navigation and accessibility to locate product information. The website, www.nteinc.com, contains a user-friendly intelligent product search box in the top header bar, that instantly determines if you are looking for a data sheet and/or inventory on a NTE device. It will also provide the appropriate NTE cross-reference if an industry device number is entered. Results are provided in an easy to read chart format that includes the recommended NTE replacement, a link to a product data sheet, and the ability to check distributor inventory online. The website reflects NTE’s commitment to providing its customers with unparalleled service and the widest range of products. New products will be continuously featured on the home page with easy access to additional product detail. The website will also serve as a portal for authorized NTE distributors. NTE supplies relays, semiconductors, capacitors, resistors, switches, hook-up and speaker wire, heat shrink tubing, cable ties, fuses, LED tubing, circuit protection, terminals and connectors, clips and test leads, optoelectronic devices, along with such well known brands as: Amphenol RF and Amphenol Connex, ECG, Chicago Miniature Lighting, Coast, Plato, Kester, Techspray and ITW Dymon products.

Avnet adds Carling switches, circuit breakers Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas, Phoenix AZ, has reached an agreement to distribute mechanical rocker and toggle switches from Carling Technology, Plainville CT, within the Americas. The deal strengthens Avnet’s interconnect, passive and electromechanical (IP&E) offering, which includes access to hydraulic, magnetic and thermal circuit breakers, electrical switches and assemblies, digital switching systems and electronic controls. Carling also specializes in military-grade switches and circuit breakers. “Avnet will provide Carling the ability to not only expand our sales and market penetration capability in North America, but also throughout all the Americas, and possibly beyond,” says Don Pruitt, director of sales for Carling. “Avnet’s extensive marketing, sales, promotional and logistical footprint will expose and expand the Carling product line into new markets and

Brownsburg appoints Optimum Components, PMC Agencies

regions.” “Carling’s products, coupled with Avnet’s physical value-add capabilities, gives our mutual customers greater options for selecting, purchasing, or building the IP&E products that will help accelerate their products to market,” explains Steve Boysen, senior vice president of IP&E strategic sales, Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas.

One year after launching its Certified Distributor Program, E-T-A Circuit Breakers Ltd., Richmond Hill ON, has welcomed several distributors into its program aimed at building strong vendor / disty relationships. As part of its initiative to adapt to the changing distribution landscape in Canada, the program provides many benefits to the distributor, such as building business and increasing revenue, according to Bob Ashmore, general manager, E-T-A Canada. “As far as we know, no other manufacturer Brad Jolly of Irwin Industrial in Canada offers such a comprehensive pro- accepts his Level 3 Certified Distributor certificate from John Leonardo, gram,” he adds. “The level of resources we E-T-A Sales Engineer. have allocated to this program provides the support to our selected distributors that not only builds strong relationships between E-T-A and its distributors but also helps the distributor become a valued supplier to the customer.” The program is detailed in E-T-A’s 48 page ‘Certified Distributor Handbook’ and includes all aspects of a successful manufacturer/distributor relationship including comprehensive product training, technical support, stock management and marketing programs. Each Certified Distributor must have an FAE and their sales staff must be trained on three levels of circuit protection and product knowledge. “We really feel we are an extension of E-T-A. The extensive product training behind the certification program and excellent collaboration with E-T-A’s sales engineers for site seminars and joint calls give us a leg-up,” says Irwin Industrial has been a partner in the program since its beginning. Brad Jolly, marketing & product manager at Irwin Industrial.

Mouser reaches disty deal with Everspin Mouser Electronics Inc., Richardson TX, has partnered with Everspin Technologies Inc. for worldwide distribution of its standalone and embedded magnetic-based memory (MRAM) products. Everspin currently provides 256Kb, 1Mb, 4Mb and 16Mb versions of its MRAM products in a variety of interfaces and configurations. MRAM uses the magnetism of electron spin to provide non-volatility without wear-out. The result is a memory that delivers the speed of SRAM with the non-volatility of Flash in a single unlimited-endurance device. The devices are available in commercial, industrial, automotive and extended temperature options, providing superior price and performance for numerous applications. “Our partnership with Everspin could not come at a better time,” says Mouser VP of semiconductors, Mike Scott. “With MRAM technology gaining popularity and earning its place in a wide variety of applications, we are pleased to offer MRAM components to design engineers and buyers globally. We’re excited to see what new successes the future will bring to both of our companies.”

Fischer Elektronik names Newark/element14 as sole North American distributor Multi-channel, high-service electronics distributor Newark /element14 has signed a franchise agreement with Fischer Elektronik to market its board-level heat sinks for common package semiconductors in the North America LED lighting market. The disty arrangement also includes extruded and finger-shaped heat sinks to support LED design and industrial applications. The deal extends an existing franchise with Farnell, Newark/element14’s sister distributor in Europe. “Fischer Elektronik’s heat sink line provides a number of unique profiles that design engineers normally have to have customized,” says Jim Seifert, vice president, supplier management, Newark/element14. “We are pleased to be the only distributor Fischer selected to support the burgeoning North American LED lighting market.” “Fischer is well known in Europe for developing innovative thermal management products for industrial applications and LED lighting,” says Patrick Fischer, managing director, Fischer Elektronik. “We are confident that Newark’s broad reach of industrial and design customers will help us to establish our reputation in North America.”

TRS-RenTelco and ACA TMetrix expand instrument rentals in Canada ACA TMetrix recently announced a partnership with TRS-RenTelco (TRS) expanding its offering of test and measurement equipment rentals throughout Canada. The arrangement allows Canadian customers to rent, lease and buy test equipment from TRS’ inventory at competitive rates through ACA TMetrix. “This partnership means that TMetrix can offer customers rentals of any brand of test equipment. Access to TRS’ vast inventory means that we can offer test equipment for nearly every application,” says ACA TMetrix president Jim Turner. “We see this as a way to further elevate the level of service and support for our Canadian customers through industry experts. TMetrix’s strong technical team has the ability to advise customers on suitable electronic test equipment for their applications, while leveraging TRS’ vast inventory at competitive rates. We take pride in providing quality technological and financial solutions, while continuously seeking ways to improve the customer experience,” adds Michael Andreoli, vice-president of sales & operations for TRS-RenTelco Canada & EMEA.

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supply chain management/distribution

BSquare and Future form global alliance

electronic products and technology • october 2011

Future revamps Website Future Electronics also recently re-launched its new-look website after months of design changes

BSquare Corp., Bellevue WA, a leading and software improvements. enabler of smart, connected devices The site now delivers a significant increase in search speed, while the addition of ‘type-ahead’ has formed a global sales and marfunctionality makes searching more intuitive, keting alliance with Montreal-based according to Rob Birse, corporate VP Future. distributor Future Electronics Inc. The complementary strengths of the two companies provide an “unprecedented and unified” approach to hardware and software solutions for the smart, connected devices market, according to BSquare CEO Brian Crowley. Via the alliance BSquare continues its global expansion, bringing its engineering services, development tools and software products to Future’s ARM and x86 based OEM customers around the world. Additionally, Future’s customers will gain access to Microsoft Embedded licensing and additional software products from the broad ecosystem of BSquare partners.

Mouser’s ‘mobile’ catalog delivers on-the-go access Mouser Electronics Inc., Dallas TX, launched its Mobile Compatible Catalog, targeted specifically to Smartphone and tablet computer users. Providing customers with the ability to browse, view and search from anywhere in the world, the digital catalog also delivers the ability to quickly search every word on every page in English, German, French, Chinese and Italian. The launch represents a milestone in the considerable efforts Mouser has made into expanding the availability of the newest and most advanced products for design engineers and buyer, according to Kevin Hess, Mouser VP of technical marketing. “The launch of our new Mobile Compatible Catalog is a huge success for Mouser, design engineers and buyers everywhere,” states Hess. “The ability to locate specific components and browse available new technologies from a mobile device is invaluable, especially when a conventional web browser isn’t readily available. A comprehensive catalog that fits in your pocket can save time and ultimately shape the success of your product.”

Stealth.com launches hardware customization service Manufacturer of industrial rugged computers and peripherals Stealth.Com Inc., has rolled out a hardware customization service that now includes complete hardware and software integration. Customers may now order such items as custom chassis design, dc input power, multiple expansion slots, RAID, redundancy, NEMA/IP environmental protection, and high shock, temperature, vibration protection to name a few. “Stealth has been designing and manufacturing high-performance, computer systems and peripherals for over two decades,” says Stealth CEO, Ed Boutilier. “One of the keys to our success is having the flexibility to meet the precise needs of our customers, from one-off configurations to large production rollouts.” Stealth can also help provide software integration for any software a customer may have. Stealth will install and manage standard or proprietary software so that customers maintain the same revision control on each and every order shipped ensuring products arrive ready to operate right out of the box.

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CD Nova appoints new leader Burnaby BC-based manufacturers’ representative and distributor - CD Nova Ltd., has appointed Bruce Fleming as company president. The firm’s Board of Directors announced recently that Fleming replaces Don Bealle, who remains Board Chairman. CD Nova operates offices in Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax.

The element14 knode continued from page 8

instance, pricing and availability might be found on a distributor site, but unbiased product reliability data, or long-term endof-life information about a component may be more difficult to find. In fact, the bias of a vendor web site, along with the skewing of product specification data is one of the biggest concerns facing engineers making component purchasing decisions. In some cases, the component datasheet may show best-case specification numbers for every design constraint (e.g. power, voltage, current), making the component described by that datasheet a device that could never exist in the real world. Other suppliers may show only the most pessimistic numbers for the same device, making valid comparisons almost impossible without doing weeks of laboratory testing. A single, unbiased source of comparison data can help replace the ubiquitous spreadsheets that engineers produce for every new project. Finally, the study explored the many sources where engineers find their design data and compared the advantages of the addition of an independent source as a place to start design research. While most design searches begin with Google as a neutral starting point, the huge volume of information returned is problematic, as is the possibility of the right data being hidden behind thousands of irrelevant search results. Vendor sites by contrast, yield accurate component data, but TFI’s survey revealed concern regarding vendor bias in any comparison data. New social media sites such as forums, communities and blogs are another possible source of data, however engineers have concerns over unknown levels of expertise or bias in anonymous posts. The strategy for element14 is to provide a new credible alternative for engineers as an independent source of engineering design information and solutions. The results of this study highlight the opportunities to advance the design process and design engineer’s overall productivity via a web-based design knowledge-base that gives engineers consolidated design resources, increased collaboration with peers working on similar stages of the product design lifecycle, and access to reliable search sources. The complete design study is available at element14.com/designstudy For more information on element14 knode, go to http://ept.hotims.com/34486-49

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electronic products and technology • october 2011

Semiconductors & ICs

Designing embedded systems with Wi-Fi connectivity

Today Wi-Fi products can do everything from sending email to streaming audio and video— linking users to the Internet from their home, office, coffee-shop or even from a plane 30,000 feet in the air. All this is essentially enabled today by the Wi-Fi connection on laptops and mobile phones. The next wave of Wi-Fi applications will likely be driven by the integration of Wi-Fi into embedded systems—the billions of dedicated electronic systems that run on microcontrollers. The applicability of robust wireless local and Internet connectivity provided by Wi-Fi has prompted a rush of Wi-Fi integration into embedded systems. These systems are the heart of a broad range of devices in various vertical segments, including healthcare, industrial, automotive, smart energy and smart buildings. In this article, we will cover the integration of Wi-Fi connectivity into an embedded design and discuss come of the challenges and benefits of doing so and how to overcome those challenges. Wi-Fi’s original intention was to provide wireless extension to data oriented Ethernet. The software protocol is designed to work as a layer-2 network interface. The Wi-Fi protocol is sophisticated and typically has a requirement to run a Wi-Fi driver on a host processor with a minimum size of 100KB. Integration of these complex Wi-Fi drivers typically requires long design cycles and expertise in Wi-Fi. Embedded systems are characterized by limited computing resources with limited host memory. They perform dedicated functions like interfacing to sensors or peripherals. They are characterized by a variety of micro-controllers ranging from 8-bit versions, with a few kilobytes of instruction memory, low-speed serial interfaces UART/SPI to 32-bit higher-end versions with SDIO/USB interfaces. Most embedded systems run a simple RTOS or no operating system at all; a host microcontroller may not even have TCP/IP on it. Embedded Wi-Fi poses multiple challenges such as seamless ease of integration, how to future proof Wi-Fi on

resource constrained systems and shorter design cycles. Moreover, embedded systems demand wireless devices that offer ease of integration, little or no load on the host microcontroller, low power operation, low cost, quick wake-up from low power modes, small footprint, and guaranteed interoperability in current or future wireless network scenarios. Their users also wish to be free from demands associated with wireless engineering. The integration of a Wi-Fi interface into these systems should not only have a minimal impact on the system configuration and resources used, but also on the design methodology itself. Embedded users are acquainted with tool-chain and development environment of microprocessors. If Wi-Fi can act as a peripheral to microcontroller platforms providing an option of ready-to-use starter kits with fully compiled libraries integrated to development environment, it will also provide an excellent starting point for a large number of embedded system designers to “Wi-Fi” their products.

Embedded Wi-Fi block:

Figure 1 shows a WLAN subsystem integrated into the embedded system. The microcontroller’s UART or SPI interface is used here to connect to the WLAN module. Interfacing a WLAN subsystem to a microcontroller-based device requires considering several factors including the physical and electrical specifications, choice of interface, host load, the software architecture, power-save mechanisms, wireless configuration, wireless performance, and certification. We look at these below. Fully integrated self-contained Wi-Fi modules or integrated chips require a single 3.3V supply and provide a simple external interface consisting of the antenna and the host-interface. High levels of integration, with on-chip DC-DC, zero-host-architecture and power-amplifier integrated into the RF. The choice of host interface is generally made from one of several low-power interfaces including SDIO, SPI, and UART. The modules are FCC/IC/CE certified and enable modular certification for the systems into which they are built-in. Self-contained WLAN modules are usually calibrated during manufacture, and the software controlling the device would use the calibration data during normal operation. Using pre-calibrated wireless modules helps avoid the complexity and cost of calibrating an assembled embedded system during its manufacture. Software architecture is an important aspect of the integration of a wireless LAN into an embedded system. Figure 2 shows the typical complete software stack related to data transfer over 802.11 Figure 2: Software components of 802.11 wireless data transport WLAN. This software

By Sailaja Sankabathula, manager product marketing and applications, Redpine Signals Inc.

Fig. 1: Embedded system with WLAN interface connected to a Local Area Network

option is used when a host microprocessor has an operating system and has the capability to handle a Wi-Fi host driver. On the other, most embedded systems are based on low-end microprocessors with no operating system or TCP-IP stack capability.

Ease of deployment: Embedded Wi-Fi modules are sometimes integrated into end devices that lack a display/keyboard to configure the wireless link (e.g., security password and other link parameters). This limitation can be overcome if the end device has a serial or USB connector; in that case, the link can be configured through that interface. In a few embedded systems (e.g., wireless tags) the provision of that connector would violate the system form-factor— in such cases the “wireless” configuration mechanisms have to be deployed. One of the possible implementation could be to have the embedded Wi-Fi device put to a factory-reset state, starting with a default configuration. New credentials like SSID, passphrase for new connection are wirelessly transferred through a configuration application running on a laptop or a smartphone.

Proof for long-life span: Embedded systems (wireless thermostats, sensors, etc.) demand long-life span. Wi-Fi technology evolved from 802.11b in 1997 with a migration to 802.11g in 2003 and then to latest state of the art 802.11n technology in 2009. Designing an embedded system with future proof technology like 802.11n is a very important design consideration. The following are a few advantages of 802.11n devices over legacy 802.11b/802.11g Wi-Fi devices: 1. Future-proof without cost overhead Single antenna 802.11n incurs zero cost-overhead over legacy 802.11b or 802.11b/g solutions and future-proofs the Wi-Fi system. 2. Lower power The higher available data-rates (up to 65Mbps) enable smaller durations for packet transfers and hence less time spent in “active” mode, thus reducing average current consumption. In-fact single-antenna 802.11n solutions transfer 20x more data than 802.11b solutions and 2x more data than 802.11g solutions on the same battery.

3. Better coexistence Increasingly, 802.11n embedded systems are deployed into enterprise and commercial 802.11n networks. These networks use Wi-Fi for voice, video and other quality-of-service intensive applications. Legacy solutions, especially 802.11b solutions, disrupt such networks since they use the same wireless medium. In addition to this, 802.11n access-points use ‘legacy protection’ mechanisms in the presence of legacy 802.11b or 802.11g solutions. Legacy solutions affect the network throughputs and quality of service. 4. Higher throughputs Due to higher PHY data-rates and advanced MAC mechanisms including packet-aggregation and block -ack to reduce overheads, singlestream, 802.11n implementations can achieve 40-45Mbps of host goodput. This is almost double compared to legacy 802.11g implementations. 5. Higher range STBC in the down-link (AP to STA) and MRC in the uplink (STA to AP) enable 6-9dB better performance in multipath for single-antenna 802.11n stations over legacy 802.11b and 802.11b/g stations.

Wi-Fi starter kits: Wi-Fi Starter and evaluation platforms provide a user-friendly introduction of embedded Wi-Fi modules, for example Connect-io-n modules from Redpine and its integration with MCUs from leading vendors (Atmel, Cypress, Freescale, Renesas,etc). These kits include an API library to control and configure the Wi-Fi module, sample code, and easy-to-use demo applications integrated to MCU software/hardware tools. This approach makes the integration of Wi-Fi connectivity into an embedded design as easy as using any peripheral on microcontroller and aid penetration of Wi-Fi connectivity to billions of embedded devices. For more information on Wi-Fi starter and evaluation platforms from Redpine Signals Inc., go to http://ept.hotims.com/34486-50

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electronic products and technology • october 2011

Medical Electronics

Opening up A NEW WORLD of TREATMENT

In recent years, there has been great excitement about the use of neuromodulation to treat a wide array of medical conditions and diseases. The technology uses electrical signals to stimulate or block different nerve impulses in the body and is adapted from technology used in cardiac rhythm management. It holds promise for a variety of conditions, including reducing or eliminating back pain, curing obesity, lowering high blood pressure and controlling diabetes without daily injections of insulin. Advanced ceramic materials are playing an important role in the technology and are poised to play an even greater one

as these medical devices flood onto the market to treat an increasing number of ailments. Ceramic-to-metal brazed assemblies for hermetically sealed electrical feedthroughs, piezocomposite materials that facilitate ultrasonic device communication and biocompatible ceramics as an alternative to titanium device casings, are just a few of the ways that advanced ceramics are playing a part in enhancing this technology. These ceramic materials and technologies play an important part in developing new and innovative treatment methods that were simply not possible with traditional materials. Research and development on new

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Implantable pulse generators ‘stimulate’ medical device industry

ceramic composite materials and assemblies, as well as high pin density feedthrough assemblies, is being pursued to enable a next generation of neuromodulation devices that will provide better treatment, improved patient safety and convenience, and better communication with other devices.

The feedthrough – Hermetic structure key to success

One key component of the IPG devices is the feedthrough, the mechanical structure that provides the electrical connection for the leads to get in and out of the device housing. This tiny component performs several key functions. First, the feedthrough Implantable pulse generators – provides the conduit for communication Key to the new technology of signals between the IPG and the body. Second, the feedthrough’s hermetic Central to the technology is a neuroseal keeps body fluids outside the IPG stimulator, usually referred to as an device and prevents electricity and batimplantable pulse generator (IPG). The tery materials from leaking out into the IPG is a battery-powered micro-electronic body. It must be completely and totally device, implanted in the body, which leak-free. It also has to be robust enough delivers electrical stimulation to the to withstand radio frequency and eliminervous system. An essential part of nate interference from MRI equipment surgically implanted systems designed to and anti-theft scanners. This tiny piece treat a wide array of conditions, the IPG of device real estate can contain as few delivers very small pulses of electricity as two leads, to around thirty. to block or stimulate nerve signals (or Morgan Technical Ceramics – Alberox impulses), depending upon the condition. (MTC-Alberox) specializes in customizaFigure 1 shows an array of different tion of feedthroughs, providing design electrical feedthroughs that are laserassistance and often working through welded to an IPG case. They provide reliseveral design iterations with the device able transport of electrical signals from designer, before arriving at the optimized the IPG electronics hermetically sealed feedthrough for the device. inside the case to the appropriate nerve “The feedthrough technology is changlocations to effect treatment. ing rapidly, as next generation devices get smaller and more compact and device designers seek to add more leads to improve the therapeutic value of the devices,” says John Antalek, MTC-Alberox’s medical unit business manager. Antalek says that many device manufacturers often start with an off-the-shelf feedthrough to get their first generation device on the market. Their next generation devices are much smaller and more compact, which makes them more palatable to doctors and patients. “They also have a lot more bells and whisFIG. 1, An array of electrical feedthroughs are tles and customers come to laserwelded to an IPG case. MTC to obtain a customized feedthrough that incorporates the addiIn some cases, the devices are applied tional features needed. Since we make to conditions for which medicines either our ceramic components in-house, we haven’t been completely effective, or have developed manufacturing processes have unpleasant side effects. In other capable of producing numerous sizes and cases, nerve stimulation is looked at as shapes of feedthroughs to match the a way to control the condition more condevice design needs.” veniently for the patient, either alone, or in combination with medicine. The payoff would be significant if a device could be Stimulating from head to toe – implanted in the body laparoscopically, Examples of IPG applications with only a very small incision. Imagine a twenty minute outpatient surgery, folNew medical uses for IPG devices are lowed by years of one hundred percent patented frequently. Among the condipatient compliance, with no possibility tions for which the devices show the of forgetting to take medication. The most promise are chronic back pain, thought has doctors, patients and insurance companies very excited. continued on page 20

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medical electronics

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electronic products and technology • october 2011

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Capacitor provides high-voltage handling, ultra-low ESR HQ Series MLC surface mount RF power capacitors include P90 dielectric versions for high power high frequency medical applications. Device provides an ultra-low equivalent series resistance (ESR) and dissipation factor at high frequencies and is now available in E case sizes. Products are designed for 300V to 7,200V applications and feature a dielectric strength of 120% of rated WVdc. AVX

Dual-band, 3-Port MIMO monitor mount antenna is Omni directional PCTSMI2458-3 MIMO antenna provides threeport coverage of 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies in an attractive, low profile package. The surface mount in-building antenna is suitable for mobile healthcare communications carts. Product provides multi-band coverage of 2.4-2.5 GHz ISM and 4.9-5.9 GHz broadband wireless frequencies. PCTEL

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Snap-in panel-mount connectors with dip solder contacts Series 620 snap-in panel-mount receptacles provide dip solder contacts, responding to the high demand of lightweight snap-in style connectors used in commercial and medical applications. The snap-in receptacles are designed with a durable all plastic shell with an outer diameter of only 11.5 mm. Male and female versions are offered with 3, 4, 5, or 8 gold-plated contacts. Devices are IP67 rated when properly installed and mated ensuring the connection is protected from liquids and debris. BINDER-USA http://ept.hotims.com/34486-56

Industrial-grade panel controls include push-pull, rotary switch designs Industrial-grade panel control models include a push-pull switch and rotary switch. Model 54 is the ½-inch panel control, an extension of Model 51/53 Series with an added double-pole, doublethrow (DPDT) push-pull switch module. Model 56 is the ½” panel control and an extension of Model 51/53 Series with an added single-pole, double-throw (SPDT) rotary switch module. BOURNS

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Radiometer simplifies validating and monitoring UV-curing processes ACCU-CAL 150 simple-to-operate radiometer provides repeatable measurement of UV light that simplifies both the validation and monitoring of a UV light-curing process. Unit can measure UV light up to 10 W/cm2 emitted from stationary light-curing flood lamps or lamps used in conveyorized processes. Product can be used to determine intensity (measured in mW/cm2) or total energy as derived from intensity and exposure time (measured in mJ/cm2). DYMAX http://ept.hotims.com/34486-58

Voltage regulators combine short-circuit current foldback, PSRR of 70dB

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DD12 and DD22 integrate a 1- or 2-pole shocksafe fuseholder, switch and standard or medical low leakage filter into one compact pre-wired power entry module.

MCP1754/MCP1754S low dropout regulators (LDOs) provide high PSRR of 70dB at 1kHz (typical), and a maximum output current of 150mA at +125Celsius junction temperature. Both devices provide a high input voltage of 16V and an output voltage range of 1.8V to 5.5V, with standard output voltages of 2V, 2.5V, 2.8V, 3V, 3.3V, 4V and 5V, and output voltage tolerances of +/-2.0 percent over the entire temperature range. Product also provides a shutdown input signal and a power-good output signal. MICROCHIP

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medical electronics

electronic products and technology • october 2011

Dual 16, 14 and 12-bit DACs boost precision, lower power consumption

Housed voice coil actuator performs up to 310lbs peak force

DAC8562 family of dual 16, 14 and 12-bit digital-to-analog converters (DACs) provides high precision and low power consumption. Products deliver 25% improved integral nonlinearity (INL) and 60% lower offset error compared to similar devices. Devices provide 0.1 nV-sec glitch energy, a maximum offset error of 4 mV, a maximum INL of 0.75 LSB at 12-bits and a maximum reference drift of 10 ppm/degree C improves system accuracy. TEXAS INSTRUMENTS

LAH43-86-000A VCA highforce housed actuator provides the highest force capability within product family. Device produces 310lbs. of peak force (80 lbs. continuously) with ±0.625 inches of stroke. Unit self-aligns and allows customer to easily adapt it to new applications, rather than having to provide its own alignment system to un-housed actuators. BEI KIMCO MAGNETICS

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Bacteria-inhibiting film impedes harmful growth on medical devices A duo of high-tech firms have collaborated to develop a groundbreaking bacteria-inhibiting film that impedes bacterial growth through a chemical-free micro-texture. The surface protection product can be used in environments where bacteria pose a health risk, including medical electronics. FLEXcon, Spencer MA, an innovator in adhesive coating and laminating, is supporting biomimetic technologies in partnership with Sharklet Technologies Inc., Aurora CO. Sharklet Technologies’ core technology, Sharklet, is inspired by the microbe-resistant properties of sharkskin and is the first no-kill, non-toxic and environmentally-friendly surface designed to inhibit bacterial growth. Sharklet Technologies selected FLEXcon because the film specialist proved to be the only manufacturer that could successfully image the patented, microscopic texture on film in large production rolls. Each Sharklet micro-feature in the Sharklet pattern must be manufactured to a specific height, width and depth in order to create a surface that bacteria find inhospitable for growth. “FLEXcon’s application expertise, technology leadership and collaborative spirit have enabled Sharklet Technologies to innovate and bring this revolutionary product to market,” said Mark Spiecker, CEO at Sharklet. “We are appreciative to have a strong relationship with FLEXcon who not only manufactures our technology with precision, but satisfies our rigorous demands for quality and quantity. This success provides a foundation for future Sharklet-patterned products which are intended to revolutionize the way humans and microbes co-exist.” Sharklet Technologies’ film-based surface protection products can be applied to germ-prone surfaces to reduce the presence of bacteria. These films can be converted into adhesive-backed “skins” for application to high-touch, bacteria-prone areas such as hospital surfaces, public restrooms, childcare facilities, commercial venues, and laboratories. The film may also be manufactured into the top layer of workspace mats to create immediate and moveable surface protection.

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250W medical power supply packaged in 3x5” profile PPWAM250 Series’ of ac-dc power supplies provides 250 watts of performance and are compliant to UL/cUL60601-1 and TUV 60601-1 medical safety standards. Units also bear the CE Mark and are RoHS compliant. The low profile unit accepts a 90-264Vac universal input. Single output models have regulated voltages ranging from 12Vdc to 48Vdc with no minimum load. POWER PARTNERS http://ept.hotims.com/34486-62

Digital sensor replaces need for two Honeywell HumidIcon HIH-6130/6131 Series digital humidity/temperature sensors are a digital output-type relative humidity (RH) and temperature sensor combined in the same package. Devices provide total error band; long term stability and reliability; plus true temperature-compensated digital I2C output. Product’s RH measurement is temperature compensated and provides a second, standalone temperature sensor output. XTRONICS http://ept.hotims.com/34486-63

Flush mount switches sit at 22mm profile CW switches provide 22mm low-profile and project 2.5mm when mounted on a panel. Devices provide 3-across contact block design that protrudes 39.9mm behind the panel, the shortest depth behind the panel in its class. Product is suitable for applications requiring a hygienic surface. Device’s smooth design cuts down on surface area, preventing dust and other particles from accumulating and making regular cleaning and maintenance easier. IDEC http://ept.hotims.com/34486-64

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medical electronics

electronic products and technology • october 2011

A NEW WORLD of TREATMENT

ment clinical trial is investigating whether an implanted device can help control high blood pressure by stimulating pressure sensors called baroreceptors located on the carotid artery and in the carotid sinus. These sensors measure and report blood pressure to the brain, where it is compared to the needs of the body. Another example is investigations on a device that stimulates the vagus nerve to control obesity; researchers testing the device have seen a dramatic drop in hypertension as an unexpected benefit of the therapy.

continued from page 16

hypertension and diabetes. Examples of devices focused on these conditions (either available now or under investigation) are provided below.

Chronic back pain

IPG devices deliver mild electrical pulses to the spinal cord, which interrupt or mask the transmission of pain signals to the brain. In this application, the IPG is implanted in the back, in close proximity to the nerve that doctors are trying to block.

Hypertension (high blood pressure)

Most patients with high blood pressure control the condition by using a regimen of anti-hypertensive drugs. However many studies have reported a persistence of refractive hypertension (elevated blood pressure despite using

at least two anti-hypertensive drugs) in as many as 18 percent of the patient population. The IPG devices are being developed to provide a new and improved therapy for treating hypertension which is not only safe and effective, but avoids undesirable side effects of drug therapy. The system includes an IPG, sensors and leads, external electronics for calibration, programming and periodic adjustment of parameters by the attending physician. For example, one hypertension treat-

vated in response to direct measurement of blood glucose or symptoms, or could be activated automatically for predetermined times or intervals. Alternatively, it could be automatically activated using an implanted sensor to detect the blood glucose concentrations.

Diabetes

Several devices are being used or are under development, especially as an option for patients with diabetes that has proven unresponsive to drug therapy. An IPG is implanted and used to stimulate or inhibit the patient’s vagus nerve to modulate its electrical activity to increase or decrease secretion of natural insulin by the patient’s pancreas. The stimulator might be selectively acti-

Accurate & Real-Time Sensing for Gesture/Motion Recognition Applications

One implantable system, originally tested to control obesity and other gastrointestinal disorders, is showing some promise in controlling diabetes. The device is designed to precisely control nerve and organ function using the vagal nerves, which regulate much of the activity of the stomach and the pancreas. The device being studied delivers high frequency, low energy electrical signals through laparoscopically implanted leads to block vagal nerve transmission. The delivery of energy to the nerves is intermittent and the effects of the therapy on the nerves and end organs are intended to be reversible. The system is designed to be precisely programmed and non-invasively adjusted to meet individual needs. Headaches, obesity, epilepsy, depression, Parkinson’s, syncope, sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome are a few of the many other conditions for which this treatment is being investigated.

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The general trend in implantable devices is miniaturization. New devices tend to be smaller, but with a greater number of leads that get more signals into and out of a single device. It is clear that improving the feedthrough and expanding its capability is central to the next generation of IPGs. Future neurostimulator applications are currently looking at 100-200 leads, which will give device manufacturers opportunities to add further treatment to an implantable system. “We know where the IPG device is headed and we want to proactively provide improved feedthrough capabilities to help the device manufacturers meet their needs,” says MTC-Alberox’s John Antalek. “Just look at how far we’ve come with cardiac rhythm management. Pacemakers were the size of a Blackberry just a few years ago and had only two leads. Now the typical pacemaker is about the size of a lighter and can have as many as 10 leads, some of which allow better communication to the device, monitoring of other patient information and the ability to send information directly from the device to a doctor.” Additional leads could also build in intentional redundancy, which would reduce the device downtime and eliminate the need to remove the device if any of the leads fail. One of the most exciting avenues of research to increase the number of leads is the development of new high density feedthroughs that could contain ten times the number of leads, while keeping the current size and spacing. Today’s feedthroughs are constructed by assembling many different parts, stacking them into complicated arrays with braze materials and putting them in a furnace for joining. However, researchers are now developing high density feedthroughs using cutting edge advanced ceramic materials and processing technologies that use miniaturization techniques to pack many more wires together in a much tighter space. continued on page 22

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Custom Electronic

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SpaceX achieves major milestone towards more reliable and cost effective space access On June of 2010, SpaceX, a private space venture chosen by NASA to provide cargo resupply services to the International Space Station, successfully launched its new Falcon 9 launch vehicle into orbit. The test launch was an overwhelming success, with Falcon 9 reaching orbital velocity and achieving its intended orbit. A company representative referred to the launch as a great day for SpaceX and a promising step forward for the US space program. This exciting event was just one more step in SpaceX’s ambitious mission to reduce the cost and increase the reliability of space access by a factor of ten. This long term team effort combines the creativity and hard work of many individuals. One of them is George Ketigian, an Avionics Engineer responsible for developing electronics that range from in-flight devices, to testing and launch control. Much of the ground electronics that Mr. Ketigian develops are installed in rack mounted enclosures, which he would traditionally acquire on an ‘off-the-shelf’ basis, and then customize in SpaceX’s in-house CNC machining facilities. Although this approach got the job done, sourcing and modifying enclosures takes a lot of effort and focus, and sending his enclosure projects to Protocase gives Ketigian more time for other aspects of his job. In 2008 Ketigian adopted a new approach to this part of his job. He began to work with Protocase, who specializes in building custom enclosures for engineers and designers. Protocase’s combination of advanced enclosure design tools and unique 2-3 day manufacturing process can change the way that designers work, giving easy access to fully finished professional quality metal enclosures with a fraction of the time and effort required by traditional techniques. Ketigian now uses Protocase’s free ‘online enclosure template generator’ tool, which creates a base design for him, and then customizes it by using SpaceX’s 3D CAD system to add details such as cutouts, fasteners, and silkscreens. The designs are then sent to Protocase who builds them in 2-3 days. By automatically generating the base enclosure design, he retains the simplicity of dealing with off-the-shelf enclosures, in that he starts with a fully functional base design without having to design the box from scratch. But he also gains the advantages of doing the modifications in CAD, and gets a fully finished custom enclosure, built to meet his needs right out of the box. Ketigian says, “The custom built box is more expensive than buying off-theshelf enclosures, but if I account for my own time savings, we’re actually saving money. Plus I get to focus on other more important parts of my job”. Ketigian also notes that he achieves better overall results, which is particularly important at SpaceX. The enclosures are built to his exact needs without compromise. This includes aesthetic features which he expresses through custom graphic-like cutouts and bold silkscreen graphics. “SpaceX has a special culture. We’re relaxed, Southern California style, but totally dedicated to our work. Going the extra distance to make our electronics look great is an expression of our creativity and pride in our work.”

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medical electronics

electronic products and technology • october 2011

A NEW WORLD of TREATMENT continued from page 20

Body communications

Another interesting development in the IPG arena is the development of “body communications,” in which ultrasonic devices are placed into a medical device casing and used to remotely power and communicate with other devices in the body. “This next level of improvement has great advantages, because it could mean that no wires would have to be implanted,” noted Mark Bartrum, transducer design manager for the ElectroCeramics business of Morgan Technical Ceramics (MTC ElectroCeramics) in Bedford, OH. MTC ElectroCeramics uses its piezo ceramic components (high density PZT and single crystal piezo materials) in medical device manufacturing. “Implanting wires in4/30/07 the body 4:54 can bePM Trust/EP&T7x10

a challenge. They may eventually fail and subsequent removal and replacement can be difficult. Also, using ultrasound, as opposed to radio frequency, means the communication stays within the body. This means one person’s medical device is less likely to interfere with another person’s device and it could be more readily protected against interference from MRI equipment, scanners, or other large electrical devices.” Using ultrasound to both power and interrogate remote sensors is a likely development for many implantable devices, but wiring would still be needed for neurostimulators, where leads are attached to the skull, brain, or spine. However, in the future, the main implant might be able to communicate with other devices implanted in the body or the external programmer via ultrasound, Page 1

rather than radio frequency. Another exciting development, the use of piezo ceramic components, is an outgrowth from the technology used in cochlear implants. The Bedford, Ohio plant has researched a custom assembly that uses piezo ceramic components to increase resolution for an annunciator that could be inserted into a main IPG and use intelligible speech to warn the user that an event is occurring.

New biocompatible materials for IPGs Most IPGs are currently made of titanium, a strong and light metal that is lustrous and corrosion-resistant. However, along with efforts to improve the basic electrical feedthroughs so more leads can be added, research and development is being conducted using ceramic injection molding (CIM) to develop a thin-walled ceramic case that could be smaller, simpler and provide more efficient communications to the device electronics. CIM

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enables production of small components with very high precision and without a secondary grinding process. For example, MTC’s Stourport UK CIM facility is currently in the early stages of developing an implantable housing for use in migraine and cluster headache treatment that is made using Zirconia injection molding. Zirconia is the preferred material for this device because it has a high mechanical strength that allows the casing to be made with very thin walls. The ceramic casing would then be brazed and hermetically bonded to the feedthrough. The Zirconia ceramic casing is stronger than titanium, allowing for a mechanically robust structure in a smaller sized housing. By comparison, an Alumina equivalent would be strong, but twice as thick. Both Zirconia and Alumina are transparent to radiofrequency energy, so signals could be passed through the wall for communication and possible charging. The hope is that developing a device casing out of Zirconia would mean that no feedthrough wires would be needed to connect to an antenna. Keeping the antenna within the device improves function for the patient. The Zirconia material is also inherently insulating, so electrical wires can be placed closer together than a metal flanged feedthrough brazed into a metal housing. Such a device would have no need for a battery, so it would not require replacement, as long as it retains its hermetic seal. Finally, the injection molded Zirconia is a biocompatible material that complies with ISO 13356 implants for surgery.

Next steps

The market for neuromodulation is estimated at more than $2-billion, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) estimated at 18-22% and a seemingly never-ending supply of new applications for the basic technology. With an increasing acceptance by the Food and Drug Administration and insurance companies, preference over some drug therapies and increasing device complexity to deliver more features and tailored effect, it is clear that developing the next generation of IPGs is critical to advancing neuromodulation technology. What is also clear is that advanced ceramics will be a major part of that quest. Morgan Technical Ceramics’ experience as a multi-national ceramic manufacturer gives them the ability to take technologies from other parts of the advanced ceramics business and use them in parts of the business where they haven’t been used before. The same robust biocompatible materials already being used to make implantable drug delivery devices may now be used to develop a feedthrough that will be used in next generation IPGs. For more information on neuromodulation devices from Morgan Technical Ceramics, go to http://ept.hotims.com/34486-65

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test & measurement

electronic products and technology • october 2011

Test & Measurement

OPTIMIZING microwave and millimeter measurements Where should

Signal analysis at microwave and millimeter frequencies is an unforgiving discipline. Even the basic task of connecting the signal under test (SUT) to the first mixer in the analysis chain is a challenge, and the choice of techniques will strongly affect measured parameters such as amplitude accuracy, modulation quality and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The best choice can also optimize solution cost and convenience. Why focus on mixer location? The answer is in the structure of almost all microwave and millimeter measurements, where the first thing the signal encounters is a mixer, used to downconvert the signal to a lower frequency for analysis. Although there are usually two or three stages of downconversion, we’ll limit this discussion to the first one, generally the only one in which the signal analyst has a choice. This article will review the main choices for initial mixing and outline the most important information on benefits and costs to optimize a solution for specific measurement needs. What about attenuators, preamplifiers and other signal conditioners? These are certainly important, and also affect the measurements, but they are generally choices that depend on the first one: the location of that mixer. It’s a choice that some analyzer users sometimes don’t explicitly make—but in demanding measurements it can make a critical difference in optimizing solution performance, cost and convenience.

The fundamental mixer choice Most choices related to signal connection and mixing can be boiled down to three categories: internal mixing, external mixing and “no mixer.” Each of these is worth a closer look. Internal mixing: This is the default choice, especially for microwave (as opposed to millimeter) measurements. The first mixer is inside, and very near the input connector of the analyzer, often preceded by an attenuator and sometimes a preamplifier. This is a single-box, single-connection approach that typically uses a coaxial connection. The analyzer handles all operations including downconversion, digitizing, analysis and display. For microwave and millimeter measurements, some form of harmonic mixing is used inside the analyzer, and a bandpass “preselector” filter (inside the analyzer) is tuned to the frequency of the SUT to avoid the production or display of unintended mixing products.

the first mixer be?

By Ben Zarlingo, product manager for communications test with Microwave and Communications Division of Agilent Technologies Inc.

External mixing: This method typically takes one of two forms, either standalone mixers or separate downconversion assemblies. As the name implies, the first mixer is external to the analyzer and typically does not include an attenuator, preamplifier or preselector. Instead, the analyzer supplies a local oscillator (LO) drive signal to the external mixer and receives an intermediate frequency (IF) signal from the mixer. This IF signal is the result of mixing the SUT with harmonics of the analyzer-supplied LO signal. The external mixer is often attached directly to the SUT using a waveguide or coaxial connection. The analyzer further processes the IF signal with filtering, digitizing, analysis and display operations similar to those for internally-mixed signals. Indeed, the analyzer user may not see any other differences in operation. No mixer: The advent of oscilloscopes with analog bandwidths that extend to microwave and millimeter frequencies has widened the solution landscape. When paired with signal-analysis software (typically vector signal analysis or VSA software) scopes can handle traditional signal-analysis tasks such as spectrum analysis, temporal analysis and demodulation or modulation-quality analysis. With a microwave or millimeter oscilloscope the SUT is digitized directly and the sampled signal represents the entire frequency range rather than a narrower band of frequencies in the vicinity of the signal of interest. Some would argue with the characterization of this as a “no mixer” measurement because many signal measurements still involve narrowband analysis, with the VSA software performing the downconversion (mixing), filtering and data-reduction operations normally handled by analog hardware.

Why consider external mixing? There are numerous factors to consider when assessing where to place the first mixer. Here are four important highlights: Cost: Analyzer price generally increases with frequency range and microwave or millimeter frequency coverage is typically needed only for a specific band or bands. External mixing can allow an analyzer with only RF or low microwave coverage to analyze signals at any frequency, using the appropriate external mixer. Convenience and sensitivity: Some microwave and many millimeter signals are provided through waveguide. Waveguide has comparatively low transmission loss but connections are typically inflexible continued on page 26

External mixing, shown here with the Agilent PXA Signal Analyzer, moves the first mixing (downconversion) stage outside of the analyzer by sending an external mixer a tuned LO signal and bringing an IF signal back in. Further signal processing is similar to internally-mixed measurements. http://ept.hotims.com/34486-17

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test & measurement

electronic products and technology • october 2011

OPTIMIZING measurements

Comparing first-mixer approaches APPLICATION FACTORS

continued from page 23

and expensive. It is a precision plumbing operation, after all, and connection fabrication is often the domain of an external contractor. External mixing can allow the first mixer to be bolted directly to waveguide supplying the SUT, with the analyzer connections then accomplished by flexible, inexpensive, (comparatively) low-frequency, low-loss cabling. Frequency coverage: Some frequency ranges are only covered by externally mixed solutions. Some signals cannot be readily connected to single-box solutions because of a combination of distance, physical configuration and loss in transmission. Performance: Direct connection of the mixer to the SUT can improve the noise figure of the measurement system, improving both SNR and accuracy. Phase noise performance may also be improved, due to higher LO output frequencies from modern analyzers and the resulting lower harmonic numbers used by the external mixers. In some cases, externally-mixed measurements can have significantly lower phase noise than onebox solutions.

Smarter mixers An external mixer is a relatively simple thing to connect, requiring just one or two relatively low-frequency (≤10 GHz) cables for the interface with a spectrum or signal analyzer. Accurate measurements require the analyzer to be configured for the correct output frequency (mixer harmonic number) and

INTERNAL MIXING

DIRECT SAMPLING 32/33 GHz with single frequency range sampling

Setup convenience Simple, one box

Mixer connection and conversion-loss download required

One-box solution; signal analysis typically uses VSA software

Connection flexibility: coax

Simple, but coax loss may impose distance limits

Mixers typically waveguide, may require coax-waveguide adapter

Simple, but coax loss may impose distance limits

Connection flexibility: waveguide

May be cumbersome, depending on config. of SUT

Direct, flexible connection to SUT

May be cumbersome, depending on config. of SUT

Accuracy, ease of One-box solution, fully specified, Specs depend on analyzer plus calibration typically most accurate external mixer parameters; can be similar to internal mixing

One-box solution, though specs may be indirect with VSA software. Accuracy depends on digitizer.

Signal identification No separate process required due to preselection

Wideband meas (≥600 MHz or 2x IF) require manual or automated process

No separate process required due to input BW limits and VSA digital filtering

Sensitivity

Highest, with preamplifier, low noise path, noise floor extension

No preamplifier, but short/direct connection to SUT may improve sensitivity

Moderate due to wide bandwidth and limited sampling depth

Cost

Moderate to expensive

Moderate

Most expensive

Instantaneous analysis bandwidth

140 MHz with internal digitizer, 900 MHz with external sampling of IF output

120 MHz or more with internal digitizer, 700 MHz or more with external sampling of IF output

32 GHz with single frequency range sampling

Choosing the best location for the first mixer in a measurement makes it possible to optimize the most important factors in a specific application.

associated mixer conversion loss. Mixer conversion loss is accounted for through frequency response curves supplied by the mixer manufacturer and entered as amplitude correction factors in the analyzer. These amplitude correction factors can be entered manually or uploaded from a disk or USB device. Configuring the analyzer for a specific mixer introduces opportunities for error: in the entry of conversion loss numbers, the association of those numbers with a specific mixer, and in connection problems such as inadequate or unflat LO drive levels. A simple digital interface between the host analyzer and an enhanced or “smarter” mixer can solve all these prob-

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lems at once. For example Agilent’s new M1970V/W waveguide harmonic mixers (Figure 2) store factory-measured conversion-loss parameters internally, along with model and serial number. These mixers also contain an LO power measurement/monitor circuit to help optimize LO drive level across their frequency range and detect any connection problems. Instruments such as the Agilent N9030A PXA signal analyzer can then automatically detect these mixers through a simple USB cable, download conversion loss information, configure themselves correctly for the specific mixer, and perform an LO drive-level alignment for optimum accuracy. The result is enhanced performance and measurement convenience, reduced chance of errors, and the implementation of a simple “remote measurement head” that can be placed in the optimum configuration to the SUT.

Conclusion Well-considered choices about the placement of the first mixer can help overcome the unforgiving nature of signal analysis at microwave and millimeter frequencies. There are many important factors in optimizing these measurements, and this article has focused on a few essential elements that can be tuned to suit specific needs. Decisions about the location and type of the first mixer drive many other choices, and these have a major influence

Figure 2: A “smart” external mixer simplifies connection and setup, requiring a single multiplexed signal connection (LO input and IF output) and a USB connection to detect the mixer, automatically download conversion loss information, monitor drive levels, etc.

on solution convenience, performance and cost. Recent developments in analyzers and mixers have widened the solution landscape, and it makes more sense than ever before to begin by asking, “Where should that first mixer be?” For more information on signal analysis at microwave and millimeter frequencies from Agilent Technolgies Inc., go to http://ept.hotims.com/34486-66

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Multi-channel RF recorder conducts advanced testing of RF receivers Thermal Imagers Ti27 TiR27

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test & measurement

electronic products and technology • october 2011

Digital temperature transmitters delivers 4 to 20mA signal

Oscilloscopes provides low front-end noise, deliver high signal fidelity

PRTXB and PRTXAL series 2-wire digital temperature transmitters provide 4 to 20mA signal representing temperature linearized. Product provides a 316 Stainless Steel RTD Probe that captures minimum and maximum readings. Selectable units and an auto shutoff time feature is available for both battery powered models. Units with alarm outputs are also available. OMEGA

RTO Series digital oscilloscope provides low front-end noise to allow the analysis of extremely small signals with high signal fidelity. Unit utilizes a single core A/D converter to ensure an accurate representation of signals when debugging biomedical sensors and equipment. Product provides a fast and accurate acquisition system and a gain range of one-millivolt per division, while delivering enhanced overdrive recovery to eliminate distortion and ensure high signal fidelity. ROHDE & SCHWARZ

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Single-instrument conducts 40GE, 100GE, OTU3 and OTU4 analysis OTU4 mapping option for firm’s MD1260A 40/100G Ethernet Analyzer extends the overall measurement capability of the instrument. With the new option, unit can be configured to conduct analysis for 40GE, 100GE, OTU3 and OTU4, providing manufacturers of telecommunications and transport equipment, as well as network operators with a single-instrument solution that can assure the quality of high-speed networks forming the foundation of next-generation networks (NGNs) used in cloud computing applications. ANRITSU http://ept.hotims.com/34486-70

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Mixed domain oscilloscope combines scope & spectrum analyzer functionality MDO4000 Series mixed domain oscilloscope (MDO) delivers the functionality of an oscilloscope and a spectrum analyzer in a single instrument. Product captures time-correlated analog, digital and RF signals for a complete system view, helping users to quickly solve complicated design issues. More than 60% of oscilloscope users also use a spectrum analyzer to troubleshoot embedded system designs with integrated wireless functionality, requiring them to work in both the time and frequency domain. Traditionally, an engineer was either a mixed signal/digital engineer or an RF engineer. But with wireless becoming more commonplace, design engineers must often work in both domains. Unit can replace both a scope and spectrum analyzer with a single instrument. Device goes beyond typical spectrum analyzer functionality by allowing users to capture time-correlated analog, digital and RF signals across 4 analog,

Equip Your Bench with LeCroy Oscilloscopes Starting at $724 LogicStudio – Logic Analyzer at $990 ArbStudio – Waveform Generator from $2,490

16 digital and 1 RF channel. The RF input frequency range extends up to 6GHz and provides a capture bandwidth of ≥1GHz at all center frequencies, 100 times wider than typical spectrum analyzers. TEKTRONIX http://ept.hotims.com/34486-72

Microscope performs multiple forensic analytical techniques CRAIC Technologies Elixir microscope provides multiple analytical techniques in a single instrument for accurate and rapid analysis of trace evidence. Forensic scientists can conduct microspectroscopy, highresolution imaging, Raman microspectroscopy and glass refractometry with one, easy-to-use tool. Product integrates an advanced spectrophotometer with an optical microscope and powerful yet easy-to-use software. ELLIOTT SCIENTIFIC http://ept.hotims.com/34486-73

System design software achieves new productivity levels

Now available thru

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25th-anniversary version of LabVIEW system design software accelerates development efficiency through new engineering-specific libraries and its ability to interact with almost any hardware device or deployment target, including the new multicore NI CompactRIO controller and the NI PXIe-5665. Product also supports assemblies built in the latest Microsoft .NET Framework and includes numerous features driven directly from user feedback. Product integrates individual system components into a single, reconfigurable platform to speed up design process. NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS http://ept.hotims.com/34486-74

test & measurement

electronic products and technology • october 2011

Power quality analyzer studies energy analysis consumption

Digital oscilloscope with 1GHz bandwidth reduces test time

434/PWR power analyzer simplifies energy analysis and uncovers wastage in commercial and factory buildings, as well as in equipment and machines. Unit can be used to conduct energy consumption studies and electrical load analysis and to perform power quality logging and analysis surveys. Product measures harmonic distortion caused by electronic loads, and analyzes reliability problems by capturing voltage dips and swells from load switching. A full-color display uses industry-standard, user-selectable color coding to correlate measurements with actual wiring. It logs incoming data with a unique AutoTrend function that highlights changes of data over time. The data can then be analyzed with Fluke’s Power Log software, which is included with the 434/PWR. FLUKE

DS6000 series digital oscilloscope provides up to 1GHz bandwidth (BW), 1.5GHz bandwidth differential and single-ended active probes. Unit reduces test time with advanced waveform search, visualization and replay. Product has specifications of up to 1GHz BW with 5GSa/s sample rate, a standard 140,000,000 points of deep memory, up to 180,000 frames for waveform record and replay, and up to 180,000 waveforms/second/acquisition rate. With firm’s UltraVision technology, product delivers up to 256 levels of intensity grading display and real-time waveform record and display, with customizable real-time hardware filters available. RIGOL TECHNOLOGIES

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Digital oscilloscope comes with lowdistortion signal generator PicoScope 4262 two channel, 16bit very-high-resolution oscilloscope (VHRO) provides a built-in low-distortion signal generator, with its 5MHz bandwidth. Unit analyzes audio, ultrasonic and vibration signals, characterizes noise in switched mode power supplies, measures distortion, and performs a wide range of precision measurement tasks. Device is a full-featured oscilloscope, with a function generator and arbitrary waveform generator that includes a sweep function to enable frequency response analysis. PICO TECHNOLOGY

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Boundary-scan hardware connects seamlessly JT 2147/DAK boundary-scan hardware interface product is a signal conditioning module that allows seamless connections from firm’s PXI DataBlaster to the MAC-Panel ‘Scout’ mass interconnect system. Based on the highly successful QuadPod architecture, unit was specifically designed in the MAC Panel ‘Direct Access Kit’ (DAK) form factor. Product provides four independent Test Access Ports (TAPs) along with 16 user assigned Digital I/O channels. Each TAP can be programmed to operate through a range of voltage levels to suit various logic families. JTAG TECHNOLOGIES http://ept.hotims.com/34486-80

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USB microscope captures magnified images on video display MV200UM 2 megapixel USB digital microscope captures high quality magnified images and video for display on a PC using a simple USB 2.0 PC connection. Device contains a built-in white LED illumination ring for viewing circuit boards, tiny components and markings, examining traces and solder joints on printed circuit boards, or for detailed product examination and record-taking, inspection, and quality control purposes. SAELIG http://ept.hotims.com/34486-77

Double-sided, flying probe system maximizes physical access FLS 980Dxi Flying Scorpion patented double-sided, multi-probe (22) flying probe system with 3-D probing, analog, digital and boundary scan test capability on all probes (top- and bottom-side). Unit uses highly repeatable closed-loop linear motor drives and joystick-like variable angle probe modules (0 to 6°) to maximize physical access and guarantee repeatable probing of fine-pitch devices and small components such as 0201 and 01005s. Using the patented PinScan vectorless test suite, the product series detects open-pin and orientation faults on digital devices, polarized caps and connectors. ACCULOGIC http://ept.hotims.com/34486-78

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test & measurement

electronic products and technology • october 2011

Multi-channel data acquisition system is portable

newswatch

Tektronix creates new oscilloscope category First mixed domain oscilloscope combines scope & spectrum analyzer functionality Tektronix Inc., Beaverton OR, has officially launched what it’s calling the world’s first mixed domain oscilloscope (MDO) that delivers the functionality of an oscilloscope and a spectrum analyzer in a single instrument. The MDO4000 Series captures time-correlated analog, digital and RF signals for a complete system view, helping users to quickly solve complicated design issues. More than 60% of oscilloscope users also use a spectrum analyzer to troubleshoot embedded system designs with integrated wireless functionality, requiring them to work in both the time and frequency domain. Traditionally, an engineer was either a mixed signal/digital engineer or an RF engineer. But with wireless becoming more commonplace, design engineers must often work in both domains. “We believe that this is the most revolutionary product to hit the oscilloscope market in the last 20 years, for the first time breaking down the barrier between time and frequency domains,” says Roy Siegel, general manager, oscilloscopes at Tektronix. “It fundamentally changes what’s involved in debugging designs with RF where there is a need to correlate events in the frequency domain with the time domain phenomena that caused them. Just as the mixed signal oscilloscope (MSO) is the standard for embedded design test, we expect the MDO will become the new standard for designs that increasingly include RF capabilities.” With the MDO4000, engineers can replace both a scope and spectrum analyzer with a single instrument. This enables the user to continue using the tool of their choice, the oscilloscope, to look at the frequency domain rather than having to find and relearn a spectrum analyzer. The device goes beyond typical spectrum analyzer functionality by allowing users to capture time-correlated analog, digital and RF signals across 4 analog, 16 digital and 1 RF channel. The RF input frequency range extends up to 6GHz and provides a capture bandwidth of ≥ 1GHz at all center frequencies, 100 times wider than typical spectrum analyzers. The unit also allows designers to see the RF spectrum of a signal at any point in time within a long acquisition to see how the spectrum changes over time or with device state. By simply moving the unique and patent pending Spectrum Time throughout the time domain acquisition, designers can see the RF spectrum for any point in their acquisition while simultaneously seeing their analog, digital and/or decoded buses at the same point in time. Similarly, RF time domain traces are used to show how the amplitude, frequency or phase of the RF input signal changes relative to time. This makes it easy to characterize frequency hop transitions, settling times, and RF event timing relative to other system components and activities. The RF time domain traces are shown in the same window as the analog, digital and serial/parallel bus decoded waveforms, providing instant insight into device operation.

Dash MX powerful, lightweight and compact portable data acquisition system captures high frequency data and transient signals, as well as long term trending. Product records up to 8 channels of isolated voltage inputs to an internal 320 GByte hard drive at sample rates up to 200KHz per channel. High frequency data captures can be saved directly to hard drive for review and post analysis. Includes support for IRIG time codes A, B & E. Unit is equipped with a 12" color display for intuitive touch-screen control, as well as realtime data viewing and analysis. ASTRO-MED http://ept.hotims.com/34486-81

Portable test instrument preempts use of bigger equipment CW10 Clamp-on power meter combines the basic functionality of a standard clamp on tester, digital multimeter and power monitor to initially diagnose maintenance issues before more expensive and sophisticated equipment may be required. Unit measures 600A ac-dc, 1000 ac-dc, 600 k ac-dc, power factor, total harmonic distortion, harmonics from 1st to 25th, resistance, and frequency. Other measurement and diagnostic capabilities include phase rotation, voltage detection, continuity check, diode test, inrush current and low pass filter. Unit’s joystick allows the user to easily select the preferred diagnostic function. The display is backlit when clamping and contains a 3.5 digit and bar graph display. YOKOGAWA

Multi-function safety unit includes 500 VA Hipot testing Model 4520 500 VA Multi-Function Electrical Safety Tester includes 500 VA Hipot test functionality for applications that require 100 mA of ac output current alongside dc Hipot test, insulation resistance test and ground bond test functionality. In ac Hipot mode, the unit can output up to 5kV at 100mA and in dc Hipot mode it will output up to 6kV at 10mA. The Insulation Resistance test mode provides a test range of up to 1000 Megohms while the Ground Bond test mode provides up to 30Amps of test current. SLAUGHTER CO. http://ept.hotims.com/34486-83

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Source measurement unit is optimized for low voltage testing Model 2401 SourceMeter instrument is optimized for high precision test applications such as current vs. voltage (IV) characterization of photovoltaic (solar) cells, high brightness LEDs (HBLEDs), low voltage materials and semiconductor devices, as well as resistance measurements. Unit provides advanced source and measurement unit capabilities at 20V and 1A signal levels and lower price. Unit integrates a stable dc power source with a true instrument-grade 5-1/2 or 6-1/2-digit multimeter in a single enclosure. In operation, unit can act as a voltage source, a current source, a voltmeter, an ammeter, and an ohmmeter, and provides four-quadrant bipolar and automatic source/sink operation. KEITHLEY INSTRUMENTS http://ept.hotims.com/34486-84

Data logger lengthens recording times EPCOS DataLOG SD data logger and data recording equipment can be used to record and store all the values measured by the controller. Unit comes with an SD card with a storage capacity of 1GB included in the scope of delivery. Evaluation software for Windows PCs is also included and allows the measured values to be analyzed. Product allows the recording of grid parameters, as well as the relevant parameters of a PFC system inclusive of switching sequences and the switching-on time of all steps plus the temperature. Depending on measuring intervals, recording time can be extended to several weeks. TDK-EPC http://ept.hotims.com/34486-85

CUSTOM MOUNTS, FILTERS, & COMPONENTS Standard Lens Mounts, Filters, Filter Rings, Step Rings, Adapters, Spacers, Special Metric Taps and Dies, and other Lens Mounting Accessories. Over 60 years of custom design and manufacturing experience.

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full online product listings at ept.hotims.com

Q Series

Proven. Flexible. Diverse. Integral ground/power plane rated up to 9.5 amps. Q Strip® - The industry standard for low profile board stacking on 0,5mm, 0,635mm and 0,8mm pitch. Q Rate® - Smaller footprints and lower profile right angle without sacrificing performance. Q2™ - Rugged contact system provides increased contact wipe. Elevated, right angle, edge mount, power and shielding options.

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expressmart / advertisers' index

express

electronic products and technology • october 2011

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InfiniiVision X-Series Oscilloscopes In Stock. Immediate Delivery!

The InfiniiVision 3000 X-Series offers entry-level price points to fit your budget with superior performance and optional capabilities that are not available in any other oscilloscope in its class. Our break-through technology delivers more scope for the same budget.

New Rack Cabinet has Highest EMI/RFI Protection

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Enlarged for proofing purposes only Simcona hosts 18th annual golf tournament Agilent Technologies Canada Inc. . . OBC

ADVER TISERS’ INDEX

Allied Electronics, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 AP Circuits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Avnet EM(AZ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Blockmaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Boardtech Integration . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Circuit-Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Conec Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Digi-Key Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Electro Sonic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Equipto Electronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Fluke Electronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 GAP Wireless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Hammond Mfg. Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC Irwin Industrial Agencies Limited . . . . . 4 Lecroy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Mouser Electronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Murata Power Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . 16 NEWARK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 ODU USA Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Omega Engineering Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . IFC Omnetics Conn. Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Panasonic Electric Works Corporation of America . . . . . . . . . 20 Probe Master Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Protocase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Sager Electronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Samsung . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Samtec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Schurter Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 TDK- Lambda Americas Inc. . . . . . 19, 30 Tektronix, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23, 27 Universe Kogaku America . . . . . . . . . . 28

London-based electronics distributor, Simcona Electronics of Canada Inc, recently hosted its 18th annual electronics golf tournament. More than 40 golfers participated in the ‘best ball’ tournament with the winning foursome being Tim Dawe, Simcona; Mark Masur, Belden; John Brooks, Panduit; and Bill Moffatt of Hammond MFG. Simcona recognized the following companies for their support of contests on the holes: EBM-Papst, EMT Engineering, Dennis Dani, Matera Technology, and X-Tronics along with those that donated to the prize table. Simcona’s most honest foursome consisted of (left to right) John Jackson, EMT Engineering; Colin McGuffin, Simcona; Harry Coates, Schleuniger and Tony Martins, Panasonic Electric Works.

Microsemi acquires Zarlink Semi

SMTC acquires ZF Array Technology

Semiconductor solutions provider Microsemi Corp., Aliso Viejo CA, has amended its original offer to acquire all of Zarlink Semiconductor Inc., Ottawa, outstanding common shares and debentures. After receiving fairness opinions from its financial advisors, The Board of Directors of Zarlink has unanimously determined that the offers are fair to its shareholders and debentureholders. The total transaction value is approximately US $525 million. Zarlink is a leading provider of mixed-signal chip technologies for a broad range of communications and medical applications. “We are excited to add Zarlink to the Microsemi family and to enter into this transaction on a friendly basis,” says James Peterson, Microsemi’s president and CEO. “Entering the process and performing diligence enabled us to confirm the compelling strategic fit between the two companies. Furthermore, Zarlink’s fundamentals, technology capabilities, product roadmap and revenue growth opportunities exceeded our expectations. By bringing Microsemi’s scale and discipline to this tremendous property, we expect to deliver outstanding results for our shareholders.” According to Zarlink’s chairman of the board Adam Chowaniec, Zarlink accepted the deal “after careful consideration of strategic alternatives, protracted negotiations and the receipt of two fairness opinions from our financial advisors.”

Toronto-based electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider SMTC Corp., has completed its acquisition of ZF Array Technology Inc., a privately held EMS with operations in San Jose CA. ZF specializes in manufacturing complex electronics equipment and providing systems integration services for some of the world’s leading telecommunication, wireless and life science equipment manufacturers. “We are very excited about the opportunities for growth that this acquisition creates. I am looking forward to integrating both companies’ offerings together to provide both our new and existing customers with synergistic engineering and operational capabilities,” says co-CEO Alex Walker. Founded in 1985, SMTC Corp. is a mid-size provider of end-toend EMS provider including PCBA production, systems integration and comprehensive testing services, enclosure fabrication, as well as product design, sustaining engineering and supply chain management services. SMTC facilities span a broad footprint in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and a partnering relationship in China, with more than 1,000 full-time employees. SMTC services extend over the entire electronic product life cycle from the development and introduction of new products through to the growth, maturity and end-of-life phases.

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You should expect more from a power supply than just power.

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