What’s New in Electronics May 2012

May 2012 Vol.31 No.11

COMPUTING The next tech supercycle starts here

contents

A.B.N. 22 152 305 336

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May 2012

Chief Editor Janette Woodhouse Publisher Geoff Hird Art Director/Production Manager Julie Wright Art/Production Tanya Scarselletti, Jeanette Teuma Colleen Sam Circulation Manager Sue Lavery circulation@westwick-farrow.com.au Copy Control Mitchie Mullins Advertising Sales NSW, QLD - Liz Wilson Ph: 0403 528 558 lwilson@westwick-farrow.com.au

on the cover 4 Copper versus fibre - the battle continues 6 Record claimed for solar cell efficiency 15

VIC, SA, WA - Lachlan Rainey Ph: 0402 157 167 lrainey@westwick-farrow.com.au New Zealand - Jordan King Ph: 0800 44 2529 jking@westwick-farrow.com.au USA - Huson International Media East Coast Ph: +1 212 268 3344 West Coast Ph: +1 408 879 6666 ralph@husonusa.com UK - Huson International Media Ph: +44 1932 56 4999 gerryb@husonmedia.com ASIA - Lachlan Rainey Ph: +61 (0) 402 157 167

short circuits 18 Modular power supplies on the increase 26 Transparent memory can be folded up 34

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Sept 2011 Total CAB Audited Circulation (Aust + NZ) 6,241 (85% personally requested) Printed and bound by Pegasus +61 2 8822 0716 Print Post Approved PP247345/00005 ISSN No. 0728-3873 All material published in this magazine is published in good faith and every care is taken to accurately relay information provided to us. Readers are advised by the publishers to ensure that all necessary safety devices and precautions are installed and safe working procedures adopted before the use of any equipment found or purchased through the information we provide. Further, all performance criteria was provided by the representative company concerned and any dispute should be referred to them. Information indicating that products are made in Australia or New Zealand is supplied by the source company. Westwick-Farrow Pty Ltd does not quantify the amount of local content or the accuracy of the statement made by the source.

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May 2012 - What's New in Electronics

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on the cover

Raspberry Pi is the pick of the latest computers The Raspberry Pi computer has taken the world by storm since the device was launched at the end of February this year.

So what is this phenomenon? It is a computer that could reawaken a generation to programming, curiosity and innovation. Its statistics include a 700 MHz ARM CPU, 256 MB of memory, two USB ports with an integrated USB hub, video and audio outputs, a 10/100 ethernet on-board network and storage via SD/MMC/SDIO card slot.

The inspiration for this minuscule device came from Eben Upton, an academic at Cambridge University. He noticed that when he was interviewing applicants for degree course places, too few of them had a sufficiently high standard of programming skills. So he set out to design a product that would make computing vibrant but be so low in cost it could be given to prospective students.

His hope was that those who started programming with such a product might arrive at an interview with a certain programming aptitude and hence be better candidates and get more out of their course.

He took for his inspiration the programmable machines of the early 80s such as the BBC Micro and Commodore 64. In 2006, with a small group of academics, designers and computer enthusiasts, the Raspberry Pi Foundation was born and the development began to enable programming skills to be honed as cheaply as possible.

The first ARM prototype version was mounted in a package the same size as a USB memory stick. Today, the latest evolution of the machine supports 1080p video with both code and encode at very low power and runs Linux supported by Debian GNO/Linux, Fedora ARM and Arch Linux operating systems.

The computer is available in two versions: model B which was the first one launched and model A that is without ethernet and optimised for educational use.

Broadcom, an early supporter of the program and not officially a sponsor, carried out much of the technical work on the processor and the latest version is powered by the BCM 2385.

Trustee and vice-president of engineering for Raspberry Pete Lomas told element14 that one of the biggest challenges was escaping the 0.65 mm BGA without using significant quantities of HDI on a six-layer board while keeping good power and ground planes.

Modern computing devices tend to be closed off and do not encourage a desire to tinker, change and explore different ways of

4 What's New in Electronics - May 2012

using them. Innovation is all about understanding the possibilities of what technology is available at the user’s disposal.

The simplicity of this computer is critical to this end. The Pi is not supplied with a display, adapters, a keyboard or a mouse, although these accessories are available.

This open, standalone form allows users to connect with the device through an array of different peripherals that extends the options for exploiting the capabilities of the computer. A PC board stripped out of a laptop has the potential to become a tool as powerful and as versatile as the humble LEGO brick - this time equipping young people with the ability to imagine program and code the future in crystal HD quality.

That’s the physical computer but where did the name come from?

As Upton recounts the tale, the trustees brainstormed ideas for some time, wanting to build on the tradition of naming the computer after fruit, such as Apricot and Acorn and, of course, Apple. Raspberry follows this tradition with the Pi symbolising a connection with Python - the Pi’s core programming language.

The most recognisable part of the project is probably its logo - a raspberry shaped as a buckyball with 32 faces visible including 11 in the front to symbolise that the Pi has a 32-bit processor and an ARM 11 on board.

The Raspberry Pi is available from element14, which can be contacted on: au.element14.com. element14 au.element14.com

www.electronicsonline.net.au

Š iStockphoto.com/Mitshu

Cables & connectors

Copper versus fibre - the battle continues Copper conductors have dominated the world of electronic devices since the discovery of electricity - and for good reason. Copper offers relatively low resistance, can be easily drawn into flexible wire, dissipates heat and can be terminated with solder, crimp or compressive connectors.

Many years of experience with copper has given the industry a detailed understanding of the material that permits accurate prediction of its performance.

However, as data transfer rates increased and cables became transmission lines, engineers began to encounter increased signal attenuation as well as distortion.

A series of issues, including skin effect, impedance control, skew and crosstalk, begins to degrade low-voltage signals as speeds move into the gigabit range.

The longer the copper link becomes, the greater the degradation of channel performance.

Replacing copper with fibre-optic links was predicted to be the solution, but engineers have been able to extend the life of passive copper links through improvements in cable design, insulating materials and by using algorithms that can allow the discrimination of low-voltage signals among high levels of noise.

Functions such as pre-emphasis and equalisation have been built into serialiser/deserialiser (SerDes) chips near the I/O port. Widespread adoption of 10 Gbps signalling may represent a transition point on how high-speed signals are transmitted.

Active copper cable assemblies can extend reach and bandwidth by integrating discrete signal conditioning components on a small PCB within the connector strain relief. Power is supplied from the host interface.

The 10 Gbps Thunderbolt cable from Intel and Apple is an example of an active cable assembly. Fabricating active copper cable assemblies adds cost and raises reliability and interoperability issues.

Passive copper conductors have been the preferred media for the vast majority of I/O cables, with the exception of longer links that are measured in kilometres. These are best served by dedicated singlemode fibre-optic links.

The long predicted, yet never quite ready for prime time fibre-optic alternative, has been making steady progress in terms of reduced cost, simplified termination processes, less sensitivity to sharp bends and interface contamination.

Single and multimode cables now offer improved loss characteristics, along with nearly unlimited bandwidth.

6 What's New in Electronics - May 2012

Fibre-optic cables are much smaller and lighter than equivalent copper cables, an important feature in large data centres where the mass of interconnecting cables can be overwhelming.

Optical signals still must go through the electro-optic conversion process at both ends of a link, a process that occupies valuable space within the box, consumes power, generates heat and adds cost.

Fibre is becoming more cost-effective in shorter lengths, but typically still costs more than passive copper.

Some users are willing to pay more for fibre to ensure adequate bandwidth headroom to support future product advances, but fibre continues to find resistance in all but longer links.

Active optical cables (AOCs) fill a niche between the two media with advantages borrowed from both technologies.

AOCs consist of a standard electrical connector at both ends but active components within the connector strain relief convert the electrical signals into optical pulses that are coupled into permanently attached optical fibre.

The reverse conversion occurs at the other end of the assembly.

By integrating the electro-optic conversion process within the cable itself, active optical cables can mate with legacy electrical I/O interfaces on equipment while transmitting the signal via low-loss fibre. www.electronicsonline.net.au

Cables & connectors

The cable installer sees no change, as the interface to the equipment remains the standard copper connector, but with the advantages of greater reliability, longer reach, greater bandwidth and much smaller and lighter cabling.

One of the first protocols to take advantage of active optic cable assemblies was InfiniBand, which features the 4X SFF 8470 (CX4) electrical connector.

The industry has now broadly adopted the QSFP+ form factor, capable of supporting four bidirectional channels each, operating at 10 Gbps. This standard interface offers good port density, with constantly increasing bandwidth in a user-friendly envelope.

Current QSFP+ optical cables are capable of supporting Infiniband SDR, DDR, QDR, and FDR, 10 Gb ethernet, and 8/10 Gb fibre channel applications.

As an alternative, designers can chose to use discrete LC optic cables plugging into small form factor pluggable optical transceivers, but the combination of two transceivers and separate cables may double the total cost and provide less consistent performance.

Active optical cables offer plug-and-play simplicity with fully contained optical links, eliminating potential for eye injury. AOCs also offer reduced power consumption along with high port density.

Small form factor pluggable interconnects allow system designers to chose from a variety of I/O options that matches the bandwidth and length requirements of each I/O to the most cost-effective media.

Using the same connector and cage assembly on the edge of the I/O card, a direct attach copper cable, pluggable optical transceiver with mating fibre-optic cables or an active optical cable can be used.

System designers are constantly pushing for faster links with Infiniband leading the pack. Both SFP and QSFP have experienced continuous evolution to higher speeds and have culminated in the current SFP+ and QSFP+ products.

Single SFP+ links are now rated to 14 Gbps while work is being done to push QSFP+ to four channels of up to 25 Gbps per lane. The long-term objective is to achieve 100 Gbps transfer rates in the smallest possible profile.

The newest entrant is the CXP active optical interface that provides 12 full duplex www.electronicsonline.net.au

channels at 10 Gbps each as defined by the Infiniband 12X QDR specification.

Suppliers, including FCI Electronics, Finisar and Molex, see CXP as a viable interface to achieve 100+ Gb links and have introduced compatible active optical cable assemblies.

FCI has already demonstrated 12.5 Gbps CXP channels providing a total bandwidth of 150 Gbps per port. It may be possible for CXP to eventually ramp up to 12 channels of 25 Gbps supporting a 300 Gbps channel.

Active optical cable adapters that breakout three QSFP+ connectors from one CXP connector are now available.

Assuming 10 Gbps data rates, a very general rule of thumb indicates that cables less than 7 m long are typically passive copper as the least costly option. Cables longer than this could utilise active copper technology, but cost has become a limiting factor.

Cables over 8 m but less than about 80 m may best be served by active optical assemblies.

Cables longer than 80 m generally use SFF transceivers and discrete optical cables. Lengths between 5 and 30 m may be the sweet spot for active optical cables, although some are offered at lengths of up to 300 m.

Applications for these high-performance links are concentrated on large data centres and supercomputer installations. The devices tend to be physically arranged in clusters with shorter links between shelves and racks and longer links among clusters and attached storage devices.

Global connector manufacturers have entered this market often by acquiring expertise “Lengths between 5 and 30 m may and products from independent fibre-optic be the sweet spot for active optical specialty suppliers.

Participants now include such major players cables, although some are offered as 3M, Amphenol, FCI, Molex, Samtec and TE at lengths of up to 300 m.�

Connectivity. Additional suppliers include Avago, Finisar, Mellanox and Siemon, which specialise in computer and telecom connectivity and produce a variety of active optical cable assemblies.

Active optical cables may not be limited to high-end network and computing applications. HDMI and DisplayPort connectors are playing an increasing role in the emerging market for digital signage.

Large advertising signs in urban areas as well as digital information kiosks on a campus or airport would be logical applications for active optical cables.

Some market forecasters have predicted that optical links used in high-performance computing applications will be costly and the volume will be relatively low compared to typical consumer applications.

If active optical cables were to be widely adopted in signage, home theatre or as a primary personal computer I/O, the volume would grow logarithmically. This may be where the Intel LightPeak interface with its proposed 100 Gbps channel may be headed.

Bishop & Associates estimates that the market for active optical cables related to QSFP+ InfiniBand in 2011 totaled $78.4 million, with sales growth to reach $1142 million by 2016. During that period InfiniBand 4X QDR will dominate, with volumes rising from approximately 350,000 units in 2011 to 6.3 million units by 2016.

CXP 12X QDR active optical cables will rise from a few thousand units in 2011 to a market value of nearly $11.2 million by 2016.

If digital signage and home theatre applications broadly adopt active optical cables as a primary I/O, by 2016 they could add another $8.19 million to the total annual value of this market.

Robin Pearce, Bishop & Associates rpearce@bishopinc.com

May 2012 - What's New in Electronics

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newproducts Rugged monitors

Wire system The PowerStrip/35 discrete wire cable assembly has rugged features and is suitable for high-performance applications.

When mated with the company’s PowerStrip/35 high power terminal (PET series), the system has a current carrying capacity of 28.9 A per contact at an ambient temperature of 75ºC (with two gold-plated pins energised and 10 AWG cable).

The assembly (PESS series) is available with two, four, six or eight dual leaf blade contacts on a 6.35 mm pitch. The system is double- or single-ended, with 10 or 12 AWG discrete wire cable, and a choice of assembled lengths.

It also features a positive latching system for increased unmating force, making it suitable for rugged and other harsh environments.

The family is designed to meet a variety of high current applications and includes three product levels differentiated by size and power output: 35, 25 and 15. In addition, it includes a power/signal combination cable system, power and power/ signal combinations in right-angle and vertical orientations, as well as a hinged system and press fit termination for board level applications.

The 15″ FPM industrial monitors are designed for harsh environments and are certified for use in the oil and gas industries.

The FPM-8151H series is class 1, division 2 certified, meaning that it won’t cause explosions if gases, vapours and liquids are present.

With its NEMA4/IP65 protection and the 2.8 mm thick resistive glass panel, the front panel prevents dust, water and oil from entering the monitor when it’s being used in temperatures ranging from -20 to 60°C. A 316 L stainless steel front panel is included, making it suitable for food, beverage, chemical and pharmaceutical environments.

To increase flexibility the series has dual function support, meaning that users can choose to control the system using either a USB or RS232 connected controller; power it using either a Phoenix or a DC jack, and the display can be connected via either VGA or DVI-D ports.

For added reliability and lower power consumption, the monitor uses 5-wire and an LED backlit screen that reduces power consumption by 22% while increasing brightness by 12%.

Advantech Australia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N408

Backlight LED drivers

Harting has released a range of high-speed, 8-pole RJ45 connectors.

The RJ Industrial 10G is the next generation of the RJ45 connector requiring no tools for connection. This connector features a future-proof design for 10 gigabit ethernet and connection is made reliably and quickly using insulation displacement terminal technology.

The insulation displacement terminals are designed for rigid and flexible conductors with a broad range of wire cross-sections.

Cables with diameters from 4.5 to 9 mm are securely fixed in place with a newly developed cable gland. This allows users to connect all customary ethernet cable types with this one connector type.

Due to its compact design, the rugged IP20 model is also suitable for multiport RJ45 jacks. In addition to the IP20 models, all known IP65/67 push-pull types up to Han 3 A are now available with this new insert.

Austriamicrosystems has launched the AS3674 and AS3490, two LED backlight drivers for smartphone LCD displays.

The LED drivers enable an efficiency at a peak level of 90%, including the DC-DC converter and the current sources. With a PCB footprint of 11.5 mm² and four external components required, the devices are suitable for smartphones and other mobile devices.

The family complements the company's portfolio of lighting management units which address backlight, smart light and ALS (ambient light sensing) processing inside a single IC. The AS3674 is a 2 MHz DC-DC switch mode step-up converter controlling five current sources, with each driving two LEDs in series.

For added flexibility, the current for the LED channels can be set by an external resistor, with a maximum of 25 mA per channel. The AS3490 incorporates the same functionality as the AS3674 but addresses only three LED channels.

A soft startup feature allows the AS3674 to be integrated into noise-sensitive RF systems. It is controlled by two enable inputs which can also serve as PWM inputs between 100 and 800 Hz with a 1:2000 dimming ratio. The two-LED-per-channel configuration, combined with the 2 MHz operating frequency of the converter, allow the use of external components such as a 4.7 µH coil. This results in a claimed 6% higher efficiency than other drivers.

The AS3674 operates from a 2.5 to 5.5 V supply and includes a number of safety features such as undervoltage lockout, overcurrent and overtemperature protection and LED testing.

Soanar Limited

Arrow Electronics Australia Pty Ltd

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N431

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N300

Samtec ANZ Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N380

Field-installable RJ45

8 What's New in Electronics - May 2012

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newproducts Embedded system The RSB200-884T is a rugged embedded system based on iBASE's IB884T 3.5″ SBC. It is supplied with: a 3.5″ SBC supporting the low-power onboard Atom Processor Z520PT, 1.3 GHz and 1 GB of system memory; and a 2.5″ 40 GB industrial-grade hard drive.

The system has an extended temperature range of -30 to 70°C, for use in extreme operating environments, and provides essential I/O connections including 1 x VGA, 1 x COM port, 2 x USB ports, 1 x RJ-45, a compact flash disk socket and a DCin connector, using a Phoenix terminal block.

The devices can be mounted with a supplied DIN rail bracket.

The fanless system is designed for thermally constrained environments in outdoor, automation and industrial sectors.

Backplane Systems Technology Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N318

WLAN access points The OpenBAT range from Hirschmann is said to be the first modular system to enable industry-standard WLAN access points and clients to be configured via the internet.

The range, comprising the BAT-R (IP20) and BAT-F (IP67) series, supports the IEEE 802.11n transmission standard that facilitates data speeds of up to 450 Mbps in both the 5 and 2.4 GHz bands.

Both series are based on new hardware and also have an HiLCOS operating system with management, security and quality of service functions plus layer 3 IP routing.

The number of wireless modules and ethernet LAN ports can be configured individually, as can the power delivery concept.

Suitable for the power supply industry, the gas and oil sectors and rail transport, they can be used to set up fast and stable infrastructure and meshed networks plus wireless distribution systems or point-to-point connections.

Several thousand different designs can be configured using the devices.

The core component is a wireless module specifically designed for applications in industrial environments, with integrated ESD protection and bandpass filters.

MIMO technology (multiple input multiple output) ensures a stable wireless connection even in the presence of reflections or other forms of interference. Fast roaming guarantees uninterrupted connections when transferring from one radio cell to another.

The CPU platform facilitates a LAN connection via gigabit ethernet. The access points and clients also possess potential-free contacts as well as one V.24 and one USB interface that can be used for analog or DSL modem connections for WAN routing or remote maintenance.

All combinations operate at temperatures to +70°C and fulfil stringent demands for shock and vibration resistance.

The access points and clients can be equipped with one or two wireless modules. The LAN connections can also be configured with one or two ports and these can be used for twisted pair cables or SFP transceivers.

Belden Australia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/M778

10 What's New in Electronics - May 2012

Software updates Release 2012a (R2012a) of MATLAB and Simulink families updates includes the introduction of HDL Coder, which generates HDL code from either MATLAB or Simulink for prototyping and implementation on FPGAs or ASICs. Also launched is the HDL Verifier, which replaces EDA Simulator Link and adds Altera FPGA hardware-in-the-loop support. It also updates 84 other products, including Polyspace embedded software verification products.

For MATLAB, the highlights include: unified functions for 1D, 2D and 3D numerical integration and improved performance of basic maths and interpolation functions; compiler runtime available for download, simplifying distribution of compiled applications and components; image processing toolbox: automatic image registration using intensity metric optimisation; statistics toolbox: enhanced interface for fitting, prediction and plotting with linear, generalised linear and nonlinear regression; system identification toolbox: identification of continuous-time transfer functions; coder: code generation from user-defined system objects and automated generation of dynamic shared libraries; communications system toolbox: USRP radio support, LTE MIMO channel models, and GPU support for LDPC, turbo decoder and other algorithms.

Highlights for Simulink include: ability to run models directly on target hardware including Lego Mindstorms NXT and BeagleBoard; embedded coder: Autosar 4.0 compatibility, reduced data copies and linking of code generation reports with web views; SimMechanics: second-generation multibody modelling and simulation technology with new 3D visualisation; real-time Windows target: real-time execution of models in Windows using normal mode.

MathWorks Australia Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N364

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newproducts Thermal imagers Fluke has introduced five thermal imagers.

Features include: IR Optiflex focus system - an automatic focus with a manual focus option for close-ups; IR-Fusion that blends digital and infrared images; one-handed operation - 739 g weight to sit in the hand and all buttons are within gloved thumb reach; a rugged design that survives drops of up to 2 m; multimode video recording; IR PhotoNotes - capture up to three digital photos per thermal image file to keep an exact record of equipment models, nameplates and other information; an electronic compass that ensures the location is known by saving a compass reading with the thermal image; and SmartView professional IR analysis and reporting software.

The Ti110 and Ti125 are suitable for plant technicians, HVAC/R professionals and electricians, the TiR110 and TiR125 are suited to building inspection and energy audit professionals and the Ti100 is for general applications.

The new thermal imagers include: AC power adapter, lithium-ion smart battery (Ti125 and TiR125 include two each, others one each), USB cable for direct to PC image download, SD memory card, hard carrying case, soft transport bag, adjustable hand strap (left- or right-handed use) and manual (five printed, 18 electronic).

Ti125 and TiR125 models also include a two-bay charging base, a multifunction USB memory card reader and a separate, longer USB cable for streaming video use.

Fluke Australia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N311

Safety barrier The TD100-EX-485 RS485 safety barrier product has a half-duplex digital output and is din rail mounted. It complements the TD101EX-485 RS232 unit.

The TD-EX series can trans form the RS4 8 5 digital signals of danger zones into isolated RS485 or RS232 digital signals to security zones in industrial production process control systems to ensure systems work with stability and reliability.

It is a detection side isolated safety barrier that can supply isolated DC power from the transmitters in the security zone to the danger zone, transform the RS485 digital signal of the danger zone into isolated RS485 or RS232 with digital signal transmission to the security zone while increasing the antijamming capability of the industrial production process control system, to ensure system stability and reliability.

One independent power supply is required, 18-32 VDC, typically 24 VDC. The inputs are mutually isolated - field devices are connected with RS485 bus communication interface - Zone 0, Zone 1, Zone 2, II A, II B, IIC and T4 -T6 danger zones.

The series has 3-port isolation (input, output and power supply) with a high isolation voltage (2500 VAC) and high reliability.

Three coloured LEDs indicate status.

DLPC Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N491

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May 2012 - What's New in Electronics

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newproducts Vehicle computer

IEI Technology has released the iKarPC vehicle computer series powered by an Intel Atom Z510 1.1GHz processor and pre-installed with Windows XP Embedded.

The PC is an in-vehicle infotainment system designed for vehicles such as cars, trucks, planes and buses and features an 8″ TFT sunlight readable LCD touch screen.

The computer comes with vehicle bus protocols ranging from OBD-II to J1939 and FMS, and supports connectivity to HSUPA, GPRS, GSM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS. The fleet management software, preinstalled in the device, is web-based for data collection and communication and combines all the information from CANbus and GPS input in one easy-tonavigate interface. It is integrated with an OBD-II or FMS/J1939 diagnose tool to provide a remote performance monitoring envelope for vehicles.

The vehicle bus protocol deals with special requests for data transmission reliability and quality on vehicle bus. It allows vehicle owners and repair technicians to access vehicle information of various vehicle subsystems.

With a wide operating temperature range (-20 to +70°C), and protection against shock and vibration, the device is suitable for the vehicle environment. Fleet management applications include, but are not limited to, route planning and navigation, vehicle tracking and navigation, vehicle diagnosis, real-time location, remote performance monitoring and monitor and record vehicle status with IPCAM. ICP Electronics Australia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N249

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Vishay has released hermetically sealed precision resistor network devices (PRNDs) with a screen/test flow in compliance with EEE-INST-002 (Tables 2A and 3A, film/foil, Level 1) and MIL-PRF-83401.

For high-reliability military and aerospace applications such as satellites, space rovers and deep-space probes, the PRNDs provide low absolute TCR of ±2 ppm/°C typical from -55 to +125°C, +25°C ref.; load-life stability to ±0.05% typical; and a load-life ratio stability of ±0.02% typical at +70°C for 2000 h at rated power.

Custom configured to requested circuit schematics and specifications, the devices are hermetically sealed networks consisting of multiple bulk metal foil hybrid chip resistors connected by gold-wire bonding inside ceramic packages.

Using bulk metal foil technology, they have low TCR, good tolerance matching and tracking, and small drifts with load over time.

Performance is said to be up to 15 times better than the requirements of the MIL-PRF-83401 spec.

The combination of the ceramic package - which has the advantage of electrical isolation on the underside and high heat dissipation capability - hermetic sealing, and the arrangement of the chips within the package, helps preserve uniform conditions inside it for maximum environmental protection.

Offered in dual-in-line, flatpack, gull wing and leadless chip carrier package configurations, they feature a wide resistance range from 5 Ω per chip, with lower and higher values available with tolerance matching to ±0.005%. Any resistance value within this range is available at any tolerance. They have a power rating to 1.4 W per package (150 mW per resistor) at an ambient temperature of +70°C. Braemac Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N326

12 What's New in Electronics - May 2012

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newproducts Microcontrollers family Microchip Technology has launched a series of low pin count, 32-bit PIC32 microcontrollers that provide 61 DMIPS of performance in packages of 5 mm.

The PIC32 MX1 and MX2 MCUs are the smallest and lowest-cost PIC32 microcontrollers, and are said to be the first PIC32 MCUs to feature dedicated audio and capacitive-sensing peripherals.

The devices also feature USB on-the-go capabilities, making them suitable for developing audio accessories and other applications in the consumer, industrial, medical and motor vehicle markets.

Rated for operation up to 105°C, the PIC32 MX1 and MX2 MCUs include up to 128 KB of flash and 32 KB of RAM, two I2S interfaces for audio processing, an integrated hardware peripheral for adding mTouch capacitive touch-buttons or advanced sensors, and an 8-bit parallel master port (PMP) interface for graphics or external memory.

Additionally, the devices feature an on-chip 10-bit, 1 Msps, 13-channel analog-to-digital converter and serial-communications peripherals, with the PIC32 MX2 MCUs adding USB OTG. The MCUs are offered in packages from 28 to 44 pins. Further easing the design effort is Microchip’s Peripheral Pin Select feature, which allows developers to ‘remap’ most of the chip’s digital-function pins, making layout and design modifications significantly simpler.

Microchip Technology Australia Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N379

Signal conditioning The Industrial Automation Group of Advantech has released two signal conditioning modules, Adam-3112 and Adam-3114, to expand its signal isolation range.

Adam-3112 is an isolated AC voltage to DC voltage module while Adam-3114 is an isolated AC current to DC voltage module.

The two can convert up to 400 VAC or 5 AAC signals to 0 to 5 VDC signals for data acquisition cards to measure while reducing the effects of ground loops, field noise and electrical interference.

The modules possess high-voltage isolation and they provide 1000 VDC between output and power; 2500 V RMS between input and output and between input and power. The -3112 provides three input modes, 0 to 120, 0 to 250 and 0 to 400 VRMS, in one single signal conditioning module.

Advantech Australia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N406

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May 2012 - What's New in Electronics

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newproducts Mobile computer Octagon System's rugged mobile computer, the RMB C2, is designed for applications where severe environments and high performance meet. It integrates electrical, thermal and mechanical components into a complete system.

A fully developed platform, it has been designed to accelerate user design and can be supplied with Windows XPe or Linux installed.

The computer can be used as a central server, a stand-alone CPU or a remote terminal. A full complement of I/O is provided: 2 x USB2.0, CAN Bus, VGA, serial, video, audio, odometer and digital I/O ports. Additional functionality can be implemented via expansion cards in the PC/104 and Mini PCI formats.

The high-end power supply addresses demands of vehicle power systems.

It rejects load dumps, repeated transients and excess voltage. The high density extrusion becomes the heat sink for the CPU and other heat producing components.

Environmental sealing mimimises dust and moisture entry. The thermal design and industrial grade components allow fanless operation over a –40 to 75° C temperature range.

Backplane Systems Technology Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N321

Tablet PC A small form factor, rugged tablet PC designed for productivity and business integration, the Motion CL900 tablet PC, is now available.

It has dual touch and stylus input, a rugged design and robust connectivity for on-the-go collaboration, with a flexible feature set that enables access to and use of data while mobile.

Running Windows 7 and powered by the Intel Atom Processor Z670 Series ('Oak Trail'), the tablet is claimed to balance power, performance and battery life.

Durability, connectivity and mobility features include: chemicalresistant chassis with aluminium-alloy internal frame; IP52-rated, sealed exterior; up to 8 h of battery life; offers the protection of the MIL-STD-810G specification (1.3 m drop test); optional integrated Gobi connectivity with GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth 3.0 and a wireless SIM port; Corning Gorilla glass display for added durability; 10.1″ display that enables both touch and stylus input; 30 or 62 GB solid state drive and up to 2 GB of RAM; front and rear-facing cameras (3.0 MP rear camera and 1.3 MP front web camera); full complement of ports, including USB, SD card, audio and HD video; countertop docking station that optimises the device for touch input.

DC/DC converter Meanwell has expanded its second generation range of enclosed type single output DC/DC converter with the release of the RSD-150.

This 150 W series complies with EN55015 railway standard and features 2:1 (±40%) wide input range and 4000 VDC input/output isolation, making it suitable for use in all vehicles equipped with a DC power source.

The series also features 5 G anti-vibration ability, a working temperature range of -40 to 70°C, built-in constant current limiting circuit and 36 mm (1U compliance) low profile design for small spaces.

The series is semi-encapsulated for PCB protection to provide the basic ability of anti-moisture, anti-dust, anti-vibration and heat dissipation, enabling it to be convection cooled.

Motion Computing

ADM Instrument Engineering Group

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/K702

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N302

14 What's New in Electronics - May 2012

www.electronicsonline.net.au

power supplies

© iStockphoto.com/ julien Tromeur

Record claimed for solar cell efficiency Heliatek GmbH has set a new world record for organic solar cells after Fraunhofer ISE CalLab certified a cell efficiency of 9.8% for a 1.1 cm² tandem cell manufactured with a low-temperature deposition process.

A year ago, the company set a world record for efficiency of 8.3% for an active surface of 1.1 cm². Now it has moved 1.5% in cell efficiency, to 9.8%. This new record was measured and certified by the independent Fraunhofer ISE CalLab (Freiburg, Germany) under standard test conditions.

Heliatek is said to be the only solar company in the world focused on the deposition of small molecules with lowtemperature processes, a method that has already been widely adopted by the market for use with organic LEDs (OLEDs). The company develops and synthesises in-house the molecules responsible for capturing light in solar cells and converting this light into electricity. Organic solar cells have now reached the level of efficiency of conventional solar cells made from amorphous silicon.”

The company has both its own chemistry research department as well as a physics research department. This combination allows simultaneous work on material quality and cell design. It was able to optimise the absorber layer system of the record-breaking cells through synthesising the right materials. Furthermore, by improving the deposition process, cell morphology was improved, leading to an increase in power output and in fill factor.

The new cell construction will gradually be integrated into the company’s manufacturing process after the scheduled start of www.electronicsonline.net.au

production in the second half of 2012. In-house measurements have shown that scaling up the cells to a panel with a size factor >120 results in an efficiency over 9% for the active module area.

The next step on the way to 15% will be a cell with over 10% efficiency sometime this year.

The flexible, thin and light panels open up new fields of applications that were so far impossible to address with conventional PV technologies. The company plans to expand production capacity with additional manufacturing lines. This will allow it to market high-performance panels into new areas, such as windows and facades.

Organic photovoltaic technology is the third generation of solar technology, after classic crystalline and thin film solar technology. OPV can be divided into two approaches: polymer-based (large molecules) and oligomer-based (small molecules) OPV, such as those used at Heliatek. The advantage of the company’s technology based on small molecules lies in better process control, higher efficiency and longer lifespan.

Its patents cover the production of organic solar cells with doped transport layers. Using tandem cell (two solar cells stacked on top of each other) it is possible to absorb a very broad solar spectrum using extremely thin organic layers, 500 nm. Coordinated activities in chemical synthesis and device physics result in a sharp climb in technological progress.

The company plans to use a low-temperature rollto-toll process to fabricate solar panels, a process that is cost efficient in mass production. Since ‘small molecules’ have already replaced the use of polymers in the organic electronics industry (OLED displays and lighting), the company can benefit from its manufacturing experience.

May 2012 - What's New in Electronics

15

power supplies

The solar panels will offer four major key benefits compared with conventional panels, thus opening up new dimensions for the application of solar technology: As the low process temperatures allow the use of plastic film as substrate material, the modules will be flex“Organic photovoltaic ible, ultrathin and technology is the third lightweight. The generation of solar technology, modules at only after classic crystalline and thin 0.5 kg/m² (versus 12 to 17 kg/m² for film solar technology.” conventional PV) provide solar options for all kinds of mobile applications and for roofs with low bearing loads.

The great design freedom offers various choices in module colour, dimensions and transparency levels. Windows with semitransparent OPV can perform a dual function of solar energy collection and shading, and they can even be made with a range of tints to suit the architect’s design requirements.

The modules excel in performance compared with common solar panels. Whereas the efficiency of traditional solar modules drops off as the temperature rises, these OPV modules maintain efficiency independent of the module temperature.

Similarly, if the light intensity decreases, average modules become less efficient yet these panels have the same efficiency from full sun down to a tenth of full sun, typical for very cloudy winter days.

Organic solar technology is the truly green solar technology. The solar cells are made of fully organic, readily available material and they do not contain any known toxic ingredients or heavy metals.

Product catalogue

Only 1 gram of organic material is required to produce one square metre of solar panel. The non-toxic manufacturing process is environmentally friendly as it doesn’t require any solvents or high input of energy. Transport costs with their associated carbon footprint are also less for the ultralightweight panels compared with common modules with their heavy, fragile sheets of protective glass.

Heliatek www.heliatek.co

Bluetooth module

The Banner Engineering 2012 Product Catalogue is available in both full-colour print and an interactive online version.

With more than 875 pages of product features, application images, model numbers and accessories, the catalogue serves as a detailed listing of all the company’s available products from each of the five diverse product ranges: sensors, lighting and indicators, machine vision, wireless and machine safety.

Organised using the same layout and content as the print edition, the interactive online version also features a powerful search tool that allows quick navigation of the entire catalogue.

The OLP425 Bluetooth low energy module from connectBlue is based on the latest Bluetooth technology (SoC Ti CC2540) and offers add-on extras. It can be used as a complete stand-alone module with no additional hardware required.

The module has a number of digital and analog GPIOs and is supplied with optional extras such as battery, temperature sensor, accelerometers and humidity sensor. Low energy offers long battery lifetime, fast connection times and interoperability.

Using the IAR Embedded Workbench, developers can embed their own application software. Possible user application software includes machine/device access and asset management, data conversion, data acquisition and logic. The company is also introducing a smaller module standard with the Bluetooth low energy platform module OLP425 for small, mobile devices.

The OLP425 is radio type approved for Europe, US and Canada, allowing developers to save on development costs and easily integrate wireless communication without having to go through approval and qualification processes.

Micromax Pty Ltd

M2M Connectivity

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N348

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N322

16 What's New in Electronics - May 2012

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newproducts Waterproof datalogger

M2M platform Kontron has available its M2M deployable system, the KM2M806XT. The ready-to-deploy hardware platform matches the requirements of M2M applications that must operate in extended temperatures and industrial environments.

The platform is supplied with application-ready middleware and supports M2M digital device connectivity.

An optimal platform specifically for factory and smart building automation applications, the system is industrial temperature rated (-40 to +85째C) and includes a cast aluminium case with thermal management capabilities needed for operation under extended temperature conditions.

The device is based on the Atom 600 MHZ processor. The external USB port simplifies use of SDKs provided by M2M ISVs. Sufficient storage is provided for smart service applications, middleware and OS on the 4 GB internal MicroSD card.

The built-in accelerometer, dual HDMI and HD audio support enables designers to implement both movement tracking and intensive audio/video smart services features. It supports 802.11 b/g/n at 2.4 GHz band and 5 GHz band for 802.11a.

An integrated 802.15.4 WPAN transceiver flexibly supports a wide range of protocols and network topologies, such as 6LoPAN, Wireless HART, ZigBee and others, using an 802.15.4 MAC layer interface.

The MSR165 is a waterproof, high-performance datalogger with a built-in, three-axis accelerometer. The sensor allows up to 1600 acceleration measurements per second, per axis to be logged and peak values to be recorded once per second.

The logger can be configured with three additional factory-installed internal or external sensors. Options include: temperature, humidity, air-pressure and light sensors and four analogue inputs that allow third-party sensors to be connected. All sensors are scanned and logged at up to once per second.

The instrument can be supplied with an optional microSD slot, allowing large data sets to be stored on a removable memory card.

All acquired data can be transferred to a PC or laptop via a USB interface. With its high-capacity rechargeable 900 mAh battery, the logger can continuously record data for up to six months, making it suitable for long-term data acquisition.

Interworld Electronics & Computer Industries Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N319

Kontron Australia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N283

www.electronicsonline.net.au

May 2012 - What's New in Electronics

17

LED use is rising again

© iStockphoto.com/ foto-ruhrgebiet

Data storage breakthrough

New domain name Richardson RFPD has changed its domain name to richardsonrfpd. com and will host a standalone website, www.richardsonrfpd. com, to provide electronic design engineers and buyers with improved access and streamlined navigation to the latest products.

Website visitors connecting to the old, shared rell.com website will now see a link to the new richardsonrfpd.com site.

© iStockphoto.com/PeskyMonkey

LED supply exceeded demand by 30% in 2011 due to poor LED TV sales and slow growth in LED lighting. However, this gap is closing in 2012 due to recovering backlight demand and increasing demand for lighting.

According to an NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly LED Supply/Demand Market Forecast Report, the glut will be 19% in Q1’12 and will drop to 16% in Q2’12.

Key players such as Samsung LED, LGIT and Lextar rapidly increased their capacity for metal organic chemical vapour deposition in 2010, but found that they had overestimated market demand. In reaction to the oversupply, LED makers began to adjust use rates in late 2011 and the average rate has dropped to 50%.

Two applications are forecast to drive LED demand in 2012. The first, the low-cost direct LED TV backlight is likely to trigger LED demand because of its pricing. There is only a slight price difference between CCFL-backlit LCD TVs and low-cost direct LEDbacklit TVs (about 5% for a 32″ set).

The second, LED lighting, will also continue to gradually grow due to efficacy enhancements and cost reductions. For LED lighting products, the lumen per dollar is becoming closer to traditional light sources every day.

Following the March 2011 Japan earthquake, LED lighting products saw sales increases in Japan due to electrical power shortages as well as a government incentive program.

NPD DisplaySearch forecasts that sales will continue to rapidly increase in Japan in 2012. Other regions, such as China, the US and Korea, have aggressively promoted LED lighting.

Currently, LED backlights are used in all small/medium LCDs, and LED penetration in mobile PCs is nearly 100%. Penetration of LEDs in LCD monitors and LCD TVs continues to grow, while the number of LED packages per set is decreasing. Also, high growth is expected for low-cost direct LED TVs in 2012.

18 What's New in Electronics - May 2012

EU-funded researchers from Germany, France and Britain have engineered a ‘multiferroic’ material that could potentially be fashioned for use in quick data storage.

The material has both the ability to be electrically (ferroelectric) as well as magnetically (ferromagnetic) charged. Its magnetisation is controlled by electricity.

The material this research was based around is known as barium titanate (BaTiO3).

The team observed the dual traits of both ferroelectric and ferromagnetic in the thin films of BaTiO3 thanks to a research method known as soft X-ray resonant magnetic scattering.

“We’ve shown a way where you can obtain a multiferroic at room temperature,” says lead researcher Sergio Valencia from the Helmholtz Centre Berlin for Materials and Energy.

“Barium titanate is ferromagnetic, so it means you have a net-magnetic moment you can really control by an electric field.

“The idea is that you can apply a voltage to the ferroelectric reversing the ferroelectric polarisation which in turn affects the magnetisation of your film [BaTiO3].

“You can use this for example to write bits of information in memories of computers by only applying voltages, which is much cheaper in terms of power than traditionally applying magnetic fields.”

This is why being able to control a material’s magnetism at room temperature is more cost-efficient, whereas controlling current multiferroic materials is much more complicated.

The team hopes its findings will reduce the scarcity of these types of multiferroics. The two traits ferromagnetic and ferroelectric have a tumultuous relationship.

The conditions that a ferromagnetic requires to exist are unfortunately not the same as those required by a ferroelectric.

However, at the same time they both complement each other and affect each other’s behaviour.

“They are scarce and the problem is that most of them are multiferroic only at very low temperatures,” says Valencia. “Therefore, they are not useful for applications. If you have to go to 270°C for a multiferroic then it’s really complicated and expensive to implement them in room temperature working devices.” www.electronicsonline.net.au

Ethernet training partnership RMIT University and Belden Australia, through its brand Hirschmann Automation and Control (Hirschmann), have formed a partnership to offer training and certification in industrial ethernet skills.

Bruce Kendall, senior educator in RMIT's School of Engineering, said industrial ethernet is a rapidly evolving technology for networking and communication.

"It's vital to a range of industries, including oil and gas, metals and mining, water, food, road, rail and air transport, power, manufacturing, and building automation," he said.

"RMIT will offer training on the Hirschmann platform, allowing students to obtain certification as a Hirschmann industrial systems engineer or Hirschmann industrial network engineer."

Adam Callender, marketing director Belden Asia Pacific, said industrial ethernet extends beyond the physical attributes of data communication equipment.

GaN LED chips on silicon wafers Researchers at Osram Opto Semiconductors have manufactured blue and white LED prototypes in which the light-emitting gallium-nitride layers are grown on silicon wafers with a diameter of 150 mm. The wafers replace the sapphire substrates commonly used until now, with no loss of quality. Already in the pilot stage, the chips are being tested under practical conditions, meaning that the first LEDs on silicon from the company could hit the market in two years.

Silicon is an attractive and low-cost option for the lighting markets of the future. Due to its already widespread use in the semiconductor industry, the availability of large wafer diameters and its very good thermal properties silicon is a low-cost option for large-volume fabrication.

Quality and performance data on the fabricated LED silicon chips match those of sapphirebased chips. The blue UX:3 chips in the company’s standard Golden Dragon Plus package achieve a brightness of 634 mW at 3.15 V, equivalent to 58% efficiency.

These are good values for 1 mm² chips driven at 350 mA. In combination with a conventional phosphor converter in a standard housing - in other words as white LEDs - these prototypes correspond to 140 lm at 350 mA with an efficiency of 127 lm/W at 4500 K. It is already possible to fabricate over 17,000 LED chips of one square millimetre in size on a 150 mm wafer. Larger silicon wafers could increase productivity even more; researchers have already demonstrated the first structures on 200 mm substrates.

Australia’s first taste of Raspberry Pi

"A successful implementation requires knowledge surrounding total life cycle from the physical and logical design, component selection, engineering and configuration, installation and testing, operations and maintenance, disaster recovery and expansions/upgrades," Callender said.

RMIT will deliver the Hirschmanncertified training courses for the Australian and New Zealand markets.

The training will be on-site anywhere in Australia and New Zealand, as well as oncampus at RMIT. www.electronicsonline.net.au

Element14 has delivered Australia’s first Raspberry Pi to its first customer, Jonathan Hirsch, an electronics engineer with the Interactives Department at Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum.

Peter Davis, regional director of element14, and Mark Sarkis, the company’s business development manager, delivered the device, along with some accessories for the computer.

Hirsch was the first caller to place an order for the credit card-sized computer when the lines opened, Davis said. The Raspberry Pi is being delivered on a first-come-first-served basis, so Hirsch was the first to receive the computer.

Hirsch said he hopes the device will replace other computers that have been installed at the Powerhouse. He anticipates it will be used for playing back video and audio, connecting touch screens and controlling hardware such as motors and lights on the museum’s interactive displays.

“There are a few displays I’d like to use it with,” he said.

Over 100,000 orders have been placed for the device worldwide and element14 says that people who placed an order before 18 April will receive their computer before the end of June.

May 2012 - What's New in Electronics

19

Heat used to record information

© iStockphoto.com/ktsimage

An international team of scientists has demonstrated a new way of magnetic recording which will allow information to be processed hundreds of times faster than by current hard drive technology.

The researchers found they could record information using only heat. They believe this discovery will not only make future magnetic recording devices faster but also more energy efficient.

The research was led by Britain’s University of York’s Department of Physics.

York physicist Thomas Ostler said: “Instead of using a magnetic field to record information on a magnetic medium, we harnessed much stronger internal forces and recorded information using only heat. This allows the recording of terabytes of information per second, hundreds of times faster than present hard drive technology. As there is no need for a magnetic field, there is also less energy consumption.”

The multinational team of scientists included researchers from Spain, Switzerland, the Ukraine, Russia, Japan and the Netherlands. Experimental work was carried out at the Paul Scherrer Institut in Switzerland, the Ioffe Physical Technical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands.

Dr Alexey Kimel, from the Institute of Molecules and Materials, at Radboud University Nijmegen, said: “For centuries it has been believed that heat can only destroy the magnetic order. Now we have demonstrated that it can, in fact, be a sufficient stimulus for recording information on a magnetic medium.”

Modern magnetic recording employs the principle that the north pole of a magnet is attracted to the south pole of another and two like poles repel. Until now it has been believed that to record one bit of information - by inverting the poles of a magnet - there was a need to apply an external magnetic field. The stronger the applied field, the faster the recording of a magnetic bit of information.

However, the team has demonstrated that the positions of both the north and south poles of a magnet can be inverted by an ultrashort heat pulse, harnessing the power of much stronger internal forces of magnetic media.

Testing lab opens CSA, a leading testing and certification organisation, has opened a testing and certification laboratory in Hong Kong. The lab will provide localised testing for manufacturing clients including: lighting, household appliances, battery-operated tools, transformers, wiring devices and other electrical products.

The unveiling follows two similar openings in Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Security testing

Certification updated

Coverity and Wind River will jointly integrate Coverity’s development testing platform for security with Wind River’s embedded software.

Coverity will offer an evaluation edition of Coverity Static Analysis, preconfigured for Wind River Workbench, supporting both Wind River Linux and Winde River’s VxWorks real-time operating system.

This combined solution enables development teams to build security into the embedded software development process and address security vulnerabilities as software code is written.

The Amended Telecommunications Labelling Notice (TLN) issued on 13 December 2011 incorporates the IECEE CB Scheme.

This international system allows test reports and certificates to be mutually acceptable among participating countries in relation to the safety of electrical equipment.

Under the scheme, test reports and certificates issued by recognised CB testing laboratories and National Certification Bodies in an exporting country may be recognised in an importing country without the need for additional local testing (except in relation to local differences from the international standard).

To ensure the equipment complies with the Australian national differences, IECEE CB test reports and certificates will be required to be assessed by the Australian NCB (SAI Global) or a recognised testing authority (RTA).

Comtest Laboratories has been an RTA dealing with telecommunications products since 1987 and it became an IECEE CB Scheme Laboratory in 1999.

20 What's New in Electronics - May 2012

www.electronicsonline.net.au

KIT researchers have developed a concept for rechargeable batteries, based on a fluoride shuttle - the transfer of fluoride anions between the electrodes. It promises to enhance the storage capacity reached by lithium-ion batteries by several factors.

Operational safety is also increased, as it can be done without lithium. The fluoride-ion battery is presented for the first time in the Journal of Materials Chemistry by Dr Maximilian Fichtner and Dr Munnangi Anji Reddy.

Lithium-ion batteries are widely used, but their storage capacity is limited. In the future, battery systems of enhanced energy density will be needed for mobile applications in particular. Such batteries can store more energy at reduced weight.

For this reason, KIT researchers are also conducting research into alternative systems. A new concept for secondary batteries based on metal fluorides was developed by Fichtner, head of the Energy Storage Systems Group, and Reddy at the KIT Institute of Nanotechnology (INT).

Metal fluorides may be applied as conversion materials in lithium-ion batteries. They also allow for lithium-free batteries with a fluoride-containing electrolyte, a metal anode and metal fluoride cathode, which reach a much better storage capacity and possess improved safety properties.

Instead of the lithium cation, the fluoride anion takes over charge transfer. At the cathode and anode, a metal fluoride is formed or reduced.

"As several electrons per metal atom can be transferred, this concept allows batteries to reach extraordinarily high energy densities - up to 10 times as high as those of conventional lithium-ion batteries," explains Fichtner.

The researchers are now working on the further development of material design and battery architecture to improve the initial capacity and cyclic stability of the fluoride-ion battery. Another challenge lies in the further development of the electrolyte. The solid electrolyte applied so far is suited for applications at elevated temperatures only. It is therefore aimed at finding a liquid electrolyte that is suited for use at room temperature.

China takes more PV sales Ambitious PV manufacturing capacity investments across the AsiaPacific region during 2011 provided substantial revenue growth for local PV equipment suppliers, according to the latest NPD Solarbuzz PV Equipment Quarterly report.

Beneficiaries include Japanese wire-saw producer Komatsu-NTC and an emerging group of Chinese tool suppliers that includes (Fujian) Apollo, 48th Research Institute (CETC-48), (Zhejiang) Jinggong, and Jingyuntong (JYT). Collectively, these four Chinese companies have posted a CAGR metric in excess of 200% for PVspecific equipment revenues covering 2008 to 2011.

Applied Materials is forecast to retain the top spot as leading PV equipment supplier by recognised revenues. AMAT’s c-Si specific PV revenues for CY’11 are forecast to grow by more than 60%, as process tools for wafer and back-end cell production were widely implemented throughout all geographic regions and tier categories.

Many European equipment suppliers with a strong track record within the PV industry (Centrotherm, Meyer Burger, Schmid, RENA, Amtech-Tempress and DEK-Solar) are also forecast to post record PV tool revenues for 2011.

This is contrasted by other European suppliers that have seen their PV market share eroded by the new Chinese competition.

Consolidated PV revenues of Roth & Rau, Manz, ALD-Vacuum and PVA-TePla for 2011 are estimated to have been less than 50% of this grouping’s PV share in 2008.

Online search improved element14 (formerly Farnell) has made improvements to its search functions and a redesign of product pages, on its websites.

Engineers can now sort relevant product attributes according to their search preferences as minimum and maximum range selectors in the parametric filters. Legislation, environment and compliance information are accessible from one section while videos can be viewed directly from the product page.

A ‘Share this Page’ function allows users to share content through a number of social media methods.

The company has also launched its online catalogue, element14 Features, which provides detailed information and showcases new products and solutions, along with relevant articles and training modules. www.electronicsonline.net.au

© iStockphoto.com/Howard Oates

© iStockphoto.com/pearleye

Fluoride shuttle boosts storage capacity

New materials for solar cells Imec research centre in Leuven, Belgium, is working together with Flamac, a division of SIM vzw (Strategisch Initiatief Materialen in Vlaanderen or Strategic Initiative Materials in Flanders) to develop semiconductor materials for solar cell applications.

Within this collaboration, novel materials are screened as an alternative for the standard solar cells made of copper indium gallium and selenium (CIGS).

Flamac’s recently installed PVD (physical vapour deposition)/ PE-CVD (plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition) coater allows the automated deposition of a variety of thin film materials. The platform consists of eight process chambers enabling the study of PVD and PE-CVD coating processes.

This coating system combined with the variety of highthroughput analytic tools available represents a platform for accelerated screening of novel materials.

Imec’s research focuses on improving the efficiency and manufacturability of a number of key technologies, most notably silicon-based solar cells and thin-film solar cells such as organic solar cells and printed inorganic cells based on nanoparticle inks.

Thin film solar cell activities are integrated in the Solliance collaboration platform. Solliance’s ambition is to strengthen the position of the Eindhoven-Leuven-Aachen triangle (ELAT region) as a world player in thin film PV. It aims to do this by joint use of infrastructure, alignment of research programs and close cooperation with the solar business community.

May 2012 - What's New in Electronics

21

newproducts Charger ICs Summit Microelectronics has expanded its fourth-generation family of programmable LiIon battery charger integrated circuits with the SMB346 and SMB347 that deliver up to 2.5 A charge/system current with dual input/dual output CurrentPath for operation with a dead or missing battery.

Dual inputs accept both USB and AC/DC with automatic selection and support for all battery charging standards: USB 2.0 specification, USB on-the-go supplement, USB battery charging specification 1.2, IEEE1725 standard, Chinese USB charging specification and others.

The devices are said to be the only battery charger ICs with CurrentPath to detect the input source type and automatically optimise operation for the fastest and safest charging.

The ICs are based on a 3 MHz, switch-mode DC-DC architecture with minimal external components, which allows for over 90% efficient conversion and compact solution size.

The devices enable fast charging due to higher charge currents while reduced thermal dissipation improves user comfort, system reliability and green operation.

TurboCharge enables high charge current, even from relatively low-power sources, for example, up to 750 mA output from 500 mA USB source.

The devices are suitable for a wide range of portable devices, particularly those that use high capacity batteries, require short charging times and feature compact industrial designs.

Allyanz Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/M413

Inmarsat terminal The Inmarsat 9502 BGAN M2M satellite terminal from Hughes is an all-IP device with low power consumption.

It provides connectivity for IP SCADA and M2M applications and the low power consumption (<1 W idle) of the modem allows it to provide end-to-end IP connectivity to sites off the grid and is suitable for locations relying on solar battery arrays involving sensitive power use.

Delivering affordable, global, end-to-end IP data connectivity, the terminal enables applications in industry sectors such as smartgrid, environmental, pipeline or compressor monitoring, well site automation, video surveillance and out-of-band management to primary site communications.

The modem can be controlled remotely via SMS and offers an integrated IP watchdog to ensure ‘always-on’ network connectivity and an auto-on/auto-context activation that automatically restores power and PDP connection to itself following loss of power and/ or IP connection.

The modem includes 10 m of RF cabling and an antenna that can be positioned remotely from the transceiver.

M2M Connectivity

Solar inverters A range of PWM, high-frequency, lightweight, transformer-based Growatt solar inverters ranging in power from 2100 to 3170 W is available.

The inverters are suitable for full galvanicisolation connection to single-phase LV grids. The ratings available are 2100, 2600 and 3170 W. The inverters incorporate the latest developments in high-energy-density solid-state components, weigh 17 kg. The inverters offer IP65 electronics with protection against ingress of dust or powerful water jets. They can be operated in ambient temperatures to 60°C. Safety is via DC reverse polarity protection, ground fault monitoring, grid monitoring (allowing correct restart after power failure of the grid) and leakage current monitoring.

The inverters use H4 switching with four switches to create low distortion AC with a THD of less than 3%, at high conversion efficiency to 95.5%.

The inverters are equipped with Bluetooth, making them suitable for operation in future smart grid developments.

Power Parameters Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net. au/N293

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N470

VC oscillator Crystek's CVCO33BE-5200-5200 VCO (voltage controlled oscillator) operates at 5200 MHz with a control voltage range 0.5 to 4.5. It has a typical phase noise of -84 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz offset and has good linearity. Output power is typically +3 dBm. Input voltage is 5, with a max current consumption of 26 mA. Pulling and pushing are minimised to 6.0 MHz and 3.0 MHz/V. Second harmonic suppression is -20 dBc typical.

The oscillator is suitable for use in digital radio equipment, fixed wireless access, satellite communications systems and base stations.

Wireless Components Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N297

22 What's New in Electronics - May 2012

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newproducts Video encoder

555 timer replacements

Axis Communications has introduced the Q7424-R video encoder that enables migration of analog cameras into an IP-based video surveillance system in challenging conditions.

The encoder is suitable for traffic monitoring, city surveillance, airports and railway stations.

The encoder is designed specifically to withstand tough environments and complies with the American NEMA TS-2 standard for temperature, vibration and shock and supports operating temperatures of -40 to +75°C. It encodes one to four analog video sources and supports key IP surveillance features such as H.264 and Motion JPEG, two-way audio, Edge storage with the built-in SD/SDHC memory card slot and power over ethernet (IEEE 802.3af). It features a 1 Gbps SFP slot for fibre connection as well as an ethernet port.

The device provides event management capabilities with embedded intelligent video features such as tampering alarm, motion detection and audio detection, in addition to support for AXIS Camera Application Platform applications on one video channel.

The encoder also includes pan, tilt and zoom support, enabling control of analog PTZ cameras. It can be used together with the T8604 media converter switch, providing two SFP slots and two ethernet ports.

Diodes has introduced a series of low-cost 555 timer ICs. The first three timers, designed as drop-in replacements, support a wide range of operating temperatures to cover both commercial and industrial product requirements: NE555 (0 to 70ºC), SA555 (-40 to 85ºC) and NA555 (-40 to 105ºC).

Originally developed more than 40 years ago, the 555 was the first commercially available timer, providing designers with an inexpensive, stable and user-friendly circuit.

The timers are suitable for a wide variety of applications ranging from electronic toys to industrial controls.

Anixter Australia Pty Ltd

Arrow Electronics Australia Pty Ltd

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/M797

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N317

RF cables, connectors and assemblies RG6 RG11 RG58 RG142 RG174 RG179 RG213 RG316 LMR series Leaky cables and more

U.FL SMA BNC TNC N Type F Type and more

Ampec Technologies Pty Ltd

Unit 1, 63-79 Parramatta Road, Silverwater, NSW 2128 Tel: +61 2 8741 5000 E: sales@ampec.com.au W: www.ampec.com.au

www.electronicsonline.net.au

May 2012 - What's New in Electronics

23

newproducts Rugged cable assemblies

Interface encoders ELAP MEM-BUS encoders with direct interface to either CAN open or PROFIBUS network are available in single- and multiturn versions. The singleturn encoder resolution is 13 bit, while for the multiturn type the resolution value is 29 bit (8192 steps/revolution x 65536 revolutions).

Different mechanical versions are available to satisfy all application requirements: square flanged, round flanged with servo coupling, and with hollow shaft to couple directly to a motor shaft.

All types offer different options for the shaft/hole diameter, the electrical connection is by cables and two or three cable glands option is available.

Motion Technologies Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N495

A rugged 18 GHz cable assembly has been added to the PhaseFlex microwave/RF test assemblies range.

The assembly is specifically engineered for high throughput production test applications in the wireless infrastructure market. The increased durability reduces total costs for testing because it lasts longer.

Its stable performance is claimed to ensure precise measurements and repeatability. In addition, the ergonomic design eliminates the need to use a torque wrench to connect and disconnect accurately.

The connectors minimise failure by incorporating maximum strain relief at the point where the cable and connector meet and internally ruggedised construction is more durable, delivering crush resistance of 85 kg/cm.

Available in 1.0 and 1.5 m lengths with both SMA and N-type male connectors, the assembly is smaller and lighter weight and it can be connected and disconnected manually.

The assemblies withstand 100,000 flexures at a minimum bend radius of 1″.

WL Gore & Associates Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N517

Brazed RF resistor Richardson RFPD has announced the availability and full design support for an ultrahigh-reliability, 400 W, flanged RF resistor with brazed construction from Anaren.

The G400B50W5 offers 50 Ω resistance and can handle 500 k on/off cycles, which is suitable for pulse power applications. Values other than 50 Ω are available.

Features include: 400 W; all brazed construction; passes 500,000 reliability test cycles; beryllium oxide (BeO) ceramic; non-nichrome resistive element; gold-plated copper leads.

Wireless Components Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N362

High-current capacitors The PK16 capacitor can be universally used for assembling lowinductance DC buffer circuits and DC filters. With its high energy density it can replace banks of series-connected electrolytic capacitors as well as large film capacitors in rectangular cases.

The capacitance in a DC buffer circuit must be sufficiently sized to both handle and smooth the ripple currents. The traditional use of series-/parallel-connected capacitors offered large capacitance at seemingly low cost; however, the low cost per microfarad is countered by the very low current strength, the high sensitivity to voltage and current surges, as well as high risk of failures, resulting in high maintenance cost.

Electronicon has developed the range with high capacitance density. With five times the current strength of conventional electrolytic capacitors, it is not necessary to reproduce the same capacitance in film technology.

Advantages include: good voltage and current strength; increase in operational life; reduction of failures; minimisation of power dissipation losses; reduction of self-inductance and series resistance; more exact manufacturing tolerances; elimination of sharing resistors.

Its compact cylindrical aluminium or plastic can design makes the capacitor suitable for both the electrical and mechanical requirements of high-speed IGBT converters. Its robust terminals and the robust fixing stud allow simple and reliable mounting that unites lowest inductance and highest current strength.

The large clearance and creepage distances make this design suitable for a wide range of operating voltages.

Semikron Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N328

Check out this magazine’s sister website.

newproducts Expansion modules The AT-XEM-2XS SFP+ and AT-XEM-2XT dual 10G ethernet expansion modules for the x900 series and SwitchBlade x908 switches have been introduced.

The modules complement the existing XEM series, maintaining the same levels of functionality and resilience while offering users the choice between a fibre transceiver and a low cost copper version based on a twinax cable.

The range is suitable for users who have a legacy network based on copper cabling who wish to invest in new equipment without upgrading the entire network.

Compared with the XFP based XEM, which only supports fibre optic transceivers, the SFP+ XEM supports both fibre and twinax copper, the latter brings about cost savings, reductions in power consumption and lower latency.

For mediumrange distances, t h e AT-X E M - 2 X T module copper connections can be made over high quality UTP cable up to 100 m. While the twinax connector has limited cable length, 10 G links can be used to connect to high performance switches or as inter-switch links.

An additional benefit of the range is that it allows more connectors to be physically mounted in a small space and all future gigabit products will be based on SFP+.

Allied Telesis International (Aust) Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N298

Compact plug connectors The compact design of Heavycon compact plug connectors from Phoenix Contact supports the trend toward ever-smaller devices in automation. The plastic housing is light and particularly suitable for weight-sensitive applications.

The connectors are available in straight and angled line inputs for diameters of 9 to 15 mm. Housing designs include plug, mounting, socket and coupling housing.

Along with 8-pin (500 V, 16 A) and 17-pin (200 V, 10 A) crimp contacts, a mixed contact model with four power contacts (400/690 V, 40 A) and two control contacts (250 V, 10 A) are available.

Mixed contact plug connectors connect different power circuits in one plug connector.

The power supply is connected via the power contacts and sensor signals are connected via the control contacts. This enables the supply voltage to be fed in over the pin insert, which is protected against accidental contact.

Phoenix Contact Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N515

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May 2012 - What's New in Electronics

25

power supplies

Modular power supplies on the increase Modular power supplies enjoy disproportional growth. Personnel limitations of development engineers for discrete solutions increase costs, while readily available modules feature lower prices. Aspects such as higher efficiency, easier certification and the experience of specialists support ‘modular’ solutions. © iStockphoto.com/ Pamela Moore

A recently published analysis by RECOM suggests a trebling of the market share for modular converters during the next four years.

The circuit layout of isolated DC/DC-converters is principally simple. Two FETs on the primary side convert the DC voltage on the input with a frequency of several 100 kHz. A transformer provides the isolation. Its number of turns N1/ N2 defines the output voltage.

The secondary side is rectified and smoothed. Development tools in the internet suggest that the layout is quite simple. Insert the desired values into the program and the prototype is instantly available.

Thus far the theory. Reality looks quite different. The developer faces the principles of analog technology, things are never black or white. Circuit board tracks, on the diagram simple black lines without relevance, become suddenly capacitances or inductances, which are not ‘part of the program’.

Figure 1: Isolated DC/DC-coverter basic circuit.

26 What's New in Electronics - May 2012

This has consequences for the EMC of the circuit and the certification of the end product. Usually a number of ‘redesigns’ is necessary until the desired limits are met.

The transformer also has its problems.

Its functionality depends on the ferrite material used and the range it has to operate in on the saturation curve (hysteresis).

If too saturated it tends to heat up with a corresponding reduction of its magnetic behaviour. This too is not simply ‘black or white’ and not easy to calculate.

The design of an optimised DC/DC converter with high efficiency and low interference requires a lot of experience.

Provided the user has this kind of experience, the user can save some money in designing a ‘discreet’ converter, particularly for high volume.

Commercial success of an electronic product depends on the time scale of its market introduction.

The use of modular solutions definitely reduces time and minimises risks. If an end product fails the certification process due to a discreet, designed converter showing higher interference limits, the delay is likely to be months rather than weeks.

Even a specialist company as Recom, having manufactured many millions of converters, reserves several months to develop a new family. Especially time consuming is the optimisation of the design, the realisation of top performance percentages, that usually falls short in the development of a discreet solution. www.electronicsonline.net.au

power supplies

Development engineers have to fight for ever smaller ‘energy budgets’, since energy consumption has become a ‘buy factor’.

They have to focus on processors, graphic chips and converters within a design.

As an example: In a circuit eight discrete 15 W converters supply each +5 V or -5 V output and their efficiency is around 75% and the effective 15 W power is achieved with losses of 5 W per converter - in total 40 W. Quite different is the power requirement when a modular supply, trimmed for highest efficiency, is used. Recom’s REC15, for example (Figure 3), reaches an efficiency of 87% in this application, causing losses of only 2.25 W per module, ie, 55% less than the in-house discrete solution.

These efficiencies apply only to converters operated close to full load. Lower loads cause lower efficiency, which falls to close to zero under no-load conditions. What happens under changing load condition is displayed in Figure 3.

The REC15 still reaches an efficiency of more than 80% with 30% rated load. A comparable discrete solution would have little more than 50%.

‘Efficiency’ is not only relevant for energy saving, but also for heat losses and operating temperature of the complete design.

Twenty-two watt reduced losses also mean lower temperatures within the circuit and therefore reduced cooling that depends on the size of the fan. A fan is best eliminated, since it requires space, consumes energy, generates noise and transports dust.

For that reason, converters operating at temperatures of +65°C and more are in increasing demand. The company offers, with the RPP family, power converters up to 50 W for operation in an ambient temperature of +100°C, without de-rating.

Converters of the RPP family operate safely down to -55°C. The trend for miniaturisation continues making an additional advantage of modular power supplies. Their ‘footprint’ is much smaller than for discrete solutions and this alone often justifies their higher price.

Additionally, potted converters are protected against environmental influences, such as shock and vibration. For testing and optimisation of its converters, the company operates an environmental laboratory in Gmunden, Austria, where prototypes in early development stages can be evaluated.

H A LT t e s t s s i m u l a t e l o n g - t e r m b e h av i o u r of m o d u l e s i n e n f o rce d conditions. Correspondingly high is their lifetime. www.electronicsonline.net.au

Figure 2: The new power converters of the REC family feature high efficiency in the power range 8, 10 and 15 W.

Figure 3: The diagram shows the connection between load and efficiency of REC15.

Figure 4: RPP converters have an integrated heat sink for operation in ambients of +100°C.

Figure 5: X-raying clearly shows grave design differences of the transformer of a RECOM REC5 and a counterfeit product.

A source of increasing concern is counterfeit products, largely of Chinese origin, which reach the market through dubious channels.

It seems enticing to offer identical-looking products with falsified marking, including safety markings, for below standard products and below market prices.

The resulting damage rests with the purchaser, since these products are void of any warranty.

A German machine manufacturer incurred significant costs when he had to replace counterfeit REC5 converters. A check with an electronic microscope showed primary and secondary windings overlapping (Figure 5), without regard to the specified isolation values.

Although the counterfeit product outwardly looked nearly identical to the original, its inner design did not meet minimum quality standards and led to large-scale field failures after a few months’ operation.

The trend of replacing discrete converter designs with certified modules continues. The user saves development time and board space and usually receives a product with much enhanced specifications, especially efficiency and isolation.

These advantages easily compensate for the higher price.

Soanar Limited Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/M652

May 2012 - What's New in Electronics

27

NEW White Papers

newproducts Strain gauge amplifier

now available online!

Key considerations in modernising your backup and deduplication solutions There is a definite need for better data backup solutions in today’s enterprise data centres. The question is whether to continue with software-only backup and deduplication solutions or to move to a purpose-built appliance with more capabilities. This white paper reviews trends in this area.

Virtualisation and cloud computing: optimised power, cooling and management maximises benefits IT virtualisation, the engine behind cloud computing, can have significant consequences on the data centre physical infrastructure (DCPI). This white paper discusses the effects and possible solutions for dealing with them.

Top 5 things you need in a virtualisation management solution For any size data centre, having a proper management solution is critical for ensuring an orderly and problem-free environment.

In this white paper we look at the top five areas you should look at when choosing a management solution for your virtual environment.

The strain gauge amplifier SGA-2 is designed as a differential front-end amplifier to connect full, half or ¼ bridge strain gauges with internal bridge completion.

While it is matched to connect to an Elsys high-precision transient recorder it is also suitable for any third-party data acquisition system.

Key capabilities include: four- and six-wire technique; internal ½- and ¾ bridge completion; two-channels per module; 1.5 MHz bandwidth gain x1, x10; low offset voltage drift; and low output noise.

Scientific Devices Australia Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N312

Embedded board Avalue’s ECM-CDV is an embedded board based on the nextgeneration Atom processor D2700 2.13 GHz CPU (optional N2800/ N2600 CPU) series and NM10 Express chipset.

The Atom processor series, formerly codenamed Cedar Trail, is based on Intel’s 32 nm process, and features a two-chip platform, integrating the Northbridge chip with CPU, and has advanced the Southbridge chip to the higher class.

Control systems and operational security - are you properly covered?

Security has always been a relevant concern during the design and deployment of automated control systems. But recent worldwide events, combined with technological and industry trends of the last decade, have significantly raised the visibility and public awareness of this issue.

For these and more White Paper downloads, visit www.electronicsonline.net.au/white_papers

The 3.5″ embedded board, ECM-CDV, supports one 204-pin DDR3 SODIMM system memory with up to 4 GB capacity. ECMCDV supports dual channel 18/24-bit (note: 24-bit is enabled with D2700 only) LVDS (with eDP) and multiple display configurations (CRT+LVDS, HDMI+LVDS or CRT+HDMI).

The I/O deployment includes 1x SATA, 2x COM, 7x USB 2.0 and 16-bit GPIOs, making various requirements of embedded applications possible.

One audio jack supports Realtek ALC892, 7.1-CH audio, 2x 82574L gigabit LANs and one expansion slot of mini PCIe card (support mSATA) and one CF card slot.

Backplane Systems Technology Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N373

28 What's New in Electronics - May 2012

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newproducts Power module Powerstax has introduced the D0601 DC input 1U rack-mounted front-end power module to complement its existing range of AC input devices.

The D0601 is designed to operate as part of a DCUPS or distributed DC power system, with or without battery backup, and operates over the input range 80-350 VDC. Typical applications include: telecom and datacom equipment, file servers, storage systems and networking solutions, distributed power systems and large battery charging applications.

Three D0601 modules may be incorporated in a 1U rack shelf to provide 24, 28, 48, 54.5 or 56.2 VDC output with up to 1800 W power or 1200 W in N+1 redundant mode. The device has protection and alarm features including overvoltage and overcurrent protection, overtemperature warning and protection, power fail warning and alarm, remote on/off and load remote sense.

The modules feature active load sharing and up to 12 units may be connected for redundant parallel operation.

Other standard features include high efficiency, up to 80%, hot-swap connectivity, low start-up temperature of -30ºC, operating temperature range up to 60ºC, front panel LED status indicators and I²C bus for monitoring voltage, current and temperature by network host systems.

Westek Electronics Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N494

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May 2012 - What's New in Electronics

29

newproducts More efficient cooling

Energy-saving cooling units of the ‘Blue e’ generation have a cooling output ranging from 500 to 4000 W (depending on the application) that can help achieve energy savings of up to 70%.

The Comfort Controller control system units are similar to the company’s TopTherm system. The higher coefficient of

Thermal camera

performance is 42% higher (from 1.2 to 1.7) with 1000 W test equipment.

The first step towards improving the efficiency of the new cooling units with nano coating involves the entire geometry of the cooling components’ configuration. The component manufacturer systematically analysed existing devices and - wherever possible - improved the design of the condensers, evaporators, cooling fins, pipe bends and all the other refrigeration components.

Rittal optimised the fan. EC (electronic commutation) is used in most of the fan motors, replacing the traditional pole reversal.

Electronic commutation motors have a dynamically balanced rotor with multipolar magnets and the rotor position is recorded by several Hall effect sensors.

Motor supply and control is via an external electronic operating system.

The control electronics have also been improved using EcoMode controls. If an internal fan does not need to operate permanently, it is automatically switched off, so cutting energy costs.

Rittal Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N479

Fibre amplifier

Flir Systems has unveiled its latest E30 thermal imaging camera for electrical and mechanical maintenance inspections.

It is equipped with a two megapixel visual camera that enables the operator to clearly reference the exact position of the identified problem with a visual image.

By pressing one button, the camera stores the thermal and visual images simultaneously.

A LED-lamp at the front of the camera ensures good quality visual images can be taken in darker environments and the laser pointer helps the user to associate the hot spot on the thermal image with the physical target in the field.

An uncooled vanadium oxide microbolometer detector produces clear thermal images of 160 x 120 pixels.

Temperature differences as small as 0.1°C become clearly visible on a thermal image and temperatures between -20 and 350°C can be measured.

The camera is supplied with tools software that allows thermal images to be sent directly to a PC and for basic reporting and analysis of findings.

Banner Engineering’s DF-G1 Expert dual display fibre amplifier is designed to deliver stable sensing performance with easy set-up and configuration.

The series features a thermally stable and high-performance electronic design with a dual display, two bright, digital readouts and an improved fibre clamp.

This configuration allows the company to serve the diverse range of industries and applications suitable for plastic and glass assemblies, including small part or wire break detection on electronics assembly machines, pill and caplet counting and high-speed detection for registration mark or product leadingedge detection.

The amplifier also maximises user control, providing full manual manipulation of all operating parameters, including switch point threshold, light operate or dark operate, various output timing functions, electronic gain level and sensor response speed.

Users can also implement one of six expert teach and set methods to ensure optimal gain and threshold selection for each application, particularly in low-contrast environments, such as small part or clear object detection.

The device is powered by a 32-bit microprocessor with a 12bit analog-to-digital converter and provides response speeds of 200 µs to meet high-speed requirements and 500 µs for standard speed.

Additionally, the amplifier is capable of long-range (2 ms) and extra-long-range (5 ms) detection, allowing operators to optimise the sensing range for long-distance applications, such as part-in-place verification.

It has thermally stable electronics that minimise warm-up drift and enable multiple amplifiers to be mounted side by side, with no reduction in the ambient temperature limit.

FLIR Systems Australia Pty Ltd

Micromax Pty Ltd

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N385

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N336

Check out this magazine’s sister website.

newproducts Surge protection

Bus converter Emerson Network Power has updated its integrated 250 W ATCA power entry module and DC-DC bus converter.

The ATCR250-48D12-03J is said to be one of the only products available to integrate a 12 V primary intermediate bus output with a secondary 3.3 V management bus output, for ATCA control and monitoring functions.

This simplifies the task of implementing dual redundant, hot-swap -48 VDC power distribution with EMI filtering on an ATCA or other telecom board.

Power interface functions include O-ring, filtering and inrush control, while power management functionality is facilitated by an I2C serial bus interface.

The ATCR250-48D12-03J dual-input fully regulated bus converter is available now.

The BT-1S-230AC/O type 3 protector offers surge voltage protection for loads in single-phase power circuits with 230 VAC nominal voltage.

The protection circuit limits transient surge voltages between active wires and to the protective conductor. A temperature fuse monitors the surge protection circuit. When there is overloading due to surge currents, a red LED indicates that the protective function is impaired.

There are connection terminals with spring-cage direct plug technology for every two L, N and PE wires. This also enables installation as feed-through wiring.

Phoenix Contact Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N367

Emerson Network Power Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N352

Image assistant A Panorama image assistant that stitches together several images now makes possible thermography of large objects.

The testo 885 and the testo 890 can take thermographs of large objects in several sections and use Panorama to combine them into one image. This allows, for example, an area of 176 m 2 to be viewed in one image at a distance of 10 m.

Testo Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N286

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May 2012 - What's New in Electronics

31

newproducts Non-solder BNC connectors

Ethernet switches The RGS-7168GCP series of managed redundant ring ethernet switches, by ORing, are managed with 16 x Gb combo ports and 8x 100/1000 Base-X SFP ports.

With complete support of ethernet redundancy protocol and fast recovery, O-Ring (recovery time < 20 ms over 250 units of connection) and MSTP/RSTP/STP (IEEE 802.1s/w/D) can protect applications from network interruptions or temporary malfunctions.

The Thunder Switch series provides IP-based bandwidth management, which can limit the maximum bandwidth for each IP device. Users can configure an IP camera and NVR with more bandwidth and limit the other device's bandwidth. ORing’s Thunder Switch series also supports application-based QoS, which can set priorities for data stream, according to TCP/UDP port number.

A special IP police function will only permit allowed IP addresses, with a MAC address to access the network. This prevents anyone hacking into the system, as users need permission to gain access.

The switch also provides DOS/DDOS auto prevention.

All functions can also be managed and centralised with Open-Vision 3.0, with the exception of web-based interface, Telnet and console (CLI) configuration.

The EZ-400-BM BNC no-solder male (plug) straight connector and EZ-400-BM-RA BNC no-solder, male (plug) right angle connector for LMR-400 low loss coaxial cable are now available.

ICP Electronics Australia Pty Ltd

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net. au/N506

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N320

The crimp-style connectors do not require soldering of the centre conductor into the contact making these connectors suitable for field installations. They are also compatible with the CST-400 cable prep tool and either the CT-400/300 or HX-4 (with Y1719 dies) crimp tools.

Rojone Pty Ltd

Talk to the transformer company that speaks your language.

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

Faraday offers a range of: RFI / EMI / EMC Power RF Filters EMC Antennas – Dipoles to Horns

And all available to you, so contact:

Amplifiers – RF & Microwave (DC – 4000W) and RF Modules Shielded Enclosure – Anechoic Chambers – Antenna Measurement Systems

Designers & Manufacturers of Transformers and Wound Components

Absorber – EMC Test Boxes – MIL-STD Test Equipment

www.marque-magnetics.com

RF Shielding – Magnetic Shielding – MRI Shielding

Now in Australia: +614 1884 3687 call Mark Ph: +64 9 818 6760 F: +64 9 818 1442 E: info@marque-magnetics.com 11 Culperry Rd, Glendene, Auckland, New Zealand

WNE_May12_Tara.pdf (03) 9729 5000

5/04/2012 2:44:04 PM sales@faradayshielding.biz

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32 What's New in Electronics - May 2012

www.electronicsonline.net.au

newproducts High-density racks The fully featured Hoffman brand MaxRack high-density rack is designed to offer high static load capacity while providing thermal and cable management capabilities in a single solution.

Used for mounting, housing and protecting 19″ or 23″ rack equipment, it is delivered flat.

The rack features internal channel cable tie-down points to secure cables while avoiding stress points and the large side openings accommodate through-rack cable passage.

To maintain proper bend radius and easy organisation of network cables, it also includes internal and external cable arcs, with front arcs used for patch cords and internal cable arcs suitable for permanent links.

CIRCUIT BOARDS?

For all your prototype requirements ...

from budget …

Pentair Water Australia Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N516

Rugged boards Two rugged 6U CompactPCI PCIMG 2.16 compliant processor boards with 2nd generation Intel Core i7 processor technology are available in two ruggedised levels: the air-cooled CP6003-RA for installations that require I/O capabilities; and the conduction cooled CP6003RC, for deployment in harsh environments.

Equipped with multicore CPUs, including the 2.10 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7-2715QE processor, the boards not only speed up vector operations, required for imaging and floating-point applications, via advanced vector extension (Intel AVX), but also process single-threaded tasks through Intel turbo boost 2.0.

This allows for a clock speed of up to 3.0 GHz without the need to oversize the entire system for peak loads. Compared with platforms with the previous dual core Intel Core i7 processor and comparable core speed, benchmarks show a performance gain of more than 200% for the quad core CPU (Dhrystone Alu MIPS).

CPU boards based on 2nd generation Intel Core i5/i7 processors offer a 50% performance/watt ratio improvement on average, compared with designs with the previous Intel Core processors.

Up to 16 GB of soldered DDR3 1333 ECC memory ensures data accuracy for applications such as radar or sonar systems. A rugged NAND Flash, with up to 32 GB, can be integrated via a SATA interface to host complete operating systems or application code, increasing overall system speed and availability.

The boards support 64-bit/66 MHz PCI or PCI-X on the hot swap Compact PCI interface.

Safety and security features, via an optional trusted platform module 1.2, two redundant firmware hubs (failover) and intelligent platform management interface, are also supported.

The XMC, (via PCI Express x8) or PMC socket for mezzanine cards, ensure room for application specific expansions, like the dual 10 GbE network interface card XMC401. The RoHS-compliant and lead-free CP6003-RA/RC can be used in both.

The 6U CompactPCI board CP6003-RA meets ruggedisation level EAC6 according to VITA 47 conduction cooled ruggedisation level ECC4. The board supports operating temperatures of -40 to 55°C and up to +70°C with the 2.2 GHz Intel Core i7-2655LE dual-core processor.

It is supplied with 5x SATA ports with RAID 0/1/5/10 functionality, 6x USB 2.0 ports, 2x RS232 ports, VGA, dual HDMI as well as 5x GbE ports for extensively networked environments.

The 6U CompactPCI processor CP6003-RC is the conduction-cooled version of the same board, suitable for integration in enclosed systems. It features high mechanical resistance and is suitable for in-vehicle installations. Qualified to VITA 47 conduction cooled ruggedisation level ECC4, the board supports operating temperatures of -40 to 85°C at the card edge.

Kontron Australia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/M982

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Model 3000

… to fullyfeatured

QCJ5

Quick Circuit allows you to make your own prototype circuit boards and perfectly machined panels.

Shouldn’t there be one on your bench?

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

www.satcam.com.au May 2012 - What's New in Electronics

33

© iStockphoto.com/ Shawn Hempel

semiconductors

Transparent memory can be folded up Memory chips that are transparent, flexible enough to be folded like a sheet of paper, shrug off 540°C temperatures and survive other hostile conditions could usher in the development of next-generation, flash-competitive memory for tomorrow’s keychain drives, mobile phones and computers.

Devices with these chips could retain data despite an accidental trip through the drier - or even a voyage to Mars. And with a 3D internal architecture, the chips could pack extra gigabytes of data while taking up less space.

“These chips are really big for the electronics industry because they are now looking for replacements for flash memory,” said James M Tour, who led the research team.

“These memory chips have numerous advantages over the chips today that are the workhorses for data storage in hundreds of millions of flash or thumb drives, smartphones, computers and other products.

Flash has about another six or seven years in which it can be built smaller, but then developers hit fundamental barriers.”

Because of the way the new memory chips are configured, with two terminals per bit of information rather than the standard three per bit, they are much better suited to the next revolution in electronics - 3D memory - than flash drives.

“To put more memory into a smaller area, you have to stack components beyond two “That frees up space elsewhere dimensions, which is what is currently availin the vehicle for other devices able,” he said. “You have to go to 3D.” The chips have a high on-off ratio, which and functionalities.” is a measure of how much current can flow in the device when it stores information versus when it is empty. The higher the ratio, the more attractive the chips are to manufacturers.

The chips were originally composed of a layer of graphene or other carbon material on top of silicon oxide, which has long been considered an insulator, a passive component in electronic devices.

Graphene is a thin layer of carbon atoms that’s touted as a ‘miracle material’ because it is the thinnest and strongest known material. It was even the topic of a recent Nobel Prize. Originally, the researchers at Rice University thought that the memory capability of the chips was due to the graphene. They discovered recently that they were wrong.

The silicon oxide surface was actually making the memories and now they can make them graphene free.

The work was done by Tour’s group in collaboration with Prof Douglas Natelson (Department of Physics) and Lin Zhong (Department of 34 What's New in Electronics - May 2012

Electrical and Computer Engineering). The main students on the project were Jun Yao and Javen Lin. The transparency and small size of the new chips enables them to be used in a wide range of potential applications. Manufacturers could embed them in glass for see-through windshield displays for everyday driving, military and space uses so that not only is the display in the windscreen, but also the memory.

That frees up space elsewhere in the vehicle for other devices and functionalities. In fact, the chips were onboard a recent Russian Progress 44 cargo spacecraft in August 2011 for further experiments aboard the International Space Station. However, the vehicle never made it into space and crashed. “The spacecraft crashed over Siberia, so our chips are in Siberia!” said Tour. He hopes to send the chips on a future mission in July to see how the memory holds up in the high-radiation environment of space.

Current touch screens are made of indium tin oxide and glass, both of which are brittle and can easily break. However, plastic containing the memory chips could replace those screens with the added bonuses of being flexible while also storing large amounts of memory, freeing up space elsewhere in a phone for other components that could provide other services and functions.

Alternatively, storing memory in small chips in the screen instead of within large components inside the body of a phone could allow manufacturers to make these devices much thinner.

Rice University www.rice.edu

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My organisation's main industry sector is (Select from List B)

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Name: Job Title: Organisation Name: Address:

Postcode: Phone No: Fax No: Email: Signature: Date:

Country: Mobile:

1 Agriculture/Rural 2 Building/Construction 3 Chemicals/Allied Products 4 Communications Systems 5 Defence/Military 6 Education 7 Emergency Services/Law Enforcement/Security 8 Engineering Services 9 Environmental Services 10 Finance/Banking/Insurance/Legal 11 Food Industry - Bakery 12 Food Industry - Beverages 13 Food Industry - Confectionery 14 Food Industry - Dairy 15 Food Industry - Fruit & Vegetables 16 Food Industry - Meat 17 Government - Federal 18 Government - State 19 Government - Local 20 Health/Hospital 21 Instrumentalities (eg CSIRO) 22 IT - Networking 23 IT - Security 24 IT - Storage 25 IT - Wireless 26 Laboratory - Analytical 27 Laboratory - Clinical/Medical 28 Laboratory - Life Sciences 29 Logistics/Transport/Warehouse 30 Manufacturing 31 Mining 32 Oil/Gas/Coal 33 Packaging 34 Processing 35 Retail/Wholesale/Hire 36 Service/Maintenance 37 Telecommunication 38 Testing/Certification (eg NATA) 39 Utilities