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ELECTRONICSTALK
The Independent Weekly Product Information Guide
for Electronics Engineers
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London, UK
ISSN 1475-2913 - Free subscription
Published every Tuesday at 12:30 (UK)
Issue 75: 6 August 2002
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6669 product announcements and technical articles
on our web site, all fully searchable at
http://www.electronicstalk.com/ - take a look!
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In this issue:
* Editor's Message
* Our Top Ten new Products Selection
1. Controller eliminates electrolytics for long life
2. Tools provide validation for complex SoC I/O
3. Thermoelectric modules control the climate onboard
4. PowerPC board aims for industrial number crunching
5. Supplies front up distributed architectures
6. Entry level for robotic placement
7. Touch screen controller supports Windows CE.NET
8. Reference design puts ColdFire in CAN control
9. Programmable logic software works quicker
10. Net-ready processor adds infra-red control
* New Technical Articles and Case Studies
* ...And take a look at these stories too...
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Laurence Marchini, Editor, writes:
It would be remiss of me not to sympathise with the good folk at Reed Exhibitions, But the organisers of the forthcoming Nepcon UK event chose the wrong week to launch an initiative "Taking a leaf from the Friends Reunited website" (see below).
No sooner had Nepcon's "Meet at the bar" campaign hit our website, than Relate and other counselling organisations launched their campaign damning Internet sites that encourage old flames to get together as fuelling infidelity and marriage break-ups.
Unfortunate timing then. But it could have been much worse had the next event been scheduled for Brighton, scene of many a dirty weekend, not to mention Nepcons and bars of old.
I hope you find this issue of our weekly newsletter useful. We currently have thousands of engineers and other industry professionals on the circulation, so you're in good company.
In addition to the new products, news and ideas featured here, there are hundreds more on our website and dozens more being added daily, so do take a look if you can. But you don't need web access! All the full stories behind the summaries and headlines in this newsletter can be retrieved by email alone: see details below. In the meantime, if you've got any suggestions as to how we might make the site or the newsletter better, email me directly.
Best wishes
Laurence Marchini, Editor
mailto:lauren[-email removed-]nicstalk.com
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*** WEB ACCESS NOT NECESSARY! ***
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THIS WEEK'S INDUSTRY NEWS
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REGIONAL CENTRE SUPPORTS SW DISTRIBUTION
Continuing with its strategy to strengthen its regional presence, Arrow Electronics has established a new regional business centre to support OEM and CEM customers in South West England.
Arrow Electronics (UK), 2 August 2002
mailto:arr1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/arr/arr110.html
SECOND-QUARTER SALES BOOST FOR TOREX
Torex Semiconductor has posted a significant boost in second-quarter sales - up 60% over the same period in 2001.
Torex Semiconductor, 6 August 2002
mailto:tor1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/tor/tor111.html
CADENCE TO DISPUTE IKOS PATENT CLAIM
Cadence is to vigorously dispute a complaint in US District Court from Ikos Systems alleging the Cadence Quickturn Palladium design verification system infringes on an Ikos patent.
Cadence Design Systems, 1 August 2002
mailto:cad1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/cad/cad127.html
AWARD FOR METALWORK ON FRONT PANEL
APW has won the Amada Award for technical excellence in sheet metal at the 14th annual precision sheet metal fair held in Kanagawa, Japan.
APW TEMS, 1 August 2002
mailto:awt1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/awt/awt100.html
MARATHON FAN STILL RUNNING AFTER 20 YEARS
Papst has a fan that has been on continuous test for over 20 years.
Papst, 1 August 2002
mailto:pap1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/pap/pap104.html
CONCOAT ACQUIRES ASSETS FROM MULTICORE
Concoat has acquired the major assets of the SPCID Equipment Division of Multicore Solders and Multicore Solders of Singapore, subsidiaries of the Henkel Group.
Concoat, 6 August 2002
mailto:cnc1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/cnc/cnc102.html
GROWTH CONTINUES FOR BOOKHAM
Bookham Technology has revealed its results for the second quarter and the six months ended 30th June 2002.
Bookham Technology, 31 July 2002
mailto:boo1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/boo/boo113.html
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OUR TOP TEN NEW PRODUCTS SELECTION
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1. Controller eliminates electrolytics for long life
The HV9906 offline power supply controller IC is the second in Supertex's new family of FlexSwitch controller ICs. It enables designers to create ultrasmall power supplies that can operate continuously at high temperatures to drive a wide variety of LED applications that include traffic and street lights, emergency lights and exit signs, automotive head/tail lights, counter and decorative lighting, LED backlights for laptops and instrumentation, as well as other applications such as battery chargers, industrial sensors and programmable logic controllers (PLC) for embedded systems and controls. The HV9906 FlexSwitch uses Supertex's proprietary integrator lock loop (IL2) technology, an all-new scheme for power supply control. The IC requires a minimum of external components and works directly from inputs of 9 to 400V DC.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/sup/sup103.html
or send a blank email to mailto:sup1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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2. Tools provide validation for complex SoC I/O
SiliconSmart IO is the industry's first commercial toolset designed to perform detailed characterisation, modelling and electrical specification compliance verification. SiliconSmart IO provides a bridge between the digital world of the SoC core and the analogue world of the board. Today, many companies expend substantial time and effort in the development and characterisation process of I/O cells, only to discover that they fail to meet electrical specification across all operating corners. The failure of these time-critical components requires expensive redesign. SiliconSmart IO is specifically designed to recover this lost time and more.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/sij/sij101.html
or send a blank email to mailto:sij1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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3. Thermoelectric modules control the climate onboard
A range of miniature thermoelectric modules designed to provide accurate temperature control for electronic circuit elements such as ICs, waveguides, lasers, parametric amplifiers and photodetectors has been introduced by General Hybrid UK. Based on the well-known Peltier cooling or heating effect, the modules also find application in medical equipment, consumer goods, scientific and laboratory apparatus and other applications, as a replacement for traditional compressor or absorber units.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/ger/ger100.html
or send a blank email to mailto:ger1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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4. PowerPC board aims for industrial number crunching
The Kontron VMP2 is a VME processor board based on Motorola's MPC8245 PowerPC microprocessor. The new VMP2, intended for number-crunching applications in space-limited industrial environments, features the MPC8245 Kahlua II, a highly integrated microprocessor with a PowerPC MPC603e core, operating at 330MHz. The new 3U board delivers 450MIPS of performance (Dhrystone 2.1) while drawing only an average 5.8W of power.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/kon/kon104.html
or send a blank email to mailto:kon1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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5. Supplies front up distributed architectures
Advanced Power Conversion describes its APC-3000 series as a new era for bulk power front end solutions, delivering up to 3000W in a ultra-low-profile 1U 19in rack modular system that sets new standards in high-power-density AC/DC power supplies. This industry leading design offers a variety of controlled bulk DC outputs at 24, 28, 48, 54.5 and 56.2V DC from a wide range AC universal input with active power factor correction circuitry to ensure it meets IEC1000-3-2 PFC requirements.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/apc/apc109.html
or send a blank email to mailto:apc1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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6. Entry level for robotic placement
The TS3030 is a cost effective and flexible entry-level dispensing robot that allows manufacturers to upgrade and replace manual dispense processes with a faster, higher quality, and fully automated alternative. The TS3030 production robotic dispense platform from Techcon Systems is a totally flexible and cost effective dispenser that is particularly suited to automating high-performance manual dispense applications that use challenging smaller componentry and devices.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/thc/thc100.html
or send a blank email to mailto:thc1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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7. Touch screen controller supports Windows CE.NET
eGalax has developed a touch screen controller solution for use in Windows CE.NET platforms. The solution supports serial RS232 and USB interfaces for Windows CE.NET and all kinds of touch panel, giving manufacturers of mobile devices a speedy route to integrating touch panel functions into Windows CE.NET based products. The controller is suitable for use with four-, five, six- and eight-wire touch panels and supports resolutions of 2048 x 2048.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/ega/ega102.html
or send a blank email to mailto:ega1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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8. Reference design puts ColdFire in CAN control
Designers of industrial and automotive systems using the controller area network (CAN) communication protocol can now reduce development times and overall system costs using the new CAN reference design from Motorola. Based on a 32bit ColdFire Version 2 integrated microprocessor - the MCF5272 - this new tool employs the Ethernet local area network technology alongside CAN technology for distributed control applications used in industrial environments, such as textile equipment, paper processors and assembly plants.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/mot/mot141.html
or send a blank email to mailto:mot1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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9. Programmable logic software works quicker
The latest QuickWorks development software from QuickLogic has new features that significantly reduce design cycle times and improve performance for all of the company's ESP and FPGA families - including full support for the QuickMIPS family of devices. QuickWorks 9.3 software offers new and improved algorithms for place and route, which reduce run time and boost performance. The latest software version also provides batch mode operations allowing engineers to easily explore alternative design implementations.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/qui/qui125.html
or send a blank email to mailto:qui1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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10. Net-ready processor adds infra-red control
The second product in the high-performance eZ80 MPU family from Zilog is the eZ80 Webserver-i (eZ80L92) which enables easy, cost-effective, direct connections to networks and the Internet with embedded TCP/IP and IrDA software. With the eZ80 Webserver-i, engineers can design applications that may be remotely managed using an Internet browser on a handheld device, cellphone or a personal computer.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/zil/zil107.html
or send a blank email to mailto:zil1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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New Technical Articles and Case Studies
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to the address shown. It's a free service. Try it! It works!
DISTRIBUTOR DESIGNS LCD DRIVER SOLUTION FOR BREWER
(GD Technik, 2 August 2002)
Design in distributor GD Technik has developed a LCD driver board for a major brewing equipment manufacturer in Tyneside.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/gdt/gdt115.html
(or email mailto:gdt1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
CUSTOM PROTOTYPE IS A SPEEDY FREEBIE
(Speedboard, 2 August 2002)
Speedboard has turned out its first customer board on its fast turn Kwikboard prototyping system - in less than 24 hours and for free.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/skv/skv102.html
(or email mailto:skv1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
ALCATEL BOOSTS PRODUCTIVITY WITH PRESS-IN MACHINES
(Harting, 2 August 2002)
Alcatel's CIT site in Eu, France, recently invested in its third Harting CPM2001/s press-in machine within less than two years.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/har/har132.html
(or email mailto:har1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
WIRELESS INTERNET MODEM ADVANCES DESIGN CAPABILITY
(Dayford Designs, 5 August 2002)
Dayford Designs has dramatically advanced its design capability to complete a UTMS technology project for an innovative new portable wireless Internet access device.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/day/day101.html
(or email mailto:day1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
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...And take a look at these stories too...
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LOW-NOISE AMP SHRINKS FOR HANDSET AUDIO
(Texas Instruments, 31 July 2002)
A novel 1.1W mono filter-free class-D audio power amplifier from Texas Instruments combines a small package with superior noise rejection ideal for designers of GPRS and 3G cellular phones.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/tex/tex299.html
(or email mailto:tex2[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
DIODES JOIN TRANSISTORS TO RAISE EFFICIENCY
(Zetex, 31 July 2002)
Micro leaded packaged MOSFET/Schottky and bipolar/Schottky combination products from Zetex offer high-efficiency operation and a board space saving of 88% over SM8 packaged products.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/zet/zet110.html
(or email mailto:zet1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
BOTTOMLESS MOSFETs CUT HEAT AND RESISTANCE
(Fairchild Semiconductor, 1 August 2002)
A novel "Bottomless" MOSFET package combines the thermal performance of the much larger TO-263 (D2-PAK) with very low on-resistance in a standard SO-8 package outline.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/fai/fai199.html
(or email mailto:fai1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
SPEEDY CAN TRANSCEIVER CAN TOLERATE TRANSIENTS
(Arizona Microchip Technology, 2 August 2002)
Microchip's new high-speed CAN transceiver withstands short circuit voltages from -40 to +40V and voltage peaks from -250 to +250V without damaging the circuit.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/ari/ari122.html
(or email mailto:ari1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
FLASH MCU CUTS DOWN LCD-BASED SYSTEM DESIGNS
(Toshiba Electronics Europe, 2 August 2002)
A new compact, high-performance CMOS 8bit MCU with on-chip Flash memory aims to simplify the design of LCD-based applications by eliminating the need for external data and program storage.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/tos/tos152.html
(or email mailto:tos1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
SUPERVISORS TAKE MORE RESPONSIBILITY ONBOARD
(Xicor, 6 August 2002)
New dual low-voltage CPU supervisory ICs integrate power-on-reset, watchdog timer, two independent low voltage sense monitors, a battery switchover circuit and fault monitoring in a single device.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/xic/xic108.html
(or email mailto:xic1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
SEMINAR TO DIVULGE ARM SECRETS
(GD Technik, 6 August 2002)
A design seminar set for September in Cambridge will give designers a unique opportunity to share the wealth of knowledge accumulated by some of the industry's leading ARM experts.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/gdt/gdt116.html
(or email mailto:gdt1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
SLIMLINE RELAYS SQUEEZE IN FOR DENSE SWITCHING
(Matsushita Electric Works UK, 31 July 2002)
The compact single inline AQG series of solid-state relays from Matsushita Electric Works comprises a range of devices measuring only 4.5mm thick.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/mat/mat136.html
(or email mailto:mat1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
PHYSICAL SYNTHESIS TOOL RUNS TWICE AS FAST
(Synopsys, 1 August 2002)
The latest release of the Synopsys Physical Compiler runs twice as fast as the previous version and also improves quality of results (QoR) by an average of 6%.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/syn/syn161.html
(or email mailto:syn1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
64bit PROCESSING SPEEDS ELECTROMAGNETIC ANALYSIS
(Flomerics, 2 August 2002)
Flomerics reckons it has ushered in a new era in 3D electromagnetic simulation with the release of the 64bit parallel versions of its FLO/EMC V1.2 and Micro-Stripes V6.0.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/flo/flo110.html
(or email mailto:flo1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
DEVELOPMENT KIT GAINS MORE BLUETOOTH SOFTWARE
(Cambridge Silicon Radio, 6 August 2002)
The CompactSira development kit from Cambridge Silicon Radio now comes with a sample CD of Rappore's Bluetooth host protocol stack, profiles and My Wirefree Network user interface.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/cam/cam105.html
(or email mailto:cam1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
POWERFUL DC FAN TO COOL COMPLETE ENCLOSURES
(JMC Products, 31 July 2002)
According to JMC Products, a single 9232-12V fan can be input into a chassis to successfully extract air from an entire system.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/jmc/jmc103.html
(or email mailto:jmc1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
DISPLAY SUBSYSTEM SAVES RACK REAL ESTATE
(Elma Electronic UK, 6 August 2002)
A novel subsystem combines a monitor, keyboard and five-way keyboard/video/mouse switch in only 1U of panel space, providing system builders with a compact solution for controlling up to five PCs.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/elm/elm108.html
(or email mailto:elm1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
COLOURFUL ALTERNATIVE IN SWITCHING
(Foremost Components, 6 August 2002)
Foremost Components reckons its latest switch is the first blue, yellow and white tricolour switch in the world.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/fre/fre106.html
(or email mailto:fre1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
STAINLESS-STEEL LED INDICATORS STAY SEALED
(Marl International, 6 August 2002)
Marl International has a new range of stainless-steel LED indicators particularly suited to harsh environments and ultra clean medical/catering applications.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/mar/mar108.html
(or email mailto:mar1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
FINE-PITCH CONNECTORS SAVE MORE SPACE
(Molex UK, 31 July 2002)
The new range of SlimStack 0.4mm pitch connectors from Molex deliver about a 30% PCB real estate space saving when compared with similar 0.5mm versions.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/mol/mol130.html
(or email mailto:mol1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
HIGH-DENSITY CONNECTORS AID GIGABIT BACKPLANES
(3M Electronics & Interconnect Solutions, 1 August 2002)
An innovative range of high-speed backplane connectors from 3M offers high speed and unparalleled density levels to developers of multigigabit backplane systems.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/muk/muk103.html
(or email mailto:muk1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
OVENS CLEAN UP AT NEPCON
(Carbolite, 6 August 2002)
A wide variety of ovens for hot store, burn-in and steady-state evaluation screening of electronic systems, including clean-room models, are being featured by Carbolite at Nepcon 2002.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/cbo/cbo100.html
(or email mailto:cbo1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
THERMAL PROFILERS SET SOLDERING TEMPERATURES
(Concoat, 6 August 2002)
The SoldaPro range of thermal profilers can accurately and rapidly determine the oven or wavesoldering bath temperature settings required to optimise the soldering profile of any PCB assembly.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/cnc/cnc103.html
(or email mailto:cnc1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
AIR GUN SHOOTS DOWN ESD RISKS
(Semtronics, 6 August 2002)
The SE200 ionising air gun is designed to avoid the risk of electrostatic damage when drying up moisture or blowing dust from PCBs during the production process.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/smt/smt101.html
(or email mailto:smt1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
MEET AT THE BAR AT NEPCON
(Reed Exhibitions, 1 August 2002)
Taking a leaf from the Friends Reunited website, Reed Exhibitions is introducing a novel concept to this year's Nepcon show entitled "Meet at the bar".
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/ree/ree113.html
(or email mailto:ree1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
BUDGET BATTERIES SAVE UP TO 50%
(BF Group, 31 July 2002)
BF Group now has a wide range of cells and batteries from Far Eastern producer, Minamoto.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/bfg/bfg108.html
(or email mailto:bfg1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
WEBSITE SIMPLIFIES GLOBAL CPU SOURCING
(Technical Solutions, 2 August 2002)
A new secure, multicurrency e-commerce site is now online, making it easier to purchase Medallion CPU modules and development kits from Techsol.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/thn/thn100.html
(or email mailto:thn1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
BIG MEMORY HANDLES BIG WAVEFORMS
(Yokogawa Martron, 31 July 2002)
The new DL750 ScopeCorder from Yokogawa is a truly portable waveform measuring instrument that combines recorder and oscilloscope technologies.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/yoa/yoa120.html
(or email mailto:yoa1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
SOFTWARE CHECKS CONTINUED BLUETOOTH COMPLIANCE
(Anritsu (UK), 1 August 2002)
A new software package simplifies the introduction of the Anritsu MT8850A Bluetooth test set into production lines.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/anr/anr131.html
(or email mailto:anr1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
FIBRE MONITORING SYSTEM UPGRADED TO COVER DWDM
(NetTest, 6 August 2002)
QuestFiber 2.1 is the latest version of the proactive, remote fibre monitoring system from NetTest designed to work with full-service emerging and next generation networks.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/net/net113.html
(or email mailto:net1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
ECONOMICAL SOLUTION TO SURGE TESTING
(SPS Electronic UK, 6 August 2002)
The ST 3300 surge tester is ideal for testing AC stators, rotors and coils in industrial production as well as in maintenance and repair shops.
* Read more: visit http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/sps/sps103.html
(or email mailto:sps1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
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