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ELECTRONICSTALK
The Independent Weekly Product Information Guide
for Electronics Design, Development and Manufacturing Engineers
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ISSN 1475-2913 - Free subscription
Published every Tuesday from the UK.
Issue 129: 2 September 2003
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12455 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] Convertors optimise industrial acquisition
[2] Robot solderers march through repetitive tasks
[3] Inorganic nanomaterials aim for high-res displays
[4] Large LCDs have resolution for XGA and HDTV
[5] SoC simplifies move to LCD-based digital TVs
[6] Transceivers drop in to extend serial comms
[7] SSRs handle heavy surges
[8] Optocoupler keeps up with speedy switchers
[9] Narrow-pitch connectors save space onboard
[10] Docking stations take PCI acquisition in hand
* New Technical Articles and Case Studies
* ...And take a look at these stories too...
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Laurence Marchini, Editor, writes:
In my position it can be very easy to become totally obsessed with points that may verge on trivia. But now enough is enough.
Regular readers of this newsletter will remember my pet hate for those misguided souls who insist on abbreviating bits and bytes to lower case b and upper case B, respectively. As far as I am concerned, there is no internationally recognised standard that proposes this contraction, and my point of view is that the two words are sufficiently short in themselves not to need abbreviation.
More to the point, abbreviating two similar but disparate quantities to the same letter can only lead to confusion.
And sure enough my point has been proved repeatedly over the past few weeks when no fewer than three different (reputable) suppliers have fallen into the trap and used the wrong sort of "b" - two implying bit when it should have been byte and one the other way round. Indeed, in each case the error was several orders of magnitude greater in each case as the quantities in question were megabits and gigabytes.
The most worrying aspect of the whole thing is the reaction I receive when I query such quantities with the authors of the respective press releases. In every case, it seems, the error has been lifted straight from the product datasheet.
So I ask, how would you feel as a designer if you designed in a product expecting, say, 512Mbyte of storage, only to find an eighth of that capacity?
Lets put a stop to this now. I give fair warning that until the end of the year I shall be keeping an extra wary eye on those companies who feel that we ought to be able to guess what they really mean (presumably by telepathy). And woe betide anyone who uses the wrong "b"… names will be named.
I hope you find this issue of our weekly newsletter useful. 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.
Alternatively, the full stories behind all the summaries and headlines in this newsletter can be retrieved by email alone: see details below.
In the meantime, if you have any suggestions as to how we might make the site or the newsletter better, email me directly.
Best wishes
Laurence Marchini, Editor
mailto:ne[-email removed-]nicstalk.com
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THIS WEEK'S INDUSTRY NEWS
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To read more, use the web links. Or get the full stories emailed back to you: just send a blank email to the address shown. It's a free service. Try it! It works!
AMD COMPLETES PURCHASE
National Semiconductor has finalised the sale of its Information Appliance (IA) business unit to Advanced Micro Devices.
National Semiconductor, 1 September 2003
mailto:nat2[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/nat/nat245.html
UK ANTENNA MAKER SETS UP SHOP IN SINGAPORE
Following a series of important design wins and significant sales growth in China and the Asia/Pacific region, Sarantel has set up a Singapore-based subsidiary.
Sarantel, 1 September 2003
mailto:sab1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/sab/sab115.html
FIBRE LASER CLAIMS RECORD OUTPUT POWER
Southampton Photonics and the University of Southampton's Optoelectronics Research Centre have produced more than 1kW output in a high-quality beam from a single-fibre laser.
Southampton Photonics, 2 September 2003
mailto:sou1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/sou/sou113.html
RECORD YEAR FOR RADIO SPECIALIST
Wood and Douglas reports a record year supplying products for telemetry, broadcast and security applications.
Wood and Douglas, 28 August 2003
mailto:woo1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/woo/woo102.html
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OUR TOP TEN NEW PRODUCTS SELECTION
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1. Convertors optimise industrial acquisition
Featuring best-in-class combination of noise-free resolution, datarate and functionality, the ADS1255 and ADS1256 24bit delta-sigma ADCs provide designers with complete, high-resolution measurement solutions for the most demanding industrial applications, including scientific instrumentation, process control, medical equipment and weighing scales.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/tex/tex492.html
or send a blank email to mailto:tex4[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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2. Robot solderers march through repetitive tasks
The Apollo Seiko range of bench-top robotic soldering units is ideal for repetitive selective soldering applications where solder joint quality and consistency are essential. This enables the units to overcome the problems of operator fatigue associated with manual systems on long, repetitive runs. Kaisertech offers two models: the Evo and the L-Cat.
* Request a free brochure by post:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/kai/127/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/kai/kai127.html
or send a blank email to mailto:kai1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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3. Inorganic nanomaterials aim for high-res displays
Applied NanoMaterials is set to manufacture and sell a new and superior kind of inorganic nanotubes for highly sophisticated products such as advanced generation high resolution flat panel displays and atomic force microscopes (AFMs). Inorganic nanotubes are considered to be the ideal material for tomorrow's nanoelectronic devices. In many cases they can be used to replace silicon and so have many additional potential applications including semiconductor devices, sensors, biosensors and nanomotors.
* Request a free brochure by post:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/adn/100/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/adn/adn100.html
or send a blank email to mailto:adn1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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4. Large LCDs have resolution for XGA and HDTV
Fujitsu Microelectronics Europe has two new 22in high-definition, full-colour active matrix TFT-LCDs for PC multimedia and television applications. A new robust structure makes the panels resistant to external stress and vibration, making them ideal for use in consumer environments. Giving an effective 22in diagonal screen size equivalent to a 25in CRT, these latest LCD displays integrate Fujitsu's MVA (multi-domain vertical alignment) 'premium' technology, which offers significant enhancements in contrast ratio and overall viewing angle, and reduces response time to 25ms.
* Request a free brochure by post:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/fuj/148/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/fuj/fuj148.html
or send a blank email to mailto:fuj1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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5. SoC simplifies move to LCD-based digital TVs
The Nexperia PNX8550 Home Entertainment Engine is an SoC for hybrid digital televisions and home entertainment hubs serving the needs of the connected home. Philips has also developed a flexible TV reference design based on the new SoC that provides TV manufacturers with the semiconductors and software to make a cost-effective, seamless transition from analogue cathode ray tube (CRT) TV to liquid crystal display (LCD) and digital TV.
* Request a free brochure by post:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/phi/224/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/phi/phi224.html
or send a blank email to mailto:phi2[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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6. Transceivers drop in to extend serial comms
A new family of Linearlink RS485/RS422 high-performance data transceivers provide longer reach and higher data integrity than most competing products. Intersil's new ISL8485, ISL8490 and ISL8491 are high-datarate RS485/RS422 transceivers offering up to 5Mbit/s datarates with improved peak-to-peak signal swing. Typical applications for these new ICs include factory automation, security networks, KVM switching, industrial/process control networks (eg Fieldbus), building environmental control systems, HVAC control systems, level translators and RS232 "extension cords".
* Request a free brochure by post:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/ina/248/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/ina/ina248.html
or send a blank email to mailto:ina2[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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7. SSRs handle heavy surges
Power-IO has developed a novel family of solid-state relays that include the Maximum Surge Survival technology for a triple-layer barrier against damage from voltage fluctuations. This trademarked engineering method uses the cumulative effect of a strong attenuation circuit, followed by a voltage blocking circuit that is set at 800, 1200 or 1400V, and then followed by an intelligent control activation circuit. This results in a solid-state relay that is 8-12 times more "bullet-proof" when exposed to the voltage spikes and surges that are common in industrial applications.
* Request a free brochure by post:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/pfh/100/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/pfh/pfh100.html
or send a blank email to mailto:pfh1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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8. Optocoupler keeps up with speedy switchers
A new 2A high-speed gate drive optocoupler from Agilent Technologies is ideally suited for use with IGBTs and power MOSFETs. The Agilent HCPL-3180 can be used in the drive circuitry of plasma display panels, and in high-performance switch-mode power supply, uninterruptible power supply, motor control and distributed power architecture applications.
* Request a free brochure by post:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/agi/194/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/agi/agi194.html
or send a blank email to mailto:agi1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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9. Narrow-pitch connectors save space onboard
The P4 series is a new generation of narrow-pitch connectors from Matsushita Electric Works UK. The board-to-board connectors have a pin pitch of just 0.4mm and a stack height of just 1.5mm when mated. The P4 series is available in a number of contact options ranging from 20 to 100 points. This equates to a typical board area reduction of 30% compared with an equivalent 0.5mm-pin pitch connector on a 40-way connector.
* Request a free brochure by post:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/mat/144/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/mat/mat144.html
or send a blank email to mailto:mat1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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10. Docking stations take PCI acquisition in hand
A vast range of PCI boards are available on the market for many types of applications, particularly for data acquisition and waveform generation. The downside is that when fitted inside a standard desktop PC they suffer from one particular drawback - portability. And although the notebook PC is a viable solution for mobile computing it lacks the interface for standard PCI hardware. There is at hand however a solution, with the addition of a PC-Card docking station.
* Request a free brochure by post:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/daq/102/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/daq/daq102.html
or send a blank email to mailto:daq1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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New Technical Articles and Case Studies
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SINGLE-CHIP ROUTER SPEEDS MODEMS TO MARKET
(Texas Instruments, 27 August 2003)
Westell Technologies is using TI's DSL router-on-a-chip to support the recently announced expansion of its family of WireSpeed modems.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/tex/tex491.html
(or email mailto:tex4[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
CAT 6 TURNS ONE
(NORDX/CDT, 27 August 2003)
Paul Kish of NORDX/CDT looks at the latest developments in Category 6 cabling.
* Free brochure on Cat 6 cable:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/nrd/106/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/nrd/nrd106.html
(or email mailto:nrd1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
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...And take a look at these stories too...
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CODECS CHIP IN TO NEXT-GENERATION DIGITAL AUDIO
(Wolfson Microelectronics, 27 August 2003)
A new family of multichannel input devices is available for the next generation of Class-D DVD players, AV receivers, digital set-top boxes and digital effects processors and recordable media.
* Free brochure on WM8775/6/8:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/wol/150/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/wol/wol150.html
(or email mailto:wol1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
FLASH FPGAs MEET MILITARY SPECS
(Actel Europe, 28 August 2003)
ProASIC Plus FPGAs are now available tested and verified to operate over the full military temperature range (-55 to +125C).
* Free brochure on APA300, APA600 and APA1000:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/act/150/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/act/act150.html
(or email mailto:act1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
RESETTABLE DEVICES GO LEAD-FREE
(Raychem Circuit Protection, 29 August 2003)
Raychem's popular SMD family of PolySwitch resettable devices are now available as lead-free components.
* Free brochure on SMD PolySwitch:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/ray/120/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/ray/ray120.html
(or email mailto:ray1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
BLUETOOTH SOFTWARE SUPPORTS WIRELESS RTOS
(Cambridge Silicon Radio, 28 August 2003)
Cambridge Silicon Radio and Accelerated Technology have collaborated to bring full support for the Nucleus RTOS embedded in many wireless applications.
* Free brochure on BCHS:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/cam/143/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/cam/cam143.html
(or email mailto:cam1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
SMALL ENCLOSURES BOAST OF BIG BENEFITS
(Moeller Electric, 2 September 2003)
With high-quality construction and a host of design benefits, Moeller Electric believes its CI-K miniature enclosure range will have a major impact in the industrial housings market.
* Free brochure on CI-K miniature enclosures:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/moe/108/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/moe/moe108.html
(or email mailto:moe1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
BACKPLANE SPEEDS DIFFERENTIAL PAIRS
(Molex UK, 27 August 2003)
Engineers can achieve up to 5.0Gbit/s bandwidth per signal pair with the launch of the new VHDM-HSD 6-row module-to-backplane connector system from Molex.
* Free brochure on VHDM-HSD:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/mol/148/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/mol/mol148.html
(or email mailto:mol1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
ADHESIVES COMPLEMENT SILICONE SHEETS
(Rogers Corp, 28 August 2003)
A new conductive adhesive is available for Rogers Bisco EC-2000 electrically conductive solid silicone.
* Free brochure on Bisco EC-2000:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/rog/101/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/rog/rog101.html
(or email mailto:rog1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
CUT-PRICE DEAL ON PORTABLE FUME EXTRACTOR
(Metcal, 2 September 2003)
Manufacturers can now save up to Eur 220 on Metcal's BVX-100 fume extraction system, the portable, single-user system claimed to have all the power of a larger, multi-user system.
* Free brochure on BVX-100:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/met/115/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/met/met115.html
(or email mailto:met1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
LASERS AIM FOR HIGH-PERFORMANCE APPLICATIONS
(Blue Sky Research, 1 September 2003)
ChromaLase lasers are designed to meet the demanding requirements of high-performance OEM applications such as biomedical and analytical instrumentation, alignment and semiconductor metrology.
* Free brochure on ChromaLase series:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/bes/100/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/bes/bes100.html
(or email mailto:bes1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
BATTERY-BACKED SWITCHER TAKES MODBUS ONBOARD
(VxI Power, 29 August 2003)
The Oracle III 200 battery-backed switch-mode power supply features a built-in RS232/RS485 interface with full Modbus functionality, allowing it to be controlled or monitored from a remote location.
* Free brochure on Oracle III 200:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/vxi/101/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/vxi/vxi101.html
(or email mailto:vxi1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
HIGH ENERGY DENSITY IN LOW-PROFILE PACKAGES
(IBT Power, 1 September 2003)
A new range of prismatic lithium ion cells offers high energy density in low-profile packages, making them ideal for portable instruments, communication devices and wireless products.
* Free brochure on Prismatic lithium ion cells:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/ibt/105/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/ibt/ibt105.html
(or email mailto:ibt1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
SUBCOMPACT SBC HAS ALL BASES COVERED
(Display Solutions, 27 August 2003)
A new low-power, subcompact single board computer features an innovative design allowing it to be ordered in any one of four different configurations.
* Free brochure on Aaeon Gene-6320:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/dis/107/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/dis/dis107.html
(or email mailto:dis1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
ADDONS SPEED WIRELESS TERMINAL TESTING
(Willtek Communications, 27 August 2003)
Willtek Communications has developed two new products to enhance the radio terminal testing capabilities of wireless service factories.
* Free brochure on 4920/4924 and 4923:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/wil/110/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/wil/wil110.html
(or email mailto:wil1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
TEST SUPPLIES LIKE IT HOT
(TTi (Thurlby Thandar Instruments), 28 August 2003)
The XFR Series of power supplies is a range of high-power (2.8kW) units with various combinations of voltage and current capability.
* Free brochure on XFR Series:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/bla/174/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/bla/bla174.html
(or email mailto:bla1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
SOLID-STATE AMP OUSTS TUBES IN IMMUNITY TESTING
(Ophir RF, 1 September 2003)
According to Ophir RF, the Model 5156 is the only 500W solid-state power amplifier with a frequency band of 0.8-2.5GHz.
* Free brochure on Model 5156:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/oph/109/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/oph/oph109.html
(or email mailto:oph1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
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Have you seen our other newsletters?
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We also publish other professional technical newsletters like this once a week. All are free, so take a look:
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Engineering vacancies on the internet
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There are many recruitment websites out there, but Electronicstalk can recommend the following as we have had a relationship with them for some time:
Engineers Online: http://www.engineers-online.co.uk/
GoJobsite: http://www.gojobsite.co.uk/
Jimfinder.com: http://www.jimfinder.com/
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Browse the Electronicstalk archive by email!
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There are hundreds of recent stories in the Electronicstalk database, and you can browse them all by email. Send a blank email to:
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