The week's top stories from Electronicstalk
Some weeks ago in this column (4th December 2007) I posed the question whether the UK market really was healthy enough to support as many as three domestic electronics events - particularly in a year that will be dominated by Electronica, now officially recognised as the world's largest electronics exhibition. And then there were two.
In case you missed the news, Reed Exhibitions has bitten the bullet and pulled the plug on Nepcon UK, the country's longest-running electronics event, after 39 years spent moving back and forth between Brighton and Birmingham. Reed cites the exodus of the electronics manufacturing industry to China and India as the prime reason for its demise. Yet it is clear that the competition provided by the newly organised National Electronics Week and to a lesser extent by this week's Southern Electronics were too much for the old timer to endure.
Naturally, with my "new media" hat on, I should point out that the days of all exhibitions are numbered. The carbon footprint of any event that seeks to draw thousands of engineers and buyers from around the country to a central location (whether it be London, Birmingham or Brighton) is pretty ugly when you consider that all the information available at any show is (or will be) available online. And this message is likely to be hammered home even more strongly in the coming weeks with a new breed of "virtual exhibitions" set to break into the market.
Nevertheless, we humans are sociable animals by nature, and when this is coupled with the healthy "seeing is believing" scepticism typical of the engineering fraternity, I have to concede that there is still a role for the face-to-face and hand-to-hand contact that only an exhibition can supply.
If you disagree, then read on. Electronicstalk will bring you all the big news from all this year's exhibitions and conferences, without burning a hole in the planet. But if you really must see it, feel it and touch it, then your next chance will be this Wednesday and Thursday, 6th and 7th February, when Southern Electronics opens its doors at FIVE in Farnborough.
National Electronics Week will be held from 17th to 19th June 2008 at Earls Court, London. And the monster bash that is Electronica will dominate the city of Munich from 11th to 14th November 2008.
Top Products featured this issue
[1] ANALYSERS PROVIDE LIVE RF VIEW OF THE SPECTRUM
(Tektronix, 05 Feb 2008)
Tektronix has added DPX waveform image processor technology to its mid-range RSA3000B Series real-time spectrum analysers. This provides a unique live RF view of the spectrum using the RSA3300B and RSA3408B family models, enabling an unprecedented RF signal discovery capability for a broad range of digital RF applications including RFID, radiocommunications and spectrum management. DPX transforms volumes of real-time data and produces a live RF spectrum display that reveals previously unseen RF signals and signal anomalies.
> Quick link to request free details direct from the supplier:
[2] ANALOGUE IC TAKES ADJUSTABLE RESISTORS ONBOARD
(Microbridge, 05 Feb 2008)
Microbridge Technologies has released the MBSTC-02 Rejustor-enhanced analogue integrated circuit. The integrated CMOS device is the first active analogue circuit incorporating Microbridge's Rejustor passive, polysilicon adjustable resistor technology. The MBSTC-02 simplifies the design process allowing sensor calibration and temperature compensation after final assembly, which negates cumulative errors associated with the assembly processes, such as manufacturing tolerance errors, error introduced by stress, packaging. Low-cost and high-precision adjustment removes the need for digital signal conditioning.
> Quick link to request free details direct from the supplier:
[3] REGULATOR GOES UP OR DOWN WITH ONLY AN INDUCTOR
(Linear Technology Corp, 30 Jan 2008)
The LTC3785 is a 96% efficient buck-boost switching regulator controller that operates from input voltages above, below or equal to the output voltage for powering tablet PCs, handheld instruments, wireless modems, portable media players and a wide variety of single- or dual-cell Li-ion or multicell alkaline/NiMH powered devices. Medium-power buck-boost circuits have traditionally relied on transformers (SEPIC) or two cascaded DC/DC convertors, one for the step-up (boost) and one for the step-down (buck) conversion. The LTC3785 requires only a single inductor from an input range of 2.7 to 10V, offers an identical output range, and can deliver up to 50W of output power.
> Quick link to request free details direct from the supplier:
[4] VARISTORS PROTECT DATA LINES
(AVX, 01 Feb 2008)
USB varistors are designed to protect the high-speed data lines that make up the Universal Serial Bus (USB) against ESD transients. Their fast turn on times and very low capacitance make the varistors suitable for protecting high-speed serial data lines. The response time is less than 1ns and the devices meet the testing criteria of the IEC61000-4-2 15 (air) and 8kV (contact) standards. The zinc-oxide (ZnO) based, multilayer ceramic varistors feature nonlinear, bidirectional voltage-current characteristics similar to back-to-back Zener diodes and an EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) capacitor in parallel.
> Quick link to request free details direct from the supplier:
[5] CHIP RESISTORS ARE TEN-TIMES MORE ACCURATE
(Tyco Electronics UK, 31 Jan 2008)
The RN73 series of ultra-high-stability precision chip resistors from Tyco Electronics has been extended to offer resistance tolerances down to 0.01%, making the devices up to 10x more accurate than previously available models. Designed for telecomms, industrial and military applications, RN73 series resistors are available in a choice of packages, down to 0402 case size. Standard package size is 0805. Based on nichrome thin-film technology, the devices are produced with three sputtered layers of resistive metal film. This enables very stable high frequency performance to be achieved.
> Quick link to request free details direct from the supplier:
[6] DEVELOPMENT KIT PROVIDES ON-CHIP DEBUGGING
(Direct Insight, 04 Feb 2008)
Sophia Systems has enhanced the Sandgate 3-P PXA310 Reference, creating an extended development kit, including on-chip debugging via the integration of Sophia's EJ-Debug JTAG hardware assist unit for PXA320, PXA310 and PXA300 working with Microsoft's Visual Studio/Platform Builder 6.0 OS development environment. The Sandgate3-P PXA310 hardware is optimised for handheld OS standards such as Microsoft Windows Embedded CE 6.0 and Windows Mobile 6. Sandgate3-P is used for wireless handheld, IP phones and various other mobile electronic products.
> Quick link to request free details direct from the supplier:
[7] MOBILE DUPLEXER CUTS SIZE AND LOSSES
(Avago Technologies, 04 Feb 2008)
Available now from Avago Technologies, the ACMD-7403 is the company's fourth-generation PCS duplexer. The ACMD-7403 boasts best in class transmitter insertion loss to minimise power consumption and superior receiver insertion loss for excellent receiver sensitivity. Nearly 40% smaller than previous generation products, the new PCS duplexer is designed for CDMA and UMTS mobile phone, data card, modem and femtocell applications. Leveraging its market leading film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR) technology, Avago's ACMD-7403 delivers an industry best 2.7dB maximum Tx band insertion loss which significantly lowers power consumption.
> Quick link to request free details direct from the supplier:
[8] POWER CONVERTOR SUITS VARYING LOADS
(Lambda, 01 Feb 2008)
Lambda has released the iAD series of nonisolated, single inline package, through-hole mounting point of load convertors. Featuring a DOSA-compatible pin out, the iAD series addresses a broad range of applications from telecomms through to industrial equipment. With its input range from 6 to 14V, the iAD12016A008V is particularly well-suited for powering a diverse range of loads in a variety of architectures including distributed power, for example regulated 9 or 12V bus rails and nonregulated 4:1 and 5:1 bus convertor systems.
> Quick link to request free details direct from the supplier:
[9] KIT PACKAGES ELECTROMEDICAL TESTER WITH EXTRAS
(Rigel Medical, 05 Feb 2008)
The latest addition to the Rigel range of advanced electromedical test instrumentation is a special equipment package for EBME testing in line with the new IEC62353 standard for medical devices. The Rigel 288 test kit links the new IEC62353 compliant tester with a complete range of Bluetooth-enabled test accessories designed to ensure that service engineers and biomedical engineering personnel can carry out recurrent and post repair testing on medical devices with maximum speed and efficiency. The new handheld and lightweight Rigel 288 incorporates easy-to-follow menu-driven instructions for simple operation and test control in manual, semi automatic or fully automatic test modes.
> Quick link to request free details direct from the supplier:
[10] DIGITISERS AVOID NOISE INDUCTION
(Spectrum Systementwicklung Microelectronic, 01 Feb 2008)
Most high-speed digitisers on the market have GND-related single-ended inputs, but for some applications noise induction can be a problem. In these applications the connection of differential signals is a must. Spectrum's M2i.30xx is available in 17 different versions with one to four channels and sampling rates of between 40 and 200Msample/s. Most of the two- and four-channel versions are available with the new difference input option. Activated by a simple software command the card hardware can combine two single-ended channels into one difference channel.
> Quick link to request free details direct from the supplier:
This week's industry news
MULTICORE ORGANISATION IMPROVES INTEROPERABILITY
(National Instruments, 01 Feb 2008)
National Instruments is collaborating with technology companies including Intel, Freescale Semiconductor and Wind River to improve the interoperability among operating systems.
EDUCATION PROJECT BOOSTS ENGINEERING SKILLS
(Phyworks, 31 Jan 2008)
Phyworks will offer internships to students and secondments to academic staff to help them achieve a better understanding of industry and the way semiconductor products are designed today.
INDUSTRY FORUM PROMOTES HIGH-END GPS
(Cambridge Silicon Radio, 31 Jan 2008)
The goal of the EGPS Forum will be to ensure that technologies which enhance GPS are put in place to meet advanced requirements.
CEILING FAN DESIGN WINS WORLDWIDE COMPETITION
(Farnell, 04 Feb 2008)
John Noble's fan design reduces fan input power by up to 66% of that of a traditional ceiling fan.
IP SPECIALISTS LINK ACADEMIA WITH INDUSTRY
(Camitri Technologies, 30 Jan 2008)
New venture will market intellectual property from world leading universities and research institutes to the communications industry.
RESEARCH AGREEMENT TARGETS SUB-32NM MEMORY
(IMEC, 30 Jan 2008)
PSC will collaborate with IMEC's advanced lithography program addressing immersion, double patterning and EUV lithography challenges.
NEW BASE CONSOLIDATES FLEXIBLE CIRCUIT OPERATIONS
(Teknoflex, 30 Jan 2008)
Efficiency and the environment were major considerations during the construction of the new plant for Teknoflex.
UK CEM GAINS HEAVYWEIGHT BACKING
(MRP Electronics, 04 Feb 2008)
Now, as part of the Asteel group, Bedford-based MRP Electronics has become one of the largest contract electronics manufacturers in the UK.
ACQUISITION TO CREATE EUROPEAN COMMS CABLE GIANT
(B3 Cable Solutions, 04 Feb 2008)
Deal will make B3 the third largest manufacturer of metallic telecommunication cable in the world and the largest outside the US market.
DISTRIBUTION STOCK IS VISIBLE ONLINE
(Schaffner, 31 Jan 2008)
The Schaffner website now allows users to search its UK distributors' inventories to speed access to EMC components.
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Dave Wilson
Electronicstalk editor
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