Articles
Brainstrorm: Oscillators/Timing Devices
May 30, 2012 7:17 am | CommentsWhere in the design cycle is it best to spec in a timing device, and why? Ramon Cerda, Vice President of Engineering , Crystek Corporation The short answer is; as soon as possible. Most, if not all timing devices should be treated as long lead-times items. If the crystal oscillator manufacturer does not have your particular frequency and/or specification requirement in stock, it can take many weeks before they can deliver the timing device.
Is a Customized MMIC Amplifier Within Reach?
April 25, 2012 12:47 pm | by David Strand, Strand Marketing, Newburyport, MA | CommentsIt’s not uncommon to look at a discrete component’s datasheet and think that the manufacturer might be willing and able to tweak the performance for you in exchange for a little NRE and an up charge on the standard price. But a MMIC is another story. Or is it? Like so many things, advanced government and space programs have been influencing the MMIC market for years.
Improving Audio Converters Performance
April 19, 2012 10:55 am | by Tahar Allag, Analog Power Applications Engineer, Texas Instruments | CommentsIntroduction Most modern audio is stored in digital formats such as pulse code modulation (PCM), and MP3s. This provides lossless data storage, perfect copies without quality degradation, indefinite storage, flexibility, and compatibility with other digital systems. An audio DAC converts these digital formats into analog signals that drive speakers which create audio sounds or analog waves.
Power Efficiency Devices
March 29, 2012 8:35 am | CommentsHow are you responding to the demand for low power/high efficiency devices in the emerging markets? Jeff Schnabel, VP of Marketing at CUI Inc : In order to address the growing global concerns regarding energy consumption in electronic equipment, the power supply industry has largely focused on improving the operating efficiency of ac-dc power supplies and dc-dc converters.
Optimizing Antenna Safety and Performance During Platform Integration
March 28, 2012 12:14 pm | by Gregory J. Skidmore, James F. Stack, Jr., & Jamie K. Infantolino, Remcom | CommentsSimulation-based assessments are fast, cost-effective, and ensure success. Introduction Successful integration of an antenna onto a vehicle platform poses many challenges. Vehicle features impact antenna performance by blocking, reflecting or reradiating energy, and co-site interference can impair the effectiveness of multi-antenna configurations.
Brainstorm: Battery Technology
January 31, 2012 11:01 am | by Sol Jacobs, VP and General Manager, Tadiran Batteries | CommentsIn the future, how will battery technology need to respond to the increased power demands of today’s advanced sensors? Technological advancements are creating a dynamic growth curve for sensors intended for use in remote areas where there is no connection to the power grid.
Unlocking the Potential of RF MEMS with New Design Approaches
January 25, 2012 7:11 am | by Dr. Stephen Breit, Vice President of Engineering, Coventor | CommentsAt the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES), a major trend in many of the whizzy new gadgets that were on display was the enhanced interactivity and environmental sensing capabilities of products, from smart phones to games to the burgeoning tablet market. Whether it’s rotating a display from portrait to landscape mode; determining location, direction and elevation, or even improving the wireless transmission quality and battery life, there is a common thread connecting this new wave of innovation in devices: MEMS, or Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems.
The Year That Was
December 5, 2011 7:55 am | by Alix Paultre | CommentsThis year was an important one for WDD, with new roles and new people in our staff, changes in our editorial, and disruption in the marketplace. As we enter the New Year we look at it with great promise for both us as a publication and you as our audience. We will not only continue to serve you and our industry, we will do it in interesting and informative ways to keep you on top of wireless technology and the devices involved.
Industry Perspective: The New Age of Information Gathering in Healthcare
November 28, 2011 11:06 am | Commentsby Pietro Parravicini, CEO/President, Anoto Healthcare continues to be an industry where paper remains the primary source for capturing information. Currently, as many as 80 percent of physicians still rely on traditional pen and paper to gather patient data. It’s what they’re comfortable with and it’s what they’ve used for years.
Industry Perspective: What are the Three Top Reasons that Factories are Now Using Wireless on their Assembly Lines?
November 28, 2011 10:25 am | Commentsby Joseph Citrano, Global Product Manager, Honeywell Over the last several years, rapid evolution in industrial wireless networking has led to a monumental shift in the thinking of facility managers and design engineers, as they realize that using wireless in an industrial environment is safe, secure and reliable.
Brainstorm: Low Power Designs
November 28, 2011 9:24 am | by Todd Hanson, Director of Strategic Marketing and Wireless Solutions at Honeywell Sensing and Control | CommentsQuestion: What are the primary drivers for developing low power designs? Cost savings, movement to green, longer life for batteries? One of the most critical factors for component and board designers pursuing low power wireless designs is the overall power budget. By reducing the power demand of the radio, the designer can allocate more power to other things on the board, adding more features and capabilities, without having to go through a new cycle of development and testing.
Eye on Components: DC/DC Converters with Integrated Magnetics Simplify Point-of-Load Power in Wireless Communication Equipment
November 17, 2011 10:45 am | by Rich Nowakowski, Product Marketing Manager, Texas Instruments | CommentsMany architectural standards for communications equipment have fixed chassis sizes and power supply budgets. A point-of-load (POL) power solution that maintains high efficiency with a reduced size allows increased card density so that space savings translate into product differentiation. At the same time, designers must quickly solve technical problems during the development phase, and a simple power solution reduces burdens and brings peace-of-mind by allowing engineers to focus on their core competency.
Brainstorm: Renewable Energy
October 3, 2011 8:29 am | by Shan Morgan, Sr. Vice President Sales & Marketing, Elma Electronic | CommentsQuestion: What type of innovation must take place to provide the ability to increase the efficiency of renewable energy while reducing its cost? In regards to how the renewable energy market can become a more profitable business entity, we see it from a larger perspective than innovation at just the component, board or system level.
Software Design Tools
July 25, 2011 10:50 am | CommentsQuestion : How can effective use of software design tools improve the product development cycle and help the designer engineer get it right the first time? By: Frank Liu, Communications and Electronics Industry Marketing, MathWorks Successful product development teams are made up of engineers who can span multiple application domains and multiple design phases.
Palmer Wahl Introduces the C150 On-site Multifunction Calibrator
July 20, 2011 8:39 am | CommentsThe ergonomically designed Wahl C150 On-site Multifunction Calibrator features unique built in “easy connect” terminals, portable and bench top flexibility, and easy to use intuitive embedded software. Fully protected with an external anti-shock rubber boot with IP 54 rating, it features five user-selectable languages,0.005% accuracy over 1 year, NIST traceability, and HART transmitter compatibility.
