For Powercast, whose Powerharvester receiver (PCC110) has been deployed in industrial and commercial systems for seven years, today’s answer is reduce the footprint and volume. The company’s new PCC114 receiver chip’s footprint (1 x 0.6 x 0.3 mm) is seven times smaller than the PCC110 (2 x 2.1 x 0.9 mm) and has 20 times […]
How do you make an RF energy harvester even better?
For Powercast, whose Powerharvester receiver (PCC110) has been deployed in industrial and commercial systems for seven years, today’s answer is reduce the footprint and volume. The company’s new PCC114 receiver chip’s footprint (1 x 0.6 x 0.3 mm) is seven times smaller than the PCC110 (2 x 2.1 x 0.9 mm) and has 20 times […]
FRABA Group celebrates 100th birthday with strong financial performance and market growth
The international FRABA Group, which is about to mark the 100th anniversary of its founding, has enjoyed a year of significant growth in sales and profitability. In fiscal 2017 (ending December 31) turnover increased by 21.5% over the previous year, with total sales revenues of € 31.5 million. Growth has been driven by strong performance…
Brainstorm: How Are Manufacturers Preparing For 5G?
Q: In what ways are manufacturers preparing for 5G? By Michael Chinn, Deputy General Manager ICT Group, Electronic Components Sales & Marketing Group, Senior Vice President, TDK Referred to as the enabler of the “Fourth Industrial Revolution,” 5G facilitates wireless solutions for applications across many industries by reliably connecting massive numbers of devices, providing ultra-low…
What is the current status of energy harvesting for wireless sensing systems?
Energy harvesting (EH) has been an exciting potential source to power wireless sensing nodes for well over a decade. As in many new technology areas, the hype frequently exceeds the capability of the technology, especially within the short term. While some projections have changed within the last few years, EH still has great potential for […]
Marsbee—Swarm Of Flapping Wing Flyers For Enhanced Mars Exploration
The objective of the proposed work is to increase the set of possible exploration and science missions on Mars by investigating the feasibility of flapping wing aerospace architectures in a Martian environment. The proposed architecture consists of a Mars rover that serves as a mobile base and a swarm of Marsbees. Marsbees are robotic flapping…
Piezoelectric Tiles Light the Way for Kennedy Space Center Visitors
Fully Integrated Circuits Printed Directly Onto Fabric
Researchers have successfully incorporated washable, stretchable and breathable electronic circuits into fabric, opening up new possibilities for smart textiles and wearable electronics. The circuits were made with cheap, safe and environmentally friendly inks, and printed using conventional inkjet printing techniques. The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, working with colleagues in Italy and China, have…
Module With Autonomous Features Powered By Sun
Saelig Company, Inc. introduced the Sol Chip Comm SCC-S433 – an autonomous, wireless, solar-driven module that powers, controls, and wirelessly connects multiple sensors to a central computer via the cloud. This ultra-compact, maintenance-free solar-powered wireless module can be installed remotely for IoT applications that require autonomous operation, such as indoor/outdoor wireless sensor networks, and for…
Going Beyond User Interface Panels with Capacitive Touch: How to Differentiate Industrial Systems without Increasing Cost – Part 2
In part 1 of this article, we discussed various differentiated industrial system applications using capacitive touch technology. These included capacitive liquid level sensing, tactile feedback and indicators, smart keyless lock door entry, and design considerations for added security. We have also covered how to lower the cost of these designs. In part 2, we will…
How The IoT Is Modernizing Farming
Almost every facet of life is being affected by the innovative technologies that are being bestowed onto us. Not only is this the case in our homes and cities, but various workplaces and industries are beginning to embrace these transformations—including the agricultural field. The WiFi in rural America is expanding, which appears to be just…
Wireless, Battery-Less Command Switches
Steute Industrial Controls, Inc. offers a wide assortment of wireless pushbutton and selector switches featuring internal electrodynamic energy generator. No battery required. Actuation sends a unique, coded telegram to one or more compatible, easily-programmed Receivers. Receiver sends confirmation of received telegram. If pushbutton actuator does not receive the confirmation signal within 15 ms, it transmits…
How can sensors determine machine health?
At Sensor Expo 2017, a ROHM Semiconductor expert discusses how several sensors including pressure, temperature, flow and level sensors connected through sensor node can help monitor a machine’s health or control a process. In the demo, each sensor node collects the data and uses wireless sub-gigahertz radio called Wi-SUN and transfers the data to a […]
How can you make batteries last forever in a wireless sensing system?
At Sensors Expo 2017, Geoffroy Gosset, CEO and founder of e-peas, explains how a variety of energy harvesting techniques and low power solutions that his company supplies can answer this question. Using the company’s power management ICs (PMICs), systems can be designed that run ARM processors continuously at low frequencies and draw less power than […]
How do you accelerate an energy harvesting design?
One of the more common techniques for accelerating designs and avoiding unexpected design problems involves software tools. For energy harvesting (EH) applications, Mentor Graphics on-line modeling and simulation platform called SystemVision, a cloud-based design system, provides component/system suppliers and users the basis for a new EH design tool. Since many designers are intrigued by the […]
RDECOM Highlights Tech For Soldiers At DoD Lab Day
The U.S. Army showcased science and engineer innovations that are being developed to provide technological overmatch for Soldiers during the second biennial Department of Defense Lab Day at the Pentagon May 18. With more than 80 exhibits from the across the services, the Army was represented by the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command’s…
Photo Of The Day: 3D-Printed ‘Bionic Skin’ Could Give Robots The Sense Of Touch
Engineering researchers at the University of Minnesota have developed a revolutionary process for 3D printing stretchable electronic sensory devices that could give robots the ability to feel their environment. The discovery is also a major step forward in printing electronics on real human skin. The research will be published in the next issue of Advanced Materials and…
New Self-Sustained Multi-Sensor Platform For Environmental Monitoring
A recent study, affiliated with UNIST has engineered a self-sustaining sensor platform to continuously monitor the surrounding environment without having an external power source. This research has been led by the team of Professor Jaehyouk Choi of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UNIST in collaboration with Professor Wonjoon Choi of Mechanical Engineering at Korea University.…
New Self-Sustained Multi-Sensor Platform for Environmental Monitoring
A recent study, affiliated with UNIST has engineered a self-sustaining sensor platform to continuously monitor the surrounding environment without having an external power source. This research has been led by the team of Professor Jaehyouk Choi of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UNIST in collaboration with Professor Wonjoon Choi of Mechanical Engineering at Korea University.…
Going Beyond User Interface Panels with Capacitive Touch: How to Differentiate Industrial Systems Without Increasing Cost – Part 1
The industrial market started adopting capacitive touch-sensing technology to leverage sleeker design and greater reliability against wear and tear compared to conventional mechanical buttons. In addition, capacitive touch technology offers many features beyond mechanical button replacement (MBR), including liquid level sensing, keyless door access control, object detection, tactile feedback, gesture support in the user interface,…
Electrifying News: Nano-Modified Aerospace Composites
New technology that could enhance both the electrical and thermal conductivity of conventional composite materials has been developed thanks to a collaboration between the University of Surrey, University of Bristol and the aerospace company Bombardier. Carbon fibre composites, composed of reinforcing carbon fibres within a plastic, have revolutionised industries that demand strong, yet light materials.…
New magnetic Kit Encoders as alternative to resolvers and optical systems
POSITAL’s new family of kit encoders provide the manufacturers of servomotors and other machinery with rugged, accurate and cost-efficient tools for building rotary position measurements into their products. The new kit encoders are based on POSITAL’s highly successful self-contained magnetic rotary encoders. Now however, the core components of these instruments are available as separate assemblies…
MEMS Microphone Employs Energy Harvesting
At the MEMS & Sensors Group Executive Conference in Scottsdale, AZ, Matt Crowley, the CEO of Vesper Technologies, demonstrates his company’s wake on sound MEMS microphone. The VM1010 prototype uses the piezoelectric MEMS microphone as a piezoelectric energy harvester for saving power with an always on voice mode. For more information, click here.
POSITAL-FRABA now sells multiturn kit encoders for cost-effective feedback
POSITAL’s new kit encoders give manufacturers of servomotors and other machinery an accurate and rugged option for including rotary-position measurement in designs. At the core of these new kits are POSITAL’s self-contained magnetic rotary encoders. But now the core components of these sensor assemblies come separate to facilitate easy integration into other products. • Electrical Resolution is 17-bit Singleturn — and up to 32-bit […]
Powering remote wireless applications in harsh environments
More self-powered remote wireless devices are used in extreme environments. Here’s a look at some of the newer battery devices that will help you handle the power needs of these devices in such environments. Sol Jacobs, VP and General Manager, Tadiran Batteries We live in an increasingly wireless world, where self-powered remote sensors and communication…