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Intro to reed switches, magnets, magnetic fields

This brief introductory video on the DigiKey site offers tips for engineers designing with reed switches. Dr. Stephen Day, Ph.D. from Coto Technology gives a solid overview on reed switches -- complete with real-world application examples -- and a detailed explanation of how they react to magnetic fields.
View the video.

Bi-color LEDs to light up your designs

Created with engineers and OEMs in mind, SpectraBright Series SMD RGB and Bi-Color LEDs from Visual Communi-cations Company (VCC) deliver efficiency, design flexibility, and control for devices in a range of industries, including mil-aero, automated guided vehicles, EV charging stations, industrial, telecom, IoT/smart home, and medical. These 50,000-hr bi-color and RGB options save money and space on the HMI, communicating two or three operating modes in a single component.
Learn more.

All about slip rings: How they work and their uses

Rotary Systems has put together a really nice basic primer on slip rings -- electrical collectors that carry a current from a stationary wire into a rotating device. Common uses are for power, proximity switches, strain gauges, video, and Ethernet signal transmission. This introduction also covers how to specify, assembly types, and interface requirements. Rotary Systems also manufactures rotary unions for fluid applications.
Read the overview.

Seifert thermoelectric coolers from AutomationDirect

Automation-Direct has added new high-quality and efficient stainless steel Seifert 340 BTU/H thermoelectric coolers with 120-V and 230-V power options. Thermoelectric coolers from Seifert use the Peltier Effect to create a temperature difference between the internal and ambient heat sinks, making internal air cooler while dissipating heat into the external environment. Fans assist the convective heat transfer from the heat sinks, which are optimized for maximum flow.
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EMI shielding honeycomb air vent panel design

Learn from the engineering experts at Parker how honeycomb air vent panels are used to help cool electronics with airflow while maintaining electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. Topics include: design features, cell size and thickness, platings and coatings, and a stacked design called OMNI CELL construction. These vents can be incorporated into enclosures where EMI radiation and susceptibility is a concern or where heat dissipation is necessary. Lots of good info.
Read the Parker blog.

What is 3D-MID? Molded parts with integrated electronics from HARTING

3D-MID (three-dimensional mechatronic integrated devices) technology combines electronic and mechanical functionalities into a single, 3D component. It replaces the traditional printed circuit board and opens up many new opportunities. It takes injection-molded parts and uses laser-direct structuring to etch areas of conductor structures, which are filled with a copper plating process to create very precise electronic circuits. HARTING, the technology's developer, says it's "Like a PCB, but 3D." Tons of possibilities.
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Loss-free conversion of 3D/CAD data

CT CoreTech-nologie has further developed its state-of-the-art CAD converter 3D_Evolution and is now introducing native interfaces for reading Solidedge and writing Nx and Solidworks files. It supports a wide range of formats such as Catia, Nx, Creo, Solidworks, Solidedge, Inventor, Step, and Jt, facilitating smooth interoperability between different systems and collaboration for engineers and designers in development environments with different CAD systems.
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Top 5 reasons for solder joint failure

Solder joint reliability is often a pain point in the design of an electronic system. According to Tyler Ferris at ANSYS, a wide variety of factors affect joint reliability, and any one of them can drastically reduce joint lifetime. Properly identifying and mitigating potential causes during the design and manufacturing process can prevent costly and difficult-to-solve problems later in a product lifecycle.
Read this informative ANSYS blog.

Advanced overtemp detection for EV battery packs

Littelfuse has introduced TTape, a ground-breaking over-temperature detection platform designed to transform the management of Li-ion battery systems. TTape helps vehicle systems monitor and manage premature cell aging effectively while reducing the risks associated with thermal runaway incidents. This solution is ideally suited for a wide range of applications, including automotive EV/HEVs, commercial vehicles, and energy storage systems.
Learn more.

Benchtop ionizer for hands-free static elimination

EXAIR's Varistat Benchtop Ionizer is the latest solution for neutralizing static on charged surfaces in industrial settings. Using ionizing technology, the Varistat provides a hands-free solution that requires no compressed air. Easily mounted on benchtops or machines, it is manually adjustable and perfect for processes needing comprehensive coverage such as part assembly, web cleaning, printing, and more.
Learn more.

LED light bars from AutomationDirect

Automation-Direct adds CCEA TRACK-ALPHA-PRO series LED light bars to expand their offering of industrial LED fixtures. Their rugged industrial-grade anodized aluminum construction makes TRACKALPHA-PRO ideal for use with medium to large-size industrial machine tools and for use in wet environments. These 120 VAC-rated, high-power LED lights provide intense, uniform lighting, with up to a 4,600-lumen output (100 lumens per watt). They come with a standard bracket mount that allows for angle adjustments. Optional TACLIP mounts (sold separately) provide for extra sturdy, vibration-resistant installations.
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World's first metalens fisheye camera

2Pi Optics has begun commercial-ization of the first fisheye camera based on the company's proprietary metalens technology -- a breakthrough for electronics design engineers and product managers striving to miniaturize the tiny digital cameras used in advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), AR/VR, UAVs, robotics, and other industrial applications. This camera can operate at different wavelengths -- from visible, to near IR, to longer IR -- and is claimed to "outperform conventional refractive, wide-FOV optics in all areas: size, weight, performance, and cost."
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Orbex offers two fiber optic rotary joint solutions

Orbex Group announces its 700 Series of fiber optic rotary joint (FORJ) assemblies, supporting either single or multi-mode operation ideal for high-speed digital transmission over long distances. Wavelengths available are 1,310 or 1,550 nm. Applications include marine cable reels, wind turbines, robotics, and high-def video transmission. Both options feature an outer diameter of 7 mm for installation in tight spaces. Construction includes a stainless steel housing.
Learn more.

Mini tunnel magneto-resistance effect sensors

Littelfuse has released its highly anticipated 54100 and 54140 mini Tunnel Magneto-Resistance (TMR) effect sensors, offering unmatched sensitivity and power efficiency. The key differentiator is their remarkable sensitivity and 100x improvement in power efficiency compared to Hall Effect sensors. They are well suited for applications in position and limit sensing, RPM measurement, brushless DC motor commutation, and more in various markets including appliances, home and building automation, and the industrial sectors.
Learn more.

Panasonic solar and EV components available from Newark

Newark has added Panasonic Industry's solar inverters and EV charging system components to their power portfolio. These best-in-class products help designers meet the growing global demand for sustainable and renewable energy mobility systems. Offerings include film capacitors, power inductors, anti-surge thick film chip resistors, graphite thermal interface materials, power relays, capacitors, and wireless modules.
Learn more.

New sensor peers inside fingertips for more surefire ID

In the 1971 film "Diamonds are Forever," British secret agent James Bond uses fake fingerprints as part of a ploy to assume the identity of a diamond smuggler. At the time, sham prints were purely a futuristic bit of Bond gadgetry, but technology has since caught up.

In 2002, the Japanese cryptographer Tsutomu Matsumoto showed that imitation fingerprints made cheaply from gelatin, a main component of gummy sweets, could trick up to 80 percent of standard fingerprint sensors. The sensors also sometimes fail to recognize legitimate prints when the finger being scanned is dirty, worn, scarred, or too wet or dry.

A new fingerprint sensor created by researchers in France is based on full-field optical coherence tomography (FF-OCT) and an inexpensive fast camera. [Image credit: E. Auksorius, Langevin Institute]

 

 

Now scientists from The Langevin Institute, Paris, France, have constructed a new fingerprint imaging system that peers inside the finger to take a picture -- a more reliable and secure way of identifying individuals. Importantly, the device is also simpler, faster, and cheaper than other technology used previously to image inside fingers. The researchers report their results in the journal Biomedical Optics Express from The Optical Society (OSA).

"In the past years, the use of fingerprint sensors has expanded greatly beyond the field of forensics. Far from just being used for border security or passport registration, current uses of these sensors allow access to mobile phones, computers, and even gym facilities," said Egidijus Auksorius, postdoctoral researcher, The Langevin Institute.

Despite the widespread use of commercial fingerprint sensors, problems with the devices persist, Auksorius said, including up to 5% of the population having difficulties using the sensors because their fingerprints are flattened from old age or damaged by routine manual work or sports such as rock climbing. Additionally, people attempting to escape identification might deliberately thwart the sensors by rubbing out their fingerprints, and the systems can be tricked by fake prints, as was demonstrated by Matsumoto and others.

To combat these problems Auksorius worked with Claude Boccara, a professor who specializes in scientific instruments at The Langevin Institute, to develop a new "internal fingerprint" sensor.

Most optical fingerprint sensors today produce images by reflecting light from areas where the skin does not come in contact with a glass plate, a technique that captures details from only the very top layer of skin. In contrast, Auksorius and Boccara's device images the "internal fingerprints," which have the same pattern as external fingerprints, but are about half a millimeter below the skin's surface and include extra details.

The new, fast fingerprint technology can scan the external fingerprint (a), the deeper internal fingerprint (b), and even map out sweat pores [the tiny dots pictured] beneath the skin (c). [Image credit: E. Auksorius, Langevin Institute]

 

 

"In fact, the internal fingerprints serve as a ‘master template' from which the surface regrows when it is damaged," Auksorius said.

The new sensor uses a special variant of an imaging technology called optical coherence tomography (OCT). OCT is already used for medical imaging and works by analyzing an interference pattern created when a beam of light that travels through a biological sample, like a finger, is recombined with a reference beam of light.

Standard OCT systems gather 3D data and often require sophisticated laser systems and light detectors, which can get expensive. Auksorius and Boccara simplified their system by using a modified version of OCT called full-field OCT, or FF-OCT, which was invented by their laboratory and developed in the early 2000s.

The main advantage of the FF-OCT system is that it can take a 2D image of the fingerprint directly, saving time and making the data processing simpler and cheaper. Because not everyone's internal fingerprints are located at the same depth, the researchers also developed a method to first take an image of the fingertip at an angle. The first image was used to determine the depth of the internal fingerprint, and then a second image of the fingerprint itself was taken. The system can also image sweat pores, which provide an additional means of identification.

Currently, the system is about shoebox size, and Auksorius is working to further shrink it. The biggest and most expensive element in the system -- a specialized infrared camera -- costs about $40,000, but the team recently acquired comparable images using a camera less than one-fifth the cost. Auksorius estimates that a complete device using the new camera could be constructed for less than $10,000. While the price is still significantly higher than standard fingerprint sensors, Auksorius predicts that the new device could find a market dedicated to imaging problematic fingerprints or in areas where security is a particular concern.

"We showed that the internal fingerprints could be imaged with a relatively simple and inexpensive system," Auksorius said. "Furthermore, recent results with the new camera show that the system can potentially be a commercially viable solution."

The team has plans to soon test the device in Turkey, where 100 people will have their fingerprints scanned. They are also working to further improve the imaging speed and depth capabilities of the system.

Paper: E. Auksorius and A. Boccara, "Fingerprint imaging from the inside of a finger with full-field optical coherence tomography," Biomedical Optics Express 6, 4465-4471 (2015).

Source: The Optical Society

Published November 2015

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