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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.
View the video.

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."
Learn more.

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.

Office of Naval Research explores ways to trim software bloat, improve security

Dr. Dinghao Wu in his lab at Penn State University. Wu is one of several researchers sponsored by the Office of Naval Research to reduce software bloat, a condition where updated software runs slower because of repetitive code, requiring more memory -- and becoming more vulnerable to cyber attacks. [Photo courtesy of Dr. Dinghao Wu]

 

 

 

 

By Warren Duffie Jr., Office of Naval Research, Arlington, VA

Have you ever upgraded your software program or app, only to find it didn't seem to perform as well as the older version? The problem most likely was caused by software bloat, a condition where updated software runs slower because of repetitive code, requiring more memory -- and becoming more vulnerable to cyber attacks.

"Software bloat isn't only a nuisance or inconvenience," said Dr. Sukarno Mertoguno, a program officer in the Office of Naval Research's (ONR) C4ISR Department. "It also presents a serious security risk, since the additional code could offer hackers more entry points into a software program."

Security is especially important given ONR's current efforts to design the Naval Tactical Cloud -- a multiyear initiative to harness the power of cloud computing and bring big data capabilities to the warfighting environment.

To ensure the Navy's cloud and other computing efforts run more securely and efficiently, ONR is supporting the work of researchers like Dr. Dinghao Wu at Pennsylvania State University and Dr. Harry Xu at the University of California, Irvine.

Software bloat is a big problem today because of how code is written and compiled. Past generations of coders wrote new, individualized code for each program upgrade, adding only what was needed to improve performance.

Thanks to voracious consumer appetites for software features and faster product rollouts, modern coders use pre-made libraries to meet demand. The problem is these libraries contain both the new code and the repetitive code from previous software versions. Downloading the libraries actually installs both sets of code in an upgrade -- creating layers of redundant, unused, and outdated functions that slow down computer running time.

Then there's the security issue. "A bloated software system contains a larger code base that could lead to more vulnerabilities and greater entry platforms for hackers and cyber terrorists," said Wu. "After gaining access to a system, a hacker can use the code -- even unused, older code -- for malicious purposes."

Using Java, among the world's most widely used computer programming languages, Wu and his team at Penn State created a tool called JRed that can read thousands of lines of code in seconds. Through a complex algorithm, JRed applies predefined rules to the code of software upgrades and then identifies and removes bloated, repetitive code. JRed has demonstrated it can shrink software bloat by approximately 50 percent, resulting in faster running times.

Xu and his group at UC Irvine also used Java in their research. However, they designed an optimization technique called Library Auto-Selection, or LAS.

LAS creates "shadow libraries" that can update existing software by pinpointing areas of bloat and adding only the necessary code and data needed for upgrade -- skipping the repetitive code. The shadow library then is disabled through an automatic switch mechanism, eliminating the risk of repetition or cyber attack. Xu said his LAS method has trimmed software bloat significantly and improved run time speed by more than 70 percent.

"Aside from concerns about effectiveness and cost savings, reducing software bloat is critical to the capabilities of the Navy and Marine Corps," said Xu. "Military-focused software plays such a large role in the warfighting environment -- from carrying out mission-critical tasks to managing confidential data -- and must be even more resistant to cyber attacks than software available to the public."

The next step in Wu's and Xu's research involves cutting software bloat in mobile applications and large-scale cloud-computing networks. Their work is part of ONR's Cyber Security and Complex Software Systems Program, which focuses on the design and construction of software systems that meet required assurances for security, safety, reliability, and performance.

Published July 2016

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