SAW sensors aid tidal turbines
Non-contact torque sensors from Sensor Technology, distributed in Australia by Omni Instruments, are playing a key role in developing commercial-scale in-stream tidal turbines produced by Irish company OpenHydro. Read more »
EMC and petrol engine interference
For more than a decade now, Australia has had mandatory regulations in place for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) for the majority of electric and electronic devices. Read more »
Design resources launched for engineers
RS Components has launched DesignSpark, the centrepiece of its initiative to provide an authoritative online design environment for engineers. Read more »
Electronex show headed for sellout
The new electronics industry expo ‘Electronex’, which is being held at the Australian Technology Park in Sydney from 8-9 September, has been welcomed by electronics suppliers that are excited about the opportunity to have their own dedicated trade event in Australia. Read more »
Taiwan’s electronics industry continues buoyant growth
At the invitation of the Taiwanese government, the assistant editor of What’s New in Electronics, Elizabeth Latham, joined a party of international journalists to visit factories where some of the latest technical advances were being made by some of the companies in this highly developed industry. Here is what she found: Read more »
Vertically stacked flash memory enhances performance
Imec is a non-profit European research organisation specialising in the study of nanoelectronics, using the expertise of its global partners in ICT, healthcare and energy. Founded in 1984, its headquarters are in Leuven in Belgium with offices in the Netherlands, Taiwan, the US, China and Japan. Its staff of more than 1750 includes over 550 industrial residents and guest researchers. Here are some highlights from recent research projects. Read more »
Nanoparticles boost generator performance
Siemens is searching for insulators that will make generators more efficient. Read more »
Stable patterned electrets for microsystem applications
Imec and the Holst Centre have developed stable patterned electrets with feature sizes at least down to 20 µm. The technology consists of creating a charged profile in an SiO2/Si3N4 structure by exploiting the difference in energy between the charge traps in either layer and at their interface. Patterned electret layers can be used for a plurality of technical applications such as micromotors, sensors, actuators and energy scavengers. Read more »
High-power RF signal generators have the edge
In RF testing, an essential attribute of every signal generator is the maximum output power it can supply to a device under test (DUT) while maintaining spectral purity and level accuracy. Read more »
Current switching and test system accuracy
The differences among the types of signals that a test system’s switching hardware must handle are not always well understood. Unless these differences are taken into account in switch system design, they can degrade signal integrity and affect overall test system performance. This article reviews switching techniques for maximising the integrity of current signals. Read more »
Next-generation data acquisition
Over the past 20 years, data acquisition has evolved from a limited, inaccessible set of technologies into an integrated and intuitive platform for high-performance measurements. With the software-centric approach of graphical programming and modular, PC-based hardware, engineers and scientists can rapidly develop powerful, flexible and highly customisable DAQ systems. Read more »
Hydrogen helps smooth Ge deposition
Imec has shown that the presence of hydrogen and/or inert species during Ge deposition significantly improves the quality of the Ge layers grown on Si by solid phase epitaxy (SPE). The resulting layers have excellent crystalline quality and low surface roughness, making SPE a valuable alternative for conventional heteroepitaxy which is performed typically at much higher temperatures. Read more »
Telematics coming into its own
Telematics is on the edge of significant changes. A number of markets are emerging due to the strong interest of governments and government organisations or are being pushed by legislation. Read more »
Lasers threaten LEDs for picoprojectors
Picoprojectors will drive the green laser market and the ideal light emitting device would be lasers due to their capability to deliver highly saturated colours in the widest possible gamut. Read more »
Reinforced DC/DC transformer isolation
DC/DC converters offer galvanic (input to output) isolation of typically at least 1 kVDC that means the converter will withstand a test voltage of 1000 VDC for one second placed across the input and output pins without the insulation across the transformer breaking down. Read more »
Measuring chip temperature without additional sensors
Stress induced by thermal cycles causes power electronic systems to have a finite service life. To estimate this service lifetime, accurate information on the thermal profile in the chips under the given operating conditions is required. Read more »
IT spending set to grow by 5.3%
Worldwide IT spending is forecast to reach $3.4 trillion in 2010, a 5.3% increase from IT spending of $3.2 trillion in 2009, according to Gartner. Read more »
Digital prototyping in mechatronic design
Today’s manufacturers are using a mechatronics-based approach to integrate the electronic, mechanical and software components of their increasingly complex products. Digital prototyping allows disparate engineering teams to work from a single digital model, saving time and reducing errors throughout the design process. Read more »
Trial of electric vehicles begins
An Australian-first trial that will monitor the performance, environmental benefits, policy, infrastructure and practical implications for electric vehicle fleets has been launched at the University of Western Australia. Read more »
Scientists see lithium-ion battery flaws
Scientists at Cambridge have developed a simple, accurate way of ‘seeing’ chemistry in action inside a lithium-ion battery. Read more »