The Aim-TTi PSA Series 3 RF Spectrum Analyzers are available in 1.3 GHz and 2.7 GHz versions and have long battery lives with improvements over the previous Series 2 instruments, even rivalling more expensive handheld RF products. Improvements include a lower noise floor for increased sensitivity, a new frequency counter, additional RMS, Sample, and Average […]
Snap-in aluminum electrolytic caps handle 600 Vdc
The 380LX and 381LX series of aluminum electrolytic capacitors now include voltages up to 600 Vdc. The new ratings are designed to serve industrial electronics customers who continue to push the application boundaries for these components into higher voltages. The 380LX and 381LX snap-in series are among the industry’s top performers with a published load […]
Smart buildings and the IoT: Zoning systems
There are significant benefits to moving some decisions in smart HVAC systems close to the application and away from the cloud. Asem Elshimi, Silicon Labs We’ve probably all experienced an office environment that always felt too cold or hot no matter the weather. And we’ve all experienced the fruitlessness of asking the building facilities team […]
The real reason for hiring engineers
Teschler on Topic Leland Teschler • Executive Editor lteschler@wtwhmedia.com On Twitter @ DW_LeeTeschler Ask most people about the role of engineers in the economy and you’ll get back answers that mention technology research and new ideas embodied in patents. That’s certainly the image you could come away with if you examined some of the undergrad […]
CAN XL trigger and decode software works on scopes
An oscilloscope-based automotive protocol trigger/decode solution (D9010AUTP) covers CAN XL (Controller Area Network eXtra Long) protocol that enables engineers to verify and debug low-speed automotive serial bus protocols and simplify the development and troubleshooting of systems including CAN/CAN FD (Flexible Data Rate) and CAN XL. CAN XL is the third-generation CAN standard in development by […]
Long-life batteries harness the passivation effect
A little known chemical reaction helps extend battery life. Sol Jacobs, Tadiran Batteries As remote wireless devices become increasingly essential to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), there is a growing need to understand the principles behind extended battery life. Many IIoT nodes require a battery-driven energy source. These off-grid low-power applications fall into two […]
Practicalities of specifying 5G antennas for the IoT
Antennas can be an afterthought in many designs. With the deployment of 5G, the need to get the most out of the antenna will only become more important. Josh Mickolio, Digi-Key Electronics There are a lot of assumptions, confusion and questions about how 5G will impact the non-handset world. There are several high-level goals for […]
Measurement system handles GaN and SiC semiconductor analysis
The new DL-ISO High Voltage Optically Isolated 1-GHz Probe and Power-Device test software, when combined with LeCroy High Definition Oscilloscopes (HDO), are said to offer the most accurate electrical characterization of gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductor devices. For more than thirty years, engineers have used silicon (Si) metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) […]
Connector standard helps pave the way to the IIoT
A new universal connectivity standard will help bring Single-Pair Ethernet to the Industrial Internet of Things. Eric Leijtens, TE Connectivity The rise of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) places new demands on industrial networks. With the increasing number of IIoT nodes, there’s a need for a simplified, economical communication infrastructure at the field level. […]
How to turn off a smart meter the hard way
Potential cyber attacks have a lot of people worried thanks to the recent conflict in Ukraine. So it might be appropriate to review what happened when cybersecurity firm FireEye’s Mandiant team demonstrated how to infiltrate the network of a North American utility. During this exercise, Mandiant hacked into the utility’s industrial control systems and switched […]