A protection relay is a smart device that receives inputs like current, voltage, resistance, temperature, or even light, compares them to set points, and provides outputs such as visual feedback in the form of indicator lights and/or an alphanumeric display, communications, control warnings, alarms, and turning the power off and on. They are used for […]
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What’s the outlook for chemical sensors?
The current emphasis on providing products and materials with fewer environmental effects will have a direct impact on the chemical industry and chemical sensors. Obviously, this starts with, but is certainly not restricted to, reduced CO2 emissions. Chemical sensors have a wide range of applications, including healthcare, industrial, biotechnology, and household sensing requirements such as […]
What are the four most-common relay technologies and where are they used?
The four most-common relay technologies include electromechanical relays, reed relays, solid state relays, and optotriacs. These relay technologies have widely varying capabilities, making them suitable for different applications. This FAQ compares each relay technology’s structures, specs, operations, and applications. The oldest and most basic type of relay are electromechanical designs. When an input value, usually […]
LTE-M: Delivering a future-proof IoT
By Dima Feldman, VP of Product Management and Marketing at Sony Semiconductor Israel The CAT-1 LTE modem was initially defined in 2008 as a low-cost, low-power alternative to connect IoT devices that needed to transfer limited amounts of data. However, vendors and network providers at that time focused on higher throughput. The actual device introduction […]
Why you don’t need a variable-speed drive to change a fan’s speed
To engineers schooled in modern motor control methods, it may be hard to grasp why three-speed fans designed to move air around in a room can be inexpensive. After all, these fans are powered by as motors, and the go-to method for changing the speed of industrial ac motors is via variable-frequency drives. VFDs work […]
When to use a relay and when to use a contactor?
Contactors are used for switching more than 15 amperes or in circuits rated more than a few kW. Except for optional auxiliary low-current contacts, contactors normally have open contacts and are used in high-power circuits. They include features to control and suppress the arc produced when interrupting heavy currents like those found in motor control […]
Where are cloud connected relays used?
Relays are humble devices, but they are not immune to being impacted by the Internet of Things. Electromechanical relays, solid-state relays, and MEMs relays are among the numerous devices in the IoT that can connect to the cloud. Some relays include Wi-Fi controllers or Bluetooth, some use power over Ethernet (PoE), and others use voice […]
Verizon THOR: A rolling telecom network for disaster areas
EE World went inside this one-of-a-kind truck that brings many forms of connectivity to first responders.
What’s a ring tester and why do you need one?
If you one day find yourself with a transformer that might or might not have a shorted winding, your first inclination for verifying your suspicions might be to find an inductance meter. The problem with powering up an inductance meter for this situation is that the inductance of a transformer containing a shorted turn might […]
What are the top programming languages for machine learning?
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are continuing to become more mainstream and you’ll find the technology in everything from your smartphone apps and computer programs to smart tech and appliances — and automobiles (think self-driving cars). These technologies are no longer confined to scientific computing and statistical research but have, for the most part, become a […]
