7357r Electronic Products February 2015

Electronic
products
FEBRUARY 2015
Get in touch with the

future of scopes.
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electronicproducts.com
A Hearst Business Publication
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* Refer to Keysight document 5992-0140EN for product specs, and 5989-7885EN for update rate measurements.
** Competitive oscilloscopes are from Tektronix publication 48W-30020-3
FEBRUARY 2015
The latest
in Wi-Fi
pg 23
Also In this issue:
Sensors for advanced automotive apps ... p14

Airflow for challenging environments ... p18
Supercapacitors for backup energy storage ... p20
A Hearst Business Publication
electronicproducts.com
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SMT Assembly for Engineers
3 Contents
Vol. 57, No. 9
February 2015
Features
14
Sensors and Transducers:
18
Packaging, Cabinets and Enclosures:
Sensors for advanced automotive applications

Airflow considerations in packaging electronics for challenging
environments
Cover Story
802.11ac beamforming and LDPC to improve wireless
23 performance
Wireless/Networking Special
26 Wi-Fi gridlock eased by 802.11ac MU-MIMO
28 Advanced wireless home audio system design
18
Touch Points
4 Viewpoint:
Make the most of us
The GaN
half-bridge transistor that decimates switching speeds
Outlook (Technology News):
The Story Behind the Story:
Cover. Digital imagery by Don Wilber.
3D-printed EV technology packs big punch

in small package
The 2015 embedded world Conference -- Nuremberg
20
Energy-Saving Initiative:
30
Product Roundup:
Scan to download
EP calculator app:
Supercapacitors for backup energy storage

Relays and switches
New Products
33
33
Integrated Circuits
Test & Measurement
35
38
Power Sources
Packaging & Interconnections
28
Only Online
ElectronicProducts.com
Intro to Electrical Engineering
Image of the Day: NASA spots holiday
lights on Earth from space
Why you should uninstall the Facebook
Messenger app as soon as possible
Acoustic devices being used on protesters,
some believe its unlawful
A fish that can steer its tank around the
room because . . . why not?
Flying prawns demonstrate speed of LTE
network
Enhance the student learning experience
through Samsung EDU SDK
Electronic Products Magazine (USPS 539490) (ISSN 0013-4953)Published monthly by Hearst Business Communications Inc./UTP Division, 50 Charles Lindbergh Blvd., Suite 100,
Uniondale, NY 11553. Periodicals postage paid Garden City, NY and additional mailing offices. Electronic Products is distributed at no charge to qualified persons actively engaged in
the authorization, recommendation or specification of electronic components, instruments, materials, systems and subsystems. The publisher reserves the right to reject any subscription on the basis of information submitted in order to comply with audit regulations. Paid subscriptions available: U.S. subscriber rate $65 per year, 2 years $110. Single issue,
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ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS electronicproducts.com FEBRUARY 2015
EP0215p003_TOC.indd 3
1/29/15 9:46 AM
4 Viewpoint
Make the most of us
Product items you will find a nice succinct

description and at the bottom you can click
on Download Datasheet to easily get more
information or you can click on the company
name to see more and go to their web site. Easy
as pie. If you dont use this all the time, youre
missing out.
Now, just one more thing. Go back to the
home page and then click on MENU (upper
left corner). Youll see Technology Centers in
the list there open that up and you have a
list of 17 technology areas. Each of these has a
subheading or you can choose the main topic.
When you choose, youll see latest few feature
articles, new products, application notes, and
white papers in that area. Now, select More to
bring up a big list of everything in that area.
See this can be really useful.
There are also Download Center, Videos,
and Calculators and Tools areas to look at
under Menu. We have some very good stuff to
make your career easier and more interesting.
Jim Harrison
k, so you got an e-mail from us about

some interesting item that brought you
to our website. So, now that you here,
let me show you just a couple of excellent items.
On the top of the website are our Hot
Topics of the day and they will scroll by or you
can scroll them yourself always something
interesting there. Make certain you go down
to the bottom section where it says NEW
PRODUCTS. As an engineer you absolutely
must keep up with the latest ICs, components,
and technologies, and you certainly dont have
a ton of extra time to do so. This spot can be a
big help.There are four or five new products
displayed on the home page but click on the
More box and you will see the last nine or ten.
And if you click on New Product Archive at the
bottom you can see the last 50 or so all in
date order with their publish date and a brief
description. If this does not interest you, then
you are not an EE or youre way too busy and
need to find a way to make time to keep up with new stuff.
And, by the way, when you open any on e of those shiny New
Introducing Zilogs Z8 Encore! XP

F6482 Series of Flash Microcontrollers!
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1.8 V to 3.6 V low-voltage operation with extremely low Active, Halt, and Stop Mode currents
The F6482 Series Development Kit
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F6482 Series Development Board
USB SmartCable (for connecting the PC
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product collateral and software, please visit www.zilog.com.
FEBRUARY 2015 electronicproducts.com ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS
Design With Freedom
Refuse to Let
Design Fall Flat
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Electronic
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6 Story Behind the Story

A look at the making of POY award winners
The GaN half-bridge

transistor that decimates
switching speeds
he EPC2100 enhancement mode gallium nitride (eGaN) half-bridge transistor

from Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) is the next step and the first-of-itskind power device for faster, more efficient designs than silicon technology. It
is the first integrated circuit built on EPCs eGaN process. This process was designed
for making discrete enhancement-mode gallium-nitride-on-silicon power devices.
As such, EPCs design team, led by co-founder, Joe Cao, needed to develop additional
processes that could isolate the various high-voltage devices on a single chip. The
goal was to make a process that could block high voltage and accommodate future
integration of many components (EPC intends to launch a series of IC products over
the next few years
that use this new
process). Process
development, however, is only a small
fraction of the effort
needed to launch a
product as advanced
as the monolithic
half-bridge. EPCs
product engineering team, under
the leadership of
Alana Nakata,
needed to develop The EPC2100 eGaN half-bridge transistor is the first of its kind and
completely differ
switches at 1/10 the time of a power MOSFET.
ent chip-scale
packaging and production testing techniques to ensure they could deliver a chip-scale
IC with flawless quality. The applications engineering team, including Johan Strydom
and David Reusch, worked in parallel to make certain the die layout would provide
maximum performance benefit at minimum cost to customers. They then had to
build sample circuits and test them to make sure they could deliver on the promise
of a state-of-the-art power-switching IC. Taken individually, each of these challenges
may seem straightforward, but they all needed to be attacked in parallel and in a very
coordinated way.
The newly developed eGaN half-bridge converters switch in about one-tenth
the time of a power MOSFET and increase efficiency and power density for complete buck converter systems approaching 93% at 10 A, and 90.5% at 25 A when
switching at 500 kHz and converting from 12 to 1.2 Vdc. The increased speed didnt
come without challenges. All that increased speed can lead to increased parasitic
inductance and that limits performance. So the EPC team, led by Johan Strydom and
David Reusch, worked with Joe Cao to develop a product that would meet the need
for higher system switching speeds by cutting the parasitic inductances in half, while
reducing the size needed for the power stage, and the cost of assembling multiple
components. EPCs team executed this entire project in 6 months and the results are
beyond their expectations.
Paul OShea
Robert D. Wilbanks
Group Controller
FEBRUARY 2015 electronicproducts.com Electronic Products
Who will make

searching for a signal
a thing of the past?
You and NI will. The wireless industry is rapidly evolving. To keep pace
with increasing standards and help usher in the next generation of 5G technology,
NI offers fast, flexible RF hardware powered by intuitive LabVIEW software. See how
this combination adds clarity to communication at ni.com.
2014 National Instruments. All rights reserved. LabVIEW, National Instruments, NI, and ni.com are trademarks of National Instruments.
Other product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies. 18586
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Outlook 9
Innovations impacting products, technology, and applications
3D-printed EV technology
packs big punch in small package
Researchers have created a power inverter that could make electric
vehicles lighter, more powerful, and even more efficient
Using 3D printing and silicon
The Oak Ridge
carbide (SiC) semiconductors,
National Lab
researchers at the Department of
30-kW power
Energys Oak Ridge National Laboprototype
ratory have created a power inverter
inverter offers
that could make electric vehicles
reliability
and power in
lighter, more powerful and even
a compact
more efficient. The wide-bandgap
package
SiC material offers qualities superior
to standard semiconductor mateindustry standard term (ASTM F2792)
rials and provides power inverters that
convert direct current into the alternating for all applications that use the process of
current for powering the vehicle.
joining materials to make objects from
The researchers then took the design
3D model data, usually layer upon layer.
to the next level by using something called This process helped researchers explore
additive manufacturing. This is the official
complex geometries, increase power den-
sities, and reduce weight and waste while

building the 30-kW prototype inverter.
Using 3D printing, researchers optimized the inverters heat sink, allowing for
better heat transfer throughout the unit.
This construction technique allowed them
to place lower-temperature components
close to the high-temperature devices,
further reducing the electrical losses and reducing the volume and mass of the package.
Another key to the success is a design
that incorporates several small capacitors
connected in parallel to ensure better
cooling and lower cost compared to fewer,
larger, and more expensive brick-type
capacitors.
Electronic Products electronicproducts.com FEBRUARY 2015
10 Outlook
Innovations impacting products, technology, and applications
The first prototype, a liquid-cooled
all-SiC traction drive inverter, features
50% printed parts. Initial evaluations
confirmed an efficiency of nearly 99%,
surpassing DOEs power electronics target and setting the stage for building an
inverter using entirely additive manufacturing techniques.
Researchers are working on an

inverter with an even greater percentage
of 3D printed parts thats half the size of
inverters in commercially available vehicles. Researchers think that an inverter
with four times the power density of their
prototype is possible. For more, go to
http://science.energy.gov/
Paul OShea
The 2015
embedded
world
Conference
Nuremberg
This year We are the Internet of Things
is a theme of the embedded world Conference in Nuremberg, Germany. In 2014
there were 856 exhibitors, 26,714 visitors,
and over 1,500 conference participants,
and this year
it should be
even larger.
You better
bring your
walking
shoes its
a big event.
You
might very
well experience the
embedded
world Conference as being self-confident
and optimistic. It is like no other event in
the world, and is the meeting point of the
embedded systems community. It is where
embedded hardware engineers, software
engineers, system architects, and technical
project managers look to anticipate the
next milestones of IoT. Security & safety
is also a key area this year. Exhibitors include IC, single board computer, computer peripheral, power system, and passive
component manufacturers, along with
dozens of system and application software
companies.
The event is at Messezentrum, a short
train ride from city center, and is open
Tuesday through Thursday, February 24
to 26, 2015, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. except closing one hour early, at 5 p.m., on
the final day. Conference sponsors this
year include Digi-Key, Mentor Graphics,
Silicon Labs, Synopsys, Green Hills, and
Wind River. For more, see www.embedded-world.eu
Jim Harrison
Protection + Precision
OK
OK
5V
OK
5V
50V
Over-The-Top Inputs
LT6015
OK
OV
Split Inputs
25V
+
LT6015
76V
LT6015
76V
5V
OK
LT6015
LT6015
50V
Output Driven
with OV Supply
Reverse Battery
Negative Transient
76V Over-The-Top Op Amp with 50V Max Offset
Announcing your new favorite op amp. The LT 6015 family withstands the harshest conditions, yet still delivers the
highest precision. Its Over-The-Top architecture enables normal operation with inputs up to 76V above the negative
rail, independent of supply voltage. The LT6015/6/7 single/dual/quad op amps include fault tolerant features, allowing
placement at the analog interface to another board. They consume just 315A, and operate over a 3V-50V supply range.
Specified over the 55C to 150C temperature range, the LT6015 family is ready to take on your toughest challenges.
Features
Offset Voltage Distribution
Input Common Mode Range:

V to V + 76V
VOS: 50V (Max)
VS Range: 3V to 50V
Low Power: 315A/Amplifier
CMRR, PSRR: 126dB
Gain Bandwidth Product: 3.2MHz
Slew Rate: 0.75V/s
High Voltage Gain: 1000V/mV
Rail-to-Rail Output
Temperature Range: 55C to 150C
300
NUMBER OF AMPLIFIERS
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350
VS = 5V
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TA = 25C
MS8 PACKAGE
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Over-The-Top are registered trademarks of Linear Technology
Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.
12 Engineering Distribution
In Partnership with
Blue-collar robots show off

function over form
over 25 miles over the surface of Mars thanks to careful route
planning and a unique mobility system. Rather than using a
rigid frame set on four wheels, this robot carries its payload on
hey roll, scuttle, climb, and even hop, but no one will
a six-wheel rocker-bogie suspension system designed to allow
ever confuse them for runway beauties. Typically
the robotic geologist to ride over obstacles.
designed for specialized tasks, todays working robots
Newer robotic designs such as
lie well on the near side of the
Boston Dynamics 5-kg SandFlea
Uncanny Valley, built with a
robots augment the basic
pragmatism that emphasizes
wheeled platform with special
function over form.
mobility features for search and
In their earliest forms,
surveillance. Resembling a simple
working robots have played
RC car, the SandFlea scoots
an important role in industry.
quickly across typical flat surfaces.
Robotic arms evolved as
When the robot encounters
the centerpiece of stationary
an obstacle, its piston actuator
workstations, using articulatedpropels it up to 8 m high to hop
boom-mounted end effectors
over or onto obstacles.
to weld, paint, or otherwise
While many working-class
complete work brought
robots drive to the job on wheels
into their reach. For most
or caterpillar tracks, robotics
applications, however, robots
designers are beginning to
need the ability to move toward
mimic more natural forms to
the work whether that
provide the needed function.
is conducting surveillance,
While their beauty may remain in the eyes of their designers,
For
example, just as insects and
performing search and rescue,
working robots bring effective solutions to practical problems
small animals use clawed feet to
or exploring off-world geology.
climb (seemingly) sheer walls, the Boston Dynamics RiSE 2-kg
Designs of blue-color mobile robotic systems often appear
climbing robot uses six legs tipped with micro-claws to inch up
to be slapdash design creations, piling mechanical gear and
textured surfaces at 0.3 m/s. Similarly, the Boston Dynamics
electronic circuits on wheeled platforms. Yet, these designs
Cheetah robot uses an articulated spine to enable it to run on
vary widely as simple systems such as the two-wheeled,
four legs at speeds over 29 mph.
19-cm-wide, 0.5-g Arduino robot; as robust, tracked platforms
Sophisticated working robot designs continue to emerge
such as QinetiQs 9-kg Dragon Runner tactical support robot;
as readily available kits such as those built around the Arduino
and even as sophisticated mobile laboratories such as NASAs
Robot. Furthermore, engineers can experiment with alternative
six-wheeled, 270-cm-wide, 899-kg Mars Rover Opportunity. In
fact, while MCU-based systems, wireless transceivers, precision mobility platforms including biped robot designs such as the
Freescale FSLBOT Xtrinsic Sensor Wireless Mechatronics
sensors, and advanced vision systems typically gain the most
Robot; six-legged designs such as the Parallax crawler kit; or
attention with these robots, their mobility designs require as
even flying robots with the Parallax quadcopter kit. As bluemuch tuning to the target application as their payload.
color robot designs mature, their beauty will continue to lie less
In over 11 years of continuous operation, Opportunity has
in their appearance than in their effectiveness.
wheeled itself to the off-world driving record, having logged
BY STEVE EVANczuk
A DVE RT I SEM EN T
The latest applications and industry trends on robotics and more.

mouser.com/applications
In Partnership with
Engineering Distribution 13
Crossing the Uncanny Valley

By Jon Gabay
s we technologically weave our society into a more

machine-centric fabric, machines are going to take
on more and more human attributes. This means that
robots will try to look and interact with us more like humans
do. A funny thing happens on the way to becoming human
though. A repulsive emotion buried deep inside all of us flares
up at a crossover point between clearly mechanical and clearly
humanoid. This visually triggered effect has been called the
Uncanny Valley, a term coined by professor Masahiro Mori in
1970 based on a concept from Sigmund Freud.
Robots that are very clearly machines do not tend to scare
us. Likewise, robots that are very human dont frighten us. But
robots in this valley do repulse and intimidate us. This is a
buried physiological response to rather specific stimuli. As designers of the machines that people interact with, it is important to make sure that people accept the machines in their daily
lives. For example, a rescue robot will not be effective if it scares
children and other people in need.
Peoples reactions to this Uncanny Valley effect have been
demonstrated to be repeatable. In fact, the effect has been
graphed as a mathematical function.
Many speculations have
been made as
to why this
seemingly genetically coded
response lives
within us.
Some say it
is to prevent
similar but
different
species from
mating. Others
purport that
it is part of an innate sense that seeks to protect ourselves from
disease that makes us shy away from an organism that may be
perceived as carrying a sickness. And still others claim this is a
genetic memory from times way back before history encoded
in mitochondrial DNA.
The Uncanny Valley may not be purely a reaction to the
physical. Faces in video games are still being studied regarding
peoples reactions to them. Animation, too, has been able to
demonstrate this with cartoon characters kids like, and those
that they dont. This is tapping into that subconscious area at
an early age for the purpose of creating characters and artificial
friends for children.
(Source: Gnomon School of Visual Effects)
On the other side of the coin, images of static robots that

have not crossed the Uncanny Valley can arouse a creeped
out response. Take, for instance, some of the design attempts
to create robotics with real-life facial features. Even without
motion, robots that look too life-like make humans uneasy.
Motion compounds this uneasiness, especially if it is not fluid
and natural.
This is an important concept to understand for those
creating companion robots. An elderly and aging population
or those afflicted with some form of dementia may benefit
from a companion robot that is responsive enough to comfort
and assist, yet also welcoming and non-intimidating. In many
cases, like a loyal dog, the vision of an Asimov-style protector
companion machine would draw even little Timmy away from
Lassie. But in order to achieve this level of trust, comfort, and
ease, we must understand and overcome the Uncanny Valley.
Otherwise these machines will remain, at least to human perPrimary Logo
ception, cold and soulless.
A DVE RT I SEM EN T
14 Sensors & Transducers
Sensors for advanced

automotive applications
The dramatic growth of automotive electronic
systems is escalating due to new types of
sensors and applications
BY ROGER H. GRACE, President
Roger Grace Associates, www.rgrace.com
ast months CES clearly indicated the

ever-growing, mainstream role of
electronics in automobiles where
several years ago there were no automakers
at the event, this year there were 10, from
Audi to Volkswagen. Many automakers
were demonstrating their novel and advanced Infotainment and display systems
as well as safety systems using radars,
lasers, and cameras to enable so-called
self-driving cars.
The explosion of automotive electronic
systems began in earnest in the mid 70s.
The need for a cleaner burning engine
mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was the catalyst to
the introduction of electronic engine control (EEC) using an LVDT pressure sensor.
The first MEMS sensor to be introduced
into automotive vehicles was in 1981 with
the Ford/Motorola Silicon Capacitive Pressure Sensor (SCAP). Further U.S. Federal
regulation brought an electromechanical
acceleration switch as part of the supplementary restraint system (SRS) in 1984.
This device was later replaced by a MEMSbased unit in 1988 made by Sensonor
(www.sensornor.com) and outfitted in a
Mercedes Benz. A summary of automotive
sensor milestones is provided in Table. 1.
Since their first introduction in EEC,
automotive electronic sensor application
opportunities have grown significantly.
Several market research organizations track
the auto sensor market; among the more
recent reports are Gartners Semiconductor
Forecast Database, Worldwide, 2Q14 Update by Nolan Reilly et alia, June 25, 2014,
and Strategy Analytics Automotive Sensor
Demand 2012 2021 by Mark Fitzgerald,
Jul 08 2014. The following market data has
been gleaned from these reports.
In 2013, an average of 42 sensors were

installed in vehicles worldwide, with
high-end vehicles having over 100 individual sensors; an average of 47 sensors is
expected by 2017. These sensors typically
work with microcontrollers and embedded
systems, which will grow from 30 units in
2013 to 48 units in 2017, networked via up
to 20 communication buses.
As I forecast in my 2002 AMAA
Proceedings article (bit.ly/1IE6mKX), over
70 potential applications exist for these devices today. Many found initial application
in high-end vehicles where extra cost is less
a factor than providing performance/convenience differentiation. Steady auto sales
increases, compounded by continuous
introduction of new safety, convenience,
and performance functions, is creating a
market for automotive sensors projected at
$25.5B in 2017 versus $18.38B in 2013.
Car sensors today
Todays high-volume applications include

manifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensors, airbag accelerometers, tire-pressure
monitors, and yaw-rate sensors. A MAP
device measures the pressure in the intake
manifold and feeds the information back to
a computer, whose programmed algorithm
determines the optimum air/fuel mixture

to minimize pollution and maximize fuel
economy. The adoption of these systems
was facilitated by the mandates of the U.S.
EPA. Major players in the MAP market
include Bosch (www.boschautoparts.com),
Delphi (www.delphi.com), Denso (www.

globaldenso.com), Freescale (www.freescale.com/automotive), and Kavlico (www.
kavlico.com).
Airbag accelerometers were introduced
in 1984, also by federal mandate. Today,
virtually all vehicles are equipped with
at least one of these devices, the majority
MEMS-based, and some vehicles use as
many as 12 to also monitor for front, side,
and rear crashes. Major producers of crash
accelerometers include Analog Devices
(www.analog.com) , Denso, Freescale, and
Sensornor/Infineon (www.sensornor.com).
Tire under-inflation poses safety issues
it creates excessive tire heat and wear,
increasing the likelihood of a blowout as
well decreasing fuel economy. The United
States National Traffic Highway Safety
Administration (NHTSA) dictated the
introduction schedule for these systems
starting in model year 1995 and the dominant monitoring solution is MEMS-based.
Bosch, Freescale, Melexis (www.melexis.
com), Siemens (www.siemens.com), Sensata/Schrader (www.sensata.com), Amphenol NovaSensor (www.amphenol-sensors.
com), and Murata (www.muratamems.fi)
aggressively compete for this application.
Yaw rate sensors, which measure the
rate of rotation about a central axis, are
important in determining vehicle location
(used in conjunction with a Global Positioning System) or vehicle orientation as
it begins to roll over or go into an uncontrolled skid. Analog
Devices, Bosch,
Denso, Freescale,
and Murata and have
introduced MEMSbased solutions for
rollover, navigation,
and vehicle dynamic
control applications.
Future applications
Many vehicle manufacturers and first tier

automotive system suppliers are working
earnestly on myriad new sensor-based
applications for next generation vehicles.
16 Sensors & Transducers

installed on large transport vehicles and
Of major interest are sensors for alternate
fuel vehicles, such as diesel, hybrid, electric, in beta test in a European Mercedes Benz
rental fleet.
natural gas, and hydrogen.
As emission legislation becomes more
demanding, diesel-powered vehicles have
System integration by packaging
adopted several new systems which require Recently, Amphenol NovaSensor in conspecialized sensors. Noteworthy are sensors junction with Cooper Standard (www.
that measure in-cylinder pressure for diesel cooperstandard.com) introduced their
engines. Optrand (www.optrand.com) is
Quick Connect product, which intecurrently developing these robust sensors
grates a pressure sensor into a connector.
using a fiber-optic-sensing approach which The piezoresistive pressure sensor opersurvives temperatures up to 350C and
ates at 150 psi and is used in a fuel rail
operates in the pressure range of 30,000
application. It is an example, I believe,
psi bar with an accuracy of 1%. Using
of a major trend in automotive sensor
a piezoresistive strain-gage technology,
technology: functional integration. Since
Sensata (www.sensata.com), in conjunction packaging typically accounts for about
with Beru, has developed an in-cylinder
75% of automotive-sensor costs, what
pressure sensor that is currently used in
better way to reduce cost than to inteVW production vehicles.
grate the sensor into the connector?
Additionally, selective catalytic
reduction (SCR) systems are used in
the exhaust after-treatment application.
A typical SCR system has 14 sensors
including 10 temperature sensors, 3
pressure sensors, and 1 urea quality sensor. The urea-quality sensor checks for
the necessary urea concentration as well Fig. 1: To monitor the urea concentration in
for the presence of unwanted liquids.
selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems,
TT Electronics (www.ttelectronics.com) TT Electronics AdBlue sensor uses optical
solution, the AdBlue sensor (Fig. 1), pro- techniques; the angle at which light from an LED
is deflected depends on the chemical content of
vides an accuracy of 3.0%, a measurement range of 0% to 50% (Urea in water) the liquid filling its prism.
over a temperature range of 40C to
Fig. 2: Shown
60C. Measurement Specialties (www.
inside a
meas-spec.com) and SUNA Corp.
battery-cable
(www.sun-awks.co.jp) also provide these connector,
Freescales
devices.
Hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered vehicles MM912_637
batteryare beginning to enter the market; in
monitoring
California, Hyundai and Toyota will
sensor
offer fuel-cell-powered vehicles with 250 measures
to 300-mile driving ranges by mid-2015. battery
current, voltage, and temperature. Using a
A key component of fuel cell vehicle
microprocessor with embedded application
systems is tank-pressure monitoring.
American Sensor Technology (www.ast. algorithms, it provides early warning of battery
discharge and wear-out.
com) is one company that provides an
extreme-environment pressure sensor that
In 2014, Freescale introduced a
uses piezoresistive strain-gauge technology. smart battery-monitoring sensor, the
The sensor is available in a 300-psi format
MM912_637, compatible with 12-V lead
for the low side and 3,000 psi for the high
and 14-V lithium-ion batteries. It deterside of the hydrogen fuel tank systems.
mines the batterys state of charge, state of
Theses sensors are able to withstand the
health, and state of function by measuring
corrosive nature of the hydrogen media
the battery current, voltage, and temperaat temperatures to 145C and have 1.0
ture and feeding the data to a microcon% accuracy. These sensors are currently
troller with embedded battery performance
SpecialtyResistorAd_EP8_13_Layout 1 8/15/13 1:25 PM Page 1
Sensors &
Transducers
17
algorithms. It provides early warning of

unusual battery discharge and wear-out
(Fig. 2).
Autonomous and entertaining
Another of the more interesting and

exciting future applications is sensors for
autonomous vehicles. A broad spectrum of sensors for long-range applications of up to 250 meters for adaptive
cruise/emergency-breaking control use
microwave radar operating at 75 and
46 GHz. For shorter ranges, sensors for
lane changing/blind spot sensors (24
GHz radar and cameras) and parking
assist (ultrasonic and camera) are in the
system designers portfolio to increase
vehicle safety.
Daimlers Mercedes-Benz F015 concept
car was revealed at CES 2015. It was
self-driving with touchscreen walls and
seats that rotate to create a cocoon on
wheels. USA Today reported that Audi
stuffed a few journalists into a Q7 loaded
with what it called piloted driving gear
and they made the 500-mile trip from
Silicon Valley to Las Vegas in time for the
show with minimal driver intrusions.
Many of the systems demonstrated in
the previously mentioned CES 2015 have
adopted gesture recognition to control
functions, providing Infotainment systems
in vehicles to enhance safety and convenience of use. In a manner similar to
in-home or mobile phone applications,
automakers are adopting systems that use
accelerometers, ultrasonic, IR, and other
sensor technologies to control the various
functions of a vehicle.
About the author
Roger H. Grace (rgrace@rgrace.com) is

president of Roger Grace Associates, a Naples Floridabased strategic marketing consulting firm specializing in high technology,
which he founded in 1982. His background
includes over 45 years in high-frequency analog circuit design, application engineering,
project management, product marketing,
and technology consulting. A pioneer in the
field of MEMS, Mr. Grace has specialized
in sensors and ICs for over 35 years. He
received his BSEE and MSEE (Raytheon Fellow) from Northeastern University and was
its Engineering Alumni of the Year in 2004.
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18 Packaging, Cabinets & Enclosures
Airflow considerations in
packaging electronics for
challenging environments
When operating in warm climates, thermal
management calculations are critical to avoid
premature aging of critical components
BY PRAVEEN POTHAPRAGADA
President, Equipto Electronics
www.equiptoelec.com
n parts of the world where weather

conditions are within a temperate
range, electronics has embedded
itself into many different types of infrastructures. In fact, there is hardly any
place left on earth that does not have
intelligent electronic systems performing
control and monitoring functions. There
are, however, places on the planet where
high temperature, sand, and other conditions can be challenging to overcome. As
electronic circuitry is by nature fragile
and temperature sensitive, packaging
electronics to be functional in harsh
environments is evolving into a special
science. In recent years, infrastructure
growth has exploded in locations where
technology is being deployed rapidly in
harsh environments. Some middle-eastern countries are prime examples.
Traditionally, NEMA-rated enclosures
have been popular choices for protecting systems in harsh environments.
However, simply packaging circuitry in
a NEMA-rated enclosure is not enough
to ensure adequate protection from an
environment with blistering daylight
temperatures and the incursion of contaminants. While thermal management
may not be top-of-mind for most EEs,
it is vital for the longevity of systems in
harsh environments. The required thermal analysis does not need be a daunting
ordeal for every system. Back of the
envelope style calculations are sufficient most of the time in determining
the air-flow required to keep the system
functional.
In a very warm climate
Consider the project to greatly expand

the Dubai International Airport and
boost its capacity by 50% to 90 million
passengers per year by 2018. To accomplish this, it was necessary to build a
people-mover system to transport passengers between Terminal 1 and the new
Concourse 4. The INNOVIA APM 300
automated people-mover (APM) system
more. Sandstorms also occur periodically. These APM systems are, of course,
fully exposed to Dubais harsh environment.
For some of the system control
circuitry, NEMA 3R enclosures were
chosen for the task (Fig. 2). In planning
for circuit protection, the challenge was
to determine the airflow needed in the
enclosure to keep the system operational
and not shorten the lifespan of any of the
components. Here, the given factors that
were at play are shown in Table 1.
At any time, only half the surface area
of the enclosure, at maximum, is directly
Fig. 1:Bombardier Transportations INNOVIA APM 300 automated people-mover (APM)

system will have cabineted electronics that must operate at 118F temperatures in Dubai.
(Fig. 1) was selected

by the airport. Built
by Bombardier
Transportation,
an international
rail transportation
leader, it will move
passengers at speeds
up to 80 km/h.
Modern people-mover systems are fully automated,
with no on-board system personnel. As
such, various control and monitoring
systems must be located throughout
the rail line. Unlike at most airports,
ambient daytime summer temperatures
of 118F (47.89C) are not uncommon in
Dubai, with nighttime drops of 20F or
exposed to the sun. So the heat energy

due to the sun, or solar load, can be
calculated thus:
Solar load = [yearly radiation
(Wh/m2)/(days/yearhours/day)]
enclosure surface area(m2)/2
= [2,027,000/(36524)] 1.187/2
= 137W
Packaging, Cabinets & Enclosures 19

The total load, or heat energy (Q), that must be dealt with by
air circulation is the sum of the solar and internal loads: 227W
(or J/s). The airflow (CFM) that is needed to deal with Q can be
calculated using the following two equations:
(1) Q = mc (T)
where m is the mass of air per second (kg/s); c is the specific
heat of air at 325K (1006 kJ/kgK); and T is the difference between internal and external air temperature, or Tmax (328.15K)
minus Tambient (321.04K).
And
(2) m = CFM
where CFM is the rate of air flow (here in m3/s) and is the
density of air at 325K (1.109 kg/m3).
Substituting for m in the (1), and solving for CFM:
CFM = Q/[c (T) ]
= 277/[10061.109(328.15 - 321.04)]
= 0.035 m3/s or 74ft3/min
So if we use a 100-ft3/min fan to establish the airflow in the
enclosure, the system should remain operational within its
engineered environmental range and not overheat.
Note, however, that a detailed analysis is still required for
critical systems to determine if any hot pockets exist and if
there is airflow reduction from any required filters. But a simple
analysis such as the one above can give us a starting point in
designing such enclosure systems.
Fig. 2: NEMA 3R enclosures for system control circuits in the

INNOIVIA APM 300, like the Equipto unit above, are cooled to spec.
closure will be mounted in a mobile or shipboard installation.

For these situations, look for certification that the enclosure
meets MIL-STD-167-1 (Mechanical vibrations of shipboard
equipment) and MIL-STD-901D (Shock, Heavy Weight Grade
A, Class II). This is especially important if the mobile application is off-road.
Other conditions
Other environmental conditions may require specialized enclosure finishing, gaskets, and air filters. Blowing sand and microfine dust, often achieving significant velocity, can be another
challenge in the Mideast, and even the western U.S. While exact
recommendations will vary with the type of environment, a safe
bet is to choose an enclosure fabricated from a noncorrosive
metal, such as stainless steel or aluminum. This base metal can
also be protected by paint and plating finishes, but sometimes
they get scratched or degraded upon years of exposure. Again,
this depends on the environment and how the enclosure is used
and even how it is positioned. For painted finishes, the surface
should be fully primed before applying the final finish. A good
epoxy paint finish will have a thickness of 2 to 4 mils.
The gasket seal can be especially important in wet or dusty
regions. Choose one that corresponds to the ratings of the
harsh environment your product will interact with. Many different types of gaskets are available in the market, ranging from
dust gaskets to water- and jet-fuel-tolerant ones. For salt water
tolerance, look for MIL-STD 810 compliance.
To ensure that the enclosure retains its structural integrity, it
should be seam welded and tested for weld discontinuities (die
penetration test). Your enclosure manufacturer should be able
to supply you with this data. If the enclosure is being custom
made to your specifications, be sure to supply the manufacturer
with all possible data about the installation, what circuitry will
be mounted inside the box, and the environmental conditions
expected.
Mechanical vibration can also be a significant issue if the en-
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20 Energy-Saving Initiative
an electronic products special series
Supercapacitors for backup

energy storage
It is advantageous for the supercapacitor-charging circuits to tolerate
high voltages and provide CICV regulation capability
BY JUN LIU
Principal Applications Engineer
Intersil
www.intersil.com
upercapacitors (SCs) are finding

use in a variety of power management applications, including automotive start-stop systems with regenerative braking. In these systems, SCs can
provide the energy needed to engage
the starter to restart the combustion engine as well as accept the kinetic
energy recovered during braking.
SCs are used because they can be
charged and discharged considerably more times than traditional
lead-acid batteries, and they can
absorb energy more rapidly without
degrading their expected lifetime.
This article discusses the challenges
of charging these large capacitors, and
shows power system designers how to
evaluate and select the best system configuration for backup energy storage.
System elaboration
There are many system configurations

using SC banks as backup energy storage. To get started, designers will need
to target their energy storage configuration and then decide at what voltage
the energy can be stored. Selecting the
solution depends on the power and
voltage requirements of the load and the
energy and voltage capabilities of the
SC. Once the best solution is identified,
overall performance and cost tradeoffs
must be made.
Figure 1 shows the block diagram
of a high efficiency solution where the
loads are devices requiring regulated input voltages (3.3, 5, 12 V, etc.).
The main supply of 48 V is supplying Switching Regulator 2 (SW2) in
normal operation while simultaneously

charging the SC bank to 25 V through
Switching Regulator 1 (SW1). When
the main supply is disconnected, the
SC bank then supplies SW2 to maintain
load operation without interruption.
System design and challenges
Once an SC cell has been chosen, the

system designer must select the target
voltage at which each SC cell will be
charged. This is done based on the rating
multiple cells in series and a buck or

buck-boost regulator. To use a boost, we
must ensure that as the SC discharges,
the voltage doesnt drop below the minimum operating input voltage for SW2.
This can be up to half of the charged
voltage of the SC, and for this reason,
well illustrate a bank that consists of a
series combination of SCs and a simple
buck regulator for SW1. Then, if energy
requirements demand, multiple series
strings will be placed in parallel.
Fig. 1: Block diagram

of a battery backup
system example using a
supercapacitor bank
curves of the SC. Most SC cells are rated

in the range of 2.5 to 3.3 V at room
temperature this rating falls at higher
temps and with longer desired lifetime.
Typically, the target voltage should be
set below the maximum rated voltage to
extend the operating life of the SC.
Next, the voltage desired for the
bank of SCs and SW2 topology can be
chosen. The SC bank configurations can
be in parallel, series or a combination
of series strings in parallel. Since the
cell voltage rating is typically less than
3.3 V and the loads often require equal
or higher supplies, the options for cell
configuration and SW2 will be to use
a single cell with a boost converter or
If a series combination of SCs is

chosen, the number of cells used must
be selected based on the maximum
desired voltage at the top of the string.
More capacitors in series means higher
Fig. 2: CICV supercapacitor charge control.
22 Energy-Saving Initiative
an electronic products special series
Fig. 3: Simplified
schematic of a sync
buck regulator
achieving CICV SC
charging control.
buck function for both SW1 and

SW2 is appropriate. With the
primary challenge relating to
SC charging, the choice for SW1
is critical. The ideal solution
for SW1 would require power
management functionality that
is capable of operating with high
input (48 V) and output (25 V)
voltages while also providing
CICV regulating capability.
Supercapacitor charger
solution
voltage of the SC string with less capacitance. For instance, consider the choice
of using two strings of four 2.7-V 10-F
capacitors versus one string of eight (in
series) of the same capacitor. While the
same total charge and energy can be
stored, the usable voltage range of the
string makes the single series string advantageous. For example, to have a load
requiring 5-V bias, the required voltage
for SW2 is around 6 V, considering its
maximum duty cycle and other dropout
factors.
The energy in a capacitor is
W=CV2/2 and the energy that can be
used is W= C/2(Vcharge2 - Vdischarge2)
For two strings of four capacitors,
the usable energy is W = 2*[(10
F/4)/2*((2.7 V*4)2-6 V2)] = 201.6J
The usable energy in the single
string of eight (in series) is W =
1*[(10F/8)/2*((2.7V*8)2-6V2)] =
269.1J
Since both capacitor banks store the
same total energy, the string with lower
voltage has a greater percentage of wasted charge thats unusable. In this case, the
higher string voltage is preferable to fully
utilize the SCs.
A third system challenge arises when
considering how to charge the SC bank.
Initially, when the SC voltage is 0, SW1

has to work at a condition similar to an
output short for a fairly long period of
time due to the high capacitance. A regular SW1 may get stuck in hiccup mode
and fail to charge the SC. To protect the
SC and SW1, additional current limiting
function is necessary at the beginning
of the charging stage. A good solution
would be for SW1 to provide continuous
charging current for an extended amount
of time at almost no output voltage.
There are various methodologies to
charge an SC. Constant current/constant
voltage (CICV) is more commonly used
and the preferred method as shown in Fig.
2 (CICV curve). At the beginning of the
charge cycle, the charging device (SW1)
operates in constant current mode providing a constant current to the SC such that
its voltage is linearly increasing. The SC is
charged to a target voltage, at which time
the constant voltage loop becomes active
and accurately controls the SC charge level to be constant to avoid over charging.
Again, this preferred solution places
requirements on the power management
functions that will need to be considered.
Referring back to Fig. 1 as an example, with a main supply of 48 V, an SC
bank voltage of 25 V and load voltages
of 3.3, 5, 12 V, or more, a synchronous
An SC charger solution can be

achieved with the right synchronous buck regulator. Figure 3
shows the simplified schematic of
the ISL78268 controlling a sync
buck regulator to achieve CICV
control. To charge a supercapacitor bank to 25 V with CICV
control, it operates with VIN >= 48 V and
VOUT >= 25 V. It has a constant current and
constant voltage regulating capability with
automatic transitions between regulation
modes. And it has accurate current sense
inputs for the CI portion that operate
over the supply voltages of the system. As
shown in Fig. 3, the controller is sensing
the inductors continuous current, which
is the charging current. And the controllers current sense amplifier must withstand the common mode voltage, which is
25 V in this case.
Supercapacitors are adopted as energy
storage solutions in automotive, industrial and consumer products due to their
intrinsic physical characteristics that provide advantages over traditional batteries.
To maximize the energy stored in the SC
bank, its often best to stack several SC
cells in series to realize high bank voltages.
When charging, it is preferable to use a
CICV charging methodology to limit the
high currents that would otherwise flow
due to the low ESR of the SC if charging
to a constant voltage. The constant current
makes charging losses controllable within
the SC, which can reduce heat generation
and extend the life of the SC. Thus, it is
advantageous for the charging circuits to
tolerate high voltages and provide CICV
regulation capability.
Keysight
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Instruments
FebruaryApril 2015
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SEE PAGE 2
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Enhancing debugging with time-correlated

mixed-domain analysis
The ability to debug in both the time domain and the frequency domain can be valuable. While oscilloscopes are useful measurement tools to look at both the time and
frequency domain because of their Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) capabilities, most cannot correlate time- and frequency-domain signals at specific times.
Verifying a swept-frequency voltage

controlled oscillator (VCO)
As an example, consider a VCO triggered by an event to sweep from 700 kHz to 3 MHz as
shown by the upper display in Figure 1. There appears to be a gap in the swept-frequency
output, but what is the exact frequency at which it occurs? Setting FFT parameters with
start/stop or center/span frequencies will perform calculations on full screen data, but
will not show if the frequency changed over time.
Using a time-gated FFT function

in an oscilloscope
In Figure 2, the time-gated FFT has been turned on. The top half of the oscilloscope
screen displays the captured time-domain waveforms and the gate, which can be resized
depending on how much information you want to analyze. The analysis window is set
around the time that the enabled signal was activated. Now we can see that at the time
the oscillator was enabled, its frequency was about 700 kHz, which was to be expected.
By moving the window to the end of the signal, we can see that the final frequency was
3 MHz, which is the desired result.
Figure 1. Scan with time-gated FFT function.
However, what happened at the gap in the time-domain swept-frequency signal? If you
move the window to the point just before and then after the gap as shown in Figure 3, the
gated FFT function will show frequencies of 1.97 MHz and 2.08 MHz, respectively. Now by
setting the time cursors at the beginning of the enabling clock edge and the beginning of
the gap, you can see that the gap occurs 78 mSec after it was enabled.
Figure 2. Time-gated FFT only in the specified window.
More versatility with time-gated FFTs

Gated FFTs can be useful tools when looking at other signals, such as bursty signals, or
trying to determine other signals coupling into your device under test (DUT) at a specific
time. Keysights InfiniiVision 3000T and 4000 X-Series time-gated measurements provide
even more analysis with the ability to time correlate your measurements in both domains.
For more information see the 3000T X-Series visit

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Figure 3. Use cursors to measure the time at which the oscillator stalled.
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002
BasicInstruments
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AugustOctober
2014
02 Basic
April 2015
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Quadrupled resolution, for a fraction of the cost
Optimized to make precise and dependable measurements in

the demanding conditions you face on the job
U5855A TrueIR
thermal imager
U1230
Series
DMMs
Optimized for dark, noisy and even dangerous

environments
Built-in LED flashlight
Flashing backlight as additional visual alert
Vsense non-contact voltage detection
U1240
Series
DMMs
Low A and high M ranges, harmonic ratio

measurements, dual/differential temperature
10,000-count display
0.09% basic DCV accuracy
U1250
Series
DMMs
0.025% basic DCV accuracy, accurate true-RMS

AC measurements, and high-contrast OLED
display (U1253B)
50,000-count dual display
CAT III 1000 V and CAT IV 600 V safety rating
U1270
Series
DMMs
30,000-count resolution and 0.05% basic DCV

accuracy down to 40 C
Superior contrast with OLED display
Low impedance mode, low-pass filter, offset
compensation
Visual and audible continuity indications
Dust and water resistant casing (certified to
IP 54)
U1210
Series
clamp
meters
Get the clarity of 320 x 240 pixels at the cost of

a 160 x 120 pixels detector with fine resolution
capability
For distant readings and inaccessible targets:
digital zoom magnifies by up to 4x
For close-up readings: accurately measure as
close as 10 cm (3.9 in) to distinguish close-fit
components
In-camera monitoring and analysis capabilities
Sensitivity (noise equivalent temperature
difference): 0.07 C
Built-in tutorial, quick-access buttons, and
custom settings to make the imager work the
way you work
4 GB SD card storage (standard)
Accomplish more in a days work with remote testing

plus report generation
U1450A/U1460A
Series insulation
resistance testers
Simplify routine and predictive maintenance with

automated reporting and wireless testing
Measure insulation resistance up to 260 G,
earth bond resistance, AC and DC volts,
capacitance, continuity, and diode tests, plus
current and temperature in the U1461A
Standard test voltages 50, 100, 250, 500, and
1,000 V; adjustable 10 V up to 1.1 kV on selected
models
OLED displays on selected models offer
crystal-clear readings
Certified to IP 67, water proof up to 1 meter
(3.28 ft), dust proof, drop proof up to 3 m
(10 ft), CAT III 1000V and CAT IV 600 V
Remote Link solution: Add wireless connectivity to

Keysight handheld meters
Extended measurement distance of up to
U1115A Remote
100 meters
Logging Display with
View readings of up to four handheld meters

U1117A Bluetooth
simultaneously
Adapter (Class 1)
Measure up to 1000 A and still see 10 mA

Large 2-inch clamp opening
CAT III 1000 V / CAT IV 600 V safety rating
Includes full-featured DMM
Compatible across all existing Keysight's

U1200 Series handheld meters
60,000 points interval logging (U1115A)
Download logged data to a PC via Bluetooth
connection (U1115A)
Find a Keysight distributor today at
www.keysight.com/find/distributor
Basic Instruments | February April 2015
03
Digital Multimeters and Waveform Generators

Benchtop DMMs
Exceptional performance and ease of use
BenchVue software enabled
Features
DCV, DCI
Digits of True RMS
resolution ACV/ACI
Model
Description
U3401A
Dual display. Elegantly simple and

affordable DMMs with basic capabilities.
U3402A
DMM with built-in 30 W power supply.

U3606B Halves bench/rack space needed for two
instruments.
34450A
34460A
2 and 4 Freq/ Diode/

wire
period cont
2wire
only
Faster measurement speed, ultra-bright

OLED with dual display, and basic
statistical tools.
New industry standard.

Display DMM results in ways you
never have before and measure with
unquestioned Truevolt confidence.
Industry standard for accuracy, speed,

measurement ease and versatility.
New 34461A is 100% drop-in replacement
for the 34401A.
Dual display. Highest throughput of benchtop DMMs, best choice for system use.
34420A
Nano volt/ meter. Very accurate,

low-level measurements.
DCV only
3458A
The fastest, most flexible and most

accurate multimeter, ideal multimeter
for demanding applications.
34401A
34410A
34411A
None
26
USB, GPIB
USB,
serial (RS-232),
optional GPIB
USB, optional LAN,
GPIB
USB, LAN,
optional GPIB
190
6
6
1,000
serial (RS-232),
GPIB
1,000
10,000
USB, GPIB, LAN
50,000
6
6
Built-in PC
interfaces
N/A
300
34461A
Cap.
Max reading
rate at 4 digits
(rdgs/s)
Temp.
250
serial (RS-232),
GPIB
100,000
GPIB
Waveform Generators
General-purpose and precision models with exclusive Trueform technology
Trueform technology generates signals with the lowest jitter and harmonic distortion
Generate Trueform arbitrary waveforms with less jitter, more fidelity
and greater resolution.
Model
33210A
33220A
33250A
33509B/
33510B
33511B/
33512B
33519B/
35520B
33521B/
33522B
33611A
33612A
33621A
33622A
Description
Frequency
Channels
range
Pulse
10 MHz
5 MHz
Opt
14
50 MSa/s
8K
20 MHz
5 MHz
Std
14
50 MSa/s
64 K
80 MHz
50 MHz
Std
12
200 MSa/s
64 K
20 MHz
20 MHz
Opt
16
160 MSa/s
1M
16 M
20 MHz
20 MHz
Std
16
160 MSa/s
1M
30 MHz
30 MHz
Opt
16
250 MSa/s
30 MHz
30 MHz
Std
16
80 MHz
80 MHz
Std
80 MHz
80 MHz
120 MHz
120 MHz
General-purpose
function and arbitrary
waveform generators.
Exclusive Trueform
waveform technology
with <40 ps jitter and
<0.04% THD.
1
2
1
2
1
2
1
2
Exclusive Trueform
waveform technology
at higher frequency
ranges with <1 ps jitter
<0.03% THD.
Arbitrary waveforms
Modulation
Sample
Standard
Optional
# bits
rate
memory/Ch memory/Ch AM/FM
FSK
PWM
Std/Opt
arb
04 Basic Instruments | February April 2015
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
16 M
1M
16 M
250 MSa/s
1M
16 M
14
660 MSa/s
4M
64 M
Std
14
660 MSa/s
4M
64 M
100 MHz
Std
14
1 GSa/s
4M
64 M
100 MHz
Std
14
1 GSa/s
4M
64 M
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
DC Power Supplies and Precision Sources
AC Sources/Analyzers, DC Analyzers,
DC Power Supplies, and DC Loads
HIGH VALUE BASIC DC POWER: Solid performance and robust

features help you achieve more on lower budgets
STABLE, RELIABLE AC POWER: Make sure your designs can handle

unpredictable real-world power
E3600 Series
DC power supplies
AC6800 Series
basic AC sources
Output noise as low as 1mVp-p/0.2mVrms

Tight 0.01% load and line regulation
Fast load transient response time (<50 s)
30 to 200 W outputs
N5700 and N8700

Series system
DC power supplies
Basic, high-power, single-output power supplies

45 affordable models in compact 1 U (750 and
1500 W) and 2 U (3.3 and 5 kW) packages
Up to 600 V or up to 400 A
Programmability and built-in V I measurements
simplify test set ups
6030 Series
basic autoranging
DC supplies
Autoranging to do the job of multiple

power supplies
240 or 1200 W output, up to 500 V and 120 A
Programmability and built-in V I
measurements simplify test setups
N8900 Series
autoranging
high-power
system supplies
5 and 10 kW basic, single-output,

autoranging programmable DC power for
ATE applications
Just the right amount of performance at just
the right price
18 models that offer up to 1000 V or 340 A
Easily parallel units to create one power
supply with 100 kW of power
Basic AC source featuring stable and reliable

power
Four models: 500 to 4000 VA
Dual range 135 / 270 Vrms, up to 120 A
Intuitive user interface
Access and control the source remotely using
a standard Web browser
NEW
6800B Series
performance AC
sources/analyzers
Complete AC power test solution

Three models, up to 1750 VA (300 Vrms,
up to 80 A)
Extensive power measurement capabilities
DC capability (DC only or DC + AC)
Built-in arbitrary waveform generator to
simulate many types of power waveforms
HIGH PERFORMANCE DC POWER: Anticipate new demands with

high speed, versatility, and accuracy
N6700 modular
power system and
N6705B DC power
analyzer
B2960A Series low

noise power sources
Display I-V curves and other types of graphs

on the front panel
Best-in-class 6.5-digit sourcing and
measurement resolution
Wide application coverage from 100 nV / 10 fA
to 210 V / 3 A DC and 10.5 A pulsed
10 Vrms ultra-low noise precision

current/voltage source
Unmatched current and voltage sourcing
resolution (6.5-digit, 100 nV/10 fA)
Innovative and precision ARB capability; 6 builtin waveforms with speeds up to 10 kHz
B2980A Series
B2981A / B2983A: The world's only graphical
femto/picoammeters picoammeters
and electrometers
0.01fA minimum measurement resolution
B2983A is a battery operation model
automated test systems

Small 1U mainframe (400, 600, 1200 W);
up to 4 modules
More than 30 programmable DC power modules: basic, high performance, and precision
(mA and A); available in 50, 100, 300, and
500 W
N6705B: Deep insight into DUT power consumptionwithout assembling a complex test system
Integrated benchtop unit holds up to four N6700
Series modules (600 W total)
DMM, scope, arb, and data logger features
New source/measure units and applicationspecific modules
Achieve critical precision source and measurement goals

B2900A Series
precision source/
measure units
N6700: Ideal DC power supply solution for
6600 Series
high-performance
DC supplies
Fast, low-noise outputs improve

measurement accuracy and test throughout
40 to 6600 W, single output, up to 120 V,
and up to 875 A
Programmability and built-in V I
measurements simplify test setups
N3300 DC electronic
load mainframe
Stable and accurate: these loads are

easy to integrate into your test system
Automated command list execution
reduces workload on system controller
1800 W mainframe accepts up to six 150
to 600 W modules for simultaneous testing
Maximum inputs up to 240 V and 120 A
B2985A / B2987A The world's only graphical
electrometers
Confidently measure down to 0.01 fA and
up to 10 P (10x1015)
B2987A is a battery operation model
NEW
05
Data Acquisition Units and Handheld RF Analyzers
Signal Analyzers, Signal Generators,

Counters and LCR Meter
Modular flexibility and universal channels for a wide range of

measurements with no external signal conditioning
Achieve more on a tight budget: Solid performance with robust

measurement features
34980A multifunction switch/

measure unit
N9320B
basic spectrum
analyzer (BSA)
N9322C
basic spectrum
analyzer (BSA)
High performance, 8-slot mainframe with

6 digit DMM and built-in signal conditioning
Choose from 21 plug-in modules, up to
1024 1-wire (560 2-wire) channels or
4096 cross pts.
Optional 34832A BenchLink Data Logger Pro
34980A modules
Model
34921A34925A
multiplexer switch modules
34937A34939A
GP switch modules
34931A34934A
matrix switch modules
34941A34947A RF and
Wave switch modules
Key specifications
Up to 300 V, 40, 70 or 80 channels
Up to 64 channels, and up to 300 V
4x8, 4x16, up to Quad 4x32 matrix
Up to 26.5 GHz
34950A34952A
system control modules
34970A/72A
data acquisition
switch units
DIO, DAC, totalizer
Low-cost, 3-slot unit with 6 digit DMM and

built-in signal conditioning
Choose from 8 plug-in modules, up to 120
1-wire (60 2-wire) channels or 96 cross points
BenchLink Data Logger software included,
optional 34830A BenchLink Data Logger Pro
34972A has built-in Web interface
Model
34901A/02A/08A
multiplexers
34903A GP switch
34904A matrix
34905A/06A
RF switches
Key specifications
34907A multi-function
DIO, DAC, totalizer
Up to 300 V, 16, 20, or 40 channels

300 V, 20 actuator channels
4x8 matrix
2 GHz dual, 50 and 75
Field testing just got easier
N9340B handheld
spectrum analyzer
(HSA)
Frequency range: 25 MHz to 4 GHz

3.0 ms/data point sweep time
VSWR/return loss/cable loss; distance-to-fault
4-hour battery life
Frequency range: 9 kHz to 3 GHz

One-button features: channel power, ACPR,
OBW, field strength, spectrum emission mask
3 GHz tracking generator: insertion loss,
amplifier gain, filter passband
AM/FM IBOC and xDSL measurement
AM/FM, ASK/FSK demodulation
06 Basic Instruments | February April 2015

DANL: -152 dBm typical, with preamp on
7 GHz tracking generator, built-in VSWR bridge
AM/FM, ASK/FSK demodulation
Free remote control PC software
5-in-1 RF analyzer: Spectrum analyzer, stimulus and

response tester, spur and interference analyzer, ASK/FSK
modulation analyzer, peak and average power meter
Professional performance and compact size for general-purpose

testing needs
N9310A
RF signal generator
34970A/72A modules
N9330B handheld
cable and antenna
tester

DANL: -148 dBm with pre-amp on
3 GHz tracking generator
PowerSuite: channel power, occupied
bandwidth, and more
AM/FM and ASK/FSK demodulation analysis
Free remote control PC software
9 kHz to 3 GHz CW output, 20 Hz to 80 kHz

low frequency (LF) output
-127 to +13 dBm output level range
(max +20 dBm settable)
- 95 dBc/Hz SSB phase noise
Extensive analog modulation: AM, FM, phase,
and pulse modulation
Optional IQ modulator, 40 MHz bandwidth
More resolution and speed with graphical display offers

more insights
53200 Series RF and
universal frequency
counters
Frequency, frequency ratio, time interval,

rise/fall time, phase, and much more
Histograms, trend charts, data logging, and
built-in math and statistical functions
53230A offers: 20 ps single-shot, burst microwave, and continuous gap-free measurements
Optional 6 or 15 GHz RF channel
Model
Key specifications
53210A
350 MHz RF frequency counter, 10 digits/s
53220A
350 MHz universal frequency counter/timer, 12 digits/s, 100 ps
53230A
350 MHz universal frequency counter/timer, 12 digits/s, 20 ps
Speed, accuracy, and measurement versatility

E4980AL
precision LCR meter
20 Hz to 300 kHz / 500 kHz / 1 MHz

Exceptionally low noise at both low and high
impedance to improve test quality; 0.05% basic
impedance accuracy
High speed at an affordable price: 12 ms (SHORT),
118 ms (MED), 343 ms (LONG) @ 1 MHz
201-point programmable list sweep
Oscilloscopes and Probes
Oscilloscopes
Maximum versatility to troubleshoot todays challenges

and anticipate tomorrows needs
Breakthrough scope technology lets you see more, do more

and get more for your money
U1600 Series
handheld scopes
InfiniiVision
oscilloscopes
Up to 1,000,000 waveforms/sec update rate

MegaZoom IV responsive, uncompromised
smart memory
Integrated5 instruments available in one
Fully upgradablebandwidth, MSO, memory,
serial analysis, built-in WaveGen function
generator, or digital voltmeter
2000 X-Series
70 to 200 MHz bandwidth, up to 1 Mpts

memory, DSO and MSO models
8.5-inch WVGA display
Standard 5-year warranty
3000T X-Series
100 MHz to 1 GHz bandwidth, 4 Mpts memory,

DSO and MSO models
8.5 inch capacitive touch display
Zone touch triggering and extended analysis
capabilities
Wide range of serial decodes
Gated FFTs allow time-correlated views of the
frequency domain
5.7-inch VGA TFT LCD display with indoor,

outdoor, and night-vision viewing modes
3-in-1 instrument: oscilloscope, DMM,
and data logger
Fully isolated channels (U1610A, U1620A)
Up to 2 GSa/s sample rate and up to 2 Mpts
deep memory to zoom in on critical details
Benchtop-like dual window zoom for more
detailed waveform analysis
Big scope performance with a small scope price

1000 Series
oscilloscopes
50 to 200 MHz, 2 and 4 channel DSO models

with up to 20 kpts memory
5.7-inch color display offers powerful signal
capture and display
Up to 2 GSa/s sample rate
Accelerate your productivity with 23 automatic
measurements, an 11-language user interface,
USB connectivity, and a standard educators kit
NEW
See the big picture without losing sight of the details

N2820A and N2821A Measure currents as low as 50 A and as
high as 5 A
high-sensitivity
current probes
Measure AC and DC
4000 X-Series
200 MHz to 1.5 GHz bandwidth, 4 Mpts

smart memory, DSO and MSO models
12.1-inch capacitive touch display is 40% larger
than competitive scopes
Zone touch triggeringif you can see it, you can
trigger on it
Segmented memory standard
Also use as a voltage probe with as

low as 3 V sensitivity
Bandwidth; 3-MHz Zoom-Out Channel,
500 kHz Zoom-In Channel
Compatible with InfiniiVision 3000X
and InfiniiVision 4000X Series
For the complete list of available probes:

www.keysight.com/find/probes
BenchVue software
Gain greater insight with powerful applications

See the complete list at www.keysight.com/find/scope-apps
Description
2000 X-Series
3000T X-Series 4000 X-Series
20 MHz WaveGen
DSOX2WAVEGEN
DSOX3WAVEGEN
3-digit voltmeter
3-digit voltmeter and
8-digit counter
DSO to MSO upgrade
DSOXDVM
CAN/LIN trigger/decode
CAN/CAN-FD/CAN-dbc/LIN
trigger/decode
SENT trigger/decode
DSOX2AUTO
I C/SPI trigger/decode
Measurement Hint
RS232/UART trigger/decode
Measuring unique signal problems can be difficult. With Zone

touch triggering, draw a zone around the signal of interest on
the display to set up the trigger conditions. To move the zone
to another location, just drag it over.
USB full/low trigger/decode
DSOX4USBFL
USB high trigger/decode
DSOX4USBH
USB signal quality test
DSOX4USBSQ
Visualize multiple measurements simultaneously

Look for this icon
throughout the
Easily capture data, screen shots & system state
catalog to identify
compatible products. Recall past state of your bench to replicate results
Measurement data export to Excel, Word and

MATLAB with three clicks
Monitor & control your bench from mobile devices
DSOXDVM
DSOXT3DVMCTR
DSOX2MSO
So, if you can see it, you can trigger on it. Now available in
InfiniiVision 4000 and 3000T X-Series oscilloscopes.
DSOX4WAVEGEN2
DSOX3MSO
DSOXPERFMSO
DSOXT3AUTO
DSOX4AUTO
DSOXT3SENSOR
DSOX4SENSOR
DSOX2EMBD
DSOX3EMBD
DSOX4EMBD
DSOX2COMP
DSOX3COMP
DSOX4COMP
Get a FREE 30-Day trial license at www.keysight.com/find/30daytrial
07
P.O. Box 4026, Englewood, CO 80155-4026

www.keysight.com/find/contactus
CORE
BENCH
CORE BENCH LAB

Work with the latest Keysight instruments

to solve everyday test challenges at the

Core Bench Lab, part of Keysight's new
Insight Seminar Series. With over 40 stops in the U.S.
and Canada, there's sure to be a workshop in your area.
View the schedule, get more details or register today at
www.keysight.com/find/CoreBenchLab
Our Featured Distribution Partners
www.microlease.com/keysight
800.432.3424
http://testequity.com/keysight
800-588-3457
www.newark.com/keysight
800.463.9275
Get Greater ReliabilityStandard

Youve come to expect the highest quality
from Keysight. We stand behind our products
with a three-year warranty thats standard
on all instruments, worldwide.
www.keysight.com/find/ThreeYearWarranty
Special Price Offer for the

HH Digital Multimeter
DAQ Test Challenges Offer
Purchase any U124xB, U125xB,

U127xB and receive 11% off the
list price.
Purchase a 34972A and get a free

WiFi pocket router when you register
product at
www.keysight.com/find/daqpromo
Ask about promotion code 5.979
No promotion code needed.
Valid now thru Feb 28, 2015
Valid thru Feb 28, 2015
HH Extended Warranty
offer to 5 years
See our complete list

of current promotions.
www.keysight.com/find/promotions
Customers receive 2 extra years of

warranty FREE when they register their
U5855A TrueIR Thermal Imager.
Get more information at
www.keysight.com/find/hh_5warranty
No promotion code needed.
Valid thru May 31, 2015
Bluetooth and the Bluetooth logos

are trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG,
Inc., U.S.A. and licensed to Keysight
Technologies, Inc.
Technical data and pricing subject
to change without notice.
Keysight Technologies 2015

Published in USA, February 1, 2015
5992-0112ENUS
www.keysight.com
Cover Story 23
Using 802.11ac beamforming

and LDPC to improve wireless
performance
Next-generation Wi-Fi promises to run faster
and have improved range
BY CLINT BROWN
Director of Business Development
Wireless Connectivity
Broadcom, www.broadcom.com
i-Fi-enabled devices are everywhere. By 2020, researchers

estimate there will be 50 billion
wirelessly connected devices worldwide.
As a result, more consumers are demanding more speed, better reliability and
greater power efficiency in addition to
multimedia-rich content and the ability to
watch that content on everything from a
computer, tablet, smartphone, television,
and gaming console. Luckily, the 802.11ac
the more pesky problems associated with

Wi-Fi its limited range and connection
speed using a combination of techniques like transmit beamforming and
low-density parity check (LDPC) codes.
Consider a typical WLAN setup in a
home environment with various devices
(such as smartphone, tablet, laptop, printers, and TVs) connected via a wireless
router. There may be multiple levels and
walls in the home in this scenario, and
not all spots within the home will have
optimum connectivity. Most consumers
have figured this out for themselves,
often resorting to leaving a door open,
ing, a nonproprietary technology that can

be implemented across a wide range of
devices and provides a two to three times
improvement in wireless performance.
Beamforming enables this by steering the
RF energy in the direction of the intended
receiver (see Fig. 1). It even allows wireless
to be beamed around corners and through
walls, which means that dead spots in the
Wi-Fi network can be eliminated.
LDPC is a forward-error-correction
coding scheme used to ensure high coding reliability and increase coding gain.
Invented in the early 1960s, the code can
transmit messages through frequencies
experiencing a great deal of background
or data-corrupting noise. Using it substantially reduces the chance of losing
transmitted information on these noisy
channels. The result is an incrementally
better rate at range.
Fig. 1: With 802.11ac (and 802.11n)

beamforming, the hub or AP focuses wireless
directly at the device that needs it, regardless of
how many devices are involved.
standard, or the fifth generation of Wi-Fi

(%G WiFI), has emerged as the critical
next step in allowing the wireless communications industry to meet these demands.
802.11ac promises to run faster and
more efficiently than previous Wi-Fi
variants, delivering Gigabit throughput,
while operating in the 5-GHz band and
having backward compatibility with other
802.11 technologies operating in the same
band. It also promises to address one of
for example, to improve the signal from

the WLAN access point (AP) located in
the homes family room. Since continually moving the homes AP is usually not
an option, other means are required to
improve connectivity.
802.11ac employs two optional
techniques to boost connectivity performance by improving rate or throughput
at a given range. The most effective and
efficient of these techniques is beamform-
When used together, beamforming

and LDPC can improve overall wireless
coverage and capacity and increase the
range over which 802.11acs 256 QAM is
achievable. In fact, the increase may be as
much as 6 to 8 dBm of gain and up to a
3X bandwidth improvement at extended
range (see Fig. 2). On top of this, 802.11ac
Wi-Fi supports 80-MHz channels, plus
the optional use of contiguous 160-MHz
channels or noncontiguous 80+80 MHz
24 Cover Story
channels, which means there are essentially more lanes on the freeway to
support increased traffic. In other words,
5G Wi-Fi can realize up to a fourfold
bandwidth increase alone, just using 160MHz over 80-MHz channels. Those are
impressive performance improvements
indeed, but what does it all mean for end
users in real terms?
With no end in sight to consumer
demand for more devices and more data,
and with enterprise networks struggling
to support a higher density of users while
providing a better user experience, advanced techniques like beamforming and
LDPC have now become all the more critical. By dramatically improving wireless
connectivity performance, they are helping
to pave the way for migration from legacy
Wi-Fi standards to 5G Wi-Fi and ensuring the standard is ready to meet future
connectivity demands as they arise.
To answer that question, picture a typical enterprise scenario characterized by an
office space with multiple levels, populated
by both hard offices and cubicles, as well
Fig. 2: LDPC and beamforming work together to signicantly improve receiver throughput
and sensitivity.
as other spaces. One 802.11ac 3x3 WLAN

AP and several 802.11ac stations are set
up around the facility to provide employees with wireless connectivity. Throughput measurements with beamforming on
or off are then taken at various distances
from the AP. At 10 and 20 m, the throughput remains the same, with or without
beamforming. By 30 and 40 m, it starts to
become clear that beamforming increases

throughput. The largest effect, however,
comes at 50 m from the AP. Here, the use
of beamforming increases throughput
to 157 Mbits/s, as compared to the 87
Mbits/s achieved without beamforming
a whopping 80% increase. When LDPC is
added to the mix, additional throughput
increases can be realized.
TO-247PLUS-HV
ISOPLUS i5-Pak
ISOPLUS i4-Pak
Part Number
VCES
(V)
IC25
TC=25C
(A)
IC110
TC=110C
(A)
IXBF20N360
IXBF50N360
IXBL60N360
IXBX50N360HV
3600
3600
3600
3600
45
70
92
125
18
28
36
50
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FEBRUARY 2015 electronicproducts.com ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS
VCE(sat)
typ.
TJ=25C
(V)
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2.4
2.8
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typ.
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110
210
450
210
tf (resistive load)
typ.
TJ=25C
(ns)
1045
1750
910
1750
VF
max.
TJ=25C
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3.5
3
5
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RthJC
max.
(C/W)
Package
0.54
0.43
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ISOPLUS i4-Pak
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TO-247PLUS-HV
Bluetooth Low Energy

RF Module
PAN1326B/1316B Series
The New PAN1326B/1316B Series Bluetooth RF Modules

from Panasonic, features both Bluetooth Low Energy and
Bluetooth connectivity, based on Texas Instruments New
CC2564B controller, in an easy-to-use RF Module format.
This improved dual-mode Bluetooth SMART READY Module
has increased system and power efficiency.
WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY
Wireless Charging
Control LSI
Qi Compatible, Wireless Power IC

Panasonics wireless power control ICs support all
equipment conforming to WPC 1.1 (Qi standard) of
the Wireless Power Consortium. When Panasonics
transmitter (NN32251A-VT) and receiver (AN32258A-PR)
are used together, they achieve a high-efficiency energy
conversion of over 70% as a Qi standard charger.
SEMICONDUCTORS
Latching AC-Cutoff
Power Relay
ADZ Series
Panasonics ADZ Series is available in a horizontal and

vertical configuration and has a low profile to facilitate
space saving designs. Featuring a low operating power
and twin-contact design, the ADZ Series provides lower
contact resistance, and a broader operating temperature
range (-40 to 85C).
RELAYS
NFC
Tag LSI
Near Field Communication

The New NFC Tag LSI from Panasonic features
ultra low power and high security, this series can
be used in all applications that utilize near field
communication technology. With 4kB of integrated
non-volatile FeRAM, the NFC Tag LSI provides fast,
robust, and secure data storage.
Panasonic brings strategic innovations to

our customers product development process.
We provide the technology and engineering
resources to enable manufacturers to plan
and build world-class solutions to meet
their customer needs.
SEMICONDUCTORS
Relays & Connectors Capacitors Circuit Protection Electromechanical Sensors

Industrial Automation Resistors & Inductors Semiconductors Wireless Connectivity
na.industrial.panasonic.com
1-800-344-2112
26 Special
Wi-Fi gridlock eased by

802.11ac MU-MIMO
MU-MIMO serves multiple devices simultaneously
BY SIMON BRAND, Senior Director
of Product Management
Qualcomm Atheros
www.qca.qualcomm.com
onsumers are relying on more

connected devices than ever
smartphones and tablets,
smartwatches, notebooks, and more.
From a networking perspective, this

means demand for Internet access on a
Wi-Fi router is all of a sudden like rush
hour traffic on a freeway. Traffic slows
to a crawl as more devices are sending
and receiving data on the same popular
network.
The second release of the 802.11ac
Wi-Fi standard aims to ease this congestion and boost the flow of data with
a feature called MU-MIMO (multiple
user, multiple input, and multiple
output). Traditional Wi-Fi routers and
access points share bandwidth between
multiple devices and communicate
with them sequentially. Your tablet, for
example, is served for just a fraction of
a second, before your download gets
back in line behind your smart security
system. MU-MIMO, on the other hand,

uses four-stream 802.11ac to serve multiple devices at once. The result is up to
three times faster Wi-Fi throughput to
every device on a busy network.
For service providers, MU-MIMO
allows operators to offload data and media traffic from the cellular network so
they can better cope with the challenges

of skyrocketing data demand. But the
real advantage is the value it delivers
Multiple user,
multiple input, and
multiple output
(MU-MIMO)
serves data to
multiple devices
at the same time.
to consumers, enterprises, and other
crowded networks. MU-MIMO enables
high-bandwidth, low-latency connectivity and, in other words, it is designed

to provide a better user experience.
With the average American home approaching 20 connected devices and
corporate networks being even more
crowded each mobile device will
get a smaller and smaller fraction of
bandwidth.
MU-MIMO uses sharply focused
grouping and rate adaptation algorithms

to maximize performance for all devices
on a network at speeds above 1 Gbit/s.
It uses an advanced form of transmit
beamforming, in which a router directs
signals toward a group of devices, versus
just one device, to improve performance.
Mobile device manufacturers and
consumer electronics manufacturers are
also preparing smartphones and tablets
to take advantage of these advanced
features to achieve up to three times
faster 11ac Wi-Fi. Qualcomm now
offers the VIVE ecosystem with MU |
EFX MU-MIMO technology 802.11ac
2.0 solutions for networking equipment,
consumer electronics, and mobile and
computing devices.
March 9-11, 2015

Santa Clara , CA
Register Today!
Learn how to design, build and develop apps

for the wearable technology revolution
at Wearables TechCon 2015!
Two Huge Technical Tracks
Hardware and Design Track
Choose from 30+ classes on product design, electronic engineering for
wearable devices and embedded development. The hardware track is a
360-degree immersion on building and designing the next
generation of wearable devices.
Software and App Development Track

Select from 30+ classes on designing software and applications for
the hottest wearable platforms. Take deep dives into the leading SDKs,
and learn tricks and techniques that will set your wearable software
application apart!
A BZ Media Event
2 Days of Exhibits
Business-Critical Panels
Special Events
Industry Keynotes
Wearables DevCon blew away all my

expectations, great first year. Words
can't even describe how insightful
and motivating the talks were.
Mike Diogovanni, Emerging Technology
Lead, Isobar
www.wearablestechcon.com
28 Special
Advanced wireless home audio

system design
Simplicity of use and the users desired freedom
to roam drive a variety of design considerations
BY CLAYTON PILLION
Worldwide Marketing Manager
Microchip Technology
www.microchip.com
via home Wi-Fi networks.

Another important consumer trend
is the ability to play the same audio
stream on multiple speakers collectively called a zone. A home may
be divided into multiple zones, each
composed of one to many speakers. This
is commonly referred to as whole-home,
multizone, or multiroom audio. In these
the access point to slave, resulting in

double the bandwidth usage for a single audio stream. Using Wi-Fi Direct
with concurrent mode, the master
speaker maintains a connection on the
homes local network while simultaneously forming its own network with the
slave speakers. This enables the master
to bypass the access point and stream
directly to the slave speaker, resulting
in half the network bandwidth usage.
Audio drop-outs during playback
are a major source of frustration for
onsumers crave home audio

systems that seamlessly integrate into everyday life. Advanced wireless home audio systems
are growing in popularity, as consumers seek simplicity of use
and the freedom to roam
throughout a house while
streaming music services
that simultaneously play,
without interruption, on
multiple speakers. These
requirements drive a variety
of design considerations
for networking protocols,
wireless technologies, music-service integration, and
human-machine-interface
design.
The ability to stream
audio from cloud music
services, such as Spotify,
Rhapsody, and Deezer,
drives a decision between
pushing content from a mobile device using Bluetooth,
DLNA, or AirPlay features,
Fig. 1: Microchip offers its fourth-generation JukeBlox platform that enables audio designs with high quality
or having the speaker
and low latency.
source the audio directly
consumers. Lost or delayed audio packconfigurations, audio playback has to
from a cloud music service. Having a
ets typically occur because of network
be tightly synchronized across speakers
mobile device push content presents
or Internet congestion. As homes beto avoid an echo effect. This requires
limitations. The mobile devices battery
come filled with more and more wirea sophisticated time-tracking and
is quickly drained when it is actively
less devices, the battle for spectrum is
latency-management scheme, involving
receiving an audio stream from the
getting fierce. This battle is not limited
low-level software drivers and timing
service and transmitting it to the speakto the consumers own residence, but
features in the hardware.
er. By contrast, a speaker capable of
also includes RF signals from neighAnother design consideration is
connecting directly to the cloud music
managing the network bandwidth asso- bors. Most household devices, includservice frees the mobile device so that it
ing those using Bluetooth, reside in
ciated with multiple audio streams. A
is only used for audio playback controls
the 2.4-GHz bands; while 5-GHz home
traditional Wi-Fi star network topoland playlist selection. This solution
access points only recently entered
ogy requires a stream from the master
would integrate Wi-Fi radios onto the
node to an access point, and then from mainstream residential usage. A sysspeakers that then access the Internet
Special 29
tem that involves whole-home-audio
features must support both 2.4- and
5-GHz bands, in order to provide the
best possible experience. Systems must
be able to detect RF congestion and
change channels and/or frequencies, to
alleviate problems.
While wireless speakers are primarily controlled with mobile devices such
as tablets and smartphones, some consumers may use dedicated home-theater controllers or computers. Speaker
platforms supporting protocols native
to the mobile operating system, such
as the Apple AirPlay or DLNA for
Android platforms, greatly simplify development while maximizing platform
compatibility. Alternatively, the communications protocol can be embedded in the mobile app. However, this
requires securing commitments from
numerous third-party app providers,
especially those released by streaming
music services.
One example of an advanced wireless

audio solution is Microchips JukeBlox
platform (Fig. 1), which comprises
a fully featured SDK and certified
hardware module with dual-band
Wi-Fi and integrated Bluetooth. The
platform provides all of the building
blocks required for developing a wireless speaker system with the features
discussed in this article. Its SDK has

many of the top streaming music service
providers, such as Spotify, Deezer and
Rhapsody, along with all of the necessary networking capabilities, numerous
codecs, and advanced features such as
whole-home audio, easy setup features,
and cross-platform support for iOS and
Android.
Audio drop-outs
during playback
are a major source
of frustration.
This discussion has focused on Wi-Fi
technology for connection to the cloud
and streaming audio. The connection
between mobile device and speaker is
equally important, as this is the day-today interface for consumers. Bluetooth
should be included on the platform,
given its sheer breadth of consumer
familiarity and comfort. Wi-Fi brings
certain advantages, making it a necessary second interface. For example,
Wi-Fi gives mobile devices the freedom to roam the entire Wi-Fi network
while maintaining a connection with
all speakers. Consumers are no longer
restricted by a 5 to 15-m range, which
resulted in audio stopping and starting
as one moved in and out of a room. Another benefit of Wi-Fi is its native ability
to stream higher-quality audio, such as
the Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC).
BUY CUSTOM FOR LESS THAN

THE COST OF OFF-THE-RACK.
We dont sell suits, but we can make the same offer on
our finely tailored NEMA enclosures. You can have a NEMA
box thats a perfect fit for your product, looks like a million
and youll still pay less than stock!
Prove it to yourself. Call or email with your requirements.
You can afford to dress your product for success!
800-204-7225 Ext. 9 630-859-7840

email: sales@equiptoelec.com www.equiptoelec.com
ISO 9001:2008 RoHS Compliant
30 Product Roundup
Relays and switches
Latching relays handle 50, 16 A
The L115F1 Series latching relay is a single coil relay with

switching capacity up to 50 A, while the L114FL Series
latching relay is available in both single coil and double coil
versions and has switching capacity up to 16 A.
Both series are UL/cUL approved and can withstand
heavy contact load with strong shock and vibration
resistance. They are UL F-class-rated standard and are well
suited for energy-smart applications.
CIT Relay & Switch: www.citrelay.com
Pushbutton, selector switches offer control

in small spaces
The 22-mm-diameter A22R series pushbutton,

selector, and keyed selector switches have a
mounting depth of just 46.8 mm, 15% less
than most conventional switches, thus
reducing the panel space needed to provide
operator control of machine/process actions,
such as start/stop and on/off. The switches are
suited for used in the packaging, material-handling, food-beverage, and panel-building industries, as well as in power plants.
Snap-in assembly provides easy, tool-free assembly. The UL-, CSA-, and CCCrated switches offer 3,000,000 mechanical operations minimum for momentary
action, 300,000 mechanical operations for alternate action, and 500,000 electrical
operations minimum, and rated load is 3 A at 240 Vac. Offered models include
nonlighted flat or projection pushbutton (8 colors), selector or key selector, lighted
projection pushbuttons (5 colors), and 2- or 3-notch selector switch configurations
all with a metal bezel.
Omron Electronic Components: www.components.omron.com
Relays provide force-guided expansion

for safety apps
Enhancing the SNE Series of contact expansion relays

designed to provide additional outputs for machine
safety circuits, three new models provide force-guided
expansion relays in a wide range of safety applications. The SNE1 features two positively driven
changeover contacts (2 x SPDT), while the SNE 4012
features two normally open enabling current paths (2
x NO) and the SNE 4024 provides two pairs of independently actuated enabling current paths (2 x 2 NO).
Housed in a 22.5-mm DIN rail module, the SNE 4012 and 4024 expansion relays
are rated for 6-A / 230-Vac switching capacity and the SNE1 is rated for 8-A /
250-Vac switching capacity. The relays are available in either screw-clamp or
spring-clamp configurations to minimize assembly labor and reduce maintenance
time, and are approved for machine safety applications in accordance with PL e /
category 4 in accordance with EN13849-1 and SIL3 (EN62061) standards.
Wieland: www.wielandinc.com
10 MHz Distribution Amplifiers

Sine wave outputs (+13dbm)
Amplitude leveling
Low additive phase noise
High channel-to-channel isolation
High return loss
FS730 and FS735 series ... starting at $1250 (U.S. list)
The FS730 and FS735 10 MHz distribution amplifiers

from SRS provide state-of-the-art solutions to
challenging signal distribution tasks.
The FS735 model provides fourteen 10 MHz output

BNC connectors on the rear panel, with status indicators
on the front panel. The half-rack sized FS730 model
gives seven 10 MHz outputs and is available in both
bench-top and rack-mount forms.
Please visit www.thinkSRS.com for details.
Single Sideband Phase Noise (dBc/Hz)
These distribution amplifiers use an input limiter

design, which removes amplitude modulation from the
signal, provides fixed amplitude outputs and blocks
input noise. Virtually any 10 MHz waveform with a
duty cycle near 50% may be used as an input.
for other applications. Multiple units can be

daisy-chained for easy expansion.
With mix and match capability, the FS735 can also

be configured with 10 MHz, 5 MHz, Broadband,
and CMOS Logic distribution amplifiers side-by-side
Stanford Research Systems
AGC based amplifiers

degrade broadband
noise.
FS730/FS735 uses
a limiter to remove
spurs and maintain
low noise.
Frequency Offset from Carrier (Hz)
Additive phase noise in 10 MHz Distribution Amplifiers:

Limiter vs. AGC Designs
(408)744-9040
www.thinkSRS.com
32 Product Roundup
Relays and switches
Rotary switches suit general-purpose,

manual motor disconnects
applications in chemical, water, and

food industries requiring simple
non-fused power on-off switches or
starting and stopping of motors.
CE compliant, the switches features a
general use rating of 16 to 150 A/600
Vac, snap-on auxiliary contacts, and
availability in DIN-rail and panel-mount
styles.
Omega Engineering: www.omega.com
The KU-VKA series rotary disconnect

switches can be used for general-purpose disconnects or as manual motor
disconnect switches. Priced from $27,
they provide an economical solution for
Switches simplify
high-current-load
monitoring
A combination current transformer and

signal conditioner designed specifically
for monitoring large loads, ASXP-LS
current switches feature an electromechanical relay output, external power
source, simple field setpoint adjustment,
and easy installation. The mechanical
60dB Off-Isolation @ 1MHz
TTL-level inputs control 320V signals

VDD=5V
CPC7512
S1A
S1B
S1C
S2A
S2B
S2C
Switch State Control & Latch

High Frequency Current Limit
Thermal Shutdown
GND
Ultrasonic Transducer Switching

Pb
Battery Monitoring and Charging
HV ATE Instrumentation Switching
Industrial Controls and Monitoring
Built-In Protection
High Frequency Current Limit
Thermal Shutdown
IXYS Integrated Circuits Division (Formerly Clare, Inc.)
http://www.ixysic.com/Products/IsoAnalogSwitch.htm
e3
relay contact provides a trouble-free,

durable alarm or interlock, improving
safety and overall system reliability,
while the selectable Fail Safe operation
provides protection for critical loads.
The UL-, CUL-, and CE-compatible
switches are used to monitor large
machines for over- or under-load
conditions, detect open discharge lines
and sense clogged filters. They can also
monitor generators to shed noncritical
loads when demand reaches a set level.
Key features inlcude a split-core housing
that allows the unit to be installed over
existing conductors, large aperture (2.3
x 3.42 in.) to accommodates conductors
and multiple wires per phase, adjustable
load start delay for high-inertia loads,
and four models with trip points
between 200 and 1,600 A.
NK Technologies:
www.nktechnologies.com
New Products
Integrated Circuits
IC provides sensorless BLDC motor control
The A4963GLPTR-T three-phase brushless DC (BLDC) motor

controller provides reliable sensorless startup and run commutation that can quickly be
customized for individual
motors. The IC works with
external complementary
power MOSFETs and output
currents (up to 300 ma) can
be scaled to fit various devices. DC supply voltage range is 4.2 to 50 V.
The A4963 uses block commutation (trapezoidal drive) and
monitors the motor back EMF. It can operate over a wide range
of motor speeds, from less than 100 to in excess of 30,000 rpm.
Operating mode and control parameters are set through an
SPI compatible serial interface or through adjustable default
settings in an on-chip EEPROM. The chip comes in a small,
thermally enhanced 20-pin TSSOP with exposed thermal pad.
$1.72 ea/1,000.
Allegro MicroSystems: www.allegromicro.com
New Products 33
Test & Measurement
HigHligHt oF tHE MontH
DMM takes measurements you can

touch and feel
The high-accuracy, 7-digit DMM7510 is the first in a new

class of metrological-quality instruments (yet with a price
under $4k) that its manufacturer refers to as Graphical
Sampling Multimeters (GSMs). The DMM/GSM integrates
digital multimeter functionality with a digitizer for waveform
capture, and provides a touchscreen interface with pan,
pinch, and zoom functions and the ability to set cursors. The
combination gives users a new level of interactivity with the
signals theyre studying, yielding a greater feel for their
measurements. The overall result is a deeper exploration of
measurements, a more complete sense of their characteristics,
and higher confidence in their accuracy.
Low power op-amp has 14

V offset, 350 kHz GBWP
The precision NCS325 CMOS op amp

delivers zero drift operation and has
quiescent supply current of just 21 A
typ, 35 A max at 25C. The chip has
14 micro V max input offset voltage
at ambient temperature and 25 nV/C
max offset temperature drift.
It has a gain bandwidth of 350 kHz with peak-to-peak noise
of just 1.1 V from 0.1 to 10 Hz. The IC provides rail-to-rail
input and output and operates from a 1.8 to 5.5 V supply. The
device comes in a 3 x 1.5 mm 5-pin TSOP package for $0.35
ea/3,000.
ON Semiconductor: www.onsemi.com
1.8 mm profile, 3-A regulator

suits PCIe cards
The LTM4623 3-A micromodule

step-down regulator features
a 1.8-mm profile in an LGA
package with a 6.25 x 6.25-mm
footprint. The device suits PCIe,
ATCA, microTCA cards, and
backside PCB assembly.
The buck regulator operates from 4 to 20-V input supplies
and regulates an output voltage from 0.6 to 5.5-V with 1.5%
maximum total dc-output voltage error. Applications include
ultra-dense data storage, gateway controllers and 40 to 100Gbps network equipment.
Linear Technology: www.linear.com
For example, during characterization or debugging today,

you often need to look at signal transitions that present a
large jump in voltage or current, but you also need to see
the small signal variations (over/undershoot) that can affect
performance. For this case, the GSM offers flexible signal
capture, with not only user-selectable 3 to 7-digit resolution
and expanded measurement ranges (100mV, 1, and 10A)
to enhance low-level accuracy, but also fast, high-accuracy
signal sampling with an 18-bit digitizer running at rates
to 1 Msample/s. The sampled data up to 27.5 million
measurements can then be viewed on the touchscreen
in multiple ways as waveforms, histograms, or in tabular
format and analyzed without the need for any additional
instruments.
In support of sampling comes enhanced touch-controllable
analog triggering (edge, pulse, and window triggers) plus a
built-in graphing utility to support display and comparison of
measurements or waveforms from up to four reading buffers
at once. Metrology-level performance characteristics include
14 ppm basic 1-year Vdc accuracy, autocalibration to minimize
temperature and time drift, and low-burden voltage to improve
low-current measurement accuracy. And theres built-in
support for low-resistance applications, including dry circuit,
offset compensation, and open-lead detection.
Keithley Instruments: www.keithley.com
ElEctronic Products electronicproducts.com FEBruArY 2015
High performance power

conversion for
demanding operations.
www.tracopower.com
New Products 35
Power Sources
120-W power modules suit telecom applications
The PKB5000W series of open-frame isolated 120-W eighth-brick dc/dc power

modules offer nominal outputs of 3.3-, 5- or 12-Vdc
with maximum outputs of up to 30 A and efficiency
of typically 91.5% at 12-V full load. They feature an 18
to 75-Vdc input range and are suitable for 24- or 48-V
telecom systems.
The power modules come in the industry-standard
through-hole eighth-brick format, measuring 2.3 x 0.9
x 0.39-in. In addition to the open-frame version of the module, an optional baseplate
version is also available for applications that require conduction cooling. The modules
operate from 40 to +110C and provide 2,250-Vdc input/output isolation.
Ericsson Power Modules: www.ericsson.com/powermodules
Open-frame dc/dc converters suit industrial apps
The CP30B Cool Power Technologies 4:1 input range dc/dc converters feature open
frame modules that provide up to 30-W output power with
output voltages of 1.8, 3.3, 5.0, and 12 Vdc. They suit industrial or distributed power architecture applications and provide
a 0.96 x 0.96-in. footprint. The converters have an input
voltage range of 9 to 36 Vdc and provide 2,250-Vdc input to
output isolation.
The dc/dc converters meet EN 60950 basic insulation
requirements and are UL 94V-0 ammability rated. The modules comply with all
of the typical industry requirements including no-load operation, 2x nominal input
Powering Your Ideas

ULTRA LOW NOISE
DC/DC CONVERTERS
Ultra Low Ripple/Noise <10mV

Output Power from 5W to 150W
Input Voltages from 9 to 72VDC
Single/Dual Out: 2.5 to 24VDC
Input-to-Output Isolation
SIP/DIP/SMD
ECONOMY DC/DC
- Output Power from 1W to 15W

- Input Voltages from 3.3 to 75VDC
- Single/Dual Out: 3.3 to 24VDC
- Input-to-Output Isolation
- Industry Standard Pinouts
- Low Cost Power Solution
EOS Power 450W Switcher

MEDICAL (3RD EDITION)
or
I.T.E. SAFTEY APPROVALS
Small 4 x 6.5 x 1.61 U-Frame Package
Remote Sense & On/Off Control
2xMOPP & BF Rated Safety Levels
5VSB @ 2A Housekeeping Supply
Single Output Models from 5~48 VDC
12V / 500mA Fan Output
Power Good / Power Fail Signals
Optional Current Share + ORng Diode
ULTRAMINIATURE
AC/DC MODULES
Top-Mount Fan Option
G L O B A L
P O W E R
S O L U T I O N S
End-Mount Fan Option
- 5/10/15/30 Watts Output Power

- Universal Input of 90-264VAC
- Single/Dual Out: 3.3 to 24VDC
- Compact Board-Mount Packages
- 3,000V Input-to-Output Isolation
For Complete Product Info

Visit Us At:
www.Beta-Dyne.com
www.powergatellc.com/eos
Toll-Free: (866)588-1750
sales@powergatellc.com
110 Elm Street, Unit 12

Bridgewater, MA 02324
508-697-1993
G L O B A L
P O W E R
S O L U T I O N S
ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS electronicproducts.com FEBRUARY 2015
A49_ElecProds_2_06x9_5_A45.qxd 1/5/15 3:25
36 New Products
Power Sources
DC-DC
CONVERTERS
NEW AVP/AVN SERIES!
10,000 VDC Outputs

Now in Miniature Design
0.5 x 1.0 x 0.5

Isolated High Reliability
6,000, 7,000, 8,000, 9,000, 10,000 VDC,
positive and negative output models
1.25 watt output power, -25 to +70C
operating temperature standard,
no de rating
5-12-15-24 and 28 VDC inputs standard
Military Upgrades Available
Expanded operating temperature, -55 to
+85C available - Selected MIL-STD-883
screeening available
Free review of any additional requirements
and specifications you may have to
comply with
Fully encapsulated for use in harsh
environmental conditions
voltage transient, and pre-biased load startup. Other features include fixed-frequency
operation, auto-restart OVP, OCP and OTP protections, UVLO, remote sense and
10% output voltage trim using industry standard equations.
Semiconductor Circuits: www.dcdc.com
Power supply targets photovoltaic applications
The PVxx-27BxxR2 series power supplies products target

photovoltaic industry applications providing 5-, 10-,
or 15-W output power. They offer a wide input voltage
range from100 to 1,000 Vdc, enabling the units to get
power from solar panels directly.
The power supplies provide 5, 9, 12, 15, and 24 Vout,
feature an efficiency from 72% to 80% and have an operating
temperature range from -40 to 70C with derating at 50C. They provide a 4,000Vac isolation voltage and output over voltage and short circuit protection to ensure
stability of the power supply.
Mornsun: www.mornsun-power.com
Railway, transit dc/dc converters operate from 40 to 160 Vdc

The MR1511S series of single output 15-W dc/dc converters
are packaged in a 1 x 2 in. case. Five standard models operate
from 40 to 160 Vdc featuring 4:1 inputs, and providing regulated single outputs of 3.3, 5, 12, 15 or 24 Vdc. Standard features
include line/load regulation less than 1.0%, input/output
isolation of 1,500 Vdc, a remote control input and efficiency as
high as 89%. All models are protected for output short circuit
100 Watt
fully encapsulated
AC/DC Power Module
TML 100C Series:
A perfect and easy to install solution for
energy-conscious applications in
industrial and residential environments.
For full characteristics of these and the

entire PICO product line, see PICOs
Full line catalog at
www.picoelectronics.com
PICO ELECTRONICS, Inc.

143 Sparks Ave., Pelham, New York
10803
Call Toll Free 800-431-1064
FAX 914-738-8225
E Mail: info@picoelectronics.com
Compact low profile casing

Active power factor correction
Highest eciency across entire load range
Remote On/O function
DC-OK indication with green LED
Adjustable output voltages 12, 15, 24, 48 VDC 5 %
www.tracopower.com
POWERGATE LLC 866-588-1750 www.powergatellc.com

Power Sources Unlimited 800-966-7784 www.psui.com/traco
New Products 37
Power Sources
faults and output over current faults. The

MTBF (per MIL HDBK 217F) is greater
than 1.0 Mh.
The MR1511S family is packaged in a
compact 1 x 2 x 0.46-in. case. The pin-out
is industry standard. Operation is specified
for the wide industrial temperature range
of -40 to +85C. An optional heat sink is
available to extend the full power range of
the unit. The MR1511S series is designed
for use in rail and transit applications.
MicroPower Direct:
www.micropowerdirect.com
customers have had for over a decade to

comfortably use ultracapacitors; a system
with a wider operating range that meets
both cold and high temperature standards.
These cells function properly at temperature ranges of -40 to +85C, and deliver
2.7 V. Titan technology encompasses the
fields of electrochemistry, surface chemistry and physical chemistry to achieve one
AIA
400-W supplies feature four

chassis-mount styles
The PCM-400 series compact 400-W

ac/dc power supplies are housed in
four optional chassis-mount case styles,
including a compact U-frame measuring
6 x 4 x 1.5 in.
and enclosed
versions with
top or rear
fan options.
Featuring peak power capabilities up to
700 W within a 500-s duty cycle, the
supplies suit numerous ITE, telecommunications, and industrial applications.
The power supplies feature 3,000 Vac
input-to-output isolation and an outputto-ground isolation of 1,500 Vac. The series provides a 90 to 264-Vac input and is
available in eight separate single output
models ranging from 12 to 54 Vdc. Dual
output versions are also available. The
power supplies are rated for operation
at full load from 0 to 50C ambient,
derating to 50% load at 70C.
CUI Inc.: www.cui.com
1,250 F ultracap cell technology operates up to +85C

A redefined ultracapacitor high temperature energy storage capacity with high
temperature 1,250 F cells with the Titan
technology features best in class stability,
endurance and cycleability. The products
outperform competitors for automotive
applications.
Titan technology for ultracapacitors
meets a key requirement that automotive
of the biggest technological advances in

ultracapacitor technology since commercialization. It offers unprecedented
electrochemistry stability to optimize
the performance in dynamic, high duty
cycle applications such as automotive, rail,
harbor cranes, hybrid buses, as well as construction and heavy machinery apps.
Ioxus: www.ioxus.com
CONVERTER
Railway Power
Supply Solutions
EMI - TRANSIENTS - CONVERSION
Gaia Converters proven power modules protect

and regulate power for railway applications.
Example Block Diagram of a Locomotive Communication device:
12VDC
24-110 VDC
PROTECTED BUS
5V / 15V
Front End protection

50 / 100 / 300 Watts
DC-DC Converters
4 ~ 200 Watts
EN50155 EMI filtering,

Ultra wide input voltage range:
EN50155 & RIA-12 Transient
12-160 / 14-55 / 36-175Vdc
& Spike suppressor
Single / Dual / Triple outputs
Reverse polarity protection Rugged packaging & potting.
w w w . g a i a - c o n v e r t e r . c o m
38 New Products

Ac fan tray features front panel exhaust, LED alarm
The newly expanded high airflow fan tray, the OA406 series ac-fan tray, includes a
front exhaust available with up to six-fan positions and an LED power indicator. It suits
narrow depth cabinets found in security,
audio, and A/V applications. It combines 1U
size with reliable performance and up to160cfm airflow.
The ac-fan module has a optional second
power supply available. It can be ordered with
an additional 90 to 264 Vac input external power supply, or used with a switching 12
Vdc rail as a redundant power source. The fan tray switches seamlessly if power is lost in
one of the supplies. The unit can be ordered in either North American or European versions, and provides either North American NEMA 5-15P or IEC320-C14 connection. It
has an operating temperature range from 10 to 50C. Pricing starts at $199 each.
Orion Fans/Knight Electronics: www.orionfans.com
Extruded enclosures come in round, oval shapes
Made from plastic and extruded aluminum, Synergy enclosures are now available
in round and oval models, bringing the number of models offered in the series to 36
and the number of types to 4: round, oval, square and rectangular. Round and square
models are offered in three footprints:
3.94 x 3.94, 4.72 x 4.72, and 5.51 x 5.51
in.; oval and rectangular models are also
available in three footprints: 6.30 x 3.15,
7.09 x 3.54, and 7.87 x 3.94 in. All come
in 1.57, 2.76, or 3.94 in. heights.
The main body section of each case is
extruded from AlMgSi 0.5 aluminum. It
is blasted with glass beads and anodized
in silver (or black, on request) to create
a high quality finish. Four glass-reinforced polyamide pillars snap into the recessed
UV-resistant ASA+PC-FR (UL 94 V-0) plastic top panel, locate the assembly extrusion, and are fixed to the bottom part with four stainless steel Torx T10 anti-tamper
screws. Several pillars can be snapped together to create custom heights in 0.197-in.
increments (on request). Applications include medical and therapeutic systems,
measurement and control technology, home automation, computer peripherals, and
building services electronics.
OKW Enclosures: www.okwenclosures.com
Heat sinks offer more than 100 k configurations
Push pin mounted heat sinks that target cooling BGAs and other hot components offer 108,000 possible configurations. The lightweight
aluminum heat sinks include straight fin, cross-cut,
and maxiFLOW spread fin geometries. More than
100 fine-pitch heat sinks are available for cooling in
high velocity airflows. For low airflow conditions,
another 100 sinks are available with coarse-pitch fins
and wide fin spacing. The heat sinks are sized for
cooling components in lengths from 25 to 70 mm.
All the push pin heat sinks feature pre-drilled holes for secure mounting to PCBs
in industry standard locations. To meet application needs, push pins are available in
New Products 39

plastic and brass. All push pins feature flexible barbs that lock securely in PCB holes.
Compression springs on the push pins add the required forces for firm attachment
and effective heat transfer.
Advanced Thermal Solutions: www.qats.com
Aerospace connector performs from 65C to 440C
To meet the increasingly stringent temperature range and leak rates required for the
most highly demanding aerospace applications, the Hermetic Seal brand HTX
connector works at temperatures ranging
from 65C to 440C, maintaining its
hermetic integrity at an unparalleled
1x10-9 cc/sec of helium at 15 PSI leak rate
and an insulation-resistance value greater
than 500 M at 500 Vdc. (Current generation connectors used by the aerospace
industry operate reliably in the 65C to
260C temperature range with a leak rate of 1x10-7.)
The connector uses a proprietary glass insulation material that enables full electrical functionality in the hermetic receptacle welded to a high-temperature instrument
or device, as well as the cable terminated plug with which it mates. It is available in
shells and insert arrangements that meet the dimensional requirements of several MIL
specifications.
Hermetic Seal/AMETEK Interconnect Technologies, www.ametekinterconnect.com
DOES YOUR
POTTING COMPOUND
Go With the Flow?
Epoxy features long open
time and low viscosity
EPOXY SYSTEM
EP21LVSP6
LONG
WORKING
LIFE
EASY
TO USE
1to1
MIX RATIO
LOW
VISCOSITY
4,000-6,000
cps
LOW
EXOTHERM
HIGH
BOND
STRENGTH
HOURS
SUITABLE FOR
LARGE CASTINGS
TENSILE STRENGTH
>7,000 psi
Hackensack, NJ 07601, USA +1.201.343.8983 main@masterbond.com

www.masterbond.com
40 Product Mart
Electronic Products Presented by the Manufacturer
Turbo Light Waterproof Led Panel Indicators
Electrical Insulating Bobbins
Tiny (approx.1x1) LED Panel Indicators provide BRIGHT

output with super-sleek design. Available in variety of voltages
and output up to 14,500 cd/m2! Rugged, tamper-proof, loprofile panel mount design is IP68 and NEMA 4X. Available
in 5 colors and 3 brightness levels. ISO 9001:2000 registered
company all products made in the USA.
Fabricated or molded, hi-dielectric, hi-temp, choice of 12

materials, extra strong, with or without tie-offs, low cost,
over 75 years of experience. Made In USA!
To receive literature & details fast:
www.pptube.com
Floyd Bell Inc.
Precision Paper Tube Company
Tel: (614) 294-4000

Fax: (614) 291-0823
sales@floydbell.com
www.floydbell.com
Phone: 847-537-4250
Fax: 847-537-5777
sales@pptube.com
www.pptube.com
More Than 75 Years - The Original
Turbo Miniature Piezoelectric Alarms
DC Source/Calibrator
Used In Many Applications
Tiny (approx.1x1) piezoelectric alarms provide LOUD output

with a super-sleek design. Available in variety of voltages and
output up to 103dB! Rugged, tamper-proof, lo-profile panel
mount design is IP68 and NEMA 4X. Optional manual volume
control offers increased attenuation. ISO 9001:2000 registered
Floyd Bell Inc.
Tel: (614) 294-4000

Fax: (614) 291-0823
sales@floydbell.com
www.floydbell.com
Krohn-Hites Model 526 DC Source/Calibrator has many uses. As a

reference, simulator, stable supply, secondary standard, and more.
DC Voltage:
GPIB/LAN Remote Control
100nV to 110.9999V
Complete Remote
DC Current:
Programming Protocol
100nA to 110.9999mA
for Analogic 8200
5ppm Stability, 1ppm Resolution
20ppm Accuracy, Low Noise
2/4-Wire Output
For more information contact:
Krohn-Hite
508-580-1660
www.krohn-hite.com
Ultra Loud Piezoelectric Alarms

Ultra Loud selection of piezoelectric whoops, warbles, sirens,
beeps and more offers 1000Hz lower frequency than industry
counterparts. Available in variety of voltages and output up
to 108dB! Rugged panel mount products are IP68 and NEMA
4X when used with optional gasket. ISO 9001:2000 registered
Floyd Bell Inc.
Tel: (614) 294-4000

Fax: (614) 291-0823
sales@floydbell.com
www.floydbell.com
Voice-Capable Alarms Replace Ambiguous Beep

Sometimes a beep or whoop doesnt convey enough
information.
Announcer Series alarms from Floyd Bell play a pre-recorded
audio message or voice instructions up to ten seconds
(up to 90dB).
Choose from standard messages (Warning!), or custom
message production. Announcer Series alarms come standard
with quick connect terminals
and voltage range to fit your
application.
Floyd Bell Inc.
888-FLOYD-BELL
sales@floydbell.com
www.floydbell.com
advertiser index
this index is provided as an additional service.
the publisher does not assume any liability for errors or omissions.
Advanced Assembly 1
Allied Electronics Inc. Cover 3
Beta Dyne Inc. 35
Cherry Electrical Products 30
Coilcraft, Inc. 8
Digi-Key Corporation Cover 1, 2
Equipto Electronics Corp. 29
Eve Energy Co., LTD. 21
Floyd Bell Inc. 16, 40
Fujipoly America Corp. 19
GAIA Converter Inc. 37
GlobTek, Inc. Cover 1
Hammond Manufacturing Company Inc. 39
IXYS Corporation 24
IXYS Integrated Circuits Division 32
Keysight Technologies, Inc. Cover tip, Cover 2
KOA Speer Electronics, Inc. 17
Krohn-Hite Corporation 40
Linear Technology Corporation Cover 4, 11
Master Bond Inc. 39
METcase 38
Mornsun America 10
Mouser Electronics 12, 13
National Instruments 7
Panasonic 25
Pico Electronics, Inc. 36
PowerGate LLC 35
Precision Paper Tube Company 40
Proto Labs 5
Stanford Research Systems, Inc. 31
TDK-EPC Corporation 15
TRACOPOWER 34, 36
Wearables TechCon 27
Zilog Inc. 4
YOU COULD WIN!
To enter, go to
alliedelec.com/
HowDoYouTest
HOW DO YOU TEST?
Tell us how you test at alliedelec.com/HowDoYouTest
1.800.433.5700
Allied Electronics, Inc. 2015. Allied Electronics and the Allied Electronics logo are trademarks of Allied Electronics, Inc. An Electrocomponents Company.
* Test & Measurement products from Rigol, Fluke, Keysight, FLIR, or Extech. Products may vary.
15V Sync Buck-Boost, IQ=1.3A

MPPC
A
A
SW1
1.9V to 15V
VIN
SW2
LTC3129
WSN Mote
VOUT
1.4V to 15.75V
GND
SUP
CAPER
LITHIUM
THIONYL CHLORIDE
IQ =1.3A
Flexible Power Solutions for Sub-Watt Applications
The LTC 3129 is the latest in our growing family of wide input voltage range monolithic buck-boost converters.
Its 1.9V to 15V input voltage range makes it ideal for a wide range of input sources from multicell batteries to solar
panels. Its single inductor buck-boost topology enables a programmable fixed output within a 1.4V to 15.75V range.
With its ultralow noise 1.2MHz PWM switching architecture, 1.3A quiescent current and small compact solution
footprint, the LTC3129 is ideal for battery-powered always-on systems.
Features
Efficiency vs Power Loss for 5VOUT
Info & Free Samples
Input Voltage Range: 1.9V to 15V
www.linear.com/product/LTC3129
Output Voltage Range: 1.4V to 15.75V
1-800-4-LINEAR
200mA Output Current in Buck Mode

IQ = 1.3A
1.2MHz Ultralow Noise PWM
Programmable Maximum Power Point
Control (MPPC)
LTC3129-1: 8 User-Selectable
Fixed Outputs
video.linear.com/182
, LT, LTC, LTM, Linear Technology and the Linear logo are
registered trademarks of Linear Technology Corporation. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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