The Internet of Things has achieved cost-effective mass-market implementation in consumer applications more quickly than in custom solutions for industrial automation, but now the playing field is being leveled by wireless machine-to-machine connectivity.   Technology concepts often burst onto the scene with a big splash of possibilities followed by the sobering reality of implementation. TheRead More

The US DOT is investing heavily in projects like the South Carolina Connected Vehicle Testbed to realize projections of dramatic safety increases that come with a connected infrastructure combined with autonomous car technology.   In 2015, the National Science Foundation (NSF) noted that by the end of the decade, it is likely that the USRead More

We reached out to top RF/microwave suppliers to find out about their latest and greatest product launches for this microwave product roundup.   Molex’s new Temp-Flex Foam-Core Ultra-Low-Loss Coaxial Microwave Cable combines space savings with an effective dielectric that eliminates “phase knee” and provides ease of termination. It also achieves 80% velocity of propagation (VOP) lossRead More

The acquisition of Premier Farnell will substantially strengthen Avnet’s digital footprint worldwide.   Avnet reached an agreement with the board of directors of Premier Farnell plc on the terms of a recommended offer for Premier Farnell by Avnet or one of its wholly owned subsidiaries. The all-cash offer of £1.85 per share represents an equity valueRead More

While the night skies and color photos from NASA may present great beauty, the near-earth space environment where satellites orbit presents difficulties for man and equipment. Unique product designs, processing, and testing are required.   “Space” represents a thriving industry with almost unlimited possibilities. The non-profit Space Foundation estimates that the space economy was $330Read More

Boeing and Airbus both added automation to their production lines to keep up with demand.   The worldwide demand for commercial airliners is booming. In 2015, Boeing and Airbus built a total of 1,397 aircraft. According to The Wall Street Journal, both companies are automating their production lines, from robots to exoskeletons for the workers,Read More

ABB won its first commercial order for breakthrough 15-second flash charging technology to enable emission-free public transport in Geneva.   ABB has been awarded orders totaling more than $16 million by Transports Publics Genevois (TPG), Geneva’s public transport operator, and Swiss bus manufacturer HESS, to provide flash charging and onboard electric vehicle technology for 12Read More

Seeking a way to deliver bandwidth more effectively, some have investigated the removal of high-speed circuits from the PCB by replacing them with discrete or ribbon twin-axial copper cables. For many years, engineers have bemoaned the eventual limitations of copper printed circuit board conductors in ever-higher-speed circuits: Surely the laws of physics would create barriers toRead More

The need to transmit more data at higher speeds is changing system design. New strategies include developing connectors specifically for high-speed operations, maintaining signal integrity at high speeds, and using new protocols. Today, interconnect technology has morphed to meet the need for speed.   The continuous growth in IP services and access speeds has ledRead More

The IEEE 200G/400G standard is well on its way to publication; so where will it be implemented?   This is the first time in the development cycle of Ethernet standards that there have been so many different standards projects in the pipeline. Ranging from EPON over Coax (EPoC) to 200Gb/s and 400Gb/s Ethernet, these effortsRead More

With the first half of 2016 behind us, Bishop & Associates’ Dave Brearley takes a look at the hot products and technologies that are dominating the year so far.   The Hottest Connector Technology of 2016 (So Far!) Writing about connector innovations is always fun; recent developments are no exception. Innovative connector solutions have beenRead More

Backplane connectors with large molded housings existed in the late 1980s but were expensive and very difficult to make. True position for all of the pins had to be accurate or the connector could not be placed easily on the boards and mated. Teradyne Connector Systems found a solution. Teradyne Connector Systems (TCS) was a divisionRead More