Featured Articles
  • ODVA Standards for Industrial Automation

    ODVA standards help ensure interoperability, safety, and security in facilities that that are integrating advanced information and communication technologies into industrial automation. From materials sourcing to the production of goods to final-mile logistics,  multiple levels of connectivity have become an essential part of the manufacturing world. Facilitating seamless communications between a wide range of devicesRead More

  • 3D Printing Offers Design Flexibility and Manufacturing Possibilities 

    3D printing technology is reaching new levels of quality, giving electronics engineers a powerful prototyping and design tool. But is 3D printing ready for component manufacturing?   Can you 3D print a connector? Certainly. But is it any good—can you actually use it in a circuit? Increasingly, the answer is yes. Recent improvements in industrial gradeRead More

Technology

Development Kits Help Makers and Designers Test and Explore New Ideas

Development platforms like Arduino and Raspberry Pi enabled an explosion of creativity among electronic designers at every level. Development kits make it easier to design, build, perfect, test, and manufacture electronic products. In little more than a decade since its release, the tiny British single-circuit computer board known as the Raspberry Pi and the Italian controller boardRead More

The Future of Field Device Infrastructure

Industrial communications strategies are shifting in favor of real-time communications at the field device level, with automation engineers and installers preferring single-pair Ethernet-enabled devices to collect field data. Industrial field device infrastructure trends Industrial communications strategies are shifting in favor of real-time communications at the field device level, with automation engineers and installers preferring Ethernet-enabledRead More

OFC Celebrates High-Performance Optical Interconnects

Once again, OFC proved to be the premier showcase of high-performance optical and copper interconnects in communication and network applications. The 2023 edition of the Optical Fiber Communications Conference and Exhibition (OFC) roared back to normalcy after the muting effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 11,500 participants from 70 countries accessed the latest advances inRead More

Secure Connectors Rev Up Automotive Safety

As automotive manufacturing advances, high-speed, press-fit, and other connector technologies evolve to meet current industry demands. Today’s cars are essentially high-end computers on wheels. A decade ago, vehicle electronics centered on basics like power windows, anti-lock braking systems (ABS), and satellite radio. Today’s cars contain a full suite of safety, comfort, and convenience features suchRead More

VITA Embedded Tech Trends Returns

After a year off due to pandemic disruption, VITA’s open standards event returned to share the latest developments in embedded computing, high-performance interconnects, and standards that impact application development. Although 2022 marked the 40th anniversary of the VITA trade organization, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of its celebration and annual Embedded Tech TrendsRead More

Sensors Make it Plain Sailing for a Smart Ferry

A smart ferry equipped with sensors and LoRaWAN gateways can track and monitor passenger comfort and cargo for a sustainable and reliable supply chain. Figure 1 The Stena Line ferry, MV Hollandica is equipped with a dual-band network using Semtech’s LoRa devices in the LongAP Pro gateway. (Image courtesy of SkyLab) Equipping the Smart FerryRead More

Return to Normal: DesignCon 2023

After two years of pandemic disruption, this year’s high-speed trade show rebounded with an impressive array of smaller, cooler, and faster than ever interconnects. The 28th edition of DesignCon convened at the Santa Clara Convention Center January 31 through February 2, marking the return to its traditional venue and time slot. Concerns that recent techRead More

Pluggable Optical Transceivers Continue to Evolve

System engineers must balance priorities of reach, thermal management, panel density, backward compatibility, power consumption, multiple sourcing, and cost when selecting optical transceivers. Pluggable I/O transceivers in standardized configurations have proven to be a cost-effective solution to the challenges of creating high-speed optical networks. They have emerged as a leading interface for current and next-generationRead More

Coherent Optics: Lighting the Path to High-Speed Data Communications

In the past, coherent optics have been cost-effective only in extremely long intercontinental and undersea links. Recent advances have made this solution more accessible to designers looking for ways to increase data transfer speeds, extend channel lengths, and grow system capacity. Designers of high-performance computing and telecommunications equipment, as well as internet service providers, areRead More

Industrial and Commercial Transportation Goes Electric

Megawatt charging is on track to boost power and reduce charging times to make electrifying all sorts of industrial and commercial transportation vehicles a viable option. Vehicle makers throughout the industrial and commercial transportation market are embracing e-mobility. Electric versions of semi-trucks, vehicles used in mining and agriculture, and regional transportation vehicles, including buses, ferries,Read More

Robust Fiber Optics are Flying High in Satellites and Low-Altitude eVTOL Aircraft 

Understanding how different flavors of fiber-optic technologies function in demanding aerospace applications can help designers select the most robust options. UAM (urban air mobility) and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft promise a greener, cleaner alternative to ground transport in cities. Constellations of LEO (low Earth orbit) satellites are launching a new era ofRead More

Hyperboloid Contact Technology is Still Going Strong

From transportation to MIL/Aero to medical and more, hyperboloid contacts continue to be vital in the evolving world of electronics. Francois Robert Bonhomme invented the hyperboloid contact in 1956 in response to the need for more reliable connectors used in railway applications. By that time, rail systems had lighting and ventilation, but due to theRead More

eBook 2023 The Age of Connected Technology
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