Electronics Automation

PWB America is one of only two PCB design service bureaux in the USA that provides Zuken CR 5000 layout services.
PWB America is to exhibit at ZDAC 2006 - the Zuken Design Automation Conference from 11th to 13th September.

The company is one of only two PCB design service bureaux in the USA that provides Zuken CR 5000 layout services.

And it reckons the show is an ideal opportunity for those who are considering the purchase of a new CAD platform for PCB layout and also for current users of Zuken Cadstar and CR-5000 Board Designer.

ML Electronics is launching a new image to support its quest for growth and a greater presence within the medical market.
ML Electronics (MLE) is launching a new image to support its quest for growth and a greater presence within the medical market. The launch of the new image coincides with the close of a successful year for MLE, in which it celebrated its 10th birthday, successfully entered the medical market, received the Investors in People award and won the Dyson Award for Engineering in the 2005 Wiltshire Business of the Year awards. MLE, a developer of specialist electronics systems, has grown organically over the past 10 years.

The company has been involved in a selection of wide-ranging projects from developing Greyworld's moving sculpture 'The Source' - commissioned by the London Stock Exchange, to undertaking development for Ferrari's F1 team.

MLE is aiming for accelerated growth and has decided to focus a large amount of its efforts on developing electronics for the medical market.

Key to supporting this aim will be the continued recruitment of quality personnel and precise targeting of clients.

MLE's image has been developed to better reflect its core strengths in creative thinking and smart electronics development, underpinned by the employment and development of quality people.

Mike Lloyd, Managing Director of MLE comments: 'Our previous image had served us well in getting to where we are today; however as we continue to grow and improve our offering to our clients, we felt we needed something a little fresher'.

'The new image better reflects where we are going and the excellent team we now have in place'.

The new image follows MLE's success in winning the Dyson Award for Engineering at the recent Wiltshire Business of the Year Awards.

Lloyd goes on to say: 'We have worked hard over the past year to consolidate our strengths, focusing on our engineering processes and our business culture, which was recognised in the Wiltshire Business of the Year Awards'.

'Developing a new image builds on this success and we feel that we are now ready to really things step up a gear at MLE as we enter the new financial year and strive for further growth'. ML Electronics is launching a new image to support its quest for growth and a greater presence within the medical market.
ML Electronics (MLE) is launching a new image to support its quest for growth and a greater presence within the medical market. The launch of the new image coincides with the close of a successful year for MLE, in which it celebrated its 10th birthday, successfully entered the medical market, received the Investors in People award and won the Dyson Award for Engineering in the 2005 Wiltshire Business of the Year awards. MLE, a developer of specialist electronics systems, has grown organically over the past 10 years.

The company has been involved in a selection of wide-ranging projects from developing Greyworld's moving sculpture 'The Source' - commissioned by the London Stock Exchange, to undertaking development for Ferrari's F1 team.

MLE is aiming for accelerated growth and has decided to focus a large amount of its efforts on developing electronics for the medical market.

Key to supporting this aim will be the continued recruitment of quality personnel and precise targeting of clients.

MLE's image has been developed to better reflect its core strengths in creative thinking and smart electronics development, underpinned by the employment and development of quality people.

Mike Lloyd, Managing Director of MLE comments: 'Our previous image had served us well in getting to where we are today; however as we continue to grow and improve our offering to our clients, we felt we needed something a little fresher'.

'The new image better reflects where we are going and the excellent team we now have in place'.

The new image follows MLE's success in winning the Dyson Award for Engineering at the recent Wiltshire Business of the Year Awards.

Lloyd goes on to say: 'We have worked hard over the past year to consolidate our strengths, focusing on our engineering processes and our business culture, which was recognised in the Wiltshire Business of the Year Awards'.

'Developing a new image builds on this success and we feel that we are now ready to really things step up a gear at MLE as we enter the new financial year and strive for further growth'.

Triteq has won a contract from Parker Hannifin's European Filtration Division for its electronic design services and has joined the company's strategic procurement programme.
Triteq has won a contract from Parker Hannifin's European Filtration Division for its electronic design services and has joined the company's strategic procurement programme. The first collaboration between the two companies will be for the redesign and development of fluid condition and contamination monitoring systems. Commenting on the win, Louise Fairley, Marketing Manager for Triteq said: 'Triteq strives to build strong, long term associations with its clients and we are over the moon at the prospect of working in close co-operation with Parker Hannifin'.

'This fluid sensing design is an interesting project for us and we are looking forward to its development over the coming months'.

In response Shaun Skilton, Parker's Fluid Condition Monitoring Product Manager added: 'Similarly to Triteq, Parker Hannifin believes in developing durable, long term relationships with its suppliers'.

'Triteq has been chosen as a strategic partner for this project having displayed a full understanding of the brief by offering the best solution'.

'At the same time the value added services that the company offers, such as prototype build and test were a major factor in their selection and adds a further dimension to our relationship'.

Rubberised fully sealed front panels with controls and integrated electronics are now available from EAO.
Rubberised fully sealed front panels with controls and integrated electronics are now available from EAO. They are built using snap-action click dome switches bonded to a PCB under a silicone rubber overlay, to create a rugged, fully-sealed panel. These types of switches offer very good tactile feedback and an audible click when pressed.

The panel can be screen printed with unique symbols and covered with a clear, protective varnish.

It can be backlit by LEDs for operation in bad light; switches can be individually illuminated too.

Each switch can be assigned multiple functions so there is the possibility to create selector switches; the small transparent windows above each switch will illuminate to show the status.

Other input devices such as encoders, joysticks and trackballs can be added to the controls on the front panel.

The complete rugged panel can be supplied with integrated PCB electronics, including microprocessors and specialist interfaces such as CAN modules, and delivered ready for immediate installation with the appropriate connections.

EAO is an experienced supplier of these rubberised panels for applications that operate in harsh, challenging environments, such as agricultural and construction vehicles.

EAO can also deliver panels built to military specification.

A new range of antistatic toggles are designed specifically for logic-level applications by NKK Nikkai.
Arrow has introduced a new range of antistatic toggles designed specifically for logic-level applications by NKK Nikkai. The B series of process sealed, subminiature, antistatic, PC mount toggle switches incorporate NKK's award winning sliding twin crossbar contact mechanism. This contact design provides unparalleled switching reliability and smoother positive detent action.

The B series features an antistatic superstructure, consisting of a carbon-impregnated bushing.

When configured with a support bracket, it prevents static discharge to the contacts.

Static electricity from the operator's touch travels from the actuator, through the bushing and bracket, to the PC board.

B series toggles are available in both single and double-pole models with a comprehensive offering of eleven circuits in both momentary and maintained.

Actuators can be specified in a myriad of styles, lengths and colours.

Options include standard bats, locking lever, anti-static levers, flatted levers, coloured sleeves and snap-on paddles.

In addition, an optional threaded, 6mm diameter bushing for panel seal mounting is available and meets IP65 of IEC60529 specifications.

The body of the B series, including the bushing, is a mere 13.08mm in height.

The single-pole version is 6.8mm wide and the double-pole is 8.78mm.

These measurements include a bushing 2.69mm long.

The terminals are 2.54 x 2.54mm spacing and conform to standard PC board grids.

Engineers can specify from several different mounting options, which include straight PC in bracketed and unbracketed models, vertical PC and right angle PC mounts.

NKK's B series are process sealed and feature a totally sealed body construction that prevents contact contamination, which allows for time and money-saving soldering and cleaning.

Ultrasonically welded terminals lock out flux and other contaminants.

The case housing is constructed of glass-reinforced polyamide.

B series toggles are 0.4VA maximum at 28V AC/DC maximum.

The mechanical life is 100,000 operations minimum for maintained circuits and 50,000 operations minimum for momentary circuits.

The electrical life is rated at 50,000 operations minimum.

The contact timing is nonshorting and the angle of throw is 26 degrees.

A leading designer and producer of electromechanical switches, NKK Nikkai offers one of the industry's most extensive selections of illuminated, process sealed, miniature, specialty and surface mount switches.

The company manufactures more than four million toggle, rocker, pushbutton, slide, rotary and DIP rotary, keypad and keylock switches.

The SV21 series of rotary position sensors claims a breakthrough in the price/performance barrier for these increasingly popular noncontact devices.
The SV21 series of rotary position sensors from Murata claims a breakthrough in the price/performance barrier for these increasingly popular noncontact devices. To date, they have been significantly more expensive than traditional contact types, but with the SV21 series, Murata has succeeded in delivering a low cost noncontact sensor without compromising on performance or reliability. Murata's SV21 series offers wide rotational angle effective up to 200 degrees, considerably greater than traditional devices.

A key differentiating factor is the incorporation of a programmable, Hall-effect IC, which can be used to change the output characteristic of the sensor according to a number of parameters, namely: slant, offset, upper limit and lower limit.

Linearity tolerance is 2% nominal.

The sensor has temperature compensation built-in and the temperature coefficient range is -25 to +85C.

Overall dimensions are 16 x 23 x 32.4mm.

Durability is assured by Murata to 10 million rotational cycle operations.

The SV21 is ideal for use in a wide range of industrial and consumer applications, including feedback sensor in industrial control units, position sensor in measuring instruments, position sensor for high quality, high performance joysticks, and other high-reliability, long-life position sensing applications.

The device is supplied with a plug in connector, for easy assembly with no soldering required.

Murata's keenly priced noncontact rotary position sensors are already in volume production in Japan on standard lead times.

The SV21, along with the entire Murata product portfolio, is fully RoHS compliant.

Lower profile coax connector and cable assemblies meet the growing demand for next generation wireless applications.
New from Tyco Electronics is the UMMC series of ultraminiature coax connector and cable assemblies. Building on the success of the popular SSMT series, this new lower profile version meets the growing demand for next generation wireless applications such as wireless Internet, RFID, Bluetooth, mobile antennas and cellular handsets. The UMCC offering is an excellent fit for 50ohm systems, offering one of the lowest profiles in the industry (2mm off the board), easy snap on/off mating, an extremely small footprint (3 x 3mm), and superior electrical performance through 6GHz.

Tyco Electronics' UMCC connectors and cable assemblies are available as double-ended jumpers and inter-series cable assemblies for 0.80 and 1.37mm diameter single shield and 1.32mm diameter double shielded cable, and PCB jack receptacles for board mount applications.

Other available options include several between-series adapters.

A new solution for the protection of wiring assemblies from damage, vibration and environmental impact has been developed by BERU F1 Systems.
A new solution for the protection of wiring assemblies from damage, vibration and environmental impact has been developed by BERU F1 Systems, a highly regarded specialist in high durability vehicle electrical systems. Wire in Composite (WiC) completely encloses wiring looms in a bespoke composite sleeve, protecting them from damage. In addition, the technology permits designers to improve packaging by laying wires securely side-by-side as opposed to a traditional bundle.

Conceived for motorsport applications in which wiring harnesses must be mounted as low and flat on a vehicle chassis as possible, WiC is equally suitable to aerospace, marine and other ground vehicle applications.

WiC looms can be built to virtually any shape or form offering the ability to incorporate sharp bend radii without the risk of strain or chafing found in a conventional harness.

'This technology allows us to create a loom that exactly matches the profile of the component to which it is attached,' says managing director John Bailey.

'This inherently reduces vibration, reduces package size and the composite sleeve prevents damage by external forces or accidental human interference.' The concept is highly versatile; different wire gauges can be incorporated in a single composite component.

With serviceability equally critical, WiC conveniently retains the option to change connectors fitted to each end of the harness.

Testing of prototype parts has shown that WiC will easily match the temperature and humidity performance of existing loom technologies.

BERU F1 Systems is also trialling components in the harsh F1 engine environment where severe vibration caused by the latest short stroke, high revving (over 19,000rpm) V8 engines and high temperatures are experienced.

The testing completed to date has also highlighted an added bonus of improved EMC performance thanks to the shielding effects of the carbon fibres.

BERU F1 Systems is investigating other materials like Kevlar that could be used to increase impact or heat resistance.

Though not fully yet productionised, BERU F1 Systems believes that the costs could be lower than people expect.

'Although we have a higher tooling cost the assembly process is much simpler than for that of a conventional loom,' continues Bailey.

Quadrant has strengthened its Eastern European manufacturing base by setting up a new plant in Sibiu, Romania.
Quadrant, the Hertfordshire based manufacturer of coaxial and multicore cable assemblies and electronic component distributor, has strengthened its Eastern European manufacturing base by setting up a new plant in Sibiu, Romania. Start-up production is planned for Q3 2006 with volume production commencing in Q4 2006. The historic city of Sibiu is in Transylvania and is designated European Capital for Culture 2007.

With a long industrial history, Sibiu is becoming a centre for European companies establishing manufacturing in Romania, a trend that is likely to increase if, as expected, Romania gains entry into the European Union in January 2007.

This new factory will complement Quadrant's existing UK facility, a smaller facility in Eastern Germany and its already well established, large volume, manufacturing plant that is run in collaboration with Evertronic in Letiny, Czech Republic.

Quadrant's Managing Director, Anthony Sheridan, spoke of the importance of this new capability saying: 'The trend towards manufacturing in lower cost countries in Europe continues unabated and we have been considering various locations for another European production facility for the past year'.

'The building is decorated and furnished to the highest standards with top quality operator benches, seating and lighting all being supplied from Germany'.

'Our relationship with Evertronic remains unchanged and it is envisaged that most of the work produced in Romania will be new business'.

'Our aim is to have two excellent, low-cost European production facilities that will make a significant contribution to our cable assembly business enabling the company to continue to grow steadily in the years ahead'.

Tim Halpin has been appointed Project Manager for the new factory where it is planned to produce many types of cable assemblies including: coaxial flexible, conformable coaxial, round multicore, ribbon and flat cables and multiwire harnesses and looms.

JAE Europe has appointed Jin Nishio as Managing Director.
JAE Europe has appointed Jin Nishio as Managing Director. Based at the company's European headquarters at Camberley, UK, one of his key roles will be to develop the aggressive business strategy needed to double sales in Europe over the next five years. Nishio joined JAE in 1979 and from his 22 years with the company brings with him a wealth of technical and corporate experience.

With a degree in electrical engineering, while at JAE he has worked in a number of senior positions including Aerospace Division Planning Manager, Manager of the Philippines manufacturing plant, Corporate Planning Director, International Operations Division Director and more recently successfully managed the Hong Kong, Philippines and Singapore subsidiaries.

His new role is of major importance to JAE and is part of the GBP 1.5 million investment being made into expanding the European operation needed to meet the potential growth of the market in Europe.

Samtec now offers an expanded choice of micro pitch interfaces for matched impedance and high-speed applications that require elevated designs with board spacings greater than 16mm. usuall
Samtec now offers an expanded choice of micro pitch interfaces for matched impedance and high-speed applications that require elevated designs with board-to-board spacings greater than the 16mm usually required for clearing common heatsink profiles. Samtec's Q-UP high-speed interfaces are available with 19, 22, 25 and 30mm board spacings. These are frequently used in hubs, bridges, routers and data storage systems where increased ventilation and air circulation is required.

Full surface mount designs are available on 0.8mm pitch (QTE Series) and 0.5mm pitch (QTH Series), while mixed-technology design on 0.635mm pitch (MIT Series) with through-hole ground plane and surface mount signal pins is available with 18.75 and 22mm stack heights.

These Samtec high speed interconnects are fully tested for 50ohm systems for impedance, VSWR, attenuation, crosstalk, propagation delay and rise time.

A new range of adapters for interfacing industrial connectors to PCBs has been introduced by Harting.
A new range of adapters for interfacing industrial connectors to PCBs has been introduced by Harting. The new Han PCB adapters provide a direct interface between the PCB and the company's Han ranges of industrial connectors, and are ideally suited to use in panels, cabinets and distribution boxes where power and signal circuits need to be interfaced. Linking the connector directly to the circuit board means that wiring is eliminated, along with the resultant costs, installation time and potential for faults.

It also speeds production by separating the PCB from the mechanical side of the system, so that the boards can be processed using automatic wave soldering.

No higher force is applied on the soldered joints when mating the industrial connector, since the metalwork of the panel or enclosure absorbs any additional stresses.

The adapters are available with standard crimp loading inserts with current ratings of 10, 16 and 40A, and with 24, 42, 72 or 108 contacts.

Self-retaining contacts with dedicated housings, offering rapid installation and permanent connection integrity are the key features of the AMPMODU Locking Clip range of connectors.
Self-retaining contacts with dedicated housings, offering rapid installation and permanent connection integrity are the key features of the range of AMPMODU Locking Clip connectors from Tyco Electronics. Designed to mate with industry standard 0.63 x 0.63mm or 0.79 x 1.57mm pin header posts, no additional fastenings or bulky latching features are required to ensure that connectors stay permanently mated once installed, while retaining quick disconnect flexibility when required. Locking clip contacts feature an innovative contact spring that during installation on to header posts performs no apparent function.

Attempts at removal however see the spring lock firmly on to the post ensuring the connection cannot be disturbed by shock, vibration or direct pulling on the wires.

When installed within the dedicated Locking Clip housings, removal can be simply achieved however by pulling directly on the housing which deflects the contact spring within the connector and releases the header post.

When using unhoused Locking Clip contacts, disconnection is achieved through the use of an inexpensive extraction tool.

Particularly suited for wire-to-board applications encountering vibration, shock or movement during their working life, Locking Clip connectors are available with single or double row UL94V0 rated housings and gold or tin plated crimp snap-in contacts for wire size ranges 20-30 AWG, in both loose piece or reeled packaging.

A reversed type SIM connector provides a two-point contact on all six pins, preventing electrical interruption when the connector is dropped or otherwise subjected to mechanical stress and vibrations.
The latest reversed type SIM connector from Yamaichi Electronics is the first in the market to provide a two-point contact on all six pins, preventing electrical interruption when the connector is dropped or otherwise subjected to mechanical stress and vibrations. FMS006-3000-1 is a so-called tray-type for manual card insertion and extraction. The tray is made in one casting including the card and contact section, thus eliminating the likelihood of accidentally separating the card tray from the rest of the connector.

Furthermore, polyoxymethylene (Acetal), or POM, is used for the tray material, which is hard to break.

What is more, the tray can be exchanged.

As a reversed type the connector is soldered on the bottom of the PCB.

A connector for microSD memory cards is designed with a small form factor and a mounting profile of a mere 1.85mm.
Yamaichi Electronics introduces its card connector model PJS008-2000 for microSD memory cards designed with a small form factor and a mounting profile of a mere 1.85mm (reverse mount type). Using a tactile push-lock/push-eject mechanism the card travels only 3.00 to 4.35mm from its locked position to its ejected position. A special card-brake provision prevents the card from flying out.

Moreover, strengthened contact on the power supply and the earth pad of the card effectively prevents electrical interruption.

The PJS008 series is RoHS compliant and shipped in embossed carrier tapes for automated assembly.

RoHs compliant Land Grid Array 771 (LGA771) Socket J for Intel Xeon CPUs and Land Grid Array (LGA775) Socket T for desktop computers are equipped to handle the future of sever technology.
New from Tyco Electronics, the RoHS compliant Land Grid Array 771 (LGA771) Socket J for Intel Xeon CPUs and Land Grid Array (LGA775) Socket T for desktop computers are equipped to handle the future of sever technology. The optimal quality of these sockets assures microprocessor protection for longevity of CPU connection. Built to endure and protect, Tyco Electronics' LGA771 and LGA775 sockets integrate the latest in quality technology to assure consistent performance.

The sockets' high temperature endurance thermoplastic housing material, combined with the stainless steel load plate, securely retain the microprocessor package for connection in a variety of temperature conditions.

With exceptionally precise contact tip geometry and socket housing ribs, LGA771 and LGA775 sockets reduce the risk of contact damage and tip over-bending as a result of improper handling or installation.

'Tyco Electronics' LGA771 and LGA775 sockets incorporate the latest LGA metal contact and direct socket loading technology', comments Kim Whitman, Product Manager, Tyco Electronics logic and memory products.

'The LGA contact and direct socket loading ensure the electrical connection of both the Pentium 4 CPU and the Xeon CPU with the printed circuit board'.

With a single lever handle for actuation and solder ball surface mount technology for printed circuit board attachment, LGA771 and LGA775 sockets are superiorly designed for simple processor installation and PCB integration by the direct socket loading plate.

The pick-and-place cap for automatic processing also serves to further protect the contacts from contamination, allowing for an even longer life of the socket and microprocessor.

A next generation input/output interconnect provides density and space savings for current 10/100 or Gigabit Ethernet RJ45/RJ21 applications.
Tyco Electronics' MRJ21 connector system is the next generation input/output (I/O) interconnect providing density and space savings for current 10/100 or gigabit Ethernet (GbE) RJ45/RJ21 applications. Meeting standard Category 5e requirements, this high-density GbE solution has been designed to reliably transmit simultaneous GbE and power over Ethernet (PoE) applications. Tyco Electronics' extensive MRJ21 product line provides a complete solution.

For greater efficiency, Tyco Electronics' MRJ21 double blade design offers up to four times the port density of traditional 2x6 Stacked Modular Jack (RJ45) and up to three times the port density of an RJ21 connector.

The MRJ21 Netconnect product also improves management of wiring closets by offering cleaner cabling solutions than typical RJ45 cabling schemes.

The variety of options in PCB connectors and configurations, along with the accompanying jackscrews and secure cabling features, further sets the MRJ21 product apart as the higher density, efficient, and lower maintenance GbE answer.

Tyco Electronics offers a complete line of MRJ21 products.

Cable assemblies are available for quick, pluggable implementation.

PCB connectors are manufactured in a variety of mounting options.

Cassettes and patch panels use high-performance, 24-pair solutions to meet the appropriate wiring patterns for standardised applications.

Tyco Electronics' MRJ21 connector design also features a fully shielded system to control electromagnetic interference (EMI).

The module's differentially paired footprint and contact layout further reduces crosstalk through built-in compensation.

The MRJ21 PCB connectors can be designed to meet customers' application specific needs with options for integrated magnetics.

'The MRJ21 connector system addresses the industry's need for density, reliability and performance at Gigabit Ethernet speeds', states Michael Walmsley, Tyco Electronics Product Manager.

'The MRJ21 product can be designed into applications where traditional stacked modular jacks and the 50-position RJ21 had been used with a significant increase in port density'.

'And Tyco Electronics offers the complete package - PCB connectors, cable assemblies, patch panels and cassettes, and wiring management solutions'.

Compatible with almost all modular plug mechanisms used today, the MRJ21 product meets the I/O needs of applications such as modular data centres, storage area networks, core and edge routers, digital cross connects, Gigabit Ethernet, 10/100Base-T, digital subscriber line access multiplexers and more.

A new Correct-A-Chip BGA adapter allows 0.8mm pitch devices to be mounted to PCBs laid out for 1.0mm pitch devices, eliminating the need for new or reworked PCBs.
Aries Electronics has introduced a new Correct-A-Chip ball grid array (BGA) adapter that allows 0.8mm pitch devices to be mounted to PCBs laid out for 1.0mm pitch devices, eliminating the need for new or reworked PCBs. The bottom of the new adapter mounts on a PCB with a BGA pad footprint on 1.0mm pitch, while the top of the adapter accepts BGA devices with 0.8mm pitch. The new 16 x 16 array (256-ball) BGA adapter measures 0.65in square and is constructed of 0.040 FR-4 material with 0.02in diameter solder balls of tin/lead 63/37.

PCB plating is immersion gold over electroless nickel per ASTM-B-733.

The adapter's solder mask is black liquid photo imagable (LPI), and operating temperature is 105C continuous.

Suggested PCB pad sise diameter for mounting is 0.635mm.

In addition to these standard materials, Aries can furnish the new adapter using special materials, platings, sizes and configurations to meet specific customer needs.

Pricing for the new Correct-A-Chip adapter 256-301750-18 starts at $110 each in single piece quantities.