Electronics Automation

Deltron UK is to supply the Datatronics range of standard and bespoke power transformers and inductors, aimed primarily at demanding military, medical and automotive applications.
Deltron UK, part of the Abacus Group, has signed a deal with Datatronics to supply its range of standard and bespoke power transformers and inductors, aimed primarily at demanding military, medical and automotive applications. Coupled with Deltron UK's custom design support capability, the offering is a significant strengthening of the distributor's power management portfolio. 'This is in direct response to demand from our customers', says Gordon Campbell, Managing Director Deltron UK.

'There is a growing requirement for prototype and small volume production quantities of high-quality high-specification magentics, and Datatronics meets that need'.

The Datatronics range includes current sense and gate drive transformers, 1553 databus transformers, pulse and high voltage transformers and RF and power inductors, including products to military specifications MIL-PRF-27, MIL-PRF-21038 and MIL-STD-981.

For applications that do not lend themselves to standard products, the company specialises in bespoke solutions for high reliability applications.

Howard Ingleson is the new Managing Director of Syfer Technology.
Howard Ingleson has been promoted to Managing Director at Syfer Technology. Ingleson, a graduate of York University with a BS in physics, joined Syfer in 1995 from Oxley where he was the Business Manager of the EMI filter division. He was brought in to Syfer to spearhead the introduction of EMI filter products, moving on to Quality and Environmental Manager in 1999, Sales and Marketing Manager in 2004 and latterly European Sales Manager in 2005 for the newly formed Ceramic Products Group of Dover Electronics.

Ingleson has been part of the Syfer management team through the last 10 years of rapid growth and brings to the job a complete understanding of their products from both engineering and sales fronts.

The newly extended TFS Series has been specifically designed and developed to absorb much more energy than standard film resistors.
The newly extended TFS Series of resistors from Ohmite have been specifically designed and developed to absorb much more energy than standard film resistors. Ideal for medical surge protection applications, these low-profile thick-film resistors offer noninductive performance in an axial package. Now available in six standard sizes, the flat, axial leaded devices cover a range from 0.5 to 2W, with energy ratings from 6 to 55J for a single impulse.

Operating voltages range from 3 to 11kV, with a resistance range from 100ohm to 100kohm, down to 1% tolerance, with a TCR of 100ppm.

Other applications for this RoHS compliant range include power supply conversions, electron microscopes, X-ray systems, high-resolution CTR displays, and geophysical instrument related products.

GSPK Circuits has officially launched its new subsidiary company Ampohm Wound Products.
GSPK Circuits has officially launched its new subsidiary company Ampohm Wound Products. Based in Treburley, Cornwall, Ampohm Wound Products has been created out of the assets of Ampohm (Capacitors) which ceased trading in January 2006. Having taken over the technology, GSPK Circuits has already got the new company in full operation from its business premises on Treburley Industrial Estate - and it intends to focus its efforts on developing vital skills and expertise within this region.

Ampohm Wound Products is set to continue the manufacture and development of Ampohm's specialist range of standard and custom made capacitors and interference suppressors for industrial, audio and automotive markets.

This strategic move dovetails with GSPK Circuits' specialist printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing capabilities and the company's expertise in the sale and distribution of PCBs will enhance Ampohm's performance and drive it into new markets.

Steve Lloyd, Managing Director of GSPK Circuits and Ampohm Wound Products said: 'This is a very exciting new venture for GSPK Circuits'.

'The new company will be run by Director Robert Johnston and the invaluable expertise of ex Ampohm (Capacitors) employee Andrew Slade'.

'This is just the first of many new exciting ventures GSPK Circuits are planning'.

Resistors meet or exceed the stringent reliability requirements of MIL-R-93 and MIL-PRF-39005.
Providing design engineers with an ultra precision device for critical applications, TT Electronics IRC Wire and Film Technologies Division provides an axial lead precision wirewound resistor designed specifically for military and avionics systems. Designated the RB/RBR Series, the resistors meet or exceed the stringent reliability requirements of MIL-R-93 and MIL-PRF-39005. Typically configured as a precision voltage divider or current shunt, the RB/RBR Series resistors are ideal for applications where highly accurate measurement of voltage or current is required.

These resistors are constructed by winding the resistance core in a controlled stress manner, then welding the terminations to reduce contact noise and thermal EMF.

They undergo accelerated aging and additional testing to ensure precise accuracy and stability throughout its lifespan.

Available in axial and radial terminal configurations, power ratings for the RB/RBR Series resistors range from 0.125 to 0.5W.

Standard tolerance ranges from +/-0.01 to +/-1.0%, and operating temperature range is -65 to +145C.

IRC will also provide precision resistors with special TCRs, screening or other specifications to meet customer requirements.

The RB/RBR Series is part of IRC's extensive offering of full MIL-spec and commercial resistors.

The IRC facility includes one of the industry's most comprehensive military-qualified test labs.

A new shortform product selector and crossreference features a complete line of resistors, varistors and surface mount inductors.
Stackpole Electronics, has introduced a new shortform product selector and crossreference featuring the company's complete line of resistors, varistors and surface mount inductors. The Stackpole product selector offers customers an at-a-glance reference including colour photographs, product specifications and competitor cross references in a handy tri-fold guide. The product selector separates surface mount packages from through-hole packages, allowing for greater ease in product selection.

Product families in the shortform product selector include: thick film chip resistors; thin film precision chip resistors; chip arrays and networks; metal film and metal oxide; carbon film and carbon composition; custom thick film on metal resistors; high voltage resistors; current sensing resistors; custom forming solutions; and a wide variety of wirewound resistors.

The varistor section of the product selector demonstrates Stackpole's breadth of product in showing its complete line of surface mount and through-hole automotive grade, low and medium voltage and high-energy varistor options.

The new inductor section includes surface mount high frequency and power inductors.

Regarding the launch of the shortform product selector, Stackpole's Product Engineering Manager Kory Schroeder commented: 'The Short Form catalogue is a great tool, as it shows Stackpole's excellent breadth of product and demonstrates how well we cross other manufacturers products'.

He added: 'We've made the shortform catalogue informative and intuitive so that electronics engineers and buyers will turn to it as a handy resource when they are looking for solutions'.

Transformers are up to 30% more compact and require up to 20% less mounting space than earlier products with similar outputs.]
Soon to be available in Europe from TDK Corporation, SRW2420EG, SRW2425EG and SRW33EX transformers are up to 30% more compact and require up to 20% less mounting space than earlier products with similar outputs. TDK has optimised the core materials and core configurations used in standard power supply transformer components to enable engineers to develop smaller and lighter products such as AC adapters and audio-visual devices. The transformers can be used in a variety of devices that require low-profile shapes, compactness and low-heat generation such as battery chargers, DC/DC convertors, inverter household appliances, LCD televisions, and plasma display panel televisions.

In order to make the transformers smaller and lighter, TDK selected core materials optimised for specific applications and adopted innovative core configurations.

This series of transformers uses the new ferrite material, PC47, which allows the product to be smaller.

Furthermore, by conducting extensive magnetic circuit simulations, TDK adopted revolutionary elliptical cores in multiple output transformers (such as those used in DVD players), reducing both the core and transformer body volume and weight.

This resulted in a reduction of 22.5% in the mounting area and 27% in volume.

In addition, by investigating optimal bobbin terminal core opening shapes and reducing the core thickness, TDK minimised the weight of cores used in single output transformers.

TDK has applied for six different patents and design registrations with respect to the new core and bobbin configurations.

The SRW2420EG, SRW2425EG, and SRW33EX are RoHS compliant.

The SRW2420EG and SRW2425EG can be used as multiple output transformers, and the SRW33EX as a low-profile multiple output transformer.

Power outputs vary between 25 and 65W, with flyback operating frequencies between 25 and 40kHz.

A new line of anticorrosive precision chip resistors eliminates moisture concerns associated with typical nickel chromium precision resistors.
Stackpole Electronics has introduced a new line of anticorrosive precision chip resistors that eliminates moisture concerns associated with typical nickel chromium precision resistors. Designated the RNCS Series, it is available in industry standard 0402 to 2512 sizes and has a resistance range from 25ohm to 600kohm, with tolerances down to +/- 0.01% and TCRs as low as 5ppm/C. The RNCS Series has an operating temperature range of -55 to +155C.

Manufacture of the new RNCS Series was made possible due to a significant change in manufacturing processes.

A proprietary passivation layer is introduced between the nichrome resistive element and the epoxy overcoat to ensure stable performance and long life in the harshest and wettest environments.

In MIL-STD-202 moisture testing, the RNCS Series demonstrated excellent stability over time and no significant shift in resistance after the 1000 hour life test at 85C and 85% humidity.

'In the past few years much has been made over the moisture susceptibility of standard nichrome resistors'.

'This specially passivated, moisture-resistant technology was developed as an improvement over standard nichrome chips and as an alternative to long lead time, high priced tantalum nitride resistors', said Kory Schroeder, Product Engineering Manager at Stackpole.

Schroeder added: 'We have completed extensive moisture comparison testing'.

'In every case the RNCS series outperformed standard nichrome chip resistors and demonstrated the same anticorrosive characteristics of costly tantalum nitride resistor products'.

The RNCS Series is ideally suited for precision circuitry where moisture sensitivity and protection against harsh environments are of great concern: Typical applications/markets include: instrumentation; medical equipment; computers; power supplies; telecommunication; automotive; aerospace (where COTS parts are accepted) and portable electronics.

RNCS Series pricing is tolerance and TCR dependent, but $0.20 is typical in quantities of 1000 pieces.

The LT series of ultra-low-profile MLC capacitors is designed for decoupling and filtering applications.
New from AVX, the LT series of ultra-low-profile MLC capacitors in X5R - a class II dielectric with a capacitance variation of +/-15% from -55 to +85C - for decoupling and filtering applications. The company's investment in the research and development of thin dielectric layer technology has resulted in very low profile heights for industry standard case sizes from 0402 to 0805. Capacitance ranges include: 0402 1uF/4V which has a maximum height of 0.356mm, 0603 1uF/16V and 0603 2.2uF/6V both with a maximum of height of 0.56mm, and 0805 4.7uF/16V and 1206 10uF/16V with a maximum height of 1.02mm.

An 0201 0.1uF/4V with a maximum height of 0.22mm is due to be released soon.

The LT series is also suitable for all the latest low profile consumer applications such as cameras, LCD modules and handheld RF devices as well as memory products like smart cards, memory modules, RFID packages, and Flash memory cards

Eighteen-year-old rising star David Peters has beaten off competition from 15 other electronics students to be named Apprentice of the Year by Northumberland College.
Eighteen-year-old rising star David Peters has beaten off competition from 15 other electronics students to be named Apprentice of the Year by Northumberland College. Employed by electronic components manufacturer, TT Electronics Welwyn Components, Peters was singled out for the award because of his exceptional academic results, continuous hard work and outstanding commitment to the course. Peters joined TT Welwyn aged 16 and has recently completed his second year of the four-year apprenticeship.

For the past two years he has combined working within TT Welwyn's Microelectronics Division as a Trainee Process Improvement Engineer with studying one day per week at the Ashington campus of Northumberland College.

Peters was awarded with a trophy and high street vouchers in recognition of his achievement, but claims that his greatest moment will come when he finally qualifies: 'I'm part of a fantastic small team at Welwyn, who have been very supportive throughout the first two years of my course'.

'My aim now is to keep up the standard of my work, become a good engineer and put some of the theory in to practice'.

The role of Process Improvement Engineer is an important one to Welwyn, as the company is constantly looking for new innovative ways to improve its products and processes in to maintain its position as market leader in an increasingly global market.

Peters' success is the third in as many months for TT Welwyn, which is building a reputation for producing high achieving apprentices.

IRC Advanced Film Division has added Chip Supply as a die distributor for its wire bondable chips.
Giving design engineers of hybrid microelectronics expanded options and worldwide availability for ultra stable, tantalum nitride miniature resistor die, TT electronics IRC Advanced Film Division has added Chip Supply as a die distributor for its wire bondable chips. Designated the WBC Series, the resistors feature IRC's self-passivating TaNSil tantalum nitride thin film technology on silicon substrates. 'This partnership enables us to provide our products to customers from organisations of all sizes throughout the world', said Steve Wade, Director of Sales and Marketing for IRC Advanced Film Division.

'As the largest die distributor in the world, Chip Supply has the specialised experience needed to provide superior technical service for our wire bondable resistor die products'.

Located in Orlando, Florida, Chip Supply has a facility comprising two clean rooms and five buildings of processing space.

Chip Supply will distribute IRC's WBC Series product to all markets, including aerospace, military, medical, computer, networking, wireless, commercial and industrial.

The WBC resistors have exceptional TCR values down to +/-25ppm/C with a resistance range from 100ohm to 400kohm.

Backside contacts are available.

Absolute tolerance ranges are available down to +/-0.1%.

As with all IRC products, devices outside these specifications can be produced to meet specific customer requirements.

Watch crystals are available housed in a wide range of surface mount package styles for use in a variety of applications.
Frequency control specialist Euroquartz now offers watch crystals housed in a wide range of surface mount package styles for use in a variety of applications. The crystals all feature a nominal frequency of 32.768kHz making them ideal for use in real time clock (RTC) applications with calibration tolerance of +/-20ppm as standard on most devices (+/-50ppm standard on AG and FC series parts with +/-20ppm also available). Package sizes include 6 x 2, 8.7 x 3.8, 10.4 x 4, 7 x 1.5, 5 x 1.9 and ultraminiature 3.2 x 1.2mm.

Low power consumption types are available for portable, battery-powered applications while low cost crystals manufactured in epoxy resin are suitable for mass-market devices.

Typical specifications include maximum drive levels of 1W, ageing of +/-3ppm maximum in first year, load capacitance of 12.5pF (7pF available on some models) and operating temperature range from -40 to +85C (-55 to +125C storage temperature range).

Euroquartz's surface mount watch crystals are supplied in standard EIA 16mm tape and reel packaging and are suitable for reflow soldering.