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Cool Tools: Complete 3D scan and reverse engineering suite for under 15 grand

Verisurf Software is offering special limited-time pricing on its 3D scanning and reverse engineering solution bundle. It has everything needed to quickly deploy the system, including: Verisurf Scan Data and Reverse Engineering Suite with Quick Surface, Verisurf online training, Peel 2 3D handheld scanner, 1-year hardware warranty, and Peel 2 and Verisurf installation and setup video. The Verisurf Scan Data Reverse Engineering Suite is part of the recently released Verisurf 2020, the only measurement, inspection, and reverse engineering software dedicated to Model-Based Definition (MBD) and built on a CAD/CAM platform.
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Asset tracking down to the centimeter

ON Semicon-ductor's Quuppa Intelligent Locating System enables real-time tracking of Bluetooth tags and devices -- with centimeter-level accuracy even in challenging environments. Quuppa technology allows positioning updates to be sent up to 50 times per second, providing a reliable and versatile Real-Time Locating System (RTLS) solution for all industries. Users can design ultra-low-power indoor asset-tracking applications with Direction Finding features and advanced Angle of Arrival (AoA) technology.
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Noncontact measurement of speed and length

With the SPEETEC, SICK has expanded its product range for speed and length measurement of objects moving in a linear path to include technology that measures directly on the material surface. The non-contact sensor is able to measure a wide range of web and continuous materials, as well as blanks, with incredible accuracy. This speed sensor closes the gap between tactile, indirect-measuring encoder solutions and laser velocimeters, which are often expensive to purchase and require considerable effort to integrate and operate.
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Displays: New HMI and drive faceplates

ABB's CP600 Gen 2 HMIs offer NEMA 4X rating, an expanded temperature range, 33% brighter screens, additional communications ports, and integral web server capability, allowing users to expand HMI usage into more applications. Available in 7-, 10-, and 15-in. sizes, the CP600 Gen2 HMI units join the CP600-eCo units and the CP600-Pro units to cover the full range of industrial display needs.
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Cool Tools: Hexagon RS6 high-speed laser scanner

The handheld or arm-mounted RS6 laser scanner available from Exact Metrology is designed for high-speed and high-accuracy scanning. When compared to other scanners, the RS6 has a 3x faster frame rate, a 30% wider laser stripe, and excellent scanning performance on difficult surfaces (including glossy black plastic automotive body parts or molded carbon fiber components). Its unique SHINE technology allows you to scan 99% of parts without touching the scanner exposure. It scans up to 1.2 million points/sec with a scan rate of 300 Hz.
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New Intellistat Ion Air Gun for static elimination

EXAIR's patented Intellistat Ion Air Gun is a handheld and lightweight solution for static elimination in clean processes or sensitive assembly work such as scientific and electronic test facilities, laboratories, and clean rooms. The Intellistat was designed to consume minimal compressed air while simultaneously delivering precise blow-off, and exceptional static decay rates capable of reducing 1000 V to less than 100 V in less than a second at up to 24 in. away.
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Automotive cameras get 3-MP res and added cybersecurity

The OX03F10 automotive image sensor from OmniVision expands the company's next-gen ASIL-C viewing camera family with higher 3-MP resolution and cybersecurity features that are required as vehicle designers make the transition from Level 2 and 3 advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) to higher levels of autonomy. The OX03F10 also maintains the family's unique combination of a large 3.0-micron pixel size with a high dynamic range (HDR) of 140 dB and the best LED flicker mitigation (LFM) performance for minimized motion artifacts. Additionally, the sensor is offered in a 1/2.44-in. optical format and features a four-lane MIPI CSI-2 interface.
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Solid-state LiDAR wins CES innovation award

LiDAR sensor provider SOSLAB won the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2021 Innovation Awards for its Solid-state LiDAR ML unit for autonomous vehicles in the Vehicle Intelligence and Transportation category. The award recognized the excellence of the ML product, which is a compact LiDAR without moving parts. Its design enables simpler vehicle sensor deployment in terms of size, weight, and stability. ML is easy to mass-produce with a simple structural design that is expected to attract attention in the automotive LiDAR market.
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RF filters for space applications

Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions (CAES) has bolstered its RF Filter portfolio with the addition of new microwave and millimeter-wave filter assemblies specifically designed for space applications. This broad portfolio includes lumped element, combline cavity, and printed filters, as well as multi-filter assemblies. These filters are characterized by low loss and high sensitivity with narrowband with low insertion loss, broadband with low loss at edges, and rejection bandwidth no more than 20% greater than passband bandwidth. CAES RF Filters feature high power capability with greater than 5 W peak power and greater than 1 W average power. Can be optimized for size and weight. Cobham has extensive experience in RF Filters for airborne, missile, and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) applications.
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Ultra-bright omnidirectional mini LED bulbs

The B305SM series from LEDtronics is an omnidirectional miniature bulb that replaces incandescents directly in critical instrument status indication applications. They produce much brighter light intensity while remaining energy efficient. This bulb features a T3-1/4 (9-mm) single-contact bayonet base that gives installation a familiar twist. It's a great fit for applications such as back lighting, signage, panel-mount pilot lights, accent lighting, and more.
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Optimize controls development for electric drives

To make electric vehicles more robust, more economical, and less expensive, their drives use the latest semiconductor technology in combination with complex control systems. The new dSPACE MicroAutoBox III AC Motor Control Solution provides developers with a software connection that enables them to develop complex control algorithms for frequency converters and electric drives. Used in combination with the MicroAutoBox III prototyping system and the DS1553 Interface Module, test drives can be efficiently carried out in the vehicle. Typical applications include the development of drive controls and mechatronic components, such as steering systems or DC/DC converters for combining HV and LV vehicle electrical systems.
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SlimLine variable-speed enclosure air conditioners

Seifert Systems has just introduced its SlimLine Vario Series of enclosure air conditioners that can be adjusted and set to provide only the cooling needed for a particular application. This results in a very uniform temperature level within the cabinet. Electrical components and the cooling are significantly less stressed, enabling higher safety and longer life cycle. In addition, the condensation inside the cabinet is minimized. The SlimLine Vario Series performance-to-size level makes it particularly suitable for special applications such as battery cooling. Units are designed for maintenance-free operation and are available with internal, external, or recessed mounting. Several models available for cooling capacities from 1,640 to 8,700 BTU/Hr.
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Tiny MEMS temp and humidity sensor

Würth Elektronik has developed a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) temperature and humidity sensor that is only 2 x 2 x 0.9 mm in size. Alongside classical applications such as heating, ventilation, air conditioning, building automation, and cooling systems, the WSEN-HIDS humidity sensor is also suitable for dataloggers and stationary and portable IoT applications. The sensor with integrated analog-digital converter can be connected to commonly used microcontrollers via an I2C or SPI interface.
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6 new products for use in Li-ion batteries

Goodfellow has just announced the addition of six chemical compounds for use in Li-ion batteries. Each of these materials offers something different in terms of the variables associated with Li-ion batteries, such as energy density, potential safety, cost, recharging time, cycle life, scalability, etc. Learn about these and many other battery-related materials available.
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New standard set for automotive-grade lidar

The Vista-X90 is the newest addition to Cepton's Vista-X automotive-grade sensor family. Priced at less than a thousand bucks for high-volume automotive applications, it sets a new benchmark for high performance at low power in a compact form factor. It is ideally suited for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous vehicles (AVs). Weighing less than 900 g, the Vista-X90 achieves up to 200 m range at 10% reflectivity with an outstanding angular resolution of 0.13 degrees and state-of-the-art power consumption.
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Latest LiDAR on a chip paves way for tiny, low-cost, high-performance 3D-imaging cameras

Basketball and screen at 17 m. Picture taken using a 32 x 16 pixel sensor (2-mm x 2.5-mm sensor size). [Credit: Pointcloud Inc.]

 

 

Researchers in the United Kingdom and the United States have developed the first compact 3D LiDAR imaging system that can match and exceed the performance and accuracy of most advanced mechanical systems currently used.

3D LiDAR can provide accurate imaging and mapping for many applications. It is the "eyes" for autonomous cars and is used in facial recognition software and by autonomous robots and drones. Accurate imaging is essential for machines to map and interact with the physical world, but the size and costs of the technology currently needed has limited LIDAR's use in commercial applications.

Now a team of researchers from Pointcloud Inc. in San Francisco and the University of Southampton's Optoelectronic Research Center (ORC) in the UK have developed a new integrated system that uses silicon photonic components and CMOS electronic circuits in the same microchip. The prototype they have developed provides a pathway to large-volume production of low-cost, compact, and high-performance 3D-imaging cameras for use in robotics, autonomous navigation systems, mapping of building sites to increase safety, and healthcare.

Graham Reed, professor of Silicon Photonics within the ORC, said, "LIDAR has been promising a lot but has not always delivered on its potential in recent years because, although experts have recognized that integrated versions can scale down costs, the necessary performance has not been there -- until now.

"The silicon photonics system we have developed provides much higher accuracy at distance compared to other chip-based LiDAR systems to date, and most mechanical versions, showing that the much sought-after integrated system for LiDAR is viable."

The latest tests of the prototype, published in the journal Nature show that it has an accuracy of 3.1 mm at a distance of 75 m.

Amongst the problems faced by previous integrated systems are the difficulties in providing a dense array of pixels that can be easily addressed. This has restricted them to fewer than 20 pixels, whereas this new system is the first large-scale 2D coherent detector array consisting of 512 pixels. The research teams are now working to extend the pixels arrays and the beam-steering technology to make the system even better suited to real-world applications and further improve performance.

Source: University of Southampton

Published February 2021

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