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Protect battery packs against overcurrent and overcharging

Littelfuse has announced the new ITV4030, a series of 22-A, three-terminal, surface-mountable Li-ion battery protectors ideal for use in a wide range of data communications interfaces for consumer electronics including tablets, robotic appliances, and power tools. These 4- x 3-mm devices protect battery packs against overcurrent and overcharging (overvoltage) conditions. The innovative design uses embedded fuse and heater elements that provide fast response and reliable performance to interrupt the charging or discharging circuit before the battery pack becomes overcharged or overheated.
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Raspberry Pi Pico W adds Wi-Fi to popular microcontroller board

Raspberry Pi launched the $4 Pico microcontroller board in January of last year. It has sold almost 2 million units and proven to be a great tool for commercial, industrial, and maker applications, but it still lacks one important element: wireless connectivity. That is about to change.
Read the full article.

Cool Tools: The oscilloscope that feels like a tablet

Tektronix says, "Get ready to change the way you work forever!" Introducing the Tektronix 2 Series Mixed Signal Oscilloscope (MSO) -- the only full-featured bench oscilloscope that works where you work. It weighs less than 4 lb, is just 1.5-in. thick, and can accommodate an optional battery pack for up to 8 hours of unplugged power.
View the video.

Smart contactors with CAN bus

Sensata Technologies has announced the availability of the new GXC and MXC series of Smart-Tactor contactors with CAN bus communication, which provide valuable data for improved system performance, reliability, and diagnostics in military, battery system, energy storage, commercial vehicle, and industrial applications. This new series of CAN bus-enabled contactors are easily integrated and simplify data acquisition, making them ideal for data logging, telematics, and predictive maintenance.
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What can you do with touchless magnetic angle sensors?

Novotechnik has put together a really informative video highlighting real-world applications for their RFC, RFE, and RSA Series touchless magnetic angle sensors. You may be surprised at the variety of off-highway, marine, material handling, and industrial uses. You'll learn how they work (using a Hall effect microprocessor to detect position) and their key advantages, including eliminated wear and tear on these non-mechanical components. We love when manufacturers provide such useful examples.
View the video.

Slimmest enclosure air conditioner on the market!

Seifert's SlimLine Series of enclosure air conditioners integrate unique technologies -- maximum power-to-size ratio, mounting of merely 4.5 inches inside-cabinet-depth -- making the SlimLine Series the slimmest air conditioner in the market. Cooling capacity: 1,090 to 5,120 Btu/hr.
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Radiation-hardened GaN transistor for space applications

EPC has just introduced the EPC7018 radiation-hardened GaN FET. With higher breakdown strength, lower gate charge, lower switching losses, better thermal conductivity, and very low on-resistance, power devices based on GaN significantly outperform silicon-based devices. They enable higher switching frequencies resulting in higher power densities, higher efficiencies, and more compact and lighter-weight circuitry for critical spaceborne missions, including DC-DC power, motor drives, lidar, deep probes, and ion thrusters.
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Low-cost motion control: CLICK PLUS PLCs

Automation-Direct has released the new CLICK PLC programming software version 3.30, which allows any CLICK PLUS CPU to be configured as a 3-axis PTO/PWM motion controller. 100-kHz high-speed inputs and outputs are offered with any DC option slot I/O module placed in slot 0 of the CPU. With this module, CLICK PLUS PLCs can easily perform velocity moves, homing commands, or interpolated positioning. Six CPUs available starting at less than 100 bucks.
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EdgeCool cools computer servers in the rack

The new EdgeCool system for rack-mounted computer servers revolutionizes IT cooling by transforming server racks into their own portable, energy-saving server rooms. The patented split system from DENSO Products and Services Americas is made up of a condenser and an evaporator that fit easily into almost any open or sealed server rack. The self-contained equipment eliminates the need for more floor space, a dedicated server room, or disruptive and costly building modifications.
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Do-it-yourself high-performance aluminum cold plates

New high-performance aluminum cold plates from Advanced Thermal Solutions (ATS) let engineers safely drill holes in a mounting pattern that matches the specific connection points of hot devices that need cooling, providing lots of customization options. ATS says its cold plates have been demonstrated to provide more than 30% better thermal performance than other commercially available cold plates.
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Long-range retro-reflective photoelectric sensors overcome interference

The new 36 series of sensors from Leuze are suitable for demanding requirements in intralogistics, packaging systems, and the automotive industry. They detect objects with different optical properties -- even at a great distance or when sources of interference are present (such as film-wrapped pallets, vibration, or ambient lighting). Available as sensors with background suppression (range to 2.5 m), as retro-reflective photoelectric sensors (up to 17 m), or as throughbeam photoelectric sensors (up to 80 m).
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Calculator simplifies cabinet cooling system selection

EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Systems provide a comprehensive solution for cooling and purging electronic cabinets and come in a litany of different cooling capacities, NEMA ratings, and classifications. With the breadth of available options, choosing the best Cabinet Cooler for a specific environment can be a tedious task and depends on a few key factors. With EXAIR's new Cabinet Cooler Calculator, it's easy to find the ideal Cabinet Cooler System for any specific application.
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New low-voltage compact LED bulbs

LEDtronics has released new additions to its industry-leading offering of intermediate-based LED bulbs that fit in enclosed fixtures, featuring low voltage, 160-degree spherical illumination, low power consumption, and high lumen intensity. The B605SM series is available either as a 14-VAC/VDC bulb that replaces incandescent lamps 67, 89, 97, 98, 1095, 1155, and 5008, or as a 28-VAC/VDC bulb that replaces incandescents 71, 303, 623, and 1251. These bulbs are a perfect fit in applications such as machine status or gaming candle indicators, indicator lights for instrumentation, panel-mount pilot lights, accent lighting, and automotive.
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Neat. How to prototype 4x machine vision applications on one small embedded system quickly

Teledyne FLIR has put together a neat article that shows how to prototype a machine vision system quickly that runs four simultaneous applications, three of which use deep learning. The system uses the Quartet Embedded Solution for TX2, a customized carrier board that enables easy integration of up to four USB3 cameras at full bandwidth. The example traffic systems application includes license plate recognition, vehicle type categorization, vehicle color classification, and seeing through a windshield -- all simultaneously. Very cool.
Read the Teledyne FLIR application article.

New Gefran inclination sensors use MEMS technology

Automation-Direct has added Gefran inclination sensors to their growing lineup of position transducers. Gefran sensors use cutting-edge MEMS technology (micro-electromechanical devices integrated onto a single silicon chip) to provide reliable and precise tilt angle measurement with respect to gravity. These sensors are rugged and suitable for the harshest environments. M12 quick-disconnect models are fully redundant, having two sensors in one housing.
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UCF to study method for reducing energy use by 50-75% in older homes

The University of Central Florida (UCF) was recently awarded a grant worth $4.4 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to determine if a pre-packaged pod is an effective method to deploy very efficient heating, cooling, and water heating systems to thousands of homes.

The DOE awarded $32 million to seven teams that will manage 30 demonstration projects nationwide. Finding effective ways to retrofit existing and older buildings to be more energy efficient is critical, considering there are 130 million buildings in the United States today and about 75% of them are expected to still be standing in 2050, according to the DOE. Upgrading older homes is often expensive and intrusive, which makes homeowners less likely to make the investment. The pod system holds promise because it is expected to reduce energy use by 50-75% and is less disruptive to install, according to the researchers.

FSEC Energy Research Center at the University of Central Florida, in partnership with National Association of State Energy Officials and ROC USA, will retrofit eight manufactured homes and four single-family homes with the pod technology called PV-GEMS. The Photovoltaic (PV)-powered, Grid Enhanced Mechanical Solution (GEMS) consists of high-efficiency heat pumps for heating, cooling, and water heating. This equipment is partially powered by a photovoltaic and battery back-up system. Components are pre-packaged in a "pod" that is largely assembled off-site and installed outside the home, minimizing disruption to residents.

PV-GEMS prototype systems were designed with energy simulations in Phase 1, while Phase 2 will be demonstration and deployment. [Credit: Nick Waters, FSEC @ University of Central Florida]

 

 

 

 

"We have an opportunity to make a significant difference in reducing energy costs for people living in less-efficient existing homes, thereby making a lasting impact on people's lives," says Eric Martin, principal investigator on the project and program director at UCF's FSEC Energy Research Center. "The PV-GEMS concept is especially effective when deployed alongside more conventional cost-effective, non-disruptive energy-efficient retrofit strategies."

The university will demonstrate the retrofit strategy in six states across different climate zones -- Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, and Texas. A commercialization plan to manufacture and deploy the retrofit strategy at scale will be developed, as well as training materials for installers.

"A unique feature of this system is that it doesn't need to send excess solar energy back to the utility grid and instead uses or stores the energy at the house," says Carlos Colon, co-principal investigator of the project. In addition to energy and carbon savings, the concept offers the additional benefit of resiliency by being able to operate when the grid goes down.

While PV-GEMS can work with most single-family attached and detached housing, the team is initially targeting older manufactured homes, which are often difficult to retrofit using traditional approaches. There are more than 6.7 million manufactured homes nationwide, and 45% of residents who live in manufactured homes are highly energy burdened.

Source: University of Central Florida

Published April 2022

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