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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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Affix a heat sink in seconds!

superGRIP is a two-component system from Advanced Thermal Solutions (ATS) that can be installed in seconds to mount heat sinks securely to a wide range of components -- without needing to drill holes in the PCB. It features an injection molded plastic frame clip and a stainless steel spring clip. This clever system provides a strong, even binding force with minimal space required around the component's perimeter, making it ideal for densely populated PCBs.
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Cool Tools: Entry-level high-tech portable 3D scanner

The GOM Scan 1 from CAPTURE 3D is an affordable, precise 3D scanner with mesh-editing capabilities to accurately digitize physical objects into the 3D world. GOM Scan 1 provides accessibility to the leading GOM blue light 3D scanning technology used by top manufacturers worldwide. Applications include creating a digital file of an object for 3D printing, reverse engineering, manufacturing, quality control, virtual display and 3D modeling, research and education, art and design, and healthcare. GOM Scan 1 offers GOM Inspect 3D inspection software to quickly capture, visualize, and analyze 3D measurement data within the same workflow.
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High-def SWIR camera for military apps

Attollo Engineering's new Phoenix HD5 SWIR Camera is an uncooled high-def imager that features the industry's smallest shortwave infrared HD sensor and an ultra-small 5-µm pixel pitch, which permits more pixels on target with a short-focal-length optic. Specifically designed for low size, weight, and power (low-SWaP) applications, the HD5 SWIR camera is ideal for integration into small gimbals, small unmanned aircraft systems (SUAS), and handheld and soldier-mounted systems.
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Control panel solutions: Wire duct and wire wrap

Automation-Direct sells everything you need to build quality control panels, including a large assortment of wiring duct, flexible duct, wire wrap, wire sleeve, and associated tools and accessories. Check out all that this one-stop shop has to offer. High stocking rates and fast shipping too.
View the video.

Space Applications: Smallest rad-tolerant network storage

Aitech Systems has released the most compact network storage device available for use in near-earth-orbit and low-earth-orbit space applications. With a raw storage capacity of almost 1 TB, the new S999 Aitech is a 2.5-in. solid state drive (SSD) for high-performance spacecraft data processing or distributed computing systems in satellites and human-rated platforms.
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100,000 streaming movies per sec: Researchers demonstrate 40-channel optical communication link

Researchers demonstrated a silicon-based optical communication link that combines two multiplexing technologies to create 40 optical data channels. The ring-shaped photonic crystal resonator (left) features a nanopattern inside (right) that splits a selected resonant mode for comb generation. Images taken with scanning electron microscopy. [Credit: Su-Peng Yu, NIST]

 

 

 

 

Researchers have demonstrated a silicon-based optical communication link that combines two multiplexing technologies to create 40 optical data channels that can simultaneously move data. The new chip-scale optical interconnect can transmit about 400 GB of data per second -- the equivalent of about 100,000 streaming movies. This could improve data-intensive internet applications from video streaming services to high-capacity transactions for the stock market.

"As demands to move more information across the internet continue to grow, we need new technologies to push data rates further," said Peter Delfyett, who led the University of Central Florida College of Optics and Photonics (CREOL) research team. "Because optical interconnects can move more data than their electronic counterparts, our work could enable better and faster data processing in the data centers that form the backbone of the internet."

A multi-institutional group of researchers describes the new optical communication link in the Optica Publishing Group journal Optics Letters. It achieves 40 channels by combining a frequency comb light source based on a new photonic crystal resonator developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) with an optimized mode-division multiplexer designed by the researchers at Stanford University. Each channel can be used to carry information much like different stereo channels, or frequencies, transmit different music stations.

"We show that these new frequency combs can be used in fully integrated optical interconnects," said Chinmay Shirpurkar, co-first author of the paper. "All the photonic components were made from silicon-based material, which demonstrates the potential for making optical information handling devices from low-cost, easy-to-manufacture optical interconnects."

In addition to improving internet data transmission, the new technology could also be used to make faster optical computers that could provide the high levels of computing power needed for artificial intelligence, machine learning, large-scale emulation, and other applications.

Using multiple light dimensions
The new work involved research teams led by Firooz Aflatouni of the University of Pennsylvania, Scott B. Papp from NIST, Jelena Vuckovic from Stanford University, and Delfyett from CREOL. It is part of the DARPA Photonics in the Package for Extreme Scalability (PIPES) program, which aims to use light to vastly improve the digital connectivity of packaged integrated circuits using microcomb-based light sources.

The researchers created the optical link using tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5) waveguides on a silicon substrate fabricated into a ring with a nanopatterned oscillation on the inner wall. The resulting photonic crystal micro-ring resonator turns a laser input into 10 different wavelengths. They also designed and optimized a mode-division multiplexer that transforms each wavelength into four new beams that each have different shapes. Adding this spatial dimension enables a fourfold increase in data capacity, creating the 40 channels.

The researchers designed and optimized a mode-division multiplexer that transforms each of the 10 wavelengths into four new beams that each have different shapes. This fourfold increase in data capacity creates 40 channels. [Credit: Kiyoul Yang, Stanford University]

 

 

 

 

Once the data is encoded onto each beam shape and each beam color, the light is recombined back into a single beam and transmitted to its destination. At the final destination, the wavelengths and beam shapes are separated so that each channel can be received and detected independently, without interference from the other transmitted channels.

"An advantage of our link is that the photonic crystal resonator enables easier soliton generation and a flatter comb spectrum than those demonstrated with conventional ring resonators," said co-first author Jizhao Zang from NIST. "These features are beneficial for optical data links."

Better performance with inverse design
To optimize the mode division multiplexer, the researchers used a computational nanophotonic design approach called photonic inverse-design. This method provides a more efficient way to explore a full range of possible designs while offering smaller footprints, better efficiencies, and new functionalities.

"The photonic inverse-design approach makes our link highly customizable to meet the needs of specific applications," said co-first author Kiyoul Yang from Stanford University.

Tests of the new device matched well with simulations and showed that the channels exhibited a low crosstalk of less than -20 dB. Using less than -10 dBm of received optical receiver power, the link performed error-free data transmission in 34 out of the 40 channels using a PRBS31 pattern, a standard used to test high-speed circuits under stress.

The researchers are now working to further improve the device by incorporating photonic crystal micro-ring resonators that produce more wavelengths or by using more complex beam shapes. Commercializing these devices would require the full integration of a transmitter and receiver chip with high bandwidth, low power consumption, and a small footprint. This could enable the next generation of optical interconnects for use in data-center networks.

Open-source code for the photonic optimization software used in the paper is available at https://github.com/stanfordnqp/spins-b.

Source: Optica

Published June 2022

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