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Code-free LIN LED driver rewrites the rules of automotive LED design

Melexis has unveiled the MLX80124, a highly configurable, code-free LIN LED driver. It is designed to radically simplify the development of dynamic RGB-LED automotive ambient lighting applications for engineers of all backgrounds. The MLX80124's unique innovation enables engineers to configure behavior without writing or compiling a single line of code. Instead, a GUI provides access to configurable parameters, delivering the full lighting functionality expected by tier 1 suppliers and OEMs.
Learn more.

EMI filters -- the first line of defense in military/aerospace electronics

When failure is not an option, high-reliability EMI filters deliver superior high-frequency EMI suppression for mission-critical applications in aerospace and defense. The experts at Johanson Technology run through your options and what makes each type beneficial for specific applications.
Read the full article.

Fastest workstation for SOLIDWORKS?

What's the fastest new workstation for SOLIDWORKS users? The experts at TriMech Group have done their testing and made their decision. It's the Dell Pro Max Tower T2. Dell's Precision Brand top-range PCs have a new name -- Pro Max -- and they are the only units certified for professional applications such as SOLIDWORKS and CATIA. Learn why TriMech thinks this PC, which replaces the best-selling Dell Precision 3680 model, is a winner.
View the video.

Cool Tools: HandySCAN BLACK Elite handheld 3D scanner

Optimized to meet the needs of design, manufacturing, and metrology professionals, FARO's HandySCAN BLACK Elite provides an effective and reliable way to acquire accurate 3D measurements of physical objects anywhere.
Read the full article.

Rotary sensor counts to 44 turns -- even when you lose power!

Novotechnik, U.S. introduces the MC-1 2800 Series of 44-Turn multi-turn sensors with several new output interfaces. These sensors feature patented, non-volatile technology that retains turn count even when power is lost and reports correct count when power is restored. In addition to the IO-Link interface, the MC-1 now features an analog ratiometric, CANopen, and CAN SAE J1939 interface options. Mechanical life is more than 50 million movements. Applications include automotive and off-highway vehicle steering and driveline, agricultural and construction machinery, medical equipment, and gate drives.
Learn more.

How to cut EMI gasket costs for military projects

Specialty Silicone Products (SSP) says it is enabling defense contractors to reduce EMI gasket costs without compromising quality or performance. In addition to cost-effective nickel-graphite materials, SSP provides molded or bonded EMI frame gaskets that maximize yields and reduce waste. SSP also makes continuous rolls that are less expensive to produce and faster to fabricate into finished parts.
Read the SSP blog.

Great Resources: Flexible circuit design guide

Tech-Etch uses advanced techniques to manufacture flex and rigid-flex circuits to exacting customer specs. Special processes include selective plating a single circuit with two different finishes, contoured circuits with variable metal thickness, semi-additive and subtractive techniques, open window or cantilevered contact leads, plus SMT for component assembly. Tech-Etch specializes in flexible circuits for medical, telecommunications, aerospace, semiconductor, and other high-reliability electronic applications.
Learn about flex circuits and get the guide (no registration required).

Real-World Applications: Automating escape room experiences

"Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain," the Wizard famously said in The Wizard of Oz. See how industrial automation products from AutomationDirect can be applied to unique applications, such as the advanced control needed to make a sophisticated escape room run.
Read the full article.

PFC capacitors for consumer electronics

TDK introduces the B3270xP, a series of ultra-small, metallized polypropylene (MKP) film capacitors tailored for power factor correction (PFC) stages in power supplies for consumer electronics. With their compact design and self-healing properties, these components are engineered for use in high-density circuit designs for devices such as laptops and gaming consoles.
Learn more.

Raspberry Pi releases 1-TB SSD for 70 bucks!

Raspberry Pi, the incredibly popular and affordable single-board computer system, is getting a big bump up in the memory department. A 1-TB solid-state drive is now available for the Raspberry Pi 5 and other devices. Besides the huge storage space, it boasts super-fast startup and fast data transfer. Available directly from Raspberry Pi for right now. Should be hitting U.S. resellers soon. Requires Raspberry Pi 5-compatible M.2 adapter.
Read the Raspberry Pi blog with more specs. Other new add-ons available.

Advanced metrology accelerates performance for American race team

In motorsports, where aerodynamic efficiency and mechanical accuracy can mean the difference between a podium finish and a mid-pack result, precision isn't a luxury -- it's a necessity. As Brian Winters, Product Manager at Hexagon - Manufacturing Intelligence division, writes, Minnesota-based JDC-Miller MotorSports understands this better than most.
Read the full article.

LEDs with highest output power available

The new OCI-460 SWIR LED series from EPIGAP OSA Photonics features markedly improved output power compared to the company's previous OCI-480 package and all competitive SMD SWIR LED devices. For example, model OCI-460 ID1550-XS operates at 1,550 nm and features drive current up to 1.5A to deliver approximately 13% higher output efficiency over EPIGAP's OCI-480 package. This impressive advancement features 96% higher output power compared to any other SWIR SMD LED currently on the market. Ideal for use in sensing, machine vision, and more.
Learn more.

'AI-based Engineering Solution of the Year'

The innovative, AI-powered test automation platform called ACCELQ Autopilot has been awarded "AI-based Engineering Solution of the Year" in the 8th annual AI Breakthrough Awards program conducted by AI Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence org. Purpose-built for QA engineers, this no-code solution delivers intelligent automation across the entire testing lifecycle from scenario discovery and test generation to execution, maintenance, and optimization. Processes include: Scenario Discovery Engine, Test Step Generator, No-Code Logic Builder, AI Test Case Generator, and Autonomous Healing Engine.
Learn more.

Xometry's CAD Add-Ins: Get instant pricing, lead times in your workspace

Xometry's add-ins for SOLID-WORKS, Fusion, and Onshape allow engineers and designers to purchase custom manufactured parts within their preferred CAD workspace. These no-cost add-ins analyze the geometry of CAD designs and allow users to select their preferred material, process, and part quantity to get real-time pricing and lead times. This seamless integration of custom manufacturing quotes allows you to move efficiently through your product development process.
Get the Xometry add-in for your favorite CAD program today.

Neat! Snap-together LED enclosure lighting

Seifert StripLite SL 4000 Series LED enclosure lighting provides bright illumination to 700 lumens. On/off switch and motion sensor models are available. Easily daisy chain up to 16 light strips. Magnetic or clip mounting. See video/info on website or contact Bristol Instruments for more information.
Learn about snap-together lighting.

Game-changer in electronics? Synthetic material beats diamond's thermal conductivity

By Kelly Schafler, University of Houston

University of Houston researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery in thermal conductivity, overturning an existing theory that boron arsenide (BAs) couldn't compete with the heat conduction of a diamond.

Instead, the team found that high-quality crystals can achieve thermal conductivity exceeding 2,100 Watts per meter per Kelvin (W/mK) at room temperature -- possibly higher than diamond, which has been considered the best heat conductor among isotropic materials.

Published Oct. 10 in Materials Today, this research challenges existing theories and could reshape our understanding of heat-conducting materials. It could also bring forth a new semiconductor material with much better thermal management in cell phones, high-powered electronics, and data centers.

"We trust our measurement; our data is correct, and that means the theory needs correction," said Zhifeng Ren, corresponding author and a professor in the Department of Physics in UH's College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. "I'm not saying the theory is wrong, but an adjustment needs to be made to be consistent with the experimental data."

Breaking the barrier
In the past decade, boron arsenide, a synthetic material, had been theorized to rival or surpass diamond's thermal conductivity, or the ability to carry heat away from products efficiently. In 2013, Boston College physicist David Broido, the study's co-author, and others predicted that BAs crystals could perform at this level.

However, according to Ren, by 2017, revised models that added four-phonon scattering (a more complex process than previously used three-phonon models) capped BAs at 1,360 W/mK, causing most researchers to dismiss the potential for higher thermal conductivity in future experiments.

Ren and fellow researchers, however, believed using source materials with higher purity would improve thermal conductivity, because many defects existed in the samples showing thermal conductivity at about 1,300 W/mK. Predictions were based on perfect BAs crystals, and scientists managed to experimentally achieve the predicted heat level using samples with significant defects.

By purifying raw arsenic and improving synthesis techniques, the team produced cleaner crystals that showed thermal conductivity above 2,100 W/mK -- and with them, record-breaking thermal conductivity that exceeded theoretical expectations.

Why it matters
The discovery positions BAs as a potential game-changer in electronics and thermal management. It not only surpasses diamond in heat conduction but also outperforms silicon -- the current industry standard -- as a semiconductor.

Key advantages of boron arsenide include:

• It's easier and cheaper to manufacture than diamonds, removing the need for extreme temperatures and pressures.
• It's not only an exceptional thermal conductor but also an effective semiconductor.
• It has the potential for better semiconducting performance than silicon due to its properties such as high thermal conductivity, wider band gap, much higher carrier mobility in both electrons and holes, and well-matched coefficient of thermal expansion.

"This new material, it's so wonderful," Ren said. "It has the best properties of a good semiconductor and a good thermal conductor -- all sorts of good properties in one material. That has never happened in other semiconducting materials."

Looking ahead
Despite the breakthrough, the work is far from over. Texas Center for Superconductivity researchers will continue refining their materials, which they hope will push BAs' thermal conductivity even higher.

Ren invites theorists to re-examine thermal conductivity models and push beyond theoretical limits, possibly unlocking even better materials in the future.

"You shouldn't let a theory prevent you from discovering something even bigger, and this exactly happened in this work," Ren said.

Published October 2025

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