Accelerometers support CAN or RS-422 protocols

Accelerometers added to the Seiko Epson (Epson) portfolio can monitor the health of the wearer or buildings and infrastructure, as the company releases the M-A352 and the M-A552xxx accelerometers.

The M-A352 accelerometer is designed for infrastructure health monitoring. It  provides the necessary noise performance of one micrG/√Hz or better (servo accelerometer class) for a stable supply and cost competitiveness, says Epson.

The M-A552AC1 and M-A552AR1 three-axis accelerometers boast the same performance as the M-A352 but are equipped with the controlled area network (CAN) and RS-422 interfaces, respectively. These interfaces are widely used in industrial applications. The M-A552AC1 and M-A552AR1 are housed in metal packages that provide IP67-equivalent protection against water and dust.

This level of protection against the elements enables the accelerometers to be used in a range of industrial applications that require long distances, stability and reliability, says Epson.

The accelerometers make it easy for developers to build multi-node (multi-point) measurement systems, synchronised measurement systems and other complex, sophisticated measurement systems. They are easy to install, connect, and use even outdoors and under other harsh environmental conditions, adds Epson, and can reduce customer system development times.

Samples of the new products will begin shipping in the summer of 2019, with volume production scheduled for the spring of 2020.

The MA-A552AC1 (CAN) and MA-A552AR1 (RS-422) accelerometers can be used in structure health monitoring to monitor buildings, bridges, tunnels, and steel towers for earthquake detection, environmental vibration measurement and industrial equipment monitoring. They can also be used in unmanned vehicles (e.g., terrestrial vehicles, undersea probes), and for the measurement of the vibration and path of industrial equipment and vehicles.

Epson Europe Electronics is a marketing, engineering and sales company and the European headquarters for electronic devices of Seiko Epson, Japan. Headquartered in Munich, Germany, since 1989, Epson Europe Electronics has 50 employees, European sales representatives and a Europe-wide network of distributors. Epson Europe Electronics provides value added services for semiconductors, sensors, sensing systems and timing devices for a variety of markets, including industrial, automotive, medical, and communications.

http://www.epson-electronics.de

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Proximity sensors have predictive maintenance features

Proximity sensors with IoT features for predictive maintenance have been announced by Omron. The company has released a total of 2,512 models of its DC three-wire E2E Next series proximity sensors.

The sensors are also claimed to have the longest sensing distances, at least twice that of Omron’s previous offerings. This allows for more spacious design, reduces the risk of contact and improves facility operation rates, due to the prevention of stoppage and downtime.

The sensors reduce the risks of sudden facility stoppages by two thirds and also detect warning signs of such stoppages and notify users via the network. They help improve facility operation rates by preventing unforeseen facility stoppages and reducing facility downtime, continues Omron.

Current proximity sensors characteristically have short sensing distances, which carries the risk, for example that equipment vibration may cause the sensor body to move too far away from or come in contact with the sensing object. Such incidents are said to account for approximately 20 per cent of facility stoppages.

The E2E Next series proximity sensors (DC three-wire models) are equipped with Omron’s own thermal distance control 2 and Prox3 hybrid circuitry technologies, which enable sensing distances that are at least twice as long as in previous models, and reduce risks of such facility stoppages by a factor of three. Distances between sensor bodies and sensing objects are constantly monitored, and users are notified via IO-Link communication if they become too great or too small. This allows users to identify warming signs of sudden facility stoppages and arrange timely maintenance.

Omron supplies control components and equipment, ranging from vision sensors and other input devices to various controllers and output devices such as servomotors, as well as a range of safety devices and industrial robots. Devices are combined via software.

Omron’s business fields range from industrial automation and electronic components to automotive electronic components, social infrastructure systems, healthcare, and environmental solutions.

Omron was established in 1933, and today has over 36,000 employees worldwide, in 117 countries.

http://www.omron.com/

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Handheld analyser combines 5G and electronic warfare testing

Believed to be the first handheld combination spectrum and vector network analyser with 100MHz real time bandwidth for 5G and electronic warfare testing, the FieldFox B-series is available from Keysight Technologies.

Accurate microwave measurements are  necessary in harsh and hard-to-reach environments. Conditions can vary, day or night, rain or shine, hot or cold, aboard a ship, in an aircraft, or in a vehicle. In these situations, a handheld instrument must be capable of making the required measurements with performance and accuracy, says Keysight, introducing the FieldFox B-series analysers.

The analysers offer wide-band, gap-free, real-time measurement capabilities that enable 5G network testing in the field. In addition, these new capabilities enable customers to locate and identify the shortest interfering threats to a satellite communication networks. Designed to withstand the toughest working conditions, the rugged, durable and portable FieldFox B handheld analysers provide the following 100MHz bandwidth in real-time for accurate cellular base station testing, PRF 28800F-compliance to withstand explosive impact and wet weather conditions, 10dB improvement in displayed average noise level (DANL) for measuring low noise signals and detecting weak interferers, the ability to collect, play back and analyse raw I/Q data for electronic warfare test, while saving time and space in the field kit with a task-driven user interface for each operation mode.

The FieldFox B-series analysers also handle routine maintenance and in-depth troubleshooting with multiple measurement applications to meet specific measurement needs.

Measurements can be transported from the field to the lab for further analysis with the 89600 VSA software

Keysight Technologies offer products for design simulation, prototype validation, manufacturing test, and optimisation in networks and cloud environments. Its customers are part of the worldwide communications ecosystem, aerospace and defence, automotive, energy, semiconductor and general electronics end markets.

http://www.keysight.com

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Ethernet PHY combines security engine with Tbit capacity

Microchip claims to have developed the industry’s first Tbit-scale Ethernet PHY that enables the highest-density 400GbE and FlexE connectivity.

The META-DX1 family of Ethernet physical layer (PHY) devices enables telecomms service providers to build networks using routing and switching to reduce cost, optimise bandwidth and increase capacity. The META-DX1 also integrates the Media Access Control Security (MACsec) security engine.

The device, developed by Microchip’s subsidiary, Microsemi, combines Ethernet ports from 1Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) to 400GbE, Flexible Ethernet (FlexE), Media Access Control Security (MACsec) link encryption and nanosecond timestamping accuracy. Its Tbit capacity is designed to address the industry transition from 100GbE to 400 GbE to support traffic within hyperscale data centres. This traffic volume is expected to quadruple by 2021 (source: Cisco’s Global Cloud Index), with data centre-to-data centre traffic growing at more than a 30 per cent cumulative annual growth rate (CAGR).

The META-DX1 enables line cards to quadruple in capacity, from 3.6Tbits per second to 14.4Tbits per second with 36 ports of 400GbE or 144 ports of 100GbE.

The MACsec engine secures traffic leaving the data centre or enterprise premises. FlexE enables both cloud and telecomms service providers to reduce capex by optimally configuring links beyond today’s fixed-rate Ethernet so they can use low-cost, high-volume optics, while meeting the increasing capacity requirements. Combining the MACsec and FlexE in one device, meets the next phase of capacity scaling in data centre interconnect (DCI) buildouts, adds Microchip.

The META-DX1 is further differentiated in the market with the addition of integrated flexible crosspoint switching, which makes it easier for OEMs to navigate the market transition from 25Gbits per second psnon return to zero (NRZ) and 56Gbits per second pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) -based architectures by enabling them to support a single design or device for both 100GbE (QSFP28) and 400GbE (QSFP-DD) optics. Timestamping is also provided with nanosecond-level accuracy on every port to ensure network builds will meet the challenging timing requirements of 5G mobile basestation deployments.

Initial META-DX1 family members will sample during Q3 2019. All devices are hardware-compatible and supported by the same software developer’s kit.

http://www.microchip.com

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