Components & Connectors

PCB connectors by Samtec suit microwave applications

Wed, Mar 17, 2021

Able to reach up to 65GHz compression mount PCB connectors are able to reach up to 65GHz for microwave applications.

The solderless vertical connector allows engineers to replace components in the field for cost-effective assembly to the board, said Samtec. Connector interfaces include 1.85mm (65GHz), 2.40mm (50GHz) and 2.92mm (40GHz). Microstrip and stripline options are available.

The PCB connectors have threaded coupling which is claimed to provide “superior repeatability” with high mechanical stability. Samtec also offers mating cable assemblies and announced that 1.35mm (90GHz) connectors will be introduced soon.

Samtec was founded in 1976. The company manufactures a broad line of electronic interconnect solutions, including high-speed board-to-board, high-speed cables, mid-board and panel optics, precision RF, two-piece board-to-board, and micro or rugged components and cables.

Samtec Technology Centers are dedicated to developing and advancing technologies, strategies and products to optimise performance and cost of a system from the bare die to an interface 100m away, and all interconnect points in between.

Samtec has over 40 international locations, with products sold in more than 125 different countries.

http://www.samtec.com

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Miniature wireless comms modules address low power edge devices

Wed, Mar 10, 2021

Miniature Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy modules from InnoPhase combne wireless connectivity and an integrated microcontroller for edge of network IoT devices that require low power and a direct-to-cloud connection.

The fabless semiconductor company has introduced the Talaria Two INP1012 and INP1013 modules for a range of products including smart home, smart industrial and smart health applications. The miniature modules are 40 per cent smaller than the original INP1010 and INP1011 modules, which introduced digital radio architecture and which claimed to provide the lowest power Wi-Fi connectivity in the industry.

The INP1012 includes an RF pin for routing the antenna signal onto a main PCB. This allows for independent antenna or antenna connector selection and solder pads. The INP1013 includes a ceramic chip-antenna mounted on the module and solder pads.

Typical smart IoT applications use a significant percentage of the overall system power for Wi-Fi connectivity – up to 75 per cent, explained InnoPhase, even while idly connected to the network. The INP1012 and INP1013 Talaria Two modules can increase the battery lifetime by months or years and require less space, claimed InnoPhase. The INP1012 module also has the capability to allow the user to select the antenna connection and placement. This makes it particularly suitable for industrial applications.

The INP1012 and INP1013 modules can be used in smart door locks, remote security cameras, connected sensors or other space-constrained products within home, commercial, industrial and health markets.

The INP1012 and INP1013 modules use the Talaria Two multi-protocol SoC, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy 5 for wireless data transfer, an embedded Arm Cortex-M3 for system control and user applications, there are also advanced security elements for device safeguards.

The modules can operate in standalone mode, in conjunction with an external microcontroller or in a hybrid mode where the system control and processing responsibilities are shared between the module and an external microcontroller.

The module can be connected to a single power supply and when general purpose I/Os are connected to the peripherals, the system is ready for use, said InnoPhase.

All modules will be certified with the Wi-Fi Alliance and Bluetooth SIG and include government body certifications such as FCC, IC (Canada) and CE/RED approval.

http://www.innophaseinc.com

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Lidar camera uses “world’s smallest micro-mirror” for continuous field of view scanning

Tue, Mar 09, 2021

Continuous laser scanning across the entire field of view is achieved in the Intel RealSense Lidar camera L515, using a MEMS mirror developed by STMicroelectronics.

The lidar camera is 61mm diameter and 26mm high (2.4 inches and 1.02 inches respectively), or the size of an ice hockey puck. The micro-mirror enables continuous laser scanning across the entire field of view. In combination with a custom photodiode sensor, the RealSense Lidar Camera L515 renders a 3D depth map of the entire scene.

The camera provides high resolution scanning for industrial applications such as robotic arms for bin picking, volumetric measurements, logistics and 3D scanning.

The second-generation micro-mirror delivers 30 frames per second and a field of view of 70 degrees by 55 degrees, for 3D scanning and detection applications.

The L515 camera uses the scanning capabilities of ST’s MEMS to deliver high-resolution depth with no interpolated pixels, together with the ability to control the field of view, and provide close to zero pixel blur driven by the low 50nS exposure time, continued ST.

“Intel RealSense technology has been used to develop products and solutions for use in Robotics, Logistics, Scanning and other computer vision applications.  The Intel RealSense LiDAR Camera L515 using ST’s micro-mirrors delivers unparalleled precision and is the world’s smallest high-resolution Lidar depth camera, making it suitable for a variety of use cases,” said Sagi BenMoshe, chief incubation officer, corporate vice president and general manager, Emerging Growth and Incubation Group at Intel.

Intel RealSense technologies are reshaping the future by equipping devices with the ability to see, understand, interact with and learn from their environment, says Intel. RealSense provides a wide variety of vision-based solutions, from the world’s smallest high-resolution lidar camera to low power, platform-agnostic stereo depth cameras, as well as customisable software. Intel RealSense has applications in robotics, 3D scanning, facial authentication, measurement and logistics.

ST Microelectronics is an independent device manufacturer, working with more than 100,000 customers and thousands of partners to design and build products, solutions, and ecosystems that enable smarter mobility, more efficient power and energy management, and the wide-scale deployment of the IoT and 5G technology.

http://www.st.com

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MEMS-based inertial sensor has digital SPI for cm machinery positioning

Wed, Feb 24, 2021

Offering six degrees of freedom (6-DoF), the SCHA63T MEMS-based XYZ axis inertial sensor has been designed by Murata for high-precision machine control and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning support.

The sensor has a digital serial peripheral interface (SPI) which enables engineers to deliver industrial equipment with robust and reliable, centimetre-level positioning accuracy, even in environments where there is high mechanical shock and vibration, says Murata. Target industrial applications include inertial measurement units (IMUs), machine control and guidance equipment, navigation and positioning systems, dynamic inclination, robotic control, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

The SCHA63T sensor has gyro bias instability down to one degree per hour and gyro noise density of 0.0015 degrees per second per √Hz. These parameters contribute to a best in class performance, says Murata. The low acceleration linearity error ensures high accuracy machine control and guidance while cross-axis calibration enables better than 0.14 degrees orthogonality error. Additional features include user-selectable filter settings of 13/ 20/ 46/ 300Hz, and extensive self-diagnostics enable the sensor to be used in safety-critical applications.

The SCHA63T 6-DoF XYZ-axis inertial sensor is currently in mass production, with product samples available upon request.

https://www.murata.com

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