Components & Connectors

Huber+Suhner says outdoor MIMO antennae will ease 5G in cities

Mon, Jul 08, 2019

Believed to be the first outdoor antenna that is omni-directional, Huber+Suhner have developed the SenCity Urban antenna. It adopts existing city infrastructure such as street furniture for widespread 4G and 5G deployment, says the company, to ease urban 5G deployment.

The compact omni-directional and directional outdoor antennae are for use where operators need to provide cost-effective 4G and 5G in urban areas. Small cells increase capacity and coverage in urban areas where networks are congested with growing numbers of wireless devices. However, creating new cellular sites in urban areas is challenging as only limited space is available for installation and may also face restrictions by municipal governments.

Huber+Suhner’s SenCity Urban 100 and 200 outdoor MIMO antennae cover both 4G and 5G high frequency ranges and can be installed in street furniture, such as bus shelters, poles or walls, using bracket mounting options.

Claudia Bartholdi, product manager at Huber+Suhner said: “At the moment there are no other antennae on the market that are as compact . . . that cover 4G and 5G bands”.

The SenCity Urban range is part of the 5G portfolio from Huber+Suhner and is available now.

http://www.hubersuhner.com

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Miniature tact switches save PCB space for home automation

Tue, Jun 18, 2019

Two sub-miniature tact switches, the PTS636 and PTS526, save PCB space for design engineers developing home automation and IoT electronic devices, says C&K.

The space savings electronics designers to add other components on the PCB. The PTS636 switch has a 6.0 x 3.5mm footprint and an adjustable thickness of 2.5, 4.3 and 5.0mm; the PTS526 has a footprint of 5.2 x 5.2mm and an adjustable thickness of 0.8 to 2.0mm. Both offer a large actuation surface for easier integration, for applications such as home automation, IoT devices and e-cigarettes, as well as control systems for items such as drones, e-bikes and robot vacuum cleaners.

The PTS526 and PTS636 switches are manufactured in surface mount technology. The PTS636 is additionally made in through hole format. Both use a hard actuator, ensuring that it can be fully integrated into standard processes, with no need for an additional interface button. This functionality reduces time and costs for an end equipment manufacturer, points out C&K. The switches provide optimum performance and retains high reliability up to 500,000 cycles.

The PTS636 design includes a 2.5mm height version with integrated ground pin and the PTS 526 design includes a version with an integrated ground pin. There is ESD protection soldered to the PCB for routing unwanted electrical overload.   

The PTS 636 is available in four different operating-force levels 130, 180, 250 and 320gf. There are three actuation forces for the PTS 526: 160, 260 and 320gf. Both sets of switches are rated at 50mA, have a bounce time of less than 10ms and an operating temperature range of -20 to +70 degrees C.

C&K was founded in 1928 and manufactures electromechanical switches. It has more than 55,000 standard products and 8.5 million switch combinations for use in automotive, industrial, IoT, wearables, medical, telecomms, consumer products, aerospace and point of sale (POS) terminals.

C&K products include tactile, pushbutton, snap-acting, toggle, rocker, detect, DIP, keyswitch, navigation, rotary, slide, switchlock, thumbwheel, smart card readers, high-rel connectors and custom assemblies.

http://www.ckswitches.com

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Multi-spectral imaging and AI enhances intelligence gathering

Mon, Jun 17, 2019

Condor MS, a long range oblique photography (LOROP) system by Elbit Systems, combines enhanced sensing capabilities and high capacity analytics. According to Elbit, it is “a step change in generating strategic targets”.

The system introduces multi-spectral (MS) sensing capability and artificial intelligence (AI) analytics to stand-off strategic intelligence gathering missions.

Three high resolution electro optic (EO) sensors are integrated into the company’s certified Condor2 system. These are visible and near infra-red (VNIR), medium-wave infra red (MWIR), and short wave infra red (SWIR). The combination of multi-spectral sensing, high level of stabilisation and auto image enhancement enables this Condor2 system to dramatically extend coverage area in day, night and adverse weather conditions to improve the strategic reconnaissance output and increase the survivability of the platforms. Deep learning algorithms and precise geo-location enable the Condor MS to identify a large number of targets at extremely high rates, which “significantly” shortens the time frame needed to close sensor-to-shooter loops, claims Elbit.

Elbit Systems has been the prime contractor in numerous LOROP programs based on the Condor family of systems, claimed to feature one of the smallest and lightest pods in the category. The Condor family of systems is integrated on board a variety of platforms, including the F-16 A/B/C/D/I, F-4, SU-30 and B-737.

Technology company, Elbit Systems, is engaged in a range of defence, homeland security and commercial programs throughout the world. The company operates aerospace, land, and naval systems, command, control, communications, computers, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR), unmanned aircraft systems, advanced electro-optics, EO space systems, EW suites, signal intelligence systems, data links and communications systems, radios and cyber-based systems and munitions. It also upgrades existing platforms, developing new technologies for defence, homeland security and commercial applications and providing a range of support services, including training and simulation systems.

http://www.elbitsystems.com

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RS Components saves space with Hirose high-speed industrial connector

Fri, Jun 07, 2019

Installation space can be reduced by up to 75 per cent, using the Hirose ix Industrial I/O connectors, now available from RS Components.

Manufactured by Hirose Electric, the ix Industrial series is designed for space-constrained applications and can support I/O signal transmission speeds of up to 10 Gigabits per second.

The ix Industrial series is suitable for a range of industrial applications including factory automation controllers, industrial robotics, servo amplifiers, PLCs and security systems. In addition to reducing installation space, compared with RJ45 based solutions, the Hirose connector supports CAT5e (1Gbit per second) and CAT6A (10Gbits per second) cabling and features a rugged EMI and ESD shielding design.

Other features include availability with two keying codes for Ethernet and non-Ethernet applications and compliance with the IEC PAS 61076-3-124 standard. Electrical characteristics are a current rating of 1.5A for all 10 contacts, with 3A capability on pins one, two, six and seven, voltage rating of 50V, 5000 mating cycles; and an operating temperature of from –40 up to +85 degrees C.

The connector receptacle can be mounted in parallel with a pitch distance of only 10mm, which enables close side-by-side positioning of multiple connectors on a single PCB. The receptacle shell is PCB-mounted via through-hole solder legs to enhance PCB retention, and the wire-termination unit and cable clamp are integrated into a single plug shell.

The snap-in I/O plug connector offers a positive metal lock, which provides a clear tactile click to ensure secure mating.

The Hirose ix Industrial connector series is now shipping from RS in the EMEA region.

RS Components offers more than 500,000 industrial and electronics products, sourced from over 2,500 leading suppliers, and provides a range of value-added services to over one million customers. It has operations in 32 countries and ships more than 50,000 parcels a day.

https://uk.rs-online.com/web/

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