Components & Connectors

Taoglas introduces “AntJack”—an Industry-first Wi-Fi Antenna for an RJ45 Jack

Mon, Oct 07, 2024

Taoglas has unveiled AntJack, a high-efficiency Wi-Fi antenna that is mounted on a standard RJ45 ethernet connector. The new FXM100* Wi-Fi antenna can be mounted on Taoglas’ TMJG4926HENL or any standard 1×1 RJ45 connector to create a 2-in-1 solution, providing designers space-saving options and layout flexibility to improve wireless coverage across 2.4 GHz, 5.8 GHz, and 7.1 GHz bands.

By mounting the antenna on the jack, the antenna is removed from the PCB freeing up valuable real estate and uses the jack as the antenna ground plane to deliver better wireless performance. The FXM100 omnidirectional dipole antenna supports Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 6 / 6E, and Wi-Fi 7 and can be used in industrial robotics, and test and measurement systems.

AntJack is also ideal for complex MIMO designs where antenna location and positioning are critical, especially when space is a premium in 4×4 or 8×8 MIMO configurations. In addition to layout constraints, designers are often forced to work around proximity to metal which causes interference and signal distortion.

Antenna Features and Benefits
· Wideband coverage – excellent antenna efficiency across 2.4 GHz, 5.8 GHz and 7.1 GHz bands.
· Small form factor – 26.6 x 15.6 x 13.1 mm antenna with customisable cable and connector.
· Easy “peel and stick” mounting – manufactured from flexible PCB material with adhesive conductive foam.

The FXM100 is now available for purchase from Taoglas and its distributors. Though sold as a standalone Wi-Fi antenna, the FXM100 can be purchased alongside Taoglas magnetic connectors and high-end ethernet cables for optimised bill of materials (BOM) costs. Additionally, the antenna can be adapted for any size of RJ45 connector (1×2, 2×2, MxN).

https://www.taoglas.com

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SECORA Pay Bio enhances convenience and trust of biometric contactless payment

Tue, Sep 17, 2024

As the payment world moves towards digitalisation, the need to protect digital identities and transactions has never been more important. In addition to standard contactless payment cards, biometric payment cards are a promising development in this area and are gaining in popularity. Against this backdrop, Infineon has announced SECORA Pay Bio, an all-in-one biometric payment card solution that complies with Visa and Mastercard specifications. It integrates Infineon’s enhanced SLC39B system-on-chip (SoC) Secure Element and the FPC1323 sensor by Fingerprint Cards AB (Fingerprints) into the Infineon Biometric Coil on Module (BCoM) package, leveraging the key advantages of inductive coupling technology. The solution uses the fingerprint credentials securely stored on the card as a second authentication factor, enabling a convenient and trusted contactless payment experience.

In an optimistic scenario, ABI Research expects the market for biometric cards to grow to 113.3 million units by 2028. This market trend is driven by further optimisation of the price-performance ratio, including the producibility and cost of biometric payment cards, as well as by consumer demand for more convenient and secured biometric authentication in personal payment transactions. Furthermore, biometric payment cards could offer an additional barrier against lost-and-stolen fraud and PIN phishing fraud.

SECORA Pay Bio extends Infineon’s SECORA Pay solution family. The solution integrates Fingerprints’ sensor and Infineon’s SLC39B SoC Secure Element into a single dual-interface package, the innovative Infineon Biometric Coil on Module (BCoM). The SLC39B Secure Element with an integrated power source offers large memory size and various peripherals, as well as excellent contactless performance. Based on innovative inductive coupling technology without wire connection from the BCoM module to the card antenna, manufacturing complexity can be drastically reduced, and the card robustness and long-term reliability can be significantly improved. In addition, the biometric sensor card production can now be implemented on existing dual interface card manufacturing equipment with only minor operational changes. As the SECORA Pay Bio solution complies with both Mastercard and Visa specifications, the use of BCoM technology would not require additional performance testing, enabling a flexible and rapid rollout with outstanding performance and a frictionless onboarding process.

SECORA Pay Bio supports a wide range of enrolment options, including sleeves, smartphone apps and in-field enrolment. The innovative SECORA Pay Bio enrolment sheet makes fingerprint enrolling via smartphone easier than ever before. In addition, SECORA Pay Bio is the first biometric payment solution to support in-field enrolment. This allows cardholders to use biometric payment cards without any additional effort or devices. Moreover, with these new biometric cards, the fingerprint template is trained with each payment transaction, improving the user experience even further.

Availability
The SECORA Pay Bio solution supports the latest payment applications according to EMV specifications. The pilot proven product is available with full design-in package and ready for mass-production. More information is available at https://www.infineon.com/secorapaybio

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Omron expands compact power relay range with improved high inrush variant

Wed, Sep 11, 2024

Omron has launched the G5Q-HR, the latest addition to the G5Q family of 10A PCB power relays. The new relays can achieve reduced power consumption and heat, and are 45 percent smaller than equivalent 16A relays. For applications which require high inrush current such as lighting controllers, smart plugs, home appliances and power supplies, this can contribute to downsized equipment design, while opening up new printed circuit board configurations.

First launched in 2001, the G5Q series has sold more than 500 million units worldwide. Considered one of the industry’s leading compact power relay products, the G5Q portfolio now boasts a wide range of variants covering many diverse applications, from home appliances to industrial motor loads. In response to customer demand for compact design and improved energy performance for 10A applications, Omron has now expanded its high inrush offering with the addition of the G5Q-HR, which is available in both single stable and latching variants.

As the only device in the G5Q portfolio that meets the TV-8 standard at 10A class, the G5Q-HR compliments the existing high inrush offering, while offering new possibilities for more powerful and compact end product applications. At 20.3 mm (L) x 10.3 mm (W) x 15.8 mm (H), it is Omron’s smallest TV-8 product.

The G5Q-HR is compatible with a wide range of capacitive loads as well as ramp loads of up to AC 120V, Inrush 117A. In accordance with its TV-8 certification, the G5Q-HR has been rigorously tested to last a minimum of 25,000 cycles, ensuring maximum longevity and reliability. The device also meets the UL Electronic Ballast Rating at 3A 277VAC and 5A 277VAC over 6,000 cycles, and meets IEC60669-1 at 3A 250VAC over 5,000 cycles. The G5Q-HR achieves a high inrush current resistance and supports multiple inrush loads. It is compliant with high input load standards exceeding 100A, such as lighting and power supplies.

The latching type (G5Q—U/K-HR) variant achieves extremely low power consumption by maintaining the contact “on” state with only one pulse of current. This reduces coil power consumption by approximately 99.9 percent compared to standard single-side stable relays. As well as reducing the power consumption of the relay itself, this can also help to reduce the amount of heat generated, contributing to greater efficiency and longevity of related components and systems.

https://www.omron.com

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u-blox introduces new all-band GNSS antenna for high-precision applications

Tue, Sep 10, 2024

u-blox has announced the external GNSS antenna ANN-MB2 for wide coverage, multi-constellation high-precision applications. Optimised for the u-blox high-precision GNSS technology, ANN-MB2 is well-suited for industrial automation, surveying, autonomous vehicles, mobile robotics and other applications requiring centimetre-level position accuracy in challenging environments.

The u-blox ANN-MB2 is a compact, high-precision real-time kinematic (RTK) antenna that supports L1, L2, E6/B3, L5, L-band, and all major GNSS systems. This all-band antenna features a robust architectural design, superior multipath mitigation, and versatile mounting options. With its excellent price-to-performance ratio, ANN-MB2 is suitable for easy evaluation and fast design-in of wide-band high-precision positioning applications, paving the way for mass-market adoption.

ANN-MB2 engineering samples are available now, and production is planned for Q4 2024.

https://www.u-blox.com

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