Sector News

OKW offers enclosures and knobs for HVAC, climate control and environmental technology

Tue, Aug 12, 2025

OKW has extended its range of electronic enclosures and tuning knobs for HVAC, climate control and environmental technology.

The specialist enclosure manufacturer offers IP-rated housings for applications including wind turbine control, air quality metering, Geiger counters, agricultural climate control, inspection cameras and leak detection.

HVAC, climate control and environmental electronics must withstand a range of hazards including temperature fluctuations, particles (dust/fibres/spores), low-level vibration, and cleaning with aggressive chemicals. Devices need robust enclosures with good ingress protection.

OKW’s outdoor wall-mount enclosures include SOLID-BOX (IP 66, IP 67, IK 08) – which can be installed ‘lid closed’ to protect the electronics and seal – and ROBUST-BOX (IP 66), which offers a wide range of sizes by combining flat and high tops and bases.

Indoor wall-mount enclosures include stylish NET-BOX (IP 65) – which has a curved top and a front lid that conceals connectors – and low-profile DIATEC which has a central control panel for mounting a touch screen, display or keypad.

Other models include MINI-DATA-BOX (IP 65) and EASYTEC (IP 65) fast-fit sensor enclosures. Both feature flanges for quick and easy mounting with screws or cable ties. MINI-DATA-BOX can also be specified without flanges.

OKW’s CONTROL-KNOBS and ergonomic STAR-KNOBS are ideal for menu-driven interfaces. CONTROL-KNOBS have a soft-touch surface for comfort and anti-slip operation. STAR-KNOBS can be either surface mounted or flush fitting. Both ranges feature energy-saving SMD LED illumination (optional).

OKW also has an extensive range of accessories, and can supply its products fully customised. Services include machining, lacquering, printing, laser marking, decor foils, special materials, EMC shielding, and installation/assembly of accessories.

https://www.okw.co.uk

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Ibase announce new ultra-compact rugged embedded edge computer

Thu, Jul 31, 2025

IBASE Technology has released the CP100 ultra-compact rugged embedded edge computer, purpose-built for high-reliability and long-term operation in space-limited environments. Powered by the AMD Ryzen Embedded R2000 Series processor, the CP100 offers three chipset configurations, allowing users to tailor computing performance to specific application needs.

Engineered for minimal footprint, the CP100 adopts a 2.5-inch SBC design with a compact system size of just 94(W) x 133(D) x 51(H)mm, making it ideal for industrial and embedded edge applications requiring efficient, multi-threaded performance in tight spaces. It also supports DIN-rail mounting, enabling easy deployment in various automation systems and equipment architectures.

The CP100 features dual HDMI 2.0 ports, supporting simultaneous dual 4K display output for consistent, high-quality video performance. It supports PDPC (Peripheral Device Power Control) function, optimising power efficiency for connected peripherals. With four configurable RS-232/422/485 serial ports, the system enables seamless connectivity with a wide range of industrial sensors and devices, making it well-suited for smart manufacturing, industrial automation, smart retail, and intelligent logistics applications.

To meet the demands of high-speed networking and flexible storage expansion, the CP100 includes multiple M.2 slots (E-Key and M-Key), supporting WiFi, Bluetooth, LTE/5G wireless modules, and high-performance NVMe storage devices, delivering scalability and future-proofing for evolving system requirements.

Key Features of CP100:

• Powered by AMD Ryzen Embedded R2000 processors with scalable performance options
• Ultra-compact design with DIN-rail support for easy deployment in tight spaces
• Dual HDMI 2.0 outputs for simultaneous 4K video display
• Four configurable COM ports for versatile industrial device integration
• Multiple M.2 expansion slots for wireless connectivity and high-speed storage

http://www.ibase.com.tw

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Battery management technology from TI delivers up to 30% longer run time

Tue, Jul 29, 2025

Texas Instruments has introduced new single-chip battery fuel gauges with first-of-its-kind adaptive Dynamic Z-Track technology for more efficient, reliable operation in battery-powered devices. Compared to traditional gauging methods, the predictive modelling algorithm in TI’s BQ41Z90 and BQ41Z50 gauges achieve industry-leading state-of-charge and state-of-health accuracy within 1% error, helping extend battery run time by up to 30%.

As users demand more power from electronics, such as laptops, e-bikes and portable medical devices, battery management systems (BMSs) must provide precise, accurate, real-time monitoring. The BQ41Z90 and BQ41Z50 fuel gauges with Dynamic Z-Track technology help engineers design electronic devices with accurate battery capacity readings, even under unpredictable loads. With this increased accuracy, engineers can select a battery size with confidence, eliminating the need for oversized batteries.

Battery-powered electronics are becoming more complex, making it even more important to use board space efficiently. The BQ41Z90 is the industry’s first highly integrated fuel gauge, monitor and protector for 3-to-16 lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery cells in series. This single-chip solution enables engineers to reduce complexity and save as much as 25% of board space compared to traditional discrete solutions. The BQ41Z50 supports 2-to-4 cells in series.

https://www.TI.com.

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Renesas introduces 64-bit RZ/G3E MPU for high-performance HMI systems

Tue, Jul 29, 2025

Renesas has announced the launch of its new 64-bit RZ/G3E microprocessor (MPU), a general-purpose device optimised for high-performance Human Machine Interface (HMI) applications. Combining a quad-core Arm® Cortex-A55 running at up to 1.8GHz with a Neural Processing Unit (NPU), the RZ/G3E brings high-performance edge computing with AI inference for faster, more efficient local processing. With Full HD graphics support and high-speed connectivity, the MPU targets HMI systems for industrial and consumer segments including factory equipment, medical monitors, retail terminals and building automation.

At the heart of the RZ/G3E is a quad-core Arm Cortex-A55, a Cortex-M33 core, and the Ethos-U55 NPU for AI tasks. This architecture efficiently runs AI applications such as image classification, object recognition, voice recognition and anomaly detection while minimising CPU load. Designed for HMI applications, it delivers smooth Full HD (1920×1080) video at 60fps on two independent displays, with output interfaces including LVDS (dual-link), MIPI-DSI, and parallel RGB. A MIPI-CSI camera interface is also available for video input and sensing applications.

The RZ/G3E is equipped with a range of high-speed communication interfaces essential for edge devices. These include PCI Express 3.0 (2 lanes) for up to 8Gbps, USB 3.2 Gen2 for fast 10Gbps data transfer, and dual-channel Gigabit Ethernet for seamless connectivity with cloud services, storage, and 5G modules.

Starting with the third-generation RZ/G3S, the RZ/G series includes advanced power management features to significantly reduce standby power. The RZ/G3E maintains sub-CPU operation and peripheral functions while achieving low power consumption around 50mW and around 1mW in deep standby mode. It supports DDR self-refresh mode to retain memory data, enabling quick wake-up from deep standby for running Linux applications.

Renesas continues to offer the Verified Linux Package (VLP) based on the reliable Civil Infrastructure Platform, with over 10 years of maintenance support. For users requiring the latest versions, Renesas provides Linux BSP Plus, including support for the latest LTS Linux kernel and Yocto. Ubuntu by Canonical and Debian open-source OS are also available for server or desktop Linux environments.

Renesas has also introduced system-on-module (SoM) solutions featuring the RZ/G3E. A broad range of SoM solutions will be available from Renesas’ ecosystem partners such as a SMARC module from Tria, an OSM (Size-M) from ARIES Embedded, and an OSM (Size-L) from MXT.

https://www.renesas.com/rzg3e

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