Automation Parts

Trenze FPGA Micromodules Suit Harsh Environments Trenz Electronic launched its TE0320 series, a range of FPGA-based industrial micromodules for harsh environments and pervasive deployment. TE0320s integrate a Xilinx Spartan-3A-DSP FPGA, a USB 2.0 microcontroller, 128MB DDR RAM (32-bit wide), 4MB Flash memory for configuration and operation, and switch-mode power supply for all onboard voltages. A lnumber of configurable I/Os are provided via standard board-to-board connectors. Customised versions, as well as modules with industrial-grade components are available on request. Combined with their carrier boards, they are suitable for educational and research activities. Software for SPI Flash programming over USB, as well as reference designs for high-speed data transfer over USB are included.

Teseq Upgrades Integrated Immunity Test Program Teseq has announced an upgrade to its AutoStar integrated immunity test management program. New features include an overview runtime mode, live battery control, automation developer's kit connectivity and a completely rewritten sequencer. The AutoStar 5.0 accommodates a range of testing needs with pre-programming for more than 1,000 tests and a standards database updated to incorporate the latest revisions of many manufacturer standards, including several 2008 standards. The sequencer allows the user to build complex test sequences in situations with complicated testing requirements and generate a full test report of the entire sequence. Sequences are easily stored and can be run with custom dialogues or no user interface at all. Operators can fine-tune the battery level in 100mV steps via the live single-click battery adjustment for standards that require tight tolerances on battery voltage during the test run. The immunity tes...

Concurrent SBC Complies With OpenVPX VITA 65 Concurrent Technologies has introduced an ultra-low-power 3U VPX-REDI single-board computer (SBC), the TR A40/30xRC, designed to comply with the OpenVPX VITA 65 standard. The TR A40/30xRC utilises the 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor Z530 and the integrated Intel System Controller Hub US15W, both from the Intel embedded roadmap. The board supports up to 2GB DDR2-533 soldered SDRAM and a variety of I/O interfaces, including a CANbus interface, yet maintains a typical power requirement of less than 10W. The RC-Series TR A40/30xRC is a VPXREDI Type 1 Two Level Maintenance conduction-cooled board with support for Built In Test (BIT). The TR A40/30xRC SBC provides a flexible PCI Express (PCIe) OpenVPX backplane fabric interface that can be configured for several OpenVPX slot profiles from 8x1 PCIe ports through to 2x4 PCIe ports. This fabric flexibility makes the board suited for systems with direct wiring between slots on the backplane and for sy...

Cypress Announces IP Elements For PSoC 3 Cypress Semiconductor has announced the availability of over 30 intellectual property (IP) elements for its PSoC 3 programmable system-on-chip architectures. The embedded design resources include example projects, application notes and solution overviews, all of which enable engineers to quickly implement designs using the PSoC Creator integrated development environment (IDE). The IP elements help engineers to quickly design with features of the PSoC 3 architecture such as the direct-memory access (DMA), analogue peripherals and communication interfaces. These elements also provide design examples for using PSoC 3 power management, LCD segment display, CapSense buttons and sliders.

Keithley Hosts Capacitance-Voltage Testing Webinar Keithley Instruments will host a 45min online seminar entitled 'Semiconductor Capacitance-Voltage (C-V) Testing Fundamentals'. The seminar will be broadcast on 29 October at 15:00 CET, to enable engineers based in Europe to participate in the live event. The webcast is free to attend, but registration is required. The seminar will introduce the topic of C-V measurements as they relate to semiconductor device and materials characterisation. It is recommended for engineers who are new to semiconductor materials and device testing and those that want to refresh their knowledge of the subject.

Austriamicrosystems has introduced the AS5245, a magnetic rotary encoder IC designed to address automotive requirements such as reliability, accuracy and safety. Based on Austriamicrosystems' stacked-die technology, the AS5245 provides best phase matching capabilities. No additional temperature compensation, calibration or shielding against external magnetic stray fields is needed. The digital angle data of the AS5245 is provided as a simple serial interface or as a PWM signal. In addition, an incremental quadrature output mode with an improved interpolation algorithm can be enabled and permanently programmed with a resolution of 10 or 12 bit. An internal voltage regulator allows the AS5245 to operate at 3.3 or 5V supply within a wide ambient temperature range of up to 150C. The AS5245 is available in a lead-free QFN 32 package.

Cadence Printed Circuit Board Has New Features Cadence Design Systems has released its Cadence Allegro and OrCAD printed circuit board (PCB) software with a range of new features. The Allegro and OrCAD PCB Design Release 16.3 allows engineers to miniaturise the footprint of their end product and reduce the number of physical prototype iterations. This release addresses increased functional and interconnect density through improvements for rigid-flex routing, extended high-density interconnect (HDI) rules, 3D viewing of PCBs and asymmetrical clearance for RF circuits. Extended micro via stacking rules allow users to create the most difficult HDI designs, while multi-line curved bus routing that hugs the flex outline accelerates the creation of rigid-flex designs. An integrated 3D PCB viewer gives designers visibility into components and HDI micro via breakouts, eliminating unnecessary iterations with mechanical design teams. The Allegro PCB RF Option also helps engineers to reduce t...