THIEF RIVER FALLS & ROCKLIN, USA Electronic components distributor Digi-Key Corp., announced the availability of electronic components from Parallax Semiconductor.
Parallax's new semiconductor division was created to provide support for OEMs with volume commercial applications using the company’s ICs. Initially the company’s chips, such as the innovative Propeller multicore MCU, were primarily used in their own products. Now the company is taking their IC strategy to the next level in response to growing interest from commercial OEMs.
“We believe the engineering community will be pleased with this new addition to Parallax’s product line,” said Mark Zack, vice president of semiconductor product. “Digi-Key supports this expansion from hobbyist focus to full OEM design and production supply chain focus.”
“As our chip sales to outside customers grow, we understand they benefit from our ability to tailor a technology and business relationship that uniquely meets their needs. We want to make it easy for commercial customers to exploit the advantages our chips have to offer. Parallax Semiconductor gives us an organization designed from the ground up to do just that,” said Ken Gracey, Parallax's vice president.
The new division offers custom design services and turnkey product design and manufacturing, allowing OEMs to speed time to market and to reduce development costs.
Parallax Semiconductor’s products are available for purchase now on Digi-Key’s global websites.
Friday, April 29, 2011
LUXEON LEDs provide path to efficient, high quality illumination with white as well as royal blue LEDs for remote phosphor solutions
SAN JOSE, USA: The world of conventional lighting has allowed for a wide variety of luminaires, but few options when it came to engineering the light source. However, with LUXEON LEDs, solution providers have a host of options and the ability to select the best light source approach for their specific application.
In the illumination segment where white light is dominant, there are two primary approaches. The most common method is to use white LEDs. The second approach is to use remote phosphor with a royal blue LED. The second approach is gaining in popularity with the availability of high performance LUXEON royal blue LEDs.
“Our comprehensive illumination portfolio approach with LUXEON is to ensure that our customers have the support, tools and product options to design and optimize their solution so that it meets their business, market and end customer needs,” said Steve Barlow, senior VP, Sales and Marketing. “Regardless of the approach our customers choose, producing the highest performance white LED based system design or the most efficient remote phosphor solution requires that you start with the very best royal blue LED device technology.”
Enabling high quality illumination in white light that delivers on the promise of LED lighting has been a primary objective for the LUXEON portfolio and today’s Illumination Grade LUXEON LEDs fulfill this promise in a number of ways. The portfolio provides:
* A broad selection of CRI and CCT combinations.
* High efficacy at operating temperatures (Tj 85°C).
* Superior light output at operating temperatures.
* Uniform color throughout the beam.
* LED to LED consistency.
* Minimal or no color shift at operating conditions.
* Complete lumen maintenance data and reports.
Each of these Illumination Grade attributes is measureable and, in the case of LUXEON LEDs, publicly available.
A second approach to producing high quality white light is with remote phosphor. This method uses royal blue LEDs as the light source, and instead of applying the phosphor directly to the LED chip, as is done with white LEDs, the phosphor is positioned several millimeters from the LEDs.
For solution providers that prefer this approach, Lumileds offers the most powerful royal blue LEDs available today.
A key measure of royal blue LED performance is wall plug efficiency (WPE). LUXEON Rebel ES royal blue LEDs deliver the industry’s highest wall plug efficiency, ~56 percent at 350 mA. Because of their high efficacy, the LUXEON LEDs enable optimized solutions when matched with an efficient phosphor component. These are the same royal blue LED chips that are used to make the company’s white portfolio and as such, they deliver industry leading lumen maintenance, reliability, and consistency from LED to LED.
In the illumination segment where white light is dominant, there are two primary approaches. The most common method is to use white LEDs. The second approach is to use remote phosphor with a royal blue LED. The second approach is gaining in popularity with the availability of high performance LUXEON royal blue LEDs.
“Our comprehensive illumination portfolio approach with LUXEON is to ensure that our customers have the support, tools and product options to design and optimize their solution so that it meets their business, market and end customer needs,” said Steve Barlow, senior VP, Sales and Marketing. “Regardless of the approach our customers choose, producing the highest performance white LED based system design or the most efficient remote phosphor solution requires that you start with the very best royal blue LED device technology.”
Enabling high quality illumination in white light that delivers on the promise of LED lighting has been a primary objective for the LUXEON portfolio and today’s Illumination Grade LUXEON LEDs fulfill this promise in a number of ways. The portfolio provides:
* A broad selection of CRI and CCT combinations.
* High efficacy at operating temperatures (Tj 85°C).
* Superior light output at operating temperatures.
* Uniform color throughout the beam.
* LED to LED consistency.
* Minimal or no color shift at operating conditions.
* Complete lumen maintenance data and reports.
Each of these Illumination Grade attributes is measureable and, in the case of LUXEON LEDs, publicly available.
A second approach to producing high quality white light is with remote phosphor. This method uses royal blue LEDs as the light source, and instead of applying the phosphor directly to the LED chip, as is done with white LEDs, the phosphor is positioned several millimeters from the LEDs.
For solution providers that prefer this approach, Lumileds offers the most powerful royal blue LEDs available today.
A key measure of royal blue LED performance is wall plug efficiency (WPE). LUXEON Rebel ES royal blue LEDs deliver the industry’s highest wall plug efficiency, ~56 percent at 350 mA. Because of their high efficacy, the LUXEON LEDs enable optimized solutions when matched with an efficient phosphor component. These are the same royal blue LED chips that are used to make the company’s white portfolio and as such, they deliver industry leading lumen maintenance, reliability, and consistency from LED to LED.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
ComponentOne launches CTP of Windows phone controls for Microsoft Windows Phone 7 toolkit
PITTSBURGH, USA: ComponentOne, a leading component vendor in the Microsoft Visual Studio Industry Partner program, today announced its CTP release of Studio for Windows Phone, a suite of controls designed to enhance the rich user experience of the Windows Phone 7.
"Building upon the company's legacy of being the lead vendor in the Silverlight and WPF space, we have developed this CTP using the same codebase as our Silverlight and WPF controls," said Greg Lutz, product manager at ComponentOne. "The ability to reuse code and XAML translates into significant time savings to the developer."
The Studio for Windows Phone CTP is likely to offer its users a sense of confidence given it supports the Metro UI design and interaction guidelines as specified by Microsoft. Taking a look at the line of controls, the CTP offers data visualization tools like Charts, Maps, and navigation controls, like CoverFlow, to just name a few.
"With rich text editing, PDF viewing capabilities, and advanced layout controls, ComponentOne Studio for Windows Phone will instantly add value to the existing phone toolset provided by Microsoft," said Lutz.
Each control is identified to be compliant and optimized for Windows Phone operating system and marketplace, which will allow the CTP users to deliver rich business and enterprise applications to the phone efficiently and quickly.
"Building upon the company's legacy of being the lead vendor in the Silverlight and WPF space, we have developed this CTP using the same codebase as our Silverlight and WPF controls," said Greg Lutz, product manager at ComponentOne. "The ability to reuse code and XAML translates into significant time savings to the developer."
The Studio for Windows Phone CTP is likely to offer its users a sense of confidence given it supports the Metro UI design and interaction guidelines as specified by Microsoft. Taking a look at the line of controls, the CTP offers data visualization tools like Charts, Maps, and navigation controls, like CoverFlow, to just name a few.
"With rich text editing, PDF viewing capabilities, and advanced layout controls, ComponentOne Studio for Windows Phone will instantly add value to the existing phone toolset provided by Microsoft," said Lutz.
Each control is identified to be compliant and optimized for Windows Phone operating system and marketplace, which will allow the CTP users to deliver rich business and enterprise applications to the phone efficiently and quickly.
IPC releases PCB industry results for March 2011
BANNOCKBURN, USA: IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries announced the March findings from its monthly North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program.
PCB industry growth rates and book-to-bill ratios announced
Rigid PCB shipments were up 5.1 percent and bookings decreased 10.1 percent in March 2011 from March 2010. Year to date, rigid PCB shipments were up 6.7 percent and bookings declined 8.5 percent. Compared to the previous month, rigid PCB shipments increased 14.9 percent and rigid bookings increased 26.0 percent. The book-to-bill ratio for the North American rigid PCB industry in March 2011 remained at 0.94.
Flexible circuit shipments in March 2011 were up 9.1 percent and bookings declined 7.4 percent compared to March 2010. Year to date, flexible circuit shipments increased 9.3 percent and bookings were up 9.6 percent. Compared to the previous month, flexible circuit shipments increased 15.0 percent and flex bookings decreased 13.2 percent. The North American flexible circuit book-to-bill ratio in March 2011 moderated to 1.04.
For rigid PCBs and flexible circuits combined, industry shipments in March 2011 increased 5.4 percent from March 2010, as orders booked decreased 9.9 percent from March 2010. Year to date, combined industry shipments were up 6.9 percent and bookings were down 7.1 percent. Compared to the previous month, combined industry shipments for March 2011 increased 14.9 percent and bookings increased 21.9 percent. The combined (rigid and flex) industry book-to-bill ratio in March 2011 held steady at 0.95.
“North American PCB sales in March were strong, following normal seasonal patterns, and sales of both rigid PCBs and flexible circuits are still ahead of last year,” said IPC President & CEO Denny McGuirk. “Stronger sales than orders is the dynamic keeping the book-to-bill ratio holding slightly below parity, which indicates slowing growth over the next quarter.”
The book-to-bill ratios are calculated by dividing the value of orders booked over the past three months by the value of sales billed during the same period from companies in IPC’s survey sample. A ratio of more than 1.00 suggests that current demand is ahead of supply, which is a positive indicator for sales growth over the next two to three months.
Book-to-bill ratios and growth rates for rigid PCBs and flexible circuits combined are heavily affected by the rigid PCB segment. Rigid PCBs represent an estimated 89 percent of the current PCB industry in North America, according to IPC’s World PCB Production Report.
Role of domestic production
IPC’s monthly survey of the North American PCB industry tracks bookings and shipments from US and Canadian facilities, which provide indicators of regional demand. These numbers do not measure US and Canadian PCB production. To track regional production trends, IPC asks survey participants for the percent of their reported shipments that were produced domestically (i.e., in the USA or Canada).
In March 2011, 83 percent of total PCB shipments reported were domestically produced. Domestic production accounted for 83 percent of rigid PCB and 85 percent of flexible circuit shipments in March by IPC’s survey participants. These numbers are significantly affected by the mix of companies in IPC’s survey sample, which change slightly in January, but are kept constant through the remainder of the year.
Bare circuits vs. assembly
Flexible circuit sales typically include value-added services such as assembly, in addition to the bare flex circuits. In March, the flexible circuit manufacturers in IPC’s survey sample indicated that bare circuits accounted for about 49 percent of their shipment value reported for the month. Assembly and other services make up a large and growing segment of flexible circuit producers’ businesses. This figure is also sensitive to changes in the survey sample, which may occur at the beginning of each calendar year.
Interpreting the data
Year-on-year and year-to-date growth rates provide the most meaningful view of industry growth. Month-to-month comparisons should be made with caution as they may reflect cyclical effects. Because bookings tend to be more volatile than shipments, changes in the book-to-bill ratios from month to month may not be significant unless a trend of more than three consecutive months is apparent. It is also important to consider changes in bookings and shipments to understand what is driving changes in the book-to-bill ratio.
The information in IPC’s monthly PCB industry statistics is based on data provided by a representative sample of both rigid and flexible PCB manufacturers in the USA and Canada. IPC publishes the PCB Book-to-Bill Ratio and the PCB Statistical Program Report each month. Statistics for the previous month are not available until the last week of the following month.
PCB industry growth rates and book-to-bill ratios announced
Rigid PCB shipments were up 5.1 percent and bookings decreased 10.1 percent in March 2011 from March 2010. Year to date, rigid PCB shipments were up 6.7 percent and bookings declined 8.5 percent. Compared to the previous month, rigid PCB shipments increased 14.9 percent and rigid bookings increased 26.0 percent. The book-to-bill ratio for the North American rigid PCB industry in March 2011 remained at 0.94.
Flexible circuit shipments in March 2011 were up 9.1 percent and bookings declined 7.4 percent compared to March 2010. Year to date, flexible circuit shipments increased 9.3 percent and bookings were up 9.6 percent. Compared to the previous month, flexible circuit shipments increased 15.0 percent and flex bookings decreased 13.2 percent. The North American flexible circuit book-to-bill ratio in March 2011 moderated to 1.04.
For rigid PCBs and flexible circuits combined, industry shipments in March 2011 increased 5.4 percent from March 2010, as orders booked decreased 9.9 percent from March 2010. Year to date, combined industry shipments were up 6.9 percent and bookings were down 7.1 percent. Compared to the previous month, combined industry shipments for March 2011 increased 14.9 percent and bookings increased 21.9 percent. The combined (rigid and flex) industry book-to-bill ratio in March 2011 held steady at 0.95.
“North American PCB sales in March were strong, following normal seasonal patterns, and sales of both rigid PCBs and flexible circuits are still ahead of last year,” said IPC President & CEO Denny McGuirk. “Stronger sales than orders is the dynamic keeping the book-to-bill ratio holding slightly below parity, which indicates slowing growth over the next quarter.”
The book-to-bill ratios are calculated by dividing the value of orders booked over the past three months by the value of sales billed during the same period from companies in IPC’s survey sample. A ratio of more than 1.00 suggests that current demand is ahead of supply, which is a positive indicator for sales growth over the next two to three months.
Book-to-bill ratios and growth rates for rigid PCBs and flexible circuits combined are heavily affected by the rigid PCB segment. Rigid PCBs represent an estimated 89 percent of the current PCB industry in North America, according to IPC’s World PCB Production Report.
Role of domestic production
IPC’s monthly survey of the North American PCB industry tracks bookings and shipments from US and Canadian facilities, which provide indicators of regional demand. These numbers do not measure US and Canadian PCB production. To track regional production trends, IPC asks survey participants for the percent of their reported shipments that were produced domestically (i.e., in the USA or Canada).
In March 2011, 83 percent of total PCB shipments reported were domestically produced. Domestic production accounted for 83 percent of rigid PCB and 85 percent of flexible circuit shipments in March by IPC’s survey participants. These numbers are significantly affected by the mix of companies in IPC’s survey sample, which change slightly in January, but are kept constant through the remainder of the year.
Bare circuits vs. assembly
Flexible circuit sales typically include value-added services such as assembly, in addition to the bare flex circuits. In March, the flexible circuit manufacturers in IPC’s survey sample indicated that bare circuits accounted for about 49 percent of their shipment value reported for the month. Assembly and other services make up a large and growing segment of flexible circuit producers’ businesses. This figure is also sensitive to changes in the survey sample, which may occur at the beginning of each calendar year.
Interpreting the data
Year-on-year and year-to-date growth rates provide the most meaningful view of industry growth. Month-to-month comparisons should be made with caution as they may reflect cyclical effects. Because bookings tend to be more volatile than shipments, changes in the book-to-bill ratios from month to month may not be significant unless a trend of more than three consecutive months is apparent. It is also important to consider changes in bookings and shipments to understand what is driving changes in the book-to-bill ratio.
The information in IPC’s monthly PCB industry statistics is based on data provided by a representative sample of both rigid and flexible PCB manufacturers in the USA and Canada. IPC publishes the PCB Book-to-Bill Ratio and the PCB Statistical Program Report each month. Statistics for the previous month are not available until the last week of the following month.
Cree revolutionizes indoor and outdoor video screen market
DURHAM, USA: Cree Inc. has raised performance levels for high-brightness LEDs optimized for high resolution indoor and outdoor video screens with its new water resistant and higher contrast high-brightness LEDs. The superior contrast offered by these Cree LEDs extends the benefits of typical, black surface-mount LEDs that are used for high-definition, high-resolution LED screens and displays.
The Screen Master CLX6A-FKB delivers industry-leading intensity and far-field pattern matching for high-resolution full-color displays in a small water resistant package. Optimized for outdoor use with both IPX6 and IPX8 ratings, this PLCC6-type LED eliminates the need for a protective cover, reducing overall systems cost and delivering higher brightness. It is the industry’s first water resistant, tall LED package, designed with dimensions that provide superior thermal performance and make it easier for customers to assemble.
The Screen Master CLVBA-FKA is Cree’s first black-body RGB surface-mount LED, optimized to provide the highest contrast ratio for indoor video screens. It has matched red-green-blue far-field patterns, delivering a consistent viewing experience across a wide range of viewing positions and unrivaled color vibrancy.
“Cree has the broadest portfolio of products optimized for the indoor and outdoor video screen market.” said Mike Watson, Cree, senior director of marketing, LED components. “Two years ago, Cree introduced the first water resistant surface mount LED. With the CLX6A, Cree demonstrates our leadership again by introducing the industry’s first water resistant SMD LED in an easy-to-assemble, tall package. These new products allow our customers to create superior video screens that provide the viewing public with a better, richer image.”
Screen Master CLX6A and CLVBA high-brightness LEDs are commercially available now.
The Screen Master CLX6A-FKB delivers industry-leading intensity and far-field pattern matching for high-resolution full-color displays in a small water resistant package. Optimized for outdoor use with both IPX6 and IPX8 ratings, this PLCC6-type LED eliminates the need for a protective cover, reducing overall systems cost and delivering higher brightness. It is the industry’s first water resistant, tall LED package, designed with dimensions that provide superior thermal performance and make it easier for customers to assemble.
The Screen Master CLVBA-FKA is Cree’s first black-body RGB surface-mount LED, optimized to provide the highest contrast ratio for indoor video screens. It has matched red-green-blue far-field patterns, delivering a consistent viewing experience across a wide range of viewing positions and unrivaled color vibrancy.
“Cree has the broadest portfolio of products optimized for the indoor and outdoor video screen market.” said Mike Watson, Cree, senior director of marketing, LED components. “Two years ago, Cree introduced the first water resistant surface mount LED. With the CLX6A, Cree demonstrates our leadership again by introducing the industry’s first water resistant SMD LED in an easy-to-assemble, tall package. These new products allow our customers to create superior video screens that provide the viewing public with a better, richer image.”
Screen Master CLX6A and CLVBA high-brightness LEDs are commercially available now.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Universal Display establishes state-of-the-art chemistry lab in Hong Kong
EWING, USA: Universal Display Corp., enabling energy-efficient displays and lighting with its UniversalPHOLED technology and materials, announced that the company has established a new facility in Hong Kong to build on and expand the company’s footprint in Asia. The facility will host a world-class chemistry laboratory to support the company’s expanding research and development initiatives in OLED materials and technologies.
The new Hong Kong facility is headquartered at Biotech Centre 2, Unit 319, No. 11 Science Park West Avenue, Phase Two, Hong Kong Science Park, Pak Shek Kok, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong. Dr. Raymond Kwong, Director, Universal Display Corporation Hong Kong, who has been with Universal Display since 2000, has relocated to Hong Kong to lead this expansion.
“We continue to make investments to advance our OLED technologies as well as to strengthen and broaden our line of OLED materials to support our customers in the fast growing OLED market,” said Steven V. Abramson, president and CEO of Universal Display. “In addition to expanding our presence in Korea and Japan, we believe that our new chemistry lab in Hong Kong will play an important role in supporting our development of high-performance materials for OLED displays and lighting.”
Universal Display is the recognized leader in high-performance, energy-efficient phosphorescent OLED technology and materials. With a comprehensive patent portfolio and technical expertise that covers these and an array of other OLED technologies worldwide, Universal Display licenses its state-of-the-art OLED technologies, sells its proprietary UniversalPHOLED materials, and provides customized technology development and transfer services to serve the specific needs of its OLED display and lighting customers. The new Hong Kong facility is being operated by the company’s subsidiary, Universal Display Corp. Hong Kong Inc., which was formed in 2008.
The new Hong Kong facility is headquartered at Biotech Centre 2, Unit 319, No. 11 Science Park West Avenue, Phase Two, Hong Kong Science Park, Pak Shek Kok, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong. Dr. Raymond Kwong, Director, Universal Display Corporation Hong Kong, who has been with Universal Display since 2000, has relocated to Hong Kong to lead this expansion.
“We continue to make investments to advance our OLED technologies as well as to strengthen and broaden our line of OLED materials to support our customers in the fast growing OLED market,” said Steven V. Abramson, president and CEO of Universal Display. “In addition to expanding our presence in Korea and Japan, we believe that our new chemistry lab in Hong Kong will play an important role in supporting our development of high-performance materials for OLED displays and lighting.”
Universal Display is the recognized leader in high-performance, energy-efficient phosphorescent OLED technology and materials. With a comprehensive patent portfolio and technical expertise that covers these and an array of other OLED technologies worldwide, Universal Display licenses its state-of-the-art OLED technologies, sells its proprietary UniversalPHOLED materials, and provides customized technology development and transfer services to serve the specific needs of its OLED display and lighting customers. The new Hong Kong facility is being operated by the company’s subsidiary, Universal Display Corp. Hong Kong Inc., which was formed in 2008.
Avnet Electronics Marketing executive to deliver Keynote at Designing with LEDs 2011
PHOENIX, USA: For the second year in a row, Avnet Electronics Marketing’s global director of Lighting Business Development, Cary Eskow, will deliver the keynote address at the 2011 Designing with LEDs: Seminar and Hands-On Workshop in San Jose, Calif.
Eskow, a LED (light emitting diode) veteran, will present on Wednesday, May 4, 2011, from 9:15 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. As solid-state lighting and high-brightness LEDs become a staple of everyday life, Eskow will discuss the latest advancements in lighting and the bright future ahead in this booming industry. His keynote address will offer perspectives on ways to leverage LEDs for advanced life sciences, industrial and human health applications.
“We are all aware of the tremendous impact of high-brightness LEDs as clean, safe and energy-efficient sources for lighting. However, there are a multitude of new applications which may be enabled by this technology, well beyond basic interior and exterior lighting. These include vitamin D synthesis in humans, light-induced polyphenol production in plants, enhanced attentiveness, and many interesting industrial and scientific products,” said Eskow.
Eskow has worked closely with original equipment manufacturers, LED manufacturers, advanced analog integrated circuit (IC) and secondary optics vendors since his first patent using LEDs was issued two decades ago.
He is a frequent speaker at international LED, green photonics, medical electronics and investor conferences, a member of UL-8750 Standards Technical Committee for LEDs at Underwriters Laboratories, advisory board of Strategies in Light and editorial board of Energy and Efficiency Technology Journal. His prior development work includes systems for pulmonary delivery of micronized insulin and albuterol, and LED-based optical image classifiers.
Eskow, a LED (light emitting diode) veteran, will present on Wednesday, May 4, 2011, from 9:15 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. As solid-state lighting and high-brightness LEDs become a staple of everyday life, Eskow will discuss the latest advancements in lighting and the bright future ahead in this booming industry. His keynote address will offer perspectives on ways to leverage LEDs for advanced life sciences, industrial and human health applications.
“We are all aware of the tremendous impact of high-brightness LEDs as clean, safe and energy-efficient sources for lighting. However, there are a multitude of new applications which may be enabled by this technology, well beyond basic interior and exterior lighting. These include vitamin D synthesis in humans, light-induced polyphenol production in plants, enhanced attentiveness, and many interesting industrial and scientific products,” said Eskow.
Eskow has worked closely with original equipment manufacturers, LED manufacturers, advanced analog integrated circuit (IC) and secondary optics vendors since his first patent using LEDs was issued two decades ago.
He is a frequent speaker at international LED, green photonics, medical electronics and investor conferences, a member of UL-8750 Standards Technical Committee for LEDs at Underwriters Laboratories, advisory board of Strategies in Light and editorial board of Energy and Efficiency Technology Journal. His prior development work includes systems for pulmonary delivery of micronized insulin and albuterol, and LED-based optical image classifiers.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
New Cree LED troffers revolutionize commercial lighting
LIGHTFAIR International 2011, DURHAM, USA: Antiquated, inferior commercial lighting gets a much-needed transformation with the revolutionary new series of LED troffers from Cree, Inc. (Nasdaq: CREE). The Cree CR family of architectural troffers, including the CR24, CR14 and CR22, bring a superior combination of performance, aesthetics and affordability to a market traditionally lit by outdated, flickering fluorescent tubes.
The CR series is redefining commercial lighting by offering a no-compromise alternative when upgrading over fluorescent lighting. More affordable than comparable fluorescent options, CR series fixtures deliver higher-quality light, longer life and greater energy savings, with an estimated payback of less than a year in a typical office installation*.
“We chose the Cree CR troffers because the payback calculation was clear,” said Richard J. Michal, PE, MBA, LEED-AP, facilities engineer planning design and construction, Butler University. “Seeing the CR troffers installed, they have an elegant aesthetic that produces an incredibly high-quality light. When you combine that with our predicted energy and maintenance savings, it was a no-brainer.”
“You never need to install fluorescent troffer lighting again,” said Chuck Swoboda, Cree chairman and CEO. “The traditional lighting experts keep telling us what LEDs can’t do, and we keep showing them that anything is possible. We think it is time to rid the world of the compromises inherent in choosing fluorescent lighting — the flickering, toxic mercury, poor color, ineffective dimming and disposal expense.”
“Our life cycle cost analysis using Cree LED lighting on our projects decreased the watts-per-square-foot by upwards of 60 percent,” said Nick Santore, PE, LEED-AP, Senior Electrical Engineer at O’Brien/Atkins Associates. “That decrease translated into measurable reductions in building HVAC equipment sizing requirements, delivering additional savings.”
According to Freedonia Group, the 2009 US indoor lighting fixture market is estimated at US $6.4 billion. Lighting represents 27 percent of American commercial building energy consumption, according to the US Department of Energy.
The Cree CR troffer family is powered by Cree TrueWhite Technology to deliver an unprecedented combination of 90 CRI and up to 110 lumens per watt, far outperforming any other current lighting options.
An innovative thermal management system enables the LEDs to consistently run cooler, providing significant boosts to lifetime, efficacy and color consistency. All fixtures feature step or 0-10V dimming, are designed to last at least 50,000 hours and feature a five-year warranty.
The CR troffer family includes three models and multiple performance options: 1ft x 4 ft, 2ft x 4ft and 2ft x 2ft. The Cree CR series is made in the United States, sold through Cree LED Lighting sales channels and is currently shipping in volume.
*Payback calculations compare the Cree CR24 LED troffer with an architectural 2-tube T8 fluorescent fixture of comparable light output and features. The calculations also assume a typical office space of 200 units, 12-hour per day usage, $.10 kWh energy costs, lighting-related HVAC impact, and relamp maintenance. This results in a payback of less than one year when upgrading to more efficient CR series lighting from Cree.
The CR series is redefining commercial lighting by offering a no-compromise alternative when upgrading over fluorescent lighting. More affordable than comparable fluorescent options, CR series fixtures deliver higher-quality light, longer life and greater energy savings, with an estimated payback of less than a year in a typical office installation*.
“We chose the Cree CR troffers because the payback calculation was clear,” said Richard J. Michal, PE, MBA, LEED-AP, facilities engineer planning design and construction, Butler University. “Seeing the CR troffers installed, they have an elegant aesthetic that produces an incredibly high-quality light. When you combine that with our predicted energy and maintenance savings, it was a no-brainer.”
“You never need to install fluorescent troffer lighting again,” said Chuck Swoboda, Cree chairman and CEO. “The traditional lighting experts keep telling us what LEDs can’t do, and we keep showing them that anything is possible. We think it is time to rid the world of the compromises inherent in choosing fluorescent lighting — the flickering, toxic mercury, poor color, ineffective dimming and disposal expense.”
“Our life cycle cost analysis using Cree LED lighting on our projects decreased the watts-per-square-foot by upwards of 60 percent,” said Nick Santore, PE, LEED-AP, Senior Electrical Engineer at O’Brien/Atkins Associates. “That decrease translated into measurable reductions in building HVAC equipment sizing requirements, delivering additional savings.”
According to Freedonia Group, the 2009 US indoor lighting fixture market is estimated at US $6.4 billion. Lighting represents 27 percent of American commercial building energy consumption, according to the US Department of Energy.
The Cree CR troffer family is powered by Cree TrueWhite Technology to deliver an unprecedented combination of 90 CRI and up to 110 lumens per watt, far outperforming any other current lighting options.
An innovative thermal management system enables the LEDs to consistently run cooler, providing significant boosts to lifetime, efficacy and color consistency. All fixtures feature step or 0-10V dimming, are designed to last at least 50,000 hours and feature a five-year warranty.
The CR troffer family includes three models and multiple performance options: 1ft x 4 ft, 2ft x 4ft and 2ft x 2ft. The Cree CR series is made in the United States, sold through Cree LED Lighting sales channels and is currently shipping in volume.
*Payback calculations compare the Cree CR24 LED troffer with an architectural 2-tube T8 fluorescent fixture of comparable light output and features. The calculations also assume a typical office space of 200 units, 12-hour per day usage, $.10 kWh energy costs, lighting-related HVAC impact, and relamp maintenance. This results in a payback of less than one year when upgrading to more efficient CR series lighting from Cree.
Vectron announces 230°C ultra-high temperature crystal oscillator
HUDSON, USA: Vectron International, a leader in the design and manufacture of precision oscillators for Communication, Industrial, Military and Space applications, announced its new solution for the timing of ultra high-temperature electronics, the PX-570 crystal oscillator.
Able to withstand continuous operating temperatures of up to 230 degrees Celsius, this product is ideal for harsh environment applications, including oil and gas downhole operations. In addition to extreme temperature operation, the PX-570’s unique compliant quartz resonator mounting and 6-leaded HTCC package creates a ruggedized design capable of reliable operation in high shock and vibration environments.
With the PX-570, Vectron successfully combines its unique compliant quartz resonator mounting techniques with a 6-leaded HTCC package, creating a design with the highest package to board attachment fatigue resistance that is capable of surviving shock levels of 1000 g’s. In addition, the PX-570 has the industry’s tightest frequency vs. temperature performance of ±100ppm from -55ºC to +230ºC.
“In the high-temperature electronics community, not only are operating temperatures and lifetime requirements increasing, parts are often subject to very harsh shock and vibration,” says Gregory Smolka, Vice President of the IMS Business Unit at Vectron. “Throughout our ten-year history in high-temperature electronics, our products have delivered exceptional lifetime increases over comparable hi temp designs. The PX-570 builds on this legacy, offering designers unprecedented reliability and frequency stability in some of the harshest environments on the planet.”
Specific features of the PX-570 include:
* Ultra high and wide continuous operating temperature (-55 to 230 degrees C).
* Unique compliant quartz resonator mounting for high shock & vibration applications.
* High package to board attachment fatigue resistance with 6-leaded HTCC package design.
* +/- 100ppm frequency stability over the operating temperature range.
* Standard frequency range from 32 kHz to 40 MHz.
Able to withstand continuous operating temperatures of up to 230 degrees Celsius, this product is ideal for harsh environment applications, including oil and gas downhole operations. In addition to extreme temperature operation, the PX-570’s unique compliant quartz resonator mounting and 6-leaded HTCC package creates a ruggedized design capable of reliable operation in high shock and vibration environments.
With the PX-570, Vectron successfully combines its unique compliant quartz resonator mounting techniques with a 6-leaded HTCC package, creating a design with the highest package to board attachment fatigue resistance that is capable of surviving shock levels of 1000 g’s. In addition, the PX-570 has the industry’s tightest frequency vs. temperature performance of ±100ppm from -55ºC to +230ºC.
“In the high-temperature electronics community, not only are operating temperatures and lifetime requirements increasing, parts are often subject to very harsh shock and vibration,” says Gregory Smolka, Vice President of the IMS Business Unit at Vectron. “Throughout our ten-year history in high-temperature electronics, our products have delivered exceptional lifetime increases over comparable hi temp designs. The PX-570 builds on this legacy, offering designers unprecedented reliability and frequency stability in some of the harshest environments on the planet.”
Specific features of the PX-570 include:
* Ultra high and wide continuous operating temperature (-55 to 230 degrees C).
* Unique compliant quartz resonator mounting for high shock & vibration applications.
* High package to board attachment fatigue resistance with 6-leaded HTCC package design.
* +/- 100ppm frequency stability over the operating temperature range.
* Standard frequency range from 32 kHz to 40 MHz.
Emerson launches new DCH3 AC-DC power adapters
CARLSBAD, USA: Emerson Network Power, a business of Emerson and the global leader in enabling Business-Critical Continuity, has launched a new series of 3 W ultra high efficiency wall-mount ac-dc power adapters that meet the international efficiency Level V standard.
The new DCH3 series power adapters also comply with the even more stringent Tier 2 Energy-related Products (ErP) requirements of Ecodesign Directive 2009/125/EC. Compliance with this Ecodesign Directive becomes mandatory in European Union countries on April 27, 2011. After this date, all external power supplies for consumer electronics and office equipment must meet this efficiency standard in order to gain a CE mark of approval – which is a prerequisite to sales in the European marketplace.
“Emerson Network Power has extensively redesigned its entire DCH3 range of ac-dc power adapters to comply with the Level V standard and to meet the additional ErP requirements of the European market, which sets even more rigorous criteria for conversion efficiency and standby power,” said Chris Jones, product marketing director, Embedded Power, Emerson Network Power. “Similar efficiency standards and conditions on sales are likely to be imposed by energy regulators in other countries. Key design changes include an entirely new PCB layout and a new type of PWM (pulse width modulation) transformer for the power switching stage.”
The new efficiency Level V versions of the Emerson Network Power DCH3 have a universal 100 to 254 Vac input and generate a regulated 5 Vdc output, capable of delivering 0.55 A. The power adapters are primarily intended for recharging low power portable consumer electronic devices such as mobile phones and digital cameras.
There is a choice of six models; three are fitted with mini-USB 2.0 output connectors, and three are fitted with micro-USB 2.0 connectors, which are used extensively by most of the world’s leading mobile phone manufacturers. Each of these two categories is available with a choice of three different AC input plugs, to suit the region of the world in which they are intended to be used.
All efficiency Level V versions of the Emerson Network Power DCH3 power adapter produce a constant voltage, constant current output and have an extremely low safety ground leakage current of just 10 µA. Comprehensive protection against fault conditions includes latching overvoltage, output short-circuit with auto recover, and overload limitation to less than 0.8 A. The adapters accommodate an ambient operating temperature range of zero to 45 degrees Celsius.
The power adapters feature a built-in CISPR 22 Class B EMI filter and meet the EN55022 Class B, FCC Class B and EMC89/336/EEC standards for EMI, as well as the EN55082-1 standard for electromagnetic susceptibility. They carry a comprehensive set of international safety approvals, including cUL/CSA/TUV/NEMKO 60950, CE Mark (LVD, EMC & ErP 2011) and CB certification.
Samples of the new efficiency Level V versions of the Emerson Network Power DCH3 power adapters are available now.
The new DCH3 series power adapters also comply with the even more stringent Tier 2 Energy-related Products (ErP) requirements of Ecodesign Directive 2009/125/EC. Compliance with this Ecodesign Directive becomes mandatory in European Union countries on April 27, 2011. After this date, all external power supplies for consumer electronics and office equipment must meet this efficiency standard in order to gain a CE mark of approval – which is a prerequisite to sales in the European marketplace.
“Emerson Network Power has extensively redesigned its entire DCH3 range of ac-dc power adapters to comply with the Level V standard and to meet the additional ErP requirements of the European market, which sets even more rigorous criteria for conversion efficiency and standby power,” said Chris Jones, product marketing director, Embedded Power, Emerson Network Power. “Similar efficiency standards and conditions on sales are likely to be imposed by energy regulators in other countries. Key design changes include an entirely new PCB layout and a new type of PWM (pulse width modulation) transformer for the power switching stage.”
The new efficiency Level V versions of the Emerson Network Power DCH3 have a universal 100 to 254 Vac input and generate a regulated 5 Vdc output, capable of delivering 0.55 A. The power adapters are primarily intended for recharging low power portable consumer electronic devices such as mobile phones and digital cameras.
There is a choice of six models; three are fitted with mini-USB 2.0 output connectors, and three are fitted with micro-USB 2.0 connectors, which are used extensively by most of the world’s leading mobile phone manufacturers. Each of these two categories is available with a choice of three different AC input plugs, to suit the region of the world in which they are intended to be used.
All efficiency Level V versions of the Emerson Network Power DCH3 power adapter produce a constant voltage, constant current output and have an extremely low safety ground leakage current of just 10 µA. Comprehensive protection against fault conditions includes latching overvoltage, output short-circuit with auto recover, and overload limitation to less than 0.8 A. The adapters accommodate an ambient operating temperature range of zero to 45 degrees Celsius.
The power adapters feature a built-in CISPR 22 Class B EMI filter and meet the EN55022 Class B, FCC Class B and EMC89/336/EEC standards for EMI, as well as the EN55082-1 standard for electromagnetic susceptibility. They carry a comprehensive set of international safety approvals, including cUL/CSA/TUV/NEMKO 60950, CE Mark (LVD, EMC & ErP 2011) and CB certification.
Samples of the new efficiency Level V versions of the Emerson Network Power DCH3 power adapters are available now.
AMETEK launches RS series AC and DC power sources
SAN DIEGO, USA: AMETEK Programmable Power has introduced the California Instruments RS Series of high-power AC/DC power systems. The units provide controlled AC and DC output for a wide variety of ATE and product test applications at an affordable cost. In AC mode, the RS Series delivers anywhere from 90 kVA up to 540 kVA of AC power.
In DC or AC+DC mode, 50 percent of the AC power level is available simultaneously. The RS Series provides a powerful combination of high power density and simple installation. The RS Series offers the highest AC power density available for high-performance test applications.
This high power density is achieved by using state-of-the-art PWM switching techniques that enables the RS Series to be packaged in a compact, floor-standing chassis with a footprint no larger than a typical refrigerator. Further, this high power density is achieved without the need for elaborate cooling schemes.
The base unit of the RS Series is the RS90. It provides up to 90 kVA of AC power or 60 kW of DC power. AC output is three phase and can easily be switched between AC and DC mode of output from the front panel.
For higher power requirements, up to 540 kVA, the RS180, RS270, RS360, RS450 and RS540 models are available. When outfitted with multiple controllers, these units can be made to work as though they were individual RS90 units and used for different applications. This ability to reconfigure the system provides a level of flexibility not commonly found in power systems.
The controller for the RS Series uses the latest DSP technology and allows users to define a wide variety of output waveforms, including outputs with harmonic distortion and waveforms that simulate AC and DC transients. The controller features control of individual phases separately, allowing users to simulate single phase anomalies and unbalanced harmonic line conditions.
To program these waveforms, a Windows program with a graphical user interface (GUI) is provided. Using the GUI, a user specifies the waveform to be output, and the program then generates the waveform data points and downloads them to the unit via remote interface. Each unit can store up to 200 waveforms in nonvolatile memory for easy recall.
A unique feature of the RS Series is that it can both source and sink (traditional 4-Quadrant type) current and can reverse the phase relationship between the AC input voltage and current in order to regenerate up to 85 percent of the power back onto the utility grid resulting in significant reduction in the cost of operation. This mode of operation is particularly useful when testing grid-tied products that feed energy back onto the grid. An example is testing grid-tied Photovoltaic Inverters.
In DC or AC+DC mode, 50 percent of the AC power level is available simultaneously. The RS Series provides a powerful combination of high power density and simple installation. The RS Series offers the highest AC power density available for high-performance test applications.
This high power density is achieved by using state-of-the-art PWM switching techniques that enables the RS Series to be packaged in a compact, floor-standing chassis with a footprint no larger than a typical refrigerator. Further, this high power density is achieved without the need for elaborate cooling schemes.
The base unit of the RS Series is the RS90. It provides up to 90 kVA of AC power or 60 kW of DC power. AC output is three phase and can easily be switched between AC and DC mode of output from the front panel.
For higher power requirements, up to 540 kVA, the RS180, RS270, RS360, RS450 and RS540 models are available. When outfitted with multiple controllers, these units can be made to work as though they were individual RS90 units and used for different applications. This ability to reconfigure the system provides a level of flexibility not commonly found in power systems.
The controller for the RS Series uses the latest DSP technology and allows users to define a wide variety of output waveforms, including outputs with harmonic distortion and waveforms that simulate AC and DC transients. The controller features control of individual phases separately, allowing users to simulate single phase anomalies and unbalanced harmonic line conditions.
To program these waveforms, a Windows program with a graphical user interface (GUI) is provided. Using the GUI, a user specifies the waveform to be output, and the program then generates the waveform data points and downloads them to the unit via remote interface. Each unit can store up to 200 waveforms in nonvolatile memory for easy recall.
A unique feature of the RS Series is that it can both source and sink (traditional 4-Quadrant type) current and can reverse the phase relationship between the AC input voltage and current in order to regenerate up to 85 percent of the power back onto the utility grid resulting in significant reduction in the cost of operation. This mode of operation is particularly useful when testing grid-tied products that feed energy back onto the grid. An example is testing grid-tied Photovoltaic Inverters.
Stoneridge executes agreement with Navistar to expand manufacturing in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico
WARREN, USA: Stoneridge Inc. announced that it has executed an agreement to manufacture certain electronic products for its largest customer, Navistar, in a new facility located in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico, near the city of Saltillo.
The new facility will allow Stoneridge to further support and strengthen its relationship with Navistar by producing critical components in a highly cost-efficient manner, as well as enable the Company to more competitively bid on other customer projects over the next two to three years. The company also expects to utilize this new leased facility, which is approximately 145,000 square feet, for additional production requirements.
Plans call for production at the new facility to commence in August 2011 for certain wiring and instrument panel applications, with additional applications to be produced through the fourth quarter of 2011 and into the first quarter of 2012. Stoneridge expects costs associated with the start-up to reduce profitability in the second quarter through fourth quarter of 2011 by approximately $4.0 million to $5.0 million and expects capital expenditures to approximate $5.0 million to $6.0 million.
"We look forward to expanding our relationship as a trusted partner to Navistar as this project was an important consideration included in the five-year agreement we signed with Navistar in July of 2010," said John Corey, president and CEO, Stoneridge.
"Along with our new joint venture agreement in India, which we announced on April 19, this reflects our continued progress to broaden our global manufacturing presence and enhance our ability to meet the growing demand from our customers."
The new facility will allow Stoneridge to further support and strengthen its relationship with Navistar by producing critical components in a highly cost-efficient manner, as well as enable the Company to more competitively bid on other customer projects over the next two to three years. The company also expects to utilize this new leased facility, which is approximately 145,000 square feet, for additional production requirements.
Plans call for production at the new facility to commence in August 2011 for certain wiring and instrument panel applications, with additional applications to be produced through the fourth quarter of 2011 and into the first quarter of 2012. Stoneridge expects costs associated with the start-up to reduce profitability in the second quarter through fourth quarter of 2011 by approximately $4.0 million to $5.0 million and expects capital expenditures to approximate $5.0 million to $6.0 million.
"We look forward to expanding our relationship as a trusted partner to Navistar as this project was an important consideration included in the five-year agreement we signed with Navistar in July of 2010," said John Corey, president and CEO, Stoneridge.
"Along with our new joint venture agreement in India, which we announced on April 19, this reflects our continued progress to broaden our global manufacturing presence and enhance our ability to meet the growing demand from our customers."
Monday, April 25, 2011
eMagin intros lowest power OLED-XL microdisplay
BELLEVUE, USA: eMagin Corp. announced that it is demonstrating its new low power/high contrast VGA OLED-XL microdisplay at the SPIE Defense, Security and Sensing Conference and Exposition in Orlando, Florida, April 25 - 27. Company representatives will be available on April 26 and 27 at Booth 3202.
"The new VGA OLED-XL is a perfect match for the majority of sensors used in a growing array of advanced military, industrial and commercial applications including thermal weapon sights, laser target designators, and industrial thermal imaging cameras," commented Andrew Sculley, President and Chief Executive Officer of eMagin. "We have advanced the state of the art for low power consumption and high quality imagery in a microdisplay, with dramatically increased pixel uniformity and the high contrast found only with eMagin OLED technology.”
The new 15-micron pixel VGA OLED microdisplay combines a voltage drive pixel approach with eMagin’s True Black technology to provide a 0.5 inch diagonal monochrome display that uses less than 60mW (less than half of the requirement for our successful SVGA+ OLED-XL microdisplay) and produces sharp crisp images at contrast ratios greater than 10,000:1.
eMagin also is using pulse width modulation (PWM) pixel hold times for the first time to virtually eliminate motion artifacts in video imagery, with the extra benefit of providing better dimming range and gray level response for low light and night vision applications. The total 680 x 520 pixel array can be used for electronic alignment of a 640 x 480 (VGA) window with the ability to move the image up to 20 pixels horizontally and/or vertically, or the entire array can use all of the pixels for a higher resolution display.
The VGA OLED-XL microdisplay is driven by a 30-bit digital RGB interface and is available now in monochrome white and full color. Monochrome green and monochrome yellow versions will follow later in 2011.
"The new VGA OLED-XL is a perfect match for the majority of sensors used in a growing array of advanced military, industrial and commercial applications including thermal weapon sights, laser target designators, and industrial thermal imaging cameras," commented Andrew Sculley, President and Chief Executive Officer of eMagin. "We have advanced the state of the art for low power consumption and high quality imagery in a microdisplay, with dramatically increased pixel uniformity and the high contrast found only with eMagin OLED technology.”
The new 15-micron pixel VGA OLED microdisplay combines a voltage drive pixel approach with eMagin’s True Black technology to provide a 0.5 inch diagonal monochrome display that uses less than 60mW (less than half of the requirement for our successful SVGA+ OLED-XL microdisplay) and produces sharp crisp images at contrast ratios greater than 10,000:1.
eMagin also is using pulse width modulation (PWM) pixel hold times for the first time to virtually eliminate motion artifacts in video imagery, with the extra benefit of providing better dimming range and gray level response for low light and night vision applications. The total 680 x 520 pixel array can be used for electronic alignment of a 640 x 480 (VGA) window with the ability to move the image up to 20 pixels horizontally and/or vertically, or the entire array can use all of the pixels for a higher resolution display.
The VGA OLED-XL microdisplay is driven by a 30-bit digital RGB interface and is available now in monochrome white and full color. Monochrome green and monochrome yellow versions will follow later in 2011.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Klein Tools launches new voice-data-video testers and tools
LINCOLNSHIRE, USA: Klein Tools Inc. recently announced an extension to their Voice-Data-Video (VDV) product line with the introduction of several new testers and tools dedicated to the VDV professional. Designed to Klein's highest quality professional standards, these new VDV Testers and Tools were developed for use in preparing, connecting, and testing twisted-pair and coaxial cables.
This event marks the continuing wave of specialty products being introduced under Klein's new "Prep/Connect/Test" VDV theme, in support of electricians' expanding jobsite needs that often call for CATV, home theatre, satellite, network, phone, and security system applications and installations.
The recent launch adds a variety of testers, a Coax Radial Stripper (Cat. No. VDV110-061), a Lateral Multi-Connector Compression Crimper (Cat. No. VDV211-063) and three different Installer Starter Kits to the growing product line. The three kits include the tools needed to prepare and connect F-Connectors (Cat. No. VDV012-811); to prepare, connect and test modular cables (Cat. No. VDV026-812); or to prepare and connect 66-type and 110-type punchdown terminal blocks (Cat. No. VDV027-813). All three kits include a FREE customized multi-pocket pouch to hold the particular mix of products.
"As an increasing number of electricians are installing home theater, security and data systems, Klein Tools recognized the need for quality tools to get jobs done quickly and efficiently," said product manager Chris Niklas.
Two new testers added to the VDV line are the TONEcube-Tone Generator (VDV500-051) and the PROBEplus-Tone Tracing Probe (Cat. No. VDV500-060) — both for tracing wire paths and identifying cables in common wiring systems. There is also a kit with a nylon pouch to hold both of these products (Cat. No. VDV500-808).
Klein also released a compact, pocket-sized Coax Explorer Tester (Cat. No. VDV512-057) that tests and verifies coaxial cable continuity, as well as the new TraceAll Tone & Probe (VDV526-054) to trace wire paths and identify cables in common wiring systems. The TraceAll, with self-storing remote and alligator clip adapter, includes an RJ11 adapter to convert Tone Generator to an alligator-clip configuration.
This event marks the continuing wave of specialty products being introduced under Klein's new "Prep/Connect/Test" VDV theme, in support of electricians' expanding jobsite needs that often call for CATV, home theatre, satellite, network, phone, and security system applications and installations.
The recent launch adds a variety of testers, a Coax Radial Stripper (Cat. No. VDV110-061), a Lateral Multi-Connector Compression Crimper (Cat. No. VDV211-063) and three different Installer Starter Kits to the growing product line. The three kits include the tools needed to prepare and connect F-Connectors (Cat. No. VDV012-811); to prepare, connect and test modular cables (Cat. No. VDV026-812); or to prepare and connect 66-type and 110-type punchdown terminal blocks (Cat. No. VDV027-813). All three kits include a FREE customized multi-pocket pouch to hold the particular mix of products.
"As an increasing number of electricians are installing home theater, security and data systems, Klein Tools recognized the need for quality tools to get jobs done quickly and efficiently," said product manager Chris Niklas.
Two new testers added to the VDV line are the TONEcube-Tone Generator (VDV500-051) and the PROBEplus-Tone Tracing Probe (Cat. No. VDV500-060) — both for tracing wire paths and identifying cables in common wiring systems. There is also a kit with a nylon pouch to hold both of these products (Cat. No. VDV500-808).
Klein also released a compact, pocket-sized Coax Explorer Tester (Cat. No. VDV512-057) that tests and verifies coaxial cable continuity, as well as the new TraceAll Tone & Probe (VDV526-054) to trace wire paths and identify cables in common wiring systems. The TraceAll, with self-storing remote and alligator clip adapter, includes an RJ11 adapter to convert Tone Generator to an alligator-clip configuration.
Zebronics launches environment resistant power strips
NEW DELHI, INDIA: Top Notch Infotronix, India’s leading supplier of products and accessories for Computers, Consumer Electronics and Communication under the brand ‘ZEBRONICS' has unveiled its latest addition to wide line-up of premium power strips –Power Grip (The Platinum series). Zebronics power strips have been beautifully designed keeping in mind convenience of use, functionality and portability.
As the demand for electricity to feed our hi-tech appetite increases, the likelihood of power interruptions and problems are also increasing. We all know power lulls and surges can severely damage our electronic equipment and invaluable data, therefore Zebronics has used their unique advanced designed elements to free us from these worries targeting top-quality construction, superior circuitry and components to provide the complete protection ensuring a longer life expectancy even if there is a power cut or low attenuation.
The composition of 24x0.2mm pure copper wires enables excellent electricity conductivity. The small panel and pin holder are made from fire proof ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) plastic that makes the contact area of the device fire proof, decomposing rapidly against fire and isolating oxygen to prevent combustion. The effectiveness of rust resistance and corrosion resistance of the nickel plating does not deteriorate even under conditions of high or extreme low temperature/voltage.
The copper alloy with tin and significant phosphorus contents makes the socket contact strong – resistant for excellent electric conductivity with drastically reduced electrical hazards. The contact is nickel plated which makes it corrosion resistant, thus giving the user a relaxation from fiddling with sockets to get proper power connection and plug hold. Moreover, Sockets are so flexibly designed that it could be used conveniently worldwide as it caters all types of plugs.
Apart from excellent quality and safety, these power strips comes with a touch of style. The design on both black/white as well as white+color models looks stunning. There are three models under power grip accommodating 4, 5 and 6 sockets. All these three models are available in two variants jet black/pearl white and sober white+color. Power Strips boasts excellent color patterns and quality designs, giving the product a rich look. Also, there are many colors to choose from. Silk printing gives the power strips a unique market finish. The package design is done creatively making the packaging look extravagant.
It is available in two colors and 2mts, 3mts & 5mts length cables with unbeaten Quality, Performance, safety and design.
At the end of the day, a consumer gets the value for money by paying Rs. 300 and Rs. 350 for ZEB-4PS & ZEB-4PS (Plus), Rs. 375 and Rs. 425 for ZEB-5PS Super and ZEB-5PS Super (Plus), and Rs. 450 and Rs. 500 for ZEB-6PS and ZEB-6PS (Plus) with 100 percent satisfaction guaranteed.
As the demand for electricity to feed our hi-tech appetite increases, the likelihood of power interruptions and problems are also increasing. We all know power lulls and surges can severely damage our electronic equipment and invaluable data, therefore Zebronics has used their unique advanced designed elements to free us from these worries targeting top-quality construction, superior circuitry and components to provide the complete protection ensuring a longer life expectancy even if there is a power cut or low attenuation.
The composition of 24x0.2mm pure copper wires enables excellent electricity conductivity. The small panel and pin holder are made from fire proof ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) plastic that makes the contact area of the device fire proof, decomposing rapidly against fire and isolating oxygen to prevent combustion. The effectiveness of rust resistance and corrosion resistance of the nickel plating does not deteriorate even under conditions of high or extreme low temperature/voltage.
The copper alloy with tin and significant phosphorus contents makes the socket contact strong – resistant for excellent electric conductivity with drastically reduced electrical hazards. The contact is nickel plated which makes it corrosion resistant, thus giving the user a relaxation from fiddling with sockets to get proper power connection and plug hold. Moreover, Sockets are so flexibly designed that it could be used conveniently worldwide as it caters all types of plugs.
Apart from excellent quality and safety, these power strips comes with a touch of style. The design on both black/white as well as white+color models looks stunning. There are three models under power grip accommodating 4, 5 and 6 sockets. All these three models are available in two variants jet black/pearl white and sober white+color. Power Strips boasts excellent color patterns and quality designs, giving the product a rich look. Also, there are many colors to choose from. Silk printing gives the power strips a unique market finish. The package design is done creatively making the packaging look extravagant.
It is available in two colors and 2mts, 3mts & 5mts length cables with unbeaten Quality, Performance, safety and design.
At the end of the day, a consumer gets the value for money by paying Rs. 300 and Rs. 350 for ZEB-4PS & ZEB-4PS (Plus), Rs. 375 and Rs. 425 for ZEB-5PS Super and ZEB-5PS Super (Plus), and Rs. 450 and Rs. 500 for ZEB-6PS and ZEB-6PS (Plus) with 100 percent satisfaction guaranteed.
Philips Lumileds intros LUXEON A illumination grade LED
SAN JOSE, USA: LUXEON A introduced the latest illumination grade LED from Philips Lumileds that reduces the engineering effort required for new solutions and delivers Freedom From Binning.
LUXEON A shares the LUXEON Rebel ES platform and footprint and incorporates a 2 square millimeter thin film flip chip and Lumiramic phosphor technology to deliver the highest quality of light at 2700K and 3000K with very high efficacy and light output.
All LUXEON A LEDs are hot-tested and specified at a junction temperature of 85°C that represents real-world operating conditions. Lumileds’ unique chip and phosphor technology allows color targeting that ensures all LUXEON A emitters fall within a single 3-step MacAdam ellipse on the black body curve. The quality, uniformity, and consistency of the light from LED to LED relieves luminaire manufacturers and lighting designers of many of their long held concerns about the suitability of LED technology for illumination applications.
“We are intent on delivering illumination grade LEDs that improve the state-of-the-art in lighting. Our LUXEON LEDs are delivering performance that does not require sacrifices in the quality of light for homes, restaurants, shops, and other applications in pursuit of energy efficiency and reduced operating costs,” said Steve Barlow, Senior VP Sales and Marketing.
Freedom From Binning gives the industry great confidence in quality of light and Lumileds’ hot testing pays dividends for the engineers that design LED solutions. The LED industry has long tested and specified products at an LED chip junction temperature of 25°C. It’s well known that in applications like down lights and retrofit lamps, LED junction temperatures are more likely to be near 85°C. This has meant that luminaire manufacturers have had to make many complex calculations to determine actual light output, efficacy, and color point of their products. Lumileds’ hot testing simplifies the entire process by providing the actual operating condition information so that there’s no ambiguity, performance hyperbole, or wasted engineering effort.
LUXEON A is available for sampling and design-in activities and will go into high-volume production in early May 2011.
LUXEON A shares the LUXEON Rebel ES platform and footprint and incorporates a 2 square millimeter thin film flip chip and Lumiramic phosphor technology to deliver the highest quality of light at 2700K and 3000K with very high efficacy and light output.
All LUXEON A LEDs are hot-tested and specified at a junction temperature of 85°C that represents real-world operating conditions. Lumileds’ unique chip and phosphor technology allows color targeting that ensures all LUXEON A emitters fall within a single 3-step MacAdam ellipse on the black body curve. The quality, uniformity, and consistency of the light from LED to LED relieves luminaire manufacturers and lighting designers of many of their long held concerns about the suitability of LED technology for illumination applications.
“We are intent on delivering illumination grade LEDs that improve the state-of-the-art in lighting. Our LUXEON LEDs are delivering performance that does not require sacrifices in the quality of light for homes, restaurants, shops, and other applications in pursuit of energy efficiency and reduced operating costs,” said Steve Barlow, Senior VP Sales and Marketing.
Freedom From Binning gives the industry great confidence in quality of light and Lumileds’ hot testing pays dividends for the engineers that design LED solutions. The LED industry has long tested and specified products at an LED chip junction temperature of 25°C. It’s well known that in applications like down lights and retrofit lamps, LED junction temperatures are more likely to be near 85°C. This has meant that luminaire manufacturers have had to make many complex calculations to determine actual light output, efficacy, and color point of their products. Lumileds’ hot testing simplifies the entire process by providing the actual operating condition information so that there’s no ambiguity, performance hyperbole, or wasted engineering effort.
LUXEON A is available for sampling and design-in activities and will go into high-volume production in early May 2011.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Avago expands low-noise amplifier portfolio with four new high-linearity offerings
SAN JOSE, USA & SINGAPORE: Avago Technologies, a leading supplier of analog interface components for communications, industrial and consumer applications, announced four low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) to extend the RF performance and diversity of its market-leading LNA portfolio.
The new modules feature high linearity that improves an application’s ability to distinguish between desired signals and spurious signals received close together. The MGA-6x606 LNAs target WiFi and WiMAX data cards, handsets and other portable devices, while the two-stage MGA-13x16 LNAs target GSM, CDMA and W-CDMA cellular infrastructure applications such as base station radio cards.
The new Avago easy-to-use Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) LNAs leverage the company’s proprietary 0.25 um GaAs Enhancement-mode pHEMT process to achieve leading low noise figures and high linearity. The 1.5-3.0 GHz MGA-64606 LNA and 2.5-4.0 GHz MGA-65606 LNA have switchable shutdown and bypass functionality that enables them to be bypassed during periods of high input signal power.
This feature reduces current consumption, conserving battery-life in portable devices. The MGA-64606 addresses GPS, WiMAX, WLAN, WiBro and DMB and other applications, while the MGA-65606 addresses WiMAX, Wireless Local Loop and other applications.
For cellular infrastructure manufacturers, minimizing the count of radio components is a key concern, particularly at the receiving side after the antenna. The 0.4-1.5 GHz MGA-13116 LNA and 1.5-2.5 GHz MGA-13216 LNA enable usage of a single LNA, instead of the two components normally required, while still delivering low noise with good input return loss, high linearity and high gain. Designers can achieve optimum performance with minimum matching at the input, output and the inter-stage between the two LNAs.
The new modules feature high linearity that improves an application’s ability to distinguish between desired signals and spurious signals received close together. The MGA-6x606 LNAs target WiFi and WiMAX data cards, handsets and other portable devices, while the two-stage MGA-13x16 LNAs target GSM, CDMA and W-CDMA cellular infrastructure applications such as base station radio cards.
The new Avago easy-to-use Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) LNAs leverage the company’s proprietary 0.25 um GaAs Enhancement-mode pHEMT process to achieve leading low noise figures and high linearity. The 1.5-3.0 GHz MGA-64606 LNA and 2.5-4.0 GHz MGA-65606 LNA have switchable shutdown and bypass functionality that enables them to be bypassed during periods of high input signal power.
This feature reduces current consumption, conserving battery-life in portable devices. The MGA-64606 addresses GPS, WiMAX, WLAN, WiBro and DMB and other applications, while the MGA-65606 addresses WiMAX, Wireless Local Loop and other applications.
For cellular infrastructure manufacturers, minimizing the count of radio components is a key concern, particularly at the receiving side after the antenna. The 0.4-1.5 GHz MGA-13116 LNA and 1.5-2.5 GHz MGA-13216 LNA enable usage of a single LNA, instead of the two components normally required, while still delivering low noise with good input return loss, high linearity and high gain. Designers can achieve optimum performance with minimum matching at the input, output and the inter-stage between the two LNAs.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Avnet Electronics Marketing inks distribution agreement offering BeagleBoard in Americas
PHOENIX, USA: Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas, a business region of Avnet Inc., announced a distribution agreement with Circuitco, allowing for the distribution of the popular Texas Instruments-based BeagleBoard products.
Circuitco’s entire line of BeagleBoard products, including the original BeagleBoard and the recently released BeagleBoard-xM, is available from Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas or online at www.avnetexpress.com. The BeagleBoard retails for $125.00 and the BeagleBoard-xM retails for $149.00.
The low-power, low-cost BeagleBoard acts as a single-board computer with open source development supported by beagleboard.org and enabled by Texas Instrument’s DM3530 system-on-a-chip. The DM3530 includes an ARM Cortex-A8 CPU operating at up to 720MHz, capable of running Linux, Symbian or Windows CE. The BeagleBoard also includes a TMS320C64x+ DSP for accelerated video and audio decoding. The BeagleBoard-xM comes with the DM3730 processor, running at up to 1GHz.
Circuitco’s entire line of BeagleBoard products, including the original BeagleBoard and the recently released BeagleBoard-xM, is available from Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas or online at www.avnetexpress.com. The BeagleBoard retails for $125.00 and the BeagleBoard-xM retails for $149.00.
The low-power, low-cost BeagleBoard acts as a single-board computer with open source development supported by beagleboard.org and enabled by Texas Instrument’s DM3530 system-on-a-chip. The DM3530 includes an ARM Cortex-A8 CPU operating at up to 720MHz, capable of running Linux, Symbian or Windows CE. The BeagleBoard also includes a TMS320C64x+ DSP for accelerated video and audio decoding. The BeagleBoard-xM comes with the DM3730 processor, running at up to 1GHz.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
165 billion LEDs shipping in 2011 fueling niche markets for equipment
NEW TRIPOLI, USA: The Light Emitting Diode (LED) market is expected to explode as unit shipments increase more than 40 percent in 2011 and double between 2010 and 2013.
The rapid increase in the market for LEDs used in various applications such as notebook backlights and automobile headlights is also spurring heavy capital investments by LED makers LEDs are creating a niche market for conventional suppliers of semiconductor processing tools and a lucrative market for MOCVD suppliers.
High brightness LEDs (HB-LEDs) will reach nearly 135 billion units shipped in 2011 from less than 100 billion in 2010. Backlight LEDs (BLU-LEDs) will reach 30 billion units shipped, up from 20 billion in 2011.
In 2010, Nichia led the market with a 15 percent share, down from a 16 percent share in 2009. Samsung LED rocketed to the number two position with a 10.5 percent share, up from a 6.5 percent share in 2009. Cree was in fifth place with a 6 percent share in 2010, followed by LumiLEDs with a 5.5 percent share. In 2009, its market share was reversed.
In 2010, Aixtron led the market in MOCVD tool shipments with a bit more than a 55 percent share followed by Veeco with a 41 percent share of 786 tools sold. In 2009, Aixtron held nearly a 70 percent share followed by Veeco with a 25 percent share of only 228 tools sold.
Pushing for further growth in MOCVD installations is China, which introduced a MOCVD stimulus program that is expected to result in $1.6 billion in spending on MOCVD tools from 2010 to 2012. In 2010, China represented nearly 35 percent of MOCVD installations.
LEDs are currently a $10 billion niche market compared to the $250 billion semiconductor market. The consensus forecast of 786 MOCVD tools represents a market of nearly $2 billion based on an average selling price of $2.5 million for each MOCVD tool. MOCVD represents 8% of the typical cost breakdown for a packaged LED.
Other front-end tools represent more than 3 percent of the cost and equates to an additional $500 million market for lithography and metrology tools. The biggest sector, 65 percent, represents back-end processes such as substrate removal, chip separation, and packaging.
The backlight sectors will exhibit the fastest growth in the HB LED market with an overall CAGR of more than 40 percent, led by the LCD TV sector exhibiting a CAGR of 300.3 percent between 2007 and 2012.
Source: The Information Network, USA.
The rapid increase in the market for LEDs used in various applications such as notebook backlights and automobile headlights is also spurring heavy capital investments by LED makers LEDs are creating a niche market for conventional suppliers of semiconductor processing tools and a lucrative market for MOCVD suppliers.
High brightness LEDs (HB-LEDs) will reach nearly 135 billion units shipped in 2011 from less than 100 billion in 2010. Backlight LEDs (BLU-LEDs) will reach 30 billion units shipped, up from 20 billion in 2011.
In 2010, Nichia led the market with a 15 percent share, down from a 16 percent share in 2009. Samsung LED rocketed to the number two position with a 10.5 percent share, up from a 6.5 percent share in 2009. Cree was in fifth place with a 6 percent share in 2010, followed by LumiLEDs with a 5.5 percent share. In 2009, its market share was reversed.
In 2010, Aixtron led the market in MOCVD tool shipments with a bit more than a 55 percent share followed by Veeco with a 41 percent share of 786 tools sold. In 2009, Aixtron held nearly a 70 percent share followed by Veeco with a 25 percent share of only 228 tools sold.
Pushing for further growth in MOCVD installations is China, which introduced a MOCVD stimulus program that is expected to result in $1.6 billion in spending on MOCVD tools from 2010 to 2012. In 2010, China represented nearly 35 percent of MOCVD installations.
LEDs are currently a $10 billion niche market compared to the $250 billion semiconductor market. The consensus forecast of 786 MOCVD tools represents a market of nearly $2 billion based on an average selling price of $2.5 million for each MOCVD tool. MOCVD represents 8% of the typical cost breakdown for a packaged LED.
Other front-end tools represent more than 3 percent of the cost and equates to an additional $500 million market for lithography and metrology tools. The biggest sector, 65 percent, represents back-end processes such as substrate removal, chip separation, and packaging.
The backlight sectors will exhibit the fastest growth in the HB LED market with an overall CAGR of more than 40 percent, led by the LCD TV sector exhibiting a CAGR of 300.3 percent between 2007 and 2012.
Source: The Information Network, USA.
Emerson's compact 60W convection cooled NPS6x-M power supplies
HONG KONG: Emerson Network Power, a business of Emerson and the global leader in enabling Business-Critical Continuity, announced the latest additions to its portfolio of NPS6x-M series 60 W convection cooled open-frame ac-dc power supplies.
The new NPS62-M has a 5 Vdc output and can deliver up to 11 A, while the NPS65-M has a 24 Vdc output and can deliver up to 2.5 A. The output voltage of each power supply can be adjusted by plus or minus 20 percent.
Emerson Network Power’s NPS62-M and NPS65-M power supplies carry a comprehensive set of worldwide IT equipment (ITE) and non-patient contact and non-patient critical medical safety approvals. They have a safety ground leakage current not exceeding 275 µA when operating from their maximum input voltage.
Both models have a compact 2 x 4 inch (51 x 102 mm) footprint and a height of just 1 inch (26 mm), which makes them ideal for use in light industrial, instrumentation and process systems, as well as in low-power dental and laboratory equipment. An optional enclosure kit (LPX50) is available for maximum protection.
The NPS62-M has a typical full-load efficiency of 80 percent, while the NPS65-M achieves an even higher figure of 87 percent and meets a variety of rigorous energy efficiency standards, including International Efficiency Level V and Energy Star 2.0, as well as being California Energy Commission (CeC) compliant. Both power supplies feature a wide universal input voltage range of 90 to 264 Vac and are also capable of operating from a 127 to 300 Vdc input. They have a maximum input power requirement of less than 74 W, and a no-load power consumption of less than 300 mW.
NPS62-M and NPS65-M power supplies have a full load operating temperature range of zero to 50 degrees Celsius, and can be used at up to 80 degrees Celsius with suitable derating. They both provide tight regulation, maintaining the output voltage to within plus or minus 2 percent for all standard line and load conditions, and feature optional remote sense capabilities to compensate for a 0.5 V drop in the output cables. The power supplies are comprehensively protected against fault conditions and have a high demonstrated mean time between failures (MTBF) of more than 550,000 hours.
Emerson Network Power’s NPS62-M and NPS65-M power supplies feature built-in CISPR 22 Class B EMI filters, and meet the rigorous EN55022 Class B, FCC Class B and VDE0878PT3 Class B conducted noise standards. The power supplies also comply with the EN61000-3-2 harmonic emissions standard. International safety approvals include TUV/UL/CSA/NEMKO 60950/60601-1, CE Mark (LVD) and CB certification.
The new NPS62-M has a 5 Vdc output and can deliver up to 11 A, while the NPS65-M has a 24 Vdc output and can deliver up to 2.5 A. The output voltage of each power supply can be adjusted by plus or minus 20 percent.
Emerson Network Power’s NPS62-M and NPS65-M power supplies carry a comprehensive set of worldwide IT equipment (ITE) and non-patient contact and non-patient critical medical safety approvals. They have a safety ground leakage current not exceeding 275 µA when operating from their maximum input voltage.
Both models have a compact 2 x 4 inch (51 x 102 mm) footprint and a height of just 1 inch (26 mm), which makes them ideal for use in light industrial, instrumentation and process systems, as well as in low-power dental and laboratory equipment. An optional enclosure kit (LPX50) is available for maximum protection.
The NPS62-M has a typical full-load efficiency of 80 percent, while the NPS65-M achieves an even higher figure of 87 percent and meets a variety of rigorous energy efficiency standards, including International Efficiency Level V and Energy Star 2.0, as well as being California Energy Commission (CeC) compliant. Both power supplies feature a wide universal input voltage range of 90 to 264 Vac and are also capable of operating from a 127 to 300 Vdc input. They have a maximum input power requirement of less than 74 W, and a no-load power consumption of less than 300 mW.
NPS62-M and NPS65-M power supplies have a full load operating temperature range of zero to 50 degrees Celsius, and can be used at up to 80 degrees Celsius with suitable derating. They both provide tight regulation, maintaining the output voltage to within plus or minus 2 percent for all standard line and load conditions, and feature optional remote sense capabilities to compensate for a 0.5 V drop in the output cables. The power supplies are comprehensively protected against fault conditions and have a high demonstrated mean time between failures (MTBF) of more than 550,000 hours.
Emerson Network Power’s NPS62-M and NPS65-M power supplies feature built-in CISPR 22 Class B EMI filters, and meet the rigorous EN55022 Class B, FCC Class B and VDE0878PT3 Class B conducted noise standards. The power supplies also comply with the EN61000-3-2 harmonic emissions standard. International safety approvals include TUV/UL/CSA/NEMKO 60950/60601-1, CE Mark (LVD) and CB certification.
element14 intros over 14,000 electromechanical products in Asia Pacific for immediate access
SINGAPORE: element14, the industry’s first fusion of commerce and community supporting millions of engineers and purchasing professionals worldwide, announced its 130,000-strong inventory now includes over 14,000 electromechanical products for electronics design engineers and purchasing professionals across Asia Pacific.
The comprehensive selection of electromechanical products is applicable to key industries including industrial control, communication, medical, transportation, alternate energy and consumer electronics.
element14 is committed to provide a comprehensive inventory of electromechanical products with next day delivery in most cities in Asia Pacific to meet the multitude of challenges faced by design and maintenance engineers, in addition to minimizing them from any adverse impact of product availability from various manufacturers. These solutions include:
* Best in class PCB solution with board level relays from TE Connectivity and Omron, and the latest cutting edge solid state relay technology, with more than 1,600 relay and SSR products stocked in Asia Pacific.
* Over 1700 power converters which include unregulated and regulated DC/DC converters, step-down switching regulators, LED drivers and high temperature/isolation voltage converter from leading suppliers such as XP Power, Murata Power and RECOM.
* Comprehensive range of electronic & electrical fuses from leading suppliers such as Littelfuse, TE Connectivity and Bussmann.
* Latest miniaturized switch products like toggle switches, pushbutton switches and micro-switches that cater to the increased demand of applications for miniaturization in switching products. These include technologies from leading suppliers such as Honeywell and APEM.
* One-stop offering for axial AC/DC fans and accessories from leading suppliers such as EBM Papst and NMB Technologies.
The comprehensive selection of electromechanical products is applicable to key industries including industrial control, communication, medical, transportation, alternate energy and consumer electronics.
element14 is committed to provide a comprehensive inventory of electromechanical products with next day delivery in most cities in Asia Pacific to meet the multitude of challenges faced by design and maintenance engineers, in addition to minimizing them from any adverse impact of product availability from various manufacturers. These solutions include:
* Best in class PCB solution with board level relays from TE Connectivity and Omron, and the latest cutting edge solid state relay technology, with more than 1,600 relay and SSR products stocked in Asia Pacific.
* Over 1700 power converters which include unregulated and regulated DC/DC converters, step-down switching regulators, LED drivers and high temperature/isolation voltage converter from leading suppliers such as XP Power, Murata Power and RECOM.
* Comprehensive range of electronic & electrical fuses from leading suppliers such as Littelfuse, TE Connectivity and Bussmann.
* Latest miniaturized switch products like toggle switches, pushbutton switches and micro-switches that cater to the increased demand of applications for miniaturization in switching products. These include technologies from leading suppliers such as Honeywell and APEM.
* One-stop offering for axial AC/DC fans and accessories from leading suppliers such as EBM Papst and NMB Technologies.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Universal Display unveils single-layer encapsulation technology for OLED and other thin-film devices
EWING, USA: Universal Display Corp., enabling energy-efficient displays and lighting with its UniversalPHOLED technology and materials, unveiled a novel, single-layer encapsulation technology for plastic substrate systems and thin-film devices, including rigid and flexible OLED displays and lighting panels.
The company announced the advances at the Society of Vacuum Coaters Technology Conference at the Hyatt Regency Chicago on the Riverwalk in Chicago, IL, being held April 16-21, 2011.
Details of the new thin-film encapsulation technology were delivered today by Dr. Ruiqing Ma, Department Manager, Flexible OLED Displays, at Universal Display, in a paper titled “Technical Gap Analysis of Vacuum Coated Materials for Flexible OLED Display and Lighting Applications.” Developed in collaboration with research partner Princeton University, Universal Display’s single, hybrid organic-inorganic layer approach has been demonstrated successfully as an encapsulant for flexible and rigid OLED devices.
The encapsulation layer provides an effective permeation barrier to protect thin-film devices from environmental conditions, such as moisture and oxygen, which is critical for the long-term performance of OLED display and lighting products. Using environmentally-benign and non-toxic materials in a potentially low-cost process, the barrier film technology may also be well suited for high-performance plastic substrate systems and other thin-film devices, such as photovoltaics and batteries.
“Our novel single-layer encapsulation technology is an elegant solution to improve the manufacture and performance of OLEDs and a range of other thin-film devices,” stated Steven V. Abramson, president and CEO of Universal Display.
“Our approach relies on a single, hybrid organic-inorganic layer that is applied using a cost-effective process. This film creates a very strong permeation barrier to address the strict packaging requirements of these devices. In addition to providing benefit for OLED and other thin-film products in the market today, this approach may also accelerate the commercialization of emerging flexible OLED displays and lighting products, as well as the plastic substrate systems that are used to produce them.”
The company announced the advances at the Society of Vacuum Coaters Technology Conference at the Hyatt Regency Chicago on the Riverwalk in Chicago, IL, being held April 16-21, 2011.
Details of the new thin-film encapsulation technology were delivered today by Dr. Ruiqing Ma, Department Manager, Flexible OLED Displays, at Universal Display, in a paper titled “Technical Gap Analysis of Vacuum Coated Materials for Flexible OLED Display and Lighting Applications.” Developed in collaboration with research partner Princeton University, Universal Display’s single, hybrid organic-inorganic layer approach has been demonstrated successfully as an encapsulant for flexible and rigid OLED devices.
The encapsulation layer provides an effective permeation barrier to protect thin-film devices from environmental conditions, such as moisture and oxygen, which is critical for the long-term performance of OLED display and lighting products. Using environmentally-benign and non-toxic materials in a potentially low-cost process, the barrier film technology may also be well suited for high-performance plastic substrate systems and other thin-film devices, such as photovoltaics and batteries.
“Our novel single-layer encapsulation technology is an elegant solution to improve the manufacture and performance of OLEDs and a range of other thin-film devices,” stated Steven V. Abramson, president and CEO of Universal Display.
“Our approach relies on a single, hybrid organic-inorganic layer that is applied using a cost-effective process. This film creates a very strong permeation barrier to address the strict packaging requirements of these devices. In addition to providing benefit for OLED and other thin-film products in the market today, this approach may also accelerate the commercialization of emerging flexible OLED displays and lighting products, as well as the plastic substrate systems that are used to produce them.”
Friday, April 15, 2011
Universal Display expands presence in Japan with new subsidiary
EWING, USA: Universal Display Corp., enabling energy-efficient displays and lighting with its UniversalPHOLED technology and materials, announced that the company has established a new subsidiary in Japan to better serve and support the needs of the company’s OLED display and white lighting customers and partners in the country.
The new subsidiary, Universal Display Corporation Japan KK, is headquartered at 6-12 Nishi-Shinbashi, 1-Chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0003. As part of the growth in Japan, Universal Display is pleased to announce that Dr. Kentaro Harada has joined the new subsidiary as Key Technical Account Manager, Japan.
Energy-efficient OLED lighting, enabled by the company’s UniversalPHOLED technology and materials, is emerging as a market with significant growth potential in Japan over the next few years. The new Japanese subsidiary creates a foundation for expanding the company’s technical support and service capabilities in Japan, augmenting the ongoing business support that Ichiro Nakagawa and N’s Network, which is located at 7-10-6-704 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052, have provided to Universal Display in Japan for more than a decade and a half.
“Establishing a subsidiary in Japan further demonstrates Universal Display’s commitment to providing comprehensive business and technical support to its OLED customers and partners in Japan,” said Ichiro Nakagawa, Universal Display’s Official General Representative. “With the OLED markets poised for growth, Universal Display is well positioned to expand its presence here to support our relationships with OLED display and white OLED lighting companies in Japan.”
“By establishing a subsidiary in Japan, Universal Display can now support its OLED customers and partners with enhanced technical interface and communications in Japan,” added Steven V. Abramson, president and CEO of Universal Display. “Following the formation of our Korean subsidiary, this office further extends the company’s footprint in Asia and better enables us to serve each of our display and lighting customers with our portfolio of proprietary OLED technologies, including our state-of-the-art UniversalPHOLED materials and technology.”
Universal Display is the recognized leader in phosphorescent OLED technology and materials. With a comprehensive patent portfolio and technical expertise that covers these and other OLED technologies worldwide, Universal Display licenses its state-of-the-art OLED technologies, sells its proprietary UniversalPHOLED materials, and provides customized technology development and transfer services to serve the specific needs of its OLED display and lighting customers.
The new subsidiary, Universal Display Corporation Japan KK, is headquartered at 6-12 Nishi-Shinbashi, 1-Chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0003. As part of the growth in Japan, Universal Display is pleased to announce that Dr. Kentaro Harada has joined the new subsidiary as Key Technical Account Manager, Japan.
Energy-efficient OLED lighting, enabled by the company’s UniversalPHOLED technology and materials, is emerging as a market with significant growth potential in Japan over the next few years. The new Japanese subsidiary creates a foundation for expanding the company’s technical support and service capabilities in Japan, augmenting the ongoing business support that Ichiro Nakagawa and N’s Network, which is located at 7-10-6-704 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052, have provided to Universal Display in Japan for more than a decade and a half.
“Establishing a subsidiary in Japan further demonstrates Universal Display’s commitment to providing comprehensive business and technical support to its OLED customers and partners in Japan,” said Ichiro Nakagawa, Universal Display’s Official General Representative. “With the OLED markets poised for growth, Universal Display is well positioned to expand its presence here to support our relationships with OLED display and white OLED lighting companies in Japan.”
“By establishing a subsidiary in Japan, Universal Display can now support its OLED customers and partners with enhanced technical interface and communications in Japan,” added Steven V. Abramson, president and CEO of Universal Display. “Following the formation of our Korean subsidiary, this office further extends the company’s footprint in Asia and better enables us to serve each of our display and lighting customers with our portfolio of proprietary OLED technologies, including our state-of-the-art UniversalPHOLED materials and technology.”
Universal Display is the recognized leader in phosphorescent OLED technology and materials. With a comprehensive patent portfolio and technical expertise that covers these and other OLED technologies worldwide, Universal Display licenses its state-of-the-art OLED technologies, sells its proprietary UniversalPHOLED materials, and provides customized technology development and transfer services to serve the specific needs of its OLED display and lighting customers.
Cree delivers brightest and most-efficient lighting-class LED array
DURHAM, USA: Cree Inc., a market leader in LED lighting, announced the full availability of the industry’s first lighting-class LED array that helps reduce overall system cost by combining superior efficacy, ease-of-design and ease-of-manufacture.
The Cree XLamp CXA2011 LED array is designed to deliver the smooth light output and consistent color needed for applications such as omnidirectional bulbs or directional downlights.
“The CXA2011 LED has been incredibly easy to work with, enabling us to create very high-performance products,” said Jason Lee, president of Gama Illuminer. “It gave us a plug-and-play solution with the right combination of brightness, efficacy and color consistency with real-world 85 degrees C specifications. Creating a design with CXA2011 was simple and manufacturing will be underway in record time.”
“Combining fast and flexible system design with ease-of-manufacturing, the CXA2011 LED array helps customers quickly create a broad range of LED-based designs,” said Mike Watson, Cree senior director of marketing, LED components. “Lower system cost and quicker time-to-market are keys to accelerating the LED lighting revolution.”
Easy-to-use screw-mounts simplify the manufacturing and design process by eliminating the need for complex design-specific engineering and reflow soldering. With the CXA2011, Cree leads the way on color accuracy by extending the industry’s largest offering of LEDs characterized at real-world operating temperatures (85 degrees C).
The CXA2011 LED array delivers up to 4000 lumens at an operating temperature of 85 degrees C (1A, 5000 K) in a single component. It is available in 2-step and 4-step EasyWhite options, delivering the industry’s tightest LED-to-LED color consistency—reducing system complexity and making light source selection as easy as specifying a color temperature.
XLamp CXA2011 LED arrays are available now with standard lead times.
The Cree XLamp CXA2011 LED array is designed to deliver the smooth light output and consistent color needed for applications such as omnidirectional bulbs or directional downlights.
“The CXA2011 LED has been incredibly easy to work with, enabling us to create very high-performance products,” said Jason Lee, president of Gama Illuminer. “It gave us a plug-and-play solution with the right combination of brightness, efficacy and color consistency with real-world 85 degrees C specifications. Creating a design with CXA2011 was simple and manufacturing will be underway in record time.”
“Combining fast and flexible system design with ease-of-manufacturing, the CXA2011 LED array helps customers quickly create a broad range of LED-based designs,” said Mike Watson, Cree senior director of marketing, LED components. “Lower system cost and quicker time-to-market are keys to accelerating the LED lighting revolution.”
Easy-to-use screw-mounts simplify the manufacturing and design process by eliminating the need for complex design-specific engineering and reflow soldering. With the CXA2011, Cree leads the way on color accuracy by extending the industry’s largest offering of LEDs characterized at real-world operating temperatures (85 degrees C).
The CXA2011 LED array delivers up to 4000 lumens at an operating temperature of 85 degrees C (1A, 5000 K) in a single component. It is available in 2-step and 4-step EasyWhite options, delivering the industry’s tightest LED-to-LED color consistency—reducing system complexity and making light source selection as easy as specifying a color temperature.
XLamp CXA2011 LED arrays are available now with standard lead times.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
IR’s IRS2548D LED control IC increases efficiency, simplifies design and reduces overall system cost
EL SEGUNDO, USA: International Rectifier (IR) has introduced the IRS2548D Switched Mode Power Supply (SMPS) control IC for energy efficient applications for high power Light Emitting Diode (LED) illumination including LED street lighting, stadium lighting and theatrical lighting.
The IRS2548D, which combines Power Factor Correction (PFC) and half-bridge driver in a single IC offers greater than 88 percent efficiency for a 40 V / 1.3 A HBLED load to deliver a higher efficiency solution compared to alternative flyback converter solutions at power levels above 60 W.
“By incorporating both control stages into a single IC, the new IRS2548D provides an integrated solution for LED power supplies that simplifies design and helps reduce overall system cost, while providing significant energy savings,” said, Peter Green, LED Group Manager, IR’s Energy Saving Products Business Unit.
The new device achieves PWM dimming down to less than 2 percent light output and offers protection features that include programmable PFC and half-bridge over-current protection, latch immunity, and ESD protection. The IRS2548D also includes variable frequency oscillator, fixed internal 1.6us deadtime, internal bootstrap MOSFET, internal 15.6V zener clamp diode on Vcc, and micropower startup (250μA).
The IRS2548D, which combines Power Factor Correction (PFC) and half-bridge driver in a single IC offers greater than 88 percent efficiency for a 40 V / 1.3 A HBLED load to deliver a higher efficiency solution compared to alternative flyback converter solutions at power levels above 60 W.
“By incorporating both control stages into a single IC, the new IRS2548D provides an integrated solution for LED power supplies that simplifies design and helps reduce overall system cost, while providing significant energy savings,” said, Peter Green, LED Group Manager, IR’s Energy Saving Products Business Unit.
The new device achieves PWM dimming down to less than 2 percent light output and offers protection features that include programmable PFC and half-bridge over-current protection, latch immunity, and ESD protection. The IRS2548D also includes variable frequency oscillator, fixed internal 1.6us deadtime, internal bootstrap MOSFET, internal 15.6V zener clamp diode on Vcc, and micropower startup (250μA).
element14 awarded International Headquarters (IHQ) status in Singapore
SINGAPORE: element14 (formerly Farnell), the industry’s first business to fuse commerce and community, supporting millions of engineers and purchasing professionals worldwide, announced the next milestone in its strategy to strengthen its leadership position in the Asia Pacific region and continue to drive its growing business from Singapore. The company’s Singapore operations have been awarded International Headquarters (IHQ) status by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB).
Salman Syed, Regional Head, Asia Pacific, element14 said: “We are pleased to receive the IHQ recognition from EDB. The decision to base our Asia Pacific hub office, Regional Distribution Centre and global online commerce operations in Singapore was borne out of our vision to be the preferred global partner for the electronics design industry, and at the same time provide relevant local knowledge and expertise to our customers.”
element14 first set up base in Singapore 15 years ago as Farnell, part of the global Premier Farnell group; since then the company has grown significantly and continues to contribute to Singapore’s development as a global leader in technology and innovation. element14 centralises its business planning, controls and operational management for the Asia Pacific region out of its Singapore headquarters.
Its state-of-the-art Regional Distribution Centre in Singapore has doubled its product inventory over the past year to offer the broadest range of design centric products stocked in Asia Pacific. element14’s comprehensive product portfolio includes more than 130,000 products from thousands of suppliers.
Leading suppliers include Texas Instruments, Molex, Tyco Electronics, Analog Devices, Microchip, Freescale, Vishay, International Rectifier, ON Semiconductor, Kemet, National Semiconductor, Fluke, Fairchild, NXP, Littelfuse, TDK-EPC, Belden, and ST Microelectronics, to name a few. Within Asia Pacific next day delivery is provided to over 300 destinations.
To strengthen its focus in supporting electronic design engineering and maintenance, repair and operations in Asia Pacific, the group’s global eCommerce and Social Marketing team that drives its dynamic user experience and functionalities of its unique fusion of commerce and community platform is led from its Singapore office. In addition, element14 has also increased its Technical Support and Customer Service workforce to sustain its regional expansion of 24/7 customer service and 24/5 online technical support. The element14 customer service staff currently handles local language support in English, Mandarin, Thai and Korean.
The establishment of such facilities and value-added services clearly illustrate Singapore's growing importance as a leading R&D and electronics services hub and underscores element14’s position as a leader among electronic component distributors in Asia Pacific.
“We invest significantly in developing our people, our business operations and communities, as well as technologies to support our aggressive growth strategy and continued commitment to Singapore’s development as a leading innovation hub. Our entire business model is geared towards multi-channel and high-service commitment to our customers in the Asia Pacific region. element14 is well-known for driving a new paradigm of collaboration within the electronics design space, and this augurs well with the planned developments of Singapore’s electronics services sector and our continued commitment and growth strategy for our business in the region,” added Syed.
Salman Syed, Regional Head, Asia Pacific, element14 said: “We are pleased to receive the IHQ recognition from EDB. The decision to base our Asia Pacific hub office, Regional Distribution Centre and global online commerce operations in Singapore was borne out of our vision to be the preferred global partner for the electronics design industry, and at the same time provide relevant local knowledge and expertise to our customers.”
element14 first set up base in Singapore 15 years ago as Farnell, part of the global Premier Farnell group; since then the company has grown significantly and continues to contribute to Singapore’s development as a global leader in technology and innovation. element14 centralises its business planning, controls and operational management for the Asia Pacific region out of its Singapore headquarters.
Its state-of-the-art Regional Distribution Centre in Singapore has doubled its product inventory over the past year to offer the broadest range of design centric products stocked in Asia Pacific. element14’s comprehensive product portfolio includes more than 130,000 products from thousands of suppliers.
Leading suppliers include Texas Instruments, Molex, Tyco Electronics, Analog Devices, Microchip, Freescale, Vishay, International Rectifier, ON Semiconductor, Kemet, National Semiconductor, Fluke, Fairchild, NXP, Littelfuse, TDK-EPC, Belden, and ST Microelectronics, to name a few. Within Asia Pacific next day delivery is provided to over 300 destinations.
To strengthen its focus in supporting electronic design engineering and maintenance, repair and operations in Asia Pacific, the group’s global eCommerce and Social Marketing team that drives its dynamic user experience and functionalities of its unique fusion of commerce and community platform is led from its Singapore office. In addition, element14 has also increased its Technical Support and Customer Service workforce to sustain its regional expansion of 24/7 customer service and 24/5 online technical support. The element14 customer service staff currently handles local language support in English, Mandarin, Thai and Korean.
The establishment of such facilities and value-added services clearly illustrate Singapore's growing importance as a leading R&D and electronics services hub and underscores element14’s position as a leader among electronic component distributors in Asia Pacific.
“We invest significantly in developing our people, our business operations and communities, as well as technologies to support our aggressive growth strategy and continued commitment to Singapore’s development as a leading innovation hub. Our entire business model is geared towards multi-channel and high-service commitment to our customers in the Asia Pacific region. element14 is well-known for driving a new paradigm of collaboration within the electronics design space, and this augurs well with the planned developments of Singapore’s electronics services sector and our continued commitment and growth strategy for our business in the region,” added Syed.
Diodes Inc.'s world’s smallest Hall effect switch saves power, space
DALLAS, USA: Diodes Inc., a leading global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality application specific standard products within the broad discrete, logic and analog semiconductor markets, announced the release of the world’s smallest dual output omnipolar Hall effect switch IC, specifically designed for open/close detection in portable, battery-powered products including cell phones and notebook PCs.
The dual output AH1891 is optimized for operation over the supply voltage range 1.8V to 3.3V and offers a sleep function, assuring an average current consumption of only 7µA.
Provided in an 0.8mm x 0.8mm CSP package, the IC is some 13 times smaller than common 3-leaded TSOT packaged alternatives and is significantly smaller than other DFN and SOT553 packaged parts. The AH1891’s PCB space saving advantage is also complemented by a reduction in off-board height, with the IC’s profile measuring less than 0.5mm. In addition, the IC’s integrated pull-up resistors help simplify the external applications circuit.
Being an omnipolar (north and south pole operated) and dual output device, the AH1891 provides the design flexibility to suit a variety of low power circuit architectures. When a magnetic flux density is detected and exceeds the IC’s operating point, output 1 is pulled low while output 2 is inverted high, enabling different logic systems to be accommodated. Output states are held until magnetic flux density is lower than the IC’s release point.
With operating and release points optimized and stable over the temperature range -40ºC to 85ºC, the AH1891 is immune to the possibility of early or late switching effects. The IC also offers good immunity to RF noise and other circuit stresses.
The dual output AH1891 is optimized for operation over the supply voltage range 1.8V to 3.3V and offers a sleep function, assuring an average current consumption of only 7µA.
Provided in an 0.8mm x 0.8mm CSP package, the IC is some 13 times smaller than common 3-leaded TSOT packaged alternatives and is significantly smaller than other DFN and SOT553 packaged parts. The AH1891’s PCB space saving advantage is also complemented by a reduction in off-board height, with the IC’s profile measuring less than 0.5mm. In addition, the IC’s integrated pull-up resistors help simplify the external applications circuit.
Being an omnipolar (north and south pole operated) and dual output device, the AH1891 provides the design flexibility to suit a variety of low power circuit architectures. When a magnetic flux density is detected and exceeds the IC’s operating point, output 1 is pulled low while output 2 is inverted high, enabling different logic systems to be accommodated. Output states are held until magnetic flux density is lower than the IC’s release point.
With operating and release points optimized and stable over the temperature range -40ºC to 85ºC, the AH1891 is immune to the possibility of early or late switching effects. The IC also offers good immunity to RF noise and other circuit stresses.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
element14 intros innovative development kits for Apac electronic design engineers
SINGAPORE: element14 (formerly Farnell), the industry’s first fusion of commerce and community supporting millions of engineers and purchasing professionals worldwide, today announced that it has enhanced its versatile offering of development kits across the Asia Pacific region to include the latest technologies for electronic design engineers and maintenance, repair and operations professionals.
element14’s product portfolio of over 130,000 products stocked in Asia Pacific includes development kits from leading suppliers such as Analog Devices, Freescale Semiconductor, Microchip, National Semiconductor and Texas Instruments.
Development kits are indispensable for all electronic design engineers as they provide the foundation tools to meet their business objectives. element14 constantly aims to enhance its comprehensive inventory of innovative solutions to ensure customers across the region have unparalleled access to cutting-edge development kits from leading suppliers.
Professionals in the electronics industry can choose from over 1800 development kits with ease and flexibility for purchase via multiple channels with no minimum quantity or value, and next day delivery in most cities in Asia Pacific. 24/7 customer service telephone support and 24/5 online technical support are also available at http://sg.element14.com. In addition, customers can also visit and engage with the element14 online community to research, consult industry experts, and collaborate with design engineers and electronics enthusiasts around the globe.
element14’s product portfolio of over 130,000 products stocked in Asia Pacific includes development kits from leading suppliers such as Analog Devices, Freescale Semiconductor, Microchip, National Semiconductor and Texas Instruments.
Development kits are indispensable for all electronic design engineers as they provide the foundation tools to meet their business objectives. element14 constantly aims to enhance its comprehensive inventory of innovative solutions to ensure customers across the region have unparalleled access to cutting-edge development kits from leading suppliers.
Professionals in the electronics industry can choose from over 1800 development kits with ease and flexibility for purchase via multiple channels with no minimum quantity or value, and next day delivery in most cities in Asia Pacific. 24/7 customer service telephone support and 24/5 online technical support are also available at http://sg.element14.com. In addition, customers can also visit and engage with the element14 online community to research, consult industry experts, and collaborate with design engineers and electronics enthusiasts around the globe.
Taiwanese battery manufacturers take aggressive moves to enter power battery field
TAIWAN: As electric vehicles gained popularity in recent years, Taiwanese manufacturers have been placing more and more emphasis on the power battery field. It is estimated that in the lithium battery industry, over 70 percent of battery-related component makers have shifted their focus to the power battery field.
Therefore, a number of manufacturers start to raise fund in order to make a breakthrough into the electric car market. For instance, Taiwanese battery powder manufacturer Formosa Energy & Material Technology Co., Ltd. (FEMTC) has turned in documents for initial public offering (IPO) at stock exchange on March 31, 2011, which is expected to be listed in 2H11. Furthermore, Aleees also applied for primary listing of securities with the stock exchange. EnergyTrend estimates that it will stimulate an investment fever in the battery indsutry in 2H11.
Source: EnergyTrend, Taiwan.
According to the observation of EnergyTrend, a research division of TrendForce, the prospects of Taiwanese manufacturers in the power battery field drew a great amount of attention at Battery Japan which was held in early March. For instance, FEMTC has extended its LFPO material supply into conductive carbon additive to meet the diverse needs of battery cell manufacturers.
HOPAX also exhibited a variety of material additives. Moreover, Chang Hong, whose technology was transferred from FEMTC, also first launched the 50Ah power battery at this exhibit. Besides, PSI released its self-developed battery leadframe, and C-Life Technology showcased its battery cell with a high power output (>10C). In addition, Chen Tech, which was known for battery testing, has started process of transforming into a power battery cell and module testing equipment maker in response to the rise of power cell field.
Source: EnergyTrend, Taiwan.
At this exhibition, one of the most impressive products was the 50 Ah stacked LFPO battery cell newly launched by Chang Hong Energy Technology, whose technology was transferred from FEMTC. The battery did not pale in comparison with that of big names such as A123 and Hitachi in terms of energy density and power density performance.
In the light of FEMTC’s brillant performance on integrating its the anode material supply with the battery cell manufacturing, Taiwanese manufacturers’ endeavors put into the power battery industry are starting to pay off.
Therefore, a number of manufacturers start to raise fund in order to make a breakthrough into the electric car market. For instance, Taiwanese battery powder manufacturer Formosa Energy & Material Technology Co., Ltd. (FEMTC) has turned in documents for initial public offering (IPO) at stock exchange on March 31, 2011, which is expected to be listed in 2H11. Furthermore, Aleees also applied for primary listing of securities with the stock exchange. EnergyTrend estimates that it will stimulate an investment fever in the battery indsutry in 2H11.
Source: EnergyTrend, Taiwan.According to the observation of EnergyTrend, a research division of TrendForce, the prospects of Taiwanese manufacturers in the power battery field drew a great amount of attention at Battery Japan which was held in early March. For instance, FEMTC has extended its LFPO material supply into conductive carbon additive to meet the diverse needs of battery cell manufacturers.
HOPAX also exhibited a variety of material additives. Moreover, Chang Hong, whose technology was transferred from FEMTC, also first launched the 50Ah power battery at this exhibit. Besides, PSI released its self-developed battery leadframe, and C-Life Technology showcased its battery cell with a high power output (>10C). In addition, Chen Tech, which was known for battery testing, has started process of transforming into a power battery cell and module testing equipment maker in response to the rise of power cell field.
Source: EnergyTrend, Taiwan.At this exhibition, one of the most impressive products was the 50 Ah stacked LFPO battery cell newly launched by Chang Hong Energy Technology, whose technology was transferred from FEMTC. The battery did not pale in comparison with that of big names such as A123 and Hitachi in terms of energy density and power density performance.
In the light of FEMTC’s brillant performance on integrating its the anode material supply with the battery cell manufacturing, Taiwanese manufacturers’ endeavors put into the power battery industry are starting to pay off.
Nordson MARCH intros new plasma treatment system to Korean PCB makers at KPCA
KPCA 2011, CONCORD, USA: Nordson MARCH introduced the ProVIA plasma treatment system to Korean printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturers at the upcoming KPCA exhibition, Gyeonggi-do, Korea, 19-21 April 2011, in booth #D210.
The ProVIA System provides superior plasma uniformity for high throughput PCB treatment, allows for fast and easy loading of panels, and is specifically configured to meet the demands of today’s PCB manufacturing operations. The system was designed and built for manufacturing high density interconnect (HDI), flex and rigid panels. It delivers high performance plasma treatment, increased throughput, and reduces cost-of-ownership for PCB manufacturing.
“The Korean PCB manufacturing market needs high performance plasma treatment equipment to support its advanced technology production processes. Nordson MARCH's ProVIA and MaxVIA plasma systems deliver the required high levels of treatment uniformity and throughput that are required. As a real bonus, we can deliver these capabilities while significantly reducing cost-of-ownership,” said Peter Bierhuis, president of Nordson MARCH. “Our customers around the world, including DAP and EOS in Korea, recognize that new plasma treatment technology is required to match their HDI production lines.”
The ProVIA platform is completely self-contained, requiring minimal floor space. The vacuum system, plasma chamber, control electronics, and 40 kHz power supply are housed in a single enclosure. Full front and rear access allows for convenient service to all interior components. The pump is positioned on rollers for easy removal. No side access is required allowing for even greater floor space savings.
The ProVIA System provides superior plasma uniformity for high throughput PCB treatment, allows for fast and easy loading of panels, and is specifically configured to meet the demands of today’s PCB manufacturing operations. The system was designed and built for manufacturing high density interconnect (HDI), flex and rigid panels. It delivers high performance plasma treatment, increased throughput, and reduces cost-of-ownership for PCB manufacturing.
“The Korean PCB manufacturing market needs high performance plasma treatment equipment to support its advanced technology production processes. Nordson MARCH's ProVIA and MaxVIA plasma systems deliver the required high levels of treatment uniformity and throughput that are required. As a real bonus, we can deliver these capabilities while significantly reducing cost-of-ownership,” said Peter Bierhuis, president of Nordson MARCH. “Our customers around the world, including DAP and EOS in Korea, recognize that new plasma treatment technology is required to match their HDI production lines.”
The ProVIA platform is completely self-contained, requiring minimal floor space. The vacuum system, plasma chamber, control electronics, and 40 kHz power supply are housed in a single enclosure. Full front and rear access allows for convenient service to all interior components. The pump is positioned on rollers for easy removal. No side access is required allowing for even greater floor space savings.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Cree expands LED module options to speed customer time-to-market
MILAN, ITALY: Cree Inc. has announced the Cree LED LMH6 module, a high-lumen LED module designed to further simplify lighting design, reduce overall cost and accelerate time-to-market for Cree customers in Europe and Asia.
Featuring Cree TrueWhite Technology, the LMH6 module targets commercial applications where high efficacy, brightness and light quality are critical, such as restaurants, retail, airports, schools and hospitality lighting.
“The LMH6 module is designed with the needs of the 230-volt European and Asian lighting markets in mind,” said Scott Schwab, product line manager, Cree LED modules. “We are enabling our customers to address the 150mm and 200mm downlight market with beautiful, energy-efficient lighting offering the highest quality and efficacy available in the industry. Cree continues to innovate and expand our customers’ options with our LED module family, building on the success of our LMR2 and LMR4 LED modules.”
The LMH6 module is the first high-lumen product in Cree’s fully-integrated LED module family. Designed to last at least 50,000 hours, the LMH6 module delivers 2000 lumens at 74 lumens per watt or 2900 lumens at 78 lumens per watt. It is available in 3000 K and 4000 K color temperatures, both with a CRI of 90. Fully-integrated DALI dimming allows for greater flexibility and control when compared to traditional dimming systems. Integrated driver electronics, optics and primary thermal management result in a comprehensive, drop-in ready solution and locking tabs that can simplify the design of additional trim kits.
The 230-volt LMH6 module complies with multiple international standards and is RoHS compliant.
Featuring Cree TrueWhite Technology, the LMH6 module targets commercial applications where high efficacy, brightness and light quality are critical, such as restaurants, retail, airports, schools and hospitality lighting.
“The LMH6 module is designed with the needs of the 230-volt European and Asian lighting markets in mind,” said Scott Schwab, product line manager, Cree LED modules. “We are enabling our customers to address the 150mm and 200mm downlight market with beautiful, energy-efficient lighting offering the highest quality and efficacy available in the industry. Cree continues to innovate and expand our customers’ options with our LED module family, building on the success of our LMR2 and LMR4 LED modules.”
The LMH6 module is the first high-lumen product in Cree’s fully-integrated LED module family. Designed to last at least 50,000 hours, the LMH6 module delivers 2000 lumens at 74 lumens per watt or 2900 lumens at 78 lumens per watt. It is available in 3000 K and 4000 K color temperatures, both with a CRI of 90. Fully-integrated DALI dimming allows for greater flexibility and control when compared to traditional dimming systems. Integrated driver electronics, optics and primary thermal management result in a comprehensive, drop-in ready solution and locking tabs that can simplify the design of additional trim kits.
The 230-volt LMH6 module complies with multiple international standards and is RoHS compliant.
Avago enables WiFi and Bluetooth co-existence in mobile electronics with new highly-integrated front-end module
SAN JOSE, USA & SINGAPORE: Avago Technologies, a leading supplier of analog interface components for communications, industrial and consumer applications, has announced a front-end module with robust filtering for 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth radios in handsets and mobile routers for tablets and other portable PC devices.
The new AFEM-S102 module integrates a Film Bulk Acoustic Resonator (FBAR) coexistence filter, SP3T antenna switch and TX path coupler in a small 2.2 by 2.2 by 0.55 mm package that is ideal for space-constrained applications. The 2.5-GHz module delivers superior out-of-band rejection enabling concurrent operation of WiFi and Bluetooth data-communication with cellular communication standards.
Avago front-end modules integrate multiple high-performance technologies to reduce PCB board footprint and simplify design for portable electronics applications. The AFEM-S102 module exhibits low insertion loss that combines with high noise rejection to meet stringent coexistence requirements and enable fewer interference issues between WiFi, Bluetooth and other radios. Effectively leveraging Avago 0.25 µm GaAs enhancement-mode pHEMT process and its leading-edge proprietary FBAR filtering technologies, the module delivers 2.6 dB maximum insertion loss for the TX path and 35 dB rejection in the 2110-2170 MHz range.
“As smartphones and other portable electronics devices add more radio types and bands, coexistence requirements are getting more stringent,” said James Wilson, director of marketing for wireless products at Avago. “The best-in-class rejection and insertion loss of our proprietary FBAR technology enables OEMs to efficiently address these challenging radio environments. The easy-to-use AFEM-S102 front-end module was designed in conjunction with a leading handset designer for their reference design, specifically to meet the coexistence requirements for WiFi and Bluetooth applications.”
Avago FBAR technology delivers steeper roll-off and lower insertion loss than ceramic or SAW filters and other competing technologies, and does so in a more compact form factor. Low insertion loss reduces power amplifier current and improves receiver sensitivity and dynamic range, resulting in extended battery life and talk time and better signal quality for handsets. FBAR technology makes ultra-small, high-Q filters possible at a fraction of their usual size, and allows integration with other radio components.
The new AFEM-S102 module integrates a Film Bulk Acoustic Resonator (FBAR) coexistence filter, SP3T antenna switch and TX path coupler in a small 2.2 by 2.2 by 0.55 mm package that is ideal for space-constrained applications. The 2.5-GHz module delivers superior out-of-band rejection enabling concurrent operation of WiFi and Bluetooth data-communication with cellular communication standards.
Avago front-end modules integrate multiple high-performance technologies to reduce PCB board footprint and simplify design for portable electronics applications. The AFEM-S102 module exhibits low insertion loss that combines with high noise rejection to meet stringent coexistence requirements and enable fewer interference issues between WiFi, Bluetooth and other radios. Effectively leveraging Avago 0.25 µm GaAs enhancement-mode pHEMT process and its leading-edge proprietary FBAR filtering technologies, the module delivers 2.6 dB maximum insertion loss for the TX path and 35 dB rejection in the 2110-2170 MHz range.
“As smartphones and other portable electronics devices add more radio types and bands, coexistence requirements are getting more stringent,” said James Wilson, director of marketing for wireless products at Avago. “The best-in-class rejection and insertion loss of our proprietary FBAR technology enables OEMs to efficiently address these challenging radio environments. The easy-to-use AFEM-S102 front-end module was designed in conjunction with a leading handset designer for their reference design, specifically to meet the coexistence requirements for WiFi and Bluetooth applications.”
Avago FBAR technology delivers steeper roll-off and lower insertion loss than ceramic or SAW filters and other competing technologies, and does so in a more compact form factor. Low insertion loss reduces power amplifier current and improves receiver sensitivity and dynamic range, resulting in extended battery life and talk time and better signal quality for handsets. FBAR technology makes ultra-small, high-Q filters possible at a fraction of their usual size, and allows integration with other radio components.
Advanced Battery Technologies signs multiple sales contracts
NEW YORK, USA: Advanced Battery Technologies Inc., a leading developer, manufacturer and distributor of rechargeable polymer lithium-ion batteries as well as a manufacturer of electric vehicles, attended the 77th China Electronics Fair in Shen Zhen Exhibition Center.
China Electronics Fair (CEF) is the first exhibition fair in which the Battery played a significant role. The 2011 CEF Power Supply Show is the spotlight of the fair. CEF is a national "A" fair, organized by both Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People's Republic China and department of commerce, which enjoy the fame of "China Electronic First Exhibition."
CEF started in 1964 and is an historic and influential fair. During the session, the subsidiaries of ABAT, Harbin ZhongQiang Power-Tech Co. Ltd (Harbin ZQPT) and ShenZhen ZhongQiang New Energy and Technology Co. Ltd (Shenzhen ZQ) have signed sale contracts (power cells) with two Hong Kong companies and five customers separately, totaling approximately $8.33 million.
On April 8th, 2011, Harbin ZQPT signed a sales contract (power cells) with HK Jade world Co. Ltd, valued at $1.725 million; additionally, a sales contract (power cells) was signed with Weite communication Tech Co. Ltd, valued at $1.615 million.
Shenzhen ZQ has signed power cell sales contracts with Shenzhen Chihang Tech Co. Ltd, Shenzhen Hurli Battery Co. Ltd and Shenzhen Kepudi Tech. Co. Ltd, Shenzhen Haoneng Digital Co. and Shenzhen Shengda Ruike Communication Tech Co. Ltd, which totaled approximately 32.44 million RMB (approximately $4.99 million).
Zhiguo Fu, chairman of ABAT, stated: "Recently, we suffered the impact of short sellers and offensive articles. However, the operation of our company has not been negatively affected, and the company business is continuing to grow at a significant rate. These sales contracts are an example to our investors and shareholders, as well as the short sellers, that ABAT is continuing to maintain its strong position in our market place. Facts are more eloquent than words."
China Electronics Fair (CEF) is the first exhibition fair in which the Battery played a significant role. The 2011 CEF Power Supply Show is the spotlight of the fair. CEF is a national "A" fair, organized by both Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People's Republic China and department of commerce, which enjoy the fame of "China Electronic First Exhibition."
CEF started in 1964 and is an historic and influential fair. During the session, the subsidiaries of ABAT, Harbin ZhongQiang Power-Tech Co. Ltd (Harbin ZQPT) and ShenZhen ZhongQiang New Energy and Technology Co. Ltd (Shenzhen ZQ) have signed sale contracts (power cells) with two Hong Kong companies and five customers separately, totaling approximately $8.33 million.
On April 8th, 2011, Harbin ZQPT signed a sales contract (power cells) with HK Jade world Co. Ltd, valued at $1.725 million; additionally, a sales contract (power cells) was signed with Weite communication Tech Co. Ltd, valued at $1.615 million.
Shenzhen ZQ has signed power cell sales contracts with Shenzhen Chihang Tech Co. Ltd, Shenzhen Hurli Battery Co. Ltd and Shenzhen Kepudi Tech. Co. Ltd, Shenzhen Haoneng Digital Co. and Shenzhen Shengda Ruike Communication Tech Co. Ltd, which totaled approximately 32.44 million RMB (approximately $4.99 million).
Zhiguo Fu, chairman of ABAT, stated: "Recently, we suffered the impact of short sellers and offensive articles. However, the operation of our company has not been negatively affected, and the company business is continuing to grow at a significant rate. These sales contracts are an example to our investors and shareholders, as well as the short sellers, that ABAT is continuing to maintain its strong position in our market place. Facts are more eloquent than words."
Monday, April 11, 2011
Digi-Key launches TechXchange online communities
THIEF RIVER FALLS, USA: Electronic components distributor Digi-Key Corp. announced the launch of TechXchange, an online community for the electronics industry. Design engineers, inventors and hobbyists can now share ideas and receive free, expert electronics advice as part of the new online community.
TechXchange is comprised of five online communities segmented by technology category – lighting, microcontroller, power, sensor, and wireless solutions. Members can find the support and answers they need to create electronics-based products. Digi-Key Design Specialists in each technology category are available online to provide advice and counsel.
“TechXchange is part of Digi-Key’s totally integrated Internet-based global distribution strategy,” said Mark Larson, president and COO, Digi-Key. “Integrating all product and support information online puts engineers, inventors and experts in control as they solve tough product development challenges.”
TechXchange is comprised of five online communities segmented by technology category – lighting, microcontroller, power, sensor, and wireless solutions. Members can find the support and answers they need to create electronics-based products. Digi-Key Design Specialists in each technology category are available online to provide advice and counsel.
“TechXchange is part of Digi-Key’s totally integrated Internet-based global distribution strategy,” said Mark Larson, president and COO, Digi-Key. “Integrating all product and support information online puts engineers, inventors and experts in control as they solve tough product development challenges.”
Antenova’s Indica 2.4GHz MDA ceramic chip antenna chosen by Teraoka for electronic shelf labels
CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND: Antenova Ltd, the integrated antenna and RF solutions company, announced that its ultra small Indica 2.4GHz MDA ceramic chip antenna has been chosen by Teraoka for the Teraoka/DIGI product line of electronic shelf labels (ESL).
Providing high performance in space limiting environments, Antenova’s MDA antenna outperformed competitive solutions, particularly when placed in the proximity of metal objects such as supermarket shelves and product tins.
“Changing prices of products, particularly in supermarket environments, is a continuous and labor intensive task,” stated Greg McCray, CEO of Antenova. “Teraoka/DIGI’s extensive range of electronic shelf labels provides significant advantages over paper labels such as reduction in labor, improved accuracy, real-time price change and promotional opportunities while being eco-friendly with less paper consumption. Antenova’s 2.4GHz MDA ceramic chip antenna not only met the challenging size restrictions of Teraoka’s small 66m x 35mm x 12mm electronic shelf label, which is mostly taken up by the LCD display, but also met their performance requirements and even extended the connectivity range.”
McCray added: “Antenova is experiencing a surge of new machine-to-machine (M2M) and connected device projects. And to address these high growth markets we’ve been extending our range of market proven gigaNOVA standard antennas to provide customers with the widest range of high performing and cost effective off-the-shelf antennas. A10381 which is the standard off-the-shelf version of the Indica 2.4GHz MDA ceramic chip antenna has gained tremendous interest from customers for a wide range of space limited applications such as wireless medical tags and electronic shelf labels.”
Antenova offers the gigaNOVA range of market leading standard antenna solutions for a wide range of embedded and M2M applications requiring cellular, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, WiMAX and GPS (1.575 GHz) connectivity. Antenova also offers a full range of development support and RF testing to help reduce customization and design costs and accelerate time-to-market.
Providing high performance in space limiting environments, Antenova’s MDA antenna outperformed competitive solutions, particularly when placed in the proximity of metal objects such as supermarket shelves and product tins.
“Changing prices of products, particularly in supermarket environments, is a continuous and labor intensive task,” stated Greg McCray, CEO of Antenova. “Teraoka/DIGI’s extensive range of electronic shelf labels provides significant advantages over paper labels such as reduction in labor, improved accuracy, real-time price change and promotional opportunities while being eco-friendly with less paper consumption. Antenova’s 2.4GHz MDA ceramic chip antenna not only met the challenging size restrictions of Teraoka’s small 66m x 35mm x 12mm electronic shelf label, which is mostly taken up by the LCD display, but also met their performance requirements and even extended the connectivity range.”
McCray added: “Antenova is experiencing a surge of new machine-to-machine (M2M) and connected device projects. And to address these high growth markets we’ve been extending our range of market proven gigaNOVA standard antennas to provide customers with the widest range of high performing and cost effective off-the-shelf antennas. A10381 which is the standard off-the-shelf version of the Indica 2.4GHz MDA ceramic chip antenna has gained tremendous interest from customers for a wide range of space limited applications such as wireless medical tags and electronic shelf labels.”
Antenova offers the gigaNOVA range of market leading standard antenna solutions for a wide range of embedded and M2M applications requiring cellular, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, WiMAX and GPS (1.575 GHz) connectivity. Antenova also offers a full range of development support and RF testing to help reduce customization and design costs and accelerate time-to-market.
Aggressive LED fab investment drives 40 percent growth in equipment spending in 2011
SINGAPORE: With the widespread adoption of LED technology in LCD backlight applications and growing interest in LEDs for general lighting purposes, LED manufacturers are poised to meet the soaring demand according to the newest update of the SEMI Opto/LED Fab Forecast.
The industry has attracted a huge amount of capital pouring into the LED (light-emitting diode) supply chain from equipment and materials to LED epitaxy/chip fabrication and LED packaging capacity.
The SEMI Opto/LED Fab Forecast tracks over 250 Opto/LED fabs activities worldwide, with detailed information on fab construction and equipment spending, key milestone dates, capacity and ramp up schedule, and more. Last year, SEMI recorded explosive growth on equipment spending from LED fabs, jumping from $606 million in 2009 to $1.78 billion in 2010.
SEMI expects that LED equipment growth will continue this year to reach about $2.5 billion, a 40 percent increase year-over-year. If some projects do not ramp up as quickly as planned, then some spending will be pushed to 2012. Currently, SEMI forecasts the 2012 investment level as $2.3 billion worldwide.
Regional equipment spending shows an aggressive investment trend from China. Propped up by subsidy programs from local governments in China, new LED fab projects have blossomed in the past two years in China. China now accounts for almost 50 percent of overall equipment spending.
In regards to new LED fabs, SEMI recorded 19 new fabs that started operation in 2010, with another 27 new operation fabs expected in 2011. For 2012, SEMI forecasts 15 new fabs coming online next year.
On the capacity side, according to the SEMI Opto/LED Fab Forecast, worldwide LED fab capacity reached 4,350 thousand wafers per month (wpm, 2” wafer equivalent). SEMI expects strong demand from LCD backlight to continue to drive the capacity growth in 2011 with a 50 percent increase to reach 6,509 thousand wpm (2” equiv.).
The industry has attracted a huge amount of capital pouring into the LED (light-emitting diode) supply chain from equipment and materials to LED epitaxy/chip fabrication and LED packaging capacity.
The SEMI Opto/LED Fab Forecast tracks over 250 Opto/LED fabs activities worldwide, with detailed information on fab construction and equipment spending, key milestone dates, capacity and ramp up schedule, and more. Last year, SEMI recorded explosive growth on equipment spending from LED fabs, jumping from $606 million in 2009 to $1.78 billion in 2010.
SEMI expects that LED equipment growth will continue this year to reach about $2.5 billion, a 40 percent increase year-over-year. If some projects do not ramp up as quickly as planned, then some spending will be pushed to 2012. Currently, SEMI forecasts the 2012 investment level as $2.3 billion worldwide.
Regional equipment spending shows an aggressive investment trend from China. Propped up by subsidy programs from local governments in China, new LED fab projects have blossomed in the past two years in China. China now accounts for almost 50 percent of overall equipment spending.
In regards to new LED fabs, SEMI recorded 19 new fabs that started operation in 2010, with another 27 new operation fabs expected in 2011. For 2012, SEMI forecasts 15 new fabs coming online next year.
On the capacity side, according to the SEMI Opto/LED Fab Forecast, worldwide LED fab capacity reached 4,350 thousand wafers per month (wpm, 2” wafer equivalent). SEMI expects strong demand from LCD backlight to continue to drive the capacity growth in 2011 with a 50 percent increase to reach 6,509 thousand wpm (2” equiv.).
Viasystems comments on Japanese supply and other matters
ST. LOUIS, USA: Viasystems Group Inc., a leading provider of complex multi-layer printed circuit boards and electro-mechanical solutions, commented on the potential effects of supply issues related to the recent natural disasters in Japan and increasing costs of materials and labor.
“Our company has been working with many other companies in the electronics industry to determine the near-term and longer-term impacts of the interruption of the supply of electronic components from Japan,” stated David Sindelar, Viasystems’ CEO.
“While we expect only minor impacts on the flow of supplies directly into our operations, the possible impacts on our customers’ future order patterns have been more difficult to assess. Reports of temporary cessation of production in automobile and other factories suggest that component sourcing matters unrelated to our business may result in customers deferring orders of printed circuit boards and assemblies produced by Viasystems.”
“Developments related to Japan can only compound the cost environment challenges which I highlighted in my comments about the results of our final quarter of 2010,” continued Sindelar.
“In addition to mandated minimum wage increases in China, that government has begun imposing employment based social taxes on foreign-owned enterprises like ours. And, a continued tightening of labor resources in parts of southern China is resulting in our company experiencing unusually high levels of overtime pay costs for the workers we have retained. Similarly, sustained high demand for electronic components has allowed materials suppliers to command higher prices for their products, on top of the upward market price effects of globally traded commodities like copper and gold.”
“Our sales & marketing teams and our supply chain management teams are heavily engaged with customers and suppliers to work through the current and longer-term issues stemming from the tragedies in Japan,” concluded Sindelar. “And, at the same time, we are also heavily engaged in negotiations for selling price increases for our products to compensate for the labor and materials cost increases.”
“Our company has been working with many other companies in the electronics industry to determine the near-term and longer-term impacts of the interruption of the supply of electronic components from Japan,” stated David Sindelar, Viasystems’ CEO.
“While we expect only minor impacts on the flow of supplies directly into our operations, the possible impacts on our customers’ future order patterns have been more difficult to assess. Reports of temporary cessation of production in automobile and other factories suggest that component sourcing matters unrelated to our business may result in customers deferring orders of printed circuit boards and assemblies produced by Viasystems.”
“Developments related to Japan can only compound the cost environment challenges which I highlighted in my comments about the results of our final quarter of 2010,” continued Sindelar.
“In addition to mandated minimum wage increases in China, that government has begun imposing employment based social taxes on foreign-owned enterprises like ours. And, a continued tightening of labor resources in parts of southern China is resulting in our company experiencing unusually high levels of overtime pay costs for the workers we have retained. Similarly, sustained high demand for electronic components has allowed materials suppliers to command higher prices for their products, on top of the upward market price effects of globally traded commodities like copper and gold.”
“Our sales & marketing teams and our supply chain management teams are heavily engaged with customers and suppliers to work through the current and longer-term issues stemming from the tragedies in Japan,” concluded Sindelar. “And, at the same time, we are also heavily engaged in negotiations for selling price increases for our products to compensate for the labor and materials cost increases.”
Friday, April 8, 2011
Aggressive LED fab investment drives 40 percent growth in equipment spending in 2011
SAN JOSE, USA: With the widespread adoption of LED technology in LCD backlight applications and growing interest in LEDs for general lighting purposes, LED manufacturers are poised to meet the soaring demand according to the newest update of the SEMI Opto/LED Fab Forecast. The industry has attracted a huge amount of capital pouring into the LED (light-emitting diode) supply chain from equipment and materials to LED epitaxy/chip fabrication and LED packaging capacity.
The SEMI Opto/LED Fab Forecast tracks over 250 Opto/LED fabs activities worldwide, with detailed information on fab construction and equipment spending, key milestone dates, capacity and ramp up schedule, and more. Last year, SEMI recorded explosive growth on equipment spending from LED fabs, jumping from $606 million in 2009 to $1.78 billion in 2010.
SEMI expects that LED equipment growth will continue this year to reach about $2.5 billion, a 40 percent increase year-over-year. If some projects do not ramp up as quickly as planned, then some spending will be pushed to 2012. Currently, SEMI forecasts the 2012 investment level as $2.3 billion worldwide.
Regional equipment spending shows an aggressive investment trend from China. Propped up by subsidy programs from local governments in China, new LED fab projects have blossomed in the past two years in China. China now accounts for almost 50 percent of overall equipment spending.
In regards to new LED fabs, SEMI recorded 19 new fabs that started operation in 2010, with another 27 new operation fabs expected in 2011. For 2012, SEMI forecasts 15 new fabs coming online next year.
On the capacity side, according to the SEMI Opto/LED Fab Forecast, worldwide LED fab capacity reached 4,350 thousand wafers per month (wpm, 2” wafer equivalent). SEMI expects strong demand from LCD backlight to continue to drive the capacity growth in 2011 with a 50 percent increase to reach 6,509 thousand wpm (2” equiv.).
The SEMI Opto/LED Fab Forecast tracks over 250 Opto/LED fabs activities worldwide, with detailed information on fab construction and equipment spending, key milestone dates, capacity and ramp up schedule, and more. Last year, SEMI recorded explosive growth on equipment spending from LED fabs, jumping from $606 million in 2009 to $1.78 billion in 2010.
SEMI expects that LED equipment growth will continue this year to reach about $2.5 billion, a 40 percent increase year-over-year. If some projects do not ramp up as quickly as planned, then some spending will be pushed to 2012. Currently, SEMI forecasts the 2012 investment level as $2.3 billion worldwide.
Regional equipment spending shows an aggressive investment trend from China. Propped up by subsidy programs from local governments in China, new LED fab projects have blossomed in the past two years in China. China now accounts for almost 50 percent of overall equipment spending.
In regards to new LED fabs, SEMI recorded 19 new fabs that started operation in 2010, with another 27 new operation fabs expected in 2011. For 2012, SEMI forecasts 15 new fabs coming online next year.
On the capacity side, according to the SEMI Opto/LED Fab Forecast, worldwide LED fab capacity reached 4,350 thousand wafers per month (wpm, 2” wafer equivalent). SEMI expects strong demand from LCD backlight to continue to drive the capacity growth in 2011 with a 50 percent increase to reach 6,509 thousand wpm (2” equiv.).
Thursday, April 7, 2011
GigOptix announces $750,000 order for next gen 100G DWDM modulator drivers
PALO ALTO, USA: GigOptix Inc. announced the booking of a $750,000 purchase order for its 100G quad-driver for use by our tier 1 telecom customer in its 100G DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing) networking systems. The order will be delivered in the second and third quarters of 2011.
GigOptix’s GX62450 100G DP-QPSK (Dual Polarization Quadrature Phase Shift Keying) driver is designed to be plug-in compatible with industry available 100G Multiplexer and Mach-Zehnder Modulators. The GX62450’s GPPO connectorized form factor ensures optimal RF coupling to the 100G optical modulator inputs and also occupies less board-level real estate than comparable surface mounted device solutions.
Padraig O’Mathuna, VP of Marketing, commented: "GigOptix is very proud to have received this order for our next generation 100G drivers, which underscores our industry proven 100G solutions as the broadest portfolio of its kind. 100G is quickly becoming an industry reality driven by increased demand for more bandwidth due to smartphone usage, IPTV and cloud services, as well as other video and data intensive applications.
"Next generation wired and wireless networks will require high-speed optical links to enable the content delivery demanded by consumers. In fact Cisco is predicting a compounded annual growth rate for IP traffic of 34% through 2014. We see robust demand for our 100G products in 2011 and expect the 100G market to be one of the major growth engines for our company going forward."
GigOptix’s GX62450 100G DP-QPSK (Dual Polarization Quadrature Phase Shift Keying) driver is designed to be plug-in compatible with industry available 100G Multiplexer and Mach-Zehnder Modulators. The GX62450’s GPPO connectorized form factor ensures optimal RF coupling to the 100G optical modulator inputs and also occupies less board-level real estate than comparable surface mounted device solutions.
Padraig O’Mathuna, VP of Marketing, commented: "GigOptix is very proud to have received this order for our next generation 100G drivers, which underscores our industry proven 100G solutions as the broadest portfolio of its kind. 100G is quickly becoming an industry reality driven by increased demand for more bandwidth due to smartphone usage, IPTV and cloud services, as well as other video and data intensive applications.
"Next generation wired and wireless networks will require high-speed optical links to enable the content delivery demanded by consumers. In fact Cisco is predicting a compounded annual growth rate for IP traffic of 34% through 2014. We see robust demand for our 100G products in 2011 and expect the 100G market to be one of the major growth engines for our company going forward."
Digi-Key announces stock of 3M’s twin axial cables
THIEF RIVER FALLS, USA: Digi-Key Corp. announced the addition of 3M Twin Axial Ribbon Cable, SL8800 Series to its vast product line. They are available for purchase now on Digi-Key’s global websites. These cables come in four-channel 100 Ω 30 AWG versions.
Twin Axial Ribbon Cable, SL8800 Series from 3M is the optimum solution for space-constrained systems, as the cables are unjacketed, extremely thin, very flexible, and are capable of being folded with minimal loss or performance impact. SL8800 Series cables can route along the sides of cabinets and through narrow openings in densely packaged equipment with little to no effect on performance.
The electrical performance places 3M Twin Axial Cable solutions in an elite category, beyond solving the spatial challenges caused by densely packaged systems. The longitudinal shielded construction provides resonance-free attenuation up to 20 GHz and can support transmission speeds from 1 Gbps to 25 Gbps and beyond. These cables can be folded in multiple locations with less than 0.5 ohm impedance local variation at each fold, which separates this cable from other options currently on the market.
The cable's built-in wire-to-board registration to the paddle card termination area enables easy termination with repeatable consistency and reliability and is ideal for automation in the cable assembly process.
Twin Axial Ribbon Cable, SL8800 Series from 3M is the optimum solution for space-constrained systems, as the cables are unjacketed, extremely thin, very flexible, and are capable of being folded with minimal loss or performance impact. SL8800 Series cables can route along the sides of cabinets and through narrow openings in densely packaged equipment with little to no effect on performance.
The electrical performance places 3M Twin Axial Cable solutions in an elite category, beyond solving the spatial challenges caused by densely packaged systems. The longitudinal shielded construction provides resonance-free attenuation up to 20 GHz and can support transmission speeds from 1 Gbps to 25 Gbps and beyond. These cables can be folded in multiple locations with less than 0.5 ohm impedance local variation at each fold, which separates this cable from other options currently on the market.
The cable's built-in wire-to-board registration to the paddle card termination area enables easy termination with repeatable consistency and reliability and is ideal for automation in the cable assembly process.
Cree XLamp XM-L EasyWhite LED delivers lower-cost solution for 25 watt replacement lamps
DURHAM, USA: Cree Inc., a market leader in LED lighting, announced the industry’s first lighting-class LED component that combines the high light output and small footprint of the XLamp XM-L LED package with Cree’s unique EasyWhite color mixing technology.
The new XM-L EasyWhite LEDs reduce the cost and complexity associated with binning and color mixing, as well as using multiple discrete LEDs. This can enable customers to reduce the price and improve the performance of LED solutions for compact directional lighting, such as 20-25 watt halogen MR, PAR and B10-style (candelabra) replacement lamps.
“In 2009, Cree was the first LED manufacturer to eliminate binning for LED components with our innovative EasyWhite color mixing technology. XM-L EasyWhite LEDs, along with the recently introduced XLamp MT-G EasyWhite LEDs, accelerate the adoption of LED lighting into applications traditionally addressed by energy wasting halogen sources.”
In these applications, previous single LED solutions were not able to achieve enough light output to match the incumbent incandescent products. Traditional multi-LED configurations complicate the overall system design and have the added disadvantage of not emulating the look of a light bulb’s filament. The XM-L EasyWhite LED enables a single LED component to deliver the performance and design simplicity needed for 25 watt replacement lamps.
At just 4 watts of power, XM-L EasyWhite LEDs produce up to 340 lumens at an operating temperature of 85 C in warm white (3000K) in a single component. Like XLamp MT-G LEDs, XM-L EasyWhite LEDs are characterized at 85 C, allowing customers to accurately select XM-L LEDs at a specific color temperature. The XM-L EasyWhite is available with the industry’s tightest LED-to-LED color consistency, replicating the uniformity of incandescent light bulbs.
“XM-L EasyWhite LEDs give customers the best of both worlds: the color consistency of an EasyWhite array in the compact size of a discrete component,” said Mike Watson, Cree, senior director, marketing and product applications, LED Components. “In 2009, Cree was the first LED manufacturer to eliminate binning for LED components with our innovative EasyWhite color mixing technology. XM-L EasyWhite LEDs, along with the recently introduced XLamp MT-G EasyWhite LEDs, accelerate the adoption of LED lighting into applications traditionally addressed by energy wasting halogen sources.”
XM-L EasyWhite LEDs are available in 2-step MacAdams Ellipse color points. They are also available in either a 6V or a high voltage 12V configuration, which enables the use of efficient, small and low-cost drivers. XM-L EasyWhite LEDs have the same low profile dome and 5mm x 5mm footprint as the current XM-L LED family.
XLamp XM-L EasyWhite LEDs are available now in sample and production quantities with standard lead times. XM-L EasyWhite LEDs are available in both standard CRI and high CRI (minimum 85 and 90) versions at multiple color temperatures.
The new XM-L EasyWhite LEDs reduce the cost and complexity associated with binning and color mixing, as well as using multiple discrete LEDs. This can enable customers to reduce the price and improve the performance of LED solutions for compact directional lighting, such as 20-25 watt halogen MR, PAR and B10-style (candelabra) replacement lamps.
“In 2009, Cree was the first LED manufacturer to eliminate binning for LED components with our innovative EasyWhite color mixing technology. XM-L EasyWhite LEDs, along with the recently introduced XLamp MT-G EasyWhite LEDs, accelerate the adoption of LED lighting into applications traditionally addressed by energy wasting halogen sources.”
In these applications, previous single LED solutions were not able to achieve enough light output to match the incumbent incandescent products. Traditional multi-LED configurations complicate the overall system design and have the added disadvantage of not emulating the look of a light bulb’s filament. The XM-L EasyWhite LED enables a single LED component to deliver the performance and design simplicity needed for 25 watt replacement lamps.
At just 4 watts of power, XM-L EasyWhite LEDs produce up to 340 lumens at an operating temperature of 85 C in warm white (3000K) in a single component. Like XLamp MT-G LEDs, XM-L EasyWhite LEDs are characterized at 85 C, allowing customers to accurately select XM-L LEDs at a specific color temperature. The XM-L EasyWhite is available with the industry’s tightest LED-to-LED color consistency, replicating the uniformity of incandescent light bulbs.
“XM-L EasyWhite LEDs give customers the best of both worlds: the color consistency of an EasyWhite array in the compact size of a discrete component,” said Mike Watson, Cree, senior director, marketing and product applications, LED Components. “In 2009, Cree was the first LED manufacturer to eliminate binning for LED components with our innovative EasyWhite color mixing technology. XM-L EasyWhite LEDs, along with the recently introduced XLamp MT-G EasyWhite LEDs, accelerate the adoption of LED lighting into applications traditionally addressed by energy wasting halogen sources.”
XM-L EasyWhite LEDs are available in 2-step MacAdams Ellipse color points. They are also available in either a 6V or a high voltage 12V configuration, which enables the use of efficient, small and low-cost drivers. XM-L EasyWhite LEDs have the same low profile dome and 5mm x 5mm footprint as the current XM-L LED family.
XLamp XM-L EasyWhite LEDs are available now in sample and production quantities with standard lead times. XM-L EasyWhite LEDs are available in both standard CRI and high CRI (minimum 85 and 90) versions at multiple color temperatures.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Tektronix simplifies DDR2 testing with new solution for TLA6000 series logic analyzers
BANGALORE, INDIA: Tektronix Inc., a leading worldwide provider of test, measurement and monitoring instrumentation, today announced availability of a complete DDR2 protocol debug and validation solution for the award-winning TLA6000 Series Logic Analyzers.
The new options for the TLA6000 Series consist of everything embedded engineers – even those who are not DDR2 experts – need to validate and debug the operation of memory sub-systems in their designs.
DDR2 memory systems are used in many of today’s embedded designs – commonly implemented as a bus on the microprocessor or as a block in an FPGA. The complexity of the DDR2 protocol and the number of command/data/address signals make it difficult to both visualize the operation of the bus and to isolate any potential problems. In addition, designers need to ensure that signal timing and interfaces comply with JEDEC standards.
The new DDR2 options for the TLA6000 Series meet the emerging need for a more complete, easier to user DDR2 test solution at a more affordable price point.
“These options will significantly boost productivity for engineers tasked with validation and debug of DDR2 in embedded designs while lowering costs by bringing these capabilities to our mid-range logic analyzers,” said Dave Farrell, director, Logic Analyzer Product Line, Tektronix. “Users don’t need to be a DDR2 expert to get expert-level results since the included software translates the raw captured data into meaningful DDR2 bus transaction views, and finds and reports protocol violations automatically.”
The new options for the TLA6000 Series consists of a set of tools designed to provide visibility to all address, data, and control signals. The bundle includes:
• Memory chip interposers that provide a convenient way of probing embedded DDR memory systems and eliminates the need to design in probe access points. These memory chip interposers work with the unique iCapture Analog Mux feature of the TLA6000 to provide a single probing solution for both the logic analyzer and oscilloscope, saving time and minimizing setup complexity.
• Protocol decode software that shows all of the DDR2 transactions as well as providing triggering on DDR2 events.
• Sample point analysis software that automates the process of correctly configuring the TLA6000 Series to accurately sample the DDR2 signals.
• Protocol violation software that finds and reports any violation of the JEDEC-defined DDR2 protocol.
"This DDR2 solution provides fast and smart analysis capabilities for debug and validation engineers. When coupled with Tektronix logic analyzers’ deep memory, powerful triggering, and cross-bus correlation capabilities, these new options for the TLA6000 give engineers the best tools in the industry for embedded memory debug and validation," said Rob Shelsky, president, Nexus Technology Inc.
The new options for the TLA6000 Series consist of everything embedded engineers – even those who are not DDR2 experts – need to validate and debug the operation of memory sub-systems in their designs.
DDR2 memory systems are used in many of today’s embedded designs – commonly implemented as a bus on the microprocessor or as a block in an FPGA. The complexity of the DDR2 protocol and the number of command/data/address signals make it difficult to both visualize the operation of the bus and to isolate any potential problems. In addition, designers need to ensure that signal timing and interfaces comply with JEDEC standards.
The new DDR2 options for the TLA6000 Series meet the emerging need for a more complete, easier to user DDR2 test solution at a more affordable price point.
“These options will significantly boost productivity for engineers tasked with validation and debug of DDR2 in embedded designs while lowering costs by bringing these capabilities to our mid-range logic analyzers,” said Dave Farrell, director, Logic Analyzer Product Line, Tektronix. “Users don’t need to be a DDR2 expert to get expert-level results since the included software translates the raw captured data into meaningful DDR2 bus transaction views, and finds and reports protocol violations automatically.”
The new options for the TLA6000 Series consists of a set of tools designed to provide visibility to all address, data, and control signals. The bundle includes:
• Memory chip interposers that provide a convenient way of probing embedded DDR memory systems and eliminates the need to design in probe access points. These memory chip interposers work with the unique iCapture Analog Mux feature of the TLA6000 to provide a single probing solution for both the logic analyzer and oscilloscope, saving time and minimizing setup complexity.
• Protocol decode software that shows all of the DDR2 transactions as well as providing triggering on DDR2 events.
• Sample point analysis software that automates the process of correctly configuring the TLA6000 Series to accurately sample the DDR2 signals.
• Protocol violation software that finds and reports any violation of the JEDEC-defined DDR2 protocol.
"This DDR2 solution provides fast and smart analysis capabilities for debug and validation engineers. When coupled with Tektronix logic analyzers’ deep memory, powerful triggering, and cross-bus correlation capabilities, these new options for the TLA6000 give engineers the best tools in the industry for embedded memory debug and validation," said Rob Shelsky, president, Nexus Technology Inc.
‘element14 Features’ provides most versatile range of connectivity solutions across Asia Pacific
SINGAPORE: element14 (formerly Farnell), the industry’s first fusion of commerce and community supporting millions of engineers and purchasing professionals worldwide, announced the launch of its new online service ‘element14 Features’ which will provide detailed information and showcase the best new products and solutions, along with relevant articles and training modules.
As part of element14’s extensive inventory of more than 130,000 components, the ‘element14 Features’ section will highlight a different product technology every six weeks.
For April, the new section will showcase its product portfolio of over 10,000 high-performance connectors, the broadest range of connectors available in the region. This includes cutting-edge and highly reliable connectors with PCB, Signal, Data, I/O and Industrial technologies that will be available with selective promotional discounts of up to 40 percent.
Design engineers and purchasing professionals can enjoy unrivalled ease-of-purchase from global connector manufacturers such as TE Connectivity, Molex, FCI, 3M and Multicomp with no minimum order quantity and purchase value along with next day delivery in most cities in Asia Pacific.
“As Asia Pacific’s electronics industry continues to grow and transform, we are seeing a corresponding growth in the demand for high-performance connectors to meet the dynamic requirements of engineers today. element14 is committed to providing a full range of solutions to help customers across the region overcome these challenges,” said Marc Grange, Head of Product Management, element14, Asia Pacific. “The goal of ‘element14 Features’ is to empower our customers with the most comprehensive selection of cutting-edge solutions to meet their design requirements.”
As part of element14’s extensive inventory of more than 130,000 components, the ‘element14 Features’ section will highlight a different product technology every six weeks.
For April, the new section will showcase its product portfolio of over 10,000 high-performance connectors, the broadest range of connectors available in the region. This includes cutting-edge and highly reliable connectors with PCB, Signal, Data, I/O and Industrial technologies that will be available with selective promotional discounts of up to 40 percent.
Design engineers and purchasing professionals can enjoy unrivalled ease-of-purchase from global connector manufacturers such as TE Connectivity, Molex, FCI, 3M and Multicomp with no minimum order quantity and purchase value along with next day delivery in most cities in Asia Pacific.
“As Asia Pacific’s electronics industry continues to grow and transform, we are seeing a corresponding growth in the demand for high-performance connectors to meet the dynamic requirements of engineers today. element14 is committed to providing a full range of solutions to help customers across the region overcome these challenges,” said Marc Grange, Head of Product Management, element14, Asia Pacific. “The goal of ‘element14 Features’ is to empower our customers with the most comprehensive selection of cutting-edge solutions to meet their design requirements.”
Affected by inventory adjustment, LED price quotation in 2011 continues to decrease, and backlight products are deemed to create low margin profits
TAIWAN: Based on the survey of LEDinside, the LED research division under TrendForce, LEDinside indicated that the speed of LED market demand recovery in the first quarter of 2011 is lower than expected. Affected by inventory adjustment of the large-sized panel display market and the LED lighting market, LED manufacturers are facing the pressure of price reduction.
LEDinside indicated that profit margin of LED backlight products is believed to remain small in 2011 and the current market price quotes could go down further. The LED purchase orders have increased since March and the extent of the price decrease is expected to shrink.
Moreover, many LED manufacturers increased their capacities in the second half of the year and the low-end backlight specification has been modified as the Chinese LED enterprises’ technology skills on chip and package manufacturing have improved. It is estimated that some backlight products will experience even fiercer price competition in the future.
As for the high power LED lighting market, the price quotation is expected to continue to decrease in the short term. Notably, the market demand depends on whether the reconstruction demand from Japan will show up in the second half of 2011 or other countries will launch other subsidy policies for energy saving and carbon emission reduction.
Source: LEDinside, Taiwan.
As for the LED chip price quotation, the extent of decrease for different specifications varies. The average price in the first quarter of 2011 has dropped by 15~20 percent, but the price of small-sized chips has decreased by over 30 percent.
In terms of LED package component, there are different magnitudes of decrease in the LED backlight price quotations as well. The largest decrease is the price for LED backlit TV which has dropped by 10~15 percent.
However, the LED specification development for the NB and monitor applications has become mature, and the price has plummeted to the bottom in the past two years. Therefore, the price merely decreased by 3~5 percent, and the extent of decrease is limited.
Besides, due to relatively stable demand for the mobile backlight products, the price is much more stable with a slight decrease of 3 percent, compared with products of other specifications. As for high power LED lighting applications, affected by inventory adjustment, the price has dropped dramatically, and average price has fallen by 15~20 percent.
LEDinside indicated that profit margin of LED backlight products is believed to remain small in 2011 and the current market price quotes could go down further. The LED purchase orders have increased since March and the extent of the price decrease is expected to shrink.
Moreover, many LED manufacturers increased their capacities in the second half of the year and the low-end backlight specification has been modified as the Chinese LED enterprises’ technology skills on chip and package manufacturing have improved. It is estimated that some backlight products will experience even fiercer price competition in the future.
As for the high power LED lighting market, the price quotation is expected to continue to decrease in the short term. Notably, the market demand depends on whether the reconstruction demand from Japan will show up in the second half of 2011 or other countries will launch other subsidy policies for energy saving and carbon emission reduction.
Source: LEDinside, Taiwan.As for the LED chip price quotation, the extent of decrease for different specifications varies. The average price in the first quarter of 2011 has dropped by 15~20 percent, but the price of small-sized chips has decreased by over 30 percent.
In terms of LED package component, there are different magnitudes of decrease in the LED backlight price quotations as well. The largest decrease is the price for LED backlit TV which has dropped by 10~15 percent.
However, the LED specification development for the NB and monitor applications has become mature, and the price has plummeted to the bottom in the past two years. Therefore, the price merely decreased by 3~5 percent, and the extent of decrease is limited.
Besides, due to relatively stable demand for the mobile backlight products, the price is much more stable with a slight decrease of 3 percent, compared with products of other specifications. As for high power LED lighting applications, affected by inventory adjustment, the price has dropped dramatically, and average price has fallen by 15~20 percent.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Soraa adds several plasma-therm systems to fab
ST. PETERSBURG, USA: Soraa Inc., a leading LED and laser technology company has recently purchased three Plasma-Therm systems to provide plasma deposition and etch steps in their wafer fabrication process.
Founded by pioneering nitride researchers from the University of California at Santa Barbara professors Shuji Nakamura, Steve DenBaars, and Jim Speck, Soraa is developing a new class of LEDs and lasers for application in general lighting and projection display markets.
Led by CEO, Eric Kim, the company is rapidly expanding its US based manufacturing capacity in preparation for volume production.
The three systems purchased include a 790+ RIE, VERSALINE PECVD and VERSALINE ICP. By providing dielectric deposition and metal, dielectric, and active material patterning, they collectively deliver key front-end processing technologies, steps that are critical to the development and production of state-of-the-art photonic devices. Demand for LEDs and lasers continues to increase as they enter mainstream applications that include consumer lighting, displays, biotechnology, defense and industrial among others.
“As engineers apply their skills and knowledge to different semiconductor applications, they often keep the knowledge and experience they have from working with different equipment sets. Positive experiences with Plasma-Therm processing systems have repeatedly led to new orders and continued relationships,” stated Ed Ostan, executive VP of Sales and Marketing.
“The value previously experienced with Plasma-Therm equipment was instrumental in this manufacturer’s decision to purchase Plasma-Therm equipment. Our emphasis on building strong business relationships as well as the proven reliability and support of our systems is a key factor in repeat orders.”
Plasma-Therm, founded in 1974, is a supplier of advanced plasma process equipment offering etch and deposition technologies. Plasma-Therm systems support various specialty markets including solid state lighting, thin film head, MEMS, photomask and compound semiconductor.
Founded by pioneering nitride researchers from the University of California at Santa Barbara professors Shuji Nakamura, Steve DenBaars, and Jim Speck, Soraa is developing a new class of LEDs and lasers for application in general lighting and projection display markets.
Led by CEO, Eric Kim, the company is rapidly expanding its US based manufacturing capacity in preparation for volume production.
The three systems purchased include a 790+ RIE, VERSALINE PECVD and VERSALINE ICP. By providing dielectric deposition and metal, dielectric, and active material patterning, they collectively deliver key front-end processing technologies, steps that are critical to the development and production of state-of-the-art photonic devices. Demand for LEDs and lasers continues to increase as they enter mainstream applications that include consumer lighting, displays, biotechnology, defense and industrial among others.
“As engineers apply their skills and knowledge to different semiconductor applications, they often keep the knowledge and experience they have from working with different equipment sets. Positive experiences with Plasma-Therm processing systems have repeatedly led to new orders and continued relationships,” stated Ed Ostan, executive VP of Sales and Marketing.
“The value previously experienced with Plasma-Therm equipment was instrumental in this manufacturer’s decision to purchase Plasma-Therm equipment. Our emphasis on building strong business relationships as well as the proven reliability and support of our systems is a key factor in repeat orders.”
Plasma-Therm, founded in 1974, is a supplier of advanced plasma process equipment offering etch and deposition technologies. Plasma-Therm systems support various specialty markets including solid state lighting, thin film head, MEMS, photomask and compound semiconductor.
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