Electronics News
Archive : 6 September 2015 год
Semiconductor shipments in Europe in July reached $2.837bn, an increase of 0.4% from sales in June, according to the European Semiconductor Industry Association (ESIA). However, when stated in Euros, sales were €2.55bn, down 0.3% compared to June, but 7.1% higher than July 2014.
The figures, based on the latest WSTS report, show the increase in revenues were mainly driven by what the organisation calls ‘solid demand’ for microprocessors and logic semiconductor devices. The memory segment was also said to have grown vigorously.
ESIA said that, consistent with the trend of the last three months, demand was particularly strong for semiconductor devices designed specifically for use in consumer, computer and wired communication applications.
Global semiconductor revenues were $27.88bn, a decrease of 0.4% from June and 0.9% down on July 2014.
Author
Graham Pitcher
Source: www.newelectronics.co.uk
The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) has announced a project to develop a printed energy harvesting device that is powered by near-field communication (NFC). The device will facilitate the wider adoption of NFC-enabled applications in consumer packaging, document and brand security, in addition to wireless sensor networks for defence, healthcare and medical devices.
The project titled ‘HaRFest’ is being led by PragmatIC Printing Ltd and involves CPI alongside the EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Large-Area Electronics, represented by its academic partners, the University of Cambridge and the Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating.
The aim of the project is to develop and scale up production of the energy harvesting device which is suitable for integration with sensors, displays and storage devices. The device will house a printed antenna alongside printed passive and active components, including an array of tuning capacitors. The device will be able to be tuned to resonant frequency maximising the harvested power output.
Sandy Gunn, business development manager at CPI said: “The challenge ahead is to develop the energy harvesting technology which is proven at laboratory scale and to move it towards the volumes and price points that facilitate mass market adoption.”
Applications are numerous, from interactive point-of-sale products and branding to disposable printed bio-sensors used in blood analysis and unobtrusive printed smart labels that allow for identification and anti-counterfeiting control. The integration of advanced printed sensors into packaging opens up a wide range of market opportunities to create products with added value. Sensors can be designed to indicate the validity or quality of a product or whether the packaging has been subject to tampering or excursions during its transport and storage prior to purchase.
Author
Tom Austin-Morgan
Source: www.newelectronics.co.uk
A £3million grant has been awarded to the University of Southampton from Lloyd’s Register Foundation to bring together some of the world’s brightest early career researchers to find new ways of using nanotechnologies to improve safety at sea, on land and in the air.
Dr Themis Prodromakis, from the Nanoelectronics and Nanotechnologies Group at Southampton, is leading the programme. He said: “Researchers are always looking for funding for high risk, high reward ideas. The Lloyd’s Register Foundation International COnsortium in Nanotechnologies (ICON) will assemble the world’s leading universities, research institutions and innovative companies to help them tackle many of today’s most challenging issues by recruiting talented PhD students from every continent.”
Applications will soon be open from scientists and engineers keen to pioneer research across a range of industries. Nanotechnologies are already widely used, for example in smart phones, cameras and gadgets. Breakthroughs already being developed include cars, boats and planes built from lightweight materials stronger than steel with new functions such as self-cleaning and repairing; flexible textiles that can become rigid and shockproof to protect the wearer; sensors in hostile environments such as the deep ocean and space; tiny implants for real-time monitoring to aid diagnoses for doctors; and smart devices that harvest energy from their environment.
“We are pleased to support the University of Southampton in developing this global cohort of scientists,” said Professor Richard Clegg, managing director of Lloyd’s Register Foundation. “The doctoral students joining this consortium will gain an understanding of how their research can benefit society whilst developing international research networks at an early stage in their careers.”
Author
Tom Austin-Morgan
Source: www.newelectronics.co.uk
Toshiba Electronics has launched an SDHC card that combines Class 10 memory with TransferJetTM close proximity wireless transfer technology. The 16GByte SDHCTM card, THN-J301W0160E6, will enable users of digital cameras or camcorders to transfer photos and videos to mobile devices such as tablets, notebooks and smartphones equipped with TransferJet adapters.
TransferJet is a close proximity, wireless transfer technology, similar to NFC technology in a credit or debit card. It is claimed to feature simple operation, safe connection and high data throughput. Touching two TransferJet devices together automatically initiates data transfer.
Users can specify and restrict which devices can connect within the software as well as physically controlling which devices are brought into proximity with each other. The short transmission distance improves security by minimising data leakage, without the need for complex security measures.
The SDHC card joins Toshiba's line-up of TransferJet adapters for USB and microUSB ports as well as Lightning ports for iPhone and iPad.
Author
Tom Austin-Morgan
Source: www.newelectronics.co.uk
IBM also announced the first in a series of IBM Cloud-based, industry-specific IoT services with IoT for Electronics. The service will enable electronics manufacturers to gather data from individual sensors that can be combined with other data for real-time analysis.
The IBM IoT Foundation is a platform upon which fully managed, cloud-hosted offerings on the SoftLayer Infrastructure can be built. The IoT Foundation includes analytics tools, access to IBM Bluemix - IBM's Platform-as-a-Service and security systems capable of helping organisations protect their IoT data.
"Deploying IoT technology has to be easy, secure and scalable for it to feel like a natural extension of a company's business," said Krisztian Flautner, general manager, IoT Business, ARM. "By collaborating with IBM, we will deliver the first unified chip-to-cloud, enterprise-class IoT platform. This will empower companies of any size with a productivity tool that can readily transform how they operate, and the services they can offer."
The integration between IBM and ARM will allow products powered by ARM mbed-enabled chips to automatically register with the IBM IoT Foundation, and connect with IBM analytics services. This is said to unify the ARM mbed IoT Device Platform and the IBM IoT Foundation at the point where information gathered from deployed sensors in any connected device is delivered to the cloud for analysis. It is also claimed to help clients improve engagement, accelerate innovation and enhance operations through connected devices and analysis of the data.
Author
Tom Austin-Morgan
Source: www.newelectronics.co.uk