« November 2009 | Main | January 2010 »

December 2009 Archives

December 1, 2009

Elektra Awards 2009

elektra 09 promo close up.jpg
UPDATE: See the photos of all the winners

UPDATE: Read the list of winners

Tonight is the night, for the Elektra Awards 2009, and The Roayal Lancaster Hotel is the venue! See you there tonight, hopefully.

Stay tuned for details of the winners and lots of pictures from the event.

First things first, a special thanks to sponsors of awards, which include:

Continue reading "Elektra Awards 2009" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on December 1, 2009 12:05 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 2, 2009

Certification & Test: The difference between Bluetooth and ZigBee testing?

Welcome to a new series of posts on the topic of test and certification. This post is by Joe Lomako, Bluetooth Business Manager at TRaC.

Although most engineers working with short range wireless understand the difference between the ZigBee (ZB) and Bluetooth (BT) standards, many still ask about the difference in the testing and approval process. There are several differences, starting with the terminology - ZB products must be "certified", whereas BT products are "qualified".

In both cases, the approval means that the products can use the relevant logos.

Testing for ZB and BT is somewhat different, and can vary depending on whether it is a chipset, module or end products. Bluetooth chipsets, modules or end products also require "RF testing". RF Testing is the most common type of test and typically takes about 60 hours worth of test time.

Continue reading "Certification & Test: The difference between Bluetooth and ZigBee testing?" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on December 2, 2009 8:14 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 4, 2009

Weird & Wireless: How can light have temperature?

cc rainbow from plane.jpgWelcome again to the wonderful but sometimes weird world of wireless comms, written by Joel Young, CTO of Digi International.

When I go to buy a light bulb, the packages seem to indicate light or colour temperature in something called Kelvin. What is this and how can light have temperature?

For me this is a really fun topic because it connects a label on the packaging of common consumer product, i.e. light bulbs, to some of the cool properties of thermal radiation, worked on by such physics legends as Max Planck and Albert Einstein.

In fact, these very properties helped disprove many of the commonly held notions surrounding classical physics, replacing them with the modern notion of Quantum mechanics.

Continue reading "Weird & Wireless: How can light have temperature?" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on December 4, 2009 3:29 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Q5 Interview - Geraint Anderson, TT electronics group

Geraint TT.jpg
The latest Q5 interview is now online - with the CEO of the TT electronics group.

Geraint Anderson talks to Electronics Weekly about design activity in OEM customers, positive opportunities in the current climate, and end-markets with growth prospects...

The five questions are...

1. What impact is the downturn having on your markets?

2. How is design activity in your OEM customers being affected?

Continue reading "Q5 Interview - Geraint Anderson, TT electronics group" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on December 4, 2009 6:01 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 7, 2009

Q5 Interview - Eoin O'Riordan, Chomerics Division Europe

EOR c.jpgThe latest Q5 interview is now online - with the Marketing & Technology Manager, Chomerics Division Europe, Parker Hannifin.

Eoin O'Riordan talks to Electronics Weekly about changing approaches to shielding and thermal materials technology, opportunities in the current climate, and the materials technologies having the most impact in electronics design...

The five questions are...

1. Describe your business & technologies in 2 sentences.

2. Has designers' approach to shielding and thermal materials technology changed?

Continue reading "Q5 Interview - Eoin O'Riordan, Chomerics Division Europe" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on December 7, 2009 10:20 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 8, 2009

Digital Life: Google UK calls up the mobile map

Belgrave House streetview.jpgWent along to a Google Open House event, at the end of last week, and it was interesting for a number of reasons.

First, it emerges that Google UK's Mobile Application Services group (numbering some 300 people) contributes functionality to Google HQ, over and above localisation (apparently not a coincidence, but stemming from the UK's (relative) mobile telephony heritage).

Secondly, Hugo Barra - who heads up the group - gave an interesting demo of a "SatNav"-like app on the new Motorola Droid (or DEXT, for those of us in Europe).

Continue reading "Digital Life: Google UK calls up the mobile map" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on December 8, 2009 1:18 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 9, 2009

Axiom supports Engineering Education Scheme Wales

Engineering Education Scheme Wales.jpg
We are happy to report on a company doing its bit to encourage school kids to consider engineering as a career.

Sixth form pupils from a Gwent comprehensive school have been set an engineering challenge by a local manufacturing firm, Axiom Manufacturing Services, as part of a national scheme to promote careers in engineering.

Bassaleg Comprehensive School is taking part in the Engineering Education Scheme Wales, a principality-wide project run in conjunction with the Royal Academy of Engineering.
 

Continue reading "Axiom supports Engineering Education Scheme Wales" »

Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on December 9, 2009 8:16 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Certification & Test: What's the point of a Notified Body?

EC international activities.jpgWelcome to a new series of posts on the topic of test and certification. This post is by Jon Harros, ZigBee Business Manager at TRaC.

We often get asked what the purpose of a Notified Body is within Europe for R&TTE (Radio and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment), EMC Directive and Low Voltage Directive (LVD), given that legal compliance for a product is done by self-declaration. Hopefully the following will provide an insight...

A Notified Body is a legal entity (typically this means a company) appointed by the European Commission via an individual country's national authorities.

Within the legal entity, specific individuals are appointed as authorised Signatories and are regularly assessed to ensure technical competency.


Continue reading "Certification & Test: What's the point of a Notified Body?" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on December 9, 2009 8:31 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

UK plastic electronics printing in the spotlight

6 - The Polyphotonix OLED dress 200.jpgWe move from East Wales to West Wales with the topic of plastic electronics. Swansea University's Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating has been highlighted as a UK Centre of Excellence for Plastic Electronics by The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

See also: Mandelson outlines plastic electronics plan for UK

Monday saw the launch, by the Business Secretary Lord Mandelson, of the Plastic Electronics Strategy For Success: Realising the UK Potential, at the QE2 Conference Centre in London.

According to Mandelson, "The UK is already a global leader in the Plastic Electronics sector thanks to our world-class science-base and our strengths in research, creativity and innovation. We now need a roadmap for the industry that takes it from cutting edge to mass market while keeping Britain firmly in front."

Continue reading "UK plastic electronics printing in the spotlight" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on December 9, 2009 11:16 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 10, 2009

Weird & Wireless: What about wireless power transmission?

Welcome again to the wonderful but sometimes weird world of wireless comms, written by Joel Young, CTO of Digi International.

With everything going wireless, what about wireless power transmission too?

This is probably one of my favourite and most complicated topics to cover. As most of us know, the wireless transmission of electric power using traditional electromagnetic transverse waves is not practical.

Continue reading "Weird & Wireless: What about wireless power transmission?" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on December 10, 2009 10:41 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Picture Gallery - Plastic Electronics, Swansea University

1- The Rollscope 100.jpgA new Picture Gallery has been added to our index - a look behind the scenes at Swansea University's Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating.

As well as work at the centre itself, there are pictures of this week's launch by Lord Mandelson of the Plastic Electronics Strategy For Success, at the QE2 Conference Centre in London. Demonstrated projects include electronic newspapers and OLED dresses.

View the plastic electronics picture gallery


Continue reading "Picture Gallery - Plastic Electronics, Swansea University" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on December 10, 2009 1:07 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 11, 2009

Picture Gallery - CEO viewpoints on 2009 / 2010

16dec09ViewLotharMaier 100.jpgAnother picture gallery has been added to the site - check out our roundup of CEO viewpoints on the downturn of 2009 and comment and analysis on the the year ahead.

Companies covered range from ARM to Xilinx, covering points at RS Components, Imagination, Premier Farnell, Intersil, Anglia Components, Arrow EMEA, Actel, Linear, CSR and Avnet... (Pictured is Lothar Maier, CEO Linear Technology)

View the photo gallery - CEO Viewpoints

Continue reading "Picture Gallery - CEO viewpoints on 2009 / 2010" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on December 11, 2009 8:05 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 14, 2009

Apple counter-suing Nokia over patent infringement

Apple iPhone range.jpgJust as Intel and AMD settle, this one is shaping up to be another long-running legal dust-up between two giant technology corporations.

Back in October Nokia filed a licensing claim for iPhone IP payments. In traditional legal manner - attack is always the best form of defence - Apple is now countersuing the mobile phone company over the alleged infringement of 13 of its patents.

The announcement from Cupertino could not be briefer: [in full]

Continue reading "Apple counter-suing Nokia over patent infringement" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on December 14, 2009 1:15 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 15, 2009

Q5 Interview - Harry Tee CBE, Electronics Leadership Council

Harry Tee.jpgThe latest Q5 interview is now online - with the chairman of the Electronics Leadership Council.

Harry Tee CBE talks to Electronics Weekly about the UK government's growing recognition of the importance of electronics technologies to the economy and national skills base.


The five questions are:

1. What is the role of the ELC?

2. Does the ELC have specific aims or targets, such as what its members would like to achieve in its representation of UK industry?

Continue reading "Q5 Interview - Harry Tee CBE, Electronics Leadership Council" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on December 15, 2009 10:35 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 16, 2009

Certification & Test: Safety - it's a complex business!

zigbee logo.gifWelcome to a new series of posts on the topic of test and certification. This post is by Jon Harros, ZigBee Business Manager at TRaC.

In September of this year, the ZigBee Alliance announced the successful certification of the first two ZigBee RF4CE platforms and the release of the ZigBee RF4CE specification.

Now the focus has turned to the first ZigBee RF4CE interoperability profile which is intended to service the Consumer Electronics Remote Control (CERC) market.

From a regulatory safety point of view, the timing of this is interesting and leaves a number of people wondering what they should be assessing against.

Continue reading "Certification & Test: Safety - it's a complex business!" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on December 16, 2009 8:38 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Photos: iPhone apps for engineers

7 PCalc for iPhone x 100.jpgA new Picture Gallery has been added to our index - a roundup of interesting iPhone apps for those engineers lucky enough to own the Apple phone.

Apps covered range from scientific calculators to logic tables and German translation tools...

View the iPhone apps for engineers gallery

Continue reading "Photos: iPhone apps for engineers" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on December 16, 2009 1:14 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 17, 2009

Weird & Wireless: How can wireless power transmission work?

weird and wireless fig 3 detail.jpgWelcome again to the wonderful but sometimes weird world of wireless comms, written by Joel Young, CTO of Digi International.

In the last post I teased you by first stating that the traditional transverse electromagnetic wave method, i.e. how the sun works, doesn't scale very well for more moderate systems on the earth and second, telling you that Nikola Tesla had figured out a better way.

Unfortunately I didn't give you any details. However, before we get into too many details, we need to understand a few things about waves and the need to guide them.

Continue reading "Weird & Wireless: How can wireless power transmission work?" »

Tags:

Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on December 17, 2009 11:01 AM | | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

About December 2009

This page contains all entries posted to Electro-ramblings in December 2009. They are listed from oldest to newest.

November 2009 is the previous archive.

January 2010 is the next archive.

More posts can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.

Subscribe to this blog's feed
[What is this?]

Search


Powered by
Movable Type 4.37