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September 2010 Archives

September 1, 2010

Only Connect: The Nicab Top Ten connectors

Welcome to another post in a new series - Only Connect - by Nick Locke, of Nicab Ltd, who has over 15 years experience in the electronics manufacturing industry specialising in interconnection cable assembly.

Here's a quick snapshot - the Nicab Top Ten connectors...

1. The D-Sub

2. IDC Ribbon Connectors

3. Crimp 2.54MM Connectors

Continue reading "Only Connect: The Nicab Top Ten connectors" »

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Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on September 1, 2010 9:27 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

September 3, 2010

Top 10 most popular articles on ElectronicsWeekly.com

electronics weekly logo 120 x 60 png.pngHere are the top ten most popular articles on ElectronicsWeekly.com in the last week, with haptic feedback, tidal power, and the battle to be the numero uno chip company leading the way...

See what your peers have been reading. In reverse order:

10. Poor Old Europe

9. Why Oh Why? Intel-McAfee Revisited

8. Fable: Don't Spoil The Ship For A Ha'Porth Of Tar

Continue reading "Top 10 most popular articles on ElectronicsWeekly.com" »

Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on September 3, 2010 8:48 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

September 7, 2010

Photo Gallery - A history of Keithley Instruments

Fig6 100.jpgThere's a nice new Photo Gallery up on the site. Check out - A history of Keithley Instruments in pictures for Electronics Weekly

In celebration of our 50th anniversary, Keithley Instruments has opened its photo archives to share some history on how it all began for the test and measurement specialist more than 60 years ago.

Historical entries include pictures of the original garage from which the company grew, the Phantom Repeater, 1950s employees at their workbench, Nobel winner Klaus von Klitzing and numerous historical models (160 DMM, 2100, System 2, S530, and 4225-PMU)...

View the latest photo gallery >>

View all Electronics Weekly photo galleries >>

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Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on September 7, 2010 9:14 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

September 6, 2010

Only Connect: Proud of the Made In UK mark

Marshall amps.jpgWelcome to another post in a new series - Only Connect - by Nick Locke, of Nicab Ltd, who has over 15 years experience in the electronics manufacturing industry specialising in interconnection cable assembly.

In my previous blogs I have discussed manufacturing in the UK and how we must first create a positive image in our heads about how it is possible to survive and thrive in UK Manufacturing.

I was reminded of this recently when I had the opportunity to visit Marshall Amplification, a company that is not only a British Icon and known worldwide but still manufactures 99% of its products in the UK.

I am always fascinated by companies that continue to manufacture in the UK and I asked the question why? The answer was simple and very powerful.

Continue reading "Only Connect: Proud of the Made In UK mark" »

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Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on September 6, 2010 11:19 AM | | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

September 8, 2010

Electroon #7 - "My new microwave"

electroon 7 thumbnail.JPGWelcome to the seventh instalment of our series - a look at the Electroon cartoons that graced Electronics Weekly for many years, starting with its very first issue back in September 1960.





[click the thumbnail to see the full image]

Enter angry male Lab manager, stage right...

This one is from issue number seven, dated 19 October 1960.

Continue reading "Electroon #7 - "My new microwave"" »

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Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on September 8, 2010 8:55 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

September 9, 2010

Photo Galleries: 4G phones and historic electronics

2489_20_HTC-Evo-4G 100x100.jpg1999 100x100.JPGLike a London bus, you wait a month for a new Photo Gallery and then three new ones come along.

We highlighted the History of Keithley last Friday, but we have now also added two more:

* Photos: 4G phones you won't see in the UK

* Photos: Electronics Weekly front covers, by decade

Continue reading "Photo Galleries: 4G phones and historic electronics" »

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Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on September 9, 2010 10:24 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

September 10, 2010

Top 10 most popular articles on ElectronicsWeekly.com

electronics weekly logo 120 x 60 png.pngHere are the top ten most popular articles on ElectronicsWeekly.com in the last week, with Intel and Infineon, NXP job cuts, and the history of Keithley Instruments in pictures leading the way...

See what your peers have been reading. In reverse order:

10. Poor Old Europe

9. Picture Gallery - 50th Anniversary - First issue, 7 September 1960

8. Recall Corner: Ferrari 458 Italia sports car

Continue reading "Top 10 most popular articles on ElectronicsWeekly.com" »

Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on September 10, 2010 8:36 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

September 21, 2010

Elektra 2010 - Reader's Choice for Product Innovation

cut of banner logo jpg.jpgFor the for the 2010 Elektras, which product innovation gets your vote in the Reader's Choice Product Innovation catagory, sponsored by Avnet? Entrants include Philips, Nokia, Apple and HTC...

Please vote for ONE of the products below. Only one vote per reader will be counted.

* Apple iPad

* BlueSolar panels from Netherlands-based Victron Energy

* HTC Desire Android smartphone

* Nokia Bicycle Charger kit

* Philips MASTER LEDbulb A60 7W

Place your vote!

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Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on September 21, 2010 10:39 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

September 14, 2010

Only Connect: Kudos for Connector.com

connector-com logo.jpgWelcome to another post in a new series - Only Connect - by Nick Locke, of Nicab Ltd, who has over 15 years experience in the electronics manufacturing industry specialising in interconnection cable assembly.

Molex does something really helpful!

It has now come up with a great portal aimed squarely at connector suppliers and engineers and others involved in the field of connector assembly.

The social media website Connector.com is billed right up front as The Place to connect with the connector experts. Well OK, Molex! And indeed, the site launches with a trio of insightful articles housed in topic areas for  Power, Environmental and Connectors 101.

Continue reading "Only Connect: Kudos for Connector.com" »

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Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on September 14, 2010 4:51 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

September 17, 2010

Top 10 most popular articles on ElectronicsWeekly.com

electronics weekly logo 120 x 60 png.pngHere are the top ten most popular articles on ElectronicsWeekly.com in the last week, with Keithley Instruments, 4G phones, gunship watches, and the Samsung Galaxy Tab leading the way...

See what your peers have been reading. In reverse order:

10. Comment: Why Intel bought Infineon's mobile chip business

9. ARM unveils Cortex-A15

8. Picture Gallery - Tidal Power

Continue reading "Top 10 most popular articles on ElectronicsWeekly.com" »

Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on September 17, 2010 10:46 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

September 14, 2010

Britain's FIRST Electronics Newspaper - We are 50!

Under the headline: 'Britain's FIRST Electronics Newspaper', Electronics Weekly announced its arrival to the world 50 years ago.

"This newspaper makes journalistic history," starts the announcement on the front page of the first edition of Electronics Weekly , published on 7 September 1960.

It was the first newspaper in the UK to be devoted specifically to electronics, which was described as "Britain's fastest growing industry".

Looking back over the past 50 years will convince you of one thing; the UK has an electronics and microelectronics heritage that it can be proud of.

Read the full story >>

See also: 50 Years of the UK semiconductor industry

See also: 50 Years in the UK telecoms industry


Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on September 14, 2010 10:54 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

September 20, 2010

Only Connect: Handy Design Tips #3 - The right wrong connector

rj45.jpgWelcome to another post in a new series - Only Connect - by Nick Locke, of Nicab Ltd, who has over 15 years experience in the electronics manufacturing industry specialising in interconnection cable assembly.

A post related to a "Neat trick" that resolves a problem or is a handy tip on product design.

In a previous blog post I discussed using colour and encouraged you to be brave on designing for the maximum visual impact.

Today I am going to encourage you to throw away the rule book and think about using connectors for the wrong propose.

It's ok I'm not going to suggest that you use DC connectors for Mains applications but I am going to get you to think about using connectors for purposes other than they were designed for.

Continue reading "Only Connect: Handy Design Tips #3 - The right wrong connector" »

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Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on September 20, 2010 2:36 PM | | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

September 21, 2010

Electroon #8 - "How is he on astronomy, botany, medicine...?"

electroon 8 - thumbnail.JPGWelcome to the eighth instalment of our series - a look at the Electroon cartoons that graced Electronics Weekly for many years, starting with its very first issue back in September 1960.





[click the thumbnail to see the full image]

Continue reading "Electroon #8 - "How is he on astronomy, botany, medicine...?"" »

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Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on September 21, 2010 11:50 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

September 24, 2010

Top 10 most popular articles on ElectronicsWeekly.com

electronics weekly logo 120 x 60 png.pngHere are the top ten most popular articles on ElectronicsWeekly.com in the last week, with TI, Pasquale Pistorio, Samsung and ARM leading the way...

See what your peers have been reading. In reverse order:

10. A wall smashingly good flat screen TV

9. Picture Gallery - A history of Keithley Instruments

8. The Paranoid Survive; But Can They Thrive?

Continue reading "Top 10 most popular articles on ElectronicsWeekly.com" »

Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on September 24, 2010 8:15 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

September 23, 2010

An engineer in wonderland - Son* of 555?

 

An Engineer in Wonderland has a new home. You can find this particular entry here. If you wish to leave a comment, please do that on the new blog.

 

Reminiscent of the very best analogue apps notes, the data sheet for Linear Tech's rather interesting LTC6992 six pin oscillator/PWM includes a delightful collection of circuits.

I particularly like the Wide Range LED Dimming (0 to 85000 Cd/m2 Brightness - page 29), even though I have still to fathom how control transfers between the two control circuits.

The 6992 is part of a neat little cluster of six pin temporal building blocks, called TimerBlox, that rely on silicon rather than capacitors to set periods.

I feel, at last, there is a worthy successor to Hans Camenzind's venerable 555 within this family.


'Alice'

* Daughter? 


Should you feel the need, respond below.


No email addresses are collected for marketing purposes from responses to this blog. I will keep it that way for as long as possible.

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Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on September 23, 2010 4:38 PM | | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

September 24, 2010

An Engineer in Wonderland - ridiculous switching frequencies

 

An Engineer in Wonderland has a new home. You can find this particular entry here. If you wish to leave a comment, please do that on the new blog.

 

I can remember talking to a TDK ferrite guy in Japan once and seeing a look of how-are-we-going-to-make-that-inductor shock on his face when I said there was a dc-dc chip available that operated at 2MHz.

Continue reading "An Engineer in Wonderland - ridiculous switching frequencies" »

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Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on September 24, 2010 12:51 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

September 27, 2010

An Engineer in Wonderland - Lignum vitae bearings

 

An Engineer in Wonderland has a new home. You can find this particular entry here. If you wish to leave a comment, please do that on the new blog.

 

A programme about a chair from the Caribbean from Radio 4's A History of the World in 100 Objects mentioned the wood lignum vitae, which reminded me of the clocks of John Harrison.

According to the book Longitude, Harrison used the wood in clock bearings for its long-lasting and self-lubricating properties.

Continue reading "An Engineer in Wonderland - Lignum vitae bearings" »

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Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on September 27, 2010 8:00 AM | | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Only Connect: We're changing the world into a better place, baby!

Welcome to another post in a new series - Only Connect - by Nick Locke, of Nicab Ltd, who has over 15 years experience in the electronics manufacturing industry specialising in interconnection cable assembly.

ukesf logo.jpgA post related to how electronic manufactures can better promote the value of UK manufacturing.

Something that we can all do is think about the next generation of people coming into our industry. What sort of image do we currently project and how might this affect the career choices of our brightest minds?

This is a question the UK Electronics Skills Foundation (UKESF) has asked in order to understand the sharp decline in the number of UK students accepting places on Electronic Engineering courses.
 

Continue reading "Only Connect: We're changing the world into a better place, baby!" »

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Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on September 27, 2010 11:21 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

September 28, 2010

Electroon #9 - "Computer says No"

electroon 9 thumbnail.JPGWelcome to the ninth instalment of our series - a look at the Electroon cartoons that graced Electronics Weekly for many years, starting with its very first issue back in September 1960.





[click the thumbnail to see the full image]

This is a very early variation on "Computer says No!"... Being 1960, there's a slightly more mechanical UI than Windows. Also, it is a very early example of banks using "data transmission" technology - what could possible go wrong, in the future?

This one is from issue number nine, dated 2 November 1960.

Previous Electroons:

Continue reading "Electroon #9 - "Computer says No"" »

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Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on September 28, 2010 8:35 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Note the Keynotes of Embedded Live

embedded_live_LOGO cut 200.jpg
Time is passing fast and the Embedded Live conference, once so distant in mid-October, is now on the Near Horizon!

If you haven't been following the event-dedicated micro-site or blog, here are a few more Keynote points to highlight.

KEYNOTE on SPACE SYSTEMS
Tanya Vladimirova, team leader of embedded systems research at the Surrey Space Centre, will describe the current technology demands and design challenges being faced by the developers of space and satellite systems.

Continue reading "Note the Keynotes of Embedded Live" »

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Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on September 28, 2010 11:56 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

September 30, 2010

Photos Gallery - A first look at RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook

playbook3 100 100.jpgJust to let you know a new picture gallery has been loaded on the site - Photos: A first look at RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook

What do you make of the new tablet device from RIM? Have you seen it yet? Check out the form factor and details of the spec. 


Personally, I don't like needing to tether it to a separate BlackBerry for net access...) 


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Posted by Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on September 30, 2010 1:28 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

About September 2010

This page contains all entries posted to Electro-ramblings in September 2010. They are listed from oldest to newest.

August 2010 is the previous archive.

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