Industrial Factory Automation

Rittal has introduced an ESD discharge facility that effectively removes all built-up charge from the front panel of the plug-in board and rapidly brings the panel to protective earth potential. This is achieved via a heavy-duty contact embedded in the guide rail, which is in permanent electrical contact with the chassis. The new system has been tested to IEEE1101.11 and UL1950 to 30A capacity. Initially designed as a rear I/O guide rail for 80mm assemblies, the high-current discharge contact and associated guide may also be used for front-mounted panels where excessive static build-up is likely. The new guides include the facility to safely discharge any remaining static or operational charge (such as that stored in capacitors) from boards being inserted into the system directly following a test under power. For this, an additional grounding clip is fastened to the guide rail in the direct path of the PCB, which needs to be designed in accordance with IEEE guidelines. Additionally...

Inertial Aerosystems has brought out a range of slim-line tilt-sensor boards, manufactured by US-based Applied Geomechanics . Designated the Tulip range, it consists of six models that are 4-20mA current-loop compatible with programmable controllers and similar factory-automation instrumentation. Tulip is current-loop powered and measurements can be made over long cable lengths using an economical two-wire pair. These innovative products, weighing 15g, are designed to measure angular tilt where space and weight are at a premium. They can be mounted inside pressure housings, well-logging tools or on any machine or structure, and can be configured for vertical or horizontal mounting. Tulip comes in three angular ranges: a high-gain version of +/-10deg (20deg span) with a resolution of 0.005deg and 0.01deg repeatability; a standard version of +/-25deg (50deg span) with a resolution of 0.01deg and a 0.02deg repeatability; and a wide-angle version of +/-50deg (100deg span) with a resolution...

PSL Datatrack 's Status Board display system for use with Datatrack software can now be used to provide instant real-time updates of key business operating parameters. Boardroom Status Board's multi-layer charting facility displays information on any aspect of the manufacturing process, combining production data with KPIs (key performance indicators) to give a precise overview of the status of the manufacturing business. The Datatrack software holds all the data relevant to a production process and customer requirements. Reporting systems deliver information about what manufacturing processes are delivering, which in most busy companies are out of date as soon as they are printed and referred to. Specified by the user, the Boardroom Status Board displays any relevant information for the business. Displays so far have included: delivery and current WIP values versus budgets; delivery performance - specific and by period average; achieved delivery promises; supplier delivery perf...

DEK has launched its Over Top Snuggers (OTS) substrate clamping technology. Securing printed circuit boards firmly in place ready for processing, the flexible technology is designed to ensure high-quality printing for enhanced end-of-line yield. OTS clamps the board flat before enabling finite snugging and clamp control for precise board location. The board is pulled down flat to enable a strong vacuum tooling contact and the clamps are then pulled away from the board top face surface to allow close-edge printing. By optimising edge-printed paste deposits, this process enhances yield potential. The OTS system automatically adjusts for variations in board thickness, eliminating setup requirements between production batches and runs and removing the need for manual intervention. The clamps will also automatically adjust for out-of-parallel boards. The technology uses the Instinctiv V9 user interface software to adjust and store clamp and snug pressure via a touch-screen interface. OTS i...

ITT Interconnect Solutions has developed a switching coaxial connector for customers that need to verify antenna or circuit-board performance. Designated LPC CP1/CP2 and detailed in a recent application note, the connector delivers an effective solution to passive switching between an internal circuit and external device such as test equipment, or an antenna. Critical attributes that the connector fulfils for customers include high reliability RF switching, low signal loss of less than 0.3dB, a minimum mating cycle count of 12,000 and return loss VSWR of 1.2:1 at 2GHz. With a frequency range up to 2GHz, the connector is ideal for a variety of applications, including mobile phones, two-way radio, military radio and wireless modems. A range of accessories is available for connection to the switching coaxial connector in order to address different test requirements. A cold pin minimises RF emissions in unmated scenarios. Further benefits include a low-profile test port of 5.6mm and the a...

Adept Scientific has added the DNA/DNR-1553-553 two-channel, dual redundant, 1553 bus interface boards from United Electronic Industries (UEI). Each board provides two independent, dual redundant bus interfaces for 1553 communication. The DNA version is compatible with UEI PowerDNA and UEIPAC 'Cubes' while the DNR version is designed for use in UEI's 12- and six-slot Racktangle chassis. Each port may be independently configured as a bus controller (BC), remote terminal (RT) or bus monitor (BM). Designed to function in harsh environments, the DNA/DNR-1553-553 is fully tested for operation from -40C to +85C, 0-70,000ft and can withstand 5g vibration and up to 50g shock. UEI's Cube architecture is a compact (4 x 4 x 4in or 4 x 4 x 5.8in) Ethernet-based I/O platform. It may be deployed in four different configurations. These are: Ethernet I/O systems slaved to a host PC; standalone data logger/recorder; Linux-based programmable automation controller (PAC); or Modbus TCP-ba...