Changes to schematic capture and PCB layout tool Eagle have been announced by former owner Farnell.
Read full article: Eagle PCB gets first update since AutoDesk buy-out
Raspberry Pi unlocks doors
A Raspberry Pi in the home design tutorial video from Hacker House caught my eye. It describes how to build a smartphone-connected door lock using a Raspberry Pi-powered deadbolt actuator. According to Alex Bate writing on the RaspberryPi.org blog, it can be retro-fitted to an existing lock, “so there’s no need to start pulling out the …
Read full article: Raspberry Pi unlocks doors
Designing The 741 Op Amp, By Dave Fullagar
50 years ago a young Brit joined Fairchild where he was to design one of the most famous ICs ever made – the 741 op amp. Dave Fullagar had been working for the RRE and answered a Transitron ad. Tom zlongo, then GM at Transitron, interviewed Fullagar in London snd offerd him a job. It …
Read full article: Designing The 741 Op Amp, By Dave Fullagar
Channel mixer IC is tuned for 4G and 5G frequencies
Linear Technology has introduced a dual channel mixer which has integrated programmable variable gain IF amplifiers. The LTC5566 dual mixer has a 300MHz to 6GHz input frequency range, and so covers the emerging 3.6GHz and 4.5GHz 5G mobile bands, as well as the established 4G bands. It supports bandwidths up to 400MHz to meet the …
Read full article: Channel mixer IC is tuned for 4G and 5G frequencies
Dual ARM core embedded computer for Linux or Android
Virtualette V1 is an ARM-based embedded IoT computer from SRKH Designs in Sydney, designed to run Linux of Android. Intended applications are drones, robots, as peers or M2M nodes in distributed systems for security or information display. Powered by a dual-core Allwinner A20 SoC, it is a two-board stack with 8Gbyte of on-board NAND flash, …
Read full article: Dual ARM core embedded computer for Linux or Android
Leti targets 10-micron pixel displays at VR
Leti, a research institute of CEA Tech, says it can produce micro-displays with the resolution needed for virtual reality headsets. The French research centre uses a proprietary self-aligned process the fabricate the blue or green GaN/InGaN µLED arrays at a 10-micron pitch and 873 x 500 resolution. Other techniques are used to provide good thermal dissipation and prevent voltage drops within the …
Read full article: Leti targets 10-micron pixel displays at VR
SIA puts 2016 IC market at $339bn
The SIA says the semiconductor industry had sales of $338.9 billion in 2016, the industry’s highest-ever annual sales and an increase of 1.1% on 2015. Global sales for December reached $31bn , equaling the previous month’s total and bettering sales from December 2015 by 12.3%. Q4 sales of $93bnwere 12.3% higher than the total from Q4 …
Read full article: SIA puts 2016 IC market at $339bn
Self-driving tech borrowed to help the blind
A European project will adapt automotive obstacle detection to other uses, including guidance for the visually impaired and blind. Portable and wearable, multi-sensor and low-power spatial-exploration and obstacle-detection systems will be created for all-weather use, said French research lab Leti. Robotics, drones, smart manufacturing and distance measurement are other potential uses. “It will be used for …
Read full article: Self-driving tech borrowed to help the blind
Pipe protection
Folmar™ Pipe Protection from Great Water Tech is a proprietary, silicate-based mineral solution that prevents corrosion, scale, metal leeching, and the formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs) throughout all levels of water infrastructure.
Level meters
The Water Level Meter 100 and 200 from In-Situ include static and drawdown modes, allowing users to switch from static level readings to drawdown mode for low-flow and pump tests.