Electronics news

• March 1914: Obituary of George Westinghouse

  06-10-2017 17:00
  
  One of the peculiarities of obituaries in archive editions of The Engineer is that they often don’t cover what you might expect them to. We remember George Westinghouse as the father of alternating current, and for his ‘war of the currents’ with Thomas Edison, who was a proponent of direct current, believing it safer. It’s a colourful story, taking in as it does the deliberate electrocution of an unfortunate elephant called Topsy (by Edison). The Engineer’s lengthy
  
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• Single chip 25GHz mmWave circulator works without magnets

  06-10-2017 16:36 via electronicsweekly.com
  Researchers at Columbia University in New York have created an rf circulator that works at 25GHz. It uses a non-reciprocal structure – one whose physical characteristics differ depending on the direction of flow. In this case, it has a double ring where section of each ring are either directly-connected or cross-connected by switches. If the ...
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• GCT offers LTE/Sigfox combo chip for IoT trackers

  06-10-2017 16:28 via electronicsweekly.com
  GCT Semiconductor, 4G mobile chip supplier, has announced an LTE device which will also support the Sigfox wireless IoT interface. A feature of the GDM7243I chip is its low power which will allow it to be used for tracking devices to connect using the Sigfox wireless IoT network for several years without the need for ...
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• NICT claims 53.3Tbit/s optical switching record

  06-10-2017 15:57 via electronicsweekly.com
  NICT is claiming a world-record for optical switching capacity: 53.3Tbit/s in short-reach data-centre networks.
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• 53.3Tbit/s optical switching record

  06-10-2017 15:57 via electronicsweekly.com
  The Japanese National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) is claiming a world-record for optical switching capacity: 53.3Tbit/s in short-reach data-centre networks. “This demonstration makes use of spatial division multiplexing (SDM) over multi-core optical fibres (MCFs) and a newly developed high-speed spatial optical switch system, enabling full packet-granularity,” said the organisation. “We believe this ...
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• Imec looks for partners to develop MOMS pressure sensor

  06-10-2017 15:33 via electronicsweekly.com
  Imec is looking for development partners for a pressure sensor based on micro-optomechanical systems (MOMS) technology. The sensor exhibits measurement precision in a large pressure range while being compact, resistant to EMI and with multiplexing capabilities. The sensor can be used in applications that require high-quality sensing, notably in the medical and life sciences domains.   ...
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• August 1915: The Board of Invention

  06-10-2017 15:00
  
  These days,The Engineer gets quite a few of its research stories by looking at who’s been awarded EPSRC grants. One of this organisation’s main forerunners, the Board of Invention and Research, was set up by the Royal Navy a century ago, and it’s fair to say that our predecessors met its formation with a fair amount of scepticism. And at the root of The Engineer’s concerns was the composition of the board. The problem? Not enough engineers.
  The formidable Admiral John Fis
  
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• Fracking all over the world

  06-10-2017 13:58
  
    Andrew Wade, senior reporter
  This week saw the Scottish government implement a total ban on hydraulic fracturing – or fracking – instigating a bunfight of Bake Off proportions in The Engineer’s comments section.Cuadrilla’s experimental fracking well near Blackpool caused 2 “seismic events”One critic of the decision suggested England should stop supplying electricity to its northerly neighbour (he would do well to take a look at energy flows around the U
  
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• TSMC September revenues down y-o-y and sequentially

  06-10-2017 13:40 via electronicsweekly.com
  TSMC  today announced that its net revenues for September 2017 were approximately NT$88.58 billion (US$2.9 billion) a decrease of 3.6% from August 2017 and a decrease of 1.3% from September 2016. Revenues for January through September 2017 totaled NT$699.88 billion (US$23 billion) an increase of 2.1% compared to the same period in 2016.
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• Novel chip technology could free bandwidth for autonomous cars

  06-10-2017 13:34
  
  US researchers demonstrate chip-based method for wireless two-way communicationEver more technologies are depending on data transmission, from 5G telephony to communication of autonomous cars with each other and their surrounding infrastructure, but the airwaves are getting crowded, and the bandwidth available for that communication is becoming scarce.
  A team of electronics engineers at Columbia University in New York has now developed a system that, for the first time, can be integrated onto a
  
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• Prosthetic leg monitors gait and alerts users to wear and tear

  06-10-2017 12:21
  
  The US Navy is partnering with academia to develop a ‘smart’ prosthetic leg equipped with specially designed sensors to monitor walking gait and alert users to wear and tear.Dr Jerome Lynch (right) and Wentao Wang, ONR (Credit
  Joseph Xu)Traditional leg prosthetics depend on soft limb tissue to function and can be painful to wear, resulting in awkward walking motion and possible skin infection.
  To overcome these limitations, the US Office of Naval Research (ONR) is partnering with Wal
  
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• Rio Tinto completes first fully autonomous rail journey in Western Australia

  06-10-2017 12:19
  
  Mining giant Rio Tinto has announced that it has completed the first fully autonomous rail journey at its iron ore operations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.The nearly 100 kilometre pilot run was completed without a driver on board, making it the first fully autonomous heavy haul train journey ever completed in Australia according to the company.
  The successful pilot run from Wombat Junction to Paraburdoo is a significant step toward full completion of the company’s AutoHaul pr
  
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• What is happening with the Apprenticeship Levy and what can employers do?

  06-10-2017 12:16
  
  Viewpoint
  Ann Watson of Semta explains how employers can make the best use of the Appenticeship Levy to benefit engineering employees of all ages and maximise skills throughout their organisation.
  Our industry produces endless reports about skills shortages, and by one estimate we need two million more engineers by 2025. There are numerous campaigns to tackle the issue, focusing on one issue or another – recruiting more women, encouraging older people to take up apprenticeships and ensurin
  
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• Smart bandage has potential to heal wounds and injuries

  06-10-2017 11:54
  
  Gel coated electrically conductive fibres have been formed into a smart bandage that could one day heal chronic wounds or battlefield injuries.
  The bandage, developed by researchers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Harvard Medical School and MIT, can be individually loaded with antibiotics, tissue-regenerating growth factors, painkillers or other medications.
  Prototype smart bandageA postage stamp-sized microcontroller, which could be activated by a smartphone or other wireless device, s
  
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• Fraunhofer researchers develop system to find impurities clinging to components

  06-10-2017 11:48
  
  Fluorescence measurement detects traces of contamination during production
  Tiny specks of dirt or grease left on components during manufacturing processes can have disproportionately serious effects, such as ruining the effectiveness of seals between components. Despite advances in quality control and inspection, it has not been possible to find a way to inspect every component on an assembly line for every trace of contaminant. The Fraunhofer innovation, developed at the Institute for Physical
  
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• Two-car link-up improves intelligent-driving finds EPFL

  06-10-2017 11:46 via electronicsweekly.com
  Networking vehicles so that they can interact improves autonomous vehicle performance, according to Swiss university EPFL.
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• Two-car link-up improves intelligent-driving

  06-10-2017 11:46 via electronicsweekly.com
  Networking vehicles so that they can interact improves autonomous vehicle performance, according to Swiss university EPFL. Its researchers developed ‘co-operative perception algorithms’, which extend a vehicle’s situational awareness through data from a second car. “For example, in a scenario in which one car overtakes another car on a two-lane road, they developed an assistance system ...
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• Infineon develops complete radar chipset

  06-10-2017 11:28 via electronicsweekly.com
  The radar chipset includes a 77/79 GHz Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC)
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• Infineon develops complete radar chip-set

  06-10-2017 11:28 via electronicsweekly.com
  Infineon has made available to early adopters a complete radar chipset. It includes a 77/79 GHz Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC), a high-performance multicore microcontroller with a dedicated sensor processing unit and a safety power supply to accelerate the development of advanced radar systems. “Over the recent years, we have seen the pace of innovation ...
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• Scottish researchers make optical computer breakthrough

  06-10-2017 11:13 via electronicsweekly.com
  Scottish scientists believe they have made an important discovery in the practical application of high-speed photonic circuits. Researchers at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh say they are one step closer to technology that could result in electrons being replaced with photons in electronic circuits. The researchers led by Dr Marcello Ferrera, an assistant professor in Photonics ...
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• Google AI to help drive Rolls Royce autonomous ship development

  06-10-2017 11:07
  
  Rolls-Royce has signed a deal with Google to develop intelligent awareness systems for future autonomous ships.Under the agreement Rolls-Royce will start using Google’s cloud-based machine learning software to train an artificial intelligence (AI) based system for detecting and tracking objects at sea.
  Rolls-Royce will use the software to create bespoke machine learning models which can be accessed through the cloud and used to interpret its marine data sets. The technology is considered e
  
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• Ensuring aerospace innovation meets tomorrow’s challenges

  06-10-2017 10:00
  
  Viewpoint
  Ivor Ichikowitz, executive chairman of South African defence organisation Paramount Group, explains the benefits of coupling manufacturing and R&D for aerospace innovation.
  The world is becoming a perilously uncertain place.
  Over recent decades, threats have become increasingly asymmetrical, both in their form and occurrence. For nations across the world, this challenging environment is increasing the need for versatile aerospace and defence technology that can support their effort
  
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• Foundry industry to grow 6% CAGR 2017-22

  06-10-2017 07:33 via electronicsweekly.com
  The foundry industry is expected to grow by 6% CAGR 2017-22 to reach $74.66 billion in 2022, says Digitimes Research. By 2022, the Big 4 – TSMC, Globalfoundries, UMC and SMIC – will have a combined production capacity of 62.781 million 8-inch equivalent wafers a year, representing a CAGR of 7.1% 2017-22. Revenues from TSMC’s ...
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