Jaz is a family of
stackable, modular components with common electronics and communications. At
its heart is a miniature CCD-array spectrometer, available with optical bench
design options to optimize the system for various application needs. The Jaz
platform accommodates up to eight spectrometer channels for multi-channel
sensing. Each Jaz stack includes an onboard
microprocessor and display, which eliminate the need for a PC. Spectral data
can be acquired, processed and stored onboard the unit or transmitted via
Ethernet or USB to another device. Applications software and programming
options allow users to customize the system interface to their requirements. Design
engineers tasked with the requirement to measure light no longer need to
become light-measurement experts. Complete systems, including light source
and spectral measurement, and even communications and storage, can all be
implemented quickly and easily using the battery-powered, field-ready Jaz
spectrometer system. Modularity and versatility mean a custom system
can be created off-the-shelf to solve an almost infinite variety of measurement
and control problems -- and measure light, oxygen, pH, temperature, voltage or
current. Once satisfied that the Jaz does the job, customization options
mean that an OEM-ready product can be available in record time. Jaz is a
breakthrough that eliminates obstacles associated with traditional spectral
systems; nothing similar exists. For example, researchers using Jaz scaled Mt.
Everest
to make solar radiation measurements, providing important data about ozone
depletion. Existing alternatives, encumbered by computer needs and power
supplies, are untenable for such applications. Similarly, Jaz has enabled
complex analyses in environments as challenging as snow fields in Norway
and strictly controlled greenhouses in The Netherlands. What really sets the
product apart, besides its configurability and size, is that Jaz uses only 2.5W
of power while running an embedded OS (ucLinux) and powering an onboard
DSP.
Starter motors with automatic starting capabilities will hit the auto market in a big way in 2012. Within 15 years, every new vehicle could offer "start-stop."
Branching out from its CAM software roots, PartMaker is adding a 3D CAD modeling component to its PartMaker portfolio, acknowledging that machinists need better tools for working with 3D models.
Environmental stress cracking is a common failure mode for plastics, and you may need to do your own testing to make sure that the plastic you plan to use will not crack.
The tray table that folds in half for stowage in the armrest of an airline seat is something admired for its design ingenuity, but long cursed for its operational opaqueness and flimsiness.
Thanks to embedded electronics, medical devices are getting smaller and smarter than ever. Pacemakers and implantable defibrillators are now able to call physicians. MRIs, CT scanners, and ultrasound machines are gaining mobility. And the venerable Band-Aid may soon be able to detect illnesses ranging from fevers to heart arrhythmias. On February 21, join Design News senior editor Charles Murray for a wide-ranging discussion, "Embedded Angles for Medical Products," which will explore the latest developments in medical electronics. The discussion will examine advances in medical device technology and offer an inside look at the embedded electronics behind it.
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
18 
