Boost your battery performance

David helping Goliath is what Maxwell Technologies PowerCache^TM PC223 diminutive 8-f ultracapacitor offers designers of hand-held electronics--to the tune of juicing battery life upwards of four times, or reducing battery bulk by three-quarters. Net result: devices needing power bursts get lower battery cost and weight. The postage stamp-size (29.0 3 23.3-mm), 4.2-mm-thick devices caches 21 J at 2.3V for discharges from under a second to one minute, and does it hundreds of thousands of times. Maxwell Advanced Energy Products President Mark McGough says, "With roughly ten times the power density of batteries, the PC223 provides power needed for a long reverse signal and offers a manufacturing improvement over NiCad batteries, which require two to three hours charging time before installation. The ultracapacitor can be charged in seconds and offers a cycle life for the entire life of the product."
Maxwell Technologies: Product Code 4577

Semiconductors get new packages

Power semiconductors from Int'l Rectifier are available in Super-220^TM and Super-D²Pak^TM package styles. The semiconductors feature low R_DS(ON), which provides increased current ratings, says Chris Bull, switch technical marketing manager. The new package styles also feature industry-standard outlines, but allow as much as 40% more silicon in the same-size outline, Bull adds. Both packages also match the automotive standard of Q101 and 175C. Applications include low-voltage battery motor drive and automobile, as well as power supply.
Int'l Rectifier: Product Code 4582

Processor board provides high MFLOPS per processor

Analogic Corp.'s CPCI-DSP-II is a dual-SHARC(R) digital signal processor board for CompactPCI and delivers 120 MFLOPS per processor. The SHARC processors run in parallel, according to Rick Lentini, senior product marketing engineer. The board's architecture is configured for signal image processing, but can also be used for digital compression, Lentini adds. The CPCI-DSP-II features a 14-pin IEEE standard JTAG diagnostic connector compatible with commercial emulators such as EZ-ICE to facilitate debugging.
Analogic Corp.: Product Code 4581

New sensor sees clear objects

Sensing transparent objects used to rank right up there with other famous engineering challenges. Not anymore. Engineers at Banner Engineering Corp. have come up with a new photoelectric sensor, called the MINI-BEAM(R) Expert^TM, that is specifically designed to sense clear objects on a moving conveyor line and similarly tough applications. The secret, say Banner Engineers Erich Schwab and Keith Carlsten, lies in the sensor's advanced microprocessor. "In essence, an optical sensor looks at the change in the signal coming back from the reflector to detect the presence or absence of an object," says Carlsten, "So what we did here is design the electronics to be sensitive enough to measure the extremely small changes you get with a clear object."
Banner Engineering: Product Code 4580

Transmitter for hazardous areas

Just out from Turck: A new dual-function PT 100 RTD transmitter, the MK32, with intrinsically-safe input circuits. "Its mission in life lies in monitoring temperature in hazardous locations," says Brad Larson of Turck. Any place that has a potentially explosive atmosphere, such as manufacturing processes that involve solvents, petroleum-based products, painting spraying, chemicals, even dry cleaning, where measurement and controls must be performed is a good place for the multimodulel(R) MK32.
Turck Inc.: Product Code 4579