Features

NASA Tech Needs

Energy Storage Technology to Power the Future in Space Exploration

NASA is focused on building a human outpost on the lunar surface. To reach this goal, there is a critical need to develop energy storage technologies to power the future...

Articles: Software

Industry Update: Analysis & Simulation Software

In our annual poll of executives at leading analysis and simulation software companies, we posed questions dealing with virtual prototyping, multiphysics, the roles of the designer and analyst,...

Articles: Electronics & Computers

Using RFID to Protect System Firmware

Breeching the security of safety- or security-intensive products such as auto parts, set top boxes, military electronics, or smart batteries can be a lucrative business that is well worth the nominal...

Articles: Electronics & Computers

Board Versus Box: The Age-Old DAQ Dilemma

Since the beginning of PC-based data acquisition and control in the 1980s, one question has remained a constant consideration for all who would specify a new DAQ system. Is this application better...

Articles: Electronics & Computers

Adopting Aerospace Development and Verification Standards for Software

An ever-increasing reliance on software control has meant that many companies from non-aerospace business sectors (automotive, nuclear power, MRI scanners, financial...

Who's Who: Aerospace

Robert W. Moorehead, Director of Space Flight Systems, John H. Glenn Research Center

Robert W. Moorehead served as NASA’s chief investigator for the Space Shuttle Challenger accident in 1986 and managed the Space Station Freedom program...

Application Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Position Sensors Help Cameras Focus on Mars

Hall Effect position sensors
Micropac Industries
Garland, TX
972-272-3571
www.micropac.com

Micropac’s hermetic Hall Effect devices are being used by Alliance...

Application Briefs: Aerospace

Devices Execute Critical Separations for Phoenix Lander

Hi-Shear separation devices
Hi-Shear Technology Corp.
Torrance, CA
310-326-8110
www.hi-shear.com

Hi-Shear separation nuts and pressure cartridges recently were...

Application Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Seven Practical Steps for Designing Networking Enclosures

The design of enclosures to house networking servers and components should be guided by one overriding concern — heat. Servers, in particular, generate a great deal of heat, so...

Application Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Tactile Feedback for Touch-input Devices

As products become more featurerich, manufacturers are looking at ways to improve the human-computer interface (HCI). Touchscreens, with intuitive operation and software flexibility, and...

Products

VIUscan™

Creaform, Levis, QE, Canada, offers the VIUscan™, the latest addition to the Handyscan 3D line of handheld scanners, which are used for the design, manufacturing, and inspection of any type of parts or assembly. VIUscan is a...

Products: Robotics, Automation & Control

Stepper Motor/Drive

The STM Drive+Motor solution from Applied Motion Products (Watsonville, CA) is a stepper drive and motor unit fused into a single device that saves space, wiring and cost, when compared with conventional motor/drive...

Products: Robotics, Automation & Control

Conveyor Control

Holjeron (Tualatin, OR) has unveiled conveyor control assemblies and 24 VDC motor-driven rollers able to operate in extreme temperature and humidity conditions.

Products: Robotics, Automation & Control

Digital Motion Control

The SPiiPlus HP Series motion control module from ACS Motion Control (Plymouth, MN) is available in PC-based, standalone, or rack-mounted multi-axis controllers that support direct-connected servo or stepper motors and...

Products: Robotics, Automation & Control

Servo Drive

The Accelnet Micro servo drive from Copley Controls (Canton, MA) mounts directly onto pc boards and delivers 6 A at 90 V for brushless and brush-type servo motors. It works in a range of system architectures and is compatible...

Products: Robotics, Automation & Control

MOSFSET Chipset

A 25V synchronous buck converter DirectFET® MOSFET chipset from International Rectifier (El Segundo, CA) is designed for point-of-load (POL) converter designs, and server, high-end desktop and notebook computer applications....

Products: Robotics, Automation & Control

Quadrature Encoder

The ADAM-5081 high-speed quadrature encoder and counter module from the Industrial Automation Group of Advantech (Cincinnati, OH) provides isolation of 2,500VDC, a high-speed frequency mode (5 Hz to 1 MHz), and a counter...

Products: Robotics, Automation & Control

Load Actuator

The MX Series linear actuator from Pacific Bearing Company (Rockford, IL) comes in belt-driven vertical and horizontal configurations, and in a choice of sizes. The actuator has large cam rollers to carry high loads at greater...

Products: Robotics, Automation & Control

Speed Regulator

The MINI-K® model Kinechek® speed regulator from Deschner Corp. (Santa Ana, CA) is available in ½, 1, 1¼, and 1½ inch stroke lengths with a maximum capacity of 400 lbs. There are no sliding seals, and no heavy springs to...

Products: Robotics, Automation & Control

Servo Drive

The Bassoon servo drive from Elmo Motion Control (Westford, MA) has an absolute encoder and delivers up to 1.9 kW of continuous power, or 3.8 kW peak. The fully programmable drive can operate in position, velocity, and current...

Products: Robotics, Automation & Control

Conveyor Brake

Designed for decline conveyors with a fail-safe requirement, the EC100 RollerDrive from Interroll Corp. (Wilmington, NC) has a mechanical rotor locking break that prevents drifting on inclines while ensuring smooth operation,...

Products: Robotics, Automation & Control

DC Brush Gear Motor

The quiet-running Peristaltic Pump Gear Motor (PPGM) from Crouzet North America (Vista, CA) generates half the noise of comparable motors. The motor is available in 16 and 30-watt models and features a gearbox torque of...

Products: Robotics, Automation & Control

Parallel Gripper

SCHUNK Inc. (Morrisville, NC) has expanded its EGN series of servo electric two-finger parallel grippers to include sizes 80 and 160 in addition to the existing size 100. The new sizes have a stroke per finger of 8 and 16...

Products: Photonics/Optics

Product of the Month: IR Panoramic Camera

HGH Infrared Systems (Cambridge, MA) has introduced the IR Revolution 360, a 20° vertical, 360° horizontal field of view (FOV) panoramic infrared camera for security and surveillance. The...