Articles
Light thrown on nanowire welding
A new way to weld together meshes of tiny wires has been discovered by researchers at Stanford University. Their work could lead to electronics and solar applications. To succeed, they called upon plasmonics. [ + ]
Modular power supplies on the increase
Modular power supplies enjoy disproportional growth. Personnel limitations of development engineers for discrete solutions increase costs, while readily available modules feature lower prices. Aspects such as higher efficiency, easier certification and the experience of specialists support ‘modular’ solutions. [ + ]
Self-healing electronics could reduce waste
University of Illinois professors Nancy Sottos, Scott White and Jeffery Moore applied their experience in self-healing polymers to electrical systems, developing technology that could extend the longevity of electronic devices and batteries. [ + ]
Robot speeds up glass development
Model by model, the electronics in a motor vehicle are being moved closer to the engine block, where the materials used for the electronics must resist increasing heat - so the glass solder being used as glue must be continually optimised. [ + ]
Enhancing simulation studies with 3D animation
The use of simulation studies to better understand the dynamic behaviour of a system under investigation is at the core of verifying designs early in the development process. Despite the amount of data that such studies produce, a 3D representation of the system creates a more complete understanding of system behaviour. [ + ]
Unmasking microchip making for more markets
Miniaturised devices like smart-phones have now reached the mass consumer market, but when first introduced, manufacturing costs for low volumes can keep innovative products from taking off.
[ + ]New tools that help software testing
Releasing a product with bugs is potentially very expensive, especially considering the cost of field upgrades, recalls and repairs. Less quantifiable, but at least equally important, is the damage done to reputation and consequent loss of customer goodwill.
[ + ]Cheaper solar cells on the horizon
Solar or photovoltaic cells represent one of the best possible technologies for providing an absolutely clean and virtually inexhaustible source of energy to power our civilization.
[ + ]Bringing embedded chips to smart devices
Microchips are found in every modern electronic device from mobile phones to kitchen appliances. But as users demand more processing power on an ever smaller scale, bulky chips mounted on printed circuit boards are running out of room.
[ + ]Throwing some light on electromagnetic fields
Testing the effect of electromagnetic fields on humans to find out if CFLs are safe to use. [ + ]
Ensuring redundancy in critical systems
Probably no other issue generates more discussion or confusion in the electrical market than how to correctly implement a redundant power supply system.
[ + ]Tiny soldering iron can control chemical patterns
Researchers with the US Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have shed light on the role of temperature in controlling a fabrication technique for drawing chemical patterns as small as 20 nm.
[ + ]Reliability drive for vehicle connectors
Rugged connectors are meeting the rapidly changing requirements of the modern motor vehicle platform. Today’s vehicles are heading into new territory, due to smart and adaptable interconnect products.
[ + ]European PV market faces sharp decline
Rapidly falling prices in the first half of this year have been unable to stimulate the faltering European photovoltaic market, according to the latest Solarbuzz European PV Markets report.
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