News Industry Spotlight Productronica


Productronica, taking place in Munich from November 12 – 15 2013, will pay special attention to a future project known as Industry 4.0. A panel of prominent speakers at a CEO Roundtable will also explore Industry 4.0 on the first day of the fair while the Innovation Forum in Hall B2 will focus on this topic on the third day of the fair. Whether optimised process control, automation or the intelligent planning of resources – the use of software solutions, sensors and embedded systems in elec- tronics manufacturing is diverse. To move the entire production process forward and make it more transparent, future projects such as Industry 4.0 and production-related systems such as MES (Manufacturing Execution System) or ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) will be key factors for the industry. They also improve the trans- parency of all functions and processes that are critical to the production process. Half of the increases in productivity in the


European economy during the past 15 years can be attributed to innovations in information and communication technology. In the area of software embedded systems, Germany has achieved a leading position, particularly in the automotive and machine-building sectors. Industry 4.0 is part of the German govern- ment's high-tech strategy. EUR 200 million in subsidies from Germany's Ministry of Education and Research and the Ministry of Economics are intended to help establish Germany as a leading supplier of cyber-physical systems (CPS) – autonomous, networked microsys- tems and the next step in embedded system development. Productroinca Productronica.com


Improved image quality in ultrasound devices


A new ultrasound trans- ceiver has been released by Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. that is able to improve image quality and reliability. As the MAX2082 octal is a highly integrated transceiver it can save up to 40 percent on board space and consumes 30 percent less power than similar devices. With ultrasound equipment becoming much more widely avail- able it is quickly moving in to smaller clinics, doctor’s offices, and patient’s homes as a low cost, non invasive diagnostic tool. As a result users are expecting better performance and


cheaper solutions. To achieve this, the new device integrates eight channelsof three level 200V pulsers and T/R switches, an


octal ADC, octal LNA, and octal VGA, CW mixers, anti-aliasing filters, and coupling capacitors into a small package requiring less than 10 square inches. This is 40 percent of the space required for conventional solutions and is especially beneficial for portable systems. Traditional designs include over nine components in the


T/R switch alone for each of up to 128 channels, so the new transceiver displaces thousands of discrete parts. Power-supply noise and switching noise are minimised in this device for superior image quality.


Key advantages include, higher image quality and performance as well as improved system sensitivity and image quality.


This is achieved through an ultra- low noise figure (2.8dB at RIN


= RS =


200O) and a high-dynamic-range receiver (76 dBFS SNR at fIN = 5 MHz and 2 MHz bandwidth). Maxim Integrated www.maximintegrated.com


Agilent splits life science and T&M in to two companies


Agilent Technologies Inc. has announced plans to split into two separate companies. One part will focus on life sciences, diagnostics and applied markets (LDA), which will retain the Agilent name whilst the other will be made up of the company’s current portfolio of electronic measure- ment (EM) products. The com- pany has yet to reveal the name of this entity.


“Agilent has evolved into two distinct investment and business opportunities, and we are creating two separate and strategically focused enterprises to allow each to maximise its growth and


Renesas launches new SRAM


A New range of Advanced Low- Power SRAM (Advanced LP SRAM) Products has been released by Renesas Electronics that are claimed to offer improved reliability for manufac- turers’ systems.


There are a total of twelve new product versions in the series. These devices have a density of 4megabits (Mb) and use a fine fabrication process technology with a circuit linewidth of 110


Electronics OCTOBER 2013


nanometers (nm). A 150nm process has been used, including soft error free and latch-up free. These devices also achieve low-power operation with a standby current of maximum of 2microamperes (µA) at 25°C, making them suitable for data storage in battery-backup devices. The company has developed its Advanced LP SRAM structure in which each memory node within the memory cells has an added physical capacitor capable of delivering high endurance against soft error. A general method of dealing with soft error after they occur is the inclusion of an internal error correcting code (ECC) circuit in the SRAM or the manufacturer systems. Renesas Electronics Europe www.renesas.eu


success," said William Sullivan, Agilent President and CEO. The company hopes to gain a


greater, separate management focus on the two divisions. The LDA division will be able to devote resources to the higher-growth LDA business, while reducing exposure to the more cyclical EM industry. The EM company will now also be able to devote resources to its own growth that were previously used to capitalise LDA.


This move will enable the ‘new Agilent’ to focus on life sciences, diagnostics and applied markets, growth opportunities in emerging markets, molecular diagnostics and


Mobile Money up trends with POS


The electronic funds transfer- point of sale (EFT-POS) termi- nals market is expected to grow rapidly as vendors capitalise on opportunities in emerging mar- kets such as China, India, Brazil and Mexico. The emergence of mobile POS (mPOS) payment- based solutions has provided added opportunities for vendors. These developments will spur market revenue growth from $2.53 million in 2012 to $3.51 billion in 2017 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.6 percent, according to a recent study by Frost & Sullivan. mPOS payment-based solu- tions have become a viable option for small enterprises and direct sellers owing to its cost- efficiency, security and easy-to-


use features,” said Frost & Sullivan Global Program Director, ICT in Financial Services, Jean- Noël Georges.


“This niche market is also the perfect entry point for new chal- lengers to deploy their innova- tive payment systems based on a cost-effective business model.” Market entrants will still face significant barriers especially in Western Europe and the United States, where the market is satu- rated. Challenging economic conditions have led to prolonged recession in some of the major markets for the POS industry — the United States, the Eurozone, reducing the addressable market base for terminal vendors as even existing customers are wary of capital expenditure.


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clinical markets, and significant margin-expansion opportunities. The new EM company will focus on electronic measurement, with a position in major markets including communications; aero- space and defence; and industrial, computers and semiconductors. Agilent Technologies www.agilent.com


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