by Leland Teschler, Executive Editor About a year ago, everyone in my office got a fitness watch. This was at the height of the IoT wearables craze. Fitness watches were supposed to do wonderful things such as measure steps taken, distance traveled, stairs climbed, active minutes, elapsed time, calories burned, pace, elevation and improve sleep […]
World’s first millimeter-wave software-defined radio to help speed 5G research
The world’s first software-defined radio (SDR) for the millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum was announced at the Brooklyn 5G Summit, an event focused on the next steps for making 5G a commercial reality. The new mmWave Transceiver System was developed by National Instruments Inc. It is a full transceiver that can transmit and/or receive wide-bandwidth signals […]
Sensors drive IIoT innovations
by Wiren Perera, ON Semiconductor The IoT has spawned the concept of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). The IIoT includes the concept of greatly enhanced connectivity in areas such as industrial automation, security and surveillance and building automation. The IIoT uses sensors and actuators embedded in equipment and objects, linked via wired or wireless […]
Winners: Engineers get free trip to upcoming Hanover Fair
Enclosure manufacturer Rittal Corp. has announced the winners of its recently concluded “Win a Trip to Hanover Fair with Rittal!” contest: Andrew Neeld, Automation Engineer of Sedro Woolley, Wash. Jerry Flynn, Principal Engineer of Albany, Ore. Christopher Relyea, President of Columbus, Ohio Michael DeRosso, Sr. Engineering Technologist of Houston, Tex The Hannover Messe (HM; English: […]
Get a free trip to Germany’s Hannover Fair
Glimpse the global manufacturing industry’s most exciting innovations at the largest industrial trade show and fair in the world, Hannover Fair — for free. That’s what’s in store for the lucky winners of a contest sponsored by enclosure manufacturer Rittal. If Hannover is on your bucket list, this could be a chance to come over […]
Inside the droid you’ve been looking for:
Tear-down of the Sphero BB-8 toy
Leland Teschler Executive Editor You can say at least one thing about the recently released movie, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It inspired a pretty cool toy called the BB-8, named after a droid in the movie by the same name. The BB-8 is made by a company called Sphero. Its design is close to […]
USB/Ethernet 2SP6T switch matrices work
from DC to 12 GHz
The RC-2SP6T-A12 USB/Ethernet-controlled dual SP6T switch matrix provides 2 RF inputs and 12 outputs, allowing a variety of different switch configurations to meet your signal routing needs. The unit from Mini-Circuits contains 2 electromechanical SP6T switches in a single case, operating from DC to 12 GHz with 0.2 dB insertion loss, 90 dB isolation, and […]
International Electron Devices Meeting to
look at novel ideas for analog circuits
New semiconductor devices created with the Internet of Things in mind will be a hot topic at the 61st annual IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) taking place at the Washington D.C. Hilton Hotel from December 7-9, 2015. Considered a premier forum for scientists and engineers in the field of micro and nanoelectronics, IEDM this […]
The IoT and connected highways
by MATT VAN DAM, Laird Telematics & M2M Business Unit Dedicated short-range communication techniques could usher in connected cars and safer driving. Cars are getting more “intelligent” technology every year. Soon, that technology will let vehicles communicate interactively and share critical information. One result: fewer fender-benders. When the traffic in front of you slows dramatically, […]
Low-power wireless links let the IoT proliferate
by JASON TOLLEFSON, Microchip Technology Through beacon technology, smartphones will passively pick up information about activities nearby, extending the IoT to a whole new range of applications. Analysts project there will be tens of billions of “things” making up the IoT, and each of these things will require power. The IoT will necessitate innovation in […]
