WHAT'S NEW IN ELECTRONICS COVER STORY

MARCH/APRIL 2020

CONTENTS
4 Testing high-throughput satellites —
from prototyping to in-orbit verification

15 How to optimise solder stencil

aperture to increase connector options

20 Tandem solar cell efficiency closes in

on 30%

22 7 Industry 4.0 trends for 2020 In an unassuming building tucked away

in North Ryde is one of Australia’s
26 Teaching tomorrow’s vehicles to ‘hear’
best-kept secrets: a high-tech test

30 Creating custom-coloured light with and measurement hub with impressive

2D semiconductors calibration capabilities.

Being NATA accredited and running
34 Nano antennas enable data transfer a calibration lab for electronic test and
measurement equipment up to 50 GHz,
38 Diamond film boosts heat dissipation Rohde & Schwarz Australia provides
efficiency of GaN HEMTs academic, government and industry
users a high level of confidence that
42 Flexible touchscreens could be printed their instruments will produce accurate,
like newspaper repeatable results.
Service Manager Jing is proud of
the latest addition to her continually
upgraded lab, which can calibrate
the latest R&S equipment including
high-end FSWP phase noise analysers,
FSW spectrum analysers, ZNA vector
network analysers, CISPR 16-1-1 com-
pliant ESW EMI/EMC receivers, RTO
and RTP multi-domain oscilloscopes,
TV analysers and other portable
equipment.
Jing said: “Customers are now able
to save considerable cost and time
by having their equipment calibrated
This magazine is FREE for industry professionals. in Australia instead of overseas. The
quality of our equipment is constantly
Subscribe: www.electronicsonline.net.au/subscribe being put to the test and the team
has a very good record of meeting

READ ONLINE! customer requirements providing cost-

effective solutions and precise, certified
Your copy of What's New in Electronics is available as an online eMag. calibrations quicker than most expect.”

www.electronicsonline.net.au/magazine Rohde & Schwarz (Australia) Pty Ltd

www.rohde-schwarz.com.au
TESTING
HIGH-THROUGHPUT
SATELLITES
FROM PROTOTYPING TO IN-ORBIT VERIFICATION
Dr Rajan Bedi*

To deliver the next generation of satellite applications, operators are exploiting

the onboard processing advantages of digital, wideband high-throughput payloads
at higher frequencies. By moving to Ku, K, Ka, O and V-band, larger bandwidths
are available to deliver services such as real-time, ultrahigh-definition Earth
observation and low-latency internet.

W
hen developing satellite electron- payloads processing GHz bandwidths using local oscillators. Frequency and phase changes
ics, testing occurs throughout all M-QAM, M-PSK or M-APSK RF carriers. The due to drift and noise limit the accuracy of
stages of spacecraft develop- ADCs and DACs are directly sampling IF/RF current testing methods. Furthermore, increas-
ment: from characterising the carriers at GSPS speeds handling Gbps of data. ing integration and miniaturisation has meant
performance of analog parts, digital logic, Starting at the receiver, phased-array that OEMs no longer have access to the local
SpaceWire/SpaceFibre interfaces, RF cir- antennas and digital beamforming techniques oscillator or a common reference signal.
cuits and antennas during the initial system are increasingly being used by satellites of all This article will focus on mixed-signal and
architecture, to verifying the functionality of sizes, orbits and frequencies to maximise the payload testing. As the resolution and speed of
hardware demonstrators and validating proof- radiation pattern for reception and transmis- broadband ADCs/DACs continue to increase,
of-concepts at the prototyping (EM) phase. This sion. Determining the direction of arrival of satellite manufacturers are struggling to verify
is followed by measuring the performance of incoming signals improves the received signal if their mixed-signal subsystems can reliably
complete payload subsystems and then en- strength and reduces fading, interference meet the needs of operators. Traditional signal
tire spacecraft validation in a representative and side-lobe levels, increasing the capacity generators do not help as their harmonics,
environment using thermal-vacuum chambers of high-throughput payloads. Higher spatial intermodulation distortion and phase-noise
during the qualification (EQM) stage. Prior to diversity, better frequency re-use and more levels pollute measurements leaving many
lift-off, final integration checks are typically precise user positioning are also achieved. OEMs unsure if their ADC/DAC designs are
performed at the launch site; and through- Continuing with the high-throughput signal compliant and/or whether their test equipment
out operation, regular in-orbit checks of the chain but moving to RF frequency conver- is fit for purpose.
transmission links are made to monitor and sion in the receiver and transmitter, a key For ADCs and DACs, the first tests are
confirm quality of service (QoS). challenge for satellite manufacturers is how a series of single-tone measurements at
The key challenge for today’s manufacturers to measure relative or absolute group delay different frequencies to understand in-band
of high-throughput satellites is how to test (phase linearity) with unknown or unstable SNR, harmonic and spurious performance.

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 SATELLITE ELECTRONICS

CW characterisation allows OEMs to simul- Once the single-tone performance of the antenna systems. Proprietary waveform
taneously differentiate between device-level mixed-signal hardware has been understood, standards can also be generated.
artefacts and system issues, eg, an ADC its linearity and wideband operation can be Once a modulated carrier format is
interleaving spur vs noise coupling from characterised using more representative selected and input to the payload proces-
the routing of the sampling clock, power stimuli such as multi-tone or noise-power sor, eg, M-QAM, M-PSK or M-APSK, its
supply or poor grounding. ratio carriers to provide a measure of in- performance needs to be measured. For
ADC/DAC sampling multiplies the input termodulation distortion. digital RF communication, error vector
with the clock in the time domain, which Following CW, multi-tone and wideband magnitude (EVM) and bit-error rate (BER)
is equivalent to convolving the signal spec- measurements, the complete payload is then are the major metrics used to measure the
trum with that of the clock. It is therefore tested using representative stimuli such quality of transmission.
paramount that satellite manufacturers as modulated carriers to verify operational EVM is a measure of multi-level, multi-
understand the bandwidth and frequency performance. The SMW200A can be used to phase digital modulation quality and error
content of both. generate any arbitrary waveform capable of performance used by satellite communica-
For single-tone testing, the SMW200A synthesising 2 GHz of I/Q signal bandwidth tion, quantifying the difference between the
offers spacecraft OEMs good spectral purity up to 40 GHz. expected complex voltage of a demodulated
with a specified single-sideband phase noise For modulated carriers, the SMW200A symbol and the received value. EVM consid-
of -139 dBc (typical) at 1 GHz (20 kHz offset), offers a measured frequency response of ers all of the potential phase and amplitude
and non-harmonic and harmonically related <0.4 dB over the 2 GHz of bandwidth. There channel distortions as well as noise, provid-
spurs of <-90 and <-55 dBc respectively. Its is an option of a second RF 2 GHz I/Q ing a single, comprehensive measurement
output power ranges from -120 to +18 dBm, channel up to 20 GHz and for beamforming figure for determining quality.
sufficient to exercise the full scale of an satellites, precise, stable, phase-coherent BER is the number of errors divided
ADC’s analog front-end. outputs are available to measure active by the total number of bits transmitted

WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU MARCH/APRIL 2020 5

SATELLITE ELECTRONICS

measured during a given time interval and ONCE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PAYLOAD HARDWARE HAS BEEN
usually expressed as a percentage. SUCCESSFULLY VERIFIED AND QUALIFIED, TESTING OF THE FLIGHT-GRADE
The FSW signal and spectrum analysers
(FM) PRODUCTION ELECTRONICS CAN BE AUTOMATED TO ALLOW OEMS TO
can directly measure the resulting EVM and
BER modulation quality, as well as traditional MEET TIME-TO-MARKET NEEDS
metrics such as group delay, noise figure,
spurious, NPR, ACLR, phase noise, compres-
sion and frequency response up to 500 GHz. TVAC and regular calibration is necessary to verification to measure the quality of downlink
Predefined satellite standards such as ensure accurate measurements. carriers from satellites, the received uplink or
DVB-S2(X) are supported. Previously, system error correction for the regenerated signal inside the transponder
The FSW signal and spectrum analysers network-analyser measurements used to be by comparing with known references.
offer up to 5 GHz of analysis bandwidth for a tedious task as the calibration units in the For post-launch verification of satellite links
high-throughput satellites. The specified phase set-up had to be continually connected and and ground stations, the key challenges are
noise is -140 dBc at 1 GHz (1 kHz offset), with disconnected. This was a time-consuming to ensure that carriers arrive with sufficient
real-time bandwidth of 800 MHz, spurious and error-prone process. An inline calibration power to maintain QoS and that frequency
free dynamic range (SFDR) of >100 dBc, a module is available to track up and downlink components experience the same delay to
minimum displayed average noise level (DANL) errors due to cabling and temperature changes preserve their relative phases. Atmospheric
of -169 dBm and a measurement uncertainty from -30 to +80°C. The ZN-Z33 has low conditions affect a satellite’s signal power
of <0.4 dB. DANL refers to the level of the insertion loss, from 1.5 dB at 1 GHz to 5 dB received at a ground station which in turn
instrument noise floor given a particular band- at 40 GHz, and high directivity from 10 MHz impact EVM and BER, eg, fog, clouds and
width and represents the best-case sensitivity to 40 GHz. precipitation attenuate the downlink carrier and
of an analyser when measuring small signals. Once the performance of the payload increase noise especially at higher communi-
An input below this level cannot be detected. hardware has been successfully verified and cation frequencies such as Ku and Ka-band.
Once a high-throughput payload has been qualified, testing of the flight-grade (FM) A concern for operators is unintentional
tested and proven in ambient conditions, its production electronics can be automated to or deliberate interference which degrades the
operation must be characterised and quali- allow OEMs to meet time-to-market needs, QoS of a satellite link or, in the worst case,
fied in a representative environment. Vacuum while at the same time providing a fast and puts it out of operation. Ground stations can
chambers replicate the thermal and atmos- repeatable test solution. All of the equip- direct an uplink to the wrong satellite saturating
pheric conditions of outer space; however, ment discussed can be controlled remotely a transponder. The cost to perform tests is
standard test equipment is not designed to using industry-standard interfaces such as also a major concern, ie, the time a channel
work within TVAC, remaining outside and in- GPIB IEEE 488.2, LAN, USB and RS-232, is out of service for post-launch maintenance
terfacing to the DUT inside the chamber using supporting many scripting languages including rather than generating revenue.
long cables. A key concern for manufacturers Matlab, Python and CVI. The Standard Com- This article has described the challenges
is that leads, adapters and switches in the mands for Programmable Instruments (SCPI) faced by satellite manufacturers and operators
set-up drift as the temperature changes within command for every operation can be displayed to test high-throughput payloads throughout
and a really useful feature is a SCPI macro all stages of spacecraft development.
recorder which captures the manual testing
*Dr Rajan Bedi is the CEO and founder of
steps developed during the verification of the Spacechips, which provides ultrahigh-through-
initial prototype and generates code for auto- put, onboard processing and transponder prod-
mated measurements during production. This ucts for telecommunication, Earth observation,
pre-programmed sequence of computerised satellite-based internet and M2M/IoT satellites.
testing can also be replayed if components The company also offers design consultancy,
have to be de-risked for space during radia- technical marketing, business intelligence and
tion testing at a cyclotron and throughout the training services. Email [email protected]
qualification phase in TVAC. for further information.
After launch, signal and spectrum analys- Spacechips
FSW signal/spectrum analyser. ers can be used by operators for in-orbit www.spacechips.co.uk

6 MARCH/APRIL 2020 WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU

SHORTcircuits
WASTE HEAT COULD BE USED TO POWER ELECTRONICS
Researchers have developed an energy- author of the study. “This in turn raised the

©stock.adobe.com/au/35microstock
harvesting device that can convert output voltage of the thermocell.”
environmental waste heat (such as that The researchers were able to finely tune the
lost from the human body) into electricity phase transition temperature of their material
— an attractive prospect for powering small so that it lay just above room temperature.
electronics. Their findings were published in When a thermocell containing this material
Scientific Reports. was heated above this temperature, the phase
A thermocell is a device that converts transition of the material was induced, which
environmental heat into electricity through the led to a substantial rise of the output voltage
thermal charging effect. Although thermocells from zero at low temperature to around
are inexpensive and efficient, so far only low 120 mV at 50°C.
output voltages — just tens of millivolts (mV) — have been achieved The thermocell containing the phase transition material also
and these voltages also depend on temperature. Now, a research team overcame the issue of a temperature-dependent output voltage.
led by the University of Tsukuba has developed a thermocell containing Because the increase of the output voltage of the thermocell
a material that exhibited a temperature-induced phase transition of its induced by the thermal phase transition was much larger than
crystal structure. Just above room temperature, the atoms in this solid the temperature-dependent fluctuations of output voltage, these
material rearranged to form a different crystal structure. This phase fluctuations could be ignored. “Our results suggest that thermocell
transition resulted in an increase in output voltage from zero to around performance can be strongly boosted by including a material that
120 mV an — improvement over that of existing thermocells. exhibits a phase transition at a suitable temperature,” Prof Moritomo
“The temperature-induced phase transition of our material caused said. “This concept is an attractive way to realise more efficient
its volume to increase,” explained Professor Yutaka Moritomo, senior energy-harvesting devices.”

LITHIUM-SULFUR BATTERIES DEVELOPED DOWN UNDER

Australian researchers are on the brink Using the same materials as in lithium- from government and international industry
of commercialising what is claimed to be ion batteries, the researchers reconfigured partners to trial this battery technology in
the world’s most efficient lithium-sulfur the design of sulfur cathodes so they could cars and grids from this year.”
(Li-S) battery, which could outperform accommodate higher stress loads without Co-author Associate Professor Matthew
current market leaders by more than a drop in overall capacity or performance. Hill, also from Monash, said attractive
four times and power Australia well into Inspired by bridging architecture first performance, lower manufacturing costs,
the future. recorded in processing detergent powders abundant supply of material, ease of
Dr Mahdokht Shaibani from Monash in the 1970s, the team engineered a method processing and reduced environmental
University led an international research that created bonds between particles to footprint make this new battery design
team that developed an ultrahigh-capacity accommodate stress and deliver stability attractive for future real-world applications.
Li-S battery which has better performance for more than 200 cycles — unprecedented “This approach not only favours high-
and less environmental impact than current in such thick cathodes, according to the performance metrics and long cycle life,
lithium-ion products, with the capability to study authors — with Coulombic efficiency but is also simple and extremely low-
power a smartphone for five continuous above 99%. cost to manufacture, using water-based
days or enable an electric vehicle to drive Monash Professor Mainak Majumder, processes, and can lead to significant
more than 1000 km without needing to a corresponding author on the study, said reductions in environmentally hazardous
refuel. The team’s study has been published the development could transform the way waste,” Assoc Prof Hill said.
in the journal Science Advances. phones, cars, computers and solar grids are The researchers have an approved filed
manufactured. patent for their manufacturing process,
Image courtesy of Dr Mahdokht Shaibani

“Successful fabrication and implementation and prototype cells have been successfully
of Li-S batteries in cars and grids will capture fabricated by their German R&D partners
a more significant part of the estimated $213 at the Fraunhofer Institute for Material
billion value chain of Australian lithium, and Beam Technology IWS. Some of the
and will revolutionise the Australian vehicle world’s largest manufacturers of lithium
market and provide all Australians with a batteries in China and Europe have
cleaner and more reliable energy market,” already expressed interest in upscaling
Prof Majumder said. “Our research team has production, with further testing to take
received more than $2.5 million in funding place in Australia in early 2020.

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SHORTcircuits
ELECTRONEX EXPO RETURNS TO SYDNEY IN 2020
Exhibition and Events (AEE) as an outstanding Melbourne expo 87% of visitors said that they
success, with more than a 12% increase in had met new companies and 81% discovered
attendance and a record number of exhibitors new products and technology they were not
participating in the 2019 event. In a further aware of, reinforcing the important role of
endorsement for the growth of the electronics exhibitions in sourcing new technology and
sector and the success of the event, 53% of solutions in our rapidly changing marketplace.
visitors had not attended Electronex previously The SMCBA Surface Mount Conference
and over 90% were engineers, managers or was also held concurrently with the expo and
involved in production or purchasing. AEE said was well attended, with over 80 delegates
that “the move to MCEC was well received participating in the two-day technical
by both visitors and exhibitors, with several workshops. Free seminars were also held
of our regular exhibitors commenting that it on the expo floor and covered a range of
Following the success of 2019’s Electronex was the best Electronex show they had ever hot industry topics to complement the
– The Electronics Design & Assembly Expo been involved in”. conference workshops.
and Conference, held from 11–12 September Electronex was first held in 2010 and The Sydney expo is now open for
at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition has grown to become the pre-eminent trade bookings and at least 60% of the space
Centre, the event returns to Rosehill Gardens event for companies that utilise electronics has already been booked. For information
in Sydney from 9–10 September 2020. in manufacturing, assembly or servicing. about exhibiting at Electronex 2020,
The move to the MCEC in Melbourne Reflecting the growth of high-tech niche contact AEE on 03 9676 2133 or email
was described by organiser Australasian manufacturing in Australia, at the recent [email protected].

TRANSISTOR TECHNOLOGY REACHES

RECORD FREQUENCIES
Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics
IAF have developed a novel type of transistor with extremely high cut-
off frequencies: metal–oxide–semiconductor HEMTs (MOSHEMTs).
The transistor is expected to enable even smaller and more powerful
devices, having reached record frequencies of 640 GHz.
The high-frequency characteristics of high-electron-mobility the global state of the art for any MOSFET technology, including
transistors (HEMTs) have steadily improved, with the transistors silicon MOSFETs.”
becoming increasingly faster by downscaling the gate length to To overcome the gate leakage currents, the scientists had to use
20 nm. However, the thinner the barrier material of indium aluminium a material with a significantly higher barrier than the conventional
arsenide (InAlA) becomes, the more electrons leak from the current Schottky barrier. They replaced the semiconductor barrier material
carrying channel through the gate. These unwanted gate leakage with a combination of isolating layers consisting of aluminium oxide
currents have a negative impact on the efficiency and durability of the (Al2O3) and hafnium oxide (HfO2).
transistor, which renders further downscaling attempts impossible. “This enables us to reduce the gate leakage current by a factor of
Silicon MOSFETs (metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect more than 1000,” said Dr Axel Tessmann, a scientist at Fraunhofer
transistors) are no stranger to this problem; however, they possess IAF. “Our first MOSHEMTs show a very high development potential,
an oxide layer that can prevent unwanted leakage currents for while current field effect transistor technologies have already
longer than is the case with HEMTs. With this in mind, researchers reached their limit.”
combined the advantages of III-V semiconductors and Si MOSFETs The extremely fast MOSHEMT is designed for the frequency
and have replaced the Schottky barrier of a HEMT with an isolating range above 100 GHz and is therefore especially promising for novel
oxide layer. The result is the metal–oxide–semiconductor HEMT. communication, radar and sensor applications. In the future, high-
“We have developed a new device which has the potential to power devices will ensure a faster data transmission between radio
exceed the efficiency of current HEMTs by far,” said Dr Arnulf towers and enable imaging radar systems for autonomous driving as
Leuther, a researcher at Fraunhofer IAF. “The MOSHEMT allows us well as higher resolution and precision of sensor systems. And the
to downscale it even further, thus making it faster and more efficient.” researchers have already succeeded in realising an amplifier MMIC
With the new transistor technology, Dr Leuther and his team (monolithic microwave integrated circuit) based on indium gallium
have succeeded in achieving a record with a maximum oscillation arsenide (INGaAs) MOSHEMTs for the frequency range between
frequency of 640 GHz. According to Dr Leuther, “This surpasses 200 and 300 GHz — said to be a world first.

10 MARCH/APRIL 2020 WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU

STRETCHABLE SOLAR CELLS RETAIN
HIGH EFFICIENCY

Image ©2019 KAUST

Researchers from the King Abdullah University of Science and

Technology (KAUST) have turned rigid silicon into solar cells that
can be stretched by 95%, while retaining high solar energy capture
efficiency of 19%. Their work, published in Advanced Energy Materials,
shows that crystalline silicon solar panels could be just as effective
when incorporated into stretchy wearable electronics or flexible robot
skin as they are when used as rigid rooftop panels.
Although many solar materials are being investigated, silicon
remains the photovoltaic industry’s favourite. As explained by
researcher Nazek El-Atab, “Monocrystalline silicon remains
the material of choice in the PV industry due to its low cost,
nontoxicity, excellent reliability, good efficiency and maturity of the
manufacturing process.”
One drawback of silicon, for certain applications, is its rigidity,
unlike some thin film solar cells. However, these flexible cells either
consist of low-cost, low-efficiency organic materials or more efficient
but very expensive inorganic materials. Muhammad Mustafa Hussain
and his team have now developed low-cost, high-efficiency, silicon-
based stretchy solar cells.
The key was to take a commercially available rigid silicon panel
and coat the back of the panel with a highly stretchable, inexpensive,
biocompatible elastomer called ecoflex. The team then used a laser to
cut the rigid cell into multiple silicon islands, which were held together
by the elastomer backing. Each silicon island remained electrically
connected to its neighbours via interdigitated back contacts that ran
the length of the flexible solar cell.
The team initially made rectangle-shaped silicon islands that could
be stretched to around 54%, according to Hussain. “Beyond this
value, the strain of stretching led to diagonal cracks within the brittle
silicon islands,” he said. The team tried different designs to push the
stretchability further before settling on triangles, which saw them
achieve “world-record stretchability and efficiency”, Hussain said.
The team now plans to incorporate the stretchy silicon solar
material to power a multisensory artificial skin developed by Hussain’s
lab. Making solar panels that stretch with even greater flexibility is
also a target.
“The demonstrated solar cells can be mainly stretched in one
direction — parallel to the interdigitated back contacts grid,”
Hussain said. “We are working to improve the multidirectional
stretching capability.”

WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU MARCH/APRIL 2020 11

 AI EMBEDDED SYSTEM
iEi’s ITG-100AI fanless ultracompact AI embed-
ded system comes with I/O interfaces for vari-
ous applications and comes pre-installed with a
Mustang-MPCIE-MX2 AI accelerator card, which
includes two Intel Movidius Myriad X VPUs, to
provide a flexible AI inference solution.
The palm-sized embedded system can run
AI fast, and is suitable for low power consumption applications such as surveillance, retail and
transportation. With the advantage of power efficiency and high performance to dedicate deep
neural network (DNN) topologies, it can be implemented in an AI edge computing device to reduce
total power usage, providing longer duty time for the rechargeable edge computing equipment.
Key features include: Intel Atom x5-E3930 1.3 GHz (up to 1.8 GHz); 2x GbE LAN ports; 2x
RS-232/422/485; and 1x M.2 A-key slot for Wi-Fi module.
ROGOWSKI COILS
LEM’s ART and ARU series are ICP Electronics Australia Pty Ltd
Class 0.5 Rogowski coils for elec- www.icp-australia.com.au
tronic measurement of AC current
with galvanic separation between
the primary power circuit (power)
and the secondary measurement
circuit. The company’s Perfect MCU FAMILY
Loop Technology is designed to In microcontroller (MCU)-based system
reduce position and proximity er- design, software is often the bottleneck
ror compared to traditional coils. for both time to market and system per-
The flexible current transformers formance. By offloading many software
are widely used for transformer tasks to hardware, Microchip’s next-generation PIC18-Q43 family is designed to help developers bring
condition monitoring, power me- higher performing solutions to market faster.
tering, power quality analysis and The family’s combination of peripherals offers users versatility and simplicity when creating custom
fault detection. Their split core hardware-based functions with easy-to-use development tools. Configurable peripherals are smartly in-
design provides easy installation terconnected to allow near zero latency sharing of data, logic inputs or analog signals without additional
for retrofit applications or instal- code for improved system response. The family is suitable for a variety of real-time control and connected
lations with high load currents, applications, including home appliances, security systems, motor and industrial control, lighting and Internet
multiple busbars or limited space. of Things (IoT).
Combined with the AI-PMUL Core Independent Peripherals (CIPs) are peripherals that have been designed with additional capabilities
multi-range integrator and signal to handle a variety of tasks without the need for intervention from the central processing unit (CPU). With
conditioner module, the user can CIPs like timers, simplified pulse width modulation (PWM) output, configurable logic cells (CLCs), analog to
measure from 100 to 5000 A digital converter with computation (ADCC), multiple serial communications and more, the family is designed
user selectable, adjust the input to make it easy for developers to customise their specific design configuration.
sensitivity from 22.5 to 120 mV/kA The CLC provides programmable logic that operates outside the speed limitations of software execution,
and even output true RMS process providing users with the ability to tailor such things as waveform generation, timing measurements and
measurements including 0–5 V, more. CLCs can be the ‘glue’ logic to connect on-chip peripherals for hardware customisation with ease.
0–10 V, 0–20 mA and 4–20 mA. Its core-independent communication interfaces, including UART, SPI and I²C, offer flexible, easy-to-use
Traditional power meters outputs building blocks for developers looking to create a customised device, while the addition of multiple DMA
included are 0.333 and 0.166 V, channels and interrupt management accelerate real-time control with simplified software loops.
with a soon-to-be-released dedi- With Microchip’s comprehensive de-
cated 1 A integrator. velopment tool suite, users can quickly
and easily generate application code
Fastron Electronics
and customise combinations of CIPs in a
www.fastron.com.au
graphical user interface (GUI) environment.
The family operates up to 5 V, which in-
creases noise immunity and enables users
to interface to a wide range of sensors.
Microchip Technology Australia
www.microchip.com

12 MARCH/APRIL 2020 WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU

INTEGRATED ENCODER FOR FLAT MOTORS
FAULHABER’s BXT motor family, comprising brushless DC motors with especially short de-
sign, has been expanded with the diameter-complaint IEF3-4096 magnetic encoder. With just
6.2 mm of additional length, the motor/encoder units remain short. In addition, the encoder
is fully integrated in the robust motor housing.
With a flat design, the IEF3-4096 offers three channels with index function and a high reso-
lution of up to 4096 lines per revolution. Furthermore, a variant with a line driver is available.
The encoder can be combined with the 2214…BXT H, 3216…BXT H and 4221…BXT H
housed BXT motors — a useful combination for precise positioning with high torque in con-
strained spaces. Typical applications are found in robotics, medical technology, laboratory
automation and industrial automation.
The encoder is connected with a ribbon cable; suitable connectors are available.
ERNTEC Pty Ltd
www.erntec.net

ZVS BUCK-BOOST
REGULATOR
Vicor has released its PI3740
ZVS buck-boost regulator with
an extended operating tempera-
ture range of -55 to +115°C and
optional tin-lead BGA packaging
for MIL-COTS applications. The
product is a high-density and
high-efficiency buck boost regula-
tor with an 8–60 V input voltage
range and supports output volt-
ages from 10–50 V.
The device offers up to 140 W
in a 10 x 14 mm SiP package
and higher power delivery can be
achieved with additional devices
in parallel. The ZVS switching
topology also enables efficiency
as high as 96%.
Vicor Corporation
www.vicorpower.com

WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU MARCH/APRIL 2020 13

 RACKMOUNT ENCLOSURES WITH SMOOTH TOP
METCASE has launched a version of its COMBIMET 19″ rack cases
with a wraparound top, designed to offer good aesthetics and easier
access to components. Applications for the aluminium enclosure include
networking, communications, industrial computers, sound and studio,
laboratory instruments and industrial control.
The updated design combines the versatility of COMBIMET with the
aesthetics of METCASE’s VERSAMET 19″ rack cases, with the U-shaped
top reducing the number of case parts and removes the need for visible
MIXED-SIGNAL OSCILLOSCOPE top screws. Other features include ergonomic front handles and earth
Keysight’s MSOX40224 mixed-signal oscil- connection points on all panels.
loscope is designed to offer next-generation The solid top COMBIMET 19″ is supplied unvented, fully assembled
performance, a 12″ touch screen and an intuitive and in a choice of two colours: light grey and black. It is currently
interface to provide results quickly. It is available available in one height (1U) and two depths: 265 and 365 mm. Custom
to rent from TechRentals. sizes can also be specified.
The unit gives users a high probability of Accessories include a PCB mounting kit, PCB/panel fixing screws (M3),
capturing random and infrequent events and 19″ mounting kits and mounting plates. Customisation services include
signal behaviour with its update rate of one bespoke sizes, custom front/rear panels, CNC machining, fixings and
million waveforms per second. It is designed inserts, painting and finishing, and digital printing of legends and logos.
to elevate users’ debugging experience with Other standard versions of
MegaZoom IV smart memory technology, which COMBIMET include the original
is said to display more waveforms as well as to design (vented/unvented top and
find the most difficult problems in the design. base; removable top, base and
The mixed-signal oscilloscope further enables rear panels) in standard sizes 1U
waveform analysis by integrating seven instru- to 6U, a super-deep (610 mm)
ments in one: oscilloscope channels, logic case for server racks (1U to 6U)
channels, digital voltmeter (DVM), dual-channel and an open-top case (2U, 3U).
WaveGen function/arbitrary waveform generator, ROLEC OKW Australia
frequency response analyser (Bode plots), 8-digit New Zealand P/L
hardware counter and serial protocol analyser www.metcase.com.au
including USB.
TechRentals
www.techrentals.com.au

14 MARCH/APRIL 2020 WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU

 STENCIL APERTURE DESIGN
©stock.adobe.com/au/Pixel_B

HOW TO

OPTIMISE SOLDER
STENCIL APERTURE
TO INCREASE CONNECTOR OPTIONS
David Decker*

Designers of high-density electronics systems formed-pin, right-angle connectors. This has restricted designers’
connector options and either forced the use of multiple connec-
can now match 0.15 mm co-planarity connectors
tors when a single connector would have been preferred, or the
with 0.10 mm-thick solder stencils through careful use of stepped stencils. Both options add cost and complexity
aperture design. to the system design and production.

A
However, a study by Samtec and Phoenix Contact has shown
s electronic systems increase in component density, that by optimising the solder stencil aperture, designers can
designers will typically look to match fine 0.10 mm- use the more widely available and less expensive 0.15 mm
thick solder paste stencils on the PC board to equally co-planarity connectors with the finer 0.10 mm stencils, while
fine connectors with a co-planarity not in excess of still meeting IPC-J-STD-001 Class 2 criteria for a 100% yield.
0.10 mm. However, a connector co-planarity value of 0.15 mm This article will discuss the relationship between stencils
is not uncommon and it gets increasingly difficult to achieve and connector co-planarity and the trade-offs and restrictions
0.10 mm as the number of connector pins increases and with designers face. It will then describe the study, its results and

WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU MARCH/APRIL 2020 15

STENCIL APERTURE DESIGN

Figure 1a and 1b: Co-planarity measures maximum lead height variation above a flat surface and it is critical to keep that variation to a
minimum for SMT device leads to avoid problem joints (lower right). Image source: Samtec.

GOOD CO-PLANARITY IS CRITICAL FOR GOOD SOLDER shaping and forming of the connector pins to specific angles,
such as dual row, right angle. Maintaining this lower co-planarity
JOINTS: IF A PIN OR LEAD IS SITTING TOO HIGH, IT
can increase connector costs.
MAY NOT MAKE SUFFICIENT CONTACT WITH THE With large boards now comprising in excess of 3000 com-
SOLDER PASTE ponents and smaller, more integrated electronic devices forcing
tighter space constraints (and as a result finer pitch components),
designers are more frequently considering the use of 0.10 mm-
thick stencils. If the stencil is made any thicker, there is a higher
the impact of those results with respect to design optimisation risk of solder bridging between leads or pads. However, they
for cost, space, performance and reliability. are having difficulty finding connectors that meet the 0.10 mm
co-planarity specification, with sufficient pin counts and suit-
The stencil and connector co-planarity able form factors.
relationship Designers do have options, however. They can use a stepped
It’s not too difficult to precisely place a fine brick of solder paste stencil approach, with a thinner stencil for the fine pitch com-
using precisely machined stencils. However, it gets increasingly ponents and a larger stencil for the connector. This solves the
difficult to match the connector to that finely stencilled solder as problem, but at a higher stencil cost that may not fit applica-
the number of connector pins increases and where connector pins tions where there isn’t sufficient space between components on
need to be formed and shaped, such as for right-angle connec- either side of the step. The general rule of thumb requires a
tions. The main issue is the co-planarity of the connector pins. distance between stepped apertures of 36x the step thickness.
Roughly speaking, the term ‘co-planarity’ refers to the maxi- Another option is to use multiple connectors. Fewer pins make
mum distance between the highest and the lowest lead, or pin, it easier for a connector to meet tighter co-planarity specifica-
when the connector is sitting on a flat surface. It is typically tions. However, more connectors also add cost, as well as layout
measured using optical gauging equipment (Figure 1a). complexity and reliability issues. In addition, while a connector
Good co-planarity is critical for good solder joints: if a pin may meet 0.10 mm co-planarity requirements, a 0.10 mm stencil
or lead is sitting too high, it may not make sufficient contact results in less solder volume, leading to a potentially weaker
with the solder paste, resulting in a mechanically weak joint or mechanical joint.
a completely open electrical connection. Most specifications call
for a co-planarity of between 0.10 and 0.15 mm. How to optimise the stencil aperture
With the right process and tools, it’s possible to consistently To see if these trade-offs can be minimised, Samtec and Phoenix
build connectors for most applications with co-planarity of Contact studied the effects of modifying the apertures of the
0.15 mm. However, a co-planarity of 0.10 mm is more difficult stencil for three connector series. They used a 0.15 mm stencil
to achieve as pin counts increase and especially with advanced with 1:1 aperture so the deposited solder was the same size

16 MARCH/APRIL 2020 WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU

 STENCIL APERTURE DESIGN

Figure 2: The orange outline shows the optimal aperture dimensions for the FTSH connector. Image source: Samtec.

and shape as the copper pad. They then added two variations of co-planarity values of 0.15 mm a second look. If the optimum
0.10 mm stencils with enlarged apertures. Connectors were then stencil aperture has been determined to allow the combination,
built and selected for the study based on co-planarity values this can open up a whole range of off-the-shelf connector options
between 0.10 and 0.15 mm. and avoid restrictive or expensive alternatives. If the optimum
The study involved adjusting the aperture size beyond the size aperture is not available online or has not yet been determined,
of the pad (overprinting) to increase the volume of solder and it’s important to contact the connector manufacturer early in the
create a better connection, but not so much that it would cause design process to either determine the optimum aperture or find
bridging or leave solder balls on the board surface. To achieve a more suitable solution for any given application.
this, the study relied on the tendency of solder to coalesce on The key is to engage early. The further down the road a
the heated pad once it has reached its liquidus temperature design has gone, the more limited the options.
during reflow. Still, the right size aperture must be determined
for each connector type (Figure 2). Conclusion
For instance, the optimal aperture to ensure a good solder Knowing the trade-offs yet hearing customers’ calls for ever finer
joint between the sample FTSH connector, with a co-planarity stencils and tighter co-planarity, the research and development
of 0.152 mm, and the 0.10 mm stencil, is 2.84 x 0.97 mm. This team at both Samtec and Phoenix Contact came together and
results in a high-quality joint that meets IPC-J-STD-001 Class found a way to optimise the stencil aperture such that connectors
2 criteria for a 100% yield (Figure 3). with 0.15 mm co-planarity can be used with 0.10 mm stencils.
Based on these results, it’s clear that designers working This result is the best of all worlds: fine 0.10 stencils, more
with 0.10 mm stencils should give connectors with maximum connector options, low cost, low complexity and mechanically
strong joints that meet IPC-J-STD-001 Class 2 criteria.
*David Decker earned a Masters of Engineering degree in Mechani-
cal Engineering from the University of Louisville’s Speed Scientific
School in 1993 and acquired his Professional Engineering licence
in 1998. After beginning his career as an injection mould tooling
engineer with Lexmark and then General Electric Appliances,
David moved on to Samtec where he has worked for 22 years
holding positions in new product design, custom product design
and as Director of the Interconnect Processing Group for the last
Figure 3: A sample FTSH connector with a co-planarity of 0.152 mm 15 years. David is also a Lieutenant in the Reserve Division of the
soldered using a 0.10 mm-thick stencil with optimised apertures shows Clark County Sheriff’s Office, where he has served for nine years.
a high-quality joint for both the inner (left) and outer (right) rows. Samtec, Inc.
Image source: Samtec. www.samtec.com

WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU MARCH/APRIL 2020 17

BLUE HIGH-POWER LASER
The PLPT9_450LA_E from Osram Opto Semiconductors is a mul-
timode laser diode that is mounted in a hermetically sealed TO
metal can package. The lasers combine a good form factor with
high beam quality, making them suitable light sources for show
lasers and stage lighting.
At a typical operating current of 2 A, the product achieves an optical power of 3 W and emits blue light with a wavelength of
447 nm. In a typical optical system, the laser light is focused at a point only a few micrometres in diameter. The laser can be directly
used as a blue light source or in combination with a special phosphor for white conversion. The achieved luminance of the white
light source is around three times higher than that of a comparable LED, according to the company.
The laser comes in Osram’s robust TO90 package. Compared to the first TO56 generation that included three pins, the TO90 pack-
age contains only two pins for contact. Due to the simpler cooling, the generated heat can be easily dissipated from the component.
In addition, the integration of the laser into the final lighting solution is less complicated.
With easier cooling, an application range up to 85°C and an operating voltage of less than 5 V, Osram offers small and lightweight
designs of high-quality lighting solutions for show lasers, endoscopy, professional laser torches and other numerous applications.
Osram Australia Pty Ltd
www.osram.com.au

DATA SENSING GATEWAY

Powered by an Intel Atom E3815 processor and featuring three
configurable COM, two LAN (one PoE), eight programmable
GPIO, one HDMI and one USB 3.0, the UNO-420 is designed
for connecting legacy equipment to new mesh networks. Suit-
able for harsh industrial environments as well as limited space
applications, it has a compact form factor and supports a wide
operating temperature range of -20 to 60°C.
Enabling remote infrastructure management, the device

WE SPECIALISE IN
supports Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G/LTE and NB-IoT wireless modules that
facilitate long-distance data transmissions, over-the-air updates
PROCESS MEASUREMENT and real-time communication. The UNO-420 is also embedded
INCLUDING AC & DC CURRENT/VOLTAGE with a Trusted Platform Module 2.0 that provides security for
MEASUREMENT, POWER MEASUREMENT, AND cloud-based data operations. Unlike standard gateways, the
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT product adopts a PoE-In design that allows the terminal to be
powered via a LAN port; this should reduce wiring and minimise
maintenance costs.
Featuring Advantech’s WISE-PaaS/EdgeLink protocol-conver-
sion software, the UNO-420 supports more than 200 communica-
tion protocols, enabling data collec-
tion from legacy devices. It allows
user-defined data acquisition periods
for each input interface, reducing
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Fastron Electronics
9B Lakewood Bvd Braeside VIC 3195 www.advantech.net.au

18 MARCH/APRIL 2020 WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU

 SECURE ELEMENT
Introducing features to secure data exchanges in increasingly aggressive contexts, the STMicroelectronics
STSAFE-A110 secure element is designed to protect consumer and industrial connected devices in the In-
ternet of Things (IoT), preventing the counterfeiting of genuine products by strictly assuring their authenticity.
The product offers state-of-the-art certified protection and access to secure loading of cloud credentials
to provide mass registration of IoT devices and ensure only authorised devices can access online services.
This critical secured personalisation can be performed at a secure ST factory at no extra cost for yearly
quantities in excess of 5000 units, simplifying and protecting the manipulation of secret data during IoT
devices manufacturing.
The device features an embedded secure operating system and is based on hardware that is certified
to Common Criteria Evaluation Assurance Level 5+ (EAL5+). Each unit comes with a unique identification
and X.509 certificates that aid secure device connection.
The secure element is integrated with the STM32Cube development ecosystem to be quickly incorporated
in new STM32 designs requiring an authentication and secure-connection capability.
The X-NUCLEO-SAFEA1 expansion board jump-starts development and is ready
to use with any STM32 Nucleo development board and free X-CUBE-SAFEA1
and X-CUBE-SBSFU software packages.
Typical applications include brand protection for components like con-
sumables, accessories or power-tool batteries, and the authentication of
cloud-connected IoT devices such as vending machines, farm implements
or environmental sensors.
STMicroelectronics Pty Ltd
www.st.com

WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU MARCH/APRIL 2020 19

TANDEM SOLAR CELL
EFFICIENCY CLOSES IN ON 30%

The tandem solar cell

was realised on a typi-
cal laboratory scale
of 1 cm 2. However,
scaling up is possible.
Image ©Eike Köhnen/
HZB.

German and Lithuanian researchers have developed a solar cell, made of the semiconductors perovskite
and silicon, that converts 29.15% of the incident light into electrical energy — believed to be a world
record. The material used to produce the solar cell, which self-assembles to form a molecular-thick
electrode layer, presents a facile way of realising highly efficient tandem solar cells.

W
hile silicon converts mostly the red portions of sunlight “Perovskite-based single-junction and tandem solar cells are the
into electricity, perovskite compounds primarily utilise future of solar energy, as they are cheaper and potentially much
the blue portions of the spectrum. A tandem solar cell more efficient,” said Prof Getautis from KTU. “The limits of efficiency
made of stacked silicon and perovskite thus achieves of currently commercially used silicon-based solar elements are
significantly higher efficiency than each individual cell on its own. saturating. Moreover, existing production capacities of silicon solar
Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin’s (HZB) Professor Bernd Stannowski and cells can be used.”
Professor Steve Albrecht have already jointly set records for monolithic By integrating a SAM-based perovskite solar cell into a tandem
tandem solar cells on several occasions. At the end of 2018, they architecture, a cell that converts 29.15% of the incident light into
presented a tandem solar cell made of silicon with a metal-halide electrical energy was produced. This value has been officially certified
perovskite that achieved an efficiency of 25.5%. The next record was by the photovoltaic calibration laboratory (CalLab) of the Fraunhofer
set by Oxford Photovoltaics, with a value of 28%, but now HZB looks Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE and now appears in the charts
to have reclaimed the record. of the US National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), which has been
“We developed a special electrode contact layer for this cell in tracking the rising efficiency levels for nearly all types of solar cell
collaboration with the group of Professor Vytautas Getautis (Kaunas since 1976. Perovskite compounds have only been included in the
University of Technology — KTU), and also improved intermediate charts since 2013 — and the efficiency of this class of material has
layers,” said Eike Köhnen and Amran Al-Ashouri, doctoral students increased more than in any other material since then.
in Prof Albrecht’s group. All processes used to realise the 1 cm2 solar cell are also suitable
The new electrode contact layer permitted improvement of the in principle for large surface areas, with initial tests having shown
perovskite compound’s composition in the HZB laboratory. This how vacuum deposition could assist in scale-up. And while 1 g of
compound is now more stable when illuminated in the tandem so- silicon would produce only a couple of square centimetres of the solar
lar cell and improves the balance of electrical currents contributed element using traditional technologies, 1 g of the material synthesised
by the top and bottom cells. The silicon bottom cell comes from at KTU is enough to cover up to 1000 m2 of the surface. In addition,
Prof Stannowski’s group and features a special silicon-oxide top the self-assembling organic material is significantly cheaper than the
layer for optically coupling the top and bottom cells. alternatives used in photovoltaic elements currently.
KTU’s monolayers can also be considered a perfect hole-transporting The KTU material, called 2PACz and MeO-2PACz, will soon appear
material, as they are cheap, formed by a scalable technique and form in the market, meaning it can be further researched in laboratories
very good contact with perovskite material. The self-assembled mon- around the world and eventually find its way into industry. Meanwhile,
olayers (SAMs) are as thin as 1–2 nm, covering the entire surface; the HZB team will continue in its efforts to break the 30% efficiency
the molecules are deposited on the surface by dipping it into a diluted barrier, which they believe is well within reach. The realistic practi-
solution. The molecules are based on carbazole head groups with phos- cal efficiency limit for tandem cells made of silicon and perovskite
phonic acid anchoring groups and can form SAMs on various oxides. is about 35%.

20 MARCH/APRIL 2020 WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU

 HANDHELD ENCLOSURES
Hammond Electronics has launched its 1552 fam-
ily of handheld enclosures. Initially available in six
sizes, the IP54-rated UL94-V0 flame-retardant ABS
enclosure features an ergonomic design that fits
comfortably into the hand, enabling it to be used
for long periods in applications such as a machine
controller or an electric hoist control.
The end panels are removable for easy modifica-
tion; for use with flying cables, an alternative end
panel with an integral rubberised cord protector
and a strain relief bracket is available. An optional wall-mounted holder allows the unit to be stored in a
convenient location when not in use. The product can also be used as a desktop enclosure.
All the launch sizes are 50 mm wide and either 22 or 30 mm high, with both heights available in lengths
of 70, 110 and 150 mm. All sizes are available in black and grey with a satin texture. A recess for a
membrane keyboard or a display is moulded in the top face and PCB standoffs are moulded in the base
section. The top is secured to the base with four self-tapping colour-coded screws; snap closures are fitted
to the centre of the longer units to prevent bowing.
Hammond Electronics Pty Ltd
www.hammondmfg.com

WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU MARCH/APRIL 2020 21

7 INDUSTRY 4.0 TRENDS
FOR 2020

Industry 4.0 is making manufacturing more productive and profitable than ever before. Jos Martin, Senior
Engineering Manager at mathematical computing software provider MathWorks, reveals seven major
trends he expects to see in 2020 to help professionals foresee the technologies that will define the next
decade — and where the factory of the future is headed.

T
here will of course be challenges along the way, such integration of RL agents into system simulation tools and code
as meeting increasing demand for personalised and cus- generation for embedded hardware. RL could power breakthroughs
tomised goods, reducing waste and handling resources in more autonomous, even driverless, operation of mobile plant
more responsibly, but with creativity and ingenuity, these equipment within an industrial setting.
can be tackled, and the benefits can be realised. So, what is on
the horizon? 3. Collaborative robots work hand in hand with
humans
1. Standardised protocols for seamless The automation industry has been discussing the vision of ‘sample
interoperability of connected machines size one’ for some time — how production lines can produce one
It will be important to ensure interconnectivity, with machines and of a kind, without running into long changeover times or other inef-
modules being dynamically rearranged in the factory. Standardised ficiencies. With Industry 4.0, this vision must eventually come true
protocols like OPC UA TSN will play a key role in ensuring that to meet the requirement of full individualisation in production. To
equipment from different vendors interoperates seamlessly. Cumber- meet this, machines cannot be set up in a fixed, inflexible manner
some cabling and cable runs will disappear and be replaced with on the shop floor, where they are commissioned, parameterised
wireless protocols like 5G and its successors. But machines will and tuned for one specific product that is produced over and over
not only be connected with each other, but also to cloud systems again for months or even years. Tomorrow’s production lines
where elastic calculation power is available for running powerful must be flexible — built from multiple mechatronic modules that
algorithms on business and engineering data. can easily be rearranged, with more and more robots or ‘cobots’
(collaborative robots working hand in hand with human workers),
2. Reinforcement learning goes next level and AI that parameterises and tunes the machines according to
Artificial intelligence (AI) programs trained with reinforcement the next — individualised — item that is manufactured on the line.
learning (RL) are beating human players in board games like Go
and chess, but they’re doing so much more for Industry 4.0. RL 4. Simulation makes virtual commissioning a
is helping engineers implement controllers and decision-making reality
algorithms for complex systems such as robots and autonomous As software complexity and the number of possible combinations of
systems, automated driving, control design and robotics. We’ll see modularised software components grows, performing comprehensive
successes where RL is used as a component to improve a larger tests on the physical machine gets harder and more time-consuming,
system. Key enablers are easier tools for engineers to build and and will eventually become impossible. Given this, it will be vitally
train RL policies, generate lots of simulation data for training, easy important to perform virtual commissioning of the software to

22 MARCH/APRIL 2020 WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU

 INDUSTRY 4.0

©stock.adobe.com/au/popba
verify the absence of errors and to validate if requirements are While you often have lots of data for normal system operation,
met, based on simulation models, before the physical production what you really need is data from anomalies or critical failure
line is even in place. Innovation leaders like Krones, a leading conditions. This is especially true for predictive maintenance
manufacturer of bottle filling lines worldwide, are already using applications, such as accurately predicting remaining useful life
multi-domain simulation models for virtual commissioning today. for a pump on an industrial site. Since creating failure data from
physical equipment would be destructive and expensive, the
5. Predictive maintenance and AI evolve with best approach is to generate data from simulations representing
edge computing failure behaviour and use the synthesised data to train an ac-
As edge computing devices and industrial controllers develop, curate AI model. Simulation will quickly become a key enabler
they are offering a rapidly growing calculation power. In conjunc- for AI-driven systems.
tion with the use of cloud systems, they are paving the way for
a new dimension of production system software functionality. AI 7. Not only data scientists will rule the roost
algorithms will dynamically optimise the throughput of the entire Out of all the trends, the biggest will be on the human beings
production line, while minimising the consumption of energy and working in the factory of the future. By capitalising on technology
other resources. This will help teams and their organisations not and tools, more engineers and scientists, not just data scientists,
only minimise waste, and deliver on corporate social responsibility will work on AI. The factory of the future requires engineers who
policies, but also crucially save money. Predictive maintenance can build models, dealing with large datasets and handling the
will evolve and consider data not only from one machine or site, respective development tools in order to address the above trends.
but across multiple factories and across equipment from differ- Therefore, companies building and operating industrial equipment
ent vendors. Depending on the requirements, the algorithms will need to change their job postings and hire skilled engineers with
be deployed on non-real-time platforms, as well as on real-time a completely different profile to be ready for a future in which
systems like PLCs, as Beckhoff recently demonstrated at Hanover Industry 4.0 is merely the beginning.
Messe in Germany. From collaborative robots working hand in hand with humans
to simulation making virtual commissioning a reality, there are a
6. Higher quality data removes some hurdles for whole host of trends we will see in 2020 define the factory of
the future. Adapting to these changes won’t be easy, but with
AI deployment teamwork and the right tools it is achievable.
We know training accurate AI models requires lots of data, and
analyst surveys do name data quality as a top barrier to successful MathWorks Australia
adoption of AI. In 2020, simulation will help lower this barrier. au.mathworks.com

WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU MARCH/APRIL 2020 23

 LoRA SYSTEM-ON-CHIP
Powering the search for sustainability through smart infrastructure
and logistics, smart industry and smart living, STMicroelectronics
has released the STM32WLE5 LoRa system-on-chip (SoC) for
connecting smart devices to the Internet of Things (IoT) using
long-distance wireless connections.
The SoC lets product developers create devices such as
remote environmental sensors, meters, trackers and process POWER SUPPLY FOR STATIC ELIMINATORS
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design with a LoRa-compliant radio in one single-die and 5 kV stainless steel output connectors can energise two static
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can easily introduce wireless connectivity in existing embed- The power supply is housed in a durable metal enclosure
ded designs by porting to the STM32WLE5. ST’s LoRaWAN (140 x 102 x 26 mm) that is suitable for rugged, industrial en-
software for wireless network communications has passed all vironments. An integrated fuse on the primary protects against
regional certifications for use worldwide. voltage spikes. The lighted power switch indicates operation
The product is available in a 5 x 5 mm and is field replaceable.
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STMicroelectronics Pty Ltd Compressed Air Australia Pty Ltd
www.st.com www.caasafety.com.au

24 MARCH/APRIL 2020 WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU

 SPONSORED CONTENT

© Stock.Adobe.com/au/peshkov
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WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU MARCH/APRIL 2020 25

 TEACHING TOMORROW’S VEHICLES

TO ‘HEAR’
Modern cars already feature a range of sophisticated systems, but the self-driving cars of the future
will also have auditory capabilities.

T
oday’s cars are equipped with a host of advanced driver- “Despite the huge potential of such applications, no autonomous
assistance systems designed to reduce the burden behind vehicle has yet been equipped with a system capable of perceiving
the wheel, with features such as automatic parking and external noises,” said Danilo Hollosi, Head of the Acoustic Event
blind-spot monitoring employing cameras, radar and lidar Recognition group at Fraunhofer IDMT. “Such systems would be able
to detect obstacles in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle. In other to immediately recognise the siren of an approaching emergency ve-
words, they provide vehicles with a rudimentary sense of sight. hicle, for example, so that the autonomous vehicle would then know
In the future, systems that can capture and identify external noises to move over to one side of the highway and form an access lane
are set to play a key role — along with smart radar and camera for the rescue services.”
sensors — in putting self-driving cars on the road. Researchers at There are numerous other scenarios in which an acoustic early-
the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT are now warning system can play a vital role — when an autonomous vehicle
developing AI-based systems that can recognise individual acoustic is turning into a pedestrian area or residential road where children
events such as sirens. These will give vehicles auditory capability — are playing, for example, or for recognising defects or dangerous
that is, it will endow them with a sense of hearing. situations such as a nail in a tyre. In addition, such systems could
also be used to monitor the condition of the vehicle or even double as
an emergency telephone equipped with voice-recognition technology.

A modified roof fin for testing acoustic Noise analysis with AI-based algorithms
sensors for the capture of external noise. Developing a vehicle with auditory capability poses a number of
Image ©Fraunhofer IDMT/Hannes Kalter. challenges. Here, however, Fraunhofer IDMT can call on specific
project experience in the field of automotive engineering as well as
a wealth of interdisciplinary expertise. Key areas of investigation
include signal capture on the basis of optimal sensor positioning as
well as signal preprocessing, signal enhancement and the suppression
of background noise.
The system is first trained to recognise the acoustic signature of
each relevant sound event. This is done by machine-learning methods
that use acoustic libraries compiled by Fraunhofer IDMT. In addition,
Fraunhofer IDMT has written its own beamforming algorithms. These
enable the system to dynamically locate moving sound sources such
as the siren on an approaching emergency vehicle. The result is an
intelligent sensor platform that is able to recognise specific sounds.

26 MARCH/APRIL 2020 WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU

 ACOUSTIC SENSORS

Fraunhofer has also written its own AI-based algorithms. These

are used to distinguish the specific noise that the system is designed
to identify from other background noises.
“We use machine learning,” Hollosi explained. “And to train the
algorithms, we use a whole range of archived noises.” Fraunhofer and
partners from industry have already created initial prototypes, which
should be reaching market maturity by the middle of the coming decade.
The acoustic sensor system comprises microphones, a control unit
and software. The microphones, installed in a protective casing, are
mounted on the outside of the vehicle, where they capture airborne
noise. Sensors transmit these audio data to a special control unit
that then converts them into the relevant metadata. In many other
areas of use — such as security applications, the care industry and
consumer products — the raw audio data are directly converted to
metadata by smart sensors.
Modified versions of this computer-based process for identifying
acoustic events can be used in other sectors and markets. Such ap-
plications include quality control in industrial manufacturing. In this
case, smart battery-powered acoustic sensors are used to process
audio signals from plant and machinery. This information is sent
©stock.adobe.com/au/sittinan

wirelessly to a processor. On this basis, it is possible to determine

the condition of the production plant and pre-empt any imminent dam-
age. Other applications include automatic voice-recognition systems
to enable hands-free documentation by technicians conducting, for
example, turbine maintenance.

WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU MARCH/APRIL 2020 27

 DESIGN SOFTWARE FOR
VISION SYSTEMS
MathWorks has announced that with
the availability of Release 2019b of
the MATLAB and Simulink product
THREE-PHASE AC CURRENT METER families, Vision HDL Toolbox includes
Monnit has introduced the ALTA Industrial Wireless native multipixel streaming support to
Three Phase AC Current Meter (500 Amp), which process high-frame-rate (HFR) and
measures the RMS current of an alternating current high-resolution videos on FPGAs. Video,
AC system by using three current transformers image processing and FPGA design
that wrap around the wires of a three-phase engineers can speed the exploration
power system. and simulation of behaviour and imple-
The wireless sensor reports minimum RMS cur- mentation trade-offs when processing 4k
rent, maximum RMS current, average RMS current or 8k video and videos with resolutions
and duty cycle for each phase, plus the combined of 240 fps or higher.
amp hours of all three phases. The iMonnit system is Engineers designing FPGAs for
capable of generating watt-hour or kilowatt-hour read- real-time processing of high-resolution
ings based on user-specified RMS voltage. This makes it suitable for applications such as and HFR video in applications such as
current monitoring, current usage, amperage monitoring, amp hour meter, watt-hour meter industrial inspection, medical imaging
and kilowatt-hour meter. and intelligence, surveillance and recon-
To measure the current, clip the CT around a single wire of a powered system. Once naissance (ISR) are challenged to meet
the sensor has powered on and is connected to the gateway it will begin taking measure- throughput, resource usage and power
ments. These measurements are based on the averaging interval (5 s default). The sensor consumption targets. The toolbox offers
reports data to iMonnit. blocks that can process four or eight
The current transducer measures current without making physical contact with the wire itself. pixels in parallel, with the underlying
This combined with the hinged clamping feature of the CT means no rewiring is needed. In hardware implementation automatically
a scenario where the user may have to open the outer sheath of multipair wire in order to updated to support simulation and code
access a single wire, there would be no need to open the jacket around any inner wires. generation with the specified parallelism.
Metromatics Pty Ltd This capability helps hardware engi-
www.metromatics.com.au neers collaborate with image and video
processing engineers to explore and
simulate vision processing hardware
behaviour at a high level of abstraction.
By adding HDL Coder to this design
workflow, engineers can generate syn-
WIRELESS SENSOR KIT
thesisable, optimised target-independ-
The TI LaunchPad SensorTag kit offers integrated environmental and motion sensors, multiband
ent VHDL or Verilog code directly from
wireless connectivity and easy-to-use software to help users prototype their next connected
their verified high-level models.
application. The fully enclosed and battery-operated kit is useful for quickly evaluating a
The product provides pixel-streaming
complete sensor network and
algorithms for the design and implemen-
stress testing the various protocol
tation of vision systems on FPGA, ASIC
stacks available in TI’s SimpleLink
and SoC devices. It provides a design
MCU platform.
framework that supports a diverse set of
The kit allows users to: imple-
interface types, frame sizes and frame
ment a wide array of environmen-
rates. The video and image processing
tal sensors in a network; create
algorithms in the toolbox model hard-
flexible sensor networks featuring
ware implementations include latency,
100+ nodes; design with multiple
control signals and line buffers. The
connectivity options (Bluetooth,
algorithms are designed to generate
Sub-1 GHz, Thread, Zigbee and
readable, synthesisable code in VHDL
more) enabled by the SimpleLink
and Verilog (with HDL Coder). The
CC1352R wireless MCU; and build custom nodes by adding sensors, displays and more
generated HDL code is FPGA-proven
through the TI BoosterPack ecosystem.
for frame sizes up to 8k resolution and
Texas Instruments Australia Ltd
for HFR video.
www.ti.com
MathWorks Australia
au.mathworks.com

28 MARCH/APRIL 2020 WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU

 MULTIMONITOR GRAPHICS CARDS
The Matrox D-Series of next-generation, multidisplay graphics cards
have been designed to power video walls in commercial and
critical 24/7 environments. The single-slot graphics cards drive
up to four 4Kp60 displays and can be easily combined to
output up to 16 x 4K monitors for high-density video walls
in control rooms, enterprises, industries, government, military,
pro A/V, digital signage, security and more.
Leveraging a custom-built NVIDIA Quadro embedded GPU, the series delivers smooth video playback and graphics performance
on up to four high-resolution HDMI or DisplayPort displays. OEMs, system integrators and AV installers can also combine up to
four cards via board-to-board framelock cables, to drive up to 16 synchronised 4K displays. In addition, the series offers HDCP
support for playback of protected audio and video content, as well as Microsoft DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.5 and OpenCL 1.2 support
to run the latest professional applications.
The series works seamlessly with Matrox’s complete video wall portfolio. It can be paired with Matrox Mura IPX capture and IP
encode/decode cards for multichannel 4K and Full HD capture, streaming and recording support, and/or combined with Matrox
QuadHead2Go multimonitor controllers to power up to 64 1920x1080p60 displays from one system.
The series includes the robust Matrox PowerDesk desktop management software. Users can select from a variety of tools —
including stretched or independent desktops, clone mode, pivot, bezel management, edge overlap and more — to easily configure
and customise multidisplay set-ups. Additionally, the feature-rich Matrox MuraControl video wall management software provides
users with an intuitive platform to manage video wall sources and layouts either locally or remotely, and in real time.
Multimedia Technology Ltd
www.mmt.com.au

Highly Accurate
Single-Phase ADE9153A
Energy Metering IC with Autocalibration

www.excelpoint.com

WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU MARCH/APRIL 2020 29

CRYSTALS

CREATING
CUSTOM-
COLOURED
LIGHT
WITH 2D SEMICONDUCTORS

©stock.adobe.com/au/Andrew Gardner
Swiss and UK researchers have discovered structures based on two-dimensional
materials that emit tailor-made light in any colour you could wish for.

F
inding new semiconductor materials that emit light is es- “Artificial semiconductors of this kind were made for the first time
sential for developing a wide range of electronic devices. only two or three years ago,” said Nicolas Ubrig, a researcher in the
But making artificial structures that emit light tailored to team led by Prof Morpurgo. “When the two-dimensional materials have
our specific needs is an even more attractive proposition. exactly the same structure and their crystals are perfectly aligned,
However, light emission in a semiconductor only occurs when certain this type of artificial semiconductor can emit light. But it’s very rare.”
conditions are met. These conditions are so strict that they leave little freedom to
Researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), in collaboration control the light emitted. As explained by Prof Morpurgo, “Our objec-
with The University of Manchester, have now discovered an entire tive was to manage to combine different two-dimensional materials
class of 2D materials that are the thickness of one or a few atoms. to emit light while being free from all constraints.”
When combined together, these atomically thin crystals are capable of The physicists thought that, if they could find a class of materials
forming structures that emit customisable light in the desired colour. where the velocity of the electrons before and after the change in
Their research has been published in the journal Nature Materials. energy level was zero, it would be an ideal scenario which would
Semiconductor materials capable of emitting light are used in sectors always meet the conditions for light emission, regardless of the details
as diverse as telecommunications, light-emitting devices (LEDs) and of the crystal lattices and their relative orientation. A large number
medical diagnostics. Light emission occurs when an electron jumps of known 2D semiconductors have a zero-electron velocity in the
inside the semiconductor from a higher energy level to a lower level. relevant energy levels. Thanks to this diversity of compounds, many
It is the difference in energy that determines the colour of the emitted different materials can be combined, and each combination is a new
light. For light to be produced, the velocity of the electron before and artificial semiconductor emitting light of a specific colour.
after the jump must be exactly the same, a condition that depends on “Once we had the idea, it was easy to find the materials to use
the specific semiconducting material considered. Only some semicon- to implement it,” said Professor Vladimir Fal’ko from The University
ductors can be used for light emission: for example, silicon — used of Manchester. Materials that were used in the research included
to make computers — cannot be employed for manufacturing LEDs. various transition metal dichalcogenides (such as MoS2, MoSe2 and
“We asked ourselves whether two-dimensional materials could be WS2) and InSe; other possible materials have been identified and will
used to make structures that emit light with the desired colour,” said be useful for widening the range of colours of the light emitted by
Professor Alberto Morpurgo from UNIGE. these new artificial semiconductors.
2D materials are perfect crystals which, like graphene, are one “The great advantage of these 2D materials, thanks to the fact that
or a few atoms thick. Thanks to recent technical advances, different there are no more preconditions for the emission of light, is that they
2D materials can be stacked on top of each other to form artificial provide new strategies for manipulating the light as we see fit, with
structures that behave like semiconductors. The advantage of these the energy and colour that we want to have,” Ubrig said. This means
‘artificial semiconductors’ is that the energy levels can be controlled it is possible to devise future applications on an industrial level, since
by selecting the chemical composition and thickness of the materials the emitted light is robust and there is no longer any need to worry
that make up the structure. about the alignment of atoms.

30 MARCH/APRIL 2020 WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU

UNINTERRUPTIBLE POWER SUPPLY
The Delta Amplon RT 1–20 kVA UPS range is a power solution
for mission-critical ICT environments. It offers operations- and
energy-saving features such as a high output power factor of
0.9, said to provide more real power to critical loads.
It also features an operation temperature tolerance up to
50°C; up to 94% AC-AC efficiency and 97% efficiency in ECO
MAGNETIC SINGLE-TURN ABSOLUTE ENCODER
The AES-4096 L magnetic single-turn absolute encoder supplies a
mode; and intelligent battery management to sustain battery life
unique angular value within a motor revolution for each shaft position,
and performance.
with a resolution of 4096 steps. The position is available immediately
According to the company, this model has a much smaller
after power on. It is equipped with a line driver to eliminate interfer-
footprint than other models, which can save up to 67% of space,
ence during signal transmission. This permits the motor/encoder unit
and has good local communications through a rotatable LCD
to be positioned up to 5 m away from the controller.
display.
The encoder can be combined with brushless DC-motors of the
The UPS range also offers optional Li-ion battery technology
B, BX4, BP4 and BXT series. It transfers the signals using the BiSS-
allowing hot-swappable battery strings, replaceable from the
C protocol via an SSI interface. The BiSS protocol is designed for
front of the rack and enabling continuous operation. This feature
industrial applications in which high transmission speed, flexibility
addresses critical issues such as maintenance costs, space,
and minimum implementation effort are required.
manageability and total cost of ownership.
The AES-4096 L encoder can be used for both speed and mo-
Delta Electronics Industrial Automation
tion control. In addition, sine commutation of the motor is possible,
www.deltaww.com./ia
providing efficient operation with minimal torque ripple. Digital Hall
sensors for commutation of the motors are generally no longer needed.
The encoder is connected with a flat ribbon cable; suitable con-
nectors are optionally available.
ERNTEC Pty Ltd
www.erntec.net

WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU MARCH/APRIL 2020 31

DIGITAL SIGNAGE PLAYER
Advantech’s fanless DS-082 4K digital signage player is powered by AMD Ryzen V1000/R1000 processors and integrated with AMD VEGA
graphics. It simultaneously drives multiple UHD (4K)/FHD (1080 P) displays via HDMI, delivering seamless content flows across digital
menu boards, self-ordering systems, retail applications, queuing systems and multimedia kiosks.
To simplify digital signage network management, the DS-082 is integrated with both WISE-PaaS/SignageCMS multimedia content manage-
ment software and WISE-PaaS/DeviceOn remote device management software. WISE-PaaS/SignageCMS allows users to easily edit content
layout, schedule and dispatch programs. An up-to-date scheduling function is also available to allow real-time information and advertising
campaign management. WISE-PaaS/DeviceOn software is designed to monitor signage devices in real time, make maintenance easier and
reduce the need for on-site support. Moreover, WISE-PaaS/DeviceOn provides a McAfee whitelist security function to ensure on-screen
content is secured while Acronis tools recover essential data and create backups.
Suitable for space-limited applications with an ultraslim profile of 19 mm, the digital signage player facilitates easy installation behind
the displays. For secure installation, the device features a bracket that supports wall mount, VESA and DIN-rail mounting for various ap-
plication requirements.
Advantech Australia Pty Ltd
www.advantech.net.au

BRUSHLESS DC FLAT PYROELECTRIC PROXIMITY SENSOR

MOTORS The PIR Click board, from Mikroe, is a pyroelectric sensor sup-
maxon’s brushless DC flat motors are porting human presence detection. The product is equipped with
now available in combinations with an onboard PL-N823-01 pyroelectric proximity infrared (PIR) sensor
planetary gearboxes, encoders and from KEMET Electronics, which enables human detection through
vented rotors for increased torque. The glass or resin. The high-performance sensor is suitable for a range
90 mm-diameter ventilated motors offer of consumer electronics and Internet of Things applications, such
power level increases from 160 to 600 W as office automation, contactless switching, lighting, air condition-
within the same diameter. ers and more.
Two length options of 27.4 and 39.9 mm are se- The device generates voltage when exposed to infrared radiation
lectable with two air cooling options. Four winding from human bodies. The low-power sensor is passively triggered by
options are available for DC voltages varying from 12 moving subjects, enabling it to deliver energy-saving performance
to 60 VDC. Continuous torque capability is up to 1610 mNm in applications relying on human presence detection. The product
from the motor alone; when combined with planetary, worm and includes a white plastic Fresnel lens that filters visible light, allowing
helical gearhead options, repeated peak torque levels of 650 Nm the sensor to detect the infrared signature emitted by humans.
have been achieved. The onboard PIR sensor features KEMET’s piezoelectric ceramic
High ratios and 25600 qc integrated internal encoders make the material and element structure, said to result in greater freedom
motors useful for rotary joint applications such as robotics and of design for products using resin or glass.
industrial machinery actuators. The company can also manufacture The product is part of the Mikroe Click board ecosystem, a
custom versions with specific cable looms and rear shafts for modular design that enables developers to connect any Click
mounting loads on both sides of the motor. The combination of board to a standardised mikroBUS socket with no hardware
the flat motors with high-stiffness, low-profile, zero-backlash and configuration required. The versatile mikroBUS standard socket
trochoidal-style gearheads also makes the complete drive suitable contains all necessary pins to connect Mikroe’s complete range of
for wheel drive applications such as autonomous ground vehicles Click boards, including wireless communication modules, sensor
and warehouse logistic machinery. modules and other accessories.
maxon motor Australia Pty Ltd Mouser Electronics
www.maxonmotor.com.au au.mouser.com

32 MARCH/APRIL 2020 WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU

 THERMAL GAP FILLERS
Electrolube’s latest thermal gap fillers provide an effective heat
transfer solution for many different applications. The GF300
and GF400 thermal interface materials are two-part,
liquid silicone-based fillers that provide thermal per-
formance of 3 W/mK (GF300) and 4 W/mK (GF400).
Both products reduce the risk of air pockets forming
by effectively filling the entire heatsink, making them
CNC MACHINING SERVICE
suitable for applications where the gap is non-uniform
M&S CNC Machining can produce a vast array of
such as between multiple components and a collective
high-quality enclosures, isolators and mounts for
heatsink/case.
the electronics, data transfer and telecommunica-
Using a simple 1:1 mix ratio in either 50 or 400 mL
tions fields.
cartridges, for hand or machine application, the fillers
Material used is normally aluminium plated due to
are applied in a soft flexible ‘putty’ that can be easily
its good heat transfer qualities, with the grade selected
moulded around different shaped housings with low
based on part complexity and customer outcome.
stress on components. Following application, the gap
Solid parts with integral heat sinks and PCB mounting
fillers can be cured at room temperature or accelerated
surfaces can be machined to suit an application or
with heat. They provide a wide operating temperature
multiple part designs produced to customer demand.
range between -50 and +200°C and have low viscosity
Surface finishes are offered in basic clear ROHS
to enable easy dispensing. After curing, the products form a low modulus elasto-
corrosion protection or a variety of coloured powder
mer, preventing the pump-out phenomenon of the thermal interface layer from the
coatings, as well as colour combinations using an
bond line and ensuring minimal degradation of heat dissipation. Both gap fillers
anodising process. Colours are typically utilised for
are UL approved with the UL94 V-0 flame retardancy rating and RoHS compliant.
branding, cosmetic value or product identification
Thermal gap fillers are typically used in touch screen and mobile applications,
of a certain area or feature and can be masked to
but the GF300 and GF400 are versatile enough for more diverse applications.
produce a two-tone effect for the purpose.
Areas of use include consumer electronics, printed circuit board assembly, hous-
Another variation of custom machining in this area
ing electronic components discretely, telecoms applications such as data centre
is the production of special purpose machine facias,
servers and fibre-optic equipment, lighting and LEDs applications, power electron-
usually with some type of 3D design aspect on the
ics, and ECUs and HEV/ NEV batteries in automotive electronics. More recently,
visible front, with electronics hardware mounted on
Electrolube has seen demand surge for engine and trans-
the rear.
mission control modules, memory modules for PCs and
Windows for LEDs, switches, etc, can be machined
laptops, power conversion equipment for applications
to customer specification with cosmetic model updates
such as chargers, power grid, solar panels and wind
easily accommodated. M&S CNC can also engrave
turbines, semiconductors, microprocessors/graphic
or laser mark company logos, part/ID numbers or
processors, and MOFSET arrays with common heat
sequentially mark for traceability.
sinks, such as field effect transistors.
M&S CNC Machining Pty Ltd
www.mandscnc.com.au/ Electrolube
www.electrolube.com.au

WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU MARCH/APRIL 2020 33

 ©stock.adobe.com/au/Сake78 (3D & photo)
ANTENNAS

NANO
ANTENNAS
ENABLE DATA TRANSFER

Physicists from the University of Würzburg have successfully converted electrical signals into photons
and radiated them in specific directions using a low-footprint optical antenna that is only 800 nm in
size. Their work, claimed to be a world first, has been published in the journal Nature Communications.

D
irectional antennas convert electrical signals to radio vibrate and the antennas radiate electromagnetic waves as a result.
waves and emit them in a particular direction, allowing “In the case of a Yagi-Uda antenna, however, this does not occur
increased performance and reduced interference. This evenly in all directions but through the selective superposition of
principle, which is useful in radio wave technology, could the radiated waves using special elements, the so-called reflec-
also be interesting for miniaturised light sources. After all, almost tors and directors,” Dr Kullock said. “This results in constructive
all internet-based communication utilises optical light communi- interference in one direction and destructive interference in all
cation. Directional antennas for light could be used to exchange other directions.” Accordingly, such an antenna would only be
data between different processor cores with little loss and at the able to receive light coming from the same direction when oper-
speed of light. To enable antennas to operate with the very short ated as a receiver.
wavelengths of visible light, such directional antennas have to be Some time ago, the Würzburg physicists were able to demonstrate
shrunk to nanometre scale. that the principle of an electrically driven light antenna works.
The Würzburg physicists have now described for the first time But in order to make a relatively complex Yagi-Uda antenna, they
how to generate directed infrared light using an electrically driven had to come up with some new ideas. In the end, they succeeded
Yagi-Uda antenna made of gold, developed by the nano-optics thanks to a sophisticated production technique.
working group of Professor Bert Hecht. But what does a Yagi-Uda “We bombarded gold with gallium ions, which enabled us to cut
antenna for light look like? out the antenna shape with all reflectors and directors as well as
“Basically, it works in the same way as its big brothers for the necessary connecting wires from high-purity gold crystals with
radio waves,” said Dr René Kullock, a member of the nano-optics great precision,” Prof Hecht said.
team. An AC voltage is applied that causes electrons in the metal to Next, the physicists positioned a gold nanoparticle in the active
element so that it touches one wire of the active element while
keeping a distance of only 1 nm to the other wire. Dr Kullock said,
“This gap is so narrow that electrons can cross it when voltage
is applied using a process known as quantum tunnelling.” This
charge motion generates vibrations with optical frequencies in the
antenna, which are emitted in a specific direction thanks to the
special arrangement of the reflectors and directors.
The Würzburg researchers are fascinated by the unusual property
of their novel antenna that radiates light in a particular direction
although it is very small. As in their larger counterparts, the radio
wave antennas, the directional accuracy of light emission of the new
optical antenna is determined by the number of antenna elements.
“This has allowed us to build the world’s smallest electrically
The electrically powered Yagi-Uda antenna was built at the University powered light source to date which is capable of emitting light in a
of Würzburg’s Department of Physics. Image credit: Department of specific direction,” Prof Hecht said, though much work still needs to
Physics. be done before the new invention is ready to be used in practice.

34 MARCH/APRIL 2020 WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU

 HORIZONTAL MALE CONNECTORS
Harwin has extended its Gecko-SL (Screw-Lok) product range to include horizontal male connectors. The range is particularly
suitable for engineers, offering a compact, lightweight alternative to conventional Micro-D connectors.
Specifying the male throughboard connector at 90° to the PCB offers additional layout flexibility to maximise space above
the board. Connectors can now be located at a PCB edge, routing a mated cable
sideways outside the PCB stack. A key application to benefit from this connec-
tion style is CubeSats, where many designs involve a series of PCBs in a dense
stack, with all cabling routed into the space outside the stack. Similar tight space
restrictions occur in avionics (particularly UAV design), larger satellites, military
(such as radar and portable communication equipment), robotics and motorsport.
The horizontal connectors can also be used with female PCB connectors to
give a motherboard/daughterboard arrangement, useful for replacement modular
PCBs or larger equipment systems.
The horizontal format connectors are fitted with stainless steel Screw-Loks,
designed to be mate-before-lock for ease of use — simply push the connectors
fully together before engaging the screws. Engineers can choose the standard
Screw-Lok with board-mount (with the engaging screw on the female connector)
or the reverse-fix (with the engaging screw on the male connector). Pin counts
match the rest of the Gecko-SL series, from six to 50 contacts.
The connectors have an operating temperature range from -65 to +150°C, exhibit strong vibration (20G at 2 kHz for 6 h)
and shock (up to 100G) resilience, and show low outgassing, satisfying both NASA and ESA specifications. Current rating is
set at 2.8 A max single contact, or 2 A per contact if all are loaded.
Clarke & Severn Electronics
www.clarke.com.au

WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU MARCH/APRIL 2020 35

 PHOTOCOUPLERS FOR INDUSTRIAL
EQUIPMENT
Renesas Electronics has announced five 8.2 mm creep-
age photocouplers, claimed to be the world’s smallest
isolation devices for industrial automation equipment and
solar inverters.
With a package width of 2.5 mm, the RV1S92xxA and
RV1S22xxA photocouplers are said to reduce PCB mount-
ing area by 35% compared to competitive couplers. They
help designers shrink equipment size, increase robot
axes and improve factory floor productivity. They also
meet the needs of the zero-energy house that requires
smaller solar equipment for more installations in limited
space. They are suitable for DC to AC power inverters,
AC servo motors, programmable logic controllers (PLCs),
robotic arms, solar inverters, and battery storage and
charging systems.
MULTICIRCUIT SMART POWER METER The RV1S9260A 15 Mbps communications coupler and
ICP DAS’s PM-4324A-100P multicircuit smart power meter monitors
RV1S9213A intelligent power module (IPM) driver use
up to eight three-phase circuits or 24 single-phase circuits, or any
tiny LSSO5 packages with a 0.65 mm pin pitch, half the
combination of single- or three-phase circuits.
pitch of conventional packages. With a package height
The product can measure up to 24 currents via external current
of 2.1 mm, the photocouplers can be directly mounted
transformers (CTs). This flexibility makes it suitable for multitenant
on the backside of a PCB, freeing up space for topside-
facilities such as residential projects, office buildings and shopping
mounted components. Three times infrared reflow soldering
malls. The compact instrument is designed to easily fit into existing
panelboards or be flush mounted nearby, thus eliminating the need
for retrofit projects or for allocating extra space for the device.
The product has two separate main circuit inputs that can be used
in different power systems.
Other features include: true RMS power measurements; energy
analysis for 3P4W, 3P3W, 1P3W, 1P2W; current measurements up
to 400 A with different CT ratio; voltage measurements up to 500 V;
easy install with split core CT; W accuracy better than 0.5% (PF=1);
support for RS-485, Ethernet or CAN bus interface; support for two
power relay output (Form A); and total harmonic distortion (THD).
provides flexibility. The RV1S92xxA photocouplers’ electric
ICP Electronics Australia Pty Ltd isolation and high CMR noise rejection (50 kV/µs) protect
www.icp-australia.com.au low-voltage microcontrollers and I/O devices from high-
voltage circuits when transferring high-speed signals.
The RV1S2281A and RV1S2211A are DC input and
low DC input, transistor output photocouplers, and the
RV1S2285A is an AC input, transistor output coupler.
The RV1S22xxA devices also provide 8.2 mm creepage
distance, 2.5 mm package width and 2.1 mm package
Accredited testing and global product approvals since 1992 height. They come in LSSOP packages with a 1.30 mm
pin pitch.
Bayswater All five photocouplers deliver 5000 Vrms reinforced
isolation and high temperature operation to withstand
harsh operating environments. They support 200 and
400 V systems with reinforced insulation to meet
industrial safety standards. They adhere to the strict
UL61800-5-1 standard for motor drive equipment and
the UL61010-2-201 standard for control devices such
as PLCs.
Renesas Electronics
www.renesas.com

36 MARCH/APRIL 2020 WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU

 SPONSORED CONTENT

AUTOMATIC IDENTIFICATION WITH

ELATEC RFID READERS
Devices using RFID technology for identification are widely used in warehouse logistics,
shipping and management. A large number of available solutions and a frequent need to
integrate them into a single, coherent system can be problematic and time-consuming.

S
olutions offered by Elatec allow you to reduce costs and with Android and Windows operating systems. Following the
time that are necessary to integrate new solutions into example of an office building, the use of Elatec readers makes
the existing systems. it possible to avoid identification problems for employees who
have forgotten to take their card from home.
Auto ID solutions with Elatec RFID readers
The rapidly growing market of RFID and wireless communication Quick setup
systems poses new challenges to hardware manufacturers and Another great advantage of TWN4 MultiTech RFID is that its
solution integrators who offer Auto ID products. Regardless of functionalities can be automated with scripts that are run directly
the area of application, the key element is the choice of the in the reader. In addition, the script can be changed to allow
right RFID technology for proximity identification. It is of crucial the reader to use a different RFID standard. Modification can
importance, as many different RFID standards operate in parallel. be done via wireless interface using a TWN4 configuration card.
In this way, often used RFID technologies differ in standard from This is a great convenience for maintenance employees and
the newly introduced solution. An example of such a problem technicians who don’t want to waste their time disassembling
can be an office building, where RFID technology is used to integrated devices and it makes it possible for them to reconfigure
control access of employees. At some point, there is a need for such devices quickly and non-invasively.
systemically integrated access of employees to printers equipped
with RFID readers installed in the building. Let us assume that RFID technology recognition
the readers used in printers work in a different standard from In the case of switching from one solution to another, such as
that used for access control. This situation forces the employees in the example presented above, recognition of the previously
to use two cards — one allowing access to the workplace and used RFID technology is essential in order to propose a new,
the other for identifi cation purposes in the printer. Universal optimal solution. As a standard, an RFID card used in the existing
Elatec RFID readers and modules eliminate this inconvenience application would have to be sent to the supplier or integrator.
by offering support for the vast majority of currently used RFID This lengthy procedure is no longer required with Elatec RFID
technologies. This applies to both low-frequency (LF) 125/134.2 analysis tools such as TechTracer Lite. It can recognize the
kHz and high-frequency (HF) 13.56 MHz communications. RFID technology used in the existing solution on the spot. This
saves both the solution provider and the customer time, costs
Smartphone instead of contactless card and the risk of mistakes.
In addition to support for most RFID technologies, the latest
Elatec TWN4 MultiTech 2 BLE proximity reader supports NFC
and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology. As a result,
RFID cards can be omitted in the identifi cation process and
smartphones can be used instead. The reader supports the Transfer Multisort Elektronik
most popular models, such as iPhone devices and smartphones www.tme.eu

WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU MARCH/APRIL 2020 37

DIAMOND FILM
BOOSTS HEAT DISSIPATION EFFICIENCY OF GaN HEMTs

T
Fujitsu and Fujitsu Laboratories have successfully he design is said to reduce the amount of heat generated by
the devices during operations by 40%, leading to simplification
developed what they claim is the world’s first
of the cooling system and making it possible to miniaturise
technology for growing a diamond film with radar systems that rely on GaN HEMTs. This improvement to
highly efficient heat dissipation on the surface of the design should make it significantly easier to install larger numbers
of the devices for applications including improved weather forecasting
gallium nitride high electron mobility transistors
and 5G communications.
(GaN HEMTs), which are used in power amplifiers In recent years, GaN HEMTs have been widely used as transis-
fo r t e c h n o l og i e s l i ke we a t h e r ra d a rs a n d tors for high-frequency amplifiers in weather radar and wireless
communications equipment. communications. In the future, achieving breakthroughs in areas like
the highly accurate observation of localised torrential downpours and
the creation of a stable millimetre-wave high-speed communication
environment for 5G communications will make it necessary to increase

38 MARCH/APRIL 2020 WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU

 TRANSISTORS

the number of radars and base stations deployed in the world by a of the GaN HEMT. In order to achieve this effect, however, a diamond
considerable degree. crystal with a large grain size is required to pass heat efficiently so
Limitations inherent to existing designs continue to prevent an that heat does not accumulate inside the diamond. A high temperature
increase in the number of installations, however. The transistors of about 900°C is usually required to grow such a diamond film, which
used in radar systems have higher output power due to the need to unfortunately destroys the GaN HEMT underlying the diamond growth.
operate at longer distances, which increases the amount of heat they When a diamond film is grown at low temperature (~650°C) at
generate. Cooling equipment is required because of the performance which the GaN HEMT is not destroyed, the resulting reduction in
degradation caused by overheating. This remains expensive, and the thermal energy given to the methane gas used to create the diamond
large size of the entire system, including the cooling apparatus, limits means that the growth of the diamond is incomplete. Using the low-
the installation location, making simplification and miniaturisation of temperature method, it is only possible to grow microscopic diamond
the cooling equipment an important challenge for designers. particles (or nanodiamonds) of several hundred nanometres or less.
One possible way to reduce the size and complexity of the cooling Furthermore, each particle becomes an aggregate of crystals facing
system is to increase heat dissipation efficiency by covering not only different directions, which inhibits efficient heat transfer between
the back surface of the GaN HEMT but also the front surface with particles (Figure 1).
a diamond film. This diamond film, which possesses excellent heat
dissipation properties, would effectively lower the internal temperature The new technology
To address this challenge, Fujitsu has developed a technology for
growing a highly heat-spreading diamond film at low temperatures
(about 650°C) where transistors are not destroyed, and succeeded
in demonstrating the operation of a GaN HEMT with a highly heat-
spreading diamond film on its surface.
To grow the diamond film with this method, nanodiamond par-
ticles with a diameter of several nanometres are placed on the
entire surface of the device. The nanodiamond particles are then
exposed to methane gas with high thermal energy to convert the
carbon contained in the methane gas into diamond, which can then
be incorporated into the particles. Carbon, with its high energy,
is selectively incorporated into diamonds that point in a particular
direction, allowing diamonds that point in the same direction to bond
together and grow.
Figure 1: Cross-sectional view of conventional
Focusing on the fact that the thermal energy given to methane
and newly developed diamond film.
varies depending on the pressure and the concentration of methane
gas during diamond growth, Fujitsu discovered that nanodiamond
particles oriented in a specific direction can be selectively enlarged at
low temperatures. This makes it possible to convert a nanodiamond
into a micrometre-sized diamond 1000 times larger (Figure 2). As a
result, heat can easily pass through the diamond and the GaN HEMT
can dissipate heat efficiently.

Outcome
By using the newly developed technology, the amount of heat
generated during GaN HEMT operation is reduced by approximately
Figure 2: Top view of GaN HEMT. 40% compared to without diamond film, and the temperature can
be lowered by 100°C or more. Furthermore, by combining the heat
dissipation from the back side of the GaN HEMTs with single-crystal
diamond developed by Fujitsu and silicon carbide bonding technology
at room temperature, the front and back sides of the GaN HEMTs
can be covered with a diamond film, which is expected to reduce
heat generation by approximately 77% (Figure 3).
This enables the use of small cooling devices for high-performance
radar systems that previously required large cooling devices, thereby
saving space and making it easier to install the large number of
units demanded for advanced weather forecasting and communica-
tions technologies.
Details of the high-heat-dissipation GaN HEMT amplifiers were
Figure 3: Heat-spreading method and
©stock.adobe.com/au/htoto911

presented at the 2019 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit, held in Boston
heat dissipation efficiency.
in early December. Going forward, Fujitsu aims to commercialise
the technology in fiscal 2022 for use in weather radar systems and
next-generation wireless communication systems.

Fujitsu Australia
www.fujitsu.com.au

WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU MARCH/APRIL 2020 39

POWER AMPLIFIER
Engineered for defence and aerospace applications, the 100 W QPA3069
power amplifier from Qorvo provides high power density and power-added
efficiency for 2.7–3.5 GHz radiofrequency (RF) based designs. Fabricated
with Qorvo’s 0.25 µm gallium nitride-on-silicon carbide (GaN-on-SiC)
production process, the high-power, S-band amplifier is designed to
simplify system integration and offers high performance in a 7 x 7 x
0.85 mm package. AUTOMATIC DIRECTION FINDING
The power amplifier features greater than 58 dBm of saturated output ANTENNA
power and over 25 dB of large-signal gain. The device’s power-added The ADFA 2 is Narda Safety Test Solutions’ second
efficiency (PAE) is rated at 53%, and the RF output power where the automatic direction finding antenna, with a frequency
device starts to draw positive gate current (PSAT) is measured at range that has been increased by more than three times.
50 dBm. The amplifier features input return loss as low as 13 dB and When connected to Narda’s powerful real-time receiver,
output return loss as low as 7 dB. To simplify system integration, the the SignalShark, the device can precisely localise signals
product also features two RF ports that are fully matched to 50 Ω, between 10 MHz and 8 GHz.
each integrated with DC blocking capacitors. The product delivers stable measurement results in
The device has an operating temperature of -40 to 85°C and a power seconds — it is insensitive to reflections. Its wide fre-
dissipation of 117 W at the top of the temperature range. The lead-free, quency range means that direction finding at low and high
RoHS-compliant amplifier is suitable for S-band radar applications. frequencies is covered equally. Compact and universal,
it combines a broad spectrum with the minimum outlay
Mouser Electronics
of equipment. This makes the device suitable for mobile
au.mouser.com
network providers and regulatory authorities, as well as
for military applications.
For applications on the move, the unit is easily attached
to a car roof with the aid of its magnetic base; a single
cable links it to the SignalShark. It delivers precise results
Who the #?!&*% is… even without the vehicle correction tables that are usually
required. While still on the move, the measurement techni-
cian can superimpose a heatmap on a stored map on the
SignalShark display as well as view the found direction. The
localisation software in the device automatically indicates
where the interference source is most likely to be located.
An array of nine antenna elements (dipoles) are arranged

• Operating since 1980. on a flat plane with a central omnidirectional reference

antenna, which allows the measurement technician to ob-
• Contract manufacturer, serve the signal spectrum during direction
UL compliant, with finding. The principle of automatic
engineering capability. direction finding using single-

• Your products may channel receivers is based on

the phase difference between
change but your
the antenna elements. The nine
contract manufacturer
doesn’t have to. dipoles are measured against
the central reference antenna
— the greater the distances between them, and thus the
detected phase difference, the more reliable the bearings.

How to find a reliable contractor! As a result of the extended frequency range at both
ends of the scale, there is a lower plane for the range
Team up with us for the long haul. from 10 to 200 MHz and an upper one for the range from
• We create a quality plan for every product 2.7 to 8 GHz. These additional planes mean the device
we make for you. weighs 6.5 kg, with a diameter of 480 mm.
• Contact us for a free quote. Narda Safety Test Solutions GmbH
www.narda-sts.de

1300 367 353 www.elfelectronics.com.au

40 MARCH/APRIL 2020 WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU

 SPONSORED CONTENT

SENSOR APPLICATIONS FOR DRIVING

EFFICIENCY IN ELECTRONICS PRODUCTION
The manufacturing volume for electronics parts such as printed circuit boards (PCB)
is steadily rising to keep up with economic demand. The industry has introduced parts
miniaturisation and high-speed production systems to be able to reach production quotas.
Advanced sensor technology is used to ensure reliable measurement, monitoring and
inspection at every stage of the manufacturing process. This is to ensure the highest
quality for the manufactured products.

T
he sensor requirements for such applications should be adapt quickly to a changing surface, ie, when the products move
compact, easy to integrate into existing machinery and able in the production line. They can continuously provide accurate
to measure at high speed. An example of such technology distance measurement with high reliability.
is a non-contact laser triangulation sensor for measuring distance, Similarly, the laser triangulation sensors can also be used to
displacement, position and thickness. The laser triangulation detect the height of the paste bead during automated applications
sensor has a compact design and is capable of adapting to of heat conducting paste in electronics such as in LED light
rapidly changing surfaces while retaining its superior measurement production. The dosage is determined by the height of the paste
accuracy. Some example applications of laser triangulation sensors bead. It is crucial to achieve the correct dosage, as overloading
in electronics manufacturing are outlined here. of paste impairs its thermal resistance and too little paste may
overheat the parts.
Monitoring the presence and position of components
in PCBs Other sensors requirements
Laser triangulation sensors have been previously used in a fully A non-contact confocal displacement sensor can be used to
automated system to monitor the position of components in a measure the thickness of the protective coating on the PCB.
PCB. Generally, the components in a PCB are miniature and The protective coatings are essential to protect the board from
cannot be easily detected with conventional measuring equipment. environmentally degrading compounds such as moisture. The
The blue laser triangulation sensors have a shorter wavelength confocal displacement sensors are suitable for this application
and can measure at a higher resolution, which is suitable for due to their capability to achieve high-precision measurement on
this application. They also have a high measuring rate to enable multi-layered objects and on thin layers, which is a limitation for
short cycle testing in the production environment. laser sensors. Confocal sensors can also be used to measure
the assembly gap on display glass on smartphones after the
Print head positioning in laser printers assembly process.
The exact distance from the print head to the object is crucial to Bestech Australia partners with Micro-Epsilon, a world-leading
ensure high quality of the final products in production processes. company in high-precision sensors and instrumentation, to provide
Laser triangulation sensors are compact and can be easily mounted high-quality sensors and support for test and measurement
on the print head for accurate distance detection. Conjunctively, applications in Australia and New Zealand. In addition to laser
the sensors can also measure the depth of the scribe line in triangulation sensors, we also offer a wide variety of high-
the PCB to ensure that the printed components are separated. precision non-contact sensors to cover almost all measurement
requirements in the electronics industry, from chip production to
Distance measurement in adhesive dispensers
complex assembly monitoring.
Laser sensors have also been previously used on the glue
dispensing machine. The sensors are mounted on the dispensing
head to ensure that the adhesive dispenser is always at the
correct working distance to the object. The advantage of using Bestech Australia Pty Ltd
laser sensors for this application is the sensors’ capability to www.bestech.com.au

WWW.ELECTRONICSONLINE.NET.AU MARCH/APRIL 2020 41

DISPLAYS

FLEXIBLE
Westwick-Farrow Media
A.B.N. 22 152 305 336

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TOUCHSCREENS
COULD BE PRINTED LIKE NEWSPAPER
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Australian researchers have developed an ultrathin and ultraflexible Publishing Director/MD Geoff Hird
Art Director/Production Manager
electronic material, able to be printed and rolled out like newspaper, for Julie Wright
the touchscreens of the future. The work was led by RMIT University and Art/Production
Veronica King, Colleen Sam
has been published in the journal Nature Electronics.
Circulation Dianna Alberry, Sue Lavery

A
[email protected]
s explained by lead researcher Dr Torben Daeneke, most mobile phone touchscreens are
Copy Control Mitchie Mullins
made of a transparent material — indium tin oxide (ITO) — that is very conductive but also [email protected]
very brittle.
“We’ve taken an old material and transformed it from the inside to create a new version that’s Advertising Sales

supremely thin and flexible,” said Dr Daeneke, an Australian Research Council DECRA Fellow at RMIT. Group Sales Manager
Nicola Fender-Fox – 0414 703 780
“You can bend it, you can twist it, and you could make it far more cheaply and efficiently than the [email protected]
slow and expensive way that we currently manufacture touchscreens.
Account Manager
“Turning it two-dimensional also makes it more transparent, so it lets through more light. Sandra Romanin – 0414 558 464
“This means a mobile phone with a touchscreen made of our material would use less power, ex- [email protected]
tending the battery life by roughly 10%.” Asia
To create the new type of atomically thin ITO, researchers from RMIT, UNSW, Monash University Tim Thompson - 0421 623 958
[email protected]
and the ARC Centre of Excellence in Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies (FLEET) used a thin
film common in mobile phone touchscreens and shrank it from 3D to 2D, using a liquid metal printing
approach.
An indium-tin alloy is heated to 200°C, where it becomes liquid, and then rolled over a surface to
print off nanothin sheets of indium tin oxide. These 2D nanosheets have the same chemical make-up
as standard ITO but a different crystal structure, giving them new mechanical and optical properties.
The touch-responsive technology is 100 times thinner than existing touchscreen materials and so
pliable it can be rolled up into a tube. It is readily compatible with existing electronic technologies Contact the editor
and, because of its incredible flexibility, could potentially be manufactured through roll-to-roll (R2R)
processing just like a newspaper.
It also absorbs just 0.7% of light, compared with the 5–10% of standard conductive glass. To make
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it more electronically conductive, just add more layers. please email [email protected]
“There’s no other way of making this fully flexible, conductive and transparent material aside from
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The product is also easier to create than the transparent thin film material used in standard touch- www.electronicsonline.net.au/subscribe
screens, which is manufactured in a slow, energy-intensive and expensive batch process conducted in
a vacuum chamber. Dr Daeneke noted, “The beauty is that our approach doesn’t require expensive or
Printed and bound by Dynamite Printing
specialised equipment — it could even be done in a home kitchen.” Print Post Approved PP100007394
The research team has now used the new material to create a working touchscreen as a proof ISSN No. 0728-3873

of concept, and has applied for a patent for the technology. The material could also be used in many All material published in this magazine is published in
other optoelectronic applications, such as LEDs and touch displays, as well as potentially in future good faith and every care is taken to accurately relay
information provided to us. Readers are advised by the
solar cells and smart windows. publishers to ensure that all necessary safety devices and
precautions are installed and safe working procedures
“We’ve shown it’s possible to create printable, cheaper electronics using ingredients you could buy adopted before the use of any equipment found or
purchased through the information we provide. Further, all
from a hardware store, printing onto plastics to make touchscreens of the future,” Dr Daeneke said. performance criteria was provided by the representative
company concerned and any dispute should be referred
“We’re excited to be at the stage now where we can explore commercial collaboration opportunities to them. Information indicating that products are made
and work with the relevant industries to bring this technology to market.” in Australia or New Zealand is supplied by the source
company. Westwick-Farrow Pty Ltd does not quantify
the amount of local content or the accuracy of the
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