Switched mode power supplies are ubiquitous but often poorly understood. To optimise their use in systems requires an understanding of how the various types and how they operate

In our increasingly connected world, there are a rising number of applications that benefit from the ability to detect people or objects, including building energy management (BEM) systems that control the environment in homes, offices, factories and other buildings. By Martin Keenan, Technical Director, Avnet Abacus

Avnet Abacus will focus on two main product areas — power and connectivity at European Microwave Week in Paris (September 30-October 3). In dedicated power and connectivity sections, product specialists will be available to discuss design needs and give technical advice.

  There are specific existing and new requirements for medical safety. Philip Lechner, Avnet Abacus looks at what’s needed for a particular application

Avnet Abacus will participate at this year’s electronica in Munich (November 13-16) as part of a consolidated Avnet EMEA presence. Avnet Abacus is one of four major business units that will each host a dedicated area of the stand, demonstrating the capabilities and support provided by the Avnet ecosystem.

The SPGA series from ALPS, a tactile switch that needs no battery or accumulator thanks to energy harvesting techniques is available from distributor Avnet Abacus. Based on magnetic induction technology, the modules measure just 17.5 x 23 x 17.9 and supply 170 µJ with every touch.

Nigel Ward has retired from the role of President, Avnet Abacus and will be replaced by another industry veteran Rudy Van Parijs. Ward leaves after a successful 30-year career with Avnet. Van Parijs joined EBV Elektronik, an Avnet company, in 1991, as a field application engineer.

It has been announced that Avnet Abacus, an interconnect, passive, electro-mechanical and power distributors and a regional business unit of Avnet, is the recipient of TDK Corporation’s 2017 European Senten Manten Gold award.

Did you know the origins of RFID technology can be traced to WWII? However, RFID as a technology only started to gain any recognition in product surveillance tags during the 1960s. Since then, RFID’s popularity has shown no signs of dimming. Used in any situation that requires contactless and non-line-of-sight identification of an individual object, RFID systems are now found at the heart of most supply chains.

In a cost-effective way, Radio Frequency (RF) connectors seek to transfer data across multi-megahertz radio frequencies with minimal data loss from reflection and dispersion. Situated at the end of every cable with the job of transferring data to the next PCB or system, RF connectors operate like a gateway to the device-under-design; select the right one and the data being transferred passes without the least delay, select the wrong one and ...

Legislation on eCall (emergency call) functionality is one of the major factors driving advanced vehicle connectivity today. An eCall subsystem will automatically call the emergency services in the event of an accident or crash. The system will be mandatory for all cars and vans sold in the EU from April 2018. Guest piece written by Alan Jermyn, Avnet Abacus.

A change in approach to antenna design and specification is well underway. Previously a somewhat overlooked element of the end design, the physical and power consumption characteristics are often so tight for the latest portable designs, that antenna design demands contemplation earlier in the design cycle. Guest piece written by Martin Keenan, Technical Director, Avnet Abacus.

Fuelled by the growing popularity of hybrid and full electric vehicles, plus an ever-buoyant consumer electronics industry, Li-ion has become the battery technology of choice for electronic devices on the move. With high storage capacities, high efficiency and longer lifecycles than many of their rechargeable counterparts, the Li-ion market is booming and the choice for electronic designers has multiplied. Guest piece written by Tim Parker,...

When considering what type of pressure sensor is best suited for your industrial application, it may be an overwhelming experience looking at the sheer number of different choices available. Here’s a quick breakdown of the different pressure sensor technologies available and key pressure sensor attributes that should help you decide. Guest blog by Martin Keenan, Technical Director, Avnet Abacus.

  LEDs are widely perceived as the perfect solution for lighting applications because, in theory, they last forever. What’s less frequently spoken about is the inconvenient truth: the circuit protection measures specified can make or break the design.

  The regulatory requirements surrounding mission-critical and non-mission critical rolling stock power supplies are paramount to application safety, but ready made solutions are available to meet these complex standards.

Sensor fusion is an intriguing idea: if data from more than one sensor can be combined in the right way, the combined data can be more accurate, more reliable or simply provide a better understanding of the context in which the data was gathered. It is perfectly possible to combine data from two or more (or in fact, lots of) sensors to produce extremely rich, context aware data that eliminates the limitations in range or accuracy of the indi...

Avnet Abacus is extending its distribution agreement with Panasonic to include RF and wireless module based products and technologies which cover all the latest communication protocols with ready-to-use modules for Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy and Wi-Fi. The focus is to help companies shorten their development cycle and gain faster time-to-market.

  Most modern power conversion topologies use switched-mode techniques for highest efficiency and smallest size and cost. Inevitably, switching noise is produced and output filters are required to minimise EMI and provide reliable operation of the power converter and load. This article looks at the effects of noise and some of the filtering techniques that can be used.

  In applications from the simplest cell-phone charger to grid-tied inverters operating at hundreds of kW, power conversion schemes are used which incorporate an intermediate stage where energy is processed at DC. A ‘DC-link’ capacitor is fitted at this point to provide a low impedance path for high frequency switching currents and to provide energy storage.