One of the many varied research projects at the University of Southampton’s ORC (Optoelectronics Research Centre) involves direct UV laser writing of integrated optical circuits on specialised glass substrates and on its own patented ‘flat’ optical cable. With application potential from telecom network components through to lab-on-a-chip (LOC) biological and chemical sensors, the photonic circuits are produced with the help of nanometre level precision positioning systems and motion controls from Aerotech. 

Ray Alderman talks to Steve Rogerson in our new series of interviews for CIEonline.

Ray Alderman has been executive director of Vita (VME bus International Trade Association) since 1998 and before that he was technical director.

His experience includes four years in military intelligence during the Vietnam war, and he has degrees in business and accounting and computer engineering. He has held positions in mainframe hardware and software engineering, and was a certified microprocessor engineer for several semiconductor companies as well as founder and partner in two start-up board and systems companies and president and CEO of a $40m board vendor. He claims he has been a general irritant to the technology industry for the past 30 odd years.

Gina Citroni talks to Steve Rogerson in our new series of interviews for CIEonline.

From joining Amplicon in 2001 as purchasing manager, Gina Citroni quickly moved up the ranks forming part of a management buyout team in March 2005 and taking total control in April last year. She claims responsibility for the dramatic rise of the business from a small local enterprise to a world renowned electronic system provider.

If we've learned anything over the past 12-18 months it's that forecasting what will happen in th economy over the next 12 months, in the midst of so much uncertainty and financial dislocation, is a challenge. However, according to the EEF manufacturers’ organisation the end of the credit crunch in the UK is within site and the proportion of companies experiencing problems with borrowing or finding it prohibitively expensive has begun to fall back.

Lee Hopley, the EEF’s head of economic policy, went so far as to say: “It now appears that there is light at the end of the tunnel and conditions are improving. If this continues, it will help allay fears that credit constraints would derail companies’ ability to take advantage of the recovery.”

Malcolm Penn talks to Steve Rogerson in a new series of interviews for CIEonline. Just over 20 years ago, Malcolm Penn left his job as vice president of Dataquest (now Gartner) to set up his own analyst company – Future Horizons. He has over 45 years experience covering all aspects of the semiconductor and electronics industry. Previous jobs have included manager of component engineering for ITT Europe (now Alcatel) and various operations and marketing management positions with ITT Semiconductors (now Micronas and General Signal).

LPRS, aleading supplier of short-range radio devices, has been selected by MRI Services to provide wireless communications for wheelchair users. The design inspiration was to provide a flexible personal communication system for Toby Hewson. Toby is the founder of JUST DIFFERENT, a charity that was started in 2007 to make a positive difference to the lives of disabled and non-disabled people.

The challenge for mobile operators will be to find the most flexible and cost-effective infrastructure for next generation services. Tony Lefebvre evaluates the requirements for small-cell services, and compares two different approaches: distributed microcell, picocell, and femtocell base stations (BTS) versus centralised BTS with distributed radio units to amplify the signal.

One of the difficulties with integrating military off-the-shelf (MOTS) and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products into complex military systems is achieving electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). While the EMC Defence Standard 59-411 provides guidance on a risk assessment process for achieving EMC, this still represents a minefield that can be difficult to navigate successfully.

There’s more to an industrial robot workcell than simply the machine itself, says Stirling Paatz of leading robot integrator, Barr & Paatz.

The trouble with conventional speakers is that their magnet-based construction makes them bulky and a significant source of Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI) while a high number of moving parts makes them susceptible to failure. In comparison, sound components based on the latest, patented piezoceramic technology developed by Sonitron, have no magnet and no moving parts. This results in an ultra-thin speaker, which generates no EMI and has a considerably longer life-time. There are other advantages too: piezoceramic speakers are light-weight, easily integrated into even the most compact designs and their low power consumption makes them energy-efficient.