Wireless & Communications

Microchip has introduced the new PIC32 Bluetooth Starter Kit. The full-featured kit features a PIC32 microcontroller (MCU), HCI-based Bluetooth radio, Cree high-output multi-colour LED, 3 standard single-colour LEDs, an analogue 3-axis accelerometer, analogue temperature sensor and 5 push buttons for user-defined inputs.

New from Harting, the Ha-VIS RFID VT 86 (HT) is an RFID transponder that combines robustness, a high protection class and resistance to the effects of high temperatures and chemicals and to achieve optimal performance in difficult environments.

B&B Electronics, a specialist in the development of mission-critical network connectivity products, has introduced the Wzzard Intelligent Sensing Platform. Wzzard is a complete wireless sensor connectivity platform intended for the rapid deployment of scalable, intelligent, reliable Internet of Things (IoT) networking in remote and demanding environments. Wzzard was designed to help integrators, VARs and service providers efficiently develop and deploy secure, smart, self-powered, and scalable IoT applications.

Fairview Microwave, a supplier of on-demand microwave and RF products, has announced their new line of single-channel/single-axis and single-channel/multi-axis RF Rotary Joints. RF rotary joints are needed wherever RF signals have to be transmitted between stationary and moving parts of a system, commonly used in commercial and military radar, land-mobile-radio communications and anti-missile defense applications.

Lane Electronics is making available a range of antennas from HUBER+SUHNER which have designed specifically to overcome the harsh environments found in industrial applications. According to Kevin Bottomley at Lane, there is an increasing demand across all industrial sectors for wireless communications that work in the cellular or WiFi frequency ranges.

Laird has launched the Ultra Phantom, a low profile vertical antenna product line. The device is, according to Laird, the industry’s smallest high-performance omnidirectional low profile UHF antenna designed for use in government, public safety and industrial/commercial market segments. The low profile design reduces height clearance issues on specialty and heavy duty vehicles with secure mounting hardware that deters antenna vandalism.

Vodafone’s second annual ‘M2M Adoption Barometer’, a global survey of the machine-to-machine (M2M) market, has found that M2M adoption has increased by more than 80%, with over a fifth of companies now actively using the technology. M2M, which connects previously isolated machines or devices to the internet to make the ‘Internet of Things’ possible, is set to grow from 4.4 billion connected devices this year to 10.3 billion by 2018.

With the demand for intelligent networking and the increasing trend for the 'intelligent factory', CHERRY is now offering a new energy harvesting technology that is able to offer a number of advantages in applications where a complex wire assembly and/or batteries would be inappropriate.The required RF-energy is created by the mechanical actuation of the switch and the data is transmitted wirelessly using RF-technology

Many industries and applications require precise time & frequency synchronisation to ensure optimum system performance, accuracy and reliability and the recent expansion and availability of global navigation systems and related infrastructure means that the eco-system that has been created has become more reliant on GNSS signals. It is therefore important to make sure systems are protected against temporary loss of signal.

Knowles Capacitors has introduced a new line of Gain Equalizers from their Dielectric Laboratories (DLI) facility. These devices have been designed to compensate for module Gain Slope and offer improved and repeatable microwave performance. This is achieved by application of precision thin film fabrication, coupled with DLI’s high permittivity ceramic materials, to give a unique design solution.