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DISCOVERED NEW PRODUCTS
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New product announcements are made
nearly every day. I subscribe to many trade journals and each is filled with hundreds of
flashy advertisements. But, only a few of those product ads catch my eye. Since I’m
a circuit designer, I especially like those components that trigger many new application ideas
in my mind. Sometimes it is the smallest products that are the most useful.
Tiny surface mounted components that perform a nice little
function have countless applications. I also like anything that keeps battery power
consumption low. These days you can do many interesting things with a well-designed
circuit powered from just a few tiny button battery cells. |
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I often discovered new products in surplus electronic catalogs.
The surplus companies often buy up stock that came from companies that went out of business.
Bad marketing or bad management may have killed a perfectly good product idea. Their loss
can be your gain if you can spot the bargain.
David A. Johnson, P.E. |
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Discovered New Products:
2010
2009 2008
2007 2006
2005 2004
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New Products added 2005: |
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Tiny A - C to DC Power Supplies from
Bias |
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These devices are bit pricey and sometimes they are not
always available but I have used these things in two different products I have designed.
They are great when you have a circuit board that requires a fully isolated DC supply and
power line connections. Their square inch printed circuit board surface area
requirement is much smaller than conventional switching regulator or a transformer
approaches. The output power ratings of these devices range from 0.25 watts to 4
watts. Their universal input voltage range of 85vac to 265vac is a real bonus. My
only wish is that the price could be a bit lower. They are available from
Digikey.
You can download more technical data from their website at:
Bias Power Technology |
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Capacitance Based Proximity
Switches from Quantum |
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I design many such switches in my career. Some of the
first of my designs go back almost 20 years. Quantum Research has a nice line of ICs
that can be turned into many useful products. I have designed and sold many switches
using their devices. But, be warned. Their website and product data sheets
suck. They also have terrible application notes. But, if you are willing
to study and experiment with their products, you will be able to come up with some nice
capacitance switch circuits. The really nice feature of their parts is their ability
to self calibrate every few seconds to minutes. Once set, the switch can be
activated with just a hand wave over a metal plate. Their power demands are also low,
allowing them to operate from batteries. You can buy them through
Digikey
and you can get more information by visiting their website at:
Quantum Research Group |
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Instant Clock Generator from
Linear Technology |
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Linear’s
LTC1799 is a very simple device to use. It’s tiny SOT-23 package takes up very
little board space. It only requires a single external resistor to set up the
frequency, which is accurate to about 1.5%. Using its internal divider, you can
divide the oscillator frequency by a factor of 1, 10 or 100. Its maximum frequency
is 30MHz but its minimum is only 1KHz. My only complaint with the part is its
current draw of 1.3 milliamps is a bit high for many battery powered applications.
Maybe they will be coming out with a low power version. I can imagine a device with
a maximum 30KHz frequency, which could generate a much lower 1Hz clock and perhaps draw
less than 10 microamps. The device is available from
Digikey.
For more information visit
Linear Technology. |
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Tiny But Powerful FETs |
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I was hoping that someone would eventually package some
MOSFETs with high current ratings in a small package. Fairchild, Zetex and others
have finally done it. You can now get a device, which can switch over 2 Amps in a tiny
SOT-23 package. The
FDN337 from Fairchild, available from
Digikey has a
maximum drain voltage of 30 volts, a maximum current of 2.2 Amps and has a turn-on
threshold of only 1 volt. |
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Light To Frequency Converter from
Texas Instruments |
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There are many ways you can monitor the intensity of light
and produce an output. The typical circuits turn the light into either a current or
voltage. But, Texas Instruments has integrated a linear light to frequency converter
into one small device. This is perfect for some applications where an
intensity times time product is needed. By counting the number of pulses per unit
time, you have the light energy figure you need. The
Texas Instruments
TSL245 is very sensitive and can handle light down to less than 0.01 microwatts
per square centimeter or a very bright 1 milliwatt per square centimeter, which produces
an output frequency of 500KHz, while drawing about 2 milliamps. Its supply voltage
can range from 2.7 to 6 volts. The only problem with this part is that it is
restricted to the infrared spectrum from 800nm to about 1050nm. According to TI the
TSL235 with a clear plastic package and sensitive to visible light, is now obsolete.
Go figure! |
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