Author Archives: Andi

Electronically Commuted Motors — Higher Efficiency

Restaurant owners have long been facing operational challenges. These include high energy costs, limited kitchen space, and equipment downtime. For addressing these challenges and improving restaurant productivity, the owners have turned to commercial kitchen equipment. Most of such kitchen equipment has an electric motor at heart, whose performance dramatically impacts how the equipment operates and how it mitigates the above challenges.

It is imperative that owners increase their productivity while reducing their costs, considering their profit margin usually falls between three and five percent. This requires a clear understanding of the connection between the motor and the equipment. Doing so not only reduces the operating costs but also ensures a smoother running operation.

Energy costs happen to be a major concern in the restaurant industry. Commercial kitchen equipment is uncommonly hard on the electricity bill, being typically robust and energy-intensive. According to the US Energy Information Administration, consumption in restaurants is typically three times more per square foot than any other comparative commercial enterprise. This is because restaurants use specialized equipment that has a high power demand, and they operate for extensive hours, thereby consuming huge amounts of energy.

Therefore, purchasing and using high-efficiency, higher energy star-rated restaurant equipment is one of the easiest ways to improve the bottom line. However, as a motor is at the heart of each piece of equipment, it offers a greater choice. In fact, restaurant operators can improve on this further by taking a proactive approach and selecting equipment that has an electronically commuted motor or ECM. They can even consider retrofitting existing equipment with ECMs for a more favorable option.

The reason for the above decision is that an ECM operates more efficiently as compared to what a traditional induction motor does when running restaurant equipment such as ovens, walk-in coolers, mixers, and fryers. Depending on the use cycle, equipment with ECM technology can save more than 30% in annual energy costs. This improves the bottom-line savings and improves the profitability of a restaurant.

A microprocessor and electronic control help to run an ECM. Compared to regular induction motors, this arrangement offers higher electrical efficiency. It also offers the possibility of programming the precise speed of the motor. Moreover, ECMs can maintain high efficiency across a wide range of operational speeds.

Apart from the higher efficiency, ECMs are precise and offer variable speeds, which in fans means an unlimited selection of airflow. A properly maintained airflow during changes in the static air pressure brings important benefits to the restaurant, especially for its hood exhausts and walk-in coolers. The higher efficiency of ECMs leads to reduced heat in the refrigerated space, thereby reducing the equipment runtime.

Forward-thinking original equipment manufacturers are re-engineering their designs and products to include ECMs for delivering smaller and more versatile equipment. Compact motors such as ECMs, are gaining wider recognition and appreciation as they improve the power density of their equipment. Compared to equipment with traditional induction motors, those using ECMs offer the same output, but with a much smaller footprint and lower weight.

Industrial Automation with Single-Pair Ethernet

Efficiency is the fundamental concern for the successful implementation of any factory automation solution. For this, it is necessary to implement control and power components that consume the least possible amount of energy over their lifetime. However, for the actual realization of those savings, it is necessary for proper installation of the system.

This is where the advantages of the SPE or Single Pair Ethernet technology really come across. The technology transfers power and data over the same thin-wire cable. Not only does this save installation costs up-front, but it takes much less to maintain and upgrade the system over time. Phoenix Contact offers their ONEPAIR series for standardized SPE solutions. The ONEPAIR series has two main types of connectors, and they each serve a specific application.

In numerous industries and fields, the IP20 connectors and patch cables enable effective data transmission. This includes building and factory automation, where it is common to achieve a transmission rate of 1 Gbps for a distance of 1000 meters.

The other is the M8 device connectors, rated at IP67. They can transmit power and data safely and quickly from the OT to the IT. This is a new standard in compact connections, which can withstand harsh environments.

SPE or single-power Ethernet is high-performance, parallel transmission of power and data via Ethernet over a single pair of wires. The technology typically carries data and power through PoDL or Power over Data Line starting from the sensor and carrying through right up to the cloud. For barrier-free networking of a wide range of connectors, cables, and components, it is necessary to deploy connectors with standardized pin patterns. For this, Phoenix Contact offers standard connectors, ranging from IP20 to IP6x.

Apart from being ideally suited for a wide range of applications, the SPE is the basis for all Ethernet-based communication. Not only does it enable smart device communication, but it also opens up newer fields of application. SPE has great transmission properties, can span long distances, and optimally supports future-proof network communications. With a trend for miniaturized, resource-conserving devices, SPE offers space-saving cables and electronics.

SPE brings many benefits to its users. It can provide transmission speeds of over 10 Gbps over a single pair of wires. This helps to reduce data cabling while avoiding media breakdowns and device failures, from the field to the cloud. The user has the freedom to establish networking with a consistent structure base of Ethernet, eliminating the need for gateways. With SPE, the cabling is easier and saves time, as the user needs to guide and connect only two wires. They can use the 10Base-TIL standard Ethernet cabling for ranges up to 1000 meters.

The IEEE 802.3 defines the SPE standards. Presently, there are five standards for different transmission speeds and distances. Further standards are under discussion. The IP20 compact male connector series from Phoenix Contact are in accordance with IEC 63171-2 and are ideally suited for building and control cabinet cabling. The M8 or IP67 contacts from Phoenix Contact are in accordance with IEC 63171-5, providing robust and industrial-grade connections.

New Clearance Categories and Products!

We are finally updating our clearance categories. We’ve added lots of new products to the subcategory pages including:

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A Wheel-to-Leg Transformable Robot

With the general audience preferring to engage in the search for anthropomorphization, the popularity of biped and quadruped robots has been growing. At the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, researchers have innovated a robotic system that they call the OmniWheg—a robotic system that adapts its configuration based on the surrounding environment that it is navigating. They introduced this robot in a paper in the IEEE IROS 2022, and pre-published it on arVix. OmniWheg has its origins in an updated version of whegs, which was a mechanism with a design to transform the wings or wheels of a robot into legs.

Although the researchers would have liked to make the robot capable of going everywhere they go, they found the cost of legs to be very high. While evolution has provided humans and animals with legs, the researchers found that a robot with legs would be highly energy inefficient. While legs could make the robot more human or animal-like, they would not be able to complete tasks quickly and efficiently. Therefore, rather than develop a robot with a single mechanism for locomotion, the team proceeded to create a system that switched between various mechanisms.

The team found that about 95% of the environments at homes and workplaces are flat, while the rest are uneven terrains that require transitioning. Therefore, they went on to develop a robot that performs with a high-efficiency wheel-like arrangement for 95% of the cases, specifically transforming to the lower-efficiency mechanism for the remaining 5%.

The researchers, therefore, created a wheel that changed its configuration for climbing stairs or for circumventing small obstacles. For this, they utilized the concept of whegs,  wing-legs, or wheel-legs, which is popular in the field of robotics.

In the past few years, the team developed and tested several wheel-leg systems. However, most of them were not successful, as the left and right sides of the wheel-leg system would not coordinate well or align properly when the robot tried climbing stairs.

Finally, the team could solve the coordination issues by using an omnidirectional wheel. This enabled the robot to align on-the-fly, but without rotating its body. Therefore, the robot can move forward, backward, and sideways at high efficiency, and remain in a stable position without expending any energy. At the same time, the robot can also climb stairs swiftly, when necessary.

For correct operation, the wheg system that the team developed requires a servo motor to be added to each wheel and operated with a simple algorithm. As the design is straightforward and basic, any other team can easily replicate it.

According to the researchers, the system has abundant advantages with very few drawbacks. The team feels it can pose a threat to the legged robots, and any robotic application can adopt this design.

The team has evaluated their OmniWheg robot system on a multitude of real-world indoor scenarios. This includes climbing steps of various heights, circumventing obstacles, and moving/turning omnidirectionally. They found the results to be highly promising, and the wheel-leg robot could successfully navigate the common obstacles quite flexibly and efficiently.

Micro 3D Printing for Miniaturization

Engineers have been using additive manufacturing for prototyping for about 30 years now and are also using it for production. However, the biggest value addition from additive manufacturing comes from producing parts that other traditional manufacturing methods find difficult.

Fabricators use additive manufacturing as a valuable and important solution for producing parts such as those including complex design features like internal geometries and cavities that are impossible to achieve by regular machining. Additive manufacturing is helpful in producing structural elements that are too cumbersome or difficult to generate effectively by conventional means.

At present, engineers use 3D printers for printing large parts quickly. These parts may have resolutions around 50 µm and tolerances around 100 µm. However, sometimes, they also need to produce parts with sub-micron resolutions that are smaller than 5 um. Therefore, they needed a system for printing micro-sized parts at a reasonably high print speed.

Smaller parts require a more precise production process. For instance, cell phones and tablets, microfluidic devices for medical pumps, cardiovascular stents, MEMS, industrial sensors, and edge technology components require connectors with high resolution and accuracy. Most standard additive manufacturing machines cannot provide the resolution necessary for micro-sized parts.

BMF or Boston Micro Fabrication designs and manufactures the PµSL or Projection Micro Stereolithography technology-based printers. Using PµSL printers, it is possible to create 3D printed parts with 2 µm resolution at ±10 um scales. These 3D printers incorporate the benefits of both the SLA or stereolithography technologies and the DLP or digital light processing technologies.

Using a flash of ultraviolet light at microscale resolutions, these PµSL printers cause a rapid photopolymerization of an entire layer of resin. This takes place at ultra-high precision, accuracy, and resolution, not possible to achieve with other technologies.

For faster processing, the PµSL technology supports continuous exposure. Other design elements allow additional benefits to the user. For instance, in printers using the standard SLA technology, the bottom-up build method requires a support structure to hold the part to the base, while also supporting the overhanging structures. Conventional SLA systems can typically achieve resolutions of 50 µm, an overall tolerance of ±100 µm, and a minimum feature size of 150 µm. Similarly, standard DLP systems using a similar bottom-up build structure offer 25-50 µm resolution, an overall tolerance of ±75 µm, and a minimum feature size of 50-100 µm.

On the other hand, the PµSL uses a top-down build, thereby minimizing the need for a support structure. It also provides a way to reduce damage while removing bubbles with a transparent membrane. Comparatively, PµSL systems offer resolution down to 2 µm, dimensional tolerances as high as ±10 µm, and minimum feature sizes of 10 µm.

BMF provides this type of quality by properly employing every system component. This includes the resolution of the optics, controlling the exposure and resulting curing, the precision of mechanical components, and the interaction between parts and required support structures. It also depends on the ability to control tolerances across the build and the overall size of the part. Moreover, working with such diverse micro parts requires choosing the right material characteristics.

Switches & Latches Based on Hall Effect

Switches and latches based on the Hall effect compare magnetic fields. More correctly, they compare the B-field, or the magnetic flux density with a pre-specified threshold, giving out the comparison result as a single-bit digital value. It is possible to have four categories of digital or on/off Hall sensors—unipolar switches, omnipolar switches, bipolar switches, and latches.

Each of the above switches/latches has a unique transfer function. However, this depends on an important concept—the polarity of the magnetic flux density. The polarity of the B-field makes the Hall effect devices directional. Moreover, it is sensitive only to that component of the magnetic flux density that happens to be along its sensitivity axis.

When a component of the magnetic field applied to a device is in the direction of its sensitivity axis, the magnetic flux density is positive. However, if the component is in the opposite direction of the sensitivity axis, the polarity of the -field is negative at the sensor.

Hall sensor manufacturers follow another convention for the B-field polarity. They consider the magnetic field from the south pole of a magnet as positive, while that from the north pole, as negative. They base their assumption on the branded face of the sensor facing the magnet. The branded face of the Hall sensor is the front surface bearing the device part number.

Therefore, for a sensor with a SOT23 package, the sensitivity axis is perpendicular to the PCB. Whereas for a sensor with a TO-92 package, the sensitivity axis will be parallel to the PCB, provided the sensor is upright after soldering.

A unipolar switch has its thresholds in the positive region of the B-field axis. Its output state changes only when the south pole of a magnet comes near it. Bringing the north pole or a negative field close to the sensor produces no effect, hence the name unipolar.

When the sensor is off, its output is logic high. Gradually bringing a south-pole closer to the sensor causes the device to switch to a logic low as the magnetic field crosses its threshold. The opposite happens when the south pole gradually moves away from the sensor. However, as the threshold of switching for a decreasing magnetic field is different from the threshold of switching for an increasing magnetic field, the device shows a hysteresis effect. Manufacturers create this hysteresis deliberately to allow the sensor to avoid jitter.

An omnipolar switch responds to both—a strong positive field and a strong negative field. As soon as the magnitude of the magnetic field crosses the sensor’s threshold, it changes state. With omnipolar switches, the magnitude of the operating point is the same irrespective of the polarity of the B-field. However, the magnitude of the release point is different from the operating point, but the same for both polarities. Hence, the omnipolar switch also has a hysteresis effect.

A latch device turns on by an adequately large positive field but turns off only by an adequately large negative field. A bipolar switch behaves as a latch device, but its exact threshold values may change from device to device.

RNC Sensors for Automobiles

With changing vehicle technology, the expectations of drivers and passengers are also undergoing a sea change. They expect a quieter in-cabin atmosphere and an escape from the noise and pollution from the road. Road Noise Cancellation or RNC sensors from Molex offer a new experience for both automotive manufacturers and users. These sensors are lightweight, inexpensive, and use an innovative compact technique of combating road noise.

With growing environmental concerns, electric and hybrid vehicles are causing a greater impact on the automotive market. As these vehicles are quieter than their counterparts with combustion engines, their occupants indicate they perceive a higher level of road noise. The road surface transmits a low-frequency broadband sound that creates a hypnotic humming road noise, through the tires, the suspension, and various body components, into the vehicle. The absence of a combustion engine makes the road noise more perceptible in electric vehicles.

Reducing this noise using sound-dampening materials can be expensive and add to the vehicle’s weight. Early attempts to cancel the road noise actively used complex wire harnesses, while the material they used was less efficient and not as economical as users desire. Moreover, sensors and sound-dampening systems in automotive applications are vulnerable to several harsh environmental factors, including dust, rocks, and water, which can easily damage them.

RNC sensors from Molex are pioneering a newer trend in the luxury category of electric vehicles. The sensing element utilizes the A2B technology that captures sound waves. The system reduces noise from the road that a combustion engine would typically mask.

The A2B audio bus technology minimizes the time the sensors take between receiving the excitation vibrations and generating the processing signal. That means noise cancellation is more efficient. In addition, the sensors can measure the road noise at a slower speed, which allows placing them farther away from the source of the sound. The technology also provides more network data channels.

RNC sensors typically capture sound waves from the vibrations of the vehicle chassis. After detecting the sound waves, it transfers them to the processing unit. This generates a cancellation wave and transmits it to the inside of the vehicle as it travels on the road. The sensors use the A2B audio bus technology by Analog Devices and are daisy-chained to each other. This has the advantage of eliminating the home-run wire harnessing or star-pattern wiring and the use of sound-dampening materials that earlier systems used.

Moles has designed the casings for the sensors to anticipate the dust and water of the harsh automotive environment, for which they carry an IP6K9K rating for the enclosure for protecting the system. Molex also offers their space-saving sealed Mini50 Connector interface. They also offer various mechanical housing configurations for orienting the sensing element to mount them perpendicular to or parallel to the ground. This allows the use of a variety of terminal sizes and connector orientations.

RNC sensors are a low-cost technology for capturing vibration energy from vehicle suspension for optimal cancellation, compared to other noise-cancellation systems. It is possible to configure them in groups of 4 to 8 sensors, depending on the need.

Interactive Touchscreens

The interactive touchscreen, being an outstandingly adaptable technology, is a common feature in almost all settings. This includes manufacturing, healthcare, restaurants, movie theaters, shops, railway stations, and even in outer space. People use interactive touchscreens universally for the simple reason that they make life easier. In any industry, interactive touchscreens allow people to do their job better and more quickly.

In the age of digital transformation, the above features are essential. The trend in industries all over is to optimize workflows with technology. More stakeholders value convenience and speed now. Although touchscreens find universal applications, system integrators and their vendors of integrated software uphold their versatility by finding newer uses for them. That means a bright future lies ahead for interactive touchscreens. Moreover, manufacturers are integrating them with future technologies like artificial intelligence, voice recognition, and computer vision.

With a change in customer preference, businesses can respond by using touchscreens. For instance, theaters that have been in business for a long time, are now adapting to new customer expectations of greater convenience. Customers decide on remaining at a site and purchasing, depending on whether the ordering process is convenient for them.

At times, when customers are facing a busy night, or they are running late, they may decide to forego buying candy and popcorn. This represents a substantial loss for the theater since they make huge profits from concessions.

Therefore, theaters are setting up self-service concession and ticketing kiosks based on interactive touchscreens. Any moviegoer can now buy their tickets and concessions as soon as they enter the theater, as many kiosks are available at the entrance in the lobby. Each kiosk has the capability to serve up to 350 customers every day.

This has resulted in a substantial improvement across the board. Customers are more satisfied now that waiting time has come down, and concession sales are booming.

Touchscreens are available in diverse types. For instance, they may be huge 65-inch large-format displays or tiny handheld models the size of a smartphone. Manufacturers are offering additional features to make them more versatile and attractive.

For instance, touchscreens are available with peripherals that the user can customize. They have a choice of peripherals ranging from biometric scanners, status lights, RFID and NFC readers, to webcams, barcode scanners, and so many more. Manufacturers often enhance the basic modularity of touchscreens with computing devices for control over complex situations. For instance, the integrated software in a touchscreen offers a point-of-sale application supporting a number of different peripherals with custom configurations.

Interactive touchscreens are evolving fast. Stand-alone touchscreens are transforming self-service applications. Identification of products using computer vision is speeding up the customer’s intentions of purchase by speeding up at self-checkouts. This integration of technologies is benefitting both, the businesses and the customers. While customers prefer to make their own choices, they receive help from the combination of computer vision, voice recognition, touch facility, and artificial intelligence. All this allows the user to drive the interaction.

By putting the control back where it belongs—in the customer’s hands—the future of interactive touchscreen is moving towards fulfilling its original purpose.

What is Soldering?

Although soldering electronic components in place is a complex activity, most people involved with the soldering process do not realize it. Complicated chemical and thermal processes occur within a very small space when soldering. To make a good solder joint, it is necessary to follow a few basic rules.

Apart from just making good electrical contacts, solder joints should also be mechanically strong and must not oxidize. Additionally, there should not be chemical residues in the joint. Usually, chemical residues come from flux, which can corrode plastic and metallic surfaces both.

Manufacturers offer solder in three categories—consumer, industrial, and high-end. The automotive and health industry makes use of the third category. Consumer and industrial grades are more common for manual, automated, and other construction purposes.

For several years, the standard was the leaded solder. With a relatively low melting point of around 183 °C, leaded solder has good flow and wetting characteristics. For proper melting and formation of a good solder joint, the recommended temperature at the tip of a soldering iron is 120 °C above the alloy’s melting temperature. This corresponds to a tip temperature of about 300 °C.

Manufacturers provide flux inside the hollow of the solder wire. The flux helps to dissolve oxides of the metals at the solder joint. General purpose leaded solder is typically an alloy of tin and lead in the ratio 63:37. Typically, the tin in the alloy amalgamates with the metal (typically copper), producing an alloy of the two metals, as an intermetallic diffusion zone. This helps to form a good solder joint, well-formed, mechanically strong, and durable.

However, an ideal solder joint does not happen in all cases. Sometimes, the solder forms a cold solder joint. Reasons for the formation of a cold solder joint are the presence of highly oxidized metals and dirt, inadequate heating, or fast cooling after the melting process. Inadequate wetting is common in cold solder joints, leading to easy detachment of components.

It is easy to recognize a cold solder joint with leaded solder. The joint has a dull matte surface against a shiny, glossy surface of a good solder joint. With lead-free solder, this is no longer the case. Newer alloys of lead-free solders usually form a matte surface. However, this depends on the specific composition, and it remains matte whether the solder is establishing a good or a cold joint.

New lead-free solders are RoHS compliant, meaning they do not contain certain hazardous substances, as specified by the EU Directive and the Restriction of Hazardous Substances.

The lead content in lead-free solder cannot cross a 0.1% limit. The intention is to prevent the operators from inhaling toxic vapors. Earlier, the use of suitable extraction systems prevented the risk of such inhalation, provided they were in actual use.

The absence of lead in lead-free solders has resulted in an increase in their melting point. The presence of about 95% tin raises the melting point of the alloy from ~217 °C to ~227 °C. This also changes the flow characteristics. Higher temperatures mean the actual soldering time must be small to prevent damage to the components.

Importance of Edge Sensor Data

The industrial setup is seeing a significant increase in the amount of autonomous machinery with Industry 4.0. Not only are these machines providing human-like thinking capabilities, they are also revolutionizing the industry with their utmost precision and efficiency of operation. Edge sensors are an integral part of the industrial automation ecosystem. The edge sensors collect surrounding and environmental signals, sending them to edge data centers for monitoring and control of various parameters that affect operations. These sensors generate vast amounts of data that require monitoring for the identification of patterns while extracting important insights for further optimization.

With AI or Artificial Intelligence, ML or Machine Learning, and BDA or Big Data Analysis forming the base of Industry 4.0, the industry is treating data as the new gold. These tools process the data generated by edge sensors for efficiently managing and analyzing extensive processes. Enterprises use these tools to obtain insights into the working of processes, for recognizing patterns and looking for events associated with the industrial operation. The analysis helps with the further creation of algorithms that help in the optimization of machines and monitoring devices.

However, large computational power is necessary for processing the data that the sensors produce. The industry resorts to cloud computing, as data processing with the symbiotic support of the cloud, reduces the necessary investments. But this comes at the cost of higher bandwidth requirements and increased latency. On the other hand, applications like computational healthcare and self-driving cars require a faster response. Edge computing easily fills such gaps.

For the computation of data and remote monitoring, the Internet of Things happens to be a complete ecosystem of supporting devices and connected sensors. The cloud processes the enormous amounts of data the system generates. The cloud is simply huge data centers working round the clock, handling extensive amounts of data while being in connection with the internet.

The location of most of these data centers is in remote areas, as they need massive areas of land and cheap power to operate. This increases the bandwidth requirement and latency. Engineers are trying to solve this issue by placing smaller data centers close to the edge sensors, actuators, motors, etc.

Industries also use IoT to share data through unified analytic platforms. Industries usually deploy similar kinds of machinery, but use them in varied conditions of environments and load conditions. This generates various types of data, which when industries share them, can help build a robust ecosystem.

Companies can optimize their products based on shared local consumer data. This optimization can be in the hardware or in the software. Industries frequently conduct software optimization through the internet, while hardware optimization involves generating newer editions of the product. Collecting user data typically involves privacy and security issues. With edge computing, proper handling of local and distributed storage of data can help prevent huge tech giants from accumulating large amounts of private data. However, this makes data more prone to attacks from cyber-crooks.

Engineers typically collect and process the data collected from the edge sensors near the sensor itself. Sometimes, they transfer the data to centralized data centers or localized edge data centers for adding value.