Electronic Design UPDATE: October 12, 2005

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Electronic Design UPDATE e-Newsletter
Electronic Design Magazine
Electronic Design ==> www.electronicdesign.com
October 12, 2005
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*************************ADVERTISEMENT**************************

Network-optimized ARM7 & ARM9 based core modules 

Digi International offers the widest range of core modules - ARM7, 
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http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=16125:484C79

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Today's Table Of Contents:

1. News Focus
  *Control Power And Reboot Via The Internet
2. News From The Editors
  *White LEDs Backlight Industrial LCDs
  *Everyday Plastic Creates Affordable Solar Cells
  *Commercial-Grade Linux Targets Consumer Devices
3. TechView Scope
  *Degausser Wipes Hard Drives Clean
4. Upcoming Industry Events
  *Magnetics 2005
  *PowerSystems World
  *Int'l Conference on Lead Free Components
5. Book Review
  *"Fab: The Coming Revolution on Your Desktop--From Personal 
    Computers to Personal Fabrication"

Electronic Design UPDATE edited by Lisa Maliniak, eMedia Editor
mailto:[email protected]
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1. News Focus
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Control Power And Reboot Via The Internet

Normally, we don't consider the Internet a big remote control. But 
Dataprobe's iBoot single-outlet ac power switch lets users remotely 
reboot or power up equipment over an Internet Protocol (IP) network 
using an Internet browser. 
   Users can remotely monitor, manage, and control corporate and 
personal computing devices and other electronic equipment. It's 
ideal for equipment at remote or hard to access locations, saving 
the cost of a "truck roll" and expediting situations where fast 
control and minimum downtime are vital. 
   The iBoot can remotely control routers, servers, cell sites, 
hotspots, ATMs, HVAC equipment, security systems, kiosks, 
satellite downlink sites, supervisory control and 
data-acquisition monitor and control systems, and just about 
anything else whose power is beneficial to control. Sometimes, 
all it takes to put a remote system like servers and routers back 
into operation is a reboot. And iBoot can get that done. 
   It also can improve security by keeping devices off when they're 
not in use. Hackers can't detect them when they're powered down. 
This saves considerable energy and unnecessary wear and tear on 
equipment when it's not needed. The iBoot can power up alarm 
devices like lights and sirens when appropriate, too. It even 
manages heaters, coolers, pumps, and other apparatus for custom 
environmental control. 
   The iBoot plugs into a standard 105-125 or 210-240 ac line. The 
target device is plugged into the other side of the line. The 
iBoot can switch 12 A at 120 V or 10 A at 240 V. The interface is 
standard 10/100 Ethernet with a built-in hub and two RJ-45 ports. 
The communications protocol is IP, and each iBoot has its own IP 
address. It uses the User Datagram Protocol messaging protocol 
too. An HTTP Web server is built in. It's compatible with 
Microsoft IE and Netscape 3.0 or later. A password is required to 
access the remote unit. 
   The Auto-Ping feature monitors the powered equipment and detects 
failures. It then automatically performs a power-down, power-off, 
or timed reboot until the desired ping response is obtained. The 
Heartbeat Detector monitors the powered device and generates a 
message on a regular basis. If the unit fails, no message is 
delivered, and iBoot performs a reboot.
   The iBoot is available now for $275.
     Dataprobe Inc. ==> http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=16131:484C79

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*************************ADVERTISEMENT**************************

Your easiest way to control display brightness.

Microsemi visible light sensors mimic human eye response. 
Breakthrough technology enables automatic brightness control that's 
not fooled by infrared or ultraviolet wavelengths. Easy design-in 
needs no optical filters. Integrated high gain photo current 
amplifiers, temperature stable, and RoHS compliant. No lead, no 
cadmium. Four models to meet your specific LCD or LED display design 
requirements.

http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=16127:484C79

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2. News -- From The Editors
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***White LEDs Backlight Industrial LCDs
Brightness won't be a problem with a family of Optrex industrial TFT 
LCDs backlit by long-life white LEDs. Resolution ranges from VGA to 
XGA, depending on size. The LCDs are available in 6.5-, 8.4-, 10.4-, 
and 12.1-in. diagonal sizes. They're designed for medical, military, 
kiosk, machine-automation, and industrial-control applications. They 
offer high brightness, wide viewing angles, and high contrast 
ratios. The larger sizes are backlit by ultra-high bright-white LEDs 
and offer luminances ranging from 250 to 600 cd/sq meter. 
Enhancement options include an anti-reflective front surface 
treatment for daylight readability and an ultra-clear touch sensor 
(with 87% light transmission). Pricing for the Optrex LCD family 
starts at $198 each for a 6.5-in. VGA LCD in 10,000-unit quantities. 
Delivery is typically four to six weeks for samples and eight to 12 
weeks for production volumes.
     Apollo Display Technologies ==> 
http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1612C:484C79

***Everyday Plastic Creates Affordable Solar Cells
Researchers at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and 
Applied Science are looking to meet the growing demand for solar 
energy with new and more affordable solar cell panels made out of 
everyday plastics. They hope the new polymer cell eventually can be 
produced at 10% to 20% of the cost of traditional cells. Today, 
nearly 90% of solar cells are made from a refined, highly purified 
form of silicon. UCLA's solar cell is made of a single layer of 
plastic sandwiched between two conductive electrodes, making it 
cheaper and easier to mass produce. The polymers used in its 
construction are commercially available in large quantities. The 
UCLA cell performs at 4.4% efficiency, which means it gathers 4.4% 
of the total amount of energy, or sunshine, that actually hits it. 
The target for polymer solar cell performance is ultimately about 
15% to 20% efficiency, with a 15- to 20-year lifespan. The plastic 
solar cell is still a few years away from being available to 
consumers. 
     UCLA ==> 
http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1612A:484C79

***Commercial-Grade Linux Targets Consumer Devices
Device manufacturers like to gain a competitive edge by relying on 
commercially available standardized tools and operating systems, 
which allows them to focus on product innovation and 
differentiation. With that in mind, Wind River Systems offers a 
Linux device-software platform that the company says delivers 
commercial-grade quality Linux for consumer devices. In addition, it 
scales to support a full range of device requirements from the 
smallest handhelds to robust network equipment. The platform offers 
a fully tested and validated Linux 2.6 implementation, an 
Eclipse-based development suite, and global support. The Wind River 
Platform for Consumer Devices, Linux Edition, is available now for 
select customers, with general availability in November.
     Wind River Systems ==> 
     http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=16132:484C79

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3. TechView Scope 
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Degausser Wipes Hard Drives Clean

Information is power. When it's time to replace your hard drives, 
it's time to wipe them clean so sensitive information doesn't fall 
into the wrong hands. Developed by Security Engineered Machinery, 
the Professional Mag EraSURE semi-automatic degausser completely 
removes data from computer hard drives, including laptop and 
notebook drives. 
   The device produces a magnetic force (flux density) ranging from 
5000 to 13,000 Gauss to degauss virtually any hard drive with a 
nominal coercivity of up to 4200 Oe. It uses an array of 
permanent, high-energy, rare-earth (neodymium, or NdFeB) magnets 
to fully erase data and timing (servo) information. This renders 
the erased medium unusable and ready for secure disposal. 
   Users simply push a button, and a motor-driven mechanism moves 
the hard drive in and out of the unit for complete erasure in 
less than 60 seconds. The Professional Mag EraSURE accomodates 
1.8-, 2.5-, and 3.5-in. hard-disk drives. It also erases digital 
linear tapes, digital audio tape, and floppy disks. 
   There is no heat buildup, and it's UL/CSA-approved. Also, it 
operates on standard ac power. It measures 23 by 13 by 8 in. and 
weighs 73 lb, suiting it for field operations. A deployment kit 
is available as well. For pricing, contact the company.
     Security Engineered Machinery ==> 
     http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=16133:484C79

*************************ADVERTISEMENT**************************

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Order now, http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=16134:484C79

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4. Upcoming Industry Events
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October 24-26, Magnetics 2005
Indianapolis, Ind.
http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1612B:484C79

October 25-27, PowerSystems World
Baltimore, Md.
http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=16130:484C79

December 6-8, IPC/JEDEC International Conference on Lead Free 
Electronic Components
Boston, Mass.
http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=16126:484C79

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5. Book Review
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"Fab: The Coming Revolution on Your Desktop--From Personal Computers 
to Personal Fabrication"
By Neil Gershenfeld

The central premise of Neil Gershenfeld's "Fab" is this: What if 
atoms could be manipulated as fluidly as bits of data? What if you 
could make almost anything you wanted, almost immediately, in the 
comfort and privacy of your own home? Gershenfeld, the director of 
MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms, oversees a program that's 
attempting to do for matter what computers do for bits and bytes...

Read the full book review at 
http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=16129:484C79

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EiED Online -- Boston Embedded Systems Conference

Embedded in Electronic Design (EiED) Online is your source for 
technical insight and hands-on reviews. Read one of Technology 
Editor Bill Wong's latest EiED Online columns, "Boston ESC." You 
couldn't make it to the Boston Embedded Systems Conference? Then 
check out Bill's report on this annual gathering.
http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=16128:484C79

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TAKE A POLL!

In the wake of a natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina, which 
would offer the most reliable communications?

-- A handheld VHF/UHF ham transceiver
-- A battery-powered HF CW/SSB ham transceiver
-- Cell phones
-- The Internet
-- Not sure

Vote at Electronic Design ==> 
http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1612F:484C79

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CONTACTS: Electronic Design UPDATE e-NEWSLETTER
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Editorial: Mark David, Editor-in-Chief
mailto:[email protected]

Advertising/Sponsorship Opportunities: Bill Baumann, Publisher:
mailto:[email protected]
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