Walden C. Rhines, Mentor Graphics CEO, debunked semiconductor market myths at his recent Semicon West keynote speech. Reported in EDN, the first myth is that semiconductor production is coupled to world economic growth; in fact there is virtually no correlation. The second myth, refuted by research data, is that manufacturers are slow to adopt new technology. The third myth is that the market is consolidating. In fact, the top five and top 10 suppliers today have less combined market share than 35 years ago. Rhines went on to recite some truths, namely that semiconductor manufacturing costs decline dramatically as unit volumes increase.

Help develop the educational session topic direction for GlobalSpec's May 5, 2010 Sensors & Switches event by participating in this brief survey.

Share with us the types of industry trend topics, new product applications introductions, and recent technology innovations you would be interested in learning more about from industry experts, thought leaders, and representatives from manufacturing organizations. Your input will help us develop the educational sessions that interest you most and best serve your work-related business needs.Complete the survey, and your name will be entered into a drawing for a $100 American Express Gift Card!

Then join us for our Sensors & Switches event right from the convenience of your desktop on May 5, 2010. Watch for registration details in future issues.

Triad's 20W/40W encapsulated power supplies are available with 12 VDC, 24 VDC, and Constant Current outputs. All accept input from 90 VAC-264 VAC and are UL recognized, CE marked, and RoHS compliant. They are designed to fit standard electrical junction boxes for electrical installations including signage, architectural lighting, and LED fixtures. Custom designs are available upon request.

8092 series fuse holders accommodate international and North American fuses. UL recognition at 20A, CSA at 16A, VDE at 10A.

8093 series fuse holders accommodate the international fuse. cURus (Canadian and US UL recognition) at 16A, VDE at 10A. Both series of fuse holders have ratings at 250V, IP40, RoHS compliant, and "touch proof."

Aerovox Corp. has successfully modified its popular IGBT line of capacitors to achieve operating temperatures of +125 C. Available in voltages from 600 VDC to 1,600 VDC, this product family features a very low inductance and high dV/dT. Custom designs are available upon request.

Critical Velocity offers a range of low-cost, easy-to-use PWM controllers for driving:

• Brushed DC motors and stepper motors
• Peltier coolers and heaters
• Solenoid valvesM

Control options include potentiometer or analog 0-5 V, push-button "speed up/slow down", and microcontroller or PLC inputs. Online ordering is available.

The winds blow steady and true in deep offshore waters; ideal for wind turbines. Power reports that Norway's StatoilHydro and Germany's Siemens recently erected the world's first large-scale floating deepwater wind turbine near Norway. The developers next will connect the turbine to the local grid located seven miles away.

Work is underway on a regional grid linking the six states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. The grid will enable electricity exchange and provide emergency support among systems. Member states will be able to reduce generation reserve requirements, improve efficiency and reliability, and coordinate operations.

A methodology for estimating the life of power line conductor-connector systems operating at high temperatures won an R&D Magazine award. Engineers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory created the methodology. This technique will aid development of more durable and reliable connection systems.

What do Wang, Data General, and Prime Computer have in common? ConnectorSupplier.com says they failed because of reliance on proprietary standards. To avoid that fate and to satisfy OEM second source requirements, many connector suppliers cross-license once proprietary designs, creating de facto standards.

Flexfire™ fiber-optic light pipes were designed for maximum light output, and their superior optical transmission characteristics make them far more effective than rigid light pipes in many applications. While other flexible solutions lack options, Flexfire™ consists of many building blocks that can be mixed and matched to benefit any application.

ABB's new ProLine touch-safe panelboards with tested breaker coordination and UL489 current limiting breakers increase network safety during a short circuit. Ideal for critical 24/7 uptime applications: data centers, banking, hospitals, process control, and oil rigs. Proline delivers extremely reliable short circuit protection. Upgrade, lower cost, more details.

CEF is endeavoring to build the most effective communication platform showing every aspect of the electronics industry. 2000 international/domestic suppliers will communicate with 60,000 buyers and share their sales channels and orders.

Simutaneously held: Asia Electronics Exhibition in Shanghai. The alliance of five top Asia electronics shows: CEF, CEATEC, KES, Taitronics, and HK Electronics Fair.

PA&E specializes in custom electronic packaging and connectors that maintain hermetic integrity in extreme environments — from deep space, to deep beneath earth's surface. Our unique materials, processes, and experience can help you optimize designs for efficient thermal management, electrical performance, or to meet size or weight constraints. How can we help?

Engineering students at Central Michigan University use RFID technology and ultrasonic sensors in a smart cane system to help the blind to see. The cane system detects RFID tags located on mini flags in the ground. A loudspeaker voices alerts when an obstacle is detected, and also informs the user which direction to move.

Gas pipeline operators can't wait for pipes to rust through; they must continuously monitor corrosion rates and changes in pipe wall thickness. Sensors magazine shows how operators use non-intrusive fiber optic wall thickness sensors to continuously monitor pipelines. The sensors measure changes in strain, and infer wall thinning.

If you find this subject interesting, subscribe to GlobalSpec's e-Newsletter DirectU2 The world of Oil & Gas Technology.

Band pass filters are widely used in electronic applications including cell phones. ScienceDaily says researchers have found a way to make these filters much smaller while improving performance and reducing power use. The key is an approach that arranges MEMS components in rings and other shapes instead of in straight chains.

Scanning near-field ultrasound holography (SNFUH) is new to non-invasive sub-surface nanoscale metrology. With SNFUH, a high-frequency acoustic wave is launched from below, while a different frequency acoustic wave is launched from above on a scanning probe microscopy (SPM) cantilever. The resultant ultrasound wave is monitored by the SPM tip to create a spatial map.

LHV Power (FKA HiTek Power) has the HiFlex modular power supply solution for medical and standard industrial systems. It utilizes a concept of standard, single, and multiple output power modules configured to your particular output voltage requirements. This gives you the reliability and availability of a standard product.

Super Pilot offers you a wide range of standard and customized coaxial connectors. Our product range consists of the connector series MINI BNC, MICRO BNC, BNC, TNC, N, UHF, MINI UHF, F, PAL, RCA, SOLDERLESS, FME, SMA, SMB, SMZ, MCX, MMCX, 1.6/5.6, 1.0/2.3, cable assemblies, and antenna.

Can engineers stop accidents in manufacturing plants and other industrial settings? This Control editorial thinks not, backed up by an analysis of the cause and effect of recent accidents. It suggests that computer-assisted devices may even add to the problem. A better, though long longer term approach is suggested — one that increases public pressure on company management to take safety seriously and gets them to take the lead in ensuring safety.

Man has created many engineering marvels, but there have also been a few blunders. Consider what was to be one of the world's tallest man-made structures, a 1,971 foot high broadband transmission tower in Missouri City, TX. As shown in this video, the tower was under construction when it collapsed due to a rigging accident. The cause of the accident was an undersized ½ in. diameter U-bolt, a bolt sized by the riggers without consulting a licensed engineer.

Why Do Industrial Accidents Happen?

Industrial accidents continue with alarming frequency because executives put productivity above safety. What's the best way to affect change? Is it lawsuits, stricter government regulations, or a more creative solution?