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Sensor+Test 2016: MAZeT Presents New JENCOLOR® Color Sensor for Lighting Applications
The fully integrated MTCS-CDCAF sensor chip solution: Guarantees defined light
MAZeT GmbH, the development and manufacturing services provider for embedded systems and optoelectronics, will be presenting its latest light regulation products at this year’s SENSOR + TEST. This international trade fair is being held from 10 to 12 May 2016 in Nuremberg; MAZeT GmbH will be located at Booth 457 in Hall 1. MAZeT will also be presenting its latest sensors at LightFair International from 24 to 28 April 2016 in San Diego, USA at Booth 2653 operated by AVNET Electronics Marketing. The highlight is the new MTCS-CDCAF color sensor: The first fully integrated sensor chip in the JENCOLOR® product line includes a true-color filter function, integrated signal amplification based on charge-to-digital conversion, and an on-chip temperature sensor. The sensor combines the functions of the JENCOLOR® MTCSiCF detector and the MCDC04 digital signal converter in a minimized form and has been perfectly adapted to the specific requirements of lighting applications. The possible areas of application are diverse. In addition to LED lights, the sensor can also be used in LED backlight systems for monitors, in all areas of architectural lighting, in vehicles and aircraft, and in medical and technical lighting and displays. MAZeT will soon be offering accessory boards to complement the MTCS-CDCAF color sensor.
LED measurement and regulation: direct, rapid, precise, and temperature-independent
The sensor measures the color coordinates of light as XYZ signals in the CIE 1931 color space directly, rapidly, precisely, and regardless of temperature or other interference factors. Unlike conventional absorption filters, the sensor operates using interference filters that allow it to function reliably at temperatures of over 100°C and maintain its sensitivity through its entire lifecycle. In addition to color temperature and chromaticity, the sensor measures brightness and other light-related parameters such as color brightness, frequency, and flicker. The MTCS-CDCAF is available in a QFN16 package and is also suitable for direct installation in lights. Compared to conventional RGB color sensors, the MTCS-CDCAF’s unique properties make it ideal for use in lighting applications; these properties include its extended temperature range, its filters based on the tri-stimulus value function (CIE 1931), and the expanded parameters of the on-chip ADC. In that sense, it is ideally suited to measuring and regulating LEDs to compensate for interference factors that would result in color deviations in the LED light. The sensor guarantees defined, consistent LED light.
About MAZeT
MAZeT GmbH is a leading European engineering and manufacturing service provider. The company was founded in 1992 and is based in Jena. MAZeT develops, manufactures and distributes customer specific devices, software and ASICs distributes own products of the trademark JENCOLOR®. The broad technology offer and application know-how in this field of industry electronics and opto-sensor technology lets MAZeT GmbH be a competent and reliable service partner for every customized client-specific solution. Their expertise and components for custom applications are used throughout the entire sector of industrial metrology, control and automation as well as medical technology.
B&R fuses material handling and production
Automation technology from B&R makes it easy to achieve precise synchronization of conveyor belts and robots. The company’s readily configurable PLCopen function blocks can be used to implement conveyor belt tracking.
An increasing number of processes in production lines require synchronization with conveyor belts. Ensuring the high levels of speed and precision needed to accomplish this used to require highly complex control solutions. Production lines with conveyor belt tracking have an advantage. Since the production process never comes to a stop, they can achieve higher production volumes.
Fully integrated robotics
The complexity of these systems is constantly increasing, with the presence of robots becoming more and more common. Their tasks range from simple sorting to complex product processing on running conveyor belts. The PLCopen function blocks from B&R can be used for all types of robot kinematics and even allow robots to be synchronized with multiple conveyor belts. The interfaces are also ideally suited for integrating HMI applications for all types of kinematic systems.
The robot can move freely during the synchronization phase, which also enables complex product manipulation. A special feature of the B&R solution is that the conveyor belt is fully integrated in the application. An external sensor that supplies information about the current position of the conveyor belt is all that is needed.
Hardware-independent
The conveyor belt tracking solution from B&R is hardware-independent, which allows the use of different drive systems with different kinematics. The application can be created quickly and easily upgraded at a later time. The robot can be replaced or the conveyor belts can be upgraded at any time without a significant amount of application engineering work. A large portion of the software can be used as-is.
Lattice superMHL solution supports 4K video on USB Type -C
Lattice Semiconductor has announced the world’s first superMHL products for USB Type-C to deliver 4K 60fps RGB/4:4:4 video with concurrent USB 3.1 Gen 1 or Gen 2 data. The SiI8630 and SiI9396 are a low-power superMHL™ transmitter and receiver pair that can deliver and receive 4K 60fps over a single lane, enabling a PC experience with USB Type-C devices.
SiI8630 – Mobile/PC Market
The SiI8630 transmitter is able to seamlessly interface with HDMI® 2.0 transmitters already integrated into the Application Processors used in the latest phones, tablets and notebooks. Since this part has an MHL switch, it enables a direct interface with a USB 2.0-enabled Type-C connector without the need for additional high-speed switches. The SiI8630, combined with the Si7033, offers a complete solution to deliver 4K 60 video with concurrent USB 3.1 Gen 1 data.
SiI9396 – Mobile/PC Accessories and Displays
The SiI9396 receiver is ideal for MHL adapters and docks. When paired with the SiI7023 or SiI7033, MHL accessories can be designed to connect USB Type-C mobile and PC products to HDMI displays and USB devices such as keyboards, mice and external storage. The SiI9396 receiver can also be used in monitors, projectors and TVs to connect to MHL and superMHL sources, including mobile and PC devices with the USB Type-C connector.
USB Type-C products using these solutions will be able to connect to more than 750 million legacy MHL and future superMHL TVs, monitors, AVRs, Blu-ray Disc™ players, projectors, set-top boxes and automotive products.
“Our superMHL transmitters and receivers offer the lowest power, quick time to market, and the only solution to offer concurrent USB 3.1 data with 4K60 UHD video to address the growing number of productivity applications for mobile devices,” said Abdullah Raouf, senior marketing manager at Lattice Semiconductor. “Other video solutions require four lanes to deliver 4K 60fps, which inhibits concurrent 4K video with USB 3.1 data.”
The SiI8630 and SiI9396 devices support:
• UHD 4K 60fps 4:4:4 over a single lane
• Improved Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) features
• Concurrent USB 3.1 (Gen 1 or Gen 2) data
• Seamless integration with USB Type-C products
• Latest superMHL features (BT.2020, High Dynamic Range, Object Audio, HDCP 2.2)
• Legacy connectivity to MHL1, 2, and 3 enabled products
Evaluation kits are available now. For more information on MHL Alternate Mode (“Alt Mode”) for the USB Type-C specification, visit http://www.mhltech.org/usbtype-c.aspx.
Siemens, Connecting industrial outstations inexpensively and securely
With the new CP 1243-8 IRC communication processor, Siemens enables telecontrol applications based on the Sinaut ST7 telecontrol protocol. The new communication processor makes it possible to connect Simatic S7-1200 controllers as outstations (remote terminal units/RTUs) to higher-level ST7 stations with minimum effort and low costs.
The solution is suitable for use in new and existing systems. Redundancy and comprehensive security functions ensure high availability and security. Key applications for the CP 1243-8 IRC are distributed plants in the fields of drinking water supply and distribution, sewer networks, and rain overflow tanks. In addition, the communication processors can be used for environmental monitoring and as local transport and distribution grids for district heating and electrical energy networks.
Connected RTUs are contacted via public or private communications networks. An industrial router (such as those in the Siemens Scalance M product range) can be connected to the Ethernet port of the device to establish an internet or cell phone connection. Additional connections for analog dial-up or private wireless network can be established via separate modules.
The CP 1243-8 supports both cyclical and event-driven transmission of every type of data required for process control and also offers alarm functions. The device can transmit measurement values from outstations to control centers or higher-level stations and send automatic e-mails and text messages to maintenance personnel. In order to prevent data loss in the event of a dropped connection, the communication processor continuously saves time-stamped measurement values. As soon as the connection is reestablished, the buffered values are automatically transmitted in the correct historical sequence to the control center.
To improve availability, the CP 1243-8 IRC offers the option of establishing an additional connection via the second WAN interface (for route redundancy). For this, a so-called teleservice (TS) module – for instance, an RS 232 serial interface or dial-up modem (analog, ISDN, and GSM) – is connected to the second WAN interface. Users can operate with one or the other interface, or both simultaneously.
Efficient Building Automation with AS-Interface
AS-Interface has long been the epitome of efficiency in production facilities around the globe. Now the simplest bus system in the world is also playing an increasing role in building automation as well.
Bihl+Wiedemann as well is seeing stronger demand from the field of building automation and has accordingly adapted and expanded their own product portfolio appropriately. To demonstrate use of AS-Interface in this context, their newly constructed production facility in Mannheim is being used as a test object. Generating cost savings is a simultaneous objective. Thomas Müller, Sales Manager at Bihl+Wiedemann, is overjoyed at the many small savings realized in operating the facility, and is confident that “all of this is going to add up significantly.”
With AS-Interface Gateways and the corresponding AS-Interface Modules it is possible to detect the energy consumption for an individual machine. This data can be then evaluated in a central location and form the basis for intelligent building control. Another essential aspect of building automation is temperature regulation. With the help of sensors and the networking of building technology such as the heating system, air conditioning and window jalousies, the potential for efficient operation is enormous. AS-Interface gateways represent here the foundation. Another form of the AS-i gateway also integrates safety control. http://www.bihl-wiedemann.de/en
Industrial Connectivity 