Tiny LNAs offer low noise for GPS applications

NXP has unveiled the BGU8006 low-noise amplifier, which it says is the tiniest GPS LNA on the market, designed for very small portable devices. Available in a tiny wafer level chip scale package (WLCSP), the latest GPS LNAs have a footprint of just 0.65 x 0.44 x 0.2 mm and require only two external components. NXP says a 38% saving PCB space can be made, compared to the smallest solution on the market today. Also featuring a low noise figure of 0.60 dB, the LNAs offer good reception for weak GPS signals by dynamically suppressing strong cellular and WLAN transmit signals.

Efficient, long life relays address renewable energy systems

Omron Electronic Components Europe has re-engineered two relay families specifically to address the very specific low power and long term reliability characteristics required for grid-connected solar PV and wind turbine inverters, charge controllers, battery powered UPS back-up systems and similar applications.

Hi-rel connector company in TTI’s Top Ten performing suppliers

Harwin has once again earned a TTI Supplier Excellence Award.

TTI’s Supplier Excellence Awards have come to be regarded as the most prestigious performance indicators of their type in industry as they are based on a set of strictly-measured quality criteria including on-time delivery, customer acceptance, business systems, EDI and management and field support. Harwin scored an impressive 101 points out of a possible 125, ranking the company comfortably in TTI’s top ten suppliers.

Arduino shield makes low power radio modules even easier

Rick Winscott of US company Quilix has married together two ‘easy’ technologies by  developing an Arduino shield for the LPRS easyRadio Advanced low power radio modules.

Winscott comments: “All you need is power, ground, and two serial-capable pins and you have reliable bi-directional communication between microcontrollers, desktops, laptops, or whatever. No frustrations over pairing, and no twiddles with configuration. I haven’t seen anything like this product in the States.”

Teseq to acquire IFI, increasing its Presence in the RF Amplifier Market

Teseq, a European developer and provider of instrumentation and systems for EMC emission and immunity testing, intends to acquire New York-based Instruments for Industry (IFI), a leading designer and manufacturer of solid state and traveling wave tube (TWT) amplifiers.

Spectrum analyser now caters for new WLAN bandwidths

Rohde & Schwarz’ FSW signal and spectrum analyser is offering new options for analysing WLAN signals. The 20/40/80/160 MHz bandwidths defined in IEEE 802.11ac based on the proven orthogonal frequency division multiplying process are now supported. With the 256QAM modulation process, up to 8 MIMO data streams and bandwidths four times higher than that of previous standards such as IEEE 802.11n, it supports data rates up to 6.9 Gbit/s, to support future applications such as wireless HD video.   

Rugged, panel-mount trackballs are plug-and-play

ITAC Systems has announced a range of 38mm and 50mm rugged, panel-mount trackballs. The products, which are designed for installation into OEM enclosures, are plug-and-play, requiring no software or drivers. They can be used with all common communications protocols including phase quadrature, USB, PS/2, Microsoft serial, Mouse Systems and Sun, reducing inventory.