Simplified motor integration for linear motion systems.

Mounting kit featured in improved Thomson Linear MOTIONEERING® online sizing and selection tool.

Thomson Industries has launched an upgraded RediMount option, a pre-engineered, modular adapter kit for seamlessly installing motors or gears in less than five minutes. The improved option is now the default for Thomson linear motion systems and precision linear actuators, and its capabilities are factored into optimal sizing recommendations generated through the company’s Linear MOTIONEERING product sizing and selection tool.

According to Alexander Schollin, Product Line Specialist EMEA & Asia at Thomson, “Lead time is minimised significantly as the motor or gear and systems can now be shipped with RediMount pre-installed. Whereas design engineers previously spent valuable time searching for the optimal motor flange kit and installing the individual components upon receipt, now they can order our upgraded solution, significantly reducing lead time and having only the simple task of bolting on their motor upon receipt.”

RediMount accommodates a wide range of motor types and sizes or gears, which can be mounted to linear motion systems and actuators faster and with less effort than ever before. “RediMount also includes updated smart part numbers with a specific motor ID, which reflect the motor or gear manufacturer and type,” added Schollin. “For engineers with old product numbers, we developed a translator, which converts the old product number to a new one including motor ID.”

Furthermore, by using the Linear MOTIONEERING tool, customers can now check if their motor is powerful enough and meets the specifications of their application. This is a critical enhancement for project-based machine builders and automation partners. Products now available with the enhanced RediMount kit include:

• M (Movopart®) linear units: These are ideal for economical, transport-grade applications such as packaging, material handling and factory automation.
• WH (SpeedLine) linear units: The units are designed for high-speed material handling and packaging.
• WM (PowerLine), WV units (DynaLine) and MLS units (ForceLine) linear units: These units are developed for applications such as machine tool automation and test/measurement.
• T-Series actuators (T60/T90/T130): These rod-style precision linear actuators are designed for use in material handling, machining and factory automation applications. They are ideal for replacing hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders.

RediMount facilitates various Thomson linear motion systems and precision linear actuators.

Finally, apart from reduced lead and engineering time on the overall system, RediMount is also designed with a flexible coupling that matches or exceeds the high input torque of the linear unit.

#PAuto @Thomson_Ind  @bcm_pr

Founders' achievement recognised!

Bob Swanson and Bob Dobkin, co-founders of Linear Technology, were presented with UBM Canon’s EDN and EE Times ACE Lifetime Achievement Award at a ceremony this week during the Embedded Systems Conference in Santa Clara (CA USA).

Bob Swanson (L) and Bob Dobkin

“Bob Swanson and Bob Dobkin are unique as individuals in their decades-deep contributions to integrated electronics, as well as their longevity in Silicon Valley,” said Steve Taranovich, Senior Technical Editor for EDN. “The talents and experiences of these two leaders, in my estimation, have brought about a corporate culture unlike most of the companies in the electronics business today. This culture encourages innovation and strongly values and recognizes the company’s engineering talent so that when a good idea emerges, management recognizes it and ‘gets out of the way’ to allow the engineer to bring it to fruition.

"They are also exceptional as a team because of their unprecedented continuity of management at a semiconductor company, as well as their refreshing style of management, amplifying Linear Technology's engineering talent. For these reasons and many more, EE Times and EDN chose to honor Bob Swanson and Bob Dobkin with the 2015 ACE Lifetime Achievement Award.”

Lothar Maier, Linear Technology CEO, stated, “Linear Technology’s exceptional performance for more than three decades is a testament to the standards of excellence, quality and innovation that Bob Swanson and Bob Dobkin have instilled in this company. The unique culture they’ve inspired encourages design innovation, unprecedented and continuing product and technology development, and excellence in financial performance. I add my congratulations to Bob Swanson and Bob Dobkin on this well-deserved honor.”

Bob Swanson and Bob Dobkin founded Linear Technology in September 1981. Bob Swanson, Executive Chairman of Linear Technology, previously served as CEO and President, and has been a director of the company since its founding. Bob Dobkin is Chief Technical Officer of Linear Technology. He holds over 100 patents pertaining to linear integrated circuits, has authored over 50 articles and papers, and is co-editor of the Analog Circuit Design book series published by Elsevier.

“The advances made each day by engineering and design are outstanding, bettering every aspect of life for today and tomorrow,” said Suzanne Deffree, Executive Editor, EDN & UBM Canon. “At the ACE Awards, we celebrated some stellar examples of creativity in design, innovation, and technology. We congratulate and thank this year’s ACE Awards nominees, finalists, and winners.”

• A panel of EDN and EE Times editors, as well as independent judges chose the finalists and winners.

A seminar on SPICE!

A free half-day seminar (Click on the EMEA link!) is designed to educate and inform both advanced and new users of LTspice.

Mike Englehardt

What is LT Spice?

Linear Technology’s LTspiceIV is the number one high performance SPICE simulator, schematic capture and waveform viewer that has enhancements and models for easing the simulation of switching regulators. Linear Technology’s enhance-ments to SPICE have made simulating switching regulators extremely fast compared to normal SPICE simulators, allowing the user to view waveforms for most switching regulators in just a few minutes. Included in the download are SPICE, Macro Models for 80% of Linear Technology's switching regulators, over 200 op amp models, as well as resistors, transistors and MOSFET models.

Dates & Venue

• October 1 Dortmund, Germany
• October 2 Hannover, Germany
• October 6 Reading, England
• October 7 Cambridge, England
• October 8 Edinburgh, Scotland
• October 9 Dublin, Ireland

This is an excellent opportunity to gain the knowledge to successfully simulate circuit designs and predict circuit behaviour for faster more efficient designs.

At this seminar attendees will learn the ins and outs of LTspice, as presented by Mike Engelhardt, the author/creator of LTspice. Included will be informative tutorials on how to simulate switch mode power supplies, compute efficiencies and observe power supply start-up behaviour and transient response. Attendees will also be able to utilise LTspice as a general purpose SPICE simulator for AC analysis, DC sweeps, noise analysis and circuit simulations.

Attendees are invited to bring along their unique questions on LTspice and get answers direct from the creator of the software himself.

Continental breakfast and lunch will be served.

Energy harvesting battery life extender.

Tthe LTC3330 is a complete regulating energy harvesting solution, from Linear Technology, that delivers up to 50mA of continuous output current to extend battery life when harvestable energy is available. It requires no supply current from the battery when providing regulated power to the load from harvested energy and only 750nA operating when powered from the battery under no-load conditions.

The LTC3330 integrates a high voltage energy harvesting power supply, plus a synchronous buck-boost DC/DC converter powered by a primary cell battery to create a single non-interruptible output for energy harvesting applications such as those in wireless sensor networks. The energy harvesting power supply, consisting of a full-wave bridge rectifier accommodating AC or DC inputs and a high efficiency buck converter, harvests energy from piezoelectric (AC), solar (DC) or magnetic (AC) sources. The primary cell input powers a buck-boost converter that operates from 1.8V to 5.5V at its input when harvested energy is not available to regulate the output whether the input is above, below or equal to the output. The LTC3330 automatically transitions to the battery when the harvesting source is no longer available.

The LTC3330’s energy harvesting inputs operate from a voltage range of 3V to 19V, AC or DC, making it ideal for a wide array of piezoelectric, solar or magnetic energy sources. Its input undervoltage lockout threshold settings are programmable between 3V and 18V, enabling the application to operate the energy harvesting source at its peak power transfer point. Other features include programmable DC/DC and LDO output voltages, buck-boost peak current limits, supercapacitor charger/balancer and an input protective shunt (up to 25mA at VIN >20V).

The LTC3330EUH is available in a 5mm x 5mm QFN package. Pricing starts at $3.55 each for 1,000-piece quantities. An industrial temperature grade version, the LTC3330IUH, is also available.

40V, 1.5A Robust linear regulator from Linear has Current & temperature monitor outputs

Linear Technology Corporation has just released the LT3081, a rugged 1.5A wide input voltage range linear regulator with key usability, monitoring and protection features. The device has an extended safe operating area (SOA) compared to existing regulators, making it ideal for high input-to-output voltage and high output current applications where older regulators limit the output.

The LT3081 uses a current source reference for single resistor output voltage settings and output adjustability down to “0.” Output current limit can be set externally with a single resistor. This regulator architecture, combined with low millivolt regulation, enables multiple ICs to be paralleled easily for heat spreading and higher output current. The current from the device’s current monitor can be summed with the set current for line-drop compensation, where the output of the LT3081 increases with current to compensate for line drops.

The LT3081 achieves unmatched line and load regulation of under 2mV independent of output voltage and features an input voltage range from 1.2V to 40V. The device fits well in applications requiring multiple rails. Output voltage is programmable with a single resistor from 0V to 38.5V with a 1.2V dropout. The on-chip trimmed 50µA current reference is ±1% accurate. The regulation, transient response and output noise (30µVrms) are independent of output voltage due to the device’s voltage follower architecture. The LT3081 is configurable as a 2-terminal current source with just two resistors. Input or output capacitors for stability are optional in either linear regulator or current-source mode of operation.

The LT3081 provides several monitoring and protection functions. Current limit, accurate to ±10%, can be programmed with a single resistor. Monitor outputs provide a current output proportional to temperature (1µA/°C) and output current (200µA/A), allowing easy ground-based measurement. The current monitor can be used to compensate for cable drops. The LT3081’s internal protection circuitry includes reverse input protection, reverse-current protection, internal current limiting and thermal shutdown.

According to Robert Dobkin, Linear Technology’s Vice President, Engineering and CTO, “The LT3081 regulator’s robust architecture, protection and monitoring features provide designers with new tools for reliable design. A TO-220 package for high power dissipation and various surface mount packages for lower power applications are available. System power and temperature are easily checked for proper operation.”

The LT3081 is offered in a variety of thermally enhanced surface-mount compatible packages, including a low profile (0.75mm) 12-lead 4mm x 4mm DFN, a 16-lead thermally enhanced TSSOP and a 7-lead DD-Pak; all dissipate 2W in surface mount applications with no heat sink. The LT3081 is also available in a 7-lead TO-220 power package for vertical mounting to heat sinks for higher power dissipation capability. A wide variety of grades/temperature ranges are offered including: E & I grades -40°C to +125°C, H grade -40°C to +150°C and the high reliability MP grade -55°C to +150°C. 1,000-piece pricing starts at $2.60 each for the E grade

Hybrid/Electric battery monitor

The LTC 6804 high voltage battery monitor from Linear Technologies, is for hybrid electric and electric vehicles, and other high voltage, stacked-battery systems. An LTC6804 can measure up to 12 series connected battery cells at voltages up to 4.2V with 16 bit resolution and better than 0.04% accuracy. This high precision is maintained over time, temperature and operating conditions by a sub-surface Zener voltage reference similar to references used in precision instrumentation. When stacked in series, the LTC6804 enables the measurement of every battery cell voltage in large high voltage systems. Six operating modes are available to optimize update rate, resolution and the low pass response of the built-in 3rd order noise filter. In the fastest mode, all cells can be measured within 290µsec.

Multiple LTC6804s can be interconnected over long distances and operated simultaneously, using Linear Technology’s proprietary 2-wire isoSPI™ interface. Integrated into every LTC6804, the isoSPI interface provides high RF noise immunity up to 1Mbps and up to 100 meters of cable, using only twisted pair. Two communication options are available: with the LTC6804-1, multiple devices are connected in a daisy chain with one host processor connection for all devices; with the LTC6804-2, multiple devices are connected in parallel to the host processor with each device individually addressed.

The LTC6804 was designed to minimize power consumption, especially during long-term storage where battery drain is unacceptable. In sleep mode, the LTC6804 draws less than 4µA from the batteries. General purpose I/O pins are available to monitor analog signals, such as current and temperature, and can be captured simultaneously with the cell voltage measurements. Additional features include passive balancing for each cell with a programmable balancing timer for up to 2 hours, even when the LTC6804 is in sleep mode. The LTC6804 interfaces with external I2C devices such as temperature sensors, ADCs, DACs and EEPROM. Local EEPROM can be used to store serialization and calibration data, enabling modular systems.

The LTC6804 was designed to surpass the environmental, reliability and safety demands of automotive and industrial applications. The LTC6804 is fully specified for operation from -40°C to 125°C. It has been engineered for ISO 26262 (ASIL) compliant systems and a full set of self-tests ensure that there are no latent fault conditions. To accomplish this, the LTC6804 includes a redundant voltage reference, extensive logic test circuitry, open wire detection capability, a watchdog timer and packet error checking on the serial interface.

“The LTC6804 combines 30 years of analog experience with hard-earned lessons in automotive battery management,” says Mike Kultgen, design manager for Linear Technology. “On the bench, or on the road, this part delivers outstanding performance.”

Along with the LTC6804, Linear Technology is introducing the LTC6820 isoSPI transceiver. The LTC6820 enables bidirectional transmission of the Serial Peripheral Interface bus (SPI) across an isolated barrier up to 100 meters. With the LTC6820, the SPI data is encoded into a differential signal, which is then transmitted via twisted pair and a simple, inexpensive Ethernet transformer. The LTC6820 supports SPI data rates up to 1MHz, using matched source and sink currents to eliminate the need for a transformer center tap and to reduce EMI. The drive currents and the comparator thresholds are set with two resistors, allowing the system to be optimized for cable length and signal-to-noise performance. The LTC6820 is a companion to the LTC6804 high voltage battery monitor with its built-in isoSPI interface.  Battery management systems using the LTC6804 can interface to external components, such as microcontrollers, via the LTC6820.

LED driver!

The LT3791 is a new synchronous buck-boost DC/DC LED driver and voltage controller from Linear Technology, which can deliver over 100W of LED power. Its 4.7V to 60V input voltage range makes it ideal for a wide variety of applications, including automotive, industrial and architectural lighting. Similarly, its output voltage can be set from 0V to 60V, enabling the LT3791 to drive a wide range of LEDs in a single string. Its internal 4-switch buck-boost controller operates from input voltages above, below or equal to the output voltage, ideal for applications such as automotive, where the input voltage can vary dramatically during stop/start, cold crank and load dump scenarios. Transitions between buck, pass-through and boost operating modes are seamless, offering a well-regulated output even with wide variations of supply voltage. The LT3791’s unique design utilizes three control loops to monitor input current, LED current and output voltage to deliver optimal performance and reliability.

The LT3791 uses four external switching MOSFETs and delivers from 5W to over 100W of continuous LED power with efficiencies up to 98.5%. LED current accuracy of +6% ensures constant lighting while + 2% output voltage accuracy enables the converter to operate as a constant voltage source. The LT3791 utilizes either analog or PWM dimming as required by the application. Furthermore, its switching frequency can be programmed between 200kHz and 700kHz or synchronized to an external clock. Additional features include output disconnect, input and output current monitors, open and shorted LED detection and integrated fault protection.

The LT3791EFE is available in 38-lead thermally enhanced TSSOP package, priced starting at $4.75 each in 1,000-piece quantities. An extended temperature version, or I grade, the LT3791IFE, is also available, priced starting at $5.25 each in 1,000-piece quantities. A high temperature version, or H grade, the LT3791HFE, is also available, priced starting at $5.50 each in 1,000-piece quantities. There is also a high reliability MP grade version, LT3791MPFE, available starting at $14.75 each in 1,000-piece quantities.

Unlimited overvoltage protection

Linear Technology Corporation has introduced the LTC4366, an overvoltage protection controller for electronic systems. Operating from 9V to greater than 500V, the LTC4366 floating surge stopper utilizes an adjustable floating topology to enable very high voltage operation independent of the voltage rating of the LTC4366’s internal circuitry.  Two internal shunt regulators coupled with the external voltage-dropping resistors generate the LTC4366’s internal supply rails. The maximum operating voltage is set by the breakdown of the external resistors and MOSFETS. The LTC4366 is the first product of its kind to protect, for example, a 12V circuit from a 500V transient without the need for additional protection components.

The LTC4366 monitors the voltage at its output and reacts quickly to input supply overvoltage by controlling the gate of an N-channel MOSFET.  The LTC4366 regulates the output to a user-defined voltage during an overvoltage transient allowing the load to remain operational while the overvoltage is dropped across a MOSFET. An adjustable fault timer ensures safe shutdown if the fault persists.

It is ideal for harsh industrial, automotive and avionic applications where systems must continue operating reliably through severe overvoltage events. High voltage applications include protecting from motor transients, coupled overvoltage, incorrect input supplies or power supply failures. While traditional protection circuitry relies on bulky inductors, capacitors, fuses and transient voltage suppressors to clamp the transient, the LTC4366 protects by series regulating the transient. It is packaged in a tiny 8-lead TSOT-23 and 3mm x 2mm DFN packages. During operation, the entire circuit consumes only a few milliamperes, and the device may be shut down to less than 20µA.

The LTC4366 is available in two options; the LTC4366-1 latches off after a fault, while the LTC4366-2 will retry after a 9-second cool down period.

Aquisition to extend portfolio into wireless!

Linear Technology Corporation has acquired Dust Networks.

The acquisition of Dust Networks will enable Linear to offer a complete high performance wireless sensor networking solution. Dust Networks’ low power radio and software technology complements Linear’s strengths in industrial instrumentation, power management and energy harvesting technology.

Kris Pister concieved "Smart Dust"

Dust Networks’ proven, low power wireless sensor network technology extends Linear’s product portfolio into key growth areas in industrial process control, data acquisition and energy harvesting. Dust Networks’ ultralow power wireless systems complements Linear’s analog and digital sensor interface ICs, and energy harvesting power management products in applications where measurement of physical parameters has traditionally been impractical or impossible.

Erik Soule, Vice President of Signal Conditioning and High Frequency products for Linear Technology, stated, “Dust Networks offers the lowest power radio technology and most complete networking software for building industrial-grade wireless sensor networks. Combined with Linear’s precision low-power sensor interface products and battery-free energy harvesting technology, we can now offer the industry’s highest performance remote monitoring solutions.”

With the growing importance of machine-to-machine communications to enable remote data acquisition, low power wireless sensing is an emerging solution for many end-markets, including industrial process control, building automation and data center energy management.

Joy Weiss, President of Dust Networks, stated, “Dust Networks and Linear are an excellent fit. We already have very complementary products and customers, and with Linear’s global sales reach we can be at the forefront, enabling sensor networks to go wireless on an even broader scale.”

“Smart Dust” was first conceived by Dr. Kris Pister, founder and chief technologist of Dust Networks, as a simple way to deploy intelligent wireless sensors. Dust Networks pioneered SmartMesh® networks that comprise a self-forming mesh of nodes, or “motes,” which collect and relay data, and a network manager that monitors and manages network performance and sends data to the host application. This technology is now the basis for a number of seminal networking standards. The hallmark of Dust Networks’ technology is that it combines low power, standards-based radio technology, time diversity, frequency diversity, and physical diversity—to assure reliability, scalability, wire-free power source flexibility, and ease-of-use. All motes in a SmartMesh network—even the routing nodes—are designed to run on batteries for years, allowing the ultimate flexibility in placing sensors exactly where they need to go with low cost “peel and stick” installations.

Dust Networks’ customers range from the world’s largest industrial process automation and control providers such as GE and Emerson, to innovative, green companies such as Vigilent and Streetline Networks. Dust Networks’ technology can be found in a variety of monitoring and control solutions, including data center energy management, renewable energy, remote monitoring, and transportation.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Although there will be some transaction related costs, Dust’s ongoing results are not expected to be material in the short term to Linear’s financial statements.

Web-based sizing tool

Thomson has launched a new version of Linear MOTIONEERING®, the company’s powerful, free of charge web-based sizing and selection tool. Linear MOTIONEERING® calculates safety factors that help direct customers to an optimised linear motion system for their machine in just minutes by entering a few key application parameters.

The new version includes a number of market leading innovations to simplify this process even further. A new sort and filter feature allows users to organise all the solutions that fit their individual requirements quickly and easily, while an upgraded graphics and user-interface makes it easier to get to preferred solutions. The revised version also now includes global product offerings from Thomson such as its linear units. Outputs include application parameters such as linear bearing load/life, ball screw critical speed, specific movement profiles and radial/axial forces. The tool then produces a set of product solutions tailored precisely to the application requirements. Once a product solution is selected, a wide assortment of accessories, motors and motor mounts can be selected. In addition to this, the program offers interactive 3D models, list prices, delivery times and ordering information.

Also available on the website are the new and improved interactive 3D models offering a three-dimensional representation of every Thomson product, which can be observed from all angles. The dimensions and all other essential data are also displayed. Graphics can be downloaded in all common image and CAD formats.

Analogue electronics bible!

Newnes, an imprint of Elsevier Science & Technology Books, has published an eagerly awaited “bible” of analog electronic engineering and design by two industry leaders.

Analog Circuit Design by Bob Dobkin & Jim Williams is a comprehensive source book of circuit design solutions that will aid systems designers with elegant and practical design techniques that focus on common circuit design challenges.

Analogue circuit and system design today is more essential than ever before. With the growth of digital systems, wireless communications, complex industrial and automotive systems, designers are challenged to develop sophisticated analog solutions. The book’s in-depth application examples provide insight into circuit design and application solutions that you can apply in today’s demanding designs.

Analog Circuit Design provides circuit system designers with the information they need:
• Covers the fundamentals of linear/analog circuit and system design to guide engineers with their design challenges.
• Based on the Application Notes of Linear Technology, the foremost designer of high performance analog products, readers will gain practical insights into design techniques and practice.
• Broad range of topics, including power management tutorials, switching regulator design, linear regulator design, data conversion, signal conditioning, and high frequency/RF design.

Contributors include the leading lights in analogue design, Robert Dobkin, Jim Williams and Carl Nelson, among others.

The Editors

The late Jim Williams, who worked for Linear Technology for nearly three decades, started as an applications engineer in the early years of the company. His contributions were many-fold. He was a legendary analog circuit designer, problem solver, writer and mentor to many engineers over the years. He died last June after suffering a stroke.
He developed an early curiosity and interest in all things electronic. He would talk about working at a TV repair shop during his early years, so he could poke around inside to find out how they worked. His passion for electronics took him to Boston, where his intellect and drive helped him find a technician’s job working on the Apollo program. Although self-taught in electronics, Jim taught and did research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 1968 to 1979, concentrating exclusively on analog circuit design. During this time, he began his legendary writing career—finding clear, elegant ways to describe complex and seemingly indescribable design challenges and solutions.
Before joining Linear Technology in 1982, he worked in National Semiconductor’s Linear Integrated Circuits Group for three years. In nearly 30 years with Linear, Jim had the unique role of staff scientist, with interests spanning product definition, development and support. He was consumed with developing analog circuits, helping set up instruments in the company’s labs, mentoring junior engineers in-house and customers outside, even answering his own phone. Jim maintained a lab at his home and worked there, in a lab at least as well outfitted as the one at work.
Jim Williams was named Innovator of the Year by EDN magazine in 1992 and elected to Electronic Design Hall of Fame in 2002. His outside interests spanned sports cars, collecting antique scientific instruments, art, and restoring (and using) old Tektronix oscilloscopes.

Bob Dobkin is a founder and Chief Technical Officer of Linear Technology Corporation. Prior to 1999, he was responsible for all new product development at Linear. Before founding Linear Technology in 1981, Mr. Dobkin was Director of Advanced Circuit Development at National Semiconductor for eleven years. He has been intimately involved in the development of high performance linear integrated circuits for over 30 years and has generated many industry standard circuits. Mr. Dobkin holds over 100 patents pertaining to linear ICs and has authored over 50 articles and papers. He attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Unique stroke lengths allowed

Thomson long length linear units with ball screws provide precision, power and speed up to 12m stroke

Thomson  has been offering its customers linear units in various designs for many years. Belt- and screw-driven systems are available to suit requirements, guided on linear slide bearings, rolls or balls. Belt-driven systems with stroke lengths of up to 12 metres as standard are already available. Special designs with longer stroke lengths can also be requested. Belt-driven units are preferable in applications such as packaging and handling, that require high throughput, fast cycle times and a minimum amount of maintenance. With specially protected designs in S1 or S2 stainless steel, these solutions can be used in harsh, wet operating environments such as abattoirs and dairies or in food and paper processing.

Linear units with ball screws – slide- or ball-guided – are superior to belt driven units thanks to particularly high thrust and payloads coupled with high adjustment accuracy and system rigidity. Even the standard stroke lengths of these systems go up to 11 metres. Customer-specific special solutions with considerably longer stroke lengths are also possible. Niklas Sjostrom from Thomson Linear says, “Thomson is one of very few global manufacturers who can deliver these kinds of stroke lengths as standard product offering. We also understand the value of the high degree of flexibility we provide to our customers when they come to us with special requirements. This gives us a definite advantage over our competitors.”

The screw support assembly developed and patented by Thomson is one of the factors pushing Thomson ahead of the competition. The advanced design makes it possible to use spindles with extended stroke lengths, while still being able to apply maximum motor speed without the risk of twisting or bending the spindle. This is something normally only offered by systems with considerably shorter stroke lengths. Thomson offers a high-performance support system that has proved its worth with linear units in a wide array of applications from pick & place systems to machine handling. The support system guarantees accurate and smooth operation, even over extremely long adjustment tracks.

Like belt driven units, these solutions can also be used in harsh environments, as the system is hermetically sealed against infiltrating dirt and dust and the optional S1 stainless steel design makes it possible to operate when exposed to humidity and moisture, without worrying about corrosion of the components. The user also benefits from the extremely low maintenance required, as the central lubricating system works with a single lubrication point.

For customer-specific solutions, Thomson provides a high degree of flexibility when it comes to finding the best possible solution, even for difficult requirements and operating conditions. A precise specification is initially developed in close cooperation with the customer, then the potential system designs are considered in terms of their advantages and disadvantages.

Answers in mechanical and electromechanical motion technology

Thomson has just launched its new "Solution Center". This website provides developers, designers and end users of linear guidance and motion systems with an interactive online knowledge base that offers sound technical answers to their many questions in and around the topic of "linear motion". The subjects covered include the selection, deployments options, installation, maintenance and general use of linear motion components and systems. Using an intuitive search mask, users can enter any terms pertaining to their question and also select the product category in which they would like to search for answers. The results found can then be sorted by relevance, date posted or frequency of use by other users. For example, if "load" is entered as a search term, the system will provide answers to questions such as: "Can ball screws handle radial loads?" or "Can I operate an actuator above its rated load?"

Alternatively, questions and answers can also be found based on predetermined product categories. If the knowledge base search fails to provide answers to a certain issue, users can also enter indirect questions, which are then processed as quickly as possible by members of the Thomson Support Team.

The product categories covered by the Solution Center include linear actuators, high-precision linear actuators, clutches and brakes, linear bearings, ball and lead screws, special shafts, precision balls, transmissions, linear guides and slide tables, as well as positioning units. The specially compiled contents are always kept up-to-date and continuously extended to include new findings and information – as a way of providing the best possible answers to the many, diverse questions that arise among users seeking to optimize the performance of these mechanical and electromechanical motion solutions.

High voltage controller & manager! (including video)

Linear Technology Corporation introduces the LTC4000, a high voltage controller and power manager that converts virtually any externally compensated DC/DC power supply into a full-featured battery charger. The LTC4000 is capable of driving typical DC/DC converter topologies, including buck, boost, buck-boost, SEPIC and flyback. The device offers precision input and charge current regulation and operates across a wide 3V to 60V input and output voltage range, compatible with a variety of different input voltage sources, battery stacks and chemistries. Typical applications include high power battery charger systems, high performance portable instruments, battery back-up systems, industrial battery-equipped devices and notebook/subnotebook computers.

The LTC4000 features an intelligent PowerPath™ topology that preferentially provides power to the system load when input power is limited. The LTC4000 controls external PFETs to provide low loss reverse current protection, efficient charging and discharging of the battery and instant-on operation to ensure that system power is available at plug-in even with a dead or deeply discharged battery External sense resistors and precision sensing enable accurate currents at high efficiency, allowing the LTC4000 to work with converters that span the power range from milliwatts to kilowatts.

The LTC4000’s full-featured controller charges a variety of battery chemistries including lithium-ion/polymer/phosphate, sealed lead acid (SLA), and nickel-based. The device also provides charge status indicators through its FLT and CHRG pins. Other features of the battery charger include: ±0.2% programmable float voltage, selectable timer or C/X current termination, temperature-qualified charging using an NTC thermistor, automatic recharge, C/10 trickle charge for deeply discharged cells and bad battery detection.

The LTC4000 is housed in a low profile (0.75mm) 28-pin 4mm x 5mm QFN package and a 28-lead SSOP package.

Below is a film of a pdf presentation providing further information on the product!

2nd generation high voltage battery stack monitor

Linear Technology has announced the LTC6803, a second generation high voltage battery monitor for hybrid/electric vehicle (HEVs), electric vehicles (EVs) and other high voltage, high performance battery systems. The LTC6803 is a complete battery measuring IC that includes a 12-bit ADC, a precision voltage reference, a high voltage input multiplexer and a serial interface. Each LTC6803 can measure up to 12 individual battery cells in series. The device’s proprietary design enables multiple LTC6803s to be stacked in series without optocouplers or isolators, permitting precision voltage monitoring of every cell in long strings of series-connected batteries. The LTC6803 follows the road-proven LTC6802, introduced in September 2008 with the same functionality and pinout, plus a number of significant performance enhancements.

The maximum total measurement error of the LTC6803 is guaranteed to be less than 0.25% from -40°C to 125°C. The LTC6803 offers an extended cell measurement range from -300mV to 5V, enabling the LTC6803 to monitor a wide range of battery chemistries, as well as supercapacitors. Each cell is monitored for undervoltage and overvoltage conditions, and an associated MOSFET is available to discharge overcharged cells. Added functionality is provided by an onboard 5V regulator, temperature sensor, GPIO lines and thermistor inputs.

Erik Soule, Vice President, Signal Conditioning Products, stated, “Now over two years in the field with our proven battery stack monitor family, we are pleased to offer our customers this enhanced product, the LTC6803. Automakers and other customers worldwide have embraced Linear’s robust battery stack monitors, and we are confident that this new addition to the family will provide excellent performance for the next generation of HEVs and EVs.

“The LTC6803 addresses the latest demands of precision high performance battery stacks,” says Mike Kultgen, design manager for Linear Technology. “It ensures accurate, safe, reliable and error-free operation in harsh automotive environments.”

For long-term battery pack storage, the current consumed by the integrated BMS can potentially unbalance the cells. The LTC6803 addresses this concern with a standby mode that draws less than 12uA. Furthermore, the power input of the LTC6803 is isolated from the stack, allowing the LTC6803 to draw current from an independent source. When powering from this input, the current draw on the pack is reduced to less than 1µA.

The LTC6803 is designed to surpass the environmental, reliability and safety demands of automotive and industrial applications. The device is fully specified for operation from -40°C to 125°C. It has been engineered for ISO 26262 (ASIL) compliant systems and a full set of self-tests ensure that there are no latent fault conditions. To meet this standard, the LTC6803 includes a redundant voltage reference, extensive logic test circuitry, open wire detection capability and a watchdog timer for fail-safe designs. The LTC6803 is designed to withstand up to 75V, providing more than 20% of overvoltage margin for a full string of 12 cells. The 1MHz serial interface includes packet error checking and is designed to operate in the presence of large amounts of noise and transients.

The LTC6803 is offered in a small 8mm x 12mm surface mount device.

Linear motion control system powers ultra-fast action of biotech lab automation breakthrough

An advanced linear motion system is behind the groundbreaking performance of Singer Instruments' innovative biotech laboratory robot for pinning arrays of cells - the RoToR.

RoToR is managed by a compact
real-time controller from Baldor called
NextMove ESB-2.

This benchtop automation is revolutionising genetic, genome and cancer research by being able to manipulate over 200,000 yeast or bacteria cell samples per hour. This unprecedented speed - up to an order of magnitude faster than previous lab automation - is changing the way that many biotech labs work. One of Singer's robots often now typically services several laboratories, with users just booking short time slots on it for replicating, mating, re-arraying or backing up yeast or bacteria libraries.

RoToR is managed by a compact real-time controller from Baldor called NextMove ESB-2. This module controls the three axes of motion that perform RoToR's point-to-point pinning action, as well as a sample handling axis, interfacing to the machine's Windows-based graphical user interface, and all the I/O channels required.

Singer Instruments chose NextMove ESB-2 because it incorporated all the real-time stepper and servo motion and machine control facilities they needed, and more - giving them flexibility to expand and evolve the RoToR design in the future.

Baldor provided Singer Instruments with the complete machine control package, comprising the NextMove controller with its built-in I/O - plus some expansion I/O to handle the large number of sensors and pneumatic actuators on this sophisticated robot - a linear servo motor and drive, and three integrated stepper motor and drive modules. The controller takes care of all the machine and motion control tasks, under the direction of a Windows user interface, which is interfaced via ActiveX commands.

The major movements that the machine makes are point-to-point transfers from source to destination plates along a linear servo motor axis that spans the width of the machine. This axis carries a two-axis stepper motor head that controls the pinning action. The combined X-Y-Z movement can also stir the samples using a sophisticated helical motion - an action used particularly when manipulating samples to or from liquid wells. There is also another stepper motor axis that controls the loading mechanism for the pin pads. Other movements, such as the pick up and disposal of pinheads at the start and end of operations, are controlled by simple pneumatic grippers and rotators. A key to the machine's throughput is the use of Singer's unique high-density sample plates and matching plastic pinhead arrays, which allow manipulation of as many as 6144 cell samples in a single stage.

Singer's original intention was to use a closed-loop pneumatic drive for the main transverse axis, but this did not have either the positioning resolution or the speed desired, and was relatively noisy as well - a significant disadvantage in a lab environment. They started looking at linear motors instead. Baldor made this design choice easy by agreeing to produce a special version of a brushless linear servo motor with some mechanical modifications to the linear track that allows it to be supported at the ends alone - rather than along its length. This allows the linear motor's forcer to become an X-axis gantry that carries the additional Y and Z axes. The Y and Z axes are based on Baldor's DSMS family of ultra-compact micro-stepping motors with onboard drive electronics. The linear motor - from Baldor's LMCF series - is another novel product with a special magnet design that minimises the cogging effect to ensure extremely smooth operation.

After the key hardware decisions had been taken, developing the motion control software was made very easy by Baldor's Mint language and its development environment. This language provided ready-to-use high-level commands for the required movements, making it very simple to get the machine running in the development lab - a task that was achieved in just a few days. Commands that saved valuable time for Singer Instruments ranged from basic movements such as S-ramp profiles - which are used extensively on the linear motion axis to optimise movement speeds between source and destination plates - to one called HELIX which provides the developers with the helical stirring action that is employed when manipulating samples in liquid wells. As the machine has a Windows user interface developed using Visual C# and Windows Presentation Foundation, Singer Instruments also made use of Baldor's ActiveX interface library, which is provided without cost as part of the development tool suite.

"NextMove has given us a platform for controlling our machine that is both economic and easy to apply," says Trevor Clarke, Singer Instruments' Technical Director. "The simplicity of development is very helpful for us, as RoToR has been the most sophisticated instrument that we have ever produced."

"The NextMove controller provides a very economic control platform for small machines such as these," adds Neil Moss of Baldor. "It provides all the control features required for the major motion axes - four in this case - plus the capability of handling several more axes for system expansion, and built-in I/O - keeping the bill-of-material costs very low. NextMove ESB-2 operates standalone, or in conjunction with a PC host, providing great versatility of application for the laboratory and small machines sector."

Smart energy harvesting at Electronica 2010

Linear Technology and Energy Micro have combined their expertise in energy harvesting power supplies and ultralow power 32-bit microcontrollers to produce a ground-breaking demonstration at Electronica 2010, showcasing the opportunities for smart energy harvesting applications.

Based on Energy Micro's low cost starter development kit, the demonstration relies on Linear Technology's LTC®3588 piezoelectric energy harvesting power supply and Energy Micro's ARM® Cortex™-M3 enabled EFM32 Gecko microcontroller to create a wireless sensor node acquiring data from a 3-axis accelerometer and transmitting it over a Zigbee RF transceiver.

The energy harvested from a piezoelectric transducer is stored on a capacitor bank for later consumption by the accelerometer and radio according to the MCU's optimized sequencing software.  The EFM32 Gecko spends the majority of its time in sleep mode until woken by the LTC3588's 'power good' signal.  The MCU monitors energy levels at all times to ensure total circuit consumption stays below harvested energy levels.

"Using sustainable kinetic, photovoltaic and thermal energy sources to power microcontrollers requires energy harvesting power supplies capable of both very high efficiency conversion and very low quiescent power loss," said Don Paulus, Vice President & General Manager of Power Products at Linear Technology.  "At the same time, microcontrollers have to play their part, offering very low power operating modes and the application software flexibility to make the best use of the harvested energy – the EFM32 Gecko MCU provides such attributes."
 
Øyvind Janbu, CTO, Energy Micro said, "Linear Technology's ultralow power energy harvesting power supplies match perfectly well with the needs of the EFM32's energy modes.  This demonstration illustrates the tremendous opportunities open to designers of smarter energy harvesting products.  There is no penalty for using 32-bit microcontrollers in such applications, the component technology already exists and it's available off-the-shelf."

Internal & remote temp measurement

Digital monitor provides accurate internal & remote temperature measurements

Linear Technology Corporation has introduced the LTC2990, an I²C temperature and voltage monitor for 3V and 5V systems. Many emerging, low voltage systems today rely on monitoring ICs to relay parametric data used in assessing overall system health and reliability. Traditional ADC implementations require a sensor, low noise preamplifier, precise reference and some type of digital interface, resulting in a complex monitoring scheme prone to inaccuracies if not carefully designed. This is a highly integrated monitoring solution that incorporates a 14-bit ADC, a 10ppm/°C voltage reference and I2C digital interface to provide submillivolt voltage resolution, as well as +1°C accuracy internally and +0.5°C accuracy remotely when making temperature measurements. The LTC2990 provides a configurable, yet simple solution for monitoring temperature and voltage without compromising accuracy on any parameter.

The LTC2990 caters to a wide variety of applications including supply voltage monitoring and remote diode temperature measurement, particularly in industrial or computing systems where thermal management is crucial for maximizing performance. The device enables configuration of four single-ended voltage inputs to measure any combination of internal temperature, remote temperature, remote voltage and internal VCC for single or repeated measurements. When making differential measurements of diode or transistor voltages to calculate temperature, the LTC2990 allows for cancellation of error due to sensor series resistance. Its accuracy is the result of the averaging 14-bit ADC, while the number of supporting components and area required is minimized thanks to the internal 10ppm voltage reference. In addition, the I2C serial interface enables easy configuration and read back of the device's control, status and data registers, with support of up to 400kbit/s in I2C fast mode.

The LTC2990 is offered in commercial and industrial versions, supporting operating temperature ranges from 0°C to 70°C and -40°C to 85°C, respectively. The LTC2990 is available today in a small RoHS compliant, 10-lead MSOP package.

RF power

Fast, accurate RF power measurements in a compact Solution

Linear Technology has introduced the LTC5587, an industry first 40dB dynamic range 6GHz RMS detector integrated with a high sampling rate 12-bit serial A/D converter. The digital output RMS RF detector provides +/-1dB measurement accuracy of high crest-factor signals, independent of the modulation used. The detector is capable of operating over a wide frequency range from 10MHz to 6GHz. The integrated 12-bit ADC captures and digitizes the detector measurement at a rate of up to 500k samples/second and delivers the data via a bit stream over a serial SPI port. The RF detector operates with single-ended input and requires no external balun transformer. Its small 3mm x 3mm DFN package provides a highly compact solution.

The LTC5587's +/- 1dB accuracy over a 40dB dynamic range and over the full temperature range from -40°C to 85°C offers best-in-class performance. Combined with a 12-bit A/D converter, the device provides 0.014dB per bit measurement resolution. Its low power consumption is ideal for applications in cellular basestations, picocells, and femtocells supporting all standards including LTE, W-CDMA, TD-SCDMA, CDMA/2k, GSM/EDGE and WiMAX. Other applications include MIMO radios, repeaters, point-to-point microwave links, military radios with complex modulation, remote power measurements, and portable test and measurement instruments. The detector is particularly useful in FPGA-based systems where no A/D converters are available.

The LTC5587 is powered from a single 3.3V supply. During sampling mode, its total operating current is 3mA, consuming only 10mW of power. Its consumption is further reduced by one-half when the ADC is idled, making the LTC5587 suitable for battery powered or portable remote RF measurement systems. The device also has shutdown capability, drawing less than 10uA supply current when disabled. The LTC5587 is offered in a small 3mm x 3mm 12-pin DFN package, providing a compact solution footprint.

Timers for various functions

Linear Technology has announced the TimerBlox™ family, a set of simple, small, accurate and low power devices for five commonly used timing functions: voltage-controlled oscillator, low frequency oscillator, pulse width modulated oscillator, monostable pulse generator (one-shot) and delay. As a family, the TimerBlox parts provide a precision, easy-to-use solution; these parts offer a single common platform and allow the use of precise building block solutions for each function.

Leveraging the company's advanced silicon oscillator technology, TimerBlox parts combine an accurate, programmable oscillator with precision circuitry and logic. Like all Linear Technology silicon oscillators, TimerBlox devices are solid state and can be operated under high acceleration, vibration and temperature extremes. TimerBlox products ensure accuracy and stability at a much higher level than typical resistor/capacitor-based oscillators. Each TimerBlox part can operate over a wide frequency or time range, and is programmed with 1 to 3 resistors. The micropower operation provides an alternative to resistor/capacitor-based timers that often require milliwatts of power.

The 20mA source and sink capability directly drives opto-isolators and transformers for electrical isolation. Fully specified over the temperature range of -40°C to 125°C, the TimerBlox parts are suitable for demanding automotive and industrial environments, where many oscillators and microcontrollers are unable to operate. The small SOT23 footprint allows each timing device to be placed at the point of use, without routing signals over long distances, and provides an ideal timer for space-limited applications such as handheld and portable devices.

“TimerBlox devices ease the design and time constraints facing today’s engineers,” says Erik Soule, General Manager for Linear Technology. “They eliminate the complexity of software programming and circuit design, while providing good accuracy, low power and a small footprint.”

Application examples and design ideas have been compiled in the TimerBlox Circuit Collection, available online at www.linear.com/TimerBlox. Incorporating TimerBlox parts into larger systems is simplified with a complete set of TimerBlox LTspice® models. The LTspice design tool is a high performance Spice III simulator, schematic capture and waveform viewer, available for download from Linear Technology. In addition, the TimerBlox can be quickly set up using the TimerBlox Designer, an Excel-based set-up tool that generates a schematic, with part name and resistor values, and a timing diagram based on the timing function parameters. Finally, a complete line of TimerBlox demo boards are available for purchase from Linear Technology.

The first available device in the TimerBlox series, the LTC6990 Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCO) provides accurate and simple voltage-controlled output frequencies from 488Hz to 2MHz. Using only a few resistors, the designer can set the center frequency and modulate the output with an external voltage. A narrow or wide VCO tuning range can be customized for the application, and the high modulation bandwidth allows the part to adapt to a wide range of applications. For example, the LTC6990’s voltage-to-frequency capability can interface to temperature, light and other environmental sensors, and the output can drive isolators, piezo and ultrasonic devices. Baseline frequency error is only 1.5% maximum and the enable function ensures clean, glitch-free output pulses.