Complete gas and flame detection solutions.

Tyco International has formed Tyco Gas & Flame Detection, a new operating brand of Tyco’s Life Safety Products division. Under this new brand, Tyco intends to be the global solutions provider of choice for all entities with gas and flame detection needs.

This launch represents the culmination of integration activities since Tyco’s acquisition of Industrial Safety Technologies (IST) in February of 2015. The combination of IST companies - Detcon, Oldham, Gas Measurement Instruments (GMI) and Simtronics - together with the gas and flame detection portfolio of Scott Safety makes Tyco Gas & Flame Detection one of the largest global manufacturers of innovative gas and flame detection products, providing customers with a complete range of solutions and services.

“Under Tyco Gas & Flame Detection, we are now able to share best practices and ideation across our businesses to deliver a comprehensive product portfolio with the most advanced technology and support level in the industry,” said president of Tyco Life Safety Products, Andrew Chrostowski. ”As part of Tyco’s global network of fire and security solutions, we are uniquely positioned to deliver innovative solutions to our customers.”

In addition to providing customers with a complete range of innovative gas and flame detection solutions, Tyco Gas & Flame Detection offers one of the most comprehensive service and support networks in the world, leveraging Tyco’s global installation and service footprint, along with an established network of authorized service providers.

“Our mission is to be the global technology leader and world-class provider of innovative and trusted gas & flame detection solutions that protect people, assets and the environment,” said general manager of Tyco Gas and Flame Detection, Sean Magee.

Tyco’s Life Safety Products division is focused on protecting what matters most. Going forward, it will go to market through two primary brands: Tyco Gas & Flame Detection and Scott Safety. Scott Safety will remain the primary brand for personal protective products, delivering the world’s leading respiratory protection, thermal imaging, and PPE solutions for first responders, industrial workers, and military personnel around the world.

@TycoGFD #PAuto #Safety

Merger makes huge building automation entity.

Johnson Controls  and Tyco have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Johnson Controls, a global multi-industrial company, will combine with Tyco, a global fire and security provider, to create the leader in building products and technology, integrated solutions and energy storage.

Under the terms of the agreement, which has been unanimously approved by both companies' Boards of Directors, Johnson Controls shareholders will own approximately 56 percent of the equity of the combined company and receive aggregate cash consideration of approximately $3.9 billion. Current Tyco shareholders will own approximately 44 percent of the equity of the combined company.

"The proposed combination of Johnson Controls and Tyco represents the next phase of our transformation to become a leading global multi-industrial company," stated Alex Molinaroli, chairman and chief executive officer, Johnson Controls. "With its world-class fire and security businesses, Tyco aligns with and enhances the Johnson Controls buildings platform and further positions all of our businesses for global growth. Through this transaction, we will also expand our ability to further invest globally, develop new innovative solutions for customers and return capital to shareholders."

"The combination of Tyco and Johnson Controls is a highly strategic, value-enhancing step that brings together the unique strengths of two great companies to deliver best-in-class building technologies and services to customers around the world," said George R. Oliver, chief executive officer, Tyco. "We believe this transaction will allow us to better capture opportunities created by increased connectivity in homes, buildings and cities. Joining forces with Johnson Controls pairs our leading established businesses with robust innovation pipelines and extensive global footprints to deliver greater value to customers, shareholders and employees of both companies."

Walt Boyes comments in Industrial Automation Insider:  "What this will really do is to make a huge building automation company. Here’s a nice graphic provided by Johnson Controls to indicate all the technological synergies. Note that there are signifi-cant Johnson Controls strengths, as well as Tyco strengths, and they appear to be throughout the building. There are a lot of over-laps with the world of process and factory automation, especially when the Internet of Things becomes a consideration." (IAI: Jan 2015)

Under the terms of the proposed transaction, the businesses of Johnson Controls and Tyco will be combined under Tyco International plc, which will be renamed "Johnson Controls plc." Upon the closing of the transaction, the combined company is expected to maintain Tyco's Irish legal domicile and global headquarters in Cork, Ireland. The primary operational headquarters in North America for the combined company will be in Milwaukee, where Johnson Controls has been based.

Strategic Rationale
The combined company brings together best-in-class product, technology and service capabilities across controls, fire, security, HVAC, power solutions and energy storage, to serve various end-markets including large institutions, commercial buildings, retail, industrial, small business and residential. The combination of the Tyco and Johnson Controls buildings platforms creates immediate opportunities for near-term growth through cross-selling, complementary branch and channel networks, and expanded global reach for established businesses.

The new company will also benefit by combining innovation capabilities and pipelines involving new products, advanced solutions for smart buildings and cities, value-added services driven by advanced data and analytics and connectivity between buildings and energy storage through infrastructure integration. As a result, the new company will be able to better partner with its customers to help improve their overall performance and operations, enhancing the experience for their own customers in areas such as comfort, safety and accessibility. In addition, the combined company will have one of the largest energy storage platforms with capabilities including traditional lead acid as well as advanced lithium ion battery technology serving the global energy storage market.

• Johnson Controls is in the midst of a strategic transformation to become a top-quartile multi-industrial company with leadership in attractive spaces connected to core growth platforms in buildings and energy storage. This focus has resulted in significant portfolio changes over the past few years including the divestiture of its Automotive Electronics and Interiors and Global Workplace Solutions businesses, as well as the acquisition of Air Distribution Technologies and the formation of Johnson Controls - Hitachi joint venture. The company announced in July 2015 that it is planning to spin off Adient at the beginning of fiscal year 2017.

• Tyco has transformed from a diversified holding company to a streamlined operating company with a focused and leading portfolio in fire and security that will complement Johnson Controls' buildings platform. Tyco combines best-in-class products with a world-class installation and service capability delivered across a global network of branches. The company's core strengths include security and fire systems integration, commercial security monitoring, as well as fire, security and life-safety products.

• More details on financial side of this merger may be found here.

@johnsoncontrols #Tyco #PAuto #BAS

Name change

Tyco Electronics has changed its name to change the company name to TE Connectivity Ltd. The name change is subject to Swiss regulatory approval.

"Our new name better reflects the products and solutions we bring to our customers," said Chief Executive Officer Tom Lynch. "We offer more than 500,000 products that connect and protect the flow of power and data inside millions of products that consumers and industries use every day, all around the globe. From smart phones to satellites, automobiles to airplanes, dishwashers to data centers, we're in it.


"As a company, we are well-known to the industries and customers we serve," Lynch said. "We want to expand our reach and drive awareness of TE Connectivity beyond our existing customer base to prospective customers, suppliers, investors, recruits and the communities in which we operate around the world."

Acquisation completed

Tyco Electronics Ltd. has completed the acquisition of ADC Telecommunications, Inc.

The combination of Tyco Electronics (TE) and ADC positions the company as a world leader in broadband connectivity.

Tom Lynch, Chief Executive Officer of TE, said, "With our expanded product offering and strong position in every major geographic region, TE will provide the broad range of products and solutions our customers need to keep pace with the rapidly increasing demand for video and data connectivity anytime and anywhere.”

SCHAFFHAUSEN, Switzerland, Dec. 9, 2010 TE announced earlier today the successful completion of its tender offer to purchase the outstanding shares of common stock of ADC, which expired on Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010. TE then consummated the short-form merger, and ADC became an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of TE.

Hybrid circuit protection technology

Tyco Electronics has introduced a Metal Hybrid PPTC (MHP) technology useful for high-rate-discharge battery applications at ratings above 30VDC/30A such as cordless power tools, e-bikes and back-up power supplies. MHP technology uses a new hybrid circuit protection approach that combines a bimetal protector in parallel with a polymeric positive temperature coefficient (PPTC) device. This integrated solution provides resettable overcurrent protection and utilizes the low resistance of the PPTC device to help prevent arcing in the bimetal protector at higher currents, while also heating the bimetal to keep it open and in a latched position.

Due to advances in lithium ion (Li-ion) technology, smaller, lighter weight, and higher power Li-ion batteries can now replace nickel cadmium or lead acid batteries previously used in high-rate-discharge battery applications. This trend has resulted in a rapidly expanding market for high-rate-discharge Li-ion battery applications, which, in turn, has created the need for cost-effective, robust circuit protection devices that help ensure battery safety in end-products.

However, few protection solutions address high-rate-discharge battery applications and traditional circuit protection techniques tend to be large, complex and/or expensive.  In response, MHP technology provides a cost-effective, space-saving device that conventional circuit protection approaches are unable to deliver.

The initial product in a planned family of MHP devices, the MHP30-36 device, has a 36VDC/100A maximum rating and a time-to-trip of under five seconds at 100A (at 25 degrees C). The device’s hold current is 30A and the initial resistance is under two mOhms.

The MHP30-36 device offers excellent arc suppression characteristics compared to standard breaker devices that must limit the number of switching cycles since arcing between contacts may damage them. The MHP30-36 device can also help reduce the number of discharge FETs and accompanying heat sinks in applications that typically use IC-plus-FET battery protection designs.

“Available in a convenient small form factor, the MHP30-36 device provides a rugged, resettable circuit protection solution that offers battery pack designers and manufacturers a method to optimize space, reduce cost, enhance safety and help meet future battery safety requirements,” said Ty Bowman, Global Battery Market Manager.

The MHP device technology can be configured for various applications, and higher voltage (up to 400VDC) and hold current (60A) devices are currently in development. Future design considerations include battery protection in Li-ion battery packs used in e-scooters and light electric vehicles (LEVs), as well as standby-power applications and non-battery applications such as electric motor protection.

Direct attach copper and fibre cable assemblies

A new range of direct attach copper and fibre cable assemblies has been added to the range of high-speed connectors available from the Enterprise Networks business unit of Tyco Electronics. The new SFP+ copper cable assemblies and PARALIGHT active optical cable assemblies offer a cost effective alternative to standard fibre-optic cables in 10 Gbit/s Ethernet, 8 Gbit/s Fibre Channel and InfiniBand applications.

SFP+ copper cable assemblies enable hardware OEMs and data-centre operators to achieve high port density and configurability at a low cost and reduced power requirement. Tyco Electronics SFP+ copper assemblies meet the industry MSA (multi-source agreement) for signal integrity performance.

The Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable (QSFP) interconnect system from Tyco Electronics is a four-channel package, offering three times the density of traditional SFP ports and supporting speeds up to 10 Gbit/s per channel (suitable for 8 Gbit/s Fibre Channel and 10 Gbit/s Ethernet).

The Tyco Electronics PARALIGHT active optical cable assemblies use state-of-the-art technology to provide cost-effective high data throughput interconnects. They are available in lengths of up to 100 m using 50 µm fibre. The optoelectronic circuitry is designed for use with 8B/10B encoded data streams, such as InfiniBand, Fibre Channel, and XAUI communication protocols.

These products can eliminate the requirement of costly GBIC (gigabit interface convertor) transceivers and fibre patch cords for short interlinks between network switches, enterprise storage devices and servers.

Gigabit Ethernet cabling system

The AMP NETCONNECT business unit of Tyco Electronics has announced the general availability of its reduced diameter MRJ21 Ultra Slim Gigabit Ethernet cabling system.

The trimmed-down MRJ21 Ultra Slim cable assembly is 9.14 mm in diameter, weighs 40% less than comparable four-pair cabling systems, occupies 45% less rack space, requires 25% less power per port, and promises to help to reduce data-centre operating costs.

This cable assembly is a major development in the structured cabling marketplace, especially for data-centre customers who are seeking to optimise space in the rack, on the floor, and throughout cable pathways.

"Our MRJ21 Ultra Slim cabling system is the thinnest copper Gigabit Ethernet solution available from Tyco Electronics", comments David Richens, Senior System Application Engineer at Tyco Electronics: "We are excited to bring this innovative cabling technology to our customers and to the marketplace. It is the perfect solution for today's server-crowded data centres where space is a premium." "Tighter IT budgets coupled with escalating power costs are driving technology selection", he adds, "In this context, the design of our MRJ21 ultra slim cable improves airflow, dissipates heat more efficiently and reduces overall power consumption."

Installation of the MRJ21 Ultra Slim cabling system is six to ten times faster than four-pair cabling, with significant reductions in the cable management and routing problems of bundled cabling systems. Engineered to support more ports per rack, the lean MRJ21 Ultra Slim cabling system supports six ports of Gigabit Ethernet interface, which dramatically increases the number of ports customers can include in a single rack. Whereas traditional four-pair cable bundles add weight and create clutter, the MRJ21 Ultra Slim cabling system reduces cable mass, bend radius and weight without sacrificing performance.

Intellectual property acquired

Tyco Electronics has acquired the intellectual property (IP) rights to the 9th wire hardware technology that powers its AMPTRAC Intelligent Infrastructure Management System (IIM).

9th wire technology provides real-time monitoring of planned and unplanned changes to layer 1 physical infrastructure. It allows patch fields, without active electronics, to communicate with analysers and work with licensed IIM software from iTRACS Corporation. The combined solution makes it easier for IT administrators to maintain an accurate configuration management database, meet corporate needs for maximum network uptime, enhance asset location and turn cabling systems and their connected devices into smart networks.

"Tyco Electronics is investing in the Intelligent Solution arena to provide IT and facilities managers with the tools they need to perform real-time analysis to expose inefficiencies and optimise the use of their assets", says Stephen Mitchell, Vice President of the AMP NETCONNECT business unit of Tyco Electronics: "The 9th wire IP acquisition demonstrates our commitment to that investment, to our AMPTRAC product line and to Tyco's efforts to provide the industry with the best networking intelligence solutions available."

A component of the acquisition provides an established community of vendors a license to the intellectual property, with the intent to position this passive real-time hardware technology as an industry standard. Mitchell says that Tyco Electronics is the leading provider of IIM solutions based on the 9th wire technology in data centres and office networks. He adds that the AMPTRAC connectivity management solution offers the benefits of seamless integration, fast implementation, and one-stop installation support.

Fibre-optic cabling system offers flexibility and future-proofing for data-centre applications

The new MPOptimate system from the AMP NETCONNECT Business Unit of Tyco Electronics is a high-performance pre-terminated fibre-optic cabling system that offers a high degree of flexibility for today's data centres as well as a future-proofed migration path to the 40 Gbit/s and 100 Gbit/s applications of the future.

The MPOptimate fibre-optic cabling system is aimed at data-centre owners who are considering the implementation of a structured cabling in accordance with ISO/IEC, EN or TIA standards, and who are looking for the most flexible pre-terminated MPO solution. With significantly improved optical parameters, the system allows for trends such as virtualisation and switch consolidation by super-switches as well as the higher speeds of future systems.

To achieve these requirements, Tyco Electronics has improved the overall production process of this class of fibre-optic system. As a result, key performance parameters are an insertion loss of 0.35 dB maximum per cassette and a return loss of more than 35 dB for the LC connector and 28 dB for the MPO connector. Both values are key issues that allow more components in a channel: something which is necessary in new data-centre designs as well as future 40 and 100 Gbit/s systems.

MPOptimate assemblies are pre-terminated and factory tested, and the design allows different data-centre designs for channels with two to six re-usable modular cassettes. The system fully supports all optical fibre applications within the Ethernet family.

The combination of lower loss and higher return loss allows for multiple connections between transmission equipment, resulting in the joint benefits of a lower space requirement and a much better scalability. The high-density cabling saves pathway space with improved airflow compared to traditional cable bundles, while the latest MPO technology provides lower power consumption than common fibre systems.

The fibre-optic cabling system is fully compliant with TIA/EI942, ISO/IEC 24764 and EN 50173-5, which are specific data centre standards. As a result, the MPOptimate system offers a complete end-to-end standard compliant passive infrastructure.

Easy to install, time saving delayed valve

Tyco Waterworks has a new EBCO Delayed Valve (EBV), developed and manufactured to provide full flow replenishment of storage tanks used in high rise buildings, buildings with multiple outlets fed from storage tanks or from pumped systems.

This new delayed valve is packed full of time, energy and cost saving features. After extensive field trials, engineers have found that ease of installation is its most outstanding attribute. The Delayed Valve has been designed as a simple mechanical device, comes fully assembled and can be fitted easily and efficiently straight from the box, with no need to dismantle the unit before installation. For added efficiency, the adjustable delay valve design means that the positioning of the floats to provide the required delay can be carried out away from the tank. This makes installation more convenient and reduces the possibility of spills and water damage during installation.

Technically, the design is based on the renowned and established EBCO equilibrium ball float valve and this new EBV incorporates the unique and patented ECOvalve fill control device. Allowing the valve to open fully and operate at full flow every fill cycle, means that trickling is eliminated, valve and pump wear is significantly reduced and running costs are kept to a minimum. Tyco Waterworks has shown that an energy saving of up to 81% can be achieved by installing the EBV. The robust and simple mechanical design can operate in tanks with walls sloping up to 5º and does not require precise vertical or horizontal levelling for the valve to function.

For added versatility, it is available in single float (fixed delay) or twin float (adjustable delay) versions. The adjustable twin float device is recommended for tank systems with a raised inlet or float valve housing, so the float can be adjusted to allow optimum main tank capacity.

Cost savings can also be made due to the fact that there is no need for ancillary equipment. In other products on the market, filters are often part of the design and not only do they add to the cost of the original job, but they need to be replaced regularly and require ongoing maintenance. The Tyco Waterworks delayed valves provide the perfect cost-effective ‘fit and forget’ solution.

Alternative energy and high efficiency influence product range

Farnell has selected the alternative energy sector as its latest focus market. The emphasis in this area of high importance has seen the leading multi-channel distributor add over 1,000 new products targeted at applications in alternative energy and high efficiency product design. Suppliers include leading industry names such as Microchip, ST Microelectronics and Tyco plus niche suppliers such as Advanced Linear Devices. The new additions take Farnell’s total number of products in this sector to over 5,000.

The latest issue of the company’s informative Technology First Journal looks in detail at alternative energy through a range of topical articles and features. Additionally, the element14 technology portal and e-community will feature a dedicated discussion and information group covering the topic to provide support and information for design engineers working on new projects.

Alternative energy encompasses areas such as wind power generation, hydro power and solar energy as well as less publicised techniques such as harnessing vibration and thermal energy to produce electricity. High efficiency is crucially important in the electronic circuitry that supports alternative energy systems to ensure that a minimal amount of the power generated is wasted in the form of electrical losses. The company also recognises that when considering the wider electronics market, components that have low power consumption or support energy efficient design, are crucial in helping engineers in the development of end products that have low total cost of ownership and deliver environmental benefits.

Lynn Ma, Technical Marketing Manager-Europe, Farnell said: “The development of alternative energy sources and the efficiency of both industrial and consumer electronics equipment remains under the spotlight as globally we seek to address the unsustainable rate at which the world’s natural resources are being consumed. The electronics industry has a key role to play in the development of effective systems to support alternative energy generation and energy efficient design as a whole. Through our focus in this area we are seeking to simplify component selection and sourcing and speed the design process for our design engineering customer base.”

High performance comms

Network cabling system provides high-performance communications at new data centre

An advanced network cabling system from the AMP NETCONNECT forms the heart of the internal communications system at a new data centre for Fidessa group plc, a major international supplier of financial markets trading solutions.

The system, designed and installed by Maxima, an approved Amp Netconnect partner, includes both Category 6 UTP (unshielded twisted pair) copper and OM3 multimode 50/125 fibre-optic cabling, and is housed in a new purpose-built facility known as Sentrum IV on the outskirts of Woking, Surrey (GB).

Fidessa is a leading supplier of multi-asset trading, portfolio analysis, decision support, compliance, market data and connectivity solutions for firms involved in trading the world’s financial markets. Headquartered in London and with regional operations across Europe, North
America, Asia and the Middle East, Fidessa supports over 24,000 users across 730 clients, serving a broad spectrum of customers from major investment banks and asset managers through to specialist niche brokers and hedge funds.

The nature of the company’s business means that its data-centre capabilities and the associated communications infrastructure are of vital importance, and the Sentrum IV facility is the latest and most advanced of these centres. In selecting the main contractor for the new centre, it was natural that Fidessa should turn to Maxima, who have worked with Fidessa over a number of years – most recently on the company’s GS2 data centre in London.

“The Maxima team has detailed knowledge of our requirements and the design and installation practices that we expect from our suppliers”, comments Mark Brewer, Production Services Manager at Fidessa: “Not only do they ensure that project installations always run smoothly: they are also willing and able to offer innovative solutions that relate specifically to the needs of our industry.”

One of the specific requirements for the Sentrum IV data centre relates to the fact that Fidessa will use it as a showcase facility for existing and potential clients. This meant that the ‘public’ areas needed to be as clean and tidy as possible, with any cabling hidden away beneath floors or in purpose-designed cabinets. Maxima designed the sub-floor cable support system to ensure that cable capacity was not compromised.

The installation proposed and implemented by Maxima includes a total of 125 APC server, communications and switch cabinets incorporating 250 intelligent power units, along with sixteen AMP NETCONNECT cross-connect central patch frames. The fully ISO/IEC 11801 compliant Category 6 copper and OM3 fibre cabling system includes over 9500 Category 6 AMP SL connections and over 6300 OM3 LC AMP connections.

The system carries Tyco Electronics’ 25-year warranty, which will allow Fidessa to accommodate the growing bandwidth needs of IP convergence, reduce expenses associated with download, upload and backup time, and reduce costs associated with future upgrades.

An important feature of the installation is the use of the recently introduced AMP NETCONNECT Hi-D (high-density) network cabling system to provide a centralised high-density cross-connect patching system. The Hi-D network cabling system is positioned at the heart of the data-centre facility to allow for all the server, communications and switch cabinets to connect with the copper and fibre cabling through a centrally located cross-connect facility.

The Class E/Category 6 UTP copper cabling system uses low-smoke zero-halogen sheathing, along with 24-port Hi-D angled patch panels with SL jacks to provide full RJ45 connectivity. To provide a degree of resilience, copper cabling is routed from each panel in groups of 12 cables and follows diverse cable routes. The copper cabling is housed in a containment system under a
false floor. The use of pre-manufactured Tyco Electronics harness assemblies between the network switch cabinets and the Hi-D angled patch panels is an important factor in ensuring warranty compliance.

The OM3 fibre cabling system also uses low-smoke zero-halogen sheathing, and takes the form of individual 12- or 24-core cables linking 24- or 12-way duplex panels. As with the copper cabling, the fibre cables are diversely routed between cabinets.

Commenting on the successful completion of the Fidessa project, Barry Silverman, Maxima’s Cabling Business Unit Manager within Support & Enablement Services, said: “At Maxima, we pride ourselves on being an approved, experienced and responsive network integrator, and we are always seeking to achieve the most resilient and cost-effective solutions for our clients. By partnering with the AMP NETCONNECT business unit of Tyco Electronics, we have been able to offer Fidessa the optimum combination of a high-quality infrastructure backed by Tyco Electronics’ powerful warranty and our own high level of support.”