Process makes silicon circuits that can fold, bend, and stretchby Matthew MillerA new process creates ICs that not only can bend to conform to various surfaces, but also can operate while stretching, compressing, and folding. Scientists...

Watch those power leads!by Doug Marsh, ConsultantIn the Western Electric IC-manufacturing line of the early ´##s, bipolar chips used "beam-lead" technology, which entailed a few back-end-wafer steps to add metallic beams onto each chip....

Be careful what you promiseby Rick Nelson, editor-in-chiefIn the current cartoon series on my Dilbert calendar, Dilbert is trying to mount a marketing campaign with limited resources. He had hoped to exploit the laziness of...

Active-matrix display employs nanowire transistorsby Matthew MillerA research group including members from Purdue University, Northwestern University, and the University of Southern California claims it has developed the first active-matrix...

##-GbE in the mainstreamby Ann R Thryft, Contributing Technical Editor##-GbE edges closer to major product rollouts as silicon prices and power consumption fall. But it may be two years or more before widespread deployments start meeting...

Counterfeiting still a top concern for distributorsEdited by Suzanne DeffreeIt may not be the No. # issue for distributors, but counterfeit goods remain a top concern within the electronics supply chain, according to Robin Gray Jr (...

Buck-boost converters change with the timesby Paul Rako, Technical EditorBuck-boost converters provide voltages both above and below the input voltage. This feature is useful if your design´s input voltage changes drastically or if...

Greenpeace raises bar with energy criteriaEdited by Suzanne DeffreeGreenpeace wants to see electronics companies clean up their acts and will soon be ranking OEMs such as Apple, Philips, and Nokia by stricter criteria.The environmental...

Switched-gain op amp serves as phase detector or mixerW Bruce Warren, Marietta, GAEdited by Charles H Small and Fran GranvilleSome op amps, such as the AD#### from Analog Devices ( www.analog.com) and the EL#### from Intersil (www.intersil.com),...

RF screen coating saves spaceby Graham ProphetMicroShield screening technology from RF Micro Devices integrates RF screening on the surface of a molded package. The protected device might contain a single chip or a multichip module....

Microcontroller displays multiple chart or oscilloscope timing ticksWilliam Grill, Honeywell, Lenexa, KSEdited by Charles H Small and Fran GranvilleWhile working with a ##-bit DI-### module from Dataq to monitor and display vibration-sensor...

Circuit and software provide accurate recalibration for baseline PIC microcontroller's internal oscillatorNoureddine Benabadji, University of Sciences and Technology, Oran, AlgeriaEdited by Charles H Small and Fran GranvilleAll of Microchip´s...

Analog demand holds strongEdited by Suzanne DeffreeRecent interest from distributors, including Avnet Inc ( www.avnet.com) and Arrow Electronics Inc (www.arrow.com), in the analog segment of the electronic supply chain should prove...

Receivers reinforce digital-display-interface ecosystemby Brian DipertI´m admittedly a bit more bullish about DisplayPort ( www.displayport.org) than I was at the beginning of last year (see "Connecting systems to displays with...

Fast-settling synchronous-PWM-DAC filter has almost no rippleW Stephen Woodward, Chapel Hill, NCEdited by Charles H Small and Fran GranvilleAn inexpensive way to implement high-resolution digital-to-analog conversion is to combine microcontroller-PWM...

Microcontroller moving-dot display interface uses three I/O linesAbel Raynus, Armatron International, Malden, MAEdited by Charles H Small and Fran GranvilleThe moving-dot display has some benefits over the bar-graph display: It better...

Processor supports capacitive touch sensing for button and slider replacementby Robert CravottaCypress Semiconductor´s CapSense Express devices, working with the PSoC (programmable-system-on-chip) Express visual embedded-system-design...

Small footprint value-priced scopes offer bigger displays, deeper memory, bus debugging, and moreby Dan StrassbergTektronix´s new DPO-####-series of lunchbox-sized, two- and four-channel, ###-, ###-, and ###-MHz-bandwidth scopes provides...

Scrape itby Howard Johnson, PhDTo probe a microstrip trace with no accessible test points or vias, you have to remove some of the solder mask. I know of only six ways to do it: scraping, milling, grinding, microblasting, chemical stripping,...

Solid-state cooling device harnesses corona dischargeby Matthew MillerThorrn Micro Technologies has demonstrated a small, silent, no-moving-parts cooling device that generates more airflow than mechanical fans four times its size while...

EDN's #### innovator and innovations of the year: the winnersBy Staff####: yet another vintage year for engineering genius. EDN ´s ##th Annual Innovation Awards ceremony has once again recognized outstanding individuals,...

Rugged, high-voltage RF transistor uses vertical process, yielding better gainby Paul RakoStart-up HVVi recently introduced the three-member HVVFET (high-voltage-vertical-field-effect transistor) family of RF-transistor products. Targeting...

Cable cutterStaffThe ###M hand-held cable cutter features molded grips with a hard underside for strength and a soft, slip-resistant, ergonomic outside. The grips are designed with extra width for a larger load-bearing area. The tool...

Audio Bestsellers/Nonfictionby Kevin Howell April # The New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose (unabr.). Eckhart Tolle. Read by the author....

Tough times call for tough attitudesTom ReillyPreparation and positive thinking are the keys to selling in a down economyDoing business in tough times requires a tough attitude. Half the battle is in your head and the other half is...

Professional-grade ratchets StaffThe professional-grade ratchets are available in in., #/# in., in., in. and # in. drives; they feature a double pawl design that allows ## teeth to operate like ##, allowing for a # arc swing. The...

Breil Milano Sponsors America's Cup EntryBy William George ShusterBreil Milano is sponsoring Team Shosholoza, the South African challenger for the ##rd international America´s Cup yachting competition. It´s also official timekeeper...

New President For Knife River Corp.StaffCasper, Wyo.- Rich Allison has been named president of Knife River Corp.'s Mountain Region. In November ####, Allison was named interim president for the Mountain Region. Previously, he had served...

Watch Web Sites Keep GrowingBy William George ShusterThe number of watch Web sites keeps growing. Here are three of the most recent. ViaLuxe.com ( www.vialuxe.com) is a luxury watch and jewelry site created...

BCA Construction & Design ExpoStaffFort Wayne expo features over ### exhibitors showcasing a variety of products, tools, equipment, and servicesBuilding Contractors Association of Northeast Indiana (BCA) recently hosted its ##st annual...

Trucking cos. merge, form World Wide LogisticsStaffValdese, N.C.- Six well-known specialized furniture carriers have merged, forming a new organization called World Wide Logistics that will serve all ## states and Canada.The merger...

Project Information Management: Streamlining CollaborationBy Tiffany Morris, P.E., Technology Manager, ColeJenest & StoneProject information management software can help both internal and external team members exchange information quickly,...

Victoria PL Lockout EndsBy Norman OderPay raises pending after compromise; pages get a boostA pay equity deal welcomed on March ## by library workers ended months of labor unrest at the Greater Victoria Public Library, BC, where workers...

Critical News AnalysisBy Hedda T. SchupakIt´s getting so you don´t want to turn on the news anymore, because it´s seldom good where the economy is concerned. Perhaps it´s because conventional wisdom says good news doesn´t sell. But...

Play It AgainBy Renea Arnold and Nell ColburnPlay produces children who are emotionally healthy and ready for schoolA quote from George Bernard Shaw hangs in our office, guiding our daily interactions: "We don´t quit playing because...

LettersBy StaffSnowed OutWhen it comes to the Kindle, Alaskans are left out in the coldI´ve been watching Jeffrey Hastings´s very interesting comparison of the Kindle and the iLiad ebook readers. While I think it´s quite good and a...

Measuring armStaffThe Infinite #.# measuring arm features TESA Kinematic probes, a redesigned ergonomic wrist with an integrated USB digital camera and upgraded wireless capability up to ### ft. The #- and #-axes arms offer high precision...

Abbyson offers promoStaffChatsworth, Calif.- Abbyson Living is offering a pre-Las Vegas Market promotion for retailers from now through June ##. Customers purchasing more than $##,### in Abbyson rugs and furniture during this period...

Sightholders Dropped for BPP ViolationsBy Rob BatesSix sightholders were recently dropped by De Beers' Diamond Trading Company for alleged violations of its Best Practice Principles, a code of ethical guidelines.According to market...

Industrial Supply Conference & Trade Fair takes place June #-#StaffThe Industrial Supply Assn. will host its annual Industrial Supply Conference & Trade Fair next month in Chicago. The three-day event will run from June #-# and feature...

The Best! The Brightest! The Jewelers Choice AwardsStaffThe first annual JCK Jewelers Choice Awards drew ### entries from manufacturers and designers of jewelry and watches and ##,### votes from retailers. The Grand Prize winner [above],...

Don't Get Burned By "Holiday Misses"By Larry LapideNew products coming out during the holidays have great demand potential-positively and negatively. Here's how to handle the booms (or busts).Companies introducing innovative products...

Audio Bestsellers/Fictionby Kevin Howell April # Compulsion (abr.). Jonathan Kellerman. Read by John Rubinstein. Random House Audio. Eight CDs,...

Utility locatorStaffThe SeekTech SR-## utility locator helps locate underground infrastructure using the full range of locatable frequencies from ## Hz-### kHz. Tunable by # Hz units, it can be used with any pre-set frequency transmitter....

Adjustable cable stripperStaffThe WS ## adjustable cable stripper works on insulating material on ##KV to ##KV cables and has a #- #.## in. (##-## mm) OD cable range. Its dual handle design provides greater leverage. Ripley Toolswww.ripley-tools.com...

CalendarEdited by Joe Nowlan, jnowlan@reedbusiness.com May ##-## PTDA Canadian ConferenceFairmont ChateauWhistler, B.C. www.ptda.org/CanadianConference June #-# Industrial Supply Conf. & Trade Fair Hyatt...

SearchlightStaffThe Xenide AEX## HID personal searchlight has passed initial explosion-proof testing and is now certified for safe operation in Class #, Division #, Groups, A, B, C, & D environments (all gases), making it safe for use...

News BriefsStaff Store Sales Up In FebruaryStaffBookstore sales jumped ##.#% in February, to $#.## billion, bringing the two-month total to $#.##billion, a #.#% increase over the comparable period in ####. Total retail sales were...

In NM, First PL Sex Offender BanBy Norman OderIn what is apparently a first, sex offenders have been banned from the ## libraries in the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library System, NM, setting up a potential legal challenge. Albuquerque...

Banana blade mixerStaffThe #### banana blade mixer is designed to improve efficiency when mixing large volumes of water. The mixer features an #.# HP drive and is designed for large flow applications. The motor is a squirrel cage design...