Electronica 2018

In general and with an acceptable risk of oversimplification there are two main challenges facing design engineers today: determining the right technologies for their specific applications and finding a reliable manufacturer to supply them.

Every two years engineers seeking answers to these questions gather in Munich to witness the latest innovations and insights into electronic components, systems and applications. This latest iteration of Electronica – the biggest to date – was venue for more than 3,100 exhibitors from over 50 countries welcoming a record number of 80.000 visitors from all over the world at the Munich trade fair grounds from November 13-16, 2018.

Following is a sampling of what was new, notable, and of interest to at least this observer (presented by supplier in alphabetical order)

AVX’s new 0805-case BP Series multilayer, integrated thin film (ITF) band-pass filters offering high frequency performance in an ultraminiature, low-profile case, are available in five frequency bands spanning 1,308-4,320MHz for compatibility with a broad range of wireless applications, including mobile communications systems, satellite TV receivers, and GPS.

The company showcased its TWD High-Temp Max-Cap (HTMC) Series wet tantalum supercapacitors, which are rated for maximum operating temperatures of 175 °C, said to provide both the highest DC capacitance and operating temperature of any available T4-case capacitor,  delivering  lifetimes of up to 10,000 hours. The TWD series is an axial leaded wet electrolytic tantalum capacitor designed for DC (hold-up) and low frequency pulse applications. Utilizing high CV Tantalum powders the TWD series achieves high capacitance values that are similar to the supercapacitor range. Components are suitable for automatic mounting and soldering.

AVX also displayed its 70-9159 Series three-piece board-to-board (BTB) STRIP linking contact system for linear LED and coplanar PCB connections, delivering, according to the company, high-reliability performance in a lower profile and at a lower cost than traditional insulated connectors for off-road vehicle lighting applications. Adding to the list of UL certified contacts already on the market from AVX, the new high spring force “C-Clip” designed SMT contacts can be linked together with a bridging contact to provide the needed reliability. In addition to robustness, this three piece component set absorbs mating tolerances between the boards and can handle 20 amps of continuous current.

KEMET used electronica 2018 to begin its 100-year celebration.  An interactive timeline feature at the company’s booth allowed visitors to experience its journey over the last century and to see how technology has evolved over time. Offering one of industry’s broadest ranges of tantalum, ceramic, film and electrolytic capacitors this year’s electronica was its first since since acquiring TOKIN, which allows it to now offer complementary sensing, actuator and magnetic components. The company also showed off its latest technologies to address the needs of fast-moving market sectors including the Internet of Things (IoT), and the electrification of the automotive powertrain.

It is difficult to have perfect pin-to-socket alignment when mating two rigid PCBs or bus bars. A degree of float is needed in these situations to accommodate any misalignment there may be. To that end Molex introduced the Coeur CST High-Current Interconnect System, which provides up to 1.0mm of float and will serve to assure ease of mating and also prevent potential damage to the socket contacts. The Coeur CST High-Current Interconnect System delivers between 30.0 and 200.0A of current and offers a wide range of configurations, connecting PCBs, bus bars and cables.

The Coeur CST High-Current Interconnect System offers a mated profile as low as approximately 5.00mm. It can do so without the compromise of having to have large protrusion above or below the mated boards. Molex’s Coeur CST High-Current Interconnect System is further designed with multiple contact beams per socket. This serves to assure a solid electrical performance (low voltage drop).

Molex also has extended its automotive portfolio to include an end-to-end Ethernet-based solution that operates at high bandwidth across multiple hardware and software components. The company presented a live demonstration of its connected vehicle technology ecosystem which includes a high-speed 10 Gbps automotive Ethernet backbone solution that integrates highly reliable signal integrity, prioritization, scalability and security.

This in-vehicle network solution featured a fully functional 10 Gbps Ethernet backbone, with secure over-the-air updateability for software and firmware, helping avoid the need for vehicle recalls and enabling in-vehicle diagnostics.

Murata kicked it up a notch with a new 3-axis inclination sensor with a tilt angle output and digital SPI interface. Based on Murata’s 3D-MEMS sensing technology, the SCL3300-D01 is a 3-axis (XYZ) inclinometer with 4 user selectable measurement modes which can be used to optimize the sensor’s performance for different applications and their requirements. Applications are expected to include levelling, tilt sensing, machine control and health monitoring.

The device includes a mixed signal ASIC for signal processing along with a digital interface that removes the need for an external ADC, reducing size, power use and design complexity. The SCL3300-D01 inclinometer provides a ±90° tilt angle output which simplifies measuring software and device usage. The device operates from -40 °C to +125 °C with a typical offset temperature drift less than ±10 mg across the entire operating temperature range. The ultra-low noise density is as low as 0.001°/√Hz for high measurement resolution.

The SCL3300-D01 operates from a single 3.3 V supply and is well-suited for battery-powered operation in remote locations, including IoT-based applications, due to a typical sleep mode current draw of just 3 μA. Self-diagnostics features ensure that the output from the device can be relied on at all times.

Housed in a 12-pin pre-molded plastic housing (8.6 mm x 7.6 mm x 3.3 mm LxWxH) the inclinometer is suitable for SMD mounting and is compatible with the RoHS and ELV directives.

In recent years, due to its energy-saving benefits, SiC is seeing greater use in 1200V applications such as electric vehicles and industrial equipment. The trend toward higher power density has resulted in higher system voltages, increasing demand for 1700V products. However, it has been difficult to achieve the desired reliability, and so IGBTs are typically preferred for 1700V applications.

In response Rohm announced the development of a 1700V/250A rated SiC power module optimized for inverter and converter applications such as outdoor power generation systems and industrial high power supplies. The BSM250D17P2E004 utilizes new construction methods and coating materials to prevent dielectric breakdown and suppress increases in leakage current. As a result, according to the company, high reliability is achieved that prevents dielectric breakdown even after 1,000 hours under high temperature high humidity bias testing (HV-H3TRB). This ensures high voltage (1700V) operation even under severe temperature and humidity environments.

By incorporating proven SiC MOSFETs and SiC Schottky barrier diodes into the same module and optimizing the internal structure it became possible to reduce ON resistance by 10% over other SiC products in its class. This translates to improved energy savings and reduced heat dissipation.

At Electronica TDK introduced a new series of EPCOS single-ended aluminum electrolytic capacitors that feature a particularly compact design, a high CV product and high ripple current capability. The capacitors of the B41897 series are available for rated voltages of between 25 V DC and 75 V DC and cover a capacitance range from 270 μF to 12,000 μF. The dimensions of the new components range from 12.5 mm x 20 mm to 18 mm x 40 mm (D x L) depending on the voltage and capacitance.

The new capacitors can be exposed to high temperatures and are designed for continuous operation at up to 135 °C and for a peak temperature of 150 °C. In comparison with previous series, it has been possible to increase the ripple current capability while at the same time raising the capacitance by as much as 60 percent. This means that the maximum ripple current capability is now higher than 7 A at 125 °C and 100 kHz. Typical applications include automotive ECUs and power supplies.

TDK has expanded its Micronas position sensor portfolio with the Hall-sensor family HAL® 39xy featuring stray-field compensation capability built on a flexible architecture for multidimensional magnetic-field measurements marketed under the trademark masterHAL. The sensors are targeted at automotive and industrial market needs and offer four different measurement modes in a single device: Linear position detection, rotary 360° angle detection and rotary 180° angle detection with stray field compensation including gradient fields as well as the capability for real 3D magnetic field measurement (BX, BY, BZ).

The heart of the HAL 39xy sensors is the patented 3D HAL pixel cell technology. It helps not only to measure magnetic fields accurately, but it is also said to be insensitive to stray fields. The concept is based on an array of Hall plates. Each measurement mode uses a different combination of them to enable best performance in each mode. TDK claims the HAL 39xy is the only solution available on the market that integrates all four modes in a single device.

Sensors and components to power the 5G future was the focus of the TE Connectivity display, with the company introducing its new ERFV RF (radio frequency) Coax Connectors for 5G wireless applications. These RF products enable board-to-board and board-to-filter applications at a lower cost due to their one-piece compressive design. ERFV RF coax connectors offer a high degree of customization with a range of between-board heights and connector configurations. With ERFV connectors, between-board heights can range from 5.2mm to 20mm depending on product applications. The connector can also be applied as a surface mount board-to-board connection or a screw-in or push-in connection into filters. In addition, ERFV coax connectors have an axial misalignment tolerance of +/- 1mm, radial misalignment tolerance of +/- 0.8mm, and excellent insertion loss and return loss over DC to 10 GHz.

In its main booth in hall C4 and automotive Innovation booth in hall B4 – both new locations for the company this year — Vishay exhibited new products such as its gallium nitrite MOSFETs, multi-spectral optical sensors, and diodes for 48V electrical and hybrid vehicles. MOSFETs on display included a 100V enhancement-mode GaN HEMT device with a dedicated Kelvin source gate return. With a gate charge of only 5nC — said to be more than 10x lower than existing silicon MOSFET technology — and on-resistance of 5 mW, the device offers low gate charge times on-resistance FOM to reduce switching losses.

The Optoelectronics group of Vishay Intertechnology announced that it can help manufacturers add a heart rate monitoring capability to any type of consumer electronic device. Vishay demonstrated this capability with a fitness watch prototype that uses Vishay optoelectronic components to enable the heart rate monitor function in conjunction with a software algorithm developed by Elfi-Tech Ltd., a developer of non-invasive medical devices. Together Vishay and Elfi-Tech can supply a complete reference design for the heart rate monitoring capability, including digital and analog front end components.

For DC/DC conversion and battery management Vishay showcased power MOSFETs in new space-saving PowerPAK 8x8L packages; XCLAMPR transient voltage suppressors (TVS) with low clamping ratios; custom magnetics including hybrid planar transformers; battery shunt resistors; DC-Link film capacitors; IHLP low profile, high current inductors; current limiters featuring PTC resistors, and high current thermal fuses. The company’s automotive booth featured a live power demonstration of a 48V and 12V Board Net system.

Yageo launched a new high power anti-surge chip resistor, the SR high power series. It targets applications where high surge and high power components are required. The SR series ranges from size 0402 to 2512 (0201 is under development), and resistance values from 1ohm to1Mohm. This series is said to have an excellent temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) characteristic of 100ppm/°C. The anti-surge design can withstand a high pulse in the circuit and can work in a high power environment. Triple and quadruple power are also available for the SR series. The series is AEC-Q200 qualified, RoHS compliant, and Halogen free. Applications include use in fields such as automotive, industrial, computer or home appliances.

The next electronica will take place in Munich from November 10-13, 2020.

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