Electronics Supply Chain News & Analysis

Wearable Devices Turning to OLED Displays

Six out of every 10 wearable devices contained an OLED in 2015.

Allegro MicroSystems Unveils LED Driver With Integrated Hall-Effect Switch

Allegro Microsystems’s A1569 LED driver IC integrates a Hall-effect switch to allow fault-tolerant LED lighting with minimal component count and cost.

Wideband Mixer Delivers IF Bandwidth from DC to 6 GHz

Linear Technology’s LTC5548 mixer operates over a 2 to 14 GHz range, making it suitable for various microwave applications.

300mm Wafer-Bonding MEMS Manufacturing System Launched by EVG

The equipment will replace traditional, smaller 200mm wafer substrates used in MEMS manufacturing.

New Touchscreen System Allows for Three Screen Conference Rooms

The system allows for wireless content sharing as well as video and audio conferencing with up to 200 interactive video participants.

McDonald’s Serves up Virtual Reality Experience

McDonald’s Sweden ups the ante on its Happy Meal toys with these Google Cardboard-inspired Virtual Reality headsets. Parents add the smartphone, and users download games like the newly-released “Slope Stars,” a 360-degree skiing experience, which the fast food franchise says inspires ski safety and family togetherness.

Proxima Displays Joins the Laser Phosphor Party

This new projector provides an affordable option for large-scale applications requiring the quality and long life of laser projection.

Despite HP’s Delays, Memristors are Now Available

Memristor technology could transform computing and shake up the memory chip industry, but not until someone figures to out how to build it, economically.

Compact PCB-Mount Contactor Switches Up to 1200 VDC

Gigavac positions its P125 MiniTACTOR as a small, lightweight, and cost-effective solution for DC power switching.

Researchers “bend current” to create energy efficient magnetic memory devices

By “bending current,” researchers have discovered that magnetic memory is possible, and so is using a computer without turning it on.

Precocious 4 Yr. Old: New Raspberry Pi Adds Power, Wireless Connectivity

To celebrate the fourth anniversary of the popular (8 million sold to date) Raspberry Pi, the Raspberry Pi Foundation introduced a new, more powerful version designated Raspberry Pi 3. The new Pi comes with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity for Internet of Things applications.

LED Driver ICs Support Widest Range of TRIAC Dimmers

High-efficiency solid-state lighting driver suits both non-isolated lamp designs and isolated ballast topologies. It has programmable dimming profiles and continuously manages power factor.

New Electronics Stretch Up to Four Times Original Length

The newly developed technology could be used to propel the areas of artificial skin, connected clothes and skin-like sensors.

Synchronous Step-Down Silent Switcher Is 94% Efficient

Linear Technology’s LT8641 step-down switching regulator delivers up to 3.5 A of current and operates with up to 94% efficiency.

Hua Hong Semiconductor to Develop Smart Hardware IP for Internet of Things

The two companies will also work on complete IP solutions for analog and MCUs.

Allegro MicroSystems A8591 Buck Regulator Is Well-Suited for Automotive "Keepalive" Applications

Allegro Microsystems’ A8591 buck regulator draws less than 33 µA from 12 V input while supplying an output of 5 V at 40 µA. It is suited for automotive battery-powered applications.