Technical News

Cut your electronic wiring time in half!

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Save time on panel builds and electromechanical assembly

New from Live Electronics is a range of electronic products with innovative push-in connectors.  These cut wiring times by up to 55%, when compared with traditional screw-in devices, making them ideal for the construction of both new and refurbished control panels and machine builds. 

Manufactured by leading electronics company, IDEC, the new push-in products ensure safe and reliable connections, that withstand shock and vibration, yet are quick and simple to release. 

The product range includes Emergency Stops (E-Stops), switches, panel indicators and pilot lights.  In each case, the push-in connector technology uses an internal locking clamp, which engages as soon as a solid cable-end or ferrule is pushed home.  This ensures a secure, tug-resistant connection.  Cable release is achieved by using a small screwdriver blade to depress an isolated push-lock, which compresses the spring clamp and frees the cable.  The process is quick, simple and safe, as the connection and release mechanisms are designed to prevent contact with internal conductive parts. 

No special tools are required, while the push-in connectors can be assembled by technicians regardless of their skill level.  Each product also features simple connectivity test points, which can easily be checked with a standard multimeter. 

The design of the new push-in connectors means that cables are positioned facing away from the panel in which components are being fitted.  This makes it far easier to produce simpler, neater and easier to identify wiring looms. 

Comparison time studies carried out by IDEC, between the new push-in connectors and traditional screw-in devices, show that the new products can be installed up to twice as fast.  Time is saved by the simple push-in action and by eliminating the need for final screw tightening checks. Learn more here.

Discover the IDEC push-in technology for yourself: request a free sample! Free Sample

Electronic supply chain disruption – let’s look on the bright side

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4 ways we can help you source electronic components faster

Like us, you’re probably fed up with negative stories about electronics supply chain disruption and rising component prices.

We all know electronic supply chains have been chaotic since Covid first reared its ugly head.  We know the cost of many electronic components is going up.  These challenges are being felt globally, so there’s not much that as an individual business we can do to change them.

Instead let’s focus on things we can control – things that help take some of the pain out of your electronic supply chain.

Firstly, we’re continuously expanding our product offering.  This includes adding new electronic and electromechanical components.  We’re also bringing on-board a wider range of supply partners, from around the world, for all popular parts.  This means that if we can’t source a standard component easily from one manufacturer, then we can normally offer an alternative brand – one that matches your technical specification and quality standards, but that we can deliver faster.

Next, we’ve a huge choice of product options and configurations.  That means that even if we can’t match your exact specification we’re able to offer an alternative solution.  A typical example is a connector fitted with a 2m cable; if this isn’t readily available we can instead provide the same part with a slightly different cable length.

Similarly, we offer cable assembly, etching and over-moulding services, so we can supply customised parts that help you speed-up sub-assembly sourcing and/or reduce your in-house manufacturing costs.

Lastly, we’re a small, agile team.  We respond quickly to your enquiries.  We’re also straight-talking.  If we can help, we’ll go above and beyond to bring you exactly the products you need as quickly as possible. But if for some reason we’re unable to supply, then we’ll tell you straightaway, so you don’t waste time.

Without doubt, disruption to supply chains is a pain.  Our approach won’t solve all your problems, but it will take away many of the stresses that you find with sourcing electronic and electromechanical products.

Learn more about how we can help you overcome your electronic component supply chain challenges Contact us today

What is a linear position sensor?

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What is a linear position sensor?

They are all around us – in our car suspension systems as we drive over speed bumps, in the trains we sit in as they move around curved tracks and in the ‘fly-by-wire’ aircraft that adjust their ailerons and elevators as they start to descend. They are in the factory machines that we work with every day to package and manufacture products, and in medical equipment that keeps us alive. What are these inconspicuous but crucial devices? They are linear position sensors which are helping to embed digital technologies in the next industrial revolution.

Linear position sensors and custom electronic circuitry

Linear position sensors measure the linear distance between an object and a point of reference, as well as speed and changes in position. They do this by converting linear displacement into an extra low voltage, in either an analog or digital signal. That electrical output is generated by exploiting different phenomena in nature such as magnetic fields, solar energy and electrical resistance. Excitation circuitry in the sensor creates a stimulus and signal conditioning circuitry then selects and amplifies the electrical response. Sensors then digitise the signal using an Analogue-to-Digital Converter (ADC), the digital result is then passed to a Central Processing Unit (CPU).

The Fourth Industrial Revolution

The Fourth Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0 is well underway and adopting next generation linear position sensors that employ Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) to deliver the speed, accuracy and cost savings to industrial automation. Linear position sensors detect the location of machinery and equipment parts so they can be tracked and automated. They provide a digital signal via Ethernet connectivity to accurately report the target position in real-time with sufficient resolution. Sensor electronics are a key part of the evolution in automation, having direct influence on speed, accuracy and overall form factor.

What are the basic types of linear position sensor?

Linear position sensors consist primarily of two types: contact and non-contact, depending on whether they require physical contact to measure. Contact sensors tend to wear or degrade over time due to the constant friction for example of the wiper in a linear potentiometer measuring electrical resistance. In contrast, noncontact sensors use magnetic fields, solar energy and lasers to sense changes in position so they are less prone to wear and tear and can tolerate higher levels of vibration.

Linear encoders

A linear encoder is a sensor, transducer or readhead combined with a scale that encodes position. The sensor moves along the scale which it ‘sees’ using optical, magnetic, inductive, capacitive or eddy current technologies. It then converts the encoded position into an analog or digital signal, which is then decoded into position by a digital readout (DRO) or motion controller.

A linear encoder can be either incremental or absolute. What does this mean? Incremental encoders use a simpler method of determining movement by counting the number of pulses and then using that number to compute the position. With an absolute encoder, the output signal generated by the device creates a unique set of digital bits that correspond to a specific position of the object being measured. So incremental encoders measure the relative movement against some point of reference, whereas absolute encoders measure the position directly using a unique signal code that precisely reflects the position.

Linear encoders are used in two main areas of application: measurement and motion systems.

Measurement applications include coordinate-measuring machines (CMM), laser scanners, callipers, gear measurement, tension testers, and digital readouts (DROs).

Servo controlled motion systems provide accurate, high-speed movement in robotics, machine tools, pick-and-place PCB assembly equipment, semiconductors handling and test equipment, wire bonders, printers and digital presses. Humans design these intricate circuit boards but cannot match the speed and accuracy of robots and assembly equipment.

Linear potentiometers

In a linear potentiometer a wiper moves along a resistor as the equipment moves through the full length of stroke, providing a variable resistance related directly to position. Signal conditioners then convert this reading into other electrical output levels. Linear potentiometers are a tried and tested sensing method that are simple, inexpensive, and easy to work with. Although they are a fundamental method for detecting equipment position, as a physical device subject to constant mechanical wear they deteriorate over time and need to be replaced. They may not be resistant to liquids and contaminants, and the form factor must be large enough to accommodate the fully extended and retracted rod stroke, which can be limited in use due to installation space constraints.

Linear potentiometers can measure spring travel in bicycles and motorcycles so as to determine the optimal spring fork for challenging terrains, especially in motorsports. Imagine a mountain biker in Utah, USA speeding through wooded forests, Aspen Pine lands, bubbling streams and then across open prairie land, bouncing easily off paths covered with roots and stones thanks to the valuable data these sensors provide in the design of mountain bikes.

Aside from sport, more mundane but crucial applications include agricultural machinery, increasingly automated, moving across vast open fields. Lumbering combine harvesters use linear potentiometers for the wheel angle measurement in their steering systems as they move back and forth.

Linear potentiometers can also measure the stroke movement of both hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders by installing them directly inside the cylinder itself. The sensor compares the target stroke with the actual stroke to ensure process safety. Reliable measurement data is collected even at high pressure.

Being one of the most versatile and widely used sensors in industry, linear potentiometers are used in a whole range of applications including the control of motors and actuators, robotics, industrial machines, audio equipment volume control, automotive engine control systems, calibration for precision test equipment and medical equipment.

Hall effect sensors

A Hall effect sensor detects the presence and magnitude of a magnetic field using the Hall effect: namely when a conductor flowing with electrical current is plunged into a perpendicular magnetic field a voltage (the Hall voltage) is generated. It was discovered by the American physicist Edwin Hall in 1879. The output voltage of a Hall sensor is directly proportional to the strength of the magnetic field. Exploiting Hall Effect technology enables the sensors to be non-contact resulting in highly precise measurements and an exceptionally long mechanical life.

Hall sensors are used in proximity sensing, positioning, speed detection, and current sensing applications. Combined with threshold detection a Hall Effect Sensor can act as a binary switch. Frequently seen in industrial applications such as pneumatic cylinders, they are also used in consumer equipment for example detecting missing paper and open covers in computer printers. They can also measure filament thickness in the 3D printers as used in rapid prototyping, among other things.

Hall sensors time the speed of wheels and shafts in internal combustion engine ignition timing, tachometers and anti-lock braking systems and detect the position of the permanent magnet in brushless DC electric motors.

How can Live Electronics support manufacturers with linear position sensors?

Here at Live Electronics we are continually looking for the best products at the best price to help with modern technologies such as linear position sensors. Our linear position sensors from ZF use Hall Effect technology which allows the sensors to be non-contact resulting in highly precise measurements and an exceptionally long mechanical life.

FAQ's

What is a linear position sensor?

Linear position sensors measure the linear distance between an object and a point of reference, as well as changes in position. They are used for detecting the location of machinery and equipment parts so they can be tracked and automated.

How does a linear position sensor work?

Linear position sensors exploit different phenomena in nature such as magnetic fields, solar energy and electrical resistance to convert the displacement of moving machinery into an electrical output.

How many types of linear position sensors are there?

There are many types of linear position sensor, however the linear potentiometer is widespread being an inexpensive and easy to use piece of equipment. The Hall effect sensor however is becoming the most common due to its non-contact nature, resulting in highly precise measurements and an exceptionally long mechanical life.

How do you test a linear position sensor?

A linear potentiometer can be tested using a voltmeter. With a linear potentiometer fully extended, the voltmeter should display the maximum volts of the sensor in DC. With the linear potentiometer fully retracted, the voltmeter should display zero volts DC. The Hall effect sensor can be tested in a similar way in that the voltage changes from 0V to 5V (the high voltage can be changed based on the set up but usually this is between 1-5V, with 5V being the most common)

What is an RJ45 connector?

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Origins in telephony

Long before the world wide web came into existence and local area networks for computers had spread around the world, many if not most people in the USA didn’t even have a telephone at home and those who did just leased it from the Bell Company. The telephone network was still in its infancy in America, starting in the 1870s and steadily becoming more common by the 1940s. It owned not just the normally black and bulky telephones and handsets but all the wires on the poles, the switchgear in the central offices and the microwave links too. They had complete control over every aspect of their service delivery, and used their monopoly to build an amazingly integrated and durable system.

But there was a problem. And a big one. With all this power came responsibility and if anything went wrong with the customer’s phone it was Bell who had to fix it. A little boy in a moment of innocent curiosity once cut the handset cord with a pair of scissors. A technician from Bell had to come out and take the phone apart as well as the wall connection just to install a new handset cord. This was no quick replacement. Another time a dog chewed the cord between the set and the wall. Another technician was sent out on a mission. And this repeated over the entire network – all manner of unfortunate events. Even with no curious toddler or beloved pet, the phone cord would eventually fray and break, never mind if the bulky phone was designed to last for 40 years or more. What could be done to stop the phone company sinking ever more money into customer service calls?

A modular family was born

It was the late 1960s and AT&T was now on the scene. It ordered its engineers at Western Electric, its manufacturing arm, to focus their brilliant minds on the problem. The team, including Edwin Hardesty and Charles Krumreich eventually came up with the solution: a rectangular moulded plastic connector that had multiple parallel conductors, plastic channels to isolate and insulate each circuit, insulation displacement contacts in the plug, and springy wire contacts in the socket. A later design would replace the spring wire contacts in the socket with fixed blades.

Focusing on insulation displacement meant that field technicians could now mass terminate the connector with a simple crimp tool. The connectors were also easier to manufacture in the huge numbers required for a system-wide conversion. Moulding the plug body also meant that strain relief could be integrated into the plug, in the form of a flexible bar that would be crimped down onto the cord jacket after the electrical connections were made.

The design would be modified yet again, returning to spring wire contacts in the socket and replacing the original metal latch that locked the plug into the socket with a moulded plastic latch. But the basic design of the modular plug was now determined and ready for the future. The Trimline phone, where the handset now contained the dial or keypad, was one of the first phones to use the new connectors and throughout the 1970s, a decade of both cultural change and technological innovation, phone companies across the country retrofitted millions of existing phones.

In the 1980s the powerful AT&T monopoly began to break up and the new modular connectors now played an important role in democratising the entire phone system. For the first time customers could go into a store and buy whatever colour or style of phone they wanted, rather than leasing as before. One housewife went out and bought a new phone while her husband was at work. When he arrived home she had managed to rewire the new RJ11 connector into the wall using a special DIY kit promoted by AT&T.

Intuitive design, easy extensibility to more or fewer conductors, and the saturation of the market thanks to a large installed customer base all led to the modular connector being accepted across a wide range of industries. In 1976 the Federal Communications Commission mandated that phone system connections be standardised for interoperability so that customers could finally connect their own equipment to the telephone network.

The mandate termed these specifications registration interfaces, and the modular connectors became known as registered jacks, or RJ for short. The RJ11 became the connector for plugging a telephone into the wall and the handset into the telephone, while the RJ14 was designed for connecting multiple lines leading to a single phone unit. Crucially, an eight-conductor modular connector eventually became the standard for Ethernet connections. This was the RJ45. Its original 8P2C modular connectors were later modified into an 8P8C configuration with an additional tab or latch to ensure correct orientation in the newly arriving ethernet local area network (LAN) revolution.

An imaginary, networked world quietly in the making

The years passed and in 1995 at the dawn of The Internet, Mirek, the owner of a small computer software and network installation company in south-west Poland was going to change the world. In his office or inner throne room he plotted the expansion of his business. Across the grey carpeted floor a black telescope goldfish with bulging, distended eyes swam lazily in its bowl. It matched the black wall unit the bowl rested on. A wall clock ticked over a low glass coffee table, near two black leather sofas. Outside a sign fixed to the building showed the bright logo of his company accompanied by a globe encircled by parabolic connections. Giant cables soaring from the ground into space would enter the Earth at some point and then shoot off again to some other distant location, making a connection. This repeated many times. This crude but fantastical vision depicted a future networked world, using gargantuan cables. This was long before WIFI had become omnipresent or even thought of.

The vision came true

By 2005 the young entrepreneur had long left Poland for Chicago to pursue his career and dreams far away in the USA. His offices had been taken over by another company but that sign still hung outside on the building, waiting to be taken down. Now faded, the networked world could barely be seen. But those imaginary space cables had in fact gone on to envelop the world with countless terrestrial networks of interconnected computers all thanks to that original future proofed connector developed years earlier in a different technological age. Remember that years in the technological sphere are comparable to decades if not centuries in other domains.

Simple, adaptable and backwards compatible

The RJ45 consisted of both a male connector or plug attached to an ethernet cable and a matching female jack or port normally built into the back of a desktop computer or other internet enabled device. The magic of the RJ45 was its ability to be re-invented to support ever increasing data rates as well as be backwards compatible. Standardised in 1987, billions of these connectors have gone on to link up the world. Nowadays business people and travel bloggers travel the world with their laptops and can plug these into any hotel ethernet port that is available thanks to the ubiquity of the RJ45.

There are other factors that resulted in the success of the RJ45 connector. These include the low cost, solderless assembly of connector and wiring which enables fast production of custom cables, simple insertion and removal, easy field assembly using simple crimping tools, and the ability to customise cables on-site. Sockets or ethernet ports can also be orientated vertically or horizontally increasing their functionality. RJ45 connectors also feature an orientation tab or retaining latch to prevent incorrect wiring. Their 8-pin configuration also means that they can be used in more demanding and data-intensive applications.

The inner workings of the RJ45

Even if we haven’t wired, crimped and terminated, most of us have at some point plugged an RJ45 plug into the matching jack or ethernet port in our modem, router, PC or TV set top box at home, hearing it snap into place. It consists of a plastic housing, often transparent but can be opaque and coloured too.

Inside every RJ45 are eight channels containing gold plated contacts separated by insulating plastic as well as a gold plated contact pin with either two or three prongs. These prongs “bite” into the individual wires when you press down on the RJ45 with a crimping tool. Piercing the wire insulation and connecting with the conductor is a mechanism known as insulation displacement. 3 prong connectors will work with stranded and solid copper conductors whereas 2 prong connectors work with stranded copper only.

The eight colour-coded wires are unravelled from the four twisted pairs of the ethernet cable and gently pushed through the separate channels of the RJ45 plug, then bonded to the gold contacts with the crimping tool. T568A and T568B are two wiring schemes that are used to connect the cable to the RJ45 connector interface. T568A is generally considered a superior configuration as it offers wider backwards compatibility. However, T568B is more common, especially in older cables and equipment. The correct standard will depend on whether a straight-through cable (often called a patch cable) or a crossover cable is required. In most cases a patch cable will be used, which has the same type of wiring standard at each end. Crossover cable is much less common with a T568A connection at one end and a T568B connection at the other.

When the RJ45 is pushed into the ethernet port the male and female contacts connect with each other as the tab locks the plug tightly into place. Data and signals then begin to flow back and forth along the ethernet cable, delivering web pages from the distant servers and emails from the local computer operator as well as a plethora of other information.

Newer variants and challenging environments

There are now four common types of RJ45 connector: standard, staggered, shielded and ruggedized.

Standard RJ45 connectors have eight pins or contacts that are arranged side by side in a straight line and designed for CAT 5 ethernet cables.

Staggered versions are meant for the thicker wires of CAT 6 cables. The larger channels and holes for the wires wouldn’t fit inside the modular size of an RJ45 if placed side by side as in the standard version.

Shielded RJ45 connectors are encased in shiny metal plating to cancel or protect from the effects of EMI/RFI. They are used in longer cable runs and factory floors where the effects of EMI/RFI are more pronounced from noisy machines and other sources.

Away from the home or office and in more hostile and industrial environments, field RJ45 connectors are more robust with ruggedised housing and sealed to IP67 or higher ratings to render them waterproof. Here they find applications in industrial control panels, machine automation, portable testing and measurement equipment as well as robust computing devices. An IP67 rated RJ45 can be temporarily submerged in water while IP68 allows permanent submersion and IP69K will give protection from high pressure water jets used during for example equipment washdowns.

Category 7 cables can be terminated with RJ45 connectors, but these are specialised versions called GigaGate45 (GG45). GG45 connectors are however backward compatible with RJ45 connectors.

Conclusion

In summary the RJ45 connector enables stable and secure data transfer between devices and machines where wireless signals are not an option in certain environments or simply unavailable. It is also worth noting that even wireless routers or modems still need to be plugged into the network via a RJ45 connector so an ethernet cable is never far away at home or the office.

How can Live Electronics support users of dedicated RJ45 connectors?

Here at Live Electronics we are continually looking for the best products at the best price to help with modern technologies such as ruggerised and waterproof RJ45 connectors.

FAQ's

What is an RJ45 connector used for?

An RJ45 connector is primarily used to connect computers and other devices to a local area network (LAN) or The Internet, especially if a more stable and secure connection is needed.

Are there different types of RJ45 connectors?

The different types of RJ45 connector available, depending upon the application include:

Standard – 8P8C (8 position, 8 connection), non-shielded.

Shielded from EMI/RFI.  – internally shielded connectors that incorporate a shielding plate. May also be termed RJ48.

Ruggedized – include various external parts to protect the device from harsh environments.

RJ45 connectors can also be 2 prong or 3 prong. 3 prong connectors will work with stranded and solid copper conductors whereas 2 prong plugs work with stranded copper only.

Is an RJ45 port the same as an ethernet port?

In short, the answer is yes. The RJ45 port is the network port on a computer. This socket is also known as the Ethernet port, the network adapter, the network jack or the RJ45 jack.

Are RJ45 connectors the same for CAT5 and CAT6?

No, Cat 5 or more commonly Cat5e connectors have a straight pin layout whereas Cat6 connectors have a staggered pin layout. This is because the staggered layout is beneficial in reducing cross-talk interference. In conjunction with the design of Cat6 cable, this enables higher data transfer speeds of max 10Gbps up to 55 metres compared with 1Gbps at 100m for Cat5e.

How does an RJ45 connector work?

RJ45 connectors feature eight pins to which the wire strands of a cable interface electrically. Each connector has eight locations spaced about 1 mm apart into which individual wires are inserted using special cable crimping tools. When the RJ45 connector is plugged into the ethernet port data begins to flow back and forth bringing the screens and devices to life.

How do you plug in an RJ45 connector?

The male connector or plug of the RJ45 is pushed into the female socket or jack, also known as the Ethernet port, the network adapter, the network jack or the RJ45 jack. RJ45 connectors are designed with a latching mechanism that secures the physical connection. As the connector is inserted into the socket, a plastic tab on the connector locks against a ridge in the socket so that the plug cannot be removed without disengaging the tab by pressing it against the connector body.

What is a Circular Connector?

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What is a Circular Connector?

A circular connector is composed of two parts – a cylindrical, multi-pin male plug and female receptacle with corresponding sockets that when mated with each other is designed to power electrical devices or transmit electrical signals. Their circular design is effective in withstanding harsh environments and can reliably deliver both data and power. From the International Space Station moving at 7.66 km/s around the Earth, astronauts looking through its cupola at the continents down below, to fighter jets and passenger aircraft flying high above the clouds, to nuclear powered submarines that lurk in the icy depths of the arctic ocean and subsea internet cables that trail across ocean floors, circular connectors deliver crucial electrical signals and power to massive machines operating in harsh environments that must be fail safe and dependable.

Enabling A Central Nervous System For Machines

These circular connectors and cables act like the nerves and blood vessels that deliver feeling and strength to our bodies. They are like nodes in the central nervous systems of aircraft, wind turbines, tidal turbines, expansive solar farms, marine vessels, trucks and trains. These cannot afford to fail in the harsh environments that they operate, otherwise catastrophe awaits. They are ‘fit and forget’ technology that can be relied on to perform their function whether underwater, pounded by wind, waves and vibrations or exposed to extreme pressures, the freezing cold or searing heat. But aside from space stations, fighter jets and large passenger planes, submersibles moving slowly in the dark and deep-sea mining robots lumbering across ocean floors in the search for rare earth minerals for our phones and EVs, most circular connectors are used in the vast array of factories and industries on land that deliver the power, data, warmth, food and products that we so desperately need. But what are circular connectors actually made up of?

Shells, Inserts, Contacts And Backshells

Circular connectors as judged by their name consist of two circular parts, a multi-pin male plug and a multi-socket female receptacle. In the male plug a circular shell made from plastic or metal encases an insulating insert which in turn orientates electrical contacts or pins. The female receptacle contains the corresponding sockets that the pins mate or connect with. The shell diameters range in size from nanominiature circular shells a few millimetres across to those 50 mm in diameter or more. Larger shell sizes are generally used to house larger contacts used for power or more contacts whereas smaller shells are designed to house the smaller contacts needed for sensors.

 

The cylindrical housing and circular contact interface geometries allow for easier engagement and disengagement, tight environmental sealing, and rugged mechanical performance. The male plug of the connector containing the pins plugs into the female receptacle containing the sockets. They are especially resistant to environmental interference and accidental decoupling through the use of screw, bayonet, twist-lock and push-pull mating styles and can be sealed to IP67 or higher.

 

When the male plug and female receptacle are pushed together and make contact electrical current flows through the electrical contacts that are made from high-conductivity, oxidation-resistant materials like brass and steel. These can be bare or plated in gold and/or silver to offer better conductivity for lower voltages and currents. They are usually attached to each wire strand within the cable using solder or screw fittings or by using a crimping tool, which employs a solderless crimp mechanism. Each contact is passed through the circular connector housing and insert before the connector backshell is closed. In the case of a crimp fitting individual contacts can be replaced without requiring the entire connector having to be replaced.

 

Circular connectors commonly use backshells, which provide physical and electromagnetic protection as well as also providing a method for locking the connector into a receptacle which provides stress relief for the attached cable. In some cases this backshell provides a hermetic seal or some degree of ingress protection. As well as protecting the multi pin circular connector and cable link from physical stress like strain, shock or vibration, backshells can also stop any electromagnetic interference that can occur when lightning strikes an aircraft or wind turbine tower. Backshells are also known as endbells, strain-relief clamps or cable clamps.

Mounting

Circular connectors are designed to mount in-line on a cable end or directly to panels, circuit boards or other entry points. There are several methods for affixing the connector including the use of bulkheads, jam nuts and flange mounts. The two most widely used circular connector mounting types are jam nuts and flange mounts. A jam nut uses a large hex nut to screw onto the connector’s threads and is used in applications with space constraints. A flange mount has a protruding ridge, lip or rim that is bolted onto panels or other entry points that serves to increase strength.

Hybrids And Medical Environments

In medical environments where crucial life support systems and ventilators are connected up to patients, time cannot be wasted in searching for the correct cable in the event of a medical device misconnection in complicated systems. Hybrid connectors are the perfect solution to this predicament as they can connect high voltages, optical links, fluids, power and signal lines through a single connector. Hybrid connectors often consist of a rectangular plug that itself contains several circular connectors which enables clinicians to connect complex medical equipment efficiently and quickly. Keyed circular connectors with different colours and sizes can also make it impossible to connect the wrong cable.

The Circular Enablers of The Industrial Internet Of Things

Circular connectors come in a range of shell sizes but the rugged and durable M12 connectors have a long history of use in industry long before The Internet was a thing. However now that The Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) or the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is currently underway they have become the preferred connector for Industrial Ethernet. Designers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are incorporating M12 connectors into new machines as industrial environments become ever more connected. They are also using these connectors to update existing infrastructure. Using M12s to replace older and less robust technology is relatively simple and cost-effective because of their backward compatibility.

How can Live Electronics support different industries with circular connectors ?

Here at Live Electronics we are continually looking for the best products at the best price to help with modern technologies such as circular connectors. We supply IP68 rated waterproof, highly robust and high voltage/current connectors all the way down to 6mm low voltage connectors. Different mating styles range from screw and twist-lock to bayonet and push-pull. We also supply hybrid connectors which are ideal for connecting both power and signal circuits through a single connector. With many different choices available please feel free to contact us to discuss your requirements, we are always happy to help.

FAQ's

What does a circular connector do?

A circular connector provides a robust and failsafe connection to supply electrical signals, data and power. Circular power, data, fibre and automation connectors are used in a range of demanding environments both on land and at sea.

 

Where are circular connectors used?

Circular connectors are used in critical areas such as the military, aerospace, hospitals as well as hostile environments. In industry they are used in test, measurement and automation technology. They are also used in sound engineering and radio communication. In 5G mobile communications they are used to connect Antenna Line Devices or ALDs

What are circular connectors made of?

The shell of a circular connector is made from plastic, metal or moulded rubber and the insert from a moulded piece of resilient dielectric material. The contacts are made from high-conductivity, oxidation-resistant materials like brass and steel. These can be bare or plated in gold and/or silver to offer better conductivity for lower voltages and currents.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are already here and fast becoming the future of transportation

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How and why will EVs be the main vehicles in the future?

Just like the internet and then the smartphone, electric cars will soon be a mainstream product that most of us never had and yet in the course of our lives changed everything beyond recognition.

This revolution is being accelerated not just by the natural growth of technology but also the grave danger that faces humanity and nature: namely global warming and climate change. Humanity’s back is against the wall. Which in reality is a great motivator and innovator.

Within transportation cars are the biggest source of greenhouse gases and electrifying them will go a long way towards halting the destruction to the thin layer of atmosphere that separates us from the dark void of space. Fuel cell EVs that use hydrogen as the fuel source instead of a battery are also another option that could make headway. We have no choice but to give up fossil fuels – and fast.

Even if the electricity grids that power electric cars are fed by fossil fuels this is still better for the environment as EVs are more efficient at converting energy to power in addition to being emission free. They are cheaper, cleaner and perfectly adequate for home charging and the local area. Until longer lasting solid state batteries arrive on the scene and the charging networks have been fully built, the worry about having enough range to reach one’s destination will remain an issue but with good planning this can be avoided.

Automakers are scrambling for position in the new gold rush, eager to capture positions of dominance in this new industry. Tesla has been the leading innovator so far with the manic genius of Elon Musk at the helm, but others are close behind including established German automakers and one of the richest tech titans on the planet: Apple.

So far ‘halo vehicles’ like those from Tesla have been built for wealthy early adopters but ultimately products for the mainstream consumer will need to be mass produced. Gigafactories providing thousands of new jobs are being built on different continents to manufacture the powerful batteries needed to drive this revolution forward to achieve a zero-carbon future. Resembling gargantuan battery packs lying flat on the landscape, with access roads coming off them like attached cables, these huge factories manufacture not only batteries but the electric motors that make up part of an EV.

But all this comes at a price and as always there are winners and losers. The natural environment is being poisoned and destroyed in the hunt for the lithium and cobalt metals needed to make the essential batteries come to life. As production ramps up remote communities will be starved of their local drinking water, needed in huge quantities in the bright yellow and green lithium evaporation ponds covering the landscape in Chile’s Atacama salt flat.

Even this is only the beginning, just a trickle before demand for EVs turns into a raging torrent. Can the earth keep up with the demand? For even these metals are finite and non-renewable. Alternatives will have to be found and research is already underway.

What types of EV are currently available?

All types of vehicle will eventually become electric including cars, vans, buses, garbage trucks, HGVs or trains. City bus fleets are some of the earliest being converted to electric. The main focus is currently on cars though, as that is where the biggest difference will be felt in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and poisonous smog in our cities. Three different technologies exist:

Battery electric vehicles or BEVs – also called an all electric vehicle – this runs entirely on a battery and electric drivetrain, the electricity being stored in a large battery pack which is charged by plugging into the electricity grid. These are the future of EVs, the next step in evolution from so-called “hybrids”.

Plug-in hybrids or PHEVs – has both a petrol or diesel internal combustion engine along with an electric motor and large rechargeable battery which kicks in when the main IC engine is not being used. These are on the way out but were the first vehicles to use at least partial electricity.

Fuel cell electric vehicles or FCEVs – also known as zero emission vehicles. These split electrons from hydrogen molecules to produce electricity to run the motor. With this vehicle one would still fill up like at a regular petrol station, but with hydrogen under pressure. The only emission from the exhaust pipe is pure water. Despite ‘hydrogen highways’ being long in the making the main infrastructure being rolled out at present is for BEVs. The ‘hydrogen hype’ is in danger of being left behind or used in other industries.

Lithium-ion batteries

What are EVs, when it comes down to it? Giant batteries on wheels? EV car batteries after all work on the same technology as the lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries that most of us carry around inside our mobile phones.

However, EVs don’t use a single battery like a phone, but instead a pack which is composed of thousands of individual Li-ion cells working together. When the vehicle is being charged, electricity is used to make chemical changes inside the batteries. When driving, these changes are reversed to produce electricity and the batteries are discharged. Just like with a mobile phone, repeated charging and discharging of the battery will eventually lead to it being able to store less energy. The time to fully charge will decrease between journeys, but so will the range. EV batteries are predicted to last anywhere between 10-20 years before they need to be replaced. This has not yet come about as fully electric vehicles have not been on the roads long enough, but because the greatest cost of an EV is the battery pack itself it is likely that people will just replace their entire cars and the battery will go on to be recycled or used in domestic or business energy storage systems.

Are solid state batteries the future?

Solid state batteries offer the possibility of giving at least twice the energy of lithium-ion batteries by using a denser solid electrolyte instead of one in a liquid state, as well as being safer and less prone to fire risk. The technology is still being worked on with the main problem being the price of manufacturing them. They are unlikely to be commercially viable until 2030 at the earliest and other technologies like hydrogen fuel cells may jump ahead by then. A major disruption in battery chemistry will need to occur for the cost of EVs to drop enough to become an integral part of our future.

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Charging an electric vehicle

Gone will be the days when we stood squeezing the pump handle, inhaling fumes as we heard the liquid fuel gurgle down into our fuel tanks, being careful not to get the stuff onto our hands or shoes. But there will be other challenges to get used to and iron out, not least waiting around somewhat longer if not charging from home or work and learning to manage ‘range stress’ in the early days.

Different countries will look for different solutions based on their available infrastructure. It will be impossible to install home chargers in the countless terraced houses found all over England. India is looking to follow in China’s footsteps and build hubs that swiftly replace batteries instead of charging them.

Construction of charging infrastructure has commenced in developed countries and is developing fast. Public charging is more expensive than home charging but thousands of free charging points do exist, although charging time restrictions or requiring an in-store purchase may be in force.  The main point here to understand is that until a full charging network exists, the tipping point will not be reached where people start to purchase electric vehicles en masse.

Driving an EV requires a completely different mindset about the way we have refuelled our cars and vehicles up until now. In fact, it is similar to how we charge our mobile phones – during the night while we sleep or at points during the day while at work or home. Unlike a traditional combustion engine vehicle that is often driven until the low fuel warning light comes on, EV charging works on a ‘top-up basis’ meaning drivers need to top-up their battery at various points throughout the day or week (depending on how far you drive and your driving style). Electric vehicle owners can utilise the time they are parked for charging while working, sleeping or pursuing leisure activities. There are 3 main options for topping-up – at home, at work and on the road via public charging.

Charging at home

The vast majority of EV charging will take place at home when cars are not being used. But it will be necessary to have off street parking facilities. Energy companies offer cheaper rates than public charging, especially during off-peak periods such as at night using smart home charging units connected to the Internet. This will help avoid the energy supply grid from being overloaded when too many EV owners charge their vehicles at the same time.

Home chargers are mounted on a wall outside or in the garage and can be equipped with a universal socket compatible with all plug-in electric cars. This is useful if you have cars with different connector types. A portable cable can be sold separately. Alternatively, a tethered version would come with a permanently attached charging cable that wraps around the unit so being quick and easy to use.

Charging at work

After home charging, places of work will be the main site where people charge their EVs, in spite of the rise in hybrid working. An eight hour shift is more than enough to top up or fully charge an EV battery. Office and shop workers will have parking bays fitted with fast EV charging posts or points whereas large logistical hubs and warehouses will have dozens of rapid or ultra-rapid chargers constantly powering their fleets of vans and HGVs coming back and forth.

Businesses, charities and local authorities can all take advantage of the Workplace Charging Scheme, which comes with incentives to reduce carbon emissions. There are customised options that use battery storage, solar, Vehicle to Grid (V2G – a technology that enables energy to be pushed back into the power grid from the battery of an electric car) and Demand Side Response (DSR – reducing energy load in response to supply constraints, generally during periods of peak demand) which can be potential revenue streams.

Charging on the road (public charging)

Public charging networks can be used locally when shopping and at leisure facilities but are especially useful for when driving long distances. Public charging points are generally classified as either Fast or Rapid. Large, modern charging stations are similar to petrol stations but can have larger shops for people to browse while waiting for their vehicle to charge, which takes longer than the few minutes required to fill up petrol and diesel vehicles.

There are an expanding range of public charging networks which vary in coverage, services offered, costs, support, membership options and how they are operated. Before setting out on a long journey one should plan ahead and find out where charging points are located along the route. Signing up with a network before setting off will make using their charging points more hassle free.

A note on EV charging etiquette. Never park an internal combustion vehicle in a place designated for an electric vehicle, no matter how busy a car park is and how infrequently the charging point is used. Only charge when necessary so that a charging point will be available for another EV driver who might need it more. Charge and then promptly move on – only occupy a charging point while your car is actually being charged. As soon as the charging session is complete – either when the battery is full or when you have adequate range to comfortably reach your destination, unplug and move your car as soon as possible. Many charging networks and car apps can be set to notify you when your charging session is complete.

How long does it take to charge an EV?

Charging is currently classified as being slow, fast, rapid or ultra rapid, depending on the type of vehicle and the site of charging.

Slow – this is normally rated up to 3kW for charging at home or the workplace. A 3-pin plug will suffice but it will take 8-10 hours to fully charge. This method will be a thing of the past. Home electric charging can be much cheaper but it is necessary to get the right EV electricity tariff.

Fast – rated at 7kW or 22kW and usually found in car parks at local supermarkets, shopping or leisure centres, cinemas, hotels and restaurants. It will take several hours to fully charge using a Type 1 or Type 2 socket. You could charge much of your battery in the time it takes to watch a film, eat a meal or go for a swim. This is the present scenario for most EV users.

Rapid – rated from 43kW this is especially found at dedicated EV charging stations, petrol stations, motorway service stations and warehouse distribution centres. It takes less than an hour to fully charge but is only compatible with rapid charge function EVs. This is the future as EV technology and infrastructure develops.

Ultra-Rapid/Fast – rated at 150kW or above. A network of Ultra Fast Charging (UFC) stations is currently being built across the UK. An ultra-fast charging point rated at 175kW can charge an electric car with a 100 mile range in as little as 10 minutes.

What types of EV charging cables and plugs are available?

The majority of new EVs in the UK come with a 3 pin plug cable to enable you to plug in and charge a vehicle, just like any electrical appliance. Whilst they do allow a vehicle to be charged, the rate of charging is very slow and so not advised. More useful in an emergency if a dedicated socket or plug is not available. Type 1 & 2 cables/plugs on the other hand allow you to charge your vehicle much faster. They are used by the majority of home charging units available on the market, as well as most public charging points.

What type of charging connector you use depends on the vehicle and power rating of the charging point. Here are five charging plugs currently used in the UK.

UK three pin plug

Power rating of 2.3-3kW AC, Single Phase (Standard Charge):

  • Approx 10 miles range per 60 mins of charging
  • Standard UK domestic electricity outlet
  • Not designed for the extended use required to fully charge an electric vehicle
  • Very slow charging with a maximum power output of 3 kW

Type 1 plug

Power rating of 3-7kW AC, Single Phase (Slow/Fast Charge):

  • Approx 24 miles range per 60 mins of charging
  • Only available in single phase
  • Less common in modern electric cars
  • Has no locking mechanism when the car is connected to supply

Type 2 plug

Power rating of 3-42kW AC, Single Phase/Three Phase (Fast Charge):

  • Approx 150 miles range per 60 mins of charging
  • Becoming the standard European charging cable connector type
  • Compatible with both single and three-phase electricity supply
  • In-built locking mechanism when connected to the power supply

CHAdeMO plug

Power rating of 50kW DC, Three Phase (Rapid Charge):

  • Approx 170 miles range per 60 mins of charging, not a lot greater than the Type 2
  • An older type of rapid charging cable connector
  • Compatible with Japanese vehicle manufacturers
  • The most common rapid connector type due to the popularity of the Nissan Leaf

Combined Charging System (CCS) plug

Power rating of 50-350kW DC, Rapid Charge:

  • Approx 170-400 miles range per 60 mins of charging
  • The most versatile rapid charging connector
  • Likely to become the most popular DC connector standard
  • Enables a much higher power rating to support larger ultra rapid chargers

How can Live Electronics support manufacturers of EV vehicles and charging points/posts or stations?

Here at Live Electronics we are continually looking for the best products at the best price to help with modern technologies such as EV charging stations. Our keylock switches will allow you to lock your charging point with an ON/OFF switch. This is the perfect solution for units in exposed areas to give you control on who can charge from the unit. Buzzers and LED indicators can give corresponding audio and visual indication showing when the EV is plugged into the power supply, when charging has started or is complete and whether an error has occurred. We can also offer cable assemblies and wiring harnesses that are custom made to streamline your manufacturing process. We are also a supplier of Degson products meaning we can offer a range of high-end and competitively priced EV chargers and sockets – both alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC).

FAQs

Are all electric vehicle connectors the same?

EVs in the UK will have either a Type 1 or Type 2 inlet socket if the charging is non-rapid. Every EV is supplied with a cable that has the plug it requires, and at the infrastructure (charger) end all the cables are compatible.

What are the different types of electric vehicle chargers?

There are three levels of EV charging; Level 1 (slow), Level 2 (Fast), and Level 3 (Rapid). Level 3 is broken into DC Fast/Rapid Charging and (Tesla) Super/Ultra-Rapid Charging. The higher the level of charging, the faster the charging process, as more power is delivered to the vehicle in a given time.

What is the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 EV Chargers?

Type 1 is a single-phase charging cable whereas the Type 2 charging cable allows both single-phase and three-phase mains power to be connected to the vehicle.

What is a Type 1 EV charger?

The Type 1 plug is a single-phase plug which allows charging power levels of up to 7.4 kW (230 V, 32 A). This standard is mainly used in car models from the Asian region, and is rare in Europe, which is why there are very few public Type 1 charging stations.

What is a Type 2 EV charger?

The “Type 2” socket is a universal socket for charging electric cars in Europe. It has a power rating of 3-42 kW AC, single-phase/three-phase (Fast Charge): You can charge any type of car from it, so long as you have the appropriate charging cable for your vehicle.

What is a Type 3 EV charger?

Level 3 chargers – also called DCFC or fast charging stations – are far more powerful than Level 1 and 2 stations, meaning that an EV can be charged much faster with them. However not all vehicles can use Level 3 chargers. It is important to know your vehicle’s compatibility. There are two types: the CHAdeMO plug with a power rating of 50kW DC, three-phase as well as the Combined Charging System (CCS) plug with a power rating of 50-350kW DC, also three-phase.

Energy harvesting benefits and applications

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What is meant by energy harvesting?

It is the ability of electronic devices, especially lower energy consuming sensors –  to exploit the omnipresent, ambient energy that is present in the environment all around in various forms: kinetic energy (movement, vibrations), thermal energy, electromagnetic wave energy and solar energy.

Some of this energy is natural such as solar, wind or the movement and heat of the human body. Other forms derive from modern but still inefficient technology invented by humans like RF waves, machine vibrations and waste heat from vehicle exhaust pipes, machines and industry.

This energy isn’t enough to power larger devices let alone huge industrial machines – but is sufficient to keep sensor networks, wearable tech and smaller consumer electronic devices working for years on end.

The technology and materials science still has a long way to go because we all still use cables to charge our phones, laptops and tablets. Our TV remotes still use batteries.

Energy harvesting will not solve the current energy crisis or heat our homes, currently only fossil fuels and nuclear power can do that on a large scale, with the future pinned on huge solar towers, wind farms and the holy grail of fusion energy.

But it can eliminate the need for constant battery replacements in up to a trillion sensors in the very near future. That is a lot of batteries no longer in olympic pool sized landfills, seeping poisons into the earth. But this extends even further: all the energy and resources needed to manufacture those batteries in the first place will no longer be needed, putting even less stress on the environment. There is a knock on effect.

Look closer to home, and namely to what we are holding in our hands for much of the day, every day. Yes, the mobile phone. Currently around 15 billion of them and only growing in number. Each phone is discarded every few years, along with the exhausted battery inside. Research is ongoing on how to harness the energy around us to power these devices, especially from high frequency electromagnetic radiation. This is one of the biggest challenges of energy harvesting as our phones also grow in complexity and power each year and so are hungry for ever greater electricity.

Why is energy harvesting important?

Look at the bigger picture, beyond the need for a battery free future. Without energy harvesting the ever larger and more complex civilization that humanity is building, reliant on ever increasing quantities of data – will be unable to function. The IoT (Internet of Things) along with wireless sensor nodes is growing exponentially and energy harvesting will make it possible to embed trillions of sensors globally that otherwise would lose power and die.

The sheer number of wireless sensors will be so huge that it will be impossible to change the dying batteries of every one of them manually, without compromising the gargantuan flow of live data for analysis. Some will be so remote so as to be virtually inaccessible – deep underwater or underground, among the clouds, on top of icy mountains or in dark jungles or forests . Even near volcanoes or inside nuclear reactors.

Nowhere on Earth will be sensor free in the information age and coming intelligence explosion. And all those sensors may not even be distributed or embedded by human hands, perhaps ‘sown’ by swarms of drones into the environment. Obviously biodegradable and plastic free.

How does energy harvesting work?

By utilising an ultra-low power highly integrated mixed signal system on chip (SoC) along with a combination of piezoelectric transducers, thermoelectrics, solar cells and antennas combined with rectifiers to create electric current to power sensors, wearable tech and standalone consumer devices that can all operate on low power. The key point here is that these devices can pause their operation during lulls in ambient energy and begin operating again when that energy returns.

Kinetic energy and Piezoelectrics

Kinetic energy derives from movement and vibrations all around us, mostly from the machines that we use as well as our own bodies. Other sources include acoustic noise, sounds from heat waves, motor bearing noise from aircraft wings and car tyres.

This energy can be harnessed in devices and sensors with built-in piezoelectric materials that when subject to stress or environmental vibrations generate an AC voltage proportional to the applied stress.

There always comes that infrequent but annoying moment when the remote control for our TV stops working. We hunt for a small battery that we either can’t find or don’t have at home. These days many of us are using Amazon’s Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote. In addition to Alexa, wouldn’t it be useful to also have a piezoelectric energy harvester that will make use of the thousands of times our thumbs press the home button, storing that energy in a flexible capacitor? Then again, will voice assistants not render buttons obsolete in the future? Perhaps for some people, but the kinetic energy option will always be there. After all, not everyone can speak. Or even want to.

Movements and motion generated by humans can be harnessed by walking on floor tiles, pressing buttons, using exercise machines, stretching in the gym while wearing garments embedded with energy harvesters and more.

Imagine the smart city of the future. As you walk everyday through the streets to and from work, visit a shopping centre, railway station, sports stadium or other site with large crowds of people you will be adding to the footfall in these highly visited venues. A steady stream of kinetic energy from the city’s inhabitants.

You could wear a piezoelectric object on your knees harvesting energy for your wearables as you walk along a piezoelectric walk-way. On the nearby grass a glittering piezoelectric tree or sculpture harvests energy from turbulent wind generated by soaring skyscrapers.

The electric cars moving quietly around you will have piezoelectric pressure sensors built into their tyres, improving efficiency. That bridge you just walked across will have countless sensors constantly monitoring the stresses at play.

The huge office building you work in will have hundreds if not thousands of light switches all harvesting millions of thumb or finger presses each year.

One of your older work colleagues has an implanted electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor harvesting energy from her heartbeats, enabling remote patient monitoring.

But there is more. In addition to harvesting energy in the mega city of the future, all these devices will enable the city authorities to detect the live mode of transportation that users are in. This is because each mode of transport be it walking, running, car, bus or train has a different vibration pattern and generated AC voltage. Harnessing both the data and kinetic energy from countless sensors will help cities not only reduce battery drain but perfect urban designs.

One such company helping to make the smart city of the future a reality is global technology company ZF. They have integrated a kinetic energy harvesting switch in pushbuttons for stop request bells in buses, developed smart window handles for homes and buildings and an innovative wireless push button module used for KNX lighting control at Beijing Airport.

Thermal energy and Thermoelectrics

Thermal energy is all around us, from what we feel immediately in our bodies, as well as from the sun and geothermal sources in the natural environment. It is consumed and wasted in huge amounts by the machines humans use in technology and industry.

Think of the vast data centers that operate in cold regions of the earth so as to avoid overheating. A relatively recent development in the world of tech and constantly growing to house exponentially growing “mountains” of data. So-called Big Data – much of it based on our lives in social media.

It is also present in the air molecules that continuously fly around us even on a calm day with not a breeze in sight. Scientists are working on nanomachines that will harvest this energy, but that is the future.

What small or low powered devices can make use of thermoelectric materials that convert lower thermal energy into electricity? Already wireless sensors embedded in high powered industrial areas make use of the surrounding heat.

Low-power thermoelectrics on the other hand will be flexible, stretchable, implantable and wearable: designed for healthcare, consumer wearables and IoT. They will exploit heat from the human body and be used in MEMs or Micro-electromechanical systems that include blood and biosensors.

Electromagnetic energy (RF, T-rays)

Why not exploit all the invisible electromagnetic (EM) radiation whizzing around us in space originating from TV, radio and mobile phone towers to name a few?

Rectennas can harvest stray radio waves and even higher frequency EM radiation can be exploited using a Nantenna.

Terahertz radiation or T-rays have the potential to extend the battery life of the powerful computers that most of us carry around with us all day, namely smartphones. Material scientists are exploring whether graphene devices can help us harvest this untapped gold mine.

Solar/Light energy - Photovoltaic cells

Aside from the massive scale of electricity generation from vast Spanish solar towers and their surrounding arrays of photovoltaic panels, small solar cells have powered our electronic calculators, toys, garden fountains and other devices for years. This is nothing new.

But thanks to advances in computing and low energy management solar energy harvesting can now be extended to wireless sensor networks inside buildings where the ambient light levels are low.

Applications include wireless sensors for smart homes, building automation, presence detection, remote monitoring and industrial equipment controls as well as fitness sensors and wearables.

The future of energy harvesting

The field of energy harvesting is set to grow massively, spurred on by climate change, extreme weather events and the current energy crisis in Europe, indeed across the world. We can no longer rely on fossil fuels, even though the brand new Nord Stream 2 pipeline is now “all systems go” for colossal Russian gas imports into energy hungry Europe. This enormous project will surely rely on countless remote sensors though, some perhaps harvesting water currents deep in the Baltic Sea.

Smart cities, building automation, autonomous vehicles, telehealth and agricultural IoT will drive the number of connected devices to over 21 billion in 2025.

We are standing at a crucial fork in the road and harvesting both the natural and wasted energy from civilization all around us will lead us down the right path to a bright future.

Contact us to discuss how ZF energy harvesting could help you Contact us

The Complete Guide to Joysticks – Live Electronics

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In this month’s complete guide to joysticks, we are going to be discussing different types of joysticks, their history, how they work, what they are used for and their benefits.

The first confirmed use of such a device was in 1908 by the French aviation pioneer Louis Bleriot in his Bleriot VIII experimental aircraft. The device used by Louis Bleriot was purely mechanical. The first joystick as we know it today was invented at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory by C. B. Mirick and patented in 1926. It was a two-axis electronic joystick and was originally designed for remotely piloting aircraft.

In 1944 German scientists utilised a 2-axis design to control their Henschel Hs 293 glide bombs and unpowered Fritz-X missiles. These joysticks used electrical on-off signals allowing for a more effortless radio control transmitter system. This allowed certain bomber aircraft to accurately guide both rocket-propelled and unpowered guided missiles onto their targets.

Joystick technology continued to develop gradually throughout the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s and was used in NASA’s Apollo programme, most notably in the Apollo lunar lander test models. However, their use changed dramatically in the early 1980’s when home gaming machine popularity was increasing, the first joystick-controlled gaming controller was for the Atari 5200 in 1982.

The idea of using joysticks for gaming began to gain traction with the first thumb style joystick being used in 1988 with the release of the NES MAX. The NES MAX showed how useable and intuitive joysticks could be in gaming, but it was not until the release of Sony’s PlayStation Analog joystick in 1996 that the gaming joystick really took off due to its ability to work so well within a 3D world.

Outside of gaming, the joystick found its home not only in aviation applications but also in controlling machines such as UAV’s and sub-sea remotely operated vehicles (ROV’s), construction equipment, off-road vehicles, surveillance cameras, wheelchairs, and multiple military applications.

Industrial joysticks

Industrial joysticks are widely used to control, steer, and position a wide range of heavy-duty equipment, machines, and systems such as agricultural machinery, cranes, oil rigs, forklifts, excavators, military equipment, and others. There are different types of industrial joysticks including small precision joysticks like the thumb joystick and finger joystick up to fully customised hand grips. The different types feature different actuator options, mounting styles, and controller specifications like number of axes, spring return, friction hold, and different protocol support. Industrial joysticks are also extremely robust and can withstand harsher environments. Live Electronics work with Ruffy Controls and Ultra MSI who both manufacture a wide range of high-quality industrial joysticks designed for various applications which we will discuss further throughout this blog.

Ruffy TS1 Joystick

Thumb joysticks

Thumb controllers are low-profile based joysticks that provide precise control with a variety of mounting and actuator options for ease of integration. Ultra MSI manufacture the 462 series and Ruffy Controls manufacture the TS1 series that are both perfect joysticks for applications such as Cursor Control, Target Acquisition, Security Cameras, Robotics and Automated Surgical Equipment.

Ruffy HE1 Joystick

Finger joysticks

Finger joysticks are mainly used to provide control of movement and speed in low-profile units such as wheelchairs, medical instruments, robotic operations, and applications where precision and compact size are needed and the HE1 series from Ruffy Controls is just that, offering high precision within a compact panel mounted design.

Ruffy SG Joystick

Hand Grip joysticks

Hand grip joysticks are widely used in heavy-duty applications such as mobile cranes, forklift vehicles, construction machinery, robotic machines, and agricultural equipment. Thanks to their sophisticated wear-free hall effect sensors and control mechanisms, these types of joysticks are highly versatile in multiple applications as is the SG series from Ruffy Controls which is a hall effect hand grip joystick with a redundant sensor, providing an extra level of safety making it the perfect choice for applications such as Remotely Operated Equipment and Automation Systems.

How do joysticks work?

A joystick is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle and direction to the device it is controlling. It detects the direction of the stick by use of an electronic switch, Hall Effect, strain gauge or potentiometers.

What is a joystick?

A joystick is an input device which transforms mechanical movement from an operator and turns this into an electrical output and can control a computer game or machinery.

What are the types of joysticks?

There are several types of joysticks that most of us may be familiar with as they are used on game consoles and gaming computers, but the industrial joystick types are, thumb joysticks, finger Joysticks and handgrip joysticks.

What are joysticks used for?

Joysticks are widely used to control, steer, and position a wide range of heavy-duty equipment, machines, and systems such as agricultural machinery, cranes, oil rigs, forklifts, large vehicles, excavators, military equipment, hoist devices. Other joysticks such as small precision joysticks are used to control security cameras, remotely operated equipment and automation systems.

What is a hall effect joystick?

A hall effect joystick works in the same way to any other joystick but utilises the Hall Effect principle which allows the joystick to have a very long mechanical life due to there being no physical contact with the sensor and they can be designed to withstand excessive shock and vibration.

How does a potentiometer work?

In a joystick, a potentiometer is connected to each axis shafts so that pivoting the shaft rotates the contact arm. When the stick is moved there is a corresponding resistance change within the potentiometer. This adjusts the voltage, which can be interpreted by a computer programme as movement.

What is a strain gauge used for?

A strain gauge’s primary use is to measure force or strain. The resistance of a strain gauge changes when force is applied, and this change will give a different electrical output.

Contact our sales team today to discuss your joystick requirements. Contact Us

Sources

https://p3america.com/blog/types-of-industrial-joystick-controllers/

https://www.globalspec.com/learnmore/industrial_computers_boards/computer_peripherals/joystick_controllers

https://www.omega.co.uk/prodinfo/straingauges.html

 

The Benefits of Fiber Laser Etching

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In this blog we will look at laser etching and laser engraving, the differences between the two and the benefits of each. Laser etching and engraving are additional services we can offer customers and this allows us to offer products marked with images such as company logos or product part numbers.

The name Laser is actually an acronym that stands for Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation. In the most basic terms this means they produce an intense light that when utilised correctly can disform, melt or even vaporise materials such as metals. Lasers therefore found a place within manufacturing and have been used since the early 1960s. Initially continuous laser beams were created that allowed for laser cutting and welding to take place, and continuous lasers are still seen in many industries today for cutting and welding processes. Later in the 1960s a technique called Q-switching was created, this allowed a laser to be turned on and off extremely rapidly to create a pulsed laser beam. These pulsed lasers made it possible for laser etching and engraving to occur. However, it wasn’t until the late 1990s that computer processing and software specifically designed for lasers was integrated into laser engraving machines giving rise to the capabilities that we see today.

While laser welding and cutting has been used for some time in manufacturing, laser etching transformed from initially being used as a gimmick to create artwork on wood and other materials such as leather to now being used intensively within industry to permanently mark products with information such as barcodes, logos, date codes and product codes. This also has a lot to do with recent industrial and government legislation that requires part identification and traceability, the benefits of using laser etching are the ideal solution to these new standards.

Difference between laser engraving and etching

There are a few differences between laser etching and laser engraving which are important to note. Each style uses a fiber laser and marks the material surface with an image, lettering or numbers however each go about this in different ways and give a different overall outcome.

All lasers work by emitting laser beams, however by utilising different specific wavelengths the operator can affect the outcome. For instance Co2 lasers used for welding and cutting use a wavelength of around 10,600nm whereas a fiber laser used for etching and engraving uses a wavelength of around 1,064nm. This lower wavelength effectively means the fiber laser generates more energy per pulse. This is important as the amount of energy per pulse used is what differentiates laser etching from laser engraving.

Laser etching works by altering the surface of the material, this is achieved by the laser delivering enough energy to a concentrated area of the surface to cause the material to melt and expand, when this area cools the surface roughness is changed creating a raised mark. Along with this slightly raised mark the surface is also discoloured and depending on how the operator has set the laser this can be black, white or grey in colour.

Engraving however requires an even more powerful laser or for the laser beam to pulse quicker resulting in a higher temperature. This is because engraving actually removes the surface material resulting in a cut or hole within the surface. This happens by heating the surface area to the point at which it vaporises. To produce a deeper engraving a laser may need several passes over the same area. This is why engraving takes longer to complete when compared with etching and results in only black markings. It is possible for a mix of laser engraving and laser etching to be used, this is a slower process but can result in the creation of very high contrast markings.

It would be remis at this point not to mention another type of laser marking, this is simply known as laser marking or laser annealing. This uses a laser beam that works at a lower temperature and moves slowly across the material surface in a method called discolouration. This option can create high contrast marks in different colours and does not damage the surface, however it takes a longer time to complete and can only be used on Steel, Stainless Steel and Titanium.

Benefits of Laser Etching and Engraving

The primary benefits of laser etching and engraving over other types of machined marking are due to there being no physical contact between the laser and the product meaning tool wear is no longer an issue and replacement tooling is not required, thereby cutting down on the longer term costs of marking products. Laser etching also allows for more intricate patterns to be created whether these be images, barcodes or written information and it offers better contrast over machined markings. Laser engraving can also offer deeper cut engravings which are more resistant to abrasion and are quicker to produce when compared to machine engraving saving on production time. Laser operating is also considered safer than machine marking for the operators.

As mentioned above the benefit of laser engraving over laser etching is that the markings are cut into the surface this means engraved markings are more resistant to abrasion. However, laser etching offers a higher contrast marking and can be created in black, white or grey compared with engraving which has less contrast and can only create black markings. This is why laser etching is predominantly used over laser engraving for the majority of products.

Laser etching FAQs

What is Laser Etching?

Laser etching is the process of marking materials such as metals, plastics, wood or leather with images, letters or numbers for product identification, traceability or purely aesthetic reasons.

How is laser etching done?

Laser etching is done by using a fiber laser machine that creates a specific wavelength beam of light to alter the surface of a material to produce an accurate representation of images, letters and numbers from a computer file.

Does laser etching wear off?

Laser etching creates a permanent change to the surface of the material. However, if the surface is subjected to severe abrasion the etching can wear away as the surface material is removed. It is better to use laser engraving for products that will be subjected to high abrasion as this is more resistant.

What is the difference between laser engraving and etching?

Laser etching and engraving both change the surface of a material. Laser etching produces a raised and coloured image that can be black, white or grey. Laser engraving on the other hand removes material from the surface creating a cut and due to this can only produce black coloured markings.

Is laser etching permanent?

Yes laser etching changes the surface of a material and therefore creates a permanent mark.

What materials can a fiber laser engrave?

A fiber laser is extremely adaptable and can be used to engrave many materials from metals such as Aluminium, Lead, Brass, Copper, Steel, Stainless Steel and Tungsten through to Ceramics, Carbon Fibre, Plastics, Glass, Wood and Leather.

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IDEC’s Smart RFID Reader

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Are you wanting to make your production sites safer, keep track of who is entering and exiting your site and which employees are accessing equipment and machinery? Then look no further, IDEC have recently launched their Smart RFID Reader which has been designed to manage user authority for machines and equipment as well as controlling and tracking access to production sites. The RFID Reader is an ideal solution for applications such machine tool control units, automotive production, access control, food and packaging production and factory automation.

KW2D Unit

The RFID Reader provides a compact, smart and stylish design offering a panel cut out size of 22mm that can be IP65 or IP67 rated to protect from washdowns and oil spills. It is equipped with 4 LED indicators and an auxiliary buzzer to show when access has been granted or when there is an error and access cannot be granted.

The RFID Reader provides the utmost safety to production sites because employee ID cards are used to access the sites and the data from the ID cards is recorded on a host device to track entry/exit helping reduce the chance of unnecessary accidents if used correctly. It also logs the number of employees on the production site so they can all be accounted for and located quickly in the event of a fire or any other emergency.

The RFID Reader can limit access to equipment and machinery allowing only certain employees access which reduces the risk of equipment and machinery being misused or tampered with. Details of inspections carried out on equipment and machinery are also recorded electronically which reduces the need for paper or user input records which can be inaccurate or misplaced.

KW2D tags

The RFID reader has a range of accessories that are available including:

  • Available with or without a key fob tag holder
  • Key fobs available in 5 different colours
  • ID cards available in white
KW2D Ethernet

An Ethernet port enhances connection compatibility with host devices to reduce the possibility of loss of signal resulting in inaccurate or no data being recorded. Self-diagnostics are also carried out to check the memory status every time the product is switched on for added reliability. This makes the RFID Reader an ideal product for managing the mode of safe operation as specified in the ISO16090.

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Cable Assemblies, Wiring Harnesses and Wiring Looms: What is the difference?

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Introduction

Cable assemblies, wiring harnesses (or wire harnesses) and wiring looms are all terms that are used interchangeably. However, they are in fact very different and it is these differences that dictate how they are used. Whilst it is true that all three have similarities in that they transfer electronic power or data signals between two points while also ensuring the wiring is kept tidy, as you will see below each option has its own unique features and benefits.

Firstly, one area which is sometimes misunderstood but is quite an important step in understanding the three wiring systems is the differences between a wire and a cable. A wire is a single conductor made up of a single or multiple strands of conductive material, usually Copper or Aluminium, which is protected by a non-conductive sheath generally made from thermoplastic. A cable is a collection of wires, usually with different coloured sheaths for easy identification, that are bound together inside an external cover. Again, this is an insulator made from material such as rubber or thermoplastic.

We will now look at the various wiring systems individually to highlight the differences between cable assemblies, wiring harnesses and wiring looms.

Wiring Harness

We will start with wiring harnesses as these are the most simple form of wiring system. A wiring harness is used as a method of keeping many wires tidy while following a predefined layout. The most basic example of this would comprise of several wires of the required length, which are bound together to save space and prevent damage during use. They may or may not be terminated by one or more connectors. A more complex harness may have wires going in multiple directions and include many different termination components.  The wires in both simple and more complex harnesses are usually bound together with materials such as heat shrink, cable ties or electrical tape. The production of these harnesses is normally quite simple, and therefore they can be produced quickly and at a reasonable cost. The benefit of a wiring harness is that the wires are kept neatly in place while also being visible so faults can be traced easily, and the binding of the wires helps to make the assembly more robust.

Wiring Harness

This type of wiring system is the cheapest to produce and is particularly effective when the same wiring setup is repeated many times, for example in the manufacture of mass-produced goods. Wire harnesses were popularized in the 1920’s and 1930’s by the automotive industry to overcome the problem of individual wires working loose and becoming damaged due to the vibration of the vehicle. The main benefits of outsourcing the production of wiring harnesses are reduced costs (both in terms of direct labour and capital equipment expenditure) inventory reduction and efficiencies achieved by scheduling deliveries of completed harnesses to meet production deadlines. Wiring harnesses produced by specialist manufacturers also generally offer a superior quality finish and incorporate quality assurance procedures to reduce the risk of faults in the completed products.

Cable Assembly

A cable assembly is very similar to a wiring harness in that it follows a predetermined layout and neatly holds a number of wires together, however, a cable assembly can incorporate both individual wires and multicore cables within its design. The main difference between a cable assembly and a wiring harness is that in a cable assembly, the wiring system is placed within an outer protective sheath that is generally produced from vinyl, rubber, polyurethane or heat-shrink plastic. The purpose of the sheath is to protect the wires and cables within from exposure to the elements, such as extreme temperature, fire, moisture, chemical substances and physical damage.

Cable Assembly

Though a cable assembly is more expensive than a wiring harness and the ability to visually trace the individual wires is lost, the advantages the protective sheath can offer against the external elements is the primary factor in choosing this option. As with wiring harnesses, the benefits of outsourcing cable assembly production are the decrease in overall costs and improved quality assurance.

Wiring Loom

A wiring loom, sometimes called a cable loom or electrical loom, is a more complex assembly made up of many different wires and/or cables. A wiring loom generally consists of many different types of wires, components and terminations in a much more complex layout when compared with a cable assembly or wiring harness. Wiring looms can be designed to save costs by reducing material wastage, and they enable space-saving designs by minimising the wiring footprint of a product. Wiring looms also allow for partial or complete drop-in solutions for applications such as aircraft, vehicles and household appliances (or “white goods”). This can massively reduce installation times, saving on overall costs. Specialised companies can also perform many of the safety checks required for the wiring system before the loom is installed, therefore limiting wiring failures and costly rebuilds when compared to in-house wiring systems that are created using individual wires during manufacture and only tested at the end of the build.

Wiring Loom

FAQ's

What is a cable assembly?

A cable assembly is a group of wires or cables that run between two or more points and are covered with a protective sheath. This protective case helps keep the wiring system tidy and protects against environmental factors such as moisture and abrasion.

Why would a cable assembly be used?

A cable assembly would be used when a wiring system is required to be held together tidily within a protective sheath to protect the wires from the surrounding environment and allow for simple installation. If the additional benefits of the protective sheath were not required, a lower-cost option would be to use a wire harness.

What is a wiring harness?

A wiring harness is used as a way to group a number of wires in a tidy way. These generally include pre-fitted electronic components, which makes the installation of the wires and components much simpler and quicker than individually wiring and terminating the components within an assembly line. This time-saving in many cases also makes wiring harnesses a more cost-effective way of producing large quantities of end products.

What is meant by cable harness?

A cable harness is a mix of words, these being cable assembly and wire harness. Many people use these terms interchangeably, which can lead to confusion and the creation of portmanteau terms such as cable harness.

What is a wiring loom?

A wiring loom is a type of wiring system that includes multiple cable assemblies or wire harnesses in a single assembly. This allows for complex cabling to be installed much more easily and quickly than installing each wire individually into the end product. Wiring looms are often found within complex products such as vehicles and household appliances.

Contact us today about your Wiring Harness, Cable Assembly or Wiring Loom requirments. Contact Us

What is the difference between a Rotary Switch, Encoder and Coded Switch?

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Introduction to Rotary Switches, Encoders and Coded Switches

In this month’s blog we are going to look at what Rotary Switch, Rotary Encoder and Coded Switches are, how they work, their benefits and what the difference is between each one.

What are Rotary Switches?

A Rotary Switch is operated by the rotation of an actuator, they are often chosen when 2 or more positions are needed to select different electrical circuits within a device. Rotary Switches can stop in several positions to control multiple circuits with a single switch. They are normally available with a choice of shorting (make before break) or non-shorting (break before make) contacts.

The advantages of Rotary Switches are they can control numerous circuits without the need for multiple switches as they can be designed with numerous contact points. Rotary switches are commonly used in applications including CB radios, industrial controls, electronic instruments and even aircraft, although they are less common than they used to be. Rotary Switches can also be designed with a detent mechanism so they “click” and hold from one active position to another rather than stalling in an intermediate position.

Dailywell RT2 Series, Rotary Switch

Live Electronics works with Dailywell, Idec, Lorlin and Elma, who between them manufacture a vast range of Rotary Switches. Elma also make precision versions of Rotary Switches. Dailywell manufacture the RT2 Series that are designed as single pole switches with between 2 and 8 positions with off in the extreme anti-clockwise position and between 45° to 360° travel depending on the number of positions. They have a mechanical life of 10,000 cycles. The RT2 series is perfect for applications such as Telecommunication Equipment, Computer Peripherals, Networking Systems and Audio-Video Equipment.

Elma, MR50, Without Knobs

Elma specialise in manufacturing precision Rotaries, including the highly reliable and rugged MR50 Rotary Switch which has a miniature body of just ½ an inch in diameter and is sealed to IP68. The switch is available in 10, 12 and 16 positions. It has a minimum mechanical life of 20,000 cycles. The internal contacts are also gold plated to ensure reliable switching at low voltages. Due to its robust nature and operating temperatures of -45°C to +85°C the MR50 is perfect for demanding applications including Two Way Radios, Medical and Testing Equipment, Military Targeting Devices and Night Vision Devices.

What are Rotary Encoder Switches?

Rotary Encoders are devices that convert the rotational movement of the shaft into an analogue or digital signal. This is done by converting an input voltage into a different output voltage (analogue) or a digital signal depending on the position of the shaft. It provides information on position, speed, count or direction. They Key benefit of using a Rotary Encoder Switch is that it can rotate in the same direction indefinitely. Due to their robustness and fine digital control; they are used in many applications including robotics, CNC machines and printers. Rotary Encoder Switches measure rotary movements and displacement and can either be absolute or incremental which we will explain below.

Within an Absolute Encoder Switch, the position is retained regardless of whether the encoder is powered or not, even if a movement is made without power to the encoder, the encoder still knows the true position. These can either be single turn or multi-turn, whereby the requirement is to know not only the position over one turn of the shaft but how many turns have been made in total. Multi-turn encoders are suited to applications where complex or lengthy positioning measurements are involved. Single-turn encoders are more suited to short travel applications where position measurement is required within a single turn of the encoder.

There are several advantages to the Absolute Encoder and these are as follows; their true position is not lost if there is a loss of power, continuous reading of a position is not required, and they provide high resolution up to 16 bit single and 44-bit multi-turn.

An Incremental Encoder Switch works by transforming the angular position of the shaft into digital or pulse signals by means of an optical disk. A certain number of pulses are generated per revolution and each pulse is an increment corresponding to the defined resolution. An Incremental Encoder can measure the change in position but not the absolute position.

Every time an Incremental Encoder is switched on the pulse is counted from zero, this means that the position is not stored and a ‘reset or reference’ position must be obtained before the encoder begins counting again. This is the main difference between an absolute and an incremental encoder.

The advantages of Incremental Encoder Switches are, they are more cost effective and less complex compared to an Absolute Encoder Switch and they can determine speed and direction.

What are Rotary Coded Switches?

A Rotary Coded Switch is used to select one of several options. This device is like a rotary switch, except the outputs are binary encoded to reduce the number of terminations required. Rotary Coded Switches are activated by a rotating shaft and have several positions. They are mounted on printed circuit boards (PCBs) in order to control their output. Some Rotary Coded Switches are actuated with a screwdriver, others include thumbwheels or push wheels that are turned manually. They can be designed either to rotate continuously through 360 degrees, or to stop at pre-set positions as they turn.

Rotary Coded Switches have many advantages which include their mechanical life, number of positions, they can rotate 360 degrees or stop at pre-set positions as they rotate, and they can be used in applications including Two Way Radio Devices, Target Aiming Devices, Aircraft Transponders, Medical Equipment and Industrial Automation Equipment.

Dailywell, RSC Series Coded Rotary Switch

Dailywell and Elma manufacture Rotary Coded Switches. Dailywell manufactures the single pole RSC series Rotary Coded Switch with 4, 10, or 16 positions through 360 degrees. They are available with real or complementary code and have a mechanical life of 10,000 cycles. The RSC series are ideal for applications such as Telecommunication Equipment, Computer Peripherals, Networking Systems and Audio-Video Equipment.

What is the difference between a Rotary Switch, Encoder and Coded Switch?

While all are activated by a rotating shaft the differences are that a Rotary Switch selects different electrical circuits within a device. An Encoder Switch converts the rotational movement of the shaft into an analogue or digital signal, while a Coded Switch uses binary coded outputs to reduce the number of pins required.

The advantage of using a Rotary Switch over a Rotary Encoder Switch is having several positions to control many different circuits with a single switch. They are used in many applications including CB radios, industrial controls, electronic instruments and aircraft. The advantages Rotary Encoder Switches have over Rotary Switches include being able to convert the rotational movement of the shaft into an analogue or digital signal and it provides information on position, speed, count or direction.

The advantages of using a Rotary Switch over a Rotary Coded Switch include being able to control many different circuits with a single switch. The advantages Rotary Coded Switches have over Rotary Switches include the reduction in the number of pins due to the output being binary encoded and they are available with real or complementary code.

The advantages Rotary Encoder Switches have over Rotary Coded Switches include converting the rotational movement of the shaft into an analogue or digital signal and they provide information on position, speed, count or direction. Rotary Coded Switches advantage over Rotary Encoder Switches is having the option for several distinct positions.

Additional Information

Binary-Coded Decimal

Binary-Coded Decimal is a class of decimal numbers where each digit is represented by a fixed number of bits, usually four or eight. Sometimes, special bit patterns are used for a sign or other indications (e.g., error or overflow).

Hexadecimal Code

The Hexadecimal, or Hex, numbering system is commonly used to reduce large strings of binary numbers into a set of four digits for us to easily understand. Hexadecimal numbering system uses 16 different digits, a combination of 0-9 & A-F and are a popular choice for representing long binary values because their format is compact.

Gray Code

Gray Code or Reflected Binary Code (RBC) is ordering of the binary numeral system such that two values differ in only one bit for example the representation of the decimal value “1” in binary would normally be “001” and “2” would be “010”. In Gray code, these values are represented as “001” and “011”. That way, incrementing a value from 1 to 2 requires only one bit to change, instead of two.

Gray Code is widely used to prevent false output from electromechanical switches and to facilitate error correction in digital communications such as digital terrestrial television and some cable TV systems.

FAQ’s

How do Rotary Switches work?

Rotary Switches are operated by rotation and can stop in several positions to control many different circuits with a single switch.

How to install a Rotary Switch?

Most Rotary Switches are PCB mount and installation will all depend on the boards design. If you are manually installing a Rotary Switch you will need to prepare your wires and connect the supply wire to the supply (common) terminal, usually found in the centre of the switch terminations, and connect the remaining wires to the different contacts in relation to the circuit they are switching.

What is a Rotary Switch?

A Rotary Switch is operated by rotation, they are often chosen when 2 or more positions are needed to select different electrical circuits within a device.

What is a Rotary Switch used for?

A Rotary Switch is used for many applications including CB radios, industrial controls, electronic instruments and even aircraft.

What is a Coded Rotary Switch?

A Rotary Coded Switch is used to select one of several options. This device is like a rotary switch, except the outputs are binary encoded to save on pin requirements.

What is a Rotary Encoder Switch?

Rotary Encoders are devices that convert the rotational movement of the shaft into an analogue or digital signal. They provide information on position, speed, count or direction.

How does a Rotary Encoder Switch work?

A Rotary Encoder Switch produces either analogue or digital signal, according to the rotational movement.

What is the function of a Rotary Encoder Switch?

A Rotary Encoder Switch detects rotation angle or linear displacement. Encoders Switches are used in devices that need to operate in high speed and with high accuracy.

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