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Boston Dynamics has named Fluke Process Instruments a Certified Technology Provider, recognising the company’s contribution to mobile acoustic inspection technology. Fluke Process Instruments has enabled its SV600 Fixed Acoustic Imager for integration as a payload in Boston Dynamics’ agile mobile robot Spot. One main application for the smart combo is the detection of compressed air and gas leaks in industrial plants. Users have reported savings from reduced compressed air leaks in the range of tens of thousands of dollars per month.

The manufacturers have been cooperating on making mobile sound detection capabilities available since 2021, launching a working system the same year. Recently, the companies announced the full integration of the acoustic camera payload in the versatile robot system – users can now program and remotely control acoustic measurements and inspection routes via the Spot dashboard and thus locate, analyse and remedy problems faster.

This cooperation was prompted by Boston Dynamics customers who were looking to boost their service personnel’s capacities and asked the robotics company to make the sound measuring capabilities of the handheld Fluke ii900 Industrial Acoustic Imager available with Spot. The initial inquiry led to a speedy dedicated product development by the group member Fluke Process Instruments, which has meanwhile found many uses besides as a Spot payload.

The SV600 acoustic imager features 64 digital MEMS microphones, a camera and a processor. It is sensitive even above human hearing and can detect even small gas leaks in noisy industrial environments. Its functions include noise classification, frequency filtering and mapping dB values and sound intensity. Results are visualised using Fluke’s powerful SoundMap technology. Operators from various industries use the data to improve their plants’ energy efficiency and garner cost savings through reduced compressed air losses and more timely, cheaper repair.

Spot can take over from plant staff as an autonomous inspection unit, carrying out menial and repetitive tasks with utmost precision and allowing technicians to focus on repair and maintenance. The robot completes programmed tours of industrial facilities, taking measurements as often as necessary, transmitting the results remotely and instantly and alerting personnel to user-defined events. It finds its way up and down stairs and around obstacles.

Affordable housing is a hot topic in the UK, with the Government and developers across the country working to provide people with a route onto the property ladder. Specialist developer Pocket Living is ensuring this for Londoners, building modular homes exclusively for first time buyers. Contractor, Legendre UK, is currently constructing 149 one-bedroom flats at Sheepcote Road HA1 in Harrow and is using products from Spelsberg’s IBT range for the project.

Speeding up residential developments

Solving the housing crisis relies on building affordable homes quickly. Pocket Living aims to achieve this by providing modular style homes. At Sheepcote Road, the development features standardised 38 sq. m flats with few variations. This aims to speed up the construction process while ensuring quality housing that meets building regulations.

Legendre UK is also contributing to this. Sheepcote Road HA1 is being built with a continental frame, where concrete is used for the façade and internal walls. The method saves time by eliminating false ceilings and dry lining. Importantly, it also allows for electrical services to be embedded into the concrete itself.

“This is an approach Groupe Legendre uses regularly in European projects, but this is the first time we have applied it to a UK development,” says Hippolyte Mounier-Vehier, Site Manager at Legendre UK.

Setting electrical infrastructure in stone

On-site, concrete is poured into the metal lined shuttering and formwork, where it sets in place. Legendre UK then removes the formwork, leaving a smooth finish and installed services exposed. In this process, any electrical infrastructure, like enclosures and conduit, needs to be installed on the formwork before pouring can begin.

There are multiple challenges in this application. First, an enclosure needs to hold its position during the concrete pour, mandating strong mountings to secure it to the formwork against the heavy concrete. Failure to do so risks severed connections. No leakage into the enclosure can be tolerated either. This can prevent electricians from installing or fixing equipment later down the line.

Providing concrete benefits

To avoid these outcomes, Legendre UK utilises the IBT system from Spelsberg, a leading enclosures expert. The range allows electrical enclosures, junction boxes, lighting outlets and more to be fitted into formwork and concrete poured around them.

“We were familiar with Spelsberg from a previous project, but we chose them because they offered a ready-made solution for embedded electricals in concrete. The boxes support British Standard socket sizes and feature strong magnets that allow easy connection to the formwork. The design also means we don’t have to carry out any time-consuming modifications,” Hippolyte explains.

The strong couplings and support spars of the IBT series keeps everything in place during pouring, while a patented diaphragm system provides a strong seal to stop concrete ingress. Once everything is set and formwork removed, cables and fittings can be installed into the exposed units. Complementing the goals of the Sheepcote Road development, the IBT system enables electrical installation to be completed quickly.

Rock-solid service

“We use around 30 Spelsberg boxes per flat at Sheepcote Road, which house lighting, socket outlets and smoke detectors. We’ve even collaborated with Spelsberg engineers to use the boxes in other applications such as housing radiator pipes. It’s much easier for us to specify everything from one supplier,” adds Hippolyte.

“The service has been good, Spelsberg has kept deliveries flowing to support the project. Their team has collaborated with Legendre UK, mechanical and electrical engineers throughout construction, maintaining good contact. The resources available online for their products have been especially helpful.”

Ready-made solutions for affordable housing

Chris Lloyd, Managing Director at Spelsberg UK, says: “We are proud to be contributing to affordable housing in the UK by supplying these solutions to Legendre UK. The IBT range was designed to specifically support these construction methods and has a proven track record in residential developments and hotels.”

Once the Sheepcote Road development is complete, each of the houses will be available to local first-time buyers at a 20% discount compared to market value. Both an eight storey and five storey building will feature roof terraces and a communal garden. Furthermore, 16 of the 149 flats will be wheelchair adaptable.

Modular homes and continental frame construction can clearly speed-up modern residential developments and alleviate the housing crisis, getting new homes on the market faster and giving people in areas with high house prices a chance to become homeowners. With its IBT system, Spelsberg has a ready-made solution for these projects, helping to usher in a new era of comfortable and affordable UK housing.

Tan Delta Systems, a manufacturer of real-time oil quality monitoring sensors and systems is leading the way within the manufacturing and lubrication sector with the launch of SENSE-2. The new oil condition monitoring kit provides real-time data about machine oil quality to optimise maintenance and reduce operating costs. 

The SENSE-2 is plug-and-play and accurately identifies when oil reaches the end of its life, superseding traditional time-based maintenance schedules which can result in oil being discarded prematurely – with the potential of wasting up to 50 per cent of its useful life. 

For the manufacturing and lubrication industries, SENSE-2’s ability to extend maintenance intervals by monitoring equipment condition in real-time, results in answering the actual equipment needs rather than maintenance being driven by time-based scheduling. This, in conjunction with reducing the business’s carbon footprint, will help support sustainability goals by reducing oil consumption by approximately 30 per cent per year, as well as reducing parts consumption and extending equipment life. 

Chris Greenwood, CEO at Tan Delta Systems said: “Our SENSE-2 real-time monitoring utilises our world-leading sensor technology and associated analytics to detect any issues before the damage occurs, identifying subtle changes in equipment condition early. It can be fitted easily and efficiently to any existing equipment in any application and is configurable to any oil type. 

“Although oil analysis is not new, traditional lab sampling is expensive and impractical with other sensors focusing on specific parameters while missing others. Our system ensures the industry has access to superior quality information in an easy-to-use format, preventing excessive wear of components resulting in increased productivity and reduced machine downtime and maintenance costs.” 

The real-time aspect of the system is what sets it apart, utilising unique active molecular-level analysis to detect all changes in oil condition and any contamination. The Tan Delta sensor works by providing a full-spectrum holistic (FSH™) oil quality analysis, which continuously monitors the ratio of two key measurements, capacitance and conductance, to provide real-time insight.  

This molecular analysis taking place every few seconds, enables accurate tracking of oil degradation as well as detecting contamination and early signs of internal equipment problems. This allows for precise predictions of maintenance points crucially optimising maintenance scheduling, and reducing costs and downtime. 

The OQSx-G2 oil quality sensor within the SENSE-2 kit is also available as a Mobile Oil Tester (MOT) kit, created with workshops and mobile maintenance teams in mind. Any oil from any equipment can be sampled and tested simply and easily on-site in seconds. The sensor is used in conjunction with the MOT software, which operates on any Windows-based laptop, tablet or PC. Users simply install the MOT app, connect it to the sensor, collect the sample in one of the bottles provided and follow the steps in the software to test the sample. 

For more information on Tan Delta’s SENSE-2 Display Kit and Tan Delta’s MOT kit and how they can benefit your business, please visit www.tandeltasystems.com. 

ABB has secured a third contract with GHGSat, the global leader in high-resolution greenhouse gas monitoring from space, to manufacture optical sensors for their C12, C13, C14 and C15 satellites set to launch into orbit in 2024.

The new satellites will join GHGSat’s expanding constellation which detects and quantifies industrial gas leaks from space. ABB has built the payloads – the instruments carried on board the satellites – for ten of GHGSat’s emissions monitoring satellites launched into space.

Earlier this year, GHGSat reported that their existing satellites have doubled their methane emission measurement capabilities thanks to the exceptional performance of the sensors. This has allowed GHGSat to accelerate the scaling of its monitoring services, aiding industries such as oil and gas, power generation, mining, and more in understanding and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“The new contract is a testament to GHGSat’s confidence in ABB’s manufacturing capabilities to build complex, high-performing optical payloads for hyperspectral earth observation,” said Marc Corriveau, Head of Global Operations, Business Line Analytical, ABB Measurement & Analytics. “This year, we doubled our manufacturing infrastructure dedicated to space projects, so that we can better serve the booming private space sector. We strive to contribute to the success of our current customers as we expand to other Earth observation mandates.”

“Our collaboration, which began in 2018, has showcased ABB’s technical expertise and manufacturing capabilities,” said Stéphane Germain, CEO, GHGSat. “This experience has fortified our belief in ABB’s capacity to support GHGSat’s expansion in building proprietary high-resolution payloads. Such partnerships are the key to achieving significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and ultimately making a concrete impact in the battle against climate change.”

ABB has been a leader in gas sensing from orbit for over two decades, starting with the development of the Canadian Space Agency SCISAT mission payload, which profiles the concentration of more than 70 different gas types down to parts per trillion from cloud top to outer space.

ABB also provided hyperspectral technologies to the Japanese GOSAT program, which pioneered the global mapping at regional scale of sources and sinks of greenhouse gases from orbit starting with a first satellite in 2009 and an improved version in 2018.

Today, ABB builds on this legacy by manufacturing enhanced versions of GHGSat’s proprietary wide-angle Fabry-Perot (WAF-P) interferometer, which tracks the same infrared fingerprint of greenhouse gases. In this way, ABB applies its vast expertise acquired in earlier high-profile government space missions to the private sector space with a focus on actionable low latency satellite data for civil uses.

Space is the only location that allows greenhouse gas emissions to be monitored freely across jurisdictions, enabling unbiased reporting.

Mouser Electronics will be hosting a free webinar to help hardware engineers develop antenna solutions for increasingly compact IoT and smart devices. Mouser has partnered with Amphenol RF for the RF Antenna Solutions For IoT Devices And Smart Technology webinar, which will take place on 5 December at 3 pm CET.

“IoT devices have become prolific with the rise of smart technology, but the evolving design restrictions posed by compact devices can pose a significant challenge for designers,” says Mark Patrick, Director Technical Content, EMEA at Mouser Electronics. “At Mouser, we continue to be at the forefront of supporting IoT innovators by providing them with practical tips to optimize their designs.”

Participants in this webinar will learn about the variety of RF antenna solutions available for emerging IoT applications and how both internal and external antennas can be incorporated into devices with limited space and other design restrictions.

Amphenol RF has a wide range of antenna solutions available for IoT applications, including:

• Internal embedded chip antennas. These compact antennas are designed for use inside connected devices.
• External antennas. These MHV cable assemblies support up to 5000 VDC voltage and provide excellent electrical performance up to 500 MHz
• FPC and PCB antennas with secure adhesive-mount backing for easy installation.
• Near-field communication (NFC) antennas. These internal antennas are designed to support NFC-Forum wireless protocols.

These antennas can be used to solve specific design challenges, such as mounting, size restrictions, frequency range and data transmission capabilities. During the webinar, Mike Comer, Director of Product Marketing & Business Development at Amphenol RF, will advise participants on how to select the best option for their projects. He will also explore the various protocols that can be used to optimize the specific usage of individual antenna types.

To register for the webinar, visit https://emea.info.mouser.com/webinar-amphenolrf-antennasolutions-emea-lp/.

Farnell, a fast and reliable distributor of products and technology for electronic and industrial system design, maintenance and repair, has donated thousands of pounds to charity after the company agreed to match the fundraising efforts of employees.

Staff based at Farnell’s state of the art UK1 distribution centre in Leeds organised a raffle in support of Temple Newsam Community Partnership, a local organisation providing assistance to vulnerable children, young people, and families across the city. Raffle prizes including an electric guitar, garden furniture, spa day, laptop and bottles of champagne raised £1562, which Farnell agreed to match resulting in a total of £3124 being donated.

The aims and objectives of the Temple Newsam Community Partnership are to provide support to children, young people, and families with social, emotional, and behavioural difficulties to break down barriers to learning. Impact is measured via improvements in attendance, attainment, behaviour, and mental health, while support is offered via targeted and universal programmes, including 1:1 support, activities, and wider community initiatives.

Gemma Sargeant, Cluster Manager at Temple Newsam Community Partnership, said: “Our team has worked hard this year to generate additional income to help stabilise and sustain our services, and this has been substantially helped by new corporate partners such as Farnell. Without this additional funding, we would struggle to offer much needed support and counselling to meet the needs of the most vulnerable within our local community and we are incredibly grateful to the support provided by our funding partners and couldn’t do what we do without them.”

Ricky Berry, Farnell Operations Manager, said: “As an organisation proud of our heritage in the Leeds area, Farnell is committed to supporting local charities and good causes. We are delighted therefore to be able to contribute more than £3000 to Temple Newsam Community Partnership, raised through a combination of the efforts of our team at the UK1 distribution centre and a generous donation by the company, and we are excited to now further strengthen our ties with the local community going forwards.”

Farnell would like to thank Manpower, People Solutions, Norseman and BS Handling for the donation of raffle prizes including an Amazon Echo Dot, Amazon Smart Watch, Amazon vouchers, a Nintendo Switch and M&S vouchers.

Renesas has expanded its 32-bit microcontroller (MCU) offering with a new RX device for high-end industrial sensor systems. The latest addition, the RX23E-B, is a 32-bit device from its popular RX Family featuring a high-precision analog front end (AFE), specifically designed for systems that demand fast and accurate analog signal measurements.

The new MCU integrates a 24-bit Delta-Sigma A/D converter capable of achieving a conversion speed of up to 125 kSPS (125,000 samples/second) — eight times faster than the existing RX23E-A. It can process accurate A/D conversion while reducing RMS noise to 1/3 (0.18µVrms @1kSPS) when compared to the RX23E-A. The RX23E-B facilitates faster and more precise measurements of critical parameters such as strain, temperature, pressure, flow rate, current and voltage, making it ideal for high-end sensor devices, measuring instruments, and test equipment. In particular, the RX23E-B offers sufficient performance to drive force sensors used in industrial robots, which often demand measurements as fast as 10 µsec (100,000 samples/second). The MCU also reduces overall system size and the component count by incorporating the AFE and the MCU on a single chip.

“With the addition of the RX23E-B which comes with an AFE sensor interface, we can now serve a broad range of sensing applications from mid- to high-end systems,” said Sakae Ito, Vice President of the IoT Platform Business Division at Renesas. “We will continue to extend our product options to meet the growing needs of battery-powered and wireless sensors that demand low power consumption.”

“At Meiko Electronics, we have been developing evaluation boards and providing design support to our customers since the RX23E-A product was introduced,” said Takatsugu Nemoto, President at Meiko Electronics. “Now, with the introduction of the RX23E-B with a high-speed delta-sigma A/D converter, we anticipate many customers will be able to experience the benefits of its enhanced conversion performance, compact board design and reduced component count.” 

Similar to the RX23E-A, the RX23E-B incorporates a 32-MHz RXv2-based CPU with digital signal processing (DSP) instructions and a floating point unit (FPU), and combines the AFE into a single chip using the same fabrication process. It offers new peripheral functions such as a 16-bit D/A converter, which enables measurement adjustments, self-diagnosis, and analog signal output. The device’s +/-10V analog input enables +/-10V measurement with a 5V power supply without requiring external components or additional power supply. An LCD controller with a maximum of 40 SEG x 4 COM and a real-time clock (RTC) function are also included.

In large-scale instruments that need to control and take measurements of multiple targets such as robot arms, gas and liquid analyzers, there has been a significant demand for distributed processing architecture. In distributed processing design, instead of relying on a dedicated MCU to manage all functions, each function can operate as a separate module, responsible for tasks such as motor control, sensor measurement and temperature control. This modular approach allows for independent development, offers greater design flexibility and simplifies maintenance. As each module needs an MCU for calculations, engineers can develop sensor modules more easily using an MCU with a built-in AFE, than combining a discrete AFE chip and a separate MCU.

The RX23E-B offers a version that supports an A/D conversion data rate of up to 125 kSPS, and a version that supports up to 31.25 kSPS. Both products offer flexible data rate settings ranging from 3.8 SPS to the maximum value, allowing users to choose the best balance between data rate and noise for their specific system requirements. The products are available in a 5.5 mm square 100-pin BGA package and a 6 mm square 40-pin QFN package for compact applications, as well as wide pin packages ranging from 48- to 100-pin options.

Winning Combinations

Renesas has combined the new RX23E-B MCU, designed for precise pressure measurement and control, with intelligent power devices tasked with driving solenoid valves, to develop the high-speed Pressure Control Solution. The integrated high-precision AFE provides precise pressure control and minimizes the component count for the design which reduces the BOM costs and board mounting area. These Winning Combinations are technically vetted system architectures from mutually compatible devices that work together seamlessly to bring an optimized, low-risk design for faster time to market. Renesas offers more than 400 Winning Combinations with a wide range of products from the Renesas portfolio to enable customers to speed up the design process and bring their products to market more quickly. More information can be found at renesas.com/win.

Availability

The RX23E-B is available now, along with a Renesas Solution Starter Kit for RX23E-B. Using this kit, engineers can evaluate the operation and functionality of the AFE and signal conversion without the need for software development. More information about the RX23E-B and the starter kit is available at www.renesas.com/rx23e-b.