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PRODUCT SHOWCASE
600W Digital power amplifier modules available in Australia
While we have yet to see many digital amplifier products, these digital
modules are available right now. To
look at the module with its modest
board dimensions of 85 x 53mm, you
would be justified in thinking that it
was rated at around 60W or thereabouts.
Wrong! This LC Audio Technology
ZP0200 module is rated at up to 200W
into 8Ω loads, up to 400W into 4Ω and
up to 600W into 2Ω.
When you consider the power ratings, the size and wire gauge of the
air-cored 80 microhenry output choke
no longer seems excessive. This choke
is inside the negative feedback loop to
ensure stability with any capacitive
load but it also leads to a variable high
frequency cut-off depending on the
load impedance.
Quoted frequency response figures
are DC – 91kHz for 8W, DC – 45.5kHz
for 4W loads and 20Hz to 22.5kHz for
2W loads.
Supply voltage requirements are
from ±30V up to ±60V, depending on
the desired power output. Efficiency
at 200W into 8Ω is quoted at better
than 90%. When multiple modules
are operated, the are run in synchronous mode, with all running on the
same pulse width modulation (PWM)
frequency. Signal to noise ratio is
quoted as 105dB A-weighted while
total harmonic distortion is .07% at
200W into 8Ω at 1kHz. These are pretty
impressive ratings.
The ZP0200 modules are priced
at $375 each. You can find out more
information at http://www.soundlabsgroup.com.au/LCAudio/LC_Audio_ ZAPpulse.htm
Australian electric glass furnace
A new design electric glass
melting furnace has been introduced by B & L Tetlow of
Blackburn, Vic, Australia.
The process is based on
initially preheating the raw
glass material to the point
where it becomes electrically
conductive.
Power then “shorts” through
the glass, raising temperatures
up to 1650°C.
Furnace operation is controlled from a remote main control
cubicle which contains full instrumentation — including three main
temperature controllers/programmers,
two over temperature controllers,
three SCR power controllers (one specially designed to control the booster
www.siliconchip.com.au
electrodes) plus other
ancillary equipment and components.
Contact:
B&L Tetlow
Ph: (03) 9877 4188 Fax: (03) 9894 1974
Website: www.tetlow.com.au
Contact:
Soundlabs Group
Ph: (02) 9660 1228 or (03) 9859 0338
Website: www.soundlabsgroup.com.au
Matrix Multimedia bonus PIC CDs
UK-based Matrix Multimedia
have announced that all Version
2 Development Boards will now
include free Lite/shareware versions of their best-selling range of
PIC mciro CD ROMs, including
C for PICmicros Lite, Assembly
for PICmicro microcontrollers
Lite and Flowcode for PICmicros
Lite
All three products are compressed onto a single CD ROM
which also includes the PPP
programming utility and other
PICmicro related resources.
Contact:
Matrix Multimedia Ltd
The Factory, Emscote St South,
Halifax, UK HX12AN
Ph: 0011 44 870 700 1831
Web: www.matrixmultimedia.co.uk
October 2002 69
IP65-rated cases from Altronics
To further complement their already comprehensive range of enclosures, Altronic Distributors now
stock a range of cost-effective ABS enclosures suitable for direct mounting to a wall or switchboard.
Consisting of five different sizes all models
include integral mounting ears for easy fixing to
walls, recessed front and rear panel to accept Lexan panels, plus moulded stand offs for accepting
PC boards.
All are moulded from UL94 ABS material.
Sizes available:
80L x 60W x 40Hmm
125L x 80W x 50Hmm
Contact:
125L x 100W x 60Hmm
Altronic Distributors
175L x 125W x 70Hmm
Ph: 1300 780 999
200L x 150W x 70Hmm
Website: www.altronics.com
Microgam’s new USB range
Microgram Computers have introduced several new USB dervices into
their range. Included is are external
cases with a USB 2.0 interface for IDE
drives, CDROMs etc. They are available for 2.5-inch (Cat No. 6710-7; rrp
$149.00); 3.5-inch (Cat No. 6711-7;
rrp $209.00); and 5.25(Cat No. 6689-7;
rrp $259.00) drives and are backwards
compatible with USB 1.1 ports.
There is also a USB Print Server,
which avoids the need for a computer
just to operate as a printer server. Or
you can avoid slowing down a work
station when a print job is running by
installing this printer server. It will
host two USB printers and one parallel
printer and connects by attaching a
UTP cable to the nearest hub. It supports pretty well all operating systems,
including Windows 95/98/98SE/ME/
NT 4.0/2000/XP, Mac OS 8.1 or higher,
UNIX/Linux, NetWare (Bindery/NDS).
Its Cat No. is 11362-7 and has a rrp of
$399.00.
Finally, there is a USB Magnetic
Card Readern (Cat No. 1008001-7;
rrp $299.00) which is programmable
to extract the segment of the data you
require. While the physical interface is
USB, it can be programmed to operate
as a keyboard wedge or alternatively
as a serial device.
More information, including product data sheets, are available from the
Microgram website.
Contact:
Microgram Computers
Unit 1, 14 Bon Mace Close,
Berkeley Vale NSW 2261
Ph: (02) 4389 8444 Fax: 1800 625 777
Website: www.mgram.com.au
AA-battery powered soldering iron from Electus
Electus Distribution has released
a handy battery powered soldering
iron that operates on just 3 x 1.5V
AA batteries.
The lightweight, Japanese made 6W soldering iron solves many
of your tricky soldering applications,
enabling you to solder almost anywhere.
It is a delight to use, heats to soldering temperature within ten seconds and
boasts an approximate 60 minute run
time. A slide switch engages the iron
and a momentary push button activates
the heat which is also indicated by a
high-brightness LED. Tip temperature is
around 500°C.
70 Silicon Chip
With a recommended retail price of
$74.95, the Cat No TS-1286 is serious tool
for the professional on the go.
Contact:
Electus Distribution
Locked Bag 45, Silverwater NSW 1811
Ph 1300 738 555 Fax 1300 738 500
Web: www.electusdistribution.com.au
New software integrates design models
and measurements
Mathematica Link for LabVIEW
bridges National Instruments LabVIEW graphical development environment and Wolfram Research
Mathem-atica technical computing
software to help engineers and scientists more easily acquire and analyze
measurements throughout all phases
of the design process.
Mathematica Link for LabVIEW
combines the data acquisition, analysis, and graphical user interface
capabilities of LabVIEW and the
modeling and analysis algorithms of
Mathem-atica to speed development
of custom applications in hundreds of
industries, from quantum mechanics
to automotive.
With this software, engineers can
control a LabVIEW application (Virtual Instrument or VI) from Mathem-atica or access Mathematica from within
a LabVIEW VI.
Mathematica Link for LabVIEW
features built-in, high-level functions
for creating a communication path
between LabVIEW and Mathematica to achieve seamless integration
throughout the design flow, from the
first mathematical model to validating
the final design.
Contact:
National Instruments Australia
PO Box 466, Ringwood Vic 3143
Ph (03) 9879 5166 Fax (03) 9879 6277
Website: www.ni.com/australia
Special price on a Fluke+ki
Fluke Corporation has announced
a limited time offer of its 179 Fluke
true-rms digital multimeter and
ToolPak magnetic hanging kit for a
special price.
The Fluke 179 is designed for
industrial professionals who require
accuracy and the ability to withstand
on-the-job rigorous use. Made by
Fluke in the U.S., the 179 is built
to the world’s toughest safety and
durability standards.
The Fluke ToolPak meter hanging
kit provides the accessories necessary to hang the Fluke 179 meter
almost anywhere, including a universal hanger, a magnet and a 23cm
www.siliconchip.com.au
it
Aussie controller for world markets
SPLat is an Australian
developed user- programmable embedded
controller that is being
successfully marketed
world-wide.
There are SPLats assisting disk drive manufacturing in Malaysia and
controlling turn-stiles at
a famous mansion in the
US. A US pharmaceutical research company
is planning to use SPLat
to control crystal growth
experiments on the Space
Shuttle.
The SL99 is a second-generation
SPLat controller designed for applications with modest I/O requirements.
It features 16 digital I/O points plus 2
analog I/O.
A simple add-on board can provide
up to 6 more analog or digital special
purpose I/O points such as temperature measurement or fluid level
switching. An expansion connector
allows digital I/O expansion up to
48 points. The SPLat programming
language is extremely easy to use for
simple timing and sequencing tasks
but has the sophistication to allow
complex control applications of several thousand instructions.
All I/O points include real-world
interface circuitry. The inputs are
designed to interface switch contacts
or NPN sensors, while the outputs are
low-side Darlington switches rated up
to 400mA. All I/O points have indica-
“hook-and-loop” hanger strap. The
universal hanger fits into a special
module on the back of the meter,
allowing users to hang the meter on
a nail, hook or other object. The hook
and loop strap is used with Fluke’s
universal hanger to wrap around
and connect to a pipe, beam or any
other convenient support structure.
The strong magnet attaches to an
electrical panel, metal door jamb or
any other ferrous-type metal.
Contact:
Fluke Australia
Ph: (02) 8850 3333 Fax (02)8850 3300
Website: www.fluke.com
www.siliconchip.com.au
TOROIDAL POWER
TRANSFORMERS
Manufactured in Australia
Comprehensive data available
Harbuch Electronics Pty Ltd
tor LEDs. Plug-in connectors simplify
installation in OEM applications.
An RS232 port is used for programming and communications. SPLat’s
LiveData protocol gives access to I/O
and RAM during program execution,
and is available as an ActiveX control
to simplify development of supervisory and telemetry applications.
The SL99 will be officially released
9/40 Leighton Pl. HORNSBY 2077
Ph (02) 9476-5854 Fx (02) 9476-3231
at Austronics 2002 (Melbourne Convention Centre, October 15-17th).
Contact:
SPLat Controls
2/12 Peninsula Bvde, Seaford Vic 3198
Ph: (03) 9773 5082
Website: www.splatco.com.au
Fast new digital camera from Ricoh
Elsewhere in this issue we look
at the very up-market Canon EOS
D-60 digital camera. Here’s another
to choose from - but this one is not
only priced way under stratospheric
levels, it’s also claimed to be the fastest
shooting camera in its class.
While the resolution of the new
$799 Ricoh Caplio RR30 is a fairly
typical 3.34 megapixels, it’s the shooting response time which sets it apart.
At just 0.22 seconds it allows reliable
capture of action shots so that what
you see is what you get. Many digitals
can take a second or so from the time
you push the button to the time the
shutter actually fires.
In addition the Caplio RR30 offers
three different continuous shooting
modes that capture up to 16 shots in
2 seconds – perfect for analysing that
golf or tennis swing!
The Caplio RR30 features a ‘One
Touch Review’ mode that allows
the user to instantly review the last
shot taken on the bright LCD screen
without having to change to playback
mode. This facility means that shots
can be reviewed and deleted if not
wanted immediately. Ultimately this
makes the whole digital process much
more efficient as unwanted shots can
use up valuable memory space if not
deleted.
Ricoh has addressed the problem
battery life of digital cameras with the
Caplio RR30 featuring the longest genuine rechargeable battery life currently
on the market. Using the li-ion battery
included with purchase, it can take
up to 350 shots between charges with
normal usage and up to 3,500 shots
can be taken when operating with
minimum power consumption. For
improved versatility, the Caplio RR30
is also compatible with universally
available conventional or rechargeable
SC
AA batteries
Contact:
Ricoh Australia
Ph: 1300 363 741
Website: www.ricoh.com.au
October 2002 71
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