Electronics Design Show 2014 preview

Building on success is the key phrase: not only will the Electronics Design Show be bigger and better than last year, we have also added another element in the shape of the Embedded Design Show. Launched to fill a gap in the growing embedded electronics market, the event will cater specifically for embedded specialists through exhibitors and technical content tailored to their interests. Dedicated conference sessions will address issues of direct relevance to the embedded sector, while a workshop theatre will host both technical and application based presentations. These two shows will run alongside the Engineering Design Show, creating an unmissable event for UK design engineers that will take up all three halls of the Ricoh's Jaguar Exhibition Centre. This year, we expect more than 4000 visitors from all areas of UK engineering design to attend, while more than 200 exhibitors will be showing their wares. In addition, there will be 25 conference sessions for the three Shows, with topics ranging from designing bikes for the UK Olympic team and the requirements of Formula 1 to driverless cars, graphene commercialisation and getting started with the Internet of Things. Will you be there? We hope so. REGISTER FOR THE ELECTRONICS DESIGN SHOW FOR FREE NOW. Reasons to attend • The shows have been created specifically for electronic and embedded design engineers • Review the latest techniques and technology from more than 80 market leading suppliers • FREE practical technology workshops, providing information to help you with your design projects • Learn from 12 keynote conference speakers • Network with other design engineers The New Electronics Conference programme The New Electronics conference programme for the Electronics and Embedded Design Shows has been finalised. With topics ranging from aerospace to graphene and the Internet of Things (IoT) to autonomous vehicles, there will be something of interest for all engineers. The first day of the conference (Wednesday 22 October) starts with a keynote from Graham Bruce from Rolls-Royce, who will outline the power electronics challenges posed by the aerospace sector and the solutions being developed. Following on will be James Baker from the National Graphene Institute, who will explain how the Institute is supporting the development of graphene based applications and helping to create the partnerships that will help to commercialise the research. Innovation is an important part of industry and Robert Rolley from General Dynamics will outline how the company not only fosters innovation through its EDGE programme, but also the benefits which follow. More innovation content follows, when Myrddin Jones from InnovateUK – the new identity of the Technology Strategy Board – will focus on how the organisation is supporting the development of innovative ideas. Its offerings range from small business research initiatives and collaborative R&D to feasibility studies. Interest is growing rapidly in the IoT and the first session which focuses on this topics follows on. Here Will Keegan from Lynx will take a look at the security challenges which IoT gateways face and offer some suggestions of the measures which design engineers should include in their systems. With Google's driverless car still attracting headlines, the session presented by Dr Anthony Baxendale, from MIRA's future transport and research department, should be of great interest. He will be examining the issues being thrown up by the increasing amount of automation being included in vehicles. How will this affect the way in which cars are designed and will there be a requirement for something like a 'system of systems' approach in the future? Many engineers will be wondering how to get started with the IoT. In the first conference session of day two, Dave Locke from IBM should give them some of the answers. He believes the IoT will only take off when enthusiasts, innovators and start ups can participate, bringing imagination and creativity to the sector. A key element of the IoT will be sensors and Simon Jordan from Cambridge Consultants will not only outline how a range of sensors will be needed for IoT applications, but will also point out that the system will need to be considered as a whole – and this may have some unexpected results. The next presentation will take the conference into the world of basic research and the CERN particle accelerator. Erik van der Bij will tell the audience about Open Hardware and how many of the electronics designs created for CERN can be accessed with 'no strings attached' by any company. We'll be welcoming back Pete Lomas, director of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, in the next session. One of the most popular presenters from last year's event, Lomas will bring attendees up to speed with the latest Raspberry Pi developments, including the 'hot off the press' Model B+. Analogue electronics will be covered in the next presentation, by Linn Products' technical director Keith Robertson. Linn is applying some innovative analogue design to its high end consumer audio products and this work should provide inspiration to those designing industrial applications. Wrapping up the second day is the final IoT session. In this, Paul Green will talk about how to keep the IoT private. He will talk about trust, security and authentication. Is the data being sent what is expected? Is your data going where you expect it to? And is the device being talked with actually the one that is expected? For more on the Electronics and Embedded Design Shows and to make sure you have a seat reserved for your favourite sessions, go to www.electronicsdesignshow.co.uk. Wisdom from the workshops What better way to learn about new technologies than to see them demonstrated? Our workshops have been designed to be useful and informative; not sales pitches. While free to attend, there is limited space, so book early to avoid disappointment. Electronics Design Show (workshop theatre 4) Day One – 22 October 1015-1055: Jtag driven functional and high speed testing demo Nick Hardy from Telexsus will demonstrate a complete manufacturing test system driven by Jtag. Featuring power supply control, bespoke test circuitry and electronic load testing, the reconfigurable system is suitable for use in R&D and volume manufacture test. 1115-1155: The benefits of rigid-flex PCB design Altium industry specialist Robert Huxel outlines the benefits of rigid-flex technology and why many designers are considering it. But the technology can be confusing and this workshop will provide an understanding of the approach. 1215-1255: Embedded and Cloud worlds need to converge What does the IoT mean? What is the Cloud? John Jones from Avnet Memec outlines the challenges and demonstrates a platform which engineers can use to develop IoT solutions. 1315-1355: Product based virtual prototyping just got easier Nikola Kontic, Zuken's business development manager, says the best time to investigate product trade offs is during the planning phase. A virtual prototyping solution could fit the bill. 1415-1455: CFD for electronic thermal design Forget what you think you know about thermal electronics design, says 6SigmaET. An intuitive software package is set to not only make the task easier, but also to cut thermal design time. Day Two – 23 October 1115-1155: The positive impact of supply chain visibility Altium's Robert Huxel outlines how design teams can access real time supply chain data and use this information to assess design choices by taking cost objectives into consideration. 1215-1255: Wireless and software solutions for the IoT Silicon Labs' field marketing manager Scott Cooper takes a look at some products and software stacks that can help to add IoT functionality to your design. 1315-1355: Avoid PCB collisions with 3D visualisation This session will present an approach to make ECAD/MCAD collaboration part of your standard design process. Zuken's business development manager shows how to import MCAD data and orient multiple PCBs within the enclosure in order to detect and fix collisions. 1415-1455: The evolution of design RS Components looks at the products, tools and software solutions that are helping to remove cost and complexity from electronic and mechanical design. Embedded Design Show (workshop theatre 3) Day One – 22 October 1015-1055: A revolution in occupancy detection An integrated and optimised platform can deliver image based advanced occupancy detection for emerging building automation applications. Chris Cockayne from Analog Devices outlines the features and benefits. 1115-1155: Redefining embedded RF design and debug This hands on workshop, presented by Tektronix, will show how to speed design, debug and fault diagnosis in wireless embedded systems. 1215-1255: Securing the Internet of Things Green Hills Software will discuss the security and privacy challenges of IoT and how developers can use security to gain competitive advantage. 1315-1355: Introducing Intel's Edison board Brendan Le Foll will give a high level overview of the hardware and software elements of Intel's Edison development platform; the first in a series of platforms intended to lower the barrier to entry for the IoT. Day Two – 23 October 1015-1055: Integrating IoT and M2M comms into embedded product design Digi International discusses technologies for different environments, the role of the cloud in remote connectivity and how to address security concerns. 1115-1155: Using scopes for maths and measurements Microlease takes attendees through the steps involved in using a scope for maths and measurements 1215-1255: Reducing development costs using DAEC technology Heinz Oyrer from ams explains the role of dynamic angle error compensation in motor control and angle position measurement applications. 1315-1355: Low power RF for the IoT Texas Instruments looks at next generation low power RF technology, with practical solutions for embedded applications. What's on show? There will be more than 100 exhibitors at the Electronics and Embedded Design Shows. A selection of them told New Electronics what they were going to put on show. Anglia M2M (stand L16), a specialist division of Anglia, will put the spotlight on the Internet of Things and M2M technology using embedded wireless communication. The division offers a range of wireless technologies, antennas and SIM services from more than 15 leading suppliers, including Gemalto, Microchip, ST and Antenova. New products from these suppliers will be on show, with advice available from Gemalto, Signocom and Anglia M2M experts. Anglia-live-com (stand K6) enables customers to take projects from embryonic design to volume production. Users can gain access to a comprehensive parametric search engine and product data, with live pricing and live visibility of UK inventory. Also on display will be products from leading suppliers such as Microchip, Analog Devices and Murata Power solutions. RoodMicrotec (stand L52) is an independent and certified test lab with 45 years' experience in quality assurance of electronic and optoelectronic products. Its core competence consists of a set of test solutions, with a focus on optoelectronics. Services and expertise include: eXtended Supply Chain Service; component test, test engineering and supply chain service for ASICs and Optic ASSPs; programming of a variety of devices; qualification; failure analysis; and technical consultancy. Altium (stand K4) will be demonstrating the latest update to Altium Designer 14.3. Responding to user community feedback, Altium has updated the software to provide improved support and new features that facilitate design reuse and more efficient electronics design. The update will bring improved Component Variant Support, providing users with the ability to design the schematic and PCB for drop-in replacement and alternative parts. Also on display will be Altium Vault 2.0, said to enable significant productivity improvements. Nemacom (stand M18) is a specialist manufacturer of industrial displays and touchscreens, panel PCs and kiosks. Established in 1991, the company now designs and produces its own industrial, rugged LCD flat panel displays, industrial panel PCs, touchscreens and kiosk display solutions in the UK. Nemacom also provides a bespoke service that addresses challenging applications. Optoelectronics pioneer OMC (stand K18) offers fibre optic transmitter/ receiver parts as standard products and can integrate diodes in a variety of housings and connector systems to provide the most appropriate solution for each application. The company also specialises in re-engineering obsolete transmitter, receiver and connectors. Recently, it launched the H19 range of optical transmitter/receivers for polymer and large core glass fibre systems. With a precision machined metal ferrule, the range includes single and dual channel devices. Meanwhile, OMC's Profiled Backlight and Lightbar technology ensures consistent illumination across the display. Pickering Interfaces (stand J52) designs and manufactures modular signal switching and instrumentation for use in electronic test and simulation. It offers one of the largest ranges of switching products for PXI, LXI, PCI and GPIB applications, as well as supporting cables and connectors. Pickering's catalogue has more than 1000 PXI switch modules, ranging from BRIC high density switching matrices to precision programmable resistor modules for accurate sensor emulation. Making its UK debut is Jtag Technologies' (stand J5) JT 5705 boundary scan controlled mixed signal I/O tester (MIOS). This will feature alongside expanded support for the JTAG ProVision and JTAGLive CoreCommander processor emulation test packages. Available as a desktop or fixture mount unit, the JT 5705 provides a low cost test solution in a compact package for designs that feature a mix of digital and analogue components. CoreCommander is a low cost system that allows test engineers to harness the power of an MPU's core to initiate test processes both internal and external to the device itself. In addition to existing support for ARM, Freescale, TI and Microchip cores, JTAG has added support for Infineon's TriCore range. The first decision an engineer has to make when looking at an embedded design is 'do I develop this myself or is there an off the shelf solution?' Arrival Electronics (stand L8) believes it has the perfect solution; a fully customisable embedded computing platform based around a defined CPU core. The platform has a breadboard area which allows a customer to add their own peripherals and I/O functionality. Mi Embedded will then turn this 'prototype' into a fully working custom board that meets the customer's specification. The customer retains full rights and ownership and receives a complete build pack. Multitron (stand Z58), the sole UK and Ireland agent for German electronic component manufacturer MENTOR, will exhibiting a range of MENTOR's standard components and custom solutions, including light guides, seven segment displays, optoelectronics, keypad components, equipment handles and knobs. New products include a range of rear mounted front panel light guides. While conventional front mounted light guides will always have heads slightly larger than the enclosure's hole, mounting from the rear allows all of the light guide head to be illuminated directly, producing a better lighting effect. Headline sponsor Premier EDA Solutions (stand K4) is the UK sales and support centre for PCB design software Altium Designer. Altium Designer is now becoming the PCB design tool of choice for many UK electronics companies and Premier will be demonstrating the reasons why at the Show. As well as on-booth product demonstrations, Premier is providing a dedicated Altium test drive centre for electronics designers to drop in and try the software out for free. Application support engineers will be on hand to answer any questions and to provide specific guidance. Premier will also showcase UK electronics; this year welcoming RSL Steeper – a leading provider of innovative prosthetic, orthotic and assistive technology – to talk about its bebionic hand. Visit Avnet Memec (stand K2) to experience interactive demonstrations on intelligent sensors, the Cloud, wireless and wired communications, as well as the latest product highlights from leading edge suppliers including Maxim Integrated, Microchip, Microsemi and Silicon Labs. Within the dedicated IoT live zone, demonstrations will cover MEMS motion tracking for wearable sensors, creating and monitoring applications in the Cloud and how to accelerate time to market with low cost, low footprint and energy efficient embedded Wi-Fi modules. Visitors can also experience the Powerhouse end to end reference design for highly accurate energy measurement. Würth Elektronik eiSos (stand L48) is one of Europe's largest manufacturers of passive components. The Würth Elektronik eiSos product range covers EMC components, inductors, RF inductors and LTCC components, transformers, components for circuit protection, power modules, LEDs, connectors, switches, power elements. For nearly 40 years, National Instruments (stand K16) has worked with engineers and scientists to provide answers to the most challenging questions. Visitors to the NI stand will learn how the NI System on Module (SoM) can help them to develop embedded systems faster and with less risk. The SOM offers a middleware solution, along with an intuitive approach to FPGA programming. It combines the Xilinx Zynq All Programmable SoC with supporting components such as memory on a small PCB. With a 'ready to go' Linux based RTOS, the NI SOM gives design teams customisability without the increased time and risk of a custom solution. TDK-Lambda (stand K30) will be highlighting the Z+ Series of 200W and 400W programmable DC power supplies. The Z+ high voltage series is offered with outputs of up to 160, 320 or 650V dc, extending the line up from the previous maximum of 100V dc. Higher voltages address such applications such as deposition processes, ROVs and ATE systems, as well as general laboratory and industrial use. The units can operate either in constant current or constant voltage modes and accept a universal input. Higher power systems can be configured by connecting up to six units in parallel in a master-slave arrangement. Mouser (stand J18) aims to have the latest semiconductors available in stock as early as possible – even at the manufacturer's launch date. So there will be many new parts on show. Mouser is pleased to offer Intel's IoT Gateway Solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT), enabling companies to interconnect devices and secure data flow to the cloud. Texas Instruments' CC3100 and CC3200 SimpleLink Wi-Fi processors enable customers to add Wi-Fi to any microcontroller by removing most functions required for Wi-Fi and networking from the host processor. Altera's MAX 10 FPGAs deliver advanced processing capabilities in a low cost, instant on small form factor. With early access to Quartus II software and documentation, customers can compile and run timing analysis for an accelerated path to market. Components Bureau (stand H42) will be launching its own range of transformers – the Precision range. Other highlights will include products from new partner Superworld. The Precision range of wound components and transformers is designed to meet flexibility, quality and value needs. The family includes common and laminated transformers, wound ferrites and SMD inductors. Following a UK agreement with Superworld Electronics, Components Bureau will also show multilayer ferrite beads/inductors, wirewound inductors, common mode and line filter, low profile power inductors, moulded choke coils, unshielded and shielded inductors and through-hole inductors. Toby Electronics (stand J8) will showcase a range of connectors, cables, PCB hardware, switches, static control and LED parts. In addition to products from franchised suppliers, including Samtec and 3M, the stand will also feature Toby's Valcon portfolio. Recent additions to the Toby portfolio include Samtec surface mount connectors and through board sockets that support the Hardware Attached on Top (HAT) specification for Raspberry Pi B+ add on boards. Toby is also stocking Samtec's 40 way, 2.54mm pitch, 3.51mm profile surface mount connectors. Display Solutions (stand H42) will be unveiling its latest touchscreen. Other highlights will include the DS81, a high performance media PC from Shuttle, and other technical innovations from its product range. The DTSF-17MOFP, the latest addition to the DisplayTouch range, is a vandal proof, open frame projected capacitive touchscreen with an optically bonded protective layer of glass secured over the touch sensor. Display specialist Ginsbury (stand L20) will be exhibiting a range of Kyocera's Advanced Wide View (AWV) and Value Line TFT displays. The company will also be announcing a partnership agreement with Toradex, the Swiss based embedded computing solutions supplier, to support and supply Toradex's extensive range of embedded computer modules. Xentech Solutions (stand J44) will highlight its five step plan to success: review; reduce; refresh; connect; and extend. These steps are said to enable companies to revive their embedded system offerings and open up new market opportunities. XJTAG (stand J36) has made its name in the market by focusing on innovative product design and top-quality technical support. Its boundary scan tools are geared to support engineers throughout the whole product lifecycle. Smartboxx (stand Z57) is now stocking antimicrobial ABS materials compliant with the JIS Z 2801/ISO 22196 standard. These are available in a range of thicknesses and colours with further options imminent. Whilst some antimicrobial coatings can be damaged and rendered ineffective, Smartboxx is offering a material with a silver ion based additive, offering permanent protection against bacteria and viruses. A range of medical devices, housing, hand held enclosures and other samples using this material can be seen on the stand, where advice on custom enclosures will be available. FC Lane Electronics (stand J32) will showcase its industrial connector expertise. On show will be several recently announced products, including the sealed/waterproof WCBD Positronic Combo D connector series. Lane can also supply all key connector types, including circular, filtered, RF, coaxial and adaptors for a range of applications. Rugged memory solution specialist Nexus (stand L18) will demonstrate the simple design functionality of Datakey's token and connector system. Leave your business card at the stand for your copy of a Datakey white paper addressing Embedded System Design for Removable USB Flash Drives. Pacer (stand M20) can help solve your engineering design challenges using optoelectronic and display technologies. As well as carrying a range of optoelectronic components, sensors and displays, Pacer has an in house design and build capability. Its optoelectronic portfolio includes light, colour and proximity sensors and thermopiles, while it also offers handheld tablets, industrial displays, monochrome LCDs and TFT LCDs. Pacer will be demonstrating shape changing, focus variable lenses, linear and rotary encoders, sensing solutions and display technologies. GTK (stand M16) will show high performance microwave and RF products, including connectors and cables, supporting frequencies of up to 110GHz, as well as optoelectronic displays. Beta Layout (stand M24), a leading European PCB manufacturer, is best known for PCB-POOL, the ability to develop and order PCB prototypes online. It has evolved into a complete prototype service provider for electronic design engineers. Highlights will include learning how to protect, track and identify your products by embedding RFID tags into your PCB. RS Components (stand F9) will highlight a broad range of cutting edge technology and product innovation. It will present how a different approach to design can help accelerate the prototyping process. It will examine the products, tools and software the company is offering to address the ever increasing demand for shorter design schedules and faster development time across all engineering disciplines. Visitors will be able to try out DesignSpark Mechanical 3D design software. Pickering Electronics (stand J52) is a manufacturer of high quality reed relays for a range of specialist applications. Relays are available in surface mount, single in line (SIL), dual in line (DIL) and other popular package styles. The latest products in its reed relay portfolio on display will include Series 117, ideal for high density applications such as ATE switching matrices or multiplexers. ASH Wireless (stand L38), an expert in wireless technologies, works with clients at every stage from idea to finished product and in industries as diverse as aerospace and consumer electronics. Eurocircuits (stand L46) wants to help design engineers get products to market on time and on budget. New software products include Panel Editor, Marking Editor and PCB PIXture, which allows a JPEG or similar image to be printed on a PCB without affecting its performance. Martec (stand H70) offers high reliability interconnection devices for industries such as oil and gas, military, aerospace and medical. Solutions include: military spec hermetic connectors; penetrator and feedthrough glass to metal seals; and RJ45, USB and M12 interconnects. York EMC Services (stand L50) is an independent provider of regulatory compliance services and products that help manufacturers to get their products to market in a quick and cost effective manner. York has four UK sites, including three UKAS accredited test laboratories. Embedded preview STMicroelectronics, in association with Anglia (stand H6), will demonstrate the NUCLEO platform, along with STM32CubeMX, a GUI based generator of initialisation C code. Sense products will encompass motion sensors, MEMS microphones and environmental sensors, whilst connectivity technologies will be focused on the Internet of Things. Gemini Tec (stand H30) will be exhibiting leading edge technology for rapid and complex PCB hardware manufacturing. The company has recently installed the UK's first MY600 solder jet printer. Resource Group's Embedded Systems and Solutions division (stand H2) will exhibit high integrity and safety critical embedded control capabilities, with a focus on FPGA development to IEC 61508 and DO-254. Also on show is a demonstrator for the WheelTug e-taxi project, of which the company is a partner. This product will reduce future aircraft taxi emissions by 40%. Active-PCB Solutions' (stand F4) team will explain how the company can assist with small to medium batch, high complexity assemblies. Production capability is strengthened by a strategic business partnership in China. It also offers: test and AOI resources to fully verify assemblies; full supply chain management and systems assembly; and final box build, that can include wiring, potting and conformal coating. congatec (stand G5) will show the conga-QA3, a Qseven module available with five different Intel Atom processors, ranging from the entry level 1.46GHz single core Intel Atom E3815, consuming 5W, to the 1.91GHz quad core Atom E3845 consuming 10W. New features include an ample L2 cache and a faster Intel HD graphics unit. Also on display will be the conga-QMX6, based on Freescale's i.MX6 ARM Cortex-A9 processor, and the conga-TS87, a Type 6 COM Express module that features 4th Generation Intel Core processors. Peak Group (stand H8), an NI Alliance Partner, is featuring its latest automated test systems, as well as test solutions featuring mass interconnect products from Virginia Panel. Peak Group is also highlighting its recently announced partnership with Simplicity AI. Green Hills Software (stand G25) will be showcasing safe and secure embedded virtualisation in an automotive dashboard environment. The demonstration consists of Android running on INTEGRITY Multivisor, delivering in vehicle infotainment services to one screen, while a Crank Storyboard based digital instrument cluster runs simultaneously as a native INTEGRITY application and is displayed on a second screen. Express Logic (stand G2) will be giving live demos of its X-Ware products, which include everything needed for Internet of Things embedded development. Products include: the ThreadX RTOS; the NetX TCP/IP stack; FileX, the MS-DOS compatible file system; USBX, supporting USB Host, Device and OTG; GUIX, the embedded GUI development framework; and TraceX, a graphical real time event analysis tool. ams (stand J14) will show the AS5X47 series of position sensors with Dynamic Angle Error Compensation. The devices are suited to most motor control and angle position measurement applications and are immune to stray magnetic fields. Direct Insight (stand F8) is supporting Digia Qt UI development tools. The main focus of Qt support is based on the TRITON-TX6 module, which offers dual or quad core Freescale i.MX6 processors running at 800MHz or 1GHz. Euroquartz (stand F2) is showing its latest crystals and oscillators for embedded applications, including quartz crystals, oscillators, VCXOs and TCXOs. Sarsen Technology (stand G32) is hosting DAVE Embedded Systems, which provides CPU module and System On Module solutions based on devices such as the Freescale i.MX6 and the Zynq XC7Z010 SoC. Vector Software (stand G27) will demonstrate how its products and services give development teams an advantage when it comes to improving, enhancing and extending the testing regimes used for producing high quality software products. For the full exhibitor list, details about how to register, or to find out more, go to www.electronicsdesignshow.co.uk.