Tiny ceramic oscillators

RoHS-compliant MXH series oscillators come in a compact, hermetically sealed, surface-mount ceramic package. Well-suited for use in devices such as heart-monitoring machines, the oscillators measure only 2 × 2.5 mm. They come in a frequency range of 1.54 to 80 MHz and operate at supply voltages of 1.6 Vdc minimum, with maximum power consumption during full operation as low as 8 mA. A standby function lets the devices use a mere 30 microamp, important for battery applications. Operating temperature range is - 40 to +85C.

MMD Components, 30400 Esperanza, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, 92688, (949) 753-5888, www.info.hotims.com/18362-257

Got a cable question? Ask here

A manufacturer of flexible flat-cable assemblies has launched its redesigned website that features all new product and technical content. For instance, the Technical Information section includes design guides for flexible flat cables, engineering notes on bend radii, cable life, and other technical topics. Standard Products has specifications and pricing for a variety of standard and in-stock cables. Custom Cable Photo Gallery shows more than 75 pictures of what's possible for medical equipment. And Design Considerations for Flexible Cables is full of 3D graphics and key design considerations for specifying or using the cables.

Cicoil Corp., 24960 Ave Tibbitts, Valencia, CA 91605, (661) 295-1295, www.info.hotims.com/18362-258

Lube-free bearings and liners are low maintenance

DryLin slide tables have lubrication-free iglide plastic liners, which makes them completely maintenance-free. These liners also have a low coefficient of friction, resist wear and contamination, and can last in applications where expensive ball screw systems fail from the ingress of dirt. High performance iglide plastic plain bearings are cost effective and interchangeable with metal, ball, and bronze bearings. All maintenance-free bearings deliver good performance even in demanding medical environments and boast predictable wear and corrosion-resistance as standard.

Igus Inc., Box 14349, East Providence, RI 02914, (800) 521-2747, www.info.hotims.com/18362-259

Catalog for automation and control components

The Electric Drives and Controls group offers a 165-page, full-color catalog, Automation Systems and Control Components, with information on automation systems for medical applications, including the IndraLogic open PLC system and the IndraMotion systems family. The catalog covers control components including IndraControl L rack-based controls, IndraControl V HMIs and industrial PCs, Inline cabinet-mounted I/O (IP20), Fieldline machine-mounted I/O (IP67), and IndraWorks engineering software.

Bosch Rexroth Corp, 5150 Prairie Stone Parkway, Hoffman Estates, IL, 60192, (800) 739-7684, www.info.hotims.com/18362-260

Guide to cabinet enclosures and accessories

A product catalog show enclosures and accessories for medical, defense-aerospace, datacom-networking, and more. The Optima catalog includes information on cabinet enclosures, wall-mount cases, electronic cases, 19-in. racks, command consoles and desks, and electronic enclosures. Company services include simulation and testing, design, tool making, silk screening, painting, environmental testing, and agency certification.

Optima EPS, 2166 Mountain Industrial Blvd, Tucker, GA 30084, (770) 496-4000, www.info.hotims.com/18362-261

More than just machined springs

Machined springs combine the elastic properties of materials, such as high-strength steels, aluminum, and titanium, with a curved helical beam for precise deflection rates for compression, extension, torsion, lateral bending and lateral translation spring functions often needed in medical equipment. Machined springs often provide more precise operation than do traditional designs.

Helical Products Company Inc., Box 1069, Santa Maria, CA 93456, (877) 353-9873, www.info.hotims.com/18362-262

Lightpipes don't lose color

Recent lightpipes have optional barriers that prevent color mixing from adjacent rows, a useful feature in medical diagnostic equipment. Each pipe in the LED array can block interfering light from other pipes. Sometimes these pipes are so close their colors blend. The new lightpipes have thin polycarbonate barriers, which block intruding light from other tube lanes and add strength. This is particularly important for long lightpipes. The result is clear, segregated color definition, and a more rugged LED.

Elma Electronic Inc., 44350 Grommer Blvd, Fremont, CA 94538, (510) 656-3400 www.info.hotims.com/18362-263

New 3D printer delivers stronger models

The Dimension 1200es Series features a 10 × 10 × 12-in. build size and prints models with ABSplus, a material with about 40% stronger than standard Stratasys ABS plastic. The 1200es meets market demand for a networked, 3D printer, capable of building stronger models, a feature useful in device packaging studies. Parts closely match the characteristics of injection molded parts.

Dimension Printing Inc., 7655 commerce Way, Eden Prarie, MN 55344, (888) 480-3548, www.info.hotims.com/18362-264

This pen remembers what you write

Rover INK is a pen that stores the words and sentences you write such as during device reviews, and off loads that data to a station that interprets and converts it into typed text. A tiny camera captures pen strokes of up to 70/sec and records its movement in relation to its position on the page, identified by a dot pattern. The pen stores up to 40 pages of data and provides a way to move from paper-based processes to digital. It captures and communicates hand-written material to a verification station where the system interprets and converts writing to typed text. To correct mistakes, cross them out and rewrite the correct information. The pen only provides correct data. A digital INK document is stored as an original document with a date and time stamp.

Rover Technology Fusions, 5115 Joanne Kearney Blvd, Tampa, FL 33619, (813) 699-1112, www.info.hotims.com/18362-265

Digital mammography display

A high-contrast, 10-bit grayscale display for use in mammography and other medical applications is intended to help radiologists more effectively screen for breast cancer. Current displays that rely on standard PC workstations are limited to 8-bit grayscale, which provides only 256 possible shades of gray for each pixel, thereby sometimes obscuring valuable data. Without specialty hardware, the developers came up with a way to transmit 10 or 12-bit grayscale data from its Quadro FX 4600 and higher graphics boards to a Planar Dome display (as well as to a wide range of grayscale panels from various manufacturers) using a standard DVI cable. This provides up to 864 possible shades of gray, more than three times the image contrast of an 8-bit system.

Nvidia, 2701 San Tomas Expressway, Santa Clara, CA 95050, (408) 486-2000, www.info.hotims.com/18362-266

Servo with flywheel has 10 times inertia

The MaxPlus-J (MPJ) motor is for medical and other demanding applications in high-performance servo systems. MPJ motors offer the same design specs as Parker's MaxPlusPlus motors but with higher inertia. It comes from a special inertia flywheel which adds three to 10 times the inertia of a standard MPP servo motor. The flywheel replaces the more expensive gearbox traditionally added to the motor for applications where the customer has a high load-to-rotor inertia mismatch. The flywheel eliminates speed constraints normally associated with a gearhead.

Parker Hannifin Corp., Electromechanical Automation Div., 5500 Business Park Dr., Rohnert Park, CA 94928, (707) 584-7558, www.info.hotims.com/18362-267

Power supplies mount on PCBs

The single-output ZPSA20 series of compact PCB-mountable 20-watt ac-dc power supplies accepts a range of input voltages, sports a 0.79-in. profile, and has an industry standard footprint of 2 × 3.5 in. The supplies, useful in medical electronics, generate widely used output dc voltages.

Lambda Americas, 3055 Del Sol Blvd, San Diego, CA 92154, (619) 575-4400, www.info.hotims.com/18362-268