Type K Thermocouple Sensor Amplifier Arduino Shield

This is a Type K Thermocouple Sensor Amplifier Arduino Shield that enables an Arduino board to acquire temperatures from a thermocouple of type K. The shield works with a single supply and takes 5V DC from the Arduino board, the output of the circuit is 0 to 4V DC for 0-degree centigrade to 400C. The output of the amplifier is connected to the A0 analog pin of Arduino. A typical application of thermocouples is in boilers, soldering stations, and heaters. Also, 3D printers rely on thermocouples to measure the extruder temperature.

The K thermocouple has usually two wires, made of Alumel and Chromel that need to be connected with special care: no solder, just use a mechanical connection, therefore it is advisable to use special connectors available for thermocouples.

The circuit is built using LTC1049 op-amp and Thermocouple Cold Junction Compensator chip LTC1025. The board also supports other sensors like Type E, J, R, S, and T, however I have tested this circuit with Type K Sensor, jumpers are provided to use, and select other types of sensors.

The LTC1049 is a high performance, low power zero-drift operational amplifier. The two sample-and-hold capacitors usually required externally by other chopper stabilized amplifiers are integrated on the chip. Further, the LTC1049 offers superior DC and AC performance with a nominal supply current of only 200μA. The LTC1049 has a typical offset voltage of 2μV, drift of 0.02μV/°C, 0.1Hz to 10Hz input noise voltage of 3μVP-P and typical voltage gain of 160dB. The slew rate is 0.8V/μs with a gain-bandwidth product of 0.8MHz.

The LT®1025 is a micropower thermocouple cold junction compensator for use with type E, J, K, R, S, and T thermocouples. It utilizes wafer level and post-package trimming to achieve 0.5°C initial accuracy. Special curvature correction circuitry is used to match the “bow” found in all thermocouples so that accurate cold junction compensation is maintained over a wider temperature range. The LT1025 will operate with a supply voltage from 4V to 36V. The typical supply current is 80mA, resulting in less than 0.1°C internal temperature rise for supply voltages under 10V. A 10mV/°C output is available at low impedance, in addition to the direct thermocouple voltages of 60.9mV/°C (E), 51.7mV/°C (J), 40.3mV/°C (K, T) and 5.95mV/°C (R, S). All outputs are essentially independent of power supply voltage

Features

  • Supply 5V DC
  • Thermocouple Sensor: Type K
  • Output 0 to 4V DC
  • Temperature Sensing range 0 to 400 Degree Centigrade
  • PCB dimensions: 31.75 x 51.12mm

Schematic

 

Parts List

Connections

Gerber View

Sample Code

/*
  AnalogReadSerial

  Reads an analog input on pin 0, prints the result to the Serial Monitor.
  Graphical representation is available using Serial Plotter (Tools > Serial Plotter menu).
  Attach the center pin of a potentiometer to pin A0, and the outside pins to +5V and ground.

  This example code is in the public domain.

  http://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/AnalogReadSerial
*/

// the setup routine runs once when you press reset:
void setup() {
  // initialize serial communication at 9600 bits per second:
  Serial.begin(9600);
}

// the loop routine runs over and over again forever:
void loop() {
  // read the input on analog pin 0:
  int sensorValue = analogRead(A0);
  // print out the value you read:
  Serial.println(sensorValue);
  delay(1);        // delay in between reads for stability
}

Photos

Video

LTC1049 Datasheet

LTC1025 Datasheet

QD7-0-SD/QD50-0-SD Position Sensing Detectors

OSI Optoelectronics’ position sensing detectors are ideal for light beam nulling and position applications

OSI Optoelectronics’ QD7-0-SD and QD50-0-SD are quadrant photodiode arrays with associated circuitry to provide two difference signals and a sum signal. The two difference signals are voltage analogs of the relative intensity difference of the light sensed by opposing pairs of the photodiode quadrant elements. In addition, the amplified sum of all four quadrant elements is provided as the sum signal. This makes the QD7-0-SD or QD50-0-SD ideal for both light beam nulling and position applications. With these detectors, very precise light beam alignments are possible and the circuit can also be used for target acquisition and alignment.

  • Precise light beam alignments
  • Beam nulling
  • Two difference signals
  • Sum signal
  • Position measuring
  • Beam centering
  • Targeting acquisition
  • Guidance systems

more information: www.osioptoelectronics.com

Detector-Filter Combination Series Planar Diffused Silicon Photodiodes

OSI Optoelectronics’ detector-filter combination series incorporates a filter with a photodiode to achieve a tailored spectral response in a multitude of standard and custom combinations. All detector-filter combinations can be provided with a NIST traceable calibration data specified in terms of amps/watts, amps/lumen, amps/lux, or amps.

The PIN-10DF is a 1 cm2 active area, BNC package detector-filter combination optimized to achieve a flat responsivity from 450 nm to 950 nm. This is the spectral response required for radiometric measurements. This type of detector has several advantages over thermopile, such as sensitivity, which is about a thousand times higher, as well as 10 times more stability.

The PIN-10AP is a 1 cm2 active area, BNC package detector-filter combination which duplicates the response of the most commonly available optical aid, the human eye. The eye senses both brightness and color with response varying as a function of the wavelength. This response curve is commonly known as the CIE curve. The AP filters accurately match the CIE curve to within 4% of the area.

The PIN-005D-254F is a 6 mm2 active area, UV enhanced photodiode-filter combination which utilizes a narrow bandpass filter peaking at 254 nm.

Features
  • CIE match (AP series)
  • Flat band response (DF)
  • With amplifier hybrid
  • BNC packages
Applications
  • Analytical chemistry
  • Spectrophotometry
  • Densitometers
  • Photometry/radiometry
  • Spectroradiometry
  • Medical instrumentation
  • Liquid chromatography

Nano: spot welding just got easy and affordable

One of the major focuses of the maker movement since time immemorial has been the development of a makeshift version of tools with the goal of making them cheaper and more accessible. This focus has been more pronounced in recent times with several tools like CNC and 3Dprinters being all open-source, decentralized, and affordable to regular folks. To take things further to more machine tools, Canada-based battery refurbishing company; RePowered Batteries, recently announced the launch of their Nano Ultra-Compact Spot welder, which is aimed at making welding more accessible to hobbyists.

Sharing the reason behind the development of the Spot Welder, the team at RePowered Batteries said that the primary “goal is to make a no-hassle and affordable welder” that surpasses the current welders in the market by being both cordless (no external power supply required) and more efficient and safe compared to similar devices on the market.

The Ultra-Compact Spot Welder is comprised of a small built-in DC-DC power regulator, high-quality supercapacitors, and a welding control board on a PCB with 15x more copper than standard PCB, all packaged in a 3D-printed housing, with a selection of welding tips and air-cooled electrodes as consumables.

Built with versatility in mind, unlike other similar solutions in the market, the Spot Welder allows users to weld up to 0.15mm solid nickel. A table showing how the weather further compares with similar devices in the market is shown below:

While the goal is to make the device handy and untethered, one way to power the device is via the use of a 9v external power supply which could be useful, when you need to get things done, fast. However, if you are not in a hurry and not out of battery power, there are several other ways to power the devices including; power over USB or by hooking up a single 18650 battery cell to it.

The Kickstarter campaign for the device was launched a few days back and with just 21 days left, the project has raised up to $12,400 surpassing its initial goal of $3,047 by up to 400%. The device was designed in a modular form and the crowdfunding campaign provides users with the opportunity to buy them in parts, separately, or as a kit.

More information on the SpotWelder, the crowdfunding campaign, and perks, can be found on the project’s Kickstarter page.

AirBolt® GPS – The Tiny GPS Tracker You’ve always wanted

From pets wandering away and ultimately getting lost, to keys and other items getting misplaced, the desire to, at all times, be able to tell the location of things that are important to us is a priority to everyone. Several GPS tracking solutions exist on the market with small form factors and superb performancε thanks to advancements in communication and GPS technologies. However, with innovation, there is always room for improvement and greater heights to scale, and that’s exactly what Melbourn based AirBolt is doing with the launch of its new GPS tracker; the AirBolt® GPS which debuted on Kickstarter a few days ago.

AirBolt takes pride in its user-led design process as displayed in the AirBolt Smart Travel Lock which was released a while back, and the process was adopted for the development of the AirBolt® GPS. According to the AirBolt team, A total of 6 factors/features were considered and set as priorities during the design of the new GPS;

  • Small Form Factor
  • Long Battery Life
  • Customizable Alerts
  • Discrete Outlook
  • Shared Access
  • Global Tracking
  • Sturdy and Waterproof

Tailoring the design towards this features/goals led the team to the development of a small, only 37mm x 34mm x 11mm (1.45″ x 1.34″ x 0.43″) and VERY lightweight (approx. 21 grams, 0.75oz), LTE-M/NB-IOT enabled device, based on GPS rather than Bluetooth as in other devices.

The small and discrete nature of the device means it can be hung from the collar of a pet or slipped discreetly in a pocket/bag or be used as a keyholder.

Implementing location over LTE-M/NB-IoT, which are low-powered cellular networks, helps users leverage in the latest communication solutions while saving big on power, ensuring the device lasts for a long time before recharge is needed.

Some highlight features of the AirBolt® GPS as documented by CNX-software include:

  • SoC(s)
    • Unnamed, but considering Nordic Semi is listed as a partner it should be nRF9160 SiP with Arm Cortex-M33 MCU core, 1024 KB flash, 256 KB SRAM, NB-IoT, LTE Cat M1, and GPS connectivity
    • There’s also Bluetooth 5.1 so one of the nRF52 chips might also be included.
  • Connectivity
    • Bluetooth 5.1 with long-range and direction-finding support
    • Cellular – Worldwide support via NB-IoT and LTE Cat M1 (aka eMTC or LTE-M)
    • GNSS – GPS
  • Sensors – Accelerometer, temperature sensor
  • Misc – Alert Button, LED, a loud buzzer
  • Battery – Up to 12 months of battery life; rechargeable via USB-C port
  • Dimensions – 37 x 34 x 11 mm(ABS + anodised aluminum)
  • Weight – 21 grams
  • IP Rating – Not listed, but the tracker is said to be waterproof up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes (IPX7)

The AirBolt® GPS has shown potentials of being a top-notch product as the Kickstarter campaign has already raised more than 200% of its goal with over 3,105 backers.

More information about the product and the Kickstarter which will be closing in about a week’s time can be found on the project’s campaign page. 

DipDuino – An Arduino clone made for breadboarding

DipDuino is an Arduino clone that’s really small, even simpler to use, and designed for clean use with breadboards. It solves the problem of needing to jump wires from an external board to a breadboard, as well as the need to fit a PCB in a tight spot. Having the entire Arduino on a breadboard (including programmer) allows for easier transport and less chance of something being pulled off. Being so small allows it to fit inside a range of enclosures and odd places.

Just like the Arduino Pro Mini, you get access to all the pins possible; but DipDuino is presented in an easier-to-use package and with a built-in programmer. Not only is the package smaller, but the castellated holes allow you to use it a surface mount type of PCB as well.

Features & Specs

  • Processing:
    • Microchip ATmega328P
    • 8-bit AVR processor operating at 8 MHz (3.3 V) or 16 MHz (5 V)
    • 32 KB flash, of which 2 KB is used by bootloader
    • 2 KB SRAM
    • 1 KB EEPROM
  • Power:
    • Available in 5 V or 3.3 V versions
    • 5 V provided by USB
    • 600 mA 3.3 V LDO regulator on 3.3 V version
    • RGB LED – power is GREEN
  • USB:
    • USB Micro Type-B connector
    • CP2102N for USB-to-UART bridge
    • RGB LED – Tx (BLUE) & Rx (RED)
  • Form-factor:
    • Breadboard-friendly
    • Small size: 9.7 x 48.8 mm (0.38 x 1.92 in)
  • Connectivity:
    • 1x SPI, 1x I²C, 1x UART, 6x PWM, 8x ANALOG, 2x EINT
    • 21 GPIO broken out to standard breadboard-pitch holes as well as castellated holes for surface-mounting
    • USB for programming and USB-to-UART applications
    • EAST1616RGBA4 RGB LED for power/UART
  • Supports Arduino IDE:
    • Board set as Arduino Pro or Pro Mini

Programmable by PC/Mac/Linux Machines

DipDuino is as thin as a 0.3 in DIP chip (hence the name). It is super thin – which leaves all extra rows free and open for use. The board can also be surface mount soldered to a PCB. The USB-to-UART on board allows it to be programmed and communicate with PC/Mac & Linux machines, including Android devices.

more information: www.crowdsupply.com

BK9801 – AC Bench Power Supply with 300 V, 1.5 A output

The BK9801 is a programmable AC Power Source and measurement tool delivers a maximum of 1500VA through the universal line output terminals on the front and the output connector on the rear. The output can be varied from 0 to 300V with 0.1V programming resolution. The output frequency can also be adjusted from 45 to 500Hz with start and stop phase angle from 0 to 360°. The bright VFD display shows Vrms, Irms, Ipeak, frequency, power factor (PF), apparent power, true power and elapsed output time. The AC source provides a power line disturbance (PLD) simulator, list mode and sweep mode for simulation of common power grid faults and disturbances. A built-in dimmer function is also available for testing motors and LEDs. It is suitable for evaluating transformers, TRIACs, SCRs and passive components as well as production, R&D, service and pre-compliance testing.

Specifications:

  • Adjustable phase angle control
  • Built-in PLD and dimmer simulation
  • Voltage and frequency sweep mode
  • Pre-compliance testing for voltage dips & frequency simulation according to IEC61000-4-11/4-14/4-28 common applications
  • Downloadable LabVIEW driver and soft panel software for remote control
  • Standard USB (USBTMC-compliant), RS232, LAN

The AC power supply is priced at £1,806.00

more information: www.bkprecision.com

Fanless Embedded Systems with AMD Ryzen V1000/R1000 SoCs

IBASE Technology Inc., a world leader in the manufacture of industrial motherboards and embedded systems, has unveiled the ASB200-918 series based on the IB918 3.5-inch form factor SBC supporting AMD Ryzen SoCs (V1605B/V1202B/R1606G/R1505G). The four models in the series bring together the powerful performance of the “Zen” CPU and “Vega” GPU architectures to deliver a new class of embedded solutions.

IBASE leverages the high performance and stunning graphics capabilities of AMD Ryzen Embedded processors with its own manufacturing flexibility to design the fanless ASB200-918 that runs two simultaneous HDMI 2.0a displays at Ultra HD 4K resolution (3840 x 2160) with a frame rate of 60 fps. Measuring 240mm x 162mm x 42mm, it is equipped with rugged components to ensure a reliable and uninterrupted operation in industrial control, factory, kiosks and other space-critical applications.

The robust design of the ASB200-918 comes with 16GB of DDR4-2666 memory with ECC and up to 32GB support. The unit features a 64GB TLC SSD storage, 12V~24V DC wide power input and optional 90W power adaptor. Versatile I/O connectivity is provided by 4x COM, 4x USB 3.1, 1x USB 2.0, 2x GbE and an external GPIO, while expansion is supplied by two M.2 slots for NVMe storage and WiFi or Bluetooth connections. Supported operating systems include Win10, Win10 IoT Enterprise, Win Embedded Standard 8, and Ubuntu 16.04.

ASB200-918 FEATURES:

  • Fanless system with IBASE IB918 3.5’’ Disk-Size SBC
  • AMD Ryzen™ Embedded V1000/R1000 on board
  • 2x DDR4 SO-DIMM, Max. 32GB, supports ECC
  • Supports 2x M.2 sockets (E-Key / M-Key, NVMe)
  • 2x HDMI(2.0a), 2x Intel® Gigabit LAN
  • 4 x COM ports, External GPIO
  • 4 x USB3.1, 1x USB2.0
  • 12V(-10%) ~ 24V(+10%) DC-in Power Input
  • Operating temperature 0°C~45°C (32°F~113°F)

For more information, please visit www.ibase.com.tw

Electronic assemblies without PCBs but with Laser direct structuring

Laser direct structuring (LDS) is a special success story. For almost 20 years, it has been possible to apply electronic conductor paths directly onto plastic parts during series production. Laser Direct Structuring (LDS) – The structure of the conductor path is applied using the LDS process.

LDS enables electronic assemblies to be made in flexible geometric shapes. Smart phones, hearing aids and smart watches are becoming smaller and more powerful thanks to this process.

LDS enables the production of electronic assemblies with flexible geometric shapes. This process enables electronic products (such as smart phones, sensors or medical devices) to become even smaller and more powerful. Automated manufacturing processes also make this process more economically attractive.

There is less and less space available for electronic assemblies, so solutions are needed which replace conventional printed circuit boards. LDS enables further miniaturisation and makes increasingly complex geometric designs possible. This is a stable and reliable process that has established itself in quality-critical sectors such as medical technology or safety-relevant components for the automotive industry.

The LDS process enables three-dimensional assemblies Direct laser structuring enables 3D-MID (Mechatronic Integrated Devices) assemblies to be produced. When using 3D-MID, electronic components can be fitted directly onto a three-dimensional base body, without circuit boards or connecting cables. The base body is manufactured using an injection moulding process, whereby the thermoplastic material has a non-conductive, inorganic additive.

New trends in the LDS process

Several aspects of LDS technology have been improved and further developed over the past few years.

The working area of the laser has been enlarged from 160 x 160 x 80 mm to 200 mm x 200 mm x 80 mm, thus enabling a higher packing density and the processing of even larger components.    The working speed of the laser can be doubled to 4 m/s by optimising the servo units and mirrors which guide the laser beam, thereby significantly reducing the processing time.    The improvement of the optics enables the use of a laser with a diameter of 100 μm and a laser with a fine focus of 50 μm for processing even smaller structures.HARTING is the only 3D-MID manufacturer in the world that has a laser system with three fine focus optics of 50 μm. Even smaller conductor path gaps can be achieved thanks to this fine focus laser. Thus, many conductor paths can be created on the same component and a higher packing density can be implemented. This is used for safety technology, among other things, because the closely spaced and intertwined conductors are capable of triggering safety alarms from even the smallest physical interference.

Advances in materials and economics

Only specially selected thermoplastics are certified for the LDS process; these are available from stock. The process can be further improved with customer-specific adjustments to the plastic material:

HARTING uses a process which adds LDS additives to non-certified materials to make them MID-compatible.    Specific RAL or Pantone colours can be achieved with MID plastics by using colour pigments and special LDS additives.    By selecting suitable additives, special RF characteristics can also be implemented, depending on the frequency range.

Component carrier – Electronic components – such as LEDs, ICs, photodiodes and sensors – can be attached directly onto the component carrier. The assembled component carriers can then be processed as standard SMD components.

To further improve the cost-effectiveness of the manufacturing process, HARTING relies on automated robotic systems. The LDS laser system is equipped with a rotary indexing table so that a component can be inserted or removed while another component is still being processed. The in-feed and unloading procedures are automated by HARTING using robotics. This increases throughput and autonomy, while also enabling integration into automated production processes. An additional automation step is provided during the injection moulding process. Here, too, a robot takes over the removal of the injection moulded parts. The use of robotics also improves the precise reproducibility of the processes and, thus, overall product quality.

More growth for 3D-MID

Security caps for payment terminals – The 3D-MID caps protect the electronics from unauthorized access both mechanically and electronically. A highly precise meandering structure detects every access, no matter how small, and consequently prevents theft.

HARTING reports increased demand for MID projects and has further expanded the 3D-MID division by investing in machinery and by acquiring a competitor’s business. Innovative in-house products are also contributing to further growth. HARTING has developed a solution based on 3D-MID technology which replaces flexible PCBs with a component carrier. Instead of using a flex-PCB, the component carrier can be fitted directly with electronic components, thus saving up to two thirds of the cost.

About HARTING 3D-MID: www.HARTING.com/3D-MID

Voltcraft VC-337 multimeter with ultra-slim clamps from SOS electronic

TRMS current clamps VC-337, thanks to their size and shape, are ideal for measuring in dense installations of distribution boxes and cars. Find them in SOS electronic assortment.

If you have ever measured in a distribution box, for example, the leads to individual circuit breakers, you have probably encountered a similar situation – conventional clamp multimeters have pliers that are too wide, and thus it is very difficult or even impossible to measure the current flowing through individual conductors close to the circuit breakers.

Clamp multimeters with an extra narrow shape of pliers, to which the Voltcraft VC-337 also belongs, elegantly solve this problem.

Besides narrow jaws, the device is relatively small and narrow itself, so it fits your hand very well. The VC337 can also measure DC current at 1mA, making it an ideal instrument for measurement in conventional DC equipment as well as in automotive installations.

Maximum display reading is 3999, and the range selection is automatic. The VC337’s high price/performance ratio is enhanced by the fact that the instrument measures the true effective value (TRMS) of AC values.

VC-337 current clamps can be found in our stable stock portfolio.

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