Electronics For You -- Asia's Most Popular Electronics Magazine

Electronics For You September 2024 Issue Vol. 56 No. 9 Design PCB: Smart Panelising: The Art Of Saving PCB Cost Ordering a single piece of PCB from a manufacturer can be quite costly, especially when, for the same price, multiple PCBs could be manufactured and assembled. This is a common mistake made during initial product prototyping. Focusing solely on circuit design and being unaware of PCB panelisation, this error often goes unnoticed until later. Even for those familiar with panelisation, it is possible to produce 3 to 4 more units at the same production cost by making slight adjustments to the panel design.
Design CIRCUIT: Interesting Reference Designs Of Power Over Ethernet (PoE)	Technology TRENDS: Exploring The World Of Digital Technology At The Digital Art Museum Digital art museums like TeamLab’s Borderless and Sensistan redefine art appreciation, blending technology and creativity to offer immersive, boundary-pushing experiences.

Technology TRENDS: Warehousing Reimagined With Technologies Shaping The Future Of Logistics In a world of labour shortages and economic shifts, how are AI and robotics reshaping the warehousing industry?	Moves TECHNOLOGY: Can Software Tools Accelerate Electrification In The Automotive Industry? The electrification of automobiles presents a multifaceted challenge, requiring intricate design and simulation. Can software tools address these complexities?

Moves INTERVIEW: “In A Nutshell, EVs Provide Businesses With Better Financial Stability And Predictability” — Maxson Lewis, Managing Director & CEO, Magenta Mobility In an interview with Nitisha from EFY (before the Budget), Maxson Lewis of Magenta Mobility, explained how electric vehicles are transforming logistics by reducing costs and emissions. He underscored the vital role of strategic planning and government support in fleet transitions.	Moves INTERVIEW: “The Core Issue With ADAS Is Not Just Automotive Technology But An AI Challenge” — Gagandeep Reehal, CEO And Co-Founder, Minus Zero India’s roads push ADAS to its limits. Can we innovate solutions and lead in safer driving? In this Q&A, EFY’s Mukul Kumar explores this with Gagandeep Reehal, the 23-year-old CEO and Co-founder of Minus Zero.

Strategy MY STORY: ‘Beating The Odds To Build Indian Telecom Products’ — Sanjay Nayak, Co-Founder, Tejas Networks From a boarding school in Raipur to doing pioneering work on the world’s first Verilog simulator, laying the groundwork for electronics product development in India, and building a company valued at over Rs 200 billion, Sanjay Nayak’s journey rivals the drama of a Bollywood film, with its many twists and turns. EFY’s Yashasvini Razdan traces this remarkable tale of resilience and optimism, beginning in the town of Raipur, where it all began.	Strategy INTERVIEW: “Openness Challenges The Traditional Closed Nature Of Hardware IPs To Create Standardised Solutions” — Alex P. James, Dean Of Academics, Digital University Kerala In an interview with EFY’s Yashasvini Razdan, Alex P. James, Dean of Academics at Digital University Kerala, argues that an open AI hardware ecosystem could democratise access to hardware design tools and IPs, much like the Linux movement did for software.

Strategy INTERVIEW: “India Will Have Two Semiconductor Wafer Fabs By 2030 But Needs To Put Equal Focus On Semiconductor Product Companies” — Chris Miller, Author, Chip War ‘Chip Pe Charcha,’ an initiative by the VLSI Society of India, aims to unite global leaders in semiconductor and VLSI design. Dr Satya Gupta, President of VLSI, engaged in a thought-provoking discussion with Chris Miller, the acclaimed author of the 2022 bestseller ‘Chip War.’ This insightful exchange promises valuable perspectives on chips and semiconductors. Do not miss it.	Do-It-Yourself CIRCUIT IDEA: LED Strip Dimmer And Call Bell An LED dimmer circuit adjusts the brightness of LED strips, serving both as an energy-saving tool and a method to create aesthetic lighting. Call bells, designed to draw attention, are commonly used in various environments such as offices, hospitals and residential care homes. Here, we explore a simple 12V LED dimmer circuit, incorporating an LM556 dual timer IC, which also functions as a call bell. The LM556 dual timer IC houses two 555 timers within a single 14-pin package. In this LM556 PWM-based LED dimmer circuit, the brightness of the LEDs is effortlessly controlled using a potentiometer.

Do-It-Yourself PROJECT: IndusBoard Standalone IoT Lidar Radar Lidar plays a key role in cartography, mapping, localisation, ADAS, environment scanning, and more. It is widely used in robots, autonomous vehicles, and for intruder monitoring. However, many systems are wired, making them cumbersome for prototyping and testing, particularly in autonomous driving, where mounting and connecting a lidar can be difficult.	Do-It-Yourself PROJECT: Electronic Digital Piano Pianos and many other musical instruments have now been digitised. They can now be replicated using electronic circuits. This device converts traditional pianos or other instruments into digital forms using electronic components. The source code can be modified to create various digital instruments, such as drums or flutes, by adjusting the output sound, tone, and frequency.

Do-It-Yourself PROJECT: Wireless Remote Data Monitoring System With TFT LCD Monitor Remote monitoring plays a pivotal role in advancing industrial automation, Industry 4.0, and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). A remote data monitoring system (RDMS) continuously tracks parameters such as temperature, pressure, humidity, flow, and machine performance real-time. By collecting data from strategically placed sensors throughout an industrial plant and transmitting it to a centralised hub, this system enhances operational efficiency, reduces downtime, and ensures timely maintenance, thereby boosting overall productivity and safety.	Do-It-Yourself CIRCUIT IDEA: Long Duration Timer Using Supercapacitor When charging devices like mobiles and laptops, it is easy to forget to switch off the power once they are fully charged, often resulting in devices remaining connected to the AC mains supply for hours. A simple solution to this oversight is presented here. The circuit shown in Fig. 1 can automatically switch off any device connected to the AC mains supply after a period ranging from one to over four hours. Extending the delay period is possible by adjusting the values of the resistors used in the circuit.

Do-It-Yourself PROJECT: Mobile Hotspot/Tethering Unit Charging Using ESP RainMaker App Connecting to a wireless LAN network is a popular option for accessing internet-based applications. A readily available alternative is tethering or using a mobile hotspot, which allows the sharing of a smartphone’s mobile data to connect other devices to the internet. Most Android smartphones offer the capability to share mobile data through Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or USB. Tethering effectively transforms a smartphone into a Wi-Fi access point, providing connectivity for laptops, tablets, microcontrollers, and low-power systems-on-chips (SoCs).	Regulars Startups & Innovators • Fuselage Innovations’ Patented Drones For Secure Agriculture Solutions • Mukunda Foods: From QSR To Kitchen Technology Expert • Thinkerbell’s Self-Learning And Remote-Enabled Braille Literacy Device

Regulars Dashboard Key Industry Trends That Can Shape The Future Of Your Business	Regulars Truly Innovative Electronics Amongst numerous press releases of new products received by us, these are the ones we found worthy of the title Truly Innovative Electronics.

Regulars New Products • Components & Chips • Embedded • Manufacturing Equipment • Automation • Test & Measurement	Regulars Research & Innovation Updates • Carbon fibre sensors revolutionise infrastructure • Microcrack-free polymer battery extends lifespan • EV fast-charging cybersecurity risks exposed • E-skins detect liquid movement on robots • First 10-stack 3D transistors for compact devices

Regulars Industry News: Industry Updates • Budget 2024 sees more funds, revised taxes for electronics • MeitY’s allocation soars 52% to Rs 219.36 billion in the Budget • Mobile makers invested Rs 82.82 billion under PLI since 2020 • India’s electronics imports exceed $20 billion again • Government elevates incentives for drone manufacturing by 37.5%	Regulars Electroons 2.0 Some stunning cartoons.

Previous Issue's
Check our Subscription Details
Check our Advertisement Details

September 2024

Issue Vol. 56 No. 9