The Hospitalier de Luxembourg, opened in 1976, is one of the largest hospitals in Luxembourg. It employs about 2000 medical professionals, admitting and caring for about 25,000 patients a year and seeing around 400,000 patients on an outpatient basis. Services of the Hospitalier de Luxemboug include hospital, diagnosis, care, treatment, research, and education. Administrative overhead at a facility of this size is significant. Management personnel are constantly trying to operate more efficiently and speed up clinical processes. After careful consideration, the Hospitalier de Luxembourg chose Advantech's POC-S196/S176 Slim Point-of-Care Terminals, with LCD panels capable of displaying high contrast images in 16.7 million colors. Advantech slim point-of-care terminals are available in 17" and 19" models, and are very easy to integrate into an existing ICU environment. The touchscreen provides a friendly and easy-to-use interface for medical personnel, and the all-in-one design offers a perfect solution for areas with limited space. The hospital divided the project into four phases with a plan to install wall-mounted 19" POC systems in the ICU, and 17" units elsewhere, either wall-mounted, or on anesthesia devices or mobile carts. The primary deciding factors for the hospital were an outstanding cost/performance ratio, and the inclusion of a variety of I/O connectors as standard features. Advantech's POC-S196 Point-of-Care Terminal has a slim 19" TFT LCD display and Intel Core Duo processor. With an IPX1 rating, it is designed to resist spills and water damage, and the sealed IP65-certified front panel is dust tight. The POC-S196 has a variety of I/O connectors: 1 x RS-232/422/485 (isolated, and set by jumper) serial port; 4 x USB ports; and 1 x DVI-I port. The system supports up to 4 GB SDRAM and has a wireless option. The quiet, fanless design is perfect in the quiet environment of the hospital, as well as making it suitable for audio measurement applications. Additionally, the POC-S196 meets UL60601/EN60601regulations. Benefits The management at Hospitalier de Luxembourg is very happy with their new system. They have already completed two phases of their planned installation, which when complete will encompass 16 operating theaters and several ICUs.- Improved efficiency reducing overhead- Easy monitoring and access to patient information- Enhanced medical treatment and easy to use- Space saving- Fanless for quiet operation- Isolated design reduces electrical leakage- Easy to integrate within existing hospital- Best cost/performance ratio on the market Finding more case study articles

The inductor market has been long dominated by Japanese players. Aside from the Japanese players, Chilisin has been one of the fastest-growing companies worldwide. In contrast to many inductor manufacturers, Chilisin is one of the few companies with expertise in the four inductor processing technologies: wire-wound, molding, multilayer, and thin-film. Chilisin's comprehensive production technology is an advantage that allows it to meet various client demands and quickly adapt to market changes. Another defining feather that sets Chilisin apart from its competitors is its in-house powder-forming technology. Having control of the powder-forming process allows Chilisin to flexibly and quickly meet customized orders and gives Chilisin a cost competitive advantage. Given that powder is the fundamental material of inductors, having 40 years of experience in the powder-forming technology gives Chilisin a leading edge in future product development.Chilisin has launched several new products in the second half of 2012, such as the High-current Molding Power Inductor (AME/MHCD Series) and Thin-film inductor (TFL Series). The new AME/MHCD Series is constructed from advanced powder material and flat wire using the molding technology. Its high current and miniature profilemakes the AME/MHCD Series ideal for hand-held devices. The new TFL Series are produced using photolithography, a process used in the microfabrication of semiconductors. At 10 um in circuit, it is able to achieve 1/5 the dimensions of multilayer inductors. Due to less energy required for sintering, thin-film inductors are also a greener alternative to multilayer inductors. Due to the capital-intensive nature of photolithography technology, Chilisin is currently among only two players capable of a full photolithography production line dedicated to thin-film inductors. Chilisin's position as one of the market leaders in this product space highlights Chilisin's growing competitiveness that comes from its wide range of technological expertise. Chilisin aims to launch two new products in 2013: Multilayer Common Mode Choke and Thin-film Common Mode Choke.Mobile and handheld devices continue to dominate and lead the consumer electronics market. Chilisin currently has three main product lines from three types of technology to support the miniaturization trend of power solutions: The MP-Series multilayer power inductor, the LVS-Series wire-wound power inductor, and the newly developed AME/MHCD-Series molding-type power inductor. As power solution for devices becomes more important, inductor focus has been increasingly put on size and weight. Given that wire-wound inductor cores utilize more space than coil-formed inductors, having all three types of coil-forming technology puts Chilisin in a favorable position to support the miniaturization trend. Chilisin aims to unify all 3 types of coil-forming technology (molding, multilayer, and thin-film) where special manufacturing skills and processes will be taken from each technology and combined to create a next generation product that is competitive in both size and capability. With a wide range of technological expertise and its flexibility to meet market demand, Chilisin is set to become a leading player worldwide.

It is a key issue for OEMs and ODMs to create unique products of their own out of standardized components. However, how can one create a truly unique product that not just looks different? The launch of Phoenix SecureCore Technology (SCT) 3.0 has shown a clear direction for true product differentiation. The event that Phoenix Technologies hosted on November 27 to introduce the new product attracted a full house, prompting meaningful discussions and exchanges between R&D engineers over the possibilities and opportunities of the next-generation UEFI BIOS.For general users and R&D engineers alike, having to work in a text-only environment while configuring BIOS settings could give them a headache. Switching frequently back and forth between an image-based and touch-enabled operating system and keyboard control is very inconvenient. It may be an even bigger hassle if one works from a mobile device, such as a tablet.Right at the beginning of the event, Kelly Wu, vice president and general manager of Phoenix Greater China, pointed out that Phoenix SCT 3.0 is a BIOS system that truly supports the latest user interface trend. In addition to native support for touchscreen control, it features a complete graphical user interface (GUI) in the Windows 8 style to enhance control, maintaining a consistent user experience from the BIOS to the operating system. And R&D engineers only need Phoenix's software development kit (SDK) to design their own GUI and innovative BIOS applications, creating IT products that are not only price-competitive and feature-rich, but also unique.Intel revolutionizes user experienceIntel Taiwan manager Jason LS Chen pointed out that user habits have been changing along with market trends. Hardware performance is becoming faster and faster, and touchscreens have become the mainstream mode of control.On the hardware side, handsets have become an essential part of life, while tablets are gaining popularity fast. On the software side, cloud computing is an unstoppable trend, while demand for cross-platform applications is growing. Chen noted that Intel and Microsoft have already crystallized their cooperation in the form of the sensational Windows 8, and currently many of the Windows 8 enterprise applications are only supported by Intel, which shows the importance of hardware-software integration.The Intel-Phoenix cooperation in developing UEFI technology is also an exemplary case demonstrating tight integration between hardware and software. Under the standardized UEFI structure and EDK II environment, developers can design UEFI BIOS systems, firmware modules and hardware drivers that support various hardware-software combinations. They can also help system developers achieve seamless transition to the latest UEFI structure.Phoenix SCT 3.0 supports the past and eyes the futureThe UEFI structure has already been around for many years, and Phoenix Technologies, as an early advocate of UEFI, has been keen to advance the platform and develop related applications. From the UEFI feature-ready Phoenix SCT 2.1, Windows 8-supporting Phoenix SCT 2.2, to the Phoenix SCT 3.0 with EDK II support, they have clearly demonstrated the important role standardized UEFI architectures have played in the development of BIOS systems, firmware and applications.Phoenix's Product Marketing Director Juliet Chen noted that Phoenix SCT 3.0 is based on the latest UEFI specifications. It supports Windows 8, enhances UEFI funtionality, and meets the latest Security requirement of NIST 800-147 and NIST 800-155. It offers multiple support for touchscreen control, and with the GUI menu, new BIOS systems can be developed effortlessly to enable system boot for a host of products ranging from tablets to servers.Under the standardized specifications and modularized structure, OEMs/ODMs do not need to make repeat investments on firmware development, as they only need to modify existing modules, and through UEFI Shell - which is supported by Phoenix Desktop Manager (PDM) - and third-party software packaging, the OEMs/ODMs will be able to add new features that differentiate their products from others.Juliet Chen added that silicon vendors Intel and AMD both look forward to further developments deriving from the EDK II specifications in the next few years. Phoenix SCT 3.0 can sufficiently support each firmware foundation plans, making sure next-generation processors can run compatible systems easily without trading off performance.Phoenix's Senior Development Manager Jack Wang pointed out that Phoenix's standardized development environment allows any R&D engineers to enlist their previous experience seamlessly, saving them time and effort that would have been wasted on learning a new tool. The company's customizable GUI engine - Phoenix Desktop Manager (PDM) - is a plus for OEMs/ODMs adjusting settings and creating their own GUI BIOS setups.The exciting Phoenix SCT 3.0One of the most anticipated talks at the event came from Phoenix's vice president for Development Engineering, Terry Chen, who spoke about the latest technology trends and gave an in-depth analysis of Phoenix SCT 3.0.The biggest advantage of Phoenix SCT 3.0 is, according to Chen, its cross-platform and cross-code support. The EDK II source code is backward compatible with EDK 1117 and features support for x86 and possibly ARM (both 32-bit and 64-bit) architectures. The advantage shortens time to market for multiple-platform products, and enhances customization as well.Chen also explained several new features developed by Phoenix's R&D team, such as fast boot, Sure Boot, Safe Recovery BIOS2, and enhanced touchscreen control. Firmware developers can easily upgrade EDK 1117-based functions to the EDK II environment through the Universal Build System, extending the use of BIOS and reducing maintenance cost.Phoenix SCT 3.0 also sees a major change in its way to access and upgrade firmware. In the past, firmware upgrading had to be completed by going through the S3 Sleep state, but for SCT 3.0, the whole process can be done through a standard system re-boot, saving all upgrade patches in the hard disc drive (HDD) rather than RAM. This avoids RAM's storage limitations and protects firmware data's integrity.Windows 8 features such as touchscreen control, enhanced security, UEFI Firmware Update, mobility, and new architecture, have higher requirements for BIOS. As Windows 8 requires BIOS to boot up the system in less than two seconds, according to Chen, BIOS needs not only a modularized design to accelerate boot-up, but also even more configurations on demand with the operating system.Such a requirement has set higher bar for firmware developer, especially in system stability. Say, what should the user do when a firmware upgrade fails? Phoenix SCT 3.0's Sure Boot is the answer - like Win8 fail over, a feature that will automatically load the default image to restore the last functional version or BIOS settings, allowing the system run normally.Chen pointed out that the feature is a smart function designed to maintain normal operations when there are repeated errors or instability. Its runtime service stack saves users from the trouble of having to manually intervene with the boot-up process.For integration with the Windows 8, Phoenix SCT 3.0's features, such as Secure BIOS, SecureFlash Tools, Connected Standby, and Windows UEFI Firmware Update (WUFU), have received Microsoft's verification. The service allows any device running on Phoenix SCT 3.0 to easily update its firmware and drivers. Chen also noted that when necessary, OEMs/ODMs may also integrate their validated update patches with WUFU to facilitate their own services.DemonstrationPhoenix Software Architect Abner Chang and two other company engineers gave a demonstration to the audience on how to customize a GUI with Phoenix SCT 3.0. They showed how to adjust the BIOS settings through touchscreen control, and how to control different interface types with the cross-platform support and Phoenix SCT 3.0's unique GUI modules.Kelly Wu, vice president and general manager of Phoenix Greater China, noted that Phoenix SCT 3.0 is a brand new UEFI BIOS product and is Phoenix Technologies' answer to the market's demand for cross-platform and cross-device support, as well as to the touchscreen trend.Kelly Wu, Vice President & General Manager of Phoenix Greater ChinaJason LS Chen, Intel Taiwan ManagerAbner Chang, Phoenix Software Architect

Global electronic components distributor Digi-Key Corporation, recognized by design engineers as having the industry's largest selection of electronic components available for immediate shipment, announced the signing of a global distribution agreement with Cicoil, an industry leader in the manufacture of flexible flat cable used in numerous commercial and military applications."Cicoil is very excited about becoming a supplier and partner with Digi-Key," said Howard Lind, president and CEO of Cicoil. "Due to Digi-Key's worldwide reach and exposure, Cicoil's flexible cables will now be readily available to purchase online, for immediate shipment anywhere in the world. Everyone at Cicoil is very excited about the new partnership, and we look forward to a long, successful future with Digi-Key."Cicoil's hyper-flexible cable/wire products can withstand harsh environmental factors such as extreme cold and extreme heat (-65 degrees C to +260 degrees C) and remain soft to the touch. Cicoil cables can also withstand medical or industrial chemicals and meet NASA or ESA outgassing requirements. This will give design engineer's a new choice when needing a cable for harsh environments that will retain its flexibility. Cicoil cables can also be custom configured to include tubing, power, signal, and video in one jacketed cable."The commercial and military aerospace industries are an expanding market, and Cicoil is ideally placed to serve this area of growth," said Tom Busher, vice president, global interconnect, passives, and electromechanical product at Digi-Key. "Cicoil's rugged product provides a unique dimension to our line card and we are pleased to enter into this partnership."Cicoil has extensive engineering experience in specifying and designing cable assemblies. The company's engineers have custom designed thousands of custom cable assemblies, for a wide variety of environments and applications. Cicoil cables are also used in medical equipment, and in automated robotic process equipment, specifically where cables needed to survive tens of millions of flexing, repetitive cycles.The full line of Cicoil products is currently available for purchase on Digi-Key's global websites: http://www.digikey.com/

With excellent cost advantages, GaN-on-Si technology has become a new focus in the LED market in order to cope with the severe price pressure for LED makers. In recent years, this technology has made significant progress and will soon move into commercial production to grab the market of long-term dominating sapphire substrate technology.German-based AZZURRO Semiconductors, which has patented large-diameter GaN-on-Si technology, already sets up a 150mm manufacturing site in Dresden starting 24x7 operations. With advances in its 200mm technology, the company will begin ramping up of 200mm wafers by 2H13 or 1H14. Erwin Wolf, CEO of AZZURRO, believes that within two to three years, LED market will rapidly and significantly have been shift to GaN-on-Si technology.Though GaN-on-Si has significant advantages, the technical challenges have made it difficult so far to be widely adopted in LED market. "AZZURRO's patented strain engineering technology can control the thickness uniformity of GaN film and the wafer bow, as well as achieve high crystal quality, which are all important to the performance of manufacturing LED devices", Erwin Wolf said.He emphasized that, take the 150mm wafers that are already in mass production as an example, the thickness of GaN layer is over 6µm and wafer bow is below 20µm. Therefore, it can utilize existing standard CMOS production line for the chip manufacturing process. Silicon is easier to be removed than sapphire, so that it can not only shorten production cycle, but also achieve better yield.Regarding AZZURRO's 200mm wafer technology, "We can achieve the same performance in terms of bow, thickness, and crystal quality as those in 150mm. In addition, 200mm wafer can have extremely high emission wavelength homogeneity, which will be able to reduce the binning efforts when manufacturing", Erwin Wolf indicated. At present, AZZURRO can offer 200mm wafer samples to customers.AZZURRO's factory in Dresden has already been in full operations since this year, with area of 1500mm2 and two 150mm MOCVD production lines. One is dedicated for LED wafers and the other for power semiconductor wafers. AZZURRO plans to mass produce 200mm wafers by 2H13 or 1H14."Our business model is to provide GaN-on-Si wafers for customers to fabricate their own LED or power semiconductor devices. We will not manufacture end devices", Erwin Wolf said, "Though there are other companies offering GaN-on-Si wafers for power semiconductor, but AZZURRO is the only company that offers also GaN-on-Si wafers for LED."As GaN-on-Si is gaining momentum in LED market, those who invest in this technology are IDM makers, which will use GaN-on-Si technology for in-house only. Currently, no company provides GaN-on-Si LED wafer technology. "Therefore, for those LED makers who don't have in-house GaN-on-Si wafer, AZZURRO's technology will be the best solution for them to address the emerging trend in LED industry", Erwin Wolf stressed.For LED applications, AZZURRO provides two products: LED wafer and LED template. Erwin Wolf explained that LED wafers can be used straight away to produce LEDs, while LED templates are silicon substrates with grown GaN layer by AZZURRO. Customers can facilitate their in-house designed LED MQW structures. Because of business and intellectual property considerations, most customers prefer LED template model. And AZZURRO will provide complete development kits for them to shorten development cycle of LED template.For example, AZZURRO just announced in October that Taiwan-based Epistar has successfully migrated its LED structures to AZZURRO's 150mm GaN-on-Si LED templates. Regarding this joint project, Erwin Wolf said, "Of course, there are lots of challenges to overcome, and there are many process parameters that we haven't thought of before. This learning process can help us avoid mistakes next time and help customers smoothly transfer to GaN-on-Si substrate with our application notes and engineering supports."AZZURRO aims to enable the migration of LED market to GaN-on-Si technology. As 200mm wafer technology gets ready, Erwin Wolf said, "When the industry can achieve mass production of 200mm wafer with CMOS process, the cost effectiveness of GaN-on-Si will stands out, and then the whole industry will move to this emerging technology quickly."However, before this goal is achieved, AZZURRO's important job right now is to enable the mass production of 200mm wafer. "We are now talking with several foundries, hoping to jointly develop 200mm wafer mass production technology. There are lots of idle 200mm capacities that can be utilized. Since these equipments are already fully depreciated, with these equipments and existing infrastructure, we can speed up the mass production of 200mm wafer," Erwin Wolf stressed.Meanwhile, in respond to future expansion plan, AZZURRO will have capital expansion plan next year, right now the company is aggressively talking with different parties about the investment plan.Erwin Wolf, CEO of AZZURRO Semiconductors AG

Fusion Trade, experts in sourcing electronic components throughout the world, announced today that it has changed its name to Fusion Worldwide. The change is part of a larger effort to more accurately reflect the independent distributor's global footprint and focus on being the industry's most valued sourcing leader. The rebranding initiative also includes a new corporate identity and website, www.FusionWW.com."Over the last 10 years, Fusion Trade has experienced steady growth and successful expansion into the European and Asian markets, and has built a solid reputation within the electronics sourcing industry," commented Peter LeSaffre, President and CEO of Fusion Worldwide. "This is a direct result of the capital and intense focus we have invested in building an exceptional sourcing process and network that is unmatched. We believe that Fusion Worldwide and our new tagline, "Sourcing is our most critical component", better reflects our leadership position and the true international nature of our business."Fusion is unrelenting in its pursuit of sourcing excellence and product quality, employing uncompromising vendor-qualification standards, traceability programs, state-of-the-art anti-counterfeit processes and unique warranties.Already one of the world's leading independent electronic component distributors, Fusion is planning an aggressive new marketing program designed to highlight the company's acknowledged leadership in high integrity sourcing. Key elements include the new website, an aggressive, year-long online advertising campaign as well as targeted direct mail and email campaigns.About Fusion Worldwide:Fusion is a sourcing leader among independent distributors of electronic components, computer products and peripherals. With locations in the U.S., Amsterdam, Singapore and Hong Kong, the company sources, procures and distributes components for manufacturers of computer, telecommunications, automotive, medical and consumer electronics equipment. Fusion takes extraordinary steps to insure product authenticity and quality by employing rigorous inspection procedures, including screening and analysis in its high-tech Screening and Analysis Labs and offers its customers a $10 million anti-counterfeit insurance policy. As a result, the company is on the preferred list of the world's leading OEMs and CEMs.Fusion is a member of IDEA and ERAI. The company is ISO 9001:2008 and ANSI/ESD S20.20 certified. Additional information can be found at http://www.fusionww.com/.Fusion Trade announced today that it has changed its name to Fusion Worldwide

Bank burglaries are common storylines for Hollywood movies. The Dark Knight takes away the breath of all Bat Man fans, while Firewall may win over security specialists and professionals. For System Integrators with clients from banking segments, or better yet, anyone who works in a bank, do bank burglaries exist in movies only? Think again.Throughout modern history, burglars would take advantage of every flaw in what should be a seamless security agenda. In the winter of 1976 in Lebanon, roughly US$34 million dollars (equivalent to about $135 million in today's currency) was stolen from the British Bank of the Middle East. Even more recently, the Central Bank of Iraq in Baghdad lost nearly $1 billion in March 2003 merely hours after the bombardment of the city, considered the largest bank heist in history according to CNN. As recent as May 2010 about $5.5 million is taken from the Al-Rafidain Bank in al-Mishkhab, Iraq. For the protection of people and assets, financial institutions are spending more on building a resilient, holistic and effective physical-electronic security system with the help of advanced modern technology.EverFocus as the chosen solution providerHeadquartered in Mumbai, India, the award-winning ICICI Bank is the second-largest bank in the country. Established in 1955, today's ICICI Bank boasts a network of 2,883 branches and 10,021 ATMs in India, in addition to presence in 19 countries. The institution offers a wide range of banking products and financial services to corporate and retail customers through a variety of delivery channels and through its specialized subsidiaries in the areas of investment banking, life and non-life insurance, venture capital and asset management.ICICI Bank was already equipped with a standard security set up for CCTV cameras with 4-Channel Digital Channel Recorders. With the advanced increasing security threat, ICICI felt the need for upgrading their systems with additional DVR's embedded with latest technologies.Honeywell, EverFocus India's highly valued system integrator partner, proposed a solution to install ECOR264-9X1GR Model -9-Channel DVR at their various branches of ICICI across West India. They have 250 branches across West India. Installation was done by our System Integrator Honeywell India.ECOR2649X1GR incorporates multiple features like H.264 compression format for efficient disk storage and network bandwidth conservation, GUI application which provides easy operation and functionality. In addition to these features, it provides HTTP streaming for live mobile monitoring, smart & snapshot search, express configurations etc. Presently, around 90 ECOR 264 Digital Video Recorders are deployed across multiple locations of West India.ICICI BankEverFocus India and Honeywell were selected as the partner to help secure such significant wealth of the nation for many reasons. The teams were first acknowledged for first-rate technical training, services and support. In addition to outstanding product performance and usability, EverFocus India and Honeywell together provided highly competitive pricing and unbeatable cost-effectiveness. ICICI Bank was also very satisfied with how versatile the solution was. One extra port was made available with ECOR264-9X1GR DVR as compared to an industry standard DVR. This was an added advantage for ICICI Bank, so that whenever in future any requirement comes up, the end-user could easily go for installation of one more camera.ICICI Bank selects EverFocus India and Honeywell as the surveillance solution providers

LILIN, a global IP video manufacturer, recently accounced its NVR Touch, the world's first standalone, touch screen NVR capable of recording 16 channels of 1080p at 25 fps, is available through Tri-Ed/Northern Video on a national scaleThe surveillance industry is currently experiencing the inevitable migration from Analog CCTV, to the new age and competitive cost of IP surveillance. 10 years in the making, this change is finally coming to fruition. In the digital scheme of things, it can be intimidating to those unfamiliar with IP addresses and networking in general. This is often the reason why seasoned installers and integrators cling to the Analog products they've come to know very well. LILIN has identified the need to simplify this change and proudly introduces what the company describes as "training wheels for IP surveillance." This innovation is the NVR Touch, a standalone network video recorder capable of recording 16 channels in 1080p, at real-time. With an easy-to-use touch screen interface similar to that of a smart phone, the unit was developed to be straight-forward and simple to setup. As of just this month, this innovative solution is now available nation-wide, through world-class distributor, Tri-Ed/Northern Video Distribution.Tri-Ed/Northern Video is a leading distribution company, serving both Canada and the United States. With two technical sales hubs, and over 40 branch locations in the Americas, Tri-Ed/Northern Video ranks in as the largest independent distributor of surveillance, low voltage, home automation, and network infrastructure products in the US. The company is dedicated to training its customers on applications and products to ensure their capability of using Tri-Ed/Northern Video brands to their utmost potential.LILIN is honored to have partnered with such a committed distributor as Tri-Ed/Northern Video Distribution, and is excited to make a product like the NVR Touch available to Tri-Ed customers. LILIN looks forward to the opportunities this relationship brings forth, and hopes to make the transition from Analog to IP easy for endusers, nation-wide. Ask your local Tri-Ed/Northern Video Distribution representative how you can make the easy migration to IP with LILIN's NVR Touch.About Merit LILINLILIN is a global IP video manufacturer with over 30 years of experience. Throughout the years, the company has maintained its dedication to Creativity, Progress, and Excellence providing expertise in digital video with a strong focus on innovation moving forward.

Intel has introduced the Atom processor S1200 product family, delivering the world's first low-power, 64-bit server-class system-on-chip (SoC) for high-density microservers, as well as a new class of energy-efficient storage and networking systems. The energy-sipping, industrial-strength microprocessor features essential capabilities to achieve server-class reliability, manageability and cost effectiveness, said Intel.As public clouds continue to grow, the opportunity to transform companies providing dedicated hosting, content delivery or front-end web servers are also growing. High density servers based on low-power processors are able to deliver the desired performance while at the same time significantly reduce the energy consumption – one of the biggest cost drivers in the data center. However, before deploying new equipment in data centers, companies look for several critical features.The Intel Atom processor S1200 product family is the first low-power SoC delivering required data center features that ensure server-class levels of reliability and manageability while also enabling significant savings in overall costs. The SoC includes two physical cores and a total of four threads enabled with Intel Hyper-Threading Technology. The SoC also includes 64-bit support, a memory controller supporting up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, Intel Virtualization Technologies, eight lanes of PCI Express 2.0, ECC support for higher reliability, and other I/O interfaces integrated from Intel chipsets. The new product family will consist of three processors with frequency ranging from 1.6GHz to 2GHz.The Intel Atom S1200 product family is also compatible with the x86 software that is commonly used in data centers today. This enables easy integration of the new low-powered equipment and avoids additional investments in porting and maintaining new software stacks.Intel continues to drive power consumption down in its products, enabling systems to be as energy efficient as possible. Each year since the 2006 introduction of low-power Intel Xeon processors, Intel has delivered a new generation of low-power processors that have decreased the thermal design power (TDP) from 40W in 2006 to 17W in 2012 due to Intel's advanced 22nm process technology. The Intel Atom processor S1200 product family is the first low-power SoC with server-class features offering as low as 6W of TDP.More than 20 low-power designs including microservers, storage and networking systems use the Intel Atom processor S1200 processor family from companies including Accusys, CETC, Dell, HP, Huawei, Inspur, Microsan, Qsan, Quanta Computer, Supermicro and Wiwynn.Intel is working on the next generation of Intel Atom processors for extreme energy efficiency codenamed Avoton. Available in 2013, Avoton will further extend Intel's SoC capabilities and use the company's leading 3D Tri-gate 22nm transistors, delivering world-class power consumption and performance levels.For customers interested in low-voltage Intel Xeon processor models for low-power servers, storage and networking, Intel will introduce the new Intel Xeon processor E3 v3 product family based on the Haswell microarchitecture next year. These new processors will take advantage of new energy-saving features in Haswell and provide balanced performance-per-watt, giving customers even more options.The Intel Atom processor S1200 is shipping today to customers with recommended customer price starting at US$54 in quantities of 1,000 units.Intel Atom S1200 series processorPhoto: Company

Moxa is pleased to release its MGate 5101-PBM-MN PROFIBUS-to-Modbus TCP gateways series. The MGate 5101-PBM-MN gateway features enable bridging PROFIBUS devices (PROFIBUS drives or meters) to Modbus TCP master (SCADA or PLCs) with ease. In addition, its rugged design with optional built-in optical isolation, and -40 to 75 degree C wide-temperature operation, ensures reliable performance for use in industrial applications such as oil/gas, power, process automation and factory automation.According to Jun Chuang, product manager for Industrial Ethernet Gateways, "As a networking expert, we always try our best to keep providing an effortless and cost-efficient solution in assisting our customers to remote monitoring field devices with different protocol. Through Moxa's gateway solutions, customers can easily perform configuration via an innovative AutoScan function in one easy click and online MGate monitoring tool. This simplifies maintenance and eliminates the need to buy an extra monitoring tool."Download our new white paper for further information on how industrial Ethernet gateways can optimize your industrial network integration: http://www.moxa.com/Event/Tech/2012/MGate_5101-PBM-MN_Solution/index.htmOne-click AutoScan enables easy configurationTo complete gateway configuration in one easy click, Moxa's MGate 5101-PBM-MN provides an innovative AutoScan function to detect all connected PROFIBUS slave devices and their available I/O modules. After configuration is done, an easy-to-read data mapping table is created to assist in the configuration of Modbus TCP master (e.g. SCADA, PLC) settings.Web-based I/O monitoring offers easy maintenanceThe MGate 5101-PBM-MN provides an online web-based I/O data monitoring tool with import/export functions for easy configuration, and records logs for troubleshooting purposes. This monitoring tool also supports encryption functions such as HTTPS and SSH to prevent unauthorized access. With this tool, customers won't need to spend an extra cost to get a PROFIBUS monitoring tool.About MoxaMoxa manufactures a wide array of device networking products for industrial automation. Information about all Moxa products, which include embedded computers, Ethernet switches, wireless solutions, serial device servers, multiport serial boards, media converters, USB-to-serial converters, embedded device servers, video networking products, and active I/O solutions, is available on Moxa's corporate website at http://www.moxa.com/.MGate 5101-PBM-MN gateway