Barry Craik

Steadlands and Logitech: It’s Only Logical!

Covid has shown that it is possible for people to work from home and still maintain a good work/life balance. This has resulted in more people working from home than ever before. This brings it’s own brand of problems, mostly revolving around choppy internet connections, or faulty technology. You need the best to make it work reliably. Steadlands can help make that happen, in conjunction with Logitech.

Logitech are world leaders in the IT market, specialising in computer peripherals, specifically, human input devices. This means that we, with Logitech, will be able to provide you with the perfect components for working from home. There are three primary peripherals that you would need, keyboard and mouse, plus a headset for those all important Zoom or Teams meetings, and here at Steadlands, we can offer you fantastic deals on all of them.

As well as providing excellent pricing on all Logitech individual components, we also offer bundles containing everything you’d need to interface with your computer, whether by hand, video, or voice. Take a look at what is available in our store, and as always, to discuss these or any of our products, contact us.

IECEx Zone 1 PC Explosion Proof Technology

Now Approved! IECEx Zone 1 4093 PC – transferable and field maintainable explosion proof technology that enhances operator control through real-time data monitoring and machine control in hazardous environments.

The 4093 features a 15″ sunlight readable, anti-glare LCD display with 1027×768 resolution. Integrated with easy to use, impact resistant, multi-touch, PCT/PCAP touch screen. Has four hot swappable connectors, for quick connection to ethernet, USB x2 and power ports.

With a wide operating temperature (-20° to 60° C) and wi-fi connectivity, operators can maximize machine performance by working directly on the rig floor.

The 4093 can also be easily installed and transferred between job sites. The VESA mounting pattern and easy grip handles allow operators to quickly mount the 4093 in various configurations. These same features make the unit field maintainable, minimizing risk of downtime and total cost of ownership.

For more information on this, or any Daisy Data product, please contact us.

Heatsinks and Why We Need Them

Heat dissipation is an unavoidable by-product of electronic devices and circuits. To ensure that the component does not overheat, an efficient heat transfer path must be found from the device to the environment. This thermal pathway reduces the temperature rise in the junction of the electronic device. Generally speaking, the devices that run cooler will last longer and perform better.

Heat sinks are used to move heat away from a device in order to maintain a lower device temperature. A heat sink allows a component to dissipate its heat over a larger surface area and transfer that heat to the surroundings — usually air or a liquid coolant. (If the media is liquid, this type of heat sink is frequently called a cold plate.)

Without a heat sink, the silicon junction inside the package could rise far beyond the recommended operating conditions. Heat sinks are used with high-power semiconductor devices such as MosFETs, power resistors, Diodes, IGBTs, etc. They are also essential in optoelectronics such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), where the heat dissipation ability of the component itself is insufficient to moderate its temperature. When used with LEDs, heat sinks absorb and disperse excess heat away from the LED diode, thus increasing light output and extending the LED’s lifetime.

A heat sink is designed to maximize its surface area in contact with the cooling media surrounding it. In passive cooling applications conduction, natural convection and radiation is used to cool a component. Active cooling requires the use of a fan or blower to move air through the heat sink to cooling the component. Air velocity, choice of heat sink material, design, and surface treatment are factors that affect the performance of a heat sink. Heat sink attachment methods and thermal interface materials (TIMs) also affect the die junction temperature of the integrated circuit.

OHMITE HAS THE SOLUTIONS
From surface mount devices to multiple unit extrusions, Ohmite offers an array of low cost, configurable, scalable and
compact heat sinks to meet the needs of not only power resistors, but of all active devices.
Designed to secure TO-126, TO-218, TO-220, TO-247, and TO264 packages, plus provide thermal solutions for TO-252, TO263, and TO-268 SMD and BGA devices, Ohmite offers heat sinks appropriate for applications dissipating different wattages and mounting options. Ohmite also offers the ceramic heat sinks for the high-voltage-circuit and chip-on-heat-sink applications. For applications that require more customization, the company has a broad extrusion profile library to develop custom and semi-custom solutions.

This article is just a snippet from Ohmite’s White Paper. Please click here to view the complete document.

The latest in hazardous area viewing technology

Meet our cost effective, highly reliable monitor for hazardous area – a 15.6” Division 2 multi-touch monitor that enhances your process control. Engineered to meet Division 2/Zone 2 & IP66 standards, the 2123AA industrial monitor can be VESA mounted or configured as a stand-alone desktop making monitoring and controlling machine performance both easily accessible and viewable.

Operators working in remote locations are no longer restricted to small screen sizes or remote access of machinery and performance. The 2123AA 15.6″ monitor enables operators to control and monitor performance of machinery on the factory floor, without compromising the integrity of the monitor, machine, processes or site.

With an precise high definition LCD screen, built in 75′ cable harness (with optional KVM extender for up to 1/4 mile) to connect to a remote PC, operators can easily view critical operational data and control machinery safely and reliably without much risk of downtime. This Zone 2/Division 2 hazardous area monitor is engineered to increased efficiency, performance and production in process control and automation applications ideal for food, pharmaceutical, chemical and paint production.

For further information, please do not hesitate to contact [email protected].

Expanding the Daisy Data Range

 When the going gets tough …

… the tough get Daisy Data.

 

Combining performance and endurance is no mean feat.  Whether you think Italian sports cars, athletes hitting the scrapheap aged 28 or thoroughbred horses, high performances mean fragility, delicacy and often a short working life.

Right?

Not if you talk to Daisy Data about their 4120 Series!  A range of portable, rugged, lightweight industrial touchscreen computers in 15” and 19” guise, the 4120 series will get the job done time and time again.  But don’t take our word for, just pop over to the guys at MET Labs who’ve happily stamped these market leading industrial touchscreen computers ATEX Zone 2 Compliant.  Whether monitoring, data collecting or something else altogether, options of an upgraded processor, RAM and even an SSD will ensure you’ve got the power and performance you need.  At your fingertips.  Always.

The 4123 launch is being covered by the Hazard Ex magazine. You can view the article here.

We at Steadlands have the pleasure of being the sole representatives of Daisy Data throughout the UK and Europe and have watched the company grow to be a leading force within the field of computer technology in hazardous environments.  Whether standalone units like the 4120 series, standard computers, keyboards, displays or peripherals, Daisy Data has the answer for your hazardous environment needs.  We’ve compiled a guide to some of the most common hazardous ratings which can be found on our website.

The Myriad of Uses for Force Sensing Resistors

Force Sensing Resistors are used in many different applications worldwide, from helping people walk, to detecting the depth of water. Here we are going to take a look at some of the more unusual, or ingenious, uses they have seen.

Fall Sensing Resistors

FSRs are seeing use in the medical industry, to detect when patients fall out of bed or a chair. FSRs under the mattress or cushion allow a nurse to see how a patient is lying or sitting, how long they have stayed in that position, and can set off alarms when the patient leaves the place in question or doesn’t move for too long. This could be they get up to wander off from the chair they’ve been sat in, or it could be they have managed to fall out of bed. Either way though, the nurses will quickly know, and be able to remedy the situation.

Foot/Fist Sensing Resistors

This application is actually seeing use in two very different, but still related fields. In the robotics industry, FSRs are used for grip and/or feet sensors, to allow a robot to, for example, pick something up, without crushing it. In the same manner, FSRs are used in robot feet for the same purpose. Once a step has been taken, the robot needs to know it’s foot is clearly on the floor so it doesn’t keep trying to step and knock itself over. This also allows a robot to detect if it has stood on something it shouldn’t, and allow it to correct before breaking that something.

The other industry which is seeing very similar use is the prosthetics market, allowing recipients of prosthetic limbs a far finer control over their new limbs than was previously possible.

Front Sensing Resistors

A number of vehicle manufacturers are now using FSR technology in front and rear bumpers, to help with collision detection. If anything sets off the sensors, that will send a signal to start other automatic processes, emergency braking, for example. Vehicles aren’t the only things seeing this use of FSRs though. Collision detection is also useful in automatic doors, warehouse conveyors, and weigh stations, to name but a few examples.

Fertility Sensing Resistors

I had to save the most unusual use of an FSR for last, of course, and I’m fairly sure I don’t want to know how this use was discovered. Apparently, it is possible to determine the best time of insemination using vibrations of a vagina wall. Now, this is not done on people, but has been discovered to offer huge savings in the cattle industry, allowing farmers to know exactly when they should bring their stud bull in to, well, do his thing.

Where once the bull had to be brought in day after day to ensure fertilization, each time costing the farmer stud fees, now, thanks to force sensing resistor technology, the farmer can tell when is the perfect time to bring him in. Great news for the farmer, not so much for the bull!

Davies Digest April 2019

Davies Molding have recently expanded their offerings of knob toppers to include a new, softer rubber handle. The natural rubber used to make them has a high tensile strength and excellent impact resistance while, at the same time, providing a comfortable, yet sturdy grip. These new handles are available in a variety of sizes and threads to better suit your applications.

In other Davies Molding news, thanks to international business increasing demand, Davies have now started offering their their knobs in metric sizes. These new choices apply to all models of knob on offer, in both thermoset and thermoplastic materials.

Our final snippet for this Davies Digest is to congratulate them on becoming the US distributor for German handle manufacturer Rohde. Rodhe produce sturdy adjustable handles suitable for any application.

eSignature Solutions

STU-541

Whether you’re in a back office, or going door-to-door, whatever your application, Steadlands has an electronic signature solution that suits you perfectly. From a simple signature pad to sit on a quiet desk to sign letters, we can offer you a selection of esignature devices that reaches up to a completely portable solution capable of converting hand-completed forms into electronic documents.

At the entry level, we offer the ePad, ePad II, and STU-300B. All are suitable for simple signature capture, although the STU-300B also boasts a small LCD screen that allows a signer to see their signature appear under the “pen”. The ePad II  also has an identifier code that is unique to each separate pad, allowing an administrator to determine exactly which ePad II was used to capture a specific signature. All three of these units are small and light, and so will easily slip into the side of a laptop case for easy transport, although do still need to be plugged into a computer to work.

The PHU-111KO Clipboard, on the other hand, is a rechargeable, portable solution that lets you complete entire forms (in ink, no less!), and have them automatically transcribed into electronic documents. Those documents are then saved on a local storage device, usually a mobile phone or tablet, and can later be transferred to a company network. Clever use of barcodes also means that the Clipboard can handle multiple documents at once.

For the public, customer facing application, we would recommend you look at Wacom’s DTU-1031X, the DTU-1141B, the DTH-1152, and the DTK-1651. All of these models plug into a PC and are used as you would a second screen. But, thanks to the electromagnetic resonance technology used in the screen and stylus, these tablets are far more useful than simple monitors. The ability to act as a second screen, but with touchscreen capability, means that these tablets are ideal for use in a customer facing environment that requires the customer’s input. Completing entry forms at hotels, or selecting seats at the cinema, are just a couple of examples of where the DT* series will come in useful, and they are, of course, fully capable of handling handwritten signatures on their electronic documents.

In the middle of the range, you will find our most popular esignature solutions. The final two pieces in the ePadLink range are the ePad-Ink, and the ePad Vision, and from Wacom, the STU-430, STU-430V, STU-530, STU-540, and STU-541. All have screens and are suitable for customer facing applications, although they do not have the “full page” capabilities of the DT* series. They can all, however, be used to display simple marketing messages, or even ask questions of the person using the pad. The STU-430 pads, and the ePad-Ink are limited to black and white images, while the Vision, and the higher end STUs are fully capable of displaying colour images with remarkable detail.

All of our esignature solutions come with their own developers’ kits, drivers, and software. For the ePad range, this comes in the form of IntegriSign Desktop, an application which incorporates the SDKs and holds ready-made plug-ins for Microsoft Word and Excel, and Adobe Acrobat. Also available is a standalone piece of software called pDoc Signer which allows for the signing of PDF documents without the need for a full blown version of Acrobat.

The Wacom series of signature pads also has a standalone piece of software for PDF signing, this one named SignPro PDF. The rest of the download for the Wacom pads is all contained in a pair of SDKs, designed to allow you to integrate Wacom’s signature solutions into your own software.

Whatever your application, we can help you find the right solution. For more information, or to arrange a demonstration, please contact us.

Revolutionizing the Automotive Experience

As autonomous and self-driving vehicles are perfected and start to see use on the roads, it is natural to wonder, what will the occupants do, now they no longer need to pay attention to the road? This is where IEE‘s latest innovation comes in.

They have been working alongside Yanfeng Automotive Interiors to develop the “Active Space” system in the rear compartment of Yanfeng’s new autonomous rideshare concept vehicle, ‘Experience in Motion 2020,’ or XiM20 for short, which is currently touring the US.

Active Space is an interactive 3D sensing solution combined with a tailored human-machine interface delivery, using a unique combination of in-cabin 3D sensing plus large surface display technology. It enables immersive interaction between passengers and the vehicle interior for entertainment, communication, and ambience.

 

 

Technological Fusion

Tangio continues to lead on the cutting edge of Force Sensing Resistor technology with their latest product, Fuzion, which combines the different methods of force sensing.

Force sensing resistor technology comes in two variations. Resistive FSRs use a conductive layer in the sensor itself, which requires pressure to be applied. The more pressure applied to the sensor, the lower the resistance. The majority of typical force sensing resistors are of the resistive type.

The other version of force sensing technology is one often seen in technology like smartphones. A capacitive FSR works by detecting electrical currents, and basing the resistance on the current detected. This even works with the minute electrical signals running through your body, and doesn’t even require touch, only proximity.

Fuzion combines both of these into a single unit, allowing for unprecedented control over activation. In the demo video below, you can see how the sensor detects not only pressure applied (green lights), but also when a user’s finger approaches the device (orange lights).

Fuzion was created so it only needs one sensor which is capable of handling both methods of detection, and only one interface, saving you both time and money in the supply chain.