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Automation software developer, COPA-DATA is one of three companies investing in the new Josef Ressel Centre for Intelligent and Secure Industrial Automation (ISIA) at the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences. Collaborating with B&R Industrial Automation and SIGMATEK, COPA-DATA will lead on cyber security in the investment, which is set to strengthen the relationship between automation companies and universities.

The Josef Ressel Centre ISIA will provide a hub for investigating the future of digitalisation and industrial automation, focusing specifically on the potential of digital assistants for industrial machines. The centre will focus on three key research fields: system architectures, artificial intelligence and cyber security.

COPA-DATA will be predominately involved in research into cyber security — a specialism on which the company has focused since its inception 35 years ago. As the developer of zenon, the industrial automation software for energy and industry, COPA-DATA has been supporting cyber security needs for several decades. The investment into the Josef Ressel Centre ISIA provides an opportunity for COPA-DATA to contribute its knowledge with academia.

“Cyber security is playing an increasingly central role in enabling industrial companies to adopt digitalisation,” explained Thomas Punzenberger, founder and CEO of COPA-DATA. “The creative exchange between scientists and partner companies at the new centre provides the potential for untapped innovation, and we’re looking forward to contributing our know-how.”

Industrial control partner, SIGMATEK will support with its knowledge of system architectures, while automation and process control expert, B&R Industrial Automation will support the research area for artificial intelligence (AI).

The new centre is part of the Salzburg 2025 Science and Innovation Strategy, which aims to improve collaboration between universities of applied sciences and industrial companies. The Josef Ressel Centre ISIA is the third of its kind to be opened in Salzburg, following the success of the Josef Ressel Centre for User-Centric Smart Grid Privacy, Security and Control and the Josef Ressel Centre for Dependable System-of-Systems Engineering. Both previous centres have been transformed into longstanding institutes for their respective fields.

“We are in the extremely fortunate position of being able to find an extraordinary innovation region in the Salzburg and Upper Austria area — creating almost a Silicon Valley of industrial automation,” said Stefan Huber, the newly appointed head of the centre. “I am delighted about the cooperation with three leading companies in automation: B&R Industrial Automation, COPA-DATA and SIGMATEK for the Josef Ressel Centre ISIA.”

More information on the objectives of the new centre can be found on the University of Salzburg website. For more information on COPA-DATA and its industrial software platform zenon, please visit www.copadata.com.

With the solar power sector expected to see a sharp rise throughout 2023, installation and testing engineers will need access to the best tools if they are to work at optimum efficiency and safety, says Fluke.

As the world makes its unstoppable transition to renewable energy sources, the global solar energy market is predicted to have grown by around 20.5% to reach $223.3bn between 2019 and 2026 (Allied Market Research), engineers need to be ready.

Fluke says that the top five tools engineers will need – whether working on residential systems, solar farms or photovoltaic (PV) farms – are:

• a Multifunction PV Tester
• solar irradiance meter
• insulation tester
• infrared camera (thermal imager)
• solar clamp meter (DC & AC true rms)

These will all help to improve accuracy and efficiency during installation or periodic maintenance, including checking the integrity of system wiring and connections while keeping accurate measurement records.

Instantaneous measurements

A Multifunction PV tester enables solar professionals to test PV systems safely and accurately while streamlining workflows faster than ever. Fluke’s soon to be released SMFT-1000 Multifunction PV Tester is an all-in-one tool that’s ideal for safety and performance testing of installations that operate up to 1000 V DC.

Solar irradiance meters measure solar irradiance, PV module temperature, array orientation and tilt angles. Fluke’s award-winning IRR1-SOL Solar Irradiance Meter operates in accordance with the IEC 62446-1 standard and enables engineers to take instantaneous measurements so they can determine Watts per square meter of the solar irradiation.

An insulation tester makes it possible to detect earth leakage problems quickly by comparing measurements over time and allowing real-time decisions to be made in the field. The 1587 FC Insulation Multimeter from Fluke enables engineers to monitor measurements remotely, accessing and sharing insulation resistance test results wirelessly with their smartphone via the Fluke Connect Measurements app.

Space at a premium

Solar clamp meters measure DC and AC currents. Fluke’s 393 FC Solar clamp meter – the world’s first 1500V CAT III, IP54 rated, thin jaw clamp meter – is designed to deliver exceptional safety when working in DC environments up to 1500 V, such as solar arrays. The clamp meter’s thin jaw makes it ideal for use in PV applications where space is often at a premium.

Hans-Dieter Schuessele, Application & Technology Expert at Fluke, said, “countries around the world are dealing with the dual pressures of climate change and reliable power sources. Renewable energy is an obvious solution that we believe will gain even greater traction throughout 2023 and years to come. Fluke has always supported the solar sector and dedicated itself to developing ground-breaking tools for use by PV installation and maintenance engineers and we want them to be fully prepared for growth in this market. Only by having the best tools possible at their disposal can engineers in this demanding sector work at optimum efficiency and maximum safety.”

As a global technology leader in the manufacture of compact, professional electronic test and measurement tools and software, Fluke has developed a range of solutions working closely with electricians, technicians and specialists who work in photovoltaic (PV) systems. For many years, the company has recognised that the PV sector has specific requirements that demand the use of specialised tools in such areas as surveying, installing and maintenance.

For more information on Fluke’s photovoltaic testers and solar PV testing equipment, visit the website.

Automotive and industrial supplier Schaeffler will purchase electricity from wind turbines in the long term from Statkraft Markets GmbH, a leading international producer in the field of renewable energies. The plants, commissioned in October 2022 in Staufenberg, Hesse (Giessen district), will provide green electricity with a total capacity of around 18 megawatts for five years. Since 2020, 100 per cent of the electricity purchased in Germany has come from renewable sources. Starting in 2024, the power purchase agreement (PPA) with Statkraft will perspectively cover eight per cent of Schaeffler’s electricity needs in Germany. Schaeffler concluded a PPA with Statkraft back in September and has been sourcing 11 per cent of its electricity requirements in Germany from two photovoltaic parks since the beginning of the year. In addition, Schaeffler acquired a photovoltaic park in December 2022 from BayWa r.e. AG in Kammerstein, Franconia, with a total peak capacity of 9.9 megawatts.

“As a company with many production sites, Schaeffler is increasing its planning security for the procurement of green power by entering into power purchase agreements with reliable partners such as Statkraft, thereby making itself less dependent on the volatile electricity market,” says Andreas Schick, Executive Board member responsible for Production, Supply Chain Management, and Purchasing at Schaeffler AG. “Through cooperations and our own sustainability activities, we are strengthening Schaeffler’s production network in the long term and confirming our commitment to achieving climate-neutral production by 2030.”

Schaeffler Relying on Renewable Energies

The topic of sustainability is of overriding importance to the Schaeffler Group and is a central component of the Roadmap 2025 corporate strategy. By 2040, the Group will have achieved climate neutrality for its own production and the supply chain. Arranging the direct purchase of wind power from Statkraft complements the existing portfolio of measures focused on renewable energies. All European production sites have been sourcing electricity exclusively from renewable sources since 2021 and all Chinese sites since 2022. In addition, Schaeffler is expanding its own renewable energy generation at multiple sites.

The “Science Based Targets initiative” (SBTi) reviewed the Schaeffler Group’s climate targets and classified them as science-based in December 2022 (Scope 1, 2 and selected areas of Scope 3 upstream). They show a clearly defined path to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and are suitable for achieving the goals of the Paris Convention. At the end of 2022, the CDP’s international environmental rating also confirmed Schaeffler’s sustainability strategy with its top grade “A” for climate change and water safety.

Mouser Electronics added 59 new manufacturers to its industry-leading line card during 2022, significantly expanding product choices for design engineers and purchasing professionals around the world. By offering customers a wide selection of the most advanced technologies, Mouser helps designers avoid costly redesigns, manufacturing delays or even the termination of a project.

Mouser works closely with its 1,200+ manufacturer partners to provide the fastest and easiest access to the industry’s newest components. Throughout 2022, as many companies faced supply chain challenges, semiconductor and electronic component manufacturers counted on Mouser to successfully help them introduce their products into the global marketplace

“Mouser is uniquely focused on offering our customers the widest selection of the latest technologies and products from the top electronic component manufacturers,” said Jeff Newell, Mouser Electronics’ Senior Vice President of Products. “Adding this significant number of new suppliers reinforces Mouser’s reputation as a one-stop shop for all the board-level components and associated development tools necessary for total project design.”

Among the new manufacturer partners Mouser added in 2022 are:

• Allegro MicroSystems, a global leader in power and sensing solutions for motion control and energy-efficient systems.
• Kingston, a leading global manufacturer of memory and storage solutions. Kingston supplies memory devices to top-tier data centres, cloud providers and PC manufacturers, as well as companies developing the next trends in smart devices.
• Amphenol LTD, part of the family of companies that form the Amphenol Corporation, offers manufacturing services for an extensive range of connectors and interconnect solutions, including over-molding, cable assembly and electronic packaging.
• Menlo Micro, a manufacturer responsible for creating an entirely new category of electronic switches for RF, microwave, millimeter wave, AC/DC power solutions and much more.
• Advanced Photonix, a leading supplier of optoelectronic sensors, devices, and instruments used by test and measurement, process control, medical, telecommunication and defence markets.

For more information on Mouser’s newest manufacturer partners, go to https://eu.mouser.com/new-manufacturer/.

To see the latest products available from Mouser, visit https://eu.mouser.com/.

The Coventry-based Manufacturing Technology Centre is offering a lifeline to redundant employees of the collapsed battery manufacturer Britishvolt.

The MTC is offering Britishvolt employees the chance to fill more than 50 engineering, manufacturing and supporting roles at its Ansty Park headquarters. The roles available include engineers of all levels as well as project managers and trainers.

The MTC is to hold an open day on January 25 to give Britishvolt employees the chance to learn about the MTC and its cutting-edge facilities, meet MTC managers and explore career opportunities available to them.

The open day will be on January 25 from 11am to 3pm at the MTC’s headquarters at Ansty Park, Coventry, CV7 9JU. Any Britishvolt employees interested in attending should contact vacancies@the-mtc.org for more information and to register their attendance.

The MTC has already taken on three Britishvolt apprentices, allowing them to transfer their employment and training, and complete their apprenticeships at the centre.

MTC chief people officer, Vicki Sanderson said the MTC was keen to support the UK manufacturing community.

She said, “Following the sad news that Britishvolt has fallen into administration, the MTC is offering Britishvolt employees who have been made redundant a wide range of manufacturing, engineering and supporting roles within the MTC organisation. The UK has long suffered from a shortage of people with the right engineering and associated skills to take the country’s manufacturing industry into the future, so it is important that these skills are not lost to other sectors. The MTC, as a proud supporter of UK manufacturing and a progressive employer, has more than 50 roles in the West Midlands available and we are offering Britishvolt employees the chance to take these opportunities.”

More than 300 jobs were lost when Britishvolt collapsed into administration last week. MTC roles available include research engineers, laser and metrology engineers, mechanical and electrical team leaders, technology managers, business transformation advisors, manufacturing engineers, project managers and engineering trainers, as well as maintenance, finance and health and safety roles.

The MTC aims to provide a competitive environment to bridge the gap between university-based research and the development of innovative manufacturing solutions, in line with the Government’s manufacturing strategy. The MTC is part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, supported by Innovate UK.

Established to prove innovative manufacturing processes and technologies in an agile environment in partnership with industry, academia and other institutions, the MTC houses some of the most advanced manufacturing equipment in the world, creating a high quality environment for the development and demonstration of new technologies on an industrial scale. This provides a unique opportunity for manufacturers to develop new and innovative processes and technologies

Aircraft manufacturers designing More Electric Aircraft (MEA) are looking to convert the flight control systems from hydraulic to electric to reduce weight and design complexities. To meet the needs for an integrated and configurable power solution for aviation applications, Microchip Technology has announced a new comprehensive hybrid power drive module, the first variant introduced in the new product line of power devices that will be available in 12 different variants with either silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs or insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs).

These hybrid power drive modules are highly integrated power semiconductor devices that reduce the number of components and simplify the overall system design. The configurable power devices include a three-bridge topology that are available in SiC or Si semiconductor technologies. Offering a compact design and low weight and profile, these high-reliability power devices help reduce the size and weight of MEAs.

Other key capabilities of these hybrid power drive modules include numerous auxiliary power devices that facilitate an inrush current limit function. Optional add-on capabilities include soft start, solenoid interface drive, regenerative brake switch and thermal sensors for external monitoring circuitry usage. The power modules also facilitate high-switching frequency power generation, which enables smaller and more efficient systems.

The standard voltage of the power modules ranges from 650V to 1200V, with the option to customise up to 1700V on request. The device is designed for low inductances for high-power density with power and signal connectors that are solderable directly on the user’s printed circuit board.

“Microchip is committed to developing products that serve as the building block to implement lighter, more compact and highly efficient system solutions in aviation,” said Leon Gross, corporate vice president of Microchip’s discrete power management business unit.

“The hybrid power drive modules deliver a comprehensive power solution for our customers who are designing More Electric Aircraft.”

Microchip is a proven supplier of comprehensive power solutions. These hybrid power drive modules are easily configurable with other Microchip products and parts, such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), memory integrated circuits, motor drive controllers and motor drive monitoring integrated circuits.

Pickering Electronics, the reed relay company which has pioneered miniaturisation and high performance has announced significant growth as it enters its 55^th year. A sales revenue increase of over 85% in the last two years, Pickering Electronics puts its success down to continuous product innovation.

A reed relay, of course, is only as good as the reed switch itself, and Pickering uses the very best instrumentation-grade switches with appropriate switch blade coatings for the currents and voltages demanded by the application. An innovation still not employed by some competition – was the introduction of SoftCenter technology which protects the reed switch and minimises internal stresses, resulting in an extended life and contact resistance stability.

The use of magnetic shielding, followed last year by the introduction of electrostatic screening in high voltage relays, prevents faulty operation. And of course, miniaturisation, such as the recent 4mm² range, which stack on a tiny 4mm x 4mm pitch whilst still switching up to 1 Amp, 20 Watts. 

Another reason for the company’s success is Pickering’s diversification of its product range. New directions for the company include a strong focus on high voltage reed relays which are suitable for mixed-signal semiconductor testers, high-end cable testers, medical electronics, electric vehicles, solar energy, big physics, and high voltage instrumentation.

Recent releases include Series 67 HV relays with a Form C option, a new 100HV product high voltage relay with high coil resistances, and the increase in rating of the popular Series 104 product family, now up to 4 kV and with optional electrostatic shielding. Series 67 and 68 high voltage relays are now also rated up to 200 W.

There are certain elements that are common to all successful businesses which Pickering naturally shares. Pickering has become a byword for product quality and reliability, and the company counts very many leading names within the Aerospace, EV, Defence, Semiconductor Production and Test & Measurement industries, amongst its worldwide customer base.

Commented Kevin Mallett, Technical Specialist at Pickering Electronics: “Pickering has consistently led the reed relay industry, basing our business on three key pillars, innovation, diversification and technical support. We believe this approach is responsible for our success, not only in recent times, but also across our history which now spans more than half a century.”

Anritsu will be showing advanced solutions supporting the latest 5G standards and network deployments at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023 at Barcelona (Hall 5 Stand D41). As a long-term partner in the Telecom Industry for test and analytics solutions, Anritsu is developing innovative new solutions to help accelerate the transformation of new products and services for 5G Industry Verticals.

Anritsu’s stand will demonstrate how its solutions underpin new use cases such as Smart Factories and Autonomous Driving, the metaverse and digital twins, while also providing thought leadership and opportunities to learn about emerging technologies.

Technologies and Measurements for Beyond 5G

3GPP has started work on ‘5G-Advanced’ from Release 18, and industry and academia are already evaluating technologies for 6G. Anritsu is participating in multiple projects and consortia to help define and shape future telecoms technologies and related measurement requirements.

Metaverse user experience over 5G with real world mobility in partnership with InterDigital

Interruption of data during mobility can disrupt immersive user experience applications that rely on low latency network services. 5G New Radio (NR) introduces significant improvements in latency and data interruption, but further improvements can be made by changing radio network and user equipment. Anritsu will showcase the simulation of real network conditions in an ultra-flexible test lab environment, demonstrating smarter 5G UE and network behaviours and a use case that embodies the metaverse’s challenges of uplink bandwidth, latency, and synchronisation.

Test Solution for 5G Enabled Automated Valet Parking in partnership with dSPACE

Anritsu and dSPACE GmbH have developed a test and simulation environment for Automated Valet Parking (AVP).

Based on AVP Type 2, we will show how 5G can be used to send the parking request to the AVP service. The vehicle will then be dropped off by the driver and automatically driven by the AVP system to its intended parking spot. When requested by the vehicle’s owner, it will be retrieved automatically.

This solution features Anritsu MT8000A Radio Communication Test Station and dSPACE VEOS (a PC-based simulation platform), with dSPACE AURELION sensor-realistic simulation providing a 5G network slicing testing environment for Automotive V2X Use Cases.

RIS Measurements with PhaseLync Technology in partnership with Greenerwave

Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) is an electronic device, composed of many layers with a surface inlaid with a set of patch antennas, called pixels (or unit cells) whose electromagnetic (EM) response could be controlled via a control board. It is proposed in the framework of 5G and Beyond connectivity to steer radio signals between a transmitter and receiver, giving better reception or link quality.
Greenerwave, a French SME founded in 2016, has built the first RIS worldwide using off-the-shelf electronics and PIN diodes. Its know-how in electronically steerable antennas has been widely recognised in many business applications.

However, measuring the magnitude and phase characteristics of high frequency RISs at various distances and conditions is challenging, as no Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) can separate the two ports of the VNA over longer distances. Anritsu’s PhaseLync technology distributed VNA system ME7868A can make these measurements over 100 meters, characterising a RIS surface performance in a real environment.

This partnership between Anritsu and Greenerwave on a challenging problem will open the door for RIS technical specifications in several environments that allows to benchmark the technology against existing solutions.

O-RAN Test Solution for O-RU

Open RAN is driving flexibility and intelligence in mobile network using multi-vendor disaggregated products. The key challenge is to reduce the complexity of testing and to maintain network performance.

Anritsu contributes to build secure mobile network by providing a unique solution for O-RU (O-RAN Radio Unit) testing. The solution improves the test efficiency via test automation and the quality of O-RU by offering test scenarios closer to real network situation. 

Field Test – Network Latency Measurements for UR/LLC

High value services on 5G and future 6G mobile networks will require very low latency. Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) is key for applications such as autonomous vehicles, medical, Multiple Access Edge Computing (MEC), and Metaverse technology.

Mobile network operators need to ensure low latency across their network, combined with network synchronisation, ensuring support for critical services.

Anritsu MT1000A Network Master Pro, a portable easy to use test solution with 10GE, 25GE and 100GE interfaces, helps simulate mobile car connectivity. This allows accurate analysis and mapping of the distribution of latency values, throughput, and jitter values and ensures required network performance for URLLC and end-to-end quality of service.  Anritsu will demonstrate the MT1000A test setup, showing a live demo of a real network latency measurements and data mapping.

Complete toolbox for 5G base station field engineers

Anritsu’s Field Master Spectrum Analyzer family offers best-in-class performance for current and future testing needs in a wide range of commercial, private, and government use cases.

Field Master MS2080A, the latest addition to the Field Master Family, integrates all the tools required to install and maintain the radio performance of standalone and non-standalone 5G networks. Field technicians have everything they need in one package – spectrum analysis, 5G and LTE transmitter measurements and cable and antenna line sweep measurements.

Additional tools for spectrum clearing and interference hunting will also be demonstrated at Mobile World Congress.

For regulators validating compliance with national standards and network operators testing the performance of new base stations, MS2080A provides all the measurements needed in a portable light weight instrument with time saving automatic report generation.

Anritsu Service Assurance – Beyond Automated Assurance

Assurance of telecoms networks is moving away from troubleshooting and assessing subscriber and network experience to become an integral part of how future networks must work. Autonomous networks using advanced automation require real-time subscriber-level insights, machine learning, and automation.

Anritsu Service Assurance gives operators real-time insight into subscribers’ experiences, allowing them to fix network issues without delay. As a result, operations teams run more efficiently and with complete visibility across all technologies and services.

For 5G Private Networks for large enterprises, assurance systems allow in-depth insights into device experience or mobility.

Visit the Anritsu Service Assurance stand at MWC to learn about the journey to the autonomous telecom cloud, including demos on automation, anomaly detection, and private networks.

To excite, inspire and educate girls on the opportunities the cyber security and technology industry has to offer, global engineering technologies company, Renishaw, participated at the EmPowerCyber event, organised by Cyber Cheltenham (CyNam). EmPowerCyber aims to change perceptions about diversity within the sector by creating a variety of workshops to encourage young girls to consider a career in cyber security. At the full day event on Friday November 25th, around 800 Year 8 girls had the opportunity to take part in hands-on workshops covering four different ‘zones’ — cyber security, cryptography, networking, and logic & coding.

Local businesses contributed to the workshops and activities, with the aim of supporting girls in learning more about the sector and creating a more diverse industry. During the event, Renishaw’s STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) Outreach team ran 25-minute workshops in the logic & coding zone, with a challenge that involved coding a BBC Microbit buggie to move around within a defined space, helping them to develop an understanding of coding and how to create algorithms. Renishaw’s STEM ambassadors were on hand to explain how these coding skills apply to the wider technology industry.

“The EmPowerCyber event will give girls the confidence and opportunity to explore careers in STEM and in particular, to inspire them to consider a career in cyber security and technology,” commented Lucy Spiteri-Beale, Early Careers STEM Outreach Tutor at Renishaw. “Events like these offer businesses the chance to come together to address the gender imbalance in STEM related industries and make a real difference.”

“We recognise that everyone needs to do their part in changing the industry for future generations,” added Sarah Lewis, Early Careers STEM Outreach Tutor at Renishaw. “By partnering with events designed to highlight that opportunities exist for everyone, we hope to inspire all young people to consider STEM-based careers.”

According to The International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC)², men outnumber women by three to one in the cyber security industry. CyNam hopes that running events like EmPowerCyber will help reduced this gender gap and get more girls and young women excited about a career in cyber security and technology.

Schools interested in attending EmPowerCyber events can contact info@cynam.org.

For more information about Renishaw’s STEM outreach programme, visit https://www.renishaw.com/en/education-outreach.