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The sensor solution provider HENSOLDT is developing new AI-based decision-making processes for military operations as part of the “GhostPlay” project. This is intended to support military action at the tactical level at the highest operational speed using a synthetic simulation environment. The innovative technology project, conducted in cooperation with Helmut Schmidt University, Hamburg, will run until the end of 2024 and is funded by the Centre for Digitisation and Technology Research of the Bundeswehr (DTEC.Bw).

The subject of the research will be, among other things, the extent to which military operations and decisions can be accelerated by AI and what opportunities and risks arise from this. Among other things, it will be examined how AI-based decision support can support the sensor-effector network of a swarm of unmanned systems in complex missions to suppress enemy air defences (SEAD) and how the interaction of the individual components of a defence system can be optimised. At the same time, the ethical aspects that need to be taken into account will be investigated.

HENSOLDT brings to this technology project its experience with the application of AI mechanisms in the evaluation of reconnaissance data, with the networking of sensors and effectors, and with simulation techniques in product development and resource management. HENSOLDT leads a strong team with 21Strategies GmbH for AI-based decision algorithms in the finance and defence environment, Borchert Consulting & Research AG for strategy, concept and scenario development and the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics (FKIE) for sensor data fusion and technology consideration.

TÜV SÜD today launches its dedicated Maritime SOLAS RADAR Test Range, the only independent test house in the UK, and one of three in the world, to offer ISO 17025 accredited testing against IEC 62388.

Located in Essex on the Thames Estuary, the ex-Ministry of Defence test site meets all IEC 62388 radar range requirements. TÜV SÜD’s RADAR test reports are therefore recognised by maritime authorities globally, including shipping classification societies and EU Marine Equipment Directive (MED) Notified Bodies.

TÜV SÜD’s new testing facility will significantly reduce time to market for RADAR manufacturers. Previously they had to use multiple sites to cover various tests and were also required to accommodate witness testing by classification societies, as other laboratories are not ISO 17025 accredited.

Phil Evans, Business Development Director for Marine at TÜV SÜD, said: “Our new facility is a real game-changer for the marine RADAR market. We worked directly with both MED Notified Bodies and global classification societies to ensure that our ISO 17025 accredited test reports are accepted globally. Also, as equipment manufacturers can now access a complete testing service with a single provider, they can gain access to international markets faster and more cost effectively.”

If you follow IIoT news on social media, you may know Will Brown from previous lives as #willywireless or as a Knight of IoT!

Will has joined Powelectrics as an IIoT Solutions Architect, taking full advantage of his degree in Physics and Mathematics, together with strong practical instrumentation and digitalisation experience at Schneider and Emerson.

Will’s role will involve understanding Powelectrics’ customer’s technical and commercial needs and proposing IIoT solutions to help them improve safety, efficiency and margin.

He will be guiding customers through their digital transformation, from one system to an entire estate of digitally connected assets, using the full range of Powelectrics proprietary remote monitoring technology and integrated third party Industry4.0 equipment.

Will commented: “I’m really excited to be part of the Powelectrics team. There is a real sense of energy about the organisation right now and I’m extremely impressed by our technology and platforms. We don’t just solve sensing problems for our customers, but genuinely help them change their way of working. It’s a fabulous time to join the company, with so many new innovations to enable our growth and create opportunity!”

Dave Oakes, Powelectrics MD, added: “Will is an excellent addition to the Powelectrics’ Technical Team. He brings a blend of practical and creative skills that have already yielded meaningful contributions to our customers IIoT solutions. I am extremely confident that he will make a huge success of this role and wish him the very best of luck!”

Will is SMART in every aspect of his life…. a keen IoT blogger and, recently married, he is currently SMARTening up every aspect of his own home …heating, lighting, solar panels …just watch what you say to his smart home system!

That keeps him busy outside work, but he’s not just practical …oh no … he’s not just a Knight of IoT!! Will is an experienced organiser and participant in Medieval High Fantasy Battles! When he’s not immersed in the folklore and warfare of medieval Europe, he may be role-playing in a Star Wars galaxy or even the Wild West!

So … no worries about how much creativity he has to solve your business conundrums with the wizardry of connected sensors!

On a more earthly level, he loves spending time with his gorgeous border collies, Elliot, Risk and Dziva. Yup …even the dogs’ names are innovative!

Please browse the Powelectrics website www.powelectrics.co.uk and get in touch with any queries about getting your sensor data into the MetronView cloud or applications you would like to discuss. Call +44 1827 310 666, email sales@powelectrics.co.uk or use this contact form.

As the focus on air quality for health, safety, and environmental reasons continues to grow in importance, protecting against exposure to VOCs (volatile organic compounds) has also been recognised as essential. ION Science and Blackline Safety are joining together as experts in PID (photoionisation detection) technology and worker safety to discuss how to detect VOCs and prevent harmful exposure to employees where possible.

This exclusive webinar, hosted by Health and Safety Matters, will outline how businesses can prepare for and combat these dangers with advanced technology solutions.

When it comes to helping workers stay safe and healthy in potentially dangerous situations, both ION Science and Blackline Safety are industry leading providers. ION Science is the market leader for providing PID sensor technology – Blackline Safety uses ION Science’s MiniPID sensor range in its G7 instruments. For instruments that support health and safety, including ‘man down’ detection and additional monitoring for lone workers, Blackline Safety is recognised as an excellent provider in the global market.

Join ION Science and Blackline Safety at the Health and Safety Matters webinar on the 18^th November 2021 at 10.30am for insight into how to detect VOCs, understanding what PID technology is, and why VOCs pose a serious health and safety concern. Joining from ION Science is Pete Morris, Business Unit Manager for sensors, and from Blackline Safety the webinar welcomes Ilaria Tramelli, PID Specialist.

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NI has announced two new offerings to enhance testing environments and workflows for electric vehicle (EV) traction inverter validation: a new Inverter Test System (ITS) and a collaboration agreement with D&V Electronics for power-level inverter test.

These offerings promise to accelerate innovation for EVs by integrating test earlier in the product development lifecycle. By simulating EV powertrains to perform hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) tests of traction inverter electronic control units (ECUs), the ITS allows EV test engineers to create more life-like scenarios not easily and accurately reproduced on the road.

For over a century, automotive powertrain engineers focused on optimising the combustion engine. The arrival of the electric vehicle brings the promise of a sustainable future, but the engineering challenge has proven formidable. NI solutions, coupled with the expertise of D&V Electronics, allow customers to spend more time engineering ambitiously toward Vision Zero and less time troubleshooting their test systems. Through this collaboration between NI and D&V, electric motor and direct current power emulators can be inserted into the test workflow to enable durability and thermal testing of the inverter component at full power in a high quality, cost-effective, and safe environment. Adding more simulation fidelity and capabilities speeds up the entire development process at a lower overall cost than field tests.

“Automotive engineers are constantly modifying simulation models based on evolving electric vehicle performance and test requirements,” said Noah Reding, senior director of Validation, Transportation at NI. “They need scalable, software-connected, solutions to seamlessly move these models from design to validation. Advancements such as these speed up EV innovation and accelerate time to market by increasing test coverage while eliminating inefficiencies in the testing process.”

“Traction inverters are the heart of the powertrain, and inverter design technology is changing rapidly. D&V’s innovative power emulators, combined with NI’s high-speed test platforms, will offer customers future-ready capabilities that enable coverage from component to system level testing in a controlled environment. Our team is excited to partner with NI on its new inverter test offerings, and we look forward to ongoing success,” said Uday Deshpande, chief technology officer of D&V Electronics.

The speed and precision of Contrinex’s analogue inductive sensors are trusted in a diverse range of applications and industries and one such example is rail transportation. A German technology-leading manufacturer of sustainable urban transportation systems uses them to help it ensure safety and efficiency to optimise the performance of its trams. The sensors provide continuous data on the movement and vibration of the tram’s primary suspension spring.

Customer application

The customer, in collaboration with engineers from the Technical University of Dresden and the city’s Public Transport Authority, wanted to improve the reliability and energy efficiency of a fleet of trams.

To improve the smoothness and comfort of the tram, the team aims to capture all movement in the primary suspension spring, including every vibration. Therefore an analogue output sensor is required to give the speed and high-resolution measurement required.

The harsh environment within the suspension demands an extremely robust, contactless sensor with long operating distances and resistance to wear and dirt.

Customer solution

Contrinex’s Extra Distance Analogue Output inductive sensors, available from PLUS Automation, are well suited to this application with their excellent resolution (in µm range), being able to monitor vibration, detecting motion so that the tram’s systems can be optimised to improve the smoothness of travel.

The sensors use the patented Condist oscillator technology to provide enhanced environmental stability, which provides a longer operating distance of up to 40 mm (almost 3 times that of a conventional sensor) on the moving spring target.

The distance between the spring and sensing surface is measured by the analogue sensors to track the spring’s motion, including vibrations, as a continuous signal. The data collected is stored on an external hard disk which is read by the service engineer. GPS position data helps correspond spring movement and mechanical loads to precise locations for each point in the journey.

Honda R&D Co. is extending its long-term relationship with Ansible Motion after commissioning the latest advanced Delta S3 DIL simulator. With a larger motion space and increased dynamic range, the versatile simulator will enable the efficient development of both future road and race vehicles and their associated technologies at its Sakura engineering facility.

Over ten years on from its first collaboration with Ansible Motion, Honda R&D Co. was in fact the first customer to commit to the Delta S3 DIL simulator, ahead of the recent announcements from BMW and Continental. Honda R&D Co. played a key role in defining the S3’s core specification, encouraging Ansible Motion to push the boundaries to deliver the most responsive dynamic motions and fidelity needed to develop new race cars, powertrains, ride, steering and chassis feel as well as driver assistance technologies.

With that ability to test a range of automotive technologies on a single platform, Ansible Motion’s simulator supports the forward-thinking vehicle manufacturer’s sustainability goals, with the capability to experience in Sakura, any circuit or road environment from around the world, as well as simulating any weather condition or time of day.

Along with the flexibility of the S3 Delta simulator to recreate immersive environments suitable for a production road car such as Civic Type-R, through to a Super Formula single seater, Ansible Motion’s technical support and ability to deal with specific customer requests were key factors in the selection. “Since 2011 Honda has trusted Ansible Motion’s Delta DIL simulators, enabling our engineers to develop better automotive technologies,” says Kazuharu Kidera, Chief engineer, HRD Sakura. “Its simulators advance our engineers’ understanding, support our young engineers to learn, and allow us to observe in a controlled environment how drivers, from professional motorsport through to everyday consumers, interact with new technologies. Thanks to its open software architecture, we can integrate a variety of vehicle models alongside additional hardware- and software-in-the-loop.”

With versatility a key element of the S3 Delta simulator, Honda envisages the broad range of use cases will expand. “Other expected applications include understanding tyre wear, circuit acclimatisation and giving drivers and engineers the opportunity to experience scenarios such as new aero setups for our Super GT car or testing limit handling with and without dynamic stability control systems,” adds Kidera.

“We are immensely proud to be a trusted partner to Honda, providing DIL simulators and cooperating closely for 10 years. As the first to commit to this new generation of simulator, Honda’s input and ideas were crucial in achieving the performance now possible,” says Kia Cammaerts, technical director and founder of Ansible Motion. “We have always focussed on achieving highly dynamic and high-fidelity motion in all of the six degrees of freedom that define a vehicle’s movement. The new Delta S3 simulator expands on this in all areas, ensuring it meets the demands necessary to validate future automotive technologies and be a dependable tool for engineers through class-leading dynamics, immersion and motion.”

Rohde & Schwarz has provided 5G network test equipment including the R&S TSMA6 scanner and QualiPoc software to the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering to assist research into 5G NR network performance and safety. The school’s researchers will use the equipment to perform accurate electromagnetic field (EMF) measurements to increase understanding of safe levels for human exposure, using their Scotland 5G Centre funded testbed. Their research works towards minimising EMF strength while maintaining service quality and performance.

In addition, the University of Glasgow demonstrates a pop-up 5G network, which is supported by the Rohde & Schwarz equipment, at a University of Glasgow fringe event during the United Nations Climate-Change Conference COP26, hosted by the City of Glasgow from 31 October to 12 November 2021. A team from the school demonstrates how services supported by 5G, such as holographic telepresence and remote operation of industrial equipment, can help raise productivity, minimise travel, and consequently contribute to lower carbon emissions. The R&S TSMA6 and QualiPoc software will help show how EMF strength is well within known safe limits.

The R&S TSMA6 autonomous network scanner and QualiPoc software work together to perform code-selective EMF measurement, a proven, accurate method defined by the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS) that takes into account the effects of 5G’s beamforming technology. The QualiPoc software, which runs on an Android smartphone or tablet, provides a handheld solution for service-quality tests and radio-interface analysis. For EMF measurement, the application mathematically converts signal-power (dBm) into field strength (EMF) in V/m and sums the EMF values of synchronisation signal blocks according to the code-selective measurement procedure.

Professor Muhammad Imran, Professor of Communication Systems / Dean University of Glasgow UESTC (Systems Power & Energy), said: “In addition to supplying the equipment, which is highly effective for network analysis and EMF measurement, Rohde & Schwarz has also provided excellent support including usage guidance and insights into measurement techniques. This is enabling us to increase the body of knowledge concerning 5G EMF effects and prove the robustness of safety assurances.”

Paul Coffey, CEO of The Scotland 5G Centre, which is working with organisations including the University of Glasgow and the business world to accelerate the deployment and adoption of 5G in Scotland, added, “The accurate measurement capabilities provided by this equipment can give businesses, government, and consumers extra confidence to take advantage of the transformative services we are anticipating as 5G networks continue to roll out.”

For further information on EMF measurements in 5G and the respective test solutions, go to: https://www.rohde-schwarz.com/_253377.html

Farnell, an Avnet Company and global distributor of electronic components, products and solutions, has signed an exclusive agreement with Omega to become the only high service distributor to stock its full product portfolio. Omega’s complete range of sensing, control and monitoring products for factory automation and Industry 4.0 are now available for fast delivery from Farnell.

Omega’s portfolio adds 620 new products to Farnell’s always expanding inventory, including power supplies, sensors and transducers, switches and relays, transformers, electrical, cooling and thermal management components, enclosures, panel displays and instrumentation, cables, connectors and much more. Customers will also benefit from no minimum order quantity across the Omega range.

Omega is an established global leader in technical product manufacturing, offering more than 100,000 state-of-the-art products for the process sensing, measurement, control and monitoring of temperature, humidity, pressure, strain, force, flow, level, pH and conductivity. Omega helps customers in aerospace, automotive, wireless, test and measurement, process control and power monitoring to connect their systems.

Mike King, Product Segment Leader at Farnell, said: “We are very pleased to be appointed as the exclusive distributor of Omega’s fast-growing range of sensing and monitoring technology products. Investment in process automation and Industry 4.0 is critical to the growth of our economy, and Farnell customers can now buy all of their Omega products from a single source with fast delivery options.”

Customers can now buy the full range of Omega products, available for fast delivery, from Farnell in EMEA and element14 in APAC.

From 30^th November to 2^nd December 2021, Analog Devices (ADI) will participate in Enlit Europe, in Milan, Italy. Enlit Europe is the new identity that combines the former European Utility Week and POWERGEN Europe. On stand 12.D110, ADI will showcase its comprehensive portfolio enabling digital energy infrastructure solutions for EV charging and smart grid applications.

On 1^st December, from 2:50 to 4:00pm, ADI will participate in the ‘Beyond the Smart Meter / Data Analytics’ panel discussion. Mark Barry, General Manager for Automation and Energy with Analog Devices, will talk about semiconductors at the heart of grid digitalisation and what semiconductors and edge analytics will enable in the future.

Analytics for the Smart Grid

The advent of smart electricity distribution based on ubiquitous smart meter installations provides the opportunity for a new level of monitoring of the distribution grid. Analog Devices delivers the key technologies needed to achieve that goal, such as precision energy measurement, power electronics devices, data networking, and signal processing/computation.

To be demonstrated on the company’s stand at Enlit is mSure technology, a diagnostics system built into ADI’s newest energy measurement ICs. When coupled with ADI Energy Analytics Studio, a cloud-based analytics service, the solution yields insights into the health of the entire meter population. Data on the energy flows within the distribution network can improve fiscal control by identifying instances of electricity theft, where energy is being abstracted without being metered. Analog Devices offers an edge-to-cloud solution for distribution grid operators and meter suppliers.

Power Quality, Measured and Logged

In the evolving electricity grid, with changing mixes of renewable generation, monitoring of power quality takes on an ever-greater importance. ADI will demonstrate its offering for Class-S power quality monitoring. The demonstration will show how the company’s strengths in capture of fundamental measurements and in signal processing are combined in an energy metering IC with dedicated software library, enabling fast time to market and reduced development cost.

Advanced EV Charger Designs

Developing the infrastructure for the transition to electric vehicles brings the need for widespread deployment of EV chargers that will deliver progressively higher charge power both in AC and DC. ADI offers a comprehensive hardware and software portfolio that will be one of the featured demonstrations on its Enlit stand, to support next-generation charger designs. As customer-facing devices, future chargers will have to meet stringent demands in control, metering, and safety.

ADI’s contribution includes dedicated metering chips with self-calibration and remote cloud monitoring features. The company’s power and signal ICs drive EV charger designs from the simple, single phase AC chargers, through publicly installed high-power, 3-phase AC chargers, to super-fast DC chargers employing a range of architectures. The solution highlights features such as mSure self-calibration for metering which simplifies the manufacturing process and monitors accuracy of the energy measurement across the charger lifetime.

Polyphase Power Metering Simplified

Supporting advanced charger designs for EV infrastructure, energy monitoring in the renewables space and AC energy measurement in a wide variety of applications, Analog Devices’ demonstrations will include its highly integrated shunt-based polyphase measurement ICs. These devices bring the flexibility and simplicity of shunt-based current sensing, enabling a lower cost system with immunity to magnetic tampering. Typically applied in polyphase supply configurations, the demo will show how high-accuracy active and reactive energy measurement together with power quality measurements can readily be implemented in small-form-factor designs.

Enlit Europe 2021, Conference and Exhibition, will take place in Fiera Milano di Rho, Milan, Italy; full details are at the organisers’ site.