One of the best methods used to increase system reliability numbers is to select component parts that, while operating under actual system operating conditions, do so with significant operating margins specified to exceed the circuit requirements. To illustrate: If a circuit has a maximum current rating of, say, 150mA, then using a part with a…
In order to guarantee that a drawing or a procedure is at the most current revision level and that it's the document associated with a particular instruction or bill of materials, the revision date and number should be visible in a predetermined location on each controlled document. (See: 5 Steps to Reducing Design Change Problems.)…
LED lighting systems are beholden to high-quality standards, which present a number of challenges to designers. While not always a requirement for every solid state lighting (SSL) solution, many commercial and residential applications require strict color consistency, especially in multi-fixture applications where it is easy to see even minor variations in fixture-to-fixture color. In the…
Supply chain professionals face this dilemma all too often: How can they lower supply and materials costs while keeping supplier and customer relationships intact? Obviously, in the current economic environment this juggling act takes on even greater importance, and, based on the handful of articles and reports released these last couple of weeks, the results…
High-tech companies may talk the talk when it comes to green, but when it comes to prioritizing supply chain goals, sustainability ranks low on companies' “to do” list. A survey conducted by {complink 7014|IDC} and UPS ranks sustainability as a top priority for only 19 percent of the high-tech companies surveyed. IDC's Simon Ellis wrote…
Don’t be in a rush to abandon your PC OEM customer: A mountain-worth of semiconductor products are still going into personal computing equipment and workstations, according to research firm {complink 7217|IC Insights}. While the most coveted design sockets these days are those headed for smartphones, digital music players, tablet devices (iPad and e-readers), and other…
We have spent the past few weeks putting together material for a Webinar we're doing today entitled “The DCA New and Emerging Regulations Webinar: An Overview of What You Need to Know.” What has been striking to me is that not all of the topics are regulatory and not all are directly environmental, but all…