Products: May 2004

By DE Editors

Large Monitor for Bulky Applications and Simultaneous Needs

The new 21.3-in. (54cm) ProLite H540S monitor from Iiyama (Warminster,PA;iiyama.com) is designed to be used for applications such as MCAD andDTP, as well as with software that requires the user to maintainmultiple windows open simultaneously. The monitor has a resolution of1600 3 1200 pixels (1.9 megapixels) and includes an optional videoadapter with video/S-Video ports, and its picture-in-picture (PiP)function allows video applications to run alongside regular PCprograms. It has 170-degree horizontal and vertical view angles, a USBhub mounted in the base, a rotating panel, and sRGB and gammacorrection settings. All Iiyama monitors are compatible with AppleMacintosh computers.

The ProLite H540S monitor from Iiyama received the most Reader Serviceresponses in our February 2004 issue.
 

GEOMATE Analysis for Inventor and AutoCAD

GEOMATE Company (San Jose, CA; inventbetter.com) has released ToleranceCalc 3.0,a tolerance stack-up and manufacturing quality analysis wizard forAutodesk Inventor and AutoCAD Mechanical applications. The software isa training-free program so designers andengineers can perform simplestudies of the effect of tolerances on assembly performance andmanufacturing quality at any stage of the design process.

It works inside Autodesk Inventor and AutoCAD Mechanical applicationsto ensure up-front that designs can be manufactured to satisfy statedquality goals and will work as expected. It can develop instantaneoussigma-quality values for any given manufacturing and performancecriteria at any stage to help companies wanting to adopt DFSS (Designfor Six-Sigma) product-quality goals. No specialized knowledge ofdimensional engineering is needed and the wizard can be used the firstday it is loaded. It includes perpetual maintenance and support.

Price: $395 per license.

Flat-Panel Displays Aimed at Commercial and Design Customers

New 17-in. (SDM-S74) and 19-in. (SDM-S94) LCDs from Sony Electronics(San Diego, CA; sony.com) make digital connectivity and multiplecomputer support more accessible for the commercial market. The modelswill include digital and analog inputs so multiple computers can beconnected to one display to improve productivity while saving desktopspace.

Black or silver bezels that measure less than 0.75 in. are availablefor side-by-side mounting or stacking. Brightness can be adjustedwithout losing contrast or color fidelity, and monitors can be adjustedto a number of angles. Both are PC and Mac compatible.

Price: S74 $520; S94 $750.


Top: Front-end model showing point of impact of headform model.
Bottom: Contour plot showing displacement results for head impact analysis.


     
Arup Pedestrian Impact Analysis Saves Design Time

Arup Vehicle Design Group (Detroit, MI; arup.com) has developed a newpedestrian impact analysis process using the LS-DYNA suite of analysissoftware from LSTC (Livermore, CA; website). The process is intended tohelp vehicle designers save time and money while creating vehicles thatmeet a host of new safety regulations.

The new process lets engineers simulate many runs of the latestpedestrian impact tests without manually specifying the exact locationof the impact on the vehicle. It produces a comprehensive set ofresults in less time before hardware is available or defined. Aneasy-to-interpret color-coded report is produced automatically.

The analysis uses models that can simulate all the relevant testrequirements using a selection of body forms ranging from adult andchild head impactors to lower and upper leg sections. Manufacturers canuse the process to help ensure new vehicles are designed to meet all ofthe relevant standards from the outset. Visit the Arup website for moreinformation.
 

MSC Extends Virtual Product Development to Evaluate Acoustics, Noise, and Vibration

In a joint statement, MSC.Software Corp. (Santa Ana, CA; mscsoftware.com) andFree Field Technologies (FFT; Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium; website) haveannounced MSC.Actran 2004, a general-purpose vibration and acousticsimulation software product. MSC.Actran simulates acoustic andvibration behavior. The program’s evaluation capabilities include soundradiation, absorption, reflection, diffraction, scattering, andtransmission.

Among the main features of MSC.Actran is the extended capability tohandle multiple incompatible meshes (acoustic-acoustic,structure-structure, and acoustic-structure) in MSC.Actran acoustic andvibro-acoustic models. Additionally, it has an extended capability toimport vibration data.

MSC.Actran offers a new super-element approach that, together with theimplementation of the FRF Krylov solver in MSC.Nastran 2004, allows anextended usability of MSC.Actran in conjunction with MSC.Nastran.

This approach facilitates interoperability between MSC.Nastran andMSC.Actran, which, in turn, allows an MSC.Actran component model to beplugged into an MSC.Nastran structure. Conversely, an MSC.Nastransuperelement can be imported in MSC.Actran in order to account for thestiffness and mass of the structure surrounding an MSC.Actran model.

FARO Laser Tracker Adds HighRES CAD/CAM Engineering Solution

FARO Technologies, Inc. (Lake Mary, FL; faro.com) and HighRES, Inc. (LaJolla, CA; website) have integrated FARO’s Laser Tracker with HighRES3D reverse engineering software modules.

FARO will begin shipping the LITE reverse engineering module with allof its new Laser Trackers, eliminating the need to import 3D data fromstand-alone platforms. The integration also means users will be able towork directly with several CAD program options, including SolidWorks,AutoCAD, Mechanical Desktop/Inventor, Mastercam, and CADKEY.

By adding the reverse engineering module, FARO has also made real-timeonscreen viewing of the laser probe’s position on the part possible inthe CAD program.

Measurement Software Toolkit Provided Free to Nanotech Researchers

Keithley Instruments, Inc. (Cleveland, OH; keithley.com) is providingnanotechnology researchers a free Nanotech Toolkit, a set ofmeasurement software tools designed specifically for a variety of teststhat are common to the precise, often complex electrical measurementsassociated with the field. The Nanotech Toolkit and its softwareroutines are available free of charge and are compatible withKeithley’s Model 4200-SCS Semiconductor Characterization System.

Measurements at the nanoscale level are challenging even for thosetrained in electrical measurements. On top of that, many of thechemists, biologists, and physicists often working in nanotech labshave less formal training in measurement science. The Nanotech Toolkithas been designed to simplify many measurement tasks by providingcommon routines that are typically used in testing such devices.

Icons that represent Model 4200-SCS measurement routines for testing acarbon nanotube-based transistor, a bio-component, a moleculartransistor, a molecular wire, a nanowire, and a nanocell are allincluded in the measurement program. The Keithley tool-kit isdistributed on CD, which also contains a collection of relevant whitepapers, application notes, data sheets, and includes a comprehensiveseminar on making accurate nano-tech electrical measurements. For moreinformation and to order a copy of the toolkit, visit the Keithleywebsite.

New PXI/cPCI System Sets Up in the Field Without Rebooting

A new portable PXI/CompactPCI (cPCI) system from Acme PortableMachines, Inc. (Azusa, CA; portablesys.com) called the GCP382 will deploy fromthe lab to the field regardless of power availability or powerinterruption. It uses a Transmeta 5800/800MHz processor controller cardin a 44TE/HP slot bay and is based on the company’s portablelunchbox-style machines. It has 7 slots for add-on cards of either PXIor cPCI 3U form factors and comes with a 15-in. LCD touch screen andkeyboard with touch pad. It’s intended for applications in industrialcontrol, test and measurement, military, and communications.

The unit’s standard uninterrupted power supply (UPS) lets users movethe system without turning it off and back on again. Simply unplug thesystem and move it to another site with the current program running.The unit also has a universal input power source running on 175W AC/DCpower supplies or optional battery pack.

The Transmeta processor card has a 20GB hard drive and 128MB of SDRAMupgradeable to 512MB. The card also has an extended I/O, VGA connector,two USB ports, RS-232 connector, a printer port, two Ethernet/FastEthernet/Gigabit Ethernet ports, and two PS/2 mouse and keyboardconnectors.

The chassis meets PICMG 2.0, CompactPCI R3.0 specifications andsupports 7 bus-master PCI devices on either PXI/cPCI peripheral slots.The system is rugged and all drives are shock mounted.

Price: $7,500 (bundles with Windows 2000 and System Guard).

Panel Computer Offers Multimedia Power, Flexibility, and Reliability

The PPC-174T is a new Intel Pentium 4 processor-based panel PC with a17-in. LCD display from Advantech Corporation (Irvine, CA; advantech.com). TheP4 chipset combined with the 17-in. LCD provides dynamic graphics in anindustrially proven package. It has multiple expansion capabilities andis intended for installations from factory automation systems tointeractive kiosks.

The display is driven by an 845GV chipset, which features a GPU withIntel Extreme Graphics, Hyper-Threading Technology support, and anAC’97 controller that delivers Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. Thisgives developers a digital entertainment platform without a separategraphics or sound card. The Intel Pentium 4 CPU runs at up to 3.06GHzwith memory up to 2GB DDR SDRAM. The unit is equipped with multimediadevices, connectors, and 2 PCI sockets for expansion. There aremulti-COM port interfaces and five main extensions: a built-in CD-ROMdrive, CompactFlash socket, FDD, two PCMCIA Type II slots, and four USB2.0 ports. An optional 6-in-1-card reader is available for built-in SSDsupport. There are three touch-screen options: resistive, capacitive,or acoustic wave. Multiple mounting variations are possible.


IBM’s New Monitor Is Big and Compact

IBM (Armonk, NY; ibm.com) has recently released a new 18-in.ThinkVision flat panel LCD monitor designed for tiling on a wall orarranging on a desktop in a dual-monitor configuration. The ThinkVisionL180p has a bezel measuring only 0.67 in. and is mounted on a standthat swivels 135 degrees in either direction. The stationary base has atilt and lift function within 3.15 in. vertical range, and a handle onthe back for help when mounting. There’s also an intuitive on-screendisplay with one-button access to frequently used monitor adjustments.

For more information, visit the IBM website. Price: $729.

Output Continuous Waveform with New Analog Board from Omega

The OMB-DAQBOARD-2004 is the latest high-performance PCI-based analogoutput board from Omega Engineering Inc. (Stamford, CT; omega.com). Ithas four 16-bit 100kHz analog outputs that can range from -10V to +10V.Through the use of bus mastering DMA, each D/A output can continuouslyoutput a waveform, which can be read from PC RAM or a file on the harddisk. In addition, a program can asynchronously output a value toeither of the D/As for nonwaveform applications, presuming that the D/Ais not already being used in the waveform output mode. Additionallow-speed D/A channels can be added to the OMB-DAQBOARD-2004 throughthe use of the OMB-DBK2 analog output option card. Price: $749.

Dimension SST Printer Features Auto Soluble Support

The Dimension 3D Printing Group, a business unit of Stratasys, Inc.(Eden Prairie, MN; stratasys.com), has expanded its family of 3D printerswith the launch of Dimension SST, a new product that allows users todevelop advanced 3D models.

The new printer incorporates an automated soluble support removalsystem, cutting engineering time and enabling the development of ABSplastic prototypes with complex design geometries. All Dimensionprinters are powered by the company’s Catalyst software, which runs onWindows NT, 2000, or XP. Where the legacy Dimension requires users tomanually remove support pieces, Dimension SST provides a clean stationthat removes soluble supports automatically. Price: Dimension SST$34,900; Legacy Dimension $24,900.