The Evolution of Consumer Electronics

The Evolution of Consumer Electronics
Waterproof electronics is known by public until very recently. In fact, it wasn’t that long ago that a toilet was a smartphone’s worst nightmare. Come to think of it, it wasn’t even that long ago that word like smartphone, tablet and wearable were completely unheard of by us. Today EPCB list some of the most influential and important consumer electronics innovations over the last 50 years.
1977 – Apple II is introduced and becomes a highly successful personal computer.
1979 – Sony releases the Walkman.
1984 – Motorola blows the world away with the DynaTAC. A two-pound wonder that retailed for $4K
1989 – Nintendo Gameboy attracts gamers everywhere.
1993 – Intel introduces the Pentium Microprocessor which efficiently promotes the development of personal computers.
1997 – The Digital Video Disc (DVD) is invented.
1998 – Apple introduces the first iMac, making it the gold standard for personal computers.
2001 – Apple makes music stylish with the iPod.
2007 – Apple changes the cellphone market forever with the introduction of the iPhone.
2015 – Apple releases the Apple Watch.
2016 – Apple releases iPhone 7.

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Don'ts of Flex Circuit

Flex circuits are largely used in PCB fabrications, EPCB found that most of us didn’t pay enough attention to those problems, such as the layer stack design, parts placement, cutouts, etc. But remember that flex circuits have some gnarly material quirks which range from relatively high z-axis expansion coefficients of adhesives, to the lower adhesion of copper to PI substrate and coverlay, to copper’s work hardening and fatigue. These can be compensated for largely by following some don’ts.

Don’t bend at corners. It is generally best to keep copper traces at right-angles to a flex-circuit bend. However there are some design situations where it’s unavoidable. In those cases you should keep the track work as gently curving as possible, and as the mechanical product design dictates, conical radius bends is a better way.

Don’t change widths unexpectedly. Whenever you have a track entering a pad, particularly when there is an aligned row of them as in a flex-circuit terminator, this will form a weak spot where the copper will be fatigued over time. Unless there is going to be stiffener applied or a one-time crease, it’s advisable to taper down from the pads.

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Can Voltmeters and Ammeters Both Measure Resistances?

Neither a voltmeter nor an ammeter measures resistance directly; a voltmeter measures voltage and an ammeter measures amperage or current. However, using Ohm's law, resistance can be calculated from known quantities of voltage and current.

Voltage is defined as the pressure pushing electrons through a system, while amperage or current, is the number of electrons moving through the system. Resistance, on the other hand, is a measure of how much a material opposes the flow. To relate the three, Ohm's law states that resistance is equal to the voltage divided by the current. This means, then, that an increase in pressure will increase the amount of opposition to the flow, as will an increased movement of electrons.

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Differences between KVA and KW

Though both kVA and kW are units of measure used to describe power, kVA is a kilo volt amperes and kW is a kilowatt. KVA is known as the apparent power of an electrical system or of a particular circuit. In direct current circuits the kVA is equal to the kW, while they are different in alternating current circuits. That’s because the kW is the amount of actual power that does valid work where only a fraction of kVA is available and accessible to do work while the rest is in excess in the current.

The relationship between kVA, kW and the power factor can express like this: kW = kVA x power factor. In direct current circuits, there is no difference between the kVA and the kW because of the power factor. The power factor leads or lags depending on the way that the load shifts the phase of the current compared to the phase of the voltage. This creates a unity in the direct current circuits. In alternating current circuits, voltage and current may get out of phase leading to a difference in kW and kVA that will be based on the power factor.

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Why is Electrical Grounding Important?

Electrical grounding reduces the risk of severe electrical shock from uninsulated metal components inside of electrical devices, appliances and power tools. When a grounded system is used properly, the leaking current, also known as the fault current, is transferred harmlessly. 

Most electrical systems use circuit breakers or fuses to offer protection against short circuits and powerful fault currents. The wiring system protects people from electrical hazards. The pipe is usually connected to a copper conductor that is attached to a rod and a group of terminals located in the electrical service panel. This offers much more protection from electricity and strikes during thunderstorms.

Electrical grounding prevents electrical hazards such as electrocution and fatal shocking. Electrical workers use a device known as a ground-fault interrupter, which provides a grounding method that protects workers from leaking currents while standing on wet surfaces. The ground-fault interrupter is extremely delicate and is capable of detecting leaks as small as 5 milliamperes. After detecting leakages, the interrupter immediately disconnects any circuit around the leakage.

Resistive and Inductive Loads

Resistive loads typically convert energy into heat during the electrical process. The heat must be expelled from the system through a medium such as air or water, and the energy can be utilized purposely in heating devices. To achieve high efficiency, it is essential to optimize the voltage use of a resistive load. When a resistive load operates under the proper voltage, it ensures a constant supply of energy and protection from loss of energy to sensitive devices.

An inductive load is a part of an electrical circuit that uses magnetic energy to produce work. Some common examples include transformers, electric motors, wound control gear and electromechanical relays. These sorts of tools basically store energy until it is needed and, once it is, they convert it with a series of magnetic fields. And these sorts of loads often have to be harnessed and protected to keep the energy flowing in only one direction, since the force of the power can cause damage to the circuit or connected breakers otherwise.

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What are Series Circuits Used for?

Series circuits are most often used for lighting. A common example is a string of classic Christmas tree lights, in which the loss of one bulb shuts off the flow of electricity to each bulb further down the line. However, series circuits can be used for any situation in which a single cable is used to supply power to a number of widely spaced lights or other devices.

A series circuit uses a single cable with multiple resistors on it. As more voltages flow through a series circuit, a more expensive and heavily insulated cable is a must. This allows applications to be made much more cheaply with a single power source and only a single cable. Modern models also include bypasses so the loss of one resistor does not break the circuit. A series circuit also must be able to cope with the sum of all resistances on the circuit. Thus, the voltage must be high enough to compensate for the voltage drop from each resistor.