Arrow enables engineers to design LED products

Arrow Electronics has introduced an application that helps engineers design complete LED lighting products.

The Lighting Designer features built-in design guidelines combining tools for selecting and optimizing products, adding secondary optics, defining the power supply and selecting and laying out a design.

In addition to LED product and system data, the tool offers several LED system options, such as the recommended, highest efficacy, and ,least expensive solutions; after selecting an option, engineers can see alternatives and the roi for transitioning from traditional lighting.

Visit the lighting designer at http://web.transim.com/arrow/lighting/led/Widget.aspx

Senators moving on DoD counterfeit parts law

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Senator Carl Levin and the committee’s top Republican, Arizona Senator John McCain, spoike on the Senate floor about the amendment they want to add to this year’s defense bill to crack down on the millions of fake parts that wind up in military gear.

The Department of Homeland Security would be charged with inspecting shipments “from any country determined by the Secretary of Defense to be a signifiant source of counterfeit parts” — a.k.a., China. DoD and its vendors would be required to buy from “original equipment manufacturers, authorized dealers or from trusted suppliers who meet establish standards for detecting and avoiding."

Levin’s bill also would toughen criminal sentences for counterfeit “military goods and services;” require vendors to notify DoD when they discover fakes; and require DoD itself to define all the new rules of engagement for its suppliers.

Suppliers would need to bear the cost when they or the services discover fakes in their equipment.

CTS to acquire Valpey-Fisher for $18 million

CTS Corporation has agreed to buy Valpey-Fisher Corporation, which manufactures frequency-control electronics, for about $18 million in cash. Valpey-Fisher's sales in the last four reported quarters total approximately $15 million.

With the sale CTS will acquire the design and manufacturing of precision crystal oscillators including higher frequency, lower phase noise timing solutions, high performance RF/Microwave components, integrated modules and ultrasonic transducers serving telecommunications, computer, defense and aerospace, instrumentation and industrial markets.

Read the press release here

Carlisle to Acquire Tri-Star

Carlisle Cos Inc said it will acquire the electronic interconnect components maker Tri-Star Electronics International from private equity firm Brockway Moran & Partners for $285 million.  Tri-Star, with annual sales of about $95 million, will operate as part of Carlisle Interconnect Technologies.
Read the full press release

New "Authorized-Only" Inventory Search Site

The Electronic Components Industry Association, ECIA , has launched a new industry-owned electronic component parts search web site, www.eciaauthorized.com as part of the association's fight against counterfeit parts. 

All distributors represented on the site are ECIA members and are authorized channel partners with their manufacturers. The site only lists inventory that is genuine and backed by the manufacturer's warranty.  The distributors represented on the site include many of the largest national and international full-line distributors as well as more specialized regional firms with focused product lines. 

Free Data Converters Seminars from Avnet and TI

Avnet is offering a free technical seminar series focused on data converters. Taught by technical specialists from Avnet and Texas Instruments, these classes are intended to provide engineers at all levels with a methodology to more easily navigate the entire data converter ecosystem. The seminars run through the middle of December with stops in California, Arizona, Massachusetts, Minnesota and New Jersey. Registration is open now at www.em.avnet.com/TIDC2011.

audio video connectors

Newark/element14 offers buyers and design and maintenance engineers a comprehensive range of over 1,200 Audio and Video Connectors, splitters and adaptors including XLR, DIN, RCA and Phono types from manufacturers such as Swithcraft, ITT Cannon, and more.