PCB Design, Electronic Design, Printed circuit boards, PCB Layout

Specialist Electronics Product Design

Looking for Specialist Electronics Product Design Service? We can help.

Perhaps you have a concept for a new product but lack the necessary in-house skills to execute the full product design processes? Our designers can take your ideas and through a collaboration process, design everything from the ground up and continue right through to producing the final product if required. Both the hardware design and the software/firmware development aspects can be handled by us allowing tighter controls over specification changes, budget and decrease time to market.

Click here to see our previous work.

Fuel Cell Technology

Toshiba have released the Dynario fuel cell. This is a mobile fuel cell that runs on methanol and water, and can be used to charge mobile phones and small devices. It is currently only on sale in Japan. Methanol fuel needs to be bought to refill the device.

How would you like to be able to charge your mobile phone while on the go? Would you like to see this technology available in the UK?

Blog by Peter Walsh

Rapid PCB Design

The global business environment puts more and more pressure on our customers to stay competitive – bringing their ever more complex products to market faster while improving design productivity.

See how we can help you with our Rapid PCB Design.

Blog by Tiffany Bate

Green electronics Epeat registry expands worldwide

Products certified by Epeat – which stands for Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool are listed in a registry. Products are judged on 23 attributes that make up an environmental performing rating. There are 28 optional attributes as well.

The ratings are either gold, silver or bronze that cover monitors and desktop computers. The organisation, which is made up of manufacturers, recyclers and advocacy groups, is in the process of establishing an Epeat rating for televisions, printers and copiers. It also expects to take on consumer electronics and servers, according to executive director Jeff Omelchuck.

Registries for monitor and PC buyers will now be able available in Canada, Europe, China, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and Mexico. The Green Electronics Council says it now has 1,300 vendors, which represents $60bn in tech purchases.

Blog by Gary Price

ST targets car systems with low noise MEMS sensor

STMicroelectronics has introduced a MEMS motion sensor for use in adaptive front lights, anti-theft systems and control of vehicle dynamics.

The AIS226DS is a two-axis in-plane accelerometer capable to greater accuracy then is possible using two individual sensors. The device senses acceleration up to +-6g, where one ‘g’ is the acceleration due to gravity.

The AIS226DS can also resolve angles of incline smaller than 0.62 degrees. The ability to accurately measure incline is important in auto-levelling lamp, e-parking brake, and HAS (Hill Start Aid) applications.

Motion is sensed using a tiny MEMS motion detector built on a silicon chip. An interface chip, available with an SP1 or 12C output, is also integrated, enabling direct connection to the vehicle’s Electronic Control Unit (ECU).

Non –automotive applications are likely to include vibration sensing in industrial equipment, black-box security monitors for shipping containers, inclinometers, and robotic systems.

Blog by Gary Price

Touch Colour Concept

The visual impaired will benefit from the specially designed touch colour concept, which will enable them to draw and admire colourful digital pictures.

This innovative device comprises a Rainbow Picker in a form of a scroll wheel, which contains Braille dots that allows the visual impairment to select a colour from 24 available.

After selecting a colour, this device differentiates the colours by generating varied temperatures through LED bulbs. Then the user can paint on a thermal art board by using their fingers and the thermal-colour display technology keeps the track of the lines and colours the blind artist is using.

Blog By Tiffany Bate

http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2009/08/touch_color_concept.html

Voice of leadership

Quantum CAD is recognised as a voice of Leadership & Management Wales.

We have been investing significantly in our staff to achieve our goal of being a responsible employer and delivering high quality customer service.

Steve Jones Managing Director of Quantum CAD: “One of our most important assets is our people. Investing in their development makes good business sense. As managers we want to ensure our team feels valued and that feel-good factor impacts positively throughout the business. Training and learning is a crucial part of our strategy to grow the business and help us remain at the forefront of our sector. Our ultimate aim is to become a centre of excellence for the electronics industry”

Dissolvable Spacers

Multi-seal's Wash-Away dissolvable spacers are designed to provide consistent spacing between printed circuit board and PCB component. After soldering, Wash-Away's dissolve in water, leaving uniform spacing between components and boards.

Have you used Wash-Away's dissolvable's spacers, if so please let us know what you think about them. 

Blog by Tiffany Bate

Quantum CAD Out Drives the Competition

ECM2 recently hosted its 3rd Annual Golf Day bringing together local and global companies to compete on the same playing field.

The event was held 10th of September at the Grove Golf Club in Porthcawl, South Wales. Over 30 organisations, representing industries from research and engineering to academia and manufacturing, provided a diverse network for business opportunities. Monies accrued from the day went to the British Heart Foundation.

The day’s top prizes went to Quantum CAD, electronic and PCB design firm. Quantum took home both first and second place, giving them a dominating presence on the leaders’ board. Read More

Hot Topic of September

The hot topic lately is how to reduce the thermal footprint of a device. In the September issue of EPD it brought out some methods that can improve power consumption and reduce thermal requirements of a device. Here is just a few things they had to say, let us know what you think.

Stepping Back

Periodically designers are too close to the problem and may need to step back to consider the system.

Digital Processing and shrinking cores

Most digital systems are built on standard CMOS processes. As the CMOS processes decrease in geometry, the leakage component grows due to limitations in dielectric materials and physical dimensions of the gate oxide. New materials decrease the electrical depth with maintaining the physical thinkness.

A review of the system architecture might yeild insight into areas that could benifit from redesign to significatly improve the energy consumption of the system.

Quantum CAD work very hard to reduce the thermal foot print of a device. Contact us to find out how we can help redesign your product.

Blog by Tiffany Bate