For billions of people across the world struggling to get affordable and reliable high-speed internet access, full-fiber broadband is the stuff dreams are made of. But first of all, what exactly is full-fiber broadband? No, it’s not broadband of...
Digital technologies alongside fiber optic communication is a field in which the UK is a ground breaker. The history of emerging digital technologies is not usually associated with Britain. They are more associated with East Asia who inundated t...
Digital communications, wherever we are in the world, are made possible almost instantaneously by tiny packets of data travelling vast distances from one server to another via tiny strands of optical fiber. We take it almost for granted that every ti...
Most industrial control systems require a space where interactions occur between the human and the machine. This is commonly known as an operator interface, and switches form a vital component in these areas, enabling the operator to quickly turn com...
Modern industrial machinery requires an increasing number of sensors to boost their performance, and these devices have to survive in increasingly harsh environments, placing larger demands on the performance of the connectors.At the same time, pract...
Since it was first introduced in 1996, the Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard has become the interface of choice for an enormous range of computing and communications applications, both for data transfer and for charging.Over recent years, the trend...
The automation industry has grown tremendously over the years. Many of the automated processes depend on object detection. From garage gates that open when a car approaches to escalators that start moving when a person stands on the first step, autom...
Whether it’s compensating for temperature-dependent electrical changes, or ensuring equipment doesn’t overheat, there’s almost always a need to know whether your system is blowing hot or cold. The temperature sensor market is, therefore, substantial,...
5G, the fifth generation of mobile networks, is already starting to be rolled out in South Korea, the UK and the US and many other countries. The most striking benefit it offers is higher speed, with averages starting at something like 200Mbps, or ar...
On the surface, selecting the correct switch for a given design might seem like a relatively simple decision and there’s certainly no shortage of switch types to choose from or ways of using them, with a huge range of assorted types, styles, colours ...
Sensing light is immensely useful in many applications. Want to check everything on your production line is stood up and oriented correctly? Need to count small items your manufacturing system is making? And want to do it all reliably, cost-effective...
Since it was first introduced in 1996, the Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard has become the interface of choice for an enormous range of computing and communications applications, both for data transfer and for charging.We've become used to standar...
While most of us live and work in relatively protected and safe indoor environments, much of the world’s most critical electronic systems and equipment operate in harsh conditions. Whether it is water, dust, extreme weather, explosive atmospheres or ...
For any fiber optic network, it’s important that the fibers are connected properly. A reliable connection will maintain efficient network operation by minimising light loss, and will avoid any problems from moisture or dirt getting in to the connecto...
Optical fiber is everywhere: carrying huge quantities of data at the speed of light. Glass or plastic, fiber is super-fast, flexible and thin, around the thickness of human hair.The fiber carries data as pulses of light, and has nowadays overtaken co...
The market for photoelectric sensors is expected to grow to more than US$2 billion by 2025, driven in part by the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT). They are used in many different applications, often in manufacturing and packaging, and have some ...
We’ve come to rely on the internet today, for communicating, shopping, watching TV and a million over things. It’s only a slight exaggeration to say internet has become as basic a utility as a telephone, or mains electricity.For most of us, fast broa...
Optical fiber is an excellent way for the transmission of data, using light signals that travel down the length of a glass fiber. Super-fast, flexible and thin, it is rare that fiber optic cable rarely needs amplification, even over long distance tra...
The maker movement has become increasingly popular, giving a huge range of people the chance to get involved in technology, and to build projects for themselves. Open source hardware and software has enabled makers to create almost anything you can t...
We hear a lot about fiber optic networks for broadband internet, but there’s more than one way they can be constructed. While the main network will always be fiber, there are alternatives as to how to connect the ‘last mile’ – the few hundred metres ...
USB connectors have been around for a long time. Most electronic devices, such as laptops and other computer equipment will feature one or more standard USB Type A ports to enable communication with other pieces of peripheral hardware. Smaller device...
The development of optical fiber has been a key enabler for technology, from the planet’s largest and most complex machine to the latest quantum encryption. Connecting the elements of the internet together safely and reliably is a major challenge tha...
Digital technologies alongside fiber optic communication is a field in which the UK is a groundbreaker.The history of emerging digital technologies is not usually associated with Britain. They are more associated with East Asia who inundated the mark...
Fiber optic cables are cables that contain several thousands of optical fibers in a protective, insulated jacket. The optical fibers are very thin strands of pure glass, which transmit information in the form of light. Fiber optic cables have revolut...
Anyone in search of a rugged connector for a particular application will be confronted with a wide range of choices. Making the right choice is the hard part, so this blog post is focused on how to choose between a metal or a plastic connector and we...
