Active Technologies specifies Penny + Giles
TPS280DP for performance throttle bodies

Penny + Giles, a business group of Curtiss-Wright Controls and designer and manufacturer of high precision sensing technology, has pioneered developments in motorsport position sensing by using experience gained in aerospace applications, where reliability under extremely hostile conditions is paramount. The company's sensors have become the benchmark in motorsport applications and can claim to have helped every winning team in the Formula 1 championship since 1986.

So when Norfolk, UK-based Active Technologies - an engineering design consultancy providing solutions for motorsport teams, track day enthusiasts and custom tuners -  required a better engineered and more robust throttle position sensor for its patented shaft-less throttle bodies, it is no surprise that Penny + Giles provided the solution.

Having worked for Lotus and overseen eight engines into volume production for Saab, GM and Cadillac, managing director Paul Spinks founded Active Technologies in March 2005 to create a shaft-less throttle body that increases the flow of air into naturally-aspirated engines without the need for a turbo or supercharger.

In technical terms we talk about volumetric efficiency." explains Paul. "Each cylinder in a 2.0 litre, four cylinder engine is half a litre in capacity, but if you can introduce more than half a litre of air you can increase power. With our throttle body systems, we can achieve 120% volumetric efficiency, essentially compressing the air into the cylinder."

A traditional butterfly throttle body consists of a brass disc mounted through a slotted shaft, which is held in place with two screws. The Active Technologies system removes the shaft to improve the air flow, and has resulted in a 10% increase in air flow and power from the engine compared to conventional butterfly versions."

By retaining the rotating butterfly but removing the slotted shaft from the air tract, the only intrusion in the throttle body housing is a 2mm knife edge. This shaft-less design - protected by a UK patent and with patents pending in the US, Australia, Japan and Europe - has helped to eliminate turbulence, which can cause pressure to build-up in the housing and restrict the amount of air flow.

During development Active Technologies tested numerous throttle position sensors for its bodies, from mechanically-based versions to the latest Hall effect sensors, but none offered the engineering solution they were looking for.

Explaining some of the problems encountered, Paul says that if installed or used incorrectly, potentiometer-based sensors were generating an intermittent signal that reduced the spark advance into the engine and resulted in an extremely lean mixture that caused piston damage. He says other sensors using track dampers were also tested but, by using mechanical connections, were still prone to wear and malfunction.

Then, eighteen months ago, Active Technologies tested its first non-contact Hall effect sensor, but the shaft protrusion still didn't offer them the engineering solution they required. However, it did convince the company that Hall effect was right for their throttle bodies and discussed the application with Penny + Giles engineers who recommended the TPS280DP throttle position sensor.

The Penny + Giles TPS280DP uses a factory programmable Hall effect sensor with two outputs that can be programmed individually for angular range, output range and direction. It has no contacting sensor parts, which ensures zero signal degradation over the lifetime of the sensor, and has a tested life of more than 60 million operations - more than 18 times the life of an equivalent potentiometer. In addition, when powered with 5Vdc, the sensor has an operating temperature range from -40 to +140ºC.

The TPS280DP has been specifically designed to work in harsh motorsport environments and has excellent shock and vibration resistance. Its drive and body are IP69K-rated to provide excellent protection against the ingress of dust, fluids and pressure cleaning. It is also mechanically interchangeable with many existing potentiometer-based throttle sensors using 32mm mounting centres and is designed to interface with most common throttle body D type spindles.

Explaining its advantages for the Active Technologies application, Paul Spinks says his company's throttle bodies have a full shaft protrusion that engages into the body of the TPS280DP, providing a significantly better engineering solution. The Hall effect technology also supersedes traditional systems, which wear and create 'dead spots'. Engine vibrations can also cause the contacting wiper on resistive-track sensors to bounce off the track, causing a misreading of the throttle position.

"We felt that the Penny + Giles sensor was a better engineered and more robust solution for the application. The quality and specification that Penny + Giles offers - high temperature, very high position accuracy (less than half a degree wide open to back) - is also what we are looking for when specifying components for high-performance engines." says Paul.

Quoting performance figures, Paul states that a standard 2.0 litre, naturally-aspirated Duratec engine leaves the factory with approximately 150bhp, but by replacing the production system with an Active Technologies throttle body system, the output increases by 30% to 190bhp. Reinforcing the claim, he says Active Technologies' own product demonstrator, a Renault Clio Sport, is fitted with four throttle bodies equipped with Penny + Giles TPS280 sensors, which has increased performance of the standard 150bhp engine to 196bhp.

Active Technologies throttle bodies are currently being rolled out to over forty different engine variants. In fact, motorsport team Mountune Racing, fitted them to two of Team AON's LPG-powered Ford Focus ST cars for the 2010 British Touring Car Championship series. However, following a revision of the regulations for alternative fuelled engines, the team was ordered by the Touring Car Association (TOCA) to reduce the power output of the engine by reducing the turbo inlet restrictor and boost pressure because the cars were deemed too powerful, especially for other teams chasing or defending on the race straights, which could adversely affect the competitive nature of the sport.

Because of the controversy surrounding the use of LPG-powered engines, Mountune has reverted to normally-fuelled engines for the 2011 season.

For further information, e-mail: jwranovics@curtisswright.com or view website: www.cwcontrols.com or www.pennyandgiles.com 

Atmel maXTouch mXT1386 controller is first to provide users with
faster response, higher performance, lower power and overall better
touch interface for touch tablets, PCs and notebooks on Windows 8

Atmel® Corporation (NASDAQ: ATML), a leader in microcontroller and touch solutions, states that the Atmel maXTouch® mXT1386 is the first touch controller to enable touch performance with Microsoft® Corp.'s new touch-centric operating system, Windows® 8. The mXT1386 controller is used in the Samsung® Windows Developer Preview PC. Leveraging Atmel's proven maXTouch technology, the mXT1386 is the first device in Atmel's maXTouch family that will support Windows 8 for touchscreens in a variety of sizes.

Touch interfaces have had explosive growth and are now widely adopted in a variety of devices ranging from smartphones to tablets. According to market research firm IHS iSuppli, global shipments for tablets alone are estimated to be 275.3 million units by 2015. With Windows 8, touch interfaces can be added to not only tablets but notebook PCs and all-in-one PCs. 

The Atmel maXTouch mXT1386 controller for Windows 8 provides users all the same benefits of the maXTouch family including better noise immunity for noisy environments, lower power, superior touch performance and stylus support. The product also offers improved noise performance to allow the use of shieldless sensor substrates for thinner, sleeker touchscreen designs. In addition, the maXTouch controller includes a signal-to-noise ratio of 80:1, offering more sensitivity to even the lightest touches. A high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) enables the device to work well with a fingertip touch or a stylus as small as 1mm. The mXT1386 maXTouch controller offers one of the industry's fastest touch frame rates of 180Hz, for a responsive touch interface to ensure a smooth user experience.

"Atmel is clearly the touch leader for mobile devices and tablets. We want to expand this seamless touch experience to notebook PCs and all-in-one PCs with our maXTouch technology," said Jon Kiachian, sr. director of touch marketing, Atmel Corporation. "Our collaboration with Microsoft will help make this a reality. We are excited to be selected as one of a few co-engineering partners to enable Windows 8 with our maXTouch controllers. This selection is further proof of our leadership in the market."

The Atmel mXT1386 controller offers a first touch latency of as low as 20ms with enhanced edge detection to enable fast execution of Windows 8 touch gestures. The mXT1386 is fully compatible with Windows 8 human interface devices (HID) that are 'plug n' play' ready and do not require drivers. All these features provide users an excellent touch interface and experience.

For further information about Atmel maXTouch products, view website: http://www.atmel.com/ maxtouch To learn more about the Atmel maXTouch mXT1386, view website: www.atmel.com/mxt1386 To see Atmel's latest maXTouch videos, visit the Atmel YouTube Channel at: www.atmel.com/youtube You can follow Atmel on Twitter: www.atmel.com/twitter or on Facebook at: www.atmel.com/facebook  Refer to page 307

Easy, reliable, IP67-rated connection for sensors and actuators over EtherNet/IP and PROFINET

Molex Incorporated introduces the new Brad® HarshIO Ethernet I/O Modules with QuickConnect and Fast Start-up technology to provide a reliable solution for connecting industrial controllers to I/O devices in harsh environments where liquids or vibrations may be present.

"As Ethernet flows from the office management level down to the factory floor, automation device manufacturers need to adapt their products to the constraints of industrial applications," says Eric Gory, global product manager, Molex. "When Ethernet is used to control the sensors/actuators on the robot tooling - such as on a welding robot - it is sometimes necessary to perform quick change of tools. In the automotive industry, for example, this tool change period is defined by manufacturers that the swapped Ethernet field devices must be able to start and operate in less than 500ms."

With the introduction of the QuickConnect (QC) technology for the EtherNet/IP and Fast Start-Up (FSU) technology for PROFINET, the Brad HarshIO Ethernet I/O Modules from Molex bring exceptional speed to the market and versatility to all industries using robots for repetitive tasks with precision. QC and FSU enable to start and operate the module in less than 500ms to meet the requirements for industrial applications in factory automation such as all type of body shop in automotive industry using robot tool changers. Delivering significant operational advantages over conventional I/O modules, the Brad HarshIO Ethernet I/O Modules have been successfully tested with Rockwell and Siemens-compatible PLCs (i.e. for  EtherNet/IP the module is conforming to QuickConnect Class A device requirements to start and operate in less than 250ms).

Additionally the Brad HarshIO Ethernet I/O Modules support safety automation architectures using separate power supplies to power the inputs (sensors) and the outputs (actuators). The HarshIO Ethernet power connector includes separate grounding isolation between the input/logic ground and the output ground. This feature allows powering the module with 2 distinct power supplies that is commonly used in safety applications.

"Often, system designers are using safety relays that regularly perform pulse tests to be able to detect short-circuit, ground fault or an earth fault," explains Gory. "If an error is detected, the safety function is triggered and unwanted and dangerous plant conditions are therefore avoided. However, if the separate grounding for safety is not required by the system designer, the HarshIO modules can operate using a single power supply where the ground of both logic/input and output is identical."

The Brad HarshIO modules are complemented by a wide range of Molex products, including cordsets, receptacles, field-attachable connectors, Ethernet switches, PC interfaces, gateways, diagnostic tools and simulations software. For additional information, view website: www.molex.com/link/harshio.html To receive information on other Molex products and industry solutions, sign up for the company's e-nouncement newsletter at www.molex.com/link/register  Refer to next page