BPM Microsystems 8^th Generation automated programming solution

BPM Microsystems 8^th Generation automated programming solution, model 3800, supports microcontrollers, NAND flash, NOR flash, serial flash, managed NAND flash, E/EPROM, flash EPROM, and other technologies with densities up to an 8 Eb theoretical limit. It also supports devices with voltage down to 0.7 (Vdd).

The ultra-fast programming speed of the model 3800 is attributed to BPM Microsystems' Vector Engine Co-Processor, the same proven technology that established Flashstream® as the fastest flash-dedicated programmer. The unique co-processor design hardware accelerates waveforms during the programming cycle. Faster speeds are achieved through synchronous operations, eliminating dead time so that the device under test no longer waits for the programmer. The result is programming near the theoretical limits of the silicon design -- the faster the device, the faster the device is programmed.

The model 3800 uses the same proven robust design as BPM Microsystems' 3000 series device handling system. Integrated into the 3800 is the LaserAlign™ sensor from CyberOptics®, which assures repeatable pick-and-place accuracy and high performance during the programming process. The programmer also offers flexible options for input and output media with choices of tray, tape or tube.

Ideal for mid to high volume production, the model 3800 can utilize eight to 16 socket cards and is compatible with Flashstream socket cards. More economical and efficient than competitors' "gang" cards that are soldered to a common printed circuit board, BPM Microsystems' socket cards can be optimized and replaced individually without dramatically affecting programming capacity.

BPM Microsystems' financial statements are audited by Pannell Kerr Forster. BPM Microsystems is located at 5373 West Sam Houston Pkwy N, Suite 250, Houston, Texas USA 77041-5160. BPM Microsystems can be found on the Internet at: www.bpmmicro.com.

BPM Microsystems in profile
Established in 1985, BPM Microsystems is a global supplier of electronic device programmers for all applications. The company is the leading supplier of vision-based automated programming systems and sets the standard in device support, performance, ease-of-use, and cost-of-ownership. The company offers a wide variety of device programmers including Universal Programmers, Concurrent Programming Systems® and Fine-Pitch Automated Programming Systems.

BPM Microsystems' financial statements are audited by Pannell Kerr Forster. BPM Microsystems is located at 5373 West Sam Houston Pkwy N, Suite 250, Houston, Texas USA 77041-5160. BPM Microsystems can be found on the Internet at: www.bpmmicro.com.

pb tec in profile
pb tec has been successfully engaged as a sales and consultancy company in the field of electronic manufacturing since 1987 (main areas of activity: SMD and chip assembly, optical inspection, component feeding, component programming and traceability).

pb tec's sales area is Germany, Austria and Switzerland and now increasingly in the direction of Eastern Europe. In January 2007 pb tec has opened an office in Bulgaria. Please find more information at: www.pbt.de or www.pbt-europe.com

pb tec has been successfully engaged as a sales and consultancy company in the field of electronic manufacturing since 1987 (main areas of activity: SMD and chip assembly, optical inspection, component feeding, component programming and traceability).

pb tec's sales area is Germany, Austria and Switzerland and now increasingly in the direction of Eastern Europe. In January 2007 pb tec has opened an office in Bulgaria.

For further information, view websites: www.pbt.de or www.pbt-europe.com  Refer to page 109

KIC award winning MVP profile fixture

The MVP profile fixture from KIC, is ideal for viewing changes in reflow ovens and determining how those changes affect the profile of production boards. Additionally, the fixture is fully compatible with KIC's award-winning SlimKIC 2000 and KIC Explorer lines of profilers.

Companies that have relied on fixtures to periodically check on their reflow ovens have been in a Catch 22 situation for years. On one hand, they did not have the luxury of sacrificing real production boards for multiple profiling needs and, on the other hand, heavy fixtures did not represent the profile on their actual PCBs as requested by their clients. Now, these electronic assemblers can get the best of both worlds with KIC's MVP fixture with integrated virtual profiling technologies.

The KIC MVP uses embedded sensor technologies that accurately measure the profile of an individual PCB without the need to use the actual PCB beyond the initial program run. With the MVP, there is no second guessing how the changes observed in the oven environment will affect the profile on the production board. Changes are instantly displayed on a profile graph, along with a single number that tells the operator whether the profile is in spec. Best of all, when the MVP detects an out-of-spec situation, the software will inform the technician how to adjust the oven in order to achieve an in-spec process and quickly resume production.

Please feel free to stop by the booth during the show to take a shot at KIC's man vs. machine game. Beat KIC's auto-prediction Navigator for a chance to win a selection of prizes, including an Apple iPad 2.

KIC in profile
Based in San Diego, KIC is the industry leader in automated thermal management tools and systems for reflow, wave, cure and semiconductor thermal processes. The company pioneered the development of oven profilers and process development tools, and then worked to create the next generation of thermal systems to help manufacturers optimize and monitor thermal processes.

In addition to KIC Explorer, products include the KIC 24/7 continuous monitoring system, the KIC Vision automatic profiling system and more. With the introduction of cutting edge tools, the company continues to stay on the leading edge of process optimization and real-time thermal management systems, and has won numerous industry awards.

For further information, view website: www.kicthermal.com

New firmware allows Outram power
quality analysers to capture extended transients

Outram Research Ltd - a specialist manufacturer of leading-edge power quality analysers - has announced a new revision of firmware for their PM7000 power quality analyser, Waveform Capture Extension, which allows capture of long-duration transients and waveform events. The new feature is designed to help engineers troubleshoot long-duration problems and to see the consequential impact of disturbances.

Whilst most transients and waveform events are over in less than three or four cycles, occasionally it is useful to capture longer periods. Examples include monitoring the network's recovery from sag after reclosures, or to view the reaction of downstream control systems such as wind turbine control.

The Waveform Capture Extension allows for selective extension of the capture window beyond the 160ms that was previously possible, enabling recording for up to 60 seconds. Extensions of the different capture triggers can be set individually, enabling complete control over the monitoring of the disturbances that are recorded for the longer period. The PM7000 can automatically terminate recording when the Sag/Surge is over to optimise the use of the available storage.

Waveforms recorded by the Extended Waveform Capture feature can be displayed and analysed in Pronto, Outram's logger control software that will also manage the data, produce comprehensive graphs, generate reports and export the waveform sample data to other desktop software packages such as Microsoft Excel.

The new firmware and Extended Waveform Capture feature are fully backwards-compatible, allowing previously saved configurations to be used without modification. Furthermore new configurations can be loaded into a PM7000 with older firmware, with the settings for Extended Waveform Capture ignored if the feature is not available.

The new Extended Waveform Capture feature is now provided as standard across the family of Outram Ranger PM7000 power analysers. New firmware to upgrade existing analysers is available on request.

Key Facts:
1) Allows recording of transient events for up to 60 seconds.
2) Applications include monitoring network recovery from sags and to view the reaction of downstream control systems.
3) Configuration files maintain forwards and backwards compatibility.
4) Automatic termination of recording for sags and surges.

For further information e-mail: valerieoutram@outramresearch.co.uk or sales@outramresearch.co.uk or view website: www.outramresearch.co.uk  Refer to page 390