ON Semiconductor has announced its top 2011 distribution partners. These awards honor the distributor in each region that led overall channel sales, grew market share, captured increased sales of products from acquisitions made by ON Semiconductor, and scored high on overall process excellence.

The 2011 awards are as follows:
• Arrow Electronics: Leading Distribution Partner for the Americas
• Arrow Electronics: Leading Distribution Partner for Europe
• Yosun: Leading Distribution Partner for China
• World Peace International: Leading Distribution Partner for Taiwan
• Uniquest: Leading Distribution Partner for Korea
• Arrow Electronics: Leading Distribution Partner for Southeast Asia
• Yosun: Leading Distribution Partner for India
• Mouser Electronics: Leading Global Distribution Partner for New Product Introduction

“Distribution sales accounted for approximately 36 percent of ON Semiconductor’s 2011 annual revenues and are expected to continue to grow,” said Jeff Thomson, vice president of Global Channel Sales for ON Semiconductor. “The ongoing market penetration and overall product revenue growth of the company continue to be highly dependent on the collaborative working relationships and unique channel sales programs we have fostered with our worldwide distribution partners. Each of the 2011 award winners successfully grew product sales, generated significant new business, and effectively supported both our customers’ needs and ON Semiconductor’s initiatives for operational excellence. ON Semiconductor is pleased to recognize these outstanding channel partners for their valuable contributions throughout 2011.”

The Oslon Square, OSRAM Opto Semiconductors’ new LED, offers a wide range of possible uses, including designer luminaires for the home or office, retrofits and street lights.
The LED is available in many different versions with different color temperatures. It can be operated with different currents, making it extremely versatile. Its reflective package makes even better use of the light and increases system efficiency in all versions. The Oslon Square is available at distributor Rutronik now.

The Oslon Square measures only 3mm x 3 mm, has a low thermal resistance of 4K/W to 3.8 K/W and is accommodated in a robust package which is suitable for outdoor use. The LED chip is enclosed by a reflective package that reflects light emitted at the side or at the back so that this light is usable. The Oslon Square EC is suitable for indoor applications in which a high quality of light is needed, for example in offices. With a color temperature of 3000K it provides a warm white light and also offers high color stability over a wide viewing angle (120°). The CRI is at least 80.
If the lighting needs to be particularly uniform a “fine-bin” order can be placed for this LED. At an operating current of 700mA it achieves an efficiency of above 90lm/W and a luminous flux of 200lm and more. At 350mA its efficiency passes the 100lm/W mark. The EC version is also suitable for retrofits. Thanks to its small dimensions it can be closely clustered and, like all the LEDs in this series, it benefits from its reflective package, both individually and within a system.

The Oslon Square PC and UW are designed for outdoor applications, i.e. in street lighting. They can be operated on currents of 200mA to 1.5A, making them interesting for other applications such as downlights and spotlights. The LEDs produce a neutral white to cold white light with color temperatures of 4000K and 6000K. And at 130lm/W from 350mA they are even more efficient than the warm white version. With a CRI of at least 70 (4000K) and 65 (6000K) these LEDs combine good quality of light with high efficiency.

» Contact Details for Rutronik

RS Components is now stocking more than 10,000 product lines for industrial applications from Panasonic Electronic Components, an industry-leading manufacturer of standard and custom electronic components.

The extensive range of Panasonic products now offered by RS includes the AN30/32xx advanced drivers for LED matrix and LED lighting applications, which have been introduced first to the market by RS, and the new series of ENW8981xx Bluetooth HCI Class 1 modem modules. A comprehensive range of semiconductors and passive components, including capacitors, resistors and inductors, is also available, targeted at the industrial sector.

“The expansion of the Panasonic electronic components range available from RS to more than 10,000 lines is a significant milestone that supports our ongoing strategy to increase our electronics offering,” said Fred Knowles, Head of Product Management – Electronics at RS. “Design engineers are under increasing pressure to bring products to market more quickly, so fast and easy access to the widest possible range of technologies from leading global suppliers such as Panasonic is paramount, enabling our customers to find, design-in and buy the components they need for their application.”

Ian Needham, Key Account Manager – Distribution, at Panasonic added, “RS has many important strengths as a multi-channel distributor, not least in its commitment to the new product introduction process. Its ability to stock a virtually unlimited range of electronics products designed for use in industrial applications from Panasonic, and offer them for same-day despatch, is extremely valuable to our business and means shorter design cycles and faster time-to-market for our customers. Our partnership with RS enables us to deliver exceptional choice, support and service excellence.”

» Contact details for RS Components

Newly available from Rapid Electronics is the Arduino microcontroller system – the open source prototyping platform which created a revolution in electronics design when it was launched in 2005. Because Arduino software is freely available under an open source license, the Arduino system gives designers, engineers, students and hobbyists the chance to build, program and test their electronic projects and inventions.

From beginners activating an LED in response to an environmental trigger to experienced programmers creating complex sound and light installations, the Arduino system caters for all levels of ability and applications. Even the most inexperienced programmer and circuit builder can exploit Arduino’s unique combination of usability, open source software, online resources and community support.

Rapid can supply an extensive range of Arduino products, accessories and components – including the Arduino Uno, Nano and Mega boards, Arduino Ethernet shields, Motor shields, servo modules and enclosures. Individual microcontrollers such as the ATmega328 will be added to the range soon.

Richard Philpot, product manager of Integrated Circuits at Rapid, said: ‘Rapid has long wanted to become an Arduino distributor, because it is just the kind of product that would be popular with a wide cross-section of our customers. The Arduino system is an excellent tool for any budding designer, ICT teacher, student or hobbyist. We are delighted to be supplying the Uno, Nano and Mega boards and look forward to building the range.’

Datasheets, schematics and reference designs are accessible from the Rapid website.

» Contact Details for Rapid Electronics Ltd.

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Mouser Electronics, Inc., regarded as a top design engineering resource and global distributor for semiconductors and electronic components, today announced its global distribution agreement with Monolithic Power Systems (MPS), a leading fabless manufacturer of high-performance analog and mixed-signal semiconductors.

The new distribution agreement between Mouser and MPS expands Mouser’s line card of analog and mixed-signal semiconductor offerings to design engineers and buyers. MPS produces power management integrated circuits (ICs) for DC to DC converters, LED drivers, backlight controllers, Class-D audio amplifiers and other linear ICs. The company’s expertise in analog design and their experience in IC manufacturing processes allow Mouser to supply its customers worldwide with new options in high-performance, energy efficient and cost-effective analog solutions.
“We are very pleased to bring MPS on board, giving design engineers across the globe quick access to their high-performance analog products,” says Mike Scott, Mouser Vice President of Semiconductors. “We look forward to a successful partnership together.”

“Mouser is a trusted global distributor with a solid focus on design engineers as well as technical purchasing representatives. Partnering with Mouser enables MPS to get our newest products into the hands of hardware designers around the world,” says Pete Klessel, MPS Sr. Director of Sales.

With its broad product line and unsurpassed customer service, Mouser caters to design engineers and buyers by delivering What’s Next in advanced technologies. Mouser offers customers 19 global support locations and the latest, most technologically advanced components for their newest design projects. Mouser Electronics’ website is updated daily and searches more than 8 million products to locate over 2 million orderable part numbers available for easy online purchase. Mouser.com also houses an industry-first interactive catalog, data sheets, supplier-specific reference designs, application notes, technical design information, and engineering tools.

» Contact details for Mouser Electronics, Inc.

Digi-Key Corporation today announced the signing of a global distribution agreement with LeCroy, a leading provider of test and measurement solutions.
“LeCroy is a welcome addition to our expansive selection of quality suppliers,” said Jeff Shafer, vice president, global interconnect, passives, and electromechanical product, Digi-Key Corporation. “Adding a respected name such as LeCroy not only offers quality product to our global customers, but allows us to maintain our commitment to providing the most in-stock product available for immediate shipment.”

“Not only will our partnership with Digi-Key contribute to our global growth,” stated Roberto Petrillo, LeCroy worldwide vice president of sales, “Digi-Key’s international communication technology and logistics expertise will provide any engineer looking for our products, anywhere in the world, the value of superior service in the key areas of product availability, on-time delivery, and responsiveness.”

Since 1964, LeCroy has been designing oscilloscopes, protocol analyzers, and related test and measurement solutions to productively validate and thoroughly debug electronic engineering designs. Offering a powerful combination of large and informative displays combined with advanced wave-shape analysis capabilities, LeCroy instruments are tailored to enhance the productivity of engineers in the computer and semiconductor, consumer electronics, data storage device, automotive and industrial, telecommunication, and military and aerospace markets.

» Contact Details for Digi-Key Corporation

Farnell has today announced it has been granted a certificate of membership signifying the company’s commitment to transparency in international commercial transactions by TRACE International Inc. (TRACE). TRACE is a non-profit membership association that pools resources to provide practical and cost-effective anti-bribery compliance solutions for multinational companies.

This certification supports the work the company has done to implement the requirements of the UK Bribery Act, introduced in 2011, and its broader approach to ethical business behavior.

The Bribery Act extends to behavior by UK companies anywhere in the world and, as a multinational organisation, Farnell has therefore re-assessed all of its policies and procedures and introduced updated and common approaches in every one of its international locations. The Act also introduces new and stringent requirements covering gifts and hospitality that might be, or give the appearance of corruption.

The company has reinforced its total commitment to ethical behavior by providing comprehensive training and guidance to employees all around the world – another example of providing assurance to its customers and suppliers at a time when the reputation and standing of businesses around the world is under the microscope.

Steven Webb, group Company Secretary said “We are delighted to receive this confirmation from TRACE following their review. We see it as vital that our customers and our suppliers can have confidence in dealing with Farnell and this is just the latest in a number of areas where we aim to take a lead in setting standards for our industry, from our comprehensive legislation guidance available through the element14 community, to our innovative packaging solutions and now in this area of ethical business practice.”

» Contact details for Farnell

Premier Farnell plc today announced that it has added Digilent to its global distribution portfolio.

Digilent has a wide range of products for academic, industry professionals and academics in electrical and computer engineering fields. These include the FPGA and microcontroller development boards, JTAG programming solutions for Xilinx FPGAs and the Electronics Explorer Kit – a personal circuit design station. Recently, Digilent launched the chipKIT line – 32-bit-microcontroller-based platforms for the Arduino™ community. Additionally, Digilent offers a wide range of peripheral modules including robotics platforms, A-D and D-A, sensors, actuators to extend the capabilities of development boards. Digilent products are available from Premier Farnell’s operating businesses of Farnell, Newark element14 and element14.

“This agreement reflects our core business strategy which focuses on supporting our global base of electronic design engineers and enhancing our product offerings to our customers around the world,” said Mike Buffham, Director of product and Electronic Design Engineering at Premier Farnell. “This adds to our existing strong supplier relationships and we are excited by the opportunity this brings us, enabling us to strengthen our existing customer base and attract new ones globally.”

“Partnering with Premier Farnell will greatly increase our mutual customers’ exposure to our kits,” said Clint Cole, president of Digilent, Inc. “We look forward to working together to help solve the complex programming needs of today’s engineers.”

» Contact details for Farnell

The Power Ethernet PE socket provides Ethernet connections for up to four internet-enabled devices from a traditional mains wall socket, without the need for additional and unsightly cabling. The PE Socket takes advantage of a building’s existing electrical wiring to create a high-speed and secure data network for connecting computers, VoIP phones, multimedia set-top boxes, Internet-connected TVs, CCTV and other IP enabled devices. Other applications include smart metering, home automation and digital signage.

The PE Sockets have been designed to be fitted into a minimum 35mm deep UK or Irish double gang metal back box. Two or more PE Sockets are required in order to create a Powerline network. The network is very easy to set up as all PE Sockets are designed to automatically link to each other. The power outlets must be electrically connected sharing the same power phase in order for the PE Sockets to provide a network connection between them.

The great benefit of PE sockets is how easy and efficient they make the process of networking businesses, commercial and residential buildings. Each PE socket has a data speed of up to 200Mbps across a meshed network and a range of 300m between sockets, and is encrypted with 128-bit AES security. The data speed is fast enough to stream HD video.
Greg Potter of Rapid Electronics commented: ‘We are delighted to be supporting Power Ethernet as one of the limited number of UK retailers of the PE socket. As a company we see the huge potential of the PE socket as a networking solution for both businesses and homes.’

‘The Power Ethernet socket is a true game changer for the electrical industry,’ said Power Ethernet Managing Director Daniel Rogoff.
‘For the first time, electricians and electrical contractors can start specifying and installing data networks for customers without specialist cabling knowledge. From Connected TVs and games consoles to CCTV and IP phones, there are a rapidly growing number of IP enabled devices in homes and workplaces that need high-speed, physical network connections. I’m very excited to be launching a product that enables the electrical industry to play a big role in satisfying that demand.’
For more details, technical specifications and datasheets please visit the Rapid website.

www.rapidonline.com

» Contact Details for Rapid Electronics Ltd.