Acal BFi announces the launch of a new Hectronic embedded computer based on AMD Fusion G-series APUs. The H6059 Qseven module integrates the new AMD T40E and T40R ultra low-power dual-core and single-core accelerated processing units (APU), which combine a low-power CPU and an advanced graphics processing unit (GPU) into a single embedded device. The H6059 also integrates the A55E embedded chipset in the Qseven standard revision 1.2 compliant module measuring just 70 mm x 70 mm.

As a sister company to Hectronic, Acal BFi will provide specialist technical support on the H6059 in addition to supporting Hectronic’s full range of embedded computing modules. The combination of Acal BFi’s expertise in design for harsh environments, with Hectronic’s leading-edge embedded computing platforms, will enable OEMs to enrich their products with new levels of processing and graphics performance, combined with low power consumption and an extremely compact size.

The integration of the Radeon 6250 GPU into the CPU, allows the H6059 to offer increased 2D/3D and motion-video acceleration performance for general purpose GPU (GPGPU) computing applications using AMD’s Open CL support. The on-die GPU also helps to avoid the memory bus bottlenecks which can occur when using a discrete GPU.

Applications which could benefit from the H6059’s increased processing and graphics performance include digital signage, high-end HMIs, and portable test and measurement as well as in imaging and vision systems based on high-end cameras.

The H6059 also offers a rich set of I/O interfaces which include four PCI Express ports; eight USB 2.0 ports; two SATA ports; LVDS and the new DVl, HDMI and DisplayPort digital display interfaces, as well as an on-board Intel 82583 Gigabit Ethernet controller. Legacy I/O is supported through the LPC bus and the module has BIOS support for Super I/O devices on the carrier board. Full legacy ISA bus features, such as I/O mapping in memory, are also supported to enable industrial customers to easily migrate their installed product base to the new performance levels enabled by the H6059. SDIO is provided through an onboard USB-to-SDIO controller.

The H6059 supports up to 4GB of on-board soldered DDRIII DRAM, as well as an on-board soldered BGA SATA Flash SSD of up to 32GB. The BIOS is based on the new Phoenix SecureCore Tiano UEFI BIOS, with BSPs for XP Embedded, Windows Embedded Standard 7 and Linux.

Acal BFi will sample the H6059 Qseven embedded computing module to lead OEM customers towards the end of the first quarter of 2012, with an industrial-grade version of the H6059 planned for introduction later this year. A starter kit is available to support development with this module.

For more information, please visit: http://www.acaltechnology.com/uk/hectronic2

Acal BFi – a division of Acal plc announces that it has received the 2011 Distributor Gold Performance Award for EMEA from Honeywell Sensing and Control (S&C).

“Acal BFi developed many new business opportunities with top OEMs and generated significant growth for Honeywell during 2011, demonstrating the strong alignment of S&C’s products with Acal BFi’s sales strategies,” said Tony Sugalski, president, Honeywell Sensing and Control. “Their success earned them our top recognition award for their major contribution last year.”

Acal BFi’s Philippe Gruson, Electronics Division President added, “Honeywell sensors and switches are typically used in harsh applications such as military, aerospace, medical, industrial or offshore equipment. The combination of our expertise in designing for these extreme environments, with Honeywell’s innovative and robust sensing and control products, enables customers to reduce the development cycle for end-products which offer the most stringent levels of reliability and integrity.”

The 2011 Distributor Gold Performance Award was received on behalf of Acal BFi by Paul Webster, Managing Director for Supplier Relationships & Product Management and Walther van Puijvelde, Business Development Director for Sensors. The award was presented at a Gala Dinner during the European 2012 Sales ‘Kick Off’ meeting held in Budapest and attended by around 120 delegates, including senior U.S. and European Honeywell managers and product personnel, in addition to representatives from Honeywell distributors and agents.

Acal BFi supports customers, throughout Europe, with specialist design and manufacturing services for Honeywell Sensing and Control’s full product range, which includes sensors for pressure, airflow, force, temperature, humidity, hall, position, proximity and current, in addition to basic, limit, safety, wireless and explosion-proof switches.

Acal BFi is sampling a new range of Amphenol RF connectors for applications in high-definition broadcasting, broadband and networking. The new high-density HD-BNC™ connectors are based on Amphenol’s patented BNC technology, and allow four times higher density than conventional BNC connectors.

The HD-BNC series features a bayonet coupling with tactile feedback and a positive lock for fast and easy connection using Amphenol’s patented mating and demating technology. True 75 Ohm impedance allows the connectors to achieve improved performance over longer distances; whilst a direct fit to conventional Belden®, Times Fiber® DRAKA® Image® and Canford SDV® broadcast cables using existing standard tooling allows customers to simplify the transition to higher-density connectivity. HD-BNC connectors can also be used as a replacement for DS3 and DS4 connectors.

Acal BFi will hold inventory of the complete HD-BNC product line of plugs, adapters, jacks and PCB mounts.

“These new connectors are 51% smaller than the original BNC, 39% smaller than mini-BNC and 40% smaller than DIN 1.0/2.3 connectors,” explains Emma Hatton, Interconnect Product Manager Acal BFi. “The combination of easy adoption, enhanced performance and significantly higher density will enable customers to deliver higher definition in broadcast applications, and greater bandwidth in networking and broadband applications.”

Acal BFi is sampling HD-BNC connectors for digital video, high-definition TV (HDTV) and cable TV as well as for network routing & switching, satellite head-ends and telco broadband applications.

For more information please visit: http://www.acaltechnology.com/uk/amphenol-hdbnc

Acal BFi announces the launch of a new range of embedded power supplies from specialist manufacturer, SL Power, which feature 90% efficiency and one of the smallest heat footprints in AC to DC conversion.

The CINT1200 family comprises eight models with output voltages from 12V to 48V, and up to 200 watts of output power, from a wide input range of 90V to 264Vac. The space-saving CINT1200 AC to DC modules measure 3” (7.6cm) x 5” (12.7cm), with a height of just 1.3” (3.3cm), allowing them to easily fit into a 1U chassis.

Designed to meet the stringent EMC requirements for industrial and information technology equipment (ITE) applications, the CINT1200 modules are HALT tested for durability and offer a 3 year warranty. The modules are CE marked in accordance with the low-voltage directive and are approved to ITE standards making them suitable for worldwide applications.

“These new embedded AC to DC modules are designed to help engineers to reduce the overall size and heat dissipation of their end-products as well as to increase reliability in harsh or high-reliability applications,” explains Philippe Gruson, President Electronics Division, Acal BFi.

Value-add manufacturing services allow Acal BFi to modify or produce full custom versions of SL Power modules, including in-house testing for EMC, fast prototyping and a low minimum order quantity.

Samples of CINT1200 AC to DC converter modules are available upon request from Acal BFi.

Acal BFi, – a division of Acal plc (FTSE: ACL) – announces the availability of alternatives to Fast Synchronous SRAMs (FSSs) made obsolete by the planned withdrawal of Samsung from the FSS market. The second-source service will enable OEMs and CEMs to avoid the risk of disruption to the continuity of supply, in addition to offering improvements in system performance, reduced lead-times and fast sampling.

“Despite continued demand from customers, the sources of supply for fast synchronous SRAM have been shrinking, with Samsung following Toshiba, Micron and IBM in withdrawing from this sector,” explains Acal Technology’s President of Electronics Division, Philippe Gruson. “Fast synchronous SRAMs have developed into high-mix products, with a wide range of architectures designed to meet the growing and diversified demands of the networking market. As the number of architectures and part numbers has increased, so the production volume for each individual device has diminished to the point where many manufacturers are finding it hard to maintain profitability.”

Using the industry’s widest range of fast synchronous SRAM, from specialist manufacturer GSI Technology, Acal BFi can cross-reference and sample a fit, form and function replacement for virtually any existing high-speed SRAM.

GSI is the only company to focus their entire manufacturing output on high-speed SRAM. Their unique ExactPreference™ manufacturing process enables Acal BFi to achieve short lead-times on the complete range of GSI high-speed SRAM, which features the industry’s widest range of speeds, as well as the lowest static and dynamic power consumption. Almost all available options of SRAM dice are held in bulk inventory with the final packaging, bonding and testing options being completed on the ExactPreference™ manufacturing line to ensure fast delivery.

GSI SRAMs are also covered by a seven-year product lifetime support guarantee, which allows designers to future-proof their products by ensuring long-term continuity of supply.

Applications which could second-source to GSI SRAM include networking, switches, routers and base-stations as well as VoIP, DSP, DSL line cards and modems. OEMs in the industrial, medical and military sectors could also maintain continuity of supply and increase system speeds by second-sourcing GSI SRAMs.

Acal BFi, – a division of Acal plc, has signed a European distribution agreement with SL Power, a leading manufacturer of internal and external power supplies for the industrial, medical, military and information technology equipment (ITE) sectors. This signing will give Acal BFi greater flexibility to provide design and manufacturing support to customers developing products for harsh and life-critical applications.

“With its reputation for high-quality medical power supplies, SL Power are now introducing competitively priced, high-specification power supplies into commercial and industrial applications which require high reliability and long life in market-leading form factors,” explains Philippe Gruson, President of the Electronics Division, at Acal BFi.

SL Power’s standard internal power supplies range from 11 to 1200W, whilst the standard external power supplies range from 10 to 220W. Over 30% of SL Power’s product is supplied with some modification and a further 30% of the products are custom designed. This, combined with low minimum order quantities for non-standard product, will support Acal BFi in providing customers with a value-added approach to the design-in of semi-custom and custom power-supply products.

Nigel Davies, European Sales Director at SL Power, comments, “Acal BFi was selected to become SL Power’s distributor in Europe due to its proven ability to provide local support, both technically and commercially, to power-supply users at all stages of the design-to-manufacturing process.”

The most recent survey by Frost & Sullivan named SL Power as #1 in the world for medical power supplies and the company’s power supplies are used by many of the world’s leading medical equipment manufacturers as well as by customers in the high-reliability, industrial information technology equipment (ITE) and military markets.

DRS Technologies, Inc., a Finmeccanica Company, today announced that it has entered into an international reseller agreement with Acal BFi – a division of Acal plc (FTSE:ACL) – to distribute its family of advanced military and commercial thermal imaging systems to security and surveillance Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) and Integrators throughout Europe.

The relationship with Acal BFi represents the first significant reseller programme in Europe for these DRS systems. They are developed by the Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition (RSTA) Group, which has a rich history of leadership with high-quality and cost-effective thermal imaging systems. Acal BFi is a pan-European technical distributor providing specialist design support, manufacturing and test services across a range of products which includes semiconductors, RF and wireless, frequency control, electromechanical, power management and board-level systems for the electronic and photonic markets.

DRS Technologies’ RSTA thermal imaging systems produce sharp, high-quality images through smoke, dust, haze, light fog and in complete darkness. Rather than relying on light, they detect the infrared (heat) waves emitted by every person, object and structure, at any temperature.
Among the RSTA products which Acal BFi will support are:
• Tamarisk™320: The world’s smallest and lightest full-featured thermal camera. Smaller than a golf ball, it occupies less than 30 cubic centimeters, weighs as little as 30 grams and consumes less than one watt of power. The excellent 320 x 240 resolution of the Tamarisk™320 is unmatched in a package of that compact size. Its small size makes the Tamarisk™320 particularly attractive to manufacturers for integration into their own products.
• UC640-17-LW: A miniature thermal imaging camera that employs vanadium oxide (VOx) detector technology to produce a clear, 640 x 480 image. This device is available in two configuration formats, OEM housed and split configuration, for maximum integrator flexibility.
• WatchMaster™ IP Elite: A very compact, Open Network Video Interface Forum (ONVIF™) compliant system that weighs less than 1500 grams. Providing a sharp 320 x 240 thermal image, it operates with Internet protocols and is easily networked.
• WatchMaster™ Pro: A powerful thermal imaging system in a small package that produces high-resolution 640 x 480 images with unparalleled clarity. The dual-camera device can be operated in a networked or standalone configuration.
“We welcome our new partnership with Acal BFi, and we are confident that the relationship will provide RSTA with a strong international presence as we introduce our industry-leading thermal technology to Europe’s military and commercial markets,” said RSTA President Terry Murphy. “Acal BFi’s presence throughout Europe, combined with their specialist engineers teams, in-house manufacturing and test services, will be important resources for OEMs and integrators who want to incorporate the latest imaging technology into their products.”
“The addition of advanced technologies, from one of the world’s leading manufacturers of thermal infrared imaging systems, allows Acal BFi to offer customers greater flexibility and choice, and strengthens our ability to support customers in developing next-generation imaging systems for the military and security markets,” explains Philippe Gruson, President Electronics Division, Acal BFi.
Acal BFi has operating companies in the U.K., Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Scandinavia.

OFS, Specialty Photonics Division, announces that it has expanded its distribution agreement with Acal BFI – a division of Acal plc (FTSE: ACL) – into Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Austria. For over 10 years, Acal BFI has been a distributor for OFS in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

The new agreement, which will be effective from 1 December 2011, will continue to enable Acal BFI to support specialty photonic products manufactured at OFS’ Avon, Connecticut, USA facility. These
products include specialty optical fibers and cables, termination kits, test sets and connectors. “Acal BFI has the proven ability to provide our customers with first-class service and support from its
extensive network of specialist engineers throughout Europe,” said John Earnhardt, Senior Sales Manager of OFS, Specialty Photonics Division. “This has been demonstrated by the support that
they have given to customers in the territories for which Acal BFI has an existing agreement with OFS. Enhanced collaboration between OFS, Specialty Photonics Division, and Acal BFI will help our
customers to effectively implement emerging technologies in the diverse areas that OFS serves, including electric power, industrial automation and aerospace, as well as medical devices and
equipment.”

Philippe Gruson, President, Acal BFI, comments: “OFS has the industry’s most extensive portfolio of specialty fibre products. This will enable Acal BFI to offer customers greater choice and flexibility to
meet their most challenging commercial and technical objectives, and open opportunities for customers to develop new applications for their products. The combination of Acal BFI specialist
commercial and technical expertise, together with complementary technologies and products (such as optical transmitters and receivers), means that Acal BFI can help customers to reduce cost and
time to market at every stage of the design and production cycle.”

For further information, please visit: http://www.acaltechnology.com/uk/ofs

ACAL BFi has signed a pan-European distribution agreement with gyroscope and inertial systems manufacturer, Silicon Sensing. ACAL BFi will provide specialist technical support on Silicon Sensing’s full range of products including their new class of PinPoint® precision MEMS navigation and pointing gyroscopes.

“As an extension to ACAL BFi’s existing range of sensors, Silicon Sensing provides a particularly good fit with Colibrys accelerometers. The combination of these products, plus extensive specialist design support, can help customers to implement high-end sensor functions and Smart products which deliver benchmark performance with a minimum risk and time to market.” explains Walther Van Puijvelde, Business Development Director Sensors, ACAL BFi.

The Silicon Sensing product range covers silicon MEMS single-axis gyroscopes, off-the-shelf and custom multi-sensor systems including multi-axis inertial sensor assemblies, inertial measurement units and integrated navigation INS/GPS products. Their products are used extensively in navigation systems for mobile satellite TV, light aircraft and agricultural equipment, as well as in industrial and consumer applications.

ACAL BFi’s team of sensor design specialists has fifteen years of expertise in helping customers to develop designs using components from some of the world’s leading sensor manufacturers. Silicon Sensing’s products will expand ACAL BFi’s existing range of tri-axial accelerometers and magnetic, pressure, force, thermal, rotary and optical sensors, as well as complete compass and dead-reckoning modules. In-house testing and assembly services further help to get products to reduce time to market.

For further information, please visit http://www.acaltechnology.com/uk/ss1

ACAL BFi have signed a new distribution agreement with thermistor manufacturer, Shibaura. The new agreement adds the Nordic territories and extends the franchise agreement throughout Europe.

Under the new agreement, Acal BFi will sell and provide specialist technical support on Shibaura’s NTC temperature sensors and customised thermistor probes which are used in a wide range of applications such as home appliances, medical, industrial and HVAC.

ACAL BFi Business Development Director for Sensors, Walther Van Puijvelde, explains; “ACAL BFI’s strategy is to develop a linecard which gives every customer throughout Europe access to specialist technical support and assembly services on best-in-class components from leading manufacturers. We have already helped customers in automotive and consumer applications to use Shibaura products to solve their design challenges and we will now be able to extend this capability to all of our customers.”

For Shibaura, General Manager/International Operations, Shuichi Watanabe, added, “Acal-BFI’s expertise in supporting complete probe solutions compliments Shibaura’s flexibility in manufacturing these products.”

The Shibaura glass-sealed PSB (Pellet Shaped Bead) NTC thermistors are used for measurement and control of temperatures ranging from +50 to +1000 degrees Centigrade. The thermistors feature a fine ceramic chip which provides high stability, glass sealing for high heat resistivity and mechanical endurance and small physical dimensions for a fast response time.

For further information, please visit http://www.acaltechnology.com/uk/shibaura1