Premier Farnell has announced the launch of element14 TV, a dedicated channel on its global online community that offers instant access to an expansive range of information-rich videos in one, easy-to-search destination.

The move is part of its commitment to provide electronics engineers and technology enthusiasts with an all-encompassing resource for product design and development.

element14, which has already had more than 2 million visits in 2011, has become the go-to resource for engineers, and its new television channel further augments the information, technology, products and design tools available to the community.

element14 TV joins an ever-growing list of resources available on the community, including the Knode on element14, an intelligent online search and knowledge tool that helps engineers research, select and buy the right solutions for their designs, CadSoft’s award winning Eagle PCB design software, leading technology companies through partnerships with top suppliers, an Expert Learning Centre, comprehensive legislation resources, and valuable insight from renowned professionals.

“element14 was the first exclusive community designed specifically for engineers and the launch of element14 TV is an exciting addition to the services we provide, allowing engineers across the globe to share and collaborate with video. We have seen a dramatic increase in the amount of time spent on the community, underscoring the value-add of the content, tools and resources available in one place,” said Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community for element14. “Not surprisingly, the video content available on the community is one of the leading resources accessed by engineers – just look at ‘The Ben Heck Show’ with more than three million views since it launched.”

element14 TV will initially focus on allowing community members to easily view videos-on-demand that educate, motivate, connect and entertain. Organized by categories and prioritized by community ratings, the channel offers content that spans the breadth of electronics content and how-tos, including the popular “The Ben Heck Show” series, Arduino tutorials, expert tutorials, user-generated videos, such as “A Day in the Life of an Engineer,” informational supplier videos, and the latest in technology and product overviews.

The launch of element14 TV makes it easier than ever to access video-centric design tools, resources and content in one place. element14 TV – a ‘YouTube for engineers’ – will also host all videos-on-demand after the Innovation Series, a two-day online summit, that is available for an entirely new generation of electronic design professionals who will develop new products and technologies that we’ve yet to even dream of.” To see the latest videos from Ben Heck to tutorials and expert videos go to www.element14.com/tv. To view the full introductory video on the element14 community site please visit http://www.element14.com/community/docs/DOC-41054.

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Programming on element14 TV will be expanded on an ongoing basis, giving the community access to the latest content, cutting-edge technology, and even access to exclusive content from industry thought leaders and visionaries. In addition, element14 TV will be guided in large part by feedback and input provided by the community through ratings, comments, submissions and more, to ensure content meets the latest design needs and discussion interests.

Visit element14 for more information and for timely and relevant technology news and information from independent engineering experts and respected industry news sources.

, Premier Farnell plc (LSE:pfl), today announced the immediate availability of over 45,000 CAD model files for use by its electronics design customers. The models support products from many of the world’s leading electronic component and semiconductor suppliers, and used alongside PCB design tools, help designers to quickly and accurately realise their printed circuit board (PCB) design. This development follows on from recent announcements showing Premier Farnell’s continued investment in providing comprehensive solutions for engineering design from product specification through prototype.

The CAD models are available globally from Premier Farnell’s element14, Newark and Farnell brands and can be downloaded by design engineers free of charge. Designers can use the CAD model symbols and footprints in the EAGLE PCB design software to create board-level schematics and PCB physical design layouts.

EAGLE PCB design software provides a cost-effective, feature-rich development environment. With the recently announced availability of EAGLE v6.0, free technical support and an extensive library of User Language Programs (ULPs), the availability of over 45,000 3D & CAD models further extends the utility of this popular PCB design solution.

Premier Farnell also offers the Ultra Librarian CAD model authoring software which allows PCB designers to quickly create custom models that are unique to their design in a powerful and easy to use environment.

In addition to the design software, CAD models and components needed to create the design, Premier Farnell also has expanded its solutions portfolio to include a seamless connection to prototype delivery. The Knode on element14 directly connects users to PCB Services partners who provide quick-turn bareboard printed circuit boards in Europe via Eurocircuits, and both bareboard PCBs and PCB assembly in the Americas through Pentalogix and Screaming Circuits.

“Providing online access to this rich library of CAD models is just one part of our strategy to support design engineers in every step of the design flow,” said David Shen, Group SVP and Global Head of Technical Marketing at Premier Farnell. “On its own it already provides incredible value to PCB design engineers with this easy to use resource, but the real value comes from the seamless integration with PCB design software, CAD model authoring software and quick-turn PCB prototyping services. This joined-up solution and global reach drives massive design flow efficiencies for our customers.”

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Premier Farnell plc is to become a globally franchised distributor for Infineon Technologies AG, enabling engineers worldwide to take advantage of Infineon’s advanced, high-quality semiconductor solutions and Premier Farnell’s broad range of high-value customer services and supporting technologies.

The agreement allows Premier Farnell to strengthen its already extensive product offering to its vast global customer base, delivering the benefits of direct engagement with Infineon and access to their new leading-edge products as soon as they are introduced. Infineon’s semiconductors and system solutions embody the company’s expertise in technologies such as analogue and mixed signal, RF, power and embedded control.

“We are delighted to be working directly with Infineon, a universally respected and market-leading semiconductor manufacturer,” said Marianne Culver, Global Head of Supplier and Product Management at Premier Farnell. “Delivering the Infineon portfolio to our customers throughout the world will enable us to extend our technology leadership in key market segments such as automotive, security and identification, alternative energy and transportation and mobility.”

“Establishing this relationship with a global high service distribution partner is an important move forward for both our companies,” said Mr. Robert Leindl; CVP Distribution and EMS, Infineon. “As a multi-channel distributor with a strong focus on ecommerce, Premier Farnell delivers the benefits of a highly effective global marketing and support network, which will help us strengthen our position as the manufacturer of choice for technology innovators everywhere.”

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element14 has been ranked number one in the Heardable Online Brand Benchmark Report: 30 Leading Brands in the Electronics Industry”. Newark, Premier Farnell’s business operation in the United States, Canada and Mexico, came second in the report, which is published by Heardable, a real-time contextual brand analytics platform.

Both brands came out top in social media and website performance, with the top five Best Practices highlighted as:

• Strong social media presence, participation, followers and advocates
• Search engine optimised websites
• Usable websites (easy to engage, share, interact, contact and transact)
• Regular monitoring and optimisation using web analytics software and testing tools
• Optimising websites for mobile smartphone browsing

The report also highlights that element14 is ranked in the top one per cent of all brands analysed by Heardable worldwide, is number one out of 9,059 competitors in the NAICS, Engineering Services category and third of 3,188 brands based in the UK.

“We have put a lot of effort into ensuring we have the right online approach to being able to provide a comprehensive and fast service for the engineers of today. We understand that engineers work at a very fast pace to stay ahead in the electronics industry and we want to provide them with the right tools and products to get the job done,” said Kevin Yapp, Chief Marketing Officer at Premier Farnell. “This is truly a great accolade for all online operations of Premier Farnell, as this report has a clear scoring methodology, documenting dozens of online marketing best practices, and further, providing ranking analysis on how each organisation is performing against its industry peers and I would like to thank all our teams who have contributed towards achieving this position in the industry.”

John Sharp, director of Heardable, Inc, said in the report: element14 has obviously put in a lot of effort into website optimisation and social media marketing over the past year, and that effort is now being rewarded. You need to get a lot of things right to win the top spot in a competitive sector like electronics. The element14 brand management team deserves high marks.

element14 is the trusted source for end-to-end engineering solutions. Bringing together fast delivery of the latest products, services and solutions, all connected to an innovative engineering community where members can access peers and experts, a wide range of independent technical information and helpful tools.

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Premier Farnell plc announces a global franchise distribution agreement with Fox Electronics, a leading specialist in the design and supply of frequency controllers.

Customers of Premier Farnell’s operating businesses of Farnell, Newark/element14 and element14 will now have global access to Fox Electronics’ full line of crystals, oscillators, TCXOs, VCXOs and Fox’s XpressO Crystal Oscillator, which has been classed as a breakthrough in configurable Frequency Control Solutions. XpressO utilises a family of proprietary ASICs, designed and developed with a key focus on noise reduction technologies. XpressOs XOs & VCXOs come in various packages and voltages and are configurable with custom frequencies from 0.75MHz to 1350 MHz with extremely low jitter.

In this agreement, Fox electronics will extend their marketing support to all global operations of Premier Farnell, and collaborate on new product information via element14, Premier Farnell’s innovative information portal and online community for electronic design engineers to globally collaborate, share and access new information to support them in their design work.

Through Premier Farnell’s global distribution network and element14, Fox’s new products can be ordered in bulk and are available for next-day delivery supported by local language websites and regional offices to ensure excellent sales and technical support for customers on all its product lines.

“Our partnership with Fox Electronics shows our commitment to offering the latest innovations in the crystals and oscillators space, “said Marianne Culver, Global Head of Supplier Management and Supply Chain at Premier Farnell. This is another example of how we support our customers by creating market first, powerful and strategic relationships.”

“Fox Electronics is very excited to expand our relationship with Premier Farnell. With Fox’s innovative products and Premier Farnell’s high service business model from conceptual design to production together we are going reach out to our customer base in a more effective way,” said E.L. Fox, President Fox Electronics.

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Premier Farnell plc has announced release plans for EAGLE Version 6.0 including details of the many new features being developed for this release and deliver a major step forward in the PCB designer productivity and efficiency. All users purchasing the current version of EAGLE will receive a free upgrade to the version 6.0 release.

CadSoft’s EAGLE V6.0 PCB design software will deliver innovations and improvements over previous versions that will allow design engineers significant flexibility and efficiency. The EAGLE V6.0 release features a redesigned XML database structure – the first to use ASCII text as format, which allows quick and easy design changes, importing of design information as well as translation from other design formats.

“The best-selling CAD tool (EAGLE) for PCB design just got better, and we will deliver the latest EAGLE V6 free to new and upgrading customers after release,” said Thomas Liratsch, CadSoft’s General Manager. “EAGLE V6.0 is agile and intuitive, so design engineers can easily design, replicate, move, transpose, and even copy/paste schematics – saving them time and effort. Simply put, the new release of EAGLE takes designer friendliness and freedom to a whole new experience.”

EAGLE V6.0 includes a variety of user-friendly and productivity-enhancing features, such as:
XML database structure – Read, edit and parse the data outside of the EAGLE tool
Design reuse – Ability to merge board/schematic pairs using COPY/ PASTE function with full consistency. This supports easy design, for example, of multi-channel devices.
Routing capability improvements
Optimised work-flow with an Undo/Redo log to control each step going back or forward
Flawless conversions between millimetres and inches with increased internal resolution
Library editor optimisations
Ability to connect a pin to multiple pads allows designers to handle components’ internal connected pins. Compared to previous versions schematic symbols look nicer and you save time in defining them.
Designers can also draw arbitrary pad shapes easily without any problems with Design Rules Check for such objects.
EAGLE V6.0 also supports an unlimited number of technologies and package variants – eliminating the need to split a library into two parts.
File description functionality – You can now individualise your schematics, sheets, boards and symbols with descriptions, so you don’t have to open the file in an editor window to see its contents.
Customers who buy or upgrade from a former version to EAGLE V5 from 01 September 2011 can upgrade their software edition and modules for free to EAGLE Version 6.0. For more information please visit www.cadsoft.de/conditions_buy_now

CadSoft’s EAGLE PCB design software is also available from element14, Premier Farnell’s innovative community for design engineers, bringing Web 2.0 to engineers, along with over 10,000 technical documents and software tools. All versions of EAGLE contain DesignLink, an automated connection between EAGLE and the extensive components database from Premier Farnell. A free trial version is available on www.element14.com/eagle.

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Premier Farnell has scooped the Yorkshire Post Award for best Company with a turnover above £50m at the paper’s Excellence in Business Awards.  The awards, which celebrate excellence and high performance within leading businesses in the Yorkshire region, were held on Thursday evening at The Queens Hotel, Leeds.

Judges recognised Premier Farnell for the high levels of enterprise and competitiveness along with management, innovation, performance, customer service and employee motivation within the workplace featuring as key differentiators.

Particularly impressing the judging panel was the robust engagement programme the business has established which has an objective to make Premier Farnell a great place to work. The recent launch of the state-of-the-art gym facility at the Leeds based site, and the sponsorship of David Stone, the double gold medal paralympian who hopes to compete at the 2012 Paralympics, were other areas of success for the business.

“We are absolutely delighted to win this accolade and I would like to thank all our teams for making this happen,” said David Gaskin, Finance Director of Farnell Europe, who received the award from UK Deputy Prime Minster Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP. “This is a fabulous recognition for the organisation and its employees.”

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Adding to its depth of services for electronic design engineers, Farnell, a part of Premier Farnell plc (LSE:pfl), today announced a collaboration with Eurocircuits to provide quick-turn bare board PCB prototyping services for its customers in Europe.

The PCB prototyping service will be available via the Knode on element14 allowing design engineers to quickly upload their design specifications for rapid turnaround of high-quality bare-boards. The service is also integrated with the CadSoft EAGLE PCB design tool – further increasing productivity and design flow integration.

Design engineers are always in need of a reliable, trusted PCB prototype supplier who not only has the technical expertise and dedicated equipment, but also the flexibility to handle time critical customer specifications and special design materials. As a specialist manufacturer of high-quality PCB prototypes, Eurocircuits is able to meet that demand while offering 48-hour turnaround at competitive prices.

“High quality, quick-turn PCB prototyping is a critical step in the electronics design flow and directly impacts the time-to-market and commercial success of a finished product,” said David Shen, Group Senior Vice President and Global Head of Technical Marketing at element14. “The collaboration with Eurocircuits allows our customers to quickly and easily create reliable, high quality prototype PCB boards and is another example of our commitment to continually expand our services offering and enhance the value proposition.”

“The cornerstone of Eurocircuits’ success has been our straightforward business terms, quick turnaround and absolute focus on quality and design integrity,” said Dirk Stans, Sales and Marketing Director at Eurocircuits. “We already serve more than 6000 customers in Europe, and the higher market penetration and visibility brought to us by Farnell and the Knode on element14 will increase our pooling efficiency and help drive a better deal for customers.”

The Knode on element14 is an intelligent online search and knowledge tool that helps design engineers select and buy the right solution for their design right from the start. It helps to improve speed to market, quality of both the design and prototype and provides a knowledgebase that helps engineers learn and design new technologies.

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Farnell is first European distributor to offer new designs from 1590 enclosure series

Farnell is continuing to respond to the growing European demand for new designs in small enclosures by extending its range of die-cast aluminium enclosures from Hammond Manufacturing. The additions to the range are from Hammond’s rugged1590 series and are available in a choice of vibrant colours or a natural finish.

The new styles include two sizes of trapezoid and octagonal shaped enclosures. These complement the extensive range of Hammond enclosures in standard rectangular format that Farnell already offers.

The 1590 series features a lap joint construction to provide protection against dust and moisture ingress and water splashes. The enclosures are rated to IP54; this can be increased to IP66 by utilising a gasket kit. The use of a lap joint also supports improved EMI/RFI shielding performance.

Farnell is the first Europe-wide distributor to offer the new styles from Hammond’s 1590 series giving designers the widest choice for their new equipment designs.

µC/OS-III source can be downloaded for free evaluation by design engineers, researchers and students

Premier Farnell plc, today announced an agreement with Micriµm, a leading supplier of embedded RTOS solutions, to provide free evaluation access to the source code for Micriµm’s µC/OS-III Real-Time Kernel through the element14 knode, enabling electronic design engineers to quickly develop new products. The move is in line with the Group’s focus on providing engineering design solutions, driving business to the web and growing sales in emerging markets.

Downloadable from the Operating Systems and Stacks room in the recently launched element14 knode, Micriµm’s ‘source-available’ model for µC/OS-III streamlines the path from evaluation to production. To help ensure that developers evaluating µC/OS-III make the most of the experience, the element14 knode also provides free PDF versions of Micriµm’s book, µC/OS-III – The Real-Time Kernel.

µC/OS-III books, compatible evaluation boards, tools and projects are all available from the element14 knode. Developers start the evaluation process by downloading the µC/OS-III source from element14. Once they have decided to use the kernel for production, they can then purchase a license directly from element14 and leverage the fully featured and fully supported industry strength software. µC/OS-III is free to students, professors, hobbyists and professionals for non-commercial use.

“We are pleased that our source-available model for µC/OS-III will be a key component in helping design engineers quickly develop new products through the element14 knode, “said Jean Labrosse, founder, CEO and President of Micriµm. “We recognise the added value that the element14 knode offers to the designer and are excited to be a part of its continued development.”

Micriµm is a global RTOS leader and a top choice for embedded design engineers building microprocessor, microcontroller and DSP-based solutions. Applications include medical, military and aerospace, industrial, consumer and telecom.

“We are delighted to be working closely with Micriµm in the global roll out of their strategy for opening up µC/OS-III source for free evaluation and education,” said David Shen, Group Senior Vice President and Global Head of EDE and Technical Marketing of Premier Farnell.

“Our element14 community has changed the way engineers collaborate, and the element14 knode is changing the way engineers can quickly access and configure their design flow solutions. The initiative with Micriµm provides our customers with immediate access to the µC/OS-III kernel and fast, accurate evaluation is a critical step in reducing their time to market.”

The µC/OS-III source code and PDF copies of the µC/OS-III The Real-Time Kernel book can be downloaded from http://www.element14.com/community/community/knode/operating_systems

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