Component distribution market to grow again in 2004 Richard WilsonComponent sales through distribution will increase by just over 3 per cent next year, according to the latest forecast from industry association Afdec.Despite the modest level of market grow predicted it is the fact that the distribution market is growing after three years of decline which is important, indicated Afdec chairman, ...

Take a look at alphanumeric displays, they’re changingSteve BushTwo line alphanumeric displays are an enduring classic among components. Introduced 20 or so years ago, construction techniques and technologies have changed, but the basic product has endured. This has much to do with utility – two rows of 16 or 20 characters allows a lot of information to be displayed in ...

Chip firms adapt to change with more system-level design David MannersThe semiconductor industry is taking on increasingly higher levels of systems design which is changing the industry, according to Philippe Geyres, corporate v-p for consumer and microcontrollers at STMicroelectronics.“What the system industry is asking the semiconductor industry to do is making a radical change in the industry which puts a ...

Firm ports smartcard optimised Java software to ARMRichard BallOneEighty Software from Croydon has ported its Java virtual machine to the complete range of ARM processors.The firm’s JVM, called Origin-J, is aimed at low-resource applications, including those with limited memory such as smartcards.Origin-J can run on top of other operating systems or directly on the processor, said the firm, and uses ...

Primagraphics secures £1m Nimrod system contractRichard WilsonMilitary board system supplier Primagraphics has won a $1.5m (£1m) from Boeing to supply systems for use on the UK’s latest maritime patrol aircraft, to be known as the Nimrod MRA4. Called Sentinel, the systems will record and replay high-resolution (1280×1024) screen images generated by the aircraft’s tactical command system. It uses modified VME ...

BBC plans to sell £220m technology businessRichard WilsonThe BBC plans to sell its £220m technology division, which includes 1,400 staff, in a cost saving move which will link the sale with the provision of technical support to the broadcaster. BBC Technology, which was created in 2001, has won contracts in the UK and abroad with companies such as Hutchison 3G, ...

US owner to close former Kymata site in Scotland Richard WilsonThe US firm which acquired Scottish optical device developer Kymata has said it intends to end operations at the former Kymata facility in Livingston.Avanex, which develops optical networking systems, said it “plans to discontinue operations in Livingston, Scotland subject to the normal regulatory processes and consultations with the workforce”. It ...

“Best career in world” says top woman engineerMelanie ReynoldsGrace Johnstone, a flight test engineer for BAE Systems at Warton Aerodrome, Lancashire, was named last week as this year’s top Young Woman Engineer. Johnstone received the £1,000 award and a silver rose bowl from HRH The Princess Royal. “I’d advise anyone who’s technically minded to go into engineering,” said Johnstone. “It’s ...

Secure chips will lead to biometric passports Richard BallLast week’s Cartes 2003 smartcard conference in Paris was notable for the emergence of secure chips suitable for storing biometric data in passports and ID cards.Four manufacturers – Infineon Technologies, Philips Semiconductors, Sharp Microelectronics and STMicroelectronics – unveiled silicon with large amounts of non-volatile memory. “The ST22FJ1M was designed to allow developers ...

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