August 2002
EPCOS is the world's largest supplier of components such as thermistors, ceramic varistors and gas-filled surge arresters that protect electronic circuitry against destruction.
Surge arresters are used in most telecom and computer equipment. Their major advantage over semiconductors is that they have high current-handling reserves, so they can be used in a much wider range of applications.
Ceramic varistors are used throughout the electrical and electronics industry. Disk varistors are found primarily in telecommunications. SMD varistors are mainly used for ESD protection in mobile phones, notebooks, set-top boxes and digital cameras.
Integrated varistor solutions are already available as arrays and filters, and EPCOS is currently working on larger scales of integration with low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC). This promotes miniaturization and reduction of component count.
Siemens Components
Regular Features
Editor's Comment
Connectivity
Different connection technologies - one accessory system
Frank Bulmahn (Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co) ,
Take control of switching in ATE systems
Richard McDonnell (National Instruments) ,
Embedded Systems
MathWorks enhancements for DSP and communications
Anne Mascarin (The MathWorks, Inc) ,
Internet protocol: present and future
Mias van Pletzen (Technikon Pretoria) ,
Product News
Telecommunications
The importance of Land Use and Land Cover data in radio planning predictions used for WLL and GSM Telecommunication Systems in SA - Part II
Anish Kurien, Joseph Ehrhart and Lukas W Snyman (Technikon Pretoria / F'SATIE) ,
The powerful combination of GPRS and USB
(Falcon Communications GmbH) ,
Higher densities require new connector contact designs
Michael Munroe (ERNI Components Inc) ,
