Motors & Drives Information

Although today, the technological advancement of airplane powerplant specially on the electric motors which now uses Lithium Polymer batteries, we should also learn the internal combustion type since the development of those miniature airplanes and helicopters owe so much. There are two main types of model airplane engine - glow engines and diesels. Although the ignition type is popular on big birds (1/4 scale), we will concentrate on the 'standard' model engines. Glow engine are by far the more numerous and popular, faster revving and generally more powerful size for size. They are suitable for powering all types of model aircraft and are produced in three general categories - standard engines for general use; racing engines for competition models; and RC engines for radio controlled aircraft. Standard engines may also be used for radio controlled models fitted with a throttle control or RC carburetor. This applies particularly to smaller engine sizes. Larger RC engines are generally specially designed to produce maximum power at more moderate revs than either standard or racing engines.

Glow engines have three particular disadvantages, although these are outweighed by the simplicity of operation and general flexibility of the type. First they need a special type of ignition plug, known as a glow plug, which can burn out and need replacement. They also need a battery connected to the plug for starting (and if the battery is 'flat' the engine will not start!), and special alcohol-base fuels which are a little more costly than diesel fuels and also attack paints and cellulose dope finishes. For this reason, model aircraft powered by glow engines must be finished in fuel proof dopes, or given a final coat of special fuel proof paint.

Diesels are self-contained engines that they need only a supply of suitable fuel to run. They are generally heavier and more robust than glow engines, so they are usually longer lasting. They vibrate more and are less responsive to throttle control than glow engines, so are not generally recommended for powering radio controlled models. They cannot rev as fast as a racing glow engine, so are less competitive in this respect. On the other hand they can be excellent power units for small and modest: size free fight 'sports' models and certain types of control-line models. Diesels are produced in a much more restored range of sizes than glow engines. Very small diesels (smaller than 0.5cc) are difficult (and costly) to produce and can prove tricky to start and adjust. At the other end of the scale, diesels larger than about 3.5cc generally prove disappointing in performance. Thus diesel production is virtually limited to a size range from 0.5 to 3.5cc with the 1cc and 1.5cc sizes being by far the most popular.

Engine sizes - and how they are specified.

Engine sizes are specified by displacement or the interior volume swept by the piston in making its stroke up and down the cylinder (swept volume) In the case of diesels, displacement is always quoted in cubic centimeters or cc (mainly because the model diesel originated in Continental Europe). In the case of glow engines, displacement is (nearly) always quoted in cubic inches or cubic inches (because this type originated in the United States) Manufacturer produce glow engine in a more or less standard range of sizes, originally representing logical steps in power output. These are 0.049 cubic inch (also known as 1/2A); 0.09 cubic inch (also known as Class A); 0.19 cubic inch, 0.29cubic inch, 0.35cubic inch, 0.49 cubic inch and 0.60 cubic inch Quite often the cubic inch is dropped and just the figures quoted 049, 09, 19, etc.

Some manufacturers produce additional sizes, e.g. smaller than- 0.049 cubic inch for powering tiny models, and intermediate sizes to cater for a particular size or type of model, such as 0.40 cubic inch for RC models. The need for intermediate sizes is rather more commercial than realistic however. Classification of porting nearly all present day model airplane engine are of similar layout, the main differences being in the method of inducting the fuel/air mixture into the crankcase and then transferring it to the top of the cylinder. Induction is controlled by a rotary valve, either a hole opening into a hollow section of the crankshaft, or a disc with a hole, driven by the crankshaft. In either case, sheathe hole in the crankshaft (or disc) comes opposite the end of the carburetor tube the intake port is opened and then closed by subsequent rotation of the crankshaft. The circumferential length of this hole determines the intake timing.

When induction takes place in front of the cylinder (through the crankshaft), the layout is known as front rotary (readily distinguished by the carburetor, or strictly speaking, the intake tube) coming in front of the cylinder. With rear rotary engines the intake tube attaches directly to the back of the crankcase. Transfer of fuel and air mixture drawn into the crankcase to the top of the cylinder is controlled by piston movement opening the top of a transfer port (or ports) formed in the side of the cylinder. This porting may be conventional, or specially arranged to give a 'boost' to the charge to fill the cylinder head in the most effective manner. The latter is a relatively new development with model airplane engine and is known as schnuerle porting. It is now a feature of many high performance glow engines.

Lots of surprises from Ford Motors Company will astound the populace as it delivers new car designs, capabilities and prices at the last quarter of 2006.

The flagship American pickup truck by the name of Ford F-150 is having a new body style that is capable of towing 600 pounds greater. In addition, it is also given a new warranty with roadside assistance. The price of Ford F-150 is lowered to $1,400 including destination charges.

Ford F-150 FX2 Sport, on the other hand, will be priced at $29,470. This new vehicle from Ford features a dark billet grille, athletic and deep front valance, as well as transparent headlamps with platinum bezels. Ford bumper filler, side mirror caps, door handles, chairs, center console as well as the floor shifter match the appearance and capabilities of this new Ford.

In regard to cabs, the price reductions offered by Ford Motors are $720 for Regular Cab models, $830 for SuperCabs and $949 for SuperCrews. Prices begin at $19,120 for the F-150 XL Regular Cab 4x2 and range up to $39,565 for the F-150 Lariat King Ranch SuperCrew 4x4. They include destination.

When asked about the positive changes, John Felice, Ford Brand Group Marketing Manager, answered, “the Ford F-Series has been gaining market share this year and we are well on our way to our 30th consecutive year as the full-size truck leader, thanks to a philosophy of putting the customer's needs first. It's a philosophy that has helped shape the Way Forward plan and our drive to systematically improve the value and appeal of all Ford products through bold design, more standard features, greater capability, straightforward pricing and superior warranty and roadside assistance coverage."

Redesigned 2007 Ford Expedition will be launched by Ford with its suggested retail prices, which is an average of $4,300 lower than 2006 models at about $29,995, starting price, this coming September. This also include destination.

The redesigned versions of Ford, together with its longer warranties and service, better capabilities and affordable prices are expected drag car fanatics.

A new dimension is explored by Mazda Motors Corporation by adding the Power Retractable Hard Top (PRHT) to its new Roadster lineup. This was done without withdrawing the driving comforts of the previous Roadster including its "Jinba Ittai" dynamic performance. The next level of refinement introduced by Mazda was launched to the automotive market this month.

It can be recalled that the Roadster has already won more than 30 globally-acclaimed awards. This has paved way for its international recognition. With this added spice called Power Retractable Hard Top, the lineup can now give higher comfort for both the conventional Roadster driving and the open-top sports car pleasure. Said new feature is made up of a light-weight material which has a one-touch electric control. The roof can also be folded away into the rear part of the seats and inside the wheelbase.

The root of Mazda MX-5 Miata was born to universal acclaim. It was recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records as the best-selling two-seat convertible sports car. The very first Miata featured an easy-to-operate folding top. It can be folded in seconds by simply unzipping the plastic rear window, releasing the 2 windshield header latches and pushing the top back. The next generation of Miata introduced a simpler process. In this lineup, no unzipping was required to fold its top.

In the freshest generation of Miata, new hard top is incorporated to enjoy the mighty rays of the sun on the cockpit area. PRHT functions like a magic trick, one push of the button and it will disappear from sight. The convertible design of PRHT consists of 3 major parts – the front section, middle section and the rear window. Said parts complement Miata to yield suave operation.

Mazda Miata parts are designed to achieve the sophistication that the customers are expecting. In addition, Miata’s trunk provides a 5.3 cubic feet capacity, center locking handle and minor suspension adjustments to sustain the design of PRHT.

Miata MX-5 comes with 2 new exterior colors – the Stormy Blue Mica and Highland Green Mica. These colors have replaced Winning Blue Metallic and Nordic Green Mica.

For years traditional scooters have been a common kid’s toy, second only to a bicycle, simply because they are fun to ride and they move you around easily to closely surrounding areas. Motor scooters have also existed for many years but until recently they have never been a popular form of transportation, except for the few people who have supported them from the beginning.

Now, with more and more people making short commutes to places around a largely populated city, motor scooters have risen as an efficient and effective means of transportation for these quick drives. In the United States the widespread use of motor scooters as an alternate vehicle is even a newer concept than it is in other, mostly European, countries.

In some ways the rise of motor scooter use is attributed to the growing number of people with a concern for the environment.

Motor scooters are a much wiser choice for around the town transportation than a normal sized vehicle is because of scooters’ ability to efficiently use gas. Some motor scooters are electric powered, which has nearly no negative impact on the environment. Electric motor scooters are fueled by rechargeable batteries that typically last for 10 miles and larger models can travel greater distances.

The basic motor scooter models that are simply a traditional scooter with a small electric or gas motor installed run between 10 and 15 mph, making them perfect kids getting around the neighborhood or college students commuting across campus. Larger models of motor scooters, of course, have bigger motors, allowing you to travel longer and at higher speeds. These models of motor scooters are similar, if not identical, to the design of mopeds because they are one or two seaters.

Aside from the environmental benefits of using motor scooters, they have become increasingly popular across the nation because of the diverse uses they can be put to. The age range motor scooters are appropriate and beneficial for begins before the actual driving age and extends far beyond it, nearly endlessly. Kids use motor scooters to bounce from house to house in their surrounding neighborhood. Teens can use them to get to, from and around school and they can take their motor scooter on short ventures around town.

Adults have found that motor scooters are an excellent second vehicle because they save money on fuel, even if it is gas powered, and they are easy to store in tight places. You may want to use your motor scooter to run quick errands or hop over to the grocery store. Those who are of driving age and live in a heavily populated area will notice that getting around the busy town is much quicker and less stressful when traveling on a motor scooter as opposed to driving your full size vehicle.

All in all motor scooters are an exceptional solution for many lifestyles, whether it is to use as a child’s toy or as an alternate transportation method. As a result of the growing popularity of motor scooters, manufacturers have released many new and diverse models, which is only another benefit for the consumers.

Sailing off into the blue yonder, has the salutary effect of blowing cares and stresses away with the winds. However, before you sail away in your new boat, consider the merits of these questions. Do you have boat insurance? Moreover, are your insurance needs fully met?

Marine insurance defines vessels according certain measurements. A boat is defined as one measured between 16 feet and 25 feet, 11 inches in length. If that’s the length and width of your seaworthy vessel, then you have a boat.

Here are the pertinent components your boat insurance policy should have:

Physical Damage Coverage

The insurer pays you for the repair or replacement of your boat, under the following circumstances: Theft, vandalism, lightning, fire, tornadoes, or hurricanes. Included in this coverage is the boat itself, outboard motors, engines, and your boat trailer.

Excluded from the coverage are the following items, which are not, considered a part of your boat’s operations: camera or video equipment, clothing, fashion accessories, or jewelries, food or beverages, cell phones, stereo equipment, portable television, personal computers or scuba gear. Alternatively, you can ask for separate coverage for these items.

Tip. Read the fine print and so that you know what restrictions could apply to your coverage. Can your boat be stored at your place of residence? Alternatively, should the boat be at your vacation spot? Where does the coverage begin? Some policies specifically limit the uses of your boat and list the exceptions.

Liability Coverage

You’ll find this coverage quite useful. You may also wish you‘d paid a bigger premium, when there’s an accident and your boat is liable for damaging another boat, property, or injury.

Uninsured Boat Coverage

This is the marine insurance equivalent of the road vehicle’s uninsured motorist coverage. In this case, your boat’s repairs are covered, in the event the owner of the property your boat collided with has expired insurance or worse, doesn’t have it.

Passenger Medical Coverage

This coverage pays for the medical expenses incurred by people on your boat. This is a must-have clause and the limit can be inexpensive, from $450.00 to $10,000.00, is quite common.

Towing & Assistance Coverage

With this coverage, you’ll get reimbursement for the costs you’ve incurred for availing of emergency services. Examples of these, your vessel breaks down, and a commercial outfit tows your vessel to the port, you’ve paid for delivery to replace your fuel, oil, or engine parts, or for someone to repair your engine.

The bottom line to all this? Be pro-active and arm yourself with knowledge, which among the different policies possible, your boat insurance should have.

Then, you’ll sail confidently into the sun, because your insurance policy will cover you where it’s most necessary.

The Internet has provided the public with a useful and convenient tool that makes it easier to do all manner of things than it used to be. One of these things, oddly enough, is the sale of motor vehicles. It seems strange that cars would sell well on the Web, as one would think that buyers would want to "kick the tires" before making a purchase. The success of eBay Motors, AutoTrader and other online sites devoted to the sale of motor vehicles would suggest otherwise, as business at those sites is thriving.

Consumers who wish to purchase a vehicle online should be aware of a popular scam perpetrated by crooks who wish to steal your money – the wire transfer scam. The seller offers a vehicle for sale that he or she doesn't really have; they often just post a stock photo or one they found somewhere. The sellers often indicate that they are located in Europe, and they insist on a wire transfer, such as Western Union, for payment. Once the buyer sends the money, the seller vanishes, never to be heard from again.

This scam has been going on for some time, and most of the online auto auction sites encourage their customers never to pay for a vehicle using a wire transfer, even if the seller promises to use escrow to ensure the safety of the transaction.

Here are a few tips for those people who are shopping for a vehicle online:

# Ask the seller if you can stop by and see the vehicle in person. Someone who doesn't actually have the vehicle in his or her possession will almost certainly refuse. Even if you have no intention of paying a visit, just asking to see it could be useful.

# Watch out for auctions that feature stock photos or photos from brochures. Anyone with a real car to sell should be able to take a picture of it.

# Beware of any seller who will only accept a wire transfer for payment.

# Beware of a seller who says the vehicle is in another country but offers to pay the shipping to the United States. This is a common ruse used by scammers in other countries.

# Watch out for a vehicle that is offered for sale at a price that seems too inexpensive for the model. A $25,000 car offered for $10,000 should set off bells in your head.

# If on eBay, check the seller's transaction history to see if they have a record of actually selling vehicles. Scammers sometimes hack into eBay user accounts and sell using the name of another, established user. If the seller is selling a Harley but has a history of only buying compact discs, watch out.

While buying a vehicle through online auction sites is a good way to purchase one, buyers should exercise the same cautions as when they buy anything else on the Internet. If you are buying an expensive item and you are not familiar with the seller, be careful.

Everyday more and more people turn to eBay to sell products online and eBay Motors, the branch of the company created to sell vehicles is no different. I have bought and sold vehicles myself at eBay Motors and have had great experiences on both sides of the fence.

There are a few things that one should do in order to get the best price when selling online however. First, you must detail the car so that it appears as close to perfect as possible and you should not hide any flaws. This will circumvent any headaches later.

Don’t go cheap on your auction description and pictures. It is far better to take many pictures and put them up as a slideshow than to put one picture and say email for more. Many people will not go through the trouble of requesting more photos.

From experience let me suggest that you take pictures of the following:

Start at the driver’s side and take a shot at an angle shooting toward the headlight but showing the entire driver’s side in the photo then move around the vehicle taking the side, rear, passenger, and then straight on front. Be sure to take close ups of any damage or flaws and point them out in your text as well. Next, take good pictures of the interior including the seats, floormats and under the floormats, the headliner, and the dashboard featuring the odometer to verify the mileage.

Next, you want to take pictures of the engine compartment which is why it is crucial that it has been detailed as well. One little trick I have used that I haven’t seen many do is to also take the dipstick out and take a close up of the oil to show that is fresh and clean.

Lastly, this is something I learned from a shopper on one of my auctions. People want to see the underside of the car as well to be sure there is no rust or other damage so be sure to take pics of the underneath as well as the fender wells.

Be sure to answer any email requests promptly and courteously and include your phone number so people can call with questions.

If you follow these guidelines you are sure to get the most for your car.

When Bill Clinton ran for the Presidency in 1992, his platform was basically, it’s the economy “Stupid”. When we look at the state of the American automobile industry, we believe both companies are on the wrong track. General Motors stock bottomed at $17 per share, and is now trading in the $30’s. Everybody is excited about chopping employees, closing plants, and potentially hooking up with Renault’s formidable Carlos Ghosn. This is all financial engineering, which is great for what it is, but it’s not what car manufacturing is all about. It’s all about cars, does anybody remember that GM, and Ford make cars.

What gets you into trouble is what has to get you out of trouble. The 25 year problem with American car companies, is that we manufacture cars that are less than desirable. Is anybody listening out there? If you look at sales patterns on the East coast, and West coast of the United States, you will see that Japanese manufacturers dominate both coasts in sales. The car companies are selling to long-time loyal Americans that buy American in the Midwest and Southeast. They are not selling on the basis of quality, and bang for the buck. They can’t compete on that level.

The problem comes down to this. The Japanese companies have mastered zero defect manufacturing. This means the car comes off the assembly line perfect. There are no (zero) problems to be fixed at the dealer level. When a person takes delivery from the showroom, he rides out with a car that doesn’t have to come back until the first major service. The reason why so many Japanese companies have instituted free oil changes on their vehicles is because the cars run like toasters. They run for tens of thousands of miles with nothing going wrong. People were not even changing their oil, so if most cars were leased, the companies had to make sure that at least the oil got changed. Cars are designed for the first buyer, to have zero problems, and the Japanese have mastered this.

Contrast this management decision with Detroit’s way of thinking. The cars go into the showrooms with defects. Detroit has made a conscious decision to fix these problems after the customer takes delivery. The customer will then bring the car back with a list of problems, and fix it at the dealer level. There is no comparison between consumer satisfaction with domestic cars, versus Japanese cars.

The Chairman of General Motors is a throwback to an age that no longer exists. Einstein said, “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” This is what we are experiencing at GM, and Ford. William Clay Ford Junior, the current Chairman of Ford has done restructuring after restructuring to no avail. Ford is still losing market share. What about market share, Bill?

Every time GM loses a point of market share, they create for themselves an additional $1.4 billion in pretax losses. Our work shows that the automobile industry may be sliding into recession in 2007, and then where is this industry going to find itself? Let’s take a look.

Last year in 2005 if you look at GM’s automobile operations as a standalone business, they went through almost $7 billion dollars. This year aside from restructuring costs, we think they burn another $4 billion, plus $4.5 billion in 2007. The announced restructuring only amounts to $4.5 billion in savings. They are still bleeding, they are still losing market share. Over the next couple of years, you have to add upwards of $900 per car for raw materials, and costs imposed by Washington regulators, and GM isn’t alone. Ford will burn through $4 billion this year, and almost $4.5 billion next year in 2007. How do these guys keep their jobs?

For GM we can’t see where what they save from restructurings which is $4.5 billion in cash can offset the cash burn rate they have created. They are still hemorrhaging cash while LOSING MARKET SHARE. Do you have any idea how tough it is to turn around a gigantic company like either of these companies while they are still losing market share. It would be tough to do it in a fabulous economic environment.

Let’s look at two points here. The first is when you break down the automobile companies by divisions; GM and Ford make a lot of money from selling light trucks. GM by itself made almost $1.5 billion income last year from this division. The year before that, they made twice as much. We see this division taking a real hit next year for both GM and Ford. Gas prices are going to wreak havoc with the sales of these vehicles, and housing starts will be down. Look at the homebuilding stocks and their declining prices (more like an avalanche), and you will see where housing is going next year. Huge numbers of these trucks are sold to people in the construction industry. Figure it out for yourself.

What’s going to happen is this. Quickly, GM and Ford are going to have to start selling passenger cars, and what you call crossover vehicles. They are going to get clobbered. The Japanese get between $900 and $3800 more per passenger car than the guys in Detroit. This means the Japanese care are loaded down with extras that we just can’t put in our American built cars. This segment includes SUV’s.

We are looking for 16.8 million cars to be sold in the United States this year 2006. Contrary to what GM and Ford believe, we think next year is down a couple of hundred thousand cars, and neither of these companies is budgeting for that experience. Housing prices in this country are sideways to down. People will not be extracting cash from their houses in the form of home equity loans to be buying cars next year. They will not be feeling good about the price of their house, and therefore consumer sentiment will suffer. The first hint as to whether we are right will be if there is a Democratic watershed coming in the Congressional elections this November. If the Democrats take control of either chamber of the Congress, it will be prelude to a down automotive cycle in 07. That will be your indicator. Watch for it.

We’ve already stated our belief that that 2007 will see Americans buying several hundred thousand less cars than they will purchase in 2006. We are looking for 16.8 million vehicle sales this year. Let’s get into the numbers, and see what the implications are. When you, or I buy a car for our personal use, we pay on average about $25,000 per car. The car rental companies in the United States purchase more cars than any other group. They buy American cars, and pay an average of $15,000 per car. We don’t see any big profits from this market segment.

Let’s look at the dealerships, and sort out how the Japanese do against the Americans. A Chrysler dealer last year on average sold about 225 cars. If you were a Ford dealer, you averaged almost 700 cars per dealer. GM’s Chevrolet dealerships came in under 650 cars per dealer. Would you be surprised to learn that Toyota sold more than 1600 cars per dealership last year?

Now you know why American car dealers are complaining and going out of business. In the last year GM lost 200 plus dealers while Ford lost 40, and Chrysler lost more than 110. This is happening on our home turf, folks. This is not the Japanese and the Americans slugging it out on European soil for control of European markets. This is the American consumer choosing to buy Japanese over American made products on American soil. People are voting with their feet.

Here’s the next big question. If American car dealers are closing their doors at this rate, what kind of shape can the rest of them be in? Can the owners be putting big bucks into their dealerships while their friend’s dealerships are folding up? We think not. Will the friendly banker be willing to finance their car inventories when the bank sees other domestic dealers closing their doors? We don’t see it. This means that American car dealers can only finance through the car manufacturer’s financing arm, and that’s not good when the dealer has only one choice. We estimate that half of Ford’s dealers are not making a penny. We think for General Motors, it could be as high as 25% are unprofitable. What’s the customer experience going to be like in a dealer that’s losing money on every car he sells? Is anybody listening in Detroit?

Every time GM loses a point of market share, they have to implement plans to dismiss 20,000 people from their jobs. We see the necessity for GM to cut another 60,000 jobs that they haven’t announced to establish break-even 12 to 18 months from today. With all the talk about GM in the news in the last 60 days, has anybody at GM or Ford uttered a word about their real problem, QUALITY? The American consumer does not want to buy American made cars in any quantity that would allow Detroit to make money.

We believe that GM will be unprofitable until 2008 at a minimum, and 08 can only be profitable if they maintain market share, and we see continued declining market share. The Chairman has verbalized nothing that deals with the issue of quality, and upgrading the consumer’s consciousness to consider GM cars when it comes to quality. Even Mercedes marvels at Japan’s ability to produce the quality they do for the dollar it costs. Mercedes doesn’t understand how Japan does it at their price points.

We took a close look at Ford (where “Quality is number 1”, and “Ford has a better idea”), and found their restructuring plan isn’t substantial enough to get the job done. They call it the “Way Forward Plan”. We call it the “Lost in the Wind” plan. They are taking total charges of $3.4 billion in 06. They expect to be profitable in 08, why, we ask? What’s going to change between now and 08? They believe they can save almost $6 billion in costs. We don’t see it, and if they were able to do it, don’t you think Japan would jump on the bandwagon and do whatever they have to do to drag their already low costs lower.

Did you know that when GM, or Ford produce an interesting car, Japan buys the car immediately, rips it apart, part by part in Japan, and than takes any interesting technology and applies it to their cars almost immediately. Japan can put out a car in one-third the time it takes GM, or Ford to design a car by committee. South Korea can go from design to showroom in even a shorter time span.

Ford’s restructuring efforts in our opinion are clearly overstating the bottom-line results. We see a headwind coming, where Ford thinks it’s got a tailwind at its back. It’s going to get tougher for Ford, and this is being overlooked because GM and its troubles are getting the headlines. With the employees departing from both companies how do you think the guy down on the assembly line is feeling? Do you think he’s a loyal, lets get it done type of individual? Do you think he’s wondering if he’s going to be there 2 or 3 years down the road? Will his pension benefits be safe? Will he ever get a pension? Will he even have a future at either of these two companies that were once the unquestioned leaders of American managerial know how?

Henry Ford wrote the book on manufacturing, and GM’s Alfred P. Sloan wrote the book on building a company that is still studied at Harvard Business School, and MIT today. Somehow in the last 3 decades, the bean counters in Detroit forgot how to make cars. They literally forgot what business they were in. They instead thought only about the money. Labor became a cog in the wheel, not an integral meaningful partner in the process. To turn this American industry around will involve a different level of intelligence than the intelligence (used advisedly) that got them into trouble in the first place. Einstein was right.

Low-Cost Bootstrap-Powered Optocoupler Makes Isolated Gate Drive

Affordable for Home Appliances and HVAC Motor Drives

Hewlett-Packard Company today announced a 0.4-amp-output half-bridge gate drive optocoupler designed specifically for low-power (up to 25A) motor-control-inverter applications, such as air conditioners and washing machines using inverters based on insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBTs). The voltage and current provided by the HCPL-314J also makes it suitable for low-power industrial applications.

Motor drives with electronic speed and power control -- such as variable-frequency drives (VFDs) -- enable pumps, blowers and fans to accommodate fluctuating demand, running at a lower speed when power demand is lower, thus drawing less energy while still meeting the appliance needs. Single-speed drives start motors abruptly, subjecting motors to high torque and current surges of up to 10 times the full-load current. VFDs, on the other hand, offer a "soft-start" capability, gradually ramping a motor up to operating speed. This soft-start capability lessens mechanical and electrical stress on the motor system, and can reduce maintenance and repair costs and extend motor life.

These benefits apply to home-heating and air-conditioning systems and to appliances such as washers, dryers and dishwashers. Appliance manufacturers are using the technology to produce better-performing, more-energy-efficient appliances.

The HCPL-314J features very low power consumption (operating current less than 3mA), making it possible to power the optocoupler using a bootstrap technique, which eliminates the need for costly, isolated power.

Because the HCPL-314J features two channels integrated in one surface-mountable, industry-standard SOIC-16 package, it requires less board space -- up to 50 percent less -- than conventional, single-channel 8-pin DIP optocouplers.

Propagation delays between channels are matched to within 0.7 microseconds, allowing designers to minimize the "dead time" in an inverter and maximize its efficiency.

The HCPL-314J optocoupler is an excellent alternative to high-voltage integrated circuits (HVICs) and provides a low-cost way to drive an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT). Unlike HVICs, the HCPL-314J, with its superior galvanic isolation, supports a microcontroller that is fully isolated from the high-voltage portion of the inverter, protecting the user from shock hazards.

SMART FLOPPY DRIVE FROM CITIZEN TOKYO, JAPAN, 1990 NOV 2 (NB) -- Citizen Watch has successfully developed a 3.5-inch FDD (floppy disk drive) unit which it claims the world's first FDD to incorporate an EEPROM (electrically erasable and programmable read only memory) for its control IC (integrated circuit). The EEPROM allows the firm to customize the drive, dubbed V series, at the final stage of production, thus can minimize the time required between an order and delivery.

At the same time, Citizen says the EEPROM can simplify its production lines since it is unnecessary to change other circuit components according to each customer specification.

The V series drive weighs 168 grams and measures 15 mm in height, 96 mm in width, and 126 mm in depth, and was developed for use in notebook-type computers and other portable information equipment. This light weight and compactness has been realized by Citizen's ultrathin, precision design disk drive technology, aluminum plate frame and control circuit board as well as the ultrasmall stepping and spindle motors.

The V Series drive will be available in two configurations -- the 2MB/1MB (megabyte) V1DA and the 1.6MB/1MB V1DB. Evaluation samples will be available in early December of this year at 30,000 yen ($230) per unit. Citizen will start volume production in January of next year.