New-Tech Europe | November 2016 | Digital edition

in harsh environments, such as water, dust or vibrations, no longer impact the reliable delivery of power, data and signals. Contactless connectivity can replace complex and expensive harness constructions and slip rings, enabling connectivity where you could not connect before. The ability to integrate sensors within the robotic graspers or “fingertips” for force feedback to the system also enables “gentle touch” sensitivity for delicate items. Data to date shows that the total cost of ownership (TCO) using contactless connectors versus traditional solutions is positive within the first few months through increased efficiency, reduced downtime, maintenance savings and increased output. It may be the case that contactless connectivity will provide designers with an entirely new way of thinking about mechanically designed machines. References: Connector Design/Materials and Connector Reliability Robert S Mroczkowski https://en.wikipedia. org/?title=Electromagnetic_induction Engineersgarage.com Wireless Power Transfer Using Resonant Inductive Coupling Sangwook Han, and David D. Wentzloff Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor My Inventions: Nikola Tesla's Autobiography Nikola Tesla TE Connectivity *Definition and Benefits of Contactless Connectivity For factory and industrial environments where dust, liquids, and gases combine with friction, power and robotic system wear and tear through multiple axii of rotation, designers need a new approach to connectivity. This new approach needs to be able to overcome these many environmental and operational

challenges to secure, reliable, flexible, and robust connectivity – for both power and data. The solution lies in a new interconnection system, based on both contactless power and contactless data technology, which can easily connect (and disconnect) over a short distance without using any mechanical contact, demonstrated in the ARISO connectors from TE Connectivity. To date, contactless, or wireless, data has come in many forms, from cellular to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and ZigBee; however, for low-data-rate sensor data, these interfaces have a lot of packet- processing and network-interface and mesh networking overhead. This costs the designer, both in terms of real estate and power consumption, as well as direct component costs. For its part, wireless power has undergone a revolution of late, thanks to the efforts of groups such as the Wireless Power Consortium, pushing Qi, as well as the now merged Alliance For Wireless Power and Power Matters Alliance. These have developed standards for the transmission of power levels of up to 5 W, with a usable range of up to 30 mm, to charge mobile devices, particularly handsets. The standards use variations of inductive and resonant power at various frequencies to achieve this, but all require a relatively large footprint, while also being relatively costly. The trick is to find the sweet spot in terms of data rates, cost and power consumption for wireless data, and in terms of range and cost for wireless power, such that both interfaces can fit within the confines of a typical M30- or M12-type sensor head. Thanks to the work that been done to date in terms of RF function integration to lower cost, as well as increases in the efficiency of wireless power transmission, this sweet spot is attainable by matching the wireless data and power transmission circuits to the application’s low power and short

range requirements. For data, the 2.45-GHz unlicensed band was chosen as it can be implemented using a near-field antenna design with a simple loop For power, the principle challenges are integrating the power coils and near-field antenna into a very small form factor that is relatively easy to manufacture. This requires knowledge of mechanical design and power electronics, as well as magnetics, RF circuit design and antennas. With both the data and power transmission now integrated into a single connector head, the options and application dynamics change, dramatically. Flexibility jumps to a higher level, with 360° rotation without cable, connector, or harness wear and tear. This freedom of movement also allows for connector tilt, angle or misalignment, while the rotational freedom enables faster maintenance-free rotation as well as faster return to starting points, as the rotating heads don’t have to rotate back through 180° offset, but instead can keep going to 360°. Contactless connectors are vibration resistant and are hermetically sealed against harsh environments and have unlimited mating cycles, despite wet & dusty environments. The magnetic coupling is particularly attractive in gaseous applications or where flammable liquids or material are present. Other advantages include easy on-the- fly connection without the traditional mechanical limitations, design flexibility and cost savings by enabling the transfer of power and signal through fluids and walls, as well as improved reliability for reduced maintenance & lower total cost of ownership. For more information about the ARSIO range of products from TE, visit the company's site. ARISO and TE Connectivity are trademarks.

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