Copper Wires _ Benefits & Applications - Miracle Electronics

 Copper is a very common metal used in all kinds of electrical applications, because it is considered as one of the best materials for conducting electricity. Today, the material is used in electrical wiring for both domestic and industrial use in a variety of applications like electronic circuitry, home appliances, telecommunications, etc. In fact, half of all the copper that is mined today is used to produce wires and cable conductors! Copper is thus a versatile metal of the future.

What makes copper so popular and admired?

Copper possesses excellent electrical and thermal conductivity

Copper has the best know electrical and thermal conductivity, better than any other conducting metal. It has the least resistance to conduction, hence it can be used in even the highest conductivity applications like lightning rods for safety measures in buildings and skyscrapers.

Copper has great tensile strength

Copper has excellent tensile strength and can also resist a number of mechanical failures like stretching, breaking, necking, etc; thus achieving so much of admiration.

Copper is highly malleable and ductile

Copper is a very highly malleable and ductile metal, which makes it very easy to draw it into wires, strips, and strands. This is why copper finds so much admiration in the applications of wiring.

Copper can be easily soldered

Copper wires can be easily soldered to form connections, making connections easy for transmission and termination points. Moreover, the excellent strength that copper possesses makes it possible to pull it through different areas, and even tiny tight spaces to lay conduits.

Copper has good corrosion resistance

Copper’s great corrosion resistance makes it one of the best metals to be used for electrical transmission. Its low reactivity series does not let it corrode, thus making it an excellent choice to be used in wires.

Copper has excellent creep resistance

When a metal expands and contracts under certain cyclic load conditions, the deformation that results is known as creep. When there’s higher creep, a screw can deform a conductor and reduce contact pressure, which leads to resistance in joints, loose connections, oxidation, and overheating. But, copper has an almost negligible creep, making it the best metal to be used in a wire.

Types of copper wires

With the amazing properties that copper possesses, it now becomes clear why the metal is so popularly used in wires and cables. But, did you know that there are a variety of different copper wires available for you to choose from?

Solid copper wire – This is a single copper wire, bare or sheathed , in an insulating cover, used to transfer electricity.

Stranded copper wire – This is when numerous thin copper wires are wound together to form a single wire.

Copper cable – When copper wires are twisted, braided, twisted, or woven into a single assembly, a copper cable is produced.

We’ve learnt all about copper wires and cables, and how they are such a great choice. But, it is essential that you rely on a genuine copper wire manufacturer to ensure that you get good quality and unadulterated copper wires that are proven and certified. And, MiracleElectronics tops the list of the most reliable and trustworthy wire harness manufacturers from India, where you can get all kinds of wires and wire harness, customized to your specific needs, each being high on quality and certified for production processes.

Choosing Heavy Duty Connectors For Cable Assemblies - Miracle Electronics

 Designing cable assemblies for use in harsh environments poses a number of challenges, especially those that need to be used in industrial equipment that may be subjected to conditions like high temperatures, high humidity, water, chemicals, electromagnetic interference, vibration, impact, or particulate ingress from close proximity to moving factory components. Over time, exposure to such components starts to hamper conductivity, requiring repairs or replacements.

To avoid all such hassles and inconvenience, it is advisable that you choose to install heavy duty connectors for the cable assemblies that are to be used in applications that need to withstand one or more of the conditions and environments mentioned above. So, here’s a guide that can help you choose the best quality heavy duty connectors for your application.

The housing material

A die-cast aluminum housing should be the best choice as these are light weight yet highly impact resistant. However, if your application is to be used in wet environments, plastic connectors should be a better alternative as they won't rust or corrode. And, if your application is too small with tiny spaces, you can choose materials that provide EMI shielding instead.

The insert types

Heavy duty connectors with pluggable inserts that carry power, data, or signal to and from factory equipment have been traditionally used. But today, modular inserts that support an integrated hybrid cable assembly are more popularly used. Heavy duty connector systems need to meet the demands of the hybridization trend, which is why more and more customized cable assemblies are being preferred. And, with such customizations, modular connectors are more popularly used as they provide an integrated hybrid assembly that creates new considerations for power and signal wiring beyond the fundamentals of approval ratings, clamping type, and wire guage. The various insert types that you can choose from include fiber optic, pneumatic, D-sub, USB, M12, and RJ45.

The ratings and standards

IP ratings depict the level of protection that an electrical enclosure provides against solids and liquids, and NEMA ratings describe the environments where the enclosure can be used. You need to choose from such ratings, or buy standardized connectors to ensure their quality and performance.

The manufacturer

You need to choose the right cable assembly and connector manufacturer too; one that has experience, knowledge, skill, and expertise in the field. One such cable assembly manufacturer in India is Miracle Electronics, a contract manufacturer that is tooled for majority of industries such as electronics, aerospace, audio, and medical. You can have all kinds of cable assemblies manufactured here, some of them being EMI shielded assemblies, flat assemblies, ribbon assemblies, RF assemblies, airborne looms, military looms, and power cable assemblies. You can also have circular, D-sub, military specific, and many other kinds of connectors built here too. And, whatever kind of cables, assemblies, and connectors you have customized with Miracle Electronics, you can rest assured about the quality you’ll receive because every production process executed here is certified for quality to ISO 9001, AS9100C. Also, every product manufactured here is certified and approved by DGAQA and MSQAA for platform specific applications, after undergoing all kinds of tests for dimension, weight, continuity, Hi-Pot, Pull, and environment compliance.

Why Should Industrial Bus Cables Be Standardized - Miracle Electronics

The two main sectors for series data cables are computer bus and industrial bus; the former being a communication system that transfers data between components inside or between computers; and the latter being a communication system that transfers data between components or devices at different levels in a manufacturing plant. But, it is the computer industry that has had greater success in achieving unbiased industry-wide standards, while the industrial sector is more independent, and can produce cables specifically for their brand names.

In the industrial world, there are a number of variations due to different speed and impedance requirements, ranging from 100 to 150 ohms. Moreover, manufacturers may design a hybrid cable for automotive manufacturing plants with components using PROFINET, INTERBUS, and Industrial Ethernet protocols, all in one cable; allowing them to connect their PLC logic to whatever control line happens to come on the next machine.

Protocol standardization

Industries are looking for open architecture interface as the need for plant-wide system compatibility increases. Ethernet protocol of 100 ohms seems to be a good choice in this case. Higher information speed requirements, diagnostic feedback of controls, and interest in motor feedback make Ethernet a great choice to offer the performance required. However, these requirements are still driven from the controls manufacturers’ system trademark, some of them being PROFINET, CC-Link IE, Industrial Ethernet, and Foundation Fieldbus HP. Yet, many independent special interest groups have started to come up and work for system compatibility of conventional Ethernet. One such example is Ethernet POWERLINK Standardization Group that has developed a formidable product offering with data transmission speeds of 100 Mbit/sec; and is waiting for component manufacturers to adopt their standard Ethernet protocol into their systems.

Connector standardization

The standardization of connectors is also being accepted as major device dealers are settling for metric-type connectors like M-8, M-10, and M-12. RJ45 is also used, but it is modified to provide larger gauge compatibility, harsh environment resistance, and shielding capabilities.

To conclude

As you can see, Ethernet-based architecture is becoming an accepted choice for serial bus networks, since the compatibility and standardization of Ethernet from the computer side, found in front office, drives the manufacturing side to generic products. However, the marketing side of the controls industry still continues to manufacture proprietary products, developing cable requirements that are exclusive to the brand. Having such a diversity of protocols allows cable manufacturers to offer a lot many different cable systems. Also, each architecture has a unique conductor configuration and electrical requirements.

From past to present

The goal of various bus protocols and designs developed over the last 50 years was to find a cable capable of fast computer speeds that could withstand electrical noise and harsh environments. To accomplish this goal, technology is advancing to produce fiber optic cables, which is more suited to these requirements.

Whatever kind of cables you’re looking for – basic or fiber optic – Miracle Electronics is where you should be. These are the most dependable and versatile wire harness manufacturers from India, manufacturing a variety of different types of cables and harnesses for a myriad of applications and industries. You can also get in touch to design the perfect customized cable harness for your requirements.

HDI PCBs _ Why And Where To Use Them - Miracle Electronics

As we’re all shifting more and more to studying, working, browsing, and shopping online, after the pandemic has struck us, our world is becoming even more dependent on digital technologies. Moreover, the digital world today is becoming even more complex; but the hardware associated with it is becoming smaller. For instance, PCBs are becoming smaller with more interconnections. This makes the applications they are used in sleek and lean. And, if they are portable, it becomes really convenient to carry the devices around.

The PCB industry plays a significant role in the development of all electronic gadgets that our lives revolve around today. And, to make it simpler and easier, PCB manufacturers are always coming up with newer trends; one such innovation being the HDI PCB, which is a smaller PCB assembly from India that is dense with high component count.

What is HDI PCB?

HDI PCBs are smaller PCBs with a high density component count, and thus more number of interconnections, but those that occupy lesser space. Although the components are placed very close to one another to reduce the size of the board, the functionality isn't compromised. The general HDI PCB is one that has an average of 120 to 160 pins per square inch, and a dense circuitry that is implemented through microvias, buried vias, and blind vias.

What are the advantages of HDI PCBs?

HDI PCBs offer many advantages over regular PCBs, some of them being a compact design, lighter weight, and great performance. In addition, the signal path length is reduced as the components are placed very close to one another, and the reflections of signal are reduced, which results in remarkably improved signal quality. Also, the implementation of stacked vias makes these boards a super shield against extreme environmental conditions. All in all, with so many advantages offered, HDI PCBs are extremely cost-effective.

What are the applications of HDI PCBs?

HDI PCBs, because of the benefits they offer, are used in a variety of industries, such as those listed below.

Smartphone industry – With smartphones becoming more of a necessity than a luxury, manufacturers are using HDI PCBs to make these phones even smaller, and thus, conveniently portable.

Automotive industry – Car manufacturers are using more of HDI PCBs to save significant space in the vehicles. Moreover, the integration of smaller and smarter electronic devices provides a better driving experience.

Medical industry – Medical devices manufactured today use more of HDI PCBs when they want to fit into small compact devices like implants, lab equipment, and imaging equipment. In diagnostic devices, miniaturized cameras using HDI PCBs can help get better and intricate picture quality.

Aerospace and military industries – Aerospace and military equipment like planes, missiles, and defense systems use HDI PCBs that can function better in extreme environments and hazardous conditions.

Wearable technology industry – Wearable devices like VR headsets, watches, and many others use HDI PCBs to make the devices sleek, while offering exceptional functionality.

You can see how HDI PCBs have revolutionized almost every industry today with usage in a variety of devices and applications. This has increased the demand for such PCBs. You may also opt for such advanced and improved PCBs to fit into your smaller and smarter products. You can choose from readily available PCBs or have your PCB assembly from India especially customized as per your requirements at Miracle Electronics, the leader in manufacturing a variety of PCB assemblies since more than a decade now.

  

Switch Mode Power Supply Transformers _ What They Are - Miracle Electronics

 Switched mode power supply (SMPS) is an electronic power supply that incorporates a switching regulator to convert electrical power efficiently, by transferring power from a DC or AC source to DC loads. The pass transistor of an SMPS continually switches between low dissipation, full on, and full off states, spending very little time in the high dissipation transitions, which minimizes wasted energy. Also, by varying the ratio of on to off time, voltage regulation is achieved. This high power conversion efficiency with no energy wastage is an important advantage of an SMPS.

Unlike linear power supply transformers, SMPS are small and light due to the smaller size and weight of the transformers installed, which is why they are effectively used as replacements for linear regulators when high efficiency is required with lighter weight and smaller size. The transformers that are mainly composed of magnetic core and winding, are used for conversion, energy storage, and isolation. But, the materials used will affect the performance of the transformer, which will in turn affect the heat dissipation and working efficiency of the equipment. Thus, you need to be very sure about the materials that you are having installed in your SMPS transformer. This is why when planning on getting an SMPS transformer for your application, you need to approach only an expert transformer manufacturer in India, one like Miracle Electronics, who has immense knowledge about, and enough experience of manufacturing and working with SMPS transformers.

Advantages and disadvantages of using SMPS transformers

• One of the main advantages of using SMPS transformers is that you can have efficiency up to 96% because the switching transistor dissipates very little power when acting like a switch. Other advantages include small size, light weight, and low noise. Also, the standby power loss is very low.
• One disadvantage is that they are very complicated and they can cause electrical noise problems if not carefully suppressed; thus causing harmonic distortion.

Types of SMPS transformers

SMPS transformers are divided into two types – unipolar and bipolar. Unipolar transformers are characterized by a unipolar pulse as input voltage, and are divided into positive flyback voltage output. Bipolar transformers are characterized by a bipolar pulse as input voltage, with the output generally being bipolar pulse voltage. 

Materials used

As mentioned above, it is very important to choose the right materials for the SMPS transformer. There are three main components of an SMPS transformer – magnetic materials, wire materials, and bobbin materials.

Magnetic materials – These are soft ferrite which are divided into two categories according to their composition and application frequenct – MnZm and NiZn.

Wire materials – Polyurethane and polyester enameled wires are generally used to wind small electronic transformers, divided into thin paint and thick paint types, depending upon the thickness of the paint layer.

Bobbin materials – Bobbins of SMPS transformers are different from general transformers, as they play a dual role of mounting and positioning of the entire transformer, along with insulating and supporting the coil. Thus, the bobbin material needs to meet insulation requirements, as well as possess tensile strength and heat resistance.

Why Should You Opt For Core Cap Transformers - Miracle Electronics

The typical method of manufacturing a transformer involves creating a core, insulating it, winding a magnet wire around to create a primary winding, insulating it, winding a magnet wire over the insulation to create a secondary winding, and finally insulating it too, to complete the transformer.

What are core caps?

To support the primary and secondary windings, and to reduce leakage current, segmented core caps are used in alternate sectors. Several modular electrically insulating segments snap or join together to form core caps for covering the transformer core. These core cap modules insulate the windings from the core over the full range of windings, allowing double-wall insulation between adjacent windings, significantly reducing leakage current. They also help in direct cooling of the core by ambient or forced air, without interfering with the insulation. The segments of each module include a pair of spaced insulating walls between which a core-covering panel portion is connected. The walls are inclined at a predetermined angle to each other, typically 30, 45, or 60 degrees, which is what determines the number of segments required to complete one core cap.

Benefits of using core caps

Reduced time invested – With the installation of core caps, there is no need for ground and inter-winding insulation and outer wrap. Also, both the primary and secondary windings can be wound on one machine only. In addition, providing the core cap includes mounting holes, which means that the time to fill the center of the transformer with epoxy is not required. All of this results in lesser time invested to manufacture and handle the transformers.

Reduced weight of the transformer – As mentioned above, there is no epoxy required to fill the center of the transformers if core caps are installed. Besides, no mounting washer will also be necessary. Hence, the weight of the transformer is also considerably reduced.

Reduced costs – Assembling core caps requires lesser skill levels that other core insulation techniques. Also, the cost to tool a smaller part for injection moulding is lesser than the cost of tooling a larger part. Thus, the cost to tool and assemble the core caps is way lesser. This means that the overall manufacturing costs of the transformer will be lesser too.

Reduced temperature rise – With core caps, there is a direct path for heat to escape into the environment. There is also no inter-winding insulation and outer wrap that traps heat. Thus, with all windings having a direct path for heat to transfer to the environment, then the temperature rise of the transformer is also reduced.

As you can see, core cap transformers help with reducing the time, weight, and costs of the transformer to a considerable extent, while also reducing the heat buildup. So, it can be clearly seen why core cap transformers are much better than standard transformers. You now know which kind of transformers to opt for, for your next application.

No matter what industry you are working in, and what kind of transformers you need, Miracle Electronics is your one stop destination to design all your transformer requirements. You can get all kinds of bundles of massive energy from this power, toroidal, EI, UI, SMPS, audio, and medical transformer manufacturer in India. And, every transformer you receive will always be RoHS and REACH compliant, having you to worry less about its quality and performance.

Balanced Audio Cables Vs. Unbalanced Audio Cables - Miracle Electronics

When you buy an audio system, you expect it to work at an unmatched quality; and the quality of sound produced by a system is highly dependent on the kind of audio cables used. This is specifically important during a live event recording, or live streaming. If the right kinds of cables are not used, it will produce a lot of noise and distortion. It is thus very important that you know which cables you need to use. There are two typical kinds of cables that you can use – balanced and unbalanced. But, in order to know which one of the two cables you should be using for your application, you need to understand what these are where each one is applicable. So, let’s take a look.

What are unbalanced cables?

Unbalanced cables are those that consist of two wires inside a plastic casing – a ground wire and a signal wire. The signal wire lies in the center of the cable, passing the audio signal through. And, the ground wire surrounds the signal wire, shielding the main signal wire from external electronic interference coming from lights, televisions, radios, transformers, and other devices. The unbalanced cables take the audio signal from the equipment used, passing it to a mixer or another receiving device without any manipulation. This, although a simple process, makes the audio distorted and noisy. Unbalanced cables generally use two kinds of connectors – one is the standard tip sleeve ¼” connector, and the other is the FCA connector.

What are balanced cables?

Balanced cables are those that consist of three wires inside a plastic casing – one ground wire and two signal wires. While the ground wire performs the same function as in an unbalanced cable, the difference lies in the working of the signal wires. In balanced cables, the signal wires pass an identical audio signal through each wire. This results in balanced cables being used such that the equipment sending and receiving the signals each have a converter, which allows them to make use of both the signal wires. Sending two signals simultaneously results in putting them out of phase, this means that while the signals are identical, one of them is the inverted mirror opposite of the other. When such out-of-phase signals reach the receiving equipment, they are then put back in phase, reverting the mirrored signal back to its original form. Finally, the two matched signals are passed to the mixer. This results in any distortion produced going out of phase, canceling itself out, thus culminating into a much clearer audio without distortion. Balanced cables also use two kinds of connectors – tip ring sleeve connectors and XLR connectors.

Which cable is right for you?

After understanding the construction, working, and performance of balanced and unbalanced cables, you can conclude that balanced cables reduce the distortion in the audio, while unbalanced cables do not. Then, you would assume that one must always use balanced cables because of the better sound quality that they produce. But, you would be surprised to know that this is not always the case! Each cable has its own pros and cons, which is why you need to learn about the specific cable that can prove beneficial to you. So, here are some points to help.

The length of the cable – When you need to use cables that are long, probably more than 20 feet in length, unbalanced cables can pick up noise from any nearby audio system, bringing to you a distorted sound at the receiver’s end. Balanced cables do not pick up such surrounding noise; thus making them apt to be used for longer lengths.

The strength of the signal – The above point is again another proof that clearly says why you must use balanced cables for your system. But, hold on! You would like to know that balanced cables have a weaker signal than unbalanced cables. Yes, unbalanced cables have a very strong signal. Thus, it is better to use unbalanced cables to get an uninterrupted sound.

The price – Unbalanced cables are way cheaper than balanced cables – one because of their simple construction, and two because they aren’t distortion-free like balanced cables. Thus, unbalanced cables are generally 30-60% cheaper than their balanced counterparts. And, to add to that, even after you pay a good price for balanced cables, you will also need to invest in special balanced mixed equipment, which can add to your costs. So, you need to keep that in mind while planning to opt for balanced cables.

To sum up:

After reading all that is written above, we can simply come down to two points –

• If you need cables that are to be within 10 feet of length, there should be no issue in buying unbalanced cables, because these cables when used at such short lengths can bring stronger signals, uninterrupted sound, and are less likely to pick up any surrounding hum. Thus, you can get good sound quality at a cheaper price.
• If the cables you need to use are longer in length, and if you don’t mind investing a little extra for that amazing sound quality at the receiving end, then you must opt for a balanced cable. Then, you’ll get professional sound quality with no noise distortion, considering you are paying a good price!

So now, you are ready to make your choice . And, after taking up an informed decision, you can always buy a balanced power transformer to convert any unbalanced power to balanced power. For this, you can get highly efficient balanced studio power supply in India from Miracle Electronics, to bring an audible improvement in frequency response and stereo imaging.