Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1315894
DECEMBER 2020 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 23 To verify which is the case, simply test by launching from opposite ends. A varying impedance will rise from one end and fall from the other, and a resistive trace will show a ris- ing trace regardless of which end the measure- ment is taken. In conclusion, even though we are fortunate now that all SI software is not like the afore- mentioned IBM France engineer's amusing description of "Logieciels comme une usine de Gaz," even with today's simpler user inter- faces, software modeling tools are only as good as the raw data you feed into them. DESIGN007 Martyn Gaudion is managing director of Polar Instruments Ltd. To read past columns or contact Gaudion, click here. without removing the DC resistance can lead to "that breaks the laws of physics" results where the "solved" Dk is less than that of the resin alone. Thus, when PCB traces are narrow (approxi- mately sub-60 microns or with very thin foils), it is imperative that a designer mandates that the PCB fabricator should use LPE or any other valid technique to remove the DC resistance artifact from the measurement before any goal- seeking of Dk takes place. Track resistance calculators are useful for gauging how many ohms per unit length should be present. As a designer, you need to ensure that your fabricator understands the need to remove the DC resistance on fine line traces. If you have a trace designed where the resistance is 0.25 ohms per inch or more, you should specify that the impedance should be measured on a TDR using the LPE method. The $1.1 million Sensors for Summerfruit project launched this week by the Food Agility Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) will be led by Agriculture Victoria in collaboration with RMIT University, Summerfruit Aus- tralia and local technology firms Green Atlas and Rubens Technologies. The three types of sensor technologies being developed and tested as part of the project will measure the sweet- ness of summer fruits from peaches to nectarines, plums or apricots. The sensors will be calibrated on Agriculture Victoria's Tatura SmartFarm in Goulburn Valley, and then road-tested in commercial orchards and packhouses in Goulburn Valley, Swan Hill, Cobram, and Sunraysia. Chair of the RMIT's Cyber-Physical and Autono- mous Systems Group, Professor Roberto Sabatini, said the project presented an exciting oppor- tunity to demonstrate that the remote sensing and early diagnosis technologies they'd devel- oped were cost-effective, impactful and scalable both within and beyond the agriculture industry. "Cyber-physical systems, sensor networks and data fusion technologies are increasingly relying on artificial intelligence to maximise business perfor- mance, profitability and sustainability in all sectors driving the digital transformation here in Australia and globally," said Sabatini. Research Leader Crop Physiology at Agriculture Victoria, Dr. Ian Goodwin, said the project aimed to benefit the Summerfruit sector by growing export markets and improving their operations. "Using these sensors, we could help growers tailor their practices to grow the fruit consumers want, triag- ing fruit in the packing sheds, and only exporting those robust enough to make the journey," Goodwin said. (Source: RMIT University) Sensors to Spot the Sweetest Summer Fruit