For the third time, the EDN Innovation Awards recognised excellence in Australian and New Zealand electronics engineering. During a very enjoyable gala dinner at L'Aqua, Cockle Bay Wharf, Sydney, the winners and highly commended for each of the six categories were announced.
Each of them was undisputable proof of the talent, discipline, and ground-breaking ideas that propel electronics into the future. "Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognises genius," Sir Conan Doyle voiced through Sherlock Holmes in the novel The Valley of Fear.
The EDN Innovation Awards would have not been possible without the support of our sponsors, who acknowledge the importance of electronics in Australia and New Zealand and play a vital role in keeping the innovation spirit alive. Special mention should be given to National Instruments, who sponsored the Best overall project category, won by Crinia Corporation for Crinia AC 100 Audio Conferencing System.
"National Instruments provides scientists and engineers across a wide variety of industries and domains with flexible, scalable and easy-to-integrate software and hardware for their test, control and design applications," Mark Phillips, Oceania marketing coordinator, National Instruments, said.
"With categories such as Best application of test or data acquisition equipment, Best application of RF design, and Best student project, it was very fitting that NI sponsored the Best overall project award, since we provide solutions in all of these areas. NI has been sponsor of the Best overall project since the first EDN Innovation Awards in 2005, and we look forward to continuing to be involved with such an excellent initiative".
When asked about the importance of recognising innovation in Australia and New Zealand, Phillips said: "National Instruments Oceania completely appreciates the importance of recognising outstanding innovation and hard work from within our local industry. In such a competitive global market space and with so much local talent, it's crucial that our industry embraces and rewards such achievements. NI is very active in Australia and New Zealand, regularly conducting and participating in industry events across the region, ensuring scientists and engineers are kept abreast of the latest technologies and simultaneously providing them with a platform to discuss their application interests and challenges," Phillips concluded.

Best application of analogue design

Winner

Peregrine Semiconductor Australia for Low Noise Amplifier

Peregrine Semiconductor Australia (PSA) working with LaTrobe University R&D Technology Park in Victoria and the CSIRO’s Australia Telescope National Facility in Sydney have designed the world’s first CMOS-on-sapphire low noise amplifier (LNA). The LNA has been designed to meet the extremely demanding operating specification required for radio telescope receivers operating at room temperature; this is a key requirement for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). “Winning this award not only means a lot to PSA but also to LaTrobe University,” Andrew Brawley, executive director, PSA, said. “There have been many attempts around the world to produce a low-noise amplifier (LNA) on a CMOS process and we believe that we have designed and produced the world's best. It is important to recognise the innovation of the Australian & New Zealand electronics industry as it is a small industry by global standards,” Brawley continued. “Fortunately, innovation is not proportional to size and Australia & NZ can match to the world's best when it comes to innovation”.





Highly commended

Synctek for Flashcell Cordless Screwdriver

Synctek designed an innovative charging station for the world’s first Flashcell Technology product application: a cordless screwdriver that fully charges in less than 90 seconds with over 500,000 re-charges cycles. While conventional cordless screwdrivers, with a 3 hour charge time, drive approximately 40 screws in 3.5 hours, the Flashcell Cordless Screwdrivers drives approximately 700. “Winning this award for our design of the Flashcell cordless screwdriver has given Synctek greater inspiration to innovate, design and create more products that have never been experienced before,” Mark Viola, Synctek, said. “In the last twenty years our electronics industry has been constantly challenged by global competitiveness, lack of commercial appeal and various governance standards. As a result, many have given in to these pressures by outsourcing manufacturing and/or relocating their plants overseas to a lower cost base. “With the mass fallout of manufacturing in Australia and New Zealand, only innovation still holds true by the two thinking nations. Innovation must be harness where all efforts should be recognised and rewarded by industry groups, State & Federal Governments.”

Sponsored by Arrow Electronics

Arrow Electronics is one of the world’s largest distributors of electronic components and a leading provider of services and solutions to the electronics industry. As an industry leader, Arrow provides a comprehensive suite of Supply Chain Solutions and connects technology with customers. Locally at Arrow, we have the people, the tools and the expertise, plus a proven track record to power your supply chain.

Best application of microcontroller

Winner

ABB for Embedded System for Remote Monitoring and Control of a Production Line Unit

ABB’s aim was to automate a FESTO Modular Production Station by programming an Allen-Bradley series SLC500 PLC and a Rabbit 3000 microcontroller, used to remotely manage the station. The task was to design and implement an embedded system that would monitor parts processed by the station and collect information such a colour, material and height.
This information would then be displayed through a user interface. The embedded system had to communicate with the PLC through a serial connection and needed to send elementary commands to the station. “Winning this award provided a great opportunity to recognise the hard work of all parties involved in the assignment: Alan Stapelberg, Gavin Shaw and the Queensland University of Technology for providing the facilities and support necessary,” Alan Stapelberg, ABB, said. “The EDN Innovation Awards honour those who have strived to develop the electronics industry through their innovations. This recognition promotes further developments and, in doing so, helps to keep Australia and New Zealand globally competitive in the semiconductor industry. ABB will continue to support the development of new innovative ideas.”

Highly commended

Electronics by Design for Minibarmaster Wireless

Electronics by Design’s Minibarmaster is based around wireless Palm PDAs used by hotel staff to record minibar usage in guest rooms. The handhelds wirelessly post information to the guest account in the hotel’s Property Management System software (PMS) instantly.
The Palm PDAs uses an ARM9 processor to manage all functionality. The Minibarmaster’s wireless capability is implemented using GPRS over the GSM mobile phone network. “Winning this award it’s recognition of the hard work that has gone into the development and marketing of Minibarmaster Wireless,” Ef Misoyannis, Electronics by Design, said. “It adds to our enthusiasm to develop the product and other similar products.”
About the future of the company, Misoyannis said: “From a commercial perspective, we want to develop opportunities with smaller hotel chains and some of the stand alone hotels to rollout Minibarmaster Wireless. From a technical perspective, we want to develop a software engineering module for Minibarmaster Wireless so minibar staff can log maintenance jobs such as broken fixtures, blown light globes etc. The software would send emails to the maintenance department and allow the job to be tracked to completion.”

Sponsored by Avnet Electronics Marketing

Avnet is one of the world’s largest value-added distributors of semiconductors, connectors, passive and electromechanical components, RF and microwave devices and embedded subsystems from leading manufacturers. Avnet has an office in every major Australian city and has warehouse facilities in Melbourne. Our focus on value based management and our ability to draw on advantages of scale though our global reach make Avnet the ideal business partner for both customers and suppliers.

Best application of test or data acquisition equipment

Winner

CPE Systems for Testing the Bionic Ear

Cochlear, a leader in the design and manufacture of innovative, implantable hearing solutions was in the process of developing a new range of external devices and required a series of systems to test the devices to be manufactured for their upcoming clinical trials, and then the final production units.
The company turned to CPE Systems to develop a turnkey solution. At the time the project started, the designs for the Cochlear devices were still in a state of flux. The test systems needed to cope with changes to the design of the prototypes, as well as design variations once full production started. The test systems also needed to support full scale manufacture for a minimum of 10 years.
Dedicated test systems were required for the three elements of the external devices (Speech Processor, Battery Pack and Transmit/Receive Coil.) Each element presented its own technological challenges, such as measuring down to the micro Volt and Amp range, measuring in the RF spectrum, and custom inductive coupling methods to achieve the required full test coverage. Three different test systems were created to handle the separate elements of the external devices.
“Over the past decade, CPE Systems have established itself as one of the primary providers of customised test and measurement systems in Australia”, Christopher Farmer, project manager, CPE Systems, said. “Winning the EDN Innovation Award for Best application of test or data acquisition equipment is something the entire company can enjoy for the efforts everybody has put in throughout the journey”.

Highly commended

CPE Systems for DVR Test System

Integrian, a designer and manufacturer of Digital Video Recorder (DVR) products for mass transportation, contracted CPE Systems to deliver a design verification and production test system for the DVR-100. The system generates video, audio and digital data, and inputs them to a DVR-100 unit.
The unit captures and processes this data, and saves it as custom video files on its hard drive. The test system then performs a detailed analysis of these files, allowing Integrian to verify the DVR-100’s functional requirements, perform longevity testing, and verify new production units. Numerous technical challenges were faced, and solved, in order for a timely delivery. CPE managed the entire project life-cycle, allowing Integrian to delegate full responsibility to CPE.
“In an economy dominated by resources and agriculture, recognition for innovation in electronics is important to help ensure the industry continues to evolve and have presence in Australia,” Farmer said. While questioned about the future of the company, Farmer said: “CPE Systems, primarily based in Melbourne, is now targeting the Sydney market, having just established a small office in Sydney. The company is currently positioning itself for a progression into additional markets. The future has never looked more exciting!”

Sponsored by TekMark

Tekmark Australia offers advanced Tektronix test, measurement & monitoring instruments, integrated best-practice solutions and services to the high tech industries in Australia. Industries supported include media broadcast, telecommunications, defence, electronics, R&D & education. Key solutions include: base band, MPEGP, IPTV, file based video test & monitoring solutions; 2G/3G mobile service assurance test systems; roadband IP network access testing solutions for xDSL, CATV, GigE—Metro Network (Fibre & Electrical interfaces); Electronics test systems which include oscilloscopes, signal sources, logic analysers and more.


Best application of RF design

Winner

Crinia Corporation for Crinia AC 100 Audio Conferencing System

The Crinia AC-100 is a conceptually created wireless audio conference system. It consists of a Base Station, a Tower(s) and a Handset. The Base Station is responsible for the connection to the outside world: telephone line, Ethernet for VOIP and power mains.
The Base also has a USB port as the system can record telephone calls into a USB disk. The Tower contains the loudspeaker and microphones used for conference calls. The Handset is the system’s control unit and user interface. It’s also a cordless telephone. Communication between the Towers, the Handset and the Base is with Crinia’s own RF protocol.
“It's extremely important to recognise innovation in the Australian and New Zealand electronics industry because it’s the main factor that can differentiate us from the low cost competition,” Carlos Piteira, Crinia Corporation, said. “Recognition helps raising the profile of the industry and, hopefully, will attract more bright and young talent. Winning this award mean a lot to Crinia. We had plenty of recognition before on the design front having won three awards in the US. Winning the EDN Innovation Award means that now we have recognition for the technology, which adds substance to our claims of having the world’s best product in this category.”

Highly commended

GS1 Australia for National EPC Network Demonstrator Project Extension

The NDP Extension shows how EPCglobal (Electronic Product Code) Generation 2 RF Identification technologies simplified pallet receiving, hire and de-hire processes, saving time and increasing efficiency by facilitating Electronic Proof of Delivery ePOD and paperless delivery.
The project also illustrated how EPC/RFID data can be incorporated into business systems and integrated with other business data. “GS1 Australia were most excited to receive this award on behalf of the project group,” John Hearn, general manager Member & Industry Support, GS1 Australia, said. “The project was an excellent collaboration between a range of industry participants, including GS1 Australia, RMIT, Chep, Telstra, P&G, Mars Snackfoods, Westgate Logistics, Franklins, Linfox, Acco Brands, NEC and Retriever Communications. The project was a very important industry initiative enabling us to demonstrate the concept of electronic proof of delivery using RFID technology and the EPC global standards.”
Hearn continued: “It's important to recognise such innovation projects in the Australian and New Zealand marketplace, as whilst we have traditionally been leaders in supply chain innovation, Australia has lagged behind the US and Europe in the adoption of EPC/RFID standards, and such recognition should inspire others to explore opportunities to embrace RFID technologies and the EPCglobal standards.”

Hy-Q International

Hy-Q International is a 100% Australian owned company and has been supplying frequency control products to the highest international standards for over 35 years. Its product range includes quartz crystal units, filters, DIL’s, voltage controlled, temperature compensated and oven controlled oscillators, monolithic and discrete filters as well as ceramic filters and resonators. Hy-Q also has a small range of micro speakers, electret condenser microphones and electromagnetic buzzers.

Best student project

Winner

David Silvera Tawil for Fish-Bird Circle B-Mov D

Fish-Bird Circle B–Movement D is an interactive autokinetic artwork implemented at the Australian Centre for Field Robotics to investigate the dialogical possibilities between two robots (Fish and Bird) in the form of wheelchairs that communicate with their audience, and with each other, through movement and written text.
“As an international student, I had to work hard to catch up with the high standards and requirements of Australian universities,” David Silvera said. “Winning this award meant that I fully complied with these standards. It showed me that anything is possible with hard work and conviction”.
When asked what the future holds for him, Silvera replied: “I want to dedicate my life to research and innovation in robotics. Work hard knowing that each step of the way presents new possibilities. There are many things to be discovered beyond our knowledge. Every new development is a tool to better understand our universe”.

Highly commended

Carlos Daniel Galli for Single Cylinder EMC

Galli’s project is a single cylinder engine management system. An MC68HC811E2 microcontroller determines the amount of fuel to be delivered into the engine and when to fire the spark plug for correct ignition timing. Fuel parameters are determined with the use of data from external sensors such as Crank Angle, TDC, Temperature and Throttle position.
“Winning this award means my efforts have been recognised by those in the electronics industry,” Galli said. “Recognising hard work and Innovation in Australia and New Zealand electronics Industry is very important. Since electronics manufacturing in Australia and New Zealand is no longer carried out on a large scale due to costs, designing innovative products is imperative. Recognising innovation will raise awareness of the high quality of Australian and New Zealand products.”

Sponsored by Altium

Altium Limited is the leading developer of unified electronic products development solutions. Altium products ensure all electronics engineers, designers, developers, and their organisations, take maximum advantage of emerging design technologies to bring smarter products to market faster and easier.
“The Altium Designer unified electronics design solution is built on the premise that every electronics designer should have access to the best possible tools, and be able to use those tools to break through any barrier to engineering innovation and commercial success,” Alan Smith, associate director Corporate Communications, Altium said.
“We make no distinction between different electronics designers, and we don’t produce special versions of our solution for particular vertical markets. And this starts with students. Altium supports over 900 universities, research projects and engineering competitions. Australian and New Zealand designers can compete with the best in the world. You can see that in the diversity of the submissions that made the short list in the category that Altium sponsored in the EDN Innovation Awards.”

Best Application of Programmable Logic

Winner

Navico Asia Pacific for Navman 8084

The Navman 8084 is a multifunction display featuring: 8.4” SVGA LCD screen, GPS chart plotter, built-in 1 kW sonar, radar compatibility, video input for cameras and DVD, and integration with other on-board instruments and engine data. Most of the FPGA blocks, such LCD and memory drivers, where developed from scratch to achieve the best performances.
“Winning Best application of programmable logic demonstrates that our expertise in FPGA design, characterised by a unique combination of optimisation and flexibility, has reached a state-of-the-art level,” said Fabio Galli, hardware development manager, Navico Asia Pacific.
“It’s extremely important to promote electronics design in the South Pacific area to show the rest of the world that there are excellent R&D Teams in this side of the globe busy developing innovative, high technology products. I am very proud to lead a fantastic Hardware Team in New Zealand capable of developing cutting edge projects used in high-tech marine electronics industry. About what’s next for Navico, Galli said: “We are totally committed in making sure the most innovative technology is used in our R&D developments. Our vision is leading marine electronics with outstanding solutions for performance, safety and enjoyment on the water.”

Highly commended

Dynamic Digital Depth—DDD for TriDef Vision+

DDD’s design of the TriDef Vision+ system provides an implementation of the PC software created by DDD on a single chip solution. The chip solution uses an FPGA, which could be converted into a hardcopy form as an ASIC replacement. The product is marketed in a set-top-box form which connects to a 3D enabled display on any or all of its two DVI channels and two VGA channels.
The box can also connect to dual projectors in a setup that requires polarised glasses. “Winning this award has provided recognition within the company that our hard work has yielded a valuable asset and given us renewed enthusiasm to commercially exploiting this technology in the stereoscopic 3-D displays industry,” Dr. Julien Flack, chief technology officer, Dynamic Digital Depth, said.
About the company’s future, Flack said: “The stereoscopic 3-D industry is undergoing a significant period of sustained growth, with major electronics companies continuing to search for the next innovation in display technology beyond high definition. DDD is uniquely positioned to benefit from this emerging market, following up on the success of licensing deals with Sharp for the first 3-D laptop in 2004 and with Samsung for a 3-D Mobile phone in 2007. Over the coming period DDD will continue its drive into the consumer space for 3-D TV, 3-D mobile and 3-D cinema solutions.”

Braemac

Founded in1986, Braemac is Australia’s largest indigenous electronic component distributor. “Today we compete in a truly global market,” Vlad Tohadze, marketing manager, Braemac, said. “The growth in manufacturing in the Asian region has overshadowed the outstanding work that is taking place in both Australia and New Zealand. It is very important for the EDN awards to acknowledge our local industry, as it gives our design engineers the recognition for creating the innovative products and solutions that meet various global challenges”. As to the company’s involvement in the awards, Tohadze said: “It was important to sponsor the Best application of programmable logic as it highlights that Braemac is closely aligned with the innovative applications of leading edge programmable logic. The three finalists all based their designs on Altera, which leads the programmable logic industry with easy to use high performance products at the lowest cost”.