Entries by susan@jfkilfoil.com

March 2024 Newsletter

Newsletter Edition: March 2024 2024 Line Card: Trusted Technology Partners Welcome to our monthly JF Kilfoil update! As we gather steam in 2024, check out our full line card for any updates you may have missed. This isn’t just any list—it reflects our commitment to bringing you the best technology suppliers tailored to meet and […]

Examining the Latest Electric Vehicle Technology Trends

Posted by Peter Matthews The market demands and technology trends that impact all aspects of electric vehicle (EV) development are constantly evolving. As trends change, so do the requirements for EV power systems, which affects the demands placed on the components we supply. Therefore, we feel it is our duty to stay on top of shifting […]

Exploring Electronics Trends in Solar Power

Posted by Peter Matthews The developmental trajectory of many modern power electronics systems is driven by evolving carbon dioxide (CO₂) regulations. By maintaining compliance, green energy production, like photovoltaics (PV) and wind, and high-efficiency distribution systems, like high-voltage direct current (HVDC) and battery energy storage systems (BESS), support our transition to a more sustainable future. Here, […]

Telco Case Study: HVAC-R

The following is a Telco Motors case study for HVAC-R applications. The client is a significant manufacturer of cast iron ranges and heaters. For over 100 years, their products have been built to meet the needs of the American people. Additionally, this client has been considered one of North America’s largest manufacturers of solid-fuel heating […]

Flecto Floating Board to Board Connectors

Written by Ryan Smart Modern electronic designs often incorporate multiple PCBs, whether as a way of decreasing design time by taking a modular approach or as a necessity to ensure the final solution fits the available space. Clearly, there needs to be an effective way of connecting these boards to distribute signals and power. While […]

KOA Speer Advantages of Wide Terminal Chip Resistors

KOA Speer Electronics Advantages of Wide Terminal Chip Resistors In this video, Brian Anderson with KOA Speer Electronics talks about wide terminal resistors and how they can help move your design from concept to reality. One way that you can increase the power handling capacity of a resistor is by using an element that can […]

Knowles V2S Vibration Sensors Automotive Application

Knowles’ V2S Vibration Sensors Automotive Application Luca Bettini from Knowles gave us the pleasure of showing us a demonstration of their V2S vibration sensors in automotive applications! In this series of videos, we will explore the V2S sensor by Knowles, a high-performance digital voice vibration sensor that can enhance voice quality in noisy environments. We […]

SumiMark IV PLUS Marking System – Video

  Learn more about the SumiMark IV PLUS Marking System. This thermal transfer printer is for heat shrink tube markings such as panel labels and cable labels. This system is reliable, cost-effective, and easy to use, plus it is widely used in industrial fields such as aerospace and railways.

Knowles Introduces Supercapacitors for up to 9 WVDC

Knowles Precision Devices Introduces Supercapacitors that Operate at up to 9 WVDC Three-cell devices offer greater energy potential and power output than single or dual-cell parts CAZENOVIA, N.Y., March 11, 2024 – Knowles Precision Devices, a segment of Knowles Corporation (NYSE: KN), a leading global supplier of high-performance components and solutions, today announced its latest […]

Knowles Partners with JF Kilfoil Company for Expanded Capacitor Solutions in the Midwest

  Cincinnati, Ohio (March 4, 2024) – JF Kilfoil Company, a leading manufacturer’s representative company founded in 1953, has announced its expanded representation of Knowles’ products to include the Cornell Dubilier brand in the Midwest market. This strategic partnership follows Knowles’ recent acquisition of Cornell Dubilier, which broadened its product offerings to include film, electrolytic, […]

Examining Trends in Power Electronics

Posted by Peter Matthews At Knowles, it is our mission to provide specialty components that meet even the toughest performance and reliability requirements, especially for applications where failure is not an option. But markets and requirements are constantly changing, which means we must closely monitor the trends impacting all the industries and applications where you might […]

AEC-Q200 Leaded Standoff MLCC for Automotive Applications

 by Matt Johnson. To help PCBs and other physically connected components survive vibration, board bending, thermal mismatching, and stress during thermal cycling, Knowles Precision Devices has launched a range of leaded standoff components, Metal Frame J-Lead Terminal MLCCs, that are qualified to AEC-Q200. AEC-Q200 is the global standard for stress resistance in passive electronic components in automotive applications. […]

Sumitomo Aerospace and Defense – Video

  Sumitomo Corporation of Americas’ Aerospace & Defense Programs Units, through decades of development and expansion, have built a robust and thriving business by keeping its local expertise aligned with strong relationships and a sharp focus on burgeoning technologies.

Smaller, Smarter and Safer Technology in Healthcare

A Blog by TTI’s, Scott Stemley The volume of healthcare data produced every day globally is phenomenal. Now measured in zettabytes (one zettabyte is a trillion gigabytes), it accounts for more than 25 percent of all information created. But it’s not only the amount of data that’s changing the way we do healthcare today, it’s how fast […]

KOA Speer – Fundamentals of a Resistor

What is a resistor? To understand the function of a resistor, it’s important to understand Ohm’s Law. Ohm’s law states that the current through a conductor between two points is directly proportional to the voltage across the two points. Stated another way, Ohm’s Law means voltage = current x resistance. If the voltage is E […]

Non-Magnetic Trimmer Capacitors for In-Suite or Portable MRI Machines

Posted by Jordan Yates MRI systems are so robust and require so much infrastructure that they need their own dedicated room—until recently. A portable magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, or point of care (POC) MRI machine, is a compact, traveling device that’s designed for patient imaging outside of the traditional MRI suite (e.g., emergency rooms, ambulances, […]

Gain Equalizer Basics

Gain Equalizer Basics – By Peter Matthews. Passive gain equalizers are designed to rectify or flatten the frequency response of an RF amplifier. RF amplifiers are known to cause a non-uniform gain over the operational bandwidth of a device, which results in distortion and other unwanted effects. Equalizers generate a counter-gain profile to offset that […]

What Are Bias Filter and Self-Bias Networks?

by Peter Matthews Bias filter networks and self-bias networks are two types of biasing components developed by Knowles Precision Devices for use in high-frequency microwave and RF applications.   What Are Bias Filter Networks? Bias filter networks in RF amplifiers refer to specific arrangements of passive components like resistors, capacitors, and inductors that provide a […]

The Importance of Safety Capacitors in Power Electronics

By Jordan Yates.  Safety capacitors are designed to mitigate the effects of transient voltages and interference in electrical and electronic circuits, especially high-voltage applications, ensuring their safe operation. Even everyday devices need safety capacitors: modems and other telecoms equipment, AC-DC power supplies, power distribution switchgear, and electric vehicles (EVs) and other automotive applications.     Benefits of […]

The Role of Resonant Capacitors in Power Electronics

By Jordan Yates. At a foundational level, the ability to store electric charge and more easily pass higher-frequency AC currents are two of the most identifiable properties of capacitors. However, at very high frequencies, the ideal behavior of a capacitor can be compromised. In those situations, the parasitic, resistive and inductive components of a capacitor […]

What are EMI Filters?

By Jordan Yates.  To understand what an electromagnetic interference (EMI) filter is, and what it does, we need to first know what EMI is and why it needs to be filtered. EMI refers to undesirable electromagnetic emissions or disturbances generated either by electronic devices or natural sources in the environment that can interfere with the […]

Choosing the Correct SUMITUBE Size

How to Choose the Correct SUMITUBE Product Size How to read the sizes of the inside diameter Depending on the item, there are two sizes: metric (mm) and inch. For instance, Sumitube B2 has inch sizes, and its 1/8 inch size equals approximately 3.2 mm. The inside diameter before shrinking is 3.50±0.30, which means size […]

What Are Bootstrap Capacitors?

Posted by Jordan Yates on Sep 13, 2023 Power electronics play a critical role in converting and managing electrical energy efficiently. As electric vehicles (EVs), renewable energy systems, and consumer electronics quickly become more powerful, the demand for high-voltage power electronics is quickly increasing. This means the importance of components like bootstrap capacitors has grown significantly. In […]

What Are DC Link Supporting Filters?

by Jordan Yates on Sep 27, 2023 In power electronics, the DC link refers to the section that connects the input and output sides of the power conversion system (Figure 1). The primary function of the DC link is to store energy during the times when the input power is higher than the output power and […]

How Does the Industry Integrate with Edge Computing?

How Does the Industry Integrate with Edge Computing? What are its Practical Applications? What Criteria Should be Considered when Selecting FSP Edge Computing Products? In today’s technological era, edge computing stands out as a tangible solution to cope with the overwhelming volume of data, particularly within the industrial sector. In the past, cloud computing required […]

Ensure the Reliability of Your EV Electronic System with Knowles

Ensure the Reliability of your EV Electronic System with Knowles EV OEMs need high-reliability electronic components optimized for SWaP (size, weight, and power) designed to withstand these environments’ higher voltage, temperature, and power requirements. At Knowles Precision Devices, we are leading the way in supplying a variety of high-reliability, AEC-Q200-qualified capacitors and filters, which means […]

Knowles Supporting World Wide Electric Vehicle Innovation

Supporting World-Wide Electric Vehicle Innovation EV OEMs need high-reliability electronic components optimized for swap size, weight, and power. Whether you are an EV or an engineer working on the newest 800-volt battery systems or a manufacturer producing today’s vehicles and charging stations, we have the passive components you need to ensure the reliability of your […]

Compact High-Power Harwin Connector Series with 360° EMC Backshells

Harwin announces that its Kona high-power connector series is now available with backshells. Made from an aerospace-grade Aluminium 6061 alloy, these backshells will prevent unwanted EMI leaking out from the connector/cable assembly into the surrounding system. Compact and streamlined, but capable of carrying large currents (up to 60A per contact), Harwin’s 8.5mm-pitch Kona connectors come in 2, […]

New Space Success for Harwin’s 1.25mm Pitch High-Reliability Gecko Connectors

Harwin announces that its high-reliability Gecko connectors, which have been integrated into a research nanosatellite, have been successfully launched and ejected into low Earth orbit (LEO), and, after the deployment of its subsystems, remain fully operational. Momentus, the U.S. commercial space company, recently announced that all customer payloads had been deployed from its Vigoride-6 Orbital Service […]

Knowles – High Q Capacitor Roles and Specifications

Q factor, or quality factor, is an electrical term used to describe the ratio of energy stored to energy dissipated in a capacitor at a certain frequency (you can learn more about the different components of Q factor and ways to define it here). In other words, Q factor tells us how good a capacitor is […]

Knowles – Semiconductors in Military Power Supplies Affect Capacitor Selection

To protect people and critical equipment, military-grade electronic devices must be designed to function reliably while operating in incredibly harsh environments. Therefore, instead of continuing to use traditional silicon semiconductors, in recent years, electronic device designers have started to use wide band-gap (WBG) materials such as silicon carbide (SiC) to develop the semiconductors required for military […]

Knowles – What are DC-Blocking Capacitors, and Why Are They Important?

Electronic devices power our world and allow us to communicate. In all applications requiring signal integrity and accurate power amplification, blocking capacitors are used to provide clean waveforms and correctly amplified voltages. What Systems Rely on Stable Waveforms? Generally, waveform systems can be broadly defined into power-related alternating current (AC) and communications-related radio frequency (RF) […]

Harwin Extends its Multi-Directional Spring Contact Offering with New Height Options

Harwin announces four new height options to its multi-directional spring contact range, which now spans from 4.00mm to 10.00mm. The compact S1921-46R and S1931-46R have free heights of 4.00mm and 5.50mm, respectively, while the taller S1981-46R is 8.50mm and S1991-46R is 10.00mm. Although there are already many spring contacts that are suitable for vertical compression applications, it is less common to find parts that can […]

Harwin Interconnect Solutions Now in Illinois and Wisconsin Markets

JF Kilfoil Company Announces Partnership with Harwin to Expand Interconnect Solutions in Illinois and Wisconsin Markets Cincinnati, Ohio (September 5, 2023) – JF Kilfoil, a leading manufacturers’ representative company, recently announced its representation of Harwin for the Illinois and Wisconsin markets. Harwin is a category-leading specialist in high-reliability, high-performance interconnection solutions. This strategic alliance expands […]

AI Applications in Smart Buildings

With the rapid advancement of technology, the focus of architecture has not just been exterior design. There is a greater emphasis on building materials, smart technologies, universal design, and energy conservation. In recent years, the Ministry of Economic Affairs has been actively promoting the research and development of innovative technologies in smart buildings. With the […]

JF Kilfoil to Showcase Trusted Suppliers and Automotive Engineering Solutions at Battery Show North America 2023

Detroit, MI (August 10, 2023) – JF Kilfoil, a leading manufacturers’ representative company, recently announced its participation in the upcoming Battery Show North America 2023. The event will occur from September 12-14 at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, MI (outside of Detroit), where JF Kilfoil can be found at booth 1937. The Battery Show […]

Great Designs with Peace of Mind Video

Great Designs with Peace of Mind. Welcome to Kilfoil where you can always expect great designs with peace of mind. This video, by our President and CEO, Tim Kilfoil, goes into more depth about how we offer trusted suppliers, and customized engineering solutions.

Knowles – Understanding the Role of Ceramic Capacitors in Implantable Deep Brain Simlators

Understanding the Role of Ceramic Capacitors in Implantable Deep Brain Stimulators Posted by Jordan Yates on Jul 19, 2023 8:30:00 AM A deep brain stimulator (DBS), also known as a neuro-stimulator, is a medical device that uses electrical stimulation to treat neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, dystonia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The DBS is […]

ALMAX – Flexible Hybrid Electronics

Definition of Flexible Hybrid Electronics Flexible Hybrid Electronics (FHE) combines the flexibility and low cost of printed conductive circuits, interconnects, antennas, and sensors with integrated circuits’ complex capabilities and extreme malleability. This innovative process allows us to create a uniquely resistant, highly bendable solution that is adaptable to several types of shapes and situations. As […]

Noritake Get Started with GT-CP | GTOMP

Sample Image Menu: Use Sample Program “GTOMP” is software for designing and programming GT-CP. The following article introduces how to make the sample program work using GTOMP. GTOMP Sample Image Menu                     Display the menu of the image list. Then tap the image to enlarge the […]

Synapse Wireless Lighting Controls – ULINE Case Study

ULINE and Synapse SimplySnap Wireless Lighting Controls Uline is the leading distributor of shipping and packaging solutions to businesses throughout North America. Family-owned for over 40 years, Uline has built its brand on customer service. Order accuracy, quick delivery, and low prices are the core of their promise to their customers. With a robust 800-page […]

Digital Marketing for Manufacturer Reps

Powering Up Your Brand This ERA LIVE session focused on digital marketing for manufacturers’ reps — developing an effective brand, common challenges, developing a marketing strategy, leveraging new technology, and more! This discussion, led by Tim Kilfoil, President of JF Kilfoil, is based on the new white paper published by the Outpace Rep Group entitled “Powering […]

Harmony Electronics – Crystal Oscillators and Crystal Resonators

An Introduction to Harmony Electronics – Crystal Oscillators and Crystal Resonators Harmony Electronics (H.ELE.) leads the pack in supplying top-quality crystal devices that simplify your life. From oscillators to resonators, their diverse range of shapes, sizes, and complexities guarantees your project’s success. They have something for everyone: basic quartz-based pieces, intricate crystals optimized for specific […]

Selecting MLCCs that Meet the High-Reliability Requirements of Medical Implantable Devices

Posted by Victor Lu Designing medical implantable devices for high reliability is crucial for a variety of reasons. First, given the life-critical functions performed by many medial implantable devices, and the invasive procedure required to implant medical equipment properly in the human body, it is imperative that all medical devices are designed to function reliably throughout […]

Understanding the Differences Between Pacemakers and ICDs

Posted by Jordan Yates For more than 3 million people in the United States, pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) are life-changing technology they rely on. While both devices are implantable medical devices designed to improve the quality of life for people with heart arrhythmia, a condition where the heart beats irregularly, each device serve a different […]

Thin Film Integrated Passive Devices

Thin Film Integrated Passive Devices at Knowles Precision Devices Posted by Peter Matthews Resistors, inductors, and capacitors are the most common passive electronic components; they’ve long been available at different price points with different capabilities. Heightening expectations for performance in today’s advanced electronics environment mean we need equally advanced processes for creating components. The specifications of […]

Wide Operating Temperature Model for Quick Embedded GUI Development

Noritake Releases GT-CP Series with Wide Operating Temperature Model for Quick Embedded GUI Development Noritake has recently released its GT-CP Series, featuring the GTWV070C3B00PWA Wide Operating Temperature model. This model is a command-controlled touch TFT module that is specifically designed to help facilitate quick embedded GUI development and reduce system costs with powerful built-in commands. […]

The Power Behind Modern Medicine

Medical Products The Power Behind Modern Medicine Tadiran manufactures advanced lithium batteries used throughout the medical field, from small, lightweight, and powerful cells used in surgical power tools to cells that can survive transport via the cold chain to cells that can withstand high temp. autoclave sterilization. TLM Series lithium metal oxide batteries enable handheld […]

Harwin Hi-Rel Connectors For Board-to-Board Spacing

To support the complete breadth of customer applications, Harwin adds another option to its popular Datamate series of high-reliability (Hi-Rel) connectors. Complementing the existing Datamate J-Tek connector range (fitted with jackscrews for secure mounting) with a 7.3mm board-to-board height when mated, the new female connector gives a significantly larger 17.15mm connection height. Providing more space between PCBs allows […]

Harwin’s Pioneering High Power Connector Series Extended

Building on the initial success of its 3kV-rated Kona high-power connectors, Harwin has now introduced more variants to this popular range. The new additions are male connectors suitable for use with both standard cable connections and made-to-order cable assemblies. Initially launched in November 2020, the award-winning Kona series is used widely in many applications, including New Space, electric vehicles, UAVs, […]

Harwin Increases Mixed Layout Hi-Rel Connector Portfolio

Harwin has expanded the contact layout options of its Gecko-MT high-reliability (Hi-Rel) connectors. Announced at Electronica in Munich, the new variants have been added to complement the existing symmetrical 2-power/8-signal and 4-power/8-signal layouts. There are 6 new contact arrangements that feature 2 to 6 power contacts and 4 to 24 signal contacts. These have a non-symmetrical […]

Outpace Rep Group Releases Marketing White Paper to Help Electronics Industry Power Up Their Brand

Cincinnati, Ohio (May 30, 2023) – JF Kilfoil, a founding member of the Outpace Rep Group, is excited to announce the launch of their latest resource for manufacturer representatives in the electronics industry. “Powering Up Your Brand: Strategies for Successful Marketing and Branding in the Electronics Industry” is a white paper created in collaboration with […]

Knowles – The Capabilities, Benefits, and Key Applications for StackiCap

Posted by Nan Zhang Power electronics demand higher capacitance in smaller packages, from industrial to automotive to aerospace applications. Therefore, electronic designers cannot continue adding more capacitors to meet both capacitance demands and size requirements. While capacitor stacking is an option, many stacked assemblies are still quite large, and stacking often introduces new failure modes, such […]

JF Kilfoil and FSP Group Join Forces to Deliver Cutting-Edge Power Supply Technology Solutions

Cincinnati, Ohio (May 15, 2023) – JF Kilfoil, a company built on trusted suppliers and customized engineering solutions, has joined forces with FSP Group, a global power supply manufacturer. FSP Group offers a wide array of AC/DC power supply options, such as medical power supplies, industrial power supplies, enterprise computing power supplies, external and open-frame […]

Knowles – Looking Closer at Snubber Capacitors in Electric Vehicles

Posted by Peter Matthews In a previous article about electric vehicles (EV), we talked about using DC link capacitors as an intermediary buffer in power converters. Today’s topic covers another useful power module component – the snubber capacitor. Snubbers are energy-absorbing circuits used to protect electronics from voltage spikes and transients caused by turning a switch from […]

Knowles – Looking Closer at DC Link Capacitors in Electric Vehicles

Posted by Peter Matthews DC link capacitors are commonly used in power converters as an intermediary buffer between an input source to an output load that have different instantaneous power, voltages, and frequencies. In electric vehicle (EV) applications, DC link capacitors help offset the effects of inductance in inverters, motor controllers, and battery systems. They also […]

Knowles – Looking Closer at Filter Capacitors in Electric Vehicles

Posted by Peter Matthews In electric vehicle (EV) applications, filter capacitors are a special type of component commonly used as input and output capacitors. Also known as noise suppression or electromagnetic interference (EMI) filters, these particular capacitors act to remove noise and other unwanted signals on the line. On the high voltage alternating current (AC) side […]

Almax – Demystifying Human-Machine Interface Technology

Posted by Almax Introduction to Human-Machine Interface (HMI) The world has witnessed a significant advancement in technology over the past few decades, resulting in the rapid growth of Human-Machine Interface (HMI) systems. This growth has led to the integration of HMI within various industries, transforming the way humans interact with machines. With the concept of […]

Knowles – What are Flying Capacitors?

Posted by Jordan Yates on Mar 15, 2023  As demand for high-efficiency and high-power-density inverters continues to grow, the so-called “flying” capacitor multilevel inverter is emerging as a strong choice for many power electronics systems. Since these capacitors can “float” to different electric potentials depending on the connected semiconductor switching structure and state, they help balance out […]

Knowles – High Performance Capacitors to Meet the Needs of Demanding Aerospace and Defense Applications

Posted by Jordan Yates on Mar 22, 2023 From military aircraft to electronic warfare defense systems, aerospace and defense applications are placing new demands on their power electronics. Defense electronics systems must function reliably for their lifetime while operating at higher voltages and wider temperature ranges, all while becoming smaller, lighter, and consuming less power. These demands are […]

Knowles – Achieve the Best Performance for Your Thin Film RF Devices

Posted by Peter Matthews on Mar 29, 2023 As the demand for faster communications across consumer and commercial devices continues to increase, the operating frequencies of RF devices are being pushed higher and higher. This creates a number of challenges for RF device designers, as filter size must be reduced to compensate for smaller device sizes and […]

Knowles – Overcoming EMI in Electric Vehicle Applicatons

Posted by Peter Matthews on Apr 5, 2023 According to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, electric vehicle (EV) sales in the U.S. reached record-high monthly volume in March 2021 and continued to rise, nearly doubling in 2021. This marks the sixth consecutive year of growth in electric vehicle (EV) sales, and the demand continues to grow. As […]

Knowles – RF Filter Terminology and Specifications

Posted by Peter Matthews on Apr 19, 2023 To choose the right filter for your application, you’ll need to evaluate the filter type, identify the specific filter technology that best suits your application, and ensure the filter meets your required specifications. This post is designed to serve as a quick reference on the common terms that are […]

Knowles – Understanding and Mitigating Multipaction

Posted by Peter Matthews on Feb 8, 2023 8:45:00 AM When developing mission-critical space applications such as low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites or equipment designed for Mars missions, there are special considerations you must make if you will be operating your RF circuits in a vacuum. This is because when pressure in the vacuum is below 10-2 […]

Knowles – Anatomy of and Stencil Design Recommendations for DLI Brand Filters

Posted by Brook Sandy on Apr 26, 2023 6:45:00 AM The Knowles Precision Devices DLI brand of technologies are designed to address the complex challenges of implementing high-performance mmWave filters across the widest range of specifications. Our Microwave Product Catalog covers how to select the best catalog or custom components for your application needs, while our new Microwave Products […]

Knowles – Why Bidirectional Charging for EVs Requires Special Attention to Design

Posted by Jordan Yates on May 10, 2023 8:45:00 AM As interest and adoption increase in the electric vehicle (EV) arena, associated technologies are advancing quickly. Batteries are becoming more powerful and charging infrastructure is increasingly robust and efficient. With all these advancements, EV batteries are good for more than powering cars on the road. Bidirectional […]

Episode 10. Wireless Networked Lighting Control

Joe Auteri is challenging the notion that wireless technology is unreliable and competing with industry standards. Joe is the Regional Sales Director for Synapse Wireless’ Lighting Management Services and the Global Manager for their Core IoT product. He has 30 years of experience in technical sales and has been with Synapse Wireless for the past […]