HALT / HASS Seminar - Tuesday 5^th Oct 2010

To guide you in your product development, TRaC are hosting a Technology Insight Briefing that will both explain the concept, and provide a practical demonstration of HALT (Highly Accelerated Life Test) and HASS (Highly Accelerated Stress Screening).

Mr. Bob Page of Reliability Plus, an industry expert in this field, will lead the presentation being held at the TRaC Environmental & Analysis facility in Warwick on Tuesday 5^th Oct 2010 from 9am to 4pm. This seminar will be particularly useful to Engineers who are managing new product development programmes.

HALT is rapidly emerging as a recognised means to dramatically cut development timescales through a process of accelerated aging. This is achieved by employing high levels of multi-axial vibration and rapid temperature cycling, either separately or in combination. Whilst the test does not mimic a particular reality, it very effectively employs environmental conditions commonly experienced in service, and so exposes design features and manufacturing defects which could lead to premature failure.

The registration fee (including lunch, refreshments, and set of seminar notes) is £110 (excl. VAT) per delegate. Attending delegates will also benefit from a 25% discount on HALT chamber hire for their company’s next

TRaC in the US gets MET approval

Mark Heaven, CEO of TRaC, has just returned from a seminar held by US safety mark partner MET Labs. The seminar not only covered US and EU mandatory EMC and Safety but also included presentations by DfR Solutions on Reliability Prediction for Electronic Hardware, Core Source Technologies presented Thermal Management Principles at the System Level and Verizon spoke of the company's progress at becoming greener.

Mark presented papers on the EU ATEX directive and it's synergy with the US Hazloc and the IECEX approvals programmes reviewing the routes to compliance and technical requirements whilst highlighting how time to market can be minimised by engaging with TRaC and MET early on in the programme and ensuring a qualification document and test plan is drawn up to suite all intended markets and avoid duplication. The cost reduction that ATEX factory inspection by MET fully supported by TRaC in the USA was particularly well received.

Mark was also able to announce the recent collaboration with BSI in offering an approvals programme for equipment designed to operate in explosive atmosphere, BSI is a well known and trusted brand in the

TRaC to facilitate second Femto Forum plugfest

Following the Femto Forum's announcement earlier this week to hold a second plugfest, TRaC has today confirmed it will once again be facilitating the interoperability testing event and ongoing interoperability program.

The agreement comes after TRaC facilitated the world's first femtocell plugfest event earlier this year, which received widespread vendor support and was attended by more than 20 companies. TRaC and the Femto Forum are now making plans for the second plugfest and looking to build on their already successful partnership.

To be held towards the end of 2010, this second plugfest will focus on the Broadband Forum's Femtocell management standard, building on the work of the Forum's first plugfest on the Iuh interface.

Karim Sharf, chief operating officer at TRaC, commented: "Femtocells and their deployment is undoubtedly becoming a significant focus for many telecommunications operators.

"By holding a second plugfest we can really drive forward the development of femtocell technology, providing valuable feedback to standards organizations and ensuring consistent interoperability between vendors' equipment.

"TRaC and the Femto Forum both see interoperability as integral to the successful uptake of femtocells. In order to address this need, the Forum created

TRaC celebrates top femtocell award

Karim Sharf, chief operating officer for TRaC Telecoms and Radio, has been awarded the Chairman's Awtard at the Femto Forum Femtocell Industry Awards 2010 in recognition of his work in driving forward the development of open and interoperable femtocell technology.

The Chairman's Award is presented to the individual that Simon Saunders, chair of the Femto Forum, feels has made the biggest contribution to the Forum and the wider femtocell industry. Simon commented: "Most of the Femto Forum’s work is driven by the efforts of individuals from within our member organisations and a huge number have contributed their time and skills to the Forum in the past year and all deserve my considerable thanks.

"However, one of our key goals we had in the last year was to make tangible progress towards our vision of an open, interoperable ecosystem for femtocells. To that end, in March we ran the first plugfest for UMTS femtocells, which was widely supported by over 20 vendors.  Karim Sharf was instrumental in supporting and coordinating that process and his level of contribution to the Forum's aims has been outstanding."

Karim Sharf is the vice chair of the interoperability testing special interest group (IOT SIG) and

TRaC reaffirms relationship with Motorola

TRaC has announced it is to continue its long-standing relationship with Motorola.

Motorola's NBBS remote device software device management platform is used by TRaC - whose testing services include telecommunications, DSL and radio - to test Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) that utilizes the Broadband Forum's TR-069 specification and ensure interoperability.

Alan Lefkof, corporate vice president and general manager of Motorola Mobile Devices and Home, commented: "We are pleased that TRaC continues to rely on our NBBS software platform to perform industry leading interoperability testing - TRaC's reputation, dedication and expertise in the testing and compliance industry are excellent."

"By continuing our work together we are able to carry on providing CPE vendors with a testing platform that can validate their compliance to the important TR-069 specification."

Motorola's NBBS Auto Configuration Server (ACS) was developed specifically to meet the TR-069 requirements that broadband service providers often insist CPE vendors adhere to.

Paul Russell, managing director of TRaC Telecoms and Radio, commented: "Motorola's NBBS platform was the perfect system choice to power our TR-069 testing service."

"As Motorola continues to enhance its NBBS platform and we are pleased to be able to provide the

TRaC completes testing programs with Realtek

Less than a year after moving its US test operation to its UK headquarters, TRaC has completed a comprehensive testing program for Realtek Semiconductor.

TRaC is accredited by the USA's two largest broadband service providers to carry out DSL testing. This latest set of testing demonstrates that a Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) containing Realtek's ADSL2+ chipset has successfully completed the TR-067 and TR-100 test program requirements for the multiple DSLAMs deployed in North America.

Jessy Chen, vice president from Realtek Semiconductor Corp, commented: "Passing these TRaC testing programs and receiving this accreditation has proved valuable for our business. By successfully completing these tests, our devices may be qualified by major telco carriers to further expand our broadband business in North America. We have worked with TRaC for a number of years and have always had a quick and efficient service from them."

TRaC opened its expanded flagship DSL test facility at its Hull, UK headquarters in November last year following a re-location from its Santa Clara operation. The laboratory is now the most advanced and comprehensive independent DSL testing facility anywhere in the world.

Paul Russell, managing director of

TRaC ready with equipment - test programme for LPPV

TRaC has announced that it has assembled a suite of services that is now ready to be accessed by any company developing electronic products for use in the Ministry of Defence’s Light Protected Patrol Vehicle (LPPV) programme.

TRaC is equipped to provide a range of testing services, notably in areas such as Safety and EMC (Electro-Magnetic Compatibility). The company already works closely with Millbrook Proving Ground, where vehicles are tested in respect of their mobility against a Battlefield Mission (BFM), and has established procedures to schedule programmes of testing in both arenas.

The LPPV programme, which aims to provide the Services with a new vehicle that will offer greatly increased protection to small, highly mobile teams, was defined in 2008 and is now at the stage of evaluation of initial vehicle offerings from multiple manufacturers. When it enters service, LPPV can be expected to carry an ever-increasing electronic-equipment payload in categories including communications, surveillance and electronic counter-measures. Only comprehensive testing to a demanding specification can provide the assurance that systems will operate – and inter-operate – with total reliability when called on to do so. TRaC has demonstrated over many years that it can

TRaC Opens Largest Test Facility in North West of England

TRaC announces a major expansion of its operations in the North West of England. The company today opened a new 15,000 sq. ft. centre of excellence in Up Holland, Lancashire, making it the largest commercial facility in the North.

The test facility is the only one of its kind in the North West of England that places a comprehensive testing service within easy travelling range for customers in the region. TRaC is already the biggest British test and certification company and the new facility strengthens the company's presence in the North, complementing the existing Hull facility that is the largest in the North East.

TRaC has invested more than £1 million in the new Lancashire location which has been supported by the North West Regional Development Agency. The company is currently hiring for key positions and plans a second wave of recruitment later this year to support the anticipated growth of its existing business in the region.

TRaC provides a testing service that ensures and certifies that its clients' products comply with EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) regulations; wireless, radio and telecoms standards; and environmental and

Four Things You Need to Know About Seismic Testing

The number of companies contacting me to enquire about Earthquake Testing has increased this year. Although most of the work is related to increased activity at the Nuclear Power Generating sites - such as the developments at Sellafield - I've also seen an increase in the number of enquiries from UK companies supplying overseas. Earthquake Qualification Testing often causes consternation for the equipment suppliers who may be familiar with Vibration Testing, but often have little or no experience of the Earthquake Testing.