Chip Giant TSMC to Enter Solar Energy

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is planning its first foray into solar energy with an investment in the island's largest producer of solar cells, a spokesman said on Dec. 10.
TSMC, the world's leading contract microchip maker by revenue, intends to pay 6.2 billion Taiwan dollars (US$192 million) for 20% in Motech Industries Inc., making it the largest shareholder.
"We believe the solar technology sector offers high growth opportunities," said TSMC spokesman J. H. Tzeng.
As growth in the semiconductor business slows, TSMC and other companies in the sector hope to find new ways of making money, and solar energy is one area expected to see rapid expansion in the coming years.
"With this investment we intend to leverage Motech's established platform to accelerate our time to market, better evaluate opportunities along the solar value chain, and further formulate our overall solar strategy," he said.
Motech was established in 1981 as a maker of test instruments, but started making solar cells in 1999.
"We plan to work closely with TSMC to address new business opportunities," Motech CEO Simon Tsuo said. "We believe this partnership would further enhance Motech’s leadership position in the solar industry."
Taiwan plans to boost its use of solar panels by a factor of 200 over the next decade and a half in an effort to increase clean energy, the island's Bureau of Energy said last week.

Solar panels across the island currently have a capacity of five megawatts, enough to power 500 buildings, but by 2025 that figure is targeted to rise to 1,000 megawatts, according to the bureau.

INDEPENDENT POWER SOURCE ON FUEL CELLS.

FIELD: electrics.
SUBSTANCE: invention concerns electric equipment, particularly devices for chemical energy transformation into electrical energy in fuel cells, and can be applied in manufacturing of independent power sources, including in data receiving and processing devices. According to the invention, independent power source with fuel cells includes hydrogen generator with removablecartridges for interacting reagents, reduction and safety valves for anode gas pressure adjustment in fuel chamber, output voltagetransformation unit and valve control unit.Hydrogen generator output is connected to fuel chamber input over reduction valve, fuel chamber output opens into air over safety valve, current outputs of membrane electrode assemblies are connected to output voltage transformation unit input, first output of the unit is connected to control inputs of reduction and safety valves over control unit, and second output of the transformation unit is can be connected to user.
EFFECT: simple, compact and efficient independent power source based on fuel cells. 2 cl, 1 dwg

International Telecommunication Union

The International Telecommunication Union is the eldest organization in the UN family still in existence. It was founded as the International Telegraph Union in Paris on 17 May 1865 and is today the leading United Nations agency for information and communication technology issues, and the global focal point for governments and the private sector in developing networks and services. For nearly 145 years, ITU has coordinated the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promoted international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, worked to improve telecommunication infrastructure in the developing world, established the worldwide standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communications systems and addressed the global challenges of our times, such as mitigating climate change and strengthening cybersecurity.
ITU also organizes worldwide and regional exhibitions and forums, such as ITU TELECOM WORLD, bringing together the most influential representatives of government and the telecommunications and ICT industry to exchange ideas, knowledge and technology for the benefit of the global community, and in particular the developing world.
From broadband Internet to latest-generation wireless technologies, from aeronautical and maritime navigation to radio astronomy and satellite-based meteorology, from convergence in fixed-mobile phone, Internet access, data, voice and TV broadcasting to next-generation networks, ITU is committed to connecting the world.
ITU is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and its membership includes 191 Member States and more than 700 Sector Members and Associates.

The ITU mission: bringing the benefits of ICT to all the world’s inhabitants:
ITU’s mission is to enable the growth and sustained development of telecommunications and information networks, and to facilitate universal access so that people everywhere can participate in, and benefit from, the emerging information society and global economy. The ability to communicate freely is a pre-requisite for a more equitable, prosperous and peaceful world. And ITU assists in mobilizing the technical, financial and human resources needed to make this vision a reality.
A key priority lies in bridging the so called Digital Divide by building information and communication infrastructure, promoting adequate capacity building and developing confidence in the use of cyberspace through enhanced online security. Achieving cybersecurity and cyberpeace are amongst the most critical concerns of the information age, and ITU is taking concrete measures through its landmark Global Cybersecurity Agenda.
ITU also concentrates on strengthening emergency communications for disaster prevention and mitigation. While both developing and developed countries are equally vulnerable to natural disasters, poorer nations are hardest hit because of their already fragile economies and lack of resources.
Whether through developing the standards used to create infrastructure to deliver telecommunications services on a worldwide basis, through equitable management of the radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits to help bring wireless services to every corner of the world, or through providing support to countries as they pursue telecommunication development strategies, all the elements of ITU’s work are centred around the goal of putting every human being within easy and affordable reach of information and communication and to contribute significantly towards economic and social development of all people.
ITU remains dedicated to helping the world communicate.

Legal Framework of ITU:
The basic texts of ITU, adopted by the Plenipotentiary Conference, establish a binding, global framework for international telecommunications and set forth the structure of the Union as well as its diverse and far-reaching activities promoting telecommunications. In addition to the Constitution and Convention, the consolidated basic texts include the Optional Protocol on the settlement of disputes, the Decisions, Resolutions and Recommendations in force, as well as the General Rules of Conferences, Assemblies and Meetings of the Union.

TRANSMISSION TECHNOLOGY

Centrifugal clutches and brakes are used when input and output side should be separated during a standstill and the output side should work speed-dependant. Advantages of centrifugal clutches are load-free starting and slip-free torque transmission at operating speed. Centrifugal brakes are often used as emergency braking system. They can lower or slow down loads at a defined speed.
Electromagnetic clutches and brakes from SUCO are notable for straightforward design and ease of installation. Like centrifugal clutches, electromagnetic clutches and brakes can only be used for dry running. Reliable torque transmission without residual torque is guaranteed.
Once activated the field coil of the electromagnetic clutch creates a magnetic field using no collector ring. This magnetic field attracts the driven side towards the input drive hub. Friction linings between input and output side are transmitting the torque to the output drive.
SUCO designs and manufactures individual, customer-specific solutions when standard models cannot be used. Our engineers check enquiries to make sure they are practicable, and, as far as possible, the design of the product complies with the customer’s wishes

Graphic design

The term graphic design can refer to a number of artistic and professional disciplines which focus on visual communication and presentation. Various methods are used to create and combine symbols, images and/or words to create a visual representation of ideas and messages. A graphic designer may use typography, visual arts and page layout techniques to produce the final result. Graphic design often refers to both the process (designing) by which the communication is created and the products (designs) which are generated.
Common uses of graphic design include magazines, advertisements and product packaging. For example, a product package might include a logo or other artwork, organized text and pure design elements such as shapes and color which unify the piece. Composition is one of the most important features of graphic design especially when using pre-existing materials or diverse elements.

History

While Graphic Design as a discipline has a relatively recent history, graphic design-like activities span the history of humankind: from the caves of Lascaux, to Rome's Trajan's Column to the illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages, to the dazzling neons of Ginza. In both this lengthy history and in the relatively recent explosion of visual communication in the 20th and 21st centuries, there is sometimes a blurring distinction and over-lapping of advertising art, graphic design and fine art. After all, they share many of the same elements, theories, principles, practices and languages, and sometimes the same benefactor or client. In advertising art the ultimate objective is the sale of goods and services. In graphic design, "the essence is to give order to information, form to ideas, expression and feeling to artifacts that document human experience.

Visual arts
Main article: Visual arts
Before any graphic elements may be applied to a design, the graphic elements must be originated by means of visual art skills. These graphics are often (but not always) developed by a graphic designer. Visual arts include works which are primarily visual in nature using anything from traditional media, to photography or computer generated art. Graphic design principles may be applied to each graphic art element individually as well as to the final composition.
Typography
Main article: Typography
Typography is the art, craft and techniques of type design, modifying type glyphs, and arranging type. Type glyphs (characters) are created and modified using a variety of illustration techniques. The arrangement of type is the selection of typefaces, point size, line length, leading (line spacing) and letter spacing.
Typography is performed by typesetters, compositors, typographers, graphic artists, art directors, and clerical workers. Until the Digital Age, typography was a specialized occupation. Digitization opened up typography to new generations of visual designers and lay users.
Page layout
Main article: Page layout
Page layout is the part of graphic design that deals in the arrangement and style treatment of elements (content) on a page. Beginning from early illuminated pages in hand-copied books of the Middle Ages and proceeding down to intricate modern magazine and catalog layouts, proper page design has long been a consideration in printed material. With print media, elements usually consist of type (text), images (pictures), and occasionally place-holder graphics for elements that are not printed with ink such as die/laser cutting, foil stamping or blind embossing.
Interface design
Main article: User interface design
Graphic designers are often involved in interface design, such as web design and software design when end user interactivity is a design consideration of the layout or interface. Combining visual communication skills with the interactive communication skills of user interaction and online branding, graphic designers often work with software developers and web developers to create both the look and feel of a web site or software application and enhance the interactive experience of the user or web site visitor. An important aspect of interface design is icon design.
Printmaking
Main article: Printmaking
Printmaking is the process of making artworks by printing on paper and other materials or surfaces. Except in the case of monotyping, the process is capable of producing multiples of the same piece, which is called a print. Each piece is not a copy but an original since it is not a reproduction of another work of art and is technically known as an impression. Painting or drawing, on the other hand, create a unique original piece of artwork. Prints are created from a single original surface, known technically as a matrix. Common types of matrices include: plates of metal, usually copper or zinc for engraving or etching; stone, used for lithography; blocks of wood for woodcuts, linoleum for linocuts and fabric plates for screen-printing. But there are many other kinds, discussed below. Works printed from a single plate create an edition, in modern times usually each signed and numbered to form a limited edition. Prints may also be published in book form, as artist's books. A single print could be the product of one or multiple techniques.

Chromatics
Chromatics is the field of how eyes perceive color and how to explain and organize those colors in the printer and on the monitor. The Retina in the eye is covered by two light-sensitive receptors that are named rods and cones. Rods are sensitive to light, but not sensitive to color. Cones are the opposite of rods. They are less sensitive to light, but color can be perceived.[10]
Tools

Examples of graphic design made on a computer, setting out various possibilities for a Wikimedia Commons project icon.
One may consider the mind to be the most important graphic design tool. Aside from technology, graphic design requires judgment and creativity. Critical, observational, quantitative and analytic thinking are required for design layouts and rendering. If the executor is merely following a solution (e.g. sketch, script or instructions) provided by another designer (such as an art director), then the executor is not usually considered the designer.
In addition to making key content decisions, method of presentation (e.g. arrangement, style, medium) may be equally important to the design. The layout is produced using external traditional or digital image editing tools. Selecting the appropriate development and presentation tools for each project is critical in how the project will be perceived by its audience.
In the mid 1980s, the arrival of desktop publishing and graphic art software applications introduced a generation of designers to computer image manipulation and creation that had previously been manually executed. Computer graphic design enabled designers to instantly see the effects of layout or typographic, and to simulate the effects of traditional media without requiring a lot of space. However, traditional tools such as pencils or markers are often used to develop ideas even when computers are used for finalization. Indeed, a designer or art director may well hand sketch numerous concepts as part of the creative process. Some of these sketches may even be shown to a client for early stage approval, before moving on to develop the idea further using a computer and graphic design software tools.
Computers are generally considered to be an indispensable tool used in the graphic design industry. Computers and software applications are generally seen, by creative professionals, as more effective production tools than traditional methods. However, some designers continue to use manual and traditional tools for production, such as Milton Glaser.
New ideas can come by way of experimenting with tools and methods. Some designers explore ideas using pencil and paper to avoid creating within the limits of whatever computer fonts, clipart, stock photos, or rendering filters (e.g. Kai's Power Tools) are available on any particular configuration. Others use many different mark-making tools and resources from computers to sticks and mud as a means of inspiring creativity. One of the key features of graphic design is that it makes a tool out of appropriate image selection in order to convey meaning.[11]

Core / Backbone Network and Technologies

Core network and backbone network typically refer to the high capacity communication facilities that connect primary nodes. Core/backbone network provides path for the exchange of information between different sub-networks. In the world of Enterprises, the term backbone is more used, while for Service Providers, the term core network is more used.
In the U.S. local exchange Core Networks are linked by several competing Interexchange networks; in the rest of the world (now) the Core Network extends to national boundaries.
Core/backbone network usually has a mesh topology that provides any-to-any connections among devices on the network. Many main service providers in the world have their own core/backbone networks, that are interconnected. Some large enterprises have their own core/backbone network, which are typically connected to the public networks.
The devices and facilities in the core / backbone networks are switches and routers. The trend is to push the intelligence and decision making into access and edge devices and keep the core devices dump and fast. As a result, switches are more and more often used in the core/backbone network facilities. The technologies used in the core and backbone facilities are data link layer and network layer technologies such as SONET, DWDM, ATM, IP, etc. For enterprise backbone network, gigabit Ethernet or 10 gigabit Ethernet technologies are also often used.

Network Protocols

The OSI model, and any other network communication models, provided only a conceptual framework for communication between computers, but the model itself does not provide specific methods of communication. Actual communication is defined by various communication protocols. In the context of data communication, a network protocol is a formal set of rules, conventions and data structure that governs how computers and other network devices exchange information over a network. In other words, protocol is a standard procedure and format that two data communication devices must understand, accept and use to be able to talk to each otherIn modern protocol design, network protocols are "layered" according to the OSI 7 layer model or similar layered models. Layering is a design principle which divides the protocol design into a number of smaller parts, each of accomplishes a particular sub-task, and interacts with the other parts of the protocol only in a small number of well-defined ways. Layering allows the parts of a protocol to be designed and tested without a combinatorial explosion of cases, keeping each design relatively simple. Layering also permits familiar protocols to be adapted to unusual circumstances.
The header or/and trailer at each layer is reflecting the structure of a protocol. Detailed rules and procedures are defined by a lengthy document. For example, IETF uses RFCs (Request For Comments) to define protocols and updates to the protocols.

A wide variety of network communication protocols exist, which are defined by many standard organizations worldwide and technology vendors over years of technology evolution and developments. One of the most popular protocol suites is TCP/IP , which is the heart of Internetworking communications. The IP, the Internet Protocol, is responsible for exchanging information between routers so that the routers can select the proper path for network traffic, while TCP is responsible to ensure the data packets are transmitted across the network reliably and error free. LAN and WAN protocols are also critical protocols in the network communications. LAN protocols suite is for the physical and data link layers communications over various LAN media such as Ethernet wires and wireless waves. WAN protocol suite is for the lowest three layers and defines communication over various wide-area media such as fiber optic and cable.
Network communication is an evolution process - today's new technologies are based on years accumulations of existing or obsolete technologies. Because of that, the protocols, which define the network communication, are highly inter-related. Many protocols rely on others for operation. For example, many routing protocols use other network protocols to exchange information between routers.
In addition to standards for individual protocols in transmission, there are now also interface standards for different layers to talk to the ones above or below (usually operating-system-specific). For example: Winsock and Berkeley sockets between layers 4 and 5, or NDIS and ODI between layers 2 and 3.
The network protocols for data communication cover all areas as defined in the OSI model. However, OSI model is only loosely defined, a protocol may perform the functions of one or more of the OSI layers, which introduces complexity of understanding protocols in relevant to OSI 7 layer models. In real-world protocols, there is some argument as to where the distinctions between layers are drawn; there is no one black and white answer.
To develop a complete technology that is useful for the industry, very often, a group of protocols are required in the same layer or across many different layers. Different protocols often describe different aspects of a single communication; taken together, these form a protocol suite. For example, Voice Over IP (VOIP) , a group of protocols developed by many vendors and standard organizations, has many protocols across 4 top layers in the OSI model.
Protocols can be implemented either in hardware or software, or a mixture of both. Typically, only the lower layers are implemented in hardware, with the higher layers being implemented in software.
Protocols could be grouped into suites (or families, or stacks) by their technical functions, or origin of the protocol introduction, or both. A protocol may belong to one or multiple protocol suites, depends how you categorize it. For example, the Gigabit Ethernet protocol IEEE 802.3z is a LAN (Local Area Network) protocol and it can also be used in MAN (Metropolitan Area Network) communications. The network protocol suite details are overviewed in a separate document (click). Most recent protocols are designed by the IETF for Internetworking communications, and the IEEE for local area networking (LAN) and metropolitan area networking (MAN). The ITU-T contributes mostly to the wide area networking (WAN) and telecommunications protocols. ISO has its own suite of protocols for internetworking communications which are mainly deployed in European countries. For more information of the standard organizations

PROTOCOL TESTING

In general, protocol testers work by capturing the information exchanged between a Device Under Test (DUT) and a reference device known to operate properly. In the example of a manufacturer producing a new keyboard for a personal computer, the Device Under Test would be the keyboard and the reference device, the PC. The information exchanged between the two devices is governed by rules set out in a technical specification called a "communication protocol". Both the nature of the communication and the actual data exchanged are defined by the specification. Since communication protocols are state-dependent (what should happen next depends on what previously happened), specifications are complex and the documents describing them can be hundreds of pages.
The captured information is decoded from raw digital form into a human-readable format that permits users of the protocol tester to easily review the exchanged information. Protocol testers vary in their abilities to display data in multiple views, automatically detect errors, determine the root causes of errors, generate timing diagrams, etc.
Some protocol testers can also generate traffic and thus act as the reference device. Such testers generate protocol-correct traffic for functional testing, and may also have the ability to deliberately introduce errors to test for the DUT's ability to deal with error conditions.
Protocol testing is an essential step towards commercialization of standards-based products. It helps to ensure that products from different manufacturers will operate together properly ("interoperate") and so satisfy customer expectations.