Astinco News
Energy Measurement Project (Jan 2009):
Energy Measurement Project Commenced...more
Astinco New Member (Nov 2008):
A senior Electronic designer joined Astinco....more
GE project (Aug 2008):
GE project delivered successfully ...more
Signal Converter (Jul 2008):
A Signal Converter Design for a Train Drive contro...more
FPGA Training (May 2008):
Engineers in Astinco successfully finished the adv...more
Seminar (Apr 2008):
Astinco successfully presented a seminar on "Engin...more
Microchip Certified (Mar 2008):
Astinco became a certified design partner of Micro...more
Circuit Centre (Jan 2008):
Astinco formed a partnership with Circuit Centre....more
Project Completion (Oct 2007):
The design of a special wireless door opener for t...more
Project Completion (May 2007):
A special Optical Thermo-meter was successfully de...more
Projects

Special financial calculator:
This calculator looks like a typical calculator but it is not just a calculator, it is capable of a lot of other functionality specifically for financial tasks. It has a graphic display with 128x64 pixel resolution and capable to connection to PC through USB.
Because of the confidentiality of the project we are not able to release more details at the moment..
Here is the video of the prototype:

single phase digital energy meter for residential application
Here is the mechanical design artwork for a single phase energy meter with lots of features for residential application.
Status of the design: Ongoing

Frequency Converter with the requirements of en50155 (10Hz input and 1KHz output):
This device is designed and manufactured for Train Industry. A 10Hz signal is converted to a 1KHz signal which is insulated from input and is capable of providing 2A current at 24V supply. This device is rated for train industry again and has to meet EN50155.
This job has been done for CSI (Control System Innovation)
Here is the video of the prototype:

 

Signal Converter (Duty Cycle to Analog Voltage):
This device is designed and manufactured for Train Industry. To reduce the chance of signal disruption by noise and for critical control signals, in train industry signal will be transformed in the form of 60V pulses with 400 Hz frequency and variable duty cycle and in destination there is a converter that converts this pulse sequence into an analog voltage or mA current.
This job has been done for CSI (Control System Innovation)
Here is the video of the prototype:

 

Wireless door-opener for handicapped people:
It is difficult or almost impossible for a handicapped person on a wheelchair to open or close a door, especially inside the house which the physical room around the door is small and there is no facility designed for them. This design is a actually control board that not only sends the command over a wireless link, but also provides a lot of nice features, such as: capability to program the door to a predefined angel, can be programmed with different wireless keys, capable of auto mode which close the door automatically in a period of time after opening the door and more importantly it is able to detect an obstacle and make it a very safe device. This board is design for low cost to make it possible for mass production and have a low retail price.
Here is the video of the prototype:

 

This design is done for a client, who wants his identity kept confidential.

Special Protection relay using advanced fast DSP chips:
Using the latest DSP technology from Analog Device, we designed a very fast solid state relay that communicates through optical fibre and is capable of handling huge amount of data transfer.
This design is a part of bigger system and Astinco did part of the whole project.

This project has been done for General Electric.

Blood Pressure monitoring device:
To measure the blood pressure we have an air pump that inflates a cuff while it is wrapped around the arm or wrist of the patient.
Usually the pressure is measured while the air is deflating slowly, since there is no noise generated by pump.
To measure the air pressure we use a very sensitive piezo sensor that generates a voltage with pressure.
There also sensors available that they have amplifiers and linearizer inside, that make the design much simpler.
In this design we used a very accurate Delta-Sigma A/D with 24 bits resolution (19 bits effective) to convert the pressure signal to accurate digital signals.
The information of pressure is captured in the device and transferred to PC using a USB connector.
USB also helps to power up the device by providing 500 mA maximum current at 5V.
The raw data may transfer to a telemedicine lab, which are the source of information and the central database of the medical samples.

So this unit is not reading the Blood pressure and showing some number to patient, but it sends all pressure signals to the database and then they analyze the data based on the patient history and other samples.
Then they can suggest medication or even emergency attention.

Single phase utility digital Energy meter with programmable calendar:
This project has been done for residential application. Using the latest power metering technology coming from Microchip, we designed and manufactured the class 1 meter for single phase 120V North America power. This meter is capable of having different programmable tariff including all Canadian public holidays.

Pills dispenser:
This small electronic device is carried by individuals and it automatically reminds them when it is time to take their pills or medication.
Many of the features of this device are still confidential and we are unable to disclose them.
This project is on going.

Accelerometer device and motion detector:
This is an instrument used in impact analysis and was specifically designed for the automotive industry. It measures and records the three-dimensional accelerations involved in an impact with a high degree of accuracy.

Customer: http://www.solitac.com/

Special thermal detection device using optical sensors:
One of the laws of physics states that the spectrum of an emitting source of light can be used to determine the actual temperature of the source.
 The light entering this optical device  is analyzed by a sensor and through calculations in a tiny micro-controller  the temperature of the source of the light can be measured.  The  type of material must be known in order to obtain an accurate reading of the temperature.  

Back-Light CCFL converter with 80% efficiency for laptop application:
CCFL (Cold Cathode Florescent) is used for LCD backlighting in laptop technology. The 12V battery voltage is converted to over a thousand volts in order to ignite the current in the florescent and then it moves to an operational voltage of around 600V.
This project was an upgrade of an older design to increase its efficiency and also to reduce the capacitive current by optimizing the PCB.
The battery operational time is very dependent on the efficiency of this module.
This project was successfully completed for a far-east laptop manufacturer.

Receptacle with digital power meter:
This is an accurate digital energy meter designed for personal use in homes or in businesses.  The meter is simply plugged into a receptacle and the appliance or other electrical device is plugged into it. The meter will then record the power consumed by the appliance plugged into that receptacle. It is accurate to within 1% and power is limited to 1.5KW. This product is already on the market and you can find it on the Sears website.

Very sensitive inductive metal detector with digital signal processing:
By injecting a huge current (by discharging a capacitor) in a copper loop, a magnetic pulse will be generated. If this magnetic field passes through a metal  object it can be detected  by the reaction in the loop.

We are specialized in: Custom Electronic Design, Circuits Design, Analog Design, FPGA Based system design, DSP and any Industrial Instrument design. We use the latest technology to provide the best design and consulting services in the electronic manufacturing industry.