Newark, the Development Distributor, has broadened its portfolio of passive devices with the addition of the new supercapacitor modules from Eaton, enabling design engineers to optimize equipment footprints, improve efficiency and reduce costs. This supercapacitor line includes highly reliable, high power, ultra-high capacitance energy storage devices that are tailored to work with applications for backup power, pulse power and hybrid power systems.

The new supercapacitors balance the power density of traditional capacitors with the energy density of batteries. They feature a double layer construction that offers high capacitance and low ESR, resulting in high power density and energy efficiency. Eaton supercapacitors can be used alone or in combination with batteries to optimize cost.

The electrostatically storing of charge within the supercapacitor cells allows the modules to operate in a wide range of temperatures (-40° to +65°C) and for millions of charge cycles, with design lifetimes of up to 20 years. The supercapacitors’ inherently maintenance-free operation, high power density, and long lifecycles result in low cost and ease of use for design engineers.

Eaton’s new supercapacitors integrate and balance individual supercapacitor cells to deliver high power modules, whilst providing easy wiring capability to help engineers use this unique energy storage technology. The high voltage modules can be built into power quality and distribution (data center, healthcare, industrial facility), grid storage, material handling, marine, renewable energy, on-board transportation and rail/traction applications ranging from a few kilowatts to multi-megawatts.

“Design engineers require low-maintenance, cost-effective solutions for their industrial energy management needs,” said Mike Davis, Product Manager, Newark. “We’re excited to expand our offerings from Eaton to provide our customers with this new series of supercapacitors, enabling greater efficiency and optimization in their designs.”

Some of the new supercapacitors from Eaton now shipping from Newark include:

• Ruggedized XLR Module family: The XLR family is IP65 (protected from total dust ingress and contact; protected from high pressure water jets from any direction) and available in 48V, 166F and 51V, 188F modules. Suitable for applications such as hybrid and electric vehicles, grid storage, commercial vehicles (trucks, mining, construction vehicles), trolley, subway and marine.
• XLM-62 Rack mount supercapacitors module: The XLM-62 provides a higher working voltage at 62.1V and low ingress protection rating at IP30 (protected from tool and wires > 2.5mm ingress; not protected from liquids). They are suitable for applications such as datacenter UPS, bridge power, hospital UPS, hybrid power system with fuel cells, grid storage and semiconductor equipment (SEMI F47 compliant).
• XVM-16 supercapacitors module: The 16 V XVM supercapacitor module offers a means to easily achieve higher voltage, power or discharge time through series or parallel connection of multiple modules. The XVM supercapacitor has a compact size for easy mounting as replacement for, or in conjunction with, a 12 V battery and series or parallel connection of multiple modules for higher voltage, power or discharge time. Suitable for applications such as industrial computer and emergency backup energy, battery assist engine starting (especially for cold or frequent starts and graceful system shutdown for robotics), PLCs and electrical switches.

“We’re excited to expand our partnership with Newark to offer our supercapacitor module product line to their extensive industrial customer base. Supercapacitors are a unique energy storage technology that help end users solve common energy storage challenges across a wide variety of applications”, says Nick Stone, product manager at Eaton.

Eaton is known for manufacturing supercapacitors not offered by many competitors and is a trusted name in industrial control, transportation, power distribution and power quality segments. The addition of these supercapacitor modules adds to Newark’s extensive line of Eaton electronic and electrical solutions products, ranging from printed circuit boards to control panels and beyond.

Eaton supercapacitors are now available for same day shipping from Newark.

Newark, the Development Distributor, is now stocking Kitronik products; an exciting range of accessories for micro:bit, Arduino and Raspberry Pi, perfect for educators, students, makers and hobbyists.

Kitronik products encourage imagination and creativity when used in conjunction with the latest generation of open-source programmable computer boards. The kits and accessories enable interaction between programming and hardware, making them ideal for developing computational thinking skills in younger students. This new partnership with Kitronik enhances Newark’s range of products for education and builds upon its position as the exclusive manufacturer and distributor of the BBC micro:bit, the largest manufacturer and distributor of Raspberry Pi boards and major stockist of Arduino boards.

Kitronik products can be used to support STEM education in classrooms and after school clubs and seek to engage and inspire students of all abilities to further their knowledge of electronics, coding and design. Newark stocks everything required to get started in physical computing for both education establishments and independent coding clubs.

Kitronik products and accessories for the micro:bit in stock at Newark include:

• The Inventors Kit  provides an introduction to programming and hardware interaction and contains everything required to carry out ten experiments with the micro:bit, using LEDs, motors, light sensors and capacitors. The kit includes an easy to follow tutorial book and no programming experience or soldering is required. Circuits can be completed in minutes.

• The MOVE mini buggy kit provides a fun introduction to robotics making a two-wheeled robot that is suitable for autonomous operation. It is perfect for remote control projects via Bluetooth applications or control using a second micro:bit. Five RGB individually addressable Zip™ LEDs are included which can be used as indicators, and a pen can be attached to the robot to draw shapes. Kitronik’s custom code blocks for the Servo:Lite motors are available to make the task of coding as quick and painless as possible.

• The Kitronik: GAME ZIP 64 is the ultimate retro gaming accessory for the BBC micro:bit. It has been designed to be an all in one hand-held gaming platform, which includes a built-in, 64 (8x8) individually addressable full colour Zip™ LED screen. It features on-board sound, four directional buttons, two fire buttons, haptic feedback, and breakout points so that shoulder buttons or I2C devices can be added. All of these features are fully programmable and breakout points are available to allow for the use of larger LED screens.

Courtney Kennedy, Technology Solutions Marketing Manager at Newark says “The addition of Kitronik further broadens our existing wide range of open-source educational and STEM products. The Kitronik range provides educators with new and creative ways to inspire students to get involved in physical computing, providing easy access to devices that enable them to promote the development of key skills such as computational thinking.”

Newark’s support for the development of the next generation of electronics engineers includes free resources, including lesson plans, project ideas and more, available on the Newark website. Newark has a broad range of products within its product range that promote learning about physical computing, an important way for children to develop computational thinking and team working skills.

The Kitronik products and accessories for micro:bit, Arduino and Raspberry Pi are available from Newark.