In the TME catalog, the offer of Panasonic Industry takes a special place. It includes a very wide selection of products designed for constructing top quality electronic devices. These include both small passive components, e.g. precision resistors, and electromechanical parts, e.g. relays. It is certainly worthwhile to discover the full range of Panasonic Industry products distributed by TME. Below, we present a selection of components that are a representative example of the quality, reliability, and diversity of products from this well-known Japanese manufacturer’s offer.
Motion Sensors for Smart Buildings by Panasonic
Many automation systems, including smart buildings or alarm systems, use reflective motion sensors. Components of this kind in the Panasonic offer are called PaPIR, which stands for Panasonic Passive Infrared (or Pyroelectric). TME catalog includes two series of these components. These sensors with digital or analog output, designed to be mounted on a PCB (THT), are made of environmentally friendly materials.
The first series is EKMC general-purpose components. They are equipped with three types of lenses: standard; profiled for wall-mounted devices; or designed to detect movement from long distances (up to 12m). Apart from surveillance systems or automatic lighting controllers, they are used in HVAC systems, machines intended for public use (e.g. ticket machines), or even multifunction printers. These offer digital or analog output.
The EKMB series includes the same selection of lenses and its additional advantage is an extremely low current consumption (even 1μA). Thus, these exclusively digital components are adapted to IoT applications, including mobile and battery-powered ones.
Electromagnetic and Solid-State Relays
The main task of any automation system is control – most often it is done by means of relays. In this field, the Panasonic Industry brand offers components with a wide range of parameters, in various sizes, adapted to a variety of applications.
Miniature DE, DK, DS-P series relays are designed for switching currents of up to 10A. They are manufactured in accordance with industrial standards for electrical equipment in the EU, Japan, and the USA, and they are used not only in power supplies or controllers, but also in consumer electronics, audio/video equipment, and household appliances. The contact loads of these series can reach up to 300W (depending on the model) and therefore these solutions can be used in consumer automation applications.
Another type of Panasonic relays is sub-miniature signaling components, e.g. the TX series. Developed for precision communication, measuring, and medical devices, they offer good insulation parameters (2000V DC) with small dimensions. A related solution is the highly sensitive AGN series of compact relays.
Depending on the model, their nominal coil voltage is up to 3V DC with a power consumption of 140mW. These components are also manufactured for telecommunication and measuring applications, as well as for audio-video equipment and safety systems. Two more product groups should be distinguished here, namely the low-profile elements of the AGQ and TX series, which in many respects are miniaturized versions of TX and AGN series with similar parameters and intended purpose. Designed for both THT and SMT mounting, they can be installed directly on a PCB (by machine) as well as in DIL standard stands.
Other noteworthy products are single-phase SSR relays, i.e. solid-state relays of the AQ-H series. Enclosed in typical PCB mounting cases, they are a reasonable alternative to electromechanical components. They offer dielectric isolation up to 5000V AC and are suitable for both American and European power networks (max 600V AC). They are distinguished by low control current (50mA), as well as a wide operating temperature range (from -30°C to 85°C)
Panasonic Switches
Switches are small yet important components of any automation related equipment. They are fitted not only in control panels but also in various other mechanisms, where they serve e.g. as end switches. They perform a variety of functions, but regardless of the specific task, the switches in industrial and consumer automation are primarily required to be reliable, durable, and resistant to harsh working conditions. These can be, for example, high or low temperatures or dust and moisture. These are factors to which components installed in cars and other vehicles, but also ordinary vacuum cleaners, will be exposed.
Snap Action switches of the ASQ, ABJ, and ABS series by Panasonic are designed with such applications in mind. The mechanism protected by a gasket and the closed casing ensure IP67 level of protection – these components are therefore both dust and splash-proof. What is more, they can operate in temperatures from -45°C to 85°C. In the TME catalog you can find these products in a variety of versions: sub-miniature size, equipped with levers (including roller levers), intended for PCB mounting or soldering onto wires.
Detector or sensor switches are a special type of switches used in general automation. Panasonic Industry offers, among others, the ESE13 and ESE18 series of such components. Responsible for detecting the presence of a medium in electronic devices (discs in a player or memory cards in a digital camera) or a cover open/close in a metering device, they are distinguished by their small dimensions (e.g. 1.2mm height, 4.2mm width) and suitability for surface mounting (SMT).
As a leader in Japanese miniaturization, Panasonic also offers TACT-type microswitches in compact surface-mounted cases. In the TME catalog, these are among others EVQQ2, EVQPL and EVPAA series. The base size of the latter is only 3.5mm by 2.9mm. The intended purpose of these products is mainly consumer electronics devices – mobile phones, laptops, portable and car audio players, etc. From the technical point of view, these are switches with a simple SPST configuration of contacts, surface mounted, machine installation-friendly. The manufacturer’s brand guarantees the highest quality and long, reliable operation (even 2 million cycles for some models) of these components.
Panasonic Passive Components
Passive components by Panasonic Industry could be a separate category on the TME’s offer. These are thousands of components with outstanding parameters, manufactured for virtually every industry. Below, we present only two examples from a huge selection of products by this Japanese manufacturer.
For many years, the most problematic among passive electronic components were capacitors. Today, the development of technology has led to a significant improvement in the life length and durability of these elements. An example of this long evolution are aluminum, electrolytic SMD capacitors of the FK and FT series by Panasonic, designed for surface mounting. They are low-impedance (low ESR) components, adapted to work with high ripple currents. Additionally, they can also be protected against vibrations, which makes them suitable for such applications as electric vehicles or industrial machines. Thanks to their properties, they are mainly applied in voltage filtering systems, not only in the automotive industry and industrial machines but also in telecommunications, network equipment, etc. Their unquestionable advantage is the compact size (especially in the case of the FT series) and resistance to high temperatures (max. from 2000h to 5000h operation at 105°C).
Another example of Panasonic Industry components designed to build reliable, compact electronic circuits are precision SMD resistors. Offered in standard 0603 and 0805 cases, they are manufactured with 0.1% tolerance. The maximum power of these resistors is 100mW or 125mW and the maximum voltages reach 150V and 200V. In the TME catalog, you will find a full range of these components, ready to be sent directly from our warehouses.
Inductors complete the passive components portfolio of the Panasonic Industry. These are highly reliable components designed for use in modern ECUs, even under severe environmental conditions. These elements reach inductance of 0.68μH to up to 33μH in a compact, low-profile form factor. Their maximum current is 16.6A. Such parameters make Panasonic’s power inductors a perfect choice for building DC-DC power supplies of control units or BLDC motor actuators.
