The number of smartphones and other mobile devices that are compatible with NFC (Near Field Communication) is increasing. Thanks to the adoption of a newly-developed low-loss ferrite material, TDK’s MLJ series multilayer ferrite coils now offer improved communication properties which are ideal for NFC-equipped devices, while featuring compact package sizes.

PiezoListen is the world's first piezoelectric type speaker that supports a wide range. Thanks to a world leading thinness of 0.49 mm, it can fit almost anywhere. The product causes the object to which it is glued to vibrate and thereby become a speaker. Because the entire surface vibrates, the sound has wide directivity, and uniform sound can be enjoyed at any location. You can also listen to music from Piezo Listen ™ piezo speakers.

The high precision of piezoresistive sensors and their ability to measure absolute, gauge and differential pressure allow their versatile use in a wide range of applications.
For industrial equipment and machineries the information provided by the pressure sensors can be used to operate hydraulic or pneumatic equipment in the most effective way but furthermore connect to the new Industry 4.0 standards.
The increasing requirements in automotive for fuel efficiency and reduction of harmful emission demand for long-term stable and highly accurate sensors. Besides the media resistance, some of the application require the pressure sensors to be freeze resistant but most important the sensors need to provide a reliable signal over lifetime.
All applications place increasingly demanding requirements on the distinctive characteristics of the pressure dies and call for specific design features already on the die level. The TDK pressure sensors portfolio has been developed with a strong focus on increased sensitivity and high performance with a smaller die size. In addition, particular attention is paid to specific features for media resistance and easy process ability.

Chip varistors and TVS diodes are commonly used as over-voltage protection components.
Their structural design and manufacturing methods are completely different, but they offer similar characteristics with regard to protection from static electricity.
They generally can therefore be used interchangeably in a circuit, but there are cases where chip varistors are considered to be not suitable.
For historical reasons, many of the specification items given in catalogs and data sheets are different, which makes it difficult to compare characteristics based solely on these data, unlike in the case of capacitors and other general components.
The aim of this article is to clarify the difference between varistors and diodes and to introduce data that can be used to compare the two.