Products of the Year - 2001

21 November 2001 News

Dataweek's annual roundup - novel, innovative, or simply ... perennial best-selling products!

The following spread showcases a number of significant products - selected by either their vendors, manufacturers, or Dataweek - for their technical significance, originality, or reader response that they evoked.

Eco-principles turn packaging green

Fastest FPGA soft processor revealed

Quarter-brick DC/DC converters set new power density standard

Zilog Z80 for the Internet generation

C3 processor for low-cost computers

World's first unlimited read/write FRAM product

Next-generation image sensors for mini cameras

PCB plug connectors for high currents

SMD air coil

Bus plugs with quick connection system

'All-in-one' modem chips

CAN controller improves network efficiency in vehicles

Programmable liquid crystal display buttons with multicolour backlighting

Small size connector for low voltage halogens

Board tester/analyser sets standard

Screened signal pair/s connectors

'Aluminium Nitride' resistive devices claimed to outperform existing products

PCILite - a simple PCI solution

Ballast control with power factor correction

The Wafer-3821 PC

The simple fibre assembly system

Control IC and MOS transistor in single package

Memory architecture delivers ultra-high density flash products without compromise

GSM cellular engines in terminal or module version

80C51-based microcontroller with ADC

Universal table-top convection oven

High-performance heatsinks

Meters designed for easy operation

Smallest embedded V.90 modem

Gear-tooth sensor module for two-wire comms

System replaces manual tooling to speed screenprint changeovers

Disposable cellphones

Industry's largest single-chip FPGA solutions

Range of smallest low voltage logic devices, reduce size by 30%

Isolated TO-220 style plastic package increases power density

New concept embedded modules

16-bit digital signal controller PIC micro

One-gate logic devices win award

Silicon RF IC performs I&Q modulation up to 2,5 GHz

RJ45 with integrated magnetics saves space and eliminates manufacturing failures

Super-rugged RF power MOSFETs operate up to 65 V

ATE probes set new performance standards

Quickon fast connection system with metric thread

Single arm benchtop fume extractor

Universal docking station highly functional

Compact PCB terminal in 3,50 mm spacing

Mini connector with high current ratings

Further reading:

Rooibos heads to space
News
A South African scientific initiative linking agriculture and space research has officially launched today with the Rooibos in Space programme at Parklands College’s Innovation Centre in Cape Town.

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From the editor's desk: Local can be international
Technews Publishing Editor's Choice News
Welcome to the July 2026 issue of Dataweek. As you can see from this introduction, Dataweek’s regular editor, Peter Howells, is on extended leave and I am filling the void in his editor’s column – hopefully without being too boring.

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Landis+Gyr EMEA introduces new company name: EYKON
News
EYKON is the new company name of Landis+Gyr EMEA, formerly part of the Landis+Gyr Group. The company supports electricity, gas, water and thermal utilities in managing increasingly complex networks, improving operational efficiency and enabling more sustainable use of resources.

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Yamaha Robotics will show visitors to EFX
Manufacturing / Production Technology, Hardware & Services News
Yamaha Robotics will show visitors to EFX 2026, the Expo for Electronics Manufacturing, in Stuttgart from 6-8 October 2026, how advanced surface-mount automation helps companies grow their business and increase productivity.

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From the editor's desk: The art of measuring the truth
Technews Publishing Editor's Choice News
All electronic measurements are a lie. The trick is making the lie as small as possible.

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TSE has relocated
News
The Technology Station in Electronics (TSE) has entered a new chapter with its relocation from the CSIR campus to TUT-owned building at Ditsela Place in Hatfield.

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Innovative MyLegrand app
RS South Africa News
Legrand SA is set to launch the MyLegrand mobile application, a digital platform designed to strengthen engagement across its professional network.

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Kulani Energy acquires critical assets from Optipower
News
Kulani Energy preserves engineering, procurement, and construction capability and positions a wholly women-owned firm at the forefront of South Africa’s grid expansion.

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From Cape Town to Johannesburg
News
Würth Elektronik South Africa has taken a significant step forward with its recent relocation from Cape Town to Johannesburg, marking a new phase of growth and ambition for the company.

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Lesley Havenga: Building partnerships for Africa’s electronics future
Editor's Choice News
As Würth Electronik expands its footprint across South Africa and the broader sub-Saharan region, Havenga’s blend of manufacturing expertise, supply chain knowledge, and people-centred leadership appears well suited to the task.

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