EDN Asia articles from April 2005

EDN Asia archives from April 2005

Collaboration challenges for designers.(ednasia.comment)
April 1, 2005... While engineering challenges of designers have been increasing as exponentially as the problems in staying in course with Moore's Law, another set of challenges are emerging for designers. I call them collaboration challenges. Deeper into...

MOSFET driver pushes 6A for supplies, motors, and more.(leading edge)
April 1, 2005... With the LTC4441 from Linear Technology Corp., you get a 6A MOSFET gate driver for high-efficiency dc/dc supplies that drives high-power N-channel devices, either singly or in parallel. Gate drive voltage is adjustable via external resistor...

System regulators for high-voltage batteries.(leading edge)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The MAX8718/ MAX8719 are small, high-input-voltage linear regulators that supply always-on, keep-alive power to CMOS RAM, real-time clocks (RTC), and microcontrollers in systems with high-voltage batteries. The low 25[micro]A quiescent supply...

Digital professional encoder platform offers better channel density.(leading edge)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Texas Instruments and Dolby Laboratories have created the TI-based Dolby Digital Professional Encoder platform. Based on Dolby's digital-audio encoding technology and TI's TMS320C67x floating-point digital signal processing (DSP) technology,...

Half-brick converters provide full 350W output.(leading edge)(dc/dc converters )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Artesyn Technologies has launched a series of high-efficiency half-brick isolated dc/dc converters that provide high levels of usable power. The new RFB300/350 series of converters includes models capable of delivering up to 350W continuously...

Improved accuracy in current sensing applications.(leading edge)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... National Semiconductor Corporation expanded its high-performance precision amplifier portfolio with the addition of three high common-mode difference amplifiers. Designed for broad-based industrial, commercial and automotive applications, these...

CAS chip for satellite DMB.(leading edge)
April 1, 2005... Makus reveals what's said to be the first conditional access system (CAS) chip for satellite DMB handsets, which identifies and authenticates real subscribers according to the database of DMB service providers. The 8x8mm SD730CA allows DMB...

Primary-side switch for power converters.(leading edge)(STMicroelectronics)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... STMicroelectronics' primary-side switch IC for AC/DC converters is designed for use in DVD players, LCD monitors, set-top boxes, games consoles and other adaptors. The VIPer53E can be used to build off-line power supplies with a secondary power...

Integrated power switch meets "green" standards.(leading edge)(Fairchild Semiconductor )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... A trio of off-line switches from Fairchild Semiconductor helps your product meet requirements for standby-mode power supply (SMPS) losses tinder 1W. Applications for these devices, which form the core of a quasi-resonant supply, include...

Silicon oscillator with good frequency tolerance.(leading edge)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Dallas Semiconductor's DS1088L, a low-cost, fixed-frequency, all-silicon EconOscillator, is a single-output square-wave, factory-trimmed generator for output frequencies ranging from 312kHz to 133MHz. Its initial tolerance is [+ or -] 0.3% (at...

"World's fastest" DRAM for multimedia application.(leading edge)(Samsung Electronics has produced what the company says is the "world's fastest" memory device)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Samsung Electronics has produced what the company says is the "world's fastest" memory device. The company's 256Mb XDR (eXtreme Data Rate) DRAM is a next-gen memory device designed for high quality video applications, such as the latest game...

Silicon Schottky for power supply and automotive applications.(leading edge)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Expanding its high voltage Schottky portfolio, ON Semiconductor introduced another two 200V Schottky rectifiers in SMC packages, and a 250V silicon Schottky for plasma/LCD television, power supply, consumer and automotive applications. The...

ZigBee platform supports multiple RF transceivers.(leading edge)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Microchip Technology's 2.4GHz demonstration kit supports the ZigBee standard protocol for wirelessly networked control and monitoring applications. The PICDEM Z platform accelerates customer designs by providing hardware and a free ZigBee...

Smart phones: the next embedded interface: representing the convergence of PDA and cellular devices, smart-phone technology promises to be a fitting user interface for the early stages of the pervasive-computing era.(Personal Digital Assistant )(Cover Story)
April 1, 2005... With excess computing power, built-in programmable graphics, and multiple communications options, smart cellular phones provide a convenient and capable mobile user interface for many of the growing multitude of intelligent embedded devices. A...

Interleaved forward converters transform voltage-regulation models; interleaved forward converters lower capacitor ripple currents, cut component cost and size, and increase reliability in low-voltage, high-current-output voltage-regulation models.(design feature)
April 1, 2005... VRMs (voltage-regulation modules) that power the latest generations of computer CPUs have historically used multiphase, interleaved buck converters. These VRMs must meet the right Pentium 4 and Athlon CPU voltage-regulation and -transient...

A thousand bright points turn up the volume of solid-state lighting.(design feature)
April 1, 2005... Advancements in bright-LED-fabrication processes, device designs, and assembly technologies have been driving up LED-illuminator performance and driving down the cost of ownership at an impressive clip. Junction formulations, reradiating...

System optimization towards modulization in automotive: for the automotive industry, modulization offers the distinct advantage of streamlining the overall vehicle assembly and production process.(special report)
April 1, 2005... From building multi-storey houses to manufacturing mobile phones, the modular approach has created many benefits for various industries. The window glass and frame of a house or the RF/Camera module of a mobile phone are pre-assembled prior to...

"Fundamental philosophy is to have flexibility that is controlled".(ednasia interview)(Interview)
April 1, 2005... Nick Jackson, Managing Director ASEAN, Borland (Singapore), speaks on topical issues confronting software designers and developers, and the solutions Borland provides to address them. Excerpts: EDN Asia: What, according to Borland, are the...

Universal amplifiers: high performance analog solutions from linear technology: outstanding AC performance with extremely low power.(Advertisement)
April 1, 2005... Ever wished to simplify inventory by using a single chip to perform multiple functions? How about an integrated yet simple, flexible device that minimizes your bill of materials, board space, and development time... while increasing analog...

High-voltage amplifier drives piezo tubes.(design ideas)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Piezoelectric tubular positioners that drive manipulators in scanning tunneling microscopes require high-voltage, low-current drive circuits. The circuit in Figure 1 can drive high-resistance, low-capacitance piezoelectric loads at a -3dB...

Constant-on-time buck-boost regulator converts a positive input to a negative output.(design ideas)
April 1, 2005... Buck regulators find wide application as step-down regulators for converting large positive input voltages into a smaller positive output voltages. Figure 1 shows a simplified buck regulator that operates in continuous-conduction mode--that is,...

Rainbow LED indicates voltage with color.(design ideas)(Light Emitting Diode )
April 1, 2005... Meters that indicate analog levels via a moving-pointer meter, a numeric display, or a column of LEDs typically occupy considerable panel area and require more than a casual glance to read. An indicator lamp or LED takes little space but...

CMOS amplifier with e-trim technology.(Semiconductors)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... * High-precision, high speed 12V CMOS operational amplifier * E-trim trimming technology calibrates offset voltage and temperature drift during final steps of manufacturing * Targeted at applications requiring excellent dynamic...

SCSI bus terminators meet ultra standards.(Semiconductors)(Small computer system interface)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... * Family of SCSI bus terminators provides flexible solutions for all SCSI bus operational modes from SCSI-1 to SPI-4 (Ultra 320) * Built on high-voltage 0.8-micon BiCMOS process, which enables production of a broad range of competitively...

High performing, fully integrated SiGe passive mixer.(Semiconductors)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... * Designed for 2.5G/3G wireless-infrastructure applications * Combination of linearity, noise performance and component integration * Single IC provides 34.5dBm of IIP3, 24.4dBm of IP1dB, 7.3dB of noise figure, and conversion loss of...

AMB products for multiple FB-DIMM suppliers.(Semiconductors)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... * Fully compliant with JEDEC AMB specifications * For next-gen, high-bandwidth applications such as senders and workstations, which require increased performance and large memory capacities, high-speed, serial, point to-point connection...

Low power [I.sup.2]C general-purpose I/Os.(Semiconductors)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... * [I.sup.2]C-bus controlled push-pull General Purpose Input/Outputs (GPIOs) offer reduced power consumption to extend battery life of mobile devices * Feature both an interrupt output and reset input enabling [I.sup.2]C-bus to be quickly...

High-speed laser diode drivers.(Semiconductors)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... * Laser diode driver family with low voltage differential signals (LVDS) for enhanced write speed * Designed for DVD [+ or -] RW/ CD-RW combo drives and enables read/write speeds of up to 16 times (DVD [+ or -] RW) and 52 times (CD-RW) ...

High-efficiency stereo Class-D audio power amplifier.(Semiconductors)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Texas Instruments Incorporated's high-performance, filter-free stereo Class-D audio power amplifier enables designers of cellphones to develop audio-rich products, while maximizing talk time and audio quality. With about two-thirds lower...

Image enhancement chip for analog TV.(Semiconductors)
April 1, 2005... * High image quality achieved through use of PXG-4 image enhancement technology * Enables low-cost HDTV-ready TV set implementation * On-chip 16-bit microcontroller for improved performance and ease of use * Comprises PAL/NTSC...

BlueMoon chip supports enhanced data rate protocol.(Semiconductors)
April 1, 2005... * Integrated circuit for Bluetooth wireless applications * 3x faster than classical Bluetooth solution * Supports Version 2.0 Bluetooth standard, as well as new Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) functionality * Low power consumption *...

Miniature surface-mount clock oscillators.(Semiconductors)
April 1, 2005... * Enable design of better-performing, longer-running battery-powered electronic devices * Occupy same small footprint as 5x7 oscillator * Provides low-voltage options that improve performance of clock oscillator circuits in portable...

DC/DC controller corrects output voltage errors.(Semiconductors)
April 1, 2005... * High output current * Coincident or ratiometric tracking * True remote sensing differential amplifier * Sense resistor optional * Synchronizable to tin external clock with PLL * 0.6V [+ or -] 1% reference * 2 to 90%...

10-bit multiple output rotary magnetic encoder.(Semiconductors)
April 1, 2005... * Single-chip SoC integrating field sensing Hall elements, A-to-D conversion, digital signal processing and output interface * Suitable for industrial applications, from broad field of general purpose rotary encoders to applications such as...

Battery management IC increases battery safety.(Semiconductors)
April 1, 2005... * Intelligent battery management IC identifies potentially unsafe batteries not approved by consumer electronics manufacturers * Authenticates battery packs used in cellphones, PDAs, digital still cameras, notebooks or other portable...

Improved compilers for Linux clusters.(Semiconductors)
April 1, 2005... * High performance C, C++, and Fortran compilers for Linux * Latest OpenMP 2.0 standards for Fortran (including workshare) * Comprehensive support for AMD64 and Intel Xeon EM64T processor families * Developers can standardize on a...

Feedthrough filters offer EMI suppression.(Passives)
April 1, 2005... * Series of feedthrough filters for noise reduction in digital circuits up to 5GHz * Contains four elements with common ground connection, making it appropriate for multi-line designs * Provide low parallel inductance and offer...

Surface-mount Bulk Metal Z-foil resistor.(Passives)
April 1, 2005... * Combines high power rating of 300mW, load life' stability of 0.01%, and low nominal TCR of [+ or -] 0.5 ppm/[degrees]C in an industry-standard, surface-mount package * Use of Z-foil greatly reduces changes in resistance caused by current...

Easy-to-mount discharge resistor module.(Passives)
April 1, 2005... * Discharge resistor modules based on hybrid ceramics * Simplifies mounting of discharge resistors on PFC capacitors and enhance reliability * Pre-mounted on capacitor * Mounting of module between terminals of capacitor provides...

Metal body PCB mount dual-stack BNC connector.(Passives)
April 1, 2005... * Combines space saving efficiency of stacked design with reliability of BNC configuration * Twisting snap-lock design * Suitable for applications such as test equipment, radio frequency patch panels, and lab instrumentation where...

Inductors feature 0402 and 0603 case sizes.(Passives)
April 1, 2005... * Devices for IMC family of wirewound, surface-mount inductors * Packaged in compact 0402 and 0603 case sizes * Designed to provide space savings in communications applications with limited beam space * Intended for end systems...

Wire wound choke inductor.(Passives)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Murata Electronics has introduced its LQH2MC Series wire wound choke inductors, providing a wide inductance range with maximum height of 0.95mm, allowing for low profile designs. It is designed for all general and choke applications, and...

Fading made easy for communications standards.(Test & Measurement)
April 1, 2005... * Two independent RF fading paths with digital modulation simplify applications such as performance tests defined in 3GPP * Time resolution of up to 10ps, bandwidth of 80MHz, and 40 fading paths * Frequency range of 100kHz to 6GHz...

RapidIO protocol analysis and trigger tool.(Test & Measurement)
April 1, 2005... * Displays RapidIO data captured by a logic analyzer in a textual decode * Detects and indicates data corruption errors in control symbols and packets * Allows triggering of the logic analyzer by specifying values in protocol fields...

Telephony testing for packet data over cable.(Test & Measurement)
April 1, 2005... * Comprehensive analysis solution for converged telephony testing * Supports traditional PSTN and VoIP technologies and related protocols such as MGCP, COPS, and SS7 * With packet-over-cable test suite that allows equipment...

Data timing generator for testing serial data standards.(Test & Measurement)
April 1, 2005... * Provides fast 3.35Gb/s data rate, while output modules deliver increased performance and flexibility for serial data as well as parallel data applications * Designed to help engineers satisfy, compliance and functional test needs for...

Optical power meter for blue laser diodes.(Test & Measurement)
April 1, 2005... * Can be fitted with three surface-mounted power sensors for optical radiation in 390 to 1100nm range * In combination with Optical Power Sensor Q82312, measurements on blue-violet laser diodes at 405nm Call be carried out *...

Multi-application test module for 1,2 and 4Gb/s fibre channel.(Test & Measurement)
April 1, 2005... * Expandable, modular, multi-port, multi-user architecture with high port density * Test customization and automation through standard TCL scripting language * Multi-level, multibranch triggering and filtering sequencer * Deep...

Airbus A380 compliance tester.(Test & Measurement)
April 1, 2005... Elgar Electronics Corporation's ABD100 Test Suite is a powerful software package that simplifies power bus compliance testing of components and subsystems for the Airbus A380 aircraft. Used in conjunction with the SmartWave, the ABD100 Test...