EDN Asia articles from December 2007

EDN Asia archives from December 2007

Driving EDA.(ednasia comment)
December 1, 2007... The year ends on a happy note for the design industry. EDA revenue, which showed a lull for almost four years before it started growing again in 2006, has continued to be on the upward path, with a growth of 12% to reach an estimated $5.6...

TI intros fast 14-bit ADC at 400 MSPS.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
December 1, 2007... Texas Instruments has launched what's said to be the industry's fastest monolithic 14-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) at 400 mega samples per second (MSPS). This ADC provides a performance of 11.1 effective number of bits (ENOB) at this...

8-bit digital potentiometer with high performance EEPROM.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
December 1, 2007... austriamicrosystems' AS1506 is an 256-tap SPI-interfaced nonvolatile digital potentiometer available with 10, 50 and 100kOhms resistance. Ideal for usage in low power environments, using a maximum of 500nA during standby, and low 200[micro]A...

STMicro's 1Mbit serial EEPROM with SPI in S08 package.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
December 1, 2007... STMicroelectronics has launched a 1Mbit serial EEPROM with SPI bus (serial peripheral interface) in the tiny SO8N package with 150mil (3.8mm) body width--said to be the first SPI serial EEPROM to squeeze such high memory density into a small...

SuperH Family SH72546RFCC achieves operating speed of 200MHz.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
December 1, 2007... Renesas Technology's 32-bit SuperH Family SH72546RFCC has an on-chip Flash memory that uses a 90nm process for the development of control programs for automobile engines, transmissions, etc. The SH72546RFCC achieves an industry top-level...

Single-chip solution for Full HD 1080p flat-panel TVs.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
December 1, 2007... Micronas' VCT-Premium is the third generation of Micronas' widely deployed VCT-family of single-chip flat-panel TV processors. Major OEMs have chosen the VCT-platform for their LCD and plasma TVs. Now, the TV market is moving to Full HD 1080p...

Breakthrough in residential metering technology.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
December 1, 2007... Teridian Semiconductor has made a breakthrough in residential metering technology with the introduction of the 71M6523 Three-Phase Residential Metering System-on-Chip. Throughout the world, three-phase residential metering is becoming...

Conversion latency in [DELTA][ZIGMA] converters.
December 1, 2007... Small-signal sensors often generate slow-moving DC signals. For these types of sensors, the [DELTA][ZIGMA], ADC eliminates most of the analog input circuitry by providing a complete high-resolution, low-noise solution. Some systems have...

12-bit ADCs for WiMAX provide SFDR of 84.1dB at 250MHz input frequency.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] National Semiconductor Corporation has introduced two 12-bit 170MSPS ADCs, and a 14-bit, 155MSPS ADC, each with a full-power bandwidth of 1.1GHz. Available in dual data rate, low-voltage differential signaling (LVDS)...

USB-driven digital headset solution for mobile phones.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
December 1, 2007... NXP Semiconductors has launched a solution to drive the standardization of USB 2.0 for portable consumer devices--a USB-driven digital audio headset solution, the Nexperia PNXO161. This solution leverages the USB 2.0 standard to shift the...

CSR qualifies first Bluetooth v2.1 product.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
December 1, 2007... CSR has qualified its Bluetooth firmware to v2.1 of the Bluetooth specification. Version 2.1 + EDR is the latest version of the Bluetooth specification that was launched recently by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). As well as...

Tiny 1Gb mobile DRAM.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
December 1, 2007... Hynix Semiconductor has developed a small 1 Gigabit mobile DRAM designed to meet the memory requirements of feature-rich portable applications that demand high memory density, high throughput, and very low power dissipation in a small form...

Voltage translator with independent-direction controls.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
December 1, 2007... Fairchild Semiconductor's FXL4TD245 is a 4-bit, low-voltage dual-supply voltage translator with independent-direction controls. It allows for increased design flexibility, enabling designers to control the direction of each bit individually,...

32-bit MCU integrates automotive CAN networks.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
December 1, 2007... Fujitsu Microelectronics has announced its MB91F467BA high-performance 32-bit microcontroller from its MB91460 Series for automotive applications. This microcontroller can integrate several in-vehicle controller area networks (CAN). With...

Solid tantalum chip capacitors offer good CV rating in small case.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
December 1, 2007... Vishay Intertechnology has extended its 298D series of MicroTan solid tantalum chip capacitors to offer what's said to be the industry-best capacitance-voltage (CV) ratings in two small molded package sizes. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

NI LabVIEW 8.5 improves test with multicore and FPGA technologies.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
December 1, 2007... LabVIEW 8.5 simplifies multicore and FPGA development for high-performance test applications with its intuitive parallel dataflow language. As manufacturers shift to multicore processors to provide performance gains, LabVIEW 8.5 running on...

Silicon drift detectors with low energy detection capabilities.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
December 1, 2007... Thermo Fisher Scientific has unveiled its improved large-area UltraDry silicon drift detector for electron microscopes. The UltraDry detector has enhanced capabilities allowing for detection of very low energy X-rays down to Beryllium. ...

Apple's iPhone delivers more than just a dial tone.(prying eyes)
December 1, 2007... By now, you're probably overwhelmed with hands-on analyses of the iPhone, which Apple and partner AT&T began selling on June 29. Few reviewers, though, have cracked open the device's case and peered inside. Read on for details on the system...

How low can you go? A look at 45nm IC-design challenges: if you have tools for the 65nm or even the 90nm node, moving to the 45nm node requires no retooling. But designers moving to this node must adopt some advanced design techniques, and be aware of some new design rules that foundries have imposed to ensure that SOC designs yield acceptable results.(Cover story)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 45nm node promises SOC (system-on-chip) designers either a 40% increase in transistor counts over 65nm or a 40% reduction in die size, but mask costs for 45nm processes will run, at least initially, in the...

Permanent-magnet motors boost efficiency and power density: sensorless versions of these highly efficient motors reduce cost and parts count, but the motors still require complex control algorithms. Match the right motor type and controller to your application for the best performance and cost.(design feature)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The global price of energy is at an all-time high, with few signs of relief in sight, making consumers and businesses alike interested in energy conservation. Currently, the most common motor type in use is the...

The 802.11n standard: grown up at last: the 802.11n Wi-Fi standard promises much. After an especially angst-ridden development process, it's ready to go to work.(design feature)
December 1, 2007... Even for a wireless-communications standard, the 802.11n specification has over the last several years been subject to an exceptionally messy development process. Battling vendors and standards proposals, predraft and postdraft 1.0 silicon and...

"Virtual instrumentation is often less expensive".(interview)(dialogue with James Truchard at National Instruments)(Interview)
December 1, 2007... Dr James Truchard, National Instruments' President and CEO, recently spoke with EDN Asia on the continuing development of virtual instrumentation to complement the new era of multi-core processing and programming. Excerpts: What...

Frequency domain clock jitter analysis speeds up verification: the Agilent E5001A Precision Clock Fitter Analysis Application running on the E5052B Signal Source Analyzer has excellent capabilities that enable designers to improve their design quality.(special report)
December 1, 2007... The demand for clock jitter analysis has increased as data rates have increased. In high-speed serial data links clock jitter affects data jitter at the transmitter, in the transmission line, and at the receiver. Measurements of clock quality...

CPLD's internal oscillator performs autocalibration.(design ideas)
December 1, 2007... The MAX II CPLD family from Altera (www.altera.com) features an internal oscillator that dissipates much lower power than do external oscillators. The internal oscillator has an accuracy of only [+ or -]25%, sometimes limiting its usage. For...

Swapping bits improves performance of FPGA-PWM counter.(design ideas)
December 1, 2007... When you need some analog outputs and you have an FPGA in your system, you probably choose to use a PWM module and a simple lowpass filter such as those in Figure 1. The output of the FPGA is typically a waveform with a fixed-frequency,...

Relays eliminate high-voltage noise.(design ideas)
December 1, 2007... Most laboratories and industrial have many kinds of electrical-noise sources at all frequencies from heavy machinery, instruments, power supplies, and TV stations. Engineers have used many simple devices and techniques to handle this noise....

Crosspoint switches support 4.25Gbps data rates.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
December 1, 2007... The SN65LVCP404 and SN65LVCP402 crosspoint switches support data rates up to 4.25Gbps. These four-by-four and two-by-two switches provide high speed, low power and low jitter performance for applications such as XAUI signal buffering/muxing,...

Ambient light sensor with logarithmic output.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
December 1, 2007... The APDS-9007 is an ambient light sensor with a precise, logarithmic output response over a wide range of lighting conditions. Designed to cover a wide range of brightness (3 lux to 70 K lux), the sensor is suitable for mobile and other...

Data transmission reach of FR-4 backplanes doubled.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The DS38EP100 power-saver equalizer can equalize 40 inches of FR-4 printed circuit board (PCB) at a data transmission rate of 3.125Gbps--twice the reach of other passive equalizers. Compared to active equalizers, the...

Integrated FET regulators support 60V input voltages.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This family of high efficiency, 2A integrated FET step down DC/DC switching regulators support wide operating input voltages and can handle transient spikes up to 100V. The ISL8560 supports an input voltage range of...

Low bit-rate RALCWI vocoder IC.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
December 1, 2007... The CMX618 is a flexible, half-duplex, highly integrated RALCWI (robust advanced low complexity waveform interpolation) vocoder IC suited to both wireless and wireline voice applications such as voice scramblers, alarm systems, military field...

802.11g/b RF transceiver with integrated PA.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
December 1, 2007... The MAX2830 is a single-chip, direct-conversion, ultra-low-power 802.11g/ bRF transceiver with integrated power amplifier (PA), Rx/Tx/antenna diversity switches, and crystal oscillator circuitry. It is said to be the industry's first...

Supervisor features 27 selectable thresholds without external resistors.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
December 1, 2007... The LTC2915 is a single voltage supervisor with 27 pin-selectable thresholds, offering designers a diverse voltage monitor for many solutions. Rather than qualifying and stocking multiple individual supervisors, each with their own voltage...

Sub-1GHz RF transceiver for low-power wireless apps.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
December 1, 2007... The CC1101 is a sub-lGHz radiofrequency (RF) transceiver featuring low-power consumption, high integration, and excellent RF performance. It targets low-power wireless applications in alarm and security, automatic meter reading, industrial...

90% higher ESD for portable battery pack protection.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This series of high-efficiency N-channel MOSFETs boasts up to 8kV ESD (HBM) voltage protection--90% higher than existing devices on the market. The FDS881XNZ series support the latest architectures for battery pack...

1.5[micro]A ultra low quiescent current, 20V LDO.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
December 1, 2007... The AS1360 LDO operates at a very low supply current. Designed to extend the operating time of low power applications, it allows the use of a small and less expensive lpF ceramic output capacitor. With an operating input voltage up to 20V, this...

High intensity white LEDs for backlight and illumination.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ROHM has developed white LEDs in two types of high-intensity, high-radiation packages: PSML1 and PSML2. Developed as an alternative to CCFL (gold cathode fluorescent lamp) for backlight and illumination use in sets...

Transistors increase power supply density.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
December 1, 2007... Zetex Semiconductors has introduced a series of miniature NPN and PNP transistors for MOSFET gate driving in latest generation power supplies. The 20V ZXTN19020CFF and ZXTP19020CFF have guaranteed gains of 100 at 7A, and 110 at 5A respectively....

Single-chip integrates RTC, binary counter, and 64-bit serial number.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
December 1, 2007... The DS1372 is a real-time clock (RTC) with a binary counter and 64-bit serial number for digital data applications. Digital rights management (DRM) software requires a time stamp for file downloads, and a unique serial number for identifying an...

DPP in small 2x2.5mm TDFN package.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
December 1, 2007... The CAT5114 is a digitally programmable potentiometer (DPP) that comes in an 8-lead 2x2.5mm TDFN package, making it a small nonvolatile digital potentiometer. This tiny form factor helps designers further compress board space in today's...

Flash memory board provides double storage space.(BOARDS, CARDS, AND MODULES)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Aitech Defense Systems has upgraded the memory capacity of the C212 high-capacity, non-volatile memory VMEbus board that uses NAND Flash memory supported by software drivers to provide full hard-disk emulation for up...

Full/half duplex serial communication PMC module.(BOARDS, CARDS, AND MODULES)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The TPMC467 provides 4 channels of high performance RS232/RS422/ RS485 selectable serial connectivity. The serial channels can be individually programmed to operate as RS232, RS422 or RS485 full/half duplex...

High-speed cell computing board.(BOARDS, CARDS, AND MODULES)
December 1, 2007... The Cell Computing Board incorporates the high-performance Cell Broadband Engine (Cell/ B.E.) microprocessor and RSX(R) graphics processor to deliver high computational performance capable of handling large amounts of data at high speed, while...

Noise modules for computing equipment and military.(BOARDS, CARDS, AND MODULES)
December 1, 2007... The NC 1127A and NC 1128A provide a veritable standard for IEEE 802.3ap 10GBit/s Backplane Ethernet testing. Both have white Gaussian noise distribution with high output power and great flatness. The modules operate between -35 to...

Dual-LAN, dual-LVDS mini-ITX mainboard.(BOARDS, CARDS, AND MODULES)
December 1, 2007... Meeting customer's requirements for connectivity and versatility, the VIA EPIA LT mainboard, featuring the VIA CX700 system media processor, offers a number of innovative features for the fast-growing x86-based embedded market. Boasting low...

Transmitter modules for W-CDMA mobile phones.(BOARDS, CARDS, AND MODULES)
December 1, 2007... The T0311QZ1950 (Band I), T0311QZ0836 (Band V) and T0312QZ1880 (Band II) are compact, high-performance transmitter modules with very high power efficiency for W-CDMA mobile phones. The modules support three output power modes: high power,...

High performance USB modules.(BOARDS, CARDS, AND MODULES)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The USB-1608HS and USB-1608HS-2AO are two high-speed USB-based DAQ modules that provide simultaneous data capture of up to eight channels of 16-bit single ended or differential analog input at 250kHz per channel....

Reliable space-saving film capacitors.(PASSIVES)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Connected to protective ground between the neutral conductor and phase to suppress high-frequency interference and transients, the compact Y2 EMI suppression capacitors protect the equipment and allow it to operate...

Micro USB connector reduces applications size.(PASSIVES)
December 1, 2007... This Micro-USB connector is said to have the smallest footprint available in USB interconnects. It is smaller than the conventional mini-USB connector, and enables portable device makers to further miniaturize real estate in devices such as...

Edgecard connectors accommodate 0.125" daughtercards.(PASSIVES)
December 1, 2007... These standard edgecard connectors are engineered to accept daughtercards ranging in thickness of from 0.031" (0.79mm) to 0.125"(3.18mm). They are designed to address OEMs' and assembliers' requirements for fast delivery of competitively priced...

Male Type N connectors added to edgeboard series.(PASSIVES)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Bomar Interconnect Products has expanded its proprietary line of VBite RF edgecard connectors to include a male Type N connector optimized for high-power applications. These connectors feature superior manufacturing...

High power wirewound resistors.(PASSIVES)
December 1, 2007... Round Silicone wirewound ceramic resistors in 1, 3, 5 and 10W versions feature a high temperature silicone coating with complete welded construction. They provide stability in operation and exhibit a high power to size ratio. Fixed vitreous...

Inductor ranges give design engineers choice.(PASSIVES)
December 1, 2007... The 4500, 4600, 4700S, 4800S and 4900S series of bobbin format devices offer a broad range of inductance values and current ratings to provide design engineers tasked with developing power systems, the maximum amount of choice for their...

Inductor libraries for Ansoft.(PASSIVES)
December 1, 2007... EPCOS has expanded its simulation libraries for inductors for Ansoft Designer and Ansoft Nexxim. The models can be integrated directly into the simulation environments, and deliver accurate results for the fast realization of new projects. The...

External power supply meets Energy Star requirements.(POWER SOURCES & CONDITIONING DEVICES)
December 1, 2007... The TRG30R series of 30W external power supplies, which meets the July 2008 Level IV global energy requirements of the California Energy Commission and Energy Star, come in a compact 4.24"x2.27"x1.32" package. It features an interchangeable AC...

Digitally controlled 500W AC/DC power supply.(POWER SOURCES & CONDITIONING DEVICES)
December 1, 2007... The Astec NTS503 is a digitally controlled 500W AC/DC power supply that offers a power density of 11.9W per cubic inch. It has a compact 4"x7" footprint, making it easy to incorporate a single unit that satisfies bulk DC power needs. It offers...

Optoelectronic LED power supply family expands.(POWER SOURCES & CONDITIONING DEVICES)
December 1, 2007... Osram Sylvania expanded its family of electronically stabilized 24VDC LED power supplies that handle a wide range of input voltages from 100 to 277VAC, enabling worldwide use on single-phase AC power lines. The UL Class 2 Optotronic power...

Small pcb or chassis mounted power supplies.(POWER SOURCES & CONDITIONING DEVICES)
December 1, 2007... The ECL series of ultra compact, low power AC/DC power supplies comprise the 10W ECL10 and the 15W ECL15. Both are available in 3 mechanical formats: open frame pcb mount, encapsulated pcb mount, and open frame chassis mount. The ECL10 open...

High output power in industry-standard footprint.(POWER SOURCES & CONDITIONING DEVICES)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The HD160 series of high-density AC to DC switch-mode power supplies deliver up to 160W, approximately twice the power currently available in the industry standard 2"x4" footprint. These supplies are ideally suited...

User configurable 1U power supply.(POWER SOURCES & CONDITIONING DEVICES)
December 1, 2007... The Xlite series of compact, high power density, plug-and-play power supplies comprises 600W end user-configurable units that offer eight isolated outputs in a slim-line package of 1Ux260X89 mm. Three different powerPac chassis are available,...

Batteries for single phase UPS systems.(POWER SOURCES & CONDITIONING DEVICES)
December 1, 2007... EnerSys extends its DataSafe HX line to include smaller-sized batteries to meet the requirements of single-phase uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems. The series includes seven models: the HX25 through the HX150. These valve-regulated...

Globally, engineers share similar gratification and concern: our first global salary survey shows that North American engineers receive higher compensation than counterparts in established regions, such as Japan and Western Europe.(GLOBAL REPORT)(Company overview)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times." The classic Charles Dickens quotation could easily have applied to the situation in the engineering profession last year. Engineers are worrying about...

Reference designs worldwide: understanding the IP imbalance: does it matter how engineers in other countries are using reference designs? The answer is a resounding "yes.".(GLOBAL REPORT)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With the rising complexity of silicon and software design, it has become critical for component vendors to supply more information than just a data sheet to get engineers started on their designs. Reference designs...