EDN Asia articles from January 2006

EDN Asia archives from January 2006

Moving on to 2006.(edn asia comment)
January 1, 2006... The last year began on an uncertain note. Analysts were all at sea predicting semiconductor revenue forecasts. The variations in 2005 revenue predictions were so wide as to be meaningless. From negative growth rate predictions--In-Stat, -6...

austriamicrosystems intros 1.6W bridged audio power amplifiers.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
January 1, 2006... austriamicrosystems' new AS1701/06 family of single-channel audio amplifiers delivers 1.6W output power. These amplifiers offer higher output power (1.6W) at comparable distortion levels, or lower distortion levels at comparable output power...

14-bit, 170MSPS ADC for wideband signal processing applications.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Texas Instruments' 14-hit, 170MSPS (mega samples per second) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) offers 72dBFS signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and 84dBc spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) at the maximum sample rate of 170MSPS. It has an input...

LabVIEW 8 delivers distributed intelligence for design, control and test.(pulse)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... National Instruments' LabVIEW 8 is a major upgrade to the LabVIEW graphical development platform. Offering distributed intelligence--a powerful suite of new capabilities for engineers and scientists to easily design, distribute and synchronize...

Bendable color electronic paper with image memory function.(pulse)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Fujitsu Labs, Fujitsu Frontech and Fujitsu Limited have jointly developed a film substrate-based bendable color electronic paper with an image memory function. This new electronic paper features vivid color images that are unaffected even when...

75V, 2.5A integrated buck regulator.(pulse)
January 1, 2006... National Semiconductor's LM5005 high-voltage switching regulator integrates a 75V N-channel MOSFET and employs a proprietary scheme that uses emulated, current-mode pulse-width modulation (PWM) to produce a 2.5A step-down regulator with minimal...

Power management IC for handset add-on modules.(pulse)
January 1, 2006... Atmel Corporation released three power management products for power supplies of handset add-on modules. Manufactured using the company's low-cost mainstream CMOS process, the AT73C211 is designed to supply the digital, analog, interface, and,...

2-axis accelerometers pack increased performance into smaller, thinner package.(pulse)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... STMicroelectronics' LIS2L02AL and LIS2L06AL are 2-axis ultra-compact linear accelerometers that complement ST's existing "low g" accelerometers, while offering tighter offset tolerances, improved temperature drift performance, and a package...

NPT-Trench IGBT provides good avalanche capability for induction heating applications.(pulse)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Fairchild Semiconductor's 1200V NPT-Trench IGBT combines best-n-class avalanche immunity with optimized trade-off performance between switching and conduction losses to increase system reliability and efficiency in induction heating (IH)...

Low power CMOS logic family in very small package.(pulse)
January 1, 2006... The family of Advanced Ultra-low Power (AUP) CMOS logic, featuring ultra-low power consumption, offers more than 55 new products available in two package options, PicoGate and MicroPak. The AUP family offers what's claimed to be the lowest...

FPGAs become rad-tolerant, rad-hard.(Field Programmable Gate-Array )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Actel recently unveiled the latest device in its radiation-tolerant FPGA family and also announced that it is working on its first fully radiation-hardened FPGAs. The new RTAX4000S radiation-tolerant FPGA has twice the gate count of the...

DVD-recorder processor targets European digital-broadcast reception.(GLOBAL DESIGNER)
January 1, 2006... LSI Logic recently unveiled a single-chip DVD-recorder-processor platform, which, it claims, reduces system costs to support digital-broadcast reception in Europe and other parts of the world. The company also claims that the device will enable...

CSIA employs VSIA standards.(GLOBAL DESIGNER)
January 1, 2006... The VSIA (Virtual Socket Interface Alliance), a SIP (semiconductor-intellectual-property) standards group focusing on design reuse, and the CSIA (China Semiconductor Industry Association) recently inked a deal in which the CSIA will base its...

Powering to the heavens: how does a liquid-propulsion rocket engine convert liquid mass into enough force for a spacecraft to attain escape velocity?(prying eyes)
January 1, 2006... Rocket engines are reaction engines, in that they throw mass, generally in the form of a high-temperature and high-pressure gas, in one direction to create a reactionary thrust in the opposite direction. The physics of this reaction is simply...

Instigating a platform tug of war: graphics vendors hunger for CPU suppliers' turf: processor vendors' fiscal fortunes hinge on the ability to sell increasingly powerful chips. Graphics-processor vendors, too, depend on upgrades to pave a path to continued success. These upgrades will increasingly rely on stealing functions that the CPU once handled.
January 1, 2006... In his keynote at mid-July's IEEE Hot Chips conference (www.hotchips.org), Nvidia's chief scientist David Kirk made a startling public confession, validating a trend that graphics-industry observers had long suggested was under way. Kirk...

Energy harvesters extract power from light, vibrations: harvesting ambient energy from light of vibrational sources can free power-miserly designs from traditional power lines and batteries.(design feature)
January 1, 2006... Many systems, such as tiny wireless-networked sensor nodes and low-cost calculators for the consumer market, have severely constrained power sources resulting from remote location, cost considerations, portability requirements, or other...

The future of digital video: advanced processing technology makes applications for video go beyond mere playback of existing content.(special report)
January 1, 2006... Exciting new applications become possible when video becomes part of products, which in the past, have been unable to incorporate video systems. The applications for video go far beyond mere playback of existing content. With advanced...

"Our chip is more exclusive than our competitors'".(interview)(Interview)
January 1, 2006... EDN Asia recently spoke with Balu Balakrishnan, President & CEO of Power Integrations, and chief inventor of the company's innovative TOPSwitch and TinySwitch technologies. Excerpts: What are the latest trends and challenges in designing...

High side current sensing: high performance analog solutions from linear technology.(Advertisement)
January 1, 2006... One of the most common tasks in analog circuit design is measuring current. A current sense circuit often resides at the heart of power and battery-life management, bias current control, load monitoring, fuse monitoring, fail safe circuitry and...

Added components improve switching-regulator stability.(design ideas)
January 1, 2006... This Design Idea shows how adding one or two passive parts can reduce a hysteretic constant-on-time switched-mode voltage regulator's output voltage ripple and reduce its susceptibility to variations in external load capacitance and ESR...

Electromechanical damping stabilizes analog-meter readings.(design ideas)
January 1, 2006... Before shipping moving-coil meters, manufacturers may short-circuit the meters' terminals with a length of wire, which provides effective electromagnetic damping and results in better immunity to external mechanical vibration and shocks that...

MOSFET enhances low-current measurements using moving-coil meter.(design ideas)
January 1, 2006... A previous Design Idea describes an interesting and useful method for using a moving-coil analog meter to measure currents in the less-than-1A range (Reference 1). The design offers considerable flexibility in the choice of meter-movement...

2 & 4-channel [I.sup.2]C multiplexers provide capacitive buffering.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
January 1, 2006... Linear's LTC4305 and LTC4306 2-wire bus multiplexers provide capacitive isolation when connecting an upstream [I.sup.2]C bus to a desired combination of downstream busses. The software-controlled LTC4305 (16-lead SSOP and 4x5mm DFN package)...

DC/DC converter delivers full power at high temp with 91% efficiency.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
January 1, 2006... C&D Technologies' single output half-brick isolated DC/DC converter for isolated bus converter applications in distributed power architecture designs features 2250V isolation and can deliver up to 21A at temperatures up to 110[degrees]C. The...

3.3 and 5V full-duplex RS-485 transceivers.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
January 1, 2006... Texas Instruments' six full-featured, full-duplex RS-485 transceivers conserve power, provide optimum AC performance for key operating speeds, and allow up to 256 devices on a single RS-485 bus. With ESD protection in excess of 15kV, they...

Single-supply analog switches with negative signal handling.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
January 1, 2006... The MAX4901-MAX4905 family of dual SPST and single SPDT analog switches can handle negative signals with a single positive power supply, thereby reducing external component count and improving audio signal quality. Low 0.6[OMEGA] on-resistance,...

32-tap digitally controlled potentiometers for low-power applications.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
January 1, 2006... The ISL90460, ISL90461 and ISL90462 are claimed to be the smallest volatile 32-tap digitally controlled potentiometers (DCPs) in the industry. Designed to address current market needs for high-volume, space-constrained applications that require...

150mA LDO for portable applications.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
January 1, 2006... Micrel's MIC5306 is a 150mA LDO with low dropout of 60mV. Targeted at battery-powered consumer products including cellphones, PDAs, notebook computers, MP3 players and digital cameras, the device features ultra-low Iq of 16mA (typ.) and 0.01mA...

Front-end power supply for power density and functionality.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
January 1, 2006... C&D Technologies' D1U-W-1600-12-HC delivers up to 1600W (220VAC), 1200W (110VAC) from its 12V output. The 1U high unit has power density of 17.5W/cu.in (1.1W/[cm.sup.3]) and delivers highly efficient, reliable performance. Available with...

Fast, complete standalone 1- to 16-cell NiMH/NiCd charger.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
January 1, 2006... The LTC4011 is a complete NiMH/ NiCd battery charger solution without any microcontroller or firmware programming required. It includes charge initiation, monitoring, protection, charge termination and constant current control circuitry for an...

CCFL inverters impervious to moisture, shock and vibration.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
January 1, 2006... Endicott Research Group's family of DC-AC inverters for powering CCFL-backlit LCDs feature a vacuum-encapsulated design to ensure reliable CCF lamp ignition, even in harsh environments. ERG's E20011 and SE/SE2 Series inverters provide maximum...

Low-cost 50W JBW series power supply.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
January 1, 2006... The 50-watt JBW series of single out put, low cost power offers universal AC input with active PFC (power factor correction). Full power is delivered from -10 to +50[degrees]C without forced-air cooling. A [+ or -]10% output adjustment allows...

Slow blow surface-mount fuses.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
January 1, 2006... The Rolls compliant slow blow surface-mount fuses come in industry standard 1206 chip sizes and offers-small size, high reliability, strong arc suppression characteristics, and some of the highest current ratings available in the 1206 form...

SPM for partial power factor correction switching converters.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
January 1, 2006... Fairchild Semiconductor's Power Factor Correction (PFC) Smart Power Module (SPM) implements Partial Power Factor Correction Switching Converter (PSC) circuit topology, ideal for 1-3 kW air-conditioners. By triggering the IGBTs at every half...

Inductors with high current carrying capacity.(PASSIVES)
January 1, 2006... The HPI series of high-power inductors from Epcos covers the inductance range from 0.5 to 3.92[micro]H and can handle currents up to 30A. Depending on inductance, insertion height is 4.95 or 5.95mm for a footprint of 11 x 13.1mm. Resistance...

High performance bandpass filters.(PASSIVES)
January 1, 2006... Bandpass filters in a range of configurations from 1.8 to 5.4ghz have excellent temperature stability and high performance. They offer a low insertion loss and good frequency response for wireless applications including cellphones, LAN/WAN...

Modular jacks with power over Ethernet.(PASSIVES)
January 1, 2006... For applications that meet IEEE-802.3af requirements (PoE) and transfer up to 15W of power, these modular jacks with integrated magnetics are equipped with either hubs or circuitry for DTE's (data terminal equipments) that can accept power over...

SMB interface for board-to-board applications.(PASSIVES)
January 1, 2006... Bomar Interconnect Products' SMB interconnect eliminates the need for extra cable assemblies and PCB connectors traditionally required to mate box-type, or modular integrated components to boards. Manufacturers need only connect an Eliminator...

High-speed Homeplug Ethernet adaptor.(PASSIVES)
January 1, 2006... The Aztech HL105E Homeplug Ethernet Adaptor provides No New Wires communications to any room, over any powerline wire, at the speed of up to 85Mbps. Targeted at the residential users, it is utilizing Intellon INT5500 high-speed powerline...

PCI Express card edge connector with integrated retention arm.(PASSIVES)
January 1, 2006... FCI has introduced a x16 vertical PCI Express card edge connector with an integrated retention arm for PCI Express graphics cards. The flexible arm extends away from the connector body and includes a molded post that snaps into it notch on the...

Pin-selectable, digital potentiometers in TQFN package.(PASSIVES)
January 1, 2006... The MAX5481-MAX5484 are pin-selectable up/down or SPI-compatible, 1024-tap nonvolatile digital potentiometers packaged in a tiny 3x3mm, 16-pin TQFN. The integrated EEPROM simulates mechanical potentiometers by storing the wiper position prior...

Production test software for Texas Instruments' WLAN chipsets.(TEST & MEASUREMENT)
January 1, 2006... LitePoint Corporation and Texas Instruments have released the LitePoint IQfact turnkey production test software for WiFi chipsets based on TI's TNETW1350A and TNETW1450 WLAN system solutions. IQfact runs on the LitePoint IQview and IQflex...

Upgrade of Eclipse digital test equipment.(TEST & MEASUREMENT)
January 1, 2006... Cambridge Display Technology's upgrade to the specification of its Eclipse range of digital test equipment includes remote calibration which allows the systems to be re-calibrated in situ, and pulsed IVL testing, which combines the ability to...

PCI arbitrary waveform generators.(TEST & MEASUREMENT)
January 1, 2006... The PCI CompuGen family of ultrafast arbitrary waveform generator cards offers 12-bit resolution at D/A conversion rates of up to 1 billion samples per second. It comprises three new products: CompuGen 11G, CompuGen 4300, and the CompuGen 8150....

Full-spectrum broadband inspection platform.(TEST & MEASUREMENT)
January 1, 2006... KLA-Tencor's 2800 Series handles defect and yield challenges emerging at the 65 and 45nm technology nodes. Providing ultra-broadband (DUV, UV and visible) wavelength inspection at twice the throughput of previous-generation DUV brightfield...

Eight-port network analyzer from 300kHz to 8GHz.(TEST & MEASUREMENT)
January 1, 2006... The R&S ZVT8 from Rohde & Schwarz is an eight-port vector network analyzer up to 8GHz for universal measurements on multiports and balanced DUTs. Featuring true multiport architecture, the R&S ZVT8 offers short measurement times while...

Monitor brings accurate current measurement to tough environments.(TEST & MEASUREMENT)
January 1, 2006... With a typical temperature coefficient below 100ppm/C, the ZXCT1011 current monitor from Zetex Semiconductors assures accurate measurement of DC currents over the temperature range -40 to +125[degrees]C. The 5-pinned monitor measures the...

Unified test system.(TEST & MEASUREMENT)
January 1, 2006... Corelis has integrated the Condor MTS 500 Digitaltest Flying Probe with the Corelis ScanPlus Boundary-Scan tools, producing a unified test system. This enables comprehensive testing of board assemblies that include analog, digital, and...

Monolithic step-down regulator withstands the rigors of automotive environments and consumes only 100[micro]A of quiescent current--Design Note 378.(DESIGN NOTES)(Advertisement)
January 1, 2006... Introduction Automobile electronic systems place high demands on today's DC/DC converters. They must be able to precisely regulate an output voltage in the face of wide temperature and input voltage ranges--including load dump transients...

Aiming to be a truly global partner, capitalizing on outstanding technology development capabilities and powerful products: work & innovate together.(Panasonic ideas for life)(Company Profile)
January 1, 2006... For industry the world over, Panasonic Electronic Devices is a leading source of a rich array of products--everything from circuit components, sensors, digital tuners and HMI products to automotive devices and printed circuit boards, all...

Surface mount type aluminum capacitors.(Capacitors)
January 1, 2006... Line-up of various surface-mount aluminum electrolytic capacitors Surface-mount aluminum electrolytic capacitors featuring low ESR and low impedance support high performance equipment. The line-up includes the Type V HB series (Height 5.4...

Polymer aluminum capacitors.(Capacitors)
January 1, 2006... Low ESL characteristics effective for radiation noise countermeasures in a wide frequency band Panasonic Electronic Devices provides an extensive line-up of industry-leading polymer aluminum capacitors with low ESR and high capacitance. In...

Electric double layer capacitors: parts and materials that contain minimal specified chemical substances.(Capacitors)
January 1, 2006... A new type of devices for storage of electrical energy Electric double layer capacitors enable high-speed and highly efficient charging/discharging with little heat generation. With charging/ discharging performance superior to that of...

Multilayer ceramic chip capacitors (MLCC).(Capacitors)
January 1, 2006... All MLCC series are in compliance with the Rolls Directive (2002/95/EC). Unique material technology and Thin multilayer technology based High capacitance in Small size These multilayer chip type ceramic capacitors achieve both high...

Surface mounted film capacitors.(Capacitors)
January 1, 2006... The world's smallest film capacitors (EIA0603 size) These surface mounted film capacitors have a minimum configuration of just 1.6 x 0.8 mm. The capacitance tolerance of the ECHU series is [+ or -] 2%, the ECWU series offer superior...

Thick film chip resistors.(Capacitors)
January 1, 2006... Miniature chip resistors for ultra-high-density mounting Panasonic Electronic Devices' series of compact and high-performance chip resistors are suitable for high-density mounting. They not only contribute to space saving of sets due to their...

Inverter transformers for LCD applications.(Power circuit components)
January 1, 2006... Inverter transformers for LCD backlight applications respond to the need for large power and low heat generation The increasing screen sizes of LCD TVs and amusement equipment has created a growing need for inverter transformers offering...

Light touch switches.(Switches)
January 1, 2006... Optimum for signal input & a wide line-up * Wide line-up including the right choice for virtually any application * Stable switching performance with good feeling * Contact resistance with low m[OMEGA] order due to adoption of...

Automotive switches.(Switches)
January 1, 2006... High-quality, highly reliable automotive switches * High quality with excellent operation feeling and quiet operation * High reliability thanks to high-quality design and in-house manufacturing of switch cells * Pursuit of cost...

Car speaker system.(Acoustic components)
January 1, 2006... High-performance car speaker system creates an experience comparable to a home theater 5.1 chi surround car theater system reproduces high-quality sound with depth and presence. 1) Center speaker based on superior sound quality and...

Speakers for mobile applications.(Acoustic components)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
January 1, 2006... Space-saving yet high-sound-quality speakers for mobile applications These speakers are designed for multimedia mobile phones. The line-up includes stereo speakers, slim micro-speakers that increase the degree of freedom in design, and...

Keyless entry unit.(RF network units)
January 1, 2006... Wireless automatic authorization for secure and smart solutions Panasonic Electronic Devices' keyless entry unit utilizes RF smart authorization technology. Its features are 1) authorization by LF + RF bilateral communication, 2) ensuring...

RF module.(RF network units)
January 1, 2006... Terrestrial digital broadcast reception chip/tuner module for mobile applications This innovative front-end product dedicated to reception of one segment of terrestrial digital broadcasting is compact and thin and achieves low power...

Tuners.(PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2006... Various tuners suitable for multimedia and automotive environments Compliant with the industry's standard mounting specifications, the ET-55 is a low profile, compact tuner whose shape is the same for NTSC and PAL it offers high performance...

ALIVH[R] series: parts and materials that contain minimal specified chemical substances.(Multilayer printed wiring board)
January 1, 2006... Compact, high-density, highly reliable substrate featuring IVH structure for all layers The ALIVH-B (semiconductor package) is a multilayer printed wiring board for bare chip mounting, featuring IVH structure for all layers. Highly...

Tactile sheets.(Input/output units)
January 1, 2006... Suitable for compact and thin electronic equipment * Thin profile and lightweight achieved by use of a metal diaphragm * Sharp click-key operation feeling * SMD available due to use of roll packaging Application example *...

Remote control units.(Input/output units)
January 1, 2006... Simple design with good operability Card-type remote control units * Compact, lightweight and thin structure * High-operability design suitable for a small number of keys * Long battery life thanks to low power consumption ...

Coin and bill handling devices.(Input/output units)
January 1, 2006... Coin selectors and bill validators using proprietary recognition technology Coin and bill handling devices of Panasonic Electronic Devices achieve highly accurate discrimination and are equipped with functions to prevent mischief and to...

Contribute to coexistence with the global environment: through environmental technology and eco-thinking.(Panasonic: ideas for life)
January 1, 2006... In view of the mounting complexity of global environmental issues such as global warming and ozone depletion in recent years, it is incumbent on companies to be sensitive to the needs of the global environment. This responsibility encompasses...

TPS79918 RF LDO supports migration to StrataFlash[R] Embedded Memory (P30).(POWER MANAGEMENT)
January 1, 2006... Introduction The Texas Instruments TPS79918 low dropout linear regulator (LDO) provides the required performance to power Intel's new StrataFlash P30 Embedded Memory. Intel is migrating from their 3rd generation 180nm StrataFlash Embedded...