EDN Asia articles from January 2008

EDN Asia archives from January 2008

Some issues in analog scaling.(ednasia comment)
January 1, 2008... S3's recent announcement of a library of mixed-signal IPs for TSMC's 65nm processes has greater significance than what is apparent. One of the common questions designers face is "Will analog scale?" Some designers often doubt that analog...

TI's single-chip direct down conversion architecture reduces component count by 75%.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
January 1, 2008... Texas Instruments has introduced a monolithic, high-linearity quadrature demodulator for direct down conversion applications. This device reduces the component count of the receive signal chain in 3G base stations by at least 75% compared to...

Integrated FET module delivers 50% space-savings.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
January 1, 2008... Fairchild Semiconductor's FDMS9600S and FDMS9620S are two highly integrated modules that reduce board space while enabling higher conversion efficiency in synchronous buck designs. Each module in the FDMS96xx series combines a high-side and...

High-capacity FPGA design verification.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
January 1, 2008... Xilinx has announced a collaboration with the industry's leading EDA companies to address the challenges of ultra-high capacity FPGA design verification. The Company's engineers will be joined by professionals from Cadence Design Systems,...

Microchip unveils fast 1Mb serial EEPROMs.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Microchip Technology's 25AA1024 and 25LC1024 (25XX1024) are said to be the fastest (20MHz) 1 Megabit (Mb) serial EEPROM devices in the industry. The Company also launched its 25AA128, 25LC128, 25AA512 and 25LC512...

High output power in tiny Class D audio subsystem.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
January 1, 2008... Maxim Integrated Products' MAX9796 2.3W is a Class D audio subsystem that combines a high-efficiency, mono Class D amplifier; a DirectDrive stereo headphone amplifier; and a DirectDrive mono receiver amplifier. By using Maxim's patented,...

Highly integrated WiMAX MIMO RF IC solutions.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
January 1, 2008... PMC-Sierra has introduced its first WiMAX RF IC solutions for Femtocell base stations, customer premises equipment and mobile station designs. The PM8800 WiZIRD 2Tx/2Rx is said to be the industry's most integrated WiMAX RF IC solution with full...

Freescale's 8-bit, 8-pin device for entry-level automotive applications.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
January 1, 2008... Freescale Semiconductor is providing embedded developers with a cost-effective 8-bit microcontroller (MCU) to help expand their automotive design possibilities. The S08QD MCU family--the company's first 8-bit small outline integrated...

Optimized ARM Cortex-M1 processor for low power FPGAs.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
January 1, 2008... Enabling system designers to extend the battery life of their handheld and portable designs, Actel Corporation has optimized the ARM Cortex-M1 processor core for its IGLOO family of field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). The combination of...

Power-efficient integrated FET buck regulator extends battery life and saves space.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
January 1, 2008... The ISL8009 from Intersil Corporation is a high-efficiency, 1.5A synchronous buck integrated FET regulator ideal for point-of-load regulation for datacom/telecom, battery powered systems, medical instrumentation and industrial applications. ...

Integrated precision DACs for industrial automation systems.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
January 1, 2008... Analog Devices has introduced precision digital-to-analog converters (DACs) that improve the reliability of industrial process control applications in harsh factory environments, including those operating under extreme temperatures or high...

Low noise precision operational amplifiers.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The LMP7731 single and LMP7732 dual precision op amps are additions to National Semiconductor's LMP precision amplifier family. They provide low input voltage noise of 2.9nV/sqrt Hz with a 1/f noise corner of only...

SerDes supporting Intel QuickPath interconnect.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
January 1, 2008... Avago Technologies has announced the availability of silicon-proven SerDes IP compliant with the Intel QuickPath interconnect. By demonstrating Intel QuickPath interconnect support in 90nm CMOS, the Company enables server manufacturers to...

Configurable RF test platform for seamless migration from R&D to production test.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
January 1, 2008... Aeroflex has launched its new modular RF test platform for wireless applications up to 6GHz. The scaleable platform has the flexibility to easily perform at any stage of wireless development from research to manufacturing, and can integrate...

Handheld mobile WiMAX test solution for network deployment.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
January 1, 2008... Anritsu Company has launched its first mobile WiMAX handheld test solution specifically designed for deploying, installing and maintaining mobile WiMAX networks. Incorporated into Anritsu's BTS Master and Spectrum Master platforms, the mobile...

Altera's high definition quality initiative.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
January 1, 2008... Aimed at accelerating the adoption of high definition (HD) broadcast systems design in the market place, Altera Corporation has announced its High Definition Quality Initiative (HDQI). Backed by an ecosystem of partners with expertise in the HD...

Video surveillance: it's all about computing power.(prying eyes)
January 1, 2008... Placing an area under video surveillance means setting up lots of cameras. But that's the easy part. The system must concentrate the signals from those cameras for transmission back to a central hub, using as low a bit rate as possible,...

Selecting op amps: selecting operational amplifiers can be as complicated as the specifications for these parts. By understanding the basics, knowing your application, and using standalone and online tools, you can make the right choice.(Cover story)
January 1, 2008... You would think that selecting operational amplifiers would be easy. After all, they have only three important pins: two inputs and one output. In designing a typical op amp, however, you must also consider the two power pins, and this total of...

4G wireless: evolution or watershed in SOC architectures? the next step in wireless technology could prove the tipping point for multicore embedded processing.(design feature)
January 1, 2008... The almost-mythological fourth generation of wireless service--4G--could be the fountainhead of an entirely new way of thinking about SOC (system-on-chip) architectures. Or it could drive a simple evolution of today's baseband wireless ICs. It...

FPGA-prototyping and ASIC conversion considerations: converting your FPGA to an ASIC yields many benefits. Here's a look at how designers can maximize those benefits and make the transition as quick and seamless as possible.(design feature)
January 1, 2008... The capacity and capability of modern FPGAs support the implementation of many digital systems, making FPGAs the platforms of choice for developing, prototyping, and deploying digital logic. Depending on the requirements of your system, using...

"In five years China will teem with very capable designers".(Interview)
January 1, 2008... Dr Dave Yang co-founded Vimicro in 1999, and is currently CTO and Vice President of the Company. He has been instrumental in taking the Company from a startup to a leading Chinese semiconductor design company. Vimicro designs and develops...

New roads open for hard drives: the hard drive continues to evolve, playing an increasingly significant role in our daily lives. However, many believe its real impact is yet to come.(special report)
January 1, 2008... For over 50 years, the ingenious device we know as the hard disk drive has had a monumental effect on our daily lives. From airline reservation systems, to ATMs, to video games, digital video recorders, PCs and laptops, e-commerce and even the...

Single op amp achieves double-hysteresis-transfer characteristic.(design ideas)
January 1, 2008... In process-control applications requiring discontinuous controllers, the most elementary choice is a two-position-mode or on/off controller. A typical example of such a controller is a space heater. If the temperature drops below a setpoint,...

Switcher adds programmable-PWM-duty-cycle clamp.(design ideas)
January 1, 2008... Power-supply applications require the use of a duty-cycle clamp. Such applications include those using current-sense transformers and two-switch forward converters. If a duty-cycle clamp is not present, the transformers could saturate, causing...

Circuit provides low-cost QAM mapping and translation.(design ideas)(Statistical table)
January 1, 2008... This Design Idea presents an efficient way to do QAM (quadrature-amplitude-modulation) mapping and translation into two's-complement values with only two inverters and no look-up tables. Suppose you want to create a 256-level QAM signal...

License plate recognition with TI's DaVinci DSPs.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
January 1, 2008... GeoVision Incorporated has collaborated with Texas Instruments to develop license plate recognition technology or outdoor surveillance solutions. By adding TI's TMS320-DM6446 processor based on DaVinci technology to the GV-series product line,...

Five-LED main/sub display driver + dual LDO.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
January 1, 2008... The LTC3230 is an integrated white LED driver with dual LDO regulators for driving main and sub LED displays, and supplying low-voltage system rails in portable electronic devices. Available in a compact 3X3mm QFN package, it drives up to five...

Current sense ignition IGBT for automotive apps.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
January 1, 2008... The FGB3040CS is a standard current sense ignition IGBT that lowers power dissipation by 30%, and reduces heat in automotive applications by eliminating the need for a high current sense resistor. It replaces the high power sense resistor with...

Low-power satellite tuner eliminates external LNA.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
January 1, 2008... The MAX2112 is a low-cost, zero-IF, direct-conversion tuner for satellite TV. It receives QPSK and 8PSK signals in the 925 to 2175MHz range, and downconverts them to baseband for demodulation. To reduce total solution size and cost, it provides...

Cost-effective solutions enhance battery life.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
January 1, 2008... The MIC94070/1/2/3 is a series of high-side load switches that are aimed at a wide variety of cost effective, mass-market handheld, battery-powered consumer devices, including cellphones, digital cameras and personal entertainment consoles. The...

Next-gen secure MCUs based on 0.13-micron technology.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
January 1, 2008... This family of secure microcontrollers, developed on a 0.13-micron process technology, is intended for banking, loyalty card and other financial applications. Based on the ST23 secure platform, which takes advantage of recent improvements in...

SOA offers improved performance for all-optical 100Gbits/sec networks.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) offers highly optimized nonlinear operating characteristics that may be used to implement advanced functions in all-optical networks operating at up to 100gigabits/second....

Ultra compact 150W desktop switcher.(POWER SOURCES & CONDITIONING DEVICES)
January 1, 2008... The PUP150 Series of desktop AC-DC power supplies, which boasts 150W of power in a compact 6.73"x2.85" x1.57" package, has a power factor corrected, 90-264VAC input, and offers fully regulated, single output models ranging from 12 to 24VDC....

Cover kits for three series of AC-DC power supplies.(POWER SOURCES & CONDITIONING DEVICES)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Emerson has introduced cover kits for the Artesyn NLP250, Artesyn TLP150 and Astec LPS120 series of AC-DC power supplies. These power supplies are targeted at OEMs and system integrators seeking ready-to-use packages...

15W power case size reduced by 50%.(POWER SOURCES & CONDITIONING DEVICES)
January 1, 2008... This 15W power package combines ultra-miniature dimensions with ultra wide input voltage ranges--an optimized combination for most applications. Until a few years ago the industrial standard for 15W DC/DC-modules was 1.6"x 2" (40.6x50.8mm) and...

Power supplies target medical applications.(POWER SOURCES & CONDITIONING DEVICES)
January 1, 2008... The NV-175M configurable AC-DC power supplies have a 4kVAC input-to-output isolation. Meeting IEC 60601 international safety standards, the devices suit use in patient-connected medical applications. The supplies include PFC (power-factor...

160W, 3"x5" AC-DC power supply with ATX outputs.(POWER SOURCES & CONDITIONING DEVICES)
January 1, 2008... The XL160 Series of ultra small, highly efficient AC-DC power supplies pack 160W of power into a 3"x5"x1.25" package. The Series features a universal 90-264VAC input with active PFC. Nine models provide single or multiple outputs (single output...

Switching power supplies provide EMC performance.(POWER SOURCES & CONDITIONING DEVICES)
January 1, 2008... The ultraminiature, encapsulated ECA Series switching power supplies comply with EN 60601-1-2:2001 requirements for EMC-noise compliance. Accepting 90 to 264VAC universal inputs, the series also features 60 models providing 5 to 15W output...

4-port ultra PoE midspan reaches 60W per port.(POWER SOURCES & CONDITIONING DEVICES)
January 1, 2008... Designated the Ultra PoE POE480U, this low-cost, 4-port midspan provides total full power of 480W and requires no power management. This Powerover-Ethernet device is ideal for remotely powering applications such as high-power radios, wireless...

1800W, 3-phase AC-DC industrial power supplies.(POWER SOURCES & CONDITIONING DEVICES)
January 1, 2008... This family of 1800W power supplies come with a five-year warranty. The single-output HWS1800T series is ideal for powering industrial equipment used in applications that demand long field-life and ultra-high reliability. These 3-phase AC-DC...

WiMAX Wave2 test system.(TEST & MEASUREMENT)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LitePoint Corporation's IQmax MIMO system is aimed at WiMAX devices with Wave 2 functionality. The mobility adjuncts to the current WiMAX standard (IEEE standard 802.16e-2005) require capabilities beyond those of...

7.5GHz hand-portable spectrum analyzer.(TEST & MEASUREMENT)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 9103 Handheld Spectrum Analyzer has operating frequencies of up to 7.5GHz. It supports many microwave applications, featuring all the typical measurements of standard desktop spectrum analyzers such as channel...

Handheld WiMAX test solution for network deployment.(TEST & MEASUREMENT)
January 1, 2008... The Mobile WiMAX handheld test solution is designed for deploying, installing, and maintaining mobile WiMAX networks. Its measurement capability has three options to provide users with flexibility: Mobile WiMAX RF Measurements--used to measure...

ACE 400wb channel emulator for mobile WiMax testing.(TEST & MEASUREMENT)
January 1, 2008... Designed from the ground up as a MIMO test solution, Azimuth's ACE 400WB WiMAX channel emulator is purpose-built for testing the key technology differentiators of mobile WiMAX. Mobility, high throughput and extended range are dependent on the...

PXI chassis incorporate MAC panel SCOUT receivers.(TEST & MEASUREMENT)
January 1, 2008... Geotest-Marvin Test Systems latest chassis incorporate the MAC Panel SCOUT receivers, which offer a reliable and high performance method to connect test system resources to a mass interconnect receiver, minimizing the need for cable assemblies....

PCI expansion chassis for CompuScope and CompuGen cards.(TEST & MEASUREMENT)
January 1, 2008... LapScope-1 and LapScope-2 are part of the LapScope family of PCI expansion chassis. Offering a consistent PCI configuration that allows easy host computer upgrades, LapScope-1 is an ideal solution for adding a single PCI card to a...

Compact broadcast tester for current standards.(TEST & MEASUREMENT)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The R&S SFE generates all signals for analog or digital terrestrial TV, for cable, satellite and mobile TV, and for digital sound broadcasting. Switching over between different standards is quick and easy--at the...