EDN Asia articles from June 2005

EDN Asia archives from June 2005

Core silicon race hots up.(ednasia.comment)
June 1, 2005... With ASIC mask costs rising, standard-cell ASIC vs structured ASIC vs PLD issue is acquiring greater importance. Look at the following figures: a quarter of FPGA designers pay less than $5,000 for all their software, with seven percent spending...

Texas Instruments intros "world's first" level-shifting integrated chip.(leading edge)(Texas Instruments)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The AVCA406 Voltage Translator is said to provide the industry's first voltage level translator specifically designed for memory card interface with SD, MMC, MemoryStick and xD picture cards. Eliminating voltage mismatch by providing...

Mode-switching design yields high-efficiency wideband CDMA PA.(leading edge)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... A series of four power amplifier modules for 2G, 2.5G, and 3G wideband CDMA designs from Anadigics uses a proprietary switching-mode technique which results in industry's most efficient component, according to the vendor, with a typical...

Voltage suppression devices provide single line protection.(leading edge)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... ON Semiconductor's new series of high performance, micro-packaged electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection diodes designed for single line protection of voltage sensitive components in portable and battery operated applications. The five...

Shrinking PA modules support GSM/GPRS, and EDGE.(leading edge)(power amplifier)(Global System for Mobile Communications)(General Packet Radio Service)(Enhanced Data for Global System for Mobile Communication Evolution)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Two quad-band products from RF Micro Devices streamline the process of bringing next-generation handsets to market. These Powerstar power amplifier (PA) modules, the RF3158 for GSM and GPRS (optimized for linear EDGE using either direct I/Q...

Tiny device packs in features.(leading edge)(microcontrollers)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The 3x3x0.85mm LPC9102 and LPC9103 processors are the newest members of Philips Electronics' 8-bit LPC900 microcontroller family. These tiny 80C51-based devices target space-constrained applications and include an internal 7.3728MHz; a 1%...

Smart power module for switched reluctance motors.(leading edge)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Fairchild Semiconductor has introduced what it says is the world's first smart power module (SPM) designed especially for driving single-phase switched reluctance motors (SRM) for vacuum cleaners. The 50A-rated FCAS50SN60 smart power module...

RadioDesk reference design and protocol for wireless keyboard/mouse.(leading edge)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Chipcon AS has launched its latest RadioDesk HID (Human Interface Device) platform. Based on the company's SmartRF 04 CC2500 2.4GHz radio, the platform consists of a ready-for-production keyboard and mouse reference design utilizing Chipcon's...

One-chip FM tuner targets consumer audio devices.(leading edge)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... STMicroelectronics' TDA7701 is a single-chip FM tuner for portable entertainment and computing equipment. Offered in a compact chip-scale package, the highly integrated chip features low-voltage low current operation, low cost, minimum of...

High performing general purpose DSCs for cost-sensitive applications.(leading edge)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Microchip Technology has begun volume production of two 16-bit dsPIC Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs) that offer designers performance speeds of 20 and 30 million instructions per second (MIPS), self-programming capabilities via Flash memory,...

Vector signal generator for use in production.(leading edge)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... High throughput, good signal quality and reliable reproducibility are key requirements of test equipment used in a modern production environment. The Vector Signal Generator R&S SMATE200A meets these prerequisites. As an automatic test...

MicroPMIC integration saves space and cost.(leading edge)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Maxim's MAX8620Y is a micro power-management integrated circuit (microPMIC) that integrates a 500mA step-down dc/dc converter, two 300mA low-dropout linear regulators, and a 30ms reset into a small 9[mm.sup.2] TDFN package with a maximum height...

Tektronix develops "world's fastest" real-time oscilloscopes.(leading edge)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Tektronix has developed what the company claims is the world's fastest, most capable real-time oscilloscopes and a new probe that facilitates designs in the computing, communications, and consumer electronics industries based upon...

Master of some: direct-view-display technology: the venerable CRT is under siege from all sides as younger, slimmer, and sexier contenders vie for the "king-of-displays" throne. What technology will anchor your next office, den, or living-room purchase, and which alternative will show up in your next camera, cellphone, or PDA?(Cathode Ray Tube)(Personal Digital Assistant)(Cover Story)
June 1, 2005... According to analysts at the Consumer Electronics Association, US citizens bought $113.5 billion in electronics last year, and those analysts forecast sales of $127.5 billion for this year (Reference 1). DTV (digital-TV) purchases, specifically...

0603 X5R 10[micro]F, 0402 X5R 2.2[micro]F, the highest capacitance.(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2005... Samsung Electro-Mechanics has introduced a new 10[micro]F multi-layer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) in a 0603 case size and a 2.2[micro]F version in a 0402 case size, with much stabilized capacitance under the DC bias. Both of Samsung's...

0805 X6S 10[micro]F with better DC bias performance.(Direct current)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Samsung Electro-Mechanics has completed development of a 0805 X6S 10[micro]F MLCC with a very small fall-off in capacitance induced by DC bias voltage. The capacitance value of an MLCC is inversely proportional to the thickness of the...

Assembly required: using reference-design resources: reference designs are essential marketing tools for complex silicon products that can reduce a development team's effort to complete a design using a target set of chips.(design feature)
June 1, 2005... The amount of free or low-cost design support, including application-specific reference designs, available to designers evaluating processors continues to increase. Only a few years ago, when a designer wanted to evaluate a processor, silicon...

Industrial-strength analog: decades of process development have mostly focused on increasing the density and speed of logic. Minimum gate dimensions have fallen from microns to less than 100nm. The world around you, however, has not undergone anything like a similar process reduction, so signals, noise, and aperiodic events are as big or bigger than ever for many applications. What's an I/0 designer to do?(design feature)(Input Output)(Nanometer)
June 1, 2005... Purveyors of modern, high-speed logic would like to think of their products as the center of the technological universe, and perhaps they are right. But before information gets to the center, it needs to travel from its peripheral origins, and,...

Optimizing multi-output designs.(POWER puzzler #3)
June 1, 2005... Take a break from your daily routine and test your power supply design knowledge by answering the three questions below regarding continuous conduction mode operation in multiple output supplies. Then check your answers at...

"It is a myth that Xilinx has no low-k product".(ednasia interview)(Interview)
June 1, 2005... Wim Roelandts, President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, Xilinx, Inc., was recently in Singapore, which is Wire Roelandts Asia-Pacific HQ of the Company. In an interview with EDN Asia, Roelandts talked about the Company's...

Microelectronics applications require the right stacked-memory-packaging architecture: it's sometimes difficult to achieve a distinctive combination of memory chips to support high data performance, low power consumption, low cost, and high-volume production to meet consumers' needs.(special report)
June 1, 2005... Increasingly, memory chips--in combinations of all their flavors, including DRAM, SRAM, and Flash--are at the forefront of microelectronics end-product functions. This scenario is true for cellphone handsets, broadband devices, networking...

Bandpass filter features adjustable Q and constant maximum gain.(design ideas)
June 1, 2005... Applications such as audio equalizers require bandpass filters with a constant maximum gain that's independent of the filter's quality factor, Q. However, all of the well-known filter architectures--Sallen-Key, multiple-feedback,...

Moving-coil meter measures low-level currents.(design ideas)
June 1, 2005... Although an analog moving-coil meter may lack the resolution and accuracy that a digital readout provides, a meter remains the display of choice for certain applications. A digital readout simply cannot provide information about a measurement's...

MOSFET enhances voltage regulator's overcurrent protection.(design ideas)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The classic [LM.sub.317] adjustable-output linear voltage regulator offers a relatively high, if package-dependent, current-handling capability. In addition, the LM317 features current limiting and thermal-overload protection. With the addition...

Precision LVDT signal conditioning using direct RMS to DC conversion--Design Note 362.(DESIGN NOTES)(Linear Variable Differential Transformers)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2005... Introduction Linear variable differential transformers (LVDTs) are theoretically infinite-resolution displacement measurement devices. An LVDT operates by comparing the magnetic flux coupled into two transformer secondary windings to...

Single-chip solutions drive VoWLAN into mobile phones.(new products: Semiconductors)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... * Based on TI's DRP technology * Comprises hardware and software optimized for mobile phones * Provide consumers with on-the-go voice access over WLAN or cellular network using their mobile phone * Consists of TNETW1251 WiLink 4.0...

Synchronous dc-dc converter with output disconnect.(new products: Semiconductors)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... * Programmable output voltages up to 7.5V * 1.5 to 6V input range * High efficiency up to 93% * Inrush current limiting and output disconnect * Programmable/synchronizable fixed frequency operation up to 1.5MHz *...

"Industry's most efficient" WCDMA PAs.(new products: Semiconductors)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... * AWT6270 PA: * 44% efficiency at 27dBm and 21% at 16dBm * Designed for 830 to 840MHz (Japan Cellular) * AWT6271 PA: * 45% efficiency at 28dBm and 20% at 16dBm * Designed for 824 to 849MHz (Cellular) * AWT6274 PA: ...

Planar cores for dc-dc converters.(new products: Semiconductors)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... * Based on high-performance ferrite materials * Includes EQ13, EQ20, EQ25 and EQ30 * New to line of standard planar cores are core shapes ER24, ER26 and ER32 * Height of planar cores can be matched to customer requirements *...

Intelligent digital power systems.(new products: Semiconductors)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... * Complementary devices that support power supply systems from ac-line to point-of-load applications, including telecommunications; uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), computer server and data-centric power systems * UCD9K * High...

First single-link, 27-bit serializer/deserializer chipset.(new products: Semiconductors )(MAX9217 and MAX9218)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Maxim Integrated Products' latest high-speed LVDS serializer-deserializer (SerDes) products, the MAX9217 and MAX9218, serialize 27 lines into single dc-balanced twisted pair or differential line for improved EMI and low-cost routing....

Enhanced board simplifies design process.(new products: Boards, Cards & Modules)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... * Designed for high-performance, low-power AMD Geode NX processor family * Features Mini-ITX form factor and specialized Silicon Integrated Systems (SIS) chipset * Simplifies product design processes with integrated hardware and...

TigerSHARC COTS VME/VXS board.(new products: Boards, Cards & Modules)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... * 6U VME/VXS board * Addition to T2 family of TigerSHARC boards * Said to be first COTS VME/VXS board based on ADSP-TS201 * Designed for demanding multiprocessor-based applications, and targeted at applications such radar, sonar,...

Circuit board plotter for PCB prototyping.(new products: Boards, Cards & Modules)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... * Delivers advanced PCB prototyping capabilities * Features include maximum milling speed of 6" (150mm) per second, system resolution of 0.01 mils (0.25m) and 62,000 RPM spindle motor * Capable of producing very fine traces for all...

Wireless Ethernet module.(new products: Boards, Cards & Modules)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... * PC/104-Plus Ethernet module * Enables both 802.11b and rapid 802.11g wireless networking capabilities * Provides high speed, industrial data network based upon MiniPCI wireless modules and Ethernet, using TCP/IP protocol stack *...

Universal PCI serial communication card.(new products: Boards, Cards & Modules)(Model LPCI-COM-8SM)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... * Asynchronous card provides 8 ports of field selectable RS-232, RS-422 and RS-485 on port-by-port basis * Includes breakout cable with 8 DB-9 connectors * Meets MD2 low profile PCI bus specification * Can be installed in any 3.3...

Switchless backplane for early development.(new products: Boards, Cards & Modules)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... * Compliant to VITA 41.0 specification * 5-slot VXS backplane does not require switch card to run fabric * Allows direct connection of up to three node cards without need for switch card * Can be used to test multiple data...

Coreco intros Anaconda vision processor.(new products: Boards, Cards & Modules)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Coreco's Anaconda is an image acquisition and processing board that is specifically designed for real-time image acquisition, processing and analysis. PCI-X compliant, the processor is suited for embedded vision applications where large amounts...

DAQ system for high-voltage measurements.(new products: Test & Measurement)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... * Measures wide range of sensor and high-voltage signals up to 100VDC * NI SCC signal conditioning carriers fit neatly on top of device to create portable, customizable data acquisition system with up to 300V Cat II isolation per module...

Oscilloscope mixed signal option.(new products: Test & Measurement)(MS-32)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... * Adds full 32 digital channel support to most four-channel WaveSurfer 400 and WaveRunner 6000A Series high performance oscilloscopes * Enables users to test more efficiently with fewer re-connections and faster time to results compared to...

Signal and attenuator calibration instrument.(new products: Test & Measurement)(FSMR Measuring Receiver)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... * Said to be industry's first single-instrument for calibrating all key parameters of signal generators as well as fixed and variable attenuators * Eliminates need to cable together multiple, single-function instruments or spectrum...

Communications tools speed signal generation.(new products: Test & Measurement)(PXI-5671 and PXI-5441)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... * PXI-5671 * Three-slot RF vector signal generator * Delivers signal generation from 250kHz to 2.7GHz, 20MHz of real-time band width and up to 512MB of memory * With onboard digital upconverter on module, * Achieves more than...

Verifying MMS standards with one solution.(new products: Test & Measurement)(Multimedia Messaging Service)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... * Used for certifying MMS-compatible mobile phones * Perform tests specified by Global Certification Forum (GCF) standardization committee * Software can be used in combination with Protocol Tester R&S CRTU * PC or laptop can be...

Compact FieldPoint modules offer high-channel-count digital I/O.(new products: Test & Measurement)(Input/Output)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... National Instruments compact FieldPoint devices offer engineers and machine builders improvements for their control systems, including reducing the number of required modules and significantly reducing system jitter. The cFP/FP-DIO-550 is...

High power density polymer battery for next-gen OEM/ODM applications.(new products: Power Sources & Conditioning Devices)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Varta Microbattery has introduced its Varta EasyPack family of lithium-polymer batteries designed as a complete, off-the-shelf system. It includes the battery pack, charging algorithms and evaluation kit (including charging reference design)....

Programmable constant dc power supply.(new products: Power Sources & Conditioning Devices)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... * Programmable dc power supplies for ATE integration * "Constant power" operating envelopment * 16-bit readback accuracy for output current and voltage * Can generate dc transients, and output trigger signals for synchronization of...

Electronic circuit breaker reduces power loss.(new products: Power Sources & Conditioning Devices)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... * No sense resistor required * Controls load voltages from 0 to 6V * Fast 1us response circuit breaker * 3 selectable circuit breaker thresholds * Dual level overcurrent protection * High side drive for external N-channel...