EDN Asia articles from March 2009

EDN Asia archives from March 2009

Debugging embedded systems.(ednasia comment)
March 1, 2009... Gradual as well as abrupt changes are coming over debugging tools for embedded system designers. These tools are expected to work on any target, on any CPU irrespective of the number of cores, and on any electrical interface. While embedded...

Automotive optical flow for driver assistance systems.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
March 1, 2009... The Xilinx Automotive (XA) Optical Flow solution for vision-based driver assistance (DA) systems is a field programmable gate array (FPGA) implementation that integrates high-performance image processing capabilities from Digital Design...

Wide common mode transceiver family.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
March 1, 2009... Texas Instruments recently introduced a family of [+ or -]70V, fault protected RS-485 transceivers that achieve overvoltage protection with no external termination needed. These low-power devices serve as drop-in upgrades to existing RS-485...

Micrel intros 120V automotive AEC-Q100 qualified LDO.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
March 1, 2009... Micrel has launched the MAQ5280, said to be industry's first 120V LDO designed and qualified for the automotive market. The device consumes 31 micro Amps of quiescent current and has a typical shutdown current of 0.02 micro Amps. Capable of...

Avnet Spartan-3A DSP FPGA/DaVinci development platform.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
March 1, 2009... The Avnet Spartan-3A DSP FPGA / DaVinci Development Platform, developed by Avnet Electronics Marketing, Xilinx and Texas Instruments, provides a complete engineering platform for evaluating and integrating the Xilinx Spartan 3A-DSP FPGA and TI...

New approach to ink boosts solar-cell efficiency to more than 17%.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
March 1, 2009... Advances in solar-cell efficiency usually focus on the cell itself. In a monocrystalline-silicon-solar cell, the efficiency can be as high as 18 or 19%. However, these high figures don't account for the efficiency--or inefficiency--of the...

Avago Technologies simplifies GPS designs.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
March 1, 2009... Avago Technologies has developed a highly integrated GPS low noise amplifier (LNA) with high performance levels. The ALM-1712 effectively integrates a sophisticated GPS LNA and two FBAR filters. This results in a complete, compact and...

Infineon's tiny ESD protection diode for RF antennas.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
March 1, 2009... Infineon Technologies AG has launched what's said to be the world's smallest transient voltage suppression (TVS) diode for the protection of antennas in electronic equipment. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Applications include GPS, mobile TV,...

Energy scavenger achieves record power.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
March 1, 2009... Engineers and scientists have long had an intense interest in energy-scavenging devices that can extract small amounts of electrical energy from such ambient sources as temperature gradients, incident light, stress, or vibration. Such devices...

Tiny buck regulator offers cost effective power for portable apps.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
March 1, 2009... Analog Devices has introduced a tiny 500mA buck regulator, the first of a family of high-frequency 6MHz DC/DC regulators. The ADP2121 is available in a 1.3x0.9mm wafer level chip scale package (WLCSP) with a razor-thin height of 0.6mm. It...

Advanced fine-pitch packaging solutions at 65nm developed in Singapore.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
March 1, 2009... A 'STAR's Institute of Microelectronics (IME), Singapore and Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing, one of the world's top dedicated semiconductor foundries, have successfully optimized a range of fine-pitch packaging technologies for copper...

Integrated battery charger for Bluetooth devices.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
March 1, 2009... Intersil Corporation's ISL9222A is a high input, single cell, Li-Ion battery charger IC that incorporates a charger and digital logic (OR gate) into a single chip. Its high level of integration and small size make it ideal for applications that...

Solution upgrades bomber simulator.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
March 1, 2009... Quantum3D recently announced that Northrop Grumman Corporation has upgraded the image generator in its Pilot Evaluation Simulator (PES) for the B-2 stealth bomber. Northrop Grumman is leveraging Quantum3D's Independence 3500 solution, an...

Dini uses the Stratix III FPGA in its DN7020K10.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
March 1, 2009... The Dini Group selected the Altera Stratix III EP3SL340 FPGA, featuring 340K logic elements (LEs), in its DN7020K10, described as the industry's largest single-board FPGA-based prototyping engine. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The DN7020K10...

2.5-inch 500GB SATA HDDs with 256-bit AES encryption.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
March 1, 2009... Fujitsu Asia recently launched the MJA2 CH series of Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) hard disk drives (HDDs) for the ASEAN and India markets. The series is said to be the first 500 gigabyte (GB) HDD line to incorporate...

200W 1/16th brick DC/DC isolated power supply reference design.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
March 1, 2009... This reference design for a 200W 1/16th brick offers higher than usual power density with very low component count. It delivers power density of more than 600W per square inch, which is more than 60% higher than any previous 1/16th brick...

When is a microcontroller an SOC?(prying eyes)
March 1, 2009... It's getting harder and harder to tell the difference between a microcontroller and an SOC (system on chip). Consider, for example, the SH7263 portable-media-player reference design from Renesas. It offers all the latest features, including a...

Prototyping techniques: things to now before pulling the trigger: tiny components and high-frequency circuits demand rigorous prototyping methods.(Cover story)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Prototyping has become far more difficult than it was in the old days. For one thing, electronic components have gotten smaller; an IC can now be the size of a peppercorn or a grain of sand. As a result, you must...

Verification metrics: when is enough enough? Collecting verification-coverage metrics and fusing them into a clear picture of where you stand is no easy matter.(design feature)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Today, most design managers depend on some sort of verification-coverage metrics to answer three primary questions, according to Mentor Graphics' chief verification scientist, Harry Foster: Where have I been, where...

EDN hot 100 products: electronic products of 2008.(design feature)
March 1, 2009... It's time once again for EDN's annual Hot 100 Products list. Each year, manufacturers announce thousands of new products and technologies. EDN's editors spend countless hours narrowing that massive list to the hundreds of items they consider...

How to select a pressure sensor for a specific application.(special report)
March 1, 2009... There are over two hundred pressure sensor suppliers around the world, offering products from a few dollars to thousands of dollars. A purchaser or engineer unfamiliar with pressure sensors can become overwhelmed with the price range, quality...

Linear wind-power meter compensates for temperature.(design ideas)
March 1, 2009... Edited by Brad Thompson and Fran Granville The rise of interest in renewable energy created by soaring fossil-fuel costs and global-warming fears has created a matching interest in associated support and demonstration instrumentation. This...

Oscillator uses dual-output current-controlled conveyors.(design ideas)
March 1, 2009... In the last decade, engineers have done much work in designing and implementing current-mode circuits using second-generation current conveyors, which have higher signal bandwidth, greater linearity, larger dynamic range, simpler circuitry, and...

Zero-drift PGAs with MUX for microprocessor-based apps.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
March 1, 2009... The PGA11x family of zero-drift programmable gain amplifiers (PGA) with single-ended input, single-supply operation, rail-to-rail I/O and multi-channel multiplexers (MUX) provide a flexible, highly integrated programmable gain amplification...

Low profile MicroFET (0.55mm) MOSFETs.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
March 1, 2009... The FDMA1027 is a 20V P-Channel PowerTrench MOSFET, and the FDFMA2P853 is a 20V P-Channel PowerTrench MOSFET with a Schottky diode. Both are housed in 2X2X 0.55mm MLP packages, and are 55% smaller and 50% lower in height than 3x3x1.1mm MOSFETs...

Buck converter with 12uA quiescent current.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
March 1, 2009... The LTC3642 is a 45V input capable synchronous buck converter that can deliver up to 50mA of continuous output current from a 3X3mm (or MSOP8-E) package. It operates from an input voltage range of 4.5 to 45V with transient protection up to 60V,...

Control ICs slash component count.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The IRS2530D DIM8 is a linear dimming ballast control IC with half-bridge driver in a compact 8-pin form factor. It provides a competitive solution to replace inefficient incandescent bulbs in multi-level and...

High-resolution, low-power delta-sigma ADCs.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The MCP3422, MCP3423 and MCP3424 (MCP3422/3/4) ADCs provide 18-bits of resolution and consume 135pA at 3V continuous conversion. The multi-channel devices have an integrated voltage reference, programmable gain...

High performance 16-bit ADC and DVGA amplifier.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
March 1, 2009... The 16-bit ADC16V130 exhibits optimal spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) performance with 90.6 decibels full scale (dBFS) for a 160MHz input frequency, and 87dBFS guaranteed. It also provides high-order harmonic distortion performance at any...

Complete solution for cable, wireless infrastructure apps.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
March 1, 2009... Analog Devices' broadband I/Q quadrature modulator integrates automatic gain control (AGC) circuitry within a compact 6X6mm LFCSP (lead-frame chip-scale package). The ADL5386 provides combination of performance and integration levels for low IF...

Adapters feature one or two configurable serial ports.(EMBEDDED)
March 1, 2009... The SeaLink SC adapters provide one or two serial ports to allow software configuration for RS-232, RS-422, or RS-485 and eliminating the need to open the enclosure to change jumper settings or DIPP switches. Appearing as standard COM ports to...

Upgrade to 3U cPCI card provides additional functions.(EMBEDDED)
March 1, 2009... The 75C2 universal card provides an upgrade from the vendor's single-slot, two-module, multifunction 3U 75C2 cPCI card, eliminating complexity and size constraints involved with using multiple single-function cards. The 75C2 device accommodates...

Wi-Fi bridge connects embedded devices and wireless LANs.(EMBEDDED)
March 1, 2009... Based on the vendor's iChipSec CO2144 IP controller chip, the Nano WiReach embedded-Wi-Fi bridge enables connection between any embedded device and 802.11b/g wireless LAN using minimal programming. The bridge has a suite of intellectual...

Single-board computer operates at 500MHz.(EMBEDDED)
March 1, 2009... Based on the AMD LX800 processor, the Rhodeus PC/104-fom>factor single-board computer uses the AMD Geode LX800 processor operating fanless at 500MHz. Supporting 1Gbyte of DDR SDRAM using an SO-DIMM socket, the device includes 65kbyte L1 cache...

T9400-based 60 VPX single board computer.(EMBEDDED)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The VPX6-1952 is a rugged 6U VPX single board computer that's based on the Intel Core 2 Duo processor T9400. Designed for use as the General Processor Modules (GPM) for use in the Integrated Computer System (ICS) of...

Snap-acting detect switch for ATCA apps.(PASSIVES)
March 1, 2009... The MDS Series is a surface-mount, micro-miniature, snap-acting detect switch with extended life cycles designed for ATCA applications. Along with ATCA and Advanced Mezzanine Card (AMC) applications, C&K's detect switches, including the MDS...

Surface-mount gas-discharge-tube circuit protection devices.(PASSIVES)
March 1, 2009... Tyco Electronics' line of gas discharge tubes (GDTs) protect high-speed xDSL modems, splitters, DSLAM equipment, AIO printers, base stations and security systems from damage caused by overvoltage events. Available in an expanded range of sizes...

MiniBridge cable connector system expanded.(PASSIVES)
March 1, 2009... The MiniBridge cable connectors can be used in an expanded temperature range extending from -55 to +125[degrees]C. The male connectors have SMT terminals with SMT mechanical board anchors, while the female connectors are terminated via...

Converter cable aids interfacing to legacy apps.(PASSIVES)
March 1, 2009... The USB-RS232-WE cable provides easy interfacing of USB to RS232-based devices. At 1.8m, the cable has a small PCB encapsulated into the USB connector that contains an FTDI FT232R serial UART IC interface plus a RS232 level shifter to provide...

SMD aluminum capacitors with low Z, high capacitance.(PASSIVES)
March 1, 2009... This series of surface-mount aluminum capacitors offers high-temperature operation +105[degrees]C, low impedance values, and high capacitances and ripple currents. Designed for surface mounting on high-density PCBs, the ECL series of polarized...

Handheld spectrum analyzers for field use.(TEST & MEASUREMENT)
March 1, 2009... The R&S FSH4 and the R&S FSH8 are rugged, handy and lightweight. Equipped with a powerful battery pack, they cover the frequency range from 9kHz to 3.6GHz or 8GHz. Depending on the options installed, they can also be used as two-port vector...

License improves product manufacturability.(TEST & MEASUREMENT)
March 1, 2009... Agilent's GoldenGate software is an advanced RFIC simulation and analysis solution for integrated RFIC design and verification. Developed for the specific needs of RFIC/wireless designers, GoldenGate is fully integrated into the Cadence Analog...

LitePoint intros LabVIEW instrument driver for automated testing.(TEST & MEASUREMENT)
March 1, 2009... LitePoint Corporation announced the availability of LitePoint LabVIEW Instrument Driver for automating Wi-Fi a/b/g, WiMAX, Bluetooth, MIMO or Zigbee application testing. The driver, within the LabVIEW 8.5 environment, provides full connectivity...

Tektronix launches MSO2000, DPO2000 oscilloscopes.(TEST & MEASUREMENT)
March 1, 2009... Tektronix has announced the MSO2000 Mixed Signal and DPO2000 Digital Phosphor oscilloscopes. These tools simplify the debug of mixed signal designs including Wave Inspector search and navigation tools, automatic decoding of serial data busses,...

High performance VXI embedded controller.(TEST & MEASUREMENT)
March 1, 2009... The NI VXIpc-882 is a two-slot VXI embedded controller featuring the Intel Core 2 Duo processor T7400. The VXIpc-882 is a high performing VXI embedded controller that delivers much faster processing capabilities than typical single-core...

Tougher standards on energy efficiency.(COMMENTS)
March 1, 2009... In recent months, the level of awareness on green issues has been raised dramatically with the spotlight focused on energy/power conservation. For instance, leaders from business, government, nonprofits, and academe gathered in San Francisco...

Portable products go green.(POWER SUPPLEMENT)
March 1, 2009... In addition to 4.1V/4.2V Li-Ion batteries, a variety of mobile handheld devices are still powered from two AA or two AAA cell form factor batteries (in NiMH, Alkaline or new Lithium-cylindrical chemistries), non-rechargeable and rechargeable,...

Energy efficiency: what's all the buzz about?(POWER SUPPLEMENT)
March 1, 2009... As rising oil prices, soaring petroleum costs and global warming dominate the news, energy-efficiency has become a familiar catchphrase. The buzz surrounding energy savings is hardly surprising when you consider world energy consumption is...

Reference designs speed green power supplies to market.(POWER SUPPLEMENT)
March 1, 2009... Heightened global interest in green power adds a new set of variables to the design of power supplies and power adapters. Designers must not only consider the design specifications required for the targeted end equipment, as they always have;...

Green electronics: choice or mandate?(POWER SUPPLEMENT)
March 1, 2009... Most of the electronic devices in use today consume much lower power than their preceding generations. For example, a cellular phone delivers more computational power for less than a Watt than the supercomputers of yesteryear. Yet, people are...

Reliable power electronics for windmill generators.(POWER SUPPLEMENT)
March 1, 2009... In the megawatt range, high-power electronics applications need powerful semiconductors. However, even the largest semiconductors available today are still not strong enough for some applications. It is therefore necessary to connect them in...