EDN Asia articles from November 2008

EDN Asia archives from November 2008

New IP trends.(ednasia comment)
November 1, 2008... I see some trends in IP that I want to share with our designer readers. The IP market is moving toward consolidation. The years 2004 to 2006 saw a double digit IP growth. But even then most IP companies just managed to survive with only the top...

TI delivers RFID asset visibility in harsh, metallic environments.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
November 1, 2008... While 134.2kHz low frequency (LF) RFID technology has been used to identify everything from livestock to automotive parts since the late 1980s, a host of applications are now demanding tags with improved performance in highly metallic and other...

1A ultra low dropout regulator.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)
November 1, 2008... austriamicrosystems' AS1364 is capable of delivering up to 1A while operating at lowest dropout voltages. It operates from a 2 to 5.5V supply, making it ideal for dual or triple standard-cell and single Li-Ion battery powered applications....

Ultra low-power real-time clock extends battery life.(INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS)(NXP Semiconductor)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... NXP Semiconductor's PCF2123 real-time-clock has an operating current of less than 100nA, or 0.15[micro]W, on a 1.5V power supply. The 3x3x1mm package includes a freely programmable alarm-and-timer function that can generate a wake-up signal on...

High-speed logic gate optocouplers offer noise immunity of 20kV/[micro]s.(pulse)(Fairchild Semiconductor International Inc.)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Fairchild Semiconductor brings designers an optocoupler solution that delivers a fast and robust isolation interface to ensure low transmission error rates and proven reliability for noisy industrial environments. The FOD0721, FOD0720 and...

Interface module captures acceleration, vibration data.(pulse)
November 1, 2008... The latest analog-input board from United Electronic Industries features four isolated accelerometer/vibration-sensor channels with sample rates to 125k samples/sec per channel, 24-bit resolution, and 109dB SNR (signal-to-noise ratio). The...

USB-Key security device controls access.(pulse)
November 1, 2008... Future Technology Devices International has launched its USB-Key security device. Using a unique, hard-coded identification number, the device can interface to any USB host or hub to provide application software access control (security dongle)...

Power amplifier delivers top performance for mobile WiMAX.(pulse)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SiGe Semiconductor has expanded its series of power amplifiers and RF front-end modules with the release of the SE7262L. A 2.5GHz high-power amplifier targeted for the mobile WiMAX market, it delivers top performance...

8-bit [I.sup.2]C bus expander has low standby current.(pulse)(Catalyst Semiconductor Inc.)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Catalyst Semiconductor has developed an 8-bit I/O expander that connects to a system through an [I.sup.2]C serial bus. The 8-bit, general-purpose CAT9534 GPIO (general-purpose input/output) expander for [I.sup.2]C and SMBus-based systems is...

Thin-film common mode filter for DisplayPort.(pulse)
November 1, 2008... TDK Corporation has developed a wide-band thin-film common mode filter for EMI suppression on DisplayPort interfaces. The TCM1210U-500-2P measures 1.25mm (L)x1.0mm (W)x0.6mm (T) in size, and is designed specifically to suppress noise on...

CML family features fail safe I/O protection.(pulse)(Micrel Inc.)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Micrel's SY54011R, SY54016R/AR, SY54017R/AR, and SY54023R/AR are 1.2/1.8V ultra-low voltage CML output products with a core power supply of 2.5V that can interface directly to devices powered by 1.2/1.8V supply. These products include a 1:2...

SMD LEDs low profile ceramic package.(pulse)
November 1, 2008... Vishay Intertechnology's series of high-intensity white power SMD LEDs in CLCC-2 flat ceramic package are robust and light-efficient. The VLMW82 devices offer low thermal resistance of 20K/W and high optical power from 9000 to 18000mcd for...

Pioneer develops first 16-layer optical disc.(pulse)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Pioneer Corporation has succeeded in developing a 16-layer read-only optical disc with a capacity of 400 gigabytes for the first time. Its per-layer capacity is 25 gigabytes, which is the same as that of a Blu-ray...

Supercapacitor powers LED flash.(pulse)
November 1, 2008... Advanced Analogic Technologies has introduced a 2MHz boost-converter IC that uses a supercapacitor to provide a large peak current to an LED-flash system. The 2A AAT1282 flash driver incorporates [I.sup.2]C control and accepts input voltages of...

Laser profiling system with USB 2.0 interface.(pulse)
November 1, 2008... Ophir-Spiricon has launched the USB Ll1058 Large Format Beam Profiling Camera. This camera is designed for measuring large ultraviolet laser beams. It's high resolution, 4008x2672 pixel format allows profiling of beams up to 24x36mm without...

Nucleus OS MMF achieves OpenMAX conformance.(pulse)
November 1, 2008... Mentor Graphics Corporation has announced that the Nucleus Operating System (OS) Multimedia Framework (MMF) has passed OpenMAX IL conformance testing on the Atmel AT91SAM9261 platform, making it the first commercial OS to achieve such platform...

Revisiting electronic ink.(prying eyes)
November 1, 2008... When EDN looked at electronic ink seven years ago, there were two visible commercial approaches to delivering display information. E Ink's (www.eink. com) approach has made the larger visible move from the lab to product within the last three...

Electronic-system-level design: is there fire beneath the smoke? After years of overclaiming and underperforming, ESL design has a role in many design flows. But has anyone noticed?(Cover story)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It was a shimmering promise on the horizon: As SOCs (systems on chips) became more complex, we would simply move from RTL (register-transfer level) to the next-higher level of abstraction--what some experts called...

High-voltage, low-noise dc/dc converters: you can make a 1kV dc/dc converter with only 100[micro]V of noise.(design feature)
November 1, 2008... Photomultipliers, avalanche photodiodes, ultrasonic transducers, condenser microphones, radiation detectors, and similar devices require high-voltage, low-current biasing. Additionally, the high voltage must be free of noise. A common...

Free software encircles embedded design: open-source software has become a staple in the embedded-system industry as designers struggle with escalating software complexity on limited budgets.(design feature)
November 1, 2008... With potentially huge savings on operating software, development tools, recurring royalties, and schedules, designers and managers must at least consider open-source software on each new embedded-system project. A wide variety of open-source...

100% solder-free IGBT module.(AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLEMENT)
November 1, 2008... Reduced carbon dioxide levels and sustainability--these are the buzzwords of our times. And in order to live up to the buzzwords of today and tomorrow, advanced electronically controlled drives that venture forth into new horizons are needed....

SBCs help IVN keep its momentum.(AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLEMENT)
November 1, 2008... Before the mid 1980s electronic content on passenger vehicles was minimal and Electronic Control Units (ECUs) were few and far between. Most functionality was simple on/off control activated via point-to-point connections. The increase in ECUs...

Wireless developers plan their route years in advance.(AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLEMENT)
November 1, 2008... There always has been unique challenges facing companies looking to design wireless functionality into automobiles. In the automotive market, wireless component designers are required to develop products to work in very hostile environments....

A closer look at LIN.(AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLEMENT)
November 1, 2008... The Local Interconnect Network (LIN) consortium developed a standard for a serial, low-cost communication concept, in conjunction with a development environment, that enables the car manufacturers and their suppliers to create, implement and...

Harvesting sunshine.(special report)
November 1, 2008... High prices of oil, escalating energy costs and growing environmental awareness have combined to spur frenzied interest in alternative and renewable sources of energy. Solar energy, particularly photovoltaic technology (PV), is once again in...

Low-cost circuit incorporates mixing and amplifying functions.(design ideas)
November 1, 2008... In many applications, the frequency-conversion steps comprise a buffer, preferably with some extra voltage gain; a mixer; and some filtering. Instead of including an amplifier in front of the mixer, you can easily integrate the mixer function...

Tester cycles system-power supplies.(design ideas)
November 1, 2008... Power-cycle testing is important because it tests the user environment. A poorly designed system board or chip can cause the power-cycle testing to fail, however. What's more, the power-cycle-test setup for system-board bench testing could...

Low-power, 12-bit, 125-MSPS ADC.(SEMICONDUCTORS)(Texas Instruments Inc.)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... The ADS6125 (single) and AD56225 (dual) are high-performance ADCs with selectable parallel DDR LVDS or CMOS outputs. With only 415mW of power consumed (500mW for the ADS6225) in CMOS mode, these devices are said to be among the lowest power...

Power management IC streamlines mobile GPS, PMP designs.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The AAT2603 is a highly integrated power management IC targeted at mobile GPS devices, Portable Media Players (PMPs) and other handheld mobile systems operating off a single lithium-ion battery. Offering maximum...

Silicon oscillator streamlines design.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The STCL1120 family of silicon oscillators combines fast start-up and high immunity to shock, vibration and EMI (electromagnetic interference) with lower operating current and a chip-select control for easier and...

1A step-up converter for two AAs or one Li+ input.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
November 1, 2008... The MAX8815A 1A step-up converter features an efficiency of 97%, low quiescent current (30 microamps), and a low-noise, forced-PWM mode. Designed for input from two NiMH/NiCd AA batteries or a single Li+ battery, this boost converter provides...

Synch buck regulators provide small form-factor power solutions.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
November 1, 2008... The ISL8012/13/14 monolithic synchronous step-down DC/DC regulators perform high-efficiency DC/DC control and conversion while supporting a continuous load of 2, 3 and 4A, respectively. The selectable operation mode between forced PWM mode and...

Touch controller with LED control and GPIO functions.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The AT42QT2160 is a touch controller IC combining touch key and touch slider functions in a single device. It can control up to 16 individual touch keys with a slider comprising between 2 and 8 of the touch key...

Accelerated verification of PCI express apps.(EDA)
November 1, 2008... Mentor Graphics has announced its high-performance platform to accelerate the verification of PCI Express products. This platform enables designers to test their complete system, including PCI Express I/Os, as well as employ real-world stimulus...

Collaboration on advanced TCAD process simulation of CMOS technology.(EDA)
November 1, 2008... Mattson Technology and Synopsys have announced a collaboration to offer calibrated process models for Flash annealing equipment used on the 45nm node and beyond. Through this collaboration, Synopsys' Sentaurus Process models will be calibrated...

C-to-silicon compiler.(EDA)
November 1, 2008... Cadence Design Systems has introduced Cadence C-to-Silicon Compiler, a high-level synthesis product that is said to improve designer productivity up to 10 times in creating and re-using system-on-chip IP. This technology helps bridge the gap...

Support of model-driven DFSS in automotive industry.(EDA)
November 1, 2008... Mentor Graphics' virtual prototyping tool, SystemVision, supports Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) methodologies to achieve cost-effective design innovation by a model-driven development process. The tool provides a mixed-signal, multi-discipline...

Faster, more accurate failure analysis for sub-100nm ICs.(EDA)
November 1, 2008... Magma Design Automation has entered into a technology OEM partnership with Zyvex Instruments to provide faster, more accurate failure analysis for sub-100nm ICs. Under the terms of the agreement, Zyvex will include Magma's Knights Camelot CAD...

OVM-compliant verification IP.(EDA)
November 1, 2008... Cadence Design Systems recently announced the availability of the first two advanced testbench verification IP (VIP) products that are compliant with the Open Verification Methodology (OVM). These enhancements enable the rapidly growing...

UPF-compliant low-power reference flow.(EDA)(Magma Design Automation Inc.)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... This validated UPF-compliant low-power RTL-to-GDSII design flow uses the UMC 65-nanometer library. Based on the Talus IC implementation system, including Talus Power Pro, and the unified Magma design environment, the flow uses advanced...

High efficiency 100-150W AC-DC power supply.(POWER SOURCES & CONDITIONING DEVICES)(Emerson Network Power)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... This high efficiency 100-150W AC-DC supply features both ITE and non-patient contact and non-patient critical medical safety approvals. The LPS103-M power supply is a compact open-frame design; measuring 5.1x10.2cm (2x4 inch), with a height of...

300 and 600W power supplies deliver 300% peak power.(POWER SOURCES & CONDITIONING DEVICES)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Lambda's series of 300 and 600W power supplies deliver up to 300% peak output power. The AC-DC single-output HWS300P and HWS600P series are ideal for powering industrial equipment that demands high peak currents...

Energy-efficient adapter ideal for portable electronics.(POWER SOURCES & CONDITIONING DEVICES)(Phihong USA Corp. )(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Phihong's two CEC-compliant, 60W single-output adapters meet ENERGY STAR and CEC Level IV standards, as well as the Federal U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act. The PSAA60W is a 2-wire input adapter featuring 0A minimum load and a no-load...

6.00 x 4.00 x 1.50" compact 320W power supply.(POWER SOURCES & CONDITIONING DEVICES)(Advanced Power Solutions)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... The APS302 Series of industrial power supplies deliver 320W of single and dual output voltages. These U-Frame products measure only 6.00x4.00 x 1.40" and are ideal for today's low profile systems requiring both high power density and low cost....

Energy Star compliant 75W desktop power switcher.(POWER SOURCES & CONDITIONING DEVICES)(Advanced Power Solutions )(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... The APS75EG is Energy Star / CEC Level IV Compliant, and packs 75W of output power into its 5.00 x 2.01 x 1.16" desktop package. Its increased efficiencies are in excess of 85% and no-load input power of less than 0.5W. Standard features...

5W USB power supply meets RoHS, CEC standards.(POWER SOURCES & CONDITIONING DEVICES)
November 1, 2008... GlobTek's GT-81082 series of fix blade wall plug-in has a regulated output voltage of 5V @ 1A for 5W of continuous power via a USB jack. Style enclosed power supplies are housed in an impact resistant non-vented polycarbonate upper and lower...

4A multi-chemistry switchmode battery charger.(POWER SOURCES & CONDITIONING DEVICES)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The LTC4009 is a fast-charge 4A capable, high efficiency switchmode battery charger controller for multiple battery chemistries which minimizes power dissipation without compromising board space. It supports...