Electronic Design articles from December 2006

Electronic Design archives from December 2006

Technology tackles the issues in 2006.(EDITORIAL)
December 1, 2006... Welcome to our second annual Best Electronic Design issue, in which we select and honor some of the most innovative designs of the year. The pace of innovation continued at an astonishing rate in 2006, and this issue highlights some of the...

What's all this best stuff, anyhow?
December 1, 2006... I've been working with precision op amps. Some have good linearity. Some are excellent. Some have high [Z.sub.OUT]. Some have low. Some are bipolar, others are CMOS. The figure shows the basic test I've been using for linearity to exercise the...

Analog progresses on and off the beaten path.
December 1, 2006... The analog world saw a host of significant but incremental developments in 2006. Take data converters. Back in January, the delta-sigma architecture was enjoying a renaissance as it was applied at remarkably high input signal frequencies,...

Security tech saves lives and money.(TECHNOLOGY of the YEAR)
December 1, 2006... Unless you're old-fashioned and hide your money in a cookie jar, you've probably noticed that more and more personal information is being spread across several technologies, including PDAs, phones, credit cards, laptops, and databases on remote...

Image sensors sharpen focus.(Complementary metal oxide semiconductors image sensors)
December 1, 2006... Sensors continue to penetrate existing and new markets thanks to technological improvements. In imaging, end users are reaping the benefits of smaller image chips with higher levels of resolution--not to mention lower costs. And CMOS process...

EDA sees the very good, the good, and the ugly.(electronic design automation enabling technologies for the global electronics industry)
December 1, 2006... Yet another growth-less year for the EDA industry has passed. EDA retains its status as the mother of all enabling technologies for the global electronics industry. But like Rodney Dangerfield, it continues to get no respect. The holiday...

Wireless applications take over T & M.(Labview 8.20, Tektronix RSA6100A spectrum analyzer )(test and measurement)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... Test and measurement is an essential part of any engineering discipline. But as the wireless and communications arenas explode, old technologies are finding new applications. In particular, National Instruments' 20th anniversary edition of...

$1 arms and $20 development kits.
December 1, 2006... 2006 saw a trend of high-value development tools combined with low-cost microcontrollers. It began as a trickle, but now it's a flood of new technologies. And in between all of the announcements, two products really defined the trend--Luminary...

Roadster gets 250 miles per charge.(Tesla Motors Inc.'s electric cars)
December 1, 2006... Rising fuel prices and the nation's dependency on foreign oil--as well as increasing air pollution--are spurring a quest for alternative power sources. Tesla Motors is offering one solution with its Roadster electric car. Powered by...

Location tech gives us the world.(SiGe Semiconductor Inc.'s global positioning system receivers)
December 1, 2006... It began as a military project, but location technology has changed the way we travel. There's no longer any need to rely on outdated maps or your own sense of direction, since location systems are declining in price and improving in precision....

2006 year in review.
December 1, 2006... JANUARY 1 The bears hibernate Jan. 9--The Dow Jones Industrial average passes 11,000 for the first time since before Sept. 11, 2001. Later in the year, the Dow surges past the 12,000 threshold for the first time ever. Rock me...

Pickin' powerful parts for the top PC.(personal computers)
December 1, 2006... If you found one of these PCs on your desk, your eyes would light up. The quest for more computing power never ends, but 2006 saw some significant steps forward. QUAD CORE MOTHERBOARD * Intel's Core Duo 2 Extreme QX6700 processor packs...

Let your car park itself.(Toyota Motor Corp. and Aisin Seiki Co. Ltd. launched advanced parking guidance system)
December 1, 2006... How often have you wondered, "Can my car fit into that parking space?" The answer usually depends upon your ability to estimate the size of the prospective space in relation to the length of the vehicle--as well as your skill at parallel...

Get 16 radios in one Wi-Fi access point.(Xirrus's XS-3900 Wireless LAN Array)
December 1, 2006... Wi-Fi access points are ubiquitous nowadays. Yet the XS-3900 Wireless LAN Array from Xirrus is unique--and the best in its field. It solves all of the major problems that current access points share, making you wonder if you really need the...

With Wii Remote, gaming is child's play.(Nintendo Company Ltd.'s computer entertainment systems)
December 1, 2006... When Brian Crecente got the Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 3 last month, the first thing he did (after taking both of the next-generation gaming consoles for a ride, of course) was put the controllers in his toddler's hands. In his You Tube...

Console.(Nintendo Company Ltd.'s game consoles)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... The Wii console has two USB 2.0 ports and built-in Wi-Fi capability. A bay for an SD memory card lets players expand the internal flash memory. Size: It's about 8.5 in. long, 6 in. wide, and less than 2 in. thick (157 by 215.4 by 44 mm),...

Controls.(Nintendo Company Ltd.'s game console remote control device)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Up to four Wii Remote controllers can be connected at once via Bluetooth. The wireless signal can be detected within 10 meters of the console. The Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers both include a three-axis motion sensor. Wii Remote: The...

Wireless factory sensors get kinetic.(Perpetuum Ltd.'s microgenerator module )
December 1, 2006... The factory floor is changing radically. Usually powered by batteries, wireless sensors have been available for transmitting data for quite some time. The greater use of wireless communications standards like ZigBee has accelerated these...

Battle droids roll into harm's way.(Army approved Talon SWORDS (Special Weapons Observation Reconnaissance Directaction System), mobile robots)
December 1, 2006... The men watched helplessly as the robot lifted its mechanical arm, aimed its weapon, and unleashed a stream of white-hot metal upon their vulnerable human bodies. But this isn't a scene in a 1950s sci-fi story. It's a possible scenario...

Smart pill goes on a fantastic voyage.(SmartPill Monitoring system)
December 1, 2006... In science fiction, doctors often shrink themselves to enter the human body and investigate mysterious illnesses. But SmartPill Corp. has a much easier solution in mind for the 3 million Americans who have gastrointestinal (GI) problems severe...

The Mic-On-A-Chip's future sounds good to the industry.(Akustica's AKU2000 microelectromechnical-system)
December 1, 2006... The votes are in. Electronic Design's readers selected Akustica's AKU2000 microelectromechnical-system (MEMS) microphone on a chip as the most significant Leapfrog technology of the year (see "Breaking A New Sound Barrier: It's A...

Make a frequency mixer with op amps.
December 1, 2006... Robert Schell, a PhD candidate in EE at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., mostly works on mathematics. That's why he likes circuit design and ham radio, which provide an occasional dip into reality. But don't take this...

Control a high-power load with a low-power microcontroller.
December 1, 2006... Many microcontrollers feature a pulse-width-modulated (PWM) output that can be low-pass filtered to produce a variable dc voltage. Without additional circuitry, however, this technique is limited to controlling very low-power loads. The...

Programmable DC/DC to 1000Vdc.(PRODUCT ALERT)
December 1, 2006... The "M" Family of converters are enclosed in either 1"x2"x0.4" or 2"x2"x0.5" metal cases. They are capable of producing a fully programmable output up to 1000Vdc and are available in both 5 Watt and 10 Watt packages. The on-board 5Vdc...

HiRel iMOTION[TM] motor drive module eliminates software development in high performance motors.(PRODUCT ALERT)
December 1, 2006... The IRMCT3UF1 is a fully-integrated high-reliability (HiRel) hybrid motor control module enabling digital, sensor-free vector control of permanent magnet motors in an eight-square-inch, 2.5-ounce package less than half the size of a discrete...

Ready-to-Go wireless!.(PRODUCT ALERT)
December 1, 2006... A compact network processor module, WiPort[TM] enables you to build wireless networking into virtually any electronic device with serial or Ethernet capability. With WiPort your products can be wirelessly accessed and controlled over a network...

On the go at Electronica, the global meet and greet.(trade show of electronics industry)(Editorial)
December 15, 2006... With all the sausages, pastries, and beer I consumed, I should have put on a few pounds at Electronica. But I walked several miles each day at the show, trying my best to cover 3500 exhibitors spread out over 14 halls, racing from meeting to...

What's all this floobydust, anyhow? (Part 14).(diagnosing heart attack)(disposing drugs which are expired)(Column)
December 15, 2006... My old friend Robert M. Milne retired a few months ago as editor of Electronic Design after 23 years. RMM has been my main contact with ED for 15 years, ever since this column began. Bob has been very helpful, and a really good sport, about...

Z-RAM steps into SRAM s territory.(static random access memory)(zero-capacitor dynamic random access memory)
December 15, 2006... Today's system-on-a-chip (SoC) designers face a myriad of challenges, not the least of which is shrinking the die size when memory dominates chip area and cost. And with each subsequent generation of silicon, that domination is steadily...

Forget about megapixels--try a single-pixel camera instead.(Richard Baraniuk and Kevin Kelly invented a camera using digital micromirror device )
December 15, 2006... The idea of a single-pixel camera may sound downright weird. But Richard Baraniuk, an electrical and computer engineering professor at Rice University, claims that a camera that captures several thousand points of light in rapid succession...

Electronic shirt lets you rock and roll.(Australia. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation invented wearable instrument shirt)(Brief article)
December 15, 2006... You don't need years of guitar lessons to jam like Jimi Hendrix. You don't even need a guitar! Australia's Commonwealth Scientific Industrial and Research Organisation (CSIRO) has developed the wearable instrument shirt (WIS), which uses...

Headphone audio shares connector with high-speed USB data.(Fairchild Semiconductor Corp.'s FSA201 and FSA221 multimedia switches )(universal serial bus)
December 15, 2006... Today's trend toward more functionality in portable products affects everything, including I/O ports. The FSA201 and FSA221 multimedia switches from Fairchild Semiconductor let designers run audio through their product's USB connector when it...

Thermally enhanced MOSFET line gets a breakdown-voltage boost.(TechVIEW: ANALOG & POWER)
December 15, 2006... Applications that often require MOSFETs with 200-V breakdown ratings include high-powered (up to 1000-W) class D audio amps, 48-V output ac-dc supplies (for synchronous rectification), brushless dc-motor drives (up to 1 hp), and isolated dc-dc...

Latest 65-nm FPGA stands for flexible power gateway to ASICs.(application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays)(Altera Stratix III )
December 15, 2006... FPGAs need flexibility, which in the past related directly to the types of designs a given FPGA could implement. Wouldn't it be nice to have more control over power consumption in addition to design flexibility? Altera's Stratix III delivers...

Design tip: lead-free DFM for pc boards.(TechVIEW: DIGITAL)(design for manufacturability)(printed circuit )
December 15, 2006... OEMs should understand that the packaging, thermal characteristics, and footprints of eutectic and lead-free components can be different, and these differences can be the basis for potentially costly manufacturing errors. Lead-free components...

Suite automates hardware, software, and system-level verification.(Incisive Palladium III from Cadence Design Systems Inc.)
December 15, 2006... In the electronic-system-level (ESL) realm, designers often can get a jumpstart on architectural definition and/or hardware/software co-design and verification. Yet the effort expended at these higher levels of abstraction is disconnected from...

Manufacturability checker and DFM optimizer form two-pronged assault on systematic IC failures.(TechVIEW: EDA)
December 15, 2006... After a three-year development effort, Clear Shape Technologies has hung out its shingle as a design-for-manufacturing (DFM) technology house with systematic process variability as its target. Two flagship products will take a dual approach to...

Encrypted hard disk keeps secrets.(Momentus 5400 FDE from Seagate Technology L.L.C)
December 15, 2006... Lock down your data without paying a performance penalty with Seagate's Momentus 5400 FDE.2 2.5-in. secure hard-disk drive with DriveTrust (see the figure). It incorporates full-disk, 128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) hardware-based...

CompactPCI gets rugged Wi-Fi.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 15, 2006... MEN Micro's 3U F209L brings IEEE 802.11b to CompactPCI. It's based on an 802.11b PCMCIA Prism 2.5 chip-set adapter that allows upgrades to other wireless technologies. Outdoor range is 600 m. Also, the F209L operates over the industrial...

SBC mixes multiple connectivity options.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 15, 2006... The LBC-GX500 EBX form-factor single-board computer (SBC) from WinSystems combines a 1-W AMD Geode GX500 and up to 512 Mbytes of SO-DIMM SDRAM with a range of wired and wireless communication interfaces, like MiniPCI-based 802.11, ZigBee,...

ARM7 gains access to 2 Gbytes of memory.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 15, 2006... The Atmel AT91SAM7SE line's external bus interface (EBI) provides direct access to up to 2 Gbytes of external memory in addition to 32 kbytes of RAM and 512 kbytes of on-chip flash. The dual-bank flash architecture permits full-speed execution...

Logic analyzer adds more memory, PCI Express/FPGA test capability.(TechVIEW: TEST)(Agilent Technologies Inc.'s 16900)(peripheral component interconnect)(field programmable gate arrays)(Brief article)
December 15, 2006... Good logic analyzers are vital to digital design validation and debugging. But they're playing an increasingly vital role because of the explosive use of FPGAs and the increased use of multilane serial buses like PCI Express and Serial ATA. The...

Get an RF vector signal generator for less than $10,000.(TechVIEW: TEST)(PrecisionWave p1411A)(Brief article)
December 15, 2006... Like luxury cars, good RF test instruments are expensive. Many engineers lust after some test instruments as if they were the latest 7 series BMW. PrecisionWave Corp. may be able to help without busting your budget. Its latest RF vector...

Make your own software-defined radio.(TechVIEW: WIRELESS)
December 15, 2006... Designing a software-defined radio (SDR) just got easier. With interest in multiprotocol radios growing in a host of applications, your next design could very well be an SDR. Some of the next-generation radios requiring an SDR architecture...

First "legal" wireless-use UWB radios get ready for business.(TechVIEW WIRELESS)(WiQuest Communications WQST101 and WQST110)(ultrawideband technology)(Brief article)
December 15, 2006... The Federal Communications Commission first approved Ultra-Wideband (UWB) operation in 2002. Lots of products have been announced in the hottest segment of the UWB market, wireless USB. But so far, none have passed the required FCC tests....

Putting new technology in perspective: EPIC Express rides the rails; hot on the heels of the new EPIC Express standard comes the first instantiation--Ampro's ReadyBoard 820.(Leapfrog: FIRST LOOK)(Ampro Computers Inc.)
December 15, 2006... With the ink barely dry on the EPIC Express standard, Ampro delivers the Ready-Board 820, the first of possibly many EPIC Express products (Fig. 1). This Pentium M-based platform fits into the same space as the EPIC standard, but it swaps the...

Putting new technology in perspective: Add 10G Ethernet and InfiniBand, then mix thoroughly; Mellanox's ConnectX host architecture blends 10G Ethernet and 20-Gbit/s InfiniBand.(Leapfrog: FIRST LOOK)
December 15, 2006... Cluster building is becoming ever-more common with InfiniBand, but these clusters never operate in isolation. This means a connection to the outside world, one that runs Ethernet. With the ConnectX hardware architecture from Mellanox, the two...

White goods become smart goods: the latest home appliances sport features that make their predecessors look as obsolete as washboards and iceboxes.(ENGINEERING FEATURE: WHITE GOODS)
December 15, 2006... Watch an LCD TV or surf the Web on your refrigerator. Chat with your washing machine. Let your dishwasher decide when the dishes are done. Enjoy a hot cup of joe with just the right amount of cream and sugar, dispensed by your coffee maker with...

Good or no good? An insider look at what works for ESL: the architects of today's most advanced system-level SoC design flows weigh in on models, interoperability, and their wish lists for the future.(TECHNOLOGY REPORT: SYSTEM-LEVEL DESIGN)
December 15, 2006... Electronic-system-level (ESL) design flows are for real. They're in use right now at some of the world's largest systems houses, and with those flows, chips are being taped out and put into production. So obviously, ESL flows can be made to...

Quickly find elusive signal-integrity problems in high-speed designs.(DesignVIEW: TEST)
December 15, 2006... Traditional approaches to finding signal-integrity issues in high-speed electronic designs involve using hardware triggering to isolate the event and/or deep-memory time acquisitions to capture the event and then find it later. The increasing...

Lithium-ion battery system upgrades require power-management analysis.(IFD)
December 15, 2006... As portable electronic systems become more sophisticated, selecting the optimum battery requires an intensive analysis of the entire power-management system. Many manufacturers now consider lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries because of their...

Supply constant power level to a varying load impedance.(Design BRIEFS INNOVATIVE DESIGNS FROM READERS)
December 15, 2006... How do you deliver constant power when the load impedance isn't constant? That problem arises, for example, in trying to maintain a warm LCD display on an outdoor gas pump in cold climates. As the heating element changes temperature, its...

ISI Lead Free Interposers for DDR2 BGAs.(PRODUCT ALERT)
December 15, 2006... ISI Lead Free Interposers allow OEMs to use standard eutectic (leaded) SMT assembly processes, even when BGAs are only available in lead-free packaging. DDR2 memory chips are one common application, although ISI supplies interposers for a...

Magnetics new Kool Mm, segments.(PRODUCT ALERT)
December 15, 2006... Extremely large ([greater than or equal to] 4.00 inches or 101.6 mm) shapes are possible with Magnetics Kool Mm Segments. Available as either a complete geometry (toroids or racetracks) or as individual interlocking segments* (arcs and I...

Probing Adapter for 48 pin QFN.(PRODUCT ALERT)
December 15, 2006... Ironwood Electronics' new Probing Adapter CA-QFN48A-L-Z-T-01 allows probing of 48 pin QFN's. Compatible with 7x7mm, 0.5mm pitch QFN's. SMT foot is soldered to IC pads. IC goes into socket on probing board which connects to PCB attached SMT foot...

CAPLUGS offers multipurpose containers.(PRODUCT ALERT)
December 15, 2006... (Buffalo, N.Y.)--Caplugs' new container can be used for anything and everything. The CON series was originally developed to hold tiny electronic parts, but they have been redeveloped to have several other functions, such as holding fishing...