Electronic Design articles from February 2009

Electronic Design archives from February 2009

Design solution.
February 12, 2009... Design solution | ED Online 20499 Brig Assay, Agilent Technologies The Fifth Harmonic: Tradeoffs Between Sampling And Real-Time Oscilloscopes Choosing the right oscilloscope for your application is a complicated process,...

Editor's view.(Editorial)
February 12, 2009... Editor's view | ED Online 20562 John Edwards, Contributing Editor Digital Technology Fuels The Analog Revolution With analog systems still firmly embedded in the technosphere, and generally more difficult to develop than comparable...

Editor's view.(Editorial)
February 12, 2009... Editor's view | ED Online 20538 Ron Schneiderman, Contributing Editor What Will President Obama's Chief Technology Officer Do? President Obama has announced plans to appoint the nation's first chief technology officer. Electronic...

Test & measurement techview.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
February 12, 2009... Test & Measurement Techview | ED Online 20550 David Maliniak, EDA/Test Editor 30-GHz Scope Claims Speed And Bandwidth Titles LeCroy's WaveMaster 8 Zi series digital oscilloscopes, serial data analyzers, and disk-drive analyzer are...

Lab bench.
February 12, 2009... Lab Bench | ED Online 20507 Bill Wong, Embedded/Systems/Software Editor Distributed Media System Courtesy Of D-Link Embedded/Systems/Software Editor Bill Wong takes a look at D-Link's DNS-321 NAS Media Server and the DSM-750...

New products showcase.
February 12, 2009... New Products Showcase Zenverge Advanced Media ICs Tony Masterson, COO/CTO of Zenverge, presents his company's Advanced Media IC family, which comprises the first single-chip devices to support the transcoding, decoding, and encoding of...

Engineering TV.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
February 12, 2009... Dodge Circuit EV From the 2009 NAIAS in Detroit, Engineering TV discusses the design and engineering behind the Dodge Circuit EV all-electric sports car with Lou Rhodes, president of ENVI and VP of Advanced Vehicle Engineering. The Dodge...

Standards groups showcase developments in consumer electronics.(Editorial)
February 12, 2009... As you might expect, industry standards that pertain to consumer electronics continue to evolve. The word "standard" seems to imply something that comes into being and then remains the same for many years. Although there is some truth in this,...

See CES from another point of view.(LabBench)
February 12, 2009... I definitely should have started at the Sands when I was at the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) last month. It would have given me a chance to have taken Anybot's QA tele-presence robot for a spin and save some shoe leather,...

Is ESL adoption really all that difficult?(FromSystemsToSilicon)(electronic system level )
February 12, 2009... The debate about design at the electronic system level (ESL) seems to be in full swing again. Some claim there is too much "stuff" in ESL and basically suggest incremental approaches. Others say that today's approaches aren't visionary enough...

3M film for viewing 3D films.(Techview)
February 12, 2009... Auto-stereoscopic displays forego the need for special viewing glasses to present true 3D. Now, 3M and Toshiba Matsushita Display have teamed up to deliver handheld, 3D, auto-stereoscopic LCDs for cell phones, mobile Internet devices, and other...

Low-power, dual 8-bit ADCs regulate their own operating voltage.(Techview)
February 12, 2009... The MAX19505, MAX19506, and MAX19507 8-bit, dual-channel analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) from Maxim Integrated Products provide a 49.8-dBFS signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and 69-dBc spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) at 70 MHz (see the...

Online poll.(Techview)
February 12, 2009... Online poll New technology will be key to the nation's economic recovery. Where should the industry focus its efforts? Alternative energy 67% Other 8% Military/aerospace technology 14%...

The DTV transition: will it happen? What can we expect?(Techview)
February 12, 2009... Since 2005, we have been hearing that analog TV will go off the air on February 17 and that high-definition digital television (DTV) will replace it. The government and the television stations have been preparing since then, and everything is...

The pulse quickens for cutting-edge medical electronics advances: from implantable organs and sensors to remote monitoring devices, the technology is laying the foundation for higher-efficiency, lower-cost, and more accurate healthcare.(Cover Feature)(Cover story)
February 12, 2009... Picture this: A heart patient is experiencing fluid buildup in the lungs--an early sign of heart failure. But, an implantable sensory medical device in the patient emits a signal to both the patient and his physician via a Bluetooth-equipped...

Algorithmic design starts at the top: in abstraction, it doesn't get much higher than the algorithmic level. Yet it's the preferred place to begin, particularly in the realm of standards-based communications and streaming-video designs.(Technology Report)
February 12, 2009... Design work can be approached in a number of different ways. But when it comes to standards-based designs for systems centering on wireless connectivity or multimedia, it makes more sense than ever to consider starting at least some parts of...

Step up to DDR3 memory: embracing DDR3 memory means higher performance, lower power, and simpler board design, but at the cost of interface complexity.(Engineering Essentials)
February 12, 2009... With its 2007 release of the DDR3 SDRAM standard, JEDEC promised dramatic performance improvements at reduced power. The key to gaining those benefits lies in a complex physical-layer (PHY) interface that incorporates automatic calibration of...

Ethernet and PCI Express: a match made in ...(EmbeddedinED)
February 12, 2009... Ethernet remains the network of choice, but now there are alternatives to running it on the backplane. PLX Technology looks to tunnel Ethernet via PCI Express (PCIe), allowing both protocols to run over a single PCI Express backplane. This...

FPGAs move to 40 nm.(EmbeddedinED)
February 12, 2009... New FPGAs from Altera and Xilinx have hit 40 nm and continue to push the performance envelope. The Stratix IV line from Altera comes in enhanced (E) and transceiver-based (GX) versions. The top end of the GX version supports 48 channels...

Get the jump on next-gen enterprise-class wireless access points: using 32-bit RISC communication processors helps designersmeet the price, performance, power, and security challenges of 802.11n.(DesignSolution)
February 12, 2009... The higher data rates and advanced services expected of next-generation 802.11n (Wi-Fi) and WiMAX-based wireless enterprise access points (APs) will require engineers to carefully balance the need for higher performance with cost and power...

Calibrated noise test setup increases measurement repeatability.(IdeasForDesign)
February 12, 2009... Noise measurements can be problematic. They often yield a different result with every measurement, even when nothing in the circuit is changing. The test circuit in the figure minimizes this uncertainty in equipment performance (but not, of...

Power control circuit limits on time to prevent MOSFET burnout.(IdeasForDesign)
February 12, 2009... A power control device that protects against MOSFET burnout was designed using a well-known gated-oscillator circuit. The circuit prevents excessive On time for the MOSFETs beyond a permitted limit. The R1-C1 time constant forms a timing...

Build a device emulator around an off-the-shelf universal serial bus bridge.(IdeasForDesign)
February 12, 2009... From its introduction in 1995, the Universal Serial Bus (USB) quickly gained widespread acceptance for connecting peripherals to personal computers. More recently, its ease of use, expandability, high bandwidth, and low cost have suited it...

What's all this time-domain stuff, anyhow?(PeasePorridge)
February 12, 2009... Last night, I was attacking a thorny problem and thought about the time domain. I think about circuits, as an engineer, in the time domain. When something happens, or changes, then something else can happen--or may start to happen. Is that...

One Powerful Day.
February 26, 2009... The Electronic Design Group brings the latest in power design information directly to your desktop with One Powerful Day. This online conference will feature panels on hot topics like thermal management, supercapacitors, energy harvesting, and...

Webinar.
February 26, 2009... Building Battery Arrays With Lithium-Ion Cells Robin Sarah Tichy, MicroPower Inc. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] More applications are adopting lithium-ion (Li-ion) technology. This March 4 webcast will explain the options available to...

2009 International CES.
February 26, 2009... Video Reports If you couldn't make it to January's 2009 International CES in Las Vegas, don't worry. We've got you covered. Our nearly 40 video segments include interviews with representatives from industry leaders like Freescale...

From systems to silicon.
February 26, 2009... ED Online 20552 What's In A System? Frank Schirrmeister, Synopsys Inc. There's a buzz about system-level design, specifically around ESL, centering around which technologies should be considered part of ESL. Some system-level...

Lab bench online.
February 26, 2009... ED Online 20610 Bill Wong, Embedded/Systems/Software Editor Java Eclipses ZigBee Single-chip ZigBee platforms tend to be small and programmed in C or C++, but putting Java on one of them is a challenge--but not impossible. Take...

New products showcase.
February 26, 2009... The Agilent Jammer David Maliniak, EDA/Test Editor Yenyi Fu of Agilent Technologies demonstrates the Jammer, an inline error-injection tool for PCI Express protocol testing. To see the video, go to...

Engineering TV.
February 26, 2009... The Chevy Volt Lithium-Ion Battery Denise Gray, GM's director of hybrid energy storage systems engineering, discusses the Chevy Volt's lithium-ion battery cells. The Volt's 16-kWh T-shaped lithium-ion battery, which is roughly 6 ft long...

Pointing makes a point in consumer and industrial products.(Editorial)
February 26, 2009... Apparently, the world isn't satisfied with ordinary remote controls, game controllers, and even Nintendo's Wii Remote. I say this because I saw pointing devices and controllers that break new ground at the 2009 International CES in Las Vegas...

Embedded C bashing.(LabBench)
February 26, 2009... I love C. I started using it on DEC PDPs and Intel 8080s ages ago. It has long since replaced assembler and, along with C++, remains the programming language of choice in the embedded tool space according to most surveys. [ILLUSTRATION...

Worldwide projects push forward in networking, security, and VoIP.(EyeOnEurope)
February 26, 2009... Europe is experiencing a flurry of technology developments as companies address the growing communications demands of the 21st century--networking technology, fiber-optic security, and power consumption in Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)...

Universal broadcast TV is heading for a notebook near you.(Techview)
February 26, 2009... People who watch broadcast TV on notebook computers typically do so via a USB stick or PC Card connected to an external antenna. Reception usually consists of a TV standard or two, such as ATSC. If this sounds cumbersome and limiting, it is....

Online poll.(Techview)
February 26, 2009... Which medical technology will have the greatest effect on healthcare? Artificial implants 10% Better sensors and monitoring 15% Telepresence/remote treatment 20% MEMS and nanotechnology 40% Other ...

Low-power equalizer/driver simplifies 10-Gbit/s optical links.(Techview)
February 26, 2009... Before you can transmit data at 10 Gbits/s over any optical or copper cable, you need equalization and careful retiming--and the Phyworks PHY1066 equalizer/driver/retimer IC provides these qualities (see the figure). It's designed for use in...

Wireless module enables Wi-Fi embedded I/O and Internet access.(Techview)
February 26, 2009... How would you like to use Wi-Fi as the I/O port on your next 8-bit embedded design--and automatically access the Internet? The ZeroG Wireless ZG2100 single-chip Wi-Fi transceiver chip lets designers add Wi-Fi to almost any electronic device. If...

Accelerometer slashes power in mobile systems.(Analog Devices Inc.)(Brief article)
February 26, 2009... The ADXL345 three-axis digital iMEMS (integrated microelectromechanical-system) accelerometer is the lowest-power device in its class, according to Analog Devices. It uses 80% less power than other three-axis inertial sensors and incorporates...

Sound check: silicon MEMS microphones ready to make lots of noise: companies in this small arena are mapping strategies for a much bigger commodity market beyond 2010, aiming to replace electret condenser microphones and address new application requirements.(Cover Feature)
February 26, 2009... What's that rumbling? It's the ever-loudening boom expected to stand the silicon microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) microphone market on its collective ears. Forecasters say the market explosion will really unfold after 2009. ...

Parallel programming is here to stay: one size does not fit all, and it never will. Parallel programming looks to level the playing field by leveraging multicore hardware.(Technology Report)
February 26, 2009... It was easy to program applications in the days when one chip, one core were common. Single-chip solutions remain the target of many systems, especially for mobile applications. But these days, they're likely to include more than one processing...

Can home networking find a happy medium? Multiple standards and methods continue to jostle for the top spots within the home-entertainment and home-control connectivity world.(Engineering Essentials)
February 26, 2009... Do you need a home network? Many consumers seem to be wondering just that, with the prospect of a total home-networking solution hovering for more than a decade now. Many homes, in fact, already have some form of networking in place today. And...

Powering the signal path: using an integrated flyback IC along with post filtering will deliver a high-performance split-rail power supply.(DesignSolution)
February 26, 2009... Power delivered to sensitive analog circuitry must be treated differently than power for digital circuitry. All circuits are affected by noise delivered through the power supply, yet analog loads tend to be more sensitive. The actual type of...

Isolated receiver/converter uses multichannel opto-isolator.(IdeasForDesign)
February 26, 2009... The accurate transmission of analog signals over long distances in noisy industrial environments is a difficult design problem. One of the oldest solutions--isolated current loops--is still one of the best. This Idea For Design presents a...

THD-enhanced bias circuit design targets class AB buffers.(IdeasForDesign)
February 26, 2009... Bias circuits for class AB buffers (Fig. 1a) can take several forms. One alternative (not necessarily the best) is usually called the "old [V.sub.BE] doubler" (Fig. 1b). [FIGURE OMITTED] The main purpose of these circuits is to provide...

Create your own fan driver circuit for an active heatsink.
February 26, 2009... Even robotic systems occasionally need a cooling fan. When they do, the cooling circuit must be an intelligent one that makes minimal demands on power consumption and space. The circuit described here is such a cooling fan driver for an active...

Mature display technology still viable in advancing markets.(ElectronicDesignProducts)
February 26, 2009... When we think of displays these days, the first technologies that come to mind are LCDs, LEDs and organic LEDs (OLEDs), and touchscreens. These components, though not new, proliferate and evolve because of a number of factors. ...

Future-proof low-profile 1U and 2U systems with high-speed connectors.(ElectronicDesignProducts)
February 26, 2009... Choosing connectors that meet increased speed and density requirements for low-profile 1U and 2U rack-mountable systems is a complex task. Increases in signal-pin counts and power consumption have turned system packaging design for optimal...

Digitally controlled supplies meet med specs.(TDK-Lambda Corporation)(Brief article)
February 26, 2009... Delivering up to 300 W for medical applications primarily, the EFE300M series digitally controlled power supplies carry approvals for IEC/EN/UL/CSA 60950-1 for general-purpose applications, IEC/EN 61010-1 for laboratory and process-control...

6-W dc-dc converter includes reinforced insulation.(POWER SOURCES)
February 26, 2009... Packing 6 W of output power, the THB-6 series dc-dc converter modules in 24-pin dual-inline packages (DIPs) provide 4 kV ac of isolation via supplementary, reinforced insulation. They feature input-voltage ranges of 9 to 18 V dc, 18 to 36 V dc,...

1-A POL regulators replace linear components.(MicroPower Direct)(Brief article)
February 26, 2009... The SR7810 series point-of-load (POL) switching regulators deliver up to 12 W of output power and are designed to replace inefficient linear regulators (LM78xx type) for board-level applications. Five standard models operate from inputs of 4.75...

DIN-mount ac-dc supplies deliver 24 W.(MicroPower Direct)(Brief article)
February 26, 2009... For industrial applications requiring compact DIN rail packaging, the AD1024 series 24-W ac-dc power supplies provide a universal input range and up to 83% efficiency. Four models in the series operate from a 100- to 240-V ac input and deliver...

12/20-W dc-dc converters sport ultra-wide input range.(POWER SOURCES)
February 26, 2009... Encapsulated in DIP24 metal packages, the 12-W JTF12 series dc-dc converters measure 31.75 by 20.32 by 10.4 mm, and the 20-W JTM20 series comes in a 25.4- by 50.8-mm, industry-standard mounting format. Both series deliver an efficiency up to...

1-W dc-dc converter resides in SMD package.(POWER SOURCES)
February 26, 2009... The TES-1 series isolated dc-dc converter modules deliver 1 W of output power, suiting them for a wide array of applications including ground-loop elimination and voltage isolation in digital interface applications. The series consists of 18...

5-W dc-dc converters sport ultra-wide inputs.(POWER SOURCES)
February 26, 2009... Promoted as a low-cost family of 5-W dc-dc converters, the I500RU series features an ultra-wide 4:1 input voltage range, efficiencies to 86%, industry-standard pinouts, and tight line/load regulation. Sixteen models operate from 4:1 input...

Lithium coin-cell holders sport rugged, low-profile design.(POWER SOURCES)
February 26, 2009... For secure retention of #2450 lithium coin cells with low-profile holders, Keystone Electronics' latest polarized coin-cell holders feature dual-spring contacts and are available on tape and reel (Part #1054TR) and in bulk (Part #1054). Useable...

45-W supplies power electrostatic air and oil cleaner devices.(POWER SOURCES)(Brief article)
February 26, 2009... The LHV-45 series 45-W electrostatic air and oil cleaner power supplies offer an auto-ranging ac input and 1- to 30-kV dc output voltages. Fully encapsulated, the power supplies provide constant-voltage, constant-power, and constant-current...

LED assembly delivers wide color range.(DISPLAYS)
February 26, 2009... With four 1-W LED die on a single assembly for solid-state lighting applications, the OV4Z Optimal IV Star series star-shaped red/green/blue/amber LED assemblies are available in mono-color or RGBA packages. They feature a recessed die design...

LED holder enables fast connectivity, provides thermal management.(DISPLAYS)
February 26, 2009... The Star Board LED Pixel Holder promises fast and easy integration of high-intensity LED packages into fixtures by addressing electrical, thermal, and mechanical requirements in a single package. Consisting of a cast aluminum heatsink, plastic...

Multicolor LED displays stretch viewing distance.(DISPLAYS)
February 26, 2009... Readable at distances up to 600 ft, the Plant Floor Marquee (PFM) series LED displays feature a graphical three-color display and are available in four sizes. The series takes advantage of features common to the company's G3 series HMI, Data...

Evaluation kit supports XLamp LEDs.(DISPLAYS)
February 26, 2009... Promising to simplify the design of RGB-based white lighting LED systems with Cree XLamp LEDs, a combination of the company's PSoC Designer 5.0 visual design software and the CY3265C-RGB evaluation kit allows designers to input the selected...

RF filters outfit W-CDMA amps.(Murata Electronics North America Inc.)(Brief article)
February 26, 2009... Groomed for use in W-CDMA amplifiers, the DFCL series RF dielectric block-type filters measure 10.6 by 6 by 4.8 mm and require 72% less mounting space than the company's previous filter generations. The components sport a sophisticated...

Four-way/two-way combiner/dividers cover 2 to 6 GHz.(PASSIVE COMPONENTS)(Brief article)
February 26, 2009... The latest four-way and two-way combiner/dividers from Innovative Power Products cover a bandwidth from 2 GHz through 6 GHz at 100 W. Housed in a 5- by 2.5 by 0.8-in. package with SMA connectors, the IPP-1013 combines or divides four signals up...

Inverter chokes are durable and maintenance-free.(PASSIVE COMPONENTS)(Brief article)
February 26, 2009... Groomed for inverters deployed in wind turbines, the SMP Sintermetalle Prometheus low-loss chokes promise a long service life via their maintenance-free design. High energy efficiency comes by way of a compact design and through the use of...

Multi-pulse varistors sport rugged design.(PASSIVE COMPONENTS)(Brief article)
February 26, 2009... Described as exceptionally rugged, the latest series of multiple-pulse varistors from Epcos Inc. suits applications experiencing repetitive surges such as switch-mode power supplies, drives, or general overvoltage protection modules. The...

MLCCs stand up to ESD.(PASSIVE COMPONENTS)
February 26, 2009... The E-series multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) from Epcos Inc. employ X7R material and promise to be significantly more resistant to electrostatic discharge (ESD) pulses than standard type capacitors, according to the company. The...

Wire-wound inductors handle high current in EIA 1210 form factor.(PASSIVE COMPONENTS)
February 26, 2009... The BRL3225 series wire-wound chip inductors from Taiyo Yuden measure 3.2 by 2.5 mm with a 1.7-mm maximum height and combine high current and inductance with low dc resistance. For example, the BRL3225T-1R0M handles 2.4 A at 1-[mu]H inductance...

Mailbox.(PeasePorridge)
February 26, 2009... HI BOB, We know that the noise power generated in a resistor is proportional to temperature. If we have a resistor with a zero thermal coefficient so that the resistance is constant with the temperature, does the temperature of the...