Electronic Design articles from June 2003

Electronic Design archives from June 2003

Visit our revamped web site; or should I say "your" site, because this site's for you. (Editorial).(Editorial)
June 9, 2003... Have you had a chance to visit our new and improved Web site yet? If not, please power up and surf to www.elecdesign.com. Whether you love it or hate it, we want your feedback. Here's a guided tour of some of the improvements we've made and...

How the war in Iraq affected engineers. (Letters to the Editor).(Letter to the Editor)
June 9, 2003... Dear Editor: "War is hell for our troops..." At Fort Benning, Georgia, there was a time when young infantry officers were shown how to use anti-tank and anti-personnel mines as defensive weapons. After the mines were deployed, a detailed map...

Low regard by Europeans. (Letters to the Editor).(Letter to the Editor)
June 9, 2003... Dear Editor: I read "The War With Iraq Affects Each Of Us Differently, Depending On Our Job" [April 28th, p. 19] and can relate my experience to you. Currently, I work for a company trying to go global and go public at the same time. From...

The downside of war. (Letters to the Editor).(Letter to the Editor)
June 9, 2003... Dear Editor: I now work behind several 8-foot fences and have my car inspected when I arrive on the job. Noncitizens must endure a five-year background check, are required to renew their badge every three months, and have to be escorted...

What's all this April Floobydust stuff, anyhow? (Part 12). (Pease Porridge).
June 9, 2003... Since it's now June, you can consider this my April Fools' joke. And now on to the latest Floobydust items: There's a new educational facility on the Web, called Analog University, from National Semiconductor. It supplies good teaching...

Interface logic will never die. (POV: Point of View).
June 9, 2003... The design community has a love/hate relationship with interface logic. Many designers would like to see it incorporated in ASICs or replaced by some type of programmable gate array at the start of every design. This desire to eliminate...

MEMS switch puts SoC radios on the cusp: this MEMS switch technology for multiband/multimode RF systems heralds the anticipated system-on-a-chip radio. (Communications).(STMicroelectronics)
June 9, 2003... Slowly, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) device have found homes, mostly optical switching and processing. STMicroelectronics has no stretched their reach by demonstrating an RF MEMS switch for use as a band and circuit reconfiguration...

High-brightness LED engines look to replace incandescents. (Components).(Lamina Ceramics)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Targeting commercial and industrial applications like road signage, automobiles, and industrial lighting, a new series of low-cost LED light engines features brightness levels of up to 840 lumens/[in.sup.2]. Based on Lamina ceramics'...

IC-style packaging shrinks 15-A dc-dc converter: point-of-load converter integrates power semiconductors with layout-sensitive passives in space-saving LGA. (TechView: Analog & Power).(PowerOne's maXyz family )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Power-supply vendor PowerOne ventures into the power semiconductor area with its maXyz family of non-isolated dc-dc converters housed in LGA packages. Targeting point-of-load (POL) applications, particularly those associated with intermediate...

Boost chip exploits multiphase at lower power levels. (Hot Products).(Linear Technology's LTC3425 )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Multiphase synchronous rectification has seen extensive application in high-current, low-voltage step-down applications. With the LTC3425 synchronous boost converter, Linear Technology extends the benefits of multiphase design to lower-power...

Sixteenth bricks hit the market. (Hot Products).(Astec Power's ALX series )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Astec Power has introduced what may be the first sixteenth-brick dc-dc converter in the market, a 0.8- by 1.65- by 0.33-in, surface-mount unit with the same pin assignments as the company's eighth and quarter bricks. To develop the new format,...

A chip-scale packaging technology for RF functions. (Breaking News).(Tessera's Pyxis )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... A chip-scale packaging technology for RF functions. Tessera's Pyxis promises to be a lower-cost, more compact alternative to ceramic and laminate approaches. Pyxis combines the company's [micro]BGA technology with flip-chip assembly, integrated...

National Semiconductor has launched a free online resource. (Breaking News).(Analog University )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... National Semiconductor has launched a free online resource to educate designers on a range of analog topics. The company's Analog University offers an interactive, self-paced multimedia learning environment in which designers with different...

By widening the output current tolerance to [+ or -] 25%. (Breaking News).(Power Integration 's LNK500 power-conversion IC)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... By widening the output current tolerance to [+ or -] 25% on its LinkSwitch power-conversion IC, Power Integration further reduced the cost of building low-power switching power supplies. The LNK500 costs $0.31 per unit in million-piece...

ADSL router-on-a-chip chops gateway size, cost: by integrating analog, digital, and power-management functionality, a new IC makes for much simpler router design in home-networking gateways. (TechView: Communications).(Texas Instruments AR7 )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... The Texas Instruments AR7 ADSL router integrates all digital and analog functions, power management, and hundreds of discrete components onto one chip, reducing the bill of materials by 25% for the typical home router. It can greatly simplify...

Tiny T3/E3/DS3 chips trim line-card costs. (Hot Product).(Dallas Semiconductor's DS315x family )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... ALTHOUGH TI LINES DOMINATE THE NETWORKING WORLD, the growing demand for higher data rates and greater subscriber capacity has created a run on faster T3 lines. Remember that T3 runs at a maximum rate of 44.736 Mbits/s, which is the equivalent...

MEMS microphone-amp chip breaks acoustics ground: designed for hearing aids and cell-phone microphones, this advanced-design IC portends "killer" applications. (TechView: Components & Test).(Akustica)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... A combination MEMS microphone/amplifier chip holds the promise of generating large-scale applications for hearing aids and cell phones. According to Akustica's CEO and CTO, Kaigham (Ken) Gabriel, the company believes its new chip will make a...

Multivalue arrangements found in SMT ceramic capacitors. (Hot Product).(Yageo's Phycomp X2Y series )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... A NEW FAMILY OF MULTIVALUE capacitors provides multiple capacitance values within a single surface-mount package. They combine broadband-filtering characteristics with an exceptionally small footprint. Yageos Phycomp X2Y series arrays...

Data-flow control memories handle many data streams: by integrating memory queues, multiplexers, and control logic, these data-flow memories manage data movement in digital communication/network systems. (TechView: Digital).(Integrated Device Technology's IDT72T552xx, 72T512xx and 72T515xx)
June 9, 2003... In networking and data-communications systems, data streams constantly move from subsystem to subsystem. To avoid data starvation or data overflow, most systems use large memory queues, multiplexers, and control logic to manage the data...

10-Gbit/S PHYs tackle Sonet and XAUI demands. (Hot Products).(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Using standard 0.18-[micro]m CMOS technology, Xilinx Inc. came up with a I0-Gbit/s implementation of the RocketPHY family of physical-layer (PHY) transceivers. In addition to offering standalone models, the company will also incorporate the...

SystemVerilog's promise bears verification fruit: A design-for-verification methodology corrals SystemVerilog's inherent capabilities and a new tool that meshes formal methods with simulation. (TechView: EDA).(Synopsys' Magellan)
June 9, 2003... Hinging on a new hybrid formal register-transfer-level (RTL) verification product, a design-for-verification (DFV) methodology from Synopsys leverages SystemVerilog's capabilities to integrate verification throughout the design process. The...

Formal tool smashes through capacity barrier. (Hot Product).(Jasper Design Automation's JasperGold)
June 9, 2003... FORMAL-VERIFICATION TECHNOLOGY is steadily gaining credence as a way to ferret out well hidden bugs in designs. Yet formal technology suffers from the huge number of state spaces found in nanometer designs. They're simply becoming too large for...

Graphics ICs advance to near-cinematic levels for the computer. (Leapfrog: First Look).(Industry Overview)
June 9, 2003... Upgrades in their architectures along with the integration of large buffer memories enable the new breed of graphics ICs to deliver supercomputer-like graphics performance on a single chip. Today's computers can generate movie-quality 3D...

Full steam ahead for the WLAN Juggernaut: advances made with the 802.11 standard keep the wireless LAN field on pace for record growth, with new products arriving at a furious speed. (Cover Feature: Technology Report).(Industry Overview)
June 9, 2003... DURING THIS PAST YEAR, WIRELESS LOCAL-AREA NETWORKING, specifically 802.11 Wi-Fi, experienced unprecedented growth during a crippling downturn. According to Mike Wagner, director of marketing at major WLAN hardware supplier Linksys, unit growth...

Little Linux. (Special Editorial Feature: Embedded in Electronic Design).(Brief Article)(Editorial)
June 9, 2003... My daughter and I attended the Fire Fighting Robot Contest at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. It was great fun to see hundreds of high schoolers compete with autonomous robots based on a wide range of hardware, from PC/104 and Parallax...

Linux debuts on 32- and 64-bit embedded CPUs. (Special Editorial Feature: Embedded in Electronic Design).(Timesys Linux's SH4-202 MicroDev development kit )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Timesys Linux added support for its SuperH SH-4 and SH-5 32- and 64-bit RISC CPUs (www.superh.corn). The SH4-202 MicroDev development kit supports the patent-pending TimeSys Linux/Reservations technology. It builds on the Eclipse-based...

USB 2 hub handles OTG. (Special Editorial Feature: Embedded in Electronic Design).(Standard Microsystems' USB20H4)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Standard Microsystems' USB20H4 hub chip supports the USB 2.0 On-The-Go (OTG) Session Request Protocol (SRP) on the upstream port and can handle traffic up to 480 Mbits/s. It supports two downstream ports without local power and four with power....

ICE for network MCU. (Special Editorial Feature: Embedded in Electronic Design).(MetaLink's MetalCE-XF family of emulators )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Debugging apps for Dallas Semiconductor/Maxim's DS80C400 MCU (www.maxim-ic.com) got a bit easier with the release of the compact MetalCE-XF family of emulators from MetaLink Corp. It supports processor speeds up to 40 MHz with a 512-kbyte...

Compiler suite boosts run-time performance. (Special Editorial Feature: Embedded in Electronic Design).(Sun ONE Studio 8.0)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Getting better performance simply by recompiling is usually music to a developer's ears. Sun's Sun ONE Studio 8 addresses C, C++ on Solaris Sparc, x86 platforms, and Fortran applications. Observed run-time improvements include 17% for SPECfp...

Mobile Pentium consumes 20 W: the Pentium M creatively cuts corners to save power and keep performance. (Embedded Processor Series).
June 9, 2003... Attaining x86 compatibility is often a power-to-performance tradeoff, one that Intel addressed with a new Pentium M line of processors and support chips that targets an array of embedded applications. Intel has been listening to embedded...

Tiny Linux is a big secret: while squeezing in compact MMU-less systems, uClinux builds on Linux kernel. (Embedded Operating System Series).
June 9, 2003... Fitting Linux into a couple megs of memory is a tough task, especially if a secondary storage device isn't available. At the low end is where uClinux really shines, making it ideal for small, 32-bit embedded applications. This tiny...

ENET switch feeds PICMG 2.16 fabric. (News).(IPnexus CPC6600 )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Targeted at blade servers, the 24-port IPnexus CPC6600 delivers layer 2/layer 3 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity to the entire chassis. It supports dual 44-Gbit/s switching fabrics. Also, real-time continuous integrity checks allow nonstop...

Residential gateway supports SIP. (News).(Arcturus Networks' S3C2500 Residential Gateway Platform)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Building a sophisticated residential gateway product should get easier with Arcturus Networks' S3C2500 Residential Gateway Platform. Options include an HDLC Extension Module for T1/E1 support, four-port DSP voice codecs, Smartcard...

Debugger stops thread groups. (News).(Green Hills Software's Multi )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Green Hills Software's Multi debugger adds support for thread group breakpoints, along with a number of other new features. This comes in handy when dealing with multithreaded applications that interact with each other. The new run-mode JTAG...

XScale platform simplifies designs. (News).(InHand Electronics' Elf3 )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Putting together a compact, portable device is no easy task. But starting with InHand Electronics' 104- by 70-mm Elf3 platform can greatly simplify the job. The 400-MHz XScale-based Elf3 consumes 400 to 1200 mW using InHand's BatterySmart...

VisualLynux for Visual Studio.Net. (News).(Lynuxworks' VisualLynux 5.0 )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... If you're familiar with Microsoft's Visual Studio.Net but need to target Linux as an embedded platform, Lynuxworks' VisualLynux 5.0 may be the solution. It adds a small toolbar to the IDE and a host of Linux tools including cross compilers, a...

SATA gets flexible. (News).(Palmchip's BK-3720 )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... With Palmchip's BK-3720 host controller core, it will be easier to include embedded Serial ATA interfaces in custom designs. The BK-3720 implements the Serial ATA 1.0A specification that runs at 150 Mbytes/s. It supports 48-bit addressing and...

Mobile proto system goes Xscale. (News).(Applied Data's Bitsy-X)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Applied Data's Bitsy-X development system uses a 400-MHz Intel PXA255 processor. The prototype system comes with a 1024 by 768 flat panel. The development system costs $3800. The ruggedized (-40[degrees]C to 85[degrees]C) Bitsy-X processor...

Windows CE.Net receives facelift. (News).(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... The latest incarnation of this real-time operating system includes support for Internet Protocol Firewall and layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP), Internet Protocol Security (IPsec), and the Telephony User Interface. Internet Explorer 6 for...

SBC does CE.Net. (News).(WinSystems' EBC-LP )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... WinSystems' EBC-LP runs an air-cooled, 166-MHz Pentium with a 10/100-Mbit/s Ethernet controller, USB, four serial ports, and one parallel port. It supports up to 64 Mbytes of SDRAM and a 1-Gbyte Disk-on-Chip. The 2-Mbyte PCI video controller...

RapidChip: A ready-made revolution...no matter how you slice it.
June 9, 2003... Introducing 7 IP-Rich Foundation Slices The growing space between cell-based ASIC and FPGA implementation provides designers with clear reason to experience the hybrid advantages of RapidChip[TM]. This unique design platform now hosts...

Put the whammy on RF noise, EMI without hurting performance. (Design View Analog).
June 9, 2003... At some point, you've probably wondered why some airlines require you to turn off all electronic equipment for 10 minutes or so prior to takeoff and landing. In fact, some airlines don't allow such equipment to be turned on during any part...

100MHz op amp features low noise rail-to-rail performance while consuming only 2.5mA. (Design Notes: Advertisement).(Linear Technology LT6202, LT6203 and LT6204 )
June 9, 2003... Design Note 308 The new LT[R] 6202 op amp combines 100MHz gain-bandwidth, 1.9nV/[square root of (Hz)] voltage noise and rail-to-rail inputs and outputs, while consuming only 2.5mA. It also features a low 0.75pA/[square root of (Hz)]...

Generate dual voltages that track by percentage of range. (Design Briefs).
June 9, 2003... Consider the need to vary two voltages, V1 and V2, by an equal percentage of their ranges ([V1.sub.MAX]-[V1.sub.MIN]) and ([V2.sub.MAX] - [V2.sub.MIN]), with [V1.sub.MAX], [V1.sub.MIN], [V2.sub.MAX], and [V2.sub.MIN] independent of each other....

Substitute phone power supply stops hum during audio testing. (Design Briefs).
June 9, 2003... When developing quality devices that interface with telephone lines, sensitive audio measurements are sometimes needed. However, both frequency noise and distortion added by the test equipment--as well as low-frequency signals derived from the...

Battery-charger IC cuts circuit size in half. (Power & Analog).(Linear Technology LTC4008 4-A)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Measuring only 5.6 [cm.sup.2], the LTC4008 4-A multicell, multichemistry battery-pack charger is 50% smaller than conventional battery charger designs. The IC drives external MOSFETs synchronously to achieve over 95% efficiency when operating...

High speed and small size equal robust single-output supplies. (Power & Analog).(Deltron G series )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... The G series ultra-compact, 300-W single output power supplies are available in a 1U high package, providing maximum flexibility in system design. Units can be used as individual modules for embedded system power. They also can be configured...

Harness multiple wavelengths in tight spaces with 40-channel DAC. (Power & Analog).(Analog Devices's AD5380)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Thanks to a high channel count, the AD5380 40-channel, 14-bit resolution voltage-output digital-to-analog converter (DAC) facilitates control of large numbers of wavelengths in small spaces. It can operate from a 5-V supply. An on-chip low...

PC/104 connector defines isolated power supply. (Power & Analog).(Sensoray's)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... The model 207 P0/104 isolated power supply features 1500-V maximum I/O isolation and an operating temperature range of -25[degrees]C to 71[degrees]C. It converts input voltages of 9 to 36 V do to output voltages of 5 V dc at 2 A maximum or [+...

Rectifier systems output 3000/4000 W of power. (Power & Analog).(XPIQ's CDP3K and CDP4K )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Targeted for distributed power applications, the CDP3K and CDP4K rectifier/front-end systems also work as rectifiers for float-charging battery applications. The CDP3K provides 3000 W of output power from a 5.0- by 5.0- by 12.12-in. package. In...

High-power-density rectifier provides 1500 W in 2U package. (Power & Analog).(Cherokee International CAR1548)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... The CAR1548 rectifier system is designed to operates as part of a complete distributed power architecture system that supports today's optical routing, switching, data, storage, enterprise networks, and broadband applications. The CAR1548...

Step-down dc-dc controllers step up flexibility, efficiency. (Power & Analog).(Texas Instruments' TPS4005x and TPS4006x)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Two families of synchronous voltage-mode dc-dc controllers can step down input voltage ranges from 8 to 40 V and 10 to 55 V. The TPS4005x and TPS4006x controllers infuse added flexibility, power efficiency, and ease of use for designers of...

Low insertion loss is a major gain for mini RF transformers. (Power & Analog).(Pulse Engineering's CX20xxL)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... With their low insertion loss, the CX20xxL miniature RF transformers offer the signal integrity needed in sophisticated RF applications like set-top boxes, cable modems, wireless basestations, and wireless networking equipment. They come in...

Match up voltages with dual-voltage translator buffer. (Power & Analog).(Fairchild Semiconductor's FXLP34)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... The troublesome task of dealing with differing voltages can be placated with the FXLP34 single-bit, dual-voltage translator buffer. It lets designers mix and match different voltage levels. The buffer provides a low-noise buffered interface...

15-A compact POL converter cuts parts count by 90%. (Power & Analog).(Power-One's X3015P point-of-load converter)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... The X3015P point-of-load (POL) converter, which delivers 15 A from a 10- by 12-mm footprint, provides a current density of over 80 A/in. (2) and operates with a wide input-voltage range of 3.0 to 6.0 V dc. Its programmable output ranges from...

Counter/timers, digital I/O populate single PMC module. (Embedded).(Acromag's PMC424 and PMC464)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Two multifunction I/O modules feature both digital I/O and counter/timer functions on a single PMC module. The PMC424 provides 40 digital I/O channels for transistor-transistor logic (TTL) and differential signals plus four 16-bit...

Serial ports reach sweet 16 for PCI I/O adapter. (Embedded).(Sealevel Systems COMM+16.PCI )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... With its 16 RS-232 ports, the COMM+16.PCI serial I/O adapter claims to offer the highest serial port count available in a PCI format As a result, it can connect to planar lightwave circuits (PLCs), barcode readers, scales, and other...

Pentium-level SBC operates in rugged conditions. (Embedded).(MEN Micro F7N)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... The F7N single-board computer (860) combines the high performance of Intel's Pentium CPUs with rugged operation and an extended temperature range. This single-slot SBC comes in either the 3U Eurocard or 6U double Eurocard form factor. It's...

6U CompactPCI SBC leverages high-end processor. (Embedded).(Momentum Computer Civet-C )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... The 6U CompactPCI Civet-C single-board computer (SBC) is based on IBM's 440GP PowerPC processor. Operating at 466 MHz, the 440GP is a superscalar processor with large caches, a 128-bit CoreConnect bus, and high-performance peripherals. The...

Dual PowerPC PCI card welcomes Linux. (Embedded).(Artis Microsystems' A7400-PCI )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Two 1-GHz G4 MPC7455 processors, comprehensive hardware features, and PPC Boot and Linux--that's what comes with the A7400-PCI dual PowerPC PCI card. The A7400-PCI features 8 Mbytes of flash ROM, two SO-DIMM sockets (up to 1-Gbyte PC133 SDRAM),...

Embedded building block targets carrier-grade systems. (Embedded).(from Continuous Computing Corp.)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... The custom-configurable Flex21 platform is the cornerstone of the OPENblade architecture family of building blocks for carrier-grade Intel, Sparc, and PowerPC systems. It provides a fast path from application development to deployment revenue....

Six hot-swappable power supplies fuel CompactPCI backplane. (Embedded).(from One Stop Systems)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Mission-critical applications can take advantage of a recent 20-slot CompactPCI backplane and its large-scale capacity. The unit is a 23-in. wide, 8U high carrier-class enclosure. Six 250-W hot-swappable power supplies provide up to 1250 W of...

3U CompactPCI carriers accommodate two IP modules. (Embedded).(Tows Technologies' TCP21I, TCP212 and TC213 )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Three 3U CompactPCI carriers-the TCP21I, TCP212, and TC213--provide front and rear I/O access for up to two IndustryPack (IP) modules. Designed for demanding environments, the carriers operate from -40[degrees]C to 85[degrees]C. Each operates...

14-slot backplane prepared for AdvancedTCA, PICMG 3.0. (Embedded).(Pentair Electronic Packaging)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... A new 14-slot full mesh backplane is headed straight for applications of the forthcoming PICMG 3.0 specification or AdvancedTCA (ATCA) applications. The backplane features integrated connectors for interfacing to a fan unit or dual shelf...

IP Core Libraries exploit Virtex FPGAs, FFTs. (Embedded).(Pentek)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... The Model 4954 GateFlow IP Core Libraries leverage Xilinx Virtex FPGAs for high-level performance and reduced development time. The cores include highly optimized fast Fourier transform (FFT) engines and wideband digital downconverters. Each...

CompactPCI SBC backed by high-end processors. (Embedded).(Concurrent Technologies PP 220/01x )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... The PP 220/01x CompactPCI single-board computer uses two 2.0-GHz low-voltage Intel Xeon processors, each of which works within a 35-W thermal envelope. The board features up to 4-Gbyte/200-MHz double-data-rate (DDR) SDRAM (with error-correction...

Embedded controller shines On with 1/4 VGA display. (Embedded).(Mosaic Industries QVGA )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... The QVGA Controller, a C-programmable embedded computer, features a touchscreen-controlled graphical user interface (GUI) on a quarter VGA display. It comes complete with a high-contrast 320- by 240-pixel EL or LCD graphics display. A...

PICMG 2.16-compliant board meets 6U CompactPCI needs. (Embedded).(SBS Technologies Blade Runner 500)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... A dual PMC PICMG 2.16-compliant carrier board is now available for 6U CompactPCI applications. Blade Runner 500 makes it easy to mix and match CPUs and I/O interfaces. It fits a wide variety of high-density applications, like edge access...

Card's common connectors avert computer commotion. (Embedded).(Zendex ZXE-ICB/104)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... The ZXE-ICB/104 connector card provides the ZXE-ST-586/104P and other single-board computers (SBCs) with common connector interfaces. The ZXE-ICB/104 card includes Ethernet, CRT video, two USB ports, and 40-pin and 44-pin integrated development...

Embedded servers eye data-acquisition and compute functions. (Embedded).(Sky Computers SMARTpac 500 and SMARTpac 1200 )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... The first products emanating from the SMART family of embedded computers include the SMARTpac 500 data-acquisition server and SMARTpac 1200 compute server. A 2U slide-mountable chassis with five computer or I/O blades and three InfiniBand...

Boards mix high-speed DDR SDRAM, Gigabit Ethernet. (Embedded).(Extreme Engineering Solutions Xpedite1000 and XChange-1100 )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... The Xpedite1000 (PrPMC) and XChange-1100 (6U CompactPCI) processor boards both offer a unique combination of high-speed 333-MHz double-data-rate (DDR) SDRAM memory and dual Gigabit Ethernet interfaces. Xpedite100 meets high-performance...

Power-packed server takes on dual xeon processors. (Embedded).(Force Computers FPS-4204-1U PowerServer )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... The FPS-4204-1U PowerServer offers a motherboard design with dual Intel Xeon processors, two Gigabit Ethernet interfaces, and up to 12 Gbytes of double-data-rate SDRAM in a 1U-high server. The unit is designed and integrated using...

Suite's flurry of advances jazzes up schematics. (EDA).(Pulsonix PCB 2.0)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Version 2.0 of the Pulsonix PCB design software suite boasts over 70 new features above the preceding version 1.2. Enhancements include true instanced multilevel hierarchy in schematics as well as electrical rules checking in schematics with...

Client-server networking configured for web-based services. (Embedded).(Intusoft's IsSpice 4 Server)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Licensed to run on remote servers targeted primarily for Web-based devices, the IsSpice4 Server Web-server and client-server networking application also runs on Windows 2000 servers. The package includes the IsSpice4 simulation kernel, the CAP...

Software package automates IP packaging and deployment. (EDA).(Beach Solutions' EASI-Studio 3.0)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... EASI-Studio 3.0, part of the EASI-Tools family, offers designers automated solutions for packaging and deploying IP in a repeatable and reliable manner. EASI-Studio 3.0 provides the ability to capture multilayer systems using a top-down...

Interconnect-driven design suits suite for analog, RF IC designs. (EDA).(Applied Wave Research's Analog Office)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... The Analog Office software is intended for use with next-generation analog and radio-frequency integrated-circuit (RF IC) designs focused on total RF closure. The solution leverages concurrent interconnect-driven design methodology in a unified...

Verification gets a helping hand from plug-and-play components. (EDA).(from Yogitech S.P.A.)
June 9, 2003... Three new e Verification Components (eVCs)--reusable plug-and-play verification components for standard protocols and interfaces--are available for the AT Attachment Packet Interface (ATAPI), Controller Area Network (CAN), and the Open Core...

Connectivity options abound with modular verification system. (EDA).(ProDesign CHIPit Platinum Edition)
June 9, 2003... The CHIPit Platinum Edition high-end verification system meets many capacity, interface, and interconnectivity needs of ASIC designers. The scalable system (from 18 to 144 million FPGA gates) is based on a compact modular concept. The product's...

High-speed FPGAs get even faster with 133-MHz PCI-X IP core. (EDA).(Actel CorePCIX DirectCore )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... The CorePCIX DirectCore solution is a 133-MHz PCI-X IP core targeted for the company's high-speed Axcelerator FPGAs. The product, which speeds time-to-market and reduces design and system costs, suits high-performance applications such as...

Layout software's hierarchical DRC propels pre-fab verification. (EDA).(Tanner EDA's L-Edit Pro 10.0)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Version 10 of L-Edit Pro lets mixed-signal IC, MEMS, and integrated-optical-device designers increase design verification speed and analyze all-angle geometry prior to fabrication. The layout and verification software includes hierarchical...

Boundary-scan upgrade brings flexibility to in-circuit testers. (Test & Measurement).(JTAG Technologies Symphony 3070 )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... A complete hardware and software boundary-scan upgrade package has been released for the Agilent 307x family of in-circuit testers. Symphony 3070 lets users of Agilent's UNIX-based or PC-based 3070 systems execute their existing ICT high-speed...

Load cell/transducer weighs in on OEM force measurement. (Test & Measurement).(Transducer Techniques PHM-100 )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Coupling the PHM-100 portable handheld transducer indicator and TLL tension load cell yields a system for industrial and OEM force measurement and weighing applications. A peak hold feature captures at less than 1 ms. This device operates on a...

PC-based test units tab Eurocard channel architecture. (Test & Measurement).(Microstar Laboratories DAPserver 200 and DAPserver 200R )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... The DAPserver test, measurement, and control products combine a five-slot PCI backplane and a 10-slot Eurocard cage in an industrial-grade chassis. Server software runs on a 1.2-GHz processor that occupies one of the PCI slots. Every unit is...

Get a snapshot view of shunt outputs with LED DC ammeters. (Test & Measurement).(Datel DCA5-20PC )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... The DCA5-20PC series LED-display dc am meters precisely scale, digitize, and display the output of standard 50- and/or 100-mV dc shunts. The units are self-contained, including buffered inputs, scaling circuitry, precision reference circuits,...