Electronic Design articles from May 2003

Electronic Design archives from May 2003

More media hype? Segway transporter named finalist for ESC's best-of-show. (Editorial).(Embedded Systems Conference)
May 26, 2003... While walking the aisles at April's Embedded Systems Conference, someone accused me of creating "media hype" via my recent column on living with the risk of terrorist attacks. "You are a victim of political and media hype--plain and simple....

Bob's mailbox. (Pease Porridge).(Letter to the Editor)
May 26, 2003... Dear Bob: I understand your views about Spice. I'm sure you're aware that companies periodically appear to promise better analog EDA, but most seem to fail. (There's a promising firm called Barcelona, but it's not far along yet.) Here's my...

Pre-test serdes to smooth integration in fast ASICs. (Pov: Point of View).(serializer/deserializer circuits)
May 26, 2003... With equipment providers looking to introduce new communications technology at much lower costs of procurement and operation, faster interfaces are becoming more important. As a result, serializer/deserializer (SERDES) circuits have become the...

Content processor makes system throughput sail: this reprogrammable processor accelerates critical applications like virus scanning and XML processing, freeing up compute resources on the server. (Digital).(Tarari's CPX2120 )
May 26, 2003... A network's server often creates a performance bottleneck due to all of the software checks or operations it must perform on incoming data. But by offloading the compute-intensive tasks onto a content-processing engine that sits between the...

Instrument combines Bluetooth RF, interoperability testing. (Test and Measurement).(Advantest America Measuring Solutions' R4870)(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... THE R4870 IS THE FIRST SINGLE INSTRUMENT that performs both RE and interoperability tests in accordance with the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) specifications. A proprietary WMT architecture allows the R4870 to be used during R&D and...

High-voltage process spins highly integrated power ICs: aimed at communications designs, these fully integrated switching regulators operate from 10- to 100-V supplies. (TechView: Analog & Power).(National Semiconductor LM5000)
May 26, 2003... Exploiting its high-voltage analogbipolar-CMOS-DMOS process (ABCD150-HV), National Semiconductor has created the highly integrated LM5000 power IC line. One of its first members is the LM5030. This current-mode pulse-width-modulation (PWM)...

The Typhoon dc-dc converters from Artesyn combine high current density with a very iow, 0.3-in, package height. (Dc-Dc Report).(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... The Typhoon dc-dc converters from Artesyn combine high current density with a very iow, 0.3-in, package height. The famiiy inciudes a 40-A, 1.8-V output eighth brick, it also features quarter bricks that offer dual outputs of 1.2 and 3.3 V or...

A 500-W Isolated dc-dc power supply, Power-One's PDC500-1024D converts a 48-V bus to 24 V while complying with EN61000-4-4 and EN61000-4-5 input transient standards. (Dc-Dc Report).(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... A 500-W Isolated dc-dc power supply, Power-One's PDC500-1024D converts a 48-V bus to 24 V while complying with EN61000-4-4 and EN61000-4-5 input transient standards. Several features distinguish this power converter from the bricks-U-channel...

Automotive silicon market will drive to $17 billion by 2007. (Business Brief).(Allied Business Intelligence study)(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... A study by Allied Business Intelligence (ABI) charts how new safety, engine, and chassis control technologies will soon increase the amount of silicon used In automobiles. In particu lar, the study finds that the global automotive semiconductor...

FC port bypass controller elevates SAN equipment: slashed costs, parts count, and power consumption along with a boost In performance are the ammunition Fibre Channel PBCs provide SAN equipment. (TechView: Communications).(PMC-Sierra's PM8368 PBC 18x2G and the PM8372 PBC 4x2G)(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... The Fibre Channel (FC) optical networking standard remains the king in the storage-area-networking (SAN) field. FC's topology is a ring or loop. FC connects RAID (redundant array of independent disks) or JBOD (just a bunch of disks) to...

Network processing forum sets two benchmarking IAs. (TechView: Communication).(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... THE NETWORK PROCESSING FORUM (NPF) has released two key benchmarking implementation agreements (IAs) for its members. IAs are similar to and have the power of official standards. The first IA is a specification that enables network...

RapidChip: a ready-made revolution no matter how you slice it.
May 26, 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...

Driver software lets DMM digitize 1.8 Msamples/s: high-voltatge isolated 6.5-digit multimeter demonstrate the power of virtual instrumentation. (TechView: Components & Test).(National Instrument's LabView and DMM2.1)(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... Engineers can operate National Instruments' 6.5-digit FlexDMM digital multimeter (DMM) as a 1.8-Msample/s high-voltage digitizer and accelerate measurement speed by 100% using the DMM2.1 driver software. Designed for NI's PXI-4070 FlexDMM, it...

3.1-Gbit/s 850-nm VCSELs produce highly stable beams. (Product Review).( Zarlink Semiconductor ZL60001 and ZL60002 )(Hardware Review)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 26, 2003... The ZL60001/60002 family of oxide-confined 850-nm vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) is said to generate a light beam of unmatched high stability, overcoming the effects of current and temperature. Designed for 3.1-Gbit/s data...

Customizable laser-diode characterizer cuts cost and time. (Test & Measurement News).(Keithley System 25)(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... The Keithley System 25, a fully customizable test system for the light-current-voltage (LIV) characterization of laser diodes and assembled laser-diode modules (LDMs), lets users choose only the features and performance they need for testing....

Load-sharing techniques: paralleling power modules with overcurrent protection. (Analog Applications Journal Brief).
May 26, 2003... Paralleling low-current, low-voltage power modules for high-current, low-voltage applications has many benefits. Among them are: redundancy for enhanced reliability, hot-swap capability, distributed heat removal, and design flexibility....

Speedy MCUs tackle car, industrial, and comm needs. (TechView Digital).(Renesas' microcontrollers)
May 26, 2003... Resources aplenty let high-speed 16- and 32-bit MCUs handle airbag and safety systems, industrial control, and data-communications systems. By merging microcontroller product families from Hitachi and Mitsubishi, Renesas offers the broadest...

Centrality Communications. (Breaking News).(Centrality ommunications Atlas-M chip)(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... * These days, the well-equipped consumer's personal electronics collection typically includes a PDA, a GPS receiver, and a cell phone. A few companies have combined the phone and PDA. Centrality Communications, however, has come up with a...

ADSL router-on-a-chip boosts throughput while cutting costs. (Hot Product).(TI AR7)(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... By integrating more of the functionality required for an ADSL interface adapter than previous generations, Texas Instruments' AR7 chip reduces the bill of materials by about 25% versus competitive solutions. Not only will the AR7 Lower system...

Formal tool verifies complex datapaths: a tool's ability to verify compiled datapath blocks with equivalence checking ends the reliance on simulation as a stopgap measure. (TechView: EDA).(Verplex Systems Conformal Datapath)(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... Until now, verification of complex datapath blocks has been left to simulation, a strategy fraught with drawbacks. Debugging is difficult, and the overall quality of verification is lower than that seen by other parts of the design. In the end,...

Two new lines of phase-locked loop. (Hot Products).(from True Circuits Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... Two new lines of phase-locked loop (PLL) analog hard macros address issues associated with tradeoffs between undesirable options. One series comprises low-jitter spread-spectrum PLLs, which allow spread-spectrum functionality to be included...

PCI Express serial. (Verification Update).
May 26, 2003... * NEW COMMUNICATION protocols call for verification IP, and 0-In has weighed in with a CheckerWare monitor for the emerging PCI Express serial interconnect spec. During simulation and hardware acceleration and emulation, the monitor warns users...

Serial RapidIO bus-functional model. (Verification Update).
May 26, 2003... * DESIGNERS CAN VERIFY system interoperability with a newly released Serial RapidIO bus-functional model. Developed by Motorola, the software module complements last years hardware interconnect platform spec. Busfunctional C models for both the...

Ethernet-port aggregation chip slashes system cost. (Leapfrog: Industry First).(from Ample Communications)
May 26, 2003... Aggregating device reduces bandwidth requirements by combining two dozen 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports into a single 10-Gbit/s channel. Today's Ethernet network connections typically operate at under 50% of the available bandwidth utilization...

What's hot at DAC: new tools and methodologies to be unveiled span system-level design to post-layout analysis. (Conference Preview: DAC).
May 26, 2003... AS ALWAYS, THE 40TH DESIGN AUTOMATION CONFERENCE (DAC) in Anaheim (June 2-6) will have something for everyone concerned with EDA. The latest and greatest tools and methodologies will be displayed either on the show floor or in the sprawling...

Nanotechnology: the next revolution to Redefine Electronics. (Cover Story: Engineering Feature).(and related article)(Industry Overview)(Cover Story)
May 26, 2003... Industry leaders share their views: Working with atoms, molecules, and quantum effects from the bottom up, researchers are hot on the trail of self- assembling, precise, and affordable nanosystems. NANOTECHNOLOGY, THE ABILITY TO manipulate...

Prevent ADSL modems from getting zapped. (Design View: Communications).(and related article)
May 26, 2003... Because they connect to ordinary phone lines, asymmetrical-digital-subscriber-line (ADSL) modems are subject to electrical hazards like lightning, power-line crossings, and electrostatic discharge (ESD). As a result, they must be adequately...

Simple electronic lock uses single-transistor circuit. (Design Briefs: Innovative Designs from Readers).(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... A very simple but highly efficient combination lock circuit is shown in the figure. Any type of on/off switches can be used, varying from commercially available inexpensive types to more sophisticated miniswitches. The switches are assembled...

One-pin keypad features low component count. (Design Briefs: Innovative Designs from Readers).
May 26, 2003... Building on the recent Design Brief theme of one-pin keypads, this design uses only one analog microcontroller (MCU) input to scan numerous keys, plus one resistor per key and another resistor and capacitor. The circuit is simply a crude...

Extend voltage range of current-shunt monitor. (Design Briefs: Innovative Designs from Readers).(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... While current-shunt-monitor ICs like the 1NA168 can be connected to current-shunt resistors at supply voltages of up to 60 V, the circuit shown in the figure allows current sensing at even higher voltages. This method can be extended to any...

6.5[micro]A dual comparator and 400mV reference. (Signal Conditioning).(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... The LT[R]6700-1/-2/-3 are the industry's first general-purpose dual comparators that operate from 1.4V to 18V. Each comparator has one input available externally with the other connected to an internal 400mV reference. The wide supply...

Fixed gain of 2, fully differential input/output amplifier is stable with time and temperature. (Signal Conditioning: Advertisement).
May 26, 2003... The LTC[R]1992-2 represents a new class of fully differential input and output amplifiers with a fixed gain of two. It provides significant performance improvement over discrete op amp solutions for driving differential signals in precision...

Supply 2A pulses for GSM transmission from 500mA USB or PCMCIA ports--design note 307. (Advertisement: Design Notes).(Advertisement)
May 26, 2003... Introduction GSM modems have become popular as a wireless data transfer solution; however, they frequently require large bursts of current that exceed the maximum input current available to the voltage regulator. Many can be powered from a...

Ultralow noise 200kHz to 100MHz filter provides [+ or -]0.25dB channel matching. (Advertisement).(LT1568 )(Advertisement)
May 26, 2003... The LT1 568 is an ultralow noise (92dB SNR), high frequency filter building block for channel antialiasing or reconstruction applications. It provides a pair of 2nd order filter sections with excellent matching characteristics integrated on a...

Low noise fully differential ADC driver has 20MHz lowpass filter onboard. (Advertisement: Signal Conditioning).(LT6600-20 is )(Advertisement)
May 26, 2003... The LT6600-20 is a high speed fully differential input and output device that integrates the task of an antialiasing filter and a differential driver on a single chip. The integrated 20MHZ filter offers additional band limiting while the fully...

Remote power controller guards PLCs against overloads. (Components).(E-T-A Circuit Breakers E-1048-700 )(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... * The E-104&700 solid-state remote power controller (SSRPC) protects programmable logic controllers (PLCs) from overloads and short circuits. The unit helps increase current capacity and protect low-current-carrying PLC outputs. Power...

High-capacity torque transducer transmits via digital telemetry. (Components).(PCB Piezotronics Series 5310)(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... * Rugged, strain-gage sensing technology and wireless digital signal telemetry drive the latest member of the Series 5310 Torkdisc family of low-profile, high-stiffness, rotary torque transducers. With this technology, the device can transmit...

Clock synthesizer optimizes timing performance. (Components).(TI CDC7005 )(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... * The CDC7005 low-phase-noise clock synthesizer reduces board space by 70% by combining multiplying, dividing, and jitter cleaning features. Ultimately, this gives board designers the advantage of optimized timing performance. Also integrated...

Noncontact operation is a hit with analog position sensor. (Components).(from Balluf Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... * By leveraging a proprietary magneto-inductive technology, a new type of analog absolute linear position sensor can provide noncontact continuous positioning information. Optimized to provide motion-control information for shorter displacement...

Butt-lead-mount relays promise practicality. (Components).(Teledyne Relays GRF100 and GRF1O3)(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... * The Series GRF100 and GRF1O3 nonlatching electromechanical relays are designed to provide a practical surface-mount solution with improved RF signal repeatability over the frequency range. The ultraminiature relays, which implement a...

Space-limited factories eye low-voltage signal conditioner. (Components).(Macro Sensors LVC-2402 )(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... * Designed for use in automation applications with programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and mini PLCs, the LVC-2402 single-channel linear-velocity displacement transformer (LVDT) signal conditioner operates from 24 V dc. It works in factory...

Better varistor solderability stops the sliding during assembly. (Components).(from Littelfuse)(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... * A nickel barrier termination option added to the 0402-size multilayer varistors (MLVs) enhances their solderability. The improvement is due to the wetting characteristics of the termination, which helps the varistors resist sliding during the...

VCSEL light beam irons out optical far-field variations. (Components).(from Zarlink Semicondctor)(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... * By producing a highly stable light beam, the ZL60001/2 family of 850-nm oxide-confined vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) devices can significantly enhance optical equipment. Its optical system generates a beam that will minimize...

Halogen lamp holders fit all lamp positioning designs. (Components).(from Gilway Technical Lamp)(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... A new line of halogen lamp holders, which can be supplied with customer-specified wiring and connectors, accommodates virtually any lamp positioning design. The lamp holders are offered with back, side, or bottom leads, as well as a host of...

High-frequency apps exploit rectifiers' low-loss capability. (Components).(from Vishay Intertechnology Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... * Members of an H-type high-barrier-height rectifier family offer a typical forward voltage drop as low as 0.49 V, typical leakage current as low as 2.0 mA at 125[degrees]C, and high maximum operating junction temperature of 175[degrees]C. The...

High voltage, single chip DC/DC regulator optimized for flyback, boost, or forward power converter applications.
May 26, 2003... Application Brief 126 Highlights * 1.25 MHz current-mode regulator integrated with 80 V @ 2 A power MOSFET * Single chip family of SIP modules Telecom and industrial applications such as local area networks (LAN), telephone...

Profile sensor detects multiple light spots. (Components).(Hamanatsu S9132)(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... The S9132 profile sensor weighs in with numerous advantages over conventional CMOS area image sensors and 20 position-sensitive detectors (PSDs). Among them are improved output linearity and the ability to detect multiple light spots. It's...

Rear-release connectors provide easy insertion and positive stop. (Interconnects).(GTO-M connectors from Amphenol Corp.)(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... * The GTC-M rear-release connector is a reverse-style bayonet connector that incorporates hard dielectric inserts, rear-insertion/rear-release contacts, silicone grommets, interfacial seals, and metal clip contact retention. The metal clips...

PC screw terminals present a new high-density package option. (Interconnects).(from Keystone Electronics Corp.)(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... A line of metric-type PC screw terminals now offers the option of being vertically or horizontally mountable. Their antirotation, nonrocking design suits high-density packaging well. The screw terminals are cost-effective alternatives to...

Interface systems meet asserted pitch needs. (Interconnects).(from Samtec Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... * Three combination socket/terminal interface systems are available on 0.100-, 0.0787-, and 0.025-in, pitch. The hermaphroditic connectors are self-mating. All systems feature polarization to prevent incorrect mating, as well as audible...

Hard metric connector targets telecom, datacom apps. (Interconnects).(from Erni)(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... * A novel 2-mm hard metric right-angle male connector suits extender card applications and reversed gender daughter-to-backplane applications well. Targeted industry segments include telecommunications and datacommunications equipment,...

Polymer-based BGA socket squelches disturbances. (Interconnects).(from Tyco Electronics)(Brief Article)
May 26, 2003... * Compression contact technology used in the Matrix series ball grid array (BGA) socket eliminates any electrical disturbance that traditional contacts can cause. The Matrix interconnect, which employs an MPI polymer material, can do the job...

Censor sensibility? (Beyond Technology).
May 26, 2003... Almost daily reminders about national security have reached a new level--safeguarding information on American technology by keeping more of it secret. Over 20 scientific journals have agreed to censor articles they believe could compromise...