Electronic Design articles from November 2005

Electronic Design archives from November 2005

What's going on with you?(WHAT'S HAPPENING@elecdesign.com: Keeping the EE community connected)
November 7, 2005... How's the EE profession doing? More importantly, how does your paycheck stack up against your peers? Find out in "Your Most Important Issue of the Year," which presents the results of our annual reader survey and analyzes today's hot career...

"Sound off".(WHAT'S HAPPENING@elecdesign.com: Keeping the EE community connected)(Letter to the Editor)
November 7, 2005... "There may be some hope that better solutions... will drive the FCC to modify the specifications that BPL providers must meet and more easily accommodate the many existing licensed users' needs. It can be done, a system that allows both hams...

Polling.(WHAT'S HAPPENING@elecdesign.com: Keeping the EE community connected)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... In the wake of a NATURAL DISASTER like HURRICANE KATRINA, which would offer the most reliable COMMUNICATIONS? A handheld VHF/UHF ham transceiver 31% A battery-powered HF CW/SSB ham transceiver 61% Cell phones ...

EiED online.(WHAT'S HAPPENING@elecdesign.com: Keeping the EE community connected)
November 7, 2005... ARM In Hand Standard ARM microcontrollers are finding a home in portable equipment, replacing many of the custom ARM processors. As a result, development is now open to companies and individuals that did not previously have the ability to...

What's up?(WHAT'S HAPPENING@elecdesign.com: Keeping the EE community connected)
November 7, 2005... Archived Webcast Reuse RTL With Confidence Whether you inherit RTL code from a legacy design, an outsource design group, or external IP, reuse is a fact of life in modern design. Join Electronic Design and Mentor Graphics for this free...

What's cool.(WHAT'S HAPPENING@elecdesign.com: Keeping the EE community connected)
November 7, 2005... From The Top 20 Articles on ED Online: 1 Tachometer Measures Very Low Frequencies ED Online 8513 2 Engineering Expertise Triumphs In Mars Rovers ED Online 7154 3 What's All This Marketing Stuff, Anyhow? ED Online 11138 4 The...

Check it out!!(WHAT'S HAPPENING@elecdesign.com: Keeping the EE community connected)
November 7, 2005... Electronic Design's online bookstore showcases select books that address important design and career topics. Read our reviewers and purchase the titles that fit your needs. Go to www.elecdesign.com/bookstore.

From MPG to DARPA challenge: electronics winning the race.(EDITORIAL)
November 7, 2005... Gas at my favorite filling station fell to $2.59 today--quite a bargain after last month's $3.25+ prices. The relativity of fuel pricing has never been more apparent. A recent AP poll of consumers in eight countries shows what they felt was a...

What's all this logarithmic stuff, anyhow? (Part 2).(PEASE PORRIDGE)(Column)
November 7, 2005... The [I.sub.c] versus [V.sub.BE] of modern transistors has some excellent log characteristics, as we have discussed. * If you ground a transistor's base and compensate for its [V.sub.BE] with a matching [V.sub.BE], you can do some good logging...

[micro]TCA is ideal for low-and mid-range telecom apps.(POV: POINT OF VIEW)
November 7, 2005... AdvancedTCA (ATCA) and AdvancedMC stand poised to become the dominant blade and mezzanine expansion platforms for high-availability telecom applications. The product of a collaboration of major telecom OEMs, service providers, and suppliers,...

Inkjet printer draws the line in manufacturing technology.(TechView)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 7, 2005... Products can become more compact and flexible by effectively combining materials. With Dimatix's DMP-2800 line, designers can print a wide range of materials onto a surface with a high degree of accuracy (Fig. 1). [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] ...

PMBus gains development tool and front-end converters.(TechView: ANALOG & POWER)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 7, 2005... The open-source Power Management Bus (PMBus) communication protocol is gaining ground. With Astec's DTX digital dc converter, designers will be able to prepare and evaluate a range of PMBus-compliant converters (see the figure). They also will...

Quad PoE controller handles switches and midspans.(TechView: ANALOG & POWER)
November 7, 2005... THREE EXTRA FEATURES previously unavailable in controllers for IEEE 802.3af Power-over-Ethernet (POE) power-sourcing-equipment (PSE) make Maxim's MAX5945 unique. As the PoE specification requires, the quad controller provides discovery,...

Amp interfaces differential signals to single-supply ADCs.(TechView: ANALOG & POWER)
November 7, 2005... The INA159 interfaces [+ or -] 10-V signals from sensors in industrial applications to single-supply analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). Developed by Texas Instruments, this level-shifting difference amplifier presents an economical...

Mobile systems get performance boost from next-gen ARM Core.(TechView: DIGITAL)
November 7, 2005... Based on the next-generation ARM v7 architecture, ARM's Cortex-A8 processor delivers up to 2000 Dhrystone MIPS (DMIPS). It's optimized for low-power next-generation mobile devices. The dual-issue superscalar core includes the first...

1/3-in. Format sensor delivers 1.3-Mpixel JPEG images.(TechView: DIGITAL)
November 7, 2005... WITH IMPROVED COLOR uniformity and sensitivity, Agilent Technologies' ADCC-3960 1.3-Mpixel image sensor processes images and delivers JPEG-compressed files to the host system. The company's enhanced-performance (EP) pixel architecture achieves...

Yield diagnostics tool seeks to apply test data.(TechView: EDA)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... There's a large and growing gap between IC lithography wave lengths and the feature sizes of the ICs themselves. The result is more lithography-driven process variability, which has surpassed random-particle defects as the predominant...

ESL tool suite beefs up its software analysis side.(TechView: EDA)
November 7, 2005... ACCORDING TO research results, 52% of embedded system designs miss their scheduled completion dates. Why? The complexity of their architectures makes early analysis too hard for Excel spreadsheets. By exclusively licensing CARDTools...

A graphical debugger for C programmers.(EDA ROUNDUP)
November 7, 2005... A GRAPHICAL DEBUGGER FOR C PROGRAMMERS helps improve the quality of results for FPGA-based software/hardware acceleration. Impulse's CoDeveloper Pro optimization and debug software complements its CoDeveloper C-to-FPGA compiler and gives C...

Extending theiir existng collaboration.(EDA ROUNDUP)
November 7, 2005... EXTENDING THEIR EXISTING COLLABORATION, IBM, Chartered Semiconductor, and Samsung Electronics have formulated a comprehensive strategy for their collaborative design-for-manufacturability (DFM) efforts. Comprising rules, models, and utility...

Get theater-quality audio and video on your cell phone.(TechView: WIRELESS)
November 7, 2005... The cell-phone market still has a lot to offer. Carriers soon will boost revenues by selling multimedia services such as real-time audio, video streaming, stereo music, digital photo imaging, and interactive games. All the handset manufacturers...

Programmable XO, VCXO slash lead times to days: a patented DSPLL technology propels these single, dual, and quad crystal oscillators to unprecedented performance levels.(LEAPFROG: FIRST LOOK: PUTTING NEW TECHNOLOGY IN PERSPECTIVE)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 7, 2005... Nearly all of today's electronic equipment contains at least one, and typically two or more, quartz crystal oscillators to set the circuitry's operating frequency or clock speed. This is especially true for wireless and telecom equipment, with...

Visual Studio 2005: the new way to program: flying without a ".NET," Visual Studio 2005 lays the groundwork for developing Windows Vista applications.(LEAPFROG: FIRST LOOK: PUTTING NEW TECHNOLOGY IN PERSPECTIVE)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 7, 2005... Though Microsoft's Visual Studio 2005 dropped the .NET moniker, it remains the premier .NET development platform for hosting compilers that target this platform, such as Visual Basic, C#, and J#. It supports a wide range of third-party...

Setting the standard for hybrid cars: synergy between gasoline-engine, electric-motor, and battery technologies vaults the Prius hybrid gasoline-electric vehicle to high fuel savings and low emissions.(SUCCESS STORY: HYBRID AUTOMOBILES)(Cover Story)
November 7, 2005... With its sports-car look, avionics-like dashboard display, and an eerily silent and smooth start it's no wonder that the Toyota Prius hybrid gasoline-electric vehicle is one of the fastest-selling cars of its type (Fig. 1) (see "Earning Market...

Structured/platform ASICs carve a cost-savvy niche: platform and structured solutions look to solve designer dilemmas caused by rising ASIC design costs.(TECHNOLOGY REPORT: ASICs)
November 7, 2005... Shrinking feature dimensions used in chip-manufacturing processes continue to push the complexity and density of the circuits to groundbreaking levels. But getting there comes with a heftier price tag when developing and fabricating high-end...

AdvancedTCA in a small package.(SPECIAL EDITORIAL FEATURE: EMBEDDED IN ELECTRONIC DESIGN)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 7, 2005... MicroTCA takes the AdvancedTCA high-speed serial interconnect to an all-time low. Lower power. Lower price. Lower rack size--all pretty good lows. It uses Advanced Mezzanine Card (AdvancedMC) modules like this one from Artesyn (see the figure)....

Four-port gig ethernet card plugs into AMC slot.(EMBEDDED NEWS)
November 7, 2005... The IanAMC-4GC card from SBE plugs into an AdvancedTCA or MicroTCA AMC slot to deliver Gigabit Ethernet connectivity. It comes in two-and four-port versions that support copper or fiber connections. Also, this single-width, full-height module...

InfiniBand links dual-processor ATCA blades.(EMBEDDED NEWS)
November 7, 2005... AdvancedTCA is fabric-agnostic, enabling Diversified Technology to deliver an InfiniBand-based dual-processor blade. The ATC5232 contains a pair of 2.8-GHz Xeon processors in conjunction with Intel's E7520 chip set. The board has two x4...

Java gets new shot in the ARM.(PROCESSOR SERIES: EMBEDDED IN ELECTRONIC DESIGN)
November 7, 2005... ARM's Jazelle RCT (Runtime Compilation Target) is part of the company's new processor architecture (see "Mobile Systems Get Performance Boost From Next-Gen ARM Core," p. 28). It replaces the existing Jazelle DBX (for Direct Bytecode eXecution)...

Multiprocessor core speeds iSCSI storage processor cores.(PROCESSORS SERIES: EMBEDDED IN ELECTRONIC DESIGN)
November 7, 2005... DEVELOPED BY IVIVITY, the iDiSX 2000 runs Linux in its seven MIPS processors to handle high-performance iSCSI and FibreChannel chores. Its range of hardware accelerators minimizes system overhead and moves data quickly through its 10-Gbit/s...

Tiny stick runs Java, CAN, ethernet, 1-wire, [I.sup.2]C, and SPI.(NEW PRODUCTS)
November 7, 2005... That's definitely a lot to fit on a 72-pin SIMM Systronix TStik2 that also supports three serial ports. The module runs a JDK 1.1.8-compatible TINI Java on a 30-MHz DS80C400 8-bit processor with up to 1 Mbyte of RAM plus 2 Mbytes of flash. The...

Fast ARM, inexpensive tools.(NEW PRODUCTS)
November 7, 2005... Pricing for Philips' 70-MHz LPC210x ARMT-based microcontroller starts at only $1.47. It incorporates up to 32 kbytes of secured 128-bit flash and up to 8 kbytes of SRAM. Its fast GPIO can toggle bits up to 17.5 MHz with 32-bit port capability....

Service broker zaps ZigBee.(NEW PRODUCTS)
November 7, 2005... Tendril's Service Broker is a three-layer architecture that spans enterprise servers, ZigBee gateways, and ZigBee devices. The package adds layers on each to give Java and .NET enterprise programmers access to and control of remote ZigBee nodes...

EPIC board targets M2M apps.(NEWS: EMBEDDED IN ELECTRONIC DESIGN)
November 7, 2005... Designed for machine-to-machine (M2M) applications, WinSystems' EPX-GX single-board computer (SBC) includes a mini-PCI connector and PCI/104 Plus ISA and PCI connectors. AMD's fanless, low-power GX500 can access up to 512 Mbytes of...

Ada takes on the penguin.(NEWS: EMBEDDED IN ELECTRONIC DESIGN)
November 7, 2005... ObjectAda 8.2 from Aonix now supports Linux. It's also implemented as an Eclipse plug-in for integration with other Eclipse plug-ins. The Ada 95-compatible integrated development environment (IDE) includes a compiler, graphical debugger,...

ZigBee transceiver packs in 8051.(NEWS: EMBEDDED IN ELECTRONIC DESIGN)
November 7, 2005... Chipcon's CC2430 combines a 32-MHz 8051 microcontroller with an 802.15.4 transceiver. The combination can handle Chipcon's ZigBee stack. The chip is available in 32-, 64-, and 128-kbyte flash memory sizes. All of the devices have 8 kbytes of...

8-bit MCU lightens LIN load.(NEWS: EMBEDDED IN ELECTRONIC DESIGN)
November 7, 2005... STMicroelectronics' 20-pin ST7Lite3 offers a LINSCI serial interface. It targets local interconnect network (LIN) applications in automotive and low-cost sensor and control applications. LINSCI significantly reduces the network protocol...

XScale fits on credit card module.(NEWS: EMBEDDED IN ELECTRONIC DESIGN)
November 7, 2005... Kontron's tiny (67 by 49 mm) X-board line gets a new addition with the X-board , which is based on Intel's 80219 400- or 600-MHz XScale processors. The module supports up to 128 Mbytes of RAM, 16 Mbytes of graphics memory, and 32 Mbytes of...

Drive piezoelectric actuators with fast, high-power op amps: think you can't drive your actuator at 80 kHz with 300-V p-p signals using MOSFET IC op amps? Then try out this bridge configuration.(DESIGN SOLUTION: Analog)
November 7, 2005... In the last 15 years, high-speed piezoelectric actuators have become less expensive to manufacture. Consequently, they find themselves as a favorite design choice for a growing number of applications. Piezoelectric actuators made their...

Switch-mode control tames positive motor supply voltage.(DESIGN BRIEFS: Innovative Designs from Readers)
November 7, 2005... This power supply is ideal for the circuitry that drives high-side p-channel MOSFET switches often found in motor controllers. It's especially useful for designs where the motor's positive supply voltage exceeds the typical 20-V gate-source...

-50-V, 1-W power supply harnesses unused [micro]C pins.(DESIGN BRIEFS: Innovative Designs from Readers)
November 7, 2005... Why not take advantage of the microcontroller included in many systems these days? This design uses microcontroller feedback to produce a -50-V, 1-W power supply (see the figure). It leverages an unused analog-to-digital converter (ADC) input...

Quasi-resonant controller yields synchronized power supply.(DESIGN BRIEFS: Innovative Designs from Readers)
November 7, 2005... To minimize the electromagnetic interference (EMI) and video noise caused by different signal frequencies inside the same piece of equipment, it's sometimes necessary to synchronize the switching frequency of the power supply (such as for tuner...

Component specifier: circuit protection.(NEW PRODUCTS: THE LATEST NOTABLE COMPONENTS AT A GLANCE)
November 7, 2005... COMPONENT SPECIFIER CIRCUIT PROTECTION ED Online 11362 TYPE/Model Features CIRCUIT BREAKERS ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT Electronic circuit breaker that senses load BREAKER currents with...

Single-board computer hosts STPC Atlas CPU.(NEW PRODUCTS ... EMBEDDED)
November 7, 2005... * The XE-700 EPIC form-factor single-board computer incorporates the STPC Atlas, 32-bit 5x86 class CPU with up to 64 Mbytes of RAM and 8 Mbytes of Compact Flash. It's bootable from compact flash. Also, the PC/104-compatible board integrates...

32-bit microcontroller plays tunes without DSP.(NEW PRODUCTS ... EMBEDDED)
November 7, 2005... * The 120-MHz SH7261 series of high-performance 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs) targets car and home audio products with audio data playback functions compatible with MP3, WMA, AAC (Advanced Audio Coding), and other compression standards. The...

3U SBC hits industrial systems with FPGA support.(NEW PRODUCTS ... EMBEDDED)
November 7, 2005... * The 3U CompactPCI F11 single-board computer (SBC) can function as a single slot CompactPCI system master or as a standalone computer system. It can handle Pentium III or Celeron processors with a performance range of 400 to 933 MHz. Its two...

DSP board supports LabView data acquisition and control.(NEW PRODUCTS ... EMBEDDED)
November 7, 2005... * The SI-C6713DSP-PCI DSP board streamlines analog development using National Instruments' LabView software development tool. The board includes Texas Instruments' 300-MHz TMS320C6713 DSP with up to 256 Mbytes of RAM. It supports an expansion...

Convection-cooled VME board fits embedded medical apps.(NEW PRODUCTS ... EMBEDDED)
November 7, 2005... * The VCE405 single-board computer suits low-cost, low-power embedded applications such as those found in medical environments. The 6U board draws only 7 W to power the 400-MHz 405GP PowerPC processor. It also has dual 64-bit PCi mezzanine card...

New +105[degrees]C low impedance radial lead aluminum eletrolytic capacitors has 5,000 hour life.(Product Alert)
November 7, 2005... New KXM radial-leaded +105[degrees]C low impedance radial-lead aluminum electrolytic capacitors are robust performers. Designed for switching regulators and extended life applications, they offer high ripple current specifications. ...

Long range wireless RS-232 via Bluetooth.(Product Alert)
November 7, 2005... LEMOS/INITIUM have developed a reliable easy to install, low cost, long range Bluetooth wireless serial communication link for the industrial, medical, commercial and consumer markets. The Promi-SD Class 1 allows long range of up to 1,200...

Low-profile, conduction cooled inverter delivers 500VA sine wave voltage in harsh environments.(Product Alert)
November 7, 2005... Designed for railway, heavy-industry and other rugged environments, Absopulse's RSI50O inverter delivers 115Vrms or 230Vrms continuous sinusoidal voltage at 50Hz, 60Hz or 400Hz from a nominal 110Vdc input (77-154Vdc range). It is...

Keithley Instruments has published interactive test & measurement troubleshooting.(Product Alert)
November 7, 2005... Guide: How to Avoid Common Measurement Errors. The CD lets users explore the symptoms and causes of errors associated with low voltage, low current, tow resistance, high resistance, and voltage from a high resistance source measurements....

ISI Lead Free Interposers for DDR2 BGAs.(Product Alert)
November 7, 2005... 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...

Attention design engineers.(Product Alert)
November 7, 2005... Win $5,000 in our Wireless Design Contest! Our device server technology is used to network equipment so it can be accessed and managed over wireless networks. What could you engineer or enhance with one of our WiPort 802.11 wireless...

Modular current sharing controller.(Featured Products)
November 7, 2005... The LM5080 is a simple and cost-effective load-share controller that provides all of the functions required to balance the currents delivered from multiple power converters operated in parallel. The LM5080 implements an average program method...

First 7V to 75V input, 2.5A buck regulator.(DESIGN/idea: Simplified Power Supply Design)
November 7, 2005... The LM5005 high-voltage switching regulator features all of the functions necessary to implement an efficient high-voltage buck regulator using a minimum of external components. This easy-to-use regulator includes a 75V N-Channel buck switch...

PWM DC-DC controllers with built-in start-up regulators simplify switching power supply design.(DESIGN/idea)
November 7, 2005... Although PWM DC-DC switching power converters are based on simple topologies, making practical power supplies out of them requires the addition of various functions such as start-up bias, soft-start, switch driving, regulation, short circuit...

Current-mode controller for forward converters with active-clamp reset.(Featured Products)
November 7, 2005... The LM5026 PWM controller contains all of the features necessary to implement power converters utilizing the active clamp/reset technique with current-mode control. With the active-clamp technique, higher efficiencies and greater power...

Industry's first 100v dual interleaved active clamp current-mode controllers.(Featured Products)
November 7, 2005... The LM5032 and LM5034 are flexible controllers that can be configured to control either two independently regulated outputs or a single, high-current output from two primary power stages. In the first case, the two PWM channels operate 180...

Buck or boost: rugged, fast 60v synchronous controller does both--design note 370.(Advertisement)
November 7, 2005... Introduction Automotive, telecom and industrial systems are harsh, unforgiving environments that demand robust electronic systems. For example, an automotive battery system may be a nominal 12V, 24V or 42V, but load dump conditions can...

Evaluate platform ASIC options to match the best silicon to your application.(ASICs PLATFORM)
November 7, 2005... When it comes to platform ASICs, designers have a wide range of options. Platform and structured ASIC solutions offer faster time-to-market and lower development costs than full cell-based ASIC designs. Additionally, they deliver more...

RapidChip[R] platform ASICs = RapidChip Slice + CoreWare[R] IP + RapidWorx[R] Design Kit.(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 7, 2005... What Sets RapidChip[R] Technology Apart? Growing design complexities and reduced time-to-market goals for new products are forcing designers to seek different and innovative ways of managing development. The challenges for deep submicron...

Going green: the manager's role.(WHAT'S HAPPENING @ elecdesign.com: Keeping the EE community connected)
November 17, 2005... Much of the buzz about "green" designs has focused on the technical issues surrounding the RoHS and WEEE directives. But what is the manager's role in the transition to a more environmentally clean industry? Join Electronic Design on Wednesday,...

"Sound off".(WHAT'S HAPPENING @ elecdesign.com: Keeping the EE community connected)(Letter to the Editor)
November 17, 2005... "Engineers should unite to create barriers to entry into our field. It is because engineers are meek or foolish purists that we don't defend ourselves. It is probably true that in the short term this would reduce the competitiveness of our...

Polling.(WHAT'S HAPPENING @ elecdesign.com: Keeping the EE community connected)
November 17, 2005... Would you invest in a HYBRID VEHICLE? 35% Yes, they're great 26% Someday, but the technology needs improvement 34% Maybe in the future when the price comes down 3% No, they'll never measure ...

EiED online.(WHAT'S HAPPENING @ elecdesign.com: Keeping the EE community connected)
November 17, 2005... Boston ESC So, you couldn't make it to the Boston Embedded Systems Conference? Then check out Embedded/Systems/Software Editor Bill Wong's report on this annual gathering. There were a number of exciting new product announcements and one...

What's up?(www.elecdesign.com/tcad.)(Technology computer-aided design)(Brief Article)
November 17, 2005... Archived Webcast: TCAD technology. Technology computer-aided design (TCAD) refers to the use of simulation to develop and optimize semiconductor processing technologies and devices. Through the use of TCAD simulation software and services,...

What's cool.(WHAT'S HAPPENING @ elecdesign.com: Keeping the EE community connected)(online Electronic Design articles rankings)(Brief Article)
November 17, 2005... From The Top 20 Articles on ED Online: 1 Are You Earning What You're Worth? ED Online 11197 2 ZigBee And ECC Secure Wireless Networks ED Online 8369 3 The Definitive Guide To How Computers Do Math ED Online 11364 4 Special...

Check it out!!(WHAT'S HAPPENING @ elecdesign.com: Keeping the EE community connected)
November 17, 2005... Electronic Design's free eBooks focus on some of today's hottest topics, such as designing with video signals and complying with the RoHS directive. Download any of the eBooks at www.elecdesign.com/eBook.

GSPx shows multiprocessors to meet video's challenges: it's not the everyday conference keynote that walks the audience through complex algebraic equations. But when you're at a signal-processing event, algorithms really are at the heart of it all.(Global Signal Processing Exposition)(trends in multiprocessing)(Editorial)
November 17, 2005... The Global Signal Processing Exposition (GSPx) last month in Santa Clara provided a great opportunity to catch up on the latest challenges and solutions in this fast-moving world. To sum up the trends in a single word: multiprocessors. Intel...

Bob's mailbox.(PEASE PORRIDGE)(Letter to the Editor)
November 17, 2005... Dear Bob: I had to laugh at your recent column. ** I experienced similar product destruction with my (brand x) air cleaner. Let's see, I lost: all belts and wheels in two high-end (industrial) VCRs--and one a second time. Also, belts in three...

RoHS compliance: take a supply-chain perspective.(International Business Machines Corp.)(Restrictions on Hazardous Substances directive)(Column)
November 17, 2005... Electronic manufacturers have less than eight months left to ensure compliance with the EU's Restrictions on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive. Various interpretations of the directive's requirements have exacerbated the significant...

What is your personal outlook for design projects in the next quarter?(TechView: electronic industry barometer)(Brief Article)
November 17, 2005... According to Electronic Design's most recent poll, the outlook for design projects is trending up nicely as the year comes to a close. Only 30% of respondents are concerned about slowdowns or layoffs. That's 10 percentage points less than three...

APEC 2006 moves from New Orleans to Dallas.(TechView: ANALOG & POWER)(Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 2006 Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition )
November 17, 2005... The IEEE's 2006 Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC) originally was slated for February in New Orleans. Then hurricane Katrina hit. The conference managers wanted to stay out of the way of relief efforts, so they scrambled...

Classic transformer-design text available again.(TechView: ANALOG & POWER)
November 17, 2005... THE POWER SOURCES MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION (PSMA) is celebrating its twentieth anniversary by offering hardcopy reprints of a classic text on transformer design for less than a student would have paid for it in college. If you're an EE...

Twisted pair defies the laws of physics with 10 Gbits/s.(TechView: COMMUNICATIONS)(KeyEye Communications Inc. KX1001 and KX1003 transceiver chips )
November 17, 2005... The first time someone told me it was possible to transmit base-band serial digital signals at 10 Gbits/s over copper cable, I thought it was some kind of April Fool's gag. But it really is happening. It just isn't easy. Several companies...

SystemVerilog verification spans planning to closure.(Cadence Design Systems Inc. is acquiring Verisity Design Inc.)(Electronic design automation software)(Brief Article)
November 17, 2005... In design verification, one size does not fit all. What works on the enterprise level may not work for the design team or individual designer, and vice versa. On the heels of its acquisition of Verisity, Cadence has rethought its approach to...

To drive custom processor design.(CoWare Inc. and Associated Compiler Experts partnership)(LISATek, an automated embedded processor design and optimization )(Brief Article)
November 17, 2005... TO DRIVE CUSTOM PROCESSOR DESIGN, CoWare and Associated Compiler Experts (ACE) have forged a multiyear strategic alliance. Under its terms, CoWare will continue to deliver ACE's C-Compiler technology deeply integrated into the CoWare LISATek...

An IP deployment tool for FPGA designers.(EDA ROUNDUP)
November 17, 2005... AN IP DEPLOYMENT TOOL FOR FPGA DESIGNERS simplifies the construction of system-level applications. With CoreConsole, designers can quickly assemble processors, subsystems, and buses for deployment on Actel FPGAs implementing CoreMP7, the...

MCU families have lots of life left.(TechView: EMBEDDED)(Freescale Semiconductor's MC9S08Q 8-bit, 32-bit MCF532x and MCF537x microcontrollers)
November 17, 2005... The HC08 and Coldfire micro-controller (MCU) dynasties from Freescale continue with the MC9S08Q 8-bit family and the 32-bit MCF532x and MCF537x MCUs. The MC9S08Q targets bow-power applications requiring a wide range of peripherals and a...

SBC handles analog and network.(TechView: EMBEDDED)(Diamond Systems Corp. Elektra ELK200-EA-XT PC/104 microprocessor)(Brief Article)
November 17, 2005... THE ELEKTRA ELK200-EA-XT PC/104 single-board computer (SBC) from Diamond Systems combines analog and digital data acquision with extensive communication support. It includes four serial ports and 10/100-BaseT Ethernet, as well as USB 1.1...

Generator-BERT combo simplifies jitter-tolerance testing to 12.5 GHz.(TechView: TEST & MEASUREMENT)(Agilent Technologies Inc. N4903A serial bit-error-rate tester )(Brief Article)
November 17, 2005... With 5-Gbit/s and better serial bus standards coming soon, design and test of the next generation of serial bus devices will feature a cast of significant signal integrity and jitter issues. New transmission techniques, like spread-spectrum...

Protocol analyzer manages network-to-probe-to-PC triple play.(TechView: TEST & MEASUREMENT)(Tektronix Inc. NSA18 protocol analysis system)(Brief Article)
November 17, 2005... TRIPLE-PLAY (VOICE, DATA, AND VIDEO) services are driving the market for 3G mobile networks. The design, deployment, and operation of these networks, which are based on the highly complex Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS),...

Tiny 10-A POL module needs less bulk capacitance: a step-down regulator that can hide behind boards enters the point-of-load battleground.(LEAPFROG: FIRST LOOK: PUTTING NEW TECHNOLOGY IN PERSPECTIVE)(Linear Technology Corp. LTM4600EV power supply)
November 17, 2005... THERE'S A NEW ENTRY IN THE NON-ISOLATED point-of-load (niPOL) sweepstakes. Linear Technology's 10-A (14-A peak) step-down regulator module incorporates everything except input and output capacitors in a low-profile (2.8 mm), 15- by 15-ram...