EDN articles from August 2001

EDN archives from August 2001

FOOLS' PARADISE?(Humor)
August 2, 2001... "A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to under-estimate the ingenuity of complete fools." --the late Douglas Adams, Mostly Harmless

High-current, surface-mount inductor includes magnetic shielding.(JW Miller PM12639S)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... AS CURRENT LEVELS in processors and their associated systems increase, despite lowered supply voltages, you need inductors in your dc/dc converters that can handle the load while minimizing RF emissions. JW Miller's latest series of...

Tool lets designers visualize and collaborate.(Informative Graphics Myriad Capture Viewer)(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2001... CADENCE DESIGN SYSTEMS and Informative Graphics have entered into a distribution and technology agreement to provide the Myriad Capture Viewer collaboration and visualization tool for the Orcad Capture community. This special version of...

Architecture targets multiprocessor SOCs.(Tensilica Xtensa IV)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... TENSILICA TUNED Xtensa IV, its latest configurable-micro-processor architecture, to facilitate the integration of multiple processors on SOCs (systems on chips). The company also expanded the development tool set. The support goes beyond...

FIND RAPPORT WITH BLUETOOTH INTEGRATION.(Rappore Technologies My Wirefree Network software)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... Rappore Technologies has made it easier for OEMs to integrate their Bluetooth products into the Microsoft Windows environment. Using a Customization Wizard, OEMs can create their products' own look and feel and control the features they offer...

Options expand for perceptual-digital-audio compression.(Technology Information)(Column)
August 2, 2001... THE ECLECTIC XIPHOPHORUS, according to its Web site, is a group of"free and open-source programmers working to protect the foundations of Internet multimedia from reckless domination by purely self-serving corporate interests." The group has...

ACHIEVE DWDM AT 10 GBPS.(Broadcom BCM8511)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... The 10-Gbps BCM8511 DWDM transport processor from Broadcom targets applications such as DWDM transmission equipment and terminals, optical add/drop multiplexers, and optical cross-connects. The device allows capacities of as many as 200...

Analog-synthesis tool eases sizing woes.(NeoLinear NeoCircuit)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... NEOLINEAR'S NEW NEOCIRCUIT tool targets sizing for the analog portions of mixed-signal chips. These portions generally comprise multiple analog blocks that in turn comprise many unique analog cells. Each analog cell has a unique topology that...

TOOL PROVIDES INTERACTIVE ACCESS.(Mentor Graphics Calibre)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... Mentor Graphics' interactive version of Calibre enables designers to perform block and cell physical verification from within layout environments, such as Cadence Design Systems' Virtuoso. It provides block and cell designers with interactive...

VCSEL MODULES HAVE INCREASED POWER-BUDGET LINK.(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2001... Cielo has introduced eight-and 12-channel VCSEL (vertical-cavity-surface-emitting-laser)-based array modules using 1310-nm VCSELs with 2.5 Gbps per channel for SONET/OC-48 applications. The modules are compatible with GR-253-CORE Issue 3...

PC Expo has lots of "biggests" and firsts.(Industry Trend or Event)
August 2, 2001... THE SUPERLATIVES WERE OUT in force at PC Expo, which took place in New York on June 26 through 28. Maxtor Corp touted two additions to its DiamondMax family of 5400-rpm hard drives. The DiamondMax D540X drives contain 40-Gbyte platters and are...

Predicting the ac performance of comparators.(Technology Information)(Column)
August 2, 2001... MY LAST COLUMN ("Adding hysteresis to comparators," EDN, May 3, 2001, pg 22) concluded that hysteresis decreases comparator accuracy and prevents multiple pulsing. Amplifying the input signal before applying it to the comparator increases the...

Equalizing cables.(Technology Information)
August 2, 2001... I would like to know more about equalization circuitry for high-speed-interconnect systems. As an example, how do you equalize LVDS signals transmitted through cables of say 10 to 50m. What is the guiding principle behind this concept, and...

Have you exorcised your dead souls?(maintaining compny Web sites)(Industry Trend or Event)(Column)
August 2, 2001... IN HIS STORY DEAD SOULS, Nikolai Gogol's protagonist seeks acceptance from the Russian gentry class but lacks the collateral he needs to demonstrate that he has a substantial estate. So he hits upon a clever idea: to buy the birthrights of...

Does electronic ink mean the end of paper?(Technology Information)
August 2, 2001... PAPER IS A HUMAN-READABLE STORAGE-AND-DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY THAT REQUIRES NO POWER SOURCE TO OPERATE. CAN ELECTRONIC DEVICES EVER COMPETE WITH THAT? THE ADVENT OF ELECTRONIC displays fueled the expectation that paper would become obsolete....

Hot-swapping POWER.(Buyers Guide)
August 2, 2001... HOT SWAP POWER CONTROLLERS CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PRODUCT THAT LASTS LONG ENOUGH TO BE A CLASSIC AND ONE THAT'S JUST A BUS CRASH WAITING TO HAPPEN. FOUR TRENDS HAVE CHANGED THE WAY designers approach in-system power management....

Hardware and software spirit esoteric technology into everyday things.(real-time control systems)(Technology Information)
August 2, 2001... HARD-REAL-TIME CONTROL, ONCE THE EXCLUSIVE PROVINCE OF IVORY-TOWER PhDs, IS RAPIDLY PERVADING SUCH MUNDANE ITEMS AS CARS, AUDIO SYSTEMS, AND WASHING MACHINES. THANKS TO SMART TOOLS AND SYSTEM COMPONENTS, MANY ENGINEERS WITHOUT PhDs CAN...

LEDs move from indication to illumination.(Technology Information)
August 2, 2001... THE VERSATILE LED IS NOW BRIGHT AND COLORFUL ENOUGH TO USE IN APPLICATIONS BEYOND SIMPLE INDICATORS AND READOUTS, BUT YOU STILL NEED TO GRAPPLE WITH ISSUES OF SOURCE DRIVE, BRIGHTNESS, DERATING, SPECTRAL OUTPUT, AND VIEWING ANGLE. LEDs...

Using thermistors in temperature-tracking power supplies.(Technology Information)
August 2, 2001... SIMPLE LINEARIZING SCHEMES MAKE IT EASY TO USE THERMISTORS TO IMPLEMENT VOLTAGE-REGULATOR DESIGNS WITH TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENT OUTPUTS. MOST POWER-SUPPLY REGULATORS, by definition, provide an output voltage that is stable despite variations...

Centronics port generates narrow pulse widths.(Technology Tutorial)
August 2, 2001... VARIABLE-PULSE-WIDTH signals are useful in control circuitry for r positioning and holding purposes in robotics and power electronics. Frequently, the need arises for pulses with width less than 1 msec. Delays less than 1 msec are usually not...

Preprocessor for rotary encoder uses PAL.(Technology Information)
August 2, 2001... ROTARY ENCODERS usually provide quadrature pulses that indicate both the amount of rotation and the direction (Figure 1). A microcontroller can calculate the rotation direction and keep track of angular movement. Many microcontrollers'...

Inverters form three-phase VCO.(voice-controlled oscillator)(Technology Information)
August 2, 2001... You SOMETIMES NEED an inexpensive I VCO that can produce evenly spaced three-phase outputs over a wide frequency range. You could use tracking all-phase filters with only one oscillator, but this technique is difficult to implement and offers...

Power inverter is bidirectional.(Technology Tutorial)
August 2, 2001... IF YOU WANT to swap charge in either direction between unevenly loaded positive and negative battery buses, you need an inverting dc transformer. One implementation is the symmetrical flyback converter shown in Figure 1. The circuit can...

Oscillator teams with wireless chip set.(Fox Electronics F4106/440/l.4PRISM)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... Oscillator teams wireless chip set. Joining the F4100 series of surface mount-oscillators is device that targets Intersil's Prism 2.5 and Prism 3.0 11-Mbps Wireless-connectivity chip sets. The CMOS oscillator, designated the F4106-440/1.4Prism,...

W-CDMA 2-GHz LNA/mixers draw less than 8 mA.(Maxim Integrated Products MAX2387, MAX2388 and MAX2389)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... W-CDMA 2-GHz LNA/mixers draw less than 8 mA. These miniature LNA/downconverter mixers are target W-CDMA applications, including single-mode ARIB (Japan) and dual-mode ETSI-UMTS (Europe) third-generation cell phones. The MAX2387, MAX2388, and...

VCXOs furnish PECL-compatible outputs.(M-Tron Industries MPV3 series)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... VCXOs furnish PECL-compatible outputs. The MPV3 series of 3.3V surface-mount VCXOs covers frequencies of 10.000 to 622.08 MHz, while offering flexible operating parameters, such as 620-ppm stability over temperature and 0.5-psec jitter at a...

Low-noise VCXO operates to 200 MHz.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... Low-noise VCXO operates to 200 MHz. To reduce system-accumulated jitter and noise, the Vt-8000 VCXO employs an inverted-mesa quartz crystal that enables high frequency, low noise, increased stability, wide pullability, and faster on/off times....

Clock oscillators are stable to within [+ or -] 25 ppm.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2001... Clock oscillators are stable to within [+ or -] 25 ppm. Ultraminiature clock oscillators in the K50H series cover frequencies of 50.0 to 156.52 MHz with a frequency stability of [+or -] 25 ppm. Oscillators employ a two-cavity structure: one...

Servoamp's edge filter minimizes EMI/RFI.(Copley Controls 7225ACF)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... Servoamp's edge filter minimizes EMI/RFI. Used to position brushless linear motors, the Model 7225ACF servoamplifier incorporates a built-in active edge filter that reduces the slope (rise rate) of PWM output pulses, preventing motor cables...

Integrated circuits: 0C-12 ATM port controllers.(Agere Systems' APC Lite and APC Ultra Lite)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * Provide full traffic management, including address lookup and translation, policing, OAM, and scheduling * Maintain quality of service of real-time traffic, while aggregating data packets for transport across the network * APC Lite...

Integrated circuits: SERDE transceiver.(Samsung Semiconductor S5S202SX1A-HORN)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * Meets both 2-Gigabit ANSI Fibre Channel and Gigabit Ethernet specifications * Operates from 1 to 2.5 Gbps for use in LAN and SAN applications * Available also as an IP core for SOC designs * S5S202SX1A-HORN, $15 (1000) ...

Integrated Circuits: IrDA-compliant transceivers.(Zilog ZHX1810)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... IrDA-compliant transceivers * Comes in a 9.1 x 3.4-mm package that measures just 2.75 mm high * Handles transmission speeds of 2.4 to 115.2 kbps * Operates with a link range of 0 to 1m * ZHX1810, $2.10 (50,000) Zilog,...

Integrated Circuits: VGA port protector.(California Micro Devices PACVGA105)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * Incorporates seven channels of ESD protection for VGA signal lines * Handles the peak surge currents associated with IEC-1000-4-2 Level 4 ESD requirements (8-kV contact discharge) * Provides typical loading capacitance of less than 5...

Integrated Circuits: 10-MHz serial EEPROMs.(Catalyst Semiconductor)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * 32- and 64-kbit devices operate from 1.8 to 6V supplies * Provide four or six memory-block protection modes * Operate in 0,0 and 1,1 SPI serial clock modes * CAT25C32/33/64/65, 85 cents to 95 cents (10,000) Catalyst...

Integrated Circuits: Keeloq encoder is designed for secure authentication systems.(Microchip Technology)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... Keeloq encoder is designed for secure authentication systems. The device generates 32-bit code-hopping values based on a non-linear-block-cipher ecryption algorithm. Keeloq technology is an industry standard for highly secure remote control,...

Integrated Circuits: Battery monitor.(Texas Instruments Inc.)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * For portable equipment powered by one Li-ion or Li-polymer cell * Provides an SDQ serial interface, 224 bytes of flash memory, and a 64-bit ID ROM register * Incorporates a temperature sensor with 0.25 [degrees] K resolution *...

Integrated Circuits: Predriver amplifier.(Celeritek CMM2030-BD)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * For driving external lithium-niobate fiber-optic modulators where a high extinction ratio is necessary * Operates from 30 kHz to 32 GHz with a linear 11-dB gain response * Suitable for OC-192 and OC-768 fiber optics * CMM2030-BD,...

Integrated Circuits: LAN/modem chip set.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * For home and mobile networking * Teams vendor's HSP (Host Signal Processing) V.90 modem with ADMtek's LAN ASIC * Uses a 10/100-Mbps Ethernet controller with a PCI, mini-PCI, or CardBus interface * Lansis, $12.50 (10,000) ...

Integrated Circuits: RS-422 transceiver.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * Provides galvanic isolation of 2500V rms and transient immunity of 20 kV/[micro]sec * Delivers a data rate of 25 Mbaud, which is more than 10 times faster than competitive isolated devices * Comes in a 16-pin SOIC package *...

Integrated Circuits: Dual laser driver.(Elantec Semiconductor EL6240C)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * Provides dual outputs for combination CD-R/RW and DVD-ROM optical drives * Delivers CD-write speeds greater than the 20 x range * Compliant with the Orange Specification Standard * EL6240C, $2.50 (10,000) Elantec Semiconductor...

Microprocessors: Multiservice processors power broadband CPE.(Brecis Communications MSP5000)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... Multiservice processors power broadband CPE. The MSP family of scalable multiservice network processors enables the design of broadband CPE capable of handling multiservice applications, such as combined packetized voice and data with no loss...

Microprocessors: Mobile-appliance SOC.(Agilent Technologies AAEC-2000)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * Integrates a 200-MHz ARM920T CPU, color LCD controller, frame buffer, external memory controller, and programmable PLL * Supports Palm OS, Windows CE, Pocket PC, Linux, and Symbian EPOC * Comes in a 256-pin PBGA measuring 17 x 17 x...

Microprocessors: VoIP processor.(STMicroelectronics STV0397)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * Performs G.711, G.722, G.723.1, G.726, G.728, G.729-A/B, and G.729E voice compression * Provides acoustic echo cancellation, DTMF detection and generation, and audio mixing * Accommodates as many as 16 channels * STV0397, $12...

Microprocessors: WAN-independent communication processors.(Analog Devices AD6489)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * Handle data/voice processing, packetization, routing, QoS, IP services, and WAN processing * Include a scalable security engine that performs encryption (DES/3DES), authentication (MD5, SHA-1), and true random-number generation *...

Microprocessors: 300-MHz PowerPC host processor.(Motorola MPC8245)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * Combines a PowerPC 603e core, memory controller, 32-bit PCI interface, and 16550-compatible DUART * Memory controller supports as much as 2 Gbytes of SDRAM at 133 MHz maximum * Comes in a 352-pin TBGA * MPC8245, $39.60 (10,000)...

Microprocessors: 8051 tool suite.(Tasking 8051 Tool Suite V6.0)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * Covers 8051 microprocessor derivatives from Analog Devices, Cygnal, Dallas Semiconductor, Domosys, Philips, and Winbond * Comes with an upgraded EDE, optimizing C compiler, and CrossView Pro ROM monitor debugger and simulator *...

Microprocessors: Low-power processor.(Intel Pentium III-LP)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * 700-MHz CPU is the fastest of the low-power application processors within the Intel Internet Exchange Architecture * Use for networking and communication applications where high-density rack mounting makes dispersing excess heat essential...

Microprocessors: 0.15-micron CPU.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * X86 processor provides speeds starting at 733 MHz * Integrates 192 kbytes of fullspeed cache on a 52-[mm.sup.2] die * Targets value PCs, information PCs, notebooks, and digital PC appliances * C3 starts at $54 (1000) VIA...

Microprocessors: ARM RTOS suite.(Microware Systems' OS-9 for ARM)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * Optimized for Cirrus Logic's ARM-based Maverick 7200 and 7300 series of processors * Targets low-power, handheld appliances and Internet-access devices * Supports audio, Java, native graphics, wireless connectivity, and power...

Microprocessors: PowerPC processor model.(Endeavor Intertech's Precyse PPC405 CAE software)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * Achieves cycle accuracy while simulating 150,000 to 250,000 instructions/sec on a Windows or Linux PC * Includes an API that accommodates the addition of simple peripheral models that are dynamically instantiated in the simulation *...

Microprocessors: Communications processor.(Integrated Device Technology RS32332)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * Uses a 32-bit MIPS CPU core * Operates at 133 MHz * Includes a 66-MHz synchronous DRAM bus interface, PCI bus controller, DMA controller, interrupt controller, timers, and serial port * RS32332, $18 (10,000) Integrated...

Esmertec.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... Esmertec announced support of its Jbed product line on MontaVista's Hard Hat Linux OS for embedded systems. The release of the Jbed Virtual Machine and Libraries for embedded Linux runs with the Yopy Linux PDA powered by the Strong ARM SA-1110...

Accelerated Technology.(Nucleus PLUS real-time kernel for embedded processors)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... Accelerated Technology announced Nucleus real-time kernel support for the Motorola MCF5272 microprocessor and the IQ2000 family of network processors from Vitesse Semiconductor. Nucleus embedded software is sold with source code and without...

Embedded Systems: Rack-mount CompactPCI system.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * 4U enclosure horizontally mounts seven 6U CompactPCI cards and a single-slot media board * Comes with an 800-MHz Pentium III CPU board and rear-panel I/O card * Includes 512 Mbytes of memory, two 200W ac or dc power supplies, a...

Embedded Systems: 4U rack-mount server.(Rave Computer Association Redundant RackMount-4UAX2200)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * Driven by as many as two 750-MHz UltraSPARC-III processors and as much as 8 Gbytes of memory * Includes redundant power supplies and hot-swap front-access drives * Comes in a 4U rack-mount chassis * Redundant RackMount-4UAX2200,...

Embedded Systems: PowerPC compiler.(Green Hills Software's Multi 2000 with the PowerPC compiler)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * Joins the Multi 2000 integrated development environment * Provides automatic vectorization support for Motorola PowerPC AltiVec processors * Converts C code into optimized AltiVec object code * Multi 2000 with the PowerPC...

Embedded Systems: Network-development system.(Metrowerks)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * Bundles the CodeWarrior IDE with Embedded Planet's PowerQuicc processor-based hardware * Includes a WireTap run-control device from Applied Microsystems to control application-code execution and downloading from the CodeWarrior...

Embedded Systems: Clustering software.(Lineo Availix HC 1.3)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * Works with Linux and CompactPCI-based hardware to deliver high-availability access services * Scalable to as many as seven processors * Supports high-speed Fibre Channel switching and SAN content sharing using a Global File System...

Embedded Systems: Embedded controller board.(Zendex ZXEx86)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * Powered by ZF Micro Devices' ZFx86 microprocessor and FailSafe boot ROM * Allows remote programming and upgrading via an Ethernet interface * Runs under Linux * ZXEx86, $995 Zendex Corp, 1-925-828-3000, www.zendex.com ...

Embedded Systems: Ethernet-driver program.(CMX Systems CMX-MicroNet)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * Free Ethernet-driver customization service with the purchase of a CMX-MicroNet embedded TCP/IP software stack * Guarantees that the 8- or 16-bit host processor will work with the Ethernet controller * CMX-MicroNet, from $5500; driver...

Embedded Systems: Hot-swap PMC carrier board eliminates downtime.(SBS Technologies CP-640)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... Hot-swap PMC carrier board eliminates downtime. Targeting applications that have zero tolerance for downtime, the CP-640 carrier board makes any PMC module hot-swappable. The 6U CompactPCI board accommodates two PMC modules with front- or...

Embedded Systems: MicroATX motherboard.(Motorola Computer Group VP22)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * Leverages a Pentium III FCPGA processor and 815E chip set * Offers three DIMM sockets to accommodate as much as 512 Mbytes of SDRAM * Provides four PCI slots * VP22, $275 Motorola Computer Group, 1-800-759-1107, www....

Computers & Peripherals: 5U rack-mount chassis.(Rackmaster Systems Aurora AXmp FRS)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * Meets the requirements of Sun's SPARCengine Ultra AXmp quad-processor motherboard * Comes with quad redundant 620W power supplies and three 90-cfm cooling fans * Accommodates four half-height, vertical-mount 5.25-in. drives and one...

Computers & Peripherals: Windows XP audio drivers.(Cirrus Logic)(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2001... * Available for the vendor's CS42XX AC97 series for motherboard soft audio, CS4281 for PCI-attached audio, and CX46XX accelerated series for add-in sound cards * Now included in the Beta-2 version of Windows XP Cirrus Logic Inc,...

Computers & Peripherals: SCSI drive replacements.(Adtron S2512, S3512)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * Serve as drop-in replacements for narrow SCSI 2.5-in. (S25I2) and 3.5-in. (S35I2) disk drives in capacities to 20 Gbytes * Come factory-configured to match the geometry and command set of the original SCSI drive they replace *...

Computers & Peripherals: 4Active-matrix LCD monitor.(Image Systems FP1700HBMAX)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * 17-in. display provides a 160 [degrees] viewing angle in both vertical and horizontal planes * Operates at resolutions from VGA (640X480 pixels) to SXGA (1280X1024 pixels) with an optional NTSC/PAL interface * For use in medical...

Computers & Peripherals: U rack-mount server.(Tatung Science and Technology COMPstation U280R/2750)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * Employs dual 750-MHz UltraSPARC III processors with 8 Mbytes of external cache per processor * Expansion options include one 32/64-bit, 33/66-MHz PCI slot and three 32/64-bit, 33-MHz PCI slots * Accommodates a variety of 5.25-in....

Computers & Peripherals: Bluetooth software-development kit.(Extended Systems XTNDConnect Blue SDK for Windows 1.2.3)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... * Complies with Bluetooth specification V1.1 * Provides APIs, sample applications, and a complete core-protocol stack * Includes a driver development kit for UART, USB, and PCMCIA * XTNDConnect Blue SDK for Windows V1.2.3, $55,000...

Computers & Peripherals: Snakelike camera has microminiature head.(Polaris Industries MH-SC01)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 2, 2001... Snakelike camera has microminiature head. With a head that is just 7 mm in diameter, the MH-SC01 video camera allows you to focus the picture at less than 1/2 in. out to infinity. What's more, the camera does not require a separate controller...

Welcome to Part II of EDN's Design Series!(News Briefs)(Editorial)
August 2, 2001... Back in early April, EDN launched the first part of this series with the goal to explore issues concerning the design, development, and production of systems whose functions are implemented in electronics. It examines problems and related...

IT TAKES BOTH--HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE--TO MAKE A SYSTEM-ON-CHIP (SoC).(Industry Trend or Event)
August 2, 2001... We've all heard about the "blessing in disguise", but how about the "curse in disguise"? As wafer manufacturing technology marches on to the tune of Moore's Law, engineers are blessed with a greater amount of usable transistors to implement...

EDN SYSTEM DESIGN SERIES: CASE STUDIES.(Industry Trend or Event)
August 2, 2001... Integrated platform or co-design and prototyping of embedded systems Aidan Herbert Aptix Corporation The software content of electronic products has increased dramatically--and will continue to do so. A recent Dataquest study...

Robots playing catch-up.(Brief Article)
August 16, 2001... "With computer power increasing exponentially and doubling every 18 months or so, computers are catching up [to the human brain]. At the current rate, it will be approximately 2021 when computers will have the equivalent processing power of all...

Single-board computer survives harsh environment.(Winsystems LMP-TX)
August 16, 2001... WINSYSTEMS' STD-bus single-board computer serves in industrial locations with extreme temperature variations. The company based the LMP-TX on the Intel x-86 Tillamook processor. The product supports embedded medical, transportation,...

Agere exits USB 2.0 market.(Brief Article)
August 16, 2001... AGERE SYSTEMS HAS ANNOUNCED it will discontinue its USB 2.0 discrete products and instead focus on 1394b technology. As a result, Agere's USS-2000 host-controller and USS2X1 transceiver chips will no longer be available this year. The USB 2.0...

VCSELs BY THE DOZEN.(Picolight 12x2.7 Gbps Magnus)(Brief Article)
August 16, 2001... Picolight has entered volume production for its 12x2.7-Gbps Magnus parallel optical interconnect module with a snap-on connector. Based on 850-nm VCSEL (vertical-cavity surface-emitting-laser) technology, the device supports 12 asynchronous...

Portable scopes up EEs' productivity.(Tektronix TDS 3000)
August 16, 2001... TEKTRONIX ISN'T RESTING on its laurels. With sales exceeding 50,000 units in two years, the lunch-box-sized TDS 3000 series is one of the most successful scope families. Now, with no increase in size and at essentially the same prices (the...

Factoid.(News Briefs)
August 16, 2001... Retailer in the United States sold 52 million digital videodisc players in the first in half of 20001, according to the DVD Entertainment Group. Of the 105 million US households, 54% have at least one cell phone, one in 10 has a pager, and...

TRANSFORMER BOOSTS HARMONIZATION, NOT HARMONICS.(Prem Magnetics SDT-110-950)(Brief Article)
August 16, 2001... Prem Magnetics has upgraded the insulation of the US version of its SDT-110-950 telephony transformer. The device now meets the world-harmonized EN 60950 standard. As a result, designers can use the same part for global designs without changing...

Quarter-brick dc/dc converters produce isolated 1V at 30A.
August 16, 2001... ACCORDING TO DI/DT EEs have been forced to resort to kludges to design pc boards that require isolated sources of voltages in the neighborhood of 1V dc at as much as 30A to power modern high-performance microprocessors. The combination of ohmic...

Book provides a worthy telecomm course.('Telecommunications Demystified' by Carl Nassar)
August 16, 2001... CONTINUING IT'S Demystifying Technology series, LLH Technology Publications' Telecommunications Demystified by Carl R Nassar provides a wide-ranging tutorial on theory and practical issues using the requisite math and equations. This $59.95...

TOSHIBA'S TINY DRIVE HAS LOTS OF SPACE INSIDE.(MK5002MPL)(Product Announcement)
August 16, 2001... Toshiba has added a 5-Gbyte model to its line of 1.8-in. Type II PC Card hard-disk drives. The MK5002MPL has the highest capacity available in a less-than-2.5-in, form factor, measuring 5x54x85.6 mm. The two-headed MK5002MPL packs a lot of...

Internet-appliance connectivity sees another approach.(eDevice Inc.'s Smartstack)(Product Announcement)
August 16, 2001... PROVIDING low-cost, low-power Internet access for embedded, appliancelike applications, Smartstack uses a single DSP; flash memory; and a physical-layer interface, such as a DAA (data-access arrangement), to provide protocol-stack layers from...

Analysis tool adds JFET simulation.(NAASDA's HSIM 1.3)(Product Announcement)
August 16, 2001... VERSION 1.3 OF NASSDA'S HSIM targets designers of analog, mixed-signal, memory, and system-on-chip ICs. It provides circuit-level analysis of timing and power behavior and signal-integrity effects, and the new release delivers analysis and...