EDN articles from August 2005

EDN archives from August 2005

Who's next after Unocal, Maytag?(EDN.COMMENT)
August 4, 2005... Successful or not, China's state-owned oil company's bid to acquire Unocal and Haier Group's same plan for Maytag will reverberate throughout the American industry. Such intentions have implications far beyond each individual transaction,...

Easy-to-use math software promises Mathematica's speed and accuracy.(pulse: INNOVATIONS & INNOVATORS)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2005... Wolfram Research says that its new Mathematica CalcCenter 3 delivers the speed and accuracy of the company's flagship Mathematica package in a version that new users can get up and running in as little as 10 minutes. The target audience for the...

Serial-pulse-data generator produces 7-GHz patterns.(pulse: INNOVATIONS & INNOVATORS)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2005... Agilent Technologies has announced a high-speed, serial-pulse-data generator with stimulus capability to 7 GHz. According to the company, the 81141A is the first pulse generator to achieve such speeds. By providing precision low-jitter signals...

Bluetooth chip targets stereo headsets.(pulse: INNOVATIONS & INNOVATORS)
August 4, 2005... Broadcom has rolled out its first Bluetooth chip for wireless-stereo headsets. The single-chip BCM-2037 includes Bluetooth EDR (enhanced-data-rate) functions for enhanced audio quality and extended battery life. Broadcom officials state that...

Feedback loop.
August 4, 2005... "The problem that engineering work has is really an American societal problem. Jobs that receive the most compensation are generally jobs that deal with money--management, sales, CPAs, bond trader, etc--rather than jobs that create money...

Dilbert.(pulse: INNOVATIONS & INNOVATORS)(Cartoon)
August 4, 2005... YOU'LL WANT OUR NEW SERVER SOFTWARE AFTER YOUR REORGANIZATION. REORGANIZATION? NEXT WEEK YOU'RE HAVING MASSIVE LAYOFFS AND ELIMINATING THREE DIVISIONS. YOUR "I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING" FACE NEEDS WORK.

Tiny filter repels EMI/ESD away from wireless functions.(pulse: INNOVATIONS & INNOVATORS)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2005... As wireless phones get smaller and pack in more auxiliary functions, such as cameras, the potential for EMI problems increases, whereas the space available to squelch these problems shrinks. To address these issues, the Centurion CM1430 and...

Software targets communications design.(pulse: INNOVATIONS & INNOVATORS)
August 4, 2005... The Mathworks recently rolled out Communications Blockset 3, an upgraded version of a software program that offers engineers added functions for designing and simulating the physical layer of communications systems and components for wireless...

Test executive/development package adds fault library and editor.(pulse: INNOVATIONS & INNOVATORS)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2005... Geotest-Marvin Test Systems has announced the addition of a fault-library plug-in module and a fault editor to its $3995 ATEasy 5.0, vendor-independent, open-architecture test executive and rapid-test-application-development software package....

Bob Lucky: hard work makes its own luck.(Q&A)(Interview)
August 4, 2005... Robert "Bob" Lucky, PhD, is the former head of the legendary Bell Labs. Bell was the home of much of the vital research that our industry now employs, including the transistor. It also was the birthplace of some pure research having no apparent...

Chinese chip vendors push TD-SCDMA terminals.(GLOBAL DESIGNER)(time-division synchronous-code-division multiple-access)
August 4, 2005... The TD-SCDMA Industry Alliance is this summer sponsoring field tests for TD-SCDMA (time-division synchronous-code-division multiple-access) networks in Beijing and Shanghai. If things go smoothly, separate trial TD-SCDMA-network subscriptions...

LCD driver challenges TFT devices in mobile-phone applications.(GLOBAL DESIGNER)(thin-film-transistor)
August 4, 2005... Targeting mobile phones that rely on color displays, Hong Kong-based Solomon Systech Ltd has launched the first device in a series of innovative CSTN (color supertwist-nematic) LCD drivers. The SSD1784 display controller can support...

When undersampling, clock jitter does matter.(BAKER'S BEST)
August 4, 2005... In undersampling applications, such as wideband receivers, cellular base stations, and communications receivers, the undersampled signal has a relatively low-frequency bandwidth--with the help of the Nyquist Theorem and slower clocks to the...

Cheap shot: an SOC makes a one-time-use video camera feasible. Will consumers embrace the minimalist feature set?(PRYING EYES)
August 4, 2005... Starting about a month ago, drugstore chain CVS began selling a digital-video camera for the paltry sum of $30. The product of digital-imaging specialists Pure Digital Technologies, the bare-bones device probably will serve most often in...

Beating the blue-laser blues: customers want unified-format, blue-laser-based storage, disregarding those desires, competitors are pushing broadly incompatible products into the market, in a high-stakes game of high-tech chicken.(TECH TRENDS)
August 4, 2005... Industry standardization is a fickle mistress. Just ask the manufacturers of optical drives, their building blocks, and media. On the one hand, a unified technological approach to addressing a market need encourages broad industry-supplier...

Analyzing power modules.
August 4, 2005... Power modules are supplies that are mounted directly on the PCB to power ASICs, DSPs, microprocessors, memory, FPGAs, and other digital or analog loads (see Figure 1). These modules are commonly referred to as point of load supplies (POL) or...

Secondary-side post regulator (SSPR).
August 4, 2005... Feature-Rich LM5115 Controller Simplifies Design of Multiple Output DC-DC Converters and Doubles as High-Voltage DC-DC Controller LM5115 Features * Provides multiple outputs from main DC-DC or AC-DC converter * Operates directly...

Industry's only controller with pre-bias startup and optional clock synchronization and tracking.
August 4, 2005... LM2745/48 Optimizes Design of FPGA, ASIC, and Point-of-Load Applications LM2745/48 Features * Input power from 1V to 14V * Output voltage adjustable down to 0.6V * Switching frequency from 50 kHz to 1 MHz * Switching...

Highly efficient intermediate bus converter.
August 4, 2005... LM5033 Integrates Start-Up Regulator and Precision Reference LM5033 Features * Isolated step-down converter stage feeds multiple non-isolated point-of-load (POL) converters * Each output is independently regulated * No...

Power design tools.
August 4, 2005... WEBENCH[R] Online Design Environment Our design and prototyping environment simplifies and expedites the entire design process. 1. Choose a part 2. Create a design 3. Analyze a power supply desing --Perform electrical...

Charting your course: follow the silicon-bread-crumb trail in this directory to find the perfect device for your project.(THE 32ND ANNUAL MICROPROCESSOR DIRECTORY)(Cover Story)
August 4, 2005... Welcome to the 32nd EDN Microprocessor/Microcontroller Directory. The number of companies and devices the directory lists continues to grow, and, once again, we've expanded the company roster and table of devices by at least 10%. This...

WiFi and Bluetooth fight for bandwidth: Bluetooth and WLAN are on collision course--not in the market, but in the airwaves.
August 4, 2005... WLAN (wireless LAN) using the WiFi (Wireless Fidelity) IEEE 802.11b/g protocol is becoming standard in PCs and laptop computers, and it is making its way into PDAs and other portable data appliances. At the same time, Bluetooth is arising as a...

Choosing and using microprocessor memory interfaces: designers evaluating memory-interface options need to optimize the trade-offs among capacity, bandwidth, efficiency and system constraints.
August 4, 2005... Microprocessor-based systems are ideal for executing an essentially infinite number of tasks. The host microprocessors support a limited set of instructions that can combine to produce incredibly complex software programs. In other words, a...

AGC amplifier features 60-dB dynamic range.(design ideas: READERS SOLVE DESIGN PROBLEMS)(automatic gain control)
August 4, 2005... When processing signals from analog sensors, you frequently encounter wide variations in attenuation among communication channels or sensors. Or, you face situations in which several identical sensors within a supervised system return signals...

"Easy Drive" Delta-Sigma analog-to-digital converters cancel input current errors--Design Note 368.(DESIGN NOTES)
August 4, 2005... Introduction It is now possible to place large RC networks directly in front of high resolution [DELTA][SIGMA] analog-to-digital converters without degrading their DC accuracy (see Figure 1). The LTC[R]248x family of converters solves this...

Precision active load operates as low as 2V.(design ideas)
August 4, 2005... This Design Idea presents a self-powered, precision-active-load circuit that improves on a previously published design (Reference 1). Added features include a wider operating-voltage range of 2 to 50V or higher and several flexible...

Squeeze extra outputs from a pin-limited microcontroller.(design ideas)
August 4, 2005... Many of today's designs use low-cost microcontrollers from Freescale and Microchip, but during the last decade, device packages have resorted to ever-smaller footprints featuring as few as eight or even six pins. Although these packages...

Single-slot VMEbus/CompactPCI enclosures target extreme-environment applications.(COOLING AND ENCLOSURES)
August 4, 2005... Machined from 6061-T6 aluminum, the rugged, single-slot E118 chassis enclosures for 6U VMEbus and CompactPCI single-board computers feature captive fasteners and optional helical wire-rope-type shock and vibration isolators in bottom- or...

Multicolored enclosures allow color matching for corporate identity.(COOLING AND ENCLOSURES)
August 4, 2005... Teknet handheld enclosures have elastomer edge grips available in multiple colors and suit in-field test-and-measurement instruments, medical devices, and data-logger applications. The devices measure 6.1 x 3.78 in. with 0.79-, 0.95-, and...

Wireless-USB enclosure weighs less than 8g.(COOLING AND ENCLOSURES)
August 4, 2005... Targeting WirelessUSB (Juno-USB), flash drives, and Wi-Fi applications, this ultrathin enclosure weighs less than 8g and measures 1.8 x 0.8 x 0.425 in. Peripherals include a slip-fit protective cap and binding button, internal features that...

Nonmetallic enclosures meet industry standards.(COOLING AND ENCLOSURES)
August 4, 2005... The NBB series of large, non-metallic enclosures are lightweight and less expensive than metallic enclosures but retain the durability and strength for most applications. The indoor enclosures are made from ABS/PC-blended plastic with a...

Thermal-interface material comes in various shapes and sizes.(COOLING AND ENCLOSURES)
August 4, 2005... Targeting high-volume automatic-dispensing and -placement applications, the SIL-PAD 1500ST (soft track) high-performance, fiber-glass-reinforced, silicone-based thermal interface has a thermal impedance of 0.23[degrees]C-[in..sup.2]/W at 50 psi...

Cabinet cooler has no moving parts.(COOLING AND ENCLOSURES)
August 4, 2005... Vortex tubes allows this 2800-BTU/hour cabinet cooler to cool compressed air to 20[degrees]F. The cooler mounts to NEMA 12, 4, or 4X stainless-steel enclosures through an electrical knockout. With no moving parts to wear out, the device suits...

Floating-point library has more than 100 functions and transforms.(MICROPROCESSORS)
August 4, 2005... The GDD600 library of floating-point DSP vectors and functions features a data-conversion unit that facilitates the conversion of fixed-point and integer formats into floating-point units and converts floating-point units into integer form....

DSP offers better performance.(MICROPROCESSORS)
August 4, 2005... The TMS320C6418 DSP has an extended-case-temperature range of -40 to +105[degrees]C, 512 kbytes of L2 cache, and an integrated Viterbi coprocessor. The peripherals include two McBSPs (multichannel-buffered serial ports), two audio serial ports,...

Digital power-supply controller targets switch-mode power supplies.(MICROPROCESSORS)
August 4, 2005... Providing digital power-control and management functions for most isolated and nonisolated switch-mode-power-supply topologies, the Si825x single-chip family of digital power-supply controllers incorporates hardware for real-time loop control...

CCID class driver provides USB support for smart-card applications.(MICROPROCESSORS)
August 4, 2005... A new class driver for the Nucleus USB software offers USB support for the Nucleus RTOS. The Nucleus CCID class driver connects the embedded host and smart-card reader without an additional driver. The vendor released the driver for use with...

Release//21, emulation--technology's new catalog.(literature link)
August 4, 2005... ET's new easy to use, full-line catalog provides engineers and test managers the means to quickly solve problems and get back on track. The catalog compliments ET's online store, providing engineers with the solutions they need. Order your...

Multi-axis, multi-motor motion control ICS.(literature link)
August 4, 2005... PMD, the leader in IC-based motion, introduces the Magellan[TM] Family of Motion Processors. Available in1--4-axis versions these flexible, programmable chips control DC brush, brushless DC, microstepping and pulse & direction motors. Magellan...

Methods for evaluating advanced electronics cooling systems.(literature link)
August 4, 2005... This white paper presents the pros and cons for several advanced electronics cooling systems. Such complex systems require novel tools for their design and analysis. The benefits of one proven technology tool are discussed. Download your...

Expertise in DFM / DFT.(literature link)
August 4, 2005... [check] Reduce production costs [check] Improve product quality [check] Speed time to market [check] Simplify your design process That's what can be achieved through DFM / DFT methods and procedures. For more reformation...

Master product catalog from Virginia Panel Corporation.(literature link)
August 4, 2005... Virginia Panel Corporation's (VPC) Master Catalog presents products in a new and comprehensive way by educating and guiding a customer through the Mass InterConnect configuration process as well as grouping products in complete solutions....

Design Guide for optical encoders.(literature link)
August 4, 2005... This Guide provides a comprehensive summary of optical encoders, accessories and interface electronics, included are design examples, absolute and incremental encoders, shafted and hollow-shaft styles as well as serial output versions. Special...

Rapidly create test, measurement and control systems with LabVIEW.
August 4, 2005... NI LabVIEW is the graphical development environment for creating flexible and scalable test, measurement, and control applications, rapidly and at minimal cost. With LabVIEW, engineers and scientists interlace with real-world signals, analyze...

Surge protection.(literature link)
August 4, 2005... * COAXIAL Surge Suppressors for PCS, GPS, RF Equipment * AC Protector UL1449 * DC/DATA Line Protectors * Surge Arrester Gas Tubes * Voltage from 75V To 2500V * Available in Surface Mount CITEL, Inc. 800-248-3548...

Single board computers.(literature link)
August 4, 2005... PC/104, PC/104-Plus, EBX, and STD 32 Bus products feature processors from 586 to Pentium III. Perfect for OEM applications. Customer service benefits include a 5-year product availability guarantee and outstanding warranties. Voted Platinum...

Test & measurement accessories.(literature link)
August 4, 2005... Broad line of over 12,000 high quality test and measurement products that solve application problems in the electrical, electronic, industrial, automotive and medical fields. Product line includes test leads, adaptors, connectors, DMM kits,...

Batteries short form catalog with technical data on CD-ROM.(literature link)
August 4, 2005... Panasonic's broad line of battery sizes and chemistries is condensed for review in this new 16-page, 4-color catalog with technical data and company overview on enclosed CD-ROM. Batteries covered include NiCd, NiMH, Lithium, Li-ion, VRLA and...

New Thyristor device databook.(literature link)
August 4, 2005... Central's new 2005 Thyristor Databook features SCRs and TRIACs in leaded and SMD packages. This databook includes an extensive cross reference, selection guide, detailed datasheets and package specifications. Also featured is Central's new...

SiGe gets GaAs.(reality check: YESTERDAY'S HYPE MEETS TODAY'S REALITY)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2005... GaAs (gallium arsenide) was the ultimate semiconductor technology for the ultra-high-speed logic elements in supercomputers before silicon reached the gigahertz range. About 20 years ago, designers adapted this niche process technology to...

Letter from the editor.(PART THREE: DIGITAL POWER AND CONTROL)
August 4, 2005... The adoption of digital power control is still in its early stages. Market penetration of digital power management is currently low in most applications. Semiconductor companies, power conversion manufacturers and system designers are all...

Digital power: management market crossing the threshold.
August 4, 2005... The adoption of digital power control is still in its very early stages, and the interest in such technologies is being watched closely by semiconductor companies, power conversion companies and system designers. Market penetration of digital...

Companies vie: for digital product position.(PART THREE: DIGITAL POWER AND CONTROL)
August 4, 2005... With the power electronics industry on the eve of a potential technological revolution, several companies are jockeying for leadership roles in the move towards digital power control and digital power conversion. The problem is that the timing...

Improve transient response in switch mode power supplies with digital loop control.(CASE Study)
August 4, 2005... the challenge Modern electronics continuously incorporate new features that consume more and more power. Because the latest low-voltage semiconductor technology is used in these electronic gadgets, they are increasingly more sensitive to...

iCool VRM connectors: the result of the voice of the customer.(CASE Study)(voltage regulator module )
August 4, 2005... the challenge In the late 1990's, Molex recognized that power delivery in microprocessors was becoming more than just a DC bulk power problem. DC power for high performance processors was taking on AC characteristics. The combination of...

Critical clamping conundrum.(POWER puzzler #5)
August 4, 2005... Limiting the maximum drain voltage that your power switch sees is essential to ensure its reliable operation. Take a break from your daily routine and test your power supply design knowledge by trying your hand at answering the three questions...

A novel approach to designing a sensorless permanent magnet motor control for air conditioner compressors.(CASE Study)
August 4, 2005... the challenge Electric motors are responsible for over 40% of the world's total electrical energy consumption. However, less than 20% of those deployed today are fitted with inverter-based digital controls that maximize both efficiency and...

Where land does not meet the sea.(EDN.COMMENT)
August 18, 2005... Who pays for the software piracy that Senior Editor Mike Santarini's cover story so ably analyzes? You and I. We are constantly subjected to frustrating protection schemes that cost time and money. Perhaps that's a small price to pay given the...

Differential, high-speed op amps.(Featured Products)
August 18, 2005... The LMH6550 and LMH6551 are high-performance voltage feedback differential amplifiers. The fully differential topology allows balanced inputs to the ADCs and can be used as single-ended-to-differential or used as differential-to-differential....

Low-power, high-performance quad 12-bit A/D converter with serialized LVDS outputs.(Featured Products)(Advertisement)
August 18, 2005... The ADC12QS065 is a low-power, high-performance, 4-channel analog-to-digital converter with serialized LVDS outputs. This A/D converter digitizes signals to 12-bit resolution at sampling rates up to 65 MSPS while consuming a typical 187.5 mW...

Data converter serial LVDS interface improves board routing.(Design / idea)
August 18, 2005... Systems often require signaling where common-mode signals are not welcome or difficult to handle. Some designs turn single-ended signals from the output of transducers to fully differential signals, then send this signal to a differential-input...

High-performance, low-power, dual 8-bit, 500 MSPS A/D converter.(Featured Products)
August 18, 2005... The ADC08D500 is the industry's lowest power dual 8-bit 500 MSPS analog-to-digital converter. It digitizes two signals to 8-bit resolution at sampling rates up to 800 MSPS or one signal at sampling rates up to 1.6 GSPS. Consuming a typical 1.4...

Dual 12-bit, 65 MSPS, 3.3V, 360 mW A/D converter.(Featured Products)
August 18, 2005... The ADC12DL065 is a dual, low-power CMOS analog-to-digital converter capable of converting analog input signals into 12-bit digital words at 65 MSPS. This converter uses a differential, pipeline architecture with digital error correction and an...

Fanless CPUs tackle extremes.(pulse: INNOVATIONS & INNOVATORS)
August 18, 2005... Parvus recently introduced three ruggedized, 800-MHz Pentium-based embedded-processor boards for demanding mobile, high-vibration, and extreme-temperature computing applications. The PC/104-Plus-form-factor CPU cards each incorporate an Intel...

Field-analysis software is the EDA of magnetic designs.(pulse: INNOVATIONS & INNOVATORS)
August 18, 2005... Software-design tools are not just for IC and pc boards; designers of motors, inductors, generators, and solenoids also benefit from the assistance of the advanced modeling, design, and simulation tools. JMAG-Studio from the Japan Radio...

Magnetic encoder offers extreme noncontact resolution.(pulse: INNOVATIONS & INNOVATORS)
August 18, 2005... Using a technology similar to a magnetic tape or disk platter, the Siko Products MSK5000 linear/rotary encoder is a 5-mm-wide band with programmable resolution to 1 micron (0.001 mm). In contrast to optical systems, this approach resists dirt...

ICs enable analog video to give and receive.(pulse)
August 18, 2005... Despite the digital nature of many video signals, they often need to live in the analog RGB/ YPbPr world, alongside the line drivers and receivers that make that world possible. The ISL59830 IC from Intersil facilitates this collaboration. The...

$30 module embeds speech recognition.(pulse)
August 18, 2005... Sensory recently unveiled the VR Stamp module, which provides easy integration of voice recognition into consumer, industrial, automotive, and medical electronics. Sensory based the module on the company's RSC-4128 mixed-signal processor, which...

Dilbert.(Cartoon)
August 18, 2005... WHY WOULD MY BOSS TELL A VENDOR OUR STRATEGY AND NOT TELL ME? IT'S PROBABLY A COMBINATION OF YOUR LACK OF IMPORTANCE AND YOUR TOTAL INSIGNIFICANCE. DO YOU HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS LIKE THAT ONE? [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED]

Feedback loop.(pulse)
August 18, 2005... "I do feel badly for the brighter high school students to whom electrical engineering might have offered a solid technical future." Rudy Dankworth, in EDN's Feedback Loop on www.edn.com/article/CA526328. Add your comments. "I'm glad...

Embedded computer packs extra I/O.(pulse)
August 18, 2005... Micro/sys based its new SBC0489 single-board computer on the STPC Atlas PC-compatible processor. The device delivers an I/O-rich single-board computer in a 5x5-in. footprint. Along with expected PC features, such as SVGA and disk controllers,...

Motor controllers ease do-it-yourself challenge.(pulse)
August 18, 2005... Having a good motor is one thing; controlling the motor properly is another. The $850 Silverdust IGB from Quicksilver Controls provides servo control for NEMA 17 and 23 frame-sized microstep motors with encoders. Using this controller, you can...

Tools support hot-swap and rewind debugging.(pulse)
August 18, 2005... The Platinum Edition of Texas Instruments' CC-Studio (Code Composer Studio) integrated development environment introduces target-board hot-swap and a debugging-rewind feature that can help developers save time when tracking down system bugs....

Brushed, brushless motors serve tailored applications.(pulse)
August 18, 2005... Considerable segmentation exists in IC taxonomy, and it's easy to think that the motor world is less fragmented, but that idea is a misconception. Among the major motor categories are brushless units, and a new series of axial air-gap units...

ARM boosts support to Indian design shops.(GLOBAL DESIGNER)(Approved Design Center)
August 18, 2005... With ARM microprocessor cores becoming increasingly popular with Indian design houses, the Indian subsidiary of the company is stepping up its involvement in the local market. "We work directly with 50 companies, and the number is poised to...

Asian SOPC-design application now textbook cases.(GLOBAL DESIGNER)(system-on-programmable-chip)
August 18, 2005... A low-cost DVB (digital-video-broadcasting) code-stream-monitoring system, an affordable articulation-type robot for industrial applications, and a real-time-face-recognition biometric system won first prizes at the recent Altera Nios Soft-Core...

Noninvasive technique measures humidity in sealed glass case.(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Langley Research Center has designed a technique for continuously measuring the humidity within the glass cases holding the original US Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of...

Mobile-phone fuel cell triples capacity.(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... Fujitsu Laboratories in conjunction with NTT DoCoMo (www.nttdocomo.com) has shown a prototype of a micro-sized fuel cell with 18-cc capacity and an external charger that uses methanol at 99% concentration, far higher than the 30% conventional...

Photonic radio gets closer.(government contracts)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... The DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) has awarded a contract to Phasebridge Inc to further the development of an optical RF QPSK (quadrature-phase-shift-keying)--modulation technique for use in ultrawideband, frequency-agile,...

Serious superconducting motor gets real.(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... A 5-MW motor using HTS (high-temperature-super-conducting) wire and magnets has passed load- and ship-mission-testing protocols. American Superconductor designed the motor under an Office of Naval Research contract as an interim step toward a...

Millions and billions.(SIGNAL INTEGRITY)
August 18, 2005... Did the US Congress appropriate $94 million, or was it $94 billion, for the Department of Agriculture in 2005? Who can remember? To most people, all big numbers sound the same, so they care little about the difference. Besides, if the amount...

Are you ready for RoHS? Reliable, Observant, Helpful, and Straightforward compliant solutions from TI.(RACE TO RoHS FROM TI STANDARD LINEAR AND LOGIC)
August 18, 2005... Will you be ready when the European Parliament's directive on the restriction of hazardous substances (RoHS) kicks in in July 2006? The directive mandates that electronic devices sold in the EU after that date be certifiably free of lead and...

Shedding light on radiation testing.(TALES FROM THE CUBE)
August 18, 2005... We recently designed a 2-kW, more-than 93%-efficient power converter for a manned space application. The design uses the latest generation of 500 and 200V power MOSFETs, which are available as commercial encapsulated plastic parts, for both...

VME fosters a fabric future: while newer embedded architectures vie for high-performance applications, venerable VMEBus vendors pen a fabric-based strategy for continued survival and future growth.
August 18, 2005... Although the VMEbus (VERSAmodule Eurocard bus) has been the workhorse of the embedded-system industry for almost a quarter of a century, it has struggled to compete with newer, faster board standards. Saddled with a parallel, multidrop data bus...