EDN articles from January 2003

EDN archives from January 2003

Playing house. (Leading edge: what's hot in the design community).
January 9, 2003... "At first, I was completely in love with the online version. I got to `hug' my online friends for the first time, and interact with them in a more real way than just text. Over time, though, it started to turn into too much emotional work. I...

Tiny amplifiers improve electrets. (Leading edge: what's hot in the design community).(National Semiconductor LMV1012 and LMV1014 electret amplifiers)
January 9, 2003... PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TALKING tO inanimate objects for centuries, but the objects have only recently been listening. Unfortunately, those most eager to do so--mobile phones, PDAs, and laptop computers--have precious little room for the ears. As the...

Episode II: a less--"jaggy" Jar Jar. (Leading edge: what's hot in the design community).(Star Wars: Episode II )(Editorial)
January 9, 2003... SOME OF YOU WHO READ MY EDITORIAL last fall on digital projection wrote and asked whether the aliasing artifacts I saw in Star Wars: Episode II might have come from the digital videocameras used to capture the images, versus the DLP...

Dilbert.
January 9, 2003... I'D LIKE TO MAKE A GRADUAL SHIFT OUT OF ENGINEERING AND INTO SOMETHING MORE ADMINISTRATIVE. FOR EXAMPLE, I COULD WRITE REPORTS THAT TELL OTHER PEOPLE HOW TO DO THEIR JOBS BETTER. THEN I COULD GRADUALLY SHIFT OUT OF WRITING REPORTS AND...

Leading edge.(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... * Michael Capellas, chief executive officer of bankrupt WorldCom, who was head of Compaq until Hewlett-Packard acquired it, walked away from HP with more than $14.5 million in severance, according to a congressional study. * According to a...

Network-storage processor targets SAN. (Leading edge: what's hot in the design community).(Astute Networks Pericles)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... Astute Networks' Pericles network-storage processor for SAN (storage-area-network) applications combines a parallel-processor architecture with hardware-acceleration engines for handling protocols that maintain state information. The device can...

Get in touch with your elemental nature. (Leading edge: what's hot in the design community).(Nature's Building Blocks: an A-Z Guide to the Elements )(Book Review)
January 9, 2003... IT'S EASY TO BE SO INVOLVED with software and system design that you can forget how critical basic materials are to society's needs and our industry's capabilities. Nature's Building Blocks: an A-Z Guide to the Elements by John Emsley will...

Book provides help for SystemC users. (Leading edge: what's hot in the design community).(A SystemC Primer)(Book Review)
January 9, 2003... J BHASKER'S NEW BOOK, A SystemC Primer, introduces first-time users to the fundamentals of SystemC. Bhasker, who has written primers for both VHDL and Verilog, as well as other well-received tutorial books on HDLs, does a good job of presenting...

Go fabless. (Leading edge: what's hot in the design community).(The COT Planning Guide, Second Edition: Tips, Tactics and Strategies for Successful IC Outsourcing)(Book Review)
January 9, 2003... BACK IN ANCIENT TIMES--say, 20 years ago--you had to build a wafer-fabrication facility if you intended to create a semiconductor company. Times have changed. If you are contemplating a fabless semiconductor start-up or are working with a...

Book explores software-engineering oxymoron. (Leading edge: what's hot in the design community).(Facts and Fallacies of Software Engineering)(Book Review)
January 9, 2003... COMMONLY USED PHRASES such as "social science" and "software engineering" cause me internal disharmony. But a recently published book has helped me overcome my difficulty with the latter. The no-nonsense, readable Facts and Fallacies of...

FEC processor targets Metropolitan-area networks. (Leading edge: what's hot in the design community).(Multilink Technology's MTC6134 enhanced forward-error correction processor)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... The 10-Gbps MTC6134 digital-wrapper processor from Multilink Technology supports EFEC (enhanced forward-error correction). This device features a full SONET/SDH section and line-overhead processing, 10-Gbps-Ethernet performance monitoring, and...

Limited vision. (on the verge).(Sprint PCS's Vision wireless data service)(Brief Article)(Column)
January 9, 2003... AS MUCH AS WE DEPEND on cell phones, for everything from tracking kids to working on the road, the cellular carriers remain barely competent--at best--at their chosen business. Indeed, although they're fond of saying that retaining customers...

Surrounded by gray, tangled up in blue. (edn.comment).(surround-sound )(Editorial)
January 9, 2003... MY LAST EDN EDITORIAL proposed that, whether in engineering or in the broader subject of life, little to nothing is completely right or completely wrong, completely true or completely false. I've thought a lot about the "gray zone" in recent...

This pipe "smokes" to keep cool. (Sightings: the outlook for new technology).(Sandia National Laboratories micro heat pipes )(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... Getting heat out of laptops and other systems is a problem, as system-dissipation levels increase and thermal area for cooling decreases. Sandia National Laboratories (www.sandia.gov) has developed micro heat pipes that passively and...

Plastic printing for IC packaging. (Sightings: the outlook for new technology).(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... Packaging costs and technologies are critical to many high-volume applications. Scientists at Infineon Technologies (www.infineon.com) have combined plastic films and packaging techniques to produce rugged, flexible packages for plastic-based...

MEMS IR array performs hot without colling. (Sightings:: the outlook for new technology).(from Sarnoff Corp. )(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... For high-sensitivity infrared cameras and temperature-sensing systems, Sarnoff Corp (www.sarnoff.com) will manufacture a 320 x 240-pixel IR array from Sarcon Microsystems (www.sarcon.com). The array consists of MEMS detectors with a...

Software, display convert audio to lip-reading mode. (Sightings: the outlook for new technology).(SpeechView)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... For wired- and cell-phone users who are hard of hearing, the Israeli company SpeechView (www.speechview.com) translates spoken phonemes, independent of language, to a face on a PC screen with moving lips that "speak." The kit consists of a...

What is DBS, and what makes it work? Great picture and sound quality takes a chain of many links. (how it works).(Direct-broadcast-satellite)
January 9, 2003... DBS (DIRECT-BROADCAST SATELLITE) is now as commonplace as cable TV. But the apparent ease with which you get clear pictures and sound from your television somehow ignores a half-century's worth of hard work and innovation. There is much behind...

Destination distortion: high-resolution audio strides toward an unclear future. (cover story).
January 9, 2003... ADVANTAGES OF THE LATEST AUDIO FORMATS are apparent for silicon, software, and technology providers; system manufacturers; and media producers. But benefits for consumers are less obvious. Couple that with the formats' diversity and...

Supercaps for supercaches: supercapacitors, ultracapacitors, electrochemical capacitors, double-layer capacitors--all alternative names for devices finding an ever-widening range of applications. (design feature).
January 9, 2003... ENERGY-STORING SUPERCAPACITORS have electrical parameters and occupy a functional position between ordinary capacitors and batteries; you use the components primarily as power sources or reserves. Although you use them to store energy,...

Debunking the distance-learning myth: we've overcome the challenges of electronic distribution, and no technical barriers remain to prevent distance learning from becoming an overnight reality. So, why aren't more companies taking advantage of it? (tech trends).
January 9, 2003... THE COMPLEXITY OF MANY ENGINEERING TOOLS has made effective training an important check box on the list of essential criteria when evaluating new products. Live training, however, is expensive, often requiring travel and a significant amount of...

60V/3A step-down DC/DC converter maintains high efficiency over a wide input range--design note 301. (Design Notes).(Linear Technology's LT3430)
January 9, 2003... Introduction Today's high voltage applications--such as automotive, industrial and FireWire[R] peripherals--place increasing demands on power supplies. They must provide high power, high efficiency and low noise, in a small space and over...

Design makes handy audible circuit tracer. (design ideas).(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... THE CIRCUIT TRACER in Figure 1 is a handy tool for finding connectivity paths on a pc board. Because the sense voltage you use to measure the path is lower than a transistor's [V.sub.BE] voltage, you can use the design in circuits containing...

Design a visible optical link for RS-232C communications. (design ideas).(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... THE DESIGN in Figure 1 is a visible optical link for those who need to see the transmitted data. An isolation figure of more than 5000V is a bonus. Tests of the system used the COM input of a data-acquisition system, as well as a standard PC's...

Hot-swap structure offers improved redundancy.(power supply design)
January 9, 2003... FOR REDUNDANCY PURPOSES, a number of power supplies, using ORing diodes, can work into the same load. During maintenance, when you can remove any power supply, the minimum possible power perturbation at the load is desirable. To compensate for...

Embedded processor directly drives LCD. (design ideas).
January 9, 2003... DRIVING A BARE LCD does not necessarily require specialized interface circuitry or peripherals. This Design Idea describes an alternative drive scheme, which you can easily implement using the general-purpose outputs of a microcontroller. Many...

20V MOSFETs tout low on-resistance and gate voltage. (Discretes).(Fairchild Semiconductor's FDS6572A, FDS6574A)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... The FDS6572A and FDS6574A, two 20V n-channel MOSFETS, can replace 50V parts in point-of-load power supplies and other low-voltage power-management applications. A low threshold voltage of 0.6V for the FDS6574A and 0.8V for the FDS6572A allows...

Low-voltage MOSFET family cuts conduction losses. (Discretes).(STMicroelectronics' STB130NH02L, STS25NH3LL, STB130NH02L, STS25-NH3LL)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... STripFET III low-voltage MOSFETs feature low thresholds with an optimum combination of on-resistance and gate charge. Their low intrinsic resistance, [R.sub.g], of less than 1.9[ohm] helps reduce gate-driving power losses. The five-device...

Dual isolated modules block as much as 2400V. (Discretes).(Powerex's PD POW-R-BLOKs)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... PD series POW-R-BLOKs are dual isolated modules offering blocking-voltage capabilities of as much as 2400V and current-carrying capabilities of greater than 500A. Dual-SCR modules are rated at 700A to 1800V and 600A to 2400V. Dual-diode modules...

600V Schottky rectifier handles 20A. (Discretes).(Cree's 20A CSD20060D )(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... Joining a family of silicon-carbide Schottky diodes is a 20A, 600V device that comes in a TO-247 package. Additional offerings in the 600V series include 1, 4, 6, and 10A devices in TO-220, D-PAK, and [D.sup.2]PAK cases. These diodes have...

Power MOSFETs enhance telecomm/datacomm power system efficiency.(Discretes).(International Rectifier's K-Series of 500 and 600V power MOSFETs)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... The K-Series of 500 and 600V power MOSFETs not only increases efficiency, output power, and power density compared with previous-generation devices, but also offers an expanded selection of current and on-resistance levels. For instance, the...

Low-voltage processor. (Microprocessors).(Intel's Low Voltage Pentium III)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... * Runs at 933 MHz with a maximum power dissipation of 12.2W * Contains 512 kbytes of L2 cache and a 133-MHz system bus in a uFCBGA package * Low Voltage Pentium III, $273 (1000) Intel Corp, 1-800-538-3373, www.intel.com No....

Media processor. (Microprocessors).(Atsana Semiconductor's J2210)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... * Combines an array processor with an embedded ARM9 RISC processor * Consumes less than 75 mW and processes MPEG-4 QCIF streams at 15 frames/sec * J2210, $19 (samples) Atsana Semiconductor Corp, 1-613-224-9926, www.atsana.com ...

RTOS port. (Microprocessors).(Accelerated Technology's Nucleus)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... * Works with the Motorola ColdFire MCF5249 processor * Metrowerks' CodeWarrior tool set supports initial release * Nucleus, licenses start at $12,495 Accelerated Technology Inc, 1-251-661-5770, www.acceleratedtechnology.com ...

Control-plane processor. (Microprocessors).(Intel's IXC1100)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... * Incorporates an XScale core that operates at 533 MHz * Includes primitives for accelerating time-critical control-plane functions and is compatible with the ARM VSTE instruction set * IXC1100, from $55 (1000) Intel Corp,...

Full-ternary IP coprocessors. (Microprocessors).(Integrated Device Technology's 75P42100, 75P52100, 75K62100, 75K76100)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... * Come in configurations of 32kx72, 64kx72, 128kx72, and 256kx72 bits and perform 100 million searches/sec * Work with network processors and ASICs to accelerate deep packet classification and forwarding * 75P42100, 75P52100, 75K62100,...

LIN master microcontroller. (Microprocessors).(Motorola Semiconductor Products Sector's 68HC908GZ)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... * Furnishes as much as 60 kbytes of ROM or flash memory and as many as 12 channels of 10-bit A/D conversion * Compatible with the CAN 2.0A/B protocol * 68HC908GZ, $3.50 (10,000) Motorola Semiconductor Products Sector, 1-602-4134991,...

Wireless-connectivity kit. (Microprocessors).(Ubicom's IP2022 Advanced Connectivity Kit)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... * Furnishes the hardware and software required to add wireless and wired connectivity to electronic devices based on the IP2022 Internet edge processor * Provides a user-interface generator and Elf editor for directly editing firmware ...

64-bit RISC processor. (Microprocessors).(Toshiba America Electronic Components TMPR4926XB-200)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... * Based on a TX49/H2 core operating at 200 MHz * Integrates a dedicated DES algorithm and controllers for PCI, DMA, and NAND flash memory * TMPR4926XB-200, $28 (10,000) Toshiba America Electronic Components Inc, 1-949-4552000,...

No-reach ergonomic mouse. (Computers & Peripherals).(Contour Design RollerMouse)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... * Places cursor control just below the spacebar of any keyboard to eliminate reaching and prevent arm pain * Provides a rolling shaft that controls the cursor using thumb or fingertip motion * RollerMouse, $189.95 Contour Design Inc,...

DVD-R/RW external drive. (Computers & Peripherals).(Shecom Ikebana)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... * Reads and writes to DVD-RW, DVD-R, CD-R, and CD-RW media, as well as reads CD-ROM and DVD-ROM media * Offers IEEE 1394 and AT-API/EIDE interfaces, plus a 2-Mbyte data buffer * Ikebana, $429 MSRP Shecom Corp, 1-714-692-7070,...

External flash-card reader. (Computers & Peripherals).(SanDisk Ultra ImageMate)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... * Uses an IEEE 1394 interface for fast data, image, and video transfers * Accepts both Type I and Type II CompactFlash cards * Ultra ImageMate, $69 SanDisk Corp, 1-408-542-0500, www.sandisk.com No. 318

External hard drive. (Computers & Peripherals).(Maxtor Personal Storage 5000 )(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... * Versions can store as much as 250 Gbytes with IEEE 1394 and USB 2.0/1.1 interfaces * Lets you copy files to your desktop or laptop computer with the touch of a button * Personal Storage 5000, $199.95 (80 Gbyte), $299.95 (120 Gbyte),...

Octobush. (leading edge).
January 23, 2003... "It's like Sauron in Lord of the Rings. He may not be all-powerful yet. But his tentacles reach everywhere. And his [wraiths] are saying, `Give us that ring, or else you are in serious trouble.'" --Lee Tien, senior staff attorney at the...

Handheld DMMs cling to magnetic surfaces. (leading edge).(from Wavetek Meterman Test Tools)(Brief Article)
January 23, 2003... WHEREAS MOST DESIGN ENGINEERS don't wear hard hats on the job, those who sometimes work in tight spaces--for example, when they troubleshoot equipment in crowded racks--will like a standard feature of a new Wavetek Meterman handheld-DMM line....

Tool distributes test-pattern generation. (leading edge).(Synopsys TetraMax TenX)(Brief Article)
January 23, 2003... As CIRCUITS BECOME BIGGER and more complex, the problem of testing them becomes intractable. To address that problem, Synopsys has announced the latest addition to its TetraMax ATPG (automatic-test-pattern-generation) family, TetraMax TenX. The...

802.11a, b, and g combine in two products. (leading edge).(Resonext Communications RN52209 (know known as RF5420) and TI TNETW1130 )
January 23, 2003... TWO NEW CHIP SETS from Resonext and TI combine 802.11a, b, and g for 54-Mbps data rates over both the 2.4- and the 5.2-GHz bands. Resonext Communications offers the RN5220 series with separate radio and baseband ICs. The company built the...

Dilbert. (leading edge).
January 23, 2003... OUR CEO'S GOAL IS TO IMPROVE OUR REVENUE PER EMPLOYEE. SO I'M GOING TO FIRE YOU AND BRING YOU BACK AS A CONTRACTOR. LAST WEEK HIS GOAL WAS TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CONTRACTORS. SO YOU CANCELLED MY CONTRACT AND HIRED ME AS AN EMPLOYEE. ...

Less than one-third of US households will subscribe to a broadband service by 2006. (leading edge).(Brief Article)
January 23, 2003... * Less than one-third of US households will subscribe to a broadband service by 2006; 42% of dial-up subscriber claim they have no need for broadband service, and 32% believe that the technology is too expensive, according to In-Stat MDR. ...

Antenna grabs XM signals on wheels. (leading edge).(Centurion Wireless Technologies M20)(Brief Article)
January 23, 2003... Your vehicle needs more than just a receiver to use the satellite-based XM radio service; it also requires an antenna, such as the Telematics series XM20 from Centurion Wireless Technologies. The satellite-signal version of this low-profile,...

Bluetooth makes its mark. (leading edge).(Mobilan TrueRadio, ParthusCeva Bluestream 3000 Bluetooth 1.1)
January 23, 2003... MANY COMPANIES made announcements at the Bluetooth Developer's Conference last month in San Jose. Among them: Mobilian (www.mobilian.com) announced its TrueRadio combination Bluetooth/Wi-Fi chip set. Implementing the necessary analog and...

Serial ATA snags another supporter. (leading edge).(Serverworks SWC-IB7453, SWC-IB7451 and SWC-IB7452 )(Brief Article)
January 23, 2003... SERVERWORKS' LATEST announcements broaden the company's product line beyond its foundation as a chip-set supplier for Intel CPU-based workstations and servers. The $25 (10,000) SWC-IB7453 and $40, 2.5W SWC-IB7451 connect to a PCI-X system bus...

The further adventures of a self-made amplifier. (leading edge).(Audio Power Amplifier Design Handbook, 3rd edition)(Book Review)
January 23, 2003... WHEN A FIRE ALARM GOES OFF in your office, what do you do? What you're supposed to do is immediately leave your desk and walk "in an orderly fashion" to the nearest emergency exit. But what you most likely actually do is grab your laptop, cell...

Analog/digital hybrid supervises supplies. (leading edge).(from Lattice Semiconductor)(Brief Article)
January 23, 2003... LATTICE SEMICONDUCTOR'S PowerPac devices blend the programmable-digital-logic core of the company's PLDs with the programmable-analog capability of the vendor's ispPAC devices. Designed to monitor and sequence the supply voltages for advanced,...

Communications-standards update. (leading edge).
January 23, 2003... THE WI-FI ALLIANCE (www.wi-fi.org) has replaced the security scheme for the recently broken WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) standard for 802.11 wireless networks. Many industry participants considered the old standard to have been inadequate....

State machines: planning ahead to save time later. (baker's best).(Technology Information)
January 23, 2003... UNTIL YOU HAVE SAT DOWN and written a long, involved firmware solution, you probably haven't come to the point of exclaiming: "There has to be a better way!" Using state machines in your code may result in a surprisingly simple solution for...

From causes to effect. (edn.comment).
January 23, 2003... TWO CHARACTERISTICS distinguish a good designer from a really good engineer. The first is the ability to produce a design despite numerous and tight constraints, such as those on power, size, cost, or compatibility. The second is the ability to...

Sensor calibration turns old technique into new trick: by adding modern developments in optical and signal processing to a 125-year-old method, you can calibrate accelerometers despite displacements that are less than a wavelength of light. (how it works).
January 23, 2003... SENSOR AND SOURCE CALIBRATION has always been a challenge for scientists and engineers. The obvious way to perform this task is to use comparison and check your sensor or your source against a known, calibrated, better one. But this method...

Go the distance: a step beyond servers And browsers, web-services technology links embedded devices to powerful applications and information sources anywhere on the internet. (coverstory).
January 23, 2003... AS WE APPROACH the pervasive-computing vision, embedded appliances will take on a more comprehensive role, allowing users to act on information from any place, at any time, and on and device. Web services are the key technologies behind this...

24-bit ADC challenges Delta-Sigma conventions. (Data converters: monthly design ideas brought to you by Linear Technology).(Linear Technology LTC 2440)
January 23, 2003... Do Delta-Sigma ADCs used for precision instrumentation have to present a complex task with many associated tradeoffs? Not necessarily. Conventional wisdom implies that measuring low level signals such as strain gage bridges or thermocouples...

Design for test or suffer the consequences: the complexity of today's ICs and PC boards requires intricate and extensive testing, significantly increasing both development and manufacturing costs. (design feature).
January 23, 2003... TWO OF THE MOST COSTLY FUNCTIONS that engineering teams developing electronic products perform are verification and test. On the surface, the two functions seem the same, but dig a little deeper, and you'll quickly find that they are only...

A multi-band GSM/GPRS power amplifier controller.(National Semiconductor LMV243)
January 23, 2003... Highlights * Multi-band GSM/GPRS PAC * 1.5 mm x 1.5 mm micro SMD Package * High-dynamic Range Log Detector * Control GaAs/InGaP HBT Power Amplifier Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) is the most popular...

Automation frees high-speed design: until recently, typical design environments were just software tools for translating schematics into PC boards. But today's high-speed circuits now force such tools to address the timing and signal-integrity issues that can challenge your entire product-design cycle. (tech trends).
January 23, 2003... IT'S 1992, AND YOU'RE A LEADING-EDGE DIGITAL DESIGNER, eagerly reading the data sheet for the soon-to-be released i486-DX2 microprocessor. You're keen to upgrade your company's i386-powered products just as soon as possible, so you go ahead and...

Fleapower flasher draws less than 50 [micro]A. (design ideas).
January 23, 2003... SOME APPLICATIONS REQUIRE a circuit to indicate that a battery's voltage has fallen below a certain value. However, if you don't frequently check the indicator, the low-battery indicator itself can easily discharge the battery. The circuit in...

PC-based configurable filter uses no digital potentiometers. (design ideas).
January 23, 2003... MODERN INSTRUMENTATION requires digital control signals. These signals come from a central microprocessor or, in modern context, the popular parallel or serial PC ports. In recent times, digital potentiometers have eliminated the hassles from...

Frequency source feeds entire lab. (design ideas).(Brief Article)
January 23, 2003... PLUMBING A LABORATORY with a standard frequency makes a lot of sense if the lab uses multiple frequency counters, spectrum analyzers, and other frequency-dependent test equipment. Rather than spending rime keeping all of the instruments'...

Circuit sequences supplies for FPGAs. (design ideas).
January 23, 2003... SYSTEM DESIGNERS MUST consider the timing and voltage differences between core and I/O power supplies (in other words, power-supply sequencing) during power-up and power-down. The possibility of a latch-up failure or excessive current draw...

Ultraprecise instrumentation amplifier makes robust thermocouple interface--design note 302. (advertisement).
January 23, 2003... Introduction The versatile and precise LTC[R]2053 instrumentation amplifier provides an excellent platform for robust, low power instrumentation products--as exemplified below by the battery-powered thermocouple amplifier circuit. The...

Logical combination? Convergence products need both RISC and DSP processors, but merging them may not be the answer. (commverge).
January 23, 2003... AS CONVERGENCE CONTINUES TO DRIVE communications and multimedia functions into more and more devices, product-development teams face a daunting challenge. They must build in ample capacity for both general-purpose processing and specialized...

Gear concept validation. (commverge).
January 23, 2003... Hold onto the past Everything old eventually becomes new again. For example, turntables and vinyl records are considered cool today, despite (or perhaps because of) the increasingly digital nature of music. That coolness factor didn't...

Watch this space. (Editorial).
January 23, 2003... GREETINGS, AND WELCOME TO COMMVERGE, a special section of EDN. Once a month in this space, we'll be delivering viewpoints on the convergence space--the large and diverse market that's growing out of the collision of computers, communuications,...

Snap-action switches stand up to shock and vibration. (Switches & Relays).
January 23, 2003... Electro-switch's snap-action rotary switches are designed to withstand the extreme shock and vibration encountered in industrial applications. Double-wiping, low-resistance contacts hold their positions inside fully enclosed decks. Models in...

Small automotive relays switch as much as 70A. (Switches & Relays).(Brief Article)
January 23, 2003... Measuring just 1.06x 1.06x0.96 in., relays in the CAR series handle 30, 40, and 70A. Switching voltage is 75Vdc with a 10-msec operate and release time. The relays are available with coil voltages of 6, 12, and 24V dc. Devices operate over an...

Slide switches offer numerous configuration options. (Switches & Relays).(from NKK Switches)(Brief Article)
January 23, 2003... In addition to single- and double-pole variations with two- and three-position circuits, the MS series of miniature slide switches gives you a choice of power, logic-level, and dual ratings. The dual-rated option is useful for applications in...

Board-mount relay handles heavy dc loads. (Switches & Relays).(American Zettler AZ974)(Brief Article)
January 23, 2003... Able to switch as much as 40A, the AZ974 automotive relay eliminates bulky connectors by letting you put the relay on the pc board. The part is well-suited for heavy dc loads, such as sound systems, electric automobile seats, sunroofs, and...

Levers and locks tackle industrial control switching. (Switches & Relays).(from APEM Components Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 23, 2003... The A01 series of rotary lever and key-lock switches comprises one- through four-pole models featuring a modular construction consisting of an operator and an interchangeable switch block that snap together. Both short and long rotary-lever...

25A automotive relay needs little room. (Switches & Relays).(Fujitsu Components America FTR-P3)(Brief Article)
January 23, 2003... This surface-mount electromechanical single relay is one of the smallest 25A automotive relays on the market. The FTR-P6 measures 11.8x8.8x 10.3 mm, making it 33% smaller by volume than Fujitsu's FTR-P3 through-hole relay. What's more, the...

Embedded network single-board computer. (Embedded Systems).(from WinSystems)(Brief Article)
January 23, 2003... * Combines an AMD SC520 CPU with a 10/100-Mbps Ethernet controller, four serial ports, and CRT/flat-panel controller * Operates over -40 to +85[degrees]C * SAT-520Plus, $499 WinSystems Inc, 1-817-274-7553, www.winsystems.com No....

Embedded SOC-development kit. (Embedded Systems).(Altera EPXA1)(Brief Article)
January 23, 2003... * Features the Excalibur EPXA1 device, which integrates an ARM 922T processor and FPGA fabric * Includes a development board with a 10/100-Mbps Ethernet MAC/PHY, dual RS-232 ports, 8 Mbytes of flash memory, 32 Mbytes of SDRAM, and debug...

Secure processor PMC module. (Embedded Systems).(from Motorola Computer Group)(Brief Article)
January 23, 2003... * Driven by a 700-MHz PowerPC 750FX processor and an MPC 185 security coprocessor * Includes 32 Mbytes of flash memory, as much as 512 Mbytes of onboard memory, Gigabit Ethernet I/O, and a 66-MHz PCI bus * PrPMC815, from $1150 (OEM)...

Software developer's kit. (Embedded Systems).(Accelerated Technology's XRAY Software Developer's Kit)(Brief Article)
January 23, 2003... * Merges the XRAY debugger and Microtec compilers into the codellab EDE based on Visual Studio .NET * Allows XRAY to have full Nucleus RTOS awareness for straightforward debugging * XRAY Software Developer's Kit, from $5995 ...

Fibre Channel VME board. (Embedded Systems).(Pentek Model 4205)(Brief Article)
January 23, 2003... * Incorporates a 600-MHz PowerPC MPC7455 processor and dual programmable Virtex-II FPGAs * Offers extensive I/O and mezzanine options, including VIM and PMC expansion modules, plus Ethernet, RS232, VME64, dual RACE+ +, and 1- or 2-Gbps...

Pentium VMEbus board. (Embedded Systems).(General Micro Systems V160 Liberty)(Brief Article)
January 23, 2003... * Serves as a speed-enhanced drop-in replacement for legacy 68040, 68060, and PowerPC CPU boards running Vx-Works * Provides two 10/100-Mbps Ethernet ports, two PMC expansion ports, an Ultra Wide SCSI interface, four serial ports, and two...

5.25-in. disk-size embedded board. (Embedded Systems).(Arista EBC-8300 )(Brief Article)
January 23, 2003... * Uses the Intel 845G chip set and supports the Pentium 4 processor at speeds of 1.3 to 3.06 GHz * Offers 3-D/2-D video capabilities, as much as 2 Gbytes of DDR memory, four USB ports, and Ethernet connectivity * EBC-8300, from $500...