EDN articles from October 2004

EDN archives from October 2004

The lanyards you made at camp come in handy.(Leading edge: what's hot in the design community)
October 14, 2004... "A lanyard comes with them. You're going to wear it, and, if you're going wear it, you want it to be cool. Why hide it?" --Ellen Lupton, curator of contemporary design at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, on the growing trend of...

Single chip delivers processor with full Ethernet support.(Leading edge: what's hot in the design community)
October 14, 2004... FREESCALE Semiconductor's 16-bit MC9S12NE64 microcontroller, based on the Motorola HCS12 core, includes an IEEE 802.3-compliant, 10/100-Mbps EPHY (Ethernet physical layer) and EMAC (Ethernet media-access controller) in a single package. The...

SATA controller speeds, supplements mass-storage links.(Leading edge: what's hot in the design community)
October 14, 2004... INTEL AND COMPETITORS' core-logic chip sets will inevitably someday support second-generation serial-ATA features (see "Speedy simplicity," EDN, Jan 22, 2004, pg 33). Until then, Silicon Image fills the gap with its $7 (10,000), dual-port SiI...

Chips smooth out digital-video speed bumps.(Leading edge: what's hot in the design community)(Techwell)
October 14, 2004... EVENTUALLY, ALL video-encoding, -decoding, and -display equipment in folks' homes will interconnect via loss-free, copy-protected digital schemes, such as FireWire and HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface). A near-term scan of most living...

RJ-45 connector provides the missing POE link.(Leading edge: what's hot in the design community)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... POE (power over Ethernet) is a hot design area, bolstered by the IEEE 802.3af standard, but, to use it, you need a connector that matches the POE requirements. Tyco Electronics claims that its Mag45 is the first LAN connector incorporating...

Dilbert.(leading edge)
October 14, 2004... ASOK, YOUR WORK HAS BEEN EXCELLENT ALL YEAR. I'M RATING YOU "POOR" SO I'LL HAVE A PAPER TRAIL IN CASE I EVER NEED TO FIRE YOU. "YOU'LL PROBABLY FEEL A LITTLE SURGE OF MOTIVATION BECAUSE YOU GOT FEEDBACK.

Real-time-sampling DSO achieves 13-GHz bandwidth, 23-psec rise time, lower noise than 8-GHz units.(Leading edge: what's hot in the design community)
October 14, 2004... AS AGILENT PRODUCT MANAGER Lon Hintze puts it, the cost of the company's new DSO-81304A real-time-sampling scope--$122,500--is not for the faint of heart. The unit boasts bandwidth of 13 GHz--more than 50% greater than that of any other...

Make the USB-to-PCMCIA/IEEE-488 link.(Leading edge: what's hot in the design community)
October 14, 2004... New controllers from Capital Equipment Corp can help you connect to valuable, still-useful, and probably expensive-to-replace IEEE-488-based test equipment using the now-ubiquitous USB port or using a PCMCIA (PE Card) slot for control. These...

Smart-battery fuel gauge corrects for discharge rate, temperature, state of charge, and age.(Leading edge: what's hot in the design community)
October 14, 2004... BATTERY FUEL GAUGES help portable products squeeze the most out of a charge cycle and the most number of cycles out of a battery lifetime. They achieve this goal in part by using Q-V data it generates during an initial battery-charge/discharge...

DSP delivers high-definition performance.(Leading edge: what's hot in the design community)
October 14, 2004... TEXAS INSTRUMENTS' TMS320DM642 digital-media processor, operating at 720 MHz, combines the peripheral-set and processing performance necessary to deliver HD (high-definition) streaming video for set-top-box designs. The device supports decoding...

Precise position sensor gets IR adjustments.(Leading edge: what's hot in the design community)
October 14, 2004... THE R-SERIES OF POSITION SENSORS from MTS Sensors resolves two contradictory user desires: to have access to internal functions for adjustment and calibration and to maintain a sealed and rugged package. It fulfills these needs using an...

Resistance may be futile, but you can still measure it.(Leading edge: what's hot in the design community)
October 14, 2004... Extreme values of resistance, as with so many physical parameters, are difficult to measure. Easing the task, the QuadTech (formerly, Genrad Instruments) Model 1868A and 1868D instruments make insulation resistance measurements at 1 k[ohm] to 1...

Graphics progression boosts capabilities of mainstream PCs, high-end cell phones.(Leading edge: what's hot in the design community)
October 14, 2004... WHEREAS ATI technologies' earlier mainstream PC-graphics chip, the Radeon X600, was little more than a PCI Express-inclusive spin-off of the older Radeon 9600 architecture, the X700 is a more contemporary derivation of the X800...

Image processing gets its tools going.(Leading edge: what's hot in the design community)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... With the increasing availability of low-cost videocameras, plus general-purpose processors and DSPs to handle the video-stream output, designers still need tools to develop their ever-more-sophisticated algorithms. The Video and Image...

The perfect probe.(Signal integrity)
October 14, 2004... I'VE BEEN REVIEWING PROBE SPECIFICATIONS for 10-Gbps serial-link applications and have concluded that no probe, from any manufacturer, will do what I want. You could say I reached this conclusion because I want too much, but on the other hand,...

A new kid on the block.(edn.comment)
October 14, 2004... WHAT DOES AN EDITOR IN CHIEF do in his first seven days on the job? For starters, he asks a lot of questions: Who covers this topic? What is the source of this information? When do we meet as a group? Why does this go here? Where's the quote in...

OLED display emerges from a printer.(Sightings: the outlook for new technology)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... PHILIPS HAS PRODUCED a 13-in. OLED (organic-light-emitting-diode) display that it says proves the technology is on track to becoming cost-effective for large-screen televisions. To demonstrate the manufacturability of its polymer OLED...

Cesium clocks headed for yard sales?(Sightings: the outlook for new technology)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... THE ULTIMATE STANDARD for extreme time measurement is the cesium-based atomic clock, which provides precision to one part in [10.sup.15], but its days as the standard may be coming to an end (see "How it works: time," EDN, March 15, 2001)....

Know how that heat is flowing.(Sightings: the outlook for new technology)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... IT'S RELATIVELY EASY to see, in infrared, the heat pattern that an object radiates, but it is hard to assess its thermal conductivity: the rate at which the heat energy flows through the material. Scientists at the University of...

MEMS technology really stacks up.(Sightings: the outlook for new technology)(Microelectromechanical systems)(Micro-fabrica)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... CONVENTIONAL construction methods for MEMS (microelectromechanical-systems) devices not only constrict designers to two dimensions or simple extruded shapes, but also require long leadtimes and considerable MEMS-specific expertise. Now,...

Mano a mano with manufacturing: high speed, low power, and diminishing feature sizes make it impossible for designers to maintain a wall between development and manufacturing.(tech trends)
October 14, 2004... MANY ELECTRONIC-PRODUCT DESIGNERS, whether they are developing ICs or pc boards, must now consider manufacturing issues much earlier in the design cycle than they did a few years ago. Most of these engineers are facing this problem for the...

Reading between the lines: RFIDs confront the venerable bar code: security and supply-chain-management concerns are amplifying the RFID hype. Conflicting standard, privacy concerns, and the threat of legislative oversight, though, threaten to mute the volume. Listen in.(Radio Frequency Identifications)(Cover Story)
October 14, 2004... THREE DECADES ago, a 10-pack of Juicy Fruit gum and a cashier at a Marsh supermarket in Troy, OH, were the participants in the first successful test of what we now know as the UPC (universal product code) bar-code system. Evolution of the bar...

ZigBee paves the way for low-cost networks.(Next Generation Wireless Architecture)
October 14, 2004... DATA COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS such as Bluetooth[TM] and Wi-Fi[TM] have a high profile, but there is a vast and undefined array of embedded networks which don't need the bandwidth of Wi-Fi or the high functionality of Bluetooth. In fact, they're...

Ethernet keeps pumping the data: it's hard to imagine a technology that can almost seamlessly embrace a three-order-of-magnitude bandwidth increase using copper wiring that was originally designed for voice services. This first article of a two-part series describes how Ethernet today, as 20 years ago, continues to amaze.(design feature)
October 14, 2004... BACK IN THE 1970s, connecting computers to peripherals or other computers was a nightmare. A typical data-processing centre then comprised a central minicomputer or mainframe and a number of dumb terminals and line printers. Connections between...

Dealing with 130-nm crosstalk delay: prevention, analysis, and repair techniques yield successful SOC designs.(design feature)(System On Chip)
October 14, 2004... IN TODAY'S DEEP-SUBMICRON DESIGNS, signal-integrity effects, such as crosstalk delay, can cause numerous violations, negatively impacting timing closure. You can meet this challenge, however, through a methodology for crosstalk-delay...

Comparing debugging methods for embedded software: embedded-software development is an important part of most SOC designs. Choosing the right method to verify the software can mean your project's success or failure.(design feature)
October 14, 2004... AN SOC (SYSTEM ON CHIP) includes many components, such as processors, timers, interrupt controllers, buses, memories, and embedded software. It is a complete system that designers a few years back would have assembled on a board but, thanks to...

Advanced switching: a new take on PCI Express: by using the advanced switching fabric, many associated end systems can simultaneously and directly communicate according to their protocols.(design feature)
October 14, 2004... THE AS (ADVANCED SWITCHING) SPECIFICATION defines a switching-fabric architecture that supports high-availability capabilities, such as hot adding and removal of boards; redundant pathways; fabric management fail-over; and direct peer-to-peer,...

Precise gain without external resistors--Design Note 348.(Advertisement)
October 14, 2004... Introduction Inventory and manufacturing have associated costs and logistical headaches. "If only we could simplify our stock room and our manufacturing kits." The LT[R] 1991 provides so many functions that it may be the last amplifier you...

Build a negative-voltage power-side switch.(design ideas)
October 14, 2004... WHEN YOU NEED to quickly connect a negative power supply under logic control, the negative power-side switch in Figure 1 can help. Although originally intended for driving the gates of high-current MOSFETs, the MIC4451 can assume a different...

Circuit offers series protection against power-line transients.(design ideas)
October 14, 2004... VOLTAGE TRANSIENTS on low-voltage power lines can sometimes attain amplitudes many times the nominal voltage level. That behavior often calls for protection against the application of improper power levels. The usual way to protect sensitive...

Build a simple, soft-action muting switch.(design ideas)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... THE CIRCUIT IN Figure 1 adds a soft muting switch with power-up/power-down muting to a line-level audio circuit. [R.sub.4], [C.sub.1], and JFET [Q.sub.1] quietly ground a signal in 100 to 200 msec when you close [S.sub.1] or release it when you...

High-voltage amplifier uses simplified circuit.(design ideas)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... MANY SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS and sensors need ac high-voltage drive. High-voltage drive is useful for driving electrodes in many applications. The challenge is to boost the output of a conventional op amp to high voltages. Available ac...

Simple circuit provides power sequencing.(design ideas)
October 14, 2004... ASICs, FPGAs, AND DSPs can require multiple supply voltages with restrictions on their start-up sequencing. Often, I/O voltages, which usually have the highest voltage, must come up first, followed by all other voltage rails in a high-to-low...

Circuit-protection device for telecom and networking applications.(Components)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... The resettable TRF600-150 circuit-protection device suits telecom and networking applications and offers a 150-mA hold current. This PolySwitch device is robust to ITU-T K.20/21/35 lightning surges and is 25% smaller than the previous version....

Power-conversion IC delivers 90% efficiency.(Components)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... The TPS54010 SWIFT (switcher-with-integrated-FET-technology) converter features two integrated 18A peak MOS-FETs and supports a 3.3 and 2.5V bus with separate power and bias voltage pins. It is pin-compatible with TI's 6 and 9A SWIFT...

Connectors reduce costs and increase flexibility.(Components)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... Hermaphroditic-interface systems feature polarization to prevent incorrect mating and audible clicks to verify proper seating on 0.025-, 0.0787-, and 0.1-in. pitch, respectively. The LSS Series on 0.025-in. pitch provides full shrouding, board...

New addition to conformal-coated RF choke line comes in a smaller package.(Components)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... The new 79F series conformal-coated RF choke measures 10 in. in diameter and 16 in. long. It features an inductance range of 0.10 to 470 [micro]H, an operating-temperature range of -55 to + 105[degrees]C, and self-resonant frequency as high as...

IHLP family of low-profile, surface-mount inductors welcomes new additions.(Components)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... Four new additions to the IHLP family of inductors feature standard inductance values of 0.1 to 10 [micro]H with typical dc resistance values as low as 0.47 m[omega], saturation currents of 15.5 to 120A, and low losses at frequencies as high as...

Thin-film-resistor-divider networks offer 0.05% resistance-ratio tolerance in 1.1-mm-thick package.(Components)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... Devices in the new MP series of precision thin-film-resistor-divider networks are available as isolated matched-pair or center-tapped-resistor-divider networks in three-lead (MP3) or four-lead (MP4) standard, molded SC-70 packages, which...

Low-profile wound-chip inductors provide 30% higher current rating than conventional inductors of equal size.(Components)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... The NR series of low-profile wound-chip inductors suits de/de-converter choke-coil applications and provides a 4 x 4mm footprint. The NR4010, NR4012, and NR4018 feature 1-, 1.2-, and 1.8-mm device heights and maximum currents (at 10 [micro]H)...

Ultrasmall transient-voltage suppressors provide multiline ESD protection.(Components)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... Compact MicroClamp devices feature leadfree leads with a matte-tin finish that is backward compatible with SnPb assembly operations and forward compatible with leadfree lines. The [micro]Clamp0504A provides protection for as many as four...

POE products operate at -40 to +85[degrees]C.(Components)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... The single-port HX2260 and dual-port HX2305 POE (power-over-Ethernet) products enable remote power feeding of 15W to the remote terminal device, thereby providing a fast Ethernet 10/100 BaseT connection over the same Category 3/5 Ethernet...

Family of pin-compatible system-controller hub chips feature 128-pin VTQFP packaging.(Computers & Peripherals)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... Offering as many as six fully functional 16C550 serial ports with data rates as high as 1.5 Mbytes/sec and RS-485 autodirection control mode, the SCH3112, SCH3114, and SCH3116 I/O controllers provide thermal sensing with 1.5[degrees]C accuracy...

Video burner graduates to double-layer DVD capability.(Computers & Peripherals)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... The SuperDVD QuikTouch video burner 12X dual-format USB 2.0 drive now offers double-layer DVD-recording capability and as much as 8.5 Gbytes of capacity per disc. New features include a QuikTouch button, a built-in video-capture card, one-step...

Increased performance of ATA flash-disk controller supports high-density-media market.(Integrated Circuits)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... Enhancements to the SST-55LD019x controller include command support for ATA/ ATAPI-5, added security protection, and multiword DMA. The controller interfaces to standard NAND flash media with 512-byte or 2-kbyte pages and in both X8 and X16...

Li-ion battery charger features 1.2A pnp power transistor.(Integrated Circuits)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... The constant-current, constant-voltage MIC79110 linear charger for lithium-ion batteries features a programmable current setting, voltage termination accuracy of [+ or -] 0.75% over temperature, and analog charge-rate and digital end-of-charge...

LCD-scaler family suits flat-panel displays.(Integrated Circuits)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... The pin-to-pin and software-compatible ADE3800 family features high quality scaling from 5-tn-1 upscale to 2-to-1 downscale, a 10-bit ADC, and an on-screen-display engine. It includes LVDS or RSDS outputs, supports resolution as high as SXGA,...

Two 256-Mbit mobile RAM devices available in a multi-chip package.(Integrated Circuits)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... The new 512-Mbit SDR mobile RAM device (EDL5132-CBMA) transfers data at 400 Mbytes/sec and comes in a 90-ball FBGA package measuring 9X13 mm. It supports deep-power-down mode and features 1.8V operation and auto TCSR (temperature-compensated...

Laser-diode driver allows 16X write and 8X rewrite speeds.(Integrated Circuits)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... The LMH6533 laser-diode driver features switching rates of less than 0.8 nsec and contains two high-current outputs for reading and writing 650-nm DVD or 780-nm CD lasers. It achieves read, write, and erase functions through four switched...

Dual analog switch targets portable equipment.(Integrated Circuits)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... The bidirectional, low-resistance ISL4684 dual-SPDT analog switch operates over a 1.65 to 3.6V supply range. It features on-resistance of 0.29 [ohm] at 2.7V and 0.4 [ohm] at 1.8V. When you operate it from a 2.7V supply, it offers typical...

LED driver targets handheld displays.(Integrated Circuits)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... The LX1995 boost converter uses small external inductor and filter capacitors to conserve board space for handheld designs and is available in a 1-mm high TSOT or a 1.3-mm-high SOT 23 package. The LX1995-1 features a switch current of 325 mA...

Buck-power-supply controller complies with DDR and DDR2.(Integrated Circuits)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... The SC1486A dual synchronous buck-power-supply controller features an input voltage range of 1.8 to 25V, two programmable output voltages of 0.5 to 5.5V, programmable operating frequency of 300 to 600 kHz, and integrated output drivers with...

Programmable ADC measures motor-phase currents in variable-speed motor-drive-control systems.(Integrated Circuits)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... The two-chip, optically isolated ADC interfaces directly to microcomputer- or DSP-based motor-drive systems. The HCPL-7560 isolated sigma-delta modulator allows direct measurement of current with a current-sensing resistor, and the HCPL-0872...

Long-duration reset controller targets consumer applications.(Integrated Circuits)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... The SMR100 includes a user reset that you control by holding down a pushbutton for a time that is programmable from 0.3 to 40 sec to avoid inadvertently resetting it. It also features a bad-power-warning signal that trips when [V.sub.CC] drops...

Multi-axis, multi-motor motion control ICS.(Literature Link)
October 14, 2004... PMD, the leader in IC-based motion, introduces the Magellan[TM] Family of Motion Processors. Available in 1-4-axis versions these flexible, programmable chips control DC brush, brushless DC, microstepping and pulse & direction motors. Magellan...

BETAsoft Thermal Analysis Software.(Literature Link)
October 14, 2004... BETAsoft Thermal Analysis Software for electronic Boards, Components, and Systems provides the fastest analysis on the market today (1-2 minutes per board) with great accuracy. BETAsoft has an extremely user friendly interface for which no...

Kanthal Globar Axial Leaded Resistors.(Literature Link)
October 14, 2004... Bulk Ceramic Axial Leaded Non-Inductive Resistors for in-rush surge, pulse wave form, snubber and EMI/EFI transient suppression. Handle high peak power and high energy pulses at high voltage in a small size. No film or wire to fail. ...

High voltage control, measurement & safety devices 208V to 1000KV, DC to 10MHz.(Literature Link)
October 14, 2004... This 8-page brochure features a range of high voltage devices designed and manufactured by Ross Engineering Corp. Products include HV Relays, HV Dividers and Probes, HV Circuit Breakers, HV Power Class Voltmeters, HV Digital Multimeters, Fiber...

High performance IC sockets and adapters.(Literature Link)
October 14, 2004... Industry's largest selection of BGA sockets and test, prototype, and production adapters. Innovative products include family of solder-less GHz Bandwidth BGA and MLF sockets, hundreds of adapters for IC package conversions and IC package...

Revolutionary piezo alarm.(Literature Link)
October 14, 2004... Floyd Bell's new Turbo Series piezoelectric alarms are significantly louder and much smaller than industry counterparts. Front-mounting case features threaded attachment ring providing a watertight seal when used with gasket. These stylish and...

MLC NAND Flash.(Literature Link)
October 14, 2004... Receive a free Multi-level Cell NAND Flash Performance for Consumer Applications Note published by Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. It examines the data storage performance requirements of today's consumer applications. Based on...

Batteries short form catalog with technical data on CD-ROM.(Literature Link)
October 14, 2004... 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...

Machine Vision and Scientific Imaging Booklet and CD.(Literature Link)
October 14, 2004... This booklet covers popular software functions and how to apply them; product information and selection guides; and valuable Web resources to aid you in specifying and developing your inspection system. For your FREE National Instruments...

Free 2004 PXI Product Guide.(Literature Link)
October 14, 2004... National Instruments PXI Product Guide is a complete catalog and technical reference for building measurement and automation systems. The guide ligatures detailed product information, a tutorial on the PXI and CompactPCI specifications, a PXI...

StacoVAR[R] power factor correction & harmonic mitigation.(Literature Link)
October 14, 2004... Product Highlights: * Lower utility bills * Expand electrical capacity & improve efficiency * Quick return on investment with long term savings * Fixed or automatically switched systems * Harmonic filtering for optimum...

NJR Corporation's 2004-2005 Product Selector Guide.(Literature Link)
October 14, 2004... This totally revised Selector Guide for New Japan Radio's OP AMPs, Comparators, Power Supply ICs, Audio & Video ICs, GaAs MMICs, RF Communication ICs, DC & Stepper Motor ICs, LED/LCD/VFD Driver ICs, Crystal Oscillator ICs, and more are shown...

Surge Protection.(Literature Link)
October 14, 2004... * 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 FAX:...

New Comprehensive Catalog.(Literature Link)
October 14, 2004... Free catalog featuring a complete line of interconnect devices including test-points, jumpers, PLCC-sockets, shunts, headers and fuse-clips with product specifications. Components Corporation www.componentscorp.com Enter/Circle # 14...

New Thyristor Device Databook.(Literature Link)
October 14, 2004... Central is pleased to announce the release of the new Thyristor Databook featuring SCRs and TRIACs in leaded and SMD packages. This databook includes an extensive cross reference, selection guide, detailed datasheets and package specifications....

Sensors and Tachometers.(Literature Link)
October 14, 2004... Monarch Instrument an ISO 9001 company, offers LASER, OPTICAL, INFRARED, PROXIMITY, MAGNETIC and INDUCTIVE SENSORS. Programmable Panel Tachometers 5999,990 RPM, 4-20 mA output, 2 Alarms, 0-5 VDC output and more. N.I.S.T. traceable certificate...

New, easy-to-use RF Cable Assembly Guide.(Literature Link)
October 14, 2004... RF Connectors offers its new RF Cable Assembly Solutions Guide, with easy 3-step selection. Beyond the most popular connectors and cable types shown, we custom build ANY brand connector to ANY cable, at ANY length. WI-FI connectors indicated,...

Thermocouples, make your own.(Literature Link)
October 14, 2004... The HOTSPOT welding unit allows thermocouple wire to be formed into freestanding junctions, or welded to metal surfaces. The HOTSPOT provides a quick, simple, accurate means of fabricating thermocouples "when needed and where needed". Brochure...

Free DIAdem evaluation CD.(Literature Link)
October 14, 2004... National Instruments DIAdem is an interactive tool for mathematical and visual data analysis, report generation, task automation, and data management. NI DIAdem provides a unified environment for rapid transformation of test data into the...

Reduce costs with free measurement and control designer CD.(Literature Link)
October 14, 2004... Up to 64 percent of your test and measurement application costs are spent on configuration and development time. In addition to hundreds of development resources, this FREE CD helps you select the best software and hardware for your system...

Single board computers.(Literature Link)
October 14, 2004... 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...

CAT III, 1-kV/CAT IV, 600V ratings proclaim three-phase power analyzers' safety.(leading edge)(Brief Article)
October 28, 2004... ALL FOUR CHANNELS of Fluke's 430-series three-phase, handheld powerquality analyzers meet CAT III, 1000V/CAT IV, 600V safety requirements, minimizing operator hazards even in applications at a building's ac service entry. The units, which can...

Politics aside.(leading edge)(Brief Article)
October 28, 2004... "As a lifelong Republican, I'm ashamed to see what this Administration is doing to science." --Vinod Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems and Daisy Systems, at the 2004 MIT Emerging Technologies Conference

Microcontroller speeds execution from low power.(leading edge)(Brief Article)
October 28, 2004... TEXAS INSTRUMENTS' MSP430F2xx family of 16-bit RISC microcontrollers can switch in less than 1 [micro]sec from a real-time-clock standby mode with a standby current of 0.1 [micro]A to a 16-MHz active mode. This ability enables its use in...

CMOS RF switches avoid potential GaAs pains.(leading edge)(Complementary metal oxide semiconductors)(gallium-arsenide)(Brief Article)
October 28, 2004... THE RF-ANTENNA switch of a cell phone is critical to performance, and it must meet severely conflicted signal requirements. Providing the first meeting of CMOS-process technology with a handset antenna, Peregrine Semiconductor says that its two...

Dilbert.(leading edge)
October 28, 2004... I TOOK THE INITIATIVE AND MADE A LIST OF PEOPLE YOU COULD DOWNSIZE. THIS IS JUST THE DEPARTMENT PHONE LIST WITH YOUR NAME COVERED UP. THAT'S THE SORT OF EFFICIENCY THAT KEPT ME OFF THE LIST. [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED]

Web site provides VOIP tools, tips.(leading edge)(voice over Internet Protocol)(www.voiptroubleshooter.com)(Brief Article)
October 28, 2004... VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol) is starting to develop mass-market traction, and designers are working to embed it into more products and systems. The free Web site, www.voiptroubleshooter.com, which VOIP-test-and-analysis-tool-developer...

Device brings 8-bit features to 32-bit processing.(leading edge)(Brief Article)
October 28, 2004... ATMEL'S AT91SAM7S SERIES of 32-bit processors combines an ARM7TDMI processor core with the features of many 8-bit microcontrollers to facilitate the porting of legacy 8-bit code to a 32-bit processor. To support deterministic performance,...

Ethernet-controller IC targets consumer applications.(leading edge)
October 28, 2004... THE LAN9118 non-PCI Ethernet controller from SMSC targets use in video-streaming consumer products. This 10/100-Mbps IC prevents packet loss; sustains quality of service; and includes various low-power modes, flow-control support with large...

New package integrates LCD module.(leading edge)(liquid crystal display)(Brief Article)
October 28, 2004... MICROCHIP'S LCD PIC FAMILY of 8-bit microcontrollers now includes a 28-pin device that integrates the PIC microcontroller with an LCD module and an 80-pin device that can drive 192 segments for touchscreen and segmented LCDs. The enhanced LCD...