EDN articles from September 2003

EDN archives from September 2003

CompactPCI CPU features low-power M processor.(leading edge: what's hot in the design community)
September 4, 2003... KONTRON BASED its new CP306 CompactPCI 3U CPU board on the new Intel Pentium M processor. Kontron's new board requires only passive cooling methods and touts approximately 50% lower power dissipation than its predecessors. The vendor soldered...

Two bus converters in quarter-brick space deliver 400W.(leading edge: what's hot in the design community)
September 4, 2003... VICOR'S V*I Chip packaging for dc/dc converters and related products delivers more power from a smaller volume than do most competitive products. The BCMs (bus-converter modules) in this series are isolated dc/dc converters that normally...

Software aims at ending erroneous and poorly documented calculations.(leading edge: what's hot in the design community)
September 4, 2003... MATHSOFT, PUBLISHER OF MathCAD, which the company calls the largest selling (based on number of copies sold) mathematical-software application for engineers and scientists, has trademarked the term "calculation management." Before you say "so...

Reference design monitors monitor power.(leading edge: what's hot in the design community)
September 4, 2003... Using the DAK-33 reference design from Power Integrations, you can accelerate your design for a low-standby-power supply for LCD and CRT monitors. The design provides an ac/dc flyback power supply providing power to 45W yet with standby-power...

Dilbert.
September 4, 2003... ... AND INCREMENTALLY DEVELOP A TIME-TO-MARKET BENCHMARK FRAMEWORK... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THIS MEETING STOLE TWO HOURS OF MY LIFE!!! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DID THAT HELP? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] YEAH, I'M GOOD FOR...

Communication consortiums craft new conventions.(leading edge: what's hot in the design community)
September 4, 2003... IN RECENT COMMUNICATIONS NEWS, the Home-PNA (Home Phoneline Networking Alliance) finalized HomePNA 3.0, which specifies that equipment operates at 128 Mbps with optional extensions to 240 Mbps. Key to the new specification are enhancements to...

TCP terminator takes on 2 million connections.(leading edge: what's hot in the design community)
September 4, 2003... THe SW5000 network-content processor from Seaway Networks provides 5-Gbps, full-duplex, full-TCP (Transfer Control Protocol) byte-stream reconstruction, termination, or both for applications requiring Layer 4 to Layer 7 processing at...

Deep-memory, 6-GHz-bandwidth scopes now take 20G samples/sec on four channels simultaneously.(leading edge: what's hot in the design community)
September 4, 2003... LECROY, whose WaveMaster 8600A won every test in EDN's "Scopes Trial" (Feb 6, 2003, pg 44), has now upgraded the sampling rate of its top-of-the-line, 6-GHz-bandwidth scopes. Like the similar bandwidth TDS6604 from Tektronix...

Vendor bucks trend, touts VXI's overlooked advantages.(leading edge: what's hot in the design community)
September 4, 2003... BUSTEC IS MARCHING to the beat of a different drummer from that of its best known competitors in modular instrumentation. The company insists that it is traveling the right road, whereas its competitors are not. At issue is VXI--once the crown...

Tools focus on high-speed-pc-board design.(leading edge: what's hot in the design community)
September 4, 2003... CADENCE IS TAKING a system approach to the pc-board market by focusing its tools to serve the needs of high-speed-pc-board designers. The company reasons that advanced ICs will need high-speed pc boards, so it is aiming its pc-board tools to...

Virtual-silicon prototyping targets FPGA designs.(leading edge: what's hot in the design community)
September 4, 2003... FPGA DESIGNERS Using the most up-to-date devices must solve a number of new problems, including the inability to achieve performance requirements, unpredictable routing results, routing congestion, tightly packed designs, critical paths...

Carrier detection.(signal integrity)
September 4, 2003... WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE OPPOSING END of a serial link disconnects, powers down, or becomes disabled? The results may surprise you. For example, when a link disconnects, your receiver may be so sensitive that it picks up crosstalk from your...

Reality-checking the need for speed.(edn.comment)(Editorial)
September 4, 2003... THE REAL-LIFE PERFORMANCE GAINS due to incremental upticks in optical-drive read-and-write specifications, such as from 48 to 52x transfer rates for CDs, are negligible to nonexistent. What about more substantial performance boosts, however?...

EDN launches digital version.(edn.comment)(Editorial)
September 4, 2003... EDN has always been on the leading edge in reporting on the latest technologies and design techniques for electrical engineers. Now, EDN is offering an exciting new service for our readers. We are introducing electronic delivery of our digital...

A billion points of light.(sightings: the outlook for new technology)
September 4, 2003... THOUGH their name makes them sound like fictional entities that would cause trouble for the crew of the Starship Enterprise, quantum dots are real, and researchers are making swift progress in harnessing these minuscule light-emitting particles...

Pssst! your circuit connection is open.(sightings: the outlook for new technology)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... A RESEARCHER looking for a way to connect flexible electronic circuits has found an answer in his pants. OK, not literally. But the researcher, Kevin Barnes of NASA's Langley Research Center, has proposed a connector based on the same principle...

Physicists spin a spin theory.(sightings: the outlook for new technology)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... THEORETICAL PHYSICISTS at Stanford University and the University of Tokyo have predicted that it may be possible to vanquish dissipation--the mortal enemy of faster, denser ICs--for good. The researchers say they have discovered that the...

Not every cat lands on its feet: the CueCat handheld bar-code scanner crashed in the market but delighted hobbyists.(how it works)
September 4, 2003... IT'S NOT NEWS that many products and ideas fail in the market for many reasons, such as inherent technical drawbacks, incompatibility with user habits, and market changes between product conception and roll-out. All these factors and more...

Tuned up: 30th annual microprocessor directory: new processor offerings continue to deliver optimized configurations that provide "tuned" processing engines for specific applications.
September 4, 2003... WELCOME to the 30th consecutive annual EDN Microprocessor/Microcontroller Directory. This year's directory marks the beginning of an effort to make it a viable and dynamic online resource. An online database of the directory is not a new idea,...

Optimizing multiprocessor systems: efficient optimization of multiprocessor systems begins with avoiding inefficiency in the first place.(design feature)
September 4, 2003... OPTIMIZING A SYSTEM means more than getting as close as you can to 100% usage. It also involves getting close to 0% inefficiency. Designing systems using multiple processors, each with multiple cores running multiple threads, presents a...

Using bit-error-rate tester to test-drive FEC codes: choosing an error-correction code that significantly slows and complicates your design is, unfortunately, all too easy. Choosing the appropriate code and demonstrating its efficiency are also easy--with the right instruments.(design feature)
September 4, 2003... FEC (FORWARD ERROR CORRECTION), a critical component of many modern digital-communications applications, turns otherwise-unusable links into real and practical systems. From DVDs to cell phones, satellite TV to disk drives, error-correction...

Seven-segment LCD uses two-wire interface.(design ideas)
September 4, 2003... YOU CAN CONNECT seven-segment LCDs using only a two-wire interface (Figure 1). The two-wire interface may he at the field-effect, direct drivE LCD or at a serial interface (such as [I.sup.2])C that uses an eight-pin microcontroller. The design...

Open-collector output provides fail-safe operation.(design ideas)
September 4, 2003... IT IS COMMON PRACTICE to use digital open-collector outputs for control units ill industrial applications. Using these outputs, you can switch loads, such as relays, lamps, solenoids, and heaters. One possible problem inherent to this type of...

Low-battery indicator uses fleapower.(design ideas)
September 4, 2003... IT IS ALWAYS DESIRABLE to use a low-battery indicator that consumes as little power as possible. For a 9V, 450-mAhr alkaline battery, a 50-[micro]A low-battery indicator can by itself run the battery down in a little more than a year....

Indicator has "electronic lens".(design ideas)
September 4, 2003... THE METHOD for implementing an extended-scale meter described in an earlier Design Idea had a conceptual error: The meter impedance must change continuously, not discretely as expressed (Reference 1). You could achieve the desired result by...

Low voltage hot swap controller ignores backplane noise and surges--design note 319.(Design Notes)
September 4, 2003... First generation single supply Hot Swap[TM] controllers, such as the LTC[R]1422, combine the features of various discrete inrush limiting circuits into a single IC, including an electronic circuit breaker, adjustable power-up rate, reset...

Thermal switches provide circuit disconnect.(design ideas)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... A SINGLE TEMPERATURE sensor can provide an interrupt to a microcontroller when the measured temperature goes out of range. You need multiple temperature sensors when you have to monitor more than one hot spot. A microcontroller implements the...

Buck-boost regulator suits battery operation.(design ideas)
September 4, 2003... A BUCK/BOOST CONVERTER can step a voltage up or down. Such a converter is appropriate for battery-powered applications. One application derives a regulated 14.1V at 1A from 12V solar panels with 9 to 18V variation. In this type of battery...

Light-dependent resistors directly drive relays.(Sensors and Transducers)
September 4, 2003... With a spectral response similar to the human eye's, these single and dual cadmium-sulfide photoconductor cells offer high sensitivity for a variety of light-sensing applications. Although the plastic-coaled devices are small, the output...

Position sensors are impervious to contamination and moisture.(Sensors and Transducers)
September 4, 2003... Sealed to IP66 and IP67 standards, the 9850 series of position sensors withstands more than 1 million full rotation cycles and 5 million dither cycles. What's more, it can withstand continuous operation at temperatures as high as 125[degrees]C....

Pressure transmitters withstand harsh industrial operating conditions.(Sensors and Transducers)
September 4, 2003... Compatible with a range of industrial liquids and gases, the KTU6000 series of pressure transmitters covers pressure ranges of 15 to 2000 psi gage or absolute. Typical accuracy is 0.1% for combined nonlinearity and hysteresis. Output signal...

Luminescence sensors are immune to color and contrast shifts.(Sensors and Transducers)
September 4, 2003... The QL50 and QL55 luminescence sensors accurately detect clear labels, color marks, and tamper evident seals on products of varying background color. These self-contained microprocessor-controlled sensors use a modulated ultraviolet LED to scan...

Bar-code sensors detect fine lines.(Sensors and Transducers)
September 4, 2003... Combining a single emitter with a phototransistor in a compact, low-cost package containing a lens and aperture, these bar-code sensors achieve a resolution of better than 0.0l0 in. The OTBC-480 uses a 940-nm infrared LED, and the OTBC-0490...

V.22bis modem device.(Integrated Circuits)
September 4, 2003... * Full-function modem comes in a 68pin PLCC that requires less than 1 square in. and measures about 0.25 in. high * Incorporates an FCC-approved telephone interface * CH1788, $19.95 (500); CH1788 evaluation board, $99.95 Cermetek...

Multirate PHY/framers.(Integrated Circuits)
September 4, 2003... * Simultaneously aggregate, transport, and terminate OC-3/STM-1, OC-12/STM-4, and OC-48/STM-16 POS and ATM traffic on one line card * Include POS-PHY Level 3 and Utopia Level 3 interfaces * PM5360 S/UNI MULTI-48, $378; PM5354 S/UNI...

256-Mbit SDR/DDR mobile RAM.(Integrated Circuits)
September 4, 2003... * Organized as 4M words X 16 bits X 4 banks with a programmable burst length of 2, 4, and 8 * Target high speed, high-density, low-power mobile applications * EDL2516CBBH SDR Mobile RAM, $25; EDK2516CBBH DDR Mobile RAM, $27.50...

Mobile RAM burst-mode devices.(Integrated Circuits)
September 4, 2003... * Store 32 and 64 Mbits in monolithic and multichip packages together with flash memory, as well as in wafer form * Leverage a user-configurable partial power-down mode to extend battery life * MB82DBS02163C 32 Mbit FCRAM, from $7;...

Transceiver-based FPGA.(Integrated Circuits)
September 4, 2003... * Boasts 20 3.125-Gbps transceiver channels as well as 45 channels of embedded dynamic phase alignment that support 1-Gbps source-synchronous communication * Based on 0.13-micron process technology with 1.5V core voltage * Stratix GX...

Flash-memory devices.(Integrated Circuits)
September 4, 2003... * Come in 16 , 32-, and 64-Mbit versions for use in mobile phones and set-top boxes * Offer erase suspend/erase resume, boot block write-protection, security ID, and hardware reset functions * MPF+ SST39VFXXX, from $5.55 for 32-Mbit...

12-bit microdisplay driver.(Integrated Circuits)
September 4, 2003... * Decimates at I20M samples/see * Integrates six separate high-speed DACs that drive six high-output-voltage amplifiers * AD8382, $8 (1000) Analog Devices Inc, 1-800-262-5643, www.analog.com

6U CompactPCI computer board.(Embedded Systems)
September 4, 2003... a Furnishes a 733-MHz IBM 750FX PowerPC processor, two PMC slots, two Gigabit Ethernet ports, and an R5-232 port * Reduced-cost version of the Puma-C series targets designs that do not require PICMG 2.16 compliance * Puma-CR, less than...

3.5-in. embedded CPU board.(Embedded Systems)
September 4, 2003... * Powered by a VIA Eden 600-MHz processor with a 133-MHz front side bus and UDMA-100 EIDE * Supplies interfaces for USB, LAN, SDRAM DIMM, CompactFlash, keyboard/mouse, and VGA CRT/LCD * JREX-VE, $327 (100) Kontron America,...

Motherboard family.(Embedded Systems)
September 4, 2003... * Offers dual 2.4-GHz Xeon processors with 512 kbytes of cache and a 533-MHz system bus or a single 2.4-GHz Pentium 4 processor * Accommodate as much as 12 Gbytes of ECC DDR200/266 SDRAM * Endura VB7505, BR7501, CW7501, and WV7501...

CompactPCI single-board computer.(Embedded Systems)
September 4, 2003... * Leverages the 1.60-GHz Pentium M processor and Intel E7501 chip set to achieve 4.3-Gbyte/sec total system bandwidth * Features PICMG 2.16 compliance, dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, and a 64-bit PCI-to-PCI bridge * CPCI-745, from $2750...

Dual PMC carrier.(Embedded Systems)
September 4, 2003... * 6U CompactPCI board accommodates two single-width PMC modules * Supports both 32- and 64-bit PCI accesses at frequencies of 33 and 66 MHz * TCP260, $630 TEWS Technologies, 1-775-686-6077, www.tews.com

PICMG 3.0 ATCA chassis.(Embedded Systems)
September 4, 2003... * 4U horizontal AdvancedTCA chassis accommodates five 8UX280-mm blades with rear I/O options for 8UX70-mm cards * Come with two fans that dissipate as much as 1000W and works with Elma's IPM Sentry shelf manager * 4U ATCA chassis, from...

Embedded imaging board.(Embedded Systems)
September 4, 2003... * Furnishes three IEEE 1394a ports, a single 10BaseT Ethernet port, and a PC-104 expansion socket * Provides a mezzanine connector for using Plug-N-Run System-On-Module components for X86 embedded host functionality * NomadFIRE, $449...

Pleased to meetcha--not.(leading edge)
September 18, 2003... "Sort of the spam world meets the virus world." --software developer and computer-security expert Richard Smith on the dramatic spread of the SoBig worm, in The Boston Globe, Aug 27, 2003

Bluetooth gets DSP backup.(leading edge)
September 18, 2003... CAMBRIDGE SILICON RADIO has launched its BlueCore3 Bluetooth family, supporting Version 1.2 of the Bluetooth specification, including all optional features of the standard. The BlueCore3-Multimedia has an integrated programmable DSP supporting...

Rugged single-board computer includes two 1553B interfaces.(leading edge )(Dy 4 Systems SVME/DMV-182 )(Brief Article)
September 18, 2003... TARGETING AVIONICS and harsh environment applications, the SVME/DMV-182 single-board computer from Dy 4 Systems includes an integrated dual-channel MIL-STD-1553B interface in a single-slot VMEbus card. A unique IPM (interface-personality...

PXI modular instruments target mixed-signal test.(leading edge)
September 18, 2003... NATIONAL Instruments' new mixed-signal test suite, an ensemble of PXI modular instruments, aims at a target that has long tantalized developers of instrumentation for verifying IC designs and for testing the devices in production. Almost all...

Dilbert.
September 18, 2003... THE CLEAN DESK AWARD GOES TO WALLY. MAYBE WALLY CAN SHARE SOME TIPS ON KEEPING OUR DESKS CLUTTER-FREE. I USUALLY THROW AWAY THIS SORT OF THING IN THE MEN'S ROOM ON THE WAY BACK TO MY CUBICLE. [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED]

Leading edge.(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
September 18, 2003... * Sales of cell-phone handsets worldwide rose 12% in the second quarter of 2003, according to Gartner. * The worldwide smart-antenna market will reach $1.6 billion in sales by 2008, according to a study from Visant Strategies. *...

Synthesizable 6811 microcontroller supports multiple tools.(leading edge)(from Synopsys)(Brief Article)
September 18, 2003... Synopsys has added a synthesizable and configurable model of the 6811 8-bit microcontroller to its Designware library. The 6811 is an industry-standard microcontroller with broad software-tool-chain support. Designers migrating from a discrete...

NSE ups TCAM ante to 266 million searches/sec.(leading edge)(Cypress Semiconductor CYNSE10512, CYNSE10256 and CYNSE10128 and Cynapse software)(Brief Article)
September 18, 2003... THE AYAMA 10000 NSE (network-search-engine) family from Cypress Semiconductor increases TCAM (ternary-content-addressable-memory) search rates for multiprotocol-packet classification and forwarding to 266 million searches/sec for applications...

Shorten FPGA-integration time in pc-board design.(leading edge)(Mentor Graphics FPGA BoardLink)(Brief Article)
September 18, 2003... DESIGNERS TYPICALLY use schematic diagrams to design pc boards and require a symbol for every component on the board. Today's large pc boards present a challenge because they may have more than 1000 pins, making it practically impossible to use...

Tool addresses analog-, mixed-signal designs.(leading edge)(Mentor Graphics' ICassemble addition to IC Station)(Brief Article)
September 18, 2003... Mentor Graphics has added the ICassemble tool to its IC Station product. The tool allows designers to perform top-down floorplanning, advanced interactive and automatic routing, and chip assembly. Engineers can now plan, implement, and connect...

Tool targets yield optimization.(leading edge)
September 18, 2003... PROCESS VARIATIONS at nanometer levels significantly impact yields. Because simulation and nominal optimization tools analyze a design for a fixed set of parameters, they fall short of predicting true parametric yield based on process...

Tiny Wi-Fi chip debuts.(leading edge)
September 18, 2003... NOW THAT 802. 11 or Wi-Fi wireless LANs have pervaded the notebook PC, the attention of the IC vendors turns to other potential Wi-Fi hosts. Many PDA users add Wi-Fi capability via CompactFlash 802.11 cards, and such connectivity is valuable at...

Revolutionary new transmission scheme overcomes unreliable networks.(leading edge)
September 18, 2003... DIGITAL FOUNTAIN has announced the availability of its Meta-Content technology for improving the reliability of data transmission over unreliable links and through congested networks. Wireless networks, for example, can experience loss of...

HDMI-compliance spec spurs interoperability.(leading edge)
September 18, 2003... The HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) founders, comprising Hitachi, Matsushita Electric (Panasonic), Royal Philips Electronics, Silicon Image, Sony Corp, Thomson, and Toshiba, released the final 1.0 Compliance Test Specification for...

Software/hardware-tool kit reduces test-development time by 99%.(leading edge)
September 18, 2003... IT'S EASY to become enamored of "charismatic" technologies--say, rewriteable DVDs that store 9.4 Gbytes--and overlook bread-and-butter inventions that can change your working life. Agilent's latest product, Test Automation Kit, might have a...

Device integration targets telematics.(leading edge)
September 18, 2003... MOTOROLA'S MPC5200, an MPC603e PowerPC processor core, integrates Ethernet, CAN (controller area network), USB, IIC (inter-IC), IIS (inter-IC sound), SPI, J1850, ATA, PCI, and AC97-codec interfaces targeting telematics and industrial...

Eliminate state-machine malfunctions.(baker's best)
September 18, 2003... THINGS ARE RUNNING GREAT with your firmware when you suddenly encounter a "freeze" condition. The equipment firmware is going nowhere, fast. Say, for example, you're taking a plane ride from the East Coast to monsoon-ridden Arizona, and the...

Covering the bases (and basics).(edn.comment)
September 18, 2003... GROWING UP IN NORTHERN INDIANA, I was a faithful fan of the Chicago Cubs. Some of you may remember first baseman and outfielder Dave "Kong" Kingman who played for them in the 1978 to 1980 seasons. Kingman hit a lot of home runs. But he also...

Going nonlinear can be a good thing: nonlinear optics offers a way to expand the reach of conventional optical systems.(how it works)
September 18, 2003... ENGINEERS OFTEN have mixed feelings about nonlinearities in their designs' signal chains. They try to minimize them in analog circuits, whereas, for some functions, such as signal conditioners, they deliberately add them to compensate for...

Letting go of the fear.
September 18, 2003... AT A GLANCE * Not all vision-related projects require the services of consultants; with the aid of suppliers of the hardware and development tools, developers lacking experience in vision can often do much--if not all--of the work and save...

Silicon segmentation: ASIC spin-offs seek success amid established alternatives: you have a diverse set of silicon resources to choose from, and vendors are tailoring their building-block portfolios to meet your needs.(design feature)
September 18, 2003... AT A GLANCE * Standard-cell ASIC and FPGA trade-offs open a gap of debatable width for the structured-ASIC newcomer. * More than just relabeled gate arrays, structured ASICs reflect both today's market realities and silicon...

New precision "portable industrial" op amp: rail-to-rail amplifier draws only 150[micro]A.(Operational amplifiers: high performance analog solutions from Linear Technology)
September 18, 2003... The new LT[R]6011 is a dual micropower precision rail-to-rail output op amp that combines exceptional input precision with micropower consumption. This unique combination of features makes the LT6011 ideal for use in low power instrumentation...

3V 100MHz dual op amp: reduces system cost without compromising performance.(Operational amplifiers: high performance analog solutions from Linear Technology)
September 18, 2003... The LT6206 is a dual operational amplifier featuring 100MHz gain bandwidth product and 400V/[micro]s slew rate. This rail-to-rail amplifier offers a low cost solution and maintains excellent overall performance and versatility. Designed to...

100V/[micro]s rail-to-rail op amps: new family consumes 3mA/amp, features tiny packages.(Operational amplifiers: high performance analog solutions from Linear Technology)
September 18, 2003... The LT1803, LT1804 and LT1805 are single, dual and quad rail-to-rail input and output low power op amps recently released by Linear Technology. Featuring high-speed performance (85MHz gain bandwidth product and 100V/[micro]s slew rate), these...

Low cost PGA in ThinSOT: superior performance in less space than discretes.(Operational amplifiers: high performance analog solutions from Linear Technology)
September 18, 2003... The LTC[R]6910-x is a new family of digitally controlled Programmable Gain Amplifiers (FGAs). Offered in the 8-pin ThinSOT package, these easy to use PGAs occupy only 9mm2 PC board space, less than 1/10th the area of typical discrete designs....

The self-powered LAN: a new twist on an old pair: distributing power on signal cables increases network flexibility, utility, and uptime-not bad for a concept that dates back some 75 years.(tech trends)
September 18, 2003... AT A GLANCE * POE (power over Ethernet) enables "lifeline" service delivery in an Internet Protocol environment. * POE simplifies installation of nontraditional network terminal appliances, such as Web cameras and access-control...

Power-integrity and ground-bounce simulation of high-speed pc boards: using electromagnetic-based design software to choose and place decoupling capacitors can minimize switching noise on power and ground planes.(design feature)
September 18, 2003... AS SIGNAL EDGE RATES GET FASTER, designers of today's high-speed digital pc boards encounter problems that were unimaginable a few years ago. At less than 1-nsec edge rates, the potential on the power/ground structure of a pc board can vary...

Dual comparator thermally protects lithium-ion battery.(design ideas)
September 18, 2003... MOST MANUFACTURERS recommend that you don't change lithium-ion batteries at temperatures lower than 0[degrees]C or higher than 50[degrees]C. You can monitor both thresholds by adding a thermistor and dual (window) comparator to a lithium-ion...

Lowpass filter discriminates step input from noise.(design ideas)
September 18, 2003... NUMEROUS APPLICATIONS exist in industry, particularly with control systems, in which it is desirable to remove all but the lowest frequency components from a signal to effectively yield a dc voltage. This voltage may, for example, serve as a...

New ICs simplify battery charging from the USB--Design Note 320.(Design Notes)
September 18, 2003... Introduction The USB is fast becoming the most popular way to attach peripherals to personal computers. An important feature of the USB standard is that it allows for power transmission over the USB cable, making it possible for a PDA or...

Voltage-to-current converter makes a flexible current reference.(design ideas)
September 18, 2003... THE VOLTAGE-TO-CURRENT converter in Figure 1 can both source and sink current. The circuit is more flexible than some traditional current references that require different topologies for current sourcing and sinking. Also, you can easily adjust...

Circuit forms single-pulse voltage multiplier.(design ideas)
September 18, 2003... IT IS SOMETIMES NECESSARY for a microcontroller to generate a pulse whose voltage is higher than the power-supply voltage of the microcontroller. The circuit in Figure 1 allows you to generate 14V pulses from a 5V power supply. An adaptation of...

Feedback circuit eliminates CCD-driver delay mismatch.(design ideas)
September 18, 2003... IN A CCD (charge-coupled device), packets of charges shift across the array. The transistor array, also called a bucket-brigade shift register, receives drive from a dual-phase clock signal. Dual-phase clock signals comprise two synchronized...

Adapted for flight: hands-on trial: wireless media adapters send digital entertainment soaring from PC to living room.(digital den)
September 18, 2003... CONSUMERS want to liberate PC-based digital content from its exile in the computer room and bring it to center stage in the home's premiere entertainment venue: the living room. After all, the latter location normally boasts a bigger display, a...

Quad diode array needs little board space.(Discrete Semiconductors)
September 18, 2003... Requiring 67% less board space than tour individual SOD-123 diodes, the CMEDA-6i monolithic array comprises four 60V, 250-mA isolated switching diodes in an eight-pin SOT-28 surface-mount package. What's more, the device has a profile of just...

Schottky diodes maximize system efficiency.(Discrete Semiconductors)
September 18, 2003... Tailored for output rectification and output ORing circuits, these 15 and 20V Schottky diodes combine low forward voltage drop with low reverse leakage current to optimize system efficiency and minimize power loss. Housed in TO-247 packages,...

Mini Schottky pair exhibits high efficiency.(Discrete Semiconductors)
September 18, 2003... The ZXSDS2M832 dual Schottky diode offers a typical forward volt age of just 600 mW with a forward current of 1A. Its 3 x2-mm microleaded package gives it a thermal resistance superior to that of SMA and SMB packages. Moreover, the ZXSDS2M832's...