EDN articles from September 2005

EDN archives from September 2005

When "the next big thing" isn't.(EDN.COMMENT)
September 1, 2005... We're in an industry that is defined by change. We've learned to live with it and profit from it, even if we don't like it, it unsettles us, or it changes our business model. One of the most significant changes that we have seen is the...

Passives step up to meet gigahertz needs.(pulse: INNOVATIONS & INNOVATORS)
September 1, 2005... It's not just that ICs are getting faster; their critical support passives have to move up in bandwidth, as well. The GZ capacitor series from AVX Corp provides dc-blocking operation at the 15-kHz to 40-GHz bandwidth that optical transceivers...

Dual-channel PMC card offers graphics options.(pulse: INNOVATIONS & INNOVATORS)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing has introduced a dual-channel, high-resolution PMC graphics controller for VME, CompactPCI, and PCI systems. The company based the AtlasPMC/1D on ATI Technologies' (www.ati.com) Radeon M9 mobile...

Support for small processors grows.(pulse)
September 1, 2005... Microchip's support of small processors includes new PIC devices, a new 4x4-mm QFN-package option for 14 devices rangng from eight to 20 pins, upgraded development tools and a PICdem demonstration board. The new processor devices include the...

Feedback loop.(pulse)
September 1, 2005... "Ah, yes--the Harvard MBA menrarity. Focus only on next quarter's profits and not the big picture. Don't you know? We're all going to have a wonderfully advanced standard of living by selling hot dogs to each other ROHS (restriction of...

Degausser ensures total magnetic-media erasure.(pulse)
September 1, 2005... Everyone is concerned about security at the network, format, and physical levels. So, how do you quickly and thoroughly wipe clean those hard disks, tapes, and floppy disks? Software can perform repeated overwrites, but the results may not be...

Dilbert.(Cartoon)
September 1, 2005... THIS DEPARTMENT HAS NOTHING TO FEAR ABOUT THE REORGANIZATION BUT FEAR ITSELF. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DON'T THINK ABOUT IT... DON'T THINK ABOUT IT. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] OKAY, I'M PRETTY SURE THAT THAT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING....

2G-sample/sec waveform generators resolve 14 bits vertically, 12 digits in frequency.(pulse)
September 1, 2005... Six new arbitrary-function generators from Tektronix, the AFG-3000 series, generate sine, square, pulse, arbitrary, ramp, sin(x)/x, gaussian, Lorenz, exponential rise/decay, haversine, and noise waveforms, as well as dc voltages. The 9.9-lb...

Resistors keep their cool, even when the system doesn't.(pulse)
September 1, 2005... Targeting operation in not-so-benign environments, new chip resistors, voltage dividers, and resistor networks from the IRC Division of TT Electronics meet all critical specs over the -65 to +200[degrees]C range. The PFCD-HT SMT voltage...

Printed circuitry takes on a new meaning.(GLOBAL DESIGNER)
September 1, 2005... Researcn organization QinetiQ Will soon begin a research program focusing on printing complete electronic circuits including both active and passive devices. With funding from both the united Kingdom's Ministry of Defense and Department of...

Ecosystem supports collaborative product development.(GLOBAL DESIGNER)
September 1, 2005... ADI's (Analog Devices Inc's) India development center is focusing on DSP design and application engineering and helping Indian companies develop products for domestic and international markets. MobiApps, a Bangalore-based provider of hybrid...

The MathWorks' Andy Grace on simulation.(Q&A)(Interview)
September 1, 2005... Andy Grace is vice president of engineering for design tools at The MathWorks. He is responsible for The MathWorks' family of model-based simulation, code-generation, and testing tools. He has more than 15 years of experience in software...

Choose your watchdog timer with reliability in mind.(BAKER'S BEST)
September 1, 2005... Embedded-system applications use WDTs (watchdog timers) to identify error conditions that cause the controller or processor to default into an erroneous state. Stand-alone WDTs used to be quite popular. For a short time, they were more reliable...

It's all about [mu]: engineers have found a way to keep vehicles stable while driving on slippery surfaces. Now they need to cut the technology's cost so they can convince the public to buy it.(PRYING EYES)
September 1, 2005... In many cases, the fatal scenario is simple: Skid. Trip. Roll. Crash. Within seconds, the deadly chain of events is irreversible, and another life is lost on the highways. Now, however, that situation may be changing. After more than a decade...

Video over the Internet: services and devices move closer to living-room convenience: EDN's Digital Denizens evaluate whether some of the newest digital-video appliances have a future in tomorrow's digital den.(DIGITAL DEN)
September 1, 2005... You could argue that the Internet has long been used for video distribution, but such applications have been mostly computer-centric and the video of questionable quality. But recent Digital Den experiments with the Akimbo PVR (personal video...

Double-barreled WiFi test: adding "wireless" to networking does more than change physical-layer-test requirements; it adds system complexity that needs simultaneous controlled testing of many layers.(Cover Story)
September 1, 2005... Wireless networking based on the IEEE 802.11 standards is poised for substantial growth in both the numbers of units and the range of their applications. The mobility inherent in wireless networks, however, creates interactions between the...

Get the message: power-management protocol rides on industry bus: the PMBus--based on the tried and true [I.sup.2]C hardware interface--offers a power-management communications protocol for power-conversion subsystems.
September 1, 2005... As system power requirements have increased in complexity for telecom and datacom applications, so have the communication requirements between the system host and its power subsystems. Power-supply and power-management-IC vendors initially...

Designing offline power supplies using power-factor correction: by reducing ac-line current, switched-mode power supplies that incorporate PFC are cutting the cost of installing and operating ac-powered equipment. Increasingly, regulatory bodies are requiring PFC.
September 1, 2005... To develop offline power supplies that use PFC (power-factor correction), you must first understand the meaning of PFC and the regulations that surround the design of offline power supplies. PFC aligns the current waveform with the voltage...

Testing serial gigahertz-speed buses: replacing digital parallel buses in computer and datacom applications with serial high-speed buses has significant implications. Signal-integrity effects may emerge as issues. Engineers can use standard stimulus/response test equipment to perform demanding physical-layer tests.
September 1, 2005... Engineers have for many years used wide parallel digital buses, such as PCI, SCSI, and parallel ATA, for interconnects in the computer and datacom industry. Over time, the clock speeds of these buses increased to several hundred megahertz....

Precision full-wave signal rectifier needs no diodes.(design ideas: READERS SOLVE DESIGN PROBLEMS)
September 1, 2005... Rectifier circuits based on semiconductor diodes typically handle voltage levels that greatly exceed the diodes' forward-voltage drops, which generally don't affect the accuracy of the rectification process. However, the rectified signal's...

1-Hz to 100-MHz VFC features 160-dB dynamic range.(design ideas)
September 1, 2005... The VFC (voltage-to-frequency-converter) circuit in Figure 1 achieves a wider dynamic range and a higher full-scale output frequency--100 MHz with 10% overrange to 110 MHz--by a factor of 10 over any commercially available converter. The...

Cascode MOSFET increases boost regulator's input- and output-voltage ranges.(design ideas)
September 1, 2005... Targeting use in portable-system applications that require raising a battery's voltage to a higher level, IC boost regulators often include output transistors that can drive storage inductors. However, most boost regulators' absolute-maximum...

Buck or boost: rugged, fast 60V synchronous controller does both--Design Note 370.(Advertisement)
September 1, 2005... Introduction Automotive, telecom and industrial systems are harsh, unforgiving environments that demand robust electronic systems. For example, an automotive battery system may be a nominal 12V, 24V or 42V, but load dump conditions can...

Dc/dc converters come in more than 175 models.(POWER SOURCES)
September 1, 2005... RollS-compliant, 1 and 2W isolated dc/dc I-series converters comprise more than 175 models. Input and output voltages range from 3.3 to 48V dc, with an 80% efficiency at full load. Ripple and noise are 75 to 150 mV p-p at 20 MHz, and isolation...

High-voltage modules suit mass spectrometers.(POWER SOURCES)
September 1, 2005... The high-voltage LS range modules provide low noise for 1W applications. Features include a reduced ripple to 2 ppm, a 10-ppm/[degrees]C temperature coefficient, and a 50-ppm (0.005%) drift for the 1- to 50-kV operating range. Applied...

48V 1U power supply suits POE applications.(POWER SOURCES)
September 1, 2005... An addition to the LC Series, the 48V model compact 1U-high switcher provides 1000W of output power over a 180 to 264V-ac input range and 800W output power from a 90 to 264V-ac input range. Targeting POE (power-over-Ethernet) applications, the...

Quad-output dc/dc converter has wide temperature range.(POWER SOURCES)
September 1, 2005... The 30W model 70Q5.12SR quad-output dc/dc converter has a 40 to 120V-dc input range and 5 to 12V-dc output range. The outputs are isolated from both the input and from each other. Designers can parallel the devices for increased output current....

Programmable, single-output dc power supply is SCPI-compatible.(POWER SOURCES)
September 1, 2005... The Model 9120 single-output digital dc power supply offers clean, stable, and reliable power. Features include a 0 to 30V, 0 to 3A programmable output; a 10-mV, 1-mA display resolution; an RS-232 interface; SCPI...

DC/ac inverter targets superbright LCDs.(POWER SOURCES)
September 1, 2005... Designed for driving dual CCFL (cold-cathode fluorescent lamps), the KLS-150A compact single-board dc/ac inverter suits harsh environments with a temperature range of 0 to 60[degrees]C. Inverter specifications include a 10.8 to 13.2V, 12V...

Half-brick, 120A dc/dc-converter family has single output.(POWER SOURCES)
September 1, 2005... Delivering 120A for the 1.2, 1.5, and 1.8V versions, the Polaris 2 half-brick dc/dc-converter family also supports 2.5V at 100A, 3.3V at 80A, and 5V at 55A. The device is an isolated, fixed-frequency design using synchronous rectification for...

Ultraminiature 40/60W power supplies are open-framed.(POWER SOURCES)
September 1, 2005... Devices in the ultraminiature open-frame modular switching OFM40/60 power-supply series feature single, dual, and triple outputs from 3.3 to 48V dc. Peripherals include 85 to 265V-ac universal input, 6W/[in..sup.3] power densities, and full...

Compact dc power system comes in 1RU package.(POWER SOURCES)
September 1, 2005... The Gravitas X75-48S 1RU-high dc power system comprises a 1U-high base system that houses three 1x2U hot-swap rectifier modules. It also offers a dc-battery load-distribution section and a monitor and control section. It has an output of 30.3A...

10m-class inverter provides high starting voltage in a small package.(POWER SOURCES)
September 1, 2005... Compatible with either U- or L-shaped lamps, these 10m-class inverters can power one or two lamp LCDs. The devices provide 12W output power, offer a 2400V rms starting voltage, and measure 109.7x13.34x10-mm. The inverters cost $9.50 each. ...

Linear power supply features dual output.(POWER SOURCES)
September 1, 2005... The 22-100 linear power supply has an output voltage of [+ or -] 15V and provides [+ or -] 100 mA of output current. The device features noise and ripple at 2 mV rms, and 100, 115, 220, 230, and 240V ac can power it. Targeting power-sensitive...

Modular power supply targets low- to medium-volume applications.(POWER SOURCES)
September 1, 2005... Vega Lite power supplies are available in two models: the Vega 550, rated at 550W with a 115V-ac input voltage or 700W at a high line greater than 150V ac, and the Vega 750, rated at 750W at 115V ac or 900W at a high line greater than 150V ac....

500W ac/dc and dc/dc power supply has NAVMAT compliance.(POWER SOURCES)
September 1, 2005... Providing either five outputs for a VME system or eight outputs for a VXI system, the 57S81 includes an ac/dc and dc/dc power supply. Targeting military and aerospace programs including airborne, shipboard, ground-mobile, and [C.sup.3]I...

Power source comes in MiniDIP.(POWER SOURCES)
September 1, 2005... Part of the Budget Save product line, the G100E series provides 1000V-dc I/O isolation and 1W output power. Features include 5, 12, and 24V inputs; a -40 to + 85[degrees]C operating range; single and dual outputs; 1 million hours MTBF; and 81%...

50W power supplies include active PFC.(POWER SOURCES)
September 1, 2005... The 50WJBW series power supplies include universal ac input with active PFC (power-factor correction) along with a [+ or -] 10% output adjustment for user-controlled output voltage. Devices measure 26x55x190 mm and cost $36 (1000). Kepco,...

Low-noise converter has 5-mV output noise.(POWER SOURCES)
September 1, 2005... This low-noise, 10W dc/dc-converter series is available in case options that provide better performance and flexibility than those in the previous series. The cases provide a 2-to-1 input-voltage range, and 3- and 4-to-1 input voltages are...

Bus converter boasts 97% efficiency.(POWER SOURCES)
September 1, 2005... The QTS48T46096 46A bus converter features 420W and 95% full-rated power and operates at 70[degrees]C. The 9.6V output voltage increases power-system efficiency, reducing point-of-load [V.sub.IN]/[V.sub.OUT] deltas. The converter includes a...

Universal power supply comes in eight model voltages.(POWER SOURCES)
September 1, 2005... Part of the 60W series of universal power supplies, the PW136 external power series includes a 100 to 250V universal input. The series includes 3.3, 5, 9, 12, 15, 18, 24, and 48V models, all of which are single-output devices delivering 23 to...

Two-slot ATCA backplane suits prototyping.(EMBEDDED SYSTEMS)
September 1, 2005... With a point-to-point mesh topology that requires no switch cards, the two-slot ATCA (Advanced-TCA) backplane features a 10-layer stripline design for routing through signal-integrity studies. The product also includes connectors for direct...

Development-tool kit features enhanced IDE.(EMBEDDED SYSTEMS)
September 1, 2005... The MetaWare development-tool kit includes a C/C+ + compiler, a debugger, and an eclipse-based IDE (integrated development environment). New features of the kit include a source-management tool, a context-sensitive help tool, support for...

DACs are pin- and function-compatible across resolutions.(INTEGRATED CIRCUITS)
September 1, 2005... The DAC121S101, DAC101S101, and DAC081S101 are 12-, 10-, and 8-bit-resolution, single-channel DACs. The devices feature a 10-[micro]sec settling time, TSOT-6 and MSOP-8 packages, rail-to-rail output swing, and input clock rates of 30 MHz over a...

Advanced video-filtering devices target consumer-video applications.(INTEGRATED CIRCUITS)
September 1, 2005... The ADA4410-6, ADA4411-3, and ADA4412-3 advanced filtering devices include six-pole filters and buffers. With six channels for video processing, the ADA4410-6 comes in 5 x 5-mm CSP-32 packaging and costs $1.80 (100,000). As a three-channel...

Satellite upsets terrestrial radio firma.(reality check: YESTERDAY'S HYPE MEETS TODAY'S REALITY)
September 1, 2005... Conventional broadcast radio's business hasn't changed much since the introduction of AM radio in the 1920s and FM (and sterero FM) in the 1950s. Precious license assignments, varying signal reach, and lots of commercials, along with free...

Implementing standards: think global, act local?(EDN.COMMENT)
September 15, 2005... It's no secret that RFID is having trouble getting the tangible design-in success that it was supposed to achieve. Despite enormous effort and pressure from companies such as Wal-Mart, the practical challenges, costs, and unforeseen...

Specifying A/D converters: considerations for IF-sampling applications.(LEADING inside: A series of engineering insights by Analog Devices.)(Advertisement)
September 15, 2005... Choosing the ADC with the highest resolution or sampling speed is often not enough to satisfy the performance demands presented by IF-sampling architectures. ADCs for IF-sampling applications must support high input frequencies while also...

World's first four-channel LVDS buffer with configurable pre-emphasis.(Featured Products)
September 15, 2005... The DS90LV004 extends cable and backplane driving distances, boosts weak FPGA and ASIC LVDS signals, improves signal quality over lossy interconnects, and has 15 kV ES9 protection from off board ESD strikes. This device is a four channel...

Industry's first high-definition video ([YP.sub.B][P.sub.R]) to RGBHV (VGA) Video Decoder IC.(Featured Products)
September 15, 2005... The LMH1251 is a [YP.sub.B][P.sub.R] to RGBHV decoder with an integrated wideband 2:1 analog video switch. The device accepts one set of YPBPR inputs and one set of RGB/HSync/VSync inputs. Based on the input selected, the output will be either...

Enabling HDTV capabilities in today's systems.(DESIGN / idea)
September 15, 2005... High Definition TV (HDTV) is now more prolific than ever. With a tremendously distinguishable difference in picture quality from traditional NTSC video, there is good reason why HDTV has been receiving high acclaim from videophiles as well as...

Wideband video op amps; single, single with shutdown, and quad.(Featured Products)
September 15, 2005... The LMH6714/20/22 series combine National's VIP10[TM] high speed complementary bipolar process with National's current feedback topology to produce a very high-speed op amp. These devices offer exceptional performance with a flat gain response...

Single/dual, high-performance, low-power, 8-bit, 1.5 GSPS (3 GSPS DES mode) A/D converter.(Featured Products)
September 15, 2005... The ADC08D1500 is the industry's lowest power, best performing, dual 8-bit 1.5 GSPS analog-to-digital converter. It digitizes two signals to 8-bit resolution at sampling rates up to 1.7 GSPS or one signal at sampling rates up to 3.4 GSPS....

Digital imaging makes wafer probing more fun viewing than satellite TV.(pulse: INNOVATIONS & INNOVATORS)
September 15, 2005... Targeting use in process-development device-characterization applications, the eVue digital-imaging system from Cascade Microtech offers improved viewing, navigation, and user-friendly features. The system stores images and lets users see...

O[ohm] resistor is bridge over troublesome pc-board tracks.(pulse: INNOVATIONS & INNOVATORS)
September 15, 2005... A O[ohm] crossover jumper may seem like a component solution looking for a problem, but it can solve tricky pc-board-layout problems. One such jumper, the LRZ series from the IRC Advanced Film Division of -TT Electronics, has resistance of less...

EPIC computer handles shock, vibration, and temperature.(pulse: INNOVATIONS & INNOVATORS)
September 15, 2005... Octagon Systems recently announced the XE-700 singleboard computer in the new EPIC (embedded-platform-for-industrial-computing) form factor. The XE-700 incorporates the 133-MHz STPC Atlas 5x86-class CPU and targets high-reliability...

Processor enables integration of high-end control- and data-plane processing.(pulse)
September 15, 2005... Cavium Networks' Octeon Exp multicore MIPS64-based processor family enables designers to merge control- and data-plane processing at multigigabit/sec rates for enterprise-and storage-networking equipment in one device consuming fewer than 30W....

Feedback loop.(pulse)
September 15, 2005... "WHILST (THE SEGWAY) IS UNDOUBTEDLY A REALLY COOL PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY, I ALREADY HAVE A VEHICLE THAT IS CHEAPER, HAS A GREATER MAX SPEED, NEEDS NO ELECTRICITY (IS FUELLED BY CAKE), AND IS LEGAL ON THE ROAD." AB Morley, in EDN's Feedback...

Dilbert.(pulse)(Cartoon)
September 15, 2005... I HAVE TO CUT YOUR PROJECT'S BUDGET BY TEN PERCENT?? THAT'S THE SORT OF ROUND NUMBER YOU WOULD PICK IF YOU DID NO THINKING WHATSOEVER. ANYTHING CAN BE CUT BY TEN PERCENT WITHOUT AFFECTING THE RESULT. COOL! I'M CUTTING BACK TO...

Actuator uses shape-memory alloy to provide design benefits.(pulse)
September 15, 2005... In contrast to conventional electromagnetic, coil-based motors and solenoids, the DM-01 actuator from MIGA Motor Co uses a shape-memory alloy for its prime mover. Suitable for applications such as latch-release mechanisms, vane positioning,...

Diverse books span wireless-system security, circuit-test sources.(pulse)(Bulletproof Wireless Security: GSM, UMTS, 802.11, and Ad Hoc Security)(Current Sources and Voltage References)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
September 15, 2005... Reading a well-organized book that has structure, depth, and breadth is often the most efficient way to learn about a topic or reference a complex subject. One such publication, Bulletproof Wireless Security: GSM, UMTS, 802.11, and Ad Hoc...

Clock-circuit-design tool recovers engineering time.(pulse)
September 15, 2005... Analog Devices recently unveiled three clock ICs and a simulation tool that aims to accelerate the design and analysis of clock circuits for various applications, including wireless transceivers, broadband-infrastructure equipment, general...

Aircraft ice detector shows sensing challenge, innovation.(pulse)
September 15, 2005... Sensors measure basic, clearly describable parameters: temperature, pressure, weight, and moisture. However, the reality of an application makes meaningful sensing challenging; hence, an enormous diversity of sensors exists for any given...

Low-lane-count PCIe switch ventures into new applications.(pulse)
September 15, 2005... PLX Technology recently introduced a five-port, eight-lane PCIe (PCI Express) switch for applications such as high-end printers, multichannel network adapters, and notebook docking stations. The PEX 8508 complies with PCI Express Specification...

Energy-efficiency standards play a role in external-power-supply design.(GLOBAL DESIGNER)
September 15, 2005... Energy-conservation organizations issue energy-efficiency standards that can make a difference in external-power-supply design, according to industry executives and energy-conservation organizations. Such organizations include the United States...

Indian semiconductor companies upgrade engineering skills.(pulse)
September 15, 2005... Experienced chip designers are becoming an increasingly scarce commodity, as vendors outsource more work to the Indian semiconductor industry. "There is a dearth of design engineers with a combination of electronic-design skills and an adequate...

Bendable electronic paper includes image memory.(RESEARCH UPDATE)
September 15, 2005... Striving toward the long-sought ideal of the electronic equivalent to conventional paper, Fujitsu Ltd and Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd have demonstrated a film-based, bendable material that displays text and color images and consumes no power when...

Machine-readable label functions despite obstructions.(RESEARCH UPDATE)
September 15, 2005... Manufacturers of complex systems need to mark every part with an ID number, but etched or printed bar codes may not work because they are often covered by paint or special finishes. To address that problem, researchers at NASA's Marshall Space...

Need the time? NIST can help.(RESEARCH UPDATE)
September 15, 2005... Radio-controlled clocks that automatically synchronize to the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) WWVB primary-clock time codes have come down in price, size, and power; you can even get them through specialty stores, such as...

Laser-enhanced printer gives paper-cutting a new edge.(pulse)
September 15, 2005... Researchers at CEA (Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique) Le Ripault (Monts, France) are giving the standard ink-jet printer a potential role in precise paper-cutting, akin to rapid prototyping, so that users can cut or score invitations, cards,...

Making noise: a massive array of sources creates a huge amount of noise.(SIGNAL INTEGRITY)
September 15, 2005... Friday nights, I play bass in a jazz trio. The sound of my upright acoustic bass easily fills our small club, so I constantly have to think about the level of noise I'm making, and that brings me to the subject of this column. I recently...

Something from nothing.
September 15, 2005... In the early 1980s, as Linear Technology was just beginning, we had a fundamental problem: products in development but none to sell. But, we wanted prospective customers to know our name and what we were up to. Our public-relations company...

Thermal integrity: a must for low-power-IC digital design: this year's design automation conference had no shortage of established vendors and start-ups introducing power tools purporting to give digital-IC designers a better way to estimable power.
September 15, 2005... Over the last three years, IC-power management has moved from a third-order to a first-order concern for chip designers, especially those designing ASICs and SOCs (systems on chips) for portable-system applications. Accordingly, many power...

Mac (under) the knife: piecing together the PowerPC puzzle: Apple's dropping the PowerPC and moving to X86. Microsoft's dropping X86 and moving to the PowerPC, joining Nintendo and Sony. Which company is right, or are they all right? And what's the best choice for your design?(Cover Story)
September 15, 2005... Three notable events in the high-tech industry so far this year have particularly influenced the status of the PowerPC CPU in embedded-system applications and the broader electronics market. Beginning in mid-March, IBM published a series of...

PoE problem to ponder.(POWER puzzler #6)
September 15, 2005... Test your power supply design knowledge as it pertains to Power over Ethernet by trying your hand at answering the three questions below. Check your answers at www.powerint.com/puzzler6 and enter for a chance to win a new Apple iPod Mini. ...

One design fits all: with the latest FPGA technology and drop-in configuration components, one board design may suffice for hundreds of embedded-system applications.(TECH TRENDS)
September 15, 2005... Although board designers have for years used FPGAs (field-programmable gate arrays) to interconnect system components, the latest high-density devices are powerful enough to also replace the processors, memory, custom logic, and many...

Meet different needs with NAND and NOR.(NAND: FLASH MEMORY: A Special Series Sponsored by Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc.)(Advertisement)
September 15, 2005... FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS THE MEDIA has debated which Flash memory technology, NAND or NOR, will emerge as the market winner. This discussion implies that the different Flash technologies are essentially interchangeable in applications, making the...

The right way to use instrumentation amplifiers: avoid common application problems when connecting real-world signals to instrumentation amplifiers.
September 15, 2005... Instrumentation amplifiers find wide use in real-world data acquisition. However, designers often incorrectly apply them. Specifically, although modern in amps have excellent CMR (common-mode rejection), designers must limit the total...

In search of cool computing: multiprocessor-chip designs head down a blind alley of power and heat problems.
September 15, 2005... The biggest challenge facing SOC (system-on-chip) designers today is how to deliver higher performance and minimize IC power and the attendant heat. Power and cooling needs are pushing the limits of available technology and creating budgetary...

Digital signals arrive on time.(THE DATA DETECTIVE)(Advertisement)
September 15, 2005... Clock signals comprise rising edges (logic-low to logic-high transitions), and falling edges (logic-high to logic-low transitions). A clock signal can exist as square waves with a regular period and duty cycle or as a continuous series of...

Extensions to the IEEE 1149.1 boundary-scan standard: despite the success of the IEEE 1149.1 boundary-scan standard, acceptance of the 1149.4 mixed-signal extension has been slow. The industry badly needs that extension and others, however, and several companies are hard at work to put them on the fast track.
September 15, 2005... The IEEE 1149.1 boundary-scan standard was developed almost 15 years ago to resolve the problems associated with limited physical access for probing test points on pc boards and to verify that device pins have been soldered correctly and are...

Buffer amplifier and LED improve PWM power controller's low-load operation.(design ideas: READERS SOLVE DESIGN PROBLEMS)
September 15, 2005... * Texas Instruments' UCC3895 offers a good base for building a high-efficiency, pulse-width-modulated, switched-mode power supply that suits either current- or voltage-mode control. Designed for driving a full-bridge power inverter using two...

Temperature controller has "take-back-half" convergence algorithm.(design ideas)
September 15, 2005... "The unfortunate relationship between servo systems and oscillators is very apparent in thermal-control systems," says Linear Technology's Jim Williams (Reference 1). Although high-performance temperature control looks simple in theory, it...

MOSFET enhances low-current measurements using moving-coil meter.(design ideas)
September 15, 2005... * A previous Design Idea describes an interesting and useful method for using a moving-coil analog meter to measure currents in the less-than-1A range (Reference 1). The design offers considerable flexibility in the choice of meter-movement...