CONTENTS September 2007
 
Cover Story 
Hop, jump, and spread: wireless machine-to-machine interfaces
By Paul Rako, Technical Editor, EDN
Inexpensive wireless links and embedded processors combine to sustain the computer revolution. These devices can’t do everything at once, though. Radio and system design is always an analog discipline.
 
Design Feature 
Squeezing a low-cost multiprocessor platform out of 130nm
By Michael Santarini, Senior Editor, EDN
LSI’s Zevio project shows that success in consumer electronics does not always mean implementing the fastest SOC in the latest and greatest process technology.
External components improve SAR-ADC accuracy
By Bonnie C Baker and Miro Oljaca, Texas Instruments
Directly driving the input of a capacitive SAR ADC with an op-amp output can produce transients that degrade the converter’s performance. Interposing an RC network can solve the problem—provided that you know what values to use.
 
Special Report 
Ramp discharge fall time control, or how to set maximum duty cycle
By John Bottrill, Senior Applications Engineer, Texas Instruments
 
Pulse 
Energy-saving, single-chip PFC for 80W consumer apps
Pico-ITX Form Factor, a tiny x86 mainboard
Intel and Micron sample multi-level cell NAND Flash memory
32-bit Flash MCUs powered by ARM Cortex-M3 core
Small, multi-purpose RFID ICs with longest reading range
Avago Technologies extends Its 850nm VCSEL technology to 10Gb/s
Serializer/Deserializer specialized for portable electronics with integrated cameras
Accurate RTC combines FRAM storage and crystal in a 300-mil SO package
Low power, high-speed comparator family with sub-nanosecond propagation delay
Atmel’s customizable microcontroller-based SoC platform
Teridian intros world’s first single-package DAA modem solution
Intersil’s USB 2.0 multiplexer reduces connectors and improves cradle functionality
XPhase chipset reduces external part count, shrinks powertrain footprint
Xilinx simplifies memory interface designs with complete FPGA solutions
R&S adds signal analysis to multipurpose instrument
PCI-Express external cabling solution
 
EDN Asia.Comment 
New growth path for transistors
by Kirtimaya Varma
 
Interview 
“It may be more advantageous to focus on design and remain fabless”
By A.S. Bhasker Raj
Giving his views on the impact of having foundries in India, Mahendra Jain, President and Chief Executive Officer of Qualcore Logic spoke to EDN Asia on challenges the country faces in moving such a direction. Excepts:
 
Design Ideas 
Simple fixture determines leakage of capacitors and semiconductor switches
By Marián Štofka, Slovak University of Technology, Bratislava, Slovakia
Recycle precision potentiometers as useful voltage sources
By Mark Thoren, Linear Technology, Milpitas, CA
Paralleling decreases autozero-amplifier noise by a factor of two
Marián Štofka, Slovak University of Technology, Bratislava, Slovakia
 
New Products 
MCUs reduce component count for multi-phase metering
35W PoE PD controller enables emerging PoE+ apps
High resolution encoder for office and industrial apps
Single phase, anti-tamper LCD energy metering IC
High-efficiency, wide-voltage integrated boost converter in ultra-thin MLP
Low power, high speed CMOS op amp / comparators
DC/DC converter widens input voltage for automotive
DDR2-1066 increases memory performance
MCU doubles Flash and RAM of LCD PIC18
Dedicated MCU family for 2.5G/3G mobile communications products
1A Schottky rectifiers and 100W TVS in tiny MicroSMP power package
Microphone amplifier integrates AGC to minimize audio signal losses
60V current mode synchronous step-down controller
Accurate RTC combines FRAM storage and crystal in a 300mil SO package
Small 7W integrated boost LED driver for portable apps
Class D speaker amplifier LSI
CEC/Green power compliant high density 90W desktop supply
24 to 48W desktop power supplies are CEC/Green power compliant
480W DIN rail power supply offers both single phase universal input
AC/DC front-end power supplies
Battery charger for Lithium-based battery cells
High power lithium for military and aerospace applications
125W isolated dual output power supplies
350W power supply comes in small U-bracket package
Safe charging of nickel metal hydride batteries
Serial input remote display
Outdoor-viewable TFT display with TMR enhancement
Standalone graphic display module
Sun visible and weatherproof LED signs
TFT-LCD display with 8080 system interface
Multidisplay device uses digital outputs
2.7-inch TFT LCD with high quality luminance
Lumitex fiber optic illumination technologies
Flexible color A4-size E-paper
NI MATRIXx 8.0 delivers increased productivity for simulation
MPEG-2 measurement platform expanded
Picture quality analyzer predicts viewer response
N2X test solution used to validate Alcatel-Lucent triple play service delivery architecture
Faster, accurate wafer-level RF measurement with WinCal XE software
Test support for ZigBee 802.15.4 enabled devices
Dual time base mode for PCI waveform digitizers
C/C++ compiler and debugger allows new workflow
 
India Supplement 
Exciting times for Indian semiconductor manufacturers
By Timothy Wu, Asia EEsof Market Development Manager, Agilent Technologies
The development of local foundries
By Atul Arora, President – Commercial Operations, ARM Embedded Technologies Pvt Ltd
India’s fab dilemma
By Jaswinder Ahuja, Corporate Vice President and Managing Director, Cadence Design Systems
Foundries in India: The design industry’s future?
By Chitra Giridhar
India chooses the fab path
by Kirtimaya Varma
“The most important thing is that chips designed in India are made in India”
By A.S. Bhasker Raj
Dr. Vinod K. Agarwal, President and Chief Executive Officer of SemIndia, recently spoke with EDN Asia on the need and the advantages for building foundries in India. Excerpts:
The emerging semiconductor hub
by Padmanabhan SN, Senior Vice President, Semiconductors, MindTree
Operational and cost benefits of Indian foundries
By Visweswaran Balasubramanyan and Vilas Bhade, Sasken
Collaborative design for successful semiconductor manufacturing?
By Manish Rawat, Business Manager, Wipro Technologies
Creating a design centric ecosystem
By Vivek Sharma, Vice President Emerging Markets Region, STMicroelectronics
 
Prying Eyes 
Breaking up: diagnosing a dropped phone
By Paul Rako, Technical Editor, EDN
KNOWLEDGE CENTER
Panasonic Key Devices Guide 2008 :
 
Fairchild Semiconductor :
 
Texas Instruments: DaVinci™ Technology
 
Texas Instruments: Safe Bet Series
 
 
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