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ELECTRONICSTALK
The Independent Weekly Product Information Guide
for Electronics Engineers
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London, UK
Published every Tuesday at 12:30 (UK)
Issue 12: 24 April 2001
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Over 1100 product announcements and technical articles
on our web site, all fully searchable at
http://www.electronicstalk.com/ - take a look!
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In this issue:
* Editor's Message
* Our Top Ten new Products Selection
1. Reference design for wireless optical comms
2. API puts mobile phone users on the game
3. Flexible tape gives package higher I/O density
4. Board targets cost-sensitive embedded applications
5. Coax connectors lock for secure mating
6. Latest BlueCat Linux embeds MIPS support
7. Conductive fabric rolls in for shielding
8. Industrial glass fibre optic light guides
9. Synopsis adds crosstalk analysis to timing tool
10. MCU and DSP features combine in Flash hybrids
* New Technical Articles and Case Studies
* ...And take a look at these stories too...
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Laurence Marchini, Editor, writes:
Can this really be the end of the mobile phone boom? If the doom and gloom of Motorola and Ericsson were to be continued across the global market, the consequences would indeed be dire for the electronics industry that supports it.
And how can this happen when just four months ago handsets were the most popular Christmas presents, and top-up cards have allegedly taken over from cigarettes as the most popular use of pocket money?
No-one can deny that the market for new handsets must eventually be finite. And until 3G services take off (and the network operators can recoup some of that licence money), it is hard to see any justification for any vast replacement market.
But, lest we forget, this is a global market, and while Europe may be reaching a temporary saturation point, the surface of the rest of the world has barely been scratched.
So while handset manufacturers may be suffering in their established markets, they still have a vast untapped potential to exploit. And this cannot be bad for the components industry. Perhaps somebody ought to remind the investment fraternity of this seemingly subtle distinction.
Following the initial boom and then partial price crash of the PC business in the 1980s, the components business waited what seemed an age for mobile telephony to prove itself as "the next big thing". Is it too much to hope that it might last a little longer?
I hope you find this issue of our weekly newsletter useful. In addition to the new products, news and ideas featured here, there are hundreds more on our website and dozens more being added daily, so do take a look if you can. But you don't need web access! All the full stories behind the summaries and headlines in this newsletter can be retrieved by email alone: see details below. In the meantime, if you've got any suggestions as to how we might make the site or the newsletter better, email me directly.
Best wishes
Laurence Marchini, Editor
lauren[-email removed-]nicstalk.com
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THIS WEEK'S INDUSTRY NEWS
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WIRELESS INTERNET WORKS IN TRIALS
Flarion Technologies has successfully conducted its first field trial demonstrating the capabilities of its flash-OFDM system.
Flarion Technologies, 18 April 2001
mailto:fla1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/fla/fla101.html
AGILENT RECOGNISED IN NEW LAB AT UCL
University College London is the home of the new Agilent Broadband Communications Laboratory.
Agilent Technologies, 23 April 2001
mailto:agi1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/agi/agi102.html
QUICKLOGIC TAKES V3 FOR FASTER NETWORKING
QuickLogic and V3 Semiconductor have entered into a definitive agreement under which QuickLogic will acquire certain assets of V3 in a stock transaction.
QuickLogic, 23 April 2001
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http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/qui/qui101.html
CYPRESS COMPLETES HIBAND ACQUISITION
Cypress Semiconductor has satisfied closing conditions for the acquisition of HiBand Semiconductors.
Cypress Semiconductor, 23 April 2001
mailto:cyp1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/cyp/cyp106.html
STATS ADDS EUROPEAN ANGLE TO TEST DEVELOPMENT
ST Assembly Test Services (STATS) has opened a new UK test development centre (TDC) as part of its strategy to expand worldwide engineering support for customers.
ST Assembly Test Services, 18 April 2001
mailto:sta1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/sta/sta104.html
TEKTRONIX ACQUIRES ADHERENT TO BOOST VIDEO TESTS
Strengthening its position in MPEG test, measurement and monitoring equipment, Tektronix is to acquire Adherent, a technology leader in MPEG measurement and analysis for digital video.
Tektronix, 23 April 2001
mailto:tek1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/tek/tek104.html
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OUR TOP TEN NEW PRODUCTS SELECTION
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1. Reference design for wireless optical comms
A new technology from Texas Instruments dramatically cuts the cost and complexity of bringing the high-speed datarates of optical networking to end users. Combining its leadership in digital signal processors and analogue with micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), TI has announced the immediate availability of its Optical Wireless Solutions reference design that allows system developers to wirelessly deploy dedicated 100Mbit/s 802.3 compliant Ethernet connections - 100 times greater than currently available wireless systems. TI's Optical Wireless Solution brings more options for deploying networks by eliminating expensive labour and cabling costs as well as any spectrum licensing requirements worldwide.
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2. API puts mobile phone users on the game
TTPCom has developed a new platform it says will deliver an unrivalled gaming experience to all parties in the mobile phone community - users, games developers, handset manufacturers and network operators. The Wireless Game Engine (WGE) is an open application programming interface (API) that opens up the entire feature set of a mobile phone to the creativity of games developers, enabling them to create a new generation of wireless games which offer an exciting, rich experience to mobile users.
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3. Flexible tape gives package higher I/O density
ST Assembly Test Services (STATS) has developed a tape chip scale package (TCSP), said to be ideal for applications requiring a thin package with a small form factor and high I/O density. Applications that can use the TCSP's high density and small form factor include portable electronics such as pagers, cellular phones, camcorders, digital cameras, and other wireless devices that require a thin package. Chip scale packaging technology is used in both wireless and wired communications, and is characterised by a smaller footprint, which offers economy in space, lighter weight, and better thermal and electrical performance.
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4. Board targets cost-sensitive embedded applications
Only the size of a 3.5in disk, the Wafer-6820 embedded board from Wordsworth provides a variety of features that include 10/100Mbit/s Ethernet, LCD/CRT VGA, as well as audio. Based on Transmeta's Crusoe TM3200 ultra-low-power 400MHz processor, the board eliminates the need for fan cooling while still providing 100MHz FSB. Power consumption is 5V at 1.7A with 128Mbyte onboard SDRAM.
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5. Coax connectors lock for secure mating
A full line of 7-16 RF coaxial connectors are now available with a positive-locking quick-disconnect coupling for hard-to-reach applications from Tru-Connector. Tru-Connector's QD16 coaxial connector is a 7-16 series RF connector that features a male coupling with a spring-loaded sleeve and integral balls that seat into a corresponding groove on the female to mate securely. Eliminating the need for threading nuts and tools, this design is ideal for hard-to-reach applications where easy on/off is desirable.
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6. Latest BlueCat Linux embeds MIPS support
With the release of BlueCat Linux 3.1, LynuxWorks now claims the broadest microprocessor support for any embedded Linux. MIPS is the latest addition to the rollcall of supported architectures, which now includes Intel's Pentium, XScale and x86 compatibles, ARM family (including Thumb extensions), StrongARM, PowerPC (including PowerQUICC) and Hitachi SuperH. LynuxWorks BlueCat Linux and the MIPS architecture together provide a reliable crossdevelopment platform for embedded developers creating products for markets such as office automation, communications, network management, digital consumer devices, and many others.
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7. Conductive fabric rolls in for shielding
Holland Shielding Systems has developed a highly conductive fabric that requires hardly any force to achieve an optimum electrically conductive contact. Applications for the fabric include EMI-shielded cable wrapping and gaskets. Because of the low closure force required to obtain continuity, less mechanical stress is put on the components to be shielded.
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8. Industrial glass fibre optic light guides
Vydas International Marketing has announced a new line of high-quality industrial glass fibre optic light guides offering a remarkably cost effective service to customers. These high quality fibres, manufactured to the highest standards, now give customers the benefit of buying at really competitive prices, regardless of which manufacturer's photoelectric sensors are to be used in the application. Standard stock light guides are compatible with most photoelectric sensors and offer exceptional quality at factory direct low prices.
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9. Synopsis adds crosstalk analysis to timing tool
Synopsys has extended its PrimeTime static timing analysis product to address the challenge of detecting and resolving crosstalk on SoC designs at 0.18 micron and below. PrimeTime Signal Integrity (PrimeTime-SI) builds on PrimeTime, offering static timing and crosstalk analysis in a fully integrated tool. With shrinking process geometries and rising clock frequencies, it is essential for designers to address signal integrity problems to meet timing closure. Crosstalk-induced errors are the most common signal integrity problem. Crosstalk, which is caused by capacitive coupling between adjacent wires, can cause a change in the delay of a signal or result in an incorrect logic transition.
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10. MCU and DSP features combine in Flash hybrids
The 56F826 and 56F827 are Motorola's newest Flash-based hybrid controllers. Based on the 56800 core, both chips are ideal for a multitude of control, telephony and other applications requiring highly integrated, high-performance solutions with all the flexibility enabled by Flash technology. The 56800 hybrid architecture is designed from the ground up to provide users the ease of programming and enhanced compiler efficiency typically found in MCUs, with the processing power of a DSP.
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New Technical Articles and Case Studies
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MINTDRIVE ENHANCES SPORTS ACTION CAMERAWORK
Innovative motion control technology incorporated in Camera Tracking Company's latest mobile camera system is providing the first close-up filming of vertical sports action.
Baldor UK, 23 April 2001
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http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/bal/bal107.html
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...And take a look at these stories too...
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TWO-CHIP SET PROVIDES ALL NOTEBOOK VOLTAGES
Two chips from Fairchild Semiconductor convert notebook PC battery/power adapter voltage to all the different voltages required for the processor, chipset, memory, disk drives and I/O circuitry.
Fairchild Semiconductor, 18 April 2001
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http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/fai/fai108.html
HIGH-VOLTAGE DRIVE FROM SERIAL TO PARALLEL
The latest miniature driver ICs from Rohm combine high-voltage drive capabilities with low power consumption and a wide variety of package options.
Rohm Electronics (UK), 18 April 2001
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http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/roh/roh104.html
HOT-SWAP CONTROLLER HANDLES DISTRIBUTED POWER
Summit Microelectronics has a distributed power hot-swap controller for use in communications equipment add-in line cards.
Summit Microelectronics, 20 April 2001
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http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/sum/sum100.html
LARGEST-YET CLAIM FOR FLASH-BASED FPGAS
Actel is sampling the A500K180 and A500K270 flash-based ProASIC 500K gate FPGAs with 369,000 and 473,000 system gates, respectively.
Actel Europe, 23 April 2001
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http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/act/act101.html
FLAT-BOTTOMED PACKAGES SHRINK LOGIC DEVICES
Fairchild Semiconductor has added an option of MicroPak packaging to its TinyLogic portfolio, claiming the most significant space savings available in the logic market.
Fairchild Semiconductor, 23 April 2001
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http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/fai/fai110.html
RESETTABLE FUSE PROTECTS LATEST AAAA NIMH CELLS
New from Raychem Circuit Protection, the MAC300 PolySwitch resettable fuse is custom designed for the new AAAA NiMH cells with increased capacity in a smaller space.
Raychem Circuit Protection, 24 April 2001
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http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/ray/ray100.html
MULTIPLATFORM DRIVER DEVELOPMENT
WinDriver and KernelDriver version 5.0 are the new generation of driver development tools from Jungo, offering hardware access and driver code generation capabilities through a rich API.
Jungo, 19 April 2001
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http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/jun/jun100.html
IMPROVED DESIGN VERIFICATION COVERS MIXED CODE
Innoveda has made major extensions to its HDLScore tool for code-coverage analysis.
Innoveda, 20 April 2001
mailto:inn1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/inn/inn106.html
IDE FOR LYNXOS AND BLUECAT EMBEDDED APPLICATIONS
LynuxWorks has announced the availability of a CodeWarrior IDE for companies using Linux and Solaris host development environments and deploying on LynxOS and BlueCat Linux targets.
LynuxWorks, 24 April 2001
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http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/lyn/lyn103.html
BUZZERS ARE GETTING SMALLER AND LIGHTER
New high-quality surface-mount and leaded buzzers are now available from Flint, ideal for use in mobile phones, pagers, warning devices, modems and other consumer electronics applications.
Flint, 18 April 2001
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http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/fli/fli108.html
ENCLOSURES KEEP COTS COMPONENTS AIRBORN
Mektron Systems has released a range of ATR enclosures which enable the use of forced air cooled commercial or industrial grade electronics hardware in airborne or land mobile applications.
Mektron Systems, 20 April 2001
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http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/mek/mek103.html
SHIELDING AS STANDARD FOR INSTRUMENT CASES
New from Schroff, the ratiopack PRO series of equipment cases is particularly suited to measurement, instrumentation and control applications.
Schroff UK, 23 April 2001
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http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/sch/sch115.html
COMPACT MECHANICAL KEYSWITCH WEIGHS JUST 0.2G
Omron has launched a low cost, unsealed, surface-mount mechanical keyswitch ideal for high-density mounting and for automatic soldering processes where no cleaning is required.
Omron Electronics, 24 April 2001
mailto:omr1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/omr/omr120.html
SPECS, GUIDELINES AND PROFILES FROM PROFIBUS
The Profibus Group has announced the availability of a number of new publications for immediate purchase or for members to download from the organisation's website.
Profibus Group, 24 April 2001
mailto:pra1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/pra/pra100.html
COMPACT TRANSCEIVER SUITS THREE OPTICAL STANDARDS
The small-form-factor (SFF) LC 2.5Gbit transceiver from Molex Fibre Optics is available in three different versions to suit application requirements.
Molex UK, 23 April 2001
mailto:mol1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/mol/mol104.html
MODULAR SIGNAL CONDITIONING RANGE
RDP's modular 600 electronics system combines signal conditioning, power and local display facilities in a Eurocard format for a wide range of transducers.
RDP Electronics, 20 April 2001
mailto:rdp1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/rdp/rdp113.html
TOP-END LOGIC ANALYSIS THROUGH DISTRIBUTION
Tektronix has extended the scope of its instrument distribution operations by appointing TTi to distribute the 34- and 68-channel versions of its TLA 600 family of logic analysers in the UK.
TTi (Thurlby Thandar Instruments), 23 April 2001
mailto:bla1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/bla/bla117.html
REED-SWITCH-BASED PROXIMITY SENSORS
Rhopoint Components has launched a new line of custom reed-switch-based proximity sensors.
Rhopoint Components, 23 April 2001
mailto:rho1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/rho/rho108.html
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