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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 13: 1 May 2001
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1215 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. Stereo DAC supports Direct Stream Digital
2. Motor controller's sinusoidal output cuts noise
3. Miniature tantalum capacitors save board space
4. Piggyback modular design eases cPCI backplanes
5. Supervisor monitors power supplies as low as 1.5V
6. EMC coating uses silver-plated copper particles
7. TI adds low-cost and high-integration DSP pair
8. USB board provides eight lines of digital I/O
9. Platform harnesses potential of latest FPGAs
10. IP67-sealed RJ-45 connector ruggedises Ethernet
* ...And take a look at these stories too...
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Laurence Marchini, Editor, writes:
So what would you do with $20 million? Buy a competent Premiership footballer? Bail out an ailing dot.com? Or maybe go on holiday?
If you chose the third option, then you've probably got more money than you know what to do with. But hat's off to Dennis Tito, who defied both conventional logic and Nasa to become the world's first space tourist this week, boosting the funding of the Russian Space Programme in the process. And the next in the queue is none other than Titanic film director James Cameron.
Meanwhile, back on earth, 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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FAIRCHILD FORECASTS FLAT FUTURE
Fairchild Semiconductor has reported results for Q1 2001 ended 1st April 2001: revenues were $385.3 million, which was down 18% sequentially from Q4 2000.
Fairchild Semiconductor, 26 April 2001
mailto:fai1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/fai/fai112.html
LYNUXWORKS ENDORSES ELC PLATFORM SPECIFICATION
LynuxWorks has endorsed the Embedded Linux Consortium (ELC) Platform Specification and plans to support it on both its open-source BlueCat Linux and LynxOS real-time operating system.
LynuxWorks, 26 April 2001
mailto:lyn1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/lyn/lyn105.html
OPTIMISTIC INNOVEDA REPORTS Q1 GROWTH
Innoveda has reported financial results for the first quarter ended 31st March 2001: revenue for the quarter grew 89% to $27.3 million from $14.4 million for the comparable 2000 quarter.
Innoveda, 1 May 2001
mailto:inn1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/inn/inn107.html
SHIPLEY WINS QUEEN'S AWARD FOR ENTERPRISE
Shipley Europe has won the prestigious Queen's Award for Enterprise, for its outstanding achievement in international trade.
Shipley Europe, 1 May 2001
mailto:shi1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/shi/shi102.html
NEPCON VISITORS RECOVER TO 1990s LEVELS
Visitor numbers at Nepcon 2001 were up by over 8% on last year's event, reports Reed Exhibitions.
Reed Exhibitions, 1 May 2001
mailto:ree1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/ree/ree100.html
ARTESYN SCOOPS TOP-QUALITY AWARD FROM DELL
Artesyn Technologies has received the "Best overall quality" award from Dell, the world's leading direct computer systems company.
Artesyn Technologies, 26 April 2001
mailto:art1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/art/art125.html
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OUR TOP TEN NEW PRODUCTS SELECTION
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1. Stereo DAC supports Direct Stream Digital
Wolfson Microelectronics has unveiled its first stereo DAC with support for the Direct Stream Digital (DSD) audio data format. The DSD audio mode in the WM8728 extends the reach of the new audio DAC to encompass the existing PCM audio formats used for CD and DVD players as well as the new SACD (Super Audio CD) bit stream standard. DSD, the core recording technology behind SACD, enables the reproduction of sounds that are infinitesimally close to the original source material. Products based on SACD provide even the most discerning listeners with the highest possible audio quality as a result of breakthroughs in the fields of recording technology, data encoding techniques, data storage and laser optics.
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2. Motor controller's sinusoidal output cuts noise
Toshiba Electronics has introduced a new PWM (pulsewidth modulation) three-phase brushless motor controller IC that is designed to operate in conjunction with an external power FET module to produce a sinusoidal motor coil current waveform, thereby minimising both electrical and acoustic noise. Using a dual modulation technique, the new TB6539F/N is believed to be the first PWM motor controller IC able to generate a sinewave output without the need for an additional external microcontroller.
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3. Miniature tantalum capacitors save board space
The Matsuo 251 series of ultraminiature solid-electrolyte tantalum capacitors is now available exclusively in the UK from Surtech. The new range is designed to meet the market requirements for minimising board space and maximising packaging density in handheld and portable electronic equipment. The key to the overall size reduction is the use of 'face down' terminals with an under-pad solder system that restricts the spread of solder to within the overall dimensions of the component, with no 'spill over'.
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4. Piggyback modular design eases cPCI backplanes
Schroff reckons its new modular CompactPCI backplanes offer systems developers significantly more design freedom while keeping costs low. The CompactPCI backplane solution consists of modular backplanes, power piggybacks and one or more power backplanes. The modular backplanes comply with revision 3.0 of the CompactPCI core specification. Models with three to eight slots are currently available in either 3 or 6U formats, the five-slot and seven-slot versions are bridgeable.
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5. Supervisor monitors power supplies as low as 1.5V
A low-voltage supervisor IC for monitoring power supplies as low as 1.5V has been developed by Micrel Semiconductor. Available in Micrel's IttyBitty SOT235 packaging, the MIC2775 features a choice of factory-programmed voltage options and ultralow quiescent current.
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6. EMC coating uses silver-plated copper particles
Applied Coating Technologies (ACT) has introduced a new coating, Applicoat EC225, based on paint containing silver-plated copper particles. Conductive paints are widely used for EMI/RFI shielding of plastic enclosures. They offer many advantages over alternative methods of shielding, including their relatively shorter manufacturing lead-times, and the ability to coat selectively.
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7. TI adds low-cost and high-integration DSP pair
Texas Instruments has unveiled the latest pair of programmable DSPs in its ultra-power-efficient TMS320C55x family of digital signal processors. The TMS320C5502 DSP, the new price-performance leader in TI's programmable TMS320C5000 DSP platform, meets the demanding cost and power budgets required by today's personal systems, with up to 400 million instructions per second (MIPS) of performance at $9.95 in 10,000 volume units. The TMS320C5509 DSP is the most highly integrated general-purpose DSP tailored to enable a new generation of Internet media entertainment appliances, personal medical, personal identification, security, digital still cameras, personal video cameras, or any combination of these applications.
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8. USB board provides eight lines of digital I/O
Available now from Adept Scientific, Switch and Sense 8 is a USB-based digital I/O relay system from Measurement Computing Corporation of Middleboro, Massachusetts. The Switch and Sense 8 is a compact, rugged device that allows users to add digital I/O applications to any USB-equipped personal computer, quickly and easily. The Switch and Sense 8 expands the capabilities of desktop personal computers by providing eight isolated AC or DC inputs and eight electromechanical relays in a single USB compatible system.
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9. Platform harnesses potential of latest FPGAs
Nallatech has launched DIME-II with teraOPS performance which it says will allow users to harness the full capability of advanced FPGAs. While DIME remains the ideal platform for current systems applications, DIME-II brings together the full power of leading-edge FPGA devices and offers unparalleled off-module I/O capabilities and flexible FPGA device support, coupled with extreme bandwidth capabilities for teraOPS performance for next generation systems design.
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10. IP67-sealed RJ-45 connector ruggedises Ethernet
Available in the UK from Aerco is a new industrial RJ-45 connection system that for the first time enables Ethernet and other datacommunication protocols to be used for industrial field devices. The RJ-Lnxx, industry's first IP67-sealed RJ-45 connector, extends Ethernet from boardroom to the factory floor. While Ethernet offers strong benefits in a manufacturing environment it is rarely used at this level because, until now, the connectors were not designed to withstand harsh environments.
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LOW-POWER-CONSUMPTION OP AMP DUO
Seiko Instruments has released two families of the lowest power consumption operational amplifiers available on the market, the S-8944xA and S-891xxA series.
Seiko Instruments, 25 April 2001
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http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/sei/sei101.html
CLOCK GENERATOR SAVES SPACE IN PORTABLE DESIGNS
AMI Semiconductor (AMIS) has introduced a low-cost clock generator that will save space and reduce component count in high-performance MPEG-2 applications such as DVD players.
AMI Semiconductor, 25 April 2001
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DUAL-CHANNEL MOSFET SWITCHES SHRINK USB POWER
New dual-channel MOSFET switches from Rohm Electronics combine SOP8 packaging with very low on resistances and are designed to save space and reduce component count in USB applications.
Rohm Electronics (UK), 25 April 2001
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http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/roh/roh105.html
NONVOLATILE FRAM WRITES AT FULL BUS SPEED
The FM24CL16 from Solid State Supplies is a low power 16Kbit ferroelectric nonvolatile RAM (FRAM) organised as a 2K x 8bit memory array which performs write operations at full bus speed.
Solid State Supplies, 26 April 2001
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http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/sol/sol103.html
REFERENCE DESIGN SIMPLIFIES HIGH-EFFICIENCY PSUS
International Rectifier has released a reference design for its recently introduced IR1176 application-specific synchronous rectification IC (SRIC).
International Rectifier, 1 May 2001
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http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/sil/sil104.html
SURFACE-MOUNT POLYMER PTC FUSES
Schurter has improved its PFMC series of polymer based 4.5 x 3.2mm PTC fuses, and renamed it the PFMD series.
Schurter, 25 April 2001
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http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/scc/scc100.html
CHIP INDUCTORS SAVE SPACE IN HIGH-CURRENT DESIGNS
A new series of SMT inductors from NIC Components features inductance values from 3.3nH to 4.7uH in package sizes down to 0805.
NIC Eurotech, 25 April 2001
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http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/nic/nic103.html
THIN STRAP PROTECTS THIN LI-ION PRISMATIC CELLS
The latest PolySwitch PPTC (polymeric positive temperature coefficient) resettable strap device from Raychem Circuit Protection offers the thinnest strap profile in the industry.
Raychem Circuit Protection, 26 April 2001
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http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/ray/ray101.html
COMPONENT CATALOGUE IN ENGLISH AND JAPANESE
In recognition of the role Japanese companies continue to play in the UK's economy, Epcos has released both Japanese and English versions of its comprehensive parts and components catalogue.
Epcos, 1 May 2001
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http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/epc/epc108.html
LINE REACTORS REDUCE VOLTAGE DROPS
EMC specialist Schaffner has broadened its extensive product portfolio with the introduction of a new range of three-phase line reactors for industrial applications.
Schaffner EMC, 1 May 2001
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http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/sca/sca112.html
LOW-COST ENTRY TO IC DESIGN VERIFICATION
Integrated Measurement Systems has a new, lower-cost version of its flagship Vanguard engineering system for validation of complex, high-performance logic ICs and SoCs.
IMS Europe, 26 April 2001
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http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/ims/ims101.html
EURORACK HOUSES COMPLETE COMPACT PCI PLATFORM
Featuring the industry-standard 8-slot compact PCI backplane in a 3U Eurorack enclosure, the new cPCI-5310 platform from Datasound Laboratories also has a removable 175W power supply and a 6.4in TFT L
Datasound Laboratories, 26 April 2001
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http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/dab/dab103.html
EMC GASKETS SHIELD STAINLESS-STEEL ENCLOSURES
Holland Shielding Systems has developed a new series of EMC gaskets to shield stainless-steel enclosures against high-frequency radiation.
Holland Shielding Systems, 1 May 2001
mailto:hol1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/hol/hol104.html
CABLE MANAGEMENT ACCESSORIES FOR 19IN RACKS
A range of cable management accessories designed for use with EIA standard 19in equipment racks is now available from AMP Netconnect.
AMP Netconnect, 25 April 2001
mailto:amc1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/amc/amc100.html
DUAL DIN M POWER SLOT COMPACTPCI BACKPLANE
APW Electronic Solutions has extended its CompactPCI backplane offering with new dual DIN M power slot versions, available in 3 and 6U versions conforming to PICMG Rev 3.0.
APW Electronics, 30 April 2001
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http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/apw/apw105.html
SKY'S THE LIMIT FOR PROTECTED POWER DISTRIBUTION
Pluginpower.com has launched a power distribution unit (PDU) aimed specifically at Sky Digital users, requiring multiple sockets for their TV, satellite receiver and phone lines.
Pluginpower.com, 1 May 2001
mailto:plu1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/plu/plu100.html
NON-CARBON-FORMING CONVEYOR LUBRICANT FOR IR OVENS
A new conveyor and handling equipment lubricant BiRAL BiO-30, from the BiRAL Lubricants Norway range, has been introduced by Hitroute the Essex-based industrial lubricant specialist.
Hitroute, 26 April 2001
mailto:hib1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/hib/hib100.html
IDC INSERTION TOOL TERMINATES AND TRIMS IN ONE
Designed to be used on any product that uses the LSA+ IDC contact, the Connect+ insertion tool from TUK terminates while simultaneously trimming excess wire.
TUK, 1 May 2001
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http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/tuk/tuk101.html
LOW-PROFILE POWER SUPPLY CAN BE CUSTOMISED
Although designed for RAID systems, the Digital Power UPF230-215 supply will create interest among users who need to power industrial PCs, conventional data networks and cPCI applications.
Digital Power, 1 May 2001
mailto:dib1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/dib/dib100.htmll
TESTER CHECKS FOR LIFE IN SAFETY LAMPS
A low-cost professionally specified proving unit for testing the integrity of 240V neon test lamps and indicators is now available from Black Star Instruments.
Black Star Instruments, 26 April 2001
mailto:blb1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/blb/blb102.html
ALTERNATIVE FIBRE-OPTIC SENSOR
The UZB3 photoelectric sensor from Matsushita Electric Works has been designed as a cost-effective alternative to conventional fibre-optic devices.
Matsushita Electric Works UK, 30 April 2001
mailto:mat1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/mat/mat118.html
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