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ELECTRONICSTALK
The Independent Weekly Product Information Guide
for Electronics Design, Development and Manufacturing Engineers
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ISSN 1475-2913 - Free subscription
Last week's delivered circulation: over 21,000
Published every Tuesday from the UK.
Issue 149: 27 January 2004
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14490 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] Embedded CPU takes analogue I/O and PSU onboard
[2] Software optimises C code performance
[3] Latest Linux hits the market
[4] Faster FPGAs speed DSP operations
[5] Chipset takes smartphones to the Edge
[6] Robot dispenser has compact footprint
[7] Rugged keyboard is a (touch) sensitive sort
[8] Electronics packaging catalogue comes on disc
[9] Hinged lids are integral to enclosures
[10] Development board exploits 1GHz DSP for video
* New Technical Articles and Case Studies
* ...And take a look at these stories too...
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Laurence Marchini, Editor, writes:
I cannot imagine why, but there is nothing more guaranteed to produce feedback than a mention of Microsoft in this column.
So it would be remiss of me not to mention yesterday's announcement of an Honorary Knighthood to (allegedly) the world's richest man, Bill Gates, for his contribution to enterprise in the UK.
As with other non-Commonwealth citizens who are similarly bestowed, such as Bob Geldof, Gates will not (fortunately) be permitted to call himself by the normal title. And presumably Her Majesty will not be uttering the immortal lines "Arise, Sir William" - which avoids any number of potentially libellous punchlines.
Gates was nominated by Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who said: "Microsoft technology has transformed business practices and his company has had a profound impact on the British economy, employing 2000 people and contributing to the development of the IT sector".
Certainly, it is easy to argue that there is now an entire IT support job function devoted to keeping Microsoft products running. In which case, Gates is worthy of his "K" purely for his job-creation efforts.
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.
Alternatively, the full stories behind all the summaries and headlines in this newsletter can be retrieved by email alone: see details below.
In the meantime, if you have any suggestions as to how we might make the site or the newsletter better, email me directly.
Best wishes
Laurence Marchini, Editor
mailto:ne[-email removed-]nicstalk.com
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THIS WEEK'S INDUSTRY NEWS
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To read more, use the web links. Or get the full stories emailed back to you: just send a blank email to the address shown. It's a free service. Try it! It works!
VIRAGE'S POSITIVE Q1 INCLUDES RECORD ROYALTIES
Virage Logic has reported its financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2004 ended 31st December 2003.
Virage Logic, 22 January 2004
mailto:vir1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/vir/vir131.html
MERGER EXPANDS WOUND COMPONENT RANGE
Almag can now offer a much wider range of wound components following the merging of its Wound Components Division into Carnhill Transformers.
Almag Division, Carnhill Transformers, 22 January 2004
mailto:aag1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/aag/aag106.html
INVESTORS QUEUE UP TO FOLLOW CARBON
Carbon Design Systems has raised a $10 million series B second round of funding in just 90 days.
Carbon Design Systems, 27 January 2004
mailto:cnd1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/cnd/cnd100.html
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OUR TOP TEN NEW PRODUCTS SELECTION
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1. Embedded CPU takes analogue I/O and PSU onboard
The Hercules-EBX is the first embedded CPU to integrate a Pentium-III class processor, professional-quality analogue I/O circuit with autocalibration, and wide-input DC/DC power supply onto a single EBX format board measuring 5.75 x 8.00in. The board runs Linux, Windows 98/2000/XP, VxWorks, DOS and QNX. Hercules-EBX was specifically designed for transportation and military/aerospace applications where high integration, ruggedness, and power supply compatibility are key concerns.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/dam/dam100.html
or send a blank email to mailto:dam1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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2. Software optimises C code performance
CoWare is partnering with startup PowerEscape to distribute its power optimisation software. CoWare has signed an OEM agreement with PowerEscape to sell the products globally. PowerEscape was founded in 2003 to develop, market and sell a new generation of design tools that enable system architects, algorithm designers, and software developers to dramatically reduce power consumption and increase performance in electronic appliances and systems. Its initial products are the first commercially available tools that enable designers to optimise the critical algorithms and software of today's electronic products for lower power.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/cow/cow122.html
or send a blank email to mailto:cow1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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3. Latest Linux hits the market
BlueCat Linux 5.0 is now fully available, and represents the industry's first commercially available embedded Linux technology based on the recently introduced Linux 2.6 kernel. BlueCat Linux 5.0 is a single source of stable embedded technology that provides the flexibility and cost benefits of open-source software and allows programmers to take advantage of important feature enhancements in the Linux 2.6 kernel. These new features include improved real-time performance, easier porting to new computers, support for large memory models, support for microcontrollers and an improved I/O system.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/lyn/lyn155.html
or send a blank email to mailto:lyn1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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4. Faster FPGAs speed DSP operations
The two largest members of the Stratix FPGA family are now available in faster speed grades. With 79,040 and 57,120 logic elements (LEs), respectively, the EP1S80 and EP1S60 members of the Stratix device family are now available in the -5 speed grade to deliver the same high-performance digital signal processing (DSP) speeds (333MHz) and datarates (300MHz) attained with the smaller Stratix devices. These newly available versions, which are on average 12% faster, are ideal for logic-intensive applications such as image processing, which require both high-density and high-performance devices.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/aeu/aeu108.html
or send a blank email to mailto:aeu1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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5. Chipset takes smartphones to the Edge
The industry's first complete Edge (Enhanced Datarates for GSM Evolution) chipset and reference design uses the OMAP platform to deliver flexible Edge-based smartphones, feature phones and PDAs, all within a footprint one-half the size of a business card. As with all OMAP chips, developers and software designers can re-use and build on existing software. With up to three times the datarate throughput of current GSM/GPRS devices, the TCS3500 chipset delivers the performance required to enable high-quality Edge-enabled applications such as multimedia, gaming, camera functionality and video.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/tex/tex566.html
or send a blank email to mailto:tex5[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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6. Robot dispenser has compact footprint
The space saving Unitek Eapro Diamond 100 benchtop robot dispenser from Kaisertech has a footprint not much bigger than a sheet of A4 paper and can be used with a variety of production fluids from coatings to adhesives. Applications can be in production and assembly of consumer and automotive electronics, mobile phones, medical devices and many more products. The most common tasks are dispensing UV-cure adhesives, sealants, epoxies, cyanoacrylates, solder pastes and conformal coatings.
Request a free brochure by post:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/kai/131/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/kai/kai131.html
or send a blank email to mailto:kai1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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7. Rugged keyboard is a (touch) sensitive sort
The TSK 105 is a rugged, plug-and-play touch-sensitive keyboard for industrial applications. The TSK 105 offers the same functionality of any normal PC keyboard, including all F-keys and the number pad; an integral touch-pad mouse provides precise cursor control. An anodised aluminium housing and a glass screen protects the QWERTY (AZERTY - change for relevant languages) keyboard from impact.
Request a free brochure by post:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/eao/142/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/eao/eao142.html
or send a blank email to mailto:eao1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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8. Electronics packaging catalogue comes on disc
It has over 300 pages of information on electronics packaging with over 13,500 items in almost limitless combinations, yet you can tuck it in your shirt pocket. With only a 3in diameter, Equipto Electronics new catalogue on a disc puts packaging solutions for electronics at a user's fingertips.
Request a free brochure by post:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/equ/102/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/equ/equ102.html
or send a blank email to mailto:equ1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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9. Hinged lids are integral to enclosures
Rolec's die-cast aluminium Alucase range has been extended with new models which have hinged lids. Typical applications will include electronic and electrical control equipment which requires regular access for calibration, data acquisition or servicing. Unlike other enclosures on the market, the new Alucase models have been designed with hinge assemblies that fully integrate into the design of the enclosure.
Request a free brochure by post:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/okw/130/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/okw/okw130.html
or send a blank email to mailto:okw1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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10. Development board exploits 1GHz DSP for video
The Ateme NVDK (Networked Video Development Kit) board is based on Texas Instruments' newly released TMS320C64x 1GHz digital signal processor. The NVDK evaluation boards have been tested by Ateme, and MPEG-4 codecs have been optimised to run on the C64x 1GHz DSP. This board targets industries of broadcast head-end equipment and other high-end devices designers having high requirements of processing power for complex algorithms such as MPEG-4, H.264/AVC and WM9 video encoding.
Request a free brochure by post:
http://www.electronicstalk.com/rdx/da/kan/156/0
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/kan/kan156.html
or send a blank email to mailto:kan1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com
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New Technical Articles and Case Studies
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LOW-JITTER HARD MACRO WINS KEY TIMING SPOT
(True Circuits, 22 January 2004)
Parama Networks has implemented a True Circuits clock generator PLL as the primary clocking macro in its new ADM-on-a-Chip, fabricated in UMC's 130nm process technology.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/tue/tue104.html
(or email mailto:tue1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
READ-CHANNEL CHIP ENABLES FLASH-BEATING 1IN HDD
(Agere Systems, 27 January 2004)
Agere Systems is providing read-channel storage ICs to China-based manufacturer GS Magicstor for use in its 1in hard disk drive (HDD).
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/age/age122.html
(or email mailto:age1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
SIMULATOR SHOWS VIABILITY OF JOINT STRIKE FIGHTER
(The MathWorks, 27 January 2004)
Collaborative work between The MathWorks and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics has led to the successful completion of the first simulated test flight of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/mth/mth121.html
(or email mailto:mth1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
LCD FIRST FOR LARGE-FORMAT VIDEOCONFERENCE SYSTEM
(Arrow Electronics (UK), 26 January 2004)
Tandberg has developed the world's first videoconferencing system to feature large format LCD screens.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/arr/arr130.html
(or email mailto:arr1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
VMEBUS SBC POWERS MOBILE RADAR SYSTEMS
(Force Computers, 21 January 2004)
The CPU-56 single board computer (SBC) is being used in a series of mobile radar systems developed by Ericsson Microwave Systems.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/for/for158.html
(or email mailto:for1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
ZIGBEE SET FOR WIDESPREAD ADOPTION
(Cambridge Consultants, 23 January 2004)
The low-cost and low-power attributes of the ZigBee radio standard will vastly increase the wireless market, and 2004 will be the critical design-in year, predicts Cambridge Consultants.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/cbr/cbr108.html
(or email mailto:cbr1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
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...And take a look at these stories too...
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BOOST CONVERTORS CUT LED DRIVE COMPONENT COUNT
(Micrel Semiconductor Europe, 22 January 2004)
Two new small sized DC/DC boost convertors are optimised for driving white LEDs in cellular, PDA, GPS, digital still camera and camcorder applications.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/mib/mib140.html
(or email mailto:mib1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
BRIDGE CHIP BRINGS HYPERTRANSPORT TO PCI-X
(Alliance Semiconductor Corp, 22 January 2004)
The high-performance AS90L10204 HyperTransport-to-PCI-X bridge is optimised for computing applications including workstations, computer servers, server blades, workstations and desktop PCs.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/adu/adu101.html
(or email mailto:adu1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
NOVEL PACKAGE CRAMS MORE MEMORY CHIPS TOGETHER
(Toshiba Electronics Europe, 23 January 2004)
Toshiba has developed a multichip package (MCP) only 1.4mm high that stacks a total of nine layers of components.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/tos/tos208.html
(or email mailto:tos2[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
RECEIVER CHIP AIMS FOR AUTOMOTIVE ACCESS
(GD Technik, 26 January 2004)
Atmel's new ATA5282 is an LF ASK (amplitude shift keying) 125kHz ultra-low-power receiver IC with three input channels for three-dimensional (3D) antennas.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/gdt/gdt135.html
(or email mailto:gdt1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
COMPACT CARDS PROVIDE SPEEDY SECURE STORAGE
(Kingston Technology, 27 January 2004)
The newly released 128Mbyte and 256Mbyte Elite Pro Hi-Speed SecureDigital (SD) cards represent the latest generation of high-capacity small-form-factor digital storage devices.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/kin/kin100.html
(or email mailto:kin1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
LEADING ACCURACY FOR CHIP CAPACITOR
(TTI Europe, 23 January 2004)
Based on silicon technology, Vishay's HPC0402 is the only 0402 chip capacitor available that delivers +/-1% accuracy from 0.1 to 180pF.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/tti/tti116.html
(or email mailto:tti1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
CAPACITOR TECHNOLOGY HAS ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
(AVX, 26 January 2004)
A new capacitor technology, OxiCap from AVX, offers a host of environmental advantages while delivering higher performance than other types of capacitor.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/avx/avx100.html
(or email mailto:avx1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
CELLULAR MODEM RUNS ON SINGLE PROCESSOR CORE
(TTPCom, 22 January 2004)
A new cellular modem reference design can be implemented on a single processor.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/ttp/ttp170.html
(or email mailto:ttp1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
IMPROVED ANALYSIS FOR ELECTROMAGNETIC DESIGN
(Ansoft Corporation Europe, 23 January 2004)
ePhysics is a novel software package that expands the capabilities of Ansoft's HFSS and Maxwell 3D offerings.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/ans/ans180.html
(or email mailto:ans1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
TESTBENCH AUTOMATION TOOL SPEEDS VERIFICATION
(Synopsys, 27 January 2004)
The latest release of the Vera advanced testbench automation tool is an integral part of the Synopsys Discovery verification platform.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/syn/syn212.html
(or email mailto:syn2[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
SILICONE FOAMS AIM FOR ELECTRONICS ENCLOSURES
(Leewood Elastomer, 21 January 2004)
The MagniFoam range of European-produced nonflammable, nontoxic, silicone foam products is aimed at the electronics enclosures market.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/loo/loo100.html
(or email mailto:loo1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
SWITCH IS ON THE BALL FOR HANDHELD GAMES
(ITT Industries, Cannon, 23 January 2004)
The industry's first ever miniature trackball 360-degree scanning and select switch is designed to replace navigation keys or mini-joysticks used in mobile and smart phones, PDAs, cameras, camcorders,
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/itt/itt129.html
(or email mailto:itt1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
ENHANCED CABLES FOR MULTIGIGABIT SERIAL INTERFACES
(TTI Europe, 26 January 2004)
The Spectra-Strip cable division of Amphenol has recently released design specifications and samples of its new Skewclear line of enhanced cables for emerging multigigabit serial interfaces.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/tti/tti118.html
(or email mailto:tti1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
EASTERN INVESTMENT CUTS LINEAR SUPPLY PRICES
(PowerPax UK, 21 January 2004)
The PAR (AC/DC regulated), PAC (AC/AC) and PAU (AC/DC unregulated) ranges from PowerPax UK see linear power supplies become even more aggressively priced.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/prp/prp102.html
(or email mailto:prp1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
FLEXIBLE OUTPUTS FOR POINT-OF-LOAD CONVERTORS
(Celestica Power Systems, 27 January 2004)
Celestica has expanded its Volant Series of DC/DC convertors with 16 and 10A nonisolated point-of-load solutions.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/cst/cst100.html
(or email mailto:cst1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
CPCI TRIO EXPLOIT PENTIUM M BENEFITS
(SBS Technologies, 22 January 2004)
Three new high-performance 6U CompactPCI SBCs deliver the speed and bandwidth for performance-oriented applications while benefiting from the low power consumption of the Intel Pentium M processor.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/sbs/sbs135.html
(or email mailto:sbs1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
FRAME GRABBER TAKES FOUR ANALOGUE SIGNALS ONBOARD
(Parvus Corp, 26 January 2004)
The FG104 video frame grabber board is a low-cost, high-performance solution for capturing analogue broadcast signals across the PCIbus in an embedded computer system.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/prv/prv122.html
(or email mailto:prv1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
BUDGET PRICE FOR 100MHZ LOGIC ANALYSER
(TTi (Thurlby Thandar Instruments), 22 January 2004)
The TA320S is a self-contained logic analyser that offers 32 data channels and 100MHz acquisition for under GBP 600.
* Read more: http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/bla/bla185.html
(or email mailto:bla1[-email removed-]ctronicstalk.com )
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Have you seen our other newsletters?
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