[Engineering Feature] Patents: Cuffing Innovation?
Whose technology is it anyway? A growing number of patent disputes and cross-licensing agreements has muddied the waters. But few designers question the value of protecting their intellectual property (IP). Ask IBM, which collected an estimated $1 billion last year in licensing revenue. Or Texas Instruments, whose royalties averaged around $100 million a quarter in 2004. One 10-year cross-licensing deal inked in 1999 between TI and Hyundai Electronics Industries is expected to...
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Ron Schneiderman
[Technology Report] PCI Express Design: A Lesson In Techno-Shock
Start the coffee. Embedded designers are in for the long haul when it comes to implementing PCI Express, but the rewards are worth it. Parallel PCI and PCI-X, hampered by its wide bus that makes layout difficult, no longer is the speed champ. Winning with a technical knockout of performance and new chips is... PCI Express. But will dealing with this high-speed serial technology be easier or harder? PCI Express looks like the holy grail (...
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William Wong
[Technology Report] Mobile Storage: Chips Served With Hard-Disk Salsa
Tiny hard disks and massive flash memory devices give designers a spicy array of storage choices. "We want more storage!" it's the hue and cry heard from designers of portable devices. Flash memory and compact hard drives help meet that need with ever-larger capacities. Flash memory is the low-power winner, but hard drives have the edge when it comes to capacity. Both have changed the way mobile devices are designed. They also have driven the growth of scores of...
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William Wong
[Leapfrog: First Look] ADCs Digitize Capacitance And Impedance Directly
Changes in capacitance, or in a complex impedance, are the input for many control applications. For example, capacitive sensing measures gas pressure and liquid volume. It's also used in proximity and humidity detectors. Impedance sensing is used in electro-impedance spectrometry, corrosion analysis, and liquid-condition analysis in industrial applications as well as for analyzing biological samples in medical equipment. Digitizing these changes has typically involved designing some kind...
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Don Tuite
[Leapfrog: First Look] Mini Ethernet Chip Contends In Low-End Networking Space
Connectivity keeps moving down the food chain. TCP/IP stacks for 8- and 16-bit MCUs are readily available. Yet interfacing an Ethernet controller to one of these compact MCUs has been an exercise in creativity. Most Ethernet controllers use a parallel interface, such as PCI. Now, thanks to Microchip's latest innovation, an MCU needs only four lines to interface to Ethernet. This was accomplished with a high-speed serial-peripheral-interface (SPI) protocol, which is...
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William Wong
[Design View / Design Solution] Measure Capacitive Sensors With A Sigma-Delta Modulator
Capacitive sensors supply high accuracy at a relatively low cost. But system designers attempting to use them have been forced to first convert the capacitance to a voltage, then convert the voltage into the digital domain using a precision analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The complex circuit design, lengthy prototype evaluation, and demanding system test usually cause the designer to look for a different sensor. They often select one that's more expensive, less accurate, or...
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Michal Brychta
[Ideas For Design] Precision Programmable Current Sources Use Digital Pots
The circuit that's shown in Figure 1 implements a programmable 0- to 20-mA precision current source. The REF192 low-headroom 2.5-V voltage reference (U1) can source up to 30 mA. An AD5280 digital potentiometer (U2) controls the voltage-divider ratio of the reference voltage. U3, an OP1177 op amp, closes the loop by forcing VL = VW. At the digital pot's zero scale, where VWB ≈ 0 V, the voltage across RSET will approach zero and...
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Peter Khairolomour
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[Ideas For Design] Op Amp And Two JFETs Form A Voltage-Controlled Amplifier
A simple linear voltage-controlled amplifier can be constructed with one op amp and two JFETs (see the figure). The amplifier can achieve an 80-dB dynamic control range with less than ±0.2% linearity error for 0 V ¾ VC ¾ 0.8 × VP. JFETs act as linear resistors over a very small range of drain-to-source voltages (the ohmic region). In this circuit, an op amp constrains the...
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Henry Santana
[Editorial] Biometric Identification: How Safe Are Your Fingers?
It's probably due to the briefings I've had on fingerprint scanning. I doubt any of you are wondering if there will be a bizarre biometric twist to the mystery of the severed fingertip that turned up in a bowl of Wendy's chili this month. Authorities are sleuthing to track down its origins. This got me thinking about fingerprint—and finger—security. For many years, fingerprint scanning and other forms of biometric identification have been the purview of...
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Mark David
[POV: Point Of View] "The Law Of Two" Governs Interconnect Architectures
Although we in this society complain about lack of choice, we really like simple options—Coke vs. Pepsi, metric vs. English, paper vs. plastic. Having only two options makes life simple. That's why only two teams play in the Super Bowl and most voters choose either a Democrat or a Republican. Sure, there are a few that vote Libertarian or talk about speed in knots. But most of us, often grudgingly, rally behind one of the top two contenders once they emerge from the...
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Michael Salameh
[Pease Porridge] Bob's Mailbox
Hi Bob: I see more and more uses of LEDs in place of incandescent lamps every day. However, many of our engineering brethren are not looking at the big picture with these. It would appear that they are not considering the devastating interference that some of these replacement LED (power-supply) units are creating on the AM radio broadcast bands. For example: traffic signals. While I was waiting under a red traffic signal, I had a barrage of repetitive static wiping out...
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Bob Pease
[Beyond Technology] No Place To Hide
Are you ready for electronic passports, voiceprints, DNA checks, and iris scans? Black boxes in your cars that can log your speed and when you use your brakes and seat belts? Employers tracking you via radio-frequency identification tags and Global Positioning System technology in your company-issued car or cell phone? ID chips implanted in your body? That's the relatively new stuff. We're already being tracked by government databases and private companies, such as banks,...
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Ron Schneiderman
[TechView: The Industry] IC Suppliers Must Add "Lower Power" To The "Smaller, Faster, Cheaper" Mantra
"Smaller, faster, cheaper" has been the traditional IC market refrain. But recently, the tune has changed. Today's chips are adequately small and fast for many electronic systems, even though they may never be cheap enough for purchasing managers or consumers. Yet as a direct and indirect factor impacting system cost, performance, and usability, power consumption has emerged as one of the major challenges surrounding the design and use of core...
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Jordan Selburn
[TechView: The Industry] Magnetically Sensitive Compound Yields Superconductivity At Higher Temps
A long-sought goal, room-temperature superconductors, may be a step closer to reality thanks to joint research by University of California scientists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and researcher Yunkyu Bang of Chonnam National University in South Korea. The scientists have discovered that magnetic fluctuations in plutonium cobalt pentagallium (PuCoGa5) appear to cause the material to become superconductive. Scientists hope this unconventional...
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Dave Bursky
[TechView: Analog & Power] "Think Different" About PS Topologies With Ultra-Low On-Resistance MOSFETs
The CoolMOS CS—eight years in the making. Back in 1997, Infineon (then Siemens) introduced a technology for manufacturing power MOSFETs with 190-mΩ conduction losses in TO220 packaging. Then in 2000, the company improved the process and cut on-resistance (RDS(ON)) down to 190 mΩ while increasing switching speeds. To reduce on-state resistance, CoolMOS implements a compensation structure in the MOSFET's vertical drift region. Essentially,...
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Don Tuite
[TechView: Analog & Power] Doubled-Density Design: A 48-Port Midspan
Thanks to a novel layout, the 6548 Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) midspan can accommodate 48 ports in a 1U high, 19-in. rack assembly. That represents twice the density of any other midspan (see the figure). Developed by PowerDsine, the 6548 lets companies add PoE for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to their existing Ethernet networks in half the space. It fully complies with the IEEE 802.3 standard. Web browsing and...
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Don Tuite
[TechView: Analog & Power] Svelte Battery Converter/Charger Snuggles Into Bluetooth Accessories
Imagine designing a converter/charger with an integrated power FET for lithium-ion or lithium-polymer cells in Bluetooth headsets and accessories. Then, try making it work from either an ac adapter or USB cable without user intervention. Next, have it multitask by regulating the battery voltage when there's no external supply. And, squeeze it into a 3.5- by 4.5-mm QFN package. Then again, you can try Texas Instruments' bq2501x family. Two versions have fixed 3.3- or 1.8-V...
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Don Tuite
[TechView: Embedded] Real-Time Java, CORBA ORB Perk Up At ESC 2005
Java remains a hot topic, as evidenced by the goings-on at last month's Embedded Systems Conference (ESC) in San Francisco. Real-time Java performance is improving to the point where it matches applications written in C. Sun and Aonix offered up some interesting numbers comparing real-time Java performance with C at the show. This performance growth reminds me of C's challenges many years ago. At that time, getting developers to move from assembler to C was a chore. C's...
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William Wong
[TechView: Embedded] 1-GHz CPU Power PC/104 SBC
The CoreModule 550 is a low-cost, low-power PC/104-form-factor single-board computer (SBC). Designers have a range of processor choices, from 300 MHz to 1 GHz, via Eden ESP 3000. The board features a 10/100BaseT Ethernet port, dual serial ports, USB, and soldered RAM for better vibration resistance. Expansion comes via a CompactFlash socket and PC/104-Plus connectors. Audio and AGP4x video support is included. Pricing starts at the mid-$300 range. www.ampro.com ...
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William Wong
[TechView: Embedded] Kit Pumps Up ARM9 Developers
Now available is a development kit for Atmel's low-cost, high-performance AT91 family of ARM9-based microcontrollers (MCUs). Features like atomic bit manipulation and deterministic execution augment the MCU architecture. The 30-MHz MCU contains a complement of peripherals typically found on high-end 8-bit MCUs. There's also a Fast USB device interface, plus a number of 25-Mbit/s serial interfaces. With the new kit, designers can get their hands on the chip. The AT91SAM7S32 Development...
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William Wong
[TechView: Digital] Full-Throttle PowerQUICC Engine Revs Up Communication Systems
Sporting a souped-up communications engine and control processor, the latest PowerQUICC II communications processor—Freescale Semiconductor's MPC8360E—delivers nearly four times the performance of previous-generation PowerQUICC II devices. The engine's dual custom RISC processors manage all the functions in the communications processor module (CPM). In turn, the CPM manages the packet throughput, interworking capabilities (without CPU intervention), multiprotocol...
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Dave Bursky
[TechView: Digital] DDR2 DRAM Tops Out At 800 Mbits/s
DDR2 SDRAMs reached a new speed plateau with Elpida Memory's 800-Mbit/s version for a 256-Mbit device. The monolithic DDR2 DRAM comes with either an 8- or 16-bit data bus, both of which target DDR2 unbuffered dual-inline memory modules (DIMMs). Such memory modules are ideal for high-end PCs and workstations. They're also a good match for the latest processor front-side buses, which help PCs maximize data throughput. The EDE2508ABSE and EDE2516ABSE are organized as 8 Mwords by...
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Dave Bursky
[TechView: EDA] IC Implementation Suite Builds In Signoff Analysis
Bearing the fruits of an 18-month initiative, Magma Design Automation has rolled out its next-generation IC implementation suite. Magma's 2005.03 release includes new products and enhancements to Blast Create, Blast Fusion, Blast Noise, Blast Plan Pro, and other existing products. Most notable in the 2005.03 release is what Magma's calling a "signoff in the loop" flow. Traditionally, designers have used one set of tools for implementation and another for signoff analysis. The...
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David Maliniak
[TechView: EDA] System Simulator Runs Software Backward
Systems consist of two primary elements: hardware and software. An increasing percentage of most electronic systems is implemented in software. Rather than waiting for hardware prototypes before beginning debug of the system software, many designers are turning to virtual prototyping systems. Simics from Virtutech is one such system, enabling designers to simulate the entire system under test. It's accurate enough for firmware, device-driver, and operating-system...
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David Maliniak
[TechView: EDA] EDA Roundup
Version 6.0 of Nassda's HSIMplus improves dc convergence, transient analysis speed, and modeling accuracy. The Hanex 6.0 circuit-level analysis tool covers more design types and supports silicon-on-insulator devices. The Critic timing analyzer supports a streamlined crosstalk-analysis flow. Prices start at $67,500 for HSIMplus, $58,500 for Hanex, and $54,000 for Critic. Visit www.nassda.com for further information. Design of enclosure front panels is easier...
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David Maliniak
[TechView: Wireless] Commercial WiMAX Silicon Hastens Broadband Wireless
WiMAX is the commercial name for equipment that meets the IEEE's 802.16 standard for wireless broadband. With the standard now in place, lots of development activity now targets the equipment and services for this forthcoming broadband alternative. It promises high-speed Internet access to rural and small-town folks who otherwise would have no options. The latest baseband chip from Fujitsu should accelerate product development in this growing sector. The MB87M3400...
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Louis E. Frenzel
[TechView: Wireless] MIMO Chip Set Is Well "Received" In Wireless LANs
When it comes to boosting the range and data rate of wireless devices, there's a new player in town. MIMO, or multiple-input/ multiple-output, uses multiple antennas and receivers to achieve the benefits of spatial diversity (see "Smarter Antennas Breed Success In Wireless Arena," March 31, p. 48, ED Online 9987). This technology does more than mitigate the multipath interference common to microwave transmissions. It also collects the multipath signals and adjusts...
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Louis E. Frenzel
[TechView: Wireless] GPS/Bluetooth Solution Makes Location And Navigation Apps A Snap
Consumers on-the-go demand global positioning system (GPS) functionality in multiple products. However, getting GPS into portable and wireless devices can be a tricky process. RF Micro Devices' RF8900 helps overcome the hassle by combining a GPS solution with a wireless interface. The three-chip set supports GPS access in PCs, laptops, PDAs, automotive telematics, and cell phones through a Bluetooth radio. It's well-suited for "puck-style" devices that provide location...
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Louis E. Frenzel
[TechScope] Shape-Shifting Pyramid Robot May Eventually Move On Mars
It's bigger than a breadbox now, but NASA would like to turn its TETwalker shape-shifting robot into a swarm of nanobots. Hordes of these nanobots will form "autonomous nanotechnology swarms" (ANTS). That day is well in the future, but for now, the TETwalker is taking on some rugged and harsh terrain. Earlier this year, a prototype was shipped to McMurdo Station in Antarctica. The TETwalker is a pyramid, or tetrahedron. It tumbles across the landscape by deforming itself....
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William Wong
[Design FAQs] High-Voltage, Two-Phase Gate Driver ICs Sponsored by: NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR
What is a two-phase gate driver IC? A two-phase gate driver IC is a power amplifier that produces two high-current gate drives for either a synchronous buck or half-bridge totem-pole MOSFET configuration. The two-phase driver provides the gate drive for both a low-side and high-side n-channel MOSFET. In contrast, the single-phase gate driver services only a single lowside MOSFET. What is the function of the level shifter? The level shifter...
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Sam Davis
