Electronic Design UPDATE: April 12, 2006

April 12, 2006
News Focus: Flexible Chip Packaging Is Just 50-Microns Thick
Leuven, Belgium-based research center IMEC has teamed up with the University of Ghent to develop a new process flow for ultra-thin bendable chip packages with as little as 50-micron thickne
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Electronic Design UPDATE e-Newsletter Electronic Design Magazine Electronic Design ==> www.electronicdesign.com April 12, 2006

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*************************ADVERTISEMENT************************** Ultracapacitors Energize Fuel Cells in Bridge Power Apps Mission critical installations such as data centers & telecom centers are protected by standby power generation equipment relying on old fuel cell technology. This paper explores the benefits of ultracapacitor augmented bridge power systems that provide enhanced functionality and reliability versus fuel cell based power solutions. http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=25E97:484C79 **************************************************************** Today's Table Of Contents: 1. News Focus *Flexible Chip Packaging Is Just 50 Microns Thick 2. News From The Editors *PoE Controller IC Built For High-Power Jobs *WLAN, Bluetooth, And FM Join Forces In Mobile Chip Set *RoHS-Compliant SBC Saves System Board Space 3. TechView Scope *Next-Generation DVD Players Hit The Street 4. Upcoming Industry Events *Connections: The Digital Home Conference and Showcase *Nanotech 2006 *Spring Processor Forum 2006 5. Book Review *"Handbook of Fingerprint Recognition" Electronic Design UPDATE edited by Lisa Maliniak, eMedia Editor mailto:[email protected] **************************************************************** ********************** 1. News Focus ********************** Flexible Chip Packaging Is Just 50 Microns Thick Leuven, Belgium-based research center IMEC has teamed up with the University of Ghent to develop a new process flow for ultra-thin bendable chip packages with as little as 50-micron thickness. Thanks to its flexibility, the technology enables the embedding of packaged chips in bendable boards. These chips can be used for a wide variety of applications, including smart textiles and flexible displays... Read the entire article at http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=26A7F:484C79 **************************************************************** *************************ADVERTISEMENT************************** Enclosure Tips Handbook from Bud Industries Bud Industries' 28-page handbook is a handy reference for experienced engineers and a tutorial for engineers who are new to enclosures. It covers important issues of enclosure design and application: cooling, interconnects, finishes, typical dimensions, NEMA and seismic standards, and more. Request your free copy today. 440-946-3200 or http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=26A80:484C79 **************************************************************** *******************Live on ElectronicDesign.com***************** Free Webinar: Measurements and Analysis for Switch-Mode Design Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 2:00pm ET This seminar covers the measurements of interest for designers of switch-mode power-conversion circuits and devices. We'll review the acquisition of voltage and current, their relationship in switch-mode power-conversion circuits, and the analysis of power-device switching losses, conduction losses, safe operating area, and dynamic on-resistance. Register today! http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=26A81:484C79 **************************************************************** ********************** 2. News -- From The Editors ********************** ***PoE Controller IC Built For High-Power Jobs National Semiconductor's LM5072 Power over Ethernet (PoE) controller integrates a programmable power interface port and a pulse-width modulation (PWM) controller. With the LM5072, PoE appliances can operate at higher power levels than standard IEEE 802.3af devices. In addition, it supports applications that operate from auxiliary power sources such as ac adapters. The company claims it is the industry's first single-chip PoE controller for higher-power designs. Target applications include Voice over Intenet Protocol phones, remote security cameras, card readers, and 48-V telecom power-supply controls. The LM5072's PoE port input and internal powered device (PD) interface MOSFET are specified to an absolute maximum voltage of 100 V. Designers can set the port current limit to the default 802.3af level or program it from 100 to 800 mA. Available now, the LM5072 costs $1.85 in 1000-unit quantities. National Semiconductor ==> http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=26A82:484C79 ***WLAN, Bluetooth, And FM Join Forces In Mobile Chip Set The WiLink 5.0 chip set integrates mobile wireless local-area network (mWLAN), Bluetooth, and FM stereo audio into one platform designed for mobile-phone applications. Its BlueLink 6.0 chip combines Bluetooth capabilities with high-fidelity FM stereo and mono audio functionality. With WiLink 5.0, users can perform a variety of simultaneous tasks, such as listening to the radio on a Bluetooth headset while checking e-mail via Wi-Fi. Texas Instruments claims that use of its 90-nm DRP technology cuts platform size and power consumption by up to 20 percent over existing solutions in critical modes of operation. TI is currently sampling the WiLink 5.0 chip set to select customers. It will provide multiple package options, including on-board and module solutions. Wide sample availability is expected in late 2006. Handsets using the WiLink 5.0 platform are expected to be on the market in early 2007. Texas Instruments ==> http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=26A83:484C79 ***RoHS-Compliant SBC Saves System Board Space Conserve precious pc-board space with the Puma low-power single-board computer (SBC). The 3.6- by 3.8-in. embedded computer targets medical, avionics, and security applications. Puma includes the AMD GX 500 processor, 256 Mbytes of soldered-on SDRAM, three COM ports, and four USB 2.0 ports. These USB ports serve as Ethernet, IDE, LPT, audio I/O, and keyboard/mouse/floppy interfaces. The RoHS-compliant SBC also includes integrated SVGA video with low-voltage differential-signaling flat-panel support. A PC/104-Plus interface accepts both ISA and PCI add-on modules. Standard pass-through connectors allow the board to be used either above or below other PC/104 modules. It also may be used as a CPU module for a larger system by plugging it into a proprietary baseboard. A customizable, field-upgradeable BIOS works with embedded operating systems. The board is available now. Pricing is about $550 in low OEM quantities. VersaLogic Corp. ==> http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=26A84:484C79 **************************************************************** ********************** 3. TechView Scope ********************** Next-Generation DVD Players Hit The Street HD DVD wins round one. The standard beat Blu-ray to the punch as Toshiba announced a pair of HD DVD players in late March. The $799 HD-XA1 and the $499 HD-A1 should hit U.S. shelves later this month. The HD DVD standard promises three times the Mbytes/s of standard DVDs for sharper, more detailed pictures. It also offers up to 30 Gbytes of storage for long-running high-definition movies. While consumers wait for their favorite movies in the HD DVD format, they still can play their older DVDs on the backward-compatible HD-XA1 and HD-A1. In fact, Toshiba says these players will convert standard DVDs to 720p or 1080i resolution to match the viewer's HDTV performance. The players' Dolby Digital Plus technology provides enhanced audio fidelity as well. The rival Blu-ray format offers 25 Gbytes of storage on single-layer discs and 50 Gbytes on dual-layer discs. Samsung will release the first Blu-ray player, the BD-P1000, in the U.S. on June 25 for about $1000. Last month, Sony announced a number of Blu-ray products, including hardware and titles. Its BDP-S1 Blu-ray player should ship in July for about $1000. It's too soon to call a winner in the overall bout. IBM, Intel, and Microsoft back the HD DVD standard while Apple, Hewlett-Packard, and seven of the eight major movie studios favor Blu-ray. While interoperability doesn't look likely, co-existence may be possible. It all will depend on consumer demands -- features, price, and content -- and how well the formats meet them. Toshiba ==> http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=26A85:484C79 **************************************************************** ********************** 4. Upcoming Industry Events ********************** May 2-4, Connections: The Digital Home Conference and Showcase Santa Clara, Calif. http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=26A86:484C79 May 7-11, Nanotech 2006 Boston, Mass. http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=2535F:484C79 May 15-18, Spring Processor Forum 2006 -- Power-Efficient Design San Jose, Calif. http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=25360:484C79 **************************************************************** ********************** 5. Book Review ********************** "Handbook of Fingerprint Recognition" By Davide Maltoni, Dario Maio, Anil Jain, Salil Prabhakar Although biometrics are becoming more common in security applications, incorporating them into a system is more than just dropping a fingerprint scanner next to a PC keyboard. This book takes a look at the issues involved in using one of these biometric techniques -- fingerprint recognition... Read the full book review at http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=26A87:484C79 **************************************************************** EiED Online -- Motor Control Kits Embedded in Electronic Design (EiED) Online is your source for technical insight and hands-on reviews. Read Technology Editor Bill Wong's latest EiED Online column, "Motor Control Kits." Using a motor is about more than giving it power. EiED editor Bill Wong takes a look at motor control kits from Atmel, Cypress Semiconductor, Microchip, and Zilog. Find out what it takes to get things rolling. http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=25EA3:484C79 ********************** TAKE A POLL! Researchers have created a nanotube-laced paint that blocks, or greatly attenuates, RF signals. Should it be used to block the ringing of cell phones in places like theaters? -- No, that violates my Constitutional rights -- Maybe, but it could be hazardous in emergency situations -- Yes, I hope it's used on a wide-scale basis -- There are better ways to deal with cell-phone noise Vote at Electronic Design ==> http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=15410:484C79 ****************************************************************

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Editorial: Mark David, Editor-in-Chief mailto:[email protected] Advertising/Sponsorship Opportunities: Bill Baumann, Publisher: mailto:[email protected]

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