Electronic Design UPDATE: February 1, 2006

Feb. 1, 2006
News Focus: Multimedia SoC Trims Down Bill of Materials.
Packing all the functionality required for portable handheld media players and game systems, the MP830 system-on-a-chip (SoC) can significantly reduce the overall bill-of-materials without brea
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Electronic Design UPDATE e-Newsletter Electronic Design Magazine Electronic Design ==> www.electronicdesign.com February 1, 2006

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*************************ADVERTISEMENT************************** Download your Free SDRAM Memory Primer from Tektronix Keep up with the pace of memory technology with this 20-page Fundamentals of SDRAM Memory Primer. You'll discover how to deal with: increasing number of banks and burst length, decreasing supply voltages and logic voltage swings, faster clock rates and data rates, transition from large number of parallel signals to reduced number of high-speed serial signals, higher number of memory channels and increasing circuit board density and much more. http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1F7DE:484C79 **************************************************************** Today's Table Of Contents: 1. News Focus *Multimedia SoC Trims Down Bill of Materials 2. News From The Editors *Heatsinks Keep Cool In Low-Airflow Conditions *Report Predicts Ovonic Memory Growth *CMOS Transceiver Has All 3G Bases Covered 3. TechView Scope *Doppler Technology Aids Injections 4. Upcoming Industry Events *Smart Manufacturing For Electronics *RFID World *PCB Design Conference West 5. Book Review *"Embedded Software: The Works" Electronic Design UPDATE edited by Lisa Maliniak, eMedia Editor mailto:[email protected] **************************************************************** ********************** 1. News Focus ********************** Multimedia SoC Trims Down Bill of Materials Packing all the functionality required for portable handheld media players and game systems, the MP830 system-on-a-chip (SoC) can significantly reduce the overall bill-of-materials without breaking the power budget. The Mobilic Technology chip includes a 200-MHz ARM926EJ-S 32-bit processor core, a JPEG/MPEG-4 codec engine, and an MP3 audio decoder. In addition, there's an Ethernet media-access controller and a 2D graphic engine. An integrated image signal processor with a camera-sensor interface can handle sensors of up to 5 Mpixels. The video engine supports I, P, and B frames and most MPEG-4 video formats. Able to provide autofocus, pixel correction, corner compensation, flash strobe control, and 16X digital zoom and special effects, the custom-designed image signal processor lets the chip serve as a high-performance digital still camera as well as a digital camcorder. Video with VGA resolution can be captured at 15 frames/s using MPEG-4 or H.263 coding. Additional support functions include USB 1.1 host and device ports, as well as an LCD controller that can handle a 240- by 320-pixel display. Included in the many basic ports are a TV-output and audio interface and memory interfaces for SDRAM and NAND/NOR flash devices. These features allow users to directly connect two systems to share images, video, and data without a PC or uplink service. Contact the company for volume pricing and sample availability. Mobilic Technology Corp. ==> http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1F7DF:484C79 **************************************************************** *************************ADVERTISEMENT************************** Free application note: 8-Hints for Getting More from Your Function Generators Function generators can produce a variety of signals, including common waveforms, arbitrary waveforms and sophisticated modulated waveforms. Direct digital synthesis technology creates accurate low-distortion signals. The hints in this app note will help you take advantage of the powerful features in your function generator. Click here: http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1F7E0:484C79 **************************************************************** *****************Live on ElectronicDesign.com******************* Freescale Pop Quiz Win a Dragonfire Promotional Kit from Freescale! Test your microcontroller knowledge by answering five technical questions from Technology Editor Bill Wong. You'll be eligible for Freescale's Dragonfire Promotional Kit no matter what your score, so don't forget to enter your details and hit submit! http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1B2D6:484C79 Free Web Seminar: Troubleshooting Common Circuit Problems Using Digital Oscilloscopes Thursday, February 9, 2005 at 2:00 pm ET Join us to learn about the techniques available in modern digital oscilloscopes for troubleshooting circuit problems. This seminar will focus on practical, real-world examples showing how to troubleshoot common failure modes of circuits and components. Topics discussed will include finding small signals in the presence of noise, electromagnetic-interference/electrostatic-discharge tests, and troubleshooting crosstalk. Register today! http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1E16A:484C79 Free eBook: Black-Box Approach To ADCs This eBook provides a black-box approach to the traditional analog-to-digital converter (ADC) tutorial. It concentrates on the common characteristics of all ADCs and what they imply for the system-level designer. The second chapter is now available. Download the first two chapters today! http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1975B:484C79 **************************************************************** ********************** 2. News -- From The Editors ********************** ***Heatsinks Keep Cool In Low-Airflow Conditions The MaxiFlow heatsinks are optimized for cooling BGAs and other hot components in the restricted airflow conditions typical of today's condensed electronic packages. MaxiFlow heatsinks feature a low-profile spread fin array that maximizes surface area for more effective convection (air) cooling. The heatsinks are fabricated from extruded aluminum that minimizes thermal resistance from the base to the fins, reduces weight, and keeps costs low. Tests using an airflow rate of 100 lfm (linear feet per minute) show that device junction temperatures decreased by more than 40 percent below the temperatures achieved using other heatsinks. The MaxiFlow heatsinks are available in lengths and widths ranging from 10 by 10 mm to 60 by 60 mm and heights starting at 2 mm. Pricing begins at $2.50 each in production quantities. Advanced Thermal Solutions ==> http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1F7E1:484C79 ***Report Predicts Ovonic Memory Growth Industry analyst NanoMarkets has released both a preview and a first chapter from its upcoming report, "The Market For Nano-Enabled Memory and Storage -- 2006 & Beyond." Ovonic memory, also called phase-change memory, has been researched for years. But even as recently as a few years ago, issues regarding power consumption and resilience still remained. Ovonic memory is now a hot technology, though. Hitachi, IBM, Infineon, Intel, Philips, Samsung, STMicroelectronics, and other companies all are carrying out R&D and commercialization efforts. The report states that by 2010, conventional DRAM, SRAM, and flash technologies no longer will be able to scale successfully. And even before that, the speed and capacity of flash memory likely will prove inadequate for some applications. The new NanoMarkets report will be released in mid-February. Free access to the article and first chapter is available in the Perspectives section of the company's Web site. NanoMarkets ==> http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1F7E2:484C79 ***CMOS Transceiver Has All 3G Bases Covered With support for up to seven frequency bands simultaneously, the Sereno QS3000 CMOS transceiver IC serves combined GSM/GPRS/EDGE and 3G HSDPA applications. The device provides global support for dual-mode 3G/GSM handsets by covering four GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies and three WCDMA bands. For 3G operation, it covers all six bands specified by 3GPP as well as WCDMA operation in the 800- and 1700-MHz bands. The device, which is implemented on a 0.18-micron CMOS process, is packaged in a 7x7 BGA. It features on-chip low-noise amplifiers and integrated fast-settling frequency synthesizers to further reduce component count and system footprint. Samples of the QS3000 will be widely available in the first quarter of 2006, with volume production scheduled for the second half of 2006. Contact the company directly for pricing. Quorum Systems Inc. ==> http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1F7E3:484C79 **************************************************************** ********************** 3. TechView Scope ********************** Doppler Technology Aids Injections Injections may seem like a routine medical procedure. But bruises, burns, dehydration, obesity, and other maladies make it difficult for caregivers to find appropriate veins. A team from the Georgia Tech Research Institute hopes to change that with an inexpensive, handheld device that uses Doppler ultrasound technology to find suitable injection locations quickly. The device comprises two parts. The reusable unit includes the electronics and signal-processing components. The disposable coupler box houses a reflector and needle guide, which is positioned parallel to the sound beam transmitted by a transducer in the device's reusable unit. Medics move the device along the patient's arm or leg. The transducer then emits a thin acoustical beam about the size of a pencil lead into the reflector, which directs the ultrasonic waves into the patient's skin at a slight angle. While skin and tissue are static, bloodflow provides a unique reflection for the device to read. Once it detects a vein, an alarm sounds, and medics can insert the needle. While other technologies use lights or heat strips to locate veins, the Georgia Tech researchers say their device will be faster and more reliable. They have successfully tested it on phantom tissue, simulating human tissue and blood cells. Next, they will miniaturize the data processing and electronics for a field-testable prototype that should lead to a final product about the size of a fountain pen. Georgia Institute of Technology ==> http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1F7E4:484C79 **************************************************************** ********************** 4. Upcoming Industry Events ********************** February 21-23, Smart Manufacturing For Electronics Conference San Francisco, Calif. http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1E16F:484C79 February 27-March 1, RFID World 2006 Dallas, Tex. http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1F7E5:484C79 March 26-31, PCB Design Conference West Santa Clara, Calif. http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1CFBE:484C79 **************************************************************** ********************** 5. Book Review ********************** "Embedded Software: The Works" By Colin Walls The title should really read "Embedded Software: My Works." The book is an edited version of articles written by Colin Walls. As individual chapters, the contents are quite good. But the book as a whole is somewhat disjointed, and a few things are missing. That's not surprising given its heritage, so forget about the flow and check out the useful tidbits... Read the full book review at http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1F7E6:484C79 **************************************************************** EiED Online -- Bus and Board Show 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, "Bus and Board Show." This year's Bus and Board show brought out a range of issues, from the European Union's Restrictions on Hazardous Substances to VME's 25th anniversary. Hear about the new Aurora fabric, and find out what else Bill Wong found at the show. http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1F7E7:484C79 ********************** TAKE A POLL! Digital technology has made it much easier for the government to monitor personal communications. Do you feel the current and highly controversial White House surveillance program is violating your Constitutional rights? -- Yes -- No Vote at Electronic Design ==> http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=15410:484C79 ****************************************************************

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CONTACTS: Electronic Design UPDATE e-NEWSLETTER

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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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