Electronic Design UPDATE: October 13, 2004

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Electronic Design UPDATE e-Newsletter
Electronic Design Magazine 
PlanetEE ==> www.planetee.com
October 13, 2004
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*************************ADVERTISEMENT**************************

Samtec Offers PADS Libraries for High-Speed Connectors

PADS libraries are now available on-line for Q-Series (R) high-speed and 
SamArray (R) high-density connectors. They allow Samtec recommended 
footprints and schematics to be directly imported into complex PCB 
layouts.

http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/ehpC0Gl4E70EmQ0BLr50AX

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Today's Table Of Contents:
1. Industry View
  * Robust Technical Support Is Critical To A Project's Success
2. Focus On Power
  * High-Voltage Regulator Boasts 100-microA Quiescent Current
3. News From The Editors
  * Software Simplifies Multichannel Data Acquisition
  * High-Stability OCXOs Offer HCMOS Or Sine Outputs
  * PC/104 Embedded Design Contest Looking For A Few Good Ideas 
4. Upcoming Industry Events
  * International Test Conference
  * Americas Display Engineering and Applications Conference
  * Optics East
  * Lab-On-A-Chip Conference
5. Magazine Highlights: October 4, 2004
  * Cover Story: Technology Report -- LCDs Breakout In New Dimensions
  * Leapfrog: First Look -- PC-Based HW/SW Tools Aid Design And Test
  * Leapfrog: First Look -- Portable DSOs Measure Up To Industrial Power 
    Market
  * Design View / Design Solution -- Brighten Up Your Bluetooth Designs 
    With High-Quality Audio

Electronic Design UPDATE edited by John Novellino, Senior Technology 
Editor

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THOUGHT YOU'D MISSED THEM? DON'T WORRY, THEY'RE ARCHIVED
Electronic Design's two latest webcasts are available online:
 
COM Express -- Emerging Standard: Bill Wong examines COM Express, the new Computer-on-Module standard from the PCI Industrial Computer 
Manufacturers Group. Wong looks at what's inside the standard, its 
effect on high-speed serial technologies, and how it's changing the 
embedded landscape.

http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/ehpC0Gl4E70EmQ0BMBG0A3 

Selecting the Best ASIC Solution: Dave Bursky discusses the ASIC 
selection process, exploring the decision points you should consider in 
determining the right ASIC design route. Bursky and a panel representing 
leading ASIC manufacturers explore the issues you face when planning a 
new chip design.

http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/ehpC0Gl4E70EmQ0BLWm0A1 

*****

YOUR CHANCE TO WIN $500! Take our ISSUE POLL and win a $500 gift 
certificate.
The editors would like to know what you think of the OCTOBER 4 ISSUE of 
Electronic Design. Your feedback will help us better understand your 
critical information needs and provide valuable guidance for developing 
future editorial content. It's also your automatic entry into our 
drawing for a $500 American Express gift certificate. 

Go to ==> 
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BE SURE TO VISIT Electronic Design's Web site, where the power of 
Electronic Design is a mouse click away! Read our Web exclusives, enjoy 
our Quick Poll, discover Featured Vendors, access our archives, share 
viewpoints in our Forums, explore our e-newsletters, and more.

How do you use SystemC in your current design methodology?

-- For early system architecture analysis/partitioning
-- To create "golden" functional reference models used throughout the 
   flow
-- I don't use it yet but plan to adopt it
-- I tried SystemC and didn't like it
-- I've never used it and don't plan to

Go to Electronic Design ==> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/ehpC0Gl4E70EmQ0BGmZ0Ay

*****

And for expanded coverage of embedded systems design, take a look at 
EiED Online by Bill Wong.  

Go to ==> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/ehpC0Gl4E70EmQ0BMBI0A5 

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1. Industry View -- Exclusive to Electronic Design UPDATE
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Robust Technical Support Is Critical To A Project's Success

By Eric Smith, Director, Design of Engineer Marketing, Newark InOne

Now more than ever, design engineers are facing extreme time-to-market 
pressures. With the need to complete more projects in less time, 
engineers are looking for more value from their electronic components 
distributors. To be considered a primary source, today's distributor 
must be a trusted partner that understands the needs of the customer and can offer a variety of capabilities to make specifying, procuring, and 
applying electronic components faster and easier. 
   Some of these capabilities include dynamic Web-based parametric 
search to find components easily the first time, live technical 
support, easily accessible datasheets, and links to manufacturers' 
Web sites for when more information is required for design 
specification and application work or to make a buying decision. 
Distributors are seeking to provide a one-stop resource so engineers 
can spend less time searching for what they need. 
   If it sounds like a lot to ask for, it is. Yet increasingly, 
distributors of electronic components must offer these capabilities 
and more to remain a preferred distributor for the engineer.
   One-to-one technical support -- whether via the web, phone, e-mail, 
or fax -- is a key to fast and accurate completion of a project. 
Frustration occurs when delays are caused by a lack of good product 
information and support from the distributor that provided the 
components. Questions that arise during a project are as varied as 
the projects themselves. The multiplicity of possible questions 
should equal, not exceed, a distributor's ability to either answer 
them directly or assist the customer in quickly finding the answer.
   Whether an engineer is looking for help in selecting a specific 
component or a number of modules for a control system, the technical 
support team should have the depth of knowledge to respond 
accurately. That's why it is critical to have engineers staffed as 
part of the technical support team. Similarly, the team should be 
familiar with the "latest and greatest" components and related 
technologies. It should also be able to advise on areas such as the 
unique applications enabled by the newest microcontroller or the 
wisdom of selecting a capacitor with a higher Q value for its size.
   With the need for ongoing general and specialized knowledge, the most 
effective tech support teams are regularly trained by a distributor's 
suppliers. This fosters a closer distributor/supplier relationship, a 
sharing of the technical support function, and better service for 
their mutual customers. 
   Like any other customer request, technical support is a test of a 
distributor's abilities. Successfully addressing application 
questions and identifying parts for any category of products, from 
semiconductors to test equipment, can be pivotal to the on-time 
completion of a project. Today's most successful distributors 
understand this. 
   The best-trained technical support team, however, doesn't make up for 
the service gap created when an engineer cannot easily and quickly 
search the distributor's Web site for products and information. 
Parametric search, or search by product attributes and parameters, 
enables customers to use technical product specification (such as 
voltage or package type) in their searches. This is important for the 
engineer, but it's just the beginning.
   Web-based distributor search engines should also:
   -- match products based on partial or complete stock numbers/part 
numbers, attributes, manufacturer names, and descriptions;
   -- offer a simple one-box entry for criteria, with the search engine 
itself using internal logic to complete the search;
   -- provide side-by-side product comparisons;
   -- continually sort results by price, availability, attributes, part 
numbers, and description or filter them by manufacturer;
   -- provide a relevant, ranked order of products in the results;  
   -- and provide regularly updated inventory and pricing.
   The high level of these search features is one result of distributors 
coming to fully understand and be aware of the issues that engineers 
face every day. Customers must be able to look to distributors as not 
mere distributors of products, but as true partners that can assist 
them in meeting and exceeding the professional challenges they face 
every day.

Eric Smith holds an engineering degree from the University of 
Wisconsin-Madison and an MBA from the University of Chicago. Prior to 
joining Newark InOne, he worked for several high-tech manufacturers in 
engineering, sales, and marketing positions. He can be reached at 
mailto:[email protected]. 

To comment on this Industry View, go to Reader Comments at the foot of 
the Web page:  

Electronic Design UPDATE ==> 
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/ehpC0Gl4E70EmQ0BMBJ0A6

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*************************ADVERTISEMENT***************************

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Get the free technical paper at: http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/ehpC0Gl4E70EmQ0BMBK0A7 

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2. Focus On Power
**********************

***High-Voltage Regulator Boasts 100-microA Quiescent Current
The LT1977 step-down switching regulator features an input voltage range of 3.3 to 60 V, suiting it for use in load dump or cold-crank conditions in automotive applications. Its 1.5-A internal switch supplies up to 1.25 A of continuous output current at voltages as low as 1.25 V. The 
device comes in a thermally enhanced TSSOP, which combines with its 
500-kHz switching frequency to allow small external inductors and 
capacitors. The use of Burst Mode operation keeps quiescent current to 
under 100 microA. The internal switch is a high-efficiency 60-V, 1.5-A, 
0.2-ohm type that integrates its associated control and logic circuitry 
onto one die. Features include a power-good flag with programmable 
threshold and time-out, a soft-start capability, and thermal shutdown. 
The LT1977EFE starts at $4.00 each in 1000-piece lots. The LT1977IFE, 
which is tested and guaranteed to operate from -40 deg. C to 125 deg. C, 
starts at $4.60 each in similar quantities. Delivery is from stock.
     Linear Technology Corp. ==> 
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/ehpC0Gl4E70EmQ0BMBL0A8 

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3. News -- From The Editors
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***Software Simplifies Multichannel Data Acquisition
By combining a number of elements and functions developed around 
Acqiris' advanced software tools into one executable file, AcqirisMAQS 
(Multichannel Acquisition Software) presents a simple tool for organized 
setup, control, and acquisition of signals from any number of digitizer 
channels. Users can interactively manage complex experiments through a familiar Windows-based environment. They can create new configurations, update existing ones, visualize any combination of signals by using drag-and-drop techniques, and auto-store or analyze data by exporting it into other software applications. A remote-control interface lets users control and monitor data acquisition from multiple locations 
simultaneously. Users can employ an Ethernet connection, a simple 
crossover cable, or any networked environment over the Ethernet. A 
single-user PC license costs $1990. A demo version is available without 
charge.
     Acqiris USA ==> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/ehpC0Gl4E70EmQ0BMBM0AA 

***High-Stability OCXOs Offer HCMOS Or Sine Outputs
The FTE family of oven-controlled crystal oscillators (OCXOs) uses 
SC-cut resonators for lower phase noise and better g stability. These 
devices come with HCMOS outputs for telecom and switching applications (AH series) or sine-wave output for wireless, satellite, and navigation use (AS). All models range in frequency from 5 to 50 MHz, with a +5-V dc supply. Frequency stabilities of plus-or-minus 7, 10, or 15 ppb are available, as are operating-temperature ranges as wide as -40 deg. C to 75 deg. C. Typical offset phase noise for a 10-MHz unit is -120 dBc for 
10 Hz, -140 dBc for 100 Hz, -155 dBc for 1 kHz, and -158 dBc for 10 kHz. 
Both series come in a Euro Package (nominally 1.0 in. by 1.42 in. with 
varying heights). Pricing for a 10-MHz FTE 501-AH device with 
plus-or-minus 7-ppb stability is $94.23 in quantities of 1000. Delivery 
is 10 to 12 weeks for sample quantities. 
     Fox Electronics ==> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/ehpC0Gl4E70EmQ0BMBN0AB  

***PC/104 Embedded Design Contest Looking For A Few Good Ideas
Want to show off an OEM product incorporating PC/104, PC/104-Plus, 
PCI-104, or EBX technologies? Or are you a student who has completed a 
PC/104-based research project? You can enter it in the Third Annual 
PC/104 Embedded Design Contest. Entries will be judged by 
industry-recognized authorities, including Electronic Design's 
Embedded/Systems/Software Editor William Wong. Entries will be judged in three categories: commercial for industrial/medical/transportation/other; commercial for 
military/aerospace/commercial-off-the-shelf; and research project. 
Winning products will be displayed in the PC/104 Embedded Consortium 
exhibit booth at the 2005 Embedded Systems Conference in March. Winners will be flown to San Francisco for to receive their awards at the 
conference. The entry deadline is Dec. 10, 2004.
     PC/104 Embedded Consortium ==> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/ehpC0Gl4E70EmQ0BMBO0AC 

*************************ADVERTISEMENT***************************

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4. Upcoming Industry Events
**********************

Oct. 24-29. International Test Conference (ITC)
Charlotte, N.C.
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/ehpC0Gl4E70EmQ0BCSd0Ae

Oct. 25-27, Americas Display Engineering and Applications Conference
Fort Worth, Texas
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/ehpC0Gl4E70EmQ0BLsD0An

Oct. 25-28, Optics East
Philadelphia, Pa.
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/ehpC0Gl4E70EmQ0BMBQ0AE 

Oct. 25-29, Lab-On-A-Chip Conference
Philadelphia, Pa.
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/ehpC0Gl4E70EmQ0BMBQ0AE 

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5. Magazine Highlights
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In case you missed them, here are some of the high points of our most 
recent issue.

October 4, 2004:

* Cover Story: Technology Report -- LCDs Breakout In New Dimensions
Liquid-crystal flat-panel displays continue to advance on all performance fronts, with gains in size, brightness, response time, viewing angle, and color brilliance.
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/ehpC0Gl4E70EmQ0BMBR0AF

* Leapfrog: First Look -- PC-Based HW/SW Tools Aid Design And Test
DAQ hardware and test software in PC-based instruments raise performance levels yet still lower costs.
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/ehpC0Gl4E70EmQ0BMBS0AG

* Leapfrog: First Look -- Portable DSOs Measure Up To Industrial Power 
Market A new DSO class, with isolated channels and eight-hour battery 
operations, expedites design validation and equipment maintenance in the lab and the field.
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/ehpC0Gl4E70EmQ0BMBT0AH

* Design View / Design Solution -- Brighten Up Your Bluetooth Designs 
With High-Quality Audio
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/ehpC0Gl4E70EmQ0BMBU0AI

For the complete Table of Contents, go to Electronic Design ==> 
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/ehpC0Gl4E70EmQ0BMBV0AJ

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CONTACTS: Electronic Design UPDATE e-NEWSLETTER
==================================

Editorial: Mark David, Editor-in-Chief
mailto:[email protected]

Advertising/Sponsorship Opportunities: Bill Baumann, Publisher: 
mailto:[email protected]
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