Electronic Design UPDATE: February 21, 2007

Electronic Design UPDATE e-Newsletter | February 21, 2007

Today's Table of Contents:

• Featured Story: Driving The Backlight: CCFLs Or LEDs?
• Industry View: Virtualized Software Development: Better Than The Real Thing
• Now on electronicdesign.com: Electronic Design Wire News
• Focus On Digital: Next-Generation 3-V Audio Codec Features Enhanced Performance
• News From The Editors:
  Low Ripple And Fast Response Suit DC-DC Converters For Portable Devices
  CMOS Chip Will Enable Low-Cost RFID Reader/Writer Modules
  PCI Media Board Lineup Expanded To Include PCI Express Versions
  RoHS-Compliant Tactile Switches Handle Wide Range Of Applications
• Quick Poll: In "Playing Politics With Technology," Contributing Editor Ron Schneiderman asks if the new Congress will be good for technology. What do you think?
• Embedded in Electronic Design Online: EiED Online>> Real Robots, Part 1: The Contenders
• Product Picks Online:
  Broadband MMIC Amplifiers Use Single Application Circuit
  Enhanced Software Offers One-Click Jitter Testing
  Synchro/Resolver-To-DC-Converters Handle 400 Conversions/s
  Middleware Helps Developers Optimize DaVinci Applications
  Upgraded Desktop Productivity Software Is Easier To Use
• Book Review: Stuff You Don't Learn In Engineering School
• Upcoming Industry Events:
  Global Semiconductor Forum
  PCB West 2007
  Synopsys Users Group (SNUG)

The typical LCD backlight can be one or more cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) or an array of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The quality of the backlight image depends heavily on the backlight driver. This article discusses the considerations one can make for CCFLs and LEDs, as well as how to power both kinds of backlight.

Today, developers are using software to implement an increasingly large portion of electronics systems. This shift in focus means that the software component of electronic systems now dominates the cost and the schedule — especially the schedule risk — of every project.

Tired of searching the Web for engineering news you can use? Now, electronicdesign.com features press releases, product announcements, and feature stories from sources like the PR Newswire, USA Today, The Washington Post, and more.

AKM Semiconductor puts its next-generation 3-V high-performance codec on the table. Tthe 24-bit, stereo AK4556 supports sampling rates of up to 216 kHz, which suits it well for professional variable-pitch applications.

ON Semiconductor's NCP1523 and NCP1523B dc-dc converters are well-suited for power-sensitive applications such as micro hard-disk drives found in multimedia portable devices. The two converters also offer integrated soft-start, cycle-by-cycle current limiting, and thermal shutdown protection.

To address the cumbersome issues of RFID reader modules, IME researchers have integrated all the discrete components required for the RF section of the reader module onto a single piece of silicon. A much smaller module weighing less than 100 g and consuming less than a watt replaces the bulky conventional reader module.

Dialogic Corp. brings out seven new media boards compatible with the PCI Express bus architecture to allow solution providers to adopt the PCI Express architecture with little or no change to existing products. With full backwards compatibility, the boards offer developers, OEMs, and system integrators a broader choice of the latest servers on which to deploy their solutions.

BI Technologies' SWT series of RoHS-compliant sealed tactile switches includes multiple sizes as well as surface-mount and through-hole configurations. Their versatility suits them for a wide variety of applications, including white goods, medical devices, information appliances, automotive, and entertainment equipment.

• Yes; The new Congress is serious about tech and its role in our society
• No; Congress may have changed, but getting parties to work together hasn't
• Maybe; New leadership could help, but Congress needs to show interest first

Robots are cropping up all over! They're underfoot, like iRobot's Roomba carpet cleaner, or exploring Mars, like NASA's twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity. Working with robots is getting easier with the kinds of platforms that Technology Editor Bill Wong examines in the first part of his series on robotics. Check out Lego's new Mindstorm NXT, iRobot's Create, and White Box Robotics' PC-BOT.

Let's face it, engineers are not usually known for their charismatic people skills. However, most engineers can't make it on technical skills alone. Other, more people-oriented skills are essential for a successful career. Engineers need to be able to promote their ideas, share them with others, and work with a wide variety of people.

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