Electronic Design UPDATE: March 7, 2007

Electronic Design UPDATE e-Newsletter | March 7, 2007

BOOSTCAP® Ultracapacitors Energize Fuel Cells in Bridge Power Apps

Mission critical installations such as data centers & telecom centers are protected by standby power generation equipment. This paper explores the benefits of ultracapacitor augmented bridge power systems that provide enhanced functionality and reliability vs fuel cell based power solutions.

View this technical paper and get our free ultracapacitor design-in guide today

Today's Table of Contents:

Editor's View: Whatever Happened To The Electronics Hobbyist?
Focus On EDA: 3D Electromagnet Modeling Software Uses Actual Measured Characteristics
News From The Editors:
OIF Defines Requirements For Exchange Of Network-Network Topology, Status Info
8-Bit MCU Runs 1 Instruction Per Clock Cycle
Precision Thermistors Offer Tight Interchangeability Specs
Backplane Connector Delivers Maximum Flexibility, 12.5-GHz Support
Now on electronicdesign.com: Electronic Design Wire News
Quick Poll: In "To Be Almost Human Or Not To Be, That Is The Question," Digital Technology Editor Dan Harris writes that while the Japanese have embraced humanoid robots, Westerners have a different perspective. Do you think humanoid robots will one day be embraced in the West?
Embedded in Electronic Design Online: Real Robots: White Box Robotics PC-BOT
Product Picks Online:
WWAN Modules Support Microsoft's Active Notifications SW
GPIB-To-Parallel Interface Provides 256 I/O Lines
Buck Regulator, VLDO Combine For High Efficiency, Low Noise
RTOS Gains Support For ARM Development Kit
Passive Product Library Works With Agilent's ADS
Upcoming Industry Events:
CTIA WIRELESS 2007
Design Automation Conference 2007
The International Robots & Vision Show

Electronic Design UPDATE edited by Christine Hintze, Associate Editor..editor's view | Whatever Happened To The Electronics Hobbyist? By Louis E. Frenzel, Wireless/Communications Technology Editor

Electronics used to be one of the greatest hobbies ever. There were literally hundreds of thousands of people who used to play around with electronics as an avocation or part-time interest and activity. Kids learned electricity and electronics in school. As a result, when they ended up getting the bug, they ended up not only adopting electronics as a hobby, but also made it into a career. You don't see too mach of that going on anymore. So what the devil happened to the electronic hobbyist?

Read the full article.....focus on eda | 3D Electromagnet Modeling Software Uses Actual Measured Characteristics

A 3D version of electromagnetic modeling software for simulating permanent magnet characteristics offers a powerful dedicated tool for developers of magnetic components and a very broad range of electrical and other equipment.

Read the full article...

Ultra-thin Polymer batteries from VARTA Microbattery

Go thin. Go light. Go PoLiFlex®.

New rechargeable PoLiFlex Polymer Lithium batteries from VARTA are the thinnest & lightest we've ever offered! Our thinnest PoLiFlex battery now measures &ln;1mm. With highest energy density, extended cycle life and superb reliability, PoLiFlex opens a new world of mobile technology.

Click here for more information about VARTA Microbattery's PoLiFlex® Polymer Lithium batteries.

..news from the editors | OIF Defines Requirements For Exchange Of Network-Network Topology, Status Info

At its first technical meeting of the year, the Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF) approved its External Network-Network-Interface (E-NNI) OSPF-based Routing Implementation Agreement (IA).

Read the full article.... 8-Bit MCU Runs 1 Instruction Per Clock Cycle

With 60 kbytes of SuperFlash memory and various interfaces for serial communications, the Toshiba TMP89FS60UG/FG 8-bit general-purpose microcontroller is the first product based on the company's TLCS-870/C1 core.

Read the full article.... Precision Thermistors Offer Tight Interchangeability Specs

A line of Precision Interchangeable Thermistors from Measurements Specialties delivers highly accurate and stable temperature sensing for measurement, indication, and compensation functions, especially in medical applications.

Read the full article.... Backplane Connector Delivers Maximum Flexibility, 12.5-GHz Support

With its unique open pin-field design, the I-Trac Backplane Connector System from Molex Inc. offers designers the flexibility to assign high-speed differential pairs, low-speed signals, power, and ground contacts anywhere within the pin-field. The system features a broadside-coupled, skew-equalized design that handles speeds up to over 12.5 GHz.

Read the full article.....now on electronicdesign.com | Electronic Design Wire News

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, U.S.A. Today, The Washington Post, and more.

See today's news, handpicked daily by Electronic Design's technical editors on electronicdesign.com.

..quick poll | In To Be Almost Human Or Not To Be, That Is The Question , Digital Technology Editor Dan Harris writes that while the Japanese have embraced humanoid robots, Westerners have a different perspective. Do you think humanoid robots will one day be embraced in the West?

Yes; Once exposed to humanoids, they'll wonder how they lived without them
Maybe; Once the West sees how helpful robots are, they'll be more accepting
No; Robots are viewed as machines in the West, and that won't change

Let your voice be heard. Vote now on www.electronicdesign.com. The Quick Poll is located at the bottom of the page, so don't forget to scroll down!..embedded in electronic design online | Real Robots: White Box Robotics PC-BOT By Bill Wong, Embedded/Systems/Software Technology Editor

Serious robotocists will want to check out White Box Robotics' PC-BOT (Fig. 1). This is a professional mobile platform: expandable, with the horsepower to handle add-ons. It is also something that has a presence, compared to the smaller Lego Mindstorms or iRobot Create.