Electronic Design UPDATE: May 18, 2005

May 18, 2005
Industry View: IC Designers Work To Cut Power Consumption In Automotive Electronics, by Herve Branquart. Electronics have brought a great deal of improvement to today's cars: from better fuel consumption to passive safety devices...
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Electronic Design UPDATE e-Newsletter Electronic Design Magazine PlanetEE ==> www.planetee.com May 18, 2005

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*************************ADVERTISEMENT******************************* Industry's Highest Resolution Digitizer The NI PXI-5922 flexible resolution digitizer can sample anywhere from 24 bits at 500 kS/s to 16 bits at 15 MS/s rather than having a fixed resolution for all sample rates. Using the module, you can create numerous different types of instruments that often exceed the measurement performance of high-end traditional instruments. Click below to view a 7-minute demonstration video: http://nls.planetee.com/t?ctl=A202:1001CD ********************************************************************* Today's Table Of Contents: 1. Industry View *IC Designers Work To Cut Power Consumption In Automotive Electronics 2. Focus On Analog *ISM Transceivers Boast On-Chip VCO And PLL 3. News From The Editors *FPGA Processor Runs 25% Faster *Wide-Angle Sensors Have Five Beams *MP3 Player Shipments Will Quadruple 4. Magazine Highlights: May 12, 2005 *Cover Story: Engineering Feature -- Tag It! *Technology Report -- Advances Give LEDs/OLEDs That Extra Twinkle *Leapfrog: First Look -- Accelerometer Offers Economical Low-G Sensing *Design View/Design Solution -- Partition Hybrid Linux/RTOS-Based Systems Electronic Design UPDATE edited by Lisa Maliniak, eMedia Editor ********************************************************************* A Closer Look At Video Signals Nowadays there are numerous standards for the digital video signals widely used in such products as game players and cell phones. Tough design questions arise, however, because those digital signals must be dealt with in an analog domain. Get the answers in a new eBook, "Analog/Mixed-Signal Components For 21st Century Video," by Analog/Power Editor Don Tuite by clicking on the link below. http://nls.planetee.com/t?ctl=A204:1001CD ********************************************************************* 1. Industry View -- Exclusive to Electronic Design UPDATE ********************************************************************* IC Designers Work To Cut Power Consumption In Automotive Electronics By Herve Branquart, World-Wide Strategic Marketing Manager, Automotive Market, Integrated Mixed-Signal Products, AMI Semiconductor Electronics have brought a great deal of improvement to today's cars, from better fuel consumption to passive safety devices. They have introduced convenience features, such as telematics, multimedia, and GPS. But the stack of electronic applications has also resulted in more demands on the battery and on the overall electrical power requirements of the car than ever before. Automotive electronics must be subject to power-consumption limitations in idle mode, when the car's battery is the limit on the available power. During the active mode, when the car's 14-V system is operating, the power is limited to a maximum of 3.5 kW of electrical loads. Designers of semiconductors for automotive applications take these constraints seriously. They are highly stressed in any IC's product specification. SLEEP and STANDBY modes usually are clearly defined, and they set the maximum current consumption that the IC should draw in those two respective modes. In most applications, a microcontroller activates one of these two modes. If the module is going into power-saving mode, then the overall power consumption of the circuit is minimized. When the ignition is switched off, most of the components enter SLEEP mode to reduce the current consumed from the battery to the minimum. STANDBY mode is activated while the car is running, and an eventual activation request is expected. Different signals are then used to reactivate the IC. A wake signal is often transmitted via the network bus to the module while in SLEEP mode to reset the application. In STANDBY mode, since the car is running, a special monitoring circuit allows a larger but still low power consumption. In such a case, Wakeup timer circuitry is set to monitor over regular periods the signal that will activate the function. Response time is obviously quite important because the car is running. The STANDBY-mode current is often specified at a specific temperature since semiconductor designers know that temperature contributes to current leakage and, therefore, is an important criterion in power-consumption control. STANDBY mode exists because some of the most important modules of the vehicle need to remain active while it is running. Those active modules demand a lot of power, and the alternator produces approximately 1.5 kW at 14 V. To support the overall increase of electronics in cars, some new alternator improvements are pushing this limit to 6 kW by upgrading some elements of the vehicle power system (alternator efficiency, bearings, belt). However, new electronic systems planned for future cars (full active suspension, drive-by-wire) will, at their peak, consume more power than this. At these high power levels, the car's 14-V system becomes problematic. For instance, a 10-kW power level requires a current of over 700 A. Compare that with 240 A for the proposed 42-V system. The higher current requires thicker copper cable to carry the current, more weight for the car, and higher fuel consumption. From a semiconductor point of view, the technical barrier to the 42-V conversion has been eliminated by the introduction of higher-voltage technology that can withstand the harsher voltage transients. But the conversion cost remains a barrier to the 42-V power net. Another important consideration is that some electronic modules must be powered while the car is not running. For example, passive keyless entry systems must quickly unlock the door when the driver touches the handle. Also, tire pressure monitoring systems must maintain safety monitoring of the tire pressure. This current consumption is attributable more to the monitoring/wakeup circuitry than to leakage current. Specifically, for those two applications, the car battery not only must be spared, but the local application battery located in the pocket card or the tire must be conserved as well. One solution to this problem is to use devices that quickly reach their desired operating points. These devices feature a fast wakeup capability that reduces the startup time for systems. Herve Branquart earned a degree in electronics, microelectronics, and software engineering from the Institut Superieur d'Electronique du Nord. Prior to joining AMIS, he was a product manager for Motorola's Semiconductor Product Sector, where he managed the development of automotive relay replacement products and directed test support for automotive ICs. To comment on this Industry View, go to Reader Comments at the foot of the Web page: Electronic Design UPDATE ==> http://nls.planetee.com/t?ctl=A1FD:1001CD ********************************************************************* **************************ADVERTISEMENT****************************** SPONSORED BY: TRUE CIRCUITS, INC. True Circuits PLLs and DLLs Showcased at DAC in Anaheim, CA These high-quality, low-jitter PLL and DLL hard macros are available for immediate delivery in a range of frequencies, multiplication factors, sizes and functions in TSMC, UMC and Chartered processes from 0.25um to 90nm. Call (650) 691-2500 or visit the timing experts at http://nls.planetee.com/t?ctl=A209:1001CD ********************************************************************* 2. Focus On Analog ********************************************************************* ***ISM Transceivers Boast On-Chip VCO And PLL With all voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) and phase-locked loop (PLL) parts on-chip, three Industrial/Scientific/Medical (ISM) transceivers require only an external crystal and a 10.7-MHz IF filter to operate. Maxim's MAX7030 transmits and receives on-off or amplitude-shift keying (OOK/ASK) data at factory-set frequencies of 308, 315, or 433.92 MHz with an NRZ data rate up to 66 kbits/s (33 kbits/s Manchester encoding). Typical output power is +10 dBm into a 50-ohm load, and typical receive sensitivity is -114 dBm. There are separate transmit and receive pins, but an internal RF switch can connect them to a common antenna. The MAX7032 adds frequency-shift keying (FSK) at the same transmit level, along with user-selectable TX frequencies from 315 to 434 MHz. On the receive side, sensitivity is -110 dBm for FSK but remains -114 dBm for OOK/ASK. An FSK-only version, the MAX7031, will be available soon. In all three versions, a 16-bit, fractional-N PLL generates the transmit frequency. The receiver's local oscillator, which operates 10.7 MHz below the transmit frequency, is generated by an integer-N PLL, reducing power demand. The chips are packaged in 5- by 5-mm, 32-pin thin-QFNs and draw less than 7 mA in receive mode and less than 13 mA in CW transmit mode. Unit prices start at $2.30 in 100,000-unit quantities. Evaluation kits are available. Maxim Integrated Products ==> http://nls.planetee.com/t?ctl=A20D:1001CD ********************************************************************* 3. News -- From The Editors ********************************************************************* ***FPGA Processor Runs 25% Faster Version 4.00 of the MicroBlaze soft processor from Xilinx increases clock frequency by 25%. The 32-bit RISC core now operates at frequencies up to 200 MHz in Virtex-4 FPGAs. In addition, an optional floating-point unit enables embedded developers to accelerate system performance by as much as 120 times over software emulation. MicroBlaze 4.00 is a scalable processor system that lets designers tune performance to match the compute requirements of target applications. This new version offers user-configurable hardware options, improved debug capabilities, and complete backward compatibility with earlier releases. The MicroBlaze soft processor core is available as part of the Xilinx Embedded Development Kit (EDK), which lists for $495. In addition to the MicroBlaze core, the EDK includes a comprehensive set of system tools to design an embedded application in a Xilinx FPGA. Xilinx Inc. ==> http://nls.planetee.com/t?ctl=A20A:1001CD ***Wide-Angle Sensors Have Five Beams A new line of five-beam, wide-angle sensors offers a 25-degree wide measuring angle and three detection ranges from 4 to 300 cm. Developed by Sharp Microelectronics, these sensors combine wide-area sensing with triangulation detection, enabling them to track movement in the field of view and provide reliability, reuced energy consumption, continuous distance reading, and low reflective interference. The sensors have no moving parts, and they will reduce overall part count compared to current methods using multiple sensors for distance detection and ranges. In addition to the ability to detect object movement in a radial matrix, future enhancements may include passive infrared capability to distinguish between animate and inanimate objects. Typical applications include robotics, automated teller machines, and smart vending machines. Sharp's wide-angle sensors are lead-free and cost $24.00 each in 1000-unit quantities. Sharp Microelectronics of the Americas ==> http://nls.planetee.com/t?ctl=A20C:1001CD ***MP3 Player Shipments Will Quadruple Shipments of MP3 players are expected to nearly quadruple in the five years spanning 2004 to 2009, according to electronics researcher iSuppli Corp. Total MP3 player shipments will expand to 132 million units in 2009, rising from 36.8 million in 2004. The MP3 player market mushroomed suddenly in 2004, as hundreds of products arrived in response to the overwhelming success of Apple's iPod. The iPod has demonstrated the appeal of MP3 players based on hard-disk drives (HDDs), which can hold far more music than flash-memory-based units. The two small-form-factor HDD sizes that are most important in the MP3 market are the 1.8- and 1-in. models. iSuppli predicts that HDD-based MP3 player shipments will grow to 56.2 million units in 2009, up from 9.8 million in 2004. In addition, the market for semiconductors used in MP3 players is expected to expand to $1.07 billion by 2009. iSuppli Corp. ==> http://nls.planetee.com/t?ctl=A20E:1001CD *************************ADVERTISEMENT******************************* Electronic design can never be too innovative. You continuously strive to empower your customers and settle for nothing short of excellence. With the most advanced semiconductors for automotive, communications and memory markets, as evidenced by our annual R&D investment of $1.5 billion, more than 41,000 patents, and $8.9 billion in revenue, we help you succeed. See how our Smart Chip solutions can make your next design even more innovative. http://nls.planetee.com/t?ctl=A20B:1001CD ********************************************************************* 4. Magazine Highlights ********************************************************************* In case you missed them, here are some of the high points of our most recent issue. May 12, 2005: * Cover Story: Engineering Feature -- Tag It! From the feed lot to the parking lot, is this the year for RFID? http://nls.planetee.com/t?ctl=A1FA:1001CD * Technology Report -- Advances Give LEDs/OLEDs That Extra Twinkle Technology leaps in materials, packaging, thermal management, and processing push LED and OLED applications into uncharted territories. http://nls.planetee.com/t?ctl=A1FC:1001CD * Leapfrog: First Look -- Accelerometer Offers Economical Low-G Sensing Designed for consumer portable handhelds, this tri-axis device gets low in all the right places: footprint, cost, and power dissipation. http://nls.planetee.com/t?ctl=A1FF:1001CD * Design View/Design Solution -- Partition Hybrid Linux/RTOS-Based Systems http://nls.planetee.com/t?ctl=A1FE:1001CD For the complete Table of Contents, go to Electronic Design ==> http://nls.planetee.com/t?ctl=A200:1001CD ********************************************************************* Take the Infineon Memory Challenge! We have an all new pop quiz to test your memory skills! Take a stab at the five memory-related questions, and you'll have a chance of winning a super-duper Sony Playstation Portable device. We'll also be throwing a few Electronic Design t-shirts into this month's quiz, so put your knowledge to the test and hit that submit button! http://nls.planetee.com/t?ctl=A203:1001CD ********************************************************************* Free Webcast: What to See at DAC Friday, June 10 at 2 pm ET It's a highly coveted honor to be on the "What to See at DAC" list compiled for each year's Design Automation Conference by Gartner Dataquest's Gary Smith. Those EDA tool vendors who make the cut have been singled out by the EDA industry's leading analyst as having one of 2005's hottest EDA tools or technologies. The "What to See at DAC" list will make its debut in Electronic Design's DAC ShowCast when Smith, along with EDA Technology Editor David Maliniak, will offer a preview of the best of this year's DAC. Take a virtual tour of the show floor and get an advance glimpse of EDA's premier technology showcase. Register today at: http://nls.planetee.com/t?ctl=A205:1001CD ********************************************************************* 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. ********************************************************************* Embedded in Electronic Design (EiED) Online is your source for technical insight and hands-on reviews. Read Bill Wong's recent EiED Online column: "Something Red, Something Blue" http://nls.planetee.com/t?ctl=A1FB:1001CD ********************************************************************* THOUGHT YOU'D MISSED THEM? DON'T WORRY, THEY'RE ARCHIVED Electronic Design's webcasts are available online: High-Frequency Signals: Technology for capturing high-frequency signals with real-time and sampling oscilloscopes. http://nls.planetee.com/t?ctl=A208:1001CD Maximize System Mobility By Selecting The Best Memory Options: Sort through your memory options for mobile systems. http://nls.planetee.com/t?ctl=A201:1001CD COM Express -- Emerging Standard: Explore the new Computer-on-Module standard from the PICMG. http://nls.planetee.com/t?ctl=A207:1001CD ********************************************************************* SUBSCRIBE ONLINE TO ELECTRONIC DESIGN If you're reading this e-newsletter, then you're either a current Electronic Design subscriber, or should be (145,000 of your peers are). 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