Electronic Design UPDATE: May 18, 2005

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Electronic Design UPDATE e-Newsletter
Electronic Design Magazine
PlanetEE ==> www.planetee.com
May 18, 2005
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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

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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

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1. Industry View -- Exclusive to Electronic Design UPDATE
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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

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2. Focus On Analog
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***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 

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3. News -- From The Editors
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***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

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4. Magazine Highlights
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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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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