Serving the Electronic Design Community Since 1956
Board Support Package Supports Linux
November 4, 2008 4:05 am | Product Releases | CommentsTargeting the AMD Geode LX-based Cougar and Python SBCs, VersaLogic’s DEV-CD-L6 quick-start board support package (BSP) uses the Debian Linux 4.0 (etch/stable) product running Linux kernel 2.6.25-5. The bootable LiveCD installs and supports Ethernet, audio, video, USB, and serial communications. The package offers 3 stable images for meeting
Controller ICs Allow Two-Touch Gestures
November 3, 2008 10:52 am | Atmel Corporation | Product Releases | CommentsTargeting personal electronics and mobile phones, Atmel’s AT42QT5320 and AT42QT5480 capacitive touchscreen controller ICs track and report 1 or 2 simultaneous touches as separate X and Y positions. The RoHS-compliant components implement common user-initiated gestures, including tap, double tap, flick, and drag, as well as two-touch gestures, such as
Design Talk: The New Face of Test Part 2
November 3, 2008 10:42 am | Articles | CommentsSoftware-defined instrumentation is the new face of automated test. Scientists and engineers performing leading-edge research and designing custom measurement and control systems have used software-defined instruments, also known as virtual instruments, for more than 20 years. Software-defined instruments were critical for these often one-of-a-kind applications due to their unique system requirements.
Oscillators Operate at 250 MHz
November 3, 2008 10:17 am | Product Releases | CommentsMeasuring 3.2 mm × 2.5 mm, Fox Electronics' HCMOS XpressO oscillators function in frequencies from 0.75 MHz to 250 MHz. The 3.3 V components are suitable for microprocessor, DSP, FPGA, SONET, and Ethernet environments, as well as industrial controllers, test and measurement equipment, and storage area networks. The RoHS-compliant oscillators offer stabilities of
Terminal Blocks Include Inclined Wire Entry
November 3, 2008 9:45 am | Product Releases | CommentsPerforming in PCBs or small equipment housings, Camden Electronics’ CTB3000/4000 rising clamp terminal blocks allow for 45° inclined wire entry with a cable entry size of 12 AWG. The interconnects come in pitch sizes of 5 mm with a 17.50 A and 250 V rating, and 10 mm with a 17.50 A and 750 V rating. The products exhibit a dielectric strength of =1.25 kV at 60 s, height of 12 mm, working temperature range from -20°C to 125°C, and approvals per UL, cUL, VDE, and
Unit Test Tool Covers All Code
November 3, 2008 9:16 am | Product Releases | CommentsAutomating the test process, the TBrun stand-alone unit test tool from LDRA covers development, test, legacy, and large systems. It extracts details about the unit interface including parameters, template arguments, input and output globals, input and output members and return values. These variables are then presented to the user as a framework for generating a test case for the unit
Bayonet Connectors Target Military, Industrial Systems
November 3, 2008 8:39 am | Product Releases | CommentsMeeting the requirements of VG52934, the CA Bayonet Series connectors from ITT are intended for use in applications such as military vehicles, mining equipment, railway projects, and industrial automation. Featuring a positive bayonet locking mechanism, the connectors withstand temperatures up to 200°C. Plating options include
RFID Tags Work in Liquid and on Metal Surfaces
November 3, 2008 7:53 am | Product Releases | CommentsOffering epoxy and silicon-seal packaging, Ferroxcube’s Ferroxtag high-frequency RFID tags are designed for use in liquid or on metal surfaces and can be affixed onto the surface via screws, glues, or double-sided adhesive tapes. The 25 mm × 12.50 mm × 5 mm components support
Interfaces Enable High-Definition Recording
November 3, 2008 6:40 am | Product Releases | CommentsOperating on the 1394 (Firewire) link layer and integrated physical layer, Texas Instruments’ TSB43EC42 and TSB43EA42 encrypted interfaces yields tru2way set top boxes and digital TVs to record in high definition. The IEC61883-1/2/4/7-compliant instruments integrate a 1394a 2-port PHY that functions at 100 Mbps, 200 Mbps, or 400 Mbps with IEEE Std. 1394-1995 and 1394a-2000 compliance. The BGA-packaged components support MPEG2, MPEG4, DV, and
Voltage Regulator Supports PMBus
November 3, 2008 6:05 am | Product Releases | CommentsManaging, monitoring, and reporting power supply operating conditions, NXP’s TEA132X digital point-of-load voltage regulator complies with PMBus 1.1 with 96 standard commands including margining, protections, sequencing, monitoring, and user defaults store. The 32-pin HVQFN-packaged component provides
On The Light Side: The CellScope(2)
November 3, 2008 5:50 am | by Alfred Poor, Contributing Editor | Articles | CommentsSomewhere in Africa, a traveling health worker arrives at a remote village and finds a patient who may have malaria. The nearest health clinic is hundreds of miles away, and it will take days to get there. Diagnosis requires a trained clinician to examine a blood sample under a microscope, but how can you make that happen? Your assignment, if you choose to accept it, is to create a digital microscope that will capture high magnification images, record additional medical information, and transmit the entire package of data wirelessly to the distant clinic.
Power Supply Generates Three Voltage Rails
November 3, 2008 5:24 am | Product Releases | CommentsComing in a chip form factor, Integral Wave Technologies’ P3131-S 3-output power supply creates 3 independent voltage rails exhibiting output voltages from 0.7 V to 3.6 V in 4 mV steps at maximum currents of 6 A, 3 A, and 3 A. The 13.6 mm × 20.8 mm × 2.5 mm LGA-packaged component offers an input voltage of 12 V, efficiency of up to 90%, and power of up to 25 W at
LCD Modules Display High Contrast
October 31, 2008 11:40 am | Product Releases | CommentsTargeting industrial applications, Sharp Microelectronics’ LQ043T3DG01 and LQ043T3DG02 4.3” landscape-mode VGA LCD modules show a contrast ratio of 900:1. The 480 × 272 pixel displays exhibit a horizontal viewing angle of 160°, a vertical viewing angle of 140°, response time of 29 ms, and 262,144 6-bit colors. The devices have an LED backlight, an anti-glare polarizing
Power Monitor IC Employs Digital I²C Interface
October 31, 2008 10:45 am | International Rectifier | Product Releases | CommentsUtilizing TruePower technology, International Rectifier’s IR3720 output power monitor IC communicates output current or voltage to the system controller through a digital I²C interface. The 3 mm² 10-pin DFN-packaged product demonstrates current accuracy of 0.20%, voltage accuracy of ±0.75%, bias supply voltage of 3.30 V, and an operating temperature from
Connector Meets AMC.0 Rev2 Specification
October 31, 2008 10:11 am | Product Releases | CommentsSupporting data transmissions of up to 12.5 Gbps per channel, Cinch Connectors’ AMC compression-style mezzanine connector exceeds the AMC.0 Rev2 PICMG ATCA specification. The instrument comprises of one-piece stamped contacts, seamless carrier board to
