Articles
Industry Focus- Automotive Infotainment Drives Vehicle Trends
September 26, 2008 5:48 am | by Christopher Keuling, Associate Editor | CommentsWhen consumers shop for a new vehicle, they look at price and gas mileage as key factors in their purchasing decision. Technology, now more portable than ever, is also on the mind of the American consumer. Cell phones, GPS navigation devices, mp3 players, and other video applications are becoming both a necessity and a convenience for drivers.
Semiconductor Highlight: Low-Cost Embedded NVM for Power Management Designs
September 26, 2008 5:23 am | by Yakov Roizin, Evgeny Pikhay, Amos Fenigstein, Avi Strum, Tower Semiconductor | CommentsIn this paper we present two unique NVM solutions which can close two significant gaps in the embedded memory IC world. Today’s designers have a large choice of embedded non-volatile memories (NVM) verified in different production technologies. These memories can be divided into three groups
Embedded Systems: Safeguard Ethernet Interfaces from Cable Discharges
September 26, 2008 4:39 am | by Timothy Puls, Product Marketing Engineer and Hani Geske, Senior Applications Engineer, Semtech Corporation | CommentsProtecting Ethernet interfaces from cable discharges can create a challenge for engineers because good protection must meet two criteria. First, and most important, a protective device must effectively clamp a transient to a safe voltage. Second, the device must present an acceptable capacitive load on high-speed differential transmission lines. Good planning and careful selection of transient voltage-suppression devices can adequately protect Ethernet interfaces from electrostatic discharges (ESDs) and cable discharge events.
Cover Story: High-End DMMs Simplify Measurements
September 25, 2008 12:25 pm | by Jon Titus, Senior Technical Editor | CommentsWhen engineers start to evaluate a precision digital multimeter (DMM) they first think about resolution and accuracy. "They may start with requirements for a high and low measurement limit and a tolerance," said Chuck Cimino, a marketing director at Keithley. "Then they figure out how many digits they need without going into a lot of the DMM's detailed specs."
SMH: Direct RF Sampling with High Performance ADC
August 29, 2008 10:11 am | by Philip Pratt, Texas Instruments | CommentsPreviously analog-to-digital converters (ADC) at high input frequencies were limited in usefulness due to distortion and noise performance. Today, however, ADCs can provide nearly 9.5 bits of effective number of bits (ENOB) at radio frequencies (RF) of 1 GHz with signal bandwidths greater than 200MHz. Such performance at high frequencies eliminates a mixer stage, simplifying receiver design to improve overall system performance.
Embedded Systems: Sniff ZigBee Packets
August 29, 2008 9:14 am | by Jon Titus, Senior Technical Editor | CommentsWhen engineers tackle a project that uses ZigBee communications they may get a surprise. Unlike point-to-point communications, ZigBee involves a network that can establish nodes, repeaters and complex mesh topologies. The proper test tools--often called "sniffers"--help engineers diagnose ZigBee-network problems that could otherwise turn into nightmares.
We’re from the government, we’re here to help you
August 27, 2008 11:22 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsOn June 2, 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency (last seen as the supervillains in “The Simpsons” movie) released a “technical amendment,” version 4.2, to the Energy Star residential light fixture specification. Remember when Nintendo introduced the ubiquitous “Seal of Quality?” The great crash of 1983 was caused by a number of factors, not the least of which was lousy software...
Design Talk: The Shrinking Design Cycle
August 27, 2008 9:39 am | CommentsThe recent cries over shoddy manufacturing performance have put electronic product designers in a tough spot – and frankly, left them baffled. Time after time, their design concepts that had the makings of a sure bet evolved into a product with deficiencies reported from thousands of customers – leaving many unanswered questions.
Cover Story: High-Performance Motion Control
August 27, 2008 5:31 am | CommentsNetworks Take High Performance Motion Control to the Next Level Networks simplify software development, axis coordination, code updates, and system characteristics.
Brainstorm: Designing New Technology
August 26, 2008 10:01 am | CommentsWhat are the most important factors to consider when developing a new product?
Industry Focus: Taking Advantage of Power Conditioning
August 20, 2008 10:49 am | CommentsPower has the essential role in the operation of a factory since no machinery can run without it, but power isn’t a guarantee. Companies performing industrial automation lose up to millions of dollars and hours of production time annually due to power anomalies. There are two types of power anomalies: natural phenomena which are harder to control and internal anomalies which are easier to control.
It’s a small, green world at Sensors Expo
August 6, 2008 1:00 pm | by Chris Warner, Executive Editor | Comments“Can you stand another ZigBee presentation?” was the greeting I received from one of the many exhibitors I met at the 2008 Sensors Expo in Rosemont, IL. Indeed, wireless industrial networking devices were in abundance at this year’s show, along with what seemed like an increasing amount of companies presenting MEMS-based devices.
Semiconductor Highlight: Designing with CPLDs
August 6, 2008 11:55 am | by Gordon Hands, Lattice Semiconductor | CommentsMany designs require a small amount of high-speed, instant-on programmable logic. These designs drive the thriving market for Complex Programmable Logic Devices (CPLDs). This article examines the definition of CPLDs, their applications, design methodologies and which factors to consider when selecting a CPLD.
Developing Comprehensive, Cost-Effective Hardware and Software Solutions for the Cardiac Device Market
August 6, 2008 10:46 am | by Jose Villasenor Fernandez, M.D., Global Medical Applications Specialist, Freescale Semiconductor and David Niewolny, Medical Product Marketing Manager, Freescale Semiconductor | CommentsAccording to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally. An estimated 17.5 million people died from cardiovascular disease in 2005, representing 30 percent of all global deaths. Of these deaths, 7.6 million were due to heart attacks, and 5.7 million were due to stroke. By 2015, an estimated 20 million people will die from cardiovascular disease every year, primarily from heart attacks and strokes. Many of these deaths may occur with no previous symptoms of cardiovascular disease.
Embedded Systems: The 16-to-32-Bit Migration Gets Smoother(2)
August 4, 2008 12:30 pm | by Jon Titus, Senior Technical Editor | CommentsAt one time, the gulf between 16- and 32-bit processors seemed wide and deep, so engineers had a difficult time making the transition from one realm to the other. Many processor manufacturers have helped eliminate that gulf and many development boards and tools simplify the migration between those realms.
