Serving the Electronic Design Community Since 1956
SIP SSLD Modules Accurately Drive LEDs
July 7, 2008 7:18 am | Product Releases | CommentsProviding a constant-current output with an accuracy of ±1%, the BP58xx Series of solid-state lighting drivers (SSLD) integrates all required LED-driving control circuits, switching elements, isolation transformers and constant-current circuits into a single SIP package. Operating at an efficiency of 85%, the 32.9 x 25.0 x 15.1-mm dimmable modules are set via an external resistor and
New Study Calls for World-Wide Reduction in Energy Consumption
July 3, 2008 8:42 am | by Jason Lomberg | Blogs | CommentsA Swiss Academic Study, “The 2000 Watt Society,” is gaining a lot of traction in the environmental movement. First developed by researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, the latest treatise ("Smarter Living") was coordinated by Novatlantis, and is an urgent call to action. In short, it proposes an overall reduction in energy consumption to the world-wide average of 2,000 watts per capita by the year 2050. Naturally, the US bears the brunt of the scorn.
Amplifiers Now Available in Aftermarket
July 3, 2008 7:00 am | Product Releases | CommentsLansdale Semiconductor now has the single-source rights to continue to manufacture Freescale’s MC1350 IF, MC1490 RF, and MC1590G monolithic IF amplifiers incorporate automatic gain control in a product life cycle management system. The devices are well suited for telecommunication, commercial (MC1350 and MC1490) and defense/military/aerospace (MC1590G) applications. The RoHS-compliant MC1350 and MC1490 fit well in up to 70 MHz audio and video
Single-Output DC/DC Converter Provides 5 Fused Terminals
July 3, 2008 6:57 am | Product Releases | CommentsDesigned for operation in mobile and other rugged environments, the BAP 65-5FD-24/12FT single-output 300-W DC/DC converter provides 12 VDC at 25 A distributed via 5 individually-fused output terminals to ensure that failure on one load will not affect the entire system. The chassis-mount device accepts from 21 to 30 VDC
SMH: Wringing the Power Consumption Out of That FPGA
July 2, 2008 11:24 am | Articles | CommentsComputationally intensive DSP functions often require hardware acceleration. Increasingly, designers are implementing their DSP algorithms in FPGAs because they offer better performance than DSP processors. Benchmarks show that FPGAs execute turbocoding, GPS correlation, H264 and other DSP functions much more quickly than DSPs.
Socket Features POP Memory
July 2, 2008 11:18 am | Ironwood Electronics, Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsIncluding a 12-mm2 POP memory on top with a pitch of 0.500 mm and 23 × 23 array, Ironwood Electronic’s SG-BGA-7116 0.400-mm BGA IC socket measures 12 mm2, has a pitch of 0.500 mm, and 28 × 28 ball array in a Samsung 12-mm2 168-ball fine pitch ball grid array package. The device operates at bandwidths up to 40 GHz with insertion loss less than 1 dB and contact resistance
Connectors Target Removable Storage Applications
July 2, 2008 9:44 am | Product Releases | CommentsWorking well in removable storage applications, FCI’s iVDR (information versatile disk for removable usage) connector contributes to standardizing data platforms in media cartridges, internal port terminations, and auto-loading mechanisms in host applications. The hard-disk or solid-state device provides a single row of 26
Oscilloscope Operates With 6 GHz of Bandwidth
July 2, 2008 7:37 am | Product Releases | CommentsEquipped with a 15.3 in, 16:9 display and a touch screen, the WavePro7 from Lecroy Corporation, is the first product series in the Zi Family of oscilloscopes. Operating with up to 6 GHz of bandwidth, the device can also be
Five Megapixel Camera Equipped With a Camera Link Interface
July 2, 2008 7:08 am | Product Releases | CommentsOffering thermal management and pre-processing for sensor operation, Sony's BM-599CL and BB-500CL, are two versions of a five megapixel camera that are equipped with a Camera Link interface. Both models are built around the Sony ICX625 2/3" CCD sensor (2448 x 2050 pixels - QSXGA) and are mid-range cameras. Potential applications for the cameras include:
Industry Focus- Wireless USB's Easy Data Transfer in Consumer Electronics
July 2, 2008 6:51 am | Articles | CommentsThe growing multimedia capabilities of consumer electronics are placing new demands on bulk data transfer between devices. Now WiMedia-standard Ultra Wideband (UWB) is entering the mainstream in laptops and computer peripherals, so consumers can easily transfer files without complex network configuration, and without cables.
Multi-Chip White LED Delivers up to 790 Lumens
July 2, 2008 5:39 am | Product Releases | CommentsWith the same 7 x 9-mm footprint as its single-emitter predecessor, the multi-chip XLamp MC-E LED integrates four emitters to provide up to 790 lumens at 6,000K and up to 605 lumens at 3,000K with an input power of 9.8 W. The devices are available in color temperature ranges of 2,600K to 3,700K, 3,700K to 5,000K, or 5,000K to 10,000K.
Embedded Systems: ESC Update
July 1, 2008 12:50 pm | by Jon Titus, Senior Technical Editor | Articles | CommentsIf you have not recently--or ever--attended the Embedded Systems Conference in San Jose, you owe it to yourself and your company to go. This conference and its many exhibits give you opportunities to talk with colleagues and technical experts. Unlike some shows, vendors send their engineering gurus to ESC, so when you stop at an exhibit you can talk about hardware and software with fellow engineers who speak your languages. You will get a taste of some of the products introduced at ESC in this column. Our online column includes information about more new products announced at the show.
On acronyms, jargon, and terminology
July 1, 2008 11:38 am | Articles | CommentsEvery special-interest group has their own language, and only part of the reason is to exclude others from the conversation. Jargon also helps define common terms necessary to conduct business or discuss philosophies and procedures within the group. Engineering is a very special discipline, and EEs are a further esoteric subset with its own plethora of acronyms, slang and terms.
Switching Supplies Meet EMC Requirements
July 1, 2008 11:32 am | Product Releases | CommentsMeeting EMC noise performance requirements, Astrodyne’s ECA30 Series encapsulated switching power supplies accepts universal input from 90 to 264 VAC and provides output power of 30 W with single, dual, and triple outputs from 5 to 48 VDC. The RoHS 2002/95/EC-compliant devices operate over an ambient temperature range from -10°C to 50°C. The UL/EN60950-1-specified
DSP Builder features Second-Generation Model-Based Synthesis Technology
July 1, 2008 10:34 am | Product Releases | CommentsFeaturing second-generation model-based synthesis technology, the DSP Builder Version 8.0 fro Altera, increases productivity for DSP designs by an order of magnitude. This technology allows DSP designers to generate timing-optimized RTL code based on Simulink design descriptions. With this Builder feature, designers can acquire
