Design Talk
Low-Power is Life Saver for Medical Electronics Devices
November 11, 2008 11:24 am | by Steve Kennelly, Microchip Technology Inc. | Articles | CommentsDesigners of portable medical devices face unique challenges. Their chosen field is known for regulatory scrutiny, protracted design and life cycles, and a need for unparalleled robustness in the finished product. In addition, design objectives that are common to all electronics can have special significance when it comes to medical devices. For example, low power consumption is always an objective for designers of portable electronics. Less power means a smaller and lighter battery, which enhances portability.
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.
Design Talk: The New Face of Test
October 16, 2008 11:18 am | Articles | CommentsInternet mobility is growing today and is the way of the future. The challenge we are seeing with the current generation of Wireless Internet devices is revealed in the battle between Internet upload performance and battery life. End (cell phone) users’ expectations are rising to match the high upload speeds like those of the wired Internet -- without the burden of constantly recharging their batteries.
Design Talk: The Shrinking Design Cycle
August 27, 2008 9:39 am | Articles | 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.
Design Talk: Technology Solutions
July 28, 2008 6:30 am | Articles | CommentsFailures of semiconductor ICs are typically due to overvoltage or overcurrent for a given junction temperature. This overvoltage can be caused by an external factor or an uncontrolled switching inductance. The overcurrent failure can be caused by excess junction temperature due to excessive power losses and a poor thermal path or an abnormal load current. It is typical for a failure report to state Electrical Over Stress(EOS).
Design Talk: Elegant Design
June 16, 2008 5:04 am | Articles | CommentsDesign is a balance struck between style, functionality, technology, and construction (often as a compromise). But what makes a design “elegant”? The iPod is inarguably an elegant design, but then again so is the standard wooden mousetrap. This month we’re running some articles on design and comments on “elegant” design. Let us know if you agree with the authors or add comments of your own at www.ecnmag.com/designtalk-elegant-design.aspx
Design Talk: Technology Applied
June 13, 2008 5:13 am | Articles | CommentsOne issue facing design engineers is echnology selection. Choosing a device today is more than just an exercise in packaging and pin out, there are often multiple technologies and/or methodologies to choose from. Here is a collection of viewpoints from a group of engineers on how they select tech.
Designing Appliances that Communicate
March 19, 2008 10:03 am | by Bob Gohn, vice president marketing, Ember Corporation | Articles | CommentsThe need for our appliances to be networked is rapidly emerging, and fortunately, so are the means with the advent of ZigBee low-cost wireless platforms.
Switch Requirements for Medical Applications
March 14, 2008 10:05 am | by Jerome Smolinski, Senior Product Manager, C&K Components | Articles | CommentsIn the area of medical switch components, current trends continue to call for further miniaturization to meet the needs of space-saving applications like hearing aids.
