www.electronicspecifier.

com January 2011 / Volume 2, Issue 1

G ea r i n g U p Fo r
L i c en c e- Fr e e
60GHz

IN THIS ISSUE

POWER FEATURE:
40~100V MOSFETs Ramp OPTO & DISPLAYS
Up Performance, p22 TFT LCDs Take A Wider
View, p32
FEATURE:
COMMS, COMPUTING TEST & MEASUREMENT Ultra-low profile,
& CONTROL Test Protocol Assures high current induc-
USB High Speed Module Accurate, Comprehensive tors boast high effi- Smart turn encoder
Delivers Higher Test, p40 ciency and shape has LED or tactile
up in a 6767 case switch room
Connectivity, p36

Gearing Up For Licence-Free 60GHz
HOT on the heels of the re-
cent UK regulator OFCOM an-
nouncement that it has made
the 60GHz band available li-
cence free for fixed wireless
links, Huber+Suhner says it
expects a sharp take-up in the
use of this long awaited wire-
less Ethernet solution. No-
tably, the company has been
supplying its SenCityLink
SL60 wireless Ethernet bridge
technology to many countries
already using the 60GHz band and
therefore has already chalked up
several years of applications experi-
ence for the UK market.
According to Robin George, UK
SenCity Product Manager, Huber+
Suhner’s SL60 point to point bridg-
ing system will meet a wide variety
of fixed wireless requirements in-
cluding LAN extensions, last mile
connectivity, temporary applica-
tions such as those demanding the
utility or emergency services, sport-
ing or entertainment events, disas-
ter recovery, campus connectivity
and redundant access.
“A 60GHz wireless solution
brings many benefits not possible
with other frequencies,” explains
George. “With our SL60 Ethernet
bridges, users get totally secure and
reliable connectivity at distances up
to 1.6km, with immunity against in-
terference. In fact, anything possi-
ble with an Ethernet cable can be
done with our wireless bridges.”
Huber+Suhner’s SenCity Link
SL60 Ethernet bridges are small at
250x250x50mm, lightweight and
easy to install. And three new prod-
Low Profile, High Current
Inductors Shape Up In 6767 Case
IHLP low profile, high current in-
ductors from Vishay come in 6767
cases and feature an ultra-low, 4mm
profile. IHLP-6767DZ-11 boasts high
efficiency with maximum DCR
down to 2.05mΩ and standard in-
ductances from 1.0~47µH.
With a frequency range up to
750kHz, IHLP-6767DZ-11 pro-
vides a high performing, space
www.electronicspecifier.com
uct variants are on their way, pro-
viding full duplex speeds of 100~
320Mbps over 800m~1.6km.
To meet the expected boom in li-
cence free 60GHz, Huber+Suhner
has signed up FWA Solutions as a
specialist distribution partner pro-
viding wireless infrastructure for the
terrestrial broadband and wireless
network markets.
Huber+Suhner has also been
busy on another front: installing a
custom automatic forming machine
to add to its semi-rigid RF cable as-
sembly capabilities.
This new machine gives its cus-
tomers fast access to precision,
semi-rigid RF coaxial assemblies
that are not just lower in cost than
traditional hand formed assemblies
but are more accurate. And formed
assemblies, produced to exacting
tolerances, are highly repeatable
whether a one off or in volume.
Soco Ultrabend is the forming so-
lution, a fully automatic, three pro-
grammable axes machine designed
for popular sizes of semi-rigid RF
coaxial cable including RG402,
RG405 and RG250. In operation,
and power saving solution for
voltage regulator module and
dc/dc applications for next gener-
ation mobile devices.
Saturation current ranges from
4.3~27.5A and heat rating current
is from 5~4 A, with a maximum
DCR of 2.05~108.46mΩ.
The new inductor handles high
transient current spikes without
hard saturation. It comes housed
in a RoHS compliant, 100 % lead-
free, shielded composite, reduc-
ing buzz noise to ultra-low levels.
Operating temperature range is
55~+125 °C and the device ex-
hibits a high resistance to ther-
mal shock, moisture, mechanical
 For full editorial
shock and vibration.
 Datasheet Download
CONTENTS & COVER STORIES
CONTENTS
bending accuracy and re- 4 Comment
peatability are ±0.15º, unat-
tainable by hand forming.
Programming is fast too, so
6 NewsLine
10 Design & Embedded
the system can be used
cost- effectively for prototype
evaluation to volume produc-
tion, knowing that output 16 Active Components
will be identical.
22 Power
“We are recognised as a
leading specialist in RF cable
28 Cables & Connection
assemblies,” says Applica-
tions Engineering Manager
John Woodruff, “not simply because
32 Feature: Opto
we make all the parts needed but
& Displays
mainly because we are experienced
in working with customers on the
design of their assemblies, manu-
36 Feature: Comms,
facturing it and then testing the
finished item. This new machine
allows us to speed up manufactur-
ing and reduce costs, ensuring
Computing & Control
40 Test & Measurement
every finished assembly performs
 For full editorial 1
exactly to specifications.”
 For full editorial 2 44 Distribution Focus
Smart Turn
46 Tech Videos
Encoder Has
LED Or Tactile
Switch Room
ElectronicSpecifier Ltd.
Ellion House, 6 Alexandra Road
Tonbridge, Kent TN9 2AA, UK
Editor: John Taylor BA, IEng, MIET
Email:
editor@electronicspecifier.com
Tel/Fax: +44 (0) 1843 866 607
Copy Editor: Raj Joshi
Email:
editor@electronicspecifier.com
Advertising:
MER 23-20 rotary encoders from
Email:
knitter-switch, feature a large
sales@electronicspecifier.com
hollow enabling an LED or tactile
Tel: +44 (0) 1732 366 617
switch to be incorporated within
Fax: +44 (0) 1732 366 052
the device, making it ideal for
home multimedia systems, car en-
Publisher: Steve Regnier
tertainment systems and measur-
Email:
ing instrument applications.
steve@electronicspecifier.com
Each turn of the encoder is 20
Tel: +44 (0) 1732 366 617
pulses and one cycle is 360º clock-
Fax: +44 (0) 1732 366 052
wise followed by a counter-clock-
wise 360º. A 9x9mm square hole
Subscriptions
in the centre of the encoder facili-
 Subscribe to the Digital Edition
tates an LED and/or tactile switch
of ElectronicSpecifier
placement on the internal PCB.
With a minimum life of 30,000 cy-
Distribution Blog
cles Mer 23-20 devices are said to
 Find out what’s happening
be reliable and robust, operating
 For full editorial in the world of distribution
over -10ºC to +70ºC.
electronicspecifier | January 2011 | 3
COMMENT

Nanotechnology In Aerospace Technology

THE Nanotechnology Knowledge Transfer Network, NanoKTN is host-
ing ‘Aerospace Sensor Technologies: Ensuring Nanoscale Manufactur-
ing Integrity’ on March 10 at BAWA, Bristol, to highlight solutions to key
challenges facing the development of novel, integrated sensor technol-
ogy by the aerospace industry. NanoKTN says manufacturers from
within the aerospace supply chain, as well as those aspiring to join it,
and instrumentation and process equipment companies will benefit
from this conference of quality presentations and networking opportuni-
ties in this important and rapidly expanding area of aviation design.
The UK boasts the largest aerospace industry outside the USA, with
an annual turnover of £22bn and a supply chain supporting in excess of
manufacturing economies and their populations benefit from the re-
sultant wealth generation. Structural Health Monitoring programmes
build in-situ sensor systems, analogous to the human nervous system
(bio mimicry), to recognise any compromise in areas of critical struc-
tural integrity.
Thermal barrier coatings allow turbines to perform safely and reli-
ably at higher, more fuel efficient temperatures. The on-going devel-
opment of multi-functional sensor coatings that achieve the dual re-
quirements of higher turbine efficiency and lower gaseous emissions,
and the monitoring of temperature, erosion and phase changes, are all
projected to reduce maintenance costs and improve safety standards.

iPad Won...
276,000 jobs. It’s genuinely a UK manufacturing success story! There’s also an on-going requirement for ever more sophisticated
Micro and nano scale security measures to
sensor technologies pro- SENIOR Hardware Engineer Alan BG counter the pervasive
vide the aerospace in- Butcher from Rochester in Kent, won the threat of terrorism and,
dustry with opportunities prize iPad in the recent Electronic Specifier for example, sensors to
to benefit from materials competition sponsored by Harwin. Present- enhance safety and se-
with new, improved ing the prize iPad was Gavin Darling, pic- curity are required to
properties tailored to tured left, Harwin plc’s Regional Sales Man- prevent the initiation of
meet future commercial, ager for Northern Europe. an attack. Nano wire
legislative and safety The prize draw was open to engineers and sensors are extremely
challenges. The major designers signing up to regular Electronic sensitive to small
technology challenges for Specifier broadband newsletters with the ad- changes in electro-
the aerospace industry ditional benefit of accessing the e-publisher's chemical potential, mak-
are rooted in its further website with a plethora of information from ing them ideal for the
globalisation. the electronics arena on new products, web- early detection of differ-
Air traffic is antici- site and services for designers and engineers. ent gases from explo-
pated to increase as Registering also provides access on-line to sives and biological/

 For full editorial

emerging countries con- Electronic Specifier magazine. chemical toxins.
tinue to strengthen their

4 | January 2011 | electronicspecifier www.electronicspecifier.com

 Visit these FCI
Visit F CI micro sites for
complete product specifications
technical
and tec hnical information about
connectors and copper or optical
cable assemblies.

fciconnect.com/highspeed fciconnect.com/powersolutions

www.fciconnect.com
.fciconnect.com
NEWSLINE
Jeopard Looking
Good For Real Time
Multi-core Java
Jeopard is complete says Sysgo
with its PikeOS Safe & Secure Vir-
tualisation RTOS demonstrating
its capacity in supporting multi-
core hardware architecture as part
of a more general project targeting
real time Java applications.
The Jeopard project objectives
were to provide tools for platform
independent development of pre-
dictable systems that make use of
hybrid platforms consisting of
multi-core MCPs and FPGAs.
The evaluation of a radar use
case in the project demonstrated
system benefits and identified
possible Jeopard improvement.
The radar data processing orien-
tated tracking application proved
stable with aicas’s JamaicaVM on
PikeOS and it’s also faster than
with OpenJDK on Linux. And
with Jeopard, it is possible to use
the power of multi-core micro-
processors for predictable, em-
bedded systems without aban-
doning the merit of a platform
independent development. Paral-
lellising an algorithm on multiple
cores increased the overall pro-
cessing power without increasing
the processor frequency or electri-
 For full editorial
cal power consumption.
China Goes With
The Cadence Flow
China’s Semiconductor Manu-
facturing International has
adopted Cadence Silicon Realisa-
tion products for its 65nm Refer-
ence Flow 4.1 design for manufac-
turing and low power technology.
Using Cadence Encounter Digital
Implementation System as the
foundation, the companies collabo-
rated to provide an integrated end
to end flow for 65nm SoC designs.
“Our mutual customers can
greatly benefit from the Cadence
contributions to Reference Flow
4.1,” Says SMIC Senior Director
Min Zhu, “which address two im-
portant challenges they face at
65nm: design margins and yields.
Deploying the full end to end Ca-
dence Silicon Realisation flow for
digital design, verification, and im-
plementation along with our refer-
ence flow will enable our cus-
tomers to work more efficiently and
productively toward improving sili-
con quality and shrinking time to
 For full editorial
market.”
6 | January 2011 | electronicspecifier
Brüel & Kjær Flying
High At Burbank
Brüel & Kjær’s EMS team has
landed the project to replace the
noise and flight track management
system for the Burbank Glendale
Pasadena Airport Authority. And
the new five year contract includes
the installation of 20 new Brüel &
Kjær 3639 noise monitoring termi-
nals, backed by its airport noise
and operations management sys-
tem, ANOMS, and WebTrak, the
widely used public facing flight
tracking utility.
“We were more than impressed
with Brüel & Kjær’s technology and
commitment to the airport noise
and flight tracking industry,” ex-
plains Mark Hardyment, Director of
Noise and Environmental Program-
mes at the Airport Authority. “The
Partnership Targets Networking
Timesys and Freescale Semi-
conductor have joined forces in a
strategic alliance covering auto-
motive, consumer, industrial and
networking markets. And first joint
decision is the availability of Lin-
uxLink for Freescale's TWR-
MCF5441X and TWR-MPC5125
Tower System modules.
Freescale's Tower System pro-
vides a highly customizable em-
bedded design environment for
developers to mix and match MCU
and peripheral boards to create the
exact development platform that
suits their needs. Similarly, Time-
sys's LinuxLink provides a highly
customizable embedded Linux de-
velopment environment that al-
lows developers to easily mix and
match kernel, tool chain, packages
and boot loaders to build just the
right Linux distribution for their
embedded projects.
“We see a continuously growing
Authority saw a great advantage in
Brüel & Kjær being both the manu-
facturer of the NMT hardware and
software as they were already a
world recognised leader in micro-
phone and sound measurement
equipment for more than 60 years.”
The project began in November
and runs for nine months, and in-
cludes all permits, hardware instal-
lation, conversion of legacy system
data, system testing and a year’s
warranty on the NFTMS solution.
Once complete, the ANOMS sys-
tem will be supported by Brüel &
Kjær’s local and global NoiseOffice
Support Team which manages
more than 250 airport NFTMS solu-
 For full editorial
tions worldwide.
demand for Linux on our develop-
ment boards,” comments John
Weil, Freescale’s Industrial Solu-
tions Manager, “and are happy to
collaborate with Timesys to offer
our customers a proven embedded
Linux platform for the Tower Sys-
tem modules. Our customers now
have a highly flexible and afford-
able Linux solution that takes full
advantage of the low cost, recon-
figurable Tower System.”
Atul Bansal, Timesys’s CEO
adds, “This is strategically signifi-
cant for Timesys. We are commit-
ted to offering customers using
Freescale processors an industry-
leading, proven Linux develop-
ment platform backed by expert,
live support. Our LinuxLink has
helped thousands of innovative
products go to market on schedule,
and we look forward to helping
 For full editorial
Freescale customers do the same.”
Semiconductor
Company Award
Retained
Outstanding EMEA Semicon-
ductor Company is Dialog
Semiconductor and accord-
ingly it snapped up the 2010
Global Semiconductor Alliance
Award. And it’s the second time
running it has taken this GSA
award first created in 2009.
Now in its 15th year, the GSA
awards recognise semiconductor
companies that demonstrate
strength in market leadership/
competition,products, innova-
tion, corporate management and
longterm likelihood of success.
GSA President Jodi Shelton
comments, “Dialog has shown
phenomenal growth even during
the recession, and its European
development teams continue to
be at the forefront of innovation. I
had the honour to present the in-
augural award to Dialog last year,
I'm once again delighted to pres-
ent the award to Dialog for its
continued success in 2010.”
“The GSA has been a key
force in ensuring the European
semiconductor industry contin-
ues to punch above its weight,”
adds Dr Jalal Bagherli, Dialog’s
CEO, “and I'm delighted to
round off this year with such a
prestigious recognition. Congrat-
ulations to the whole Dialog team
for contributing to this outstand-
 For full editorial
ing achievement.”
AMS To Pursue
Patent Decision
First instance verdict, says austri-
amicrosystems, in the patent in-
fringement lawsuit against Melexis
NV/SA and its German subsidiary
Melexis GmbH regarding mag-
netic field encoder products and
European Patent EP 0 916 074 B1
remains valid. At the same time,
the company expects to ultimately
prevail against this first instance
decision by the Federal Patent
Court in Munich which deems the
European Patent EP 0 916 074 B1
covering magnetic field encoder
products and exclusively held by
austriamicrosystems not
patentable.
austriamicrosystems will appeal
the court’s decision at the Federal
Supreme Court in Karlsruhe and is
confident to prevail in this next
and final instance and to have the
 For full editorial
patent fully validated by the court.
www.electronicspecifier.com
NEWSLINE
Agilent Certifies
EdgeBio As
Service Provider
EdgeBio is now a Certified Service
Provider for Agilent’s SureSelect
Target Enrichment System for next
generation sequencing.
SureSelect increases the speed
and cost-efficiency of next genera-
tion sequencing workflows by en-
abling experiments to focus on ge-
nomic regions of interest rather than
sequencing the entire genome.
EdgeBio achieved SureSelect CSP
status for the Life Technologies
SOLiD 4 sequencing platform after
completing training and demon-
strating proficiency with the target
enrichment system.
“We're very pleased that quality
organisations like EdgeBio are ac-
celerating their customers' next-gen
sequencing studies while contribut-
ing to SureSelect's momentum in
the genomics community,” declares
Fred P Ernani, Agilent’s SureSelect
Business Manager.
The SureSelect portfolio includes
target enrichment for user specified
genomic regions, human kinome,
human X chromosome and human
all exon sequencing. Agilent Sure-
Select XT combines sequencing li-
brary preparation and gDNA prepar-
ative reagents with the proven
Agilent SureSelect Target Enrich-
ment System for unprecedented
 For full editorial
productivity and convenience.
Giving Back To
The Community...
An industry first for CUI is its initia-
tion of a programme to give back to
local communities where their man-
ufacturing rep organisations reside.
A percentage of total revenue gen-
erated by CUI's rep network is set
aside and donated to each firm on
an annual basis as a charitable com-
mission intended to be passed along
to the charities of their choosing. To
date the programme has given over
$60,000 to a variety of worthy chari-
ties across the US.
This giving programme, accord-
ing to CUI, has made a significant
impact on several of the participat-
ing rep organisation employees, al-
lowing them to connect personally
with causes important to them.
“Our rep organisations are a di-
rect extension of CUI,” comments
CUI’s Worldwide Sales VP Mark
Adams, “and it is important to us
that they not only represent our
products, but represent the core
 For full editorial
values of CUI as well.”
8 | January 2011 | electronicspecifier
Osram Team Grab Beckurts Prize
The Beckurts Prize for pioneering
work in researching direct green
semiconductor lasers was collected
on behalf of the Osram Opto
Semiconductors research team
by Désirée Queren, Stephan Lut-
gen and Adrian Avramescu. And
seen as a milestone for many appli-
cations, this laser will open up new
markets, for example, in ultra-com-
pact mobile RGB laser projectors.
The Karl Heinz Beckurts Founda-
tion presents its award annually to
honour outstanding scientific and
technical achievements that give
rise to discernible impetus for in-
dustrial innovations in Germany.
The availability of very small and
low-cost red, blue and green semi-
conductor lasers is crucial for large-
scale diffusion of RGB laser projec-
tion. The laser diodes enable
production of low cost, compact
and efficient pico-projectors, which
can be incorporated into mobile
Rohde & Schwarz Flying High
With Eurofighter Typhoon
Rohde & Schwarz has grabbed
another order for VHF/UHF ra-
dios to equip the Eurofighter Ty-
phoon series aircraft.
The company's close involve-
ment with the project, which
began when the series went into
production in 1999, has now
been extended to the first batch
of the third production tranche.
Each of the 88 aircraft ordered in
this batch will be equipped with
two VHF/UHF radios from Rohde
& Schwarz. Delivery is sched-
uled to begin in 2012.
A European consortium in-
cluding Rohde & Schwarz and
its partners Selex Communica-
tions and Indra Sistemas is re-
sponsible for the Eurofighter Ty-
devices such as smartphones or
digital cameras. Due to the particu-
lar beam properties of lasers, these
projectors have unlimited depth of
sharpness and extremely high res-
olution, which go even beyond that
of LED solutions. The low spectral
bandwidth of semiconductor lasers
enables lifelike colour displays plus
razor sharp contrasts.
Osram only started developing
direct blue laser diodes for RGB
laser projection in 2006. Today,
these are used successfully in the
first devices on the market. Based
on the findings for the blue laser in
the InGaN material system, the
team managed within a very short
time to break through the barrier to
green from a wavelength of 500nm.
In 2009, they took over the techno-
logical leadership in direct green
laser diodes of >515nm with optical
 For full editorial
outputs of more than 50mW.
phoon’s VHF/UHF radio equip-
ment. Eurofighter Typhoon ra-
dios belong to the R&S M3AR
family used in other major proj-
ects such as Airbus A400M, the
military transport aircraft.
Eurofighter Typhoon is a joint
development effort between Ger-
many, Great Britain, Italy and
Spain, and is one of the most ad-
vanced European fighter aircrafts
in its class. With the start of the
third tranche, 472 of the 620 air-
craft planned for the four nations
involved go into series produc-
tion. Rohde & Schwarz also deliv-
ered the radios for the first
tranche and has started deliveries
 For full editorial
for the second.
Sensium Provides
Platform For
Transantarctic
Health Monitoring
Toumaz Sensium enabled devices
are being used to monitor the health
of a team of explorers and scientists
in a record breaking expedition
across the Antarctic. December 9
saw the 10 man eteam carry out the
fastest ever vehicle crossing of the
continent. Now it is attempting the
same for the return journey.
The Moon Regan Transantarctic
Expedition is using state of the art
technology in its record breaking
journey including wireless Sensium
enabled vital signs monitors. The
expedition is being partnered by
scientists from Imperial College Lon-
don and supported by main sponsor
Imperial alumnus Professor Winston
Wong Dsc, who has also helped to
develop the technology.
The team is travelling in six-
wheeled drive science support ve-
hicles which function as mobile
laboratories, and the Winston
Wong bio-inspired ice vehicle. The
research led team have already
achieved two records: first to use
bio fuels extensively in Antarctica
and first bio-fuelled vehicle ever to
reach the South Pole.
The researchers aim to collect
data including measuring the
body’s response to extreme environ-
mental conditions using wireless
body monitoring developed by ex-
pedition sponsor Toumaz and origi-
nally pioneered by its CEO Professor
Chris Toumazou who is also Director
of the Winston Wong Centre for Bio-
Inspired Technology at Imperial Col-
lege London, and leading the sci-
 For full editorial
ence programme for the expedition.
Video Prizes
Winner of Freescale’s Sense the
World video contest, snapping up a
$10,000 grand prize, is ‘3D Hand
Tracking’, submitted by Oxford,
UK based Victor Adrian Prisacariu
and Ian Reid. The video depicts 3D
rigid hand tracking for augmented
reality applications using
Freescale’s ZStar3 development
tool and a web camera.
Taking second place, and a
$3000 prize was ‘Personal ROV’
submitted by Sebastian Pelan of
Koper, Slovenia, with third place in
the contest taken by ‘Xtrinsic
Competition Submission’, submit-
ted by Gujarat, India based Maulik
Gandhi and Rajdeep Borsaniya
 For full editorial
who collected the $2000 prize.
www.electronicspecifier.com

What’s In Store
To Drive 2011?
Developments in solid state
drives, the increasing adoption
of cloud computing and the
need for consumers to change
the way they manage and
store data are the key issues
for 2011, says John Tu, Presi-
dent & Co-Founder of
Kingston Technology.
“With the ever increasing
volume of data, “ says Tu, “we
expect to see SSD become the
prominent form of internal
client storage within the next
five years, particular in busi-
ness. That said, we also expect
SSD and HDD to coexist for
some time to come on the con-
sumer computing platform
where migration to the cloud,
for example, may take longer,
with SSD driving the perform-
ance of boot, OS and high
usage applications, and HDD
continuing to store data.”
Tu reckons that this year,
as SATA 3.0 becomes more
common, SSD technology will
evolve to change the way
computer systems are de-
signed forever, particularly in
the industrial and embedded
environments. The integra-
tion of new SSD form factors
into computerised devices
will enable industries such as
automotive and manufactur-
ing, and applications such as
ATMs and CCTVs, to benefit
from increased performance,
reduced failure rates over
HDDs and added endurance
to extend the lifecycle of the
system.
On cloud computing, Tu
says that despite develop-
ments in SAP software as a
service adoption and more ap-
plications on the market, con-
straints such as data centre
bandwidth and data security
need further development be-
fore mass adoption. 2011 will
see a greater need for more vir-
tualisation as the corporate
market continues to see the
benefits of doing more with
less by building out virtual
server environments.
As virtualisation drives for-
ward, core components like
processing and memory will be
high on the agenda as busi-
nesses look to create efficient
ways to deal with the ever in-
 For full editorial
creasing amounts of data.
www.electronicspecifier.com
Paper Wins Prizes
Winners of the National Instru-
ments NIDays 2010 Graphical Sys-
tem Design Case Study Contest are
Dr David Keeling and Ali Alazmani
from the School of Mechanical Engi-
neering at the University of Leeds.
This annual technical paper con-
test, now in its fifth year, encourages
and showcase the most innovative
uses of virtual instrumentation and
graphical system design in teaching
or by engineers in industry.
Keeling and Alazmani’s winning
paper was presented on behalf of
colleagues at the University and
Leeds General Infirmary who devel-
oped an intelligent, mechanical
heart simulator or ventricular assist
device. The simulator is an artificial
muscle wrap that assists a failing
heart by applying compressive force,
C-Mac Cooking On Gas & Oil
Shaping up from C-Mac are new oil
and gas electronics manufacturing
services that extend its position in
the supply of high reliability elec-
tronics for harsh environments and
complements its existing busi-
nesses in automotive, aerospace
and defence. These sectors are look-
ing for high reliability solutions, par-
ticularly those incorporating hermet-
ically sealed, ceramic based, thick
film hybrid microcircuits.
Identifying that oil and gas sec-
Lab On Chip To Detect SNPs In DNA
Panasonic and imec, partners in
imec's Human++ programme pre-
sented at the International Electron
Devices Meeting in San Francisco
various critical components of a bio-
medical lab on chip sensor. These
enable fast detection of single nu-
cleotide polymorphisms, SNPs, in
DNA, such as a miniaturised pump
for on-chip generation of high pres-
sures, a micropillar filter optimised for
DNA separation achieving world
record resolution, and an SNP detec-
tor allowing on-chip detection using
very small sample volumes.
By combining advanced micro-
electronics with heterogeneous inte-
gration, imec and Panasonic aim to
realise an advanced microfluidic de-
vice for SNP detection.
An SNP is a single nucleotide re-
placement in a DNA sequence that
can result in different reactions by
people to pathogens and medicines.
Detection of these SNPs is therefore
becoming increasingly important
with the move towards more person-
alised healthcare.
Existing methods to detect SNPs
require many sample processing
steps in dedicated medical tools at
synchronous to the native rhythm,
around the external surface of the
heart’s ventricles.
Cyclic ‘squeezing’ augments
heart muscle effort, leading to an im-
proved output for the diseased heart.
The team created a hardware in the
loop heart simulator, combining real
time software blood flow with a phy-
sical 3D mechanical heart. NI’s Lab-
View and CompactRIO were used to
tors are undergoing change in the
demand for high reliability electron-
ics, particularly electronics capable
of surviving extremes of tempera-
ture and vibration, C-Mac made its
move. The change is driven by the
five year, threefold increase in wells
requiring directional drilling. Today,
around two-thirds of wells drilled in
the world are expected to be drilled
either directionally or horizontally. In
these complex drilling environ-
ments, operators are increasingly re-
medical laboratories. Such
tests are labour intensive,
time consuming and expen-
sive. Moreover, rather large
blood samples are needed. A
lab on chip device can bring huge
advantages both to the patient and
the healthcare system. Such de-
vices enable fast, easy to use, cost-
effective test methods which can
be performed at regular times in a
doctor’s surgery or even near the
Partnership SuperSpeeds For USB 3.0
Faster market adoption of Super-
Speed USB 3.0 technology is cen-
tral to the co-operation agreement
between LeCroy and Evatronix
covering mutual product develop-
ment and USB market investiga-
tion. The partnership will bring
new added value to SuperSpeed
USB 3.0 application developers.
“LeCroy is enthusiastic to co-op-
erate with Evatronix,” comments
LeCroy VP Roberto Petrillo, “with
our complete solution for Super
Speed USB compliance testing in-
cluding the physical as well as the
NEWSLINE
enhance the testing environment so
the heart simulator could operate as
a standalone system and run reliably
for prolonged periods of time.
“CompactRIO offered a rugged,
reliable, standalone platform,” says
Keeling, “enabling our team to con-
duct prolonged testing, which would
not have been possible on a tradi-
 For full editorial
tional computer.”
lying on electronic sensors to ac-
quire real time data in down-hole
measurements. These electronic
sensors need to be capable of with-
standing extremes of vibration and
temperature, which routinely ex-
ceed 200ºC, experienced in deep-
hole mining. The failure of a meas-
urement tool whilst drilling a
20,000ft well could readily incur two
days delay, equating to a US$1~2
million in lost production.
C-Mac UK developed its high
 For full editorial
temperature oil and gas solutions.
patient’s
bed. This is
very inter-
esting for
point of care applications such as
 For full editorial
personalised medicine.
protocol layers. As signal speeds in-
crease, compliance testing and
debug become more challenging.
LeCroy's solutions for testing high
speed serial data will enable Eva-
tronix and their customers to per-
form these tests faster, more com-
prehensively, and at lower cost.”
Evatronix VP Carsten Elgert
adds, “In USB 3.0 it is the same as
with all top notch technologies, in
particular if they reflect industry
standards: there is no company
 For full editorial
that can do it all by itself.”
electronicspecifier | January 2011 | 9
DESIGN & EMBEDDED
Eagle Swoops For
Price Check &
Availability
Latest Eagle software from Cad-
Soft is version 5.11, incorporating
new DesignLink functionality and
giving design engineers automatic
searching capabilities via element
14, with on-line price and availabil-
ity checking too, as well as access
to the latest available data.
Set-up and save options are now
provided for individual order lists
for schematics, with a simple func-
tion to add the list to a shopping
cart. All Eagle manufacturer li-
braries are now supplied with
order codes and users can now
transfer quote parameters to ele-
ment14 for a quote for manufactur-
ing an Eagle designed PCB.
Eagle v5.11 has three main ele-
ments: schematic; layout and au-
torouter. Additional features in-
clude an unlimited undo and redo
function and a ‘follow me’ router
that allows router recommenda-
 For full editorial
tions to be accepted or overwritten.
Mentor Acquires
CodeSourcery
Mentor Graphics has acquired
the assets of CodeSourcery, re-af-
firming the company’s commit-
ment to the future of open source
for embedded development.
“CodeSourcery and its industry
recognised tool chain services and
products significantly increase the
value of embedded solutions that
Mentor Embedded can provide its
customers, as well as contributions
to the open source community,” says
Mentor’s General Manager Glenn
Perry. “We believe the future of em-
bedded development depends on
the wide availability of open source
software and tools. The Mentor Em-
bedded group continues to expand
its OSS development team, includ-
ing the acquisition of Embedded
Alley last year for its runtime Linux
and Android offerings, and continu-
ing with today’s announcement on
CodeSourcery for their tool chain ex-
pertise. Our position as an inde-
pendent embedded solution provider
enables Mentor Embedded to collab-
orate closely with hardware IP and
SoC ecosystems, as well as the
broader embedded software ven-
dors. Our mutual end customers
reap the benefits via the optimisa-
tion of resources, leveraging the
strengths of the OSS community,
hardware design community and
 For full editorial
Mentor Embedded software team.”
10 | January 2011 | electronicspecifier
Customizable
Module
Drives Flexibility
& Fast Time To Market
First to unveil a customizable, high
end motor control module small
enough to mount directly on the
motor is STMicroelectronics,
providing connection via industrial
Ethernet. This new module is said
to enable faster delivery of elegant,
cost-effective industrial solutions
such as multi-axis robotics, con-
veyors, packaging machines and
process automation equipment.
SPIMD20 can drive brushless
three phase motors up to 2kW. It’s
ideal for various industrial applica-
tions and has been developed in
conjunction with motion control
specialist Robox. It combines ST’s
semiconductor technologies, in-
cluding 1200V/40A IGBT power
switches and the TD352 gate driver.
Two STM32 MCUs provide powerful
processing for motor control and
networking functions. A real time
communication interface supports
protocols such as EtherCAT and
Fujitsu Semiconductor Supports
Cadence C-to-Silicon Compiler
Fujitsu Semiconductor now
supports Cadence’s C-to-Silicon
Compiler for high level synthesis
in ASIC design flows. C-to-Sili-
con Compiler reckons to be the
only high level synthesis tool
that embeds production RTL
synthesis to generate implemen-
tation ready RTL for the target
application.
Result is a predictable flow
from transaction level to GDSII,
with the ability to apply ECO
patches throughout, effectively
reducing system realisation
time. A separate Fujitsu sub-
sidiary has already begun using
C-to-Silicon Compiler in produc-
tion on a large scale design.
CANopen DS402 is akso provided.
Basic firmware supporting net-
work connectivity and featuring
PWM driving, current loop and
speed loop execution synchronised
to fieldbus is also available. The
module supports firmware and logic
customization, allowing designers
full control over the motor control al-
gorithm and Ethernet fieldbus type.
“The SPIMD20 combines custom
configurability, high performance,
and the convenience of distributed
control for the first time in an off
the shelf module,” comments Mat-
teo Lo Presti, ST’s Group VP &
General Manager. “This combina-
tion of features is a breakthrough in
motion control that will enable de-
velopers to reduce engineering
costs, cut time to market, and
quickly scale their designs as mar-
 For full editorial
kets and opportunities evolve.”
 Datasheet Download
“Our customers want to adopt
high level synthesis based on
System C in order to increase
their design and verification pro-
ductivity, and enable wider re-
use of their IP,” says Fujitsu
Semiconductor General Man-
ager Takashi Hasegawa. “We
have carefully evaluated Ca-
dence C-to-Silicon Compiler,
which delivers the capability to
handle ECOs at any time, and its
contribution to rapid system de-
velopment. As a result, we have
decided to support its use by our
customers, and we are planning
to use it internally on a produc-
 For full editorial
tion design.”
Video Core IP
Delivers H.264 MVC
Decode & Encode
The PowerVR VXD392 decoder
and VXE382 encoder from Imagi-
nation Technologies, includes
support for H.264 MVC, WebM
(VP8; decode), S3D (Stereoscopic
3D) and resolutions up to UltraHD.
PowerVR VXD392 is a low
power, high performance, multi-
standard and multi-stream ultra
HD hardware video decoder IP
core. It enables widely supported
standards of any video IP core and
now includes support for WebM
(VP8) as well as the likes of Stereo
3D and H.264 MVC. VXD392 also
enables up to 4k x 4k resolutions
for UltraHD and full resolution top
and bottom or side by side displays
for stereoscopic applications.
H.264 MVC enables multiple
Kit Trio Targets
DSP Development
Three new development kits from
Xilinx further extend the ability
of DSP developers to easily adopt
FPGAs in order to reach the high-
est levels of signal processing per-
formance, optimise for cost and
power and relieve system bottle-
necks through co-processing.
As Xilinx Targeted Design Plat-
forms are made possible through
work with industry leading distri-
bution, design services, tools and
hardware partners, the new addi-
tions to the Xilinx DSP portfolio give
developers the hardware, tools and
reference designs to ensure a pro-
ductive design flow across a di-
verse range of DSP applications.
“We recognise that the market
demands for DSP and design ap-
Vocallo MGW
Supports Iskratel
Transcoding
Octasic’s Vocallo MGW multi-core
DSP platform has been selected by
Iskratel for fast growing conver-
gent networks. Iskratel has inte-
grated the Vocallo MGW platform
into the latest version of its SI3000
SMG signalling and media gate-
way launched in October.
Iskratel’s new version includes a
peripheral blade equipped with Oc-
tasic’s Vocallo MGW multi-core
processor for voice and video over IP.
Using Iskratel's SI3000 SMG, opera-
tors can upgrade their infrastructure
to a next generation IP network,
while still keeping existing equip-
ment in place, to offer voice services
www.electronicspecifier.com

view point television, advanced
S3D video imaging and immersive
teleconferencing. The multi-stream
VXD architecture is suited to en-
abling the two main MVC use
cases: Stereo High Profile, which
targets two view stereoscopic 3D
video and Multiview High Profile,
which supports two or more views
using both inter-picture and inter-
view prediction.
VXD392 delivers significant
bandwidth reduction compared to
previous generation technology to
give industry leading performance,
even in the case of artificially ex-
treme benchmarks such as Allegro.
Further enhancements in latency
tolerance deliver high performance
with minimised system require-
ments - essential for application
platform SoCs where there are
multiple high bandwidth demands
 For full editorial
on the unified memory sub-system.
proaches are broad and have thus
far worked with TI, Avnet Electron-
ics Marketing, MathWorks and
4DSP,” says Xilinx Director Tim Er-
javec, “to provide complete devel-
opment platforms that deliver de-
sign methodologies aligned to the
way developers work. Working to-
gether, we are delivering kits that
provide developers with the ideal
balance of FPGA, processor and
DSP resources for a wide range of
DSP applications.”
Xilinx Targeted Design Platforms
can easily scale, adding new capa-
bilities, standards, features and
support. Xilinx, customers, part-
ners or other third parties can eas-
ily deliver enhanced capabilities to
an existing platform, which in-
creases value for end users and re-
duces development and invest-
 For full editorial
ment schedules.
with an optimal user experience.
“The deployment of soft switch
based architectures,” notes Matjaž
Jelen, Iskratel’s Product Manager, “is
a growing trend, but like most tele-
com operators, our customers have
made substantial investments in
their network infrastructure and
aren’t looking to rebuild from scratch
to match this trend. Using our latest
SI3000 SMG, our customers are now
able to take full advantage of the
new multi-core processing power for
wideband codecs, audio transcoding
and voice quality enhancement.
With Octasic’s Vocallo MGW multi-
core processors, which bring high
capacity, low latency audio trans-
coding, we can offer an all in one so-
lution that delivers the ultimate in
 For full editorial
network deployment flexibility.”
www.electronicspecifier.com
Software Interface Standard
Extended With DSP Library
Version 2.0 of CMSIS, the Arm Cor-
tex microcontroller software inter-
face standard is released. The en-
hanced version of the vendor inde-
pendent hardware abstraction layer
contains extensions for the Cortex
M4 processor and includes the
CMSIS-DSP library of highly opti-
mised signal processing algorithms.
The CMSIS-DSP library includes
vector operations, matrix computing,
complex arithmetic, filter functions,
control functions, PID controller,
Fourier transforms and many other
frequently used DSP algorithms.
LDRA Supports
x86 Assembler
Certification
LDRA’s tool suite variant supports
x86 assembler syntax. And for x86
assembler platforms, including
ASM486/386/286/ 186, Pharlap,
MASM and Borland Assembler, this
LDRA implementation provides
scalable support for any x86 assem-
bler variant. This integration enables
certification for legacy applications
not otherwise certifiable.
By applying LDRA’s language in-
dependent representation to assem-
bly code, LDRA has finely tuned the
capabilities of its tool suite to include
x86 assembler. The integration pro-
vides x86 assembler based applica-
tions gain assembly static analysis,
assembly coverage and artefact and
report creation consistent with other
 For full editorial
LDRA tools.
Deploying Android For
Mobile Transactions
 NXP says it’s the technology partner of choice in providing fast, low
risk, field proven and interoperable solutions for handset manufactur-
ers, network operators and service providers that want to deploy An-
droid mobile transaction services. Check out the video!
Most algorithms are available in
floating point and various fixed point
formats and are optimised for the
Cortex-M3 and Cortex-M4 proces-
sors. The Cortex-M4 implementation
uses the Arm DSP Single Instruction
Multiple Data instruction set and
floating point hardware to fully en-
able the capabilities of the Cortex-
M4 processor for signal processing
algorithms. The optimised CMSIS-
DSP library is written entirely in C
and is delivered with source code
enabling software programmers to
adapt algorithms for specific applica-
Development Platform Embeds
USB 2.0 Connectivity
Future Devices Technology In-
ternational, FTDI, has unleashed
Vinculo, an embedded development
platform inspired by the popular Ar-
DESIGN & EMBEDDED
tion requirements.
“The CMSIS-DSP library extends
the application range of Cortex-M3
and Cortex-M4 processor based mi-
crocontrollers into high performance,
low power signal processing,” com-
ments Arm’s Reinhard Keil, Director
of MCU Tools. “The Cortex-M4 ver-
sion of the library uses instruction set
extensions to boost execution speed
by a factor of two for fixed point and a
factor of ten for floating point DSP al-
gorithms. The standardisation of the
optimised CMSIS-DSP library re-
duces software development costs
and provides the ARM ecosystem
with a foundation for filter design
utilities and other high level DSP de-
 For full editorial
velopment tools.”
duino Duemilanove and Uno. This
platform enables designers to inte-
grate USB 2.0 interfacing via FTDI's
Vinculum II VNC2-64 dual channel
USB host and slave controller with
the capability of interfacing to the
growing range of I/O application
boards developed by the Arduino
open source community.
VNC2 combines a 16bit, 48MHz
CPU core with 256KB of Flash mem-
ory and 16KB of SRAM, providing
support for external UART, FIFO,
PWM, GPIO and SPI slave and mas-
ter interfaces. The Vinculo platform
brings together all the hardware and
software needed for rapid develop-
ment of innovative, cost-effective
embedded systems.
As a further enhancement, the
Vinculo module integrates an eight
channel, 10bit ADC. It also supports
38 GPIO connections and USB A
and mini B host and device connec-
tors on a 55.38x68.58mm board. The
on-board ADC simplifies connection
to sensors, actuators and other ana-
 For full editorial
logue devices.
 Datasheet Download
electronicspecifier | January 2011 | 11
DESIGN & EMBEDDED
Integrity Secures
Virtualisation For
TI’s OMAP 4
Integrity Secure Virtualisation from
Green Hills Software for TI mul-
ticore OMAP 4 applications
processors are built on Green Hills
Software's Integrity real time oper-
ating system. ISV for the OMAP 4
platform utilises TI's built-in M-
Shield technology based on Arm
TrustZone technology. As a result,
ISV creates a bulletproof partition
between security and real time
critical applications hosted by the
Integrity RTOS and a general pur-
pose multimedia OS such as An-
droid, Meego or Windows.
ISV for OMAP 4 is aimed at
Femtocell Base
Station App Now
On The Web
Pulse’s application based sales
tool for designing a femtocell base
station is available on the Pulse
Electronics website. It links key
components and other products
used in wireless home networking
applications. Details on how to
use the products within the appli-
cation are easily accessed, ensur-
ing best fit when designing fem-
tocell base stations.
The tool provides a block dia-
gram for the application. When
the user clicks on a specific part
in the diagram, a full range of
products appears with complete
information for each one: from
there the customer can access
data sheets and perform an on-
line stock check, simplifying the
selection process.
If the user clicks on LAN compo-
nents, for example, a range of sur-
face mount and through-hole
transformer magnetic options are
displayed, including Ethernet
magnetic transformers and RJ45
with integrated magnetics, while if
WiFi/cellular is selected, a variety
 For full editorial
of antenna solutions appear.
14 | January 2011 | electronicspecifier
leading developers of smart-
phones. Related support will be
available for select customers. The
solution will be distributed across
other applicable markets, includ-
ing consumer electronics seg-
ments, software defined radio and
network security appliances.
“Mobile devices powered by
OMAP technology put unparallelled
computing into the hands of users,”
says TI’s Robert Tolbert. “With this
benefit comes the challenge of pro-
visioning and managing secure vir-
 For full editorial
tualisation platforms.”
VarioTAP Ported To
FPGA Embedded
Softcore
Goepel has a dedicated model li-
brary for Xilinx MicroBlaze softcore
architecture that supports the inno-
vative emulation technology Vario-
TAP. The libraries, described as Var-
ioTAP models, are structured
modularly as intelligent IP and en-
able a complete fusion of Boundary
Scan test and JTAG emulation.
Employing this technology, em-
bedded or external Flash can be in-
system programmed via the native
processor function. Furthermore,
VarioTAP supports interlaced bus
emulation and system emulation
tests for extended JTAG and bound-
ary scan functionality.
“From our point of view,” says
Goepel MD Thomas Wenzel, “the fu-
ture of embedded belongs to FPGA
based systems because of their flex-
ibility and the currently available in-
tegration level. Our VarioTAP mod-
els for Xilinx MicroBlaze support one
of the most widely used softcores on
the market. Now we are able for the
first time to execute respective
hardware configurations and subse-
quently implement FPGA central
 For full editorial
test and programming strategies.”
DesignWare MIPI IP Portfolio
Expands With DSI Host Controller
Synopsys’s DesignWare IP for the Synopsys's configurable Design-
Mobile Industry Processor Interface Ware MIPI DSI Host Controller IP
Display Serial Interface host con- features a rich feature set that en-
troller broadens the DesignWare ables designers to easily incorpo-
MIPI IP portfolio consisting of the rate display sub-systems into mo-
DigRFSM v3 (2.5G/3.0G) and Di- bile devices through a standard
gRFSM v4 (4G), CSI-2, M-PHY and interface. The DesignWare MIPI
D-PHY protocols. DSI Host Controller can support up
The DesignWare MIPI DSI host to four data lanes at speeds of up to
controller is fully compliant with 1Gbps of data per lane, providing a
the latest MIPI Alliance specifica- high speed serial interface be-
tions for DSI, Display Pixel Interface tween an application processor and
(DPI-2), Display Bus Interface (DBI- MIPI DSI compliant display. Inter-
2) and Display Command Set facing to the MIPI D-PHY can be
(DCS). Using a single vendor solu- through the PHY Protocol Interface
tion for DSI display sub-systems (PPI), as defined in the MIPI Al-
lowers integration risk and cost liance specification for the D-PHY
 For full editorial
while speeding time to market for (v.1.00.00).
mobile systems on chip.
Lattice Into Print
boards. All the
On Power 2 You
functions that
control various
power rails com-
A hard copy print version of Lattice prise board power
Semiconductor’s Power 2 You book management.
is now available, providing designers Designers have
with 150 pages of technical details traditionally imple-
and design considerations for imple- mented each of
menting common circuit board these functions
power management functions. The using a set of sin-
author is Srirama Chandra. gle function ICs
Modern circuit boards use VLSIs and their associ-
such as CPUs, FPGAs and ASICs to ated passive com-
perform primary processing func- ponents. To select
tions. These VLSIs require multiple these components, a designer must
board mounted supplies that should refer to multiple application notes
be turned on in a specific sequence, and datasheets from various vendors.
monitored for faults and trimmed for Given the complexity of modern cir-
voltage accuracy. In addition, the cuit boards, this approach to power
input power to the board requires management has become unwieldy
 For full editorial
redundant power management and and time consuming.
a hot swap function for plug-in
SuperH MCU Targets DSP
 For motor control, solar and frequency inverter, as well as industrial
drives applications, Renesas’s SH2A based microcontroller boasts
320DMIPS performance running directly from flash: no tricks; no wait
states; just high performance. And with an IRQ response of just six clock
cycles and a superscalar core, the device, says the company, is not only
fit for purpose but is an exceptional device in the market today!
www.electronicspecifier.com

Talus Vortex FX
Excels In Multi-
Million Cell Design
Talus Vortex FX from Magma De-
sign Automation is heralded as
the first and only IC implementation
solution to fully utilise distributed
computing for place and route.
Talus Vortex FX is up to three
times faster than Magma's new
Talus 1.2, also just launched and sig-
nificantly increases productivity and
provides higher capacity, enabling
designers to implement multi-mil-
lion cell designs flat and to generate
2~5million cells/day with crosstalk
avoidance, advanced on-chip varia-
tion and multi-mode multi-corner
analysis enabled, using existing
hardware. Talus Vortex FX is the
ideal solution for very large, complex
advanced node designs.
“Talus Vortex FX catapults
Magma’s place and route technol-
ogy far beyond anything else out
there,” boasts Rajeev Madhavan,
Magma’s CEO. “Our investment in
Distributed Smart Sync has yielded
great benefits. It puts Magma in the
position of enabling designers to ac-
celerate the development cycle of
more complex and differentiated
products without lengthening de-
sign cycles, increasing hardware
 For full editorial
costs or adding resources.”
Maths Library Now
Available for HiFi
Audio DSPs
The NatureDSP maths library from
IntegrIT DSP Design House, is
now available for Tensilica's HiFi
Audio DSPs for SoC design. The
IntegrIT NatureDSP maths library
simplifies software development
for design teams that want to port
their own software codecs to the
hi-fi audio DSP. The IntegrIT Na-
ture DSP Signal+ is a collection of
signal processing routines needed
for implementation of typical digi-
tal signal processing functions
which efficiently utilise the hi-fi
audio DSP architecture. It contains
highly optimised routines for filter-
ing, FFT, matrix, trigonometric and
other math operations.
“Tensilica's hi-fi audio DSP is
very popular and in use in every-
thing from cellular phones to digi-
tal radio and home entertainment
products,” states Dmitry Paroshin,
Managing Partner at IntegrIT.
“Now, with this library, developers
will get high performance maths
functions that will speed their de-
 For full editorial
velopment efforts.”
www.electronicspecifier.com
M a r ki P u ts S ur f a c e Mo u nt
Pa c k a g e G u i d e O n T h e We b
The Surface Mount Package Guide
from Marki Microwave is now
available on the company website,
covering the surface mount carrier
options available for a wide range of
Marki’s mixers, doublers, amplifier/
doublers and passive components
for operation up to 30GHz. The
Marki Microwave product range
plus technical guidance and support
is available in the UK from exclusive
Development Board
Simplifies Design
CraneBoard from Mistral Solu-
tions is a low cost Arm based de-
velopment board providing design-
ers with a fully open source PCB and
a design to reduce development
costs. It provides a cost-effective, al-
ternative development option to TI’s
AM35x Sitara Arm Cortex-A8 MPU
evaluation module, says the com-
pany, and also utilises support and
resources from the open source
BeagleBoard community.
Based on TI’s AM35x Sitara Arm
Cortex-A8 MPU, CraneBoard pro-
vides features not available on ex-
isting open source, low cost devel-
opment boards, including Power
over Ethernet and CAN bus inter-
faces for use in industrial applica-
tions such as HMI, with CAN suit-
able for automotive applications.
Micrium Adds
RTOS Support
To PSoC 5
Micrium's uC/OS-III RTOS now
supports Cypress's PSoC 5 devel-
opment platform. The programma-
ble analogue and digital peripher-
als in PSoC 5, says Cypress, along
with the high performance 32bit
Arm Cortex-M3 processor, position
PSoC 5 for demanding applications
such as industrial, medical, auto-
motive, and consumer equipment.
PSoC 5 devices provide indus-
try leading integrated analogue
resources and powerful, PLD
distributor, Admiral Microwaves.
The publication is an easy refer-
ence guide providing useful infor-
mation on device footprint, via
type, carrier material and maxi-
mum frequency of operation for
the various carriers to suit differ-
ent devices. Embedded links are
included to the product data on
 For full editorial
the Marki website.
The CraneBoard offers numerous
integrated peripherals and provides
users with flexible power options
such as a power over dc wall adapt-
er, PoE enabled by TI’s TPS23750
PoE controller and USB for portabil-
ity. An expansion port allows added
functionality such as an LCD panel,
along with wireless and audio capa-
bilities. This is compatible with
other Arm Cortex-A8 open source
boards and a complete open source
board support package for Linux is
 For full editorial
also available.
based universal digital blocks for
implementing standard and cus-
tom digital peripherals.
Micrium's middleware is ideal
for the Arm Cortex-M3 based 32bit
applications targeted by the PSoC
5 Cortex-M3 platform. All three
technologies complement each
other, providing the embedded en-
gineer with a cadre of development
tools, M3 debug capabilities, fast
time to prototype, ease of use, and
more. By adding analogue compo-
nents in a programmable fabric,
the result is reduced complexity
and the ability to make changes
 For full editorial
easily in the field.
DESIGN & EMBEDDED
Kit Simplifies
Medical Device
Wireless Design
Zarlink Semiconductor’s new
application development kit helps
users speed the design and evalua-
tion of wireless telemetry systems
linking implanted medical devices
and home monitoring and pro-
gramming equipment.
“Customers are designing our
wireless radio technology into ap-
proved applications,” says Zarlink's
Steve Swift, “including pacemakers
and implantable cardiac defibrilla-
tors, and a widening range of new
devices such as cardiac monitors
and neuromodulation systems. Our
new application development kit of-
fers customers a complete hardware
and software solution to speed the
development of ultra-low power,
highly reliable and standards com-
pliant medical communication sys-
tems built on Zarlink's proven med-
ical wireless expertise.”
The ZLE70102 ADK supports full
speed data test, link statistics and
power monitoring of end to end
medical communications telemetry
systems enabled by the ZL70102
(Medical Implant Communication
Service) radio platform. The applica-
tion development kit enables users
to evaluate wireless performance in
a range of environments and adjust
algorithms to reduce overall power
 For full editorial
consumption.
Fujitsu ASICs Flow
With Cynthesizer
Cynthesizer synthesis software from
Forte Design Systems, has been
selected for use in Fujitsu Semicon-
ductor's ASIC reference flow for the
new 40nm process technologies,
along with 90 and 65nm processes.
“Forte continues to prove its value
as a provider of high level synthe-
sis,” remarks Fujitsu’s Takashi
Hasegawa. “Cynthesizer met or ex-
ceeded our stringent requirements,
giving internal and external design
teams a System C based, high level
synthesis tool for register transfer
level sign-off.”
Cynthesizer was chosen following
extensive testing using the ad-
vanced process technology of a
40nm library to ensure high quality
results. It is available to internal and
external design teams worldwide for
functional validation and timing for
hand-off examples. Forte and Fujitsu
Semiconductor will jointly develop
the high level synthesis library for
 For full editorial
the latest technology.
electronicspecifier | January 2011 | 15
ACTIVE COMPONENTS
HDMI Receivers
Enhance AV
Performance
Smallest, single chip receivers to
incorporate HDMI v1.4a support for
3D display resolutions and ex-
tended colorimetry are ADI's
ADV7611 low power, 165MHz re-
ceiver and the ADV7612 225MHz,
dualport receiver with Xpressview
fast switching technology. They
enable AV designers to deliver rich
feature sets and HD performance
traditionally reserved for higher
priced entertainment systems,
says the company.
Compared to the competition,
ADV7611 10x10x1.6mm and
ADV7612 14x14x1.6mm devices
come in a 50% smaller footprint,
with a 25% reduction in power
consumption for designs with 720p
and 1080p resolutions.
The receivers extend ADI’s Ad-
vantiv advanced TV solutions port-
folio and are effective for power
sensitive, ultra-slim home theatre
in a box systems, projectors, AVRs,
high bit rate TVs, matrix switches
 For full editorial
and sound bar speaker systems.
 Datasheet 1 Download
 Datasheet 2 Download
Processor Raises
The Bar For
Mobile Design
Applications processor enhance-
ments to TI’s OMAP440 deliver
impressive performance improve-
ments including a x1.25 increase
in graphics performance, a 30%
decrease in web page loading
time and a twofold increase in
1080p video playback perform-
ance. Clock speeds are as fast as
1.5GHz via the Arm Cortex-A9
MPCore.
These performance advantages,
along with other feature enhance-
ments, says TI, reaffirm the OMAP
4 platform's ability to drive coveted
smartphone and tablet user expe-
riences including 1080p stereo-
scopic 3D, 1080p video conferenc-
ing and gesture recognition.
“The increased performance
given by the OMAP4440 applica-
tions processor illustrates TI’s abil-
ity to push mobile computing pos-
sibilities with the right processor
architecture enveloped in the right
platform,” comments TI VP Remi
El-Ouazzane. “We seized an op-
portunity to enhance the platform
capabilities driving the OMAP
 For full editorial
4430 processor’s success today.”
 Datasheet Download
16 | January 2011 | electronicspecifier
D i a l o g B r i n g s 3 D To
Sm artp hon es &
Ta b l e t P C s
First real time 2D to 3D video con-
version chip for portable devices in-
cluding smartphones and tablet PCs,
is DA8223 from Dialog Semicon-
ductor. The device also integrates a
parallax barrier screen driver that
lets users view 3D content without
the need for glasses.
This chip analyses each 2D video
frame and creates a layered depth
map, isolating foreground and back-
ground objects. It then maps each
original image pixel into left and
right eye pixels that, when viewed
through a parallax barrier filter on the
display module, renders the 3D
image directly.
DA8223 integrates the complete
3D conversion which means that
Tiny Two Channel ADC
unlike traditional software based so-
Saves Space & Power
Maxim’s Max11645 is heralded as
the industry's smallest two channel
ADC. This 12bit I2C device includes
an internal reference in a tiny
1.9x2.2mm wafer level package. A
0.5mm pitch, 4x3 bump array
makes for easy layout on four layer
PCBs while its slim, 0.64mm height
makes it ideal for PCB designs with
components on both sides.
This ADC minimises external
component count and total solution
size, says Maxim. It only requires a
0.1μf ceramic by-pass capacitor on
the supply voltage input. Combin-
ing a compact footprint with low
power dissipation - 18μW at 1ms
conversion - Max11645 is suitable
for applications ranging from ener-
gy harvesting sensors to portable
consumer electronics and point of
load monitoring.
Max11645 is capable of sample
rates up to 94ksamples/s which,
says the company, is 28 times faster
than the nearest competitor in a
lutions, there is no extra load on the
host application processor and no
external memory requirement.
“The demand for a 3D experience
on your smartphone is now here but
very little 3D content currently ex-
ists,” says Dialog VP Mark Tyndall.
“Using the DA8223, our customers
can, without compromising battery
life, create products with immediate
access to unlimited 3D content.
DA8223 is the first hardware based
2D to 3D conversion technology op-
timised for portable devices. It re-
quires virtually no software develop-
ment and uses a fraction of the
battery and compute power of com-
 For full editorial
peting approaches.”
 Datasheet Download
comparable solution size. By taking
advantage of the ADC's high sam-
ple rate, multiple channels can be
converted in a short period of time.
This allows the device to spend
more time shutdown, further reduc-
ing system power consumption.
Max11645 operates from a single
2.7~3.6V supply and includes a
2.048V internal reference. This 12bit
device provides up to 70dB SINAD,
±1 LSB maximum INL and DNL
error, plus 0.3ppm/OC gain error
 For full editorial
temperature drift.
 Datasheet Download
High Voltage Line
Driver Has IO-Link
Functionality
ZMD’s cost-effective IO-Link line
driver and level shifter IC features a
high voltage I/O channel that meets
the physical layer requirements of
sensor and actuator systems used
in factory automation applications.
This new line driver is said to be
ideal for all kinds of sensors and ac-
tuators used in the harsh environ-
ment of automation applications. It
provides a wide range of config-
urable system features.
The IO-Link drivers are fully pro-
grammable ranging from slew rate,
and current settings to diagnostics
features. “Since last year's intro-
duction of the ZIOL2401,” com-
ments Bernhard Huber, ZMDI’s
Standard Products Business Line
Manager, “we have seen a lot of in-
terest in IO-Link products from the
market. Responding to customer
demand, we developed the
ZIOL2211 to complement the
ZIOL2401 and thus enable design-
ers to achieve the optimum bal-
 For full editorial
ance of price and performance.”
 Datasheet Download
Multi-Processor
Powers Graphics IP
PowerVR SGX554 from Imagina-
tion Technologies, is a high per-
formance graphics core for embed-
ded and mobile applications with full
multi-processor capability. It can be
implemented as a high performance,
eight pipe single core or in multi-
processor configurations of 2~16
cores or 16~128 pipes.
The new core is the latest mem-
ber of Imagination's PowerVR Se-
ries5XT family which is poised to
bring new levels of performance to
mobile and embedded graphics. It
provides full support for DirectX 9
Feature Level 3 with maximum
hardware acceleration, making it
ideal for tablets, computing devices
and smartphones.
Tony King-Smith, Imagination’s
Marketing VP says, “This latest
PowerVR Series5XT core will deliver
new levels of embedded graphics
capabilities. SGX554 pushes the
upper boundaries of performance in
power and cost-constrained embed-
ded environments, while building on
our unrivalled portfolio of APIs across
every significant embedded and
desktop operating system. What’s
more we have been shipping DX9
level parts for more than three years,
 For full editorial
in millions of units.”
www.electronicspecifier.com

Mars Delivers Longterm
High Temperature Reliability
Cissoid’s new Planet Mars high
temperature 30V small signal p-
channel MOSFET transistor is suit-
able for longterm reliable operation
over -55~+225°C. With its extreme
temperature robustness, its input
capacitance of only 14pF and its
gate leakage limited to 400nA at
225°C, this 30V transistor is ideal
for high temperature sensor inter-
faces such as piezoelectric sensors
or to implement guard amplifiers.
This logic level p-MOSFET
sources up to 310mA at 225°C and
can be used to switch medium or
high resistances, converting, for
First Optical
Module Enables
Multimode 40Gbps
Avago’s four channel parallel optic
QSFP+ transceiver module for
40Gbit Ethernet applications en-
ables data communication and in-
terconnect applications that inte-
grate four independent 10Gbps
data lanes in each direction to pro-
vide 40Gbps aggregate bandwidth.
AFBR-79E4Z pluggable modules
are also said to provide an ideal al-
ternative to copper interconnects
for switch and router connections,
data aggregation systems and
backplane applications.
The proliferation of videos and
multimedia files in business envi-
ronments is placing a premium on
3D HD Solution Is
Camera Hot Shot
Ambarella’s complete 3D cam-
era solution includes the new S3D
video pre-processor. It works with
Ambarella's A5s and A7 camera
SoCs to enable full HD 1080p 3D
video recording and high resolu-
tion 3D photography with excep-
tional image quality. It connects to
two standard CMOS image sen-
sors and processes the image
data to create a single video
stream for the A5s or A7 camera
SoCs. It also supports the display
of 3D video and still images on the
camera’s 3D LCD.
“Ambarella’s new S3D based
www.electronicspecifier.com
example, a 3.3/5V logic signal to a
high voltage open source output
with turn on/off times lower than
10ns. With the gate tied to the
source, Mars can also perform as a
30V small current diode for high re-
liability at high temperature.
Mars complements Mercury, the
Planet n-channel equivalent for en-
gineers needing reliable, simple
discrete analogue or digital circuits
at high temperature such as pre-
regulators, low drop-out regulators,
level shifters, CMOS switches or
 For full editorial
open source/drain logic on a bus.
bandwidth and density in data
centres and high performance
computing applications. Copper in-
terconnects present significant
challenges to achieve 40Gbps
bandwidth performance, and their
power and size requirements are
inefficient for higher bandwidth ap-
plications. Thus system designers
are making the transition to optical
interconnects that handle higher
bandwidths for longer reach
lengths. They also consume less
power, improve electromagnetic
noise resistance and provide more
flexible cable management than
copper based solutions.
“Avago has a long history of opti-
cal fibre firsts going back to our HP
roots,” comments Marketing Man-
ager Tina Ohlhaver, “and we are
pleased to add this new 40Gbit
Ethernet QSFP+ transceiver solu-
tion to the list. Avago is positioned
to bring such innovative fibreoptics
to market with the unmatched reli-
ability of our in-house laser tech-
 For full editorial
nology and our IC know-how.”
 Datasheet Download
camera solution enables a new
generation of HD 3D cameras at
consumer price points and with
outstanding video quality up to
1080p60 resolution,” says Fermi
Wang, Ambarella’s CEO, “con-
sumers are finally able to create
3D movies and still pictures that
fully exploit the capabilities of
their full HD, 3D televisions.”
When combined with Am-
barella’s A7 HD camera SoC, the
S3D enables development of cam-
eras up to 1080p60 resolution
while combining it with Am-
barella’s A5s HD camera SoC en-
ables resolutions of 1080p30,
 For full editorial
1080i60 or 720p60.
ACTIVE COMPONENTS
Meridian Moves Forward With XMOS
 With groundbreaking developments in high performance audio and
visual technology, Meridian says it’s out to lose as little as possible
from the original source. And the result is richer, more detailed repro-
duction where information is processed beyond the range of the
human ear and to the limits of the human eye.
Programmable DSP has previously been used by Meridian but to
achieve what it needed, many different modules were called for.
XMOS embedded processors brought the way forward, integrating
many functions on a single chip and also providing high performance
with the low component count. Now XMOS is its choice when creat-
ing new products. See why...
Receiver Chips Into Latin American DTV
Siano Mobile Silicon’s SMS2270 transition from analogue to digital
targets the digital TV markets of TV,” comments Alexandre Gold-
Latin America and Japan, support- man of IDC Telecom Research &
ing ISDB-T HD DTV technology, Consulting. “A necessary condi-
also known as ISDB-T full segment. tion for that is the availability of af-
Following success in the mobile fordable digital TV sets and set-top
segment of the DTV market in boxes that can be used by the
Latin America, this new Siano mass population in these coun-
product now addresses the home tries. Siano’s new receiver prod-
TV market, car TV, and HD ucts support the increasing de-
portable TV applications. mand for a high quality,
 For full editorial
“Most countries in Latin Amer- cost-effective front end solution.”
ica are pushing to accelerate the
Silicon TV Tuner Delivers Immunity
To Wireless Network Interference
Integrating immunity to wireless
network interference from wire-
less LAN and mobile
phones, the TDA18273
hybrid silicon tuner,
says NXP Semi-
conductors, is par-
ticularly important as
a growing number of
TVs now feature WLAN IP TV and
or Google TV capabilities. can be
TDA18273 supports worldwide used on a
analogue and digital TV stan- PCB or in a tuner
dards, and functions as a single can. By using the
universal tuner platform for terres- TDA18273, system design-
trial and cable TV reception. ers can also achieve a small tuner
With an extremely low noise size that streamlines the physical
 For full editorial
figure of 4dB, TDA18273 boasts design of LED backlit LCD TVs.
 Datasheet Download
significant performance improve-
ments over traditional can tuners,
electronicspecifier | January 2011 | 17
ACTIVE COMPONENTS
Ste reo A udi o
Am p En ha n ce s
H ome Mu ltim ed ia
Tomorrow's home AV equipment
and set-top boxes featuring TS4604
stereo audio amplifiers, says STMi-
croelectronics, combine several
audio improvements contributing to
Serial 128Kb F-RAM Devices Are Automotive Grade
New serial F-RAM devices join
Ramtron‘s V family product
line that meets with stringent
AEC-Q100 Grade 3 automotive
qualification standards.
FM24V01-G and FM25V01-G
are 128Kb, high performance
non-volatile F-RAM memories
that operate over 2~3.6V in the
automotive temperature range
of -40~+85°C.
FM24V01, with its serial I2C
interface, has a typical active
current of 90µA at 100kHz.
FM25V01 performs at 40MHz
full bus speed with an active cur-
Video SerDes Transceiver Eyes
Automotive Rear View Video Safety
Intersil’s ISL76321 SerDes inter-
face IC targets automotive rear
view safety systems. This single
chip transceiver solution simplifies
system design by sending video
18 | January 2011 | electronicspecifier
enhanced ownership.
TS4604 integrates a 100mW
stereo headphone output and a
driver for audio line out connection
of LCD and plasma TVs, set-top
rent of 2.5mA over a standard se-
rial peripheral interface.
data, bi-directional control informa-
tion and power across a single
shielded twisted pair. The product
allows designers to lower system
costs and simplify designs while
boxes, PVRs, Blu-ray players and
PC audio products such as sound
cards. It features low power opera-
tion and dedicated shutdown con-
trol, as well as self-muting to en-
hance the listening experience by
preventing audible pop and click
when external factors cause the
supply voltage to dip.
Equipment designs can also be
simplified, delivering cost savings,
because the TS4604 integrates
charge pump circuitry supplying
negative voltage to the amplifiers.
Hence only a single 3~4.8V external
supply is needed to sustain the am-
plifier’s output signal which can be
up to 2Vrms at the line driver output.
There is also no need for a high
voltage power supply, says ST, for
the line out circuitry. DC blocking
capacitors are also eliminated, sav-
 For full editorial
ing cost and PCB space.
 Datasheet Download
F-RAM memory features
NoDelay writes, virtually un-
limited read/write cycles and
low power consumption.
The devices are said to be
hardware drop-in replace-
ments for 128Kb serial EE-
PROMs in automotive, indus-
trial control, metering,
medical, military, gaming,
and computing applications.
The devices come in industry
 For full editorial
standard 8pin SOICs.
 Datasheet 1 Download
 Datasheet 2 Download
improving transmission distance
and video image quality.
ISL76321 expands Intersil's port-
folio to provide a complete rear
view camera safety solution in the
Intersil Techwell display manage-
ment, LED lighting, ambient light
sensing and power management
device portfolio. It concentrates up
to 16bit wide video data and bi-di-
rectional I2C control information on
a single high speed STP cable, and
can transmit data in excess of 20m.
Remote control of the far end of the
link, an attractive feature of the
ISL76321, allows a controller to ac-
cess an imager via its I2C interface
through which operating modes
and adjustments, such as exposure
and windowing, can be made. Ulti-
mately this feature facilitates cam-
era operation under dynamically
changing conditions. Sending con-
trol data over the same cable as the
video data eliminates unnecessary
complexity in wiring looms and re-
 For full editorial
duces weight.
Video Receiver
Delivers Low
Noise, High Output
RFMD's RFRX8888 video receiver
transimpedance amplifies the differ-
ential input from a high perform-
ance 1550nm optical wavelength
photo detector, delivering high
noise performance. Output is linear
low distortion RF over 48~1002
MHz. RFRX8888 is said to be ideal
for 1550nm optical wavelength RF
analogue or digital overlay video Rx
circuitry in xPON FTTP ONT
triplexer and quadplexer modules.
The device’s first stage features
integrated bias circuitry simplifying
external to IC end product design
and lowering overall end product
assembly cost. Optimised for opera-
tion from a +12Vdc supply consum-
ing just 1.4W, it eliminates the need
for a supplemental ONT power sup-
ply in most xPON applications.
RFRX8888’s ultra-low noise per-
formance, combined with high
output power, extends the per-
formance and lifetime of wired net-
works by improving the link mar-
gin and/or allowing more passive
 For full editorial
optical splits.
Active Star
IC Built To
FlexRay 2.1 Rev B
AS8223 from austriamicrosys-
tems is the first monolithic
FlexRay Standard V2.1 Rev B
compliant Active Star Device. It
manages communication traffic
among four FlexRay branches of
the network and is expandable
to more branches through an In-
terstar interface.
The four branches of the
AS8223 operate as a FlexRay re-
ceiver and transmitter. Addition-
ally, the AS8223 comes with a
host controller interface to achieve
active control of the power modes
and error diagnosis. An au-
tonomous mode is entered auto-
matically, in which the device op-
erates without the need for a host
controller. A Communication Con-
troller interface is also built into
the AS8223, to provide the stan-
dard transceiver functionality on
the ECU using the AS8223.
AS8223 is tailored for automo-
tive gateways with embedded
FlexRay Active Star functional-
ity. Connecting several devices
at its Interstar interface enables
FlexRay branch extensions to
 For full editorial
suit the needs of applications.
www.electronicspecifier.com
 ACTIVE COMPONENTS

SoC Trio Comes In Smaller Packages Hot Swap I2C Multiplexers

μPD63530, μPD63910 and μPD
63911 audio decoder SoCs from
Renesas, feature an integrated
USB host controller. The SoCs are
said to be ideal for use in automo-
tive and consumer products.
These devices come in 48pin,
low profile quad flatpacks said to
be 88% smaller than existing pack-
aging. μPD63530, μPD63910 and
In addition to a host controller sup-
porting USB 2.0, the devices inte-
grate all the functions needed in a
audio system to decode music in
three popular formats: MP3, Win-
dows Media Audio and AAC.
System features, says Renesas,
will shorten the time needed to
develop audio systems that play
audio data stored on USB memory
Provide Capacitive Buffering
LTC4312 and LTC4314, two
wire bus multiplexers from
Linear Technology pro-
vide individual enable pins
to connect an upstream I2C
bus to any combination of
downstream busses or
cards. The devices are pin

 For full editorial

μPD63911 allow easy software up- devices or SD cards. selectable multiplexers with
grading via external flash memory. bus buffers that reduce com-
ponent count while promot-

SoC WiFi, Base Band & Application

ing ideal I2C signal integrity. level translators. Many I2C and
LTC4312 multiplexes two chan- SMBus devices operate at different

Processor Now In Production

TZ1090 Xenif SoCs are now in pro-
duction at Toumaz for the latest
connected audio product from
DAB radio supplier Pure whose
One Flow delivers Internet con-
nected digital radio with music
purchase services in a new small
form factor. I’ts enabled by Tou-
maz’s TZ1090 Xenif 32bit proces-
sor based SoC, providing compre-
hensive WiFi, DAB and FM inte-
applications processing, communi-
cations, WiFi and a graphics and
audio sub-system for high level in-
tegration and performance. The
device is an all in one platform for
developing Wi-Fi products.
TZ1090 Xenif incorporates the
400MHz dual thread Meta HTP
32bit RISC processor from Imagina-
tion Technologies and is capable of
running Linux and Imagination’s
nels while the LTC4314 multiplexes
four. The devices allow easy I2C ad-
dress expansion, providing the
ability to address one of multiple
identical devices, thus resolving
address conflict issues. Bi-direc-
tional capacitive buffering allows
extension of the I2C bus size well
beyond the 400pF I2C bus specifi-
cation and prevents I2C signal cor-
ruption during live board insertion
or removal.
Both multiplexers are suitable for
a wide range of applications in-
supply voltage levels but they must
communicate in the same applica-
tion. LTC4312 and LTC4314 sup-
port level translation for bus volt-
ages over 1.5~5.5V, providing the
ability to power devices from differ-
ent supply voltages while main-
taining fully bi-directional commu-
nications between all devices in
the system.
Bi-directional buffering keeps
backplane and card capacitances
isolated, while maintaining low
offsets and high noise margins up

 For full editorial  For full editorial

gration in a single chip solution. new Flow for cloud connectivity. cluding radial architectures in to 0.3VCC.

 Datasheet Download
TZ1090 Xenif brings together telecommunications systems such
as ATCA, address expansion and
ACTIVE COMPONENTS
S in gle G ate L ogic
C o m es I n S ma l l
D F N Pa c k a g e
New 74LVC1GXX and 74LVCE1
GXX CMOS logic family versions
from Diodes Incorporated come
in DFN1410 packages measuring
1.4x1x0.4mm. These tiny single
High Temperature Dual Channel
Transceiver Delivers 2Mbit/s
Rhea is Cissoid’s high temperature
data transmission solution featuring
2.5kV galvanic isolation and operat-
ing reliably over -55~+225°C. The
CHT-RHEA is a single chip dual
channel, full duplex transceiver.
Magnetic isolation on each channel
is ensured by an external tiny pulse
transformer, of which the core diam-
eter does not exceed 6mm.
The complete four channel data
transmission requires one instance
of CHT-Rhea on each side of the
pulse transformers. Cissoid has al-
ready demonstrated the overall func-
tion at board level, including the
transformer on the full temperature
range. The PCB demonstrator based
on Cissoid components achieves a
Chip Powers Into Coffee Breaks
 Bosch’s new coffee machine uses Arm’s Cortex-M3 processor from
NXP to advantage.
20 | January 2011 | electronicspecifier
gate devices complement existing
SOT25 and SOT353 versions and
have been developed primarily for
cell phones, smartphones and
tablet computers.
data rate of 2Mbit/s, with transmis-
sion delays and jitter respectively
lower than 100ns and 25ns over the
full chain. The circuit architecture,
the modulation scheme and the
transformer design have been opti-
mised to provide immunity to ex-
treme dV/dt, as high as 50kV/µs.
The solution boasts high digital
Compared to wafer chip scale
packages, DFN1410 boasts lower
cost and reduced manufacturing
complexity. The new logic parts are
direct replacements for industry
standard components and include
AND, NAND, OR, NOR, XOR, inver-
sion and buffering functions. In
many applications, these low power
logic devices draw less than 1µA of
supply current, making them ideal
for use in battery powered products.
Providing a direct interface with
TTL levels, the 74LVC1GXX family
operates over 1.6~5.5V and the
74LVCE1GXX over 1.4~5.5V. The
wide input ranges allow both device
families to be used for voltage level
shifting. The output drive is ±24mA
at 3.3V. When they are powered
down, the logic devices' IOFF output
circuitry ensures that outputs are
disabled to prevent reverse current
 For full editorial
flow and to provide signal isolation.
 Datasheet Download
signal isolation with substantial ad-
vantages over optocouplers, includ-
ing high reliability, lower power, high
immunity to dV/dt and operation in
extreme temperature conditions.
CHT-Rhea is a versatile component
which is useful everywhere a digital
signal has to be transmitted with
galvanic isolation between two dif-
ferent common mode voltage do-
mains under extreme temperatures.
At conventional temperatures, Rhea
will ensure outstanding reliability
 For full editorial
and lifetime of the system.
 Datasheet Download
Co-Processor Is
Automotive First
SAF356x series flexible digital
radio co-processors for car enter-
tainment systems from NXP
Semiconductors, support DAB,
DAB+ and T-DMB reception, as
well as HD Radio. All standards are
supported for single and dual tuner
applications. SAF356x is said to be
the market's first multi-standard
base band processor for digital ter-
restrial radio systems, with soft-
ware that can be modified to sup-
port additional features in the
future, including standards such as
DRM or DRM+.
SAF356x is a digital radio proces-
sor that demodulates and processes
digital terrestrial radio signals and
outputs the decoded audio and
data. For HD Radio, it uses the
AM/FM signals from NXP's leading
radio/audio DSPs such as SAF7741
or its newest RFCMOS based digital
 For full editorial
single chip TEF663x.
15GHz RF Detector
Speeds Response
Linear Technology’s LTC5564 is
a precision RF power detector that
operates over 600MHz~15GHz,
with an exceptionally fast response
time of 7ns from a pulsed RF signal.
The device has an on-chip fast
comparator with a propagation
delay of 9ns.
The comparator threshold volt-
age is user settable, enabling a flex-
ible trip point. The device's output
may be latched by asserting a latch
enable pin, permitting a fast cap-
ture of a short duration, single event
signal or a fault condition. Its per-
formance is said to enable unprece-
dented speed in timing measure-
ments, rapid response to fault
detection and RF power measure-
ments in microwave systems.
LTC5564 can measure RF input
signals from -24~+16dBm. This dy-
namic range is provided by a pro-
grammable gain output amplifier
with four gain settings, which are
digitally controlled by two logic
 For full editorial
input pins that are binary weighed.
 Datasheet Download
Processor
Generates
Enhanced DVR
Utilising TI’s TMS320DM8168
DaVinci digital media processor,
video surveillance products and
solution specialist Hikvision re-
alised its new generation of DVR
products with significant en-
hancements in compression,
display and control functionality.
DM8168 consolidates all of the
capture, compression, display
and control functionalities of an
HD multi-channel system on to a
single chip to continue to meet
the increasing demand for highly
integrated, HD video. Designed
specifically for video security and
video communications applica-
tions, this DaVinci digital media
processor enables extreme inte-
gration including a 1GHz Arm
Cortex-A8, a 1GHz TI C674x DSP
core and several programmable
HD video image co-processors.
This integrated technology
developed by TI and imple-
mented on the single chip
DM8168 DaVinci digital media
processor reduces board size by
five times and power consump-
tion by three times, by replacing
the functionality of more than 10
 For full editorial
discrete components.
www.electronicspecifier.com

 
 



 

 
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POWER
Gain Blocks Are
Cellular Optimised
Two new gain block solutions from
Avago expand its high perform-
ance power amplifier family target-
ing cellular infrastructure applica-
tions. MGA-31589 and MGA-31689
0.5W gain blocks feature high lin-
earity, high gain, superior gain flat-
ness and low power dissipation.
MGA-31589 addresses 450~1500
MHz cellular and WiMax wireless
base station and other wireless sys-
tems and MGA-31689 is for 1500~
3000MHz applications.
MGA-31x89 power amplifiers are
optimised for frequency and improv-
ed performance across all major cel-
lular bands including GSM, CDMA,
and UMTS, as well as next genera-
tion LTE bands. The new gain
blocks join the 0.25W MGA-31189
and MGA-31289 devices and the
0.10W MGA-31389 and MGA-31489
 For full editorial
are for 50~3000MHz applications.
 Datasheet Download
E x t e r n a l S up p l i e s
Up To Standard
XP Power’s new, highly efficient,
single output AFM 48 and 60W ex-
ternal ac/dc power supplies are de-
signed for a wide range of IT and
medical equipment. They provide
outputs of 12, 15, 18 and 24Vdc
with a typical efficiency up to 88%.
These PSUs meet the latest en-
ergy efficiency standards such as
Energy Star Level V, EISA2007,
CEC2008 in the US and the ErP Di-
rective in Europe. These standards
define the average energy efficiency
and the maximum no load power
consumption. AFM45 has a no load
power consumption of less than
0.3W, with AFM60 less than 0.5W.
AFM supplies also comply with
the internationally recognised
safety approval standards for IT and
commercial equipment IEC60950-
1/UL60950-1/EN60950-1, as well as
IEC60601-1/UL60601-1/EN60601-1
medical safety standards.
Multiple input cable interface
options allow designers to specify
C8 option IEC320-C14, C6 or C8
connectors, providing Class II
 For full editorial
grounding.
 Datasheet Download
22 | January 2011 | electronicspecifier
40~100V MOSFETs
Ramp Up
Performance
Expanding its 40~100V automotive
qualified MOSFETs to include a
family of logic level devices is In-
ternational Rectifier. And these
new MOSFETs are suitable for
heavy load applications in tradi-
tional internal combustion engine,
as well as micro and hybrid vehicle
platforms. They are optimised to
deliver a low RDSon across a range
of voltages from as low as 8MΩ at
55V. Additionally, the logic level
MOSFET devices simplify gate
drive requirements while saving
board space and component count.
This new family is built on AU
Gen 10.2 trench technology. All
IR’s automotive MOSFETs are
Step-Down Controller Stands-By On 50µA
Linear Technology’s LTC3891
high voltage synchronous step-
down dc/dc controller draws just
50µA in standby with the output
in regulation. The 4~60V input
supply range is designed to pro-
tect against high voltage tran-
sients, continue operation during
automotive cold crank and cover a
broad range of input sources and
battery chemistries.
Output volt-
age can be set
from 0.8~24V
at output cur-
rents up to 20A
with efficien-
cies as high as
95% for 12V,
24V or 48V au-
tomotive,
heavy equip-
ment, industrial control, robotics
and telecom applications.
LTC3891 features 1.1Ω on-chip
MOSFET gate drivers and oper-
ates with a selectable fixed fre-
quency between 50 and 900kHz. It
is PLL synchronisable to 75~850
kHz external clock. Users can se-
subjected to dynamic and static
part average testing combined
with 100% automated wafer level
visual inspection as part of its au-
tomotive quality initiative target-
ing zero defects.
AEC-Q101 qualification requires
no more than a 20% change in
RDSon after 1000 temperature cy-
cles of testing. However, in ex-
tended testing IR’s new devices,
maximum RDSon shift was only
12% at 5000 temperature cycles.
The new devices are qualified to
AEC-Q101 and feature lead-free
and RoHS compliant components
 For full editorial
and materials.
lect continuous, pulse skipping or
low ripple burst mode operation
during light loads. The device’s
current mode architecture pro-
vides easy loop compensation, fast
transient response and excellent
line regulation.
Output current sensing is via
voltage drop measurement across
the output inductor for the highest
efficiency or alternatively via an op-
tional sense re-
sistor. Current
foldback limits
MOSFET heat
dissipation dur-
ing overload
conditions. Ad-
ditional fea-
tures include a
95ns minimum
on time for high
step-down ratios at high frequency,
up to 99% duty cycle for low volt-
age drop-out, an internal LDO that
powers gate drivers from the input
voltage or EXTVCC and a power
 For full editorial
good signal.
 Datasheet Download
Isolated DC/DC
Converter Is
Industry’s Smallest
Expanding its portfolio of digital
isolation products with the indus-
try's smallest isolated dc/dc con-
verter, Analog Devices now has
a 5kVrms isolation rating device in a
10×10mm package. ADuM6000 is
a 0.5W converter integrating ADI's
iCoupler digital isolation with its
isoPower dc/dc converter.
This new digital isolator enables
designers to free up valuable circuit
board space whilst eliminating time
consuming securing medical or
other safety approvals at a fraction
of the cost of alternative devices, in-
cluding optocouplers. Safety is key
in medical and industrial designs,
and ADuM6000 protects the device
and end users from exposure to
voltage levels that could compro-
mise safety and reliability.
ADuM6000 enables reduced form
factor system modules and can
even maintain the form with more
features and functions added. With
alternate solutions, such as opto-
couplers and separate, isolated dc/
dc converters, it may not be possi-
ble to add new functionality to ex-
 For full editorial
isting system modules.
 Datasheet Download
Controller Ups
Efficiency For Dual
Switch Flyback
For a dual switch flyback topology
to provide higher efficiency and in-
creased energy savings as required
by government regulations, which
LLC or single flyback solutions
cannot provide, Fairchild's
FAN6920MR integrated critical
mode PFC and quasi-resonant cur-
rent mode PWM controller fits the
bill. It provides >90% efficiency
and <300mW at no load for in-
creased power savings.
FAN6920MR cost-effectively
combines PFC and quasi-resonant
PWM controllers resulting in fewer
external components. For PFC, con-
trolled on time provides a regulated
dc output voltage and to perform
natural power factor correction.
With an innovative THD optimiser,
FAN6920MR reduces input current
distortion at zero crossing duration,
improving THD performance.
For PWM control, FAN6920MR
provides functions to enhance
power system performance includ-
ing extended valley detect up to
 For full editorial
the 12th valley cycle.
 Datasheet Download
www.electronicspecifier.com
 Board Mounted Power
 Low cost
 High Reliability
 Short lead times
 Industry standard footprints

Industry standard DC/DC ranges

1 to 3 Watts
• SIP & DIP packages
• Regulated & unregulated versions
• ±10%, 2:1 & 4:1 inputs
• 500 V to 6 kV isolation

AC/DC low power board mounted ranges 2 to 40 Watts

• 1 x 1", 1 x 2" & DIP-24 footprints
• Regulated single & dual outputs
ECL series • Wide 2:1 & 4:1 inputs
• 5 to 25 Watts • Compact metal packages
• Ultra compact size
• Single outputs 3 - 48 VDC
• Open-frame & encapsulated
Medical safety approvals
• 3 to 6 Watts
• Wide input range
• 3000 VAC reinforced insulation
• Low leakage current
ECP series
• 20 Watts
• Low 0.73" profile
• Single and dual outputs LED drivers
• No load input power <0.3W • 8 to 24 Watts
• Up to 1000 mA output
• Constant current output
• 95% efficiency

Surface mount power

Download a FREE guide • 1 & 2 Watts
to help select your DC/DC product at: • Regulated & unregulated versions
• ±10, 2:1 & 4:1 inputs
www.xppower.com/pdfs/DC-DC_guide.pdf • Single & dual outputs

Also available from www.farnell.com

Visit our website to request a copy of our

latest Power Supply Guide and see our
complete line of power products.
eusales@xppower.com
POWER
High Efficiency
Charge Pump
Saves Power
On Semiconductor’s Cat3649,
six channel, high efficiency Quad-
Mode LED driver is for smartphone
and other consumer handheld ap-
plications such as digital still cam-
eras and portable media players.
The Quad-Mode architecture cou-
pled with content adaptive bright-
ness control ensures high effi-
ciency in LED backlighting using
only external capacitors.
Differentiating itself from other
devices currently on the market,
the Cat3649 has four charge pump
modes rather than three and in-
cludes a x1.33 mode to increase ef-
ficiency by up to 10% compared to
traditional charge pump LED driv-
ers using x1.5 operation. This en-
ables handhelds to greatly extend
 For full editorial
battery life.
 Datasheet Download
Power Transistors
Include 75W
Version
RF3932, the RF Micro Devices
75W, GaN RF unmatched power
transistor is now in production. It
delivers superior performance ver-
sus competing GaAs and silicon
power technologies, says the com-
pany, and follows the recent release
of the 140W RF3934, the highest
output power RFMD UPT device.
RFMD plans to release a third
GaN UPT device in Q1 this year.
RFMD's GaN unmatched power
transistors support green architec-
tures that reduce energy consump-
tion, improve thermal manage-
ment and optimise network
efficiency for network operators.
RF3932 operates over a broad fre-
quency range of dc~3GHz and de-
livers high peak efficiency >65%.
The device incorporates simple,
optimised matching networks
external to the package, provid-
ing wideband gain and power
performance advantages in a sin-
 For full editorial
gle amplifier.
 Datasheet Download
24 | January 2011 | electronicspecifier
Power
Supply Has
Medical &
IT Equipment
Approvals
Emerson Network Power’s
NPS63-M is a rugged, small yet
efficient 12V standard power
supply. It supports up to 60W
with convection cooling and is
the latest in Emerson’s growing
portfolio of open frame, low
power standard products which
includes the recently launched
NPS20-M and NPS40-M PSUs.
With a compact 2x4infootprint
and a height of just 1in, NPS63-M
has a high typical full load effi-
ciency of 87% and meets Energy
Star 2.0 Efficiency Level V.
Backed by a comprehensive
set of worldwide IT equipment
and non-patient contact and crit-
ical medical safety approvals, the
power supply is also ideal for use
in light industrial, instrumenta-
tion and process systems as well
Compact Single
Output PSUs
Deliver 3000W
Powersolve’s PAK1500 and
PAK3000 compact, up to 90% effi-
cient single output PSUs boast
high power outputs and a host of
features normally found on more
expensive units. Both series com-
prise five models with outputs of
12V, 15V, 24V, 27V or 48Vdc, all
programmable for voltage and
current via external resistor or
voltage input.
Voltage can be programmed
over 30~105% and current from
40~100%. Both models feature a
universal input of 90~264Vac,
50/60Hz and an active PFC of typ-
ically 0.98.
PAK1500 delivers up to 1500W
from a 1.5U profile unit that incor-
porates many features designed to
as in low-power dental and labo-
ratory equipment.
The 12V output capacity is
±20% adjustable with the PSU
accepting a wide universal input
range of 90~264Vac/127~to300
Vdc. Under normal operating
conditions, NPS63-M requires
less than 74W input and con-
sumes less than 300mW under no
load conditions.
NPS63-M operates at full load
over 0~50OC and up to 80OC with
derating. It is protected against
overloads and over-voltages and
delivers a demonstrated MTBF of
more than 550,000hr at full load in
25OC ambient. An optional enclo-
sure kit is also available to ensure
 For full editorial
maximum component protection.
 Datasheet Download
make the supply easy to use and
easy for systems integrators to
work with. Included are remote
sensing, remote on/off, power
good signalling and current shar-
ing in parallel operation, as well as
output short circuit, over-voltage,
overload, over-temperature and fan
 For full editorial
failure protection.
 Datasheet Download
Dual Channel LDO
Voltage Regulator
Is Tiny
Latest generation of dual channel
CMOS LDO regulators from Torex
is XC6420, It comprises two inde-
pendent LDO circuits, each able to
deliver 150mA and boasts maxi-
mum functionality in the smallest
possible space.
Housed in the tiny USPN-6
which measures just 1.3x1.3x
0.4mm, XC6420 delivers a high
PSRR of 75dB at 1kHz and low
drop-out of 190mV at150mA, with
low noise operation making it ideal
for RF and digital applications.
Ultra-fast transient response
makes for high level output stabil-
ity and each LDO circuit is fully
isolated to ensure no unwanted
cross-talk between channels dur-
ing load fluctuations.
The device consumes just
55μA/channel and is optimised for
low power applications. Each out-
put voltage can be set up inde-
pendently within a range of
1.2~3.6V in 0.05V steps with a
±2% tolerance. Both channels can
be controlled independently using
separate EN pins and in stand-by
mode the current consumption re-
 For full editorial
duces to 0.1μA.
 Datasheet Download
Smallest
Converter Has
Highest Efficiency
Swiftly building its Swift power
management ICs, TI’s new 6A
converter is heralded as the indus-
try's smallest and most efficient.
TPS54618 is a monolithic syn-
chronous switcher with two inte-
grated 12mΩ FETs, providing 95%
efficiency and low operating cur-
rent to 2.95~6V point of load de-
signs for DSP and FPGA based
communications, test and medical
equipment.
TPS54618 is 30% smaller than
other 6A devices, says TI, and
achieves a total solution size of
140mm2. The integrated converter
provides high performance and re-
liability, including current mode
control, which provides simple ex-
ternal compensation and flexible
component selection, especially
small ceramic capacitors.
The easy to use and scalable
TPS54618 is pin compatible with
other low current Swift synchro-
nous buck converters such as the
 For full editorial
3A, 2MHz TPS54318.
 Datasheet Download
www.electronicspecifier.com
    

 
  
    


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POWER
DC/DC Converter
Speeds Time To Market
PKM4116ND is a quarter brick
dc/dc converter from Ericsson,
highly optimised to lower compo-
nent count while simultaneously
reducing power losses. It enables
systems designers to shorten time
to market and is 100% pin for pin
compatible with similar products
on the market.
PKM4116ND is primarily de-
signed to power radio applications
and is optimised for the new gener-
ation of microcell transmitters re-
quiring a 100W power module with
High Frequency
Amplifier Is
High Power Too
BFi OPTiLAS’s new 2100HF high
power amplifier is a high fre-
quency, high speed, wide band-
width design for high power appli-
cations, providing precise control
of output voltages over 0~±150Vdc
or peak ac with an output current
range of 0~±300mA.
2100HF is an all solid state de-
sign for high reliability and low
noise operation, achieving accu-
rate output response and high slew
rates, even under highly capacitive
loads. Full power frequency re-
sponse of the amplifier is essen-
tially flat up to 2MHz and no over-
shoot or instability of the waveform
occurs due to the amplifier's dual
feedback feature.
DC to greater than bandwidth
capabilities for the ±150V range in-
clude large signal bandwidth of
2.6MHz and a small signal band-
width greater than 3MHz. Indus-
trial applications include MEMS
devices, electro-optic modulators,
ion beam control, ultrasonics, di-
electric material characterisation,
 For full editorial
piezo electric driving and control.
 Datasheet Download
26 | January 2011 | electronicspecifier
the flexibility to adjust output over
23.8~32.8V.
Main application area for
PKM416ND is in radio frequency
power amplifiers and other applica-
tions requiring isolation from the
48V system bus voltage, and pro-
viding a stable output over 24~30V.
This product is also suitable for
small systems remote feeding
power architectures such as in-
 For full editorial
door WiFi transmitters.
 Datasheet Download
Chip Offsets Blu-ray
Price Chipping
As mainstream demand for HD
forces down prices of Blu-ray
equipment, STMicroelectronics
is helping manufacturers respond
to market pressures by introducing
a new chip enabling smaller, lower
cost Blu-ray players and recorders.
STODD01 is a power supply IC
capable of generating all the volt-
ages needed to operate the player’s
circuitry, including the high voltage
driver for the blue laser supporting
HD read and write. It integrates
three power supplies to drive low
voltage digital ICs, analogue cir-
cuitry and the laser driver. Using
this chip, ST says designers can
eliminate multiple individual power
supplies from the PCB, reducing
component costs, design complex-
ity, time to market and assembly
time. The size of the board can also
be reduced, enabling new genera-
tions of compact set-top products
and portable HD devices.
Each of the STODD01’s power-
supply channels benefits from
highly efficient switched mode
conversion which minimises en-
 For full editorial
ergy losses and heat generation.
 Datasheet Download
UPS Range Extended By Eight
PKR Series joins Powersolve's
range of uninterruptible power sup-
plies with eight versions to resolve
a wide range of IT and telecoms
applications. And Powersolve says
that its PKR units can also be used
in most back-up situations where
constant and reliable power is re-
quired for short periods in the
event of mains supply failure.
PKR UPSs accept a wide input
voltage range with models able to
work with either 115Vac or 230Vac
at 50/60Hz. Input power factor is
high at >0.98 and output voltage is
either 110/120Vac or 220/230Vac,
±2%. Battery hold-up times depend
on the model selected.
PKR units are available to provide
1~10kVA. Battery recharge time is
fast, achieving a 90% charge in less
than 3hr for the smaller units and
>4hr 6 and 10kVA models.
An automatic by-pass is incor-
porated into PKR units, switching
over to incoming mains in the
event of inverter failure. Powersolve
uses Yuasa high capacity NPW45-
Synchronous DC/DC Integrated
MOSFETs For High Efficiency
Maxim’s Max15050/MAX15051,
low voltage, 2.9~5.5V, 4A, synchro-
nous dc/dc regulators come in
2x2mm wafer level packaging. Thee
tiny step-down regulators integrate
MOSFETs to simplify design, min-
imise EMI and save board space.
Operation from a fixed 1MHz
switching frequency further reduces
total solution size, allowing all ce-
ramic capacitor designs. With peak
efficiencies up to 96%, these point of
load converters minimise power
losses in applications ranging from
portable devices to networking
equipment. Max15050 employs a
MOSFETs Raise Protection
Stakes For Inductive Loads
The IntelliFET range of self-pro-
tected MOSFETs from Diodes In-
corporated is augmented with the
addition of the 60V, typically 75mΩ
rated single n-channel ZXMS6006
DG/SG and dual n-channel ZXMS
6006DT8. They provide thermal
shutdown, short circuit, over-volt-
age, over-current and input ESD
protection, enabling circuit design-
ers to dramatically increase circuit
reliability in automotive and indus-
trial applications. These self-pro-
tected MOSFETs are ideal for
switching inductive loads.
ZXMS6006DT8 integrates over-
12, five year life batteries as stan-
dard with 10 year life versions
available as an option.
PKR Series UPSs use an on-line,
double conversion design normally
found in more expensive units. The
main advantage of an on-line UPS
is the ability to provide an electrical
firewall between the mains and
equipment it protects. In effect, it
provides full protection against all
manner of power quality issues as
well as mains failure, with zero
transfer time when switching to
 For full editorial
battery back-up.
 Datasheet Download
pulse skip mode to improve light
load efficiency, making it ideal for
applications such as notebooks and
single cell portable devices.
The device operates with a
forced PWM mode, allowing it to
be used in telecom, networking,
and base station applications.
Other features include an enable
input and power good indicator for
power sequencing, adjustable soft
start for controlled turn-on and the
ability to safely start up into a pre-
 For full editorial
biased output.
 Datasheet Download
temperature, over-current, over-volt-
age and input ESD protection on
each of the two independent and
isolated switching channels. Pack-
aged in the thermally efficient SM8,
it delivers a thermal efficiency 30%
better than comparable competing
SO8 devices, ensuring cooler run-
ning, more reliable end applications.
ZXMS6006DG drain connected
to tab and ZXMS6006SG drain
connected to source MOSFETs are
cost-effective and come in com-
pact, high power dissipation
 For full editorial
SOT223 packaging.
www.electronicspecifier.com

AEG Completes
Harmer &
Simmons
Consolidation
Consolidating former Harmer &
Simmons activities under its sin-
gle, global name, the entire range
of power supply systems and solu-
tions, including high reliability UPS
systems, industrial chargers and dc
systems, power controllers or solar
inverters will be marketed world-
wide under the AEG Power Solu-
tions brand.
“This marks the final step of our
branding strategy which started in
2008, when all new energies activi-
ties and industrial power solutions
adopted AEG Power Solutions,”
Low Profile PCB Mountable
PSUs Move Up To 100W
Upping the output power of its
ZPSA series of compact, PCB
mountable ac/dc power supplies,
TDK-Lambda has introduced a
100W version. The single output
ZPSA100 accepts a wide input volt-
age range, has a 26.6mm profile and
an industry standard footprint of
127x76.2mm, making it ideal for ap-
plications such as LED signage and
lighting, PoS equipment, data-
comms, video and audio routers and
test and measurement equipment.
Green Rectifier Controls 5V Supplies
For standard and logic level, n-
channel MOSFETs used for low-
voltage, secondary side synchro-
nous rectification, TI’s UCC24610
Green Rectifier power manage-
ment controller and driver im-
proves power supply efficiency as
much as 5% and reduces primary
side power loss in 5V ac/dc
adapters and bias supplies.
The 600kHz UCC24610 Green
Rectifier provides power saving fea-
www.electronicspecifier.com
says Dr Horst J Kayser, AEG’s CEO.
“The choice of AEG Power Solu-
tions as our single, worldwide
name for all our businesses brings
more legibility and consistency to
our strategy. Our vision and busi-
ness model is built on the conver-
gence between our two major ac-
tivities, renewable energies and
energy efficiency solutions, into in-
novative power management solu-
tions for all kinds of demanding ap-
plications. Our dc telecom and
embedded power solutions are fully
part of our energy efficiency solu-
tions business which gathers our
portfolio of reliable, high availability
power systems for energy, water,
transportation and communication
 For full editorial
infrastructure.”
 Datasheet Download
These 100W supplies are avail-
able in popular single outputs from
5~48Vdc, with a typical efficiency of
up to 90%. ZPSA is suitable for con-
vection or air cooled environments
of 0~+70°C, with appropriate derat-
ing. A green LED indicates power
on and standard features such as
over-voltage and short circuit pro-
tection are included. The supplies
come in open board configuration
 For full editorial
with Molex I/O connectors.
tures and design flexibility said not
available from traditional diode rec-
tifier solutions. Its micro-sleep cur-
rent, automatic light load manage-
ment and synchronous wake-up
features help maximise efficiency.
UCC24610 uses drain to source
voltage sensing to support flyback
and LLC resonant converters, as
well as other power architectures,
 For full editorial
to give designers greater flexibility.
High Voltage Current Sense Amplifier
 ADI’s AD8207 high voltage current sense amplifier is first to deliver
a maximum 1μV/OC off-set temperature drift while featuring negative
common mode voltage operation and high bandwidth. The device
suits a variety of PWM closed loop current control systems.
Conduction Cooled
PSUs Suit Tough
Environments
ECC100 series 100W, single output,
base plate cooled, ac/dc power sup-
plies from XP Power, are specifi-
cally for sealed boxes and harsh en-
vironments where wide temperature
variations are commonplace. These
conduction cooled units suit outdoor
applications such as wireless com-
munications, lighting and informa-
tion displays, traffic monitoring, cel-
lular base stations and other sealed
enclosure installations.
They operate over -40~+75OC
and measure up at just 83.8x127x
Sm a rt P DU s P r o v ide
Rem ote Mon itorin g & M ete rin g
New rack mounting ac power dis-
tribution units from UniPower are
expected to find wide application
in mission critical networks. Vigi-
lant shapes up at 1U high and is
designed for 19in rack systems. It
is capable of providing ac power
distribution at rack or system level.
Each Vigilant PDU can deliver
local true RMS current metering
with remote total power monitoring
also provided using integrated soft-
ware. In normal operation, these
PDUs provide distribution for up to
POWER
39.4mm. The compact, highly effi-
cient units, typically 88%, use con-
duction cooling to transfer heat
through the chassis. No fans or
forced airflow is required for the
unit to operate at full power.
ECC100 comes in five nominal
output versions of +12, +15, +24, +28
and +48Vdc. An optional surge filter
module is available to increase pro-
tection of incoming ac surges to
level 4 of EN61000-4-5. Comprehen-
sive monitoring signals and controls
include remote sensing, combined
ac and dc fail signalling and remote
on/off. A +5V/0.5A stand-by output
 For full editorial
is provided as standard.
 Datasheet Download
eight ac loads through IEC 230Vac
nominal or NEMA 120Vac nominal
connectors. Remote power on and
off with sequencing can be user
defined to sequence equipment
turn-off and turn-on.
Vigilant PDUs also include re-
mote individual outlet control, user
definable alarm thresholds and the
ability to set up remote event alerts
via e-mail or SNMP. The units also
include alarm traps and provide a
 For full editorial
local audible alarm.
electronicspecifier | January 2011 | 27
CABLES & CONNECTION
Single Row, Right
Angles Connectors
Spring Into Action
Mill-Max's 829 series single row,
right angled strips are heralded as
the perfect solution for spring
loaded connection applications
parallel to the PCB. SLC spring
loaded connectors are commonly
used as high quality battery inter-
face connections and in applica-
tions such as board to board and
blind mating assemblies. This low
profile connector is said to be ideal
for the small packaging require-
ments in handhelds, especially
where vertical space is limited.
With all the characteristics of
Mill-Max's other spring loaded
products, 829 connectors feature an
increased mid-stroke of 0.045in,
deemed more than double that of
most standard series products.
With right angled tails and locat-
ing pegs on the insulator, the 829
series is assembled as a through-
hole component, providing a secure
connection to the board. These
SLCs are suitable for hand, intrusive
 For full editorial
reflow and wave soldering.
 Datasheet Download
DDR3 DIMM
Sockets Keep A
Very Low Profile
VLP, very low profile, DDR3 DIMM
sockets from Tyco are JEDEC stan-
dards designed and feature a maxi-
mum latch height of 16mm. And the
reduction in the overall height of the
socket mated with the DIMM mod-
ule enables enclosures to be smaller
or boards to be mounted closer to-
gether whilst also eliminating heat
from high end servers.
Tyco’s VLP DDR3 DIMM socket
addresses interconnect require-
ments across server, communica-
tions, and notebook platforms. The
product can be applied to high end
servers and communications equip-
ment in a variety of industries in-
cluding consumer/mobile devices,
industrial and automotive. The de-
vice comes with three gold plating
options, two latch options (black or
 For full editorial
white) and is surface mountable.
28 | January 2011 | electronicspecifier
Plastic Bodied Sub-Miniature
Ranges Connect All Options
Three new Weald Electronics
ranges of plastic bodied sub-minia-
ture circular connectors from Lane
Electronics are designed for ap-
plications where space is a pre-
mium. SM/SMA Series come with
one, two or three contacts while
the SMC Series has three.
SM/SMA connectors are rated at 3,
7 and 12A and the SMC Series is
3A. All three series feature a peak
working voltage of 500Vdc or ac.
The plastic mouldings give the
range high arc resistance and high
Converter Cables Connect Industrial Ethernet Apps
With M8/M12 circular
connectors on the other
end of the cable, the Y-
ConRJ45 converter
cable assembly from Ya-
maichi is suitable for
applications such as
sensors in Industrial
Ethernet environments.
The high quality RJ45
cable assembly series
has been extended for
mechanical engineering
as well as industrial and
factory automation use.
As a converter cable, Y-
ConRJ45 enables simple cabling
from industrial Ethernet to sensors,
actuators and encoders. Wiring is
via space saving M8/M12 circular
Hoody Revolution...
New hoods for Harting’s two piece
Han-Compact industrial connectors
come with a choice of straight or
angled cable entry. The compact
metal hoods are suitable for all
Han-Compact contact inserts and
include variants with surfaces for
standard and EMC applications.
The outer threads are moulded to
the hood. The range also includes
Arinc 600 Range Lowers Design Costs
Radiall’s NSX Series size 22 socket
contact helps reduce the cost of
Arinc 600 connectors. With the high
contact numbers of many Arinc 600
connectors, any reduction in con-
tact costs can significantly affect the
overall connector costs, says the
company. Its new contact combines
a stamped and rolled clip inside a
machine turned body.
Stamped and rolled parts are said
to considerably reduce manufactur-
ing complexity and therefore cost.
The PC tail contacts are fully inter-
mateable with existing Arinc 600
dielectric and mechanical strength
while the spring tempered, phos-
phor bronze contacts are gold plated
for low contact resistance, easy sol-
dering and proof against corrosion.
For the SM/SMA Series, the
plug or socket can be chassis or
bulkhead mounted and there is a
choice of six coloured discs for
identification. The connector
hoods are equally suitable for
plugs or sockets and can be sup-
plied in black or blue. SMC con-
nectors come in black, white or
connectors and the RJ45 interface is
via Y-Con connectors. These have
up to eight signal contacts and can
include two additional power con-
cost-effective, half cable glands for
a range of cable diameters and an
Iris spring for shield termination.
plug connectors and compatible
with existing PCB layouts. NSX size
22 socket contacts are fully qualified
to Arinc 600 specifications.
The stamped and rolled clip pro-
vides low insertion force require-
ments and low electrical resistance
through three point electrical con-
tact. The new design also avoids
stubbing since the three springs
centre the pin during mating. Clip
members are plated with 50μin of
gold, with flash gold on the contact
body, eliminating tin lead and
achieving RoHS compatibility.
blue plastic moulded housings.
Typical applications range from
test and measurement, laboratory
equipment and portable products,
to instrumentation and a wide
range of applications in schools,
colleges, universities and teaching
 For full editorial
establishments.
tacts rated at 2.1A at
70°C, and can include
covers for IP20 to IP69K
protection.
For M8/M12 inter-
faces, various cable and
panel mount male and
female, 90° or 180°,
coded or uncoded con-
nectors are available.
All moulded M8/M12
cable versions include
360° EMI shielding. The
metal screw has an au-
dible closure ratchet and
features vibration resist-
ant locking to ensure the interface
 For full editorial
does not open during operation.
 Datasheet Download
With this two piece hood design,
users can slip the hood and cable
gland on to the cable for speedy
assembly, installation and contact
wiring. The operation is completed
by closing the hood and fastening
it with the screws.
A separate earth conductor ter-
minal on the hood enables the use
of connectors with higher rated
 For full editorial
voltages and currents.
In addition to the
contact, a new one
piece insert further
reduces costs by re-
placing the tradi-
tional two piece de-
sign and eliminating
complex manufactur-
ing and assembly. In-
serts are supplied filled with
non-removable contacts to
customer specifications:
empty cavities can also be
loaded later. The new Radiall NSX
contacts are also available in re-
 For full editorial
movable versions.
www.electronicspecifier.com
CABLES & CONNECTION
Jack’s Provide
SMT Flexibility
Tyco’s new circular 3.5mm AV
jack is surface mounting and
boasts enhanced flexibility that
can be tailored to specific cus-
tomer requirements.
The flexible platform design
features jack versions with or
without collar, with rectangular or
round collar, with or without
switch, and more. Its flexibility al-
lows for wide application in a
large number of customer pro-
grammes, not just consumer or for
mobile devices but also for indus-
trial and automotive.
Other features include a min-
imised component count and the
use of low cost contacts that make
it cost-effective whilst enhancing
 For full editorial
product quality.
RJ45 Gigabit
Ethernet Jacks
Have Integrated
Magnetic Module
New YDS 56F Series 10, 100 and
1000 Base-T RJ45 jacks, available
from MSC, come in a 12 pin de-
sign with several internal magnetic
module configurations for conven-
tional and PoE applications. The
through-hole design is said to be
ideal for industrial computers, net-
work equipment, industrial con-
trols and all other applications with
Gigabit Ethernet.
All 56F jacks meet IEEE 802.3
including ≥350µH OCL at 8mA and
1500Vrms isolation. They boast low
insertion loss, low cross talk and a
high return loss.
These connectors are available
in Tab-Up versions with or without
yellow and green LEDs. Standard
operating temperature range is
0~+70°C and for industrial applica-
tions, -40~+85°C versions can be
 For full editorial
manufactured on request.
30 | January 2011 | electronicspecifier
C on n e c t or S e ri e s Ge a re d
Up For Tough Environments
Spec Pak, Sealed Power For Envi-
ronmental Connections, connec-
tors from Anderson Power are
designed for use wherever a
rugged or waterproof high power,
signal and ground interconnect
solution is required. The connec-
tor shell seal is rated at IP68, pro-
tecting the Powerpole contacts
and housings enclosed with the
shell from dust and water.
The customer configured Spec
Pak connectors are ideal for mass
transportation, off-road vehicles,
factory automation, oil and petro-
chemical exploration, solar and
agricultural equipment applica-
tions. Customer configured bene-
Smart Card Connectors Click For
PCI-PTS 3.0 Approved Reference Design
C&K Components has supplied
its CCM APS Series of secure
smart card connectors to Maxim
for its USIPOS device which is now
recognised as a PCI-PTS 3.0 ap-
proved reference design. This new
standard, recently passed by the
Payment Card Industry Standards
Council, further defines security re-
quirements for card based transac-
tions, and updates include new
specifications for PoS devices.
“When Maxim wanted to design
a 3.0 ready PoS terminal, its design
team needed a secure smart card
connector that already met the ex-
pected changes to the existing
specifications,” explains Jean-
Michel Bourin, C&K’s Product Mar-
keting Director. “They chose the
CCM APS Series because of its se-
cure design as well as its proven
durability in high usage devices.”
Performance and durability of the
CCM APS Series match the rugged
and secure performance expected
by Maxim. This is achieved through
design features such as protective
fits include excellent size to power
performance ratio, ease of assem-
bly and practically endless cus-
tom configurations for the most
demanding applications.
Spec Pak’s core technology is
Powerpole, accommodating wire
ranging from AWG24 to AWG10
or 0.25~4mm2. With UL1977 Sec-
tion 10.2 and colour coded hous-
ings finger-proof or standard,
Powerpole contacts carry power,
ground and signal. The four posi-
tion Spec Pak shell handles up to
25A fully loaded with AWG10
wiring and the six position Spec
 For full editorial
Pak shell handles up to 45A.
mesh on the top surface of the con-
nector and on all three walls, as well
as a contact protection device on
the front row of contacts.
A small contact footprint means
there is a smaller and therefore eas-
ier area to protect. And the area be-
low the connector can house other
active or passive components, help-
ing to protect the connector in what
is normally a vulnerable spot on any
connector. The base area of the con-
nector is also designed to accept the
Maxim security chip which is then
protected by the CCM APS itself as
well as its surrounding mesh. This
design brings the contacts of the
chip and connector closer than any
other design, and the shorter vias
 For full editorial
make the contacts harder to hack.
Small Is Bountiful
With its small dimensions, Suyin’s
new surface mounting
254070FB009XX26XX 8pin SIM
card connector suits diverse space
critical applications ranging from
all kinds of miniaturised portable
electronics devices to automotive
navigation systems.
Robust design also makes for
PoS terminals and other stationary
system applications. Featuring
high durability, these connectors
allow 5000 mating cycles and ad-
vanced insert moulding result in
the extremely compact format with
a width of 19.3mm and a length of
26.35mm. Height is just 1.7mm.
During card insertion, a push-
push locking mechanism automat-
ically ensures reliable latching to
the connector. Pressing the card
briefly again ejects it. Reliable card
detection is accomplished with the
aid of an integrated detect switch.
Suyin also says that depending
on order volume and time require-
ments, it can customise designs
including additional housing reten-
tion tabs for through-hole mount-
ing, contact plating alternatives,
 For full editorial
special colours and more.
Rear Mounting
Adds Receptacle
Options
Latest Binder-USA rear mounting
potted receptacles join its M8 con-
nector line. Rear mounting, says the
company, provides new mounting
options. The M8 receptacles and
connectors are compact and ideal
for industrial sensor applications.
Series 718 M8 receptacles come
with three, four or six gold plated
contacts. Each receptacle is
pre-wired and potted with 200mm
wire leads. An O-ring provides
IP67 protection between the re-
ceptacle housing and panel. For a
complete connecting system, the
male and female receptacles are
fully intermateable with M8
Binder cordsets and field attach-
 For full editorial
able connectors.
www.electronicspecifier.com

Composites Shake
Out The Old For
New Space Apps
Souriau has notched up Euro-
pean Space Agency qualification
for microComp, its rectangular
miniature connector range. And
it’s said to be the perfect replace-
ment for ESA/ESCC D sub-minia-
ture connectors widely used in
satellite payloads. The micro-
Comp boasts space savings of up
to 40% and weight reduction
down to 60%.
Connectors currently used on
equipment and harnesses of
telecommunication satellites or
scientific missions are of the same
type as those on laptop and home
computers. These D sub-minia-
tures use materials and manufac-
turing processes over 40 years old
and do not take advantage of the
miniaturisation trend In the elec-
tronics industry.
Reliability is key in the space
industry: all mounted compo-
nents have to be qualified and are
subject to an extensive manufac-
turing follow-up with full trace-
ability. And for this, Souriau
worked in partnership with the
Agency to develop a complete
range of rectangular connectors
in composite material for the
space environment. Composite
material, says the company, is the
best solution for coping with
miniaturisation and mass saving
 For full editorial
trends in on-board equipment.
Piercing TeePlug
Makes Pointed
Connection
A quick installation, wire piercing
version joins the Hylec-APL
TeePlug weatherproof plug and
socket connectors. The wire pierc-
ing TeePlug can be installed at any
point along an electrical cable with
no preparation or tools required. It
provides up to IP65 protection.
This TeePlug has been de-
signed for protected connection
whilst keeping installation time to
a minimum and is ideal for outside
applications such as decorative
lighting where many connections
are needed to be made quickly.
www.electronicspecifier.com
Next Generation
Connector Is
Sealed Hybrid
Building on the success of its
CMC connection system, Molex’s
CMX second generation sealed,
hybrid, high density and modular
connector system uses a new CTX
terminal system. The fully pro-
tected seal boasts the ultimate in
sealing performance, making the
CMX connector design particu-
larly suitable for transportation
power train applications.
“Based on our ten years experi-
ence with the CMC product line,”
notes Selvan Wilhelm, Molex’s
Global Product Manager, “the
next generation CMX connection
system offers significant improve-
Hig h Vo l t a ge Co n ne ct o rs
A re S pa ce E ff i ci e nt
To make the connection the live
and neutral wires are placed in
grooves on the base of the TeePlug.
The grooves have piercing spikes
which are forced through the wire
insulation as the top of the TeePlug
is screwed into place. This creates
an IP65 seal around the wires and
as the wire doesn’t need to be
stripped and no tools are required,
it is possible to make a number of
connections along the same wire
in a very short time.
Once the socket is connected
to the wire, the plug is fitted
using a threaded locking nut to
guarantee a secure, waterproof
connection. The TeePlug comes
 For full editorial
with an attached protective cap.
ments in product performance
while remaining cost competitive.
The feature for all new CMX con-
nectors is sophisticated design of
the interfacial seal protection,
which ensures the connector re-
mains protected before mating,
and during mating and unmating
operations.”
First two circuit sizes in the
CMX family are the compact five
row, 55 circuit version and the
five row, 65 circuit connector.
Both support low and medium
current using 0.635mm and
 For full editorial
1.50mm CTX terminals.
Weald’s BA Series high reliability,
robust and low cost high voltage
connectors, available from Lane
Electronics, are designed for
space saving applications in port-
able equipment and instrumenta-
tion, as well as industrial.
BA connectors are compact and
lightweight plugs and sockets for
use in power, control and commu-
nications circuits. Contact current
rating is up to 13A. They are avail-
able with either seven or 15 non-
rotating 0.062in diameter contacts,
gold plated to provide low contact
resistance. Gold plating also helps
to resist corrosion and makes for
easier soldering. The housing ma-
terial provides high arc resistance
as well as high dielectric and me-
 For full editorial
chanical strength.
CABLES & CONNECTION
Affordable Cable
Assemblies Step
Up Performance
Radiall has expanded
its extensive range
of TestPro RF
cable assem-
blies with
its new,
affordable
and high performance TestPro 3.
The company’s current TestPro
range already boasts excellent per-
formance with a frequency range
of dc~20GHz. TestPro 3, however,
with its robust centre contact re-
tention, improves even more on
performance, providing up to
40GHz for test bench applications.
Precision engineered with ad-
vanced materials, TestPro 3 cables
are designed for extreme stability
and flexibility. They have been IEC
966-1, bending method 2 tested for
stability with the results showing
excellent phase stability down to
typically 5O with bending at
40GHz.
To meet the requirements for
stability with handling during
bench test use, the cables also ex-
hibit loss stability <0.1dB variation
with bending and 0.03 dB with
shaking at the maximum fre-
quency of 40GHz. The cable and
connectors are designed for long
life and are rated for a minimum of
20,000 bending cycles and 5000
 For full editorial
mating cycles.
Volex Into Bed
With Hospital
Innovation
Volex, working with a hospital
bed manufacturer, has engineered
a cabling solution for the com-
pany’s latest bed. The collaboration
enabled Volex to develop an inter-
connect solution for the next gen-
eration hospital bed’s control panel
and hand pendant.
The cable assembly solution is a
first for Volex in hospital bed appli-
cations and, it says, indicative of
its on-going expansion in the
healthcare sector.
The cables connect handheld
pendants via a coiled cable and
control panels via a flexible arm to
the bed’s actuators for smooth bed
movement, minimising patient
discomfort. Volex, working with
the bed manufacturer’s design en-
gineers, developed a moulded
strain relief arrangement that al-
lows best flexibility of the cable
 For full editorial
during its life cycle.
electronicspecifier | January 2011 | 31
FEATURE: OPTO & DISPLAYS
LED Lighting
Bridges Old & New
An all white interactive LED light
show that plays nightly on the sun-
roof of The Bridge of Peace in Tbisli
is powered by 1208 custom LED fix-
tures containing 6040 high power
Luxeon Rebel LEDs from Philips
Lumileds. The fixtures were de-
signed and built by Primo Expo-
sures and Rena Electronica, with all
4200K colour temperature range
LEDs supplied by Future Lighting
Solutions in just two weeks.
Rena luminaires in the roof are
based on its Vincent Ledline fixture
design, with five cool white Luxeon
Rebel LEDs per module, a Carclo el-
liptical beam optic and a louvre sys-
tem designed by Primo.
Rena’s customisable design en-
abled rapid delivery that met Tbil-
isi’s tight timeline. The small foot-
print was enabled by the compact
Luxeon Rebel package and propri-
etary, two wire power/data connec-
tivity expedited installation.
Each of the 1208 fixtures in the
sunroof has a dimmable DMX chan-
nel, programmed via a Rena control
interface. The finished fixtures play
four different lighting programmes
every hour from 90min before sun-
 For full editorial
set until 90min after sunrise.
LED Fibreoptic Illuminator
Module Sheds Medical Light
PerkinElmer’s LED Fibreoptic il-
luminator module is designed for
easy integration by medical OEMs
in endoscopy, surgical microscopy
and headlamp applications. OTFI-
0250 has many advantages for the
surgical environment including
bright, highly uniform illumination,
allowing surgeons to see images
more clearly in the operating room,
leading potentially to better, earlier
detection and diagnoses.
The LED module produces virtu-
ally no ultraviolet or infrared emis-
sions. Its superior thermal manage-
ment enables both high intensity
light output and long life.
“Our new LED fibreoptic illumi-
nator module offers medical OEMs
the latest advances in solid state
lighting technology,” says
PerkinElmer VP & General Man-
ager Joel Falcone, “helping speed
integration, reducing time to mar-
ket, and lowering cost of owner-
ship. We are pleased that our LED
module is both an environmentally-
friendly product as well as one that
delivers bright, uniform light for
aiding surgical procedures and di-
agnoses.”
32 | January 2011 | electronicspecifier
T F T L C D s Ta k e
A W id er Vi e w
Optrex America’s new range of
TFT LCDs features innovative super
wide viewing technology for supe-
rior image quality and wide viewing
angles, says the company, with
maximum colour accuracy too.
Super Wide View solves the
colour shifting problems inherent
in traditional TN twisted nematic
and VA vertical alignment displays.
TN displays can suffer from limited
viewing angles and colours can
shift when viewed off-perpendicu-
lar. In the vertical direction, colours
will shift when viewed beyond a
certain viewing angle. VA technol-
ogy improves viewing angle, how-
The LED module boasts a usable
life up to 50 times longer than con-
ventional high intensity discharge
designs and additionally it incorpo-
rates precision optics, thermal
 For full editorial
management and EMI shielding.
Light Engine
Drives 80 LEDs
Samsung LED’s ready to use
light engine, from Rutronik, is for
60x60cm and other standard ceil-
ing luminaires. It boasts extremely
long life, homogeneous white light
distribution and high light output.
The light engine is based on 80
off 0,5W LEDs on a 259x259mm
PCB designed with a CRI higher
than 80. Four light engines are put
into one complete luminaire and
ever, it still has a colour shift issue
when viewed at 45O. Super Wide
View reduces the amount of light
scattering in the matrix, provides a
super wide viewing angle of
greater than 170º, and ensures that
colours will be the most accurate
when viewed from any direction.
TFT LCDs with Super Wide
View are suitable for graphic de-
signs, medical applications, auto-
motive clusters, centre stack con-
soles and other applications where
accurate and consistent colour re-
production with super wide view-
 For full editorial
ing angles is required.
Colour TFT LCD
Modules Are
Bright For Industry
Mitsubishi Electric’s 5.7in QVGA
colour TFT LCD module is for indus-
trial use. AA057QD01 is equipped
with a built-in LED driver in a slim
and lightweight LCD module, with
LED backlighting and providing
achieve a total lumen output of
3800 including the losses of the
diffuser. Samsung can also
provide a power supply for
the light engine which is
available in differ-
ent CCT of
6.500~3.500K.
Binning is
smaller than a
three step McAdams ellipse,
achieved by technology transfer
from the backlighting of a TV LCD
panel. The light engine was de-
signed to achieve over 50,000hr,
with an MTTF of 70%, at 50OC am-
 For full editorial
bient rather than 25OC.
Optical Sensor
Combines More
Vishay’s fully integrated proxim-
ity and ambient light optical sensor
is first to combine an IR emitter,
PIN photo diode, ambient light de-
tector, signal processing IC and a
16bit ADC in a single, small
3.95x3.95x0.75mm leadless SM
package. This space saving
VCNL4000 device supports an
easy to use I2C bus communication
interface and greatly simplifies de-
signs in a wide variety of con-
sumer and industrial applications.
For mobiles such as smart-
phones, touch phones, PDAs, GPS
units and digital cameras, in addi-
tion to computing and industrial
devices and displays, VCNL4000
saves power as a proximity sensor
for touchscreen locking. It also
serves as an integrated ambient
light function for display and key-
pad contrast control and dimming.
Containing all the circuitry for
these applications in one device,
VCNL4000 eliminates the need for
light barriers and optical alignment
of the IR emitter and photo diode.
The sensor's 16bit effective resolu-
tion for proximity detection ensures
 For full editorial
excellent cross talk immunity.
 Datasheet Download
longer life and enhanced efficiency.
This module is a new slim and
lightweight design. The improved
backlight reduces the thickness of
the module to 8.8mm and its weight
to 165g. In addition, the new design
contains a built-in LED driver to
achieve a more compact system
and better cost-efficiency in cus-
tomer applications while the outline
dimensions, mounting position and
pin assignments remain compatible
to previous modules.
The modules with long life LED
backlight performance, can be op-
erated without an inverter, unlike
others that use cold cathode fluo-
rescent lamp backlights. At 25OC,
the LED backlights have an operat-
 For full editorial
ing life of at least 100,000hr.
www.electronicspecifier.com

CMOS Board Level Camera
Delivers 2.8Mpixels Resolution
Hamamatsu’s new C11440-50B
board level camera for OEM scien-
tific and industrial applications has
a scientific CMOS sensor and is
designed to deliver high perform-
ance and cost-effective imaging in
a small, board level format.
The device is ideal for a wide va-
riety of scientific and industrial ap-
plications including semiconductor
inspection, failure analysis, x-ray
scintillator readout, fluorescence
microscopy and high speed and
high resolution imaging.
C11440-50B delivers 45 frames/s
at full 1920x1440 pixels resolution.
LEDs Shine Really Green
Pre-production green LEDs based
on the Ostar platform from Osram
Opto Semiconductors, are twice
as bright as predecessors and
have a uniform luminous surface.
This single chip LED benefits from
the latest chip technology and a
green phosphor converter, says
the company. Initial samples are
now available and Osram is work-
ing with partners to develop ap-
propriate LED data projectors such
as those used in the office and ed-
ucation markets. Osram expects
the LED to be widely available to
projector manufacturers in the
summer this year.
Now that RGB LEDs have al-
ready been established as the
dominant technology to drive se-
quential colour pico projectors, the
next segment of growth is data
projectors, says Osram.
World’s First All
LED Habitat Home
Complete
The world's first Habitat for Hu-
manity house lit entirely with LED
fixtures and bulbs has been com-
pleted with more than a little help
from Cree. The LED manufacturer
sponsored the construction which
was assisted by Cree employee
volunteers. The house includes
Cree's CR6 LED downlight and
other LED products featuring Cree
LEDs from MSi and TESS.
This, the 251st house built by
Habitat for Humanity of Durham,
North Carolina, is now the home
of the Rahlan-Ksor family, origi-
nally from Vietnam, who previ-
ously lived in a one bedroom
apartment. Located in Southwest
Central Durham, it is the first
www.electronicspecifier.com
It has a wide dynamic range of
4500:1, enabling high quality
image at fast speed capture, even
 For full editorial
in low light conditions.
 Datasheet Download
This progression has been
made possible, says Osram, by
brightness increase in its LEDs.
The prototype with a single chip
achieves 410lm and emits at
553nm wavelength. Since a
greater proportion of green than
red or blue is needed in a projector
to produce white light, the in-
crease in the brightness of the
green LED significantly affects
overall system brightness.
With these LED prototypes, sys-
tems with an overall brightness of
2000lm can be produced and LED
projectors will soon be powerful
enough for screen sizes of more
than 2m. Until now, such applica-
tions have only been possible with
projectors using conventional light
sources such as high intensity dis-
 For full editorial
charge lamps.
home built together by Cree and
Habitat Durham. In addition to
the local partnership in Durham
NC, Cree also previously an-
nounced a three year, US$1.5 mil-
lion pledge to provide its high effi-
ciency LED downlights for all new
Habitat homes built in the US.
“We’re pleased to not only pro-
vide energy efficient LED lighting
products to Habitat for Humanity
homes across the US but also to
help build a sustainable and af-
fordable home for one of our home
town families,” explains Chuck
Swoboda, Cree’s Chairman &
CEO. “The Rahlan-Ksor family can
now enjoy home ownership with
lower electricity costs than a stan-
dard home, and even if they use
the LED lights six hours a day,
they shouldn’t need to change
 For full editorial
them for the next two decades.”
FEATURE: OPTO & DISPLAYS
LED Lightstrips Perform Longer
CrimpFlex FFC LED Lightstrips
combine Nicomatic’s capabilities
in manufacturing flat flexible
cable, CrimpFlex Connectors and
UltraThin SMD LEDs. They can be
used alone or connected together,
making it easy to configure light-
ing solutions for channel and re-
verse channel letters, signs, dis-
plays, under the counter and
architectural applications.
Available continuous or cut to
length, these lightstrips feature any
colour and configuration using Ul-
traThin red, yellow, green, orange,
blue or white LEDs. The density of
product is to callout and multiple
colour options are available.
Each length of FFC lightstrip can
be terminated with CrimpFlex male
Image Sensors
Suit Security &
Machine Vision
New 2.3Mpixel Vita 2000 and
5.3Mpixel Vita 5000 image sen-
sors from Cypress Semicon-
ductor are ideal for machine vi-
sion, high end security, 2D
barcode and intelligent traffic ap-
plications. They boast an array of
sophisticated features including
pipelined and triggered global
shutter modes and a conventional
rolling shutter mode, and speeds
of up to 92 frames/s for Vita 2000
and 75 for Vita 5000.
Also incorporated are 10bit
ADCs with either parallel or seri-
alised outputs up to 620Mbps.
Programmable registers control
different operating modes, config-
urable over a standard SPI inter-
Ambient Light
Sensor Is High
Performer
Maxim’s Max9635 is a fully inte-
grated digital ambient light sensor
with adaptive gain block. It’s BiC-
MOS designed, integrating two
photodiodes, an ADC and all nec-
essary digital functionality in a tiny
2x2mm package.
Max9635 saves space in tight
enclosures, delivers high perform-
ance and consumes, says Maxim,
100 times less power than its near-
est competitor, extending battery
life. Additionally, it delivers a 4mil-
lion:1 dynamic range to ensure
ultra-precise lux readings in all am-
bient light conditions. The device
suits tablet and notebook PCs,
smartphones, TVs, digital lighting
management systems, and light in-
tensity monitoring applications.
or female connectors and has the
option of a double ended connector
harness for easy daisychaining or
pre-applied PSA adhesive strips for
peel&stick placement. Nicomatic
can also provide discreet round
wire mateability.
Solid state design renders LEDs
impervious to shock, vibration, fre-
quent switching and environmen-
tal extremes.
With an average life span of
over 100,000hr, LED lamps oper-
ate more than 20 times longer
than equivalent incandescent
lamps, producing virtually no heat
and requiring 80~90% less operat-
 For full editorial
ing power.
 Datasheet Download
face. The new sensors expand on
1.3Mpixel Vita 1300 and 25Mpixel
Vita 25K capabilities.
Vita 2000 can provide 1920x
1080 HD outputs for the security
market and 4:3 format, 1600x1200
outputs for machine vision. The
sensor array has a standard 2/3in
optical format lens with four par-
allel LVDS channels.
Vita 5000 has a standard 1in
optical format with monochrome
or colour digital output. The
pipelined global shutter capabil-
ity enables exposure during read-
out to reduce motion blur. The
sensor also works in a rolling
shutter mode with correlated
double sampling to reduce noise
and increase dynamic range. It
provides eight parallel LVDS
 For full editorial
channels.
 Datasheet Download
Ambient light sensors are in-
creasingly used in a variety of dis-
play and lighting applications to
save power and improve the user
experience. Designers can auto-
matically adjust display brightness
based on the amount of ambient
light and since backlighting ac-
counts for a significant portion of a
system's power budget, dynamic
brightness control can translate
 For full editorial
into substantial power savings.
 Datasheet Download
electronicspecifier | January 2011 | 33
FEATURE: OPTO & DISPLAYS
Capacitive
Multi-Touch Is
True Single Layer
First true single layer, multi-touch
projected capacitive touchscreen
technology for screen sizes up to
5in comes from Integrated De-
vice Technology, joining its
PureTouch family, streamlining
touchscreen sensor manufacturing
and eliminating multi-touch ghost-
ing common in self-capacitive
multi-layer solutions.
IDT’s single layer multi-touch
sensor design needs no additional
masking for sensor cross-over point
insulation and sensor matrix line
bridging. By eliminating additional
indium tin oxide layers, IDT’s solu-
tion improves the transmittance of
light, streamlines the fabrication of
touch screen sensors, and reduces
the overall cost for touch screen
manufacturers. These benefits are
delivered without compromising
performance or the capability to de-
 For full editorial
tect multi-finger gestures.
LED Driver Is Tops
On Dimming
Performance
Boasting the industry's best phase
based dimming performance for
high brightness LED applications
is LM3450 from National Semi-
conductor. This LED driver inte-
grates active power factor correc-
tion and phase dimming decoding
to provide uniform, flicker-free illu-
mination across a wide, program-
mable dimming range.
Residential and commercial light-
ing applications that interface with
phase based dimmers require cir-
cuitry that can correctly decode a
phase chopped waveform for LED
dimming. Dimmable LED drivers
available today don’t always meet
minimum current requirements for
forward phase or TRIAC based dim-
mers, says the company, causing
the dimmer to shut off or misfire
during operation. This causes inac-
curate decoding of the phase angle
resulting in flicker, particularly at
very low dimming levels.
The National Semiconductor ap-
proach in solving this issue is
LM3450 which integrates hold cir-
cuitry to dynamically adjust the
current through the phase dimmer.
The dynamic hold circuitry, cou-
pled with a programmable, intelli-
gent dimming decoder, ensures
smooth, consistent illumination
 For full editorial
across the full dimming range.
 Datasheet Download
34 | January 2011 | electronicspecifier
T F T M a k e s Fo r
E as y Vi e wi n g
Tired of TFT displays with limited
viewing angles and poor colour re-
production? GPEG says it has the
solution with its 9.7in in-plane
switching TFT display.
In-plane switching ensures that
information displayed on the
screen is easily read from all view-
ing angles, without any impact on
colour or image consistency. This
9.7in display also incorporates XGA
1024x768 resolution, making it
To u c h S e n s o r s R e a l i s e
H ig h Str e et Di s pl a y s
Zytronic and Australian systems
integration partner JEA Tech-
nologies have collaborated to
bring heavy duty touchscreen
functionality to the J-Vue series
of interactive displays. JEA uses
Zytronic touch sensing products
based on its projected capacitive
technology.
Serving as a powerful tool allow-
ing marketers to engage interac-
tively with customers, the easy to
install J-Vue units are said to have
the potential to add a new dimen-
sion to how consumers browse,
select and purchase goods and en-
able vendors to promote their
services and gather invaluable
marketing data at all hours of the
suitable for use in medical equip-
ment, retail devices, web tablets
and larger handheld products.
Exceptional black levels, com-
bined with improved display trans-
mittance, helps to provide contrast
ratios of up to 600:1. These charac-
teristics, says GPEG, also mean that
the high brightness can be achiev-
ed without increasing the power
 For full editorial
consumption of the backlight.
day or night. Available in self-as-
sembly kits, these units are suit-
able for deployment in supermar-
kets, car dealerships, real estate
agencies and bank branches, en-
abling a higher degree of cus-
tomer interactivity.
Each unit features a high bright-
ness LCD panel capable of produc-
ing 700nit indoors. They have full
HD resolution and integrate a 42in
Zybrid touchscreen linked to the
recently introduced ZXY100 high
performance touch controller.
The touch sensing mechanism
comprises a matrix of micro-fine
capacitor elements embedded into
 For full editorial
a laminated substrate.
Smart Touch
Modules Are
Ready To Go
Anders Smart Touch Modules are
small to medium sized TFT dis-
plays, pre-integrated with touch-
screen, driving electronics and
backlight drivers, ready to be con-
nected via a standard serial port to
the device host processor with min-
imal integration overhead.
These low cost, off the shelf
modules come in nine screen sizes
with resolutions from 3.5in QVGA
to 10.4in XGA, in both 4:3 and 16:9
aspect ratios. The modules are OS
agnostic, working with any host
operating system and even with-
out a host OS. They feature a real
time clock, battery, buzzer and a
USB port for updating the graphics
library. A complementary UI soft-
ware tool is available to enable
rapid and simple implementation
of a GUI which is then stored
within the on-board flash memory.
Featuring simple, low overhead
mechanical and technical integra-
tion, Smart Touch Modules are
suitable for low to medium produc-
tion, enabling device manufactur-
ers to bring their next generation
products to market extremely
quickly and cost-effectively, mak-
ing it ideal for developers working
with TFT’s and touchscreens for
the first time as well as for experi-
 For full editorial
enced developers.
 Datasheet Download
Compact Display
Is Durable For
Industry
With 50,000 hours of service life at
a working temperature of -20~
70°C, new 3.5in LQ035Q3 DG03
TFT LCDs from Sharp are exactly
right for industry.
With a minute installation depth
of 4.7mm and edge lengths of
76.9x63.9mm, these display are
easy to integrate no matter what,
says the company, from portable
testing and measurement devices
to industrial handhelds and factory
equipment status displays.
Delivering 6million colours with a
resolution of 320x240 pixels makes
it possible to accurately display an
enormous variety of detailed infor-
mation. LQ035Q3DG03 is compact
and delivering 450cd/m² is very
bright, such that even under diffi-
cult light conditions outdoors in di-
rect sunlight, it can still be used to
good effect. A contrast ratio of 300:1
 For full editorial
ensures excellent readability.
www.electronicspecifier.com

LED Panel Light Is Cool & Even
Moving into technology pastures
new, GlacialLight lifted the lid
on Pollux its totally new LED
panel light series. Designed to
be fashionable and functional,
first Pollux LED panel lights are
ideal as traditional tube or grid
light replacements.
Pollux LED panel lights boast
evenly distributed, cool white
light emitting diodes for perfect,
easy on the eye lighting. Con-
suming only 50W of power while
providing 3400lm of light these
light panels are bright, energy ef-
ficient and can be used in a vari-
ety of indoor settings. From com-
Touchscreen
Vending Machines
Are Smokin’...
3M’s slim, compact and highly
durable touchscreen displays are
being incorporated in tobacco vend-
ing machines installed in hotels,
bars and restaurants worldwide.
Azkoyen Industrial is integrating
17in 3M MicroTouch Display
C1700SS enclosure monitors into its
advanced Argenta In-Touch 88 Se-
ries, allowing promotional videos to
be played whilst the machines are
idle and providing a robust, yet
friendly, interface for customers.
The screen is used not only to
select the desired tobacco product,
but also for delivering focused
campaigns and front panel adver-
tisements. In addition, technical
operators can interact with the
graphical interface in order to up-
date product selections, promos
and video content.
3M MicroTouch Display
Cold White LED Power Modules
Have High Colour Range
Vishay’s two metal core based,
cold white LED power modules
are assembled with 12, 24, or 36
high brightness LEDs. VLSL40
xxA is designed for flexible use
utilising optional special reflectors
to adjust emission characteristics.
The VLSL50xxA features a clear
silicone lens for a butterfly shaped
radiation characteristic.
Optimised for illumination in
streetlights, internal building
lighting, tunnel lights, and general
lighting applications, the VLSL
40xxA and VLSL50xxA exhibit a
colour temperature range of
5000~7000K. Both devices feature
a shiny white surface and a metal
www.electronicspecifier.com
mercial and industrial to residen-
tial applications, Pollux LED
panel lights can be recessed or
hung, placed on ceilings or walls,
and provide users with excep-
tional versatility.
With the environment in mind
GlacialLight says it designed Pol-
lux to contain no hazardous chem-
icals or harmful radiation emis-
sions, making it more eco-friendly
than traditional tube or grid lights.
Pollux LED panel lights are eco-
nomical, consuming less power
while providing more light, than
 For full editorial
traditional lighting products.
C1700SS has a rugged metal enclo-
sure which provides a stable
mount and protects the LCD from
damage. Relying on 3M’s surface
capacitive technology, a preferred
all glass touch solution for self-ser-
vice applications, the C1700SS is
said to be ideal for all public access
environments concerned with
durability. The thin profile with
multiple mounting options display
is also unaffected by UV light and
provides 91.5% light transmission,
which is important in bar and
 For full editorial
restaurant environments.
core, single sided PCB with a cop-
per thickness >0.75µm. Each
module includes a conductive top
layer with a minimum copper of
18µm and a 63µm prepreg 1080
FR4 type isolation layer.
VLSL40xxA is available with
the VLSL-REFL01 aluminium
alloy reflector. By using different
reflector combinations, the emis-
sion in one direction can be ad-
justed in a typical range of
120~55O. The clear silicone lens of
the VLSL50xxA allows for a ±55O
vertical and ±60O horizontal
 For full editorial
angle of half intensity.
 Datasheet Download
FEATURE: OPTO & DISPLAYS
Colour Module
Gives High
Performance
GTK’s new 27 colour, negative
mode field sequential LCD module
is fully customisable and boasts ex-
ceptional performance including a
200:1 contrast ratio, 7ms response
and wide viewing angles. It has an
integral RGB backlight and in full
colour, operates over 0~+70OC. If
used in four colour mode, tempera-
ture range extends to -20~+80OC.
This new technology is said to be
extremely cost-effective in compari-
son to traditional TFT technology,
and is ideal for use where full graph-
ical display is not required. Unit
costs for this product are typically
50% lower than traditional colour
TFT technology and there are sig-
nificant additional cost savings in
Image Processing Enhancements
Take Medical Applications To HD
Enhancements to Plextek’s
image processing suite are de-
signed to help medical device
manufacturers overcome the
technical challenges involved in
developing mega-pixel video so-
lutions for medical applications.
These enhancements allow med-
ical device manufacturers to cre-
ate more affordable, efficient and
intelligent HD video imaging so-
lutions that are better tailored to
individual medical use cases.
Drawing on its strong capa-
bility in video imaging, includ-
ing extensive image processing
software and hardware design
expertise, Plextek boasts the
skill and experience to help ad-
Flat Panel PC
Is Robust
Datasound’s new Arm9 based
compact and robust flat panel PCs
are ideal for automotive, logistics,
materials handling and kiosk appli-
cations. These new fanless AHM
6xx0 PCs have moulded plastic
NEMA4 IP65 compliant 5.7, 8, 10.4
or 12in front panels with an op-
tional resistive touchscreen.
AHM 6xx0 is built around Sam-
sung’s S3C2440A-40 400MHz CPU
and an SI SM502 graphics con-
troller. It incorporates 128MB of
SDRAM and 16MB of video mem-
ory, together with an SD/SDHC
plug&play card slot for up to 32GB
of additional storage capacity.
With its plastic front bezel, steel
chassis and VESA mounting provi-
sion, AHM 6xx0 operates over
terms of R&D and programming.
“We believe we are the first com-
pany in Europe to launch this prod-
uct,” comments Clive Dickinson,
GTK’s Business Manager. “The
technology is ideal for a number of
diverse applications and we have
already seen interest from cus-
tomers who consider this an entry-
level colour product, enabling them
to upgrade their display technology
without all the costs associated
 For full editorial
with TFT technology.”
dress the many special chal-
lenges that arise when introduc-
ing HD into medical imaging
applications. These include
image compression, power con-
sumption, managing and stor-
ing images, data bandwidth for
real time video transmission
and camera miniaturisation.
Standard techniques such as
MPEG2 and H.264 fail to address
image compression require-
ments for medical applications,
so Plextek developed adaptive
processing, applying different
levels of compression to different
parts of an image based on spe-
 For full editorial
cific parameters.
0~50OC and features a wide range
of user interfaces, most of which
are brought out via downward fac-
ing connectors on the rear of the
unit. These comprise a thee pin
9~32Vdc input, two DB9 com
ports, two USB 1.1 host ports, a sin-
 For full editorial
gle RJ45 LAN port and line out.
electronicspecifier | January 2011 | 35
FEATURE: COMMS, COMPUTING & CONTROL
USB High Speed Module
Delivers Higher
Connectivity
Future Technology Devices In-
ternational, FTDI, is easing the
integration of USB into existing
electronic systems with its
FT4232H USB serial/hub module.
Designed to connect to the com-
pany's V2DIPx modules, as well as
any USB host interface, this prod-
uct greatly expands the number of
interfaces that can be accessed
downstream from the host.
Implemented on a compact
75.04x23.37mm PCB, the module
has an FTDI FT4232H USB 2.0 Hi-
Speed to UART/MPSSE chip, sup-
porting data rates of 40Mb/s and
taking care of all USB signalling
and protocols. This new module
has three external downstream
USB ports, two via a dual USB con-
nector and another via the 0.1in
pitch, DIL connector pins. The
Differential Pressure Sensor
Extends To Medical Ventilation
Sensirion’s SDP2108-R high qual-
ity sensor solution measures air-
flows in medical ventilation appli-
cations. This differential pressure
sensor combines high speed and
accuracy with an extended meas-
uring range of 0~3500Pa.
SDP2108-R is based on the
proven SDP1108-R which covers a
smaller measuring range of
0~500Pa, having similar mechani-
cal, electrical and physical charac-
teristics. The differential pressure
sensor is fully calibrated and tem-
perature compensated and also
features a fast response of 8ms,
with an analogue output signal and
New Brochure Focuses On
Semiconductor Industrial Solutions
On Semiconductor’s new In-
dustrial Solutions brochure de-
scribes a wide range of analogue,
power management and circuit
protection products for use in
rugged and uncompromising in-
dustrial environments. Applica-
tions range from HVAC controls
and lighting systems to alarm sys-
tems, ventilation equipment,
smoke detections systems and
motion control.
36 | January 2011 | electronicspecifier
FT4232H also features four serial in-
terfaces that can be configured for
either asynchronous or synchronous
operation, two with the option to be
independently configured via an
MPSSE engine, allowing the
FT4232H to function as two
UART/bit-bang ports, plus two
MPSSE engines that can be used to
emulate JTAG, SPI, I2C, bit-bang or
other synchronous serial modes.
The module’s GL850G USB 2.0
hub controller chip supports indi-
vidual and gang power manage-
ment modes. It can be optionally
customised using an EEPROM
memory located on the module, en-
abling customisation of PID/VID
 For full editorial
and other more complex settings.
 Datasheet Download
a range of 0~4V. The root square
output enables very accurate
measurements at small differential
pressure levels, while at the same
time allowing the sensor to cover a
wide dynamic measuring range.
The high precision sensor
utilises thermal flow measurement
to achieve outstanding sensitivity
and accuracy even with extremely
small differential pressures. Unlike
membrane differential pressure
sensors, SDP2108-R exhibits very
high stability and freedom from
 For full editorial
zero point drift.
 Datasheet Download
The publication gives detailed
technical specifications for driver
ICs, dc/dc controllers, power line
communications modems, motor
controllers, MOSFETs, Power over
Ethernet controllers, surge protec-
tion devices and CAN trans-
ceivers. It also provides useful
background information to assist
engineers develop fully optimised
 For full editorial
system designs.
16bit MCU Drives Four Steppers
 See the new 16bit S12XHYmicrocontroller which is capable of di-
rectly driving four stepper motors, features stall detection and a 160
segment LCD, as well as up to 256KB of flash and a maximum bus
speed of 40MHz
SFP Transceiver Module
Is 3Com Compatible
3CSFP93 is an SFP transceiver
module from GAO Fibre Optics
and the hot pluggable I/O device
plugs straight into module sockets.
This 3Com compatible 1000base-T
transceiver connects the electrical
circuitry of the module with optical
or copper network and connects
patch cords with computer or UPC
connectors.
The transceiver is specially de-
signed for 10Gbit/s SONET/SDH,
fibre channel, Gigabit Ethernet, 10
Gigabit Ethernet applications and
Embedded Mini-ITX Motherboard Is
Optimised For Graphics Performance
Kontron’s KT690/mITX is a BGA
version of its embedded Mini-ITX
motherboard with increased ro-
bustness and improved cost/per-
formance. Applications benefit
from outstanding reliability in de-
manding environ-
mental condi-
tions,
optimised total
cost of ownership
and software to
speed time to market.
KT690/mITX comes
with soldered AMD single
core Sempron 210U or AMD dual
core Turion Neo X2 L325 proces-
sors. For individual projects in large
quantities the motherboards are
available with up to eight different
processors which can be selected
to suit customer specific needs. All
versions are designed for operation
for use in DWDM links.
3CSFP93 has a maximum cable
length of 100m for 1000Base-T SFP
module copper connections and
enables a wide variety of 10Gbit
Ethernet connectivity options for
data centres, enterprise wiring
closets and service provider trans-
port applications.
Equipped with a wide range SFP
based module, this hot pluggable
transceiver is fully compatible with
 For full editorial
its equivalent 3Com device.
over 0~+60°C and include new
solid state capacitors, integrated to
increase longterm stability for relia-
bility and cost efficiency.
Total cost of ownership is re-
duced with the stated long
life of the mother-
board, tool and
software readi-
ness as well
as Kon-
tron's care
in revision control
to ensure ease of plat-
form maintenance and support.
KT690/mITX suits a wide range
of cost sensitive embedded appli-
cations, primarily in gaming, dig-
ital signage, PoS/PoI, medical
technology and industrial and
 For full editorial
panel PCs.
 Datasheet Download
www.electronicspecifier.com
 FEATURE: COMMS, COMPUTING & CONTROL

Ten Turn Hall Pico-ITX Board Is Connected For Embedded

Effect Sensor Has
Mounting Options
First multi-turn sensor featuring
non-contacting technology comes
from Vishay. And the ten turns 34
THE Hall effect sensor is available
with servo or bushing mounts, opti-
mised for harsh environment appli-
cations requiring long life sensors.
The Hall effect 34 THE performs
in HF vibration conditions up to
20G and shocks up to 50G. The de-
vice boasts a life of 50 million cy-
Via’s EPIA-P830 Pico-ITX board for
advanced portable and network
connected embedded applications
features the company’s Nano E-Se-
ries processor and its latest VX900
media system processor with addi-
tional support for dual Mini-PCIe
modules, bringing a wealth of 3G
and wireless connectivity options.
“Modern enterprise environ-
ments in healthcare, logistics and
fleet management require more
connected and portable devices
that don't hold back on multimedia
complete Pico-ITX board on the
market with great HD video per-
formance and a variety of display
and network connectivity options.”
EPIA-P830 extends the Pico-ITX
form factor further, using low profile
expansion boards to provide easy
on-board access to VGA, RJ45 and
two USB ports plus dual Mini-PCie
slots ideal for accommodating a
range of Mini-PCIe modules.
Latest microprocessor platform forms boast extended longevity
from Via is tailor made for embed- support of up to seven years, en-
ded applications featuring the abling compelling low power mi-

 For full editorial

cles with servo and 10 million with ability,” comments Via VP Daniel Nano E-Series processor and croprocessor designs.

 Datasheet Download
bushing mounts, said to be at least Wu. “The Via EPIA-P830 addresses VX900 media system processor.
ten times longer than wire wound these needs, creating the most Via’s embedded processor plat-

ATCA Base Switch

multi-turn sensors. The long life of
the device makes it ideal for servo high availability Base Interface.

Blade Integrates
control of steering wheels in ma- The aTCA-3150 is ideal for

rine and off-road applications.
Vishay can provide any specific
angle on request up to 3600° maxi-
mum, and various output signal
types depending on customer re-
quirements. The sensor features
accurate linearity down to ±0.5%.
Available with single and redun-
dant signals, the size 09, 22.2mm
device features analogue, PWM or
SPI output, and provides continu-
ous performance for the life of the
FastPath Software
ATCA platform adopters who re-
quire high speed and high band-
width data transport interconnects
AdLink’s aTCA-3150 is a 24 port for packet switching and highly
GbE AdvancedTCA multi-layer flexible external I/O access. It
base switch blade based on Broad- meets the bandwidth intensive
com’s BCM56312 switch silicon. It switching requirements for appli-
supports up to 13 GbE ports for a cations such as IP multimedia sub-
14 slot PICMG 3.0 ATCA system, systems servers, media gateways,
with six egress GbE ports and two 3G wireless, network monitoring,
10GbE SFP+ uplink ports via front Unified Threat Management
panel access. It incorporates Broad- servers, packet inspection servers

 For full editorial  For full editorial

device with no drift of linearity. com's FastPath networking soft- and enterprise media servers.

 Datasheet Download  Datasheet Download

ware and is designed for ATCA ity, Gigabit layer 3 switching, a
adopters requiring AMC modular- scalable control plane engine and a

2000A Current new families of Hall Effect current starting as low as 4mA. The device designed for full mechanical and

Sensor Has
transducers. The primary currents has a wide input supply, symmetri- functional compatibility with in-

0.2% Accuracy
Following its introduction of the
highest precision and linear cur-
range from as low as 10A to as
high as 2000A with the new HCT-
2000LF.
These new closed loop Hall effect
current transducers from Premo are
cal voltage to allow power supplies
from 15 to 24V then simplifying the
need of dc voltage regulators and
matching the most common dc
supply bus standards in power con-
dustry standards. The zero current
offset can be software trimmed
and compensated and the HCT
2000 LF is a quick, pin to pin com-
patible direct replacement for most

 For full editorial

rent sensors in the industry, the largest in its portfolio. HCT- trol electronics. known types on long lead times.

 Datasheet Download
Premo is increasing its current 2000LF has an accuracy of 0.2% Highly tolerant to noise and dis-
sensor portfolio with as many as 35 and linearity of 0.1%, with a range turbance, HCT-2000LF has been

ETHERNET TO SERIAL

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www.electronicspecifier.com electronicspecifier | January 2011 | 37

FEATURE: COMMS, COMPUTING & CONTROL
PoE Modules
Suit Building
& Automation
Power over Ethernet touchscreen
panel PCs from American Indus-
trial Systems, AIS, come in 5.7,
7, and 10.1 compact form factor
sizes. The units support the latest
POE standard IEEE 802.3at for up
to 25.5W transmission over a stan-
dard cat5 cable.
AIS PoE wall mount touchscreen
terminals provide a cost-effective
solution by bringing power and
data transfer via a standard
twisted pair Ethernet cabling in a
network for building automation,
remote maintenance, remote diag-
nostics and testing equipment.
AIS’s web based PoE Ethernet
I/O modules provide remote logic
control and monitoring solutions to
various industrial applications. The
module is user friendly with an in-
tuitive web interface that allows
users to implement If Then Else
control logic on controllers just a
few clicks away, with no program-
 For full editorial
ming required.
Picochip Extends
To LUH & LUB
Picochip is adding support for Iub
network architectures to its re-
cently launched picoXcell PC333
HSPA+ device and also announc-
ing plans for an optimised dual
mode LTE/HSPA+ base station. By
supporting the lub standard asso-
ciated with traditional cellular net-
work architectures and picocells,
in addition to the Iuh standard
adopted for femtocells, Picochip
continues to drive the progression
of its high volume SoC technology
into the enterprise and public ac-
cess space. Meanwhile, plans for a
dual mode platform supporting
both LTE and HSPA+ will allow op-
erators to deploy small cells that
are ready for the move to LTE.
“Many carriers and vendors are
attracted by the cost advantages of
femtocells,” comments Dimitris
Mavrakis, Senior Analyst at Informa
Telecoms & Media, “and wish to
benefit from the economies of scale
enabled by standard silicon SoC,
but also want to continue to support
their centrally managed Iub archi-
tecture for public access base sta-
tions. With the PC333 SoC and sup-
port for Iub, Picochip can address
that desire. Moving to address the
public access market is a logical
next step for Picochip, and the fem-
 For full editorial
tocell ecosystem as a whole.”
38 | January 2011 | electronicspecifier
R a d -To l e r a n t
P MC D eli v er s G i gabi t
E ther n et D a ta Tr a n spo r t
S750 from Aitech Defence Sys-
tems, is the space industry's first
COTS, radiation tolerant, Layer 2
Gigabit Ethernet switch PCI mezza-
nine card, PMC, that quickly and re-
liably transfers Ethernet data to and
from GbE NIC end points and the
host. With on-board memory and
key function redundancy imple-
mented in a rad-hard FPGA, this
new PMC is specifically designed
for harsh space environments in-
cluding low earth orbit, Mars terres-
trial and geostationary earth orbit.
S750 features up to four
100/1000BaseT, full duplex Ether-
net ports and one emulated virtual
network port for network access to
the SBC network stack via the local
PCI bus. 1000Base-X is available as
an option.
Because the PMC operates on
Aitech’s premier PowerPC based
USB Optical Mouse Sensor
SoC Is World’s Smallest
Avago’s new optical sensor SoC
boasts the market's smallest pin
count for mice, trackballs and
other HMI devices. The compact,
highly integrated ADNS-2700 LED
based sensors eliminate the need
for an exter-
nal MCU
and re-
quire
fewer pas-
sive com-
ponents,
deliver-
ing ease of design and lower over-
all system costs.
ADNS-2700 contains an image
acquisition system, DSP and a USB
stream output, all in a small foot-
print, 8pin DIP. With an integrated
oscillator and pull-up resistor, the
device further reduces external
component count.
These sensors do not require
3U CompactPCI S950 SBC, the hall-
mark of space flown SBCs, users
can initiate managed switch func-
tions, such as statically and dy-
namically configurable GbE packet
transfers, port management and
multiple power saving options, de-
pending on application require-
ments to match many types of mis-
sion profiles. In tandem with the
S750 TMR triple modular redun-
dancy FPGA architecture, S950
also delivers on-board Flash and
SDRAM memory redundancy to
ensure low latency Ethernet trans-
fers and outstanding data integrity.
Enabled immediately at power-
up, the S750/S950 mated pair allows
the space rated SBC to quickly
manage GbE switch ports and data
via the SBC’s RS422 UART console
 For full editorial
port and the virtual port.
precision optical alignment, facili-
tating high volume as-
sembly. On-chip OTP
memory enables de-
signers to pro-
gram their
own product
and vendor
identifica-
tion infor-
mation and to
select the resolu-
tion setting and sensor
orientation without any need for a
software driver, providing stream-
lined customisation.
ADNS-2700 optical sensors pro-
vide precise, high speed tracking for
mice with motion detection up to
30in/s and 8g acceleration detection.
The programmable resolution ranges
from 250 up to 1250cpi for highly ac-
 For full editorial
curate, sensitive navigation.
Gateway Connects
Remote Devices In
Harsh Environments
Digi International’s Connect-
Port X3 H is a rugged programma-
ble cellular gateway for monitoring
remote assets in harsh environ-
ments. It features advanced bat-
tery power and a NEMA 4X/IP66
enclosure to protect the gateway
from water, dust and dirt. Connect-
Port X3 H is ideal for tank monitor-
ing, pipeline, agriculture, utility
and other rugged applications.
The ConnectPort X3 H is inte-
grated with the iDigi cloud platform,
making it easy to remotely manage
devices and integrate device infor-
mation into back-end systems.
ConnectPort X3 H provides
global connectivity to remote de-
vices and device/sensor networks
via GSM GPRS cellular networks. It
is Class 1, Division 2 certified and
features multiple power options in-
cluding mains power, battery
power or battery power with solar
charger panel for harsh environ-
ments where power may not be
available. It has advanced power
management features including a
sleep function which shuts down
the device when it is not running
 For full editorial
to conserve battery power.
Full HD 3DTV
Video Gateway Is
40nm SoC Solution
Broadcom is sampling a new
ultra-high performance dual HD
set-top box SoC video gateway so-
lution with more than double the
performance of previous genera-
tions. BCM7422 is designed in
40nm CMOS silicon technology
and boasts breakthrough levels of
performance and integration, re-
ducing power consumption and
lowering overall costs to meet the
need for the next generation con-
nected home experience.
BCM7422 is the first SoC to com-
bine a 1.3GHz multi-threaded MIPS
processor with the latest transmis-
sion efficient H.264/MPEG scalable
video coding and multi-view video
coding standards for enabling
1080p60/50 content distribution
and full resolution HD 3DTV.
Complementing this new level of
application software and visual per-
formance is a 1Gpixel/s OpenGL ES
2.0 3D GPU for advanced 3D graph-
ics acceleration, as well as integrat-
ed whole home connectivity func-
tionality including MoCA and
 For full editorial
DLNA support.
www.electronicspecifier.com

Captaucom
Achieves Its
Objectives
The Captaucom programme,
launched in 2005, has now
achieved its objectives: three self-
powered communicating prototype
devices developed for the three
manufacturers involved in the pro-
gramme, the SEB Group, Somfy
and NTN-SNR. The development
was carried out in partnership with
CEA-LETI, CEA-LITEN, CSEM,
MIND, CETIM and Thésame.
The five year Captaucom project
brought together the three manu-
facturing companies, two research
organisations, two centres of excel-
lence and one technology network,
to work on the development of self-
powered communicating sensors.
The three manufacturers have
each been able to benefit from the
latest technological advances in
the miniaturisation and reduced
power consumption of electronic
components, together with the re-
cent development of micro energy
 For full editorial
recovery devices.
Transducers Save
Energy In Lighting
LPRS has established itself as a
major supplier of transducers used
in energy saving lighting systems
manufactured by Ex-Or, including,
presence detection, lighting man-
agement, architectural dimming
and scene setting and emergency
lighting testing system applications.
Ex-Or systems help customers
achieve energy savings, reduce fuel
bills, and create an optimum envi-
ronment for staff or visitors.
LPRS began supplying ultrasonic
transducers and 40kHz crystals to
Ex-Or in 1986 when it was then In-
line Electronics. The devices were
used in sensor operated lighting to
turn off lights when no movement
was detected after a preset period.
As energy costs have increased and
the need for ‘green’ solutions has
grown, so has the market for such
 For full editorial
lighting automation systems.
www.electronicspecifier.com
Universal USB Controller
Has 50 I/O Pins
Saelig’s IO-Warrior56 is a universal
USB controller that allows easy ac-
cess to input or output functions
via a USB bus. It features 50
generic I/O lines and is also an
I2C/SPI master for interfacing with
a wide range of ICs.
IO-Warrior56 enables simple ac-
cess to the USB since it has been
designed as a generic HID device:
the protocol is all in the IO-War-
rior56 chip. Only a few simple
Load Sensor Is Smart
lines of code are needed to access
Sensor Technology’s LoadSense
smart load sensor provides all the in-
formation needed to optimise effi-
ciency and increase profitability in a
wide range of operations. It allows
weighing processes to be fully inte-
grated with handling operations and
all live data is captured in real time
and can be transferred to a data-
base, stored, totalised and analysed.
LoadSense is an intelligent load
Lisa 3G Modules Optimised For M2M
u-blox has extended its Lisa
wireless module family to in-
clude two new members:
Lisa-H100 is for the USA and
Lisa-H110 is for Europe and
Asia. The UMTS/HSDPA data
modems are dedicated to
telematics and telemetry ap-
plications that typically re-
quire only data and not the
full 3G bandwidth. They are back-
wards compatible with 2G
GPRS/Edge networks and applica-
tions include automatic meter
reading, PoS terminals, remote
monitoring and control, asset track-
Pressure Sensor Pinpoints Height
From 750m below ground to the
top of Everest, STMicroelectron-
ics says smartphones and other
portables will soon be able to pin-
point their height variation relative
to sea level to better than
1m using its most recent
MEMS sensor.
LPS001WP is a tiny sil-
icon pressure sensor that
uses innovative technol-
ogy to provide extremely
high resolution measure-
ments of pressure and
thus altitude. It comes in
an ultra-compact and
thin package.
One of the first appli-
FEATURE: COMMS, COMPUTING & CONTROL
the I/O pins. To connect simple
devices to a computer, like relays,
switches, keypad, or a small dis-
play is simple. Working with USB
used to mean specific code had to
be developed for a USB enabled
MCU, says Saelig, developing a
special driver with lots of docu-
mentation and using expensive
development systems.
Now driving LCDs, LEDs, or
keypads from USB is easy with IO-
Warrior56 which also supports a
sensor that can be integrated with
a crane hook, fork lift or other han-
dling device. It has an on-board,
single chip computer for recording,
analysing and archiving readings,
and wireless communications ca-
pability which can transfer data in
 For full editorial
real time to a host computer.
 Datasheet 1 Download
 Datasheet 2 Download
ing, fleet management and remote
sensor monitoring.
“The two new Lisa family mem-
bers are optimised for speeds typi-
cally found in remote monitoring
applications,” notes u-blox’s Prod-
cations is the enhancement of
portable devices equipped with
traditional GPS functions that can
only identify location of a device in
two dimensions. With the addition
range of industrial standard inter-
faces such as I2C and SPI to sim-
plify interfacing to chips, modules,
 For full editorial
or displays.
uct Marketing VP Thomas Nigg.
“These modems are capable of
3.6Mb/s download and 384
kb/s upload speeds which are
sufficient for the vast majority
of M2M applications.”
The new Lisa-H modems
are an extension of the previ-
ously announced LISA-U
family of full speed HSPA
3.75G modules. The Lisa-H
and Lisa-U families together
provide a complete range of
wireless modems optimised for
lower speed M2M as well as high
speed Internet, voice and multi-
 For full editorial
media applications.
of the LPS001WP, the same devices
would be able to identify the pre-
cise location in all three dimen-
sions, allowing, for example, a mo-
bile phone to send a call to an
emergency fire, medical or police
service that identified not only the
location of the building but
also the particular floor.
LPS001WP has an operat-
ing pressure range of
300~1100mbar, correspon-
ding to the atmospheric
pressures between -750~
+9000m relative to sea level.
It can detect pressure
changes down to 0.065mbar
 For full editorial
or 80cm of altitude.
 Datasheet Download
electronicspecifier | January 2011 | 39
TEST & MEASUREMENT
Te s t P r o t o c o l A s s u r e s
A c c u r a t e , C o m p r e h e n s i v e Te s t
Selecting proper fault models,
methodologies, implementation
techniques and test facilities ap-
propriate for each of today's IC
chips is complex says
Rochester Electronics. Its
Original Engineering Driven test
protocol is founded on continu-
ing manufacturing agreements
with original semiconductor
manufacturers and the advanced
expertise of Rochester's dedi-
cated test engineers.
Heralded as the world’s largest
authorised manufacturer and dis-
tributor of end of life and mature
semiconductors, Rochester ac-
quires IP from the original semi-
conductor manufacturer through
continuing manufacturing agree-
ments, including proprietary test-
ing techniques, test programmes,
tooling, and test equipment re-
quired for precise and compre-
hensive testing of the semicon-
ductor devices.
To guarantee the most accurate
testing available, the company
Sounding Out EMC
Significantly improving its in-
house capabilities, Oxley Devel-
opments has installed a £100,000
EMC test chamber at its Ulver-
ston HQ. The 4m long anechoic
chamber is designed to absorb
electromagnetic waves and also
screen out external noise. It has
been installed in the company’s
Design and Development Test Fa-
cility at the Priory Park site where
all new Oxley products are devel-
oped and tested.
The chamber is used by Oxley
to test compatibility of different
types of electrical equipment op-
erating in the same environment
in order to minimise the effects of
EMI which can adversely affect
performance.
All Oxley products for defence
platforms have to be tested to mil-
itary standards, which are far
more stringent than commercial
or industrial EMC testing. The
company typically tests to Mil-
Std-461, RTCA/DO-160 and Def
Stan 59-411, all involving accurate
measurement of very low radio
40 | January 2011 | electronicspecifier
continuously updates its test
equipment and installs the same
model machines used by the orig-
inal manufacturer. In applying
Rochester’s Original Engineering-
Driven Test Protocol, its engineers
use the manufacturer’s factory-
approved test programmes or,
when appropriate, upgrade those
programmes or even develop new
ones. The ultimate goal is always
to perform the most comprehen-
sive testing.
When original test programmes
and/or test systems are unavail-
able from the original manufac-
turer, Rochester’s dedicated test
engineers develop new test pro-
grammes based on the latest revi-
sions of the data sheets. Because
the test process is relied upon to
prevent defective components
being shipping to customers as
‘good’ devices, it is critical to cor-
rectly match the proper test tech-
niques with the overall compo-
 For full editorial
nent/system requirements.
frequency levels for emissions
testing up to 40GHz and also test-
ing very high radiated fields for
susceptibility.
Although there are plenty of ex-
ternal test labs where the work
could be carried out, Oxley says
there are none in the north of
England capable of testing to the
high levels many Oxley products
have to meet. “We’ve been spend-
ing a lot of time and money travel-
ling to suppliers to carry out our
EMC tests,” says Oxley’s Techni-
cal Manager Mark Jordan, “So
getting our own EMC test facility
up and running is something I’ve
been pushing for and it will be a
 For full editorial
huge asset for Oxley.”
Spirent Takes
2010 4GWE LTE
Visionary Award
Spirent's eAirAccess wireless
network emulator has landed the
company the 2010 LTE Visionary
Award, presented by Technology
Marketing Corporation in conjunc-
tion with Crossfire Media. eAirAc-
cess is a true multi-radio access
technology network emulator for
testing mobile devices. Its real
time state machine emulates an
entire post-deployment environ-
ment including LTE, WCDMA,
GSM, HSPA, CDMA, EV-DO and
evolved high rate packet data serv-
ices, with multiple cells available
per technology.
“Spirent’s eAirAccess is de-
signed to address the complexity
around handovers between radio
access technologies, especially
since LTE deployment will need to
coexist with legacy networks such
as CDMA/EV-DO or UMTS/HSPA
for many years,” comments Hes-
ham ElHamahmy, Spirent’s wireless
division VP. “The eAirAccess solu-
tion has already found commercial
success and it’s an honour to now
 For full editorial
be recognised by the industry.”
Test Case Wizard
Performs LTE
Magic
Rohde & Schwarz’s LTE test case
wizard dramatically eases the task
of generating correct signals for
specific R&S LTE base station test
scenarios. An operator of a signal
generator only has to select the ap-
propriate test case and the wizard
will configure the R&S LTE signal,
interferers, AWGN and fading. Wiz-
ard functionality also includes auto-
matic selection of the correct R&S
LTE reference measurement chan-
nel, setting of the required R&S LTE
resource block allocations and con-
figuration of the interfering signals.
All power levels of the different sig-
nal components automatically con-
form to the test specification.
A new feature for any of three
Rohde & Schwarz vector signal
generators, the LTE Test Case Wiz-
ard was created to implement easy
signal generation for conformance
testing of LTE base stations. The
test cases are in line with the 3GPP
technical specification 36.141 and
comprise test signals for transmitter,
receiver and performance tests. A
graphical display of the test signal
scenario helps the user to keep track
 For full editorial
of the signal generation at all times.
New Standard Set
For SIM Spy Tools
MiniMove responded to the testing
needs of card and handset manu-
facturers, application developers
and network operators with a small,
USB powered quality trace tool that
helps to ensure interoperability be-
tween individual components in-
volved with the (U)SIM interface.
MiniMove detects communica-
tion errors between handsets and
SmartCards and analyses them ac-
cordingly. Measuring up at 82x116x
31mm and weighing 310g, Mini-
Move is smaller than most spy tools
existing today, says Comprion.
As the tool requires little energy,
the tracer can be powered by the
PC via USB. Thus, the freedom and
flexibility to test anytime, any-
where has never been higher, mak-
ing MiniMove the ultimate tool for
testing in the field, development
testing in the lab, technical sup-
port tasks and interoperability test-
 For full editorial
ing for quality assurance.
LCR Concept
Interfaces High
Performance Test
Multitest's board division has
introduced a new LCR concept
for high pin count BGA applica-
tions. Board customers can now
benefit from significant cost sav-
ings without sacrificing perform-
ance. And with the new LCR
concept, the layer count of stan-
dard pitch BGA boards can be
reduced by up to 40%.
Board thickness often is a me-
chanical issue in terms of dock-
ing height and/or connector re-
quirements. Other approaches
used to slim down boards, such
as using thinner cores, are lim-
ited due to manufacturability
and performance.
With its design to delivery PCB
services, Multitest takes advan-
tage of its board fabrication site
capabilities and design expert-
ise. Design for manufacture
guidelines have been developed,
allowing board designers to re-
duce both the signal layers and
 For full editorial
the necessary ground planes.
www.electronicspecifier.com

Chassis
Deliver PXI
Performance
Two new PXI Express chassis from
National Instruments, deliver
added value and performance to
automated test and control applica-
tions at the same price as similar
PXI chassis. Engineers can use the
nine slot NI PXIe-1078 and four slot
NI PXIe-1071 chassis to take ad-
vantage of the latest PXI Express
modules and controllers with the
flexibility of backwards compatibil-
ity with existing PXI modules.
PXIe-1078 nine slot chassis fea-
ture 1GB/s total system bandwidth,
accepting up to a four slot wide
embedded controller in one slot
and up to eight peripheral PXI Ex-
press slots, with five slots compati-
ble with both PXI Express and PXI
modules. In addition to the benefits
Tektronix Widens ‘Scope On
Price & Performance
MSO/DPO5000 Series mixed signal
oscilloscopes together with
TPP1000 and TPP0500 high band-
width and low capacitance passive
voltage probes with breakthrough
performance are unveiled by Tek-
tronix. Taken together, the new
instruments and probes give em-
bedded systems design engineers
unmatched performance and
analysis tools for complex compo-
nent and system level debugging
and validation tasks, all at highly
competitive price points.
Oscilloscopes ranging from
350MHz~2GHz are the single most
popular segment for developing
www.electronicspecifier.com
of a PXI Express chassis, the PXIe-
1078 includes one more module
slot than the same priced PXI-1042
standard eight slot chassis. With a
depth of 214.2mm, the PXIe-1078
also delivers higher slot counts to
applications with tight space re-
quirements.
PXIe-1071 four slot chassis enable
3GB/s total system bandwidth, ac-
cepting up to a four slot wide con-
troller in one slot, with three slots
available for PXI Express or PXI
modules. This chassis boasts more
than 20 times the bandwidth of the
same priced PXI-1031 standard four
slot PXI chassis. Both chassis fea-
ture a compact form factor and tem-
 For full editorial
perature range of 0~50OC.
products in a broad range of indus-
tries and applications. Across the
board, consumer and industrial
products are becoming more intelli-
gent with more advanced embed-
ded electronics that include many
components connected by chip to
chip buses, wired and wireless net-
works, complex energy manage-
ment schemes, image displays and
sophisticated user interfaces.
“With on-going economic chal-
lenges,” states Tektronix’s General
Manager Roy Siegel, our customers
have even less time to design prod-
ucts than before and they must
work with a growing range of ap-
plications, requiring ever more ca-
pable testing solutions. With our
new oscilloscope platform we are
giving engineers the analysis func-
tionality and performance they
need for many applications in one
instrument, available at a low
breakthrough price point. Our goal
is to help our customers save time
by simplifying test. And no com-
petitor comes close to matching
the performance of our new high
bandwidth and low capacitance
 For full editorial
passive probes.”
Bluetooth Audio
Testing Is Faster
& Easier
World's first complete audio test
system for Bluetooth devices is
Prism Sound's dScope Series III
audio analyser which now sup-
ports audio streaming directly be-
tween test system and Bluetooth
device, enabling real time, closed
loop testing of Bluetooth audio
systems.
Until now, audio engineers had
to test Bluetooth devices using a
range of analogue, digital, elec-
tronic and electro-acoustic audio
test equipment, plus software
based signal generation and
analysis tools. Time consuming
and cumbersome, this did not
easily translate to automated
On-Line Centre
Provides Digital
Testing Expertise
The new Agilent Digital Test So-
lutions and Expertise On-line Cen-
tre gives its customers a range of
essential tools on high speed digi-
tal test, including USB 3.0, Display-
Port and HDMI, SATA/SAS, PCI
Express, MIPI and memory.
The highly competitive environ-
ment for computer and consumer
electronics companies requires ex-
tremely fast new product creation,
says Agilent, utilising more ad-
vanced devices. To be successful,
design engineers require the most
Custom OFDM Waveform Creation
 SystemVue generates custom OFDM communications signals that
can be used in test equipment as well as simulation to test Layer 1
PHY architectures. Take this video tour and see how easy it is to work
with the latest wireless and military communications formats.
TEST & MEASUREMENT
manufacturing or verification
testing environments, says Prism.
dScope Series III integrates
analogue, digital, electronic, elec-
tro-acoustic and Bluetooth meas-
urement capabilities in a single
instrument, eliminating the need
for time consuming signal gener-
ation and analysis in external soft-
ware. And Bluetooth audio devel-
opment, compliance testing and
manufacturing are now faster and
 For full editorial
easier than ever before.
current information in standards
like USB, SATA, PCI Express,
HDMI, DisplayPort and memory. Its
on-line centre was created to assist
in the design of the latest in life-
style electronics.
Agilent's solutions for digital
applications are driven and sup-
ported by Agilent experts who are
involved in various international
standards committees.
Experts from the Agilent Digital
Test Standards Programme are
active in the JEDEC, PCI-SIG,
VESA, SATA-IO, SCSI, USB-IF,
MIPI Alliance, Ethernet EEE
802.3, Optical Internetworking
 For full editorial
Forum and others.
electronicspecifier | January 2011 | 41
TEST & MEASUREMENT
Current Probes
Clamp Down To
1mA Measurement
GMC-I PROSyS has extended its
CP3 range of ac/dc, non-invasive,
current measurement probes, now
providing measurement sensitivity
into the milliamp range. And with
resolution of 1mA, the range pro-
vides engineers with probes that
are ideal for detecting and measur-
ing leakage currents in automotive
systems, or verifying correct opera-
tion in process control signal loops.
CP3 probes single handedly
clamp-on: the user opens the probe
jaws, closes it around the conduc-
tor carrying the current to be
measured and immediately gets a
calibrated voltage output that di-
rectly represents the current to be
measured. The probes use com-
pensated Hall Effect to detect the
magnetic field generated by the
measured current, allowing ac and
dc currents to be monitored by the
same probe. When measuring ac,
frequency response extends to
 For full editorial
100kHz.
Predictor &
LimA Software
Integrated
Environmental noise mapping
is now simpler for consultants
and authorities with Bruel &
Kjaer's new Predictor-LimA
software suite. This combined
version integrates the Predictor
and LimA tools into a powerful
and intuitive software suite
that is simple to use. The suite
also models real life quickly and
accurately, even in complex sit-
uations, enabling even infre-
quent users to work efficiently.
The noise modelling tool has a
multi-model view and allows un-
limited undo and redo function-
ality. Depending on version, all
UK applicable calculation meth-
ods are available, including BS-
5228:2009, CRN, CRTN and ISO-
9613. Bruel & Kjaer’s basic
version also supports British
Standard Code of Practice BS-
5228:2009 and ISO-9613.
The LimA section is powerful
and highly flexible, allowing
easy integration with external
data sets and calculation com-
ponents from other systems. It
includes macro functionality
with automated data manipula-
tion and advanced geometric
 For full editorial
handling.
42 | January 2011 | electronicspecifier
Anaview Inve sts In
dSc ope Series I II
Swedish technology house
Anaview specialises in provid-
ing OEM electronics for the audio
industry and is the latest Euro-
pean company to purchase a
dScope Series III analogue and
digital audio analyser from Prism
Sound. Anaview is using the
‘scope for testing distortion,
bandwidth, noise and multi-tone
inter-modulation products in the
development of switch mode am-
plifiers. It’s an exacting task.
“Perceived sound quality is a
complex topic,” says Anaview’s
CEO Patrik Bostrom. “An amplifier
that performs well on the typically
presented graphs does not neces-
Spectrum Analysers Ease CDMA & LTE
Network Installation & Servicing
R&S FSH4 and R&S FSH8 hand-
held spectrum analysers from
Rohde & Schwarz incorporate
useful new functions for installing
and servicing CDMA and LTE mo-
bile radio networks. In their basic
configuration, these analysers can
now perform measurements in the
spectral range. They can, for exam-
ple, detect spurious emissions and
display the associated limit values.
With their 20MHz bandwidth, the
analysers are suitable for analysing
LTE signals and using two new op-
tions, R&S FSH-K46 and K46E, these
analysers are also capable of
analysing CDMA2000 signals.
The new R&S
FSH-K46 and
R&S FSH-K46E
software options
provide all the
functions that
service and in-
stallation tech-
nicians need to
check the oper-
ationally rele-
vant parame-
ters of
CDMA2000
sarily sound good. In order to find a
way to methodically design a good
sounding amplifier one has to have
a measurement system where the
input signal and the performed
measurements can be fully con-
trolled by the user.”
Prism Sound’s dScope Series III
instrument includes precision
analogue and highly optimised
digital outputs and inputs. Precise
and automatic gain ranging al-
lows high resolution measure-
ments over a massive range, from
a few micro-volts to more than
150Vrms, and from less than 1Hz to
 For full editorial
over 90kHz.
base station signals. They measure
power, determine the ratio of peak
power to average power and dis-
play characteristic parameters
such as power in the pilot channel
and the synchronisation channel,
the carrier frequency off-set, com-
posite error vector and Rho.
The FSH-K46E option has been
designed for more in-depth analysis
and can also perform code domain
power measurements. These meas-
urements provide the information
needed for graphically displaying
the power in all occupied and unoc-
cupied channels, for example.
Additional new measurement
functions have been incorpo-
rated including the ability
to measure spurious emis-
sions that might interfere
with the adjacent trans-
mit signal. Predefined
masks allow the user
to measure the spec-
trum emission
mask quickly, with
minimum operat-
 For full
ing effort.
editorial
Data Acquisition
Cards Provide
High ENOB
Performance
The new GaGe CS1250X from
Thurlby Thandar is a range of
12bit, single and two channel
500MS/s digitiser cards with
350MHz of input analogue band-
width. Designed for high speed
data acquisition applications,
these cards provide the highest
available ENOB performance at
high signal frequencies that is
available on the market.
CS1250X delivers this ENOB
performance at high frequency
without sacrificing flexibility of the
established GaGe CompuScope
signal conditioning front end. It
provides six separate input ranges,
a choice of ac/dc coupling, user se-
lectable 70MHz low pass filters and
user dc off-set control.
High fidelity front end signal
conditioning is a core competence
of GaGe’s parent company, Dy-
namicSignals Engineering LLC.
The design features the low noise
conversion of input single ended
signals to carefully balanced on-
board differential signals in addi-
tion to innovative clocking distri-
 For full editorial
bution and phase alignment.
Tektronix Solution
Puts PCIe 3.0
To The Test
Latest addition to the Tek-
tronix PCI Express 3.0 range
provides physical layer trans-
mission verification, debugging,
characterisation and compliance
testing using its DPO/DSA/MSO
70000 Series oscilloscopes. With
this release, Tektronix now
boasts the broadest and most
complete set of physical and
protocol layer measurement ca-
pabilities for PCI Express.
The PCIe 3.0 architecture
provides low cost, high per-
formance I/O technology that
includes a new 128b/130b en-
coding scheme and a data rate
of 8GT/s, doubling the intercon-
nect bandwidth over PCIe 2.0.
Based on the same FR4 board
material and connectors as pre-
vious generations, PCIe 3.0 rep-
resents a more difficult chal-
lenge with smaller margins and
new jitter measurements re-
quired to account for increased
 For full editorial
signal loss in the channel.
www.electronicspecifier.com

Software
Automates
ICT Reporting
Agilent’s N1194A ATCC, test
coverage consultant software
performs two significant tasks.
Firstly, it measures the test
coverage of a product after the
tests have been developed and
secondly, it quickly predicts
the test coverage of a product
based only on the CAD layout
files. These two capabilities
allow engineers to estimate
test coverage early in the
product life cycle, when only
the CAD layout file is avail-
able. ATCC software also can
work as a test strategy analy-
sis tool by assisting the test
manager in optimising the
manufacturing test coverage
using a portfolio of available
test platforms.
“The ATCC can save days in
engineering by automating
the currently manual test cov-
erage analysis process, which
may lead to faster time to mar-
ket in today's fast paced pro-
duction,” comments Adrian
Cheong, Agilent's Technical
Marketing Manager for in-cir-
cuit and functional test. “With
the ability to analyse the cov-
erage based on user selec-
table, Agilent in-circuit test
features, as well as the use of
PCOLA-SOQ metrics, engi-
neers can make a more com-
plete test coverage report.”
When used during prototyp-
ing, ATCC helps engineers esti-
mate how well their product
can be tested during mass pro-
duction. Engineers now have
the time they need to adjust the
test strategy to ensure the best
coverage is achieved and that
the best quality products are
 For full editorial
produced.
Software Upgrade...
Teseq’s new Compliance 5 test
software along with dedicated ap-
plications automate commercial
and military testing. DO160 aero-
space packages are imminent and
automotive packages will be
launched in the near future. The
software is available for download
from the RF software support
pages. Existing users of Compli-
ance 3 who have a current support
agreement can upgrade freely via
RF_Software@teseq.com for an up-
 For full editorial
grade code.
www.electronicspecifier.com
The M2 Ion Detector from Hama-
matsu is for mass spectrometry
applications. This thumb sized de-
vice, measures just 28x24mm, with
an 8mm diameter effective area. It
has been developed to achieve a
Probes Put Dense Circuits To The Test
The two new Tetris probes from
Pico Technology deliver high
bandwidth in a compact and light-
weight housing for testing densely
packed, high speed circuits. With
active circuitry, the probes boast
significant performance improve-
ment over passive probes and
while the input capacitance of a
passive probe loads the signal
source even at frequencies below
1MHz, causing distortion, the
Measurement Studio Software Uprated
Measurement Studio 2010 from
National Instruments has new
support for Microsoft Visual Studio
2010 .net. The new software ver-
sion fully integrates into Visual Stu-
dio 2010/2008/2005 and provides
tools designed specifically for data
acquisition, signal processing,
analysis and visualisation.
Microsoft Visual Studio develop-
ers using Measurement Studio
2010 can create Windows Forms
and Web Forms applications in a
shorter amount of time with in-
creased productivity tools, such as
code generation assistants and
LogicStudio Enhanced
managed .net APIs. Measurement
LeCroy’s new LogicStudio soft-
ware enhances oscilloscope con-
nectivity to LogicStudio 16 provid-
ing support for not only the LeCroy
WaveJet oscilloscope but also sev-
eral popular oscilloscopes from Tek-
tronix and Agilent.
This new software adds flexibil-
ity to the LogicStudio, enabling
users a wide range of oscilloscopes
from 40MHz~1GHz, turning their
PCs into MSOs. The 16 digital
channels, 1GS/s sample rate,
High Speed Ion
Detector Is
Ultra-Compact
fast response and wide dynamic
range within a small and compact
package through the combination
of a micro-channel plate and a
metal channel dynode from a pho-
tomultiplier tube.
Tetris probes maintain a high
input impedance into the GHz
range. This enables the accurate
display of pulses with sub-
nanosecond rise times.
The Tetris probes are compatible
with all standard high bandwidth
oscilloscopes with 50Ω BNC inputs
such as the PicoScope 6000 Series.
The Tetris 1000 has a probe band-
width of 1GHz, while the Tetris 1500
is rated at 1.5GHz. Other specifica-
Studio 2010 also provides support
for test and measurement applica-
tion development using Visual
Basic .net or Visual C#.
Measurement Studio 2010 in-
cludes a new Windows Forms .net
Intensity Graph which uses colour
to display 3D data on a 2D plot area.
With this control, user interface de-
velopers more easily can display
pattern data, such as RF, power
spectrum, weather or terrain pat-
terns, and customise the appear-
ance using colour mapping tools.
The new version delivers im-
proved development productivity
for user interface development
3.75ns glitch capture and serial
protocol analysis of LogicStudio
can now combine with the ana-
logue channels from a wide range
of oscilloscopes including the
LeCroy WaveJet, six Tektronix
product lines or three Agilent prod-
uct lines.
The lively, dynamic waveform
display with a smart, intuitive user
interface is said to be now more
powerful than ever, providing a
deep toolset for digital, serial and
TEST & MEASUREMENT
Typically, microchannel plates
show fast response characteristics
but are easily saturated due to their
high resistivity. Conversely, an elec-
tron multiplier exhibits wider dy-
namic range but slower response.
However, by combining a micro-
channel plate with Hamamatsu’s
metal channel dynode structure, a
detector with a 1ns rise time and a
response of 2ns FWHM has been
created. In addition, the metal chan-
nel dynode structure provides for
excellent count rate linearity charac-
teristics up to 50 million counts/s,
compared to 10 million for a two
stage micro-channel plate assembly.
The high speed and wide dy-
namic range of the M2 Ion Detector
 For full editorial
suit it to Q-MS and TOS-MS.
tions include an input impedance of
1MΩ in parallel with 0.9pF, a meas-
uring range of ±8V, attenuation of
10:1 ±5%, 1.3m cable length and
probe weight of 96g.
The probe heads are T shaped in
cross-section, enabling side by side
stacking close enough to probe ad-
jacent pins on a 0.1in IC package.
The probes are supplied with a
comprehensive accessory pack and
a universal mains power supply is
 For full editorial
also included.
with the introduction of inte-
grated code snippets for user in-
 For full editorial
terface control classes.
analogue debugging.
Like most logic analysers, Logic-
Studio can capture and display dig-
ital and serial signals. However,
LogicStudio goes a step further and
provides a communication link to a
wide range of oscilloscopes turning
the PC into a true mixed signal
debug environment. The commu-
nication from the LogicStudio soft-
ware to the oscilloscope will allow
for configuring the trigger and
transferring data, presenting all the
digital, serial and analogue data in
 For full editorial
a single display.
electronicspecifier | January 2011 | 43
DISTRIBUTION FOCUS
Partnership Extends To Nordic Region
Avnet Abacus has extended its
distribution agreement with
Molex to cover Denmark, Sweden
and Finland.
“Molex is a world leader with an
outstanding reputation for reliable,
high quality and competitively
priced interconnection products,”
says Alan Jermyn, Avnet Abacus’s
Marketing VP. “We are excited
about this opportunity to offer the
full portfolio of interconnect prod-
ucts to our Nordic customers, and
backed by a significant investment
in inventory, we are well positioned
to support these customers on
Molex products.”
Martin Pfeil, Molex’s Distribution
Corporate Account Manager, adds,
“We made the decision to extend
our relationship with Avnet Abacus
to the Nordic region based on the
very high levels of service and
technical support that Avnet Aba-
cus provides to customers. Avnet
Farnell Gives Asia Pacific Access To IR
element14 has strengthened its
partnership with International
Rectifier to provide the latest IR
products across the Asia Pacific re-
gion. Performance PQFN, new to
the IR range of Hexfet power MOS-
FETs addresses 40~250V applica-
tions in high performance 5×6mm
QFN packaging. The IR silicon
technology solution stands just
0.9mm high, delivering a high cur-
rent rating and low RDSon for
higher efficiency, power density
and reliability for switching appli-
cations with limited board space.
“We have already seen tremen-
dous growth over the last year in
Ruggedised LEDs
Suit Tough Appli-
cations
Full colour spectrum LEDs from L3
Electrodynamics are now avail-
able from Aerco. Rear mounting
ML1631E and front mounting
ML2031E LED based indicators
boast clear advantages over seg-
mented tri-colour alternatives. Vir-
tually unlimited colours, says
Aerco, can be obtained by using
either different resistor combina-
tions or pulse width modulation.
Designed to Mil-Std-202, these
devices provide high protection
against vibration, shock, humidity,
altitude and salt spray, making
them ideal for fault and status indi-
cation in harsh environments, in
equipment applications such as
defence, aerospace, industrial,
avionics, manufacturing, commu-
44 | January 2011 | electronicspecifier
Abacus is highly focussed in pro-
viding and supporting Molex inter-
connect solutions to the European
marketplace. We have a stable and
very strong relationship with Avnet
Abacus and look forward to busi-
ness growth together in the Nordic
 For full editorial
region.”
the region for efficient power man-
agement solutions,” comments
David Poon, International Recti-
fier’s Asia Sales VP, “and through
our strong partnership with ele-
ment14, we expect this high-
growth trend to continue over the
next few quarters. Collaborating
strategically with global leaders like
element14 enables us to consis-
tently provide our worldwide cus-
tomer base with the most innova-
tive and cutting edge solutions
through element14’s customer-cen-
tric initiatives and multi-channel
 For full editorial
distribution systems.”
nications, and transportation in-
dustries.
Both LEDs have a black an-
odised front bezel, a clear chromate
case, providing a conductive sur-
face for EMI protection, and fluo-
rosilicone O-ring panel sealing.
They operate over -40~+85°C and
storage temperature range is
 For full editorial
-55°C to +100°C.
Rutronik On The
Pulse In Germany
Best German Distributor says
Pulse is Rutronik and promptly
gave the distributor its award for
generating the top sales in Ger-
many in 2010. The two companies
have been working together suc-
cessfully in Germany and France
since as far back as 1993.
Rutronik achieved strong sales
with Pulse Power and LAN prod-
ucts in the prime target automotive
and consumer markets. Design-in
products accounted for over 60% of
the sales generated, with the suc-
cess founded on comprehensive
on-site support from the distribu-
tor’s field application engineers,
LED Modules In Stock At Digi-Key
Now in stock at Digi-Key is
Cree’s LMR4 LED module based on
Cree’s TrueWhite Technology, with
versions also featuring Cree Easy-
White solutions.
“We are pleased to extend Digi-
Key’s inventory of Cree products to
include the LMR4 module family,”
notes Cree VP Mark Despotes. “As a
trusted resource for the electronics
community, Digi-Key can help accel-
erate the LED Lighting Revolution
Microsite Aids Test
& Instrumentation
There’s a new support programme
from RS Components for design
engineers developing test and in-
strumentation applications. Over
500 new products have been
added to its range, along with a
dedicated microsite.
This new initiative provides de-
Microsite Powers
Solid State
Lighting Solutions
There’s a new lighting microsite
that’s worth a look, providing com-
prehensive solutions and resources
for engineers to develop solid state
lighting projects. The new Avnet
Abacus website covers intercon-
nection, device control, thermal
management, power and protection
components, assisting engineers to
select the right components for spe-
cific projects and deliver complete,
market ready solutions for solid state
lighting applications.
“Solid state lighting has grown
significantly on the benefits of its
strong green credentials, as well as
its long operating lifetimes, ease of
control and compact mechanical di-
product managers and business
development department.
“Thanks to the strong presence
and proven expertise of Rutronik,”
says Pulse’s Sales Manager André
Resties, “we have been working to-
gether successfully for quite some
time. We are very pleased to be able
 For full editorial
to present this award.”
by providing fixture makers ready
access to the latest LED lighting
technology.”
The LMR4 integrates driver elec-
tronics, optics, and primary thermal
management: it’s compact and
drop-in ready. Designed to last
35,000hr while consuming just 12W,
it delivers 700 lumens at a variety
of colour temperatures from
 For full editorial
2700~4000K.
sign engineers, says RS, with a
comprehensive range of market
leading electromechanical prod-
ucts for demanding test require-
ments. Included are components
from the likes of Tyco Electronics,
Phihong, IMS Connector Systems,
Crydom and Telegartner.
Highlights of the range include a
large number of products suitable
 For full editorial
for RF signals.
mensions,” says Alan Jermyn, Avnet
Abacus’s Marketing VP. “Creating a
successful lighting design depends
on selecting the right support com-
ponents as well as the LED. The
Avnet Abacus lighting microsite has
been designed to provide the appro-
priate information covering product
data, key component suppliers, ap-
plication examples and technical ar-
 For full editorial
ticles to achieve this.”
www.electronicspecifier.com

Distribution Deal
Covers MEMs
Sensors
Sensonor Technologies has
signed up Premier Farnell to
distribute its precision MEMS
technology globally. Sensonor’s lat-
est MEMS sensors are for high pre-
cision applications. Pressure sen-
sors, accelerometers and gyro
sensors including pressure sensor
bare dies for application with lim-
ited space and OEM designs, all
join the Premier Farnell’s portfolio.
“As a global player in the elec-
tronics distribution sector,” explains
Picochip Now At
Argela’s Core
Argela has selected Picochip as
the core technology supplier for its
femtocell developments for cus-
tomers around the world. The com-
pany is in the process of developing
a line of femtocell products includ-
ing innovative residential femtocells
with home zone applications, as
well as femtocell solutions for enter-
prise, metro and rural deployments.
Argela has been chosen by mo-
bile operator Avea for its femtocell
RS Adds Tek Benchtop DC PSUs
Tektronix’s new PWS2000 and
PWS4000 dc power supply fami-
lies join the RS Components
portfolio, adding to the distribu-
tor’s broad selection of benchtop
instruments. The portfolio now
covers competitively priced, entry
level models to equipment sup-
porting advanced electronic tech-
nologies and protocols. The new
Tektronix dc power supplies boast
consistent quality, ease of use and
familiar operation.
“This important new range of
power supplies offers advanced
features and integrates smoothly
with other Tektronix bench top in-
TTI First Up For
New Molex Award
Molex’s inaugural 2010 Global Dis-
tributor of the Year award goes to
TTI for its demonstrable financial,
operational and executive manage-
ment excellence during the year.
“This award is an opportunity for
us to thank TTI for its outstanding
contribution to our distribution net-
work which exceeded our expecta-
tions,” says Molex’s Vice Chairman
& CEO Martin Slark. “From the ex-
ecutive team to branch level man-
agement, TTI provides consistent
www.electronicspecifier.com
Farnell Europe Director Mike
Buffham, “we always require a
comprehensive suite of products for
our customers, especially design
engineers interested in purchasing
product at the beginning of the
product life cycle, to offer them a
broader cost-competitive choice
from one source. We are delighted
with the agreement with Sensonor
Technologies, leaders in high preci-
sion MEMS technology, providing
an ideal partnership that is in line
with our strategy to provide our
customers with exceptional time to
market technology and superior
 For full editorial
product support service.”
deployment planned for a Q3 2011
launch in Turkey, making Argela
the first Iuh based femtocell access
point in the market.
Argela’s femtocell products and
solutions include residential, enter-
prise, and outdoor femtocells as well
as femtozone applications and serv-
ices that can be added via its APPs-
on Femto Application Server. Its res-
idential femtocell products include a
standalone, UMTS, Iuh standard
compliant femtocell access point
and a home gateway that integrates
 For full editorial
several wireless technologies.
struments in our portfolio,” com-
ments Fred Knowles, RS’s Head of
Electronics Product Management.
“Also offering proven reliability at
competitive price points, these
units equip our customers to solve
 For full editorial
tough engineering challenges.”
high levels of expertise and energy,
while servicing Molex distribution
customers globally. Distribution
partners like TTI play a key role in
helping Molex not only bring prod-
ucts to customers, but deliver ex-
ceptional service and support.”
TTI’s CEO Paul Andrews com-
ments, “We are honoured to receive
this award. The recognition right-
fully belongs to the talented indi-
viduals working worldwide on this
team. We look forward to 2011 as
we help propel Molex designs and
solutions deeper into the global
 For full editorial
marketplace.”
New Agreement
Centres on iCom
Alpha Micro is expanding its in-
dustrial automation portfolio follow-
ing a new distribution agreement
with Advantech.
Alpha Micro Components has
signed up with Advantech in a
new iCom agreement, with Alpha
Micro now focussing on Advan-
tech’s industrial wireless and in-
dustrial Ethernet switches.
Advantech, founded in 1983 by
three former HP engineers has
grown to now boast offices
throughout the world, employing
over 4000 and achieving a 2010
turnover exceeding $650m.
Advantech is committed to in-
novation, engineering its indus-
trial wireless applications to sup-
Avnet Wins In Renesas Reshaping
Renesas Electronics has
signed up Avnet Memec to
distribute the entire portfolio of
Renesas microcontrollers and
system on chip, analogue and
power products throughout Eu-
rope, the Middle East and
Africa . The move follows on
from the merger between Rene-
sas Technology Corporation and
NEC Electronics.
Having partnered with NEC
Electronics for over 25 years,
Avnet Memec says it sees the
new agreement as recognition
of its successful performance,
penetrating key vertical markets
such as industrial automation,
building & home automation,
and telecommunications.
Mouser One of The
Few For Phoenix
Mouser‘s distribution agreement
with Phoenix Contact now
widens to include Europe, making
Mouser one of the few European
catalogue distributors for Phoenix
Contact. Phoenix Contact is a
worldwide leader in the develop-
ment and manufacture of electri-
cal connection, electrical inter-
face, and industrial automation
technology solutions.
“After having already signed a
distribution agreement for the
North America region, Phoenix
Contact is now also pleased to co-
operate with Mouser in EMEA,”
says Frank Stuehrenberg, Phoenix
Contact Executive Global Sales
VP. “Mouser provides valuable
services which include product
selection and availability, on time
delivery, and high responsiveness.
DISTRIBUTION FOCUS
port the IEEE802.11b/g/n stan-
dards long before any of its com-
petitors. With its iCom product
range Alpha Micro will focus on
industrial Ethernet solutions in in-
dustrial control, factory automa-
tion, power, energy and intelligent
 For full editorial
transportation.
The company expects to
strengthen its position as it de-
livers the expanded range of Re-
nesas Electronics products to
its customers.
Avnet Memec marks its fifth
anniversary this year, and is
looking forward to celebrating
with the launch of Renesas’s five
core microcontroller strategy.
This strategy unifies the Re-
nesas microcontroller technolo-
gies spanning 8~32bit processor
architectures and supporting
numerous microcontroller pe-
ripheral functions, connectivity
options, low voltage and low
power variants, as well as pack-
 For full editorial
age configurations.
Our customers benefit from
Mouser’s well aligned catalogue
and on-line product ordering pro-
cedures which are well orientated
to the needs of the design com-
munity. Mouser’s broad customer
base and speed to market, com-
bined with our quality and inno-
vative range of products, allow
both Mouser Electronics and
Phoenix Contact to expand our
 For full editorial
market opportunities.”
electronicspecifier | January 2011 | 45
TECH VIDEOS
NXP On The Cards For
Transport & Payment
MiFare is an open platform that can accelerate the realisation of busi-
ness ideas! Heralded as the world’s most widely adopted contactless
technology, MiFare is a leading public transport and payment multi-ap-
plication. Check out the world first MiFare DesFire EV1 implementa-
tion on a banking card.
MCHP Tube Episode 4
Learn about XLP Technology featuring the PIC24H Microchip Micro-
stick and Flow Code 4 by Matrixmultimedia.
Amplifier Has Selectable Gain
AD8475 from Analog Devices is a fully differential, attenuating ampli-
fier with integrated precision gain resistors. Take a look...
46 | January 2011 | electronicspecifier
Plugging In To Power
How do you measure and monitor data centre power consumption? Do
you have tools to manage the energy cost curve? Do you find it easy to
meet reporting obligations? Andrew Jones of ITM Communications and
Avocent’s Marc Marazzi put you in the picture. You can also hear how
Neotelecom France answered these questions with Avocent solutions.
More In Touch With Technology...
Check out this touch interface technology tutorial.
Winning The War On EMI
ReCovr is a useful EMI Shielding product from Laird Technologies.
www.electronicspecifier.com
 TECH VIDEOS

Lifting The Lid On ClearNAND Altium Routes Fast FPGA Design

Micron's new ClearNAND embeds its NAND management IP and ECC Modern FPGAs, enabling selection from a wide range of I/O standards
algorithms on a controller built into the NAND package itself. NAND and controlling pin assignment for best layout, is time consuming and
marketing strategist Kevin Kilbuck explains why this is necessary and hence expensive. Not with Altium Designer it’s not!
how it will help extend the useful life of NAND as a storage technology.

A Day in the Life of a

Service Provider
Check out this latest from Broadcom in the Connected World series. Neurons On Chip
Imec interfacing technologies can interact at individual cell level and
at the level of complex cellular networks, tissues or organs, enabling
therapies and treatments in neurology, cardiology or oncology.

FlexMemory Features Embedded

Thin Film Storage Flash
Kinetis MCUs integrate the FlexMemory embedded EEPROM. See
Careering Ahead...
how you can benefit from using FlexMemory. Find out what Digi-Key can offer you as a career path...

www.electronicspecifier.com electronicspecifier | January 2011 | 47

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