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16 November 2007
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News & Analysis
IBM Corp. and Freescale Semiconductor Inc., which had a parting of ways after co-developing the Power microprocessor in the 1990s, have reunited their efforts through the Power.org group.
The electronics industry has been counting on RFID's adoption as the antidote to drug counterfeiting. But legal wrangling and federal foot-dragging are raising concerns that the technology's adoption for tracking drugs through the supply chain may no longer be a given.
The automotive industry is making strides in developing environment-friendly vehicles, determined to stay one step ahead of legislators through their own initiatives.
India's electronics industry is undergoing a gradual but inexorable transition from a software-driven outsourcing model to one that is increasingly focused on growth and development of the domestic market.
Welcome to the next phase of the SoC era, in which system, software and semiconductor companies are struggling to find new technology and business models.
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To better manage design resources and attain economies of scale, OEMs need solutions that enable customization of platforms with common building blocks, so that unique models may require only minor variations in components and/or firmware.
To drive a new era of system performance that bridges both legacy requirements and emerging technologies, designers of industrial applications need a high degree of real-time performance and implementation flexibility from their embedded-processor choices.
Appliance manufacturers are facing major design challenges to meet the new energy efficiency standards and to cope with significant increases in the cost of raw materials. Variable speed control of a compressor motor significantly reduces both the peak and average energy consumption.
MCUs have come a long way in terms of their applications, processing capability, architectures and fusion with other semiconductor products. So what are some of its future challenges and what is next in MCUs? This article explores the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Although the audio functionality found in cellphones is increasing, the audio circuitry is often given the least consideration during board design. Here are tips to help ensure a well laid-out board that does not sacrifice audio quality.
There has been a lot of press lately about startup companies offering multicore DSP chips. What's less widely discussed is that large, established DSP chip vendors have been offering multicore DSP chips for years.
While there has been a lot of discussion recently about the CMOS and charge-coupled device image sensors used in mobile devices, there's a plethora of sensor types used in other applications including HVAC, motion control, hydraulic systems and robotics.
No wires and no batteries; now there's a combination. It's the promise of a company at this year's ISA Expo with a battery-free solution for ultralow-power wireless sensor and control networks based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard.
Texas Instruments Inc. is boosting the speed of its TMS320C6455 DSP from 1GHz to 1.2GHz, giving it the fastest single-core DSP on the market.
Technical Features
ECUs are often used in a network with other ECUs and communicate with each other by exchanging CAN bus messages. To verify the functionality of an ECU, it may be necessary to simulate these messages with CAN Onboard. (PDF file)
While applications in the digital home have undeniable appeal—e.g. high-quality video in the form of HDTV, SDTV and DVD and audio—the delivery of those applications depends on the availability of a high-throughput, high-reliability network that can move throughout the house. Due to its robustness and ease-of-installation, coaxial wiring is a good backbone for entertainment networking in the home. (PDF file)
With their time-to-market benefits, flexibility, programmability and low-power options, CPLDs and FPGAs have become a viable design solution for a broad range of applications in rapidly changing markets. PLDs featuring multiple densities and various embedded functions provide a fast development cycle while optimizing them for low power and a high level of system integration. (PDF file)
ADCs provide the link between the "real world" of analog phenomena and the "processing world" that uses digital information. Delta sigma ADCs offer inherent advantages that result in significantly improved performance due to low sensitivity to noise and improved accuracy. (PDF file)
A circuit simulator can calculate the total thermal response in power ICs. It allows engineers to observe the effect of the thermal system on the circuit's parametric performance. Adding a quasidynamic thermal wrapper model to the static 25°C device model will further account for self-heating in such devices. (PDF file)
Solid-state image sensors must be packaged to protect against corrosion, mechanical damage and obscuration by dust particles. Current wafer-level packages provide a low-cost, chip-size solution with a total thickness of less than 500m that will also pass stringent automotive reliability standards. (PDF file)
This article discusses the elements of crosstalk, and demonstrates how you can measure crosstalk on a single-layer PCB using an oscilloscope or a signal analyzer. (PDF file)
HSUPA is an exciting new technology that will enable much higher data rates in the uplink than current systems. However, HSUPA places high demands on the wireless device's transmitter, processor, internal buses and memory allocation. The device's performance must be tested while HSUPA channels are active. (PDF file)
Opinion
New semiconductor products are on the market to help reduce power consumption, increase energy utilization from solar cells in portable applications or increase efficiencies with better motor control in industrial applications.
Power reduction techniques can only be implemented if they are considered during the architecture phase of the design cycle.
Interview
NXP Semiconductors' Frans van Houten, president and CEO, talks about fab-lite and the key developments since the company moved out from under the wing of Philips.
Vital Signs
The executives and engineers who know and understand the ever-changing patent landscape of the semiconductor industry are in a unique position. They sit atop it all, able to see their company in relation to others, aware of what everybody is doing and where best to go to protect and enhance the value of their company.
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