Electronic Design Update: June 13, 2007

Electronic Design UPDATE e-Newsletter | June 13, 2007

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Electronic Design UPDATE edited by Richard Gawel, Managing Editor

.. industry view | It's Time To Lift The Burden From Logic Designers By Thomas L. Anderson, Product Marketing Director, Cadence Design Systems

These aren't easy times for logic designers. As geometries shrink and chips grow ever larger and more complex, more and more design decisions are being pushed up to the RTL stage. When these decisions are made incorrectly, the result is long, iterative loops between back-end processes and RTL, leading to unpredictable tape-out dates.

Read the full article..... focus on test & measurement | AC-DC Current Probes For Scopes Handle Up to 500 A

The N2780A and N2783A oscilloscope current probes from Agilent Technologies provide a flat bandwidth response and low circuit insertion loss, and they can take up to 500 A rms.

Read the full article..... EiED online | ZigBee Bonanza

Embedded/Systems/Software Editor Bill Wong has a stack of ZigBee kits, and he's ready to roll up his sleeves and get to work. This article is the first in a new series of kit reviews.

Read the full article..... Engineering TV | Episode 43 and 44: Inside NASA: Mission Control

At the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, NASA engineers control space vehicles on a daily basis. It takes almost three years of training to do what they do. Get a feel for what it's like to sit in their chairs as they discuss their work with the shuttle and the international space station.

To see the episodes, go to: www.engineeringtv.com

..news from the editors | Virtual Surroundsound Technology Ported To Audio Devices

SRS Labs Inc. has ported its TruSurround HD virtual surroundsound audio technology to Tensilica's HiFi 2 Audio Engine for Xtensa processors and the Diamond Standard 330HiFi Audio Processor. SRS TruSurround HD is well suited for designers of system-on-a-chip devices for the mid-range and high-end digital TV and digital home entertainment markets.

Read the full article.... 1200/1700-V Power Modules Weigh Half As Much

Infineon's PrimePACK power modules employ innovative packaging to hold their weight down by nearly 50%. They come in 1200- and 1700-V classes and in two sizes.

Read the full article.... Passive Programmable Resistors Perform Precisely

Microbridge's Rejustors are programmable precision resistors that require no power, are free of wiper resistance, and are adjustable to levels of 0.1% or better.

Read the full article.... Bi-Cell Photodiode Has High Spectral Response, Low Noise

The ODD-3W-2 Bi-Cell photodiode from Opto Diode Corp. provides a spectral response of 0.55 A/W at 900 nm with a low noise equivalent power.

Read the full article...

Unleash yourself from dc power analysis test setup hassles Gain breakthroughs in R&D testing productivity with Agilent's new N6705A DC Power Analyzer. This revolutionary new product integrates the capabilities of up to four power supplies, a DMM, an arbitrary waveform generator, a scope, and a data-logger into a single instrument. No programming is required to access the powerful capabilities of this instrument. Click here to learn more about this new time-saver

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..quick poll | Which megatrend will have the greatest influence on the industry in the coming years?

• Alternative energies
• Wireless multimedia
• Location awareness
• Autonomous robots
• Nanotechnology
• Biotechnology
• Other

Let your voice be heard. Vote now on www.electronicdesign.com. The Quick Poll is located at the bottom of the page, so don't forget to scroll down!..product picks online | Digital Temperature Sensor Handles Up To 27 I²C Addresses SoCs Take On Gigabit Fiber-Optic Gateways Differential Pressure Sensor Is Fast, Accurate DSP Platform Offers High Performance With Reduced Power One-Chip Audio Processor Accommodates New HD Formats Wireless Link Targets Wired Socket I²C Cryptomemory Supports Mutual Authentication ..upcoming industry events | Logic NVM 2007 - Inside Tomorrow's Consumer Electronics June 14 Santa Clara, Calif. Software Defined Radio Forum June 18-21 Portland, Ore. Multi-core Programming Tools & Methodologies June 27 Winnersh Triangle, Wokingham, U.K. See more industry events...

LeCroy Webcast: Advances in Mixed Signal Testing With the explosive growth in the use of microcontrollers, engineers need to test and debug circuits that include both analog signals and multiple digital lines. Dr. Michael Lauterbach will show practical examples of real applications including LIN, I2C, CAN, RS-232, generic UART testing and other types of digital signals with toggle rates up to 500 MHz and analog bandwidth from 200 MHz to 2 GHz. To learn more, click here

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.. ED bookstore | Real-time UML Workshop for Embedded Systems by By Bruce Powel Douglass

Real-time UML support has become critical as UML continues to be used in more embedded applications. The tool can be used to generate application code, not just specifications. The book starts with a short UML overview and takes a top-down approach, addressing system requirement specification and architecture before moving on to object analysis and detailed design, exposing design patterns in a consistent fashion.

To buy the book...

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