Electronic Design

Modules Make The World Go Around

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 05:50:02 GMT

Need to get a project done quickly? Modules can save time and money, especially when you’re working with wireless technologies. They often provide a family of solutions for upgrading a system with a single platform. Modules can be tiny but pack a punch. The Gumstix Overo Fireo puts more on a gumstick-size circuit board than many larger systems (Fig. 1). It includes a 600-MHz OMAP 3530...

MCU Exhibits Tower Power

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 05:50:00 GMT

Freescale Semiconductor’s MCF51CN ColdFire V1 microcontroller tops the company’s Tower System development boards (see the figure). The $99 kit delivers a complete development package including a copy of the Freescale MQX real-time operating system. The tower consists of a pair of “elevator” boards with four inexpensive PCI Express connectors. These connectors are found on almost every new...

E-Band Radios Provide Fiber-Level Data Rates Over Wireless Links

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 05:50:00 GMT

Wireless may be convenient, but it isn’t fast enough for some network links. Fiber easily does the job, yet stringing or burying fiber is a major cost and time hassle. One answer, Endwave’s E-band millimeter-wave transmit- receive (TX/RX) module pair, operates from 71.0 to 86.0 GHz for broadband point-topoint radios carrying voice and data traffic at multi-gigabit per second rates (see the...

ISM-Band Transceiver Simplifies Wireless Monitoring And Control

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 05:50:00 GMT

There are lots of short-range wireless technologies for implementing wireless data applications, like 802.11 Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 802.15.4 ZigBee, and Ultra-Wideband (UWB). Even cellular technology can serve non-voice applications. But there are times when you don’t need the complexity of the protocol, the high speed, the networking options, or the cost. You may only need a direct point-to-point link or at most a simple star network. You may...

ADV: Free 2007 National Instruments Measurement and Automation Catalog

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 05:50:02 GMT

Featuring new product information, comparison charts, key specifications, and information on: NI LabVIEW 8.20 Twentieth Anniversary Edition Graphical System Design Software; Isolated M Series, PXI Express M Series, and USB M Series; High-Speed, High-Density, and High-Resolution Digitizers/Oscilloscopes; The Flexible, Scalable NI Platform for RF and Communications Test

Single-Chip TV Tuner Exceeds Performance Expectations

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 05:50:00 GMT

Semiconductor companies have been working for years to develop a fully integrated TV tuner, and some progress has been made. Yet even the most recent designs have their disadvantages. Many only just meet the various test standards, while others require more than a few external components to do the job. The Si2170 from Silicon Laboratories, though, is the first silicon TV tuner to exceed the performance of traditional discrete TV tuners. It ...

"1 Year, $1 Million, 1 Prototype"

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:50:00 GMT

My latest prototype is a four-month project to turn a pack of pachysandra into grass. Taking the organic route, I mowed down the pachysandra and ivy, cleared off the mess, layered on newspapers and cardboard, added some shredded paper and leaves, and topped it with a hefty layer of Earthmate compost, about 6 yards worth. This should kill everything while creating a good base to plant grass. It’s a process that many have used over the years, so...