2014年7月31日 星期四

Engineers Solve Analog/Digital Problem, Invent Creative Expletives

An analog engineer and a digital engineer join forces, use their respective skills, and pull a few bunnies out of a hat to troubleshoot a system with which they are completely unfamiliar.



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Is Tesla's Gigafactory a Gigablunder for Panasonic?

Panasonic signed a deal with Tesla on a large-scale battery plant, known as Gigafactory. The question inside and outside the Japanese company is this: how big an albatross might the Gigafactory become for Panasonic.



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Android, China Rise in Smartphones

Nearly 300 million smartphones shipped worldwide during the second quarter of 2014, with Android OS capturing a record of 85% market share. Record Android shipments also brought changes in major handset vendors, with Chinese brands not three of the six top players.



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Movidius Vision Processing Unit Enters 2nd Generation

Movidius announces a new chip and lays claim to the vision processing unit, a self-proclaimed new category of chip architecture that can handle heavy computing for vision in real-time, but at the low power levels needed for mobile and wearable devices.



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Q'comm Shares a Wearable Strategy

The future of ubiquitous wearables will require more innovation than what is currently on the market, with dedicated silicon, interoperability, and beauty leading the charge. Qualcomm's Rob Chandhok talks strategy around mainstreaming wearables.



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3D Printing in Space

Among the technological advances that will make our dreams of cosmic voyages a reality is 3D printing.



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Sony, Panasonic, Japan Display Plan OLED Joint Venture

Sony Corp., Panasonic Corp., and Japan Display Inc. are working together to create a new company, to be named JOLED, which is expected to be launched early in 2015 to develop small and midsized organic light-emitting diode displays for use in tablet devices.



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Sony, TSMC Win Award for Silicon-Plastic Process Development

Sony and TSMC's paper describing a process to integrate a silicon biosensor into a microfluidic chip with the potential to create cost-effective, mass-fabricated point-of-care devices gets Best Abstract of Interest to the Industry Division Award from American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC).



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What's the Best Traveling Toolkit?

When one is travelling, it can be really handy to have a small toolkit to hand, but which kit would be the best?



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Power Week: Google's $1M Power Inverter Challenge - How Small Is Possible?

This week, Google, along with the IEEE, is offering a $1 million prize to anyone who can build a kilowatt-scale power inverter roughly the size of a laptop. A full list of technical requirements is available.



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Teardown: Oculus Rift Dev Kit 2 by iFixit

Using a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 display, Oculus Rift DK2 saves some money and space, iFixit finds in its teardown.



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6 Things to Expect at Flash Summit

A coming out party for NVMe PCIe SSDs, more flash appliances and arrays, incremental news on vertical NAND and next-gen memories, and more are on tap for next week's Flash Memory Summit.



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Fujitsu off-loading Aizu fab to ON

Fujitsu Aizu Wakamatsu Plant

Fujitsu Aizu Wakamatsu Plant



Fujitsu and ON have signed a foundry agreement under which Fujitsu will manufacture wafers for ON Semiconductor at its 8-inch fab in Aizu-Wakamatsu, Japan.


Initial production of wafers is expected to begin within a year from today, and ON will have the opportunity to access additional capacity in the Aizu-Wakamatsu fab in the future.


The two companies have also entered into a definitive agreement under which ON will obtain a 10% ownership interest in a newly formed subsidiary of Fujitsu that will include Fujitsu’s 8-inch Aizu-Wakamatsu fab.


The consideration to be paid by ON for this minority interest will be ¥700 million (approximately $7 million). The transaction is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2014 or in early 2015, subject to certain regulatory approvals and other closing conditions.


“We believe that growth of the new company will contribute to the development of the region, as well as to maintaining employment,” says Fujitsu CEO Haruki Okada, “we expect that the agreements for the foundry services and the acquisition of minority stake of the 8-inch fab by ON Semiconductor will greatly boost the businesses of both companies.”


“This is a strategic investment for ON Semiconductor to secure additional manufacturing capacity, to support our production needs and revenue growth in coming years,” says Alan’s CEO Keith Jackson, “we believe these agreements with Fujitsu Semiconductor will enable us to maintain our industry-leading manufacturing cost structure and also help us optimize our capital spending in coming years.”


Fujitsu is trying to sell its fab, in Mie, to UMC. Earlier this year it put its semiconductor interests into a jv with Panasonic. Last year it sold its analogue and microcontroller business to Spansion






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256 channel ADC for CT scanners

Analog Devices ADAS1131 CT scan For simultaneous integration and sampling of 256 analogue current inputs, Analog Devices has introduced the ADAS1131.


Inside are 256 current integrators, 256 sample-and-holds, and ADCs with configurable sampling rate and up to 24bit resolutions. 11.656ksample/s (86μs) is available at 20bit resolution.


Integral linearity is +/-0.015% of reading +/-0.4ppm of full scale with one channel active, or +/-0.050% of reading +/-1.0ppm of full-scale with all channels active.



“The signal chain and sampling architecture is designed to guarantee that all channels are simultaneously sampled, and that no charge is lost throughout the sampling process,” said ADI.



Dissipation is 3mW per channel at any throughput.


All converted channel results are output on a single, low voltage differential signaling (LVDS), self-clocked serial interface.


Configuration is over an SPI-compatible serial interface, and integration includes: a temperature sensor, reference buffer, and decoupling capacitors.


Aimed at CT scan inputs and photodiode arrays, devices cost $304 each when buying 1,000.


Support tools include an evaluation board, reference design including layout, and FPGA Verilog code.






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UK tech behind 1GW laser amplifier

STFC 1GW laser amplifier head The stainless steel chamber holds a 1GW laser amplifier.


The UK’s Centre for Advanced Laser Technology and Applications (CALTA) has supplied a £2.2m gigawatt laser amplifier to the Czech Republic’s Institute of Physics (IoP) for the European Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) ‘Beamlines’ facility.


Oxfordshire-based CALTA is part of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), and exploits technology developed in STFC’s Central Laser Facility (CLF) for industry and big laser facilities.


“The laser platform will benefit new build laser infrastructure projects, including ELI, and will drive new laser-based applications in industry, including advanced material treatments and energy production,” said CLF director Professor John Collier.


The ELI laser amplifier head is based ‘DiPOLE’ – high-repetition-rate super-power pulse laser technology from CLF – and can supply 10J nanosecond pulses at 10Hz. Average power is 100W. Pulses from 2 to 10ns are available, peaking at 1GW at 10ns.



“Each laser burst has power equivalent to that of a full-sized power station,” said STFC.


“DiPOLE technology not only enables high power laser operation at high repetition rates of many pulses per second” said CLF’s Collier, “but also demonstrates high efficiency operation, with at least 10% efficiency in producing laser power from electricity, compared to conventional systems that are typically much less than 1%.”



The amplifier (see photo) will sit part way along an infra-red laser chain. Inside, a doped YAG ceramic block absorbs 10J of pump laser energy over 1ms, CALTA manager Justin Greenhalgh told Electronics Weekly, then releases it at the command of a different frequency 10ns 100mJ trigger pulse from a Czech-made diode laser. Mirrors on the ceramic block zig-zag the trigger pulse six times to allow it to grow into the output pulse.


In the photo, the circular beam splitters reflect at the pump wavelength, allowing energy from pump lasers A and B to directed into the hidden YAG ceramic prism through windows. Transparent at the trigger/output frequency, the splitters allow the trigger pulse to enter and the output pulse to leave through the same windows in a straight line. Cooling helium enters through the top port (capped in the photo).


The resulting 1GW pulse can be used to pump another amplifier which, when triggered by a picosecond pulse, will deliver a petawatt picosecond pulse.


The laser head is the first major contract of its kind between CALTA and IoP.


ELI Beamlines will have four giant lasers delivering petawatt pulses at 10Hz – something that CLF’s venerable Vulcan laser can only do every 20 minutes.


Focused intensities of around 1023W/cm2 will be available.



“Being able to operate high power lasers at high repetition rate is key to developing applications such as medical imaging and radiotherapy for industrial use,” said STFC.



ELI is split between four sites – with Beamlines in the Czech Republic, and others in Hungary, Romania, and one to be decided.


Investment exceeds E850m, mostly from European regional development funds.






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Greener power for off-grid sites

Newcastle trigeneration EPSRC A Newcastle University led consortium is using plant oils to generate power, heating and cooling for off-grid buildings – homes, farms and businesses.


Combined heat and power units have been used by large businesses for many years, using internal combustion engines to provide electricity via a generator, and heat from the engine cooling system and exhaust.


On small premises, turning on a pump or kettle can increase the electrical load several fold in a second. Attempts to cope with the now unmatched electricity and heat results in the system running inefficiently.


According to the consortium, the solution is a generator that runs constantly at high efficiency, coupled to an electrical energy store.



“The challenge, was to design a system that could simultaneously satisfy the more predictable needs for heating and hot water, as well as the wildly varying demand for electricity in a small dwelling,” said Professor Tony Roskilly of Newcastle. “Our solution was to incorporate electrical storage into the system, both batteries and supercapacitors, combined with system control.”



Excess heat is stored in hot water tanks for heating and hot water.


Refrigeration and air conditioning operates via an absorption chiller running off heat.


Leeds University, part of the consortium alongside Newcastle, the University of Ulster, and three Chinese universities, has also patented a cryogenic energy store.


This combination has been dubbed ‘trigeneration’.



“We wanted to avoid running the trigeneration system using biodiesel or other highly-processed fuels from raw materials,” says Professor Roskilly. “So instead, we developed a system for using the oils obtained from pressing crop seeds, like those from jatropha and croton. These can grow in harsh environments and on poor-quality land and so could be well-suited to providing fuel in developing countries, as cultivating them would not adversely affect food production.”



£1.13m of funding came from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) through the RCUK Energy Programme.


Before designing the trigenerator, the team logged the minute-by-minute energy use in households. “Previous studies have lost important detail by averaging demand over much longer timescales,” said the EPSRC. “In a typical UK house, heating demand is largely stable when hot water and space heating is required. Electricity consumption can hover around a hundred watts most of the day, but reach peaks of 7kW in a matter of seconds, and for just a minute or two.”


In a follow-up study funded by the EPSRC, the Department for International Development and the Department of Energy & Climate Change, Roskilly is exploring how the trigeneration can be used on small farms in the developing world to refrigerate and process food crops, to reduce post-harvest losses.


The Newcastle team is examining long-term performance running on raw plant oils, and is discussing commercialising the design with potential manufacturers.


A domestic-scale tri-generation system would be rated between 6kW and 9kW of electricity, equivalent to the combined consumption of: lights, TV, fridge freezer, kettle, microwave, vacuum cleaner, washing machine, and dishwasher.






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Digitimes Research: China vendors ship over 101 million smartphones in 2Q14

China-based vendors shipped 101.7 million smartphones in the second quarter of 2014, increasing 24.6% on quarter, according to Digitimes Research.



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Digitimes Research: Taiwan ships 351.4 million small- to mid-size panels in 2Q14

Taiwan-based makers together shipped 351.4 million small- to medium-size TFT-LCD panels in the second quarter of 2014, increasing 16.8% sequentially but decreasing 2.8% on year, according to Digitimes Research.



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Macronix to start 8-inch OEM wafer business

NOR flash supplier Macronix International plans to cash in on the tight production at 8-inch fabs by starting an 8-inch OEM wafer business, according to company president CY Lu. The company currently focuses on production of NOR flash, NAND flash and ROM chips.



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MediaTek 3Q14 revenues to grow 6-11% on quarter, say sources

MediaTek is expected to see its revenues rise 6-11% sequentially to NT$57-60 billion (US$1.9-2.0 billion) in the third quarter of 2014, propelled by shipments of MT6290 and MT6595 4G chips and rising ASPs, according to industry sources.



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2014年7月30日 星期三

Metaio Brings Augmented Reality to the Smartwatch

Leading augmented reality software developer, Metaio, is bringing its visual search capabilities to the smartwatch.



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Taiwan market: InFocus to launch smartphone M810

InFocus has unveiled its M810 Android 4.4.2 smartphone for launch in the Taiwan market at a contract-free retail price of NT$9,988 (US$333) on July 31.





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Chunghwa Telecom lowers 2014 capex budget by 5-10%

Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) has decided to reduce its 2014 capital expenditure budget by 5-10% from NT$40.1 billion (US$1.34 billion) to NT$36.09-38.095 billion.



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Vendors cutting notebook shipments to Latin America

Notebook vendors have significantly reduced their orders for shipments to Latin America because sales have been impacted by recent strong demand for LCD TVs in the area, according to Taiwan-based supply chain makers.



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SPIL looks to flat performance in 3Q14

IC backend service provider Siliconware Precision Industries (SPIL) expects its sales to stay flat in the third quarter of 2014 due to inventory adjustments at the non-Apple camp, according to company chairman Bough Lin.



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AUO expects 5-8% growth in 3Q14 small- to medium-size panel shipments

AU Optronics (AUO) expects its small- to medium-size TFT-LCD panel shipments to increase 5-8% sequentially, and its large-size panel shipments to remain unchanged or slightly decrease in third-quarter 20124.



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UMC looks to 1-5% wafer shipment growth in 3Q14

United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) expects its wafer shipments to grow within a range of 5% sequentially in the third quarter of 2014 as its capacity utilization rate has reached a relatively high level, according to company CEO Po-wen Yen.



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Intel to see difficulties shipping 40 million tablet CPUs in 2014

Intel originally planned to ship 40 million tablet processors in 2014, but may not be able to do so as its upcoming Cherry Trail-based processors have been delayed from November to the first quarter of 2015, according to sources from the upstream supply chain.



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Chinese vendors outpace market as 2Q14 smartphone shipments grow 23.1% on year, says IDC

The worldwide smartphone market grew 23.1% on year in the second quarter of 2014, establishing a new single quarter record of 295.3 million shipments, according to IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. Following a very strong first quarter, the market grew 2.6% sequentially, fueled by ongoing demand for mobile computing and an abundance of low-cost smartphones. Second-quarter shipments were in line with IDC's forecast and all expectations are that the market will continue apace in the second half of the year and surpassing 300 million units for the first time ever in a single quarter in the third quarter of 2014.





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Digitimes Research: China sees increased smartphone AP shipments in 2Q14

There were 103 million smartphone APs (application processors) shipped in the China market in the second quarter of 2014, increasing 13.2% on quarter and 11.5% on year, according to Digitimes Research.



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Taiwan market: FET aims at 95% 4G coverage at end of 2014

Far EasTone Telecommunications has been deploying its 4G network around Taiwan and aims to reach a population coverage of 95% at the end of 2014, according to company president Yvonne Li.



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ASE posts EPS of NT$0.64 for 2Q14

Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) posted net profits of NT$5.09 billion (US$169.89 million) for the second quarter of 2014, up 48% from a quarter earlier. The earnings translated into an EPS of NT$0.64 for the quarter.



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Google Glass Goes to the Opera

Italy's Teatro Lirico di Cagliar will become the first in the world to hold an interactive opera using Google Glass.



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EEVblog #646 – Gravity Detection Using A Frequency Counter!



Did you know you can use your frequency counter to detect gravity? You’ve likely done it before and you didn’t even know it!

Dave demonstrates the phenomenon of 2g-tipover on quartz crystal oscillators in an Agilent 53131A frequency counter.

Related videos:

How a rubidium frequency standard works

FE-5680A Rubidium Standard Teardown

Forum HERE







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Creating an 8x8x8 3D LED Cube: Testing the RGB LEDs

Creating an 8x8x8 3D tri-color LED cube from the ground up involves a variety of tasks, including building jigs and testing each LED.



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Massive Job Cuts: Dark Clouds Over Lighting Business

Amid the decline of conventional illuminants like incandescent bulbs and fluorescent tubes, the lighting manufacturer Osram said it will cut 7,800 jobs worldwide, or 22% of its global workforce.



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Next-Gen HiFi Competition Takes Place in the Car

Car radio? Old school. Infotainment? Better. Now the next generation of fine audio is preparing to start at Continental and Audi. Is the golden age for audiophile car lovers arriving?



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No More Dialup: Grandpa Gets DSL

We all talk about needing multi-megabit-per-second home Internet, but not everyone needs it.



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MEMS Vacuum Sensors Offer Ultra Low Power Consumption

Posifa’s PVC 1000 family, a new line of Pirani vacuum sensors targeted at HVAC and industrial applications, embodies the latest MEMS innovations while offering breakthrough vacuum measurement that enhances miniaturization.


read more






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Micrel’s Rami Kanama Examines MEMS Timing Devices


Despite the many advantages MEMS has over crystal timing products, there has been limited uptake of the technology so far.


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Kid-Friendly Science Museums We Love

In summer, parents find themselves groping for the perfect spot to take the kids -- some science or tech museum where they might learn something. We asked our editors to recommend favorites in their neighborhoods.



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Pi in the Sky Over New York

Residents of the five boroughs (and even that far away land, New Jersey) viewed the intersection of science and nature earlier this month, with a skyscraper-sized cryptic message causing many eyes to gaze upward.



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Tesla Gets Its First Android Wear Smartwatch App

The car of the future, Tesla, just got even cooler with the launch of the first Android Wear app for the vehicle.



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IBM Breaks EUV Throughput Record

An ASML NXE3300B extreme ultraviolet scanner exposed 637 wafers in 24 hours in its first test at an IBM facility in Albany, N.Y., but still has miles to go before it is ready for commercial use.



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Google Opens Google Glass Basecamps

Google has set up three basecamps to help long-term Explorers, those new to the program, and those just interested in learning more about its first wearable tech.



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17-V Synchronous Step-Down Regulator Delivers Dual 1-A Outputs

Linear Tech’s LTC3622 17-V input-capable synchronous buck regulator produces dual 1-A continuous current to outputs down to 0.6 V.


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Fully Redundant 1U MicroTCA Chassis Delivers More Slots

By leveraging several design concepts to maximize computing density, VadaTech’s 1U MicroTCA chassis platform allows for more slots in a front-to-rear cooled solution while maintaining full redundancy.


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3-Axis Analog Accelerometers Detect Ultra-High Frequency Motion

A new family of high-bandwidth 3-axis, low-g, analog accelerometers from Freescale, Xtrinsic FXLN83xxQ, is designed to detect ultra-high frequency motion and vibration in industrial motors and equipment.


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25G Ethernet Looks Back to Future

The chairman of the group that set 40 and 100 Gbit/s Ethernet standards gives his perspective on the recent decision to explore a 25G interface.



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Chip offers accurate Doherty balance on-the-fly

Perigrine MPAC To take the pain out of Doherty amplifier balancing, Peregrine Semiconductor is planning to introduce a single-chip dual-channel amplitude and phase adjuster.


Doherty amplifiers have two RF amplifiers in parallel (see diagram), one Class-AB for low-level signals and one Class-C for peaks. They save power over single amplifiers that can handle high peak-to-average signals, like those of LTE (8dB) and LTE-Advanced, with sufficient linearity.


Signals going into the two amplifiers have to be adjusted carefully to ensure their outputs combine to create the correct antenna feed.


The firm is aiming its chip at macro and small cell base stations.


“The current solution employs discrete components to tune phase and amplitude for carrier and peaking paths,” said Peregrine, which concedes Freescale is also aiming to replace discretes, this time with a system-in-package containing three GaAs and one CMOS die.


Made on a 0.35µm silicon-on-sapphire process, Peregrine’s PE46120 monolithic phase and amplitude controller (MPAC) includes: a 90°hybrid splitter, two phase shifters, two amplitude controllers, and an SPI digital interface.


Both paths can be optimised on-the-fly through the SPI interface to compensate for operational or environmental changes. Switching time is 840ns.


The firm has based the design on existing products, using switches and passive components on-die. Phase shifting is through combined low-pass and high-pass filters. “It is more of an RFIC approach, said Mark Moffat, MD Peregrine UK. “For an X band product [which is mooted], we would probably use more of a MMIC approach.”


Insertion loss is 6.5dB including the 3dB splitter, and operation is from 1.8 to 2.2GHz in 5.6° steps across an 84.4° range, as well as 0.5dB steps across 7.5dB range. Linearity is 65dBm IIP3, return loss 20dB, isolation 28dB, and maximum power 29dBm.


The chip will run off 2.7-5.5V (at 300µA), and over -40 to 105°C.


It comes in a 6x6mm 32 lead QFN, and needs no external dc blocking capacitors.


Other applications proposed are: micro and pico cells (10W and above), electronically-steered radar, and synthetic aperture radar.


Three other versions are in the pipeline: 2.4-2.8GHz, 700MHz-1GHz, and one for LTA-A bands.


At the same time as announcing the intention to introduce the Doherty chip, Peregrine also revealed what it claims are the first monolithic 50W power limiters.


Power handling is +47dBm (50W) pulsed, +40dBm (10W) CW.


PE45140 (20MHz-2GHz) and PE45450 (9kHz-6GHz) are intended as an alternative to discrete GaAs PIN-diode limiters in ‘land mobile radio’ (LMR), test-and-measurement, wireless-infrastructure and radar.


Linearity (IIP3) is over 40dB and limiting threshold can be as low as 22dBm and as high as 35dBm.


Response-and-recovery is under 1ns.


There are two modes: power limiting and power reflecting, with threshold selectable through an analogue control pin voltage.


For example, in limiting mode (Vcontrol = -2.5 to -0.5V) PE45140 performs as a linear power limiter with adjustable P1dB / limiting threshold.


Power reflecting mode requires an external power detector to sample the RF input power and a microcontroller to toggle the limiter control voltage between +2.5V and -2.5V. At +2.5V, limiter impedance to ground is less than 1Ω and most incident power will be reflected back to the source. At -2.5V, the device operates as in power limiting mode.


Package is 3x3mm 12 lead QFN






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Global market share for iPad may slip to below 25% in 2H14

The global market share for iPad products is likely to drop from 26.9% (IDC figures) for the second quarter of 2014 to below 25% in the second half of the year due to increasing competition, according to Taiwan-based supply chain makers.



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Yageo to cut capital by 70%

Shareholders of Yageo have approved the company's plans to reduce its capital by NT$15.4 billion (US$514 million) or 70% to NT$6.6 billion. Shareholders will receive NT$7 for each share.



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Taiwan PV makers hope to set floor prices in place of US anti-dumping tax

To cope with anti-dumping tariffs set by the US Department of Commerce, the Taiwan Photovoltaic Industry Association (TPVIA), on behalf of Taiwan-based crystalline silicon solar cell and PV module makers, hopes to talk with the department about setting floor pricing for PV products exported from Taiwan to the US in place of anti-dumping rates, according to TPVIA.



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Corning reports profit growth for 2Q14

Corning has announced its results for the second quarter of 2014, with core (non-GAPP) sales reaching US$2.6 billion (non-GAPP), up 28% on year. Net sales (GAAP) were US$2.5 billion, a 25% increase on a year-over-year basis.





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Taiwan notebook ODMs to benefit from HP, Dell sales in North America

As Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Dell have seen good sales in the North America notebook market in July, Taiwan ODMs Quanta Computer and Inventec for HP and Compal Electronics and Wistron for Dell are expected to see increased shipments in the second half of 2014, according to Taiwan-based supply chain makers.



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Taiwan sets quality standards for LED light bulbs

The Bureau of Standards, Metrology & Inspection (BSMI) under Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs has announced national quality standards for LED light bulbs: CNS 15436 regarding safety requirements, CNS 15630 regarding performance requirements and CNS 14115 regarding electromagnetic interference.



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AUO reports staggering profit growth for 2Q14

AU Optronics has reported staggering growth in net profit for the second quarter of 2014 on improved demand and rising LCD panel prices.



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UMC to post single-digit revenue growth in 3Q14

United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) is expected to post a sequential single-digit revenue growth in the third quarter of 2014, propelled by 28nm orders from smartphone solution vendor MediaTek, according to industry sources.



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China market: Colorful Technology poses competitive threat to MSI, ASRock

China-based Colorful Technology and Development, the largest graphics card vendor in the China market, will launch own-brand gaming motherboards in the second half, and is expected to pose a competitive threat to Micro-Star International (MSI) and ASRock, according to Taiwan-based motherboard supply chain makers.





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FCCL supplier Taiflex looks to 10% on-quarter revenue growth in 3Q14

FCCL supplier Taiflex Scientific expects its revenues to grow 10.5% sequentially and 2.2% on year to NT$2.6-3.3 billion (US$86.78-110.14 million) in the third quarter of 2014, with a gross margin of 21-25% and operating margin of 11-15%.



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2014年7月29日 星期二

Hermes Microvision revenues to stay flat in 3Q14

E-beam inspection equipment supplier Hermes Microvision (HMI) expects its sales to stay flat in the third quarter of 2014 compared to the previous quarter as some buyers will delay shipments to the fourth quarter.



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China Internet user base grow to 632 million at end of June, says CNNIC

The number of fixed-line and mobile Internet surfers in China increased to an estimated 632 million as of the end of June 2014, according to the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC).



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Delta Electronics 2Q14 net profit hits record

Power supply maker and energy management solution provider Delta Electronics has posted gross margin of 27.43% and net profit of NT$5.264 billion (US$176 million) for second-quarter 2014, with both hitting the highest ever on company record.



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Adlink develops 3D intelligent vision-aided positioning system

Industrial computing solution provider Adlink Technology has developed a 3D intelligent positioning system through cooperation with government-sponsored Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), according to the company.





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Inotera, Nanya Technology report strong earnings for 2Q14

Inotera Memories and Nanya Technology both have reported strong earnings for the second quarter of 2014 and expect sales and gross margin to continue moving upwards in the third quarter due to rising DRAM chip prices amid tight supply, according to industry sources.



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Digitimes Research: Taiwan digital camera shipments in 2Q14 up 43.3% sequentially

Ability Enterprise, Altek, Foxconn Electronics and Asia Optical together shipped 3.78 million digital cameras in the second quarter of 2014, hiking 43.3% on quarter, according to Digitimes Research.



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Sales for mini versions of flagship smartphones short of expectations

While international vendors including Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, HTC and Sony Mobile Communications have launched mini versions of their flagship smartphones, sales of those mini versions have so far fallen short of expectations due to uncompetitive performance-price ratios, according to sources in Taiwan's handset supply chain.



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Phison reports strong earnings for 1H14

NAND flash controller chipmaker Phison Electronics has reported pre-tax profits of NT$1.86 billion (US$62.08 million) on revenues of NT$15.79 billion for the first half of 2014.



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Introducing FPGA-Based Acceleration for High-Frequency Trading

Handling market data is of highest merit and demands the most streamlined implementations. FPGA deployment in High-Frequency Trading (HFT) is rising in magnitude and widening in functional coverage.



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Power Tip 73: Synchronizing Makes for Well-Behaved Power Supplies

Synchronizing your power system offers a number of benefits, including reduced filtering costs and lower EMI.



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GM's Powermat Deal Falls Short

General Motors recently announced that it will include multimode wireless charging in its 2015 Cadillacs, along with several other models. Adding standard wireless charging (albeit to a luxury vehicle) is a step in the right direction, but an inductive-based system may not be as forward thinking as GM would hope.



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Repurposing an FM Radio Chip for an RC Submarine Receiver Project

Adam is currently working on a 75MHz receiver for his RC submarines.



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Touch IP Boosts Sensitivity, Noise Immunity In Kitchen Appliances

Renesas Electronics Europe developed new IP for capacitive touch sensing that features touch sensitivity five times better than its existing R8C/3xT microcontrollers, as well as noise immunity compliant with IEC 61000-4-3 and IEC 61000-4-6.


read more






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IoT Spec Taps Internet Protocol

The IPSO Alliance will release a reference architecture for an IoT software stack based on the Internet Protocol, along with a list of smart objects for functions such as lighting control.



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Micron Makes Monolithic 8GB DDR3

Using a 25 nm manufacturing process, Micron has created a monolithic 8 GB DDR3 SDRAM component, while a startup is squeezing 8 GB into a single chipset using proprietary techniques.



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Memory System Design Methods

Are you working with DDR4? Interested in NVDIMMs? Designing at 100 Gbps? Wishing you knew more about data acquisition modes? Well, here are summaries of some systems design articles regarding memory that were published across the UBM Tech network this month.



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Makimoto's Wave Revisited for Multicore SoC Design

So predictable was the cycle of standardization and customization in the semiconductor industry that it got its own name -- Makimoto's Wave. But the tides have shifted.



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Mobile Benchmarks Need Work

The industry needs to put more effort into building better mobile benchmarks. The recent AndEBench-Pro is a step in the right direction, but more work is needed.



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Foxconn comments on reports of plans to invest in Anhui, China

Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry) has commented on reports that will invest in new plants in Anhui, China and is already in negotiations with the local government about related processes, saying that the company's investments need to be evaluated and must be reported to the board for a final decision.



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Innovative Logic, M31 Technology introduce USB-IF certified USB 3.0 device controller IP solution

Innovative Logic and M31 Technology have jointly announced that Inno-Logic's USB 3.0 device controller IP along with M31's USB 3.0 PHY IP has won certification from USB-IF.



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Asustek, Gigabyte releasing new gaming notebooks in 3Q14

Asustek Computer and Gigabyte Technology have turned aggressive about the gaming notebook industry and are planning to release new models in the third quarter to compete against Micro-Star International (MSI), which is achieving strong sales in the market.





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Aces enjoys orders from BMW and Mercedes-Benz

Following its entry into the supply chains of General Motors (GM), Renault and Luxgen, Taiwan-based connector maker Aces Electronics has also entered the supply chains of BMW and Mercedes-Benz and will start supplying products at the end of 2014, according to sources from the upstream supply chain.



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LG Innotek signs cooperation to focus on Li-Fi business, says report

LG Innotek and Korea-based TV power module and LED maker Yuyang D&U have recently signed a MOU to cooperate on visible light communications (VLC) and Li-Fi business, which uses fluorescent lamps or LEDs to transmit data, according to a Korean ET News report.



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Kinsus net profits up over 55% sequentially in 2Q14

IC substrate supplier Kinsus Interconnect Technology has reported net profits of NT$1.23 billion (US$41.09 million) for the second quarter of 2014, increasing 55.4% from a quarter earlier. The earnings translated into an EPS of NT$2.76 for the quarter.



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2014年7月28日 星期一

Panel supply to remain tight until 4Q14 or 1Q15, says Innolux president

Global supply of panels used in notebooks, LCD monitors and TVs is expected to remain tight until the fourth quarter of 2014 or the first quarter of 2015, according to Innolux president Wang Jyh-chau speaking at a July 28 investors conference.





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Baidu to release smartphone with MediaTek processor, says report

China-based Internet player Baidu is planning to release a smartphone using MediaTek's MT6595 application processor and will feature Baidu's heterogeneous system architecture (HSA) and artificial intelligence (AI) to allow functions such as voice, graphics and text recognition as well as voice translation, according to a Chinese-language Tencent report.



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TWM foresees profit drop in 3Q14

Taiwan Mobile (TWM) has released financial forecast for third-quarter of 2014, expecting net profit to shrink 16.85% sequentially.



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Tatung to set up rooftop PV systems with total capacity of 4MWp in Pescadores

Tatung has said it has won a project to set up rooftop PV systems in 38 public schools and 38 government organizations in Taiwan's Penghu (Pescadores) islands, with total installation capacity of 4MWp.



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Digitimes Research: Smartphone AP shipments in China to grow 2H14

There will be 107.6 million smartphone AP (application processor) shipped in the China market in the third quarter of 2014 and 113.5 million units in the fourth one, increasing on quarter by 4.5% and 5.5% respectively mainly due to increasing demand for LTE (4G) smartphones, according to Digitimes Research.



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Digitimes Research: Taiwan makers ship over 67 million large-size TFT-LCD panels in 2Q14

Taiwan-based makers shipped 67.518 million large-size (9-inch and above) TFT-LCD panels in the second quarter of 2014, increasing by 8.5% on quarter and by 0.9% on year, according to Digitimes Research.



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Taiwan solar firms may rely on markets other than US in 2H14

Since US preliminary anti-dumping tariff rates imposed on Taiwan-made PV products are much higher than originally expected, Taiwan-based crystalline silicon solar cell and PV module makers will find it difficult to export products to the US and therefore are likely to rely on markets other than the US in the second half of 2014, according to PV industry sources in Taiwan.



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Taiwan market: Acer, Asustek see opportunities from enterprise PC replacement trend

President of Acer Taiwan Tony Huang has recently pointed out that the company saw strong demand from large enterprises for replacing their existing PCs in the first half of the year in Taiwan, while Asustek Computer president Kevin Lin noted that the replacement trend triggered by the end of support for Windows XP's will last into the second half of the year.



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Competition for notebook panels may heat up due to South Korea makers increasing output, say Taiwan makers

While global supply of notebook panels has been tight or short because demand has been larger than originally expected, South Korea-based makers have adjusted capacity from making other panels to produce notebook panels and this is likely to result in intense competition for orders for such panels, according to Taiwan-based supply chain makers.





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EEVblog #645 – TRS-80 Model I Retro Computer Teardown



Dave looks inside the most popular microcomputer of the 1970′s, the Radio Shack / Tandy TRS-80 Model I

And also a look at the TRS-80 Model 102.

TMS4116 16Kb DRAM

Level II BASIC Reference Manual

Forum HERE







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Wearables Sing in Smart Clothes

The future of mainstream wearable technology may be driven by the fashion industry, keynoters at the Wearable Tech Expo said. Dr. Sabine Seymour discussed the intersection of soundscapes and garments as drivers of wearable technology.



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ST Opens MEMS Microphone Test Laboratory

STMicroelectronics NV has set up an anechoic chamber in Taipei, Taiwan, for use in MEMS microphone application development.



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7 Insurance Issues With Your Self-Driving Car

People talk about the significant reduction in automotive insurance rates (if you drive a self-driving car, that is) and how it will add momentum to autonomy. Is the assumption correct? I popped the question to the insurance industry.



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Microsemi Bolsters FPGA Stance With Mingoa Acquisition

The Mingoa deal demonstrates Microsemi's push to gain market share in the FPGA industry, which the company entered when it acquired Actel in 2010.



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FAA Rules on Drones vs. Model Aircraft Contested

Proposed FAA dividing line between model aircraft and drones is too limiting to hobbyists, says the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation and Academy of Model Aeronautics.



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Think Different, Innovate by Reuse

It's time we slow down the fevered pace of new technology and product introductions and learn a lesson from Apple about useful products based on proven components.



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Space Business Rising, Experts Say

The emerging commercial space sector is making progress but still has a long way to go, said NASA and other experts at a New Space event.



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Connecting Islands of Industrial IoT

The Industrial Internet of Things often starts with a wealth of non-IP-based links users can leverage on their way to an IoT nirvana, Echelon's chief executive says.



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China may revolutionise mobile IP

China could change the way the mobile chip world works by its treatment of Qualcomm.


China has declared Qualcomm a monopoly in China and may be about to declare that Qualcomm has abused that monopoly. If it does, Qualcomm could be fined up to $1.2 billion.


Qualcomm is complaining that it’s Chinese licensees are under-stating sales so as to reduce royalties, while other Chinese companies are delaying signing licences until the abuse of monopoly legal process is concluded.


China has a big interest in promoting the local consolidated mobile phone company Unigroup-RDA-Spreadtrum. High licensing fees would make it uncompetitive.


The danger for Qualcomm is that the China government will not acknowledge the validity of the system under which Qualcomm operates and that Qualcomm will find its IP unprotectable in China.


Qualcomm can’t walk away from China without incurring a big penalty – half of its $25 billion revenues came from China last year,






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Terry Guo overseeing Foxconn preparations for new iPhone

Foxconn Electronics has been actively preparing for production of 4.7- and 5.5-inch new iPhones at its factories in China since July and chairman Terry Guo has been supervising the preparation on the spot to make sure that production lines are in optimal condition, according to industry sources.



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New Surface to come into production in August, say Taiwan maker

Microsoft is expected to launch a 10.6-inch new version of Surface in October 2014, with production of components to begin in August and volume production of the tablet to kick off in September, according to source with Taiwan-based supply chain makers.



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Unitech, Dynamic ramping rigid-flexible PCBs

PCB makers Unitech Printed Circuit Board and Dynamic Electronics are ramping up their production of rigid-flexible PCB boards to meet increasing demand from the smartphone and wearable device sectors, according to industry sources.



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Innolux announces 2Q14 net profit of NT$3 billion

Innolux has announced its second quarter 2014 results. Combined net sales for the second quarter 2014 amounted to NT$111.1 billion (US$3.7 billion), an increase of 24% over the previous quarter's NT$89.6 billion. The company reported gross profit of NT$11.6 billion, for a gross margin of 10.4%. Operating profit totaled NT$6.1 billion with an operating margin of 5.5%. Income before tax amounted to NT$ 3.4 billion. Net profit attributable to the shareholders of the parent company amounted to NT$3 billion. EPS equaled NT$0.33.





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2014年7月27日 星期日

Macronix reportedly lands large-volume ROM orders from Nintendo

NOR flash supplier Macronix International is expected to see its sales gain momentum in the third quarter of 2014, buoyed by increasing orders for ROM chips from Nintendo, according to industry sources.



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GET may set up PV module factory abroad to cope with US anti-dumping taxation

Viewing that the US Department of Commerce's decision on preliminary anti-dumping tariffs on PV products imported from China and Taiwan will have a negative impact on Taiwan PV makers, solar-grade polycrystalline silicon wafer maker Green Energy Technology (GET) is likely to establish an overseas PV module factory, according to the company.



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Casetek Holdings sees 2Q14 decline

Tablet and notebook chassis maker Casetek Holdings saw its financial performance for second-quarter 2014 slip on quarter and on year, according to the company.



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Digitimes Research: China sees increased tablet AP shipments in 2Q14

A total of 30.6 million tablet APs (application processors) were shipped to the China market in second-quarter 2014, increasing 10.5% sequentially and 39.1% on year, according to Digitimes Research.





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Digitimes Research: Taiwan makers to ship 21.95 million handsets in 3Q14

Taiwan-based ODMs and own-brand makers will ship 21.95 million handsets in the third quarter of 2014, increasing by 4.2% on quarter and by 32.1% on year, and 18.65 million or 85% of the shipments will be smartphones, according to Digitimes Research.



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Everlight to expand monthly LED packaging capacity to 4 billion chips, says chairman

Everlight Electronics started expanding its LED packaging capacity in June and when the expansion completes in September, its monthly capacity will have increased by 500 million LED chips to reach four billion units in total, according to company chairman Robert Yeh.



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Commentary: Microsoft moves to eliminate Nokia

In addition to initiating a massive lay-off, Microsoft also plans to discontinue Nokia's Asha-, Series 40- and X-series handset products as well as to rename the Lumia-series - moves which could eventually lead to the elimination of Nokia.



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Six Hour Workday? Sign Me Up!

The economists got it wrong when they though productivity gains would lead to shorter workweeks.



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2014年7月26日 星期六

ST opens audio MEMS lab in Taiwan

ST FRANCOIS GUIBERT

ST’s Executive VP Francois Guibert



ST has opened a MEMS Microphone Lab (Anechoic Chamber) in Taiwan to test and analyse high-performance audio applications built with ST’s MEMS microphones.


ST’s lab will focus on all-level audio performance testing from components (microphone or acoustic components) to modules and systems, including smart phones, tablets, notebooks, TVs, and remote controls, ensuring superior recording and sound quality, shorter debugging period, and faster time to market for end applications.


“With the increasing demand for advanced microphone applications in the Greater China region, it is imperative for ST to strengthen its local technology and application support,” says ST’s Francois Guibert, “establishing a new advanced testing lab facility in Taiwan will allow us to work even more closely with our key customers and partners in the region to optimise the quality of their products at all levels and develop innovative applications with excellent audio performance.”


Taiwan, home to a number of top-tier global ODMs and some of the world’s largest EMS companies, is the world’s second largest producer of IT products. With a comprehensive semiconductor-industry supply chain, from IC design and manufacturing to packaging and testing, accounting for almost 70% of the world’s contract IC chip output and a quarter of the global IC design market, Taiwan is the ideal location.


Equipped with the APx525 Family Audio Analyzer from Audio Precision, ST’s lab complies with the ISO 3744/3745 industrial acoustic standard and environmental noise regulation, as well as Intel’s Speech and Voice Recognition Standard.


According to IHS’ latest report[1, global MEMS microphone shipments rose by 37% year-on-year from 1.9 billion in 2012 to 2.6 billion units in 2013. By 2017, the shipments are forecast to reach 5.4 billion units.






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2014年7月25日 星期五

Geotracker Tags Unlicensed Band

We're tracking a startup budding from San Francisco's Internet of Things gulch -- and it's tracking us. Iotera is banking on the long-range power of its geotracking system to change the way people, animals, and devices are located across cities.



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Teardown.com: Amazon Brings Fire to Phone Market

Qualcomm is the primary provider of the key integrated circuits in Amazon's Fire phone, with both Invensense and OmniVision noted for their role in Amazon's Dynamic Perspective display technology.



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What's That Smell? An App for That Soon, Says Sensirion

With the acquisition of neighbouring cloud business Koubachi AG, Zurich-based company Sensirion is gearing up to meet the increasing demand for cloud-based sensor data management and services.



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Samsung's Silicon Valley Home

Samsung is building a 10-story complex in the heart of Silicon Valley that will be home for some of its memory and display researchers and a whole lot of ecosystem efforts.



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Sony Invests in Stacked Image Sensor Manufacturing Capacity

Sony Corp. has said it plans to invest 35 billion yen (about $340 million) to increase its production of stacked CMOS image sensors in support of demand for them in smartphones and tablet computers.



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Life After 28nm: Think Network-on-Chip

As Moore's Law reverses beyond 28nm, consider network-on-chip (NoC). While more and more content in SoC designs is coming from third-party IP providers, interconnect-fabric is one area that is still in transition.



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Freescale, with Solid Q2 Growth, Milks Auto IC Boom

Revenues of Freescale's five key product groups grew across the board by double digits during the first half of 2014. Freescale's CEO said, "We are growing our business at twice the speed of the market."



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NASA Exec Says, 'Boldly Go!'

Pete Worden, director of NASA's Ames Research Center, challenged a Silicon Valley crowd to go beyond our solar system to find life and settle space -- and harness biotechnology along the way.



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Spansion DC-to-DC power management IC supplies three power channels

Spansion Tom Sparkman sales VP Spansion is sampling its S6AP412A series of multi-channel DC-to-DC power management ICs (PMICs) and expects to have production volumes available in September starting at $3.60 in volumes of 1,500 units.


The S6AP412A series — an expansion of the Spansion MB39C031 family of DC-to-DC buck-converter, programmable PMICs — supplies three channels of power on a single chip to cutting-edge system-on-chip (SoC) products, memory and peripheral products that make up the core of office automation equipment and network devices with advanced image and voice processing functions.


Systems equipped with the latest SoCs require control of a 3-channel power supply sequence when starting up or disconnecting the power supply. The Spansion S6AP412A uses software to enable flexible and precise power supply sequence control. In addition, by enabling 3-channel power supply within a single chip, the BOM for the power supply block can be reduced and the board surface area can be reduced by approximately 30 percent compared to conventional products.


The new product also uses the common Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) communication interface to enable switching to an optimum voltage according to the SoC operation mode and process conditions while maintaining the output, and is thus able to support both Dynamic Voltage Scaling (DVS) and Advanced Supply Voltage (ASV) technologies. The S6AP412A series also supports reduced power consumption by systems through precision control of the voltage used by cutting-edge SoCs.


“This new PMIC expands our power management portfolio, providing the freedom to design with software, and delivers high performance and a lower power consumption and BOM than previously required to support high-end graphics and voice functions of large-scale systems in office automation systems,” says Spansion’s Tom Sparkman, “the multi-channel power supply eliminates the need for dedicated power supply lines to each component and aids in the trend of miniaturisation in system design.”


The chips support advanced power supply sequence control, and therefore complex power supply startup and disconnect sequences of systems with various part architectures can also be flexibly supported with software.


Easy preparation of startup and disconnect sequence for the power supply line: The latest systems require optimal control of the 3-channel power supply sequence when starting up and disconnecting, and this product can freely and flexibly control various sequences through software control. In addition, a method to step-up and step-down the voltage is adopted for the channel used for peripheral devices, and a stable output can be achieved even with a single cell lithium-ion battery and a 3.3V input.


By adopting this product, systems that require different sequences can be supported while maintaining the same hardware, the need to prepare new hardware when expanding a derived family can be eliminated, additional investments can be reduced, design resources can be effectively utilized, and added value can be easily provided to the user.


Supports DSV and ASV control using an I2C interface: High-performance processing is realized by dynamically controlling the power-supply voltage of the latest SoC that use advanced processes, thereby enabling a reduction in system power consumption.


Other features and specifications include:


1. 0.7 to 1.32V for SoCs (with an electric current supply of up to 4Amps); 1.2 to 1.95V for memory and 2.8~3.5V for peripheral devices with a single chip.


2. Built-in passive components (output voltage setting resistance, phase assurance circuit) reducing the BOM necessary to configure the power-supply block and reducing the surface-mount area by approximately 30 percent.


The Spansion S6AP413A series also is available with dual-system output support: A 2-system voltage output option is also available to enable support of systems equipped with dual SoC (with a maximum of 2-Amps output for each system with a supply voltage range of 0.7 to 1.32V). This series can also supply power with a single chip to systems equipped with two CPUs. In addition, a lineup of preset values for output voltages tailored to the main SoC voltages is available.






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Euro 6 regs will boost car engine sensors

IHS sensor shipments The new Euro 6 car emissions standards coming into force in September will require at least 20 sensors per auto engine, says IHS.


Most of the new sensors are related to exhaust aftertreatment because of new emissions laws with NOx reduction a focus alongside that of carbon dioxide.


As a pollutant, NOx has long been a stronger focus for US legislation, which also dictates that the emission parameters are measured under realistic driving cycle conditions.


But European legislators have also become tougher on this gas in recent years. IHS forecasts that the market for NOx sensors will grow at a CAGR of 9.3% during the next five years from 2014 to 2019.


The global market for sensors used in internal combustion engines (ICE) is on the road of steady growth for the next few years, propelled by increasing utilisation in engine management and exhaust after-treatment.


Sensor shipments for engines will top 1.34 billion units in 2019, up from about 1.08 billion in 2013, as shown in the attached figure. Overall, the six-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2013 to 2019 will equate to 3.6 percent.


“Shipments of ICE sensors are growing slightly faster than car shipments,” says IHS’ Richard Dixon, “the main reason is that new concepts in emissions mitigation in the engine and in exhaust after-treatment systems require advanced sensors for their operation. Added to that, emission legislation in some major markets of the world, like China, is beginning to catch up with that of mature markets like the U.S., Europe and Japan, at least in the larger cities.”


IHS examines more than 20 sensors attached to the engine, fuel and exhaust systems of passenger vehicles. The list includes pressure sensors, devices to monitor flow and temperature, ceramic sensors for the gases nitrogen oxide (NOx) and oxygen, in addition to knock sensing, position and speed.


Among the 24 applications identified for sensors used in ICEs, several measurements have been essential to electronic fuel management systems for more than 20 years: the position of the throttle and crankshaft, the absolute air pressure of the intake manifold and the residual oxygen in the exhaust. And multiple sensor insertions are possible—depending on the pipe configuration, a gasoline engine can feature four oxygen sensors, two of which serve an on-board diagnostics function to check for correct operation, although a diesel engine still has only one oxygen sensor, located before the diesel oxygen catalyst.

The biggest category for sensing is temperature measurement, with multiple sensors to be found on exhaust systems. The technology used is typically platinum-based resistance temperature detector (RTD) sensors to withstand temperatures of up to 1,000 C (1,832 F). On average, approximately two temperature sensors are used per vehicle. At lower temperatures, negative-resistance sensors (NTC) or semiconductor integrated circuits are also deployed. Examples include engine-coolant monitoring to protect against overheating, intake air measurement or in exhaust-gas recirculation systems used to lower NOx output from the engine.


At other points in the powertrain, the fuel injection system and cylinder pressure are proving to be interesting new opportunities for pressure sensor suppliers. Although cylinder-pressure sensing has been largely too expensive for car manufacturers to adopt, IHS expects significant growth in this area in coming years, led by Volkswagen and Daimler in diesel engines. Owing to the low penetration today, growth rates in the coming five years to 2019 are high at more than a 40 percent CAGR.


The type of engine has an impact on exhaust systems. Lean-burn engines require more sensors than standard, stoichiometric engines because the exhaust aftertreatment is more complex. The high residual oxygen content in the exhaust of these engines makes it impossible for conventional three-way catalysts to reduce NOx pollutants.


Diesel and some direct injection gasoline engines fall into this category. These engines require feedback on NOx concentration in the exhaust stream as part of the emission control system. Stoichiometric engines—some direct injected engines and all modern port injected engines—do not need a NOx sensor.


In addition, many vehicles today feature some kind of forced induction—turbo- or supercharging—of the fuel/air mix. The increased use of turbochargers is the main factor enabling engines to be made smaller and less polluting.


As these boosters become more sophisticated, such as having a variable geometry, position sensing becomes important. So far, though, turbocharger speed sensing is mostly confined to the large commercial vehicle segment and is not yet widely found in cars.


For the first time, European Euro 6 legislation specifies a particle number per kilometer as a key measure, with phased-in adoption. Direct injection gasoline engines produce more hazardous particles than standard gasoline multi-port injection engines. This means that gasoline particle filters on the exhaust will be adopted in the former, along with the means for self-monitoring, which will drive the use of particle mass and possibly pressure sensors.


Particle filters have been used on diesel engines to reduce NOx since legislation in Euro 4. In particular, diesel particle filters have pressure sensors to monitor the filter when it is clogged, indicating to the engine ECU when to regenerate the filter—a process that also requires temperature sensing.


Sensor adoption also has a strong regional emphasis. As emissions standards are not yet harmonized worldwide, less stringent emission standards than those affecting U.S., Japanese or EU standards are in play, which leads to lower sensor content in emerging markets. A gasoline-engine vehicle in Iran or Malaysia, for instance, will have a much lower sensor requirement than an engine in Japan. The difference can be as many as 10 sensors.






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Acer sees booming sales of Chromebooks, says CEO

Acer has seen booming sales of Chromebooks, including government procurement orders for educational purposes in many countries, and therefore has asked supply chains to increase production to reduce supply shortages, according to company CEO Jason Chen, adding that global Chromebook shipments in 2014 are expected to increase 70% on year.



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Chunghwa Telecom NFC TSM system passes Visa certification

Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) on July 24 announced that it has obtained certification from Visa for its NFC TSM (trusted service manager) system and become a Visa approved vendor to provide mobile Visa credit card payment services on NFC-enabled smartphones in the Taiwan market.



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Notebook cooling module makers eye business opportunities from electric vehicles

Notebook cooling module makers including Taiwan-based Chaun-Choung Technology and Japan-based Furukawa Electric, in view of the large potential demand for heat dissipation solutions from electric vehicles (EV) and EV power charging stations, have talked with EV makers in an attempt to compete for orders, according to industry sources.





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More IC vendors to engage in merger or acquisition deals

Following the recent announcement of the planned merger between FocalTech Systems and Orise Technology, more Taiwan-based touchscreen controller and LCD driver IC vendors are likely to be involved in merger or acquisition deals, according to industry sources.



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Intel to launch Core M for use in notebook/tablet 2-in-1 models in 4Q14

Intel will launch 14nm-based Core M series processors specifically for use in fanless notebook/tablet 2-in-1 models in the fourth quarter of 2014, with many models to be exhibited at the Intel Developer Forum to take place in San Francisco September 9-11, 2014, according to supply chain makers.



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2014年7月24日 星期四

Neo Solar Power nets NT$1.02 per share for 1H14

Crystalline silicon solar cell maker Neo Solar Power on July 24 released its financial report for the second quarter of 2014, posting net EPS of NT$1.02 for the first half of the year.



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PTI reports EPS NT$1.96 for 1H14

Memory backend service company Powertech Technology (PTI) has reported net profits of NT$2.09 billion (US$69.69 million) for the first half of 2014, translating into an EPS of NT$1.96 for the six-month period.



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China market: Mainstream pricing for smart wireless routers stands at CNY100-200

In the China market, mainstream retail prices for smart Wi-Fi routers fall between CNY100 (US$16.1) and CNY200, according to China-based reports.



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Career expects sales to peak in 4Q14

Flexible PCB supplier Career Technology expects its sales to peak in the fourth quarter of 2014, buoyed by increasing shipments of FPCBs to the wearable device sector.





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Worldwide tablet market grows 11% in 2Q14, says IDC

The worldwide tablet market grew 11.0% on year in the second quarter of 2014 with shipments reaching 49.3 million units, according to IDC. Although shipments declined sequentially from first-quarter 2014 by 1.5%, IDC believes the market will experience positive but slower growth in 2014 compared to the previous year.



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China PV module makers expected to ask Taiwan solar cell makers to offer incentives

China-based PV module makers have drastically decreased orders released to solar cell makers in Taiwan due to uncertainty about US preliminary anti-dumping tariffs, and are likely to resume normal orders after the US makes its decision on July 24, but are expected to ask for additional incentives, such as favorable payment terms, according to industry sources.



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Ultra HD TVs make gains but still lack market penetration, says IHS

Ultra HD TVs continued to make slow and steady inroads throughout the world, but their share of the overall flat-panel TV market remained minimal at the end of May 2014, suggesting that Ultra HD TV pricing in the market remains too high to gain meaningful share, according to IHS.





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TPK 2Q14 growth driven by increase in 11- to 16-inch products

Touch panel maker TPK has reported that its EPS during the first half of 2014 reached NT$1.37 (US$0.04) and net income came to NT$320 million.



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Digitimes Research: Japan promoting service robots

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has been boosting the development of service robots, with a target production value of JPY2.65 trillion (US$26.1 billion) and target production of 9.4 million robots specifically for use in health and medical care in 2025, according to Digitimes Research.



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Small- to medium-size China smartphone component makers under pressure of being forced out in 2H14

Due to oversupply of smartphone components and price-cut pressure from China-based smartphone vendors, many small- to medium-size China-based smartphone component makers are likely to be forced out of the market in the second half of 2014, according to supply chain makers.



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Google to incorporate NFC functionality into Android

Google will incorporate TSM (trusted service manager) software and applications into the Android platform after Apple reportedly has made NFC functionality a standard for its speculated iWatch, according to industry sources.



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TPCA urges Taiwan government to upgrade PCB industry

The Taiwan Printed Circuit Association (TPCA) has presented a white paper calling for the government to lead Taiwan's PCB industry to develop next-generation products and to promote industry upgrades.



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TSMC to offer more wafer starts to MediaTek in 3Q14

On the request of MediaTek, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) will supply MediaTek with wafer starts 10% more than what the chipset maker expected to receive in the third quarter of 2014, according to industry sources.





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Friday Quiz: Decibels and S Parameters

Test your knowledge of that ratio of two powers and the ins and outs of S parameters.



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Tricky Dicky Makers

Dick Smith Electronics (known colloquially as Tricky Dicks here in Australia), a once (in)famous electronics components retailer, but long since been just a consumer electronics store, have released some excellent videos highlighting three local Sydney makers as part of their Unleash Your Smith advertising campaign shown on Australian TV and media.

One can’t help but wonder why they didn’t call it the Unleash Your Dick campaign?


It’s rather perplexing why Tricky Dicks would be promoting makers when they don’t sell anything the least bit Maker related any more?

But hey, any company spending money to promote Makers is all good!


Anyway, I was asked to help organise this at the last minute, and they have shot three excellent local makers, two of which you may have seen on the blog before.


Malcolm Faed with his home made Segway

Alex McClung with his Alex Bot

Tom Hetherington and crew from Optic Soup with their video projection art.


The videos are well produced, enjoy:









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IPC Releases Electronics Quality Survey

The annual survey provides insight into how electronics manufacturers are succeeding at producing quality products.



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7 Black Hat Sessions Sure to Cause a Stir

At Black Hat, researchers will point out the weaknesses in everything from the satellites in outer space to the thermostat in your home.



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Jibo Wants To Be Your Family's First Robot

Meet Jibo, a connected personal assistant that aims to be your family's first robot.



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Apple OS X Yosemite Beta Debuts

Apple's obsession with secrecy gives way to involving customers in the software development process.



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60 GHz Startup Targets Mobile

On the heels of Qualcomm's acquisition of 60 GHz chipset manufacturer Wilcoity, startup Nitero is releasing its first 60 GHz WiFi silicon taregting mobile displays and I/O.



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Rugged Latching Relay Reaches 50 A

CIT Relay & Switch offers its single-coil L115F1 latching relay with values up to 50 A. The UL/cUL-approved power relay can withstand heavy contact load with strong shock (200 m/s2 at 11 ms) and vibration (1.5-mm double amplitude 10~40 Hz) resistance.


read more






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Li-Ion Battery-Protection Controller Reduces Smartphone/Tablet Charging Time

Analog-circuit technology, MOSFET technology, and advanced packaging combine to incorporate controller and driver functions into ON Semiconductor’s new single-circuit lithium-ion battery-protection controller.


read more






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Apple in China: Best Is Yet to Come?

Apple CEO Tim Cook described Apple's business prospect in China as "a watershed moment."



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40-V COT Controller Delivers 0.008%/V Line Regulation

The XR75100 40-V synchronous step-down controller, developed by Exar, supports point-of-load (POL) supplies from industrial 24-V dc and 24-V ac rectified sources.


read more






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Imagination Positions Itself for 802.11ah for the Internet of Things

Imagination Technologies has developed a low-power configurable radio architecture for the wide range of existing and emerging protocols for the Internet of Things.



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Power Week: Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting's Bright Future

This week, the future of sub-watt thermoelectric energy harvesting as a battery replacement in various markets -- including infrastructure, transportation and consumer -- is looking promising.



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Energy Harvesting Chip Demonstrated

Imec and Omron have collaborated on a tiny 5x6 cm energy harvester for sensors in hard-to-reach locations.



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EEVblog #644 – How To Design Front Panels On Extruded Enclosures – µSupply Part 14



Dave shows some techniques on how to build and mount usable PCB based front panels user interfaces with LCD displays and push buttons and capacitive touch buttons onto small cheap extruded aluminium enclosures.

In particular for the µSupply project. This is Part 14 of that series.

The uCalc project gets another look in, and does the Sharp Memory dot matrix LCD.

Forum HERE







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Silego CMICs have soft-start power switching

Silego SLG46116V Silego has brought out two more CMICs (configurable mixed-signal ICs) in its GreenPak (GPak) series of tiny, fast to programme, configurable ICs.


The SLG46116V and SLG46117V are the first GPAK devices to enable 1 A P-Channel mosfet soft-start power switching, controlled with a mixed-signal matrix, in a 1.6×2.5×0.55 mm seven-GPIO STQFN package.


The soft-start power switch has fixed slew rate control, and is available with an integrated discharge path (SLG46117V) or without (SLG46116V).


SLG46116V and SLG46117V projects use GPak development hardware and GPak Designer.


“Silego’s latest devices add intelligent power switching functionality to the analogue and digital functions provided by GPAK,” said Silego’s Nathan John.






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ARM licenses IoT tech to Atmel

Pete Hutton - EVP and President of Product Groups

Pete Hutton – EVP and President of Product Groups



ARM has licensed processor and security IP to Atmel for imaging, video and display applications.


Atmel plans to integrate the technology into ICs for wearable devices and automated factory tasks reliant on image processing such as the identification of faulty products.


The license includes the ARM Cortex-A7 processor, ARM Mali-V500 video accelerator, Mali-DP500 display processor, and ARM TrustZone technology.


“Atmel and ARM have a successful history of collaboration,” says ARM evp Pete Hutton, “that partnership continues to build with Atmel now expanding its ARM IP portfolio to prepare the way for products in emerging markets such as IoT, wearables and factory automation.”


ARM Mali-V500 and Mali-DP500 enable HD 1080p60 resolution capabilities on a single core.


Both the ARM Mali-V500 and Mali-DP500 incorporate support for ARM TrustZone technology.


“As IoT and wearable devices become smaller, more sophisticated and integrated, the SoCs used in the devices will need to offer more features and functionality in smaller packages,” says Atmel’s Reza Kazerounian, “the small area footprint of the ARM Cortex and Mali multimedia solutions will allow us to offer HD video and display processing in unprecedented sizes.”


With Mali-DP500, Atmel SoCs will have the capability to deliver UI functionality such as multi-layer composition, scaling and post-processing with support from ARM’s Frame Buffer Compression (AFBC) protocol. This technology is unique to ARM and is capable of delivering a 60% reduction in system bandwidth for video playback.






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ST turns a profit

ST CEO, Carlo Bozotti

ST CEO, Carlo Bozotti



Thanks to a payment of $100 million from the French government under the Nano2017 R&D support programme, STMicroelectronics recorded its first quarterly profit for 11 quarters in Q2.


Q2 revenue was $1.86 billion and net profit was $38 million.


Free cash flow was minus $99 million compared to minus $51 million in Q1.


ST’s net financial position was $423 million at the end of June ($1.55 billion cash less $ $1.13 billion debt). At the end of March the net financial position was $612 million.


The proceeds from ST’s recent sale of $1 billion worth of bonds will be accounted for in Q3′s balance sheet.


There is another $300 million due to come from Nano2017.


ST recorded a loss of $52 million on exiting the 3Sun solar power jv with Sharp and Enel which made solar modules in ST’s 300mm Catania fab which was never facilitised for chip production. Both Sharp and ST have now transferred their shares in 3Sun to Enel.


“During the second quarter we made positive business and financial progress in key areas,” says ST CEO Carlo Bozotti.






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Han's Laser and Goodfeel to attend Touch Taiwan 2014

China's largest laser equipment maker Han's Laser and sapphire processing player Goodfeel Technology will attend Touch Taiwan 2014, August 27-29 at the Taipei World Trade Center Nangang Exhibition Hall.





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