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128-kbit flash memory takes 1.8V source.
The X24F128 SerialFlash, a 128-kbit memory device with a two-wire serial interface, operates from battery power ranging from 1.8 to 3.6V for both program and read operations. Organized into 512 small sectors for programming ease, the X24F128's Block Lock data-protection feature lets you partition memory into four 32-kbit blocks, each with different levels of programming security. Housed in a 16-lead SOIC package, the memory device costs $4.95 (10,000). Xicor Inc, Milpitas, CA. (408) 432-8888.
LCD controller/driver offers on-chip character generator.
In addition to a built-in voltage doubler/tripler for driving LCDs that take 3.0 to 13V, the KS0073 controller comes with a built-in character generator and display ROM containing 240 5×8 fixed dot-matrix characters. By incorporating a 34-common, 60-segment split LCD driver, as well as the voltage doubling/tripling circuitry, the KS0073 saves valuable pc-board space in portable applications, such as cellular telephones and pagers. The part costs $3.75 and comes in a 128-lead PQFP (10,000). Samsung Semiconductor Inc, San Jose, CA. (408) 954-7000.
µP supervisor ICs draw 7 µA.
Two low-power µP reset and watchdog ICs issue resets in response to power-up, power-down, brownout conditions, or a failure in software execution. Both the MAX6301 and MAX6304 draw a maximum of 7 µA of supply current. The parts differ only in the structure of their reset outputs: active-high vs. active-low and open-drain vs. push-pull. You can set trip thresholds with two external resistors, and you set the interval between resets with an external capacitor or with an optional connection that extends the basic interval by a factor of 500. You also adjust time-out intervals with an external capacitor. Prices start at $1.51 (1000). Maxim Integrated Products, Sunnyvale, CA. (408) 737-7600, ext 6087.
LCD column-driver ICs draw better images and less power.
Consuming <50 mW and incorporating a low-power standby mode, the VS1340 and VS2340 column drivers provide as much as 30 min of additional battery life for notebook LCDs. Both devices offer 128 distinct voltages to produce higher-contrast TFT (active-matrix) and MLA-STN (passive-matrix) displays with fewer components. They also support full-motion video with 55-MHz data-loading rates. The VS1340 and VS2340 cost $8.95 each (low volume). Vivid Semiconductor Inc, Chandler, AZ. (602) 961-3200.
RC network terminates and filters enhance parallel port.
The
PAC 1284 resistor-capacitor network, which supplies nine terminating lines in a
miniature 24-pin QSOP, meets IEEE P1284 enhanced-parallel-port recommendations.
The device provides pull-up series termination, EMI filtering, and ESD
protection above 2000V. You can replace 45 discrete components with two PAC
1284 networks, and increase transmission-rate accuracy between PCs and
peripherals. The PAC 1284 costs $0.95 (10,000). California Micro Devices,
Milpitas, CA. (408) 263-3214.
10-nsec FIFO fits into QSOP.
Two
high-speed FIFOs operate at flag and data-access times of 10 nsec and cycle
times of 66 MHz. Both devices come in compact 28-pin QSOPs, as well as
plastic-DIP, PLCC, and SOJ packages. The QS7201Q is a 512×9-bit device;
the QS7202Q is 1k×9 bits. Both use a dual-port RAM architecture and have
independent read and write pointers permitting high speed with zero
fall-through time. You can combine the FIFOs to any depth or width without
degrading speed. QSOP versions of the QS7201Q and QS7202Q cost $3.29 and $3.35,
respectively (1000). Quality Semiconductor Inc, Santa Clara, CA. (408)
450-8080.
Battery charger offers buck or boost mode.
The LT1512 500-kHz switching regulator IC serves as a constant-current, constant-voltage battery charger that maintains normal charging even when the input voltage varies above or below the battery voltage. The single-ended primary-inductance configuration of the LT1512 automatically provides step-up or step-down operation. The device charges single and multicell batteries at voltages as high as 20V. Maximum switch current is 1.5A, which permits battery-charging current to 1A in step-down mode. Prices start at $3.60 (1000). Linear Technology Corp, Milpitas, CA. (408) 432-1900.
Small-outline clock IC has snap-on battery.
The M48-T86 offers a standard real-time clock function in a unique package. The Snaphat package consists of a JEDEC standard 330-mil SOIC containing the silicon circuitry and a removable pack that contains the battery and quartz crystal. The battery pack snaps into the SOIC only after all board components have been reflow-soldered. Thus, Snap-hat allows you to use self-contained battery-backed devices on boards intended for surface-mount assembly, where high soldering temperatures would adversely affect the lithium batteries. The M48T86 comes as an open order entry at $3.25 (10,000). SGS-Thomson Microelectronics, Lincoln, MA. (617) 259-0300.
PCI-bus IC implements video-phone function.
The Bt848 video-capture chip supports Intel's Video Phone with ProShare technology for Pentium-based PCs, which allows PC users to communicate and see each other at the same time over standard telephone lines. Along with its integrated PCI-bus master, the Bt848 provides video scaling and decoding, plus the software to implement a variety of video-capture capabilities. The device implements a full five-tap vertical filter to minimize high-frequency content in the video signal and enhance the effectiveness of the video-compression pro-cess. The Bt848 comes in a 160-pin PQFP and costs $19.50 (OEM). Brooktree Corp, San Diego, CA. (619) 452-7580.
Fast Ethernet transceiver has media-independent interface.
The QS6612 10/100BaseTX dual-speed fast Ethernet transceiver offers an IEEE standard media-independent interface for glueless interconnection to a variety of controller ICs. The CMOS device provides all physical layer functions for both 10BaseT and 100BaseTX media interfacing, plus on-chip autonegotiation and 10/100 switching. Power consumption is <120 mA in the 100BaseTX mode. Housed in a 64-pin 10×10×1.4-mm low-profile QFP, the QS6612 costs $18.85 (10,000). Quality Semiconductor Inc, Santa Clara, CA. (408) 450-8080.
Delta-sigma modulator chip set eases data acquisition.
The CS5542, a 22-bit, two-channel fifth-order delta-sigma modulator, digitizes transducer currents over two pin-selectable current-input ranges. A chip set of four CS5542 modulators, coupled with the CS5543 eight-channel digital FIR filter, forms a complete eight-channel data-acquisition system that connects to a photodiode or other current-output transducers. The chip set provides 250-Hz bandwidth/channel and handles as many as 1024 channels in a system. The CS5542 comes in a 28-pin PLCC and costs $24.95; the CS5543 comes in a 44-pin PLCC and costs $14.95 (1000). Crystal Semiconductor Corp, Austin, TX. (512) 912-3766.
Quad T1/E1 framers conserve pc-board space.
The
DS21Q41B and pin-compatible DS21Q43A each contain four fully independent T1 and
E1 framers, respectively, offering space and cost savings to applications
requiring more than one framer on a card. Each framer has its own receive
framer, receive elastic store, transmit elastic store, and transmit formatter.
The elastic stores shuttle backplane data at as high as 8.192 Mbps. Both the
DS21Q41B and DS21Q43A have an 8-bit parallel control port that accommodates
multiplexed or nonmultiplexed buses. Housed in 128-pin TQFPs, the devices cost
$43.40 (5000). Dallas Semiconductor, Dallas, TX. (214) 450-0448.
IC amplifies cellular signals.
An amplifier IC for DCS1800 and PCS1900 applications come in two versions: one for 6V operation, the AWT 1900X, and one for 4.8V, the AWT 1901X. The device uses three stages, allowing it to operate with 7 dBm of input power. A single external capacitor matching the amplifier output determines output power and efficiency. With a power output of 32 dBm, typical efficiency is 45%. The amplifier also produces little noise in the receive band—<–80 dBm in the 100-kHz band. Both versions come in SSOP28 packages with a heat slug that cuts thermal resistance to <30°C/W. The amplifier costs $4 (100,000). Anadigics, Warren, NJ. (908) 668-5000.
3.3V analog buffers outperform digital counterparts.
Eliminating bottlenecks in the memory links to Pentium, Pentium Pro, PowerPC, and SPARC processors, these analog transceivers and buffers operate from 3.3V supplies and work twice as fast as their digital equivalents. The ML65T244 quad buffer, ML65T245 quad transceiver, and ML65T541 octal buffer slow data by 2.0 nsec, a 50% improvement in transfer speed over the 4.1-nsec delay induced by digital devices. All three parts cost $3.26 each in 20-pin SOIC packages (1000). Micro Linear Corp, San Jose, CA. (408) 433-5200.
IC combines MPEG de-coding and x/y scaling.
The REALmagic EM8000 integrates MPEG-1 audio and video encoding, x/y scaling, and a direct ISA-bus plug-and-play interface into a single device. X/Y scaling provides smooth horizontal and vertical bilinear interpolation, delivering clear video images in sizes ranging from a postage-stamp-type icon to a full-screen display. The EM8000's audio module decodes MPEG-1 Layer I and II audio streams for serial 16-bit CD-quality stereo sound output at sampling frequencies of 32, 44.1, and 48 kHz. The device also allows variable video frame rates to 120 Hz without any additional field memory. The EM8000 costs $41 (1000). Sigma Designs Inc, Fremont, CA. (847) 291-1616.
Accelerator chip incorporates TV encoder.
The Cyber2000 multimedia accelerator provides an on-chip TV encoder, enabling network PCs with an x86 architecture to connect to a TV for Internet browsing, videoconferencing, and ActiveMovie MPEG playback. The device also includes a 64-bit 2-D GUI, a 200-MHz RAMDAC for high-speed D/A conversion, a clock synthesizer, and a 128-bit SGRAM/EDO DRAM interface. TrueTV technology provides flicker-free output to televisions conforming to either European (PAL) or U.S. (NTSC) standards. The chip costs $9.95 (10,000/month). InteGraphics Systems, Santa Clara, CA. (408) 982-8588.
Telephony ICs move data, fax, and voice at 33.6-kbps.
Based on the FastPath V.34+ telephony platform, which incorporates both a 32-bit ARM processor and a high-bandwidth DSP, two chip sets comply with all current ITU standards for data, fax, and voice transmission to 33.6 kbps. The CL-MD3450 and CL-MD3452 are for desktop applications, and the CL-MD3451 and CL-MD3453 PCMCIA-compatible devices target mobile applications. The controller and DSP are both packaged in 128-pin SQFPs or VQFPs; the two sigma-delta analog front ends each come in 44-pin VQFPs. The 3450/3451 and 3452/3453 cost $66 and $70, respectively (1000). Cirrus Logic Inc, Fremont, CA. (510) 623-8300.