June 18, 1998

Cover Story

• Multicore chips challenge system-on-chip designers
  Combining high-speed digital-logic cores, memory arrays, and analog blocks amplifies the problems of chip-design decisions concerning tasks such as on-chip buses, testability, and system placement and routing. Reviewing the difficulties of designing chips with multiple cores can help you overcome multicore chip-design hurdles.
  --Jim Lipman, Technical Editor

Design Features

• Compression puts images on a diet
  Advanced compression techniques minimize storage density and transmission bandwidth for still and video images, both within a system and between systems. The trade-off--an increase in processing "muscle"--is becoming less of an issue thanks to faster, cheaper logic.
  --Brian Dipert, Technical Editor

• Hot swap shrinks CompactPCI downtime
  As CompactPCI's popularity grows, a new hot-swap specification boosts system reliability for competition in the high-availability arena. Before your next--or first--CompactPCI design, take a look at new techniques for live insertion and removal of component boards in a functioning system.
  --Warren Webb, Technical Editor

• Communication-systems error simulation resolves trade-offs
  Complex digital communication systems are easier to design if you use what-if simulations early in your design cycle. By carefully focusing your simulation, you can speed results without sacrificing accuracy.
  --Trefor Delve and Mike Mulligan, The Mathworks

• Prove that ADSL modems have the right stuff to vanquish interference
  To transmit data over ordinary copper wires at 9 Mbps, ADSL modems must meet exacting requirements. Verification of the modems' analog-interface performance requires careful measurements. Learn here how to make these measurements and what test equipment you need.
  --Peter Ziemann, Wandel and Goltermann

• Debugging embedded systems:
  10 common hardware problems and how to solve them
  Some of the most common hardware problems can derail your debugging effort if you don't watch out. Here are some tricks to keep your debugging on track.
  --Stuart R Ball

Leading Edge

• CompactFlash module pumps data rate to 1.4Mbytes/second
• Small UPS units wield big backup clout
• Digitally controlled potentiometer adds comparative twist
• Multiaxis force sensor gravitates to custom designs
• RFID arena expands with rugged tags and 23-cm range
• Products merge chip hardware and software design

• Micromotherboard yields tiny, 200-MHz MMXPentium PC
• Triple ADC focuses on RGB-to-LCD front end
• ASIC+FPGA=fast, wide PCI
• Graphics controller increases embedded memory, widens on-chip bus
• Don't even dream of getting this much current from an IC amplifier
• IEEE 1394 link- and physical-layer chips perform at 400 Mbps 22

Design Ideas

• Demodulator makes low-cost optical tracker
• mC implements pushbutton light dimmer
• Charger selects between full and trickle charge
• Power supply runs off battery or wall adapter

• Four ICs implement video AGC and dc restore
• "Useless" masked mCs make useful PC peripherals
• Use a printer port to record digital waveforms
• Design Ideas Entry Blank

How it Works

• Digital scopes mimic analogs' live displays
  --Dan Strassberg, Senior Technical Editor

Columnist

• Troubleshooting at the component level
  --Ron Mancini

Products

• New Product Database (registered users only) 

Departments

• ednmag.comment
• Signals & Noise
• Editorial Staff
• Business Staff