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The Hot 100 products of 2006
Built by and for electronics engineers, this list distills the most innovative and significant products of the year, including process technologies, power sources, processor cores, communication controllers, test instruments, embedded boards, EDA tools, and more.
By Staff -- EDN, 12/15/2006
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As the calendar nears January, popular culture inevitably begins to cough up countless "best-of" lists, covering frivolous topics from reality TV to celebrity hairstyles. In an effort to counteract this tide of inanity, we at EDN proudly
offer you something of substance: A Hot 100 list built by and for electronics
engineers.
Our editors mercilessly cull the herd of new-product
announcements they see during the year, resulting in this distillation of the
most innovative and significant offerings. You'll find process technologies,
power sources, storage devices, processors, IP (intellectual-property) cores,
communication controllers, test instruments, embedded boards, EDA tools, and
more. If they advanced the state of the art in electronics, they're here. And not a movie star in sight.
Analog ICs
Allegro
Microsystems
ACS760 series Hall-effect hot-swap controller
More information: Hall-effect
hot-swap controller debuts
Analog Devices
ADA4899-1 ultralow-noise amplifier
More information: Ultralow-noise
amplifier is unity-gain-stable
Cirrus
Logic
CS3003 chopper amplifier
More information: Chopper
amplifier features a 150-dB gain
Intersil
ISL29001 and ISL29002 light-to-digital output sensors
More information:
Light-to-digital
sensor uses a 50/60 Hz rejection filter
Linear Technology
LT6244 low-noise CMOS amplifiers
More information: Low-noise
CMOS amplifier runs input pairs at higher currents
Maxim
MAX9982 800- to 1000-MHz mixer
More information: 800
to 1000-MHz mixer features a 2-dB conversion gain
Microchip
MCP6G01 and MCP6G02 gain-selectable amplifiers
More information: Gain-selectable
amps compensate for bandwidth roll-off
National Semiconductor
LM4562 audiophile amplifier
More information: Audiophile
amplifier offers 0.00003% THD+N
NEC
PC835 JFET amplifier
More information: JFET
amplifier drives 4000 pF
Texas Instruments
OPA365 rail-to-rail input amplifier
More information: Rail-to-rail
input amplifier has no crossover distortion
Texas Instruments
TPA203xD1 Class D audio power amplifier
More information: Class
D audio-power amplifier provides a low A-weighted noise floor
ASICs, IP, and Process Technology
Certicom
Production Control Core intellectual-property core
More information:
IP protects chips from
unauthorized manufacture
Infineon Technologies
Disk read-channel intellectual-property core
More information: Fast
read-channel IP challenges integration methodology
Key ASIC
ASIC service
More information: Fabless-ASIC
company tries new model
NEC Electronics
55-nm CMOS process
More information: NEC
surprises with aggressive 55-nm process
Sonics
LX interconnect intellectual property for systems on chips
More information:
Light version of IP
interconnects hardware blocks
Texas Instruments
45-nm CMOS process
More information: TI
lifts curtain on 45-nm process
Communications
Cswitch Corp
Configurable switch array
More information: Radical
FPGA takes on packet processing
DS2
DSS9001 power-line-networking IC
More information: Powerline
Followup: Is DS2 For You?
Enigma Semiconductor
EN6100 family packet-switching chip set
More information: Packet
switching comes to backplanes
Infrant
NSP IT310x network-storage processor
More information: Next-Gen
NAS
Integrated Device Technology
Serial RapidIO preprocessing switch
More information: IDT
adds preprocessing to SRIO switch for base stations
SiConnect
POEM power-line-transceiver chip
More information: Power-line
networking demands holistic design
SMSC
LAN9131 network multimedia coprocessor
More information: Network
coprocessor serves as multimedia implant
Texas Instruments
UR8 Universal DSL chip family
More information: Texas
Instruments and Ikanos rev DSL chip offerings: Is anyone buying?
Tzero Technologies
TZ7110/7210 ultrawideband chip set
More information: UWB
may yet serve whole-house video
Components
Celsia
Microspreader heat spreader with fluid core
More information: Ultrathin
heat spreader uses fluid core to cool processors, displays
Nanoident
Photonics Solution Platform for designing image sensors combining LEDs, photosensors, and simple IC functions
More information:
Organic semiconductors shine
in LED/photosensor combinations
SiTime
SiT11xx MEMS oscillators
More information: MEMS-based
oscillator threatens quartz; resonator could move on-chip
Computers and Peripherals
Allmotion
EZHR17EN stepper-motor controller
More information: Compact
controller eases embedded-system motion
BittWare
Tetra-PMC+ analog-input board
More information: PMC
board unites four ADC channels, FPGA
Cornice
Dragon series 1-in. hard-disk drives
More information: CES:
The deluge begins
Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing
Champ-AV6 DSP engine
More information: Quad
DSP engine features switched-fabric data streams
Dust Networks
SmartMesh-XT mesh-networking platform for industrial environments
More information:
Rugged wireless-sensor
networks suit harsh industrial environments
Extreme Engineering Solutions
XPedite6240 AMC computer
More information: Mezzanine
module boosts telecom processing power
General Micro Systems
V469 Patriot computer
More information: Dual
computers boost system performance
Gumstix
Netstix 200xm-cf computer
More information: Palm-sized
computer features network connectivity
Inova Computers
Hercules CompactPCI system
More information: Embedded
computer features conductive cooling
Kontron
ETXexpress-PM COM Express module
More information: Serial
streams shrink embedded-system designs
Mercury Computer Systems
ECV4-RFT remote fiber transceiver
More information: Mixed-signal
module boosts wideband performance
Mosaic Industries
Ethersmart Wildcard expansion board
More information: Tiny
board delivers Web connectivity
Performance Motion Devices
Ion drive network-motion controller
More information: CANBus,
serial networks distribute motion control
Rabbit Semiconductor
RabbitFlex custom computer
More information: Process
yields custom boards in five days
Seagate
Barracuda 7200.10 series 3.5-in. perpendicular recording-based hard-disk drives
More information:
Terabyte
Flirtations
Seagate
ST1.3 series 1-in. perpendicular recording-based hard-disk drives
More information:
Svelte HDDs:
Simultaneously Stocky
Digital and Programmable ICs
Actel
IGLOO FPGA
More information: Global
design & Actel's new sandman FPGA
Altera
Stratix 3 65-nm FPGA
More information: 65-nm
FPGAs consume less power
Analog Devices
ADE7100 power-meter IC
More information: Mixed-signal
integration takes more than glue
Andigilog
ThermalEdge aSC7512 thermal-management controller
More information: Thermal
escalation drives need for controlled active cooling
Fujitsu Microelectronics
MBF 320 biometric sweep sensor
More information: Biometric
sensor and preboot software lock down laptops
PLX Technology
PEX 8548 PCI Express switch
More information: Flexible
switch has 48 lanes
Texas Instruments
SN65LVDS301 FlatLink 3G
More information: Serial
links take on roles in clamshell-design connections
Xilinx
Virtex 5 65-nm FPGA
More information: FPGAs
balance lower power, smaller nodes drip by drip
EDA
Apache Design Solutions
Sahara-PTE power/thermal/electrical analysis tool
More information: Apache
hot on IC thermal analysis
Berkeley Design Automation
Analog FastSpice Spice simulator
More information: Speedy
Spice-accurate simulator targets analog, RF
Blaze DFM
Blaze MO design-for-manufacturing tool
More information: DFM-tool
start-up claims big power and yield gains
Cadence Design Systems
Space-based router (previously known as Precision)
More information:
Cadence says
65nm users need CPR: new router to replace IC Craftsman
Ciranova
PCell Xtreme tool for PCell information
More information: Ciranova
tool finds way around Cadence SKILL for analog design
Invarium
Dimension PPC (process- and proximity-correction) patterning-synthesis tool
More information:
Startup targets mask-making
with "patterning synthesis"
The MathWorks
Simulink HDL coder
More information: Tool
generates HDLs directly from Simulink
Mentor Graphics
Calibre LFD (lithography-friendly design) design-for-manufacturing tool
More information:
DFM tools help with
"lithography-friendly" layouts
Novas Software
Siloti RTL debugging tool
More information: Novas
introduces on-the-fly debugging
OneSpin Solutions
CVE (circuit-verification environment) formal-verification product
More information:
Startup Brings Mature
Property Checker to the Masses
Sierra Design Automation
Olympus-SOC IC router
More information: Lithography-savvy
IC router circumvents third parties
Sigma-C (Synopsys acquired in June 2006)
Solid+ microlithography simulator for design and optical-proximity correction
More information:
Sigma-C and Mentor make
strides in DFM
Silistix
ChainWorks tool set for asynchronous design
More information: Silistix
introduces tools to take asynchronous design mainstream
Synopsys
PrimeTime VX digital statistical-timing-analysis tool
More information:
News analysis: Is Synopsys'
statistical-timing tool ready for prime time?
Multimedia
Akustica
AKU2000 MEMS microphone
More information: MEMS
Microphones: More Motivations
Ambarella
A1 high-definition-video processor
More information: Tailored
Entrant Tackles Tape's Troubles
Texas Instruments
DM6443/6 DaVinci video processors
More information: Platform
simplifies video
Toshiba America Electronic Components
TC90400XBG/FG digital-video systems on chips
More information: SOCs
support standard- and high-definition decoding
Power
Analog Devices
ADuM524X isoPower family of dual-channel isolators
More information:
Device combines signal and
power isolation
Enpirion
EP53x2Q 1A/3W buck converter
More information: Integrated
buck converter targets low-power and portable applications
Freescale
MC34703 Quiccsupply 3 power-management IC
More information: Power-management
IC suits advanced microprocessors’ power needs
International Rectifier
IR1167 SmartRectifier IC
More information: Chip
improves efficiency of flyback-converter circuits
Intersil
ISL6326 and ISL6327 PWM controllers
More information: PWM
controllers drive Intel dual-core processors
Maxim
DS2790 battery fuel gauge
More information: Chip
offers authentication, protection to single-cell battery packs
Microchip
dsPIC30F1010/202X family of digital-signal controllers for switched-mode power supplies
More information:
Digital power controllers
offer digital and analog architecture
National Semiconductor
LM5071 power-over-Ethernet controller
More information: Chip
enables POE convenience with auxiliary backup
Power Integrations
PeakSwitch power-conversion IC
More information: Power-conversion
IC enables average parts to provide above-average power
Primarion
PX7510/20 digital-power-conversion and -management ICs
More information:
Digital power controller is
fast and software-configurable
XP Power
RCL175 ac/dc switching power supply
More information: Agency-approved
power supply cuts cost, leadtimes
Zilker Labs
ZL2105 IC digital-power-conversion and -management IC
More information:
Power-conversion/ management
IC squeezes into embedded-system space
Processors
AMD
Turion 64 X2 mobile CPUs
More information: Turion
64 X2: A Credible Choice?
Altera
Nios II V6.0 and C2H (C-to-hardware-acceleration) compiler
More information:
Upgrade adds floating-point
support and a C2H compiler
Atmel
AT91SAM7SE512/256/32 ARM7-based microcontrollers
More information: Microcontrollers
build in support for off-chip SDRAM and flash
Cavium Networks
CN31XX and CN30XX MIPS64-based processors
More information: Networking
processors decrease cost, increase integration
Freescale
MSC8144 quad-core DSP
More information: Quad-core
DSP packs performance and features
Intel
Core Microarchitecture CPUs (Merom, Conroe, Woodcrest)
More information:
IDF debriefing: Pendulum
swings from AMD to Intel
Intel
Core 2 Extreme QX6700 Quad-Core CPU
More information: Benchmarking
a Quad-Core Beast
Luminary Micro
LM3S101/102 Stellaris 32-bit microcontrollers
More information: $1
microcontroller features ARM Cortex core
Microchip
PIC18F97J60 8-bit micro controllers
More information: PIC18
processor includes full Ethernet support
Ramtron
VRS51L2070 8051 microcontroller
More information: 8051
core sports hardware arithmetic extensions
Renesas
SH7785 microcontroller with multimedia support
More information: Microcontroller
vendors further encroach on SOCs
STMicroelectronics
STR910F ARM9E-based microcontrollers
More information: ARM9
microcontroller sports connectivity, large on-chip memory
Tensilica
Diamond Standard family of Xtensa processors
More information: Cores
lower entry cost for custom SOCs
Test and Measurement
Agilent
U1250 series handheld digital multimeters
More information: Two
suppliers' handheld DMMs offer differing features
LeCroy
WaveSurfer and WaveRunner digital-storage oscilloscopes with WaveScan feature
More information:
DSOs find and display
anomalous waveforms before you can explain why they are unusual
National Instruments
LabView 8.20
More information: LabView
celebrates 20th anniversary with new version, new features
Tektronix
RSA6100A real-time spectrum analyzer
More information: RF-signal-analysis
instruments: now faster and smarter
