Design Center

Communications/Network Design

News and technical information for design engineers working on products that span the range from home networks to enterprise networks to core telecom/datacomm networks. Covers all pertinent standards and design challenges ranging from cost in home networks to reliability in core networks.
Top Story

PicoChip optimizes processor-array chips for femtocells 9/18/2008

PicoChip’s second-generation PC3xx family devices integrate the company’s modem architecture in a form that will increase performance and reduce the bill-of-materials cost for femtocell manufacturers. The first of the new family, the single-chip PC302, for HSPA (high-speed-packet-access) femtocells complies with the TR25.

News

FPGA IP completes wireless-backhaul method 8/21/2008

Wintegra’s third-generation UFE3 (universal-front-end-3) IP (intellectual-property) core for high-channel-density, wireless-backhaul designs provides an upgrade path for designers migrating voice-centric cellular systems to high-capacity data-plus-voice-capable designs. The core works with the company’s WinPath2 processor and PMC-Sierra’s Temux family of framers and mappers.

Photonics researchers decelerate light to accelerate data 8/21/2008

A research team at the USC (University of Southern California) Viterbi School of Engineering has received $4.3 million in DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) funding to develop continuously tunable optical delays, which could accomplish tasks such as multiplexing entirely in the photonic domain—without the inefficient conversion of light streams into electronic signals and b...

10-Gbps links span 30m in copper 8/7/2008

The PHY2060 is a complete 10-Gbps assembly that achieves error-free transmission at a latency of 120 nsec over 30m of 24-gauge AWG twinaxial copper cable.

Broadband low-noise amplifier provides mobile-TV reception from VHF to L band 8/7/2008

Infineon Technologieshas released the BGA728L7 broadband low-noise amplifier for portable- and mobile-TV applications. The BGA728L7 covers the VHF (very-high-frequency) III, UHF (ultrahigh-frequency), and L bands. It offers high- and low-gain modes. In high-gain mode, the BGA728L7 helps to improve reception sensitivity for weak signals through its noise figure of 1.

AMCC, Hifn team to create networking, storage reference designs 7/28/2008

To create a series of reference designs for networking and storage solutions, Los Gatos, Calif-based storage and networking technology provider Hifn and Sunnyvale, Calif-based embedded Power Architecture semiconductor company AMCC have entered into a working alliance that leverages the strengths of both companies.
In-Depth

DisplayPort versus HDMI: Do we really need two digital-display-interface standards? 9/18/2008

DisplayPort silicon is beginning to appear in PCs, LCD monitors, and graphics cards. But it will probably be at least five years before prices fall and volumes ramp enough to challenge HDMI in consumer electronics.

Bluetooth: Sufficient fidelity even for average listeners? 6/26/2008

Applications require video support and additional audio channels to cope with stereo, driving the need for low-latency codecs. Using a Bluetooth chip set simplifies development and enables the manufacturer to leverage the brand recognition that Bluetooth now enjoys among consumers.

Protocol-stack testing for LTE technology 5/29/2008

Effective test strategies can help transform UMTS into a cellular-wideband system.

Unraveling the dynamic-range specification in modern spectrum analyzers 5/29/2008

Using a relatively simple chart to calculate dynamic range, along with speed and accuracy specifications, ensures that you choose the right spectrum analyzer and make appropriate price/performance trade-offs.

Laser goes to (trim) pot 5/14/2008

Tales From The Cube: The laser in a SONET transponder begins to behave erratically with varying temperature. Should the engineers blame the climate, or the human element?
Experts

Voices: GreenPeak Technologies’ Cees Links: wireless-networking visionary 2/21/2008

Cees (pronounced case) Links is an engineer and the chief executive officer at GreenPeak Technologies, an international supplier of low-power wireless-system modules compatible with IEEE 802.15.4 and ZigBee. Based in Utrecht, the Netherlands, Links has been a pioneer in the wireless industry and was involved in the establishment of the IEEE 802.

Open-cellular-network boasts lack substance 1/10/2008

There are dozens if not hundreds of products that might be more compelling if they integrated a cellular radio.

Holiday wishes target technological harmony 12/5/2007

From an accord among the high-definition DVD camps to signs of progress for UWB and Wireless USB, my list highlights technological developments that I believe would be good for the high-tech segment.

Airing problems in wireless 10/9/2007

Breakfast in the Valley:  Rapidly evolving technologies raise questions about data collisions between and within devices; future devices to become aware of what else is on the network.

Reach is key to broadband-based innovation 9/27/2007

You don't have to be far from the heart of Silicon Valley to find yourself without broadband coverage.
DesignIdeas

Achieve simple IR-data transmission from a PC’s serial port 10/11/2007

By transmitting appropriate hex values from a PC's serial port to a pair of IR LEDs, a remote-control IR receiver can enable 38.4-kHz data transmission.
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Events

Understanding New Mobile and Cellular Networks, Technologies and Services

Dates: 10/21/2008 - 10/22/2008
Location: Dallas, TX

IEEE GLOBECOM 2008

Dates: 11/30/2008 - 12/4/2008
Location: New Orleans, LA

Understanding New Mobile and Cellular Networks, Technologies and Services

Dates: 12/15/2008 - 12/16/2008
Location: Dallas, TX




Product fEEd

Lantronix MatchPort: Wireless embedded-networking module has remote capabilities

Xecom XE0402LCC: Telephone-interface module is half the size of its predecessor

Silicon Laboratories Si472x: FM-radio transmitter combines a receiver and a transmitter into one chip

Toshiba America Electronic Components TC358730XBG: MIPI display buffer/controller simplifies mobile-phone design

Saelig iEthernet W5100: Ethernet-controller IC features a hard-wired TCP/IP core


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