The Hot 100 products of 2006
By Staff -- 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
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
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