Testing MEMS: Don't reinvent the wheel—but take little on
faith By Dan Strassberg, Senior Technical Editor
MEMS, which not only condition signals but also move, require consummate care in handling. But the manufacturers have figured out much of what you must know to successfully apply the devices. So be highly selective in choosing where to independently build up your private body of knowledge.
FROM EDN EUROPE: Programmable analogue ICs challenge Spice-and-breadboard
designs By David Marsh, Contributing Technical Editor
After years of Spice-and-breadboard designing, analogue designers can now take advantage of increasingly sophisticated programmable components and software-configuration tools. But how easy are such components to use, and can they challenge traditional design approaches?
Design Features
Your core, my design, our problem By Gabe Moretti, Technical Editor
Integrating third-party cores into a design requires more than just reading a data sheet. Virtual components can greatly enhance design productivity or doom a project to failure, and many factors determine the final outcome. To ensure success, the core provider must become a trusted member of the design team.
Old measurements, new techniques: DSP drives speed and accuracy; coherence
saves the day By Carsten Thomsen, National Instruments
DSP techniques lead to faster, less costly frequency-response tests and enable the use of a powerful concept, the coherence function, which acts as a watchdog to help identify and quantify common but easy-to-miss measurement errors. Best of all, this watchdog works for free.
Knowledge of clocking aids ASIC-emulator choice By Jeff Ruedinger, IBM Corp
Real ASICs and software simulations differ significantly. Though costly, ASIC emulators often help to bridge the gap. Recognizing the trade-offs among emulator-design approaches can point you toward a wise investment.
