Technical Articles - Cypress.com

Design modularity: the fool-proof way to maintain market leadership in the mobile handset arena

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 01:15:05 -0600

Mobile handset has become the most dominant portable consumer electronics of all time, with worldwide shipments of 990 million units in 2006 and exceeding 1.1 billion units in 2007 (iSuppli). The double-digit year-on-year compounded growth rate is expected to continue for the next few years, as many developing countries are quickly ramping up on wireless infrastructures to meet the booming wireless communications demand. For many developed countries, it is also not uncommon to see individuals carrying multiple handsets; typically one for personal use and another dedicated for business. Forward looking, mobile handset OEMs and ODMs will be constantly challenged to stay competitive, and their most challenging task is to attract new adopters as well as to retain brand loyalty among current users. Having periodic product releases that keep consumers freshly engaged is the key to success in this fast-paced industry, while shortening the product design cycle and releasing products with innovative features are proven to be the two most effective ways to capture a bigger piece of the pie. This article explores the modular architecture approach to mobile handset design that enables both faster time to market and better features support that will lead mobile handset vendors to a successful future. To read more, click the download link above or visit Wireless Design and Development.

USB 3.0 - The Next-Generation Interconnect

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 01:12:25 -0600

When was the last time you got impatient with technology not being fast enough? Here is a situation: your flight from San Francisco to New York takes off in 3 hours and you are ready to head to the airport, but you really want to catch up with the all new season of your favorite series “House” which you missed. A friend just sent you a message on Facebook about how much he enjoyed a blockbuster movie he watched last night and you wish you could watch it on the long flight you are about to get on. If I were you, I would be wondering “if only I had the time to simply get all the content I need right now”. Today, it would take about 14 minutes to transfer an HD movie of 25GB and almost 9 minutes to transfer a TV Show of 16GB from a PC to your handheld media device. Thankfully, technological innovations are happening at a pace that enables users to get the content they want a lot faster. One such evolution is that of the most universal and ubiquitous interface – USB. USB 3.0 SuperSpeed is here and promises to be the panacea to such situations. To read more, click the download link below or visit: Electronic Design.

USB On-The-Go Specification Adds Muscle To Portable Devices

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 00:59:08 -0600

Electronic Design (USA)

Reprinted with permission from Electronic Design,
June 10, 2002. Copyright 2002, Penton Media Inc.
611 Route 46 West, Hasbrouck Heights, NJ 07604, USA

Read the article here.

For more information on our USB Embedded Hosts products, visit: cypress.com

Wireless USB Cuts the Cord for Multipoint-to-Point Systems

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 00:36:33 -0600

Wireless Design and Development (USA)

wirelessdesignmag.com

Today, along with wireless USB there are a number of other wireless options available - each suited to a different type of traffic." Existing low-cost RF transceivers typically use the 27 MHz, 433 MHz, 868 MHz, or 900 MHz frequency ranges. In the 2.4 GHz and 5.4 GHz frequency ranges, there are options such as various renditions of 802.XX and Bluetooth.

Crossing the three spectrums is ZigBee (868 MHz, 915 MHz, and 2.4 GHz). For non-network, multipoint-to-point applications, there is wireless USB in the 2.4 GHz range (See Table 1). Another alternative is infrared...

How to Design a Three-Channel LED Driver

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 23:03:16 -0600

Size and cost constraints are driving integrated circuit suppliers to integrate multiple peripherals into single packages. Generally, this means that there are many specialized devices out in the market that are added to dizzying catalogues and distribution models. This article will demonstrate how programmable mixed-signal devices can facilitate the integration of multiple peripherals, using as an example a 3-Channel LED system with constant current drive and color mixing. To read more about this topic, visit Planet Analog.

The Art of Capacitive Touch Sensing

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 23:02:11 -0600

Touch sensors have been around for years, but recent advances in mixed signal programmable devices are making capacitance-based touch sensors a practical and value-added alternative to mechanical switches in a wide range of consumer products. This article walks through a design example of a touch-sensitive button that can be actuated through a thick glass overlay. To read more on this topic, click the download link above or view the full article on Planet Analog.

White Light and Color Mixing: A Single Approach

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 23:01:01 -0600

High-brightness LEDs continue to revolutionize the lighting industry with the added flexibility and intelligence they bring to lighting systems, including white light and colored light designs. These lighting systems give designers the ability to dynamically control color temperature while maintaining high CRI in white light applications. Alternatively, these systems can produce a broad spectrum of highly accurate colored light. While these two types of light appear very different, most intelligent lighting applications using LEDs are fundamentally built with a mixed-signal controller, constant current driver(s), and high-brightness LEDs. Multiple LED channels are used in both cases and thus all LED designs will need to deal with binning, temperature effects, aging, and overall color accuracy. Using a mixed-signal controller is a powerful way to intelligently address these issues while still achieving accurate white or colored light. For many lighting designers that are making the leap from legacy lighting (incandescent, fluorescent) to LED fixtures, using a mixed-signal controller is already a big challenge on its own.

This article discusses the similarities and differences between designing white light applications versus colored light applications, the challenges facing LED system design, and some powerful (even code-free) options available today for aiding designers in solving these issues. To read more, click the download link above or visit Planet Analog.

Thermal design considerations for high-power LED systems

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 22:59:43 -0600

Unlike incandescent tungsten-filament light bulbs, high-power LEDs do not radiate heat. Instead, LEDs conduct heat from their PN junction to the thermal slug on the LED package. Because the heat generated by LEDs is conducted, the heat has a longer, more expensive, path to the atmosphere. In an LED, the heat path includes the thermal impedances from the junction to the slug, the slug to the board, the board to the heatsink, and the heatsink to the atmosphere. The heat path for a tungsten bulb is almost straight into the atmosphere, starting with the thermal resistance from the filament to the glass and ending with the thermal resistance from the glass to the atmosphere.

To read more on this topic, click the download link above or view the full article on Planet Analog.

Embracing Tunable White LEDs as the Next Generation of Lighting

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 22:58:17 -0600

Adoption of static white solid state lighting continues as performance and efficiency levels rapidly surpass system efficiency levels of conventional light sources. To truly unlock the potential of solid state lighting, control and consistency issues must be addressed to deliver new functionality while still meeting or exceeding the status quo of conventional lighting technology. This article explains in detail issues such as CRI for white lighting applications, controlling CRI through color mixing, color temperature setting and more. To read more on this topic, click the download link above or visit Planet Analog.

Designing with Multi-PLL and Spread-Spectrum Clocks in Digital Entertainment Equipment

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 22:57:09 -0600

Electronic systems need a timing reference or clock, which have traditionally been crystals or crystal oscillators. PLL based (Silicon) timing solutions are becoming more common - to provide cleaner, stabler clocking options for designs that need multiple frequencies. This article describes the value proposition of using silicon based timing solutions to solve design challenges vs. traditional methods. To read more on this topic, click the download link above or view the article on Planet Analog.

Designer's Guide to Rapid Prototyping of Capacitive Sensors on any surface

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 22:55:06 -0600

This article discusses how to replace the mechanical buttons on a product with a smooth and sleek touch-sensitive surface. It presents the concept of prototyping capacitive sensors on any nonconductive surface using silver-ink pens and copper tape. Topics included are capacitive sensor basics, silver-ink and copper tape, and construction technique. Measured results are presented for sensors applied to the back side of a simple acrylic sheet. To read more on this topic, click the download links above or view the full article on Planet Analog.

Custom LCD differentiation: Not as hard as you might think

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 22:53:01 -0600

Custom LCD displays can wildly differentiate your products from the competition leading to greater sales and adoption by your customers or even lower your manufacturing costs. Implementing custom displays, however, increases design complexity and, with the wrong solution, may negatively offset the cost savings in manufacturing. In this article we’ll explore the advantages of custom LCD designs and what they mean to your products as well as an approach to mitigating design complexity and cost through the use of system-level programmable solutions. To read more, click the download link below or visit: Planet Analog.

Crosstalk Measurement Techniques for Multi-Channel and Multi-Rate High Speed Serial Communication Systems

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 22:51:52 -0600

Crosstalk is the effect on a signal caused by the high-speed switching of a nearby signal. This effect can manifest itself as jitter, which is the deviation of a signal's edge from its expected location. A large amount of jitter can cause a timing budget failure in a parallel system or it can cause a clock and data recovery PLL to incorrectly recover the data in a serial system.

Due to the deleterious effects of crosstalk, it is important to determine the amount of it that exists during worst case scenarios. Currently, there are no standard crosstalk measurement techniques for the serial domain. This article describes effective measurement techniques and how to determine if the amount of crosstalk is acceptable for reliable data transfer. The techniques described include measuring the device's jitter output with a wide-bandwidth oscilloscope and spectral output with a high-bandwidth spectrum analyzer. Also discussed are the configurations that yield the highest crosstalk scenarios. Real measurement data of a multi-channel, independent rate device is provided. The measurements are performed at video serial digital interface (SDI) data rates, but the measurement techniques apply to any high-speed standard. To read more on this topic, click the download link above, or visit Planet Analog.

Capacitive Sensing Builds a Better Water-Cooler Control

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 04:59:09 -0600

Capacitive sensing offers developers a new way to interact with users that overcome the traditional problems associated with mechanical levels or push button switches that engage a solenoid controlled value. Exploring the use of capacitive sensing in a water cooler illustrates not only how capacitive sensing can make devices more reliable but also how the controller managing capacitive sensing can take on additional functions to add further value to customers as well as reduce maintenance expenses. To read more about this topic, visit Planet Analog.

What is Power Line Communication?

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 04:49:07 -0600

Power Line Communication (PLC) is a communication technology that enables sending data over existing power cables. This means that, with just power cables running to an electronic device (for example) one can both power it up and at the same time control/retrieve data from it in a half-duplex manner.

PLC Market: Overview

Segments

For the purpose of understanding, PLC can be broadly viewed as:

Narrowband PLC
Broadband PLC

Narrowband PLC works at lower frequencies (3-500 kHz), lower data rates (up to 100s of kbps), and has longer range (up to several kilometers), which can be extended using repeaters. Broadband PLC works at higher frequencies (1.8-250 MHz), high data rates (up to 100s of Mbps) and is used in shorter-range applications.

Recently, narrowband Power Line Communication has been receiving widespread attention due to its applications in the Smart Grid. Another application that narrowband PLC has been used in is smart energy generation, particularly in micro-inverters for solar panels.

Broadband PLC, in contrast, has mainly found acceptance as a last-mile solution for Internet distribution and home networking. With its high data rates and no additional wiring, broadband PLC is seen as an exciting and effective technology for multimedia distribution within homes. This optimism in the market is reflected by the recent acquisitions of Intellon by Atheros, Coppergate by Sigma, DS2 by Marvell, and Gigle by Broadcom, all in the Home Area Networking (HAN) segment.

There is another way to classify Power Line Communication and that is:

PLC over AC lines
PLC over DC lines

While most companies are currently geared towards providing AC-PLC solutions, PLC in DC lines also has applications. Two such applications are PLC over the DC-bus in distributed energy generation, and PLC in transportation (electronic controls in airplanes, automobiles and trains). This use reduces wiring complexity, weight, and ultimately cost of communications inside vehicles. However, in this article, we will be dealing mostly with narrowband PLC over AC lines.

Competition

The narrowband PLC market is seeing healthy competition, with a large number of PLC suppliers joining the fray, including:

Cypress Semiconductor
Echelon
ST Microelectronics
Yitran
Texas Instruments
Maxim
Semitech Semiconductor
Ariane Controls
ADD Semiconductor
Microchip

Companies in the broadband PLC segment include:

Atheros
Sigma
Marvell
Broadcom
Lantiq
Maxim
Plugtek

PLC Technology: How does it work?

PLC is like any other communication technology whereby a sender modulates the data to be sent, injects it onto medium, and the receiver de-modulates the data to read it. The major difference is that PLC does not need extra cabling, it re-uses existing wiring. Considering the pervasiveness of power lines, this means with PLC, virtually all line- powered devices can be controlled or monitored!

When discussing communication technology, it is often useful to refer to the 7-layer OSI model. Some PLC chips can implement only the Physical Layer of the OSI model, while others integrate all seven layers. One could use a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) with a pure software realization of the MAC and an external PHY circuit, or an optimized System-on-Chip (SoC) solution, which includes the complete PLC – MAC and PHY. The Cypress CY8CPLCXX series is an example of the latter, with a ready-to-use Physical and Network layer, and a user-programmable application layer. Before moving on to the applications of PLC, let’s first understand the various aspects of the Physical layer by viewing it as three segments on the basis of data rate.

Modulation Schemes

A variety of modulation schemes can be used in PLC. Some of these are Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK), Frequency Shift Keying (FSK), Spread-FSK (S-FSK) and proprietary schemes too (for example Differential Code Shift Keying (DCSK) from Yitran). In the table below, BPSK, FSK, SFSK and OFDM are compared on the basis of two important criteria – bandwidth efficiency and complexity (cost).

OFDM in particular offers high data rates, but requires computational horsepower to churn out Fast Fourier Transforms (FFT) and Inverse-FFT (IFFT), as required by the scheme. On the other hand, BPSK, FSK are robust and simple but offer lower data rates. The current trend is to move towards OFDM with PSK modulation (G3 and probably P1901.2). Such heavy computation will require DSP capability, whereas FSK, PSK and SFSK can be accomplished by a microcontroller.

Standards

Various standards have been developed in order to ensure reliable communications and inter-operability, especially for the smart grid and home networking. Examples of such standards are:

These, along with the organizations that govern them like CENELEC, FCC, ARIB, Homeplug Power Alliance specify ranges for operation of PLC. If a worldwide standard for PLC were to be established, this would have a positive impact on adoption of PLC. So far, the G3-PLC standard is touted as the most robust scheme available, and the IEEE 1901.2 working group is committed to developing a universally acceptable standard.

Frequencies

Different regions of the world have different frequency bands allocated to narrowband PLC. The table below summarizes the different frequencies available for narrowband PLC communication in the respective region.

Where:

CENELEC - European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization.
ARIB - Association of Radio Industries & Businesses.
EPRI - Electric Power Research Institute.
FCC - Federal Communications Commission.

APPLICATIONS

Earlier, we saw that PLC is widely used in the Smart Grid and in micro-inverters. As the market gets familiar with this technology, PLC should see wider adoption in other applications like lighting (e.g. traffic light control, LED dimming), industrial (e.g. UPS communicating to a network device, irrigation control), machine-to-machine (e.g. vending machines, a hotel’s reception-to-room communication), telemetry (e.g. offshore oil rigs), transport (e.g. Electronics in cars, trains and airplanes) and indeed, applications of PLC are only limited by one’s creativity. In this article, we will find out a little more about PLC in energy generation and conservation markets.

Mixed Signal Devices and Sensors

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 05:42:43 -0600

Sensor design in embedded systems has traditionally required analog experts to interface with the sensors, but the use of mixed signal products relegates embedded sensor design to a typical EE. Previously, interfacing with an analog sensor required the use of external amplifiers and filters to conditional the signal properly before digitizing the signal in a microcontroller’s ADC. By utilizing a mixed signal controller, the amplifiers and filters are integrated, allowing the designer to program each component in the signal path. This integration simplifies the design and reduces the time and complexity of the system. To read more, click the download link above or visit Electronics Components World.

Avoiding Interference in the 2.4-GHz ISM Band

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 06:43:32 -0600

commsdesign.com

Designers can create frequency-agile 2.4 GHz designs using procedures provided by standards bodies or by building their own protocol.

The Need for RF in Remote Controls

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 06:16:16 -0600

Traditionally a product perceived to be more of a bundled accessory, remote controls are starting to play a more significant role in Consumer Electronics because of converging trends towards a digital living room. Media convergence into the living room has taken significant steps with digital TVs becoming more affordable and further fueled by the growing popularity of ON DEMAND, TiVo and digital/personal video recorders in general. Because of this paradigm shift, the demand for remotes to be equipped with LCD displays and touch screens is starting to become noticeable. And the freedom and flexibility of RF as opposed to old-school infrared (IR) is catapulting in status from a "nice-to-have" feature to becoming an absolute requirement. To view more on this topic, click the download link above or visit EE Times.

How to Simplify Debugging and Documenting Wireless Applications

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 06:09:24 -0600

Wireless application debugging sessions are prone to analyzer capture buffer overruns and mountainous serial-based protocol to unravel. Often this leaves engineers with the troublesome time-consuming task of manually stitching together and decoding elaborate back-to-back captures to analyze the inner workings of a single event. This article details the ease of debugging and documenting your wireless application utilizing PC-based tools. To read more on this topic, click the download link above or visit Wireless Net Designline.

CY7C64225 - USB to UART Bridge Controller Product Description Guide

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 06:57:33 -0600

CY7C64225 is Cypress Semiconductor's Full-speed (12 Mbps) USB to UART Bridge controller supporting data transfer rates from 300 bps to 256000 bps and data format of 8 data bits, 1 stop bit and no parity. CY7C64225 is a fully integrated chip with an internal EEPROM, Oscillator and a voltage regulator that reduces BOM cost. The controller supports bus and self-powered modes, and enables efficient system power management with suspend and remote wake-up signaling. Cypress's proprietary software configuration utility allows configuration of VID, PID, Product string descriptor, and Manufacturer string descriptor. These parameters are stored in EEPROM.

This document details how to configure the controller, install drivers, and interface with external components.

Not All Touchscreens are Created Equal - How to Ensure You Are Developing a World Class Touch Product

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 05:16:15 -0600

Anyone can bake a cake – but while some chefs bake dry, uninspired bricks of dough, there are other chefs who make cakes we would die for. The ingredients may be the same, but the outcomes are so very different. This is also the case between average electronic products and world-class market-changing products. One of the most recent technical sensations is the capacitive touchscreen. But what makes some touchscreens amazing, while others get such poor reviews? This article explores key touchscreen performance parameters, critical touchscreen design features, significant design tradeoffs, and key issues product designers must consider when choosing their touchscreen supply chain. Don’t get caught making an uninspired product – create something people would die to have. To read more, click the download link below or visit: Planet Analog.

Your vending machine can talk thanks to a 5 cents embedded modem

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 05:15:28 -0600

Planet Analog (USA)

http://www.planetanalog.com/features/OEG20030212S0053

Despite the astonishing proliferation of wireless connections, analog POTS or "plain old telephone service" still delivers on price and availability." Credit card terminals and home security systems provide two of the older, more pass examples connected devices. However, growth in connectivity fuels new ideas and fosters novel expecta-tions.

Capacitive Touch Switches for Automotive Applications

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 04:37:23 -0600

Today's cars have far more switches and buttons than earlier models. Not only are there more, but they also need to be easily installable into increasing more contoured control surfaces. They also have to be cost effective, ruling out hermetically sealed switches. One approach gaining momentum is to convert to capacitive touch switches (cap sense). With no mechanical parts, as well as the ability to conform to contoured surfaces, cap sense switches provide the reliability and cost point required by the automotive industry. This article looks at how to implement capacitive sensing interfaces in automotive applications. To read more on this topic, click the download link above or read the full article on Automotive DesignLine.

Touchscreens 101: Understanding Touchscreen Technology and Design

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 04:17:50 -0600

Embedded in phones, office equipment, speakers, digital photo frames, TV control buttons, remote controls, GPS systems, automotive keyless entry, and medical monitoring equipment, touchscreens are everywhere. As a component, they have reached into every industry, every product type, every size, and every application at every price point. Touchscreens are everywhere. In fact, if a product has an LCD or buttons, a designer somewhere is probably evaluating how they too can implement touchscreen technology. As with any technology, there are many different ways to implementation approaches, many promises of performance, and many different technical considerations when designing a touchscreen. To read more, click the download link below or visit Planet Analog.

System Performance Advantages of Higher Density SRAMs

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 04:16:56 -0600

With ever increasing system bandwidth requirements on the order of multigigabits/sec, SRAMs need to be optimized for higher density and performance as well as reliability, especially for look up table and packet buffering in networking applications. This article will address the different factors affecting system performance using Synchronous SRAMs. To read more, click the download link above or visit Comms Design.

Golden Gloves ADC Championship Match - SAR vs. Sigma-Delta

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 05:54:00 -0600

In one corner, the current Champion SAR ADC, in the opposing corner, a relative newcomer to the analog to digital conversion scene, the ΣΔ ADC.

This will be a 7-round fight to the finish, with judges awarding points in the following categories:
1. Conversion Accuracy
2. Speed of Conversion
3. Linearity of Strikes
4. Conversion Accuracy in the Low and High Side Corners
5. Differential Non Linearity
6. Integral Non Linearity
7. Quantization Error

To read more, click the download link below or visit Planet Analog.

Automotive HMI Redefined

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 05:50:18 -0600

Human Machine Interfaces, or HMIs, traditionally consist of multiple systems which allow drivers to interact with their vehicle In today's automotive designs, the HMI also displays any feedback from the vehicle to the driver. This interaction begins the instant one unlocks the car door, continues while driving, and ends the moment the driver gets out and locks the car. It involves the optimal balance of the driver's sensory inputs to make the driving experience both safe and enjoyable. Some of the more commonly recognized HMI system modules for enhancing the driver's experience are keyless entry, power seats control, side mirror control, occupant detection, and most importantly, the vehicle's center stack where the majority of human-machine interactions take place. To read more, click the download link above or visit Automotive DesignLine.

Capacitive Sensing Made Easy, Part 3

Tue, 15 May 2012 19:15:32 -0600

Tuning of capacitive sensors is the process of determining optimum values for various parameters associated with different sensors. Each sensor requires a separate set of calibrated parameters because of the difference in shape, size, and electromagnetic environment of each sensor. Calibration parameters have to be chosen carefully such that external noise due to EMI/EMC, power supply fluctuations, or changes in environment parameters like temperature and humidity do not break the detection algorithm or cause spurious finger detections.

Capacitive Sensing Made Easy, Part 2

Tue, 15 May 2012 19:12:26 -0600

When it comes to capacitive sensing design, layout plays a crucial role. Giving importance to layout not only aids in superior performance (lower noise and higher signal) but also helps in achieving EMI/EMC compliance. It should be kept in mind that a good layout helps in realizing the following two objectives:

1. Higher finger capacitance and lower parasitic capacitance: The signal in a given system is the sum of signals due to parasitic capacitance and those due to finger capacitance. It is important to reduce parasitic capacitance because, in order to increase a particular signal within a fixed range, the other signal must always be reduced to avoid saturating the signal.

2. Lower noise: This helps in making the system more reliable and avoid false detects.

Capacitive Sensing Made Easy, Part 1

Tue, 15 May 2012 19:10:26 -0600

Capacitive sensing finds use in all kinds of industrial, automotive, medical, and consumer applications. The popularity of this technology, especially in human interface devices (HID), has grown rapidly due to its ability to reduce manufacturing cost, increase product lifespan by eliminating mechanical components, and enhance product look-and-feel. Track-pads and touch-screens constitute the major applications, but we are also seeing a growing use of this technology in implementing touch-buttons and sliders. Be it mobile phones, TV controls, automotive dashboards, remote controls, or industrial controls, capacitive sensing-based touch buttons and sliders are proving to be much more appealing than mechanical switches and rotary encoders, both in terms of looks and reliability. Not only do these sensors allow a striking user interface but also offer a highly durable and reliable solution, provided they are properly designed and calibrated. Herein lies the concern of the engineers and designers trying to implement solutions based on this technology.

The Science Behind Color Mixing

Mon, 14 May 2012 18:35:41 -0600

High Brightness (HB) LEDs continue to increase in popularity due to the numerous advantages they offer when compared to the conventional lighting solutions. One of the advantages of HB LEDs is their ability to generate different colors, opening a new dimension to the world of decorative lighting. Color mixing is essentially a process where a secondary color is generated by mixing the appropriate proportion of base primary colors. This article will explain the science behind color mixing, including the mathematical equations involved and how to implement them efficiently.

ROHS - A GREEN INITIATIVE

Mon, 14 May 2012 18:33:29 -0600

In 2003, legislation was introduced in the EU to promote the collection, treatment, recycling, and recovery of waste from electrical and electronic equipment. This legislation is known as the ‘Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Act’ and is formally dictated by directive 2002/96/EC of the European Parliament. A complimentary directive, the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), was also introduced in 2003 given by 2002/95/EC of the European Parliament. Beginning July 1, 2006, RoHS legislation restricted the amounts of Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Mercury (Hg), Hexavalent Chromium (Cr6 ), Polybrominated Diphenylethers (PBDEs), and Polybrominated Biphenyls (PBBs) in electronic and electrical equipment. These chemicals are known to present a risk to human health and the environment. Each European Union member state will adopt its own enforcement and implementation policies using the directive as a guide.

A Modern Approach to Firmware Development on Programmable Devices

Tue, 08 May 2012 16:20:28 -0600

Programmable devices are really cool and powerful, if you are a hardware designer. If you are a software developer, they can be a real headache, giving that you’ll be charged with writing the firmware for this ever-changing target. Device vendors typically solve this problem by incorporating software development features into their tools to create an all-inclusive environment that claims to support both disciplines.

ADC Guide, Part 2 - Sample Rate

Mon, 07 May 2012 18:22:30 -0600

Last time we discussed resolution and noise in an ideal ADC. This time we will cover the sample rate of an ADC.

The sample rate for an ADC is defined as the number of output samples available per unit time and is specified as samples per second (SPS). Two aspects of sample rate that must be considered when selecting an ADC for a particular application are the minimum sample rate and maximum sample rate.

ADC Guide, Part 1 - The Ideal ADC

Mon, 07 May 2012 18:19:54 -0600

Designing an Ignition Control for Automotive Applications

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 19:14:50 -0600

This article will discuss the design of an ignition control used in Electrical Power Steering system of automobiles by using a microcontroller plus ASIC or microcontroller plus programmable logic SoC. Such a system receives the ignition input from the user and vehicle inputs through a CAN transceiver and drives the three-phase brushless automotive motor. Using available processing headroom, the MCU can also perform battery monitoring, temperature sensing, direct drive LED or LCD display with temperature, battery status, speed value, and distance and error/warning messages. This article discusses design techniques as well as design challenges for Ignition control in Electrical Power Steering system used in automotive application.

The Future of Navigating Your Next Electronic Device

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 19:05:10 -0600

The explosive advances in today’s consumer electronic devices have changed the way we interact with them and what features we expect. What we once used to make calls on the go and send text messages with is now a mobile multimedia centre with the ability to access the internet, keep up with email, listen to your favorite songs, watch a movie, and download and run applications to do almost anything. Today’s latest smartphones are not only getting better, smaller, and faster, but the way consumers interact with them is also changing.

Mechanical Keypad Replacement with Capacitive Touch

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 19:01:41 -0600

Gone is the era of mechanical push buttons and membrane switches as more and more of these interfaces are being replaced by innovative capacitive touch sensing technology. This new technology is not only fancier and easier to use but also more robust. Most designs will require only minor modifications to accommodate capacitive touch buttons. This in turn dictates the designers to come up with a ready-to-use, robust and a low touch drop-in replacement for those mechanical buttons.

Weighing Scale Design

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 18:56:09 -0600

A digital weight scale is one of the most precise analog instruments. It uses force sensors to measure the load offered by an object. Weigh scales are used in a multitude of applications ranging from point of sales terminals to industrial measurement equipment.

Designing Secure USB-Based Dongles

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:19:12 -0600

The many advantages of USB Flash drives have led to their widespread use for data storage through every industry. However, given that these drives are highly portable, care must be taken to protect private and sensitive data from theft and accidental loss of the drives.

USB Flash drives which implement security features are generally called USB Secure Dongles or Secure Dongles. There are various ways to design a secure dongle and the best secure dongle for a specific application balances system cost with the level of security required for a particular application. This article will describe techniques for designing secure dongles.

SNR measurement realities for capacitive touchscreens

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:57:54 -0600

Touchscreen controller manufacturers often cite an array of varying specs and metrics to help their products stand out from others. One of those frequently-mentioned differentiators is signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). However, even if the numbers are impressive, that doesn’t necessarily mean SNR is a good indicator of system performance in the presence of noise. This article will discuss what SNR is, how it is calculated, it really means to your system’s performance, and alternative metrics that better represent touch performance.

Multi-touch all-point sensing in automotive environment

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:50:33 -0600

The images created in Sci-Fi movies tend to push the limits of reality, such as when Tom Cruise uses a multi-touch screen to browse through information in the movie Minority Report. Capacitive sensing technology, however, has changed the way we interact with devices. We no longer simple push buttons or throw switches. Rather, we can touch, slide, and pinch the data itself on a touchscreen to interact with it. The far-off interfaces of the movies are not such science fiction anymore. In fact, they are already being adapted and designed into a variety of applications including our cars.

Designing next-generation low power autonomous sensor nodes using system-on-chip based solutions

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:46:25 -0600

As physical sensing becomes more and more pervasive, the need for accurate and efficient wireless sensors and communication nodes become important. A Wireless Sensor node is a platform which has basic components like a sensor, conditioning circuit and data communication. A set of such nodes spatially distributed in order to co-operatively sense and pass the data forms a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN).

Designing a capacitive sensing system for a specific application

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:19:52 -0600

Capacitive sensing buttons are emerging as a popular interface alternative to mechanical switches in many consumer electronics and white goods applications. However, designing a capacitive sensing interface comes with its own challenges that introduce new product development, production, and quality control concerns. For example, the parasitic capacitance (CP) of capacitive sensing buttons can vary from board to board and also can vary due to environmental changes like change in temperature and humidity. Noise also varies from system to system. Another common issue with user interface (UI) design is design portability. If the UI design of a TV front panel changes, for example, the design will require sensor retuning to accommodate changes in layout, sensor dimensions, etc. The laborious process of tuning adds cost to a system in terms of manpower and time, as well as delays the product’s time to market. This article focuses on different hurdles faced when designing a capacitive sensing interface and methods developers can use to overcome typical problems to make a design robust and portable.

Integrating high speed USB functionality for FPGA- and ASIC-based designs

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:04:34 -0600

The Universal Serial Bus has earned the popularity it now enjoys based on the merits of its ease of use, plug-and-play capabilities, and robustness. USB has, more or less, found its way into all the computer peripherals that once contained UARTs or parallel ports as their host interfaces and any product which requires an interface to a host computer now considers USB as its primary option. The various bandwidth choices that the USB offers -- Low, Full, High and now Super speed -- cater to a variety of computer peripherals as well as industrial and medical equipment.

Design Best Practices Enabling Seamless Transition from 8-bit to 32-bit MCU Designs

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 08:47:58 -0600

The age-old embedded design question still remains whether to use an 8-bit or 32-bit core in your new design. If you ask several engineers, you will probably find that their opinions are very polar. Like it or not, 32-bit cores are here to stay. So what does this mean? It means that inevitably one day, no matter how hard you try not to, you will need to migrate from your loveable 8-bit core to one of those new and complex 32-bit cores. Fortunately that migration doesn't have to be painful. This article will explore the latest best practices, that when used make the transition from 8-bits to 32-bits seamless. To read more, click the download link below or visit Embedded.com

New approach to LCD segment drive

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 08:37:08 -0600

Segment LCD drives have reached ubiquity: you see them in everything from watches, to home thermostats, to portable medical instruments like glucose meters and blood pressure monitors, and even in certain automobiles. Almost every MCU vendor provides LCD drive capability; these solutions have been around for long time. With this much of an established history, you might not expect any emerging innovations in LCD drive capabilities. However, this article will focus on highlighting exciting new developments on this mature capability and how they are made possible. To read more, click the download link below or visit: Embedded.com

For Smoother Embedded Systems Development, Design--Out the Hardware

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 07:53:22 -0600

Embedded systems eventually connect to hardware such as external sensors and actuators or internal functional blocks and peripherals. Designing out the hardware means logically constructing wrappers or interfaces around the hardware which let designers replace the particular hardware in use with a logical alternative without impacting the software application. This article presents key concepts and then illustrates them with a real example of how to swap the MCU and an external sensor. To read more on this topic, click the download link above or visit Embedded.com

How increasing mass storage densities are posing new design challenges for Digital Still Cameras

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 07:48:09 -0600

For maximum photo quality and photo manipulation flexibility, some digital still camera (DSCs) feature raw uncompressed “digital negative” formats. The result of increasing photo quality and resolution has also led to increasing file sizes, which can reach upwards of 20 MB in size. To accommodate these increasing files sizes, memory storage sizes have also been increasing. With the larger memory capacities, consumers have been able to maintain, or increase the number of photographs they may take for a given storage medium.

While increasing storage capacities have solved the photo storage challenge, new challenges arise. DSCs have not been optimized to handle the processing and transfer of such large amounts of data. To read more, click the download link below or visit Embedded.com .

SDIO: Bridging the gap of modular hardware design today

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 07:46:26 -0600

Modular hardware design is such a popular design practice today because of the improved time to market that it provides. Previously, handset design required the architecture to be planned, followed by schematics and the manufacture of an evaluation board that simulates the end product. This practice takes a lot of pre-study time before an evaluation board is made because a mistake or change in the specification will require a full re-manufacture of the board. This increases design time and cost. However, the modular hardware approach decreases the need for long planning cycles as expansion slots can be built on the evaluation board to accommodate changes in spec and feature sets. Designers now connect various modules to the core evaluation platform to achieve different desired results. With modular hardware design gaining traction, how are the various modules connected together? To read more, click the download link below or visit Mobile Handset DesignLine.

CAN in 30 minutes or less

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 07:35:15 -0600

Since CAN was introduced in the 80’s, it has seen a tremendous evolution in terms of specifications and requirements. Its extended capabilities have led to its wide adoption across applications, from automotive, to industrial machine and factory automation. With this growth, complexity of implementation has also increased on two levels:
1. CAN controller design has gone from a basic controller to a full CAN controller and, in some cases, an extended full CAN controller.
2. CAN software stacks vary, from an automotive communication stack, to CANOpen, and DeviceNet.

Given that CAN is only a single component within the automotive system, developers need to be able to implement it with as few challenges as possible so they can focus on system-level functionality rather than struggle with peripheral configuration. This article will explore the CAN interface and discuss different ways of implementing, configuring, and tuning interfaces to facilitate simplified design. To read more, click the download link below, or visit Embedded.com .

Designing a Wireless Heart Rate Monitor with Remote Data Logging

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 01:19:09 -0600

Extending the Human-to-Machine Interface (HMI) using wireless communications is a fast developing field. Important improvements in HMI functionality have been made possible by continuing advancements in Machine-to-Machine interfaces in terms of increased baud rate, low power consumption and reach (distance) of communication. HMI also benefits from advances in System-On-Chip technology which enable greater integration, greater power efficient, and higher accuracy. This article focuses on showing how these technologies drive forward HMI capabilities and considers the heart rate monitor with wireless transmission as a case study. To read more, click the download link below or visit: Wireless Design & Development

Designing Reliable Touch Interfaces for White Goods

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:39:20 -0600

Capacitive sensing offers an intuitive and robust interface that increases product reliability by eliminating mechanical parts in many white goods and appliances. Because of their experience with personal electronic devices, many consumers are used to touch interfaces based on capacitive sensing, and they have come to expect these interfaces to be reliable and operate accurately.

Improving DAC Integral Nonlinearity (INL) Through Gain Correction

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:30:39 -0600

The static absolute accuracy of a Digital-to-Analog converter (DAC) can be described in terms of three fundamental kinds of errors: offset, gain error, and nonlinearity. Linearity errors are the most challenging to handle of the three since, in many applications, the user can null out the offset and gain errors or compensate for them by building end-point auto calibration into the system design. Linearity errors, however, require more complex correction.

Efficient Tuning of Capacitive Sensing Designs

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:23:30 -0600

The use of capacitive touch sensing interfaces in a wide range of consumer and industrial applications has exploded over the past few years. This article will explore the evolution of capacitive sensing design methodologies and outline modern tuning processes that step away from the guess-and-soldering of different value components and enable developers to calibrate sensors visually in real-time with no coding involved.

Designing Cost-Effective 3D Technology

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:21:11 -0600

Optimizing RF Systems

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 19:28:20 -0600

Wireless technology, with its ability to increase system flexibility and mobility, has become an integral part of many embedded and consumer applications. Even a simple RF system, however, introduces many critical design issues with a fair number of tradeoffs. This article explores how to optimize RF design for critical data transfer applications and power critical data transfer applications. In this regard, the best methodologies for designing optimized systems are based on parameters including power consumption, delay, throughput, quality of service, security, robustness to noise, development complexity, difficulty in integration, and cost. Most of these issues are application dependent.

Integrating USB in image sensing applications

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:48:04 -0600

USB has created its own market space by replacing interfaces such as PS/2, UART and parallel port, and today’s laptops are mostly devoid of these legacy interfaces. It is a rare sight today to see a PS/2 keyboard or mouse being used on a laptop as they have been replaced by more flexible USB keyboards and mice. USB, however, is not just for consumer electronics devices. It also has a wide variety of applications in image sensing market, including cameras, biometric applications like fingerprint-based USB drives, fingerprint desktop authentication, and user finger print enrollment, to name a few.

Power line communication in energy markets

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:43:26 -0600

Power Line Communication (PLC) is a communication technology which enables sending data over existing power cables. This means that, with just power cables running to an electronic device (for example) one can both power it up and at the same time control/retrieve data from it in a half-duplex manner.

Going green? Reusing powerline infrastructure to get there quicker

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:35:38 -0600

This article explains how the existing Powerline infrastructure can be leveraged to deploy Green technologies quicker, across a wider range of applications, and at a lower cost. Three case studies are examined to illustrate the key elements of how Powerline technology provides a powerful yet inexpensive way of connecting the world to enable higher energy efficiency.

The anatomy of a human interface device

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:29:08 -0600

With the advent of innovative user- friendly products in the market like smart phones and tablets, consumer expectations about the user experience have significantly changed. This article describes the basics of a Human - Machine interface and the ingredients of a Human Interface Device (HID). Specifically, a user interface is the medium of communication or the ‘language’ between a human and a machine and the language popular right now is ‘Touch’. As in any communication system, both the human and the machine need to ‘speak’ the same ‘language’ which is equivalent to ‘encoding’ and ‘decoding’ in the machine world.

Wi-Fi in Automation

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 18:41:51 -0600

Electronic and electrical equipment in the home or commercial buildings have largely been discrete and independent systems – control and management of lighting, temperature, access as well as various alarms have been carried out by separate control mechanisms.

Beyond Touch: Introducing Advanced UI Features

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 18:38:09 -0600

Improving the user experience is one of the driving forces behind innovations in touchscreen technology. The introduction of projected capacitance touchscreen devices from the older resistive style opened up a new world of options and a vastly improved interface for users. Projected capacitive technology enables unlimited multitouch interfaces with gesturing for a smooth and seamless user experience. Mobile device manufacturers have recognized the benefits to a user interface (UI) powered by capacitive touch, and most handheld devices deliver touch performance at a level that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. Now, engineers and developers focus on faster response times, better accuracy, and higher signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) to provide a more innovative user experience (UX) in their products.

Simplifying multi-chemistry battery chargers

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 18:36:15 -0600

Portable electronic devices, whether personal electronics, remote scientific instrumentation, or simple garage flashlights, all have one thing in common: batteries. These can be NiCd, NiMH, Li-Ion, or any other rechargeable battery chemistries. This article discusses a flexible battery charging system that can be applied to a range of voltages, battery chemistries, and battery charge profiles.

Next generation thermal and fan management controllers: a programmable solution

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 18:34:09 -0600

Today’s thermal management systems are composed of a variety of discrete components: MCUs for PWM-generation (multiple of these for large fan control systems), MCUs (either shared or dedicated) for temperature sensing and the host application processor (CPU, FPGA, ASICs etc.) that share fan speed management with the main application processing functions. For large end products like chassis based communication systems, there are typically very complex thermal management solutions made up of many of these discrete components. In much smaller form factor products, these solutions typically are still composed of multiple discrete solutions but are much simpler. In this article, we’ll examine how the proper use of a programmable system-on-chip solution, like Cypress’s PSoC technology, can simplify advanced thermal management solutions, save BOM cost by integrating nearly every discrete used in such systems and enable new capabilities to greatly enhance the reliability and marketability of the end products these solutions reside in.

Capacitive sensing based light control user interfaces

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 18:28:27 -0600

Smart lighting control technology is being used in more and more consumer applications. Restaurants, bars, offices, movie theaters, homes, airplanes, and automobiles are just a few examples of where sophisticated lighting control mechanisms help enhance the overall ambience and user experience. Gone are the days of bulky light control boards with hundreds of buttons. Today’s smarter lighting systems allow control of light intensity, hue, and saturation with the touch of just a button.

Integrated sensor nodes with GSM modems: simplifying the task of wireless data acquisition

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 18:24:38 -0600

A sensor network typiccaly consists of a number of sensor nodes which each acquire signals from a sensor or multiple sensors and a system to transmit and process the data acquired from sensors. The sensor nodes can communicate the data within one another or to a centralized location over a wired or wireless network. The sensor network can thus be classified as a data acquisition network and data distribution network. The data acquisition system typically consists of sensors and circuitry to handle the real-world information available and the data distribution network involves the communication protocols, network topology, and methodology to transmit and handle the data. The basic network topologies used are star, ring, bus, and mesh, as shown in Figure 1.

Product How-To: Controlling Power in Cypress Programmable SoC (PSoC) Devices

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 18:21:25 -0600

SOCs (System on Chip) are getting complex by the day and IP (Intellectual Property) reuse is an important factor in achieving quick success. Being able to capture most of the design in Soft IPs i.e. IPs not bound to a technology, gives a boost to IP re-use. Until recently, static power consumption was one aspect that was not addressed in soft IPs. With the advent of IEEETM1801 Unified Power Format (UPF), soft-IPs can now have an accompanying power intent file that allows specifying power architecture. With static power being a major concern for shrinking technologies, catching on to UPF would be a step in the right direction. This paper provides insight into UPF and specific examples on how certain low power requirements are accomplished using UPF. It also connects the understanding of high level power requirements to gate level implementation aspects.

Simple Techniques to Improve Solar Panel Efficiency Using a Microcontroller or SOC

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 14:15:26 -0600

Today, people are more concerned about fossil fuel exhaustion and environmental problems caused by conventional power generation and renewable energy sources than ever before. Among the renewable resources, photovoltaic panels and wind-generators are primary contenders. They have the advantage of being maintenance and pollution-free, but their installation cost is high and, in most applications, they require a power conditioner (dc/dc or dc/ac converter) for load interface. Photo Voltaic modules (PV Modules) also have relatively low conversion efficiency.

Persistent Serial Memory Eases Burden in Repetitive Event Systems

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 14:10:42 -0600

Our world is filled with machines that perform repetitive events. For example, factory floor robots move in a series of small steps that are logged until a movement is complete. Once completed, the repetitive motion and step logging begins again. Smart power meters take power readings, log those readings, and then every few minutes upload their reading to a local consolidator, reset, and begin again. Portable medical instruments, factory line equipment, brushless motors, all take a series of measurements, react to those measurements, then begin anew. In-line parametric loggers, error-loggers, engine monitors, battery chargers, HVAC controllers – the list of industrial products that depend on repetitive event management is both broad and diverse.

Improving USB 3.0 with Better I/O Management

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 14:06:35 -0600

USB has been popular in the market for its simplicity, maturity and plug-and-play features. However, the 480 Mbps speed of USB 2.0 was not sufficient to support new generation storage and video. Therefore, the time was ripe for migration to a faster standard; this has led to the development of the new USB 3.0 protocol. The challenge that arises for developers is how to leverage USB 3.0’s full potential. This article will explore the impact on hardware and software design to implement USB 3.0 with particular focus on handheld products. First, we will compare the capabilities of USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 and the impact of the transition on the components that interact with the USB 3.0 module.

Optimizing performance versus power consumption in capacitive touch sensing designs

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:03:58 -0600

Capacitive sensing has replaced mechanical buttons in a wide range of consumer appliances, including washing machines, music players, and mobile phones, to name a few. This has been possible largely because capacitive sensors are durable, more reliable, and provide better aesthetics through their simple yet elegant user interface that supports multiple functionalities at literally the tip of a finger. The quality of a capacitive sensing implementation, however, depends upon its response time and power consumption. Highly responsive systems give a real-time feel while reducing power consumption improves operating life in the case of battery-based devices. In this article, we discuss some standard capacitive sensing elements and applications with a focus on balancing power consumption and response time for embedded engineers developing capacitive sensing interfaces.

Video over USB

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 18:45:29 -0600

Not too long ago, high-definition TV changed the world forever by recalibrating the expectations that consumers have from their digital media experience. Content creation and consumption is now at a pivotal point where it is no longer enough to view only television shows and movies in stellar, high-definition quality. With over 600 million users now connected to some form of social media, user-generated content is a significant source of video traffic, with applications such as YouTube and Facebook becoming universal.

As users continue to become increasingly mobile, they expect the same quality, performance and accessibility of content while on the go. They want to be able to watch vacation videos, the family webcam chat, or view a previously downloaded HDTV show with a faster and richer user experience.

These multiple trends call for a convergence towards a common interface that is easy to use, portable, and flexible enough to provide a connectivity link for all types of media across a variety of applications. USB immediately comes to mind as one of the most user-friendly and universal connectivity options. With the evolution to USB3.0, this interface now provides a 5 Gbps data rate, which further strengthens its case as the video connectivity interface of choice.

This article discusses the role USB3.0 can play in the video transport domain and compares it with two main interfaces that are also well-positioned to succeed: HDMI and DisplayPort. All three technologies have merits that compel their use in the digital living room as well in the PC and mobile realms.

Why your embedded controller may not need a CPU

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 12:46:32 -0600

In most microcontroller architectures, there is a "smart" CPU surrounded by a set of relatively "dumb" peripherals. The peripherals have limited functions; usually they just convert data from one form to another. For example, an I2C peripheral basically converts data between serial and parallel formats while an ADC converts signals between analog and digital. The CPU has to perform all of the work to process the data and actually do something useful with it. This, plus close management of the peripherals, can result in a lot of complexity in the CPU’s firmware and may require a fast and powerful CPU to execute that firmware within real-time timing constraints. This in turn can lead to more obscure bugs and thus to more complex and expensive debugging equipment, and so on.

Designing More Efficient White Goods

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 16:49:14 -0600

Developers continue to feel increasing pressure to reduce cost and increase functionality in white goods. The microwave oven, for example, has become an integral part of households and can make any kind of food for you on just a click of button. Behind these smart devices are a host of various microcontrollers which control systems like the temperature monitor, motor control, keypad, LCD, and various auto-cook menus that make cooking an enjoyable experience. All these controllers when integrated into a complete system such as an oven need a master controller to communicate and monitor the activities of the sub-systems. In the current scenario, the development of oven is hindered by problems such as integration of the sub-systems, increasing the dependency of one unit over the other. Implementing all of these sub-systems using a single-chip microcontroller increases system reliability while reducing production cost.

SONET/SDH weiter ausgereizt (German)

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 05:59:06 -0600

Elektronik Praxis (Germany)

elektronikpraxis.de

For more information on our SONET and SDH PHY products, visit: cypress.com

EZ-Color and PSoC Express: Bridging the Knowledge Gap for Intelligent Lighting and the Semiconductor Market

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 05:45:35 -0600

To fully realize the potential of the burgeoning High Brightness LED market, new tools and techniques must be utilized, including semiconductor technology. With many current lighting engineers needing to come quickly up to speed on basic microcontroller usage, it is necessary to find avenues to effectively create even basic fixed-color designs. Cypress Semiconductor's EZ-Color technology uses the power of PSoC Express to bridge this knowledge gap by decreasing time to market, integrating functionality, and giving users a distinct advantage in a competitive market. To read more on this topic, click the download link above or access the article on the LED Journal website.

Designing Reliable Touch Interfaces for White Goods

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 12:25:48 -0600

By understanding how capacitive sensors work and how they can be designed to self-tune themselves to compensate for noise, developers can build robust systems that make their appliances more reliable, cost-effective, and easier to use.

Next-Generation Hot-Swap Controllers

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 12:15:00 -0600

This article will introduce how using a programmable approach can enable the next generation of reliable and programmable hot-swap controller systems to not only implement these critical tasks but also enable engineers to add more functionality and specifically customize implementations to their applications.

High-Density Programmable FIFO Memory For Use in Video and Imaging Applications

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 12:08:17 -0600

Many market segments, including video broadcasting, military, medical imaging, and base stations, can benefit from the use of high-density FIFO devices solutions have programmable features. In addition to providing significant cost savings and improved video quality compared to SDRAM FPGA architectures, high-density FIFOs design complexity and cost can be further mitigated using system-level programmability.

To Buy or To Build your LED Driver in 2010

Tue, 10 May 2011 10:19:02 -0600

Countless number of lighting companies and engineering houses are jumping into the General Illumination business with the advances and opportunities created by Solid State Lighting Technologies. With these advances bring many new challenges for those looking to redesign lighting fixture or retrofit existing Edison sockets with these new LED based options. While many options exist to purchase LED Driver off-the-shelf, advances in 2009 brought many new solutions to market which will allow many companies to design their own intelligent drivers. To read more, click the download link below or visit LEDs Magazine.

Robots in the Military - Brave, Autonomous and Dispensable Warriors

Tue, 10 May 2011 10:18:01 -0600

In today’s military conflicts, the airspace is filled with unmanned aerial vehicles of all sizes—hand launched vehicles by Special Forces to the jet-powered Predator drones flown by Airmen thousands of miles away from the conflict area; as well as ground-based autonomous and wirelessly controlled robotic vehicles for high-risk patrols to explosive ordinance detonation and disarming. These robotic vehicles support a variety of military missions ranging from covert intelligence gathering, direct support to ground forces to overt military strikes. The military robotic force of today saves lives. Designers and engineers of robotic systems and components may or may not even know that they play a large part in enabling these and future systems. Developing these systems; however, is not a trivial task. Robotic systems, in their most basic being, simulate or otherwise artificially sense their environment and through programmed logic, respond and interact with their surroundings—the ultimate mix of analog sensing, driving and digital logic, processing and communications. Mixed signal designs are definitely not new, but with state of the art advances in the fundamental components that make up these designs, there are now ways to implement robotic subsystems easier, with lower power requirements and at greatly reduced costs. To read more, click the download link below or visit: Electronic Products.

Think it-Draw it-Build it: with PSoC Creator

Tue, 10 May 2011 10:17:12 -0600

In September 2009, Cypress Semiconductor introduced the PSoC Creator embedded design tool for its new PSoC 3 and PSoC 5 programmable system-on-chip architectures. PSoC Creator integrates support for PSoC programmable hardware with a full-featured software IDE. It abstracts away the hardware so you do not need to be an expert on the device you are using or the inner workings of peripherals you program it with. It routes on-chip connections and I/O automatically. And it generates APIs for the peripherals and on-chip functions, which are known as components, to ensure error-free interaction from software.

In the following example we’ll take a mixture of digital and analog components, quickly configure them into the PSoC 3 device, then build a simple but useful application that monitors a pin for an over-voltage condition, controls a warning LED, and records the number of events and maximum duration of that state. To read more, click the download link below.

Take Five Steps To Increase Your Professional Value

Tue, 10 May 2011 10:16:36 -0600

For engineers, especially product designers and the massive support organizations we build to get products from concept to customers, it is not always clear when one is an expense or an asset, a critical team member or a head on the chopping block. Rather than lose sleep worrying about it, each of us can take action to increase our own “staying power” by explicitly increasing our value to the companies for which we work.

The following five steps will help you secure your place in the future, in your current position at your company, and in the industry (read: other companies). In the world of personal financial planning, everything begins with assessing your present situation and figuring out your current net worth. The same holds true in your professional life. And just like our finances, when we get busy we don’t pay attention to our own “balance sheet.” So that’s the first step. To read more, click the download link below or visit Electronic Design.

What's Next For Programmable Devices?

Tue, 10 May 2011 10:16:09 -0600

Engineers seldom have to design with discrete components anymore. Integrated analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), digitalto-analog converters (DACs), high-speed amplifiers, and switch capacitor ICs are now readily available. The most truly amazing advances, however, have been in digital design. The shortage of logic chip designers and the expense of design has led to development along two different avenues: microprocessors and programmable logic.

Combining the advantages of microcontrollers, programmable digital logic, and analog peripherals, a truly programmable reconfigurable system-on-a-chip (SoC) would have programmable logic to allow the design of specific digital peripherals; a programmable language to support design and verification; the reprogrammability of FPGAs and their volatile configuration registers; permanent-configuration complex programmable-logic device registers for immediate hardware configuration at startup; a CPU with common digital and analog peripherals; and analog circuitry that can be reconfigured to design analog and mixed-signal peripherals. To read more, click the download link below or visit Electronic Design.

Top 10 EMC Design Considerations

Tue, 10 May 2011 03:41:33 -0600

With the increasing demand for high-speed circuits, PCB design is becoming significantly more challenging. Along with design of the actual logic on the PCB, engineers have to consider several other aspects that affect the circuit like power consumption, PCB size, environment noise, and EMC. The following guidelines will describe how hardware engineers can address EMC issues during the PCB design phase to a system free of EMC faults.

USB 2.0 boosts bus speeds

Mon, 09 May 2011 16:02:14 -0600

Featured in Network World Fusion News

http://www.nwfusion.com/news/tech/2002/0429tech.html

The USB specification was recently updated to improve the performance and usability of PC peripherals, opening the door to a world of high performance and high bandwidth, such as mass storage, digital video and broadband access. The speed of USB 2.0 has been increased to 480M bit/sec, a 40-fold improvement over Version 1.1.

USB 2.0 Printed Circuit Board Design (Japanese)

Mon, 09 May 2011 16:02:03 -0600

DesignWave (Japan)

http://www.cqpub.co.jp/dwm/contents/0050/dwm005001450.pdf

Four Wires and A World of Possibilities - USB Going Strong

Mon, 09 May 2011 16:01:50 -0600

Four wires and a world of possibilities - USB remains the most ubiquitous PC and PC peripheral connectivity standard in the world. It connects everything from phones to printers, microphones, toys, speakers, to just about anything. Interestingly, USB has become SO widely used, almost everyone knows what it is, but few people understand the technology and the advances in applications.

In fact, many people simply take USB for granted. They assume it is the standard by which their new PDA, MP3 player, printer, or external hard drive will connect. For the most part they're right, their new device does connect with USB. And for those devices that ship with a proprietary, or non-standard, connection, it is very likely that the underlying technology making that connect IS USB; some designers just disguise USB as a proprietary connector (can you say Xbox?). But how does USB get into all these devices? What applications are big for USB? What does the future of USB look like? What in the world is the secret of this technology? To view more on this topic, click one of the download links above.

Illegal USB – Sourcing the Power, Killing PCs

Mon, 09 May 2011 16:01:35 -0600

Did you know that one of the greatest benefits of the Universal Serial Bus (USB) is the fact that the four wire cable carries power to the peripheral devices? This can be wonderful in specific applications if designed properly. If designed improperly, however, designers can have real field failure issues on their hands. Understanding Universal Serial Bus power standards, 'legal' and 'illegal' design choices, and the implications of making illegal USB design choices can be key information for designers. This article gives specific technical explanation for the above choices and leaves the designer fully understanding USB power issues. To view more on this topic, click the download link above.

QDR SRAM, Next Generation Memory for High Performance Networking

Mon, 09 May 2011 16:01:02 -0600

EE Times (Korea)

eetkorea.com

For more information on our Sync SRAMs, visit: cypress.com

Applications and Considerations of Capacitive Proximity Sensing

Mon, 09 May 2011 16:00:35 -0600

Proximity sensing enables a range of unique usability, design, and functional benefits for end-users of industrial applications. For example, light guides can be used to enhance accuracy of user interface selection in dark environments. Coupled with the use of capacitive sensing, user interface keys can be hidden from view when fingers are not in proximity of the keys. Proximity sensing can also be used in conjunction with Bluetooth devices to decrease connection negotiation lag from sleep. This article will focus on key factors associated with mechanical and system design to achieve high-yield proximity designs in production, including sensor to ground coupling and managing LCD noise. This article presents some common applications of proximity sensing as well as considerations that will greatly maximize design success. To read more, visit EDN.

Bringing sensors and MCUs to a wirelessly monitored hospital bed

Mon, 09 May 2011 16:00:00 -0600

Until recently, sensing has been implemented using hardwired circuits, which can be inconvenient to deploy in the areas where they are mounted. To simplify deployment, next-generation sensors are transferring the data they record using wireless technology. A microcontroller that can interface with sensors and also has wireless capabilities makes continuous monitoring of received data possible.

This article explores the technology involved in interfacing of sensors for medical applications, using hospital beds as an example. Hospitals are places where all of us have felt the need for a little more comfort, and hospital beds/mattresses can be made more comfortable through technological improvements possible using sensors and microcontrollers. Making patients more comfortable helps the patients, doctors, and also medical caretakers. To read more, click the download link above, or visit Embedded.com.

Breaking Down the Sensor Signal Path

Mon, 09 May 2011 15:59:15 -0600

Embedded systems are using sensors with increasing frequency. While industrial products have always used them for manufacturing control systems, consumer devices are starting to employ them more often, as well. Sensors are being integrated into consumer products to create better user experiences — ranging from adding accelerometers in mobile phones to adding water vapor sensors in microwaves.

System designers, who previously worked only in the digital domain, are now finding themselves having to interface with analog sensors. A sensor's analog signal needs to be digitized to be used by the system, and the signal path goes through several stages: amplification, filtering and digitization. Once the signal has been digitized, the user can pass it to a control system on the microcontroller or can massage the data and pass it to a host processor via a communication protocol. The sensor data can be utilized as required. To read more, click the download link below or visit Design News.

Adopting an SOC-based Approach to Designing Handheld Medical Devices

Mon, 09 May 2011 15:58:56 -0600

In designing embedded devices for the variety of medical devices, selecting the right components to meet design specifications, keep costs down, maximize power efficiency, and manage the physical size of the device are only some of the factors to be considered.

If these weren’t sufficient, developers must also guarantee device reliability while ensuring that the components used adhere to FDA rules. One such FDA rule is that the components that comprise the medical device have to be in production for the next 5 years. Given these constraints, many developers are turning to System-on-Chip architectures to shorten design cycle time, reduce component count, and reduce product cost in medical applications. To read more, click the download link below or visit Embedded.com.

Lost in Translation: Interface Incompatibility in Embedded System Design

Mon, 09 May 2011 15:58:12 -0600

With the emergence of various digital communication protocols and interfaces (UART, I2C, SPI, USB, etc), embedded system designers commonly face challenges with incompatibility between interfaces, on general purpose ICs, while integrating them into one design. These issues range from interfacing with legacy systems, managing communications among various bus interfaces, and attaching multiple systems with different interfaces to a main processor.

This article starts with a brief introduction of the digital communication interfaces and protocols that have dominated embedded system design, and then discusses three common interface incompatibility situations along with the corresponding approaches for handling them. The conclusion will provide suggestions to embedded system engineers on how to avoid or tackle interface incompatibility issues. To read more, click the download link below or visit EN-Genius.

Using Delta-Sigma Can Be As Easy As ADC - Part 1

Mon, 09 May 2011 15:57:28 -0600

As an application engineer, I spend a lot of time convincing customers thata delta-sigma modulating analog-to-digital converter (ADC), or DSM, would be the best choice for their particular application. Then they come up with all sorts of excuses for why they prefer a successive-approximation ADC. I’ve come to the conclusion that they prefer successive-approximation ADCs because they fundamentally don’t understand how a DSM works, perhaps because DSMs involve both analog and digital design. This is unfortunate because, from a historical perspective, the DSM development has been gradual and straightforward to understand.

If you have a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a comparator, and some logic, you can build an ADC. The logic determines how quickly the answer is resolved. A successive-approximation register (SAR) uses logic to perform a binary search to quickly resolve the answer. To read more, click the download link below or visit Electronic Design.

Efficient Heart Rate Monitoring

Tue, 03 May 2011 15:16:43 -0600

Heart rate is one of the most frequently measured parameters of the human body and plays an important role in determining an individual's health. Heart rate measurement is becoming a part of the typical consumer lifestyle, and many electronic devices such as iPods, exercise equipment, and mobile phones are becoming able to accurately measure heart rate. This functionality, however, does not come without added cost. By using multifunctional devices, developers can reduce the price of introducing new features such as these.

Accurate ECG Signal Processing

Tue, 03 May 2011 15:01:40 -0600

Electrocardiography (ECG) is the acquisition of electrical activity of the heart captured over time by an external electrode attached to the skin. Each of the cell membrane that form the outer covering of the heart cell have an associated charge which is depolarized during every heart beat. These appear as tiny electrical signals on the skin which can be detected and amplified by the ECG.

Differentiating Noise from Real Touch - The Key to Robust Capacitive Sensing

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 17:46:59 -0600

Capacitive sensing is emerging as a popular interfacing alternative to switches and knobs in consumer electronics, front panel display applications, and many industrial and automotive sensors. This article describes different kinds of noise impacting any capacitive sensing technology and the methods that can be implemented to overcome different kinds of noise under varied environmental conditions.