Robotic posture control demonstrated News & Analysis 9/30/2008 Post a comment A two-wheeled, inverted pendulum robot that demonstrates posture control in robots that must balance was shown at Ceatac Japan by Waseda University's Humanoid Robotics Institute and industry partner STMicroelectronics.
Evolution: 20 years of switching fabric Design How-To 9/29/2008 Post a comment Into a look at the evolution of switching fabrics, this article discusses the shortcomings of each previous fabric genration and the evolution of dominant standards and design longevity.
Underwater helicopter surfaces News & Analysis 9/29/2008 1 comment Undersea robots have until now operated like fixed-wing aircraft, requiring motion to maneuver. Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers now say they have created the helicopter-of-the-sea, the Odyssey IV.
Surface mount gate drive transformer is highly resistant to EMI Product News 9/29/2008 Post a comment With a small surface mount package featuring rugged housing materials that are highly resistant to the effects of EMI, the SM580 gate drive transformer from Datatronic Distribution Inc. provides efficient pulse control in gate drive circuits used in MOSFETs and IGBTs for switch mode power supplies and other electronic equipment.
Buck-boost LED driver offers wide input voltage range Product News 9/29/2008 Post a comment Designed to drive high current LEDs, Linear Technology's 100V, high-side current sense DC/DC converter features a 6V to 100V input voltage range that makes it well-suited for a wide variety of applications, including automotive, industrial and architectural lighting.
What power development would you invest in? Power Management DesignLine Blog 9/29/2008 Post a comment The pressure keeps building on power management engineers to produce a breakthrough in energy efficiency performance that will sweep the market forward. But are there any real contenders out there that will have a major impact in the future?
In multicore SOC architectures buses are a last resort News & Analysis 9/29/2008 Post a comment The one-processor system model that has dominated electronic system design since 1971 is now thoroughly obsolete. Today's SOC designers readily accept the idea of using multiple processors in their complex systems to achieve design goals and use the terms "control plane" and "data plane" to describe how these various on-chip processors are used on the chip. These terms appeared during the Internet and networking boom. At first, these terms referred to the design of multiple-board networking syst
In multicore SOC architectures, buses are a last resort Design How-To 9/29/2008 Post a comment The one-processor system model that dominated electronic system design since 1971 is now thoroughly obsolete. Today's SOC designers readily accept the idea of using multiple processors in their complex systems to achieve design goals and use the terms "control plane" and "data plane" to describe how these various on-chip processors are used on the chip. These terms appeared during the Internet and networking boom. At first, they referred to the design of multiple-board networking systems but hav
Bluetooth headset turns to SUN and goes green Teardown 9/29/2008 Post a comment Last year, I purchased a hands-free Bluetooth car kit as a Christmas gift for a family member who, as a sales rep, spends significant time talking in her car. Worried for her safety as she drives with one hand on the wheel and the other around a cell phone, I initially felt a sense of pride as she unwrapped a gift that demonstrated concern for her well-being. Sometimes, however, a buzz can be short-lived. After a quick explanation of what the gift was, I could see a bit of uneasiness creep in as
Ultrasound imaging system design reshaped by AFEs Design How-To 9/26/2008 Post a comment Recent innovations are making it possible for new ultrasound systems to achieve much lower power and a significantly smaller footprint than ever before. Designing ultrasound systems is complex, and every feature of the analog front end (AFE) can influence system performance.
Control/monitoring solutions reduce energy costs in older plants Product News 9/25/2008 Post a comment Cypress Envirosystems has introduced a family of control and monitoring solutions designed to help older buildings and manufacturing sites cut energy costs and boost productivity. These products upgrade pneumatic thermostats, manual steam trap monitoring and dial gauges in minutes, providing payback in less than one year.