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YOUR ELECTRONICS MAGAZINE

ISSUE 9

Todays Leading Edge Technology, Tomorrows Electronics Commodity

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Not Your Average Test Bench

Now its easier than ever to debug those complex designs

NEW

Debug is hard enough. Dont let your test instruments get in the way. Our test bench offers the same ease-of-use youve come to expect from our oscilloscopes. From dedicated buttons for common functions to USB ports for saving data. To simplify your most complicated tasks, you can connect your test bench with the included copy of LabVIEW SignalExpress from National Instruments. Control your Tektronix instruments right from your PC. Automate measurements and analyze data across multiple instruments. Capture and save results. Create reports. Take your test bench from average to extraordinary. Basic Oscilloscopes
I 40 MHz to 500 MHz bandwidth I Up to 25 automatic measurements I Battery operation available*
*Depends on model.

Handheld Oscilloscopes NEW!

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Arbitrary/Function Generators I Up to 240 MHz bandwidth

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Digital Multimeters
I 5.5 digit and 6.5 digit resolution I Dual display I Statistics, histogram and trending modes

Power Supplies NEW Extended Range!

I Up to 72 V output range I Up to 0.5 mV and 0.1 mA resolution I Single, dual & triple outputs

Bench Oscilloscopes
I 100 MHz to 1 GHz bandwidth I Up to 20 MB record length I Up to 4 analog and 16 digital channels I Parallel and serial bus analysis I Wave Inspector for fast navigation of data

Timer/Counter/Analysers
I 12 Digit/s frequency resolution I 50ps time resolution I Measurement statistics, histogram

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Industry Leading 3-Year Warranty included with all Tektronix bench instruments.

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2009 Tektronix, Inc. All rights reserved. Tektronix products are covered by U.S. and foreign patents, issued and pending. TEKTRONIX and the Tektronix logo are registered trademarks and LabVIEW SignalExpress is a trademark of National Instruments.

Today the world regards the electronics industry as leading-edge . The national press use terms like state-of-the-art and dynamic to describe the perpetual cycle of innovation and development of electronic technologies. The gadget-media have even managed to make electronics appear glamorous within technophile circles, with certain products and brands becoming iconic fashion extras. And while its engaging and rewarding to be involved in this cutting-edge, high-tech industry, there are times when even the most sophisticated new technologies require some simple, traditional design tools and products to implement them. In this edition of eTech, we focus on the everyday ingredients that provide the basic building blocks common to every electronic design. These electronic essentials can be found on every bench, in every lab, and range from the simplest components and tools, through power and safety products, to test and measurement equipment. And in character with our dynamic industry, youll even find that some of these elementary items have been improved and enhanced! I hope you enjoy this issue of eTech!

Glenn Jarrett Head of Electronics Marketing

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RS NEWSLINE

Lab accuracy. Production line speed. And a world of choice.

RS sponsored team wins World Solar Challenge 2011

Tokai University team claim victory in worlds largest solar car race for 2nd year running.

Agilent 34401A Industry standard Agilent 34405A Most economical Agilent 34411A Most advanced The Tokai University solar car team, sponsored by RS Components, has won the World Solar Challenge (WSC) for the second year in a row following an epic 3,000km dash across Australia. The competition, which was held between 16-23 October 2011, started in Darwin in the North of Australia and travelled south to Adelaide covering a total distance of 3,021km. Despite being in fifth place after qualifying, the Tokai Challenger car ran smoothly to complete the race in 32 hours and 45 minutes, reaching the finish line at 1pm on 20 October. The car used HIT solar cells, which have the worlds highest energy conversion rate. This was supported with high-capacity lithium-ion batteries provided by Panasonic. Super lightweight Toray carbon fibre material was supplied for the body which enabled the weight of the vehicle to be reduced to a mere 140kg. Professor Hideki Kimura, an expert in solar car technology, said, I would like to acknowledge all the sponsors, academics and students for supporting the team. We are delighted with the result and very proud to have had the chance to support all the dedicated and talented people that make up the Tokai University team.

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Pricing Makeover for Swiss Website

More than 550,000 products from leading manufacturers are now available to buy online in Swiss francs
This month sees a change to our Swiss website designed to make purchasing online from RS even easier. Over 550,000 products from leading manufacturers across our electronics, automation and maintenance ranges, can now be purchased online in Swiss francs. All items purchased online are available with free delivery. Feedback from a recent survey shows customers already heavily engaging with the Swiss website, which was launched in 2010. With the addition of local currency pricing RS is further enhancing the online purchasing experience and continuing to deliver on our commitments to support the Swiss market.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Factory Automation Building Automation Medical Energy Automotive

Data is travelling by light

By Mrs. Isolde Rtzer. Regular LEDs can be turned into optical WLAN with only a few additional components thanks to visible light communication (VLC). The LEDs are then not simply lighting up, they are also transferring data. They send films in HD quality to your iPhone or laptop, with no loss in quality, quickly and safely.
ust imagine the following scenario: four people are comfortably ensconced in a room. Each one of them can watch a film from the Internet on his or her laptop, in HD quality. This is made possible thanks to optical WLAN. Light from the LEDs in the overhead lights serves as the transfer medium. For a long time, this was just a vision for the future. However, since scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications, Heinrich Hertz Institute HHI in Berlin, Germany, have developed a new transfer technology for video data within the scope of the OMEGA project of the EU, its implementation in real life is getting markedly closer. At the end of May, the scientists were able to present the results of the project in Rennes, France. They were able to transfer data at a rate of 100 megabits per second (Mbit/s) without any losses, using LEDs in the ceiling that light up more than ten square metres (90 square feet). The receiver can be placed anywhere within this radius, which is currently the maximum range. This means that we transferred four videos in HD quality to four different laptops at the same time, says Dr. Anagnostis Paraskevopoulos from the HHI.

The fundamentals of visible light communication (VLC) were developed together with the industry partners Siemens and France Telecom Orange Labs, said the expert. At HHI, the team project manager Klaus-Dieter Langer is now further developing the new technology. For VLC the sources of light in this case, white-light LEDs provide lighting for the room at the same time they transfer information. With the aid of a special component, the modulator, we turn the LEDs off and on in very rapid succession and transfer the information as ones and zeros. The modulation of the light is imperceptible to the human eye. A simple photo diode on the laptop acts as a receiver. As Klaus-Dieter Langer explains, The diode catches the light, electronics decode the information and translate it into electrical impulses, meaning the language of the computer. One advantage is that it takes only a few components to prepare the LEDs so that they function as transfer media. One disadvantage is that as soon as something gets between the light and the photo diode (for example, when someone holds his hand over the diode) the transfer is impaired. Laptops, Palm devices or mobile telephones are all potential end devices. The scientists emphasise that VLC is not intended to replace regular WLAN, PowerLAN or UMTS. It is best suited as an additional option for data transfer where radio transmission networks are not desired or not possible without needing new cables or equipment in the house. Combinations are also possible, such as optical WLAN in one direction and PowerLAN for the return channel. Films can be transferred to the PC like this and also played there, or they can be sent on to another computer. The new transmission technology is suitable for hospitals, for example, because radio transmissions are not allowed there. Despite this fact, high data rates must be transmitted without losses and unzipped, according to

Omron
the experts. If part of the communication occurs via the light in the surgical room, this would make it possible to control wireless surgical robots or transmit x-ray images. In airplanes, each passenger could view his own entertainment program on a display, saving aircraft manufacturers miles of cables. Another possible venue for the application of this technology are production facilities, where radio transmissions very often interfere with the processes. Currently the scientists are developing their systems toward higher bit rates. Using red-blue-green-white light LEDs, we were able to transmit 800 Mbit/s in the lab, said Klaus-Dieter Langer.

Switch Solutions
Omrons range of switches include quality, precision microswitches, tactile and DIP switches which cover a range of different applications.
Microswitches include standard types, low torque sealed switches and a number of industry specific models: D2HW ultra sub-miniature sealed switch with an extra long stroke for reliable on/off action V reliable and safe basic switch with switching currents of 10 21A. Widely used in applications where long life expectancy is required D3SH surface mount detection switch, ultra small size and ultra low profile with a unique mechanism that enables high contact reliability and high precision operation Tactile Switches our range of switches includes standard, illuminated, sealed, keytops, hinged and dome types which include: B3D ultra-low profile dome key with Omrons unique circular contact action that ensures a high level of resistance to foreign matter B3W-9 a compact illuminated switch with 2 LEDs B3AL a compact long-stroke switch for demanding applications DIP Switches consist of rotary, piano and slide including our latest addition: A6SN leading edge high pressure mechanics ensure high reliability and washing without seal tape Omron designs operability, user-friendliness into all of its switches visit www.omron-rs.eu for more information.

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Since their invention and first production in the early 1970s, MCUs have been designed and manufactured by a large number of semiconductor companies, which have historically developed their MCU product lines primarily on their own proprietary architectures. Especially in the 8-bit market with devices such as the H8 from Renesas, the ST6/7 from STMicroelectronics, the PIC from Microchip, but also in the 32-bit market, such as the R32 and SuperH from Renesas or the Power Architecture from Freescale or C28x from Texas Instruments, to name just a few. However, over the past ten years or so, there has been a growing trend among silicon vendors not to develop their own proprietary microprocessor cores, but to license cores and architecture from IP companies such as ARM and MIPS. These two companies, in particular, have fought head-on to win key designs for advanced microprocessors, ASICs and ASSPs for a range of embedded markets and applications, but outside of the PC microprocessor socket. Convergence on ARM Today, ARM is leading with the lions share of this processor core market, and especially so in mobile wireless designs, no doubt due to the architectures ability to deliver industry-leading low-power consumption; in addition to the compiled code density advantages. ARMs Thumb instruction set was first introduced in the ARM7TDMI core and delivered a significant reduction in memory requirements. Virtually every mobile or smart phone being made today integrates an ARM core. And the ARM architecture is also growing fast in ASICs and ASSPs for industrial, computer and consumer applications. Cortex-M Family However, in the general-purpose MCU market, over the past five years or so, consolidation has been extremely fast with ARM rising to be the leading player in delivering microprocessor cores. A number of vendors initially launched MCU families based on the ARM7TDMI, with some following up with products based on the ARM9TDMI. The real breakthrough, however, has been the Cortex-M family, and in particular the Cortex-M3. The core, launched in 2004, was developed specifically for implementation in MCUs and makes a strong case to be named the leading general-purpose 32-bit MCU processor used across an exceptionally broad range of embedded markets. It has now been adopted

by several major chipmakers including NXP (LPC1x00), ST Microelectronics (ST) STM32 and Texas Instruments (TI) Stellaris. While these leading companies still maintain ASIC and ASSP processor development programmes, many of which integrate ARM cores such as the high-end Cortex-A8 or A9, increasingly their respective roadmaps for general-purpose MCUs are based on ARM Cortex-M cores. Interestingly however, half-way through 2011 TI launched a dual-core 32bit MCU series that integrates both its own C28x core and a Cortex-M3 to control the peripherals. The other two Cortex family members, the M0 and M4, are also seeing increased proliferation in new MCU families. The M0 is ARMs smallest, most code compact and most energy-efficient core; and the M4 essentially adds increased DSP capabilities over the M3. NXP ST and Freescale, , with its Kinetis family, have all announced M4-based families over the past year or so, while NXP and ST have also either introduced or announced Cortex-M0 varieties. According to ARM, the total number of licensees for the Cortex-M family, including the M0, M3 and M4 processor cores is now just below three figures. Although, in what appears to be an exception to the rule at least for a major MCU player, Microchip has based its 32-bit PIC MCU roadmap on the MIPS M4K32-bit processor core. The PIC architecture is also still a major participant at 8-bit, certainly in terms of unit volumes. A key advantage for Microchip, arguably, is the multitude of students that enter into the industry each year and who are familiar with PIC MCUs due to its widespread use in universities and college engineering departments. Eating into 8-bit? Of course, the 8-bit market has been long talked about as eventually being devoured by high performance, and low-cost 32-bit devices. But the market for lower data-width products continues to survive and prosper, finding new applications with the continual and increasing pervasion of electronics in consumer products, household goods and medical devices, among others. However, 32-bit devices continue to make inroads into the more mature applications at the expense of 8-bit and 16-bit MCUs. The latest 32-bit MCUs bring massively increased functionality and a myriad of on-chip peripherals and at increasingly competitive prices, reaching as low as a dollar a chip. Or less!

Charting the Convergence to a Common Controller Core

By Dave Pike, Marketing Engineer he general-purpose microcontroller, or MCU, is now a commodity product. Perhaps this is an overstatement. But in one sense, at least, it can be strongly supported by the growing trend in the use of processor cores that share a common or open architecture. Today, while there are still plenty of MCU vendors, it appears that 32-bit MCU roadmaps are increasingly based on processor cores developed by one company: ARM.

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< Continued from page 09 Moving to a Common Architecture Certainly there are multiple challenges and major issues to consider for MCU vendors to even deviate from their proprietary architectures. All the years of investment, in terms of hardware, software and development tools, are not so easy to give up. And are they willing to put doubts in customers minds about future roadmaps and all their legacy code developed specifically for a particular MCU architecture or family? Naturally, an open architecture can bring huge benefits for customers, such as being able to source from a large number of vendors or migrate from one to another for reasons of cost or performance or peripheral selection. Although Cortex-M3 based MCUs, for example, are not going to be identical, the migration process from one vendor to another, while not being trivial, should not pose the same level of challenge to change between substantially different proprietary architectures. Also, given these perilous times, the market has seen some significant consolidation of MCU vendors over the past few years. In the industrial market especially, customers need to rely on a processor being around for 10 to 15 years or more. So the common architecture may bring a significant degree of obsolescence safety. Another advantage is the wide availability of software component libraries, enabling benefits in time-to-market. The move to a common ARM architecture also means the wide availability of ARM-based development/debugging tools from all the leading third-party tool vendors. Selection by Peripheral If the trend for MCU vendors is to base their product portfolios around the nonproprietary or open architecture of ARM, then they will need to find other ways of differentiating their products. A number of factors will be included in the process for selecting an MCU, including the microprocessor core, speed, memory, peripheral selection, price, development tools, operating system and software support. The choice of the processor core should determine, or at least inuence, some of the other options. But, it appears that the industry is moving into the phase where it is the selection of peripherals that is paramount, and less a choice based on the MCU core functionality. Certainly peripherals are a key factor in choosing for specific applications. So it could be that following the convergence around the ARM Cortex family (i.e. the processor core becomes the commodity), there will be a divergence of solutions that offer many different combinations of peripherals for diverse and niche markets, relatively speaking. So, we might find two or three key suppliers offering product for each major MCU market, for example in high-quality audio where an I2S output is obligatory. And then a whole host of suppliers positioned somewhere in the mainstream offering similar memory, I/O and wireless options, fundamentally fighting it out based on price. Is this what the MCU market could look like in a few years time? Customer Differentiation Perhaps the market will fall out based on how easy chip vendors make it for customers to differentiate their own products. NXP , for example, has its low-cost development based on the mbed board. This means that the vendor now has a community of engineers that is developing chunks of application code and protocol stacks to drive various peripherals. This can enable customers to focus on the software that will differentiate their product, rather than having to worry about lower-level drivers and protocol stacks. And certainly not only NXP; other examples include Freescale with its Kinetis Tower community and TI has its BeagleBoard community. So, have we reached the point where software is the value-add and the silicon is now a commodity?

Virtually every mobile or smart phone being made today integrates an ARM core. And the ARM architecture is also growing fast in ASICs and ASSPs for industrial, computer and consumer applications.

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Terms and Conditions: This survey is being run by RS Components Ltd. When completing the survey, all information on the form must be applied. No cash alternatives are available. The survey is open to all RS Components catalogue recipients. The closing 29th February 2012. The date of the draw will be in the month of March 2012. The survey winner will be selected at random by RS Components and will be notified by April 2012. Responsibility cannot be accepted for lost entries, damaged or delayed in transit to the porters address.

PRODUCT NEWS
STMICROELECTRONICS STM32F4 DISCOVERY KIT
M4 cortex high-performance evaluation board.
n The STM32F4 Discovery Kit provides an ultra low-cost development environment enabling engineers to start designing into applications quickly using the new STM32F4 series of microcontrollers featuring a 32bit ARM Cortex-M4 core. The kit includes an ST-LINK/V2 embedded tool for rapid debugging and programming; a MEMS motion sensor; a MEMS digital microphone plus audio DAC with integrated class D speaker driver; indicator LEDs; pushbuttons; and a USB OTG micro-AB connector. RS Web search term: STM32F4DISCOVERY

NXP LPC11XX SERIES M0 CORTEX PROCESSORS

Cortex-M0 microcontrollers with lowest active power and superior code density.
n Built around the Cortex-M0 architecture, the smallest, lowest power, and most energy-efficient ARM core ever developed, these microcontrollers are a low-cost alternative for use in many traditional 8/16-bit applications. The devices offer high performance, low power, a simple instruction set and memory addressing together with reduced code size compared to 8/16-bit architectures. RS Web search term: LPC1111

PANASONIC EEU-FR1 SERIES

Radial leaded aluminium electrolytic capacitors.
n Panasonics latest EEU-FR1 series capacitors feature ultra-Low ESR and longlife (up to 10,000 hours at 105C) thanks to the use of improved material technology. They are suitable for switching mode adaptors, line noise removal and other products with long lifetime requirements. RS Web search term: EEUFR1C

PRODUCT NEWS
HARTING HARAX CIRCULAR CONNECTORS
M12-L shielded 2103 series.
n Hartings modular RJ Ethernet connector system provides a reliable data connection in industrial and harsh environments. Based on one of the smallest RJ45 Ethernet cables to which 22 AWG cable can be connected, the system allows for quick field assembly in less than one minute. RS Web search term: 2103 281

MICROCHIP PIC32MX AUDIO DEVELOPMENT BOARD

32-bit microcontroller-based development kit for the creation of high-quality 24-bit audio applications.

STMICROELECTRONICS STM32F4 ARM CORTEX M4 CORE MICROPROCESSOR

168MHz ARM Cortex-M4 with DSP and FPU.
n The STM32F4 microcontroller family enables developers to leverage the advanced signal-processing capabilities and increased speed of the ARM Cortex-M4 processor with Floating Point Unit (FPU), thus widening applications to the digital signal controller (DSC) market. The devices are suited to compute-intensive applications including point-of-sale, industrial automation, transportation, test and measurement, medical, security, consumer and communications. RS Web search term: STM32F4

n Microchips audio Development Board features its 80 MIPS PIC32 MCU, a 24-bit Wolfson audio codec, a two-inch colour LCD, a USB interface, and an onboard microphone. The kit provides a flexible platform for the development of audio recording and playback products, and offers USB digital audio, MP3 decode and sample rate conversion. RS Web search term: DM320011

BOURNS CRM2512 SERIES PULSE RESISTANT POWER RESISTOR

Very wide resistance range.
n The CRM2512 Series is a thick film power resistor with a rating of 2 watts in a standard 2512 chip format. This product has a very wide resistance range making it suitable for applications in power supply circuits including current sensing and inrush current limiting. RS Web search term: CRM2512

AGILENT DC POWER SUPPLY

U8031A (2x 30V/6A; 5V/3A); U8032A (2x 60V/3A; 5V/3A).
n The U803XA from Agilent Technologies is a high watt manual power supply. It consists of 2 variable and 1 fixed channel delivering high power. The analogue front panel programming provides pre-arranged power setting and easy single button execution. Aimed at customers working within electronics manufacturing, education and electrical manufacturing, features include dual-channel LCD for voltage and current, excellent load regulation (0.01% +/- 2 mV), low output noise of 1 mVrms (0.5mVrms typical), and fast < 50 usec transient response. RS Web search term: U8031A & U8032A

TE CONNECTIVITY DPL12 SERIES

Versatile range of 12mm horizontal rotary LED encoders offers many options.
n Aimed at applications such as power supplies, inverters and servo systems, The range offers LED colour options, snap-in and PCB mountable versions, knurled or flatted plastic shaft types, contacts 100mohm max rated at 0.5mA 5VDC, optional push switch rated at 10mA 5VDC, single LED for non switch types and dual LED for switched types. RS Web search term: DPL12SH

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in the entry-level open-source embedded community

By Dr William Marshall Central Content Editor - Semiconductors he competition for hearts and minds in the opensource embedded development community continues apace with microcontroller (MCU) vendors building up their respective online communities. So what are the leading entry-level, open-source development boards? Each has a growing community, which appear at least to be increasingly driven by customers and less by the MCU or board manufacturers. The four boards under examination Kinetis, mbed, Arduino and BeagleBoard offer reasonably different levels of functionality and are positioned at varying price points.

Treading the Boards

Kinetis The Kinetis boards are based on Freescale Semiconductors family of 32-bit ARM Cortex-M4 based MCUs and are generalpurpose development systems aimed at a range of embedded applications. The boards are available as stand-alone processor modules, or as part of a kit and used in combination with a variety of peripheral boards, such as serial connectivity (USB, Ethernet RS232/485), 802.11b WiFi, memory and LCD modules. The Kinetis boards are fully compatible with Freescales Tower System platform, which enables the peripheral modules to be connected to the main processor board via additional backplane elevator boards. The TWR-K60N512 module, for example, is a controller module that works as a stand-

Arduino In many ways the Arduino has been the trailblazer for low-cost opensource development. Initially aimed at the hobbyist market, Smart Projects, the maker of the very small low-cost boards, devised a standard in terms of connectors, so various peripheral boards called Shields could be mounted on top of the main Arduino PCB, including the Motor Shield, which enables the control of DC motors and read encoders, and the Ethernet Shield for connectivity. with no access to expensive development systems. It also means that the entire system does not have to be replaced each time the manufacturer launches a new MCU. As the platform comes from a major semiconductor vendor, user support is strong in addition to widely available resources via the third-party ARM ecosystem. The platform has a growing online community, available at www.towergeeks.org, including access to documentation and user forums. The Arduino phenomenon went worldwide and now many small companies also now make their own Arduino-compatible boards including the same connector layout, allowing the plug-in of Shields. The Arduino is supported by its users and via forums, available at arduino.cc, rather than its manufacturer, which has extremely limited application support, therefore greatly limiting the boards potential use at larger companies. The Arduino is primarily based on simple Atmel 8-bit AVR family MCUs, so it can perform basic control functions, but limited memory limits its capabilities. The Arduino Uno board, for example, is a board based on the ATmega328 MCU. It contains everything needed to support the MCU and can be powered via the USB, a battery or external power adapter. The open-source IDE can be downloaded for free, which also runs under MS-Windows, Macintosh OSX and Linux operating systems. Arduino is the exception in the four in that it is not an ARM-based MCU platform.

alone tool; or it can connect to peripheral modules. The board features the Kinetis K60 32-bit low-power Cortex-M4 based MCU. System power can be delivered via the onboard mini-USB connector, which also provides the debug interface to an on-board open-source JTAG (OSJTAG) IC. IDE software and training materials are also included in the basic controller module package. The platform is likely to be attractive to those requiring a reasonably powerful development system at an initial affordable cost, but also one that is flexible and can easily be expanded. The platforms modular approach means it can meet the needs of the entry-level user up to perhaps the smaller companies that are engaged in significantly more advanced MCU development, but

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mbed Designed, introduced, and continually supported, by ARM, mbed is a small and cheap open-source software based module designed for rapid MCU prototyping. The module enables a quick and easy introduction to the normally expensive area of ARM core processing for educational purposes and other entry-level usage. It is positioned to meet the needs of those who may be exploring embedded development for the first time up to professional embedded engineers. The current implementation of the mbed board is based on an NXP LPC1768 ARM Cortex-M3 MCU with interfaces including Ethernet, USB, CAN, SPI and I2C. Available in a 40-pin DIP module, the board size is only 44mm x 26mm and can be optionally powered via the USB port. The MBED module can achieve quite a lot with its reasonably powerful Cortex-M3 core, which is fast becoming the industry-standard low- to mid-range core for general-purpose MCU. The module itself does not have much peripheral interfacing capability, so fundamentally its a processor with a USB interface to a PC. The unique element about mbed is the development tools that are based entirely in the cloud, and are effectively free, with user code being written and compiled in an online-based IDE (integrated development environment). A user can buy the kit and register it at mbed.org, and then store their programs on the website, which also includes blogs, forums, user-contributed program libraries and other development resources. Another advantage is it can be plugged into any web-connected computer, and programs can be downloaded and edited without the need for any PC software installation. The disadvantage, of course, is that companies will not want their preciously developed software out there on the web. So it cannot be recommended for serious product development, especially at the latter stages of production, and they will need to turn to high-end professional software and debugging tools.

BeagleBoard The BeagleBoard was also designed to address the open-source community. Texas Instruments originally developed the board for use in educational institutions, enabling students to learn about open source hardware and software capabilities. However, the BeagleBoard has evolved and is certainly at the top end, delivering high-end performance and expandability but it does come attached with an accordingly higher price tag. The new BeagleBoard-xM System is based on the TI DaVinci DM3730 digital media processor, which is compatible with TIs AM37x Sitara ARM-based microprocessors. The DM3730 integrates a high-end 1GHz super-scalar ARM Cortex-A8 core and a high-performance audio/video accelerator subsystem, based on an 800MHz VLIW TMS320C64x+ DSP and video hardware accelerators. The chip also includes a 3D graphics accelerator, in addition to plenty of memory. While not all the features supplied by the processor are accessible from the BeagleBoard, the system can be extended to add more features and interfaces. The board, which can optionally take power via the USB OTG, includes a four-port high-speed USB 2.0 hub and 10/100 Ethernet connectivity and a host of multimedia interfaces and connectors, including DVI-D for digital computer monitors and high-definition TVs, S-Video (TV out) and stereo audio I/O. The BeagleBoard is not intended by the manufacturer as a fully embedded-development platform, but is designed to allow users to experience the performance of its processors and also to grow its community of designers. But given its power and sophistication, especially its ability to handle A/V processing, it could be used from the entry-level user up to low-end industrial application development. Like the Kentics Tower, the platform comes from a major chip vendor, so user support is good and resources are available via the ARM ecosystem. The online community is available at beagleboard.org.

Its Cool To Be Green

iQ Motor

Europes largest motor and fan manufacturer, have created the iQ motor, which delivers energy savings between 65-90%, and can be installed quickly and cost effectively to upgrade applications currently fitted with Q motors. From the outside the iQ motor is visually the same as the standard Q motor, however, that is where the similarities end. Inside it is completely different and uses cutting edge technology including a highly efficient, energy saving EC motor, with intelligent open and closed loop control. The iQ motor provides the perfect replacement alternative to the out-dated Q motor. Using permanent magnet motors with a direct motor (DC), the iQ is more efficient than the Qs synchronous (AC) motor, offering average efficiency savings of 70%. RS Web search term: 714-2139

Compact Axial Fan

ebm-papst has introduced the new 2200F fan which offers a 65% higher cooling capacity, a lower noise level and reduced power consumption than fans traditionally installed within servers, switch cabinets, and drives. The new 2200F compact axial fan solves such cooling problems through its totally new fan development technology. 2200F delivers improved performance, lower noise pollution and is contained within a smaller package than that of previous generations. By reducing the size of the compact fan and its thickness, ebm-papst has achieved a 65% higher cooling capacity. However, this reduction in size has not compromised performance, instead increasing it by 30%. Using fluid dynamic modelling, a new axial fan impeller was developed for the 2200F which increased , performance and reduced noise levels by 8 decibels, while still delivering 30% more airflow and continuing to use less energy. To complement the impeller, a new motor with a unique skew slot angle and commutation software was designed, lowering motor noise and running consumption, with an overall design that achieves 85% motor efficiency. RS Web search term: 740-6376

i-maxx Series ACi

i-maxx AC compact fan is set to revolutionise the industry by overtaking traditional AC compact fans as the preferred choice within control cabinets, refrigeration technology and filter fans. Unlike traditional AC compact fans, the i-maxx is able to achieve up to 77% energy savings, offers 70% longer service life, is up to 8 decibels quieter and is nearly half the weight. The new i-maxx series ACi 4400 represents the first energy efficient, fully mechanical compatible alternative to the out-dated 120mm AC compact fan, achieving the same performance and functions, without any compromise. The product offers complete integration of the transformer drive electronics into the motor hub, which was made possible by optimising the motor sensor-less commutation and by using newly designed electronics. The use of enhanced aerodynamics, in addition to the motor optimisation within the new i-maxx fan, further improves performance and the use of sickle blades and winglets has reduced noise and improved efficiency, when compared with traditional AC fans. RS Web search term: 740-6389

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eTech - ISSUE 9

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Memory Futures Looking into the Crystal or?

By Mark Cundle, Technical Marketing Manager f there is a semiconductor area considered a commodity, its memory. Certainly its the area that receives the most column inches. The rising or falling average selling price of whichever DRAM chip that is in highest demand at the time is usually cited as a bellwether for the overall semiconductor industry.
Markets and Manufacturers On the business front, the semiconductor market is currently worth around $300 billion per year, and memory chips take a significant slice of that pie; but its an extremely volatile share from year to year. The costs for a manufacturer to stay in the market are high, the margins are increasingly slender, and profits are often only made in the good years, unless you happen to be the market leader, perhaps. The industry has a decreasing number of major players those that have greater than 5% market share anyway with the past decade or so having seen some serious consolidation of memory suppliers. It happened first in DRAM, and in the past few years, theres been a shake out in the leading manufacturers of non-volatile memories (NVM), which for the most part means Flash. Process, Architecture and Interconnect On the technology front, a major challenge in memory chip development is to keep pace with the increasing performance of microprocessors and deliver faster and lower power-consuming memories. Increasing pressure is mounting on the memory makers to make improvements in architectures and to move to smaller process nodes, although of course memory has always been at the driving edge of silicon process development. The necessary economics of technology shrinking has meant leading DRAM manufacturers are now beginning production at the 30nm node, with some vendors now sampling devices at 25nm. In NAND Flash, the most common type of Flash memory used for data storage in solid-state drives, USB Flash drives and multimedia memory cards, leading manufacturers are now starting production of 64-Gbit memories in process technologies ranging from 20 to 30nm. Innovative memory architectures and structures are also required with 3D memory technologies becoming increasingly important: at the technology process level, with DRAM memory cells being engineered in 3D structures, and at the silicon die level with the stacking of DRAM die using TSVs (Through-Silicon-Via) interconnects to meet the demands for high density. And the advanced development of 3D NAND Flash memories with vertical gate structures, offering high endurance and high reliability, is increasingly being seen to be a realistic prospect in the next year or so. Another issue in the industry is the potential of next-generation high-throughput interconnect standard. In early 2011, JEDEC announced the Universal Flash Storage (UFS) standard, which is designed to be the most advanced specification for both embedded and removable Flash-based memory storage.

driven by increasing demand for fast and lowpower memory in smart mobile consumer devices such as tablets and smartphones.

The semiconductor market is currently worth around $300 billion per year.

The standard has been specifically tailored for mobile applications and computing systems requiring high performance and low power consumption. Flash - Growth and Replacements? Currently the Flash market is experiencing strong growth, largely driven by increasing demand for fast and low-power memory in smart mobile consumer devices such as tablets and smartphones. According to 2010 data from market analyst IHS iSuppli, the leading memory technology for mobile applications in the next few years will be NAND Flash. It was expected to account for around half of the total memory revenue in 2011 in mobile products, followed by DRAM taking approximately one-third of the market and NOR Flash memory taking the rest. As a side note, none of this should diminish the role of the traditional hard-disk drive that is delivering ever increasing high-density storage capacities and is not expected to be exiting the portable computing, server or mobile consumer markets anytime soon. Although it is unlikely to happen in the immediate future, with plenty of life left in Flash as it continues to scale, perhaps some of the most interesting developments taking place in memory technology today are the many possible long-term replacements for Flash for standalone and embedded applications. The leading contenders offer several advantages over Flash, such as 100 times faster read/write times and significantly higher write cycle endurance:

Phase-Change Memory (PCM) data is generated when various levels of current are applied to the glasslike material in PCM, changing the materials physical structure between crystalline and amorphous states. As current can be delivered at variable levels, PCM could allow data storage of more than one bit per cell. Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (FeRAM or FRAM) behaves similarly to DRAM in that it allows random access to each individual bit for both read and write operations. It has a cell capacitor that uses a ferroelectric material in which an electrical field can be applied to polarise the material. Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (MRAM) and the second-generation MRAM, called SST-MRAM (Spin Transfer Torque MRAM) uses magnetic storage elements. The technology promises the potential replacement of not just Flash, but also DRAM and SRAM memories. Resistive RAM (RRAM) technology is based on the electronic switching (current or voltage induced) of a resistor element material between two stable resistive states (low/high). Research institute IMEC predicts that RRAM devices with a stacked structure could enter into the market at 11nm. It believes Flash will scale as far as 20nm, with SONOS (Silicon-Oxide-Nitride-Oxide-Silicon) Flash as an intermediate step at 17nm and 14nm nodes.

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18

eTech - ISSUE 9

eTech - ISSUE 9

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Japans Display Industry Shifts Towards Smaller LCDs

By Mr. Hideaki Sakazume

aced with the rapidly growing demand for small-to-medium sized high-definition displays for smartphones, tablets and other smart mobile products, LCD panel manufacturers in Japan are now shifting their business focus away from larger display panels and towards smaller ones.

fall in profitability for manufacturers in this sector. Growth has levelled off and prices are already falling for TV LCD panels up to 40 inches.

Declining profitability of large-size LCD panels Japans LCD panel manufacturers are being obliged to make a turnaround in their respective strategies. Since the turn of the century, despite the emerging need for small-to-medium sized LCD panels for highfunctionality mobile phones, camcorders, digital still cameras, satnav products, PDAs and so on, the global LCD market has generally revolved around the competition to develop and produce large-size panels for TVs. Now, more than a decade into the new century, these products are being supplied in large quantities, with South Korean and Taiwanese manufacturers leading the field. China, too, has begun stepping up production to meet its own domestic consumption - it is becoming self sufficient in this respect, standing at 39% in 2011, and likely to rise beyond 100% in 2013. An obvious outcome of this high level of volume production worldwide will be a

This contrasts sharply with the rocketing demand for small-tomedium size high-definition displays for smartphones, tablets, 3D displays, electronic paper and many others. For example, the markets for smartphone LCDs and tablet displays are increasing at 51% and 33% per year, respectively. Citing just one example why, the production volume in 2012 for Apples iPad is expected to reach between 80 million and 100 million units. Sharp ramps up, while rivals establish a new company Japans LCD panel manufacturers are keenly aware of this global market change and have responded by adjusting course, veering away from the large and toward the small-to-medium size panels. Sharp, a leading Japanese manufacturer of LCD panels, used to make panels of all sizes, but its Kameyama No.1 and 2 Plants, previously used for large-size TVscreen panels, are now being turned over to the production of small - to - medium size panels. The large-panel production equipment at Plant No.1 has already

been sold to a Chinese manufacturer. Were going to shift our LCD operation into a high-growth business field said , Sharps President, Miko Katayama at a press conference held to announce the companys restructuring move. We wont battle in a market where the victors cant even turn a profit . Meanwhile, three other companies that have become leaders in making small - to - medium size LCD panels Toshiba Mobile Display, Hitachi Displays and Sony Mobile Display and Panasonic are to merge their operations and establish a new company, provisionally named Japan Display KK, that will specialise in smaller displays. The merger will be completed in Q2 2012 with a sales target of 750 billion yen for Japan Display to be achieved by its FY2016 (ending March 2016). The combined performance of the three companies in 2010 represents as much as 22%, by value, of global demand; so Japan Display is set to become the de facto worlds largest manufacturer of small - to - medium sized LCD panels. A company known as the Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) is also playing a part in this merger.

Continued page 22 >

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NEW!
< Continued from page 21 Launched in 2010, the INCJ is government backed, having received 82 billion yen of government investment, plus another 8.5 billion yen of capital from the private sector. The president of Japan Display is to be hired from outside of the three founders, and 70% of its voting-rights shares will be held by the INCJ. So, the merger amounts to something approaching a national policy measure. Leading semiconductor manufacturers in Japan have already set precedents for this type of merger. Examples include the company now known as Elpida Memory Inc., formed from the merged DRAM operations of NEC, Hitachi and Mitsubishi, and semiconductor manufacturer Renesas Electronics Corporation, also formed from the same three companies. Leveraging technological superiority In the words of INCJ CEO Kimikazu Noumi: With small-to-medium size displays, the key to growth lies in technologies that add value by raising definition, widening the viewing angle and lowering the power consumption. This is where Japans manufacturers can leverage their worldclass levels of technological muscle. The big question is whether Japans manufacturers can make use of their unique leading-edge technology to become dominant in this sector; which are the distinctive leading-edge technologies important to small and medium size displays. LCD panel technology can be broadly divided into two strands: the first concerns the displays themselves, and the second relates to the Thin-Film Transistors (TFTs) that drive the displays. Taking the overall display strand first: a technology called In-Plane Switching (IPS) is known to be predominant. In IPS, which was developed by Hitachi, not only are the drive transistors built-in with the electrical field parallel to the substrate, the liquid crystals themselves are also horizontally orientated, eliminating the need for electrodes on the glass substrate through which the light passes. In an IPS display, unlike a Twisted-Nematic (TN) display or a Vertical-Alignment (VA) display, the liquid crystal molecules are not orientated vertically vis--vis the glass substrate. This results in a panel with superior photoalignment properties: for example, there are minimal variations in brightness and colour depending on the viewing angle. IPS displays are also resistant to pressure, which enables them to be used for touchpanel screens. As is well known, the Apple iPhone 4 uses an IPS panel called a Retina Display. However, horizontal alignment of the crystals is not unique to Japanese manufacturers, as there are similar technologies such as Fringe Field Switching (FFS), which is used by the Taiwanese company Hydis. Another promising panel technology is organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). However, when it comes to commercialising OLEDs, the major players are from South Korea, such as Samsung, which have overtaken the Japanese companies. The second important technology element relates to Thin-Film Transistors (TFTs). Probably the most important factor is the raft of technologies surrounding LowTemperature Polysilicon (LTPS). Most of todays small-to-medium sized displays employ TFTs using amorphous silicon. However, for products requiring high definition, such as smartphones, forming displays using LTPS is advantageous and increasingly profitable. This is because the charge mobility of polysilicon is significantly higher than that of amorphous silicon. So the TFTs can be downsized. Incidentally, the low temperature in low-temperature polysilicon refers to the fact that the TFTs can be formed at temperatures lower than 650 degrees C, which is the deformation temperature of the glass substrate of the LCD. This allows TFTs to be formed on the substrate, enabling higher definition. However, once again, LTPS technology is not unique to Japanese manufacturers. Another significant factor concerning TFTs is the advancement of technologies relating to materials. A prime example is transparent amorphous oxide semiconductors (TAOS). Sharp, for example, has developed a technology for manufacturing Gen 8 (2160 x 2460 mm) IGZO panels, which it will, according to the company, supply for use in tablet PCs. IGZO is a variety of TAOS whose principal constituents are indium, gallium and zinc. In addition to its high charge-mobility, a special feature of IGZO is its permeability to visible light when in thin-film form, and can therefore be used to make film that is almost transparent. Another string to Sharps bow is continuous grain silicon (CGS) technology. In CGS, the silicon crystals in the LTPS are aligned regularly, which raises the charge mobility to approximately 600 times that of amorphous silicon, and about four times that of LTPS, attaining a speed close to that of single-crystalline silicon. Using CGS, other circuits can also be mounted on the LCD substrate. Arguably, this technology holds great potential for developing a system-on-chip with an integral display. Sharp recently indicated its intention to use CGS for smartphone displays. In light of these facts, Japans display makers appear well equipped with a number of leading-edge technologies for small-to-medium sized LCD panels. However, this does not necessarily mean these technologies are unique enough for Japan to establish overwhelming dominance in the face of international competition. Peripheral technologies also have a large part to play. These include technologies relating to glass and other materials, fabrication devices, techniques such as lithography, along with technologies for testing and evaluation. Having changed course to focus on small-to-medium size LCDs, Japans manufacturers will need to consider all these factors when predicting what lies ahead. One thing is certain: it will not be plain sailing.

Re-inforced DC/DC Power up to 10kVDC isolation!

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The ultra-compact REC6-Series in DIP24-package is isolated up to 10kVDC.

RECOM has succeeded in solving the problem of tting triple-reinforced isolation into a compact case size. With their revolutionary re-inforced-technology in standard SIP7 or DIP24 packages, 8kVDC or 10kVDC isolation can nally be realized. Thanks to a 30% smaller transformer coupling capacitance, the drivers also have an extremly low leakage current - a common requirement in medical applications. Unique technology at an affordable price!

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eTech - ISSUE 9

Component Libraries and the Challenges of Cooperation

By Ian Bromley, Marketing Engineer

component library is obviously a core functional element in a CAD PCB-design tool. Without it well a car doesnt go without fuel. A rather cheap analogy perhaps, but it leads sharply to: who is responsible for producing the library? The short answer mostly appears to be: the end user, as has been the case ever since the development and introduction of electronic design tools.

certainly not widespread. There have also been many other attempts over the years, competing with the IPC proposals, but all doomed to insignificance, thus far. In all probability, if a standard is to emerge, it will be a groundswell of the smaller design companies and their increasing use of component search engines available at global electronics distributor websites.

Estimates are not easy to make, but certainly the cost is high in the industry overall if PCB design teams worldwide are recreating parts libraries for their specific CAD tools, duplicating much of the same work. Each time a manufacturer introduces a new component, it gets built into libraries at hundreds or thousands of different companies and in many different ways. Competitive advantage is crucial obviously, but from an end-user companys point of view, does a proprietary component data library really create that muchneeded competitive edge, especially when combined with all the other differentiators offered by a creative design? Seeking a standard So what are the chances of agreement on an industrystandard format for easy component data library exchange, or even a global off-the-shelf component library? There is no widely accepted industry standard that defines all of the pin information for a component, in addition to its size, for entry into a layout tool, ultimately achieving further automation of the PCB design and manufacturing process. Its understood that the design tools community, the component manufacturers and companies involved in PCB design will all have different interests. Component manufacturers regularly change package types and also have a tendency to opt for unique packaging for many products, hoping to eliminate competition with the aim of achieving singlesource supply. And generally, manufacturers have not yet found the motivation to provide their data in the different available CAD tool formats. CAD vendors, also perhaps, have insufficient motivation to support a standard library format; internally developed extensive libraries are product differentiators. Additionally, many of the larger global design and manufacturing companies also consider it a differentiator and library management to be a cost worth swallowing. However, there is a great deal of motivation from end users, generally, but it is difficult to accomplish because CAD vendors implement libraries in different ways. So translating the data is a serious challenge and individual companies and users find themselves building libraries time and again. Proposals in the past Over the years there have been standards proposed and introduced, such as IPC-SM-782 (Surface Mount Design and Land Pattern Standard), developed by the IPC in the 1980s and early 1990s. The IPC (www.IPC.org) is a global trade association that represents around 3000 electronics companies involved in PCB design, manufacturing, assembly and test. The latest incarnation of the successor to IPC-SM-782 is IPC-7351B. Based on this standard, software tools are available from many vendors that offer land pattern calculators and generators for the creation of new part libraries. But, the take-up is

The Ultra Librarian Solution One company that is offering a fast emerging solution is Accelerated Designs. The company offers a tool called Ultra Librarian (UL), which is capable of storing vendor-neutral descriptions of footprint and schematic symbols, in addition to industry-accepted pad geometry calculations or vendorspecified pad geometries. According to Accelerated Designs, many CAD companies have aided in the development of the tool enabling it to export data in the most usable format; and a number of leading semiconductor companies are already using the tools to deliver both footprint and symbols. Widely available for free download, the UL Reader, a subset of the Ultra Librarian toolset, can generate, import and export components and their attributes, via vendor-neutral bxl files, in virtually any PCB schematic layout package. Device footprints generated by the UL Reader are actually based on the IPC-7351 specification. Additionally, end users can modify the standards used to build the component symbols and footprints to match their own internal standards if purchasing an upgrade to the Ultra Librarian suite. Bigger than the sum of it However, all the various interested parties of the PCB design ecosystem will need to co-ordinate in the ow of parts data. Crucially important in this process are the semiconductor manufacturers and their willingness to provide component data in an open interchange format. If made available, then major electronics component distributors will be able to provide easy access to basic part data for CAD tools. As an example, the DesignSpark website, supporting the popular DesignSpark PCB design tool, now offers bxl format libraries from leading manufacturers such as STMicroelectronics and Microchip. And, at that point, the global distributor website becomes a highly significant library resource for design engineers.

Download...
DesignSpark PCB from www.designspark.com/pcb

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DESIGN TIPS

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

DESIGN TIPS
0 volt DC compared to ground. For the best sound quality we should have the same collector current flowing through both transistors. This can be seen from voltages at test points F and G in the circuit diagram, which are nearly equal. The input offset across R1 is caused by the base current flowing into T1. This causes the voltage at point A (V(A)) to be slightly negative. A quick measurement of the prototype showed that the base current into T1 was about 3 A. Without the offset compensation provided by trimpot P2 the output offset voltage VO would exceed 0.2 V: VO = (1 + R6/R5) V(A) VO = (1 + 10/1.5) 0.028 = 0.215 V The offset can therefore be removed by setting the differential amplifier to operate slightly asymmetrically. Although this isnt the best method as far as the sound quality is concerned, it does keep the circuit much simpler. Constant current settings The current source in the emitter branch (T3) is set to about 3 mA with diodes D1, D2 and resistor R4, which results in T4 being driven as linearly as possible. The audio signal then makes its way to the driver stage, T4, which drives the more powerful output transistors (T6 and T7). C4 has been added to provide a greater internal gain. The quiescent current in the output stage is set to about 5 mA with T5 and R9. Assuming a gain (hFE) of 50 in the output transistors, this 5 mA could theoretically provide a linear 0.005 A5032 = 8 Vpeak into 32 . However, some limitations are introduced by constant current source T5 and the voltage drop across the base-emitter junction of T7 (about 1.5 V). We should also take account of the voltage divider around R11 and R12 (R10 and R12) in the calculations. The maximum voltage Vmax across the load (RL) then becomes Vmax = RL / (RL + R11 + R12) (9 1.5) Vmax = 4.6 Vpeak This corresponds to about 3.26 Vrms, which is what we measured, as you can see in the specifications. This means that the circuit can deliver (3.262/32) = 330 mW into 32 , which should be enough to keep most pop and rock fans happy. Resistor R12, which follows the output stage, limits the output current and keeps the circuit stable when a capacitive load is connected, such as a long shielded cable to the headphones. This prevents the output transistors from overheating when there is a short circuit. R10 and R11 keep things symmetric. Despite the value of C2 in the feedback circuit, the bandwidth is still much greater than the audio bandwidth (see the specifications). To obtain a low corner frequency at the input we used 4.7 F for C1. A capacitor of 2.2 F (which is easier to obtain) still results in an acceptable corner frequency of 7 Hz (0.6 dB at 20 Hz). The measurements from one of our prototypes are shown in the circuit diagram. These should be seen as guideline values rather than as exact requirements. The PN junctions and the gain of the transistors can of course vary depending on the manufacturer (this also applies to the current consumption given in the specifications). Experimenting For those of you who dont mind a little bit more noise (although it will still be inaudible with most headphones), you can increase the impedance of the feedback loop to about 10 k. This can be achieved by increasing R5 and R6 in the parallel circuit to 10 k. In this case the base currents of T1 and T2 will compensate each other. If you like experimenting you can replace R5 with a resistor of 12 k and R6 with a resistor of 68 k (perfectionists should use 11.5 k and 76.8 k from the E96 series). It is unlikely that this offers an audible improvement, but there may be a smaller offset this way. Construction A small printed circuit board has been designed for this circuit (see Figure 2), which can be ordered via [1]. From here you can also download the board layout in PDF format. The component layout is shown in Figure 3. As usual, construction is easiest Continued page 28 >
eTech - ISSUE 9

LOW-COST HEADPHONE AMP

Music to your ears
By Stefan Dellemann (Germany) here have of course been numerous designs for headphone amplifiers before this one, either more or less successful and simpler or more elaborate. The design presented in this article is straightforward, sounds quite good and can be built using well-established components.

R2

R3 F G

C4 100u 16V

R8 150R T4 H

6..10V
+ C5

1k

1k

100u 25V

T1,T2,T3,T5 = BC550C T4 = BC560C T6 = BD139 T7 = BD140

A C1 P1 4u7 63V 10k R1 T1 T2

C3 R7 4k7 C2 6p8 R6 R5 B 100R T3 D1 D2 270R E 10k D3 K 10p

T6

R10 I J 10R R12 10R 10R R11

A = - 28mV B = - 33mV C = 0.73V D = 0.71V E = 1.37V F = 1.31V G = 1.37V H = 0.71V I = 1.4V J = 83.5mV K = 80.5mV

P2

2x 1N4148 D4
T5

10k

1k5

0
T7

R4 C

R9 150R D

+ C6

100u 25V

2x 1N4148

100701 - 11

6..10V

Figure1. The circuit for the simple headphone amplifier uses easy to get components (one channel shown).

Specifications
(output load: 33 , supply voltage: 9 V)
Input impedance (without P1) Bandwidth THD + Noise (1 kHz, 1 mW/33 ) THD + Noise (20 Hz - 20 kHz, 1 mW/33 ) Signal to noise ratio (ref. 1 mW/33 ) 10 k 3.4 Hz 2.4 MHz 0.005 % (B = 22 kHz) 0.01 % (B = 80 kHz) 89 dB (B = 22 kHz) 92 dBA 3.3 V (THD+N = 0.1 %) 0.57 V (with P1 set to maximum volume) 19 mA

These days its not that easy to find a separate headphone amplifier in the shops. They do exist, especially in the hi-fi world, but they come with a matching price tag. The design presented here comes in a bit below these high-end circuits, but can be built using easily obtainable components and still manages to have quite a good sound quality. The circuit The circuit could be described as a type of power-amp, built with discrete components (see Figure 1). At the input we find a volume control (P1, which is connected via a header) and a coupling capacitor (C1), followed by a differential amplifier (T1, T2) with a constant current source (T3) in the emitter branch. The preset between T1 and T2 (P2) is used to set the symmetry, or in other words, the output voltage is set to

Max. voltage (into 33 ) Max. input voltage Current consumption

Figure 2. The completed circuit is still compact despite the lack of SMDs.

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DESIGN TIPS

Component List
Resistors
R1,R6 = 10k R2,R3 = 1k R4 = 270 R5 = 1.5k R7 = 4.7k R8,R9 = 150 R10,R11,R12 = 10 P1 = 10k P2 = 100 trimpot

RS Stock No.
707-8300 707-8221 707-8189 707-8246 707-8280 707-8167 707-8063 See Connector P1 652-4502

Capacitors
C1 = 4.7F lead pitch 5mm or 7 , .5mm C2 = 6.8pF lead pitch 5mm , C3 = 10pF lead pitch 5mm , C4,C5,C6 = 100F 16V radial

RS Stock No.
483-3955 495-622 538-1360 707-5809

Figure4. The circuit has a distinctive appearance when its built into a ProjectCase.

Semiconductors
D1,D2,D3,D4 = 1N4148 T1,T2,T3,T5 = BC550C T4 = BC560C T6 = BD139 T7 = BD140

RS Stock No.
544-3480 545-2254 545-2484 314-1823 314-1817

< Continued from page 27 if you start soldering the lowest components (resistors, diodes) and then continue mounting increasingly higher components (capacitors, transistors, connection pins). You will need two boards for a stereo version, in which case P1 has to be replaced with a stereo potentiometer, so that the volume can be controlled on both channels simultaneously. If your audio source already includes a volume control, you can leave out P1 (put a jumper on the header or solder a wire link on the board from pin 1 and pin 2 of the header instead of the actual header). The input impedance of our suggested circuit (which includes P1) has a minimum of 5 k (P1 set to maximum volume). This shouldnt be a problem for most modern audio sources. Take note of the pin spacing of decoupling capacitor C1; the board accommodates 5 mm and 7 mm versions. .5 For the power supply you could use two 9V batteries. Alternatively, a 2x6 V, 5 VA transformer with a 1.5 A bridge rectifier and 8200 F/16 V per supply rail is another option. This could optionally be supplemented with a pair of voltage regulators. The output transistors (T6 en T7) probably dont need heatsinks in practice, although a small heatsink will make sure that they will be short circuit proof. We decided to build this circuit into an Elektor ProjectCase [2]. This is very easy to do and it gives it a distinctive look and a good view of the electronics (see Figure 4).
(100701) Internet Links [1] www.elektor.com/100701 [2] www.elektor.com/100500

Miscellaneous

RS Stock No.

Connection for P1 = 3-way socket strip, lead pitch 0.1 251-8092 P1 = 2-pin pinheader, lead pitch 0.1 251-8503 7 pcs 1.3mm diam. solder pin 631-9574 PCB # 100701, see [1]. PCB, order code 090190-1 www.elektor.com/090190

YOU BE THE JUDGE.

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Figure3. The component layout for the no-frills headphone amplifier.

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The Microchip name and logo and the Microchip logo are registered trademarks and chipKIT is a trademark of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. and other countries. The Digilent name and logo and Max32 are registered trademarks of Digilent Incorporated. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective trademark holders. These trademark holders are not afliated with Microchip Technology Incorporated or Digilent Incorporated, and do not support, sponsor or endorse chipKIT products or solutions. 2011, Microchip Technology Incorporated. All Rights Reserved.

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eTech - ISSUE 9

Continuous Evolution of Commodity Connectors

Steve Keep, European Distribution Marketing Manager at Molex, on how connector leaders need to stay one step ahead and evolve their commodity products

To paraphrase a famous political slogan from the 1990s its price, stupid. Its inevitable in our industry that operating margins will be increasingly challenged due to price pressure, especially in the area of commodity products. Additionally, the umbrella that encompasses what are called commodities is increasing in size to cover a wider product area.
The number of companies making commodity connector products, such as headers and sockets, has significantly increased in recent years creating pressure on prices. Molexs strategy to compete in this marketplace is to deliver new innovations, evolving its commodity products by adding new features that make them easier to use, allowing them to be designed in by new customers and in new applications. Delivering higher temperature ratings or changing plating options for enhanced reliability and increased mating cycles, enables us to differentiate our offering and compete not just on price alone. On crimp terminals, for example, weve added features such as nti A Fish Hooking, so the terminals do not become tangled up when supplied in a large bag. Its small but important features such as these that allow us to differentiate ourselves. Clearly, the competition will not stand still either and will no doubt look to imitate. And, of course, as the commodity umbrella becomes wider, it should now also be said to include USB, HDMI and FFC/FPC type connections. These technologies have been around for many years, but Molex continues to drive improvements to help it stay one step ahead of the competition. Another factor that can keep Molex as a market leader is its global manufacturing footprint. In times of fluctuating market conditions, allocation comes into play, which has affected some of Molexs competition. However Molex has the ability to leverage its global manufacturing machine so it can provide a continuous and reliable supply and maintain stable pricing to the market, avoiding potential large price hikes in commodities. The metals markets will also play a significant role, as commodity connectors are greatly exposed to the fluctuations of metals pricing. Metals such as copper and gold make up a big proportion of the cost of the connectors, so they have a big impact on product price. Molex is increasingly working with metals that are less price-sensitive, such as palladium, which is being used as an alternative to gold.

the umbrella that encompasses what are called commodities is increasing in size to cover a wider product area.

Molex is developing palladium contacts to be used in its PicoFlex range and some modular jacks and plugs. Palladium is not subject to such strong fluctuations in price, and also has as good if not better electrical properties for conductivity and also for durability. Fundamentally, its about continually evolving and improving on our products available today to both retain and grow market share.

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ELECTRONICS EXTRAS

SAFETY GLASSES
Lightweight spectacles from Boll Safety.
n Close fitting design, with a soft touch frame material and excellent field of view. RS Web search term: 689-9617

LOW LINTING GLOVES

For electronics assembly and inspection.
n Tight fitting for maximum dexterity and tactility, with open back for comfort and breathability. RS Web search term: polyflex white

ELECTRONICS EXTRAS

AGILENT 34401A
6.5 digit bench multimeter.
n Provides a combination of resolution, accuracy and speed for fast, accurate bench and system testing. RS Web search term: 501-354

5-PIECE ESD SCREWDRIVER SET

For use on electrostatically sensitive components.
n Set contains: 3x100mm slotted, 4x100mm slotted, PH0x60mm PHILLIPS,PH1x80mm PHILLIPS and PH2x100mm PHILLIPS screwdrivers. RS Web search term: 469-7096

DATALOGGER
Measures humidity, temperature and dewpoint to a high accuracy.
n With a simple USB interface for set-up and data download. Ideal for monitoring the performance of environmental test chambers and other long-term temperature related testing. RS Web search term: 666-8166

48 DRAWER STORAGE CABINET

Simple cabinet which is ideal for storing small component parts.
n Cabinets can be joined together to provide additional storage and can be free standing or wall mounted. Dividers are available to segment drawers which have a safety rim to prevent them falling out when fully opened. RS Web search term: 556-020

BRASS FIXING KIT

Range of brass slotted pan head screws, washers and nuts supplied in a handy storage case.

PANELPILOT SMART GRAPHICS DISPLAY

Plug n Play Programmable Panel Meter storage case.
n A software programmable - via USB - 3.5 TFT full colour display that allows the designer to choose from 30 ready-to-use meter styles in either landscape or portrait aspect, or design their own. Featuring a dual 0-40Vdc measurement input, IC interface, touch screen capability and full input scaling functionality the Panelpilot range is the cost-effective way of adding customised metering to your design. RS Web search term: 704-8131

n Contains over 2,000 items in sizes ranging from M2 to M6. RS Web search term: 100-282

DIGITAL CALIPER
Stainless hardened caliper with 1mm digital display.
n Measures 0 to 150mm / 6 inch with 0.01mm / 0.005 resolution. Accuracy is +-0.02mm / 0.001 . RS Web search term: 725-5689

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See more online - Over 5,000 new products are added at www.rs-components.com/electronics every month

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The Google ADK: Making Money Because of Something

By Andrew Back, Co-founder, SolderPad

year ago the question, Why would Google be interested in a microcontroller platform? would have been met with blank expressions. Yet in the keynote speech at the Google I/O conference in May 2011, the company unveiled the Arduino-based Accessory Development Kit for Android. Why is Google supporting microcontroller development and why choose Arduino? In this article we take a closer look at the ADK and consider the wider opportunity for Open Source Hardware.
An enabler for Android accessory development The Google Accessory Development Kit (ADK) was designed to support the prototyping of USB attached accessories for Android devices. It serves as both a development platform for low power microcontroller-based accessories, and as a reference implementation of the protocol used in communications between an Android device and accessory.

The Arduino advantage The answer to the question, why Arduino? is simple: cost, community, generativity [1] and ecosystem. The Arduino technology is low cost and boasts a large, enthusiastic and inventive community. While the platform and its approach to licensing can be considered to be generative, it has given birth to an ever growing ecosystem of derivative and compatible hardware and software. There are no licensing, partnership or non-disclosure agreements to be signed, or fees to be paid, and a strong culture of sharing exists. In selecting Arduino, Google was able to make use of legally unencumbered technology with a low barrier to entry and an expansive ecosystem of complementary hardware and software. Accelerated adoption The ADK hardware that Google launched was available at a cost of around 240 and was, by Arduino standards, expensive. However, given that Google provided all the design materials for the hardware and published these under a liberal licence, it didnt take long for a compatible clone to appear. In fact it took around a month, dispensed with the custom Arduino shield, and came in at a cost of close to 50. In the months that followed and in what could be considered completion of the Open Source Hardware (OSHW) cycle, the originators of the Arduino platform in-turn released their own ADK product. It would be reasonable to assume that this is precisely what Google had hoped for, as the cloned and derivative boards are also compatible with the ADK firmware and thus Android. Would there be such a rapid proliferation of ADK compatible products were the technology licensed under more restrictive terms? Unlikely. Its all about information Lets be clear: Google is not a hardware company. It may run its services on custom data centre technology and Google branded consumer devices exist, but the volume of hardware that the

company ships is relatively small and will only account for a tiny fraction of its overall revenue. Googles stated mission is to, organise the worlds information and make it universally accessible and useful In order to achieve this, Google needs . to do everything it can to drive the use of its services and data through itself. Thus the Android platform is not about generating revenue from device sales, it exists simply to extend the reach of Googles online services business. The ADK further strengthens the Android proposition and paves the way for the future Android @ Home framework, which will add home automation capabilities to the platform. Devices and device platforms are a means to an end: generating value by underpinning a strategy to collect information, organise it and make it available. A multi-faceted opportunity Googles motivations for employing Arduino in the creation of the ADK are clear. However, its important to recognise that the OSHW opportunity is not limited to development kits or as an adjunct to online services. A key lesson from Free/Open Source Software (F/OSS) has been that business opportunities are multi-faceted and may not be obvious. For example, open source can be used to create a market for services, drive implementationled standards or empower customers with the ability to innovate. Perhaps uniquely, it can be used to greatly reduce the cost associated with establishing a new technology platform, securing market share and disrupting incumbents. With the advent of open business models its no longer as simple as making something, selling it at a profit and protecting the associated intellectual property. This traditional model still works, clearly, but a greater number of options now exist and some of these may be used to gain an advantage over competitors that have taken a simpler approach. Open for the consumer Google was not the first to recognise the opportunity for the application of OSHW technology in the consumer space. Initiated in 2009, Homesense was a research project that looked at how we might design smart homes from the bottom up .

Open Source

The ADK comprises two major parts: hardware that connects to the Android device via USB, and supporting software. The hardware consists of an Arduino Mega 2560 that has been extended to integrate a USB Googles stated mission host controller, and a custom Arduino shield. USB host capability is required as the vast majority of Android devices do not support it. The Arduino shield plugs into the ADK mainboard and provides various basic inputs and outputs, including a joystick, LEDs and temperature and light sensors. Communication between the device and ADK board is facilitated by the Android Accessory Protocol. A library for this, along with a USB host driver, are provided for the ADK and simply drop into the Arduino development environment. Support in Android itself appeared in version 3.1 of the platform and has also been backported to version 2.3.4. Software development is then split across the Android application via its Software Development Kit (SDK) built using, for example, the Eclipse Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and the Arduino IDE for the ADK board firmware.

organise the worlds information and make it universally accessible and useful

Continued page 36 >

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< Continued from page 35 Working with selected households across Europe, the project provided them with a kit of Arduinocompatibleelectronic building blocks, a manual and access to a local technical expert. In 2008 Bug Labs launched The Bug System, described as a modular, open source system for building devices . At the heart of the system is the Bugbase a small ARMpoweredcomputer that runs Linux, can be extended via a range of hardware modules, and supports the Java Open Services Gateway initiative (OSGi) framework and Eclipse IDE for software development. The Bug System has been put to use by businesses such as Accenture and Orange in prototyping mobile technology, and in September 2011 Bug Labs and Ford jointly announced they would be developing and distributing tools to, advance in-car connectivity innovationThis new . platform, named OpenXC, is based on the Bug system and according to Ford is about creating a platform that is totally accessible to the developer community and quickly incorporates local market needs to offer innovative solutions at an affordable price pointThe idea being that the car . becomes a docking station for interchangeable plug-and-play hardware and software, thereby enabling a high degree of customisation of in-car connectivity features and services. Conclusion In 2011 we saw companies such as Google with the ADK, Facebook with Open Compute and Ford in its use of The Bug System, bet on OSHW, and one thing became very clear: this is no longer a niche phenomenon. The biggest mistake that can be made in attempting to understand such moves is to assume they are simply acts of altruism or a high risk gamble, from organisations with deep pockets. While there are clear societal benefits associated with OSHW this is by no means where the story ends. Significant business opportunities are present in what author and research fellow Doc Searls has dubbed the because effect, which he neatly describes as, what happens when you make more money because of something than with something Its vital to think beyond the notion of giving . something away and to consider the opportunity in the round. This is something that Google was quick to recognise first with online search and it has clearly paid off.
Footnotes [1] Generativity is a systems capacity to produce unanticipated change through unfiltered contributions from broad and varied audiences. J.Zittrain, The Future of The Internet and How to Stop It, pp. 70.

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CONNECTOR TECHNOLOGIES
You May Have Missed
By Dave Pike, Marketing Engineer nlike the latest innovations in semiconductor design, the development of new interconnection technology will rarely grab the industry news headlines. But this does not mean that innovation is absent. In this article we will discuss a range of recent developments in connector designs and products, which despite being available for some time now, perhaps have not received the recognition they deserve.

Related Connectors

Harting ATCA Connector - 458-452

Souriau UTS - 190-958

Alternative Terminations Connectors need to be terminated to wires, cables or printed circuit boards to function, and this often requires the use of expensive and cumbersome tools. Many connector manufacturers have turned their attention to reducing the need for tools and training. The IDC SSL connector range from TE Connectivity is designed specifically for LED lighting applications, and uses simple push-on insulation displacement technology to assist with quick installation. The contacts are designed to accept stranded or solid

wires without the need to pre-strip or pre-solder, and the rounded edges of the connector body minimises the connectors effect on light distribution in LED applications. Another example of tool-free termination is manufactured by Phoenix Contact. Its Combicon plug-n-play technology features a spring-cage termination method, which uses a spring-metal contact that grips solid or stranded wire without requiring special tools. Termination in the field is therefore considerably easier, removing the need for either expensive tooling or extensive training. The company has employed this technology in a number of product ranges, including DIN rail terminal blocks. Press-fit contacts have been in use for many years, but they have evolved into a high-specification termination method suitable for a wide range of applications. Press-fit has become an established feature of the latest highspeed 2mm ATCA or AdvancedTCA (Telecommunications Computing Architecture) connectors for telecom rack applications, which is the latest evolution of the legacy DIN41612 backplane connector. Press fit termination has proven itself to be very robust and has advanced to the point where it can be used in many other applications.

Finally, in alternative terminations are some board-to-board connectors from PRECI-DIP that feature sprung loaded contacts, making them good for vibration resistance and suitable for PCBs that are frequently removed and reinserted. Miniaturising Board-to-Board Connections As electronic designs continue to grow smaller, of particular interest are products that provide board-to-board connection for two parallel mezzanine boards. Molexs board-stacking SlimStacktm connectors feature durable blade-onbeam contacts that offer considerable height savings over traditional pin and socket technology, and are ideal for the tight space constraints found in portable and mobile consumer products. The connector profile is very low, and the distance between boards can be as little as 1.5mm. The Hirose DF23 connector is similar and is also good for high-vibration environments, making it suitable for handheld equipment with multiple boards, stacking again at distances of only 1.5mm. Both products offer very fine pitches, as small as 0.5mm between contacts. Application Crossover As is common in the industry, technologies often find applications beyond those for which they were originally developed, and this is also true of connectors. There is an increasing drive by manufacturers to develop slimline versions of devices that originally were intended for defence applications. The Glenair series 80 Mighty Mouse

circular connector is aimed at high-reliability applications, including aerospace and defence, but has found favour in medical, industrial and geo-physical applications, where small size and light weight are essential. The series offers virtually equal performance to the MIL -DTL -38999 standard interconnects, but saves around 70% in weight and 50% in overall size for equivalent layouts. Another instance is Souriaus UTS series, which is the latest evolution of the very popular Trim Trio family, featuring black plastic housings and ergonomic mouldings. Derived from a previous generation of connectors, the UTS series is very user friendly and appealing, while still retaining the characteristics of robustness and water resistance, which has made it popular in applications such as road traffic management, weather stations and industrial robotics. Amphenol has also entered the market with its Terrapin miniature rugged series of circular push-pull connectors. Originally designed for soldermounted applications such as radios and GPS units, Terrapin is suitable for Gigabit Ethernet and therefore widely used in LAN switches and routers. Its high degree of sealing also makes it ideal for outdoor use in ground sensor and surveillance applications. Manufacturers are also producing variants of connectors originally developed for the automotive market. These are lightweight plastic connectors that are waterproof and lockable, and are still marketed as automotive solutions. However, their common features of crimp contacts, rugged housings and waterproof sealing make them ideal for harsh environment applications such as remote groundwater monitoring or building controls. Leading examples of this multi-application technology include the JWPF series from JST, TE Connectivitys SSC family and Deutschs DTM series.

High Speed Transmission In the high-speed connector segment, devices have been developed that are even higher speed variants that meet the ATCA standard. A leading example in this area is FCIs ZipLinetm connector series, which offers high signal density and data rates up to 12.5Gbit/s for board-to-board or backplane connection. Also, Harting has developed the standard M12 (12mm) connector to handle 10Gbit/s and meeting the demanding requirements for high-speed transmission in Cat.6a cabling systems, primarily targeting applications in industrial machinery networking. The connector meets the recent PAS 61076-2-10x standard, which defines a uniform mating face for 8-pole M12 connectors. And last but not least, FCIs SFP Plus connectors have been designed to handle 10Gbit/s bandwidth for high-speed fibre-channel over Ethernet applications.

Phoenix Spring Cage - 699-8679

Glenair Mighty Mouse - 713-2889

PRECI-DIP Spring-Loaded - 702-0301

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tm Molex SlimStack - 668-9371

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FCI Ziplinetm - 725-6213
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POWERED BY

DESIGNSPARKPCB

The Home of Online Resources and Design Support for Engineers

By Pete Wood

Version 3 is here.

Starting a new design? Thinking about buying a Dev Kit? Want to know if its any good?
A major feature of DesignSpark is a library of independent reviews for development kits and evaluation platforms written by our members. This feature allows users to post comments and star ratings for each kit. Covering a wide range of microcontrollers, microprocessors, analogue and FPGA development kits, with news kits being regularly added.

What our members are saying about some of our most popular kits, ARM mbed LPC1768 Module RS Part Number: 703-9238 mbed is a tool for rapid prototyping which lets you create prototypes without having to work with low-level microcontroller details.

Microchip MPLAB ICD 3 and Explorer 16 Microcontroller Kit RS Part Number: 687-2741 Microchips latest and most cost-effective high speed emulator for Microchip Flash Digital Signal Controller and microcontroller devices.

With over 100,000 downloads DesignSpark PCB is the worlds most powerful, FREE award winning PCB design software.
Key Features:
Spice Simulation to export netlists from DesignSpark PCB to several popular simulation tools including LTSpice and TINA Quickly calculate impedance, capacitance and heat dissipation in your designs with the Design Calculator Group multiple items in your design so that they act as one unit with the Group function View your PCB layout with the 3D viewer Support unlimited PCB layers and unlimited sheets per project No license restrictions or time limit on license Generates industry standard Gerber files, Excellon, DXF IDF and more ,

Probably the best way to get started with 16 bits micros from Microchip . A very good kit if you need to start with Microchip, especially if you look for a debugger and 16 bits board This module is a piece of art. The core is fast (96 MHz), and has the large bus width (32bit). Frankly, for fast prototyping at work, or just fun for anyone interested in electronics, the mbed offers a simple yet powerful way of getting things done The board is packed to the max with components on both sides and looks like a lot of effort was gone to, to make this as small as possible. Which is good as you want a plug in block like this to be small I really think that this is a very good development kit, because it gives you everythings you need to start if youre new at pic 16/32 bit Xilinx Spartan-3AN FPGA evaluation kit RS Part Number: 697-3406 A complete development system and an out-of-the-box functionality to quickly test out the Spartan-3AN device features.

I have to say I was very impressed, the applications do a good job of demonstrating the power of the device and what can be achieved. If you are starting with this card as I do, I suggest you also try the link with Labview. Its amazing, you can create a VI and interact with the card in real time

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iSAY

PAUL J CLARKE, MIET, ELECTRONIC DESIGN ENGINEER, EBM-PAPST UK LTD, SAYS:

Electronics is fun!
Electronics is fun! Its easy for people to think that tinkering around with bits of wires and little black chips is very geeky and not very interesting. I mean, who is going to think quiescent currents and peristaltic capacitance is fun? However, electronics and engineering is fun and is a large part of why we do it. Getting others to see and share in our excitement over downloading Blinky for the first time to an Arduino board is hard work, but something we should all be doing.

The talent is out there and the projects are of a very high standard.

I have heard lots of talk about the lack of engineering skills and that kids leaving school are just not interested. The sad fact is that this is happening, and despite the keen interest in computer science, there is a real lack of talent coming through into the work place. I have, however, been lucky enough to see that children are actually more excited about engineering and, thankfully, electronics than you may think. I have run electronics clubs at schools and along with my technical director at ebm-papst get to judge at a local engineering society for schools. The talent is out there and the projects are of a very high standard. So maybe the issue is that we older

engineers just need to remember our roots and go back to talking about everyday electronics, the stuff that makes electronics fun the blinky LEDs and annoying siren sounds you can make with a 555 timer circuit. I have found that the new generation of kids are just as passionate about these projects as I was. In just the last few weeks, a student visiting ebm-papst who classed themselves as non-creative, found herself making stick people out of old components while learning to solder. What we need are creative and easy ways for new engineers to learn about and get into our world. Thankfully there is an army of people doing this without knowing it.The growth in Open Source Hardware (OSHW) means we are seeing not only full-time engineers but also hobbyists designing and releasing easy-to-use development / prototyping boards. Never has there been a better time to play with 32-bit microcontrollers or to start learning the complex world of FPGAs through easyto-use interfaces like the Arduino programming interface. So whether youre an experienced engineer or just starting out, take time to look at these new kits, download that blinky LED project, remember why you love engineering so much and make certain that you, and others, have fun in everyday electronics.

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Need a Decode Expert but have Limited Budget?

LeCroys New WaveSurfer MXs-B Oscilloscopes. Leaves the Competition Standing.

Tools for Efficient Design and Debug from 200 MHz 1 GHz
Excellent Performance 200 MHz, 400 MHz, 600 MHz, and 1 GHz Bandwidth 10 GS/s maximum Sample Rate 25 Mpts Memory standard 18/36 Digital Channels optional Rich Feature Set WaveStream Fast Update Mode WaveScan Search and Find LabNotebook Documentation and Report Generator Widest Range of Serial Data Tools I2C, SPI, UART CAN, LIN, FlexRay USB Audio (I2S, LJ, RJ, TDM) MIL-STD-1553, ARINC 429 MIPI D-PHY, DigRF 3G, DigRF v4

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AMPLIMITE D-Subminiature Connector Family

The D-Subminiature connector continues to be an input/output standard for a wide variety of new and existing applications in communications, computers, industrial equipment and instrumentation. TE Connectivity is able to offer one of the broadest and most versatile families in this connector style in both standard and high density variants. PCB mount products are available in a multitude of footprints and congurations for both solder and press t termination. Cable products are suitable for crimp, solder or IDC termination, and are supported by application tooling to suit all production situations. A comprehensive range of complementary accessories and hardware completes the Amplimite family ensuring that an ideal solution can be provided for all application needs.

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AMP AMPLIMITE, TE Connectivity and TE connectivity (logo) are trademarks ,