Free tool for precision signal-path design

When designing a precision signal path, the overall strategy is to reach the required precision by controlling individual sources of error. These sources are the main components of the error-budget equation which can be used when designing a signal-conditioning block.

An error-budget calculator has been developed by a member of Future Electronics’ extensive technical team, allowing users to evaluate different op-amps using a range of electrical parameters and ambient temperatures. Future Electronics are offering this tool free-of-charge to all FTM readers.

 

High-voltage full-bridge inverter specified for efficient LCD backlighting

Freescale Semiconductor’s Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (MRAM) range is now available for rugged and environmentally demanding applications, achieving industrial and extended temperature qualification. The entire 1Mbit, 2Mbit and 4Mbit MRAM families are now available with commercial (0°C to 70°C), industrial (0°C to 85°C) and extended (-40°C to105°C) temperature ranges.

MRAM offers exceptional price/performance within the high-density Non-Volatile RAM (NVRAM) market, featuring instant-on capability and power-loss protection. In addition, MRAM devices operate at SRAM speeds over a wide range of temperatures without the need for battery-backup.

 

ESD technology achieves reduced capacitance and clamping voltage

A family of full-bridge fluorescent-backlight controller ICs has been developed by NXP Semiconductors to offer increased energy efficiency for LCD-TV applications.

NXP’s UBA2074 is a true high-voltage full-bridge inverter controller IC, able to directly drive up to 550V supplied full bridges without the need for external level shifters or gate-drive transformer constructions. The IC supports continuously increasing LCD-TV panel sizes, growing backlight power requirements and enables the creation of highly-efficient high-power fluorescent backlight inverter designs on LCD-TV integrated power boards.

 

Low-cost connector handles WiFi and WiMax

The Quick Stripline (QSL) RF connector series from Tyco, supports the increasing demands for WiFi (802.11) and WiMax (802.16) products and applications. The coaxial cable displacement interface is a cost-effective alternative to standard screw machine connectors for most cable-to-cable and cable-to-PC board applications.

The QSL interface exhibits high performance through 6GHz, and has durability of 250 cycles for single port and 500 cycles minimum for 3-port QSL connectors. The platform is easily expandable, with performance headroom for new RF platforms and standards initiatives, such as WiMAX, WiBRO, WiMEDIA, intelligent transportation, wireless broadcast and beyond