EDN back issues from October 1991:
SCPI instruments will ease ATE development. (the Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments standard for automatic test equipment development)(includes related articles on the SCPI Consortium and on major SCPI subsystems)(Technology Update)
Oct 01, 1991; ... The SCPI (Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments, pronounced "Skippy") standard promises to simplify the programming of automatic test systems. Companies complying with the standard will ensure that similar instruments from different manufacturers have similar command languages. ...
Serial memory offers cheap frills: serial EEPROMs. (includes a related article on interfacing alternatives)(Technology Update)
Oct 01, 1991; ... Serial EEPROMs provide an opportunity to add nonvolatile memory to your system at very low cost, both in terms of price and system resources. Newer devices also have the ability to protect your data, speed the data-transfer rate, and operate at lower voltages. As the name ...
3.5-in. optical drive offers MO and read-only modes. (Teac America Inc.'s OD-3000 multifunction drive uses read/write magneto-optical technology and reads optical ROM disks)(EDN Editors' Choice) (Column)
Oct 01, 1991; ... The OD-3000 optical disk drive lets designers buy optical technology in the increasingly popular 3 1/2-in. form factor. The multifunction drive uses read/write MO (magneto-optical) technology and reads O-ROM (optical read-only memory) disks, whose features are similar to those of 5 ...
Generator owes accuracy and versatility to DSP and arbitrary-waveform technology. (Analogic Corp.'s 2030 function generator uses digital signal processing technology)(EDN Editors' Choice) (column)
Oct 01, 1991; ... Analogic Corp's 2030 harnesses technology not yet widely used in function generators to make daunting wave-form-generation tasks seem rather straightforward. You can set it up to produce complicated waveforms with no more difficulty than you can get classical generators to output sine, ...
IC tester offers 200-MHz testing for analytical applications. (Integrated Measurement Systems Inc.'s Logic Master ATS integrated circuit test station) (product announcement)
Oct 01, 1991; ... The Logic Master ATS test station provides characterization of new chips, failure analysis, quality assurance, and low-volume production tests fro devices requiring clock rates as high as 200 MHz. Proper device characterization requires clock rates and accuracy comparable to a production ...
FDDI stations. (Fiber Distributed Data Interface local area networks)(EDN Special Report) (Cover Story)
Oct 01, 1991; ... Local-area networks (LANs) are becoming as congested as our nation's highways. Packet data traveling on Ethernet LANs must share a single 10-Mbps pathway. Packet data on a Token Ring LAN migrate at 4 or 16 Mbps. These posted speed limits can cause severe data-traffic jams during peak ...
EDN's DSP-chip directory. (digital signal processing integrated circuits) (directory)
Oct 01, 1991; ... This year there are many new DSP parts that add to the array of optional word formats, peripherals, and memory sizes. Naturally these family members are created to fit an existing or perceived market. In the past, if your application didn't fit easily within an existing device, you were ...
Chipset maker delivers seven microprocessors: OEM-programmable facilities. (Chips & Technologies introduces 80X86-compatible chips)
Oct 03, 1991; ... NEW YORK, NY--PC chip set pioneer Chips & Technologies Inc (San Jose, CA) will this week announce seven 80X86-compatible microprocessor. Beyond being another attempt to chip away at Intel Corp.'s market dominance, the announcement is another example of how chip vendors are designing in ...
Memory-card interface ICs follow spec. (Fujitsu, Intel chips conform to PC Memory Card International Association's specification) (product announcement)
Oct 03, 1991; ... SANTA CLARA, CA--Interface ICs that should ease the integration of credit-card-sized removeable memory and I/O cards into computers or embedded systems hailed last week from Fujitsu Microelectronics (San Jose, CA) and Intel Corp (Folsom, CA). The announcements come on the heels ...
Hot multimedia enablers generate modest hiring. (engineering employment opportunities)
Oct 03, 1991; ... Compression/decompression products--which greatly enable computer systems to simultaneously run still- and full-motion video, audio, graphics, and text--are moving multimedia out of marketing presentations and into the marketplace. But even though much development is under way, hiring is ...
Off-the-shelf pin drivers take on custom counterparts; though ATE makers still prefer bipolar parts, some turn to GaAs. (automatic test equipment; gallium-arsenide)
Oct 03, 1991; ... Testing the fastest, most precise ICs in development requires components whose performance exceeds that of those being tested. That constraint forces many automatic test equipment companies to design custom pin electronics, but in an era of tighter development budgets, ATE makers are ...
Fast-framing cameras surpass RS-170; at Electronic Imaging/East. (RS-170 video rate standard)
Oct 03, 1991; ... BOSTON, MA--The video camera as an input device will continue next week to gain greater attention at Electronic Imaging/East, an exhibition traditionally dominated by image-processor and frame-grabber board introductions. While fast-framing cameras--those that operate at rates ...
R4000 processors begin sampling; NEC and others now sampling; expect production quantities early next year. (reduced-instruction-set-computer microprocessors)
Oct 03, 1991; ... SAN JOSE, CA--This week, expect several silicon manufacturers of R4000 reduced-instruction-set-computing (RISC) microprocessors to announce that engineering samples of chips that implement Mips Computer Systems' 64-bit microprocessor architecture are available now with volume production ...
A closer look at the benchmarks. (what separates Chips & Technologies' 38605 microprocessor from Intel's 80386)
Oct 03, 1991; ... "The biggest issue all OEMs struggle with is how to differentiate their products beyond just price. If a CPU absorbs more logic internally, how do you differentiate externally?" asks Acer's Chwang. Acer typically does so by using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) next to ...
Dependent-care benefits gain new attention; and just in time for EEs juggling family needs and career demands.(includes a related article on IBM's family leave policy)
Oct 03, 1991; ... What can you do if you work until 5:30 or 6:00 pm, but the only preschool you can find for your child closes at 5:00? Or if your mother, who lives 1000 miles away, suddenly needs nursing-home care? When dealing with such commanding personal decisions, it can be difficult to concentrate on ...
Get your boss to approve design-tool purchases; address the fundamental questions; add salesmanship. (tutorial)
Oct 03, 1991; ... In today's tough economic and competitive business environments, companies face difficult tradeoffs between minimizing expenditures and equipping their employees with the right tools. Those that are reluctant to invest in equipment may strangle the productivity and thoroughness of their ...
Software clues balance bench-level intuition; analog simulation vs breadboarding. (combining breadboarding and simulation in analog circuit design)(Technology Update)
Oct 10, 1991; ... If you're like many analog designers, you tend to be wary of simulation. But if you exclusively rely on traditional breadboarding techniques, you're overlooking simulation's potential to provide you with valuable design insight. Simulation can provide clues to a circuit's performance ...
Costly technology can save you money; VXI source guide. (VXIbus products)(Technology Update) (buyers guide)
Oct 10, 1991; ... You aren't necessarily an iconoclast if you conclude that the VXIbus (VME extensions for instrumentation) is a bad idea; that the engineers who thought up the modular-instrumentation standard four years ago should at least be fired and probably shot. Others have come to similar ...
Boards speed Windows and vie as standards: PC graphics boards. (Comdex Trends)(includes a related article on local-bus VGA boards)
Oct 10, 1991; ... Fall Comdex will showcase the newest trends and the latest confusion in IBM PC graphics. This year's show will be no exception, and the clear trend is the virtually unimous acceptance of Windows 3.0 as the first de facto graphical-user-interface (GUI) standard for the PC. Because of the ...
Price and size shrink while capacity grows: mass-storage devices. (Comdex Trends)
Oct 10, 1991; ... As the Comdex Fall extravaganza quickly approaches, there's no question the hot topic of mass-storage devices will be shrinking peripherals. The downsizing theme may sound like same song, 20th verse, but this year you can find examples of smaller floppy-disk, hard-disk, tape, and optical ...
x86-compatible CPUs' supervisory layer lets you customize PC designs. (the Superstate technology used in Chips and Technologies Inc.'s 8680, 38605SX and 38605DX microprocessors)(EDN Editors' Choice) (Column)
Oct 10, 1991; ... One problem that plagues PC manufacturers is differentiating their computers based on something other than price. Although previously not a supplier of CPUs, Chips and Technologies has developed the X86-compatible family of [microprocessor]s. This family includes a hardware and software ...
VGA controller IC provides RAMDAC and bus interface on chip. (Cirrus Logic Inc.'s CL-GD5410 integrated circuit) (product announcement)
Oct 10, 1991; ... The CL-GD5410 VGA controller IC integrates RAMDAC and bus-interface circuits and supports color and monochrome display applications. In fact, you can build a minimally configured 3-chip graphics card using the VGA IC and two dynamic RAMs (DRAMs). The high level of integration makes the ...
Switching mainframe minimizes wiring and ensures signal integrity. (Keithley Instruments Inc.'s Model 7001) (product announcement)
Oct 10, 1991; ... According to the vendor, the Model 7001 mainframe provides the highest density switching of any half-rack mainframe in the test and measurement market. It can handle as many as 80 channels of 2-pole switching, and it simplifies system setup. The mainframe has two slots that can ...
Mainframe provides signal conditioning for as many as 384 instrument channels. (National Instruments Corp.'s Signal Conditioning eXtensions for Instrumentation series) (product announcement)
Oct 10, 1991; ... If you have tried to use your PC to perform signal conditioning for hundreds of channels of data, you've probably been frustrated by noise problems and the limited number of expansion slots in your computer. However, a new product line called the Signal Conditioning eXtensions for ...
Variable-gain amplifier lowers noise and distortion but keeps bandwidth at 35 MHz. (Analog Devices Inc.'s AD600 and AD602 voltage-controlled amplifiers) (product announcement)
Oct 10, 1991; ... Most voltage-controlled amplifiers use some sort of nonlinear circuit element directly in the signal path. These nonlinear elements increase distortion and noise and often force bandwidth tradeoffs as you vary the gain. The internal architecture of the AD600 and AD602 prevents you from ...
High-performance oscilloscopes. (EDN Special Report) (Cover Story)
Oct 10, 1991; ... Using the right oscilloscope for your application will make your work easier, save you time, and, in the long run, save you money. To select the right scope, you need to analyze your application and determine what features and specs will meet your requirements. You need to be sure you ...
The mysteries of probing. (probing and oscillography)(includes related articles on what to look for in oscilloscopes and on building your own oscilloscope)(The Jim Williams Papers)
Oct 10, 1991; ... Measuring a high-speed linear circuit is a classic problem in observability. The problem is twofold: Stimulating and prbing the circuit without disturbing its behavior and ensuring that the waveforms on your oscilloscope's screen are valid representations of your circuit's behavior. ...
Correcting power-supply problems. (in operational amplifiers)(The Jim Williams Papers) (technical)
Oct 10, 1991; ... Two of the most common problems encountered in any circuit design that uses high-speed op amps are those of power-supply bypassing and pc-board layout technques. Of these two problems, power-supply bypassing is by far the most common. Bypassing is necessary to maintain a low supply ...
DSP start-up tackles code question; graphical programming, cell library avoid hand-packed code. (digital signal processing; Star Semiconductor) (Product Announcement)
Oct 17, 1991; ... WARREN, NJ--Digital signal-processing start-up Star Semiconductor this week announces an IC and associated development tools that aim to eliminate the need for writing code line-for-line. Such "hand-packed" code can add weeks to development time and the slightest mistake can bit back ...
IC makers strengthen EISA support: systems using 32-bit MicroChannel alternative still on tap. (integrated circuit, Extended Industry Standard Architecture) (Product Announcement)
Oct 17, 1991; ... LAS VEGAS, NV--Texas Instruments last week became the third non-Intel supplier of interface chips for the Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus scheme. The company joins Opti Inc (Santa Clara, CA), which next week adds a buffer chip to its EISA set, and Symphony Laboratories ...
EEs debunk notion of "shortage"; readers urge retraining in exclusive interview. (electrical engineers)
Oct 17, 1991; ... A full 78% of you say there's no shortage of engineers and you give three reasons why: engineering hires are down in your region (79%); salaries are stable (78%); and engineering layoffs have risen (76%). The 22% who say there is a shortage cite one fact--it's hard to match ...
Graphics board makers anoint Microsoft; but IBM's register-conscious graphics modes will live on as developers tie in to the CPU bus. (Microsoft Corp's Windows graphical user interface is standard of choice for board makers at the Comdex Fall 1991 trade show)
Oct 17, 1991; ... LAS VEGAS, NV--After two years of searching for the next definitive graphics standard, board makers believe they've found it: Microsoft Windows. At Comdex next week, at least a half dozen graphics-board houses will introduce boards that opt for fixed-function hardware ...
VME community considers a 400-Mbyte/sec bus extension: greatest appeal is for 3U vendors; most await test data. (PEP Modular Computers' Autobahn bus) (VME bus)
Oct 17, 1991; ... MUNICH GERMANY--PEP Modular Computers will next week release technical details for a serial bus scheme that transfers data at up to 400 Mbytes/sec. Called Autobahn, the buys could, over time, prove most useful to vendors that endorse the compact 3U VME format. Because 3U VME ...
Board-tester makers turn to VXI systems; boundary scan makes inroads as well. (VXIbus-compatible systems)
Oct 17, 1991; ... NASHVILLE, TN--Product introductions leading up to the International Test Conference, beginning here next week, reveal that he industry-wide movement to open systems and standards is affecting test equipment designs as well. Automatic test equipment (ATE) standardization may take the form ...
Neural networks opt for acceleration add-ins; larger data sets tilt many toward board-level approach.
Oct 17, 1991; ... Formerly arcane neural-network technology is appearing on standard buses using standard microprocessors. Even though DOS-software implementations are available at the low end for 80X86-based hosts, board-level accelerator add-ins are often chosen to speed neural processing tasks. And as ...
Chip set switches Ethernet, token-ring modes: some still report jitter problems with 16-Mbps token-ring scheme. (switchable local area network chip sets) (Texas Instruments Inc.'s TMS380)
Oct 17, 1991; ... SAN JOSE, CA--Chips and Technologies says its "either net" chip set will run either Ethernet or token-ring local area network (LAN) protocols. TI is also developing a "switchable" dual-function chip set that supports both popular LAN formats for personal computers. Token-ring ...
Data-acq modules incorporate I/O functions. (GreenSpring Computers' IndustryPacks bus-independent data acquisition modules)(input/output) (Product Announcement)
Oct 17, 1991; ... MENLO PARK, CA--The IP-ADIO data-acquisition module is the latest in a series of bus-independent modules, called IndustryPacks, from GreenSpring Computers. The 13-bit module is guaranteed to have a 10 ppm/[degrees] C maximum drift and a programmable analog-input range from 4.8 [mu]V to [+ ...
Consumer parts, PC-based CAE figure heavily in design. (computer-aided engineering) (GreenSring Computers Inc.'s IP-ADIO module from the company's IndustryPack line)
Oct 17, 1991 ... GreenSpring's IP-ADIO module was originally developed for the Kodak Approval Digital Color Proofing System (Eastman Kodak's four-color halftone imaging system). The system, which requires a minimum of 12-bit resolution with sample rates up to 10 kHz, produces prepress proofs on coated ...
Will diversity dictate electronics' future? Demographic trends will bring more women, minorities into engineering ranks. (Career News)
Oct 17, 1991; ... Electronics companies are nervous about their future supply of engineers. Reports such as the 1987 Hudson Institute's Workforce 2000: Work and Workers for the 21st Century predict that only 15% of new entrants to the job market in the year 2000 will be white males, compared with 47% ...
Why there aren't enough "gold-collar" EEs. (electrical engineers) (Commentary) (Column)
Oct 17, 1991; ... The evolution of high technology throughout the last decade has bred a new class of employees: "gold collar." In engineering, the term refers to technical experts from Silicon Valley and major R&D companies who have become some of the most sought-after employees in the world. And there ...
A high school takes the initiative. (the California Academy's innovative approach to technical curriculum)
Oct 17, 1991 ... One California high school is trying to change the face of engineering, one student at a time. For starters, the California Academy is redefining how math and science should be taught. But more importantly, the academy believes that students from all backgrounds can excel in these ...
Stagnant economy stalls Southwest hiring: Arizona, New Mexico victims of defense spending. (includes related article on groups that track employment leads for electrical engineers)(Regional Profile)
Oct 17, 1991; ... A year ago, Arizona and New Mexico's electronics communities thought they were on the brink of a development spurt--and they still believe in that premise. However, actual development has been slow to materialize. Engineering jobs are somewhat eaaier to find than a year ago, ...
Symbol Technologies to add 50. (electronics engineers)
Oct 17, 1991 ... BOHEMIA, NY -- By the end of 1992, Symbol Technologies Inc will add 35 design engineers and 14 quality assurance, test, and manufacturing engineers to its 250-person technical staff. Symbol manufacturers barcode-based data capture systems and radio frequency products. Most of ...
Smart cards gear up for belated success. (computer chips packaged as credit cards)(includes related articles on various definitions of 'smart cards' and on smart card applications)
Oct 24, 1991; ... Inquiring minds might want to know why smart cards, if they're so smart, haven't been more successful. Only a few years ago, the credit card containing a computer chip seemed destined to affect the daily lives of practically everyone in the industrialized world. The predicted proliferation ...
Monolithic circuits expedite desktop video: video-compression chips. (includes a related article on video-compression techniques and standards)
Oct 24, 1991; ... Although advances in processing speed, memory density, and mass-storage capacities have made the desktop computer a viable platform for video applications, these advances don't provide the power and capacity to handle the enormous amounts of data in video images. The person that said "a ...
Wescon '91 offers a treasury of technology: show preview.
Oct 24, 1991; ... San Francisco will be swarming with engineers from November 19 to 21 for Wescon '91. High-speed logic design, memory systems, and PC applications and architectures are only a few of the topics that will be covered in 30 technical sessions. Nine technical courses will give engineers access ...
Componic '91: show preview. (the electronics exhibition to be held Nov 18 to 22 in Paris)
Oct 24, 1991; ... Componic '91, one of the dominant European electronics exhibitions, will run from November 18 to 22 at the Paris-Nord Exposition Center ("Parc des Expositions"). The Center is located on the express subway line, which links Charles de Gaulle Airport to Paris. Manufacturers will exhibit ...
Signal processor implements analog and digital functions in real time. (Star Semiconductor Corp.'s Sproc 1400 digital signal processor)(EDN Editor's Choice: Innovation)
Oct 24, 1991; ... Representing a major departure from the architecture and programming methods of other digital signal processors, the Sproc 1400 and future members of the 1000 family consist of a central memory unit shared by as many as four 24-bit, fixed-point processors. Programming the IC requires no ...
Modem IC fills fax and data roles and records audio using ADPCM compression. (Yamaha Corporation of America's TYM403 FAX VOdem integrated circuit)(adaptive differential pulse-code modulation)(EDN Editor's Choice: Innovation)
Oct 24, 1991; ... The Yamaha YTM403 FAX VOdem IC combines the capability of recording and playing back audio with the capability of handling fax- and data-modem functions. You can use the IC in board designs that transmit faxes and data files and fin voice-mail and answering-machine roles. The IC can also ...
DACs offer programmable output range and single- or dual-supply operation. (Micro Linear Corp.'s ML2340, -41, -50 and -51 digital-to-analog converters) (Product Announcement)
Oct 24, 1991; ... The ML2340/41/50/51 D/A converter (DAC) family gives you a lot of freedom in choosing supply and output voltages. The devices can operate from a single or dual supply while working in either bipolar or unipolar mode. They also offer a programmable output swing and provide a reference ...
CD-quality audio ICs let PC mother boards meet multimedia specs. (Crystal Semiconductor Corp.'s CS4215 and CS4216 stereo-audio coder/decoders) (Product Announcement)
Oct 24, 1991; ... As the PC industry continues to herald the approaching era of multimedia, system developers can now select from two ICs that simplify the problem of upgrading computer hardware. In a straightforward and cost-effective manner, the CS4215 and CS4216 stereo-audio codecs provide monolithic ...
SPARC CPU module offers easy upgrade path from single to multiprocessing. (Cypress Semiconductor's SPARCore CYM6001K, CYM6002K and CYM6003K CPUs) (Product Announcement)
Oct 24, 1991; ... System designers can now tap th 40-Mhz, 29-MIPS power of SPAR processors and skip the nonrecurring engineering (NRE) costs normally associated with designing multiprocessing compute engine for a new product. Just select from any of three SPARCORE modules that offer one or two onboard ...
Basic-rate ISDN ICs: EDN Special Report. (integrated services digital network integrated circuits)(includes a related article on use of twisted-pair lines at ISDN basic-rate frequencies) (Cover Story)
Oct 24, 1991; ... One objective of the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) is to bring multiple channels of voice and data to small business and domestic users along a single twisted-pair wire. Until recently, this part of the service, known as "basic-rate ISDN," failed to materialize. One ...
Subduing high-speed op-amp problems. (operational amplifiers) (The Jim Williams Papers)
Oct 24, 1991; ... The application of high-speed op amps requires special attention to a multitude of potential problems. You need to guard against noise intrusion, capacitance-loading effects, and parasitic conductive paths-without neglecting the compromises you may have to make between compensation and ...
The oscillation problem and frequency compensation. (in operational amplifiers) (The Jim Williams Papers)
Oct 24, 1991; ... All feedback systems have the propensity to oscillate. Basic theory tells us that an oscillator requires both gain and phase shift. Unfortunately, feedback systems, such as operational amplifiers, also have gain and phase shift. The close relationship between oscillators and operational ...
Measuring amplifier settling time. (digital-to-analog converter and amplifier combinations) (The Jim Williams Papers)
Oct 24, 1991; ... High-resolution measurement of an amplifier's settling time is often necessary. Frequently, a DAC drives the amplifier. Of particular importance is the time required for the DAC-amplifier combination to settle to its final value after an input step. This specification lets you set a ...
High-speed amplifiers with low offset and drift. (amplifier circuit design) (The Jim Williams Papers)
Oct 24, 1991; ... Amplifiers designed for wide bandwidth or fast settling often exhibit inferior characteristics at dc-that is, high voltage, current offset, and drift. Used with care, the techniques described here let you build circuits that exhibit exemplary performance from dc to Mhz. Often, ...
High-speed amplifiers in application circuits. (includes a related article on high-frequency-amplifier layout guidelines) (The Jim Williams Papers)
Oct 24, 1991; ... Once you acquire some familiarity with high-speed amplifiers and a respect for their design requirements, you can use these devices' speed to design a variety of application circuits. These circuits include DAC current-to-voltage converters, video amplifiers, and power boosters. Jim ...
About "current-mode" feedback. (in high-speed amplifier design) (The Jim Williams Papers)
Oct 24, 1991; ... Contrary to some enthusiastic marketing claims, so-called current-mode feedback isn't new. In fact, it is much older than the normal voltage-mode feedback that has been so popularized by op amps. The current-feedback connection is at least 50 years old, and probably much older. William R ...