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Ultimately, the choice is up to you(Electronic Engineering Times Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Once again, qualified readers of EE Times and eeProductCenter.com have selected the best of the best-the top products in each of seven categories in our quarterly Ultimate Products survey. The categories are Analog; RF & Microwave; Logic/Programmable Logic & Interface; Test & Measurement; Processors & Memory; Power; and Interconnection/Passives & Electromechanical (IP&E). The results are for products introduced during the fourth quarter of 2007. Read on to see which products you and your peers deemed most worthy. From the always popular world of Analog ICs, On Semiconductor's NB3N3002 and NB3N5573 clock generators took top honors. For Microwave & RF, NXP Semiconductor's software-defined radio (SDR) solution walked away with the prize. One voter said: "Pretty neat technology compared with the old-world method of RF design. It seems that it is taking the 'black magic' out of RF design and replacing it with digital technology." For Logi/Programmable Logic & Interface, Semtech's SX8724 sensor interface device was the top product, while Intel won hands down with its Z-P140 PATA solid-state drive (SSD) for Processors & Memory. While the emerging ultraportable-device market is hot for SSDs, voters are looking for higher capacity. Said one: "Consumers look more for capacity, rather than speed and sizes. For them, it's nothing more than a 4G flash disk with high MTBF, but it's a good start at creating smaller devices. I'm looking forward to higher capacity in the future." Another voter said: "I think the market will need such devices with more than 4-Gbyte capacities." In the IP&E category, Cree's green XLamp XR-E LEDs-70 percent brighter than their predecessors-were the clear winners. For Power, Murata Power Solutions' 78SR series of 2-A switching regulators were No. 1. In Test & Measurement, Strategic Test's UF2e-2031 oscilloscope PCI Express card was the top product. But some voters weren't too happy about the pricing. One voter said: "The list of SO supported is impressive. So is the cost." In case you were wondering, here's how Ultimate Products works: Our editors select up to 10 of the most popular products posted at www.eeProductCenter.com during the calendar quarter. Then, using an electronic balloting process, we submit the products with the accompanying editorial reviews to selected, qualified readers. Those readers score the products by technical significance and usability on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the highest score. The product ranked No. 1 in each category was judged as most technically significant for that category. Relative usability rankings and selected reader comments are also reported. More than 1,000 of you helped to choose these products. As always, we are grateful for your enthusiastic participation. By Patrick Mannion ([email protected]), editor in chief of TechOnline and eeProductCenter.com. --- ANALOG ICS 1 ON SEMICONDUCTOR Clock generation devices improve timing accuracy, simplify design eeProductCenter's Gina Roos wrote: "On Semiconductor has expanded its PureEdge high-performance clock generation product portfolio with the introduction of the NB3N3002 and NB3N5573 clock generators. These PLL-based devices are said to create ultralow-jitter quality clocks that improve timing accuracy, increase design flexibility and lower cost for PCI Express, Ethernet and FBDIMM applications." Readers said: - "My application is using a PECL clock at 210 MHz with a PN of -80 dBc/Hz at 100 Hz. The mentioned clock generators may not replace the parts in my application. Would definitely consider them if I have a new requirement." - "It was developed in 0.25-micron CMOS technology. It can be improved with 90 nm and 65 nm." - "They seem to be a good idea for high-frequency oscillators." - "Good improvement." USABILITY RANK: 1 2 MAXIM Instrumentation amplifiers guarantee 20-microvolt max offset voltage USABILITY RANK: 2 3 AVNERA Wireless audio chips claim 'wired quality' sound USABILITY RANK: 4 4 MICROCHIP 12-bit DAC integrates E2PROM in small package USABILITY RANK: 3 5 WOLFSON MICROELECTRONICS Audio DAC delivers advanced digital filtering options USABILITY RANK: 8 6 TEXAS INSTRUMENTS Low-power ADCs target portable industrial, medical apps USABILITY RANK: 7 7 STS Audio chip targets high-definition wireless platforms USABILITY RANK: 6 8 ANALOG DEVICES ADI reduces power and cost for its direct digital synthesizers USABILITY RANK: 9 9 ASAHI KASEI MICROSYSTEMS (AKM) Ultrasmall 24-bit audio DAC targets portables USABILITY RANK: 5 10 CIRRUS LOGIC Clocking ICs deliver low noise for high-end audio systems USABILITY RANK: 10 --- IP&E 1 CREE LEDs are 70 percent brighter than previous parts eeProductCenter's Ismini Scouras wrote: "Cree Inc. announced commercial availability of green XLamp XR-E LEDs that are 70 percent brighter than the company's previous green power LEDs. The green XR-E produces maximum luminous flux of 87.5 lumens at 350 mA. The green XR-E LEDs complement the previously released blue XR-E LEDs for RGB LED applications." Readers said: - "This LED type is currently not used within my company, nor are there plans to do so, but I can see the significance of this product within other companies." - "Very competitive products out there, though." - "Good for display applications." - "Good stuff." - "Good for traffic lights." USABILITY RANK: 1 2 OSRAM OPTO SEMICONDUCTORS Osram to launch super-bright single-chip SMT LED USABILITY RANK: 3 3 STMICROELECTRONICS MEMS motion sensors deliver embedded smart features, smaller package USABILITY RANK: 2 4 SEOUL SEMICONDUCTOR Chip LED claims thinnest, brightest USABILITY RANK: 5 5 EASTMAN KODAK CCD image sensor delivers smaller pixel size, faster frame rate, improved image quality USABILITY RANK: 8 6 PHILIPS LUMILEDS TFFC LED delivers 200 lumens in cool white at 1,000 mA USABILITY RANK: 4 7 ANALOG DEVICES MEMS tilt sensor delivers high accuracy, dual mode and small size USABILITY RANK: 6 8 OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES Image sensor delivers high dynamic range, anti-shake technology USABILITY RANK: 10 9 NEW SCALE TECHNOLOGIES Tiny linear motor is faster, stronger USABILITY RANK: 9 10 VISHAY INTERTECHNOLOGY 1-W LEDs deliver low thermal resistance, high luminous intensity USABILITY RANK: 7 --- LOGIC/PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC & INTERFACE 1 SEMTECH Interface chip adapts to multiple sensor systems eeProductCenter's Ismini Scouras wrote: "Semtech Corp. announced the SX8724, a small sensor interface device that uses signal amplification circuitry to directly connect pressure, temperature and magnetic sensors with a general-purpose microcontroller. The SX8724 enables electronics to be colocated with the sensor. " Readers said: - "Small package, highly versatile." - "Nice integration for DAS." - "A matrix processor can be helpful." - "It would be interesting to apply it in automation (for example, a PLC)." - "SX8724, an ultrasmall sensor interface device, is a 'sensing platform' which supports up to six sensors." USABILITY RANK: 1 2 BROADCOM Broadcom samples real-time HD video/audio transcoder USABILITY RANK: 2 3 STMICROELECTRONICS Three-input active HDMI switch supports 3.4-Gbit/second data rate USABILITY RANK: 8 4 ACTEL Smaller than a kernel of corn: FPGA available in 4 x 4-mm package USABILITY RANK: 3 5 AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES 8-Gbit/s SFP transceiver doubles network bandwidth USABILITY RANK: 9 6 APPLIED MICRO CIRCUITS Dual 10-Gbit Ethernet PHY ICs boost port density in backplanes USABILITY RANK: 6 7 HORIZON SEMICONDUCTORS Next-generation location-free universal HD-DVD/Blu-Ray decoder/transcoder SoC announced USABILITY RANK: 4 8 SILICON IMAGE HDMI transmitters reduce power consumption for mobile devices USABILITY RANK: 7 9 NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR Ethernet transceiver supports IEEE 1588 precision-time protocol USABILITY RANK: 5 10 AKM SEMICONDUCTOR Digital audio data transmitter suits consumer apps USABILITY RANK: 10 --- POWER 1 MURATA POWER SOLUTIONS Switching regulators provide up to 95 percent efficiency at full load eeProductCenter's Gina Roos wrote: "These devices provide high operating efficiency for applications requiring 3.3-V or 5-V outputs at 2 amps or less, from 8-V to 32-V inputs. At a nominal 12-V input, full-load efficiencies approach 96 percent for 5-V models and 93 percent for 3.3-V models." Readers said: - "Expensive, but greener solution." - "12 V or 15 V for the output will be good, too, even with half or a quarter of the actual current." - "Product specifications are exciting, but price tag is on the higher side. It may get reduced as product gets mature." - "Good replacement for classic regulators. I hope the price will fall." - "Although there are many similarly spec'd regs about, very, very few have the useful combination of wide input range at 95 percent efficiency." USABILITY RANK: 1 2 LINEAR TECHNOLOGY Dc/dc regulator system delivers 97.3 percent efficiency USABILITY RANK: 2 3 TOSHIBA AMERICA ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS Power MOSFETs feature high drain current, low on-state resistance USABILITY RANK: 3 4 NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR High-brightness LED driver incorporates PWM dimming USABILITY RANK: 4 5 FAIRCHILD LED driver extends battery life, saves energy USABILITY RANK: 6 6 ANALOGICTECH Step-up converter shrinks handheld devices USABILITY RANK: 5 7 TEXAS INSTRUMENTS LED drivers boost video quality in large-panel displays USABILITY RANK: 8 8 INTERNATIONAL RECTIFIER High-current POLs shrink chip footprint 70 percent USABILITY RANK: 7 9 CATALYST SEMICONDUCTOR 16-channel LED driver targets large LED video displays USABILITY RANK: 10 10 MAXIM Dc-to-ac converter reduces audible noise in EL lamp apps USABILITY RANK: 9 --- PROCESSORS & MEMORY 1 INTEL Intel rolls out solid-state drive for handhelds eeProductCenter's Ismini Scouras wrote: "Intel Corp. launched the Z-P140 PATA solid-state drive, one of the tiniest in the industry aimed at handheld mobile devices. The device comes in 2- and 4-Gbyte capacities and has an industry-standard parallel ATA interface. It is optimized to enhance Intel-based computers and will be an optional part of Intel's Menlow platform." Readers said: - "This is the way to the future of reliable storage information on mobile devices." - "I believe that technology such as this has much to offer in the military defense industry." - "It doesn't say anything about wear-leveling algorithms and number of erase/write cycles. " - "Consumers look more for capacity, rather than speed and sizes. For them it's nothing more than a 4G flash disk with high MTBF, but it's a good start at creating smaller devices. I'm looking forward to higher capacity in the future." - "I think the market will need such devices with more than 4-Gbyte capacities." USABILITY RANK: 1 2 MICROCHIP 8-bit MCU leader jumps to 32 bits eeProductCenter's Richard Nass wrote: "Boasting better than 60,000 customers, Microchip claims to be the king of the 8-bit microcontroller hill. But it's the 32-bit mountain that Microchip sees in its future. To that end, the company has developed its first 32-bit microcontroller unit, dubbed the PIC32. The device incorporates a MIPS32 M4K core, surrounded by all the peripherals you'd expect in a PIC-based microcontroller." USABILITY RANK: 2 3 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS 30-nm process yields 64-Gbit MLC NAND flash USABILITY RANK: 4 4 TOSHIBA AMERICA ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS MLC NAND flash-based solid-state drives target notebooks USABILITY RANK: 3 5 STMICROELECTRONICS Automotive navigation processor delivers embedded GPS USABILITY RANK: 5 6 HYNIX SEMICONDUCTOR Hynix unveils 1-Gbit GDDR5 DRAM USABILITY RANK: 9 7 CAVIUM NETWORKS Low-power MIPS64 processor series breaks the 1-W-per-core barrier USABILITY RANK: 6 8 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS GDDR5 memory chip transfers data at 6 Gbits/s USABILITY RANK: 8 9 ELPIDA MEMORY AND RAMBUS 512-Mbit, 4.8-GHz XDR DRAM transfers data at 9.6 Gbytes/s USABILITY RANK: 7 10 VIRTIUM TECHNOLOGY DDR3 memory module pair exceeds Jedec specifications USABILITY RANK: 10 --- RF & MICROWAVE 1 NXP SEMICONDUCTOR NXP unveils RF software-defined radio solution for mobile wireless apps eeProductCenter's Jack Shandle wrote: "Described by NXP as a software-defined radio (SDR) solution, the Embedded Vector Processor (EVP) should help solve the integration, flexibility and standards issues of mobile communications, particularly during the transition from 3G to 4G." Readers said: - "A milestone of practical multistandard communication processor for both narrow- and wide-bandwidth modem." - "I believe SDR is the direction of wireless communication for handset design. NXP does a good job in the industry. We cannot keep adding more and more discrete radios such as Wi-Fi, WiMax, NFC, UWB, BT, UMTS, etc., in one small-size, low-cost, power-saving handheld cellular phone." - "A truly novel and innovative approach . . . We look forward to our engineering staff looking into this." - "Pretty neat technology compared with the 'old world' method of RF design. [It takes] the 'black magic' out of RF design and [replaces] it with digital." - "Compact SRD solutions will enable integration of the various communication modes: voice, data, GPS, etc." USABILITY RANK: 1 2 U-BLOX AG 50-channel GPS module acquires satellites in less than 1 second USABILITY RANK: 2 3 SIGE SEMICONDUCTOR RF module simplifies design for 802.11n USABILITY RANK: 4 4 TEXAS INSTRUMENTS RF SoC integrates radio, MCU, flash and USB USABILITY RANK: 3 5 EPICOM Compact RF front-end modules target 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi products USABILITY RANK: 7 6 SILICON LABORATORIES AM/FM radio receivers offer short-, long-wave band coverage USABILITY RANK: 5 7 GCT SEMICONDUCTOR CMOS RF transceiver targets cdma2000 mobile handsets USABILITY RANK: 8 8 OPTICHRON Small-footprint digital predistortion ICs linearize power amplifiers USABILITY RANK: 9 9 MESHNETICS Amplified ZigBee module achieves 2.5-mile range USABILITY RANK: 6 10 BROADCOM Highly integrated satellite SoC reduces power, size, design complexity USABILITY RANK: 10 --- TEST & MEASUREMENT 1 STRATEGIC TEST Oscilloscope PCI Express card records two channels at 200 MS/s eeProductCenter's Gina Roos wrote: "Strategic Test Corp. has introduced the UF2e-2031 oscilloscope PCI Express card. The UF2e-2031 offers four 100-Msample/second 8-bit ADCs that operate in an interpolated mode to acquire two channels at 200 Msamples/s. Drivers for Microsoft Windows Vista, XP64, XP and Linux (RedHat, Fedora, SuSe, Sarge) are supplied with the card, as is the SBench 5.3 oscilloscope program." Readers said: - "Works great!" - "It is not the cheapest!" - "More evidence and more support for the concept that PCI Express drives new applications and supports the development of software-defined test systems." - "The list of SO supported is impressive. So is the cost." - "120 Msamples/s sustained seems unlikely on PCI Express 1." - "Good for folks starting out with no test equipment, but for us old farts with already overloaded lab PCs, it's easy enough just to dig out an actual scope." USABILITY RANK: 1 2 LECROY 1-GHz oscilloscopes deliver 5-GS/s sampling rate USABILITY RANK: 2 3 AMHERST SYSTEMS Oscilloscope tools software upgrade delivers embedded intelligence USABILITY RANK: 3 4 FUTUREPLUS SYSTEMS FuturePlus proposes replacement for BERTs USABILITY RANK: 9 5 AGILENT Probing solution delivers oscilloscope measurements in extreme temperatures USABILITY RANK: 5 6 EXFO ELECTRO-OPTICAL ENGINEERING Portable test system addresses 40-Gbit/s networks USABILITY RANK: 6 7 NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS System timing controller offers synchronization of multiple PXI systems USABILITY RANK: 4 8 SYNTHESYS RESEARCH Testbench addresses PCIe compliance for transmitters, receivers USABILITY RANK: 7 9 IXIA Test platform delivers both functional and bulk VoIP testing USABILITY RANK: 8 10 AEROFLEX PXI modules, chassis and software enable wireless test USABILITY RANK: 10 http://www.eetimes.com Copyright 2008 United Business Media US, LLC. All rights reserved. Copyright ? 2008 CMP Media LLC |