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Industry Leaders gather together in Cambridge to plan the future of wireless
Cambridge Wireless Hosts the Future of Wireless International Conference 2010
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11th March 2010, Cambridge, UK —The Future of Wireless International Conference, a two day high-profile event to be held in Cambridge on 29th & 30th June 2010, brings together from around the world more than 300 key players, including business leaders, entrepreneurs, technologists, investors and academics, to explore the key market, business and technology opportunities for wireless - and it’s potential impact on society - over the next five years. The breadth of topics to be covered is impressive, including such matters as re-inventing business models and the value chain, bridging the digital divide, wireless delivery of healthcare, low-carbon smart homes, future wireless devices and the impact of cloud computing on life in the 21st Century. As well as informative presentations, there will also be lively, thought-provoking panel discussions and plenty of opportunities for attendees to engage and participate. The Cambridge Wireless free online partnering service enables delegates to maximise business development and partnering opportunities by facilitating pre-arrangement of meetings with other delegates. "The Future of Wireless conference brings together an industry that has already revolutionised the world through the availability of mass market voice and data communications. At this conference, we are examining the next wave of products and services that can be enabled and enhanced by wireless,” said Peter Whale, Board Member of Cambridge Wireless and Director of Product Management for Qualcomm. “The opportunities are extensive to connect people with each other in new ways, and to connect people with a vast range of personalised and relevant on-line and physical services.” Keynote speakers include high profile leading industry experts such as Robert Crow, VP of RIM, Houston Spencer, VP Business Strategy of Alcatel Lucent, James Collier, CTO of CSR; Martin Jackson, VP of Plastic Logic, Tudor Brown, President of ARM and many more! “The Future of Wireless International Conference 2010 is an essential meeting point for the global wireless industry, packed with vital knowledge and powerful opinions from industry leaders.” said Chris Walklett, Business Tax Partner and Head of PEM Technology, the technology team at Peters Elworthy & Moore (PEM). “"PEM are delighted to be a sponsor of such a forward thinking event”. For information, visit the conference web site at http://www.cambridgewireless.co.uk/futureofwireless - END – Notes to Editors: About Cambridge Wireless Cambridge Wireless is a leading and vibrant wireless community with a rapidly expanding network of companies interested in the application of wireless technologies.. In addition to VIP networking activities and business development support, we run a number of Special Interest Groups focussed on specific technology and/or market areas, providing opportunities for member organisations to meet, form partnerships and exploit opportunities for new business. Cambridge Wireless has a number of partnerships with like-minded organisations around the world, and we endeavour to keep members fully up to date with the latest developments, and assist in exploring new business opportunities with local and international companies. For more information, please visit our website: www.cambridgewireless.co.uk For Cambridge Wireless please contact: Jo Harrison, Events Manager, Cambridge Wireless Tel: +44 1223 422 366 Email: jo.harrison[at]cambridgewireless[dot]co.uk www.cambridgewireless.co.uk Distributed on behalf of Cambridge Wireless by NeonDrum (http://www.neondrum.com) Nicky Denovan Tel: +44 7747 017654 nicky[at]neondrum[dot]com --Liz Hartney 2010-03-11 08:17:21
AnXplorer from AgO Inc sets new standards in optimization for analog and RF circuit design
New simulation- or equation-based optimization tool AnXplorer accelerates device sizing and centers circuit across corners to improve device yield
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Sunnyvale, USA, 3rd March 2010. AgO Inc, a technology leader in analog and RF circuit optimization, launches AnXplorer – a new tool for optimizing analog and RF circuits. Starting with an unsized SPICE netlist, variables for device dimensions and a set of design objectives and constraints, AnXplorer optimizes device sizes by rigorously exploring the design space. By centering the design across all specified, process, temperature and voltage corners, AnXplorer achieves a robust design thereby enhancing the yield and improving the probability of first time silicon success. The analog and mixed signal segment is growing much more rapidly than the rest of the semiconductor market. This trend is unlikely to change with the current massive growth in mobile data communications requiring both RF and mixed-signal design. By 2014, Cisco predicts that mobile data traffic will increase a staggering 39 fold from 2009 to 3.6 exabytes per month globally (source: Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update 2009-2014). Despite this, analog design automation has remained largely unchanged for many years. Circuits are usually entered by schematic capture and device sizes are manually tuned over many transistor-level simulation runs. AnXplorer can fit into commonly used design toolsets as it works with industry standard SPICE netlists and simulators. A designer can create an unsized circuit, design variables and objectives. AnXplorer will then generate an optimized, centered circuit that meets or exceeds the design objectives across all corners specified by the user. It uses a new multi-algorithmic optimization strategy aided by an expert system. A major challenge facing developers of analog and mixed signal ICs is the frequent failure of analog circuits to meet their requirements. Design respins not only significantly inflate the IC’s development costs but also adversely impact the final product’s market entry. Hillol Sarkar, CEO of AgO Inc said “AnXplorer helps analog designers converge on their design objectives rapidly”. He added, “Analog circuits are responsible for 50% of all IC design respins; by automating the analog circuit optimization, AnXplorer can significantly improve the likelihood of first time silicon success”. The tool’s optimization approach rigorously explores the design space searching for robust solutions over all process, temperature and supply voltage corners thereby improving yield. Users can control the way optimization takes place by defining a hierarchy of design objectives. Unlike weighted-based handling of multiple objectives, the tool tries to meet high priority objectives before optimizing lower priority ones. AnXplorer’s design exploration database records all points during the optimization process. This enables designers to undertake “what-if” analysis or to trade off conflicting objectives if all objectives cannot realistically be met. About AnXplorer AnXplorer is a new generation circuit optimization tool for analog and RF design. It uses a novel optimization approach based on either simulation or equations. The tool works with industry standard SPICE netlists and supports industry standard simulators including Synopsys HSPICE, Cadence Spectre and Legend Design Technology MSIM. It runs on the Linux operating system. For more information go to http://bit.ly/b-data About AgO Inc AgO Inc, headquartered in Sunnyvale, California is an EDA company focused on analog and RF circuit optimization. Its new generation optimization technology enhances the productivity of analog and RF circuit designers and enables yield improvement. AgO Inc is a privately held company. For more information contact North America & Asia Hillol Sarkar CEO AgO Inc Tel: +91 983 035 7206 or +1 949 310 9002 e-mail: hillol.sarkar[at]gmail[dot]com Europe Roddy Urquhart Tel: +44 753 158 7023 e-mail: roddy[at]alpha-star[dot]eu http://www.ago-inc.com Distributed on behalf of AgO Inc by NeonDrum (http://www.neondrum.com) Nicky Denovan Tel: +44 7747 017654 nicky[at]neondrum[dot]com --Liz Hartney 2010-03-03 05:33:18
Cortus Announces uCLinux for the APS3 Family of Processors
Cortus is pleased to announce uCLinux for the APS3 family of processors. This version of Linux is ideally suited to low power, high performance, embedded systems. The APS3 family of processors are modern, powerful processors, specifically designed for embedded systems, featuring a tiny silicon footprint.
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February 23 2010 - Cortus is pleased to announce uCLinux for the APS3 family of processors. This version of Linux is ideally suited to low power, high performance, embedded systems. The APS3 family of processors are modern, powerful processors, specifically designed for embedded systems, featuring a tiny silicon footprint. The APS3 architecture is ideally suited for uCLinux. The clean, uniform, architecture means that the ported kernel code is straightforward, easily implemented and understood. There are no hidden pitfalls due to inconsistencies in the architecture which could reduce performance or trip up unwary programmers. Developing application programs is uncomplicated and creating drivers for new peripherals and hardware is simple. Thanks to the rational design of the APS3 and close coupling of the compiler developer team and hardware engineers the port employed very little assembly code, in contrast with most other ports, whilst retaining all performance and features. This means that the port is easy to understand and the development of additional drivers is facilitated. An example of the advantages of the APS3 architecture is shown by the efficient implementation of system calls. By taking advantage of the “trap” instructions and flexible register set most system calls pass parameters without using the stack or external memory – ensuring no cycles are wasted. For more details see www.cortus.com/index.php?page=linux Mike Chapman, CEO of Cortus, said “We think that this must be the smallest ever CPU core running Linux. We are delighted to be able to offer a cost effective solution to our customers who require the power of the Linux operating system for their sophisticated applications. Using our core gains silicon space and power consumption and now with more operating system choices, our processor cores are a perfect fit with operating systems and this port allows our customers to provide a high quality, simple to use, solution to their customers.” The Cortus APS3 is a 32-bit processor designed specifically for embedded systems. It features a tiny silicon footprint (10k gates, the same size as an 8051), very low power consumption, high code density and high performance. A full development environment is available, which is available for customization and branding for final customer use. The ecosystem around the APS3 is rich and well developed, it includes a full development environment (for C and C++), peripherals typical of embedded systems, bus bridges to ensure easy interfacing to other IP and system support and functions such as cache and memory management units. For the most demanding designs the APS3 can be used in a multi-core configuration. The APS3 processor core is currently in production in a range of products from security applications to ultra low power RF designs. About Cortus S.A.: Cortus S.A. is the price/performance leader for 32 bit processor IP for embedded systems. Cortus cores are used in applications where one or more of small silicon footprint, low power consumption, good code density/small code memory size and high performance are important. The Cortus APS3 was crowned “the King of Lilliput” by the Microprocessor Report in May 2009. http://www.cortus.com Cortus S.A. Contact: David Kerr-Munslow, +33.4.30.96.70.00 david.kerr-munslow[at]cortus[dot]com Distributed on behalf of Cortus S.A. by NeonDrum (http://www.neondrum.com) Nicky Denovan Tel: +44 7747 017654 nicky[at]neondrum[dot]com --Liz Hartney 2010-02-23 06:09:53
AgO Inc appoints Alpha Star Ltd as European representative
Alpha Star Ltd and AgO Inc team up to address European analog-mixed signal and RF IC design market
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London, United Kingdom, 17 February 2010. AgO Inc, a technology leader in analog and RF circuit optimisation, announces the first stage of its plan to address the European market. In order to serve the significant opportunities for wireless, automotive and medical IC design in Europe AgO, appoints Alpha Star Ltd as its European representative. The analog and mixed signal segment of the semiconductor market is growing much more rapidly than the digital part. When moving to finer geometries, analog designers face an increasing number of constraints making the sizing of devices in a circuit a more complex and time-consuming task. Analog circuits are often a cause of failure in mixed signal ICs resulting in costly design respins. Veteran EDA investor Jim Hogan estimates that the cost of doing an analog design in a finer geometry like 65 nm is a factor of 10× higher than in 180 nm. Yet analog circuit design automation has changed little in the last twenty years. Hillol Sarkar, CEO of AgO Inc said, “Europe’s strong wireless communication and automotive sectors need a more modern design automation solution”. He added, “Alpha Star’s knowledge of the European semiconductor sector will help AgO address this market”. “In today’s fiercely competitive markets, hitting the market window with working silicon can make the difference between being a market leader and also-ran”, said Dr Roddy Urquhart of Alpha Star, “AgO’s optimisation approach will enable designers to rapidly trade off design options and to improve the yields of their circuits”. About AgO Inc AgO Inc, headquartered in Sunnyvale, California is an EDA company focused on analog circuit optimisation. Its new generation approach to optimisation enhances the productivity of analog and RF circuit designers by automating the labour intensive device sizing. AgO Inc is a privately held company. For more information contact Hillol Sarkar CEO AgO Inc Tel: +91 983 035 7206 or +1 949 310 9002 e-mail: hillol.sarkar[at]gmail[dot]com http://www.ago-inc.com About Alpha Star Ltd Alpha Star Ltd, based in the UK, is a company that brings leading edge products and services to electronic design teams in Europe. It provides business development for suppliers of electronic design services, EDA tools, FPGA prototyping and B2B news distribution services. For more information contact Roddy Urquhart Alpha Star Ltd Tel: +44 753 158 7023 e-mail: roddy[at]alpha-star[dot]eu http://www.alpha-star.eu Distributed on behalf of AgO Inc by NeonDrum (http://www.neondrum.com) Nicky Denovan Tel: +44 7747 017654 nicky[at]neondrum[dot]com --Liz Hartney 2010-02-17 07:24:38
Cortus APS3 CPU family now has full support from Lauterbach TRACE32 Power Tools
Lauterbach and Cortus are pleased to announce that the Lauterbach TRACE32® Power Tools now fully support the Cortus APS3 family of processors.
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February 9 2010 - Lauterbach and Cortus are pleased to announce that the Lauterbach TRACE32® Power Tools now fully support the Cortus APS3 family of processors. The power of Lauterbach’s TRACE32 Power Tools is now available for the Cortus APS3 family of ultra low power embedded CPUs. Non-intrusive debugging over JTAG is supported giving engineers full visibility of program execution and profiling analysis enhancing product development times. It offers full support for the Cortus On-Chip debugging hardware and all processor features. Lauterbach’s TRACE32 PowerDebug for the Cortus APS3 family of processors provides an ultra-high-speed interface accelerating the entire debug process including code download, flash programming and source code debugging. The tools can be connected to either Windows or Linux hosts via USB 2.0 or Ethernet 10/100/1000. The TRACE32 PowerView software includes a very efficient and user friendly HLL debugger for C and C++ as well as awareness for real-time operating systems. The Cortus APS3 processor family are designed specifically for embedded systems. They feature a tiny silicon footprint (the same size as an 8051), very low power consumption, high code density and high performance. The ecosystem around the APS3 is rich and well developed, it includes a full development environment (for C and C++), peripherals typical of embedded systems, bus bridges to ensure easy interfacing to other IP and system support and functions such as cache and memory management units. For the most demanding designs the APS3 can be used in a multi-core configuration. The APS3 processor core is currently in production in a range of products from security applications to ultra low power RF designs. About Lauterbach Lauterbach is the world’s leading manufacturer of complete, modular microprocessor development tools with 30 years experience in the field of embedded designs. It is an international, well established company with blue chip customers in every corner of the globe and has a close working relationship with all semiconductor manufacturers. Besides the Headquarters in Hoehenkirchen, Germany, the company has its own branch offices in United Kingdom, Italy, France, on the East and West coasts of the United States, Japan and China. Highly qualified sales and support engineers are also available in many other countries. About Cortus S.A.: Cortus S.A. is the price/performance leader for 32 bit processor IP for embedded systems. Cortus cores are used in applications where one or more of small silicon footprint, low power consumption, good code density/small code memory size and high performance are important. http://www.cortus.com. Cortus S.A. Contact: David Kerr-Munslow, +33.4.30.96.70.00 david.kerr-munslow[at]cortus[dot]com Lauterbach Contact: Norbert Weiss +49 8102 9876 183 norbert.weiss[at]lauterbach[dot]com Distributed on behalf of Cortus S.A. by NeonDrum (http://www.neondrum.com) Nicky Denovan Tel: +44 7747 017654 nicky[at]neondrum[dot]com --Liz Hartney 2010-02-09 05:44:11
Coronis, an Elster Group company, chooses the Cortus APS3 CPU for their next generation System-on-Ch
Coronis, an Elster Group company, leading global designer and developer of OEM wireless solutions for ultra-low-power (ULP) and long-range sensor/actuator monitoring networks, has announced the selection and the successful integration of the CORTUS APS3 CPU core into Coronis’ next generation System-on-Chip solution.
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20 January 2010 - Coronis, an Elster Group company, leading global designer and developer of OEM wireless solutions for ultra-low-power (ULP) and long-range sensor/actuator monitoring networks, has announced the selection and the successful integration of the CORTUS APS3 CPU core into Coronis’ next generation System-on-Chip solution. The Cortus APS3 processor was chosen for its ease of integration, excellent code density, very low power and small footprint. “The Cortus APS3 was a perfect fit for our design." said Laurent Maleysson, Managing Director of Coronis. "With a small silicon footprint it offers powerful and power efficient data processing, resources and memory management that match both the demanding Wavenis communication stack, but also a variety of embedded application stacks. The core provides all the peripherals that we needed to offer our advanced system on a chip with a very attractive price-performance ratio. In addition, Cortus’ highly professional technical team was very responsive and helped us to shorten our product development." Mike Chapman, CEO of Cortus, said “We are delighted to be able to offer a cost effective solution to Coronis that enables them to gain silicon space and power consumption and help them move beyond outdated 8 bit microcontrollers and other 32 bit solutions. Our processor cores are a perfect fit for their Wavenis-powered solutions; this partnership provides a high quality, simple to use solution.” The Cortus APS3 is designed specifically for embedded systems. It features a tiny silicon footprint (the same size as an 8051), very low power consumption, high code density and high performance. A full development environment is available, which is suitable for customization and branding for final customer use. The ecosystem around the APS3 is rich and well developed, it includes a full development environment (for C and C++), peripherals typical of embedded systems, bus bridges to ensure easy interfacing to other IP and system support and functions such as cache and memory management units. For the most demanding designs the APS3 can be used in a multi-core configuration. The APS3 processor core is currently in production in a range of products from security applications to ultra low power RF designs. About Coronis S.A.S.: Coronis is a leading global designer and developer of ultra-low-power (ULP) and long-range wireless solutions. Coronis products meet the technical, operational and cost requirements of ultra low-powered, long-range track and trace, Wireless Sensor/Actuator Networks, Smart Metering and other M2M applications. Coronis has millions of products deployed in diverse applications worldwide. http://www.coronis.com About Cortus S.A.: Cortus S.A. is the price/performance leader for 32 bit processor IP for embedded systems. Cortus cores are used in applications where one or more of small silicon footprint, low power consumption, good code density/small code memory size and high performance are important. http://www.cortus.com. For further information please contact: David Kerr-Munslow Cortus S.A. Tel: +33 4 30 96 7000 Email: david.kerr-munslow[at]cortus[dot]com http://www.cortus.com Distributed on behalf of Cortus S.A. by NeonDrum (http://www.neondrum.com) Nicky Denovan Tel: +44 7747 017654 nicky[at]neondrum[dot]com --Liz Hartney 2010-01-20 06:26:34
Waspmote from Libelium brings unprecedented performance to ZigBee wireless sensor networks (WSN)
New sensor modular platform from Libelium with a radio range of up to 40 km and outstanding power consumption enables environmental monitoring in adverse conditions.
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Zaragoza, Spain – January 19th, 2010 – Libelium, a technology leader in distributed wireless networks, announces the launch of the Waspmote modular platform for wireless sensor networks. With radio modules offering a range of up to 40 km and with ultra low power performance, Waspmote sets new standards for autonomous wireless sensor devices. The combination of long range and low power enables the deployment of fire detection, flood detection and environmental monitoring networks in very remote locations and with adverse conditions. The modular platform allows users to choose from a range of wireless and sensor modules to create their specific sensor network application. One of the 802.15.4/ZigBee modules can achieve a range of up to 40 km. Libelium’s CTO, David Gascón says “the 868MHz module achieves its outstanding range through a transmission power of 315mW and -112dBm radio sensitivity”. He added, “Waspmote’s range enables a new generation of wireless sensor networks to be deployed well away from towns and villages. This unprecedented range is particularly important for detecting forest fires and river floods”. Waspmote networks can also communicate to the external world by means of GPRS. For situations with very difficult wireless connectivity - such as mines –each sensor device can store more than 21 million different sensor measurements in its internal memory. Wireless sensor devices depend on batteries so power management is essential for effective network operation. Waspmote offers four power modes – on, sleep, deep sleep and hibernation. In the hibernate mode, it consumes a tiny 0.7 microamperes resulting in outstanding battery performance. David Gascón says “the Waspmote device can keep running for up to 3 years without recharging the battery; although if a small solar panel is added - using its special connector - it can run continuously". Waspmote devices can be accurately located by using the GPS module. This is useful for both static applications such as fire detection and mobile applications such as logistics. The main board contains an in-built accelerometer and when combined with the GPS module the device can be used to measure speed, direction and location of vehicles or containers. For environmental monitoring, a gas sensor board is available for detecting a wide range of emissions including: carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide from forest fires; methane, ammonia and hydrogen sulphide from farms and hatcheries; nitrogen dioxide from traffic emissions; as well as hydrogen, isobutene and toluene from chemical and industrial processes. For security, emergency detection and logistics, a physical event sensor board is available to detect events such as: pressure and weight; impact and vibration;presence of liquids; as well as temperature. Users can extend the Waspmote platform by using the open source API and programming environment. This enables the platform to be easily integrated with third party applications. It can also be extended by addition of different types of sensor. For Waspmote platform details visit http://www.libelium.com/waspmote About Wireless Sensor Networks Wireless sensor networks (WSN) consist of small battery powered electronic devices – often known as “motes” – which gather data from built-in sensors. A WSN is self-organising allowing it to have high availability, scalability and simple installation. Applications include environmental monitoring, fire or gas detection, smart metering, farming, logistics and security. For more information visit http://www.libelium.com/products/waspmote/wsn About Waspmote Waspmote is a modular platform for building wireless sensor networks. The platform comprises: the Waspmote board with microcontroller, memory, battery, accelerometer and sockets for add-on modules; open source API and compiler; Xbee range of ZigBee wireless communication modules offer a choice of protocol versions, radio frequency and range (up to 40 km); wireless modules supporting GPRS, GPS; a gas sensor board supports the detection of gases arising from industrial pollution, fires, farms and chemical and industrial processes; a physical event detector board support security, flood detection and vibration and impact monitoring; and outstanding power management - an unprecedented 0.7 microamperes is required in hibernate mode;. Waspmote is CE, FCC and IC certified. For Waspmote platform details visit http://www.libelium.com/waspmote About Libelium Libelium designs and manufactures hardware and communication protocols for distributed wireless networks. The product portfolio consists of the Waspmote low power platform for creating wireless sensor networks; the Meshlium multi-tech router integrating WiFi mesh (2.4GHz - 5GHz), ZigBee, GPRS, GPS and Bluetooth technologies; and N-vio platform for proximity marketing and messaging via Bluetooth. The company was founded in 2006, is privately held and is based at the European Business and Innovation Centre CEEIARAGON, Zaragoza, Spain. For more information call +34 976 54 74 92 or visit http://www.libelium.com Press Contact David Gascón CTO Libelium Tel: +34 976 54 74 92 e-mail: d.gascon[at]libelium[dot]com Distributed on behalf of Libelium by NeonDrum (http://www.neondrum.com) Nicky Denovan Tel: +44 7747 017654 nicky[at]neondrum[dot]com --Liz Hartney 2010-01-19 06:09:57
DNA Electronics Wins R&D Prize At Elektra09 European Electronics Industry Awards
Imperial College London Spin-out DNA Electronics Wins For “SNP Dr” Real-Time Gene Testing Innovation
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London, United Kingdom, December 7th 2009 – DNA Electronics Ltd, a developer of disposable, real-time gene testing at the point-of-care, has been named as the winner of the prestigious R&D prize at the Elektra09 European Electronics Industry Awards. DNA Electronics, a spin-out of Imperial College London, triumphed from a shortlist of five other finalists to be named winner by an independent panel of judges in recognition of its innovative technology and intellectual property strategy. The Elektra09 award ceremony was held on Tuesday 1st December 2009 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London. DNA Electronics’ SNP Dr (pronounced ‘snip doctor’) is a breakthrough silicon chip-based handheld device that offers fast and accurate spot test results for specific DNA sequences that indicate how patients are likely to respond to prescription drugs. The device is now being trialed in partnership with global pharmaceutical company Pfizer. Each year, the NHS spends £460 million to treat 250,000 patients admitted to hospital suffering adverse reactions to prescribed medication. A test to identify people likely to react badly to prescribed medication will enable doctors to tailor dosages to the individual needs of patients, bringing greatly improved treatment and massive potential cost savings to healthcare providers. DNA Electronics was co-founded by the inventor of the foundation technology, Professor Chris Toumazou FRS, who is CEO of the company and director and chief scientist at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at Imperial College London. The core technology is based upon switching transistors on and off with DNA, which has culminated in the world’s first DNA logic on standard CMOS technology. The annual Elektra Awards recognise the achievements of individuals and companies across the European electronics industry. The judging panel said of DNA Electronics’ submission: “This was the strongest set of finalists the Elektras has ever seen for the R&D Award. The winner impressed for quality of its basic research in an emerging area of electronics design.” Commenting on the award win, Professor Toumazou added: “We are absolutely delighted to have won an Elektra award in recognition of this ground-breaking and important innovation. The cost-effective and convenient testing enabled by the SNP Dr device will allow doctors to assess patients in the GP surgery and prescribe optimal dosages and treatments on-the-spot – without a lengthy and costly laboratory analysis. This award reflects the exceptional talent of the team at DNA Electronics who are now bringing this technology to commercial fruition.” Please visit the Elektra Awards website for full details of award winners: http://www.elektraawards.co.uk/ ends – Notes to editors About SNP Dr The SNP Dr works by analysing genetic variations found in DNA called Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs). SNPs are the parts of human DNA that make us all respond differently to disease, bacteria, viruses, toxins or medication. Each year, the NHS spends £460 million to treat 250,000 patients who are admitted to hospital suffering adverse reactions to prescribed medication. The SNP Dr works by analysing the DNA in saliva or cheek swab samples, which are placed in a cartridge and exposed to the silicon chip sensors inside the device. A copy of the fast or slow metabolic SNPs is contained in the chip. If they detect a match, a message is displayed on the SNP Dr’s console. The doctor can then assess their patient in the GP surgery, without a lengthy and costly laboratory analysis, and prescribe dosages and treatments accordingly. About DNA Electronics (http://www.dnae.co.uk) DNA Electronics is a consumer-focused company with a scaleable technology. DNA Electronics (DNAe) is developing disposable silicon chip-based solutions for real-time gene sequence detection at point-of-care. All living things are defined by their genetic code – from the unique identity of a bacteria or virus to the physical and biological traits of humans. Gene tests can be used to determine how a patient will respond to certain drug treatments; the cause of an illness; a person’s genetic predisposition to disease; and environmental or food contamination. Traditionally however, gene tests can only be carried out in a laboratory by skilled personnel. DNAe’s silicon-based platform technology delivers fast and accurate handheld gene test solutions with all the appeal of consumer electronics: anytime anywhere. This presents disruptive new opportunities in diagnostics, data capture and therapy. PRESS CONTACT for DNA Electronics: Nicky Denovan EvokedSet Email: nicky[at]evokedset[dot]com Tel: +44 (0)844 870 8025 Mobile: +44 (0)7747 017654 Distributed on behalf of DNA Electronics by NeonDrum (http://www.neondrum.com) Nicky Denovan Tel: +44 7747 017654 nicky[at]neondrum[dot]com --Liz Hartney 2009-12-07 08:25:08
Taiwan to tie up with India for SoC - SiliconIndia
After the Koreans announced their interest in tapping India for semiconductor development; now the Taiwanese IC industry is looking to collaborate with India's technology sector on design of system-on-chips (SoC).
Steve Line, President of the Taiwan SoC Consortium, said the Taiwanese industry was looking to project itself as a base for system-on-chip design and offer its customers a single country solution for all their chip needs.
"India is a great place for pure R&D work and is conducive for ramping up operations in a way that no other region is capable of," said Bob Hoekstra, Member, Nasscom Executive Council, and CEO, Philips Software Centre.
"In the coming years Taiwan is going after digital consumer devices and communication products and we believe SoC to be the next battleground for IC design," Lin said. Taiwan is home to some of the world's largest fabless semiconductors, including MediaTek, VIA, SunPlus, Novatek and Realtek, with a 30 per cent world market share, which is growing at 30 per cent.
Taiwan has picked Taipei and Hsinchu for focussed SoC design and development efforts, Lin said, adding that the country looked to collaborate with Indian players for such design and development.
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-- 2009-11-25 23:14:00
Fujitsu Announces Fast-Response DC/DC Converter IC for Consumer Electronics
Bangalore, November 17, 2009 ― Fujitsu Microelectronics Asia Pte Ltd (FMAL) today announced a new two-channel DC/DC converter(*1) IC with fast transient response, for use in digital consumer products, such as LCD TVs and digital video recorders. This new DC/DC converter IC, the MB39A145, utilizes a “bottom detection comparator method”, and includes new enhanced circuits which provide changes in voltage, for changes in current to realize a more stable and low ripple output voltage. This improved stability subsequently reduces the number of external components that are needed, such as condensers, thus reducing space. The IC also includes Pulse Frequency Modulation (PFM)(*2) that is highly efficient in low-current ranges, and allows the equipment to have low power consumption in stand-by mode.
Samples of the new converter IC will be available from January 2010.
Figure 1. DC/DC Converter IC, MB39A145 (unit: cm)
Today’s consumer AV equipment, such as LCD TVs and digital video recorders, have increasingly larger screens, come with multiple functions and utilize advanced video compression technologies. These are supported by ICs required to provide high-speed and multi-functionality. To supply power to those ICs, power supplies must handle the requirements of large currents and fast transient response.
Today’s consumer AV equipment, such as LCD TVs and digital video recorders, have increasingly larger screens, come with multiple functions and utilize advanced video compression technologies. These are supported by ICs required to provide high-speed and multi-functionality. To supply power to those ICs, power supplies must handle the requirements of large currents and fast transient response.
To meet these needs, Fujitsu Microelectronics has been providing DC/DC converter ICs making use of a “bottom detection comparator method” it introduced in 2005, to give fast transient response to rapid changes in output current. This new IC enhances some of the comparator circuits, to provide even greater stability in output voltage. In addition, for low current ranges below 100 milli-Amperes(mA), the use of PFM reduces the power consumption in stand-by mode.
This IC was jointly developed by Fujitsu Microelectronics and Fujitsu VLSI Limited.
Product Features:
1. Fast transient response
In consumer AV equipment, such as large screen TVs, when starting the equipment or when there are rapid contrast changes in the scenes of the video, fast transient response and large current supply are necessary. By utilizing a “bottom detection comparator method” in which the detection cycle of the output voltage and reference voltage at transient loads is sped-up, the new DC/DC convertor can minimize variations in the generated output voltage when the change in load is large.
2. Energy efficient in low current ranges
In low current ranges below 100mA, or in stand-by mode, the PFM function reduces the power used, thus contributing to a reduction in power consumption of the equipment it is being used in. Additionally, as audio equipment require low-frequency noise measures, the Prohibit Audio Frequency (PAF) function(*3) can set the minimum frequency to 30 kHz.
3. Reduced component count leads to size reduction and ease of design of power supply systems
The result of the enhanced comparator circuits is a more stable ripple output voltage. The improved stability reduces the number of necessary external components, such as condensers, thus making the design of power supply systems easier.
Glossary and Notes:
1. DC/DC convertor: A circuit that converts a direct current voltage to a different voltage.
2. PFM (Pulse Frequency Modulation): When in operation in this DC/DC converter, if frequency is reduced when in low current ranges, the voltage conversion is done at higher efficiency, thus resulting in lower power consumption.
3. Prohibit Audio Frequency (PAF): Stops operation in audible frequency ranges.
For Fujitsu Microelectronics Asia Pte Ltd
Tan Tiew Le (Ms)
Corporate Planning & Communications
Fujitsu Microelectronics Asia Pte Ltd
tiewle.tan@fmal.fujitsu.com
(65) 6381 7434
Media Contacts
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About Fujitsu Microelectronics Asia Pte Ltd (FMAL):
Fujitsu Microelectronics Asia Pte Ltd was established as the Asia Pacific Headquarters of Fujitsu Limited Electronic Devices Group in 1986. It provides support, sales and marketing of semiconductors and electronic devices to the Asia Pacific region, including India and Oceania. Fujitsu Microelectronics Asia offers a wide and varied product range like ASIC, ASSPs, Microcontrollers / Microprocessors (FR-V), System Memory (FRAM / FCRAM) and System LSIs (DVD MPEG Source Decoders / MPEG –2 Encoders).
About Fujitsu Microelectronics Limited :
Fujitsu Microelectronics Limited designs and manufactures semiconductors, providing highly reliable, optimal solutions and support to meet the varying needs of its customers. Products and services include ASICs/COT, ASSPs, power management ICs, and flash microcontrollers, with wide-ranging expertise focusing on imaging, wireless, automotive and security applications. Fujitsu Microelectronics also drives power efficiency and environmental initiatives. Headquartered in Tokyo, Fujitsu Microelectronics Limited was established as a subsidiary of Fujitsu Limited on March 21, 2008. Through its global sales and development network, with sites in Japan and throughout Asia, Europe, and the Americas, Fujitsu Microelectronics offers semiconductor solutions to the global marketplace. For more information: http://jp.fujitsu.com/fml/en/
Attachment
Main specifications of the DC/DC converter IC, MB39A145
All other company or product names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Information provided in this press release is accurate at time of publication and is subject to change without advance notice.
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--Prathyusha 2009-11-18 01:04:35