Advanced Technology Research (ATR) News Wire

AMD Amplifies Mobile Experience with Responsive Performance, Rich Graphics, Elite Software and Long Battery Life

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:00:00 CDT

AMD (NYSE: AMD) today launched three new additions to its 2013 A-Series and E-Series Mobile Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) lineup – delivering solutions ideally positioned to address

Chip Shot: Intel® CoFluent™ Studio 5.0 Now Available

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:09:08 CDT

Intel will demonstrate new Intel® CoFluent™ Studio modeling and code generation for virtual platforms and high-level synthesis at the Design Automation Conference, June 2-6 in Austin, TX. As a standards-based, electronic system-level modeling and simulation environment, it helps system designers securely predict behavior and performance in devices created for the consumer, communication, transportation and industrial segments. Intel CoFluent Studio assists developers in quickly creating device IP for hardware design automation. It also allows system designers to refine a graphical model in a top-down manner, from a functional view to a microarchitectural level to a synthesizable model, and automatically generate code for SystemC and Wind River Simics* modeling languages. To download or find more information about Intel CoFluent Studio, visit cofluent.intel.com.

TI introduces new sensorless, brushless DC motor driver to spin motors instantly

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:33:00 CDT

Single-chip solution reduces board space, extends battery life and requires no external protection component

Create capacitive touch designs in a snap with TI's expanded ecosystem of ultra-low power MSP430™ MCUs

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:55:00 CDT

End-to-end portfolio allows developers to quickly and easily create capacitive touch designs that replace mechanical buttons

ON Semiconductor Awarded Title III Government Funding for Development of Advanced Next-Generation Star Tracker Image Sensor

Wed, 22 May 2013 02:00:00 CDT

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – May 22, 2013 – ON Semiconductor (Nasdaq: ONNN), driving innovation in energy efficiency, has collaborated with SRI International and Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. to secure funding for the Defense Production Act Title III, Advanced Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) Focal Plane Arrays (FPA) for Visible Sensors for Star Trackers (VSST) Project. The goal of the project is to increase the availability of domestically produced visible imagers, manufactured using advanced CMOS technology, that are designed to enable flexible visible imaging systems for use on-board satellite systems for Department of Defense and other U.S. Government needs.

To meet the goals of the Staring Technology for Enhanced Linear Line-of-sight Angular Recognition (STELLAR) program, the companies will work together to define the specifications and develop an advanced 2D visible image sensor. Each member of the STELLAR team brings unique and complementary capabilities to the project team. ON Semiconductor brings its on-shore and highly modular 180-nanometer CMOS process technology along with its extensive experience designing high performance CMOS image sensors using both rolling and global shutter technology. Ball Aerospace brings deep understanding of star tracker systems and will drive the specification of the CMOS focal plane array as well as the end-system qualification aspects of the devices. SRI International brings extensive experience in designing focal plane arrays for space applications, along with a highly advanced backside illumination (BSI) processing capability based on its ultra-thin silicon on insulator (UTSOI) technology.

The ONC18 CMOS process manufactured at ON Semiconductor’s on-shore 8-in wafer fabrication facility in Gresham, Oregon, is an ideal platform for developing low power and highly integrated digital and mixed-signal application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) devices. The STELLAR program will further expand the ONC18 process to include pinned photodiode and transfer gate devices. Combined with ON Semiconductor’s long term commitment to maintain and support process technologies, this capability enabling development of advanced CMOS image sensors will extend supply availability.

“The addition of an image sensor module to our ONC18 platform reinforces our commitment to the space-level DoD business and the overall image sensor market,” stated Vince Hopkin, vice president, Mil/Aero, Digital, Foundry, IPD and Image Sensor products division at ON Semiconductor. “The ONC18 image sensor process capability will enable a second source capability for the markets we serve including machine-vision, high-speed and biometrics.”

SRI International

SRI is a leader in the development of charge-coupled device (CCD) and CMOS image sensors for applications requiring high performance including star trackers. SRI’s contributions to the STELLAR team will include radiation-tolerant imager design, high performance pixel design, low noise readout circuitry, high sensitivity silicon back thinning, and space qualified packaging and testing. “In collaboration with ON Semiconductor, SRI will develop an advanced on-shore image sensor processing capability that leverages SRI’s UTSOI back-side illumination technology,” stated John Tower, technical director, Imaging Group, Products and Services Division at SRI. “This capability delivers improved sensor performance in a commercially available CMOS process.”

A pioneer in backside illumination, SRI has developed patented methods of processing silicon wafers to provide an unobstructed path for light to reach the pixels in its image sensors. SRI innovations in BSI date back to the 1970’s, when the group was part of the RCA David Sarnoff Research Center. SRI’s imagers are also widely used in precision scientific instrumentation, space missions, semiconductor inspection, military night vision systems, airborne reconnaissance, security and surveillance, and other areas where high speed, high sensitivity, and high resolution are critical to mission success.

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.

The VSST program is designed to produce a visible image sensor that can be directly inserted in a star tracker assembly. Star trackers are an integral component of spacecraft guidance and control systems and are used to find a spacecraft’s attitude (the direction it is pointed) in space. “Because commercial CMOS image sensors are not well suited to meet the requirements of a star tracker, the STELLAR development will provide a domestically produced image sensor at a reasonable cost point,” said Kyle Miller, business area manager for Ball Aerospace star tracker products. Ball Aerospace plans to incorporate the STELLAR image sensor into a variety of star tracker and attitude sensor products. These products will be available to spacecraft providers in the DoD, commercial, and civil space markets.

About SRI International

Innovations from SRI International have created new industries, billions of dollars of marketplace value, and lasting benefits to society—touching our lives every day. SRI, a nonprofit research and development institute based in Silicon Valley, brings its innovations to the marketplace through technology licensing, new products, and spin-off ventures. Government and business clients come to SRI for pioneering R&D and solutions in computing and communications, chemistry and materials, education, energy, health and pharmaceuticals, national defense, robotics, sensing, and more. For more information, visit www.sri.com.

About Ball Aerospace

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. supports critical missions for national agencies such as the Department of Defense, NASA, NOAA and other U.S. government and commercial entities. The company develops and manufactures spacecraft, advanced instruments and sensors, components, data exploitation systems and RF solutions for strategic, tactical and scientific applications. For more information visit www.ballaerospace.com.

Case Number: 88ABW-2013-2200

ON Semiconductor to Present its Latest Semiconductor Solutions at “Automotive Engineering Exposition 2013”

Wed, 22 May 2013 02:00:00 CDT

Automotive Engineering Exposition – YOKOHAMA, Japan – May 20, 2013 – ON Semiconductor Corporation (Nasdaq: ONNN), driving innovation in energy efficiency, will present its latest automotive semiconductor solutions at the Automotive Engineering Exposition 2013, from May 22-24 at the Pacifico Yokohama.

A team of experienced engineering experts from ON Semiconductor and the company’s SANYO Semiconductor division will be available to discuss and demonstrate a broad range of solutions for near-future automobiles, and introduce new products that play key roles throughout automotive electronics.

“ON Semiconductor leads the industry by delivering innovative silicon technology that significantly improves power factor, efficiency in active state, and power consumption in standby state for a wide range of products including automotive subsystems, white goods, smartphones, and lighting devices,” said Akihiro Sato, general manager, Field Application Engineering Department of SANYO Semicon Device Co. – which is ON Semiconductor’s sales company in Japan. “For automotive customers, we are committed to the continued development of a wide variety of targeted solutions from body electronics and powertrain to LED lighting and infotainment applications.”

The products and solutions to be demonstrated and discussed at the Automotive Engineering Exposition include the following:

Body and Powertrain

The STK984-09 is a 3-phase BLDC motor driver hybrid integrated circuit (HIC) that features a pre-driver and power MOSFET. It incorporates shunt register, thermistor, and various protective functions against over-temperature, over-current, and over-voltage, featuring low-voltage operation. Optimized for use in automotive radiators, blower fans, and water pumps, this device makes the design of BLDC motor drive circuit easy and reduces the PCB area.

The NCV7729 is an intelligent, fully protected H−Bridge Driver designed specifically for control of DC and stepper motors in safety critical applications in automotive and industrial environments. It is an optimum driver IC for electronic throttle control (ETC), exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), and other automotive functions.

ON Semiconductor has a long history of designing and manufacturing application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and today offers both mixed-signal and digital ASIC solutions to leading manufacturers in a variety of markets including automotive, medical, industrial, mil/aero, and communication. The company’s ASIC technology addresses diverse automotive devices including sensors, interfaces for high-voltage applications, key-less entry, IVNs such as CAN/LIN, and power management applications.

LED Lighting Products

The NCV78663 is a high efficient smart dual LED driver designed for automotive front lighting applications like high beam, low beam, daytime running light (DRL), turn indicator, fog light, and so on. The NCV78663 provides a solution to drive two strings up to 60 V with minimum external components.

Infotainment Products

The LC717A00AR is a capacitance-digital-converter LSI for electrostatic capacitive touch sensors. Achieving high sensitivity and high noise immunity, it detects the ON/OFF state of each input and outputs the appropriate result without the need for any additional components or control software. Low cost design is possible because the price of one switch is comparable to a tactile switch.

The LC74900 is a LCD processor LSI for small size display that can input digital video signals from the main controller to display on the car navigation screen. It is optimized for car navigation systems and display audio systems, featuring a variety of picture quality adjustment functions for enhanced video quality and content-adaptive backlight control (CABC) for reducing power consumption.

Please visit ON Semiconductor at Booth 178.

Microchip’s New 36V DigiPots Support Wide Signal Swings and High Power-Supply Voltages

Wed, 22 May 2013 02:00:00 CDT

Microchip’s New 36V DigiPots Support Wide Signal Swings and High Power-Supply Voltages

Renesas Electronics Announces USB 2.0 Hub Controller Chip with Battery Charging Function

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:00:00 CDT

TOKYO, Japan, May 22, 2013 — Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723), a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, today announced the development of the µPD720115 USB 2.0 hub controller chip, which supports simultaneous USB communication and charging of portable devices such as smartphones and tablet PCs via a single USB connector.

Chip Shot: Intel Ethernet Pioneer to Speak

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:37:29 CDT

Intel’s Radia Perlman helps celebrate Ethernet’s 40th birthday at the Ethernet Innovation Summit in Mountain View, CA. On May 22 at 9:15 am PDT, Perlman will participate in a plenary session on the technology’s early history. Perlman is the inventor of many fundamental technologies in computer networking including the spanning tree algorithm which is at the heart of today's Ethernet. Intel was one of three companies to initially promote Ethernet as a standard. Forty years later, the standard continues to help spur innovation.

Toshiba to Start Mass Production of Next Generation NAND Flash Memory

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:35:00 CDT

To supply the world's smallest 64-gigabit NAND memory chip on second generation 19 nanometre (nm) process technology