UK: element14 has launched a RoadTest Group on its site, providing users the opportunity to trial and review the newest technologies from a variety of industryleading manufacturers. The initial offer is for 50 Freescale RD3803MMA7660FC evaluation kits and 5 Altera Niois II embedded evaluation kits.
element14 will continually update the RoadTest Group, in line with its continued commitment providing electronic design engineers with the latest innovations and new technologies.
Engineers interested in this complimentary offer can sign up to test the product of their choice at http://www.element-14.com/community/groups/roadtest through December 31, 2009. Importantly the group will also offer members a platform to discuss their own experiences with the products on test.
Freescales’ RD3803MMA7660FC is designed to provide the user with a complete out of the box experience to evaluate the MMA7660FC, a low power, 3-axis linear accelerometer with 12C digital output. The kit contains the evaluation board, plus the daughter board, PC application and corresponding device collateral.
Altera’s Cyclone III Edition Nios II kit is a feature-rich, low cost platform that provides a fast and simple hands-on way for embedded designers to assess the Nios II processor, SOPC Builder system design software and custom applications. The kit includes the Nios II Embedded Design Suite, a complete design suite for embedded software development, several tutorials and 10 design examples with full source code.
element14 will be leveraging the power of its Community to highlight the kits from Freescale and Altera, both of whom have their own interactive groups within the web 2.0 site.
element14 is a natural platform for this offering as the website creates a unique online environment, providing the global electronic design engineering community with a vast array of product data, design tools, technology information and the capabilities for public or private collaboration with peers and experts.
"Freescale is excited that the MMA7660 will be promoted in element14’s RoadTest Group, because it's a great way to let design engineers test drive our new products,” said Michelle Kelsey, Marketing Manager, Inertial Sensors, Freescale.
“Freescale’s cost-effective, low-power MMA7660 accelerometer integrates a number of smart motion features such as orientation, shake and tap detection with auto wake-up/sleep detection, in a compact 3x3x0.9mm package.”
Showing posts with label Freescale. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Freescale. Show all posts
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Freescale LED driver eliminates audible noise, visual artifacts for LCDs
AUSTIN, USA: Enabling slimmer laptops with brighter screens and extended battery life, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are rapidly replacing cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL) as the dominant backlighting technology for liquid crystal displays (LCDs) used in notebook PCs and industrial and medical displays.
However, use of LEDs in notebook LCDs presents technical challenges, such as the generation of audible noise and visual artifacts that can diminish the end-user experience.
To help manufacturers overcome these challenges, Freescale Semiconductor has introduced the MC34845 LED driver with high-speed pulse width modulation (PWM) capability. This six-channel device is designed to allow LED backlights to operate at frequencies above the audible range, thereby eliminating noise issues and reducing visual artifacts.
In addition, the drivers accuracy and flexibility offer display uniformity and a wide dimming range to further enhance end-user experiences.
The MC34845 LED driver is ideal for backlighting applications in notebook displays ranging in size from seven inches to more than 17 inches, as well as other applications that use multiple low-power LEDs, such as lighting products.
According to DisplaySearch, the penetration rate of LED backlights in large-size (10 inches and greater) thin film transistor (TFT) LCDs is expected to grow from approximately 7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008 to 23 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009. By 2012, more than half of all large-size TFT LCDs –- and 100 percent of notebook PCs -– will have LED backlights.
Factors driving the fast adoption of LED backlighting technology include energy-efficient operation leading to extended battery life, and the ability to design slimmer displays for thinner, lighter laptops. LED backlighting also offers an environmentally friendly solution compared to CCFL displays, which contain mercury.
“The outstanding performance, accuracy and flexibility of the MC34845 driver helps manufacturers avoid a host of issues associated with LED drivers operating at lower frequencies,” said Michael Jennings, market segment manager for display products in Freescales Analog, Mixed-Signal and Power Division.
“Advanced technologies such as the MC34845 are helping fuel the rapid adoption of LED backlights in notebook PC markets worldwide.”
The high-speed LED driver supports up to 100 kHz PWM, with pulses down to 200ns. This performance is suitable for 1000:1 dimming range at 25 kHz with excellent linearity across the range, supporting imperceptible dimming steps.
The driver is also very accurate, supporting ±2% current matching maximum across the operating range of -40 degrees C to +85 degrees C, which helps improve display uniformity. The outputs are driven using a single direct drive PWM input.
The MC34845 also features a boost converter to produce the required voltage to power LEDs. Two versions are available for boost switching frequencies of either 600 Khz (MC34845) or 1.2 MHz (MC34845A). The input range supports 2-cell and 3-cell lithium-ion batteries or a fixed-input supply.
High-voltage output capability enables the device to drive up to 96 white LEDs, more than competing 6-channel designs. A dynamic headroom control automatically sets the output voltage depending on the voltage requirements of the LEDs.
The MC34845 supports low-power shutdown with 1uA max supply current. In addition, an auto shutdown mode can enable the device to enter shutdown after a period of inactivity on the PWM input.
However, use of LEDs in notebook LCDs presents technical challenges, such as the generation of audible noise and visual artifacts that can diminish the end-user experience.
To help manufacturers overcome these challenges, Freescale Semiconductor has introduced the MC34845 LED driver with high-speed pulse width modulation (PWM) capability. This six-channel device is designed to allow LED backlights to operate at frequencies above the audible range, thereby eliminating noise issues and reducing visual artifacts.
In addition, the drivers accuracy and flexibility offer display uniformity and a wide dimming range to further enhance end-user experiences.
The MC34845 LED driver is ideal for backlighting applications in notebook displays ranging in size from seven inches to more than 17 inches, as well as other applications that use multiple low-power LEDs, such as lighting products.
According to DisplaySearch, the penetration rate of LED backlights in large-size (10 inches and greater) thin film transistor (TFT) LCDs is expected to grow from approximately 7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008 to 23 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009. By 2012, more than half of all large-size TFT LCDs –- and 100 percent of notebook PCs -– will have LED backlights.
Factors driving the fast adoption of LED backlighting technology include energy-efficient operation leading to extended battery life, and the ability to design slimmer displays for thinner, lighter laptops. LED backlighting also offers an environmentally friendly solution compared to CCFL displays, which contain mercury.
“The outstanding performance, accuracy and flexibility of the MC34845 driver helps manufacturers avoid a host of issues associated with LED drivers operating at lower frequencies,” said Michael Jennings, market segment manager for display products in Freescales Analog, Mixed-Signal and Power Division.
“Advanced technologies such as the MC34845 are helping fuel the rapid adoption of LED backlights in notebook PC markets worldwide.”
The high-speed LED driver supports up to 100 kHz PWM, with pulses down to 200ns. This performance is suitable for 1000:1 dimming range at 25 kHz with excellent linearity across the range, supporting imperceptible dimming steps.
The driver is also very accurate, supporting ±2% current matching maximum across the operating range of -40 degrees C to +85 degrees C, which helps improve display uniformity. The outputs are driven using a single direct drive PWM input.
The MC34845 also features a boost converter to produce the required voltage to power LEDs. Two versions are available for boost switching frequencies of either 600 Khz (MC34845) or 1.2 MHz (MC34845A). The input range supports 2-cell and 3-cell lithium-ion batteries or a fixed-input supply.
High-voltage output capability enables the device to drive up to 96 white LEDs, more than competing 6-channel designs. A dynamic headroom control automatically sets the output voltage depending on the voltage requirements of the LEDs.
The MC34845 supports low-power shutdown with 1uA max supply current. In addition, an auto shutdown mode can enable the device to enter shutdown after a period of inactivity on the PWM input.
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