SANTA CLARA, USA: LeCroy Corp., a leader in serial data test solutions, is announcing the shipment of its new SierraFC M8-4, a Fibre Channel, 8 Gb/s protocol analysis platform.
The SierraFC M8-4 enables the development of storage systems and storage area networks based on 8G Fibre Channel technology by providing in-depth analysis capabilities. Developers can quickly find a variety of performance bottlenecks and protocol violations, using the powerful tools available with the SierraFC M8-4.
"The SierraFC M8-4 is a compelling new product that will broadly appeal to developers of advanced storage system and storage networking products," stated Joe Mendolia, Vice President of Marketing for LeCroy Protocol Solutions Group. "We are confident that this product will enable Fibre Channel developers to meet their tight schedules and achieve their market requirements."
Prior to the final production release of the SierraFC M8-4, LeCroy conducted an extensive product beta test program with customers who were engaged in complex 8G Fibre Channel development projects. The SierraFC M8-4 was very well received by these groups and based on customer feedback; the product was further optimized for use in storage networking environments. Customers will find the unit ready to use in their test applications.
Greg Berbaum, Lead Fibre Channel Test Engineer with Emulex, said: "The SierraFC M8-4 has lots of nice features. I really like the variety of window display options and the Advanced Triggering methodology is a great productivity enhancement for debugging complex protocol issues. Those are two very large advantages for the SierraFC M8-4."
SierraFC M8-4 analyzer software features an intuitive GUI (Graphical User Interface) combining easy setup and operation with flexible data analysis displays. The familiar chronological Spreadsheet View shows handshaking of primitives as well as complete frame composition.
LeCroy's signature Packet View allows users to easily track Fibre Channel exchanges from end-to-end in an intuitive logical display. SierraFC M8-4 has three additional main data display modes including, Frame Inspector, Text View, and Statistical Report, providing flexible and powerful alternatives for efficient analysis of Fibre Channel protocol environments.
The SierraFC M8-4 operates at 2, 4 and 8 Gb/s Fibre Channel signaling rates. It is available with 4 or 8 GB of recording memory, and either 2 or 4 recording channels.
It features the capability of cascading up to 8 protocol analyzers and a 24 state trigger sequencer, making the SierraFC M8-4 the most powerful analyzer available for any Fibre Channel application. The SierraFC M8-4 offers world-class protocol analysis capability at price points that are within reach of every budget.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
REACH-SVHC for authorisation
Gary Nevison, Farnell
UK: The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has launched a public consultation on its draft recommendation for eight Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) to be included in the Authorisation List (Annex XIV).
Substances in Annex XIV will require (costly) authorisation to be used after an implementation, or “sunset date”. The use of an SVHC after this date will be illegal unless the use has been authorised.
The total number proposed is now 15, if you consider the first batch of seven. The first seven have not been added to Annex XIV yet, but the process is moving along and six of these have recently been notified to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) which is one of the last stages before inclusion in Annex XIV.
One of the original seven, Short Chain Chlorinated Paraffin’s (SCCP) is not in the list notified to the WTO as I understand that this is being considered to be proposed as a POP (Persistent Organic Pollutant) and would be totally banned as a result, so authorisation is not an option.
UK: The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has launched a public consultation on its draft recommendation for eight Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) to be included in the Authorisation List (Annex XIV).
Substances in Annex XIV will require (costly) authorisation to be used after an implementation, or “sunset date”. The use of an SVHC after this date will be illegal unless the use has been authorised.
The total number proposed is now 15, if you consider the first batch of seven. The first seven have not been added to Annex XIV yet, but the process is moving along and six of these have recently been notified to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) which is one of the last stages before inclusion in Annex XIV.
One of the original seven, Short Chain Chlorinated Paraffin’s (SCCP) is not in the list notified to the WTO as I understand that this is being considered to be proposed as a POP (Persistent Organic Pollutant) and would be totally banned as a result, so authorisation is not an option.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Digi-Key announces stock on Littelfuse TVS SMD diode kits
THIEF RIVER FALLS, USA: Electronic components distributor Digi-Key Corp. announced that it has stock on Littelfuse transient voltage suppression (TVS) SMD diode kits.
These kits are now available for purchase on Digi-Key's global websites and will be featured in future print and online catalogs.
Each kit covers a broad range of Littelfuse TVS diodes and contains five pieces each of select popular voltage values.
Ranging from industry standard package sizes of SMA to SMC with wattage ratings starting at 400 watts and going as high as 3000 watts, Littelfuse TVS diodes are designed to protect sensitive electronic equipment from voltage transients in applications such as telecommunications, computers, and industrial and consumer electronics.
A PTM Online… On Demand product training module that reviews overvoltage protection concepts and Littelfuse TVS diode products is available on Digi-Key’s website.
These kits are now available for purchase on Digi-Key's global websites and will be featured in future print and online catalogs.
Each kit covers a broad range of Littelfuse TVS diodes and contains five pieces each of select popular voltage values.
Ranging from industry standard package sizes of SMA to SMC with wattage ratings starting at 400 watts and going as high as 3000 watts, Littelfuse TVS diodes are designed to protect sensitive electronic equipment from voltage transients in applications such as telecommunications, computers, and industrial and consumer electronics.
A PTM Online… On Demand product training module that reviews overvoltage protection concepts and Littelfuse TVS diode products is available on Digi-Key’s website.
Vishay Siliconix ThunderFET power MOSFET Is industry's first 80-V MOSFET
MALVERN, USA: Vishay Intertechnology Inc. recently unveiled the first TrenchFET power MOSFET built on a new low-on-resistance technology optimized for higher-voltage devices. The new ThunderFET SiR880DP is the first 80-V power MOSFET with an on-resistance rating at a 4.5-V gate drive.
Packaged in the thermally enhanced PowerPAK® SO-8, the new 80-V SiR880DP offers ultra-low on-resistances of 8.5 milliohms at 4.5 V, 6.7 milliohms at 7.5 V, and 5.9 milliohms at 10 V. Typical on-resistance times gate charge, a key figure of merit (FOM) for MOSFETs in dc-to-dc converter applications, is 161 at 4.5 V.
The SiR880DP is optimized for primary side switching in isolated do-to-dc converters for telecom point-of-load applications. Its very low on-resistance translates into reduced power consumption and greener solutions, especially at light loads such as stand-by mode.
The device's 4.5-V rating is conducive to higher-frequency designs, enabling significantly lower gate drive losses in POL applications while allowing lower-voltage/lower-cost 5-V PWM ICs to be utilized. Until now, 80-V power MOSFETs were only available with on-resistance ratings at a 6-V gate drive or higher.
The SiR880DP is 100 percent Rg- and UIS-tested. The PowerPAK SO-8 MOSFET is halogen-free according to the IEC 61249-2-21 definition and compliant to RoHS Directive 2002/95/EC.
Samples of the SiR880DP are available now. Production quantities are available now, with lead times of 16 weeks for large orders.
Packaged in the thermally enhanced PowerPAK® SO-8, the new 80-V SiR880DP offers ultra-low on-resistances of 8.5 milliohms at 4.5 V, 6.7 milliohms at 7.5 V, and 5.9 milliohms at 10 V. Typical on-resistance times gate charge, a key figure of merit (FOM) for MOSFETs in dc-to-dc converter applications, is 161 at 4.5 V.
The SiR880DP is optimized for primary side switching in isolated do-to-dc converters for telecom point-of-load applications. Its very low on-resistance translates into reduced power consumption and greener solutions, especially at light loads such as stand-by mode.
The device's 4.5-V rating is conducive to higher-frequency designs, enabling significantly lower gate drive losses in POL applications while allowing lower-voltage/lower-cost 5-V PWM ICs to be utilized. Until now, 80-V power MOSFETs were only available with on-resistance ratings at a 6-V gate drive or higher.
The SiR880DP is 100 percent Rg- and UIS-tested. The PowerPAK SO-8 MOSFET is halogen-free according to the IEC 61249-2-21 definition and compliant to RoHS Directive 2002/95/EC.
Samples of the SiR880DP are available now. Production quantities are available now, with lead times of 16 weeks for large orders.
Monday, July 5, 2010
OSRAM and Infineon intro energy-efficient LED lamps to Sri Lanka
NEUBIBERG & REGENSBURG, GERMANY: Infineon Technologies AG and OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH both champion the cause of sustainable development and environmental protection.
In collaboration with the OSRAM partner network LED Light for you, the German company Diana Electronic Systems has developed an energy-efficient LED lamp for the Global Nature Fund to be used in Sri Lanka. Local fishermen will use the lamps instead of their environmentally harmful kerosene lamps when fishing at night.
There are 85,000 canoe fishermen in Sri Lanka, many of whom catch prawns in the mangrove swamps at night. The prawns are attracted by the light of the fishermen's kerosene lamps and trapped in a complex system of baskets. While the prawns are fished sustainably, the kerosene lamps used by the fishermen pose a genuine environmental hazard. Leaking kerosene can pollute the water and spawning grounds; moreover, these lamps emit surprisingly large amounts of CO 2. The country's 85,000 canoe fishermen burn roughly 100,000 liters of kerosene every night or 30 million liters per year, corresponding to 75,000 metric tonnes of CO 2 per year.
LED lamps for Sri Lanka
Launched by the environment foundation Global Nature Fund, the project “Improving livelihoods of fishermen in Sri Lanka by introducing LED and compact fluorescent lamps for night fishing” aims to solve this problem. The environment foundation is sponsored by the Wuppertal-Institut, Dicota and Sika AG. Its objective is to promote the use of eco-friendly LED lamps for night fishing, as well as other forms of energy-efficient lighting in homes and public buildings.
Supported by the LED Light for you (LLFY) partners OSRAM and Infineon, Diana Electronic has developed a robust, watertight, low-cost alternative to replace the fishermen's kerosene lamps. The Global Nature Fund is distributing 100 of these LED lamps to the fishermen in a first phase. Virtually all kerosene lamps are to be replaced in the long term.
The LLFY network provides guidance in a highly fragmented LED market, supports potential users of LED technology and helps to find partners who have been certified according to stringent quality criteria to implement the LED lighting projects. The lamp made by Diana Electronic uses standard LED drivers from Infineon and amber-colored OSRAM LEDs of type Golden Dragon.
“On the one hand, this will not only help to protect the sensitive ecosystem of the mangrove forests from leaking kerosene and reduce CO 2 emissions, but will also provide the fishermen with innovative technology allowing them to continue their night fishing and thus safeguard their main source of income on the other,” said Michael Wohs, European Sales Manager at OSRAM Opto Semiconductors. Catches are not expected to suffer, as the light of the amber-coloured OSRAM LEDs of type Golden Dragon is very similar to that of the kerosene lamps.
The project marks another step towards introducing energy-efficient lighting in Sri Lanka and will make a major contribution to protecting the local environment. OSRAM and the Global Nature Fund already supplied fishermen on Lake Victoria in East Africa with energy-saving products back in 2008. OSRAM provides long-term support to countries in economically underdeveloped regions, helping them make more effective use of energy-efficient lighting.
In collaboration with the OSRAM partner network LED Light for you, the German company Diana Electronic Systems has developed an energy-efficient LED lamp for the Global Nature Fund to be used in Sri Lanka. Local fishermen will use the lamps instead of their environmentally harmful kerosene lamps when fishing at night.
There are 85,000 canoe fishermen in Sri Lanka, many of whom catch prawns in the mangrove swamps at night. The prawns are attracted by the light of the fishermen's kerosene lamps and trapped in a complex system of baskets. While the prawns are fished sustainably, the kerosene lamps used by the fishermen pose a genuine environmental hazard. Leaking kerosene can pollute the water and spawning grounds; moreover, these lamps emit surprisingly large amounts of CO 2. The country's 85,000 canoe fishermen burn roughly 100,000 liters of kerosene every night or 30 million liters per year, corresponding to 75,000 metric tonnes of CO 2 per year.
LED lamps for Sri Lanka
Launched by the environment foundation Global Nature Fund, the project “Improving livelihoods of fishermen in Sri Lanka by introducing LED and compact fluorescent lamps for night fishing” aims to solve this problem. The environment foundation is sponsored by the Wuppertal-Institut, Dicota and Sika AG. Its objective is to promote the use of eco-friendly LED lamps for night fishing, as well as other forms of energy-efficient lighting in homes and public buildings.
Supported by the LED Light for you (LLFY) partners OSRAM and Infineon, Diana Electronic has developed a robust, watertight, low-cost alternative to replace the fishermen's kerosene lamps. The Global Nature Fund is distributing 100 of these LED lamps to the fishermen in a first phase. Virtually all kerosene lamps are to be replaced in the long term.
The LLFY network provides guidance in a highly fragmented LED market, supports potential users of LED technology and helps to find partners who have been certified according to stringent quality criteria to implement the LED lighting projects. The lamp made by Diana Electronic uses standard LED drivers from Infineon and amber-colored OSRAM LEDs of type Golden Dragon.
“On the one hand, this will not only help to protect the sensitive ecosystem of the mangrove forests from leaking kerosene and reduce CO 2 emissions, but will also provide the fishermen with innovative technology allowing them to continue their night fishing and thus safeguard their main source of income on the other,” said Michael Wohs, European Sales Manager at OSRAM Opto Semiconductors. Catches are not expected to suffer, as the light of the amber-coloured OSRAM LEDs of type Golden Dragon is very similar to that of the kerosene lamps.
The project marks another step towards introducing energy-efficient lighting in Sri Lanka and will make a major contribution to protecting the local environment. OSRAM and the Global Nature Fund already supplied fishermen on Lake Victoria in East Africa with energy-saving products back in 2008. OSRAM provides long-term support to countries in economically underdeveloped regions, helping them make more effective use of energy-efficient lighting.
Nujira awarded key US Envelope Tracking patents
CAMBRIDGE, UK: Nujira has been granted two key Envelope Tracking patents in the US – taking its portfolio to 65. Nujira Coolteq power modulators based on ET are dramatically improving the power efficiency of the next generation of 3G/4G cellular base stations, handsets, digital broadcast transmitters and military communications systems.
“Nujira has developed the world’s most extensive and complete patent portfolio around Envelope Tracking, and currently has 65 patents filed or granted worldwide,” said Tim Haynes, CEO of Nujira.
“Several of our core patents, including those recently granted in the US, act as blocking IPR for anyone trying to develop commercially viable Envelope Tracking Power Amplifiers for cellular infrastructure, handsets and digital TV. As Envelope Tracking becomes the de-facto standard for high efficiency PAs in handsets, USB modems, and wireless infrastructure, we will be further building out and defending our IPR portfolio to maintain our leadership position.”
Haynes continued: “We have seen evidence to suggest that our key patents are also being used by others in their early proof of concept demonstrators. Although we remain the leader in commercial-grade Envelope Tracking modulators, these developments endorse the validity of our approach, are healthy for the industry and good for Nujira.”
Envelope Tracking dynamically reduces the electrical power to a radio transmitter at times of low signal amplitude, and increases it when a powerful signal is required. Whilst this principle has been known and actively studied since the 1930’s, Nujira has been the first to successfully address the challenge of tracking the transmitted signal accurately in commercial products for 3G, 4G and Digital TV applications. Nuijra’s patent portfolio covers the technical breakthroughs that underpin this implementation.
“Nujira has developed the world’s most extensive and complete patent portfolio around Envelope Tracking, and currently has 65 patents filed or granted worldwide,” said Tim Haynes, CEO of Nujira.
“Several of our core patents, including those recently granted in the US, act as blocking IPR for anyone trying to develop commercially viable Envelope Tracking Power Amplifiers for cellular infrastructure, handsets and digital TV. As Envelope Tracking becomes the de-facto standard for high efficiency PAs in handsets, USB modems, and wireless infrastructure, we will be further building out and defending our IPR portfolio to maintain our leadership position.”
Haynes continued: “We have seen evidence to suggest that our key patents are also being used by others in their early proof of concept demonstrators. Although we remain the leader in commercial-grade Envelope Tracking modulators, these developments endorse the validity of our approach, are healthy for the industry and good for Nujira.”
Envelope Tracking dynamically reduces the electrical power to a radio transmitter at times of low signal amplitude, and increases it when a powerful signal is required. Whilst this principle has been known and actively studied since the 1930’s, Nujira has been the first to successfully address the challenge of tracking the transmitted signal accurately in commercial products for 3G, 4G and Digital TV applications. Nuijra’s patent portfolio covers the technical breakthroughs that underpin this implementation.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Severe shortages impact key commodity components
EL SEGUNDO, USA: Various key commodity electronic components now are in a state of critically short supply, causing prices to rise and delaying deliveries of parts to customers to a worrying lengths, according to iSuppli Corp.
With demand exceeding supply, availability remains extremely tight for widely used analog ICs and memory ICs. The supply situation is even more critical for standard logic ICs and power management discretes such as low-voltage MOSFETs and tantalum capacitors, which now are experiencing shortages and effectively are on allocation status, meaning suppliers are unable to respond to un-forecasted demand.
Across the board, lead times—which in the supply chain refer to the time elapsed from the moment that a customer places an order up to the juncture that the order is received—are longer than forecasts indicated a month ago. The lead time in June was 20 weeks for power MOSFETs and small signal transistors, and 18 weeks for bipolar power devices and rectifiers.
In comparison, normal lead times for such products typically run to approximately 10 to 12 weeks. The figure presents lead times for bellwether electronic products.
Source: iSuppli, USA.
“When lead times enter the 20 week range, they indicate a major schism between component supply and demand,” said Rick Pierson, senior analyst for semiconductors and component price tracking at iSuppli. “Supply constraints for electronics and semiconductor components might not come as a big surprise amid the present market rebound. However, specific market and pricing trends are spurring varying degrees of short supply depending on the component market.”
Shortages or allocation everywhere
Among analog ICs, demand is outstripping supply, allowing manufacturers to increase Average Selling Prices (ASPs) for the last three months. Not only is the imbalance expected to persist until the end of 2010, but lead times will continue to extend and ASPs will keep rising, iSuppli believes.
Supply also remains constrained for capacitors and standard logic ICs, both of which have been swept by strong demand. For standard logic ICs, allocation is continuing for the fourth month and likely to persist until the end of the third quarter.
Similar difficulties exist in the discretes market, where supply and demand remain heavily imbalanced. Lead times—which have doubled since July 2009—continue to extend, and the unremitting combination of strong demand and capacity constraints indicates that imbalances between supply and demand will last until the end of the year.
The situation is slightly calmer on the memory IC front, where expected future demand and inventory rebuilding efforts are being balanced off by currently soft sales as well as falling prices. Nonetheless, troubling signs point to possible severe shortages in NAND flash during the third quarter, especially if suppliers are unable to achieve an optimal mix in production.
Source: iSuppli, USA.
With demand exceeding supply, availability remains extremely tight for widely used analog ICs and memory ICs. The supply situation is even more critical for standard logic ICs and power management discretes such as low-voltage MOSFETs and tantalum capacitors, which now are experiencing shortages and effectively are on allocation status, meaning suppliers are unable to respond to un-forecasted demand.
Across the board, lead times—which in the supply chain refer to the time elapsed from the moment that a customer places an order up to the juncture that the order is received—are longer than forecasts indicated a month ago. The lead time in June was 20 weeks for power MOSFETs and small signal transistors, and 18 weeks for bipolar power devices and rectifiers.
In comparison, normal lead times for such products typically run to approximately 10 to 12 weeks. The figure presents lead times for bellwether electronic products.
Source: iSuppli, USA.“When lead times enter the 20 week range, they indicate a major schism between component supply and demand,” said Rick Pierson, senior analyst for semiconductors and component price tracking at iSuppli. “Supply constraints for electronics and semiconductor components might not come as a big surprise amid the present market rebound. However, specific market and pricing trends are spurring varying degrees of short supply depending on the component market.”
Shortages or allocation everywhere
Among analog ICs, demand is outstripping supply, allowing manufacturers to increase Average Selling Prices (ASPs) for the last three months. Not only is the imbalance expected to persist until the end of 2010, but lead times will continue to extend and ASPs will keep rising, iSuppli believes.
Supply also remains constrained for capacitors and standard logic ICs, both of which have been swept by strong demand. For standard logic ICs, allocation is continuing for the fourth month and likely to persist until the end of the third quarter.
Similar difficulties exist in the discretes market, where supply and demand remain heavily imbalanced. Lead times—which have doubled since July 2009—continue to extend, and the unremitting combination of strong demand and capacity constraints indicates that imbalances between supply and demand will last until the end of the year.
The situation is slightly calmer on the memory IC front, where expected future demand and inventory rebuilding efforts are being balanced off by currently soft sales as well as falling prices. Nonetheless, troubling signs point to possible severe shortages in NAND flash during the third quarter, especially if suppliers are unable to achieve an optimal mix in production.
Source: iSuppli, USA.
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