Archive : 7 August 2015 год

Qualcomm Atheros has acquired Ikanos Communications, a developer of broadband networking semiconductor and software, in a deal that values it at around $47million. According to the company, the deal will broaden Atheros' presence in the carrier fixed line segment through the addition of high performance broadband access and modem technologies, including home gateways.

"Qualcomm Atheros has always viewed the home gateway as the enabler for consumers to not only access the Internet for browsing and downloading content and video streaming, but also as the hub of the Internet in the home for a variety of reliable and high quality services," said Rahul Patel, general manager, connectivity, Qualcomm Technologies. "The combination of Qualcomm Atheros' broad home gateway IP portfolio and Ikanos' wired modem technology is designed to create a complete solution for a range of home gateway products to better serve the carrier segment."

The deal is said to bring a range of technologies into the Atheros stable, including A/VDSL2 and G.fast modem technology and chipsets, and multimode gateway processor and accelerator technology.

"Qualcomm Atheros and Ikanos have a long history of collaboration in the carrier space and share a common vision for the connected home," said Ikanos' president and chief executive officer Omid Tahernia. "Bringing the two companies together enables Qualcomm Atheros to accelerate the implementation of its strategy for the connected home and to move the home gateway forward as a key enabler for new carrier applications and services."

Author
Graham Pitcher

Source:  www.newelectronics.co.uk

Microsemi has launched the smallest radio module it has yet produced. Called the ZL70323 and measuring 5.5 x 4.5 x 1.5mm, the device is said to be optimised for use in implantable medical devices such as pacemakers, cardiac defibrillators and neurostimulators.

Martin McHugh, Microsemi's product line manager for the new module, said: "RF engineering is a highly specialised discipline and leveraging our deep expertise in this area also allows our customers to reduce design times, reduce time-to-market and minimise project risk."

The ZL70323 is said to implement all RF related functions needed to deploy the implant node in a Medical Implantable Communications Service (MICS) RF telemetry system. An integrated antenna tuning circuit allows the module to be used with a range of implantable antennas.

Integrated in the module are: the ZL70103-based MICS band RF transceiver with integrated matching network, SAW filter for suppression of unwanted blockers, and antenna tuning; a 2.45GHz wake-up receiver matching network; a 24MHz reference frequency crystal; and decoupling capacitors and series termination resistors.

Author
Graham Pitcher

Source:  www.newelectronics.co.uk

Cambridge Design Partnership has developed a wearable device that can measure and monitor the vital signs of multiple trauma patients. According to the company, the low cost device – called the First Response Monitor – bridges the gap between manual measurement and more expensive patient monitoring systems
The low cost wearable biometric device not only monitors the patient, but also collects and transmits data in real-time, enabling medical staff to monitor a greater number of casualties and provide more effective triage.

The monitor clips onto the patient's nose, giving an 'at a glance' indication of respiration and pulse rates. This data is added to a trends graph showing how these measurements have changed over time. Using the device allows efforts to be focused on providing care, rather than taking measurements while understanding how the patient's condition has changed over time.

Data is transmitted using Bluetooth Low Energy to a smartphone app or tablet, enabling other data analyses such as multiple patient triage or situational awareness across the group.

Although the device has been primarily designed for use by first response medics in situations where there may be mass casualties, other applications wellness monitoring and performance monitoring.

James Baker, a partner at Cambridge Design Partnership, said: "We've combined our expertise in wearable connected devices with our extensive medical experience to develop a technology for effectively measuring breathing and heart rate. The monitor can help save lives in a variety of environments and we're really keen to speak to partners about developing the potential applications further."

Author
Graham Pitcher

Source:  www.newelectronics.co.uk

Plessey has announced the MaGIC LED dice range. Manufactured on the company's patented GaN on silicon technology, the so called 'blue dice' are said to be the latest innovation in high brightness LED dice for medium to high power applications.

Plessey's CTO Dr Keith Strickland said: "We have developed LED die for a number of applications and our GaN on silicon technology works particularly well in higher power applications. This current process technology will become the base for application specific LEDs – ASLEDs – which bridge the gap between LED component suppliers, solid state lighting fixture designers and OEMs."

Plessey offers blue die in various wavelength options. Capable of generating a light output efficiency of more than 60%, the dice are available with blue die wavelengths ranging from 420nm to 480nm and with power outputs of up to 10W.

Author
Graham Pitcher

Source:  www.newelectronics.co.uk

Worldwide semiconductor sales in June 2015 amounted to $28billion, according to the European Semiconductor Industry Association (ESIA). This represents a 0.4% decrease from May. In Europe, semiconductor sales were $2.826bn, down 1.7% from May.

Despite the overall decline there were – compared to May – areas of growth in Europe, including MCUs, DSPs, DRAM and NOR flash.

Exchange rates are having a significant impact on the sales picture, says ESIA. On a dollar basis, it notes, sales in Europe declined by 11.5%, but on a Euro basis, sales increased by 9.8%.

Meanwhile, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) says global sales of semiconductors reached $84billion during the second quarter of 2015, an increase of 1% over the previous quarter and 2% compared to Q2 2014. Meanwhile, sales during the first half of 2015 were 3.9% higher than they were at the same point in 2014.

"Macroeconomic headwinds and softening demand have slowed global semiconductor market growth somewhat, but the industry still posted its highest ever second quarter sales and remains ahead of the pace of sales set in 2014, which was a record year for semiconductor revenues," said John Neuffer, SIA president and CEO.

Author
Graham Pitcher

Source:  www.newelectronics.co.uk

The Alan Turing Institute – a joint venture involving the universities of Cambridge, Edinburgh, Oxford, UCL and Warwick, as well as the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) – has started operations and named Professor Andrew Blake as its first director.

Prof Blake, currently a Microsoft Distinguished Scientist and Laboratory Director of Microsoft Research UK, is expected to start his five year term in October.

Jo Johnson, Minister for Universities and Science, said: "The Alan Turing Institute has set off on a speedy course to secure new lasting partnerships and bring together expertise from across the UK that will help secure our place as a world leader in areas like Big Data, computer science and advanced mathematics."

The Institute is receiving £42million over five years from the UK government, while the university partners are contributing £25m between them. It has also accepted an offer of £10m of research funding from the board of the Lloyd's Register Foundation, intended to recognise the value of data as an asset and to place data at the forefront of engineering design.

A further collaboration with Cray and EPSRC will look to exploit next generation analytics capability on Archer, the UK's largest supercomputer for scientific research.

EPSRC chief executive Prof Philip Nelson said: "We will transform Archer into the largest data analytics platform in the world, enabling huge breakthroughs in leveraging big data into the UK economy and catapulting the UK into a world leader in the data sciences."

Howard Covington, chairman of the Alan Turing Institute, said: "The enthusiasm and commitment of the founding partners have enabled the Institute to make rapid progress. We will now turn to building the Institute's research activities. We are also in discussions with a number of industrial and commercial firms who we expect to become strategic partners in due course and are highly encouraged by the breadth of interest in working with the Institute."

Author
Graham Pitcher

Source:  www.newelectronics.co.uk