WILSONVILLE, OR – Mentor Graphics Corp. has released HyperLynx 7.7, the latest version of its tool suite for pre- and post-layout signal integrity (SI) simulation and analysis. HyperLynx 7.7 is said to include significant productivity and technology enhancements targeted at high-speed bus technologies, as well as SERDES (SERialization/DE-Serialization) interconnect standards for connecting serial drivers and receivers.
"I use HyperLynx because it is one of the few accurate circuit simulators with coupled lossy-line models and an integrated 2D field solver," said Dr. Eric Bogatin, industry expert and author of Signal Integrity Simplified. "Plus, it is far and away the quickest tool on the market to learn with a five minute learning curve. With the release of HyperLynx 7.7, its value for high-speed serial link analysis has more than doubled."
HyperLynx 7.7 is said to provide several enhancements, including:
-The integration of Mentor's mixed-signal simulation engine -A Touchstone model viewer -Mentor's complex-pole fitting algorithms -A pre-layout tool offering complete padstack editing -A new "fast eye diagram" capability for SERDES design that incorporates Bit Error Rate (BER) prediction and bathtub curves -The unique ability to predict the worst-case bit stimulus sequence that would produce a maximally closed eye diagram
HyperLynx is compatible with each of Mentor's PCB design flows, including the Board Station Series, Expedition Enterprise, and PADS PCB design environments, along with PCB layout systems from Cadence, Altium and Zuken.
TEMECULA, CA – CWAV announced the addition of the USBee DX Test Pod (DX) to its product family of PC based test pods that verify analog voltage levels and digital logic used in electronics. The DX builds on USBee AX Pro Test Pod and offers a digital voltmeter, data logger, digital signal generator, pulse width modulator, frequency counter, frequency generator, I2C Controller and pulse counter.
The DX is a compact device that attaches to a PC using a USB cable. Depending on the PC application used, the DX becomes a collection of various electronics test tools. The oscilloscope/logic analyzer has two analog and 16 digital signals sampling 100 million samples at up to 24Msps and dual 8-bit ADCs for the /-10v inputs. Users can reportedly also click-and-drag to instantly decode embedded bus transactions (I2C, SPI, ASYNC, CAN, USB low and full speed, I2S, SM Bus, 1-Wire and PS/2).
"The ability to create an RF system, rearrange system blocks quickly to improve performance, and then implement some of the circuits straight from the simulator makes the communications system design process faster and more efficient than ever before," said Daren McClearnon, product marketing manager with Agilent's EEsof EDA division. "By building bridges from these RF architect tools to ADS, we've given ADS users access to new technology without disrupting their established design flow. Some key customers are already adding RF Architect for ADS to their license pools, so clearly they agree."
Agilent received the RF system architecture capabilities in Genesys when it acquired Eagleware in August 2005. The company is retaining the Eagleware platform while integrating key technology into the ADS design flow to increase designers' speed and efficiency. The integrated capabilities in ADS 2006A include:
·WhatIF - an intermediate frequency (IF) planning tool for RF system architects ·Spectrasys - a continuous-spectrum RF system simulator with root-cause analysis ·Synthesis - eight design assistants that implement manufacture-ready circuit-level designs, such as image-reject filters for RF boards
The ADS release also contains links to the Agilent Knowledge Center for real-time application help and problem solving. The Agilent Knowledge Center is an online technical support forum and support data archive that is accessed by more than 10,000 registered users worldwide. The ADS 2006A user documentation is similarly linked.
BILLERICA, MA – Thermo Electron Corp. released its new NITON XLt 797X portable analyzer. It is reported to quickly identify and analyze individual electronic components for RoHS compliance that until now could only be analyzed with stationary bench top equipment.
With a reportedly smaller sample analysis capability than any previous portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer, the NITON XLt 797X portable analyzer is said to incorporate new miniature x-ray tube technology that enables users to isolate and analyze solder joints and small components on populated PCBs with element detection limits and rapid measurement times.
It also incorporates a camera to allow users to pinpoint where they want to measure and record images together with the chemical analysis of the individual components they measure.
The XLt 797X portable analyzer is said to provide rapid screening of metals, polymers and components at the loading dock, in the warehouse, during product assembly and at vendor sites. Combined with its standard accessory, test stand, industry leading NDT remote control and video tracking software the XLt 797X portable analyzer offers the same performance and functionality as much larger and more expensive benchtop XRF units.
MELVILLE, NY – Park Electrochemical Corp. announced the introduction of its new Nelco N8000Q quartz fabric reinforced cyanate ester substrate.
N8000Q is designed to provide Park’s customers with exceptional electrical and mechanical properties for demanding RF/microwave applications, such as radomes. N8000Q reportedly enables customers to combine structural radome components with printed circuit components by providing a material with the properties of the Nelcote V-376 composite prepreg and the fabrication methods of Park’s N8000 cyanate-ester PCB laminate material.
ELKTON, MD - W.L. Gore introduced a new thermal interface material. The Gore Polarchip is a SF3000 silicone-free thermal interface material for use as a thermal gap pad. According to the company, the absence of silicone eliminates the problems of silicone outgassing and silicone oil migration.
The compressible, thermally conductive material is used for filling the undesirable air gaps between heat generating devices on the PCB and the heatsinks, heat spreaders and metal chassis that are used to dissipate the heat. The Polarchip thermal interface material is a fluoropolymer composite that consists of an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) matrix filled with boron nitride (BN) particles. The low elastic modulus of the ePTFE matrix imparts softness, conformability and compressibility to the composite, while the high thermal conductivity of the BN particles gives the composite its good thermal transport characteristics.
Polarchip thermal interface materials are produced in continuous rolls with a pressure sensitive adhesive on one side. It can be supplied in sheets or rolls of precision die-cut parts suitable for high volume assembly.
