eeProductCenter Ultimate Products 5.1

Analog Boards / Buses DSP Electromechanical Embedded Tools Interconnects Microprocessors Memory Logic and Interfaces Passives / Sensors PLDs / FPGAs Power Components Power Sources RF / Microwave Test / Measurement

Product Shopper New Product Info

(1)
NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR
Microphone array amplifier cuts background noise, improves voice clarity
eeProductCenter's Rich Pell says: "National Semiconductor has introduced the PowerWise LMV1088 dual-input microphone array amplifier - the first in a line of audio products using analog far-field noise suppression technology. The device is said to reduce background noise and improve voice communication clarity in applications such as mobile phones, two-way radios and powered headsets, while at the same time consuming one-tenth the power of comparable DSP or microprocessor-based software-based systems."

Readers say:
"Good enhancement in audio technology."
"It is refreshing to see that companies can still see the usefulness of analog and bring innovative products that in the last decade people have become used to throwing digital processing at."
"The power reduction is a key feature."
"1 mA power draw may be too high for portable battery-powered devices. 1 percent THD makes it suitable for telephony and consumer audio/video, but not for high performance audio systems."
"The cost per part is too high."

USABILITY RANK: 1

(2)
NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR
200-V audio power amp input stages deliver low distortion
eeProductCenter's Rich Pell says: "National Semiconductor has announced a pair of 200-V mono audio power amplifier input stages claimed to reduce design time and enable amplifier designs with a THD+N as low as 0.00035%. The highly integrated single-chip LME49811 and LME49830 are intended to address high-end consumer and professional audio applications, as well as a wide range of industrial applications where high voltage and low distortion are required."

Readers say:
"Could be very useful amplifier front-end"
"Need reliability info before considering use in commercial sound gear."

USABILITY RANK: 3

(3)
ZETEX SEMICONDUCTOR
Leadless MOSFET achieves 40 percent lower thermal resistance
eeProductCenter's Gina Roos says: "The ZXMN2F34MA leadless MOSFET from Zetex Semiconductors provides a 50 percent smaller footprint than SOT23 packaged devices, and 40 percent lower thermal resistance compared to comparable parts, according to the company."

Readers say:
"Leadless is great, but what about MOSFETs with Vgs of +/-40V? There are a great deal of +28V applications where I'd like to switch the gate directly but have to buffer it instead."

USABILITY RANK: 2

(4)
ANALOG DEVICES
Video decoder delivers crisper HD images for TVs, DVRs, AV Receivers
eeProductCenter's Dennis Barker says: "Analog Devices has expanded its Advantiv advanced television portfolio with a new 12-bit resolution 3D comb video decoder with an integrated 150 MSPS digitizer for Full-HD 1080p input formats."

Readers say:
"With everything moving to digital transmission, I cannot see the long significance of the product."

USABILITY RANK: 4

(5)
AUSTRIAMICROSYSTEMS
Audio codec combines analog functions, power management
eeProductCenter's Gina Roos says: "austriamicrosystems has expanded its audio front-end portfolio with a fourth-generation device that is said to deliver half the power consumption at twice the performance. The AS3543 combines all system analog functions in a single chip required for digital system-on-chips (SoCs) aimed at mobile entertainment products."

Readers say:
"All in one is great."

USABILITY RANK: 6

(6)
MAXIM
RF DAC targets DOCSIS 3.0
eeProductCenter's Gina Roos says: "Maxim Integrated Products unveils the MAX5881, which it says is the industry's first 12-bit, 4.3 GS/s digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that can directly synthesize multi-channel QAM signals in the 50-MHz to 1000-MHz cable downstream band. This device meets the requirements of Data-Over-Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) 3.0 for up to four contiguous channels per RF port."

Readers say:
"Very cool DAC!"
"Looks impressive, but when will the full data sheet be up on the website?"
"Too bad it doesn't come with multiplexer inputs so multiple channels can be fed into it."

USABILITY RANK: 5

(7)
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS
Audio SoC brings higher fidelity to consumer audio
eeProductCenter's Rich Pell says: "Texas Instruments has announced the TAS3308 digital audio SoC, a new addition to the company's line of high-performance digital audio processors designed to reduce system cost and complexity for digital TV audio subsystems, mini/micro component systems, 5.1 speaker bars and other consumer audio electronics."

USABILITY RANK: 7

(8)
SUNPLUS TECHNOLOGY
DVB-T chip integrates demodulator and decoder
eeProductCenter's Gina Roos says: "Sunplus Technology Co., Ltd. has introduced its highly integrated DVB terrestrial (DVB-T) system-on-chip (SoC) that integrates a front-end COFDM demodulator and back-end MPEG decoder for DVB-T STB and portable DTV solutions."

USABILITY RANK: 10

(9)
INTEGRATED DEVICE TECHNOLOGY
IDT rolls PCIe Gen2 timing products
eeProductCenter's Gina Roos says: "Integrated Device Technology Inc. (IDT) has extended its PCI Express (PCIe) Gen2 portfolio of switching solutions with the introduction of PCIe Gen2-based timing products that include buffers and generators for computing and communications applications."

USABILITY RANK: 8

(10)
MAXIM
Silicon tuner meets ATSC/NTSC requirements
eeProductCenter's Gina Roos says: "Maxim Integrated Products has introduced the MAX3540, a highly integrated, single-conversion television tuner for ATSC and NTSC applications. This device meets the sensitivity and adjacent-channel guidelines specified by ATSC Recommended Practice A/74, while consuming only 760 mW."

Readers say:
"This product is about to become obsolete!"

USABILITY RANK: 9

In case you were wondering, here's how Ultimate Products works: Our editors select up to 10 of the most significant products posted at www.eeProductCenter.com during the calendar quarter. Then, using an electronic balloting process, we submit the products with the accompanying editorial reviews to selected, qualified readers. Those readers score the products by technical significance and
USABILITY on a scale of 1 through 5, with 5 being the highest score. The product ranked No. 1 in each category was judged as most technically significant for that category. Relative
USABILITY rankings and selected reader comments are also reported. More than 1,000 of you helped to choose these products. As always, we are grateful for your enthusiastic participation.

Patrick Mannion
Editor-in-Chief, Techonline Network and eeProductcenter.com
pmannion@cmp.com