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)
STMICROELECTRONICS
Highly integrated DTV chip supports worldwide standards
eeProductCenter's Gina Roos says: "STMicroelectronics has launched its DTV150 digital TV hardware platform that provides demodulation, MPEG-2 high-definition (HD) and standard-definition (SD) decoding, full HD video processing, high quality audio, and video switching functions for integrated digital TV (iDTV) sets worldwide."

Readers say:
"This was a great idea, it will incorporate the analog with the digital in one platform. Good job guys."
"The full featured nature of this processor set and its low cost should significantly help the process of making HDTVs higher quality and lower cost."
"I am not involved in the design or production of DTV products however the ASIC looks promising."
"Another incremental step in application specific IC design"

USABILITY RANK: 1

(2)
SANDISK
SanDisk advances flash storage with 3-bit-per-cell NAND technology
eeProductCenter's Ismini Scouras says: "SanDisk Corp. expects to start mass production of the first commercial three-bit-per-cell (x3) NAND flash memory in March/April 2008."

Readers say:
"MLC and X3 were developed by M-Systems and Toshiba. San-Disk bought it when they bought M-Systems. I'd much rather see the whole story. M-Systems were much under-rated and now buried"

USABILITY RANK: 4

(3)
INTEL/MICRON
Intel, Micron tip NAND interface breakthrough
eeProductCenter's Mark LaPedus says: "Intel Corp. and Micron Technology Inc. have unveiled a high-speed and souped-up NAND flash-memory interface technology that is said to boost the data transfer rates by up to five times over current devices."

Readers say:
"I believe that for the embedded systems world this could provide some performance improvements that other hardware and software changes could not."

USABILITY RANK: 3

(4)
SAMSUNG
Samsung rolls out MLC-based 128-Gbyte, SATA II solid state drive
eeProductCenter's Ismini Scouras says: "Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. has developed a multi-level cell (MLC) flash-based 128-Gbyte solid state drive (SSD) that it will produce this year in 1.8-in. and 2.5-in. versions for notebook and desktop PCs, as well as other mobile applications."

Readers say:
"These will matter more as costs drop."

USABILITY RANK: 2

(5)
AMD
AMD gives mainstream PCs an overhaul
eeProductCenter's Ismini Scouras says: "As part of its intent to provide high quality, high-definition and 3D capabilities at mainstream PC price points, AMD has developed an advanced motherboard GPU using 55-nm process technology."

USABILITY RANK: 7

(6)
SMART MODULAR TECHNOLOGIES
4-Gbyte DDR3 RDIMM tailored for servers
eeProductCenter's Ismini Scouras says: "SMART Modular Technologies (WWH) Inc. has introduced a low-power 4-Gbyte DDR3 registered DIMM (RDIMM) tailored for server applications."

USABILITY RANK: 5

(7)
LEXAR MEDIA
Lexar launches solid state drive line
eeProductCenter's Ismini Scouras says: "Lexar Media has launched the Crucial line of solid state drives (SSD) that is more durable, require less power, and offer greater overall system performance than traditional hard disk drives.".

USABILITY RANK: 6

(8)
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS
TI DSP falls off the Omap
eeProductCenter's Kenton Williston says: "In a departure from its historically DSP-centric strategy, Texas Instruments this week will announce its OMAP35x processor family. The parts are the first broad-market devices to use the ARM Cortex-A8 architecture, a CPU four times faster than the ARM9 and twice as fast as the ARM11."

USABILITY RANK: 8

(9)
MAGNUM
Application processor combines ARM9 CPU with 3D graphics engine
eeProductCenter's Ismini Scouras says: "Magnum Semiconductor Corp. announced the ZEVIO ZV1050 multimedia application processor, the latest member of its ZEVIO SoC line for cost-effective and power-sensitive applications in consumer entertainment and information applications."

USABILITY RANK: 10

(10)
MOSCHIP
PCIe peripheral controller delivers flexible connectivity options
eeProductCenter's Gina Roos says: "MosChip Semiconductor Technology Ltd. has introduced a single-chip, single-lane PCI Express (PCIe) peripheral controller with support for serial, parallel, ISA and USB interfaces and standards, together with a comprehensive system design package. The MCS9901CV is said to be the industry's first PCIe peripheral I/O controller with more than 21 combinations of serial, parallel, USB and ISA interface options."

Readers say:
"It would be nice if it had an Ethernet controller as well."

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