Snapped up before DAC – there will be no Missing Link

Snapped up before DAC – there will be no Missing Link

One of the new exhibitors for DAC this year has been snapped up before the show begins. That is the news today coming from Methodics who have just acquired Missing Link Tools. Missing Link had developed tools for managing design data. EVOLVE provides an Agile framework for build, test, and regressions, using a central database. This enables teams to recreate failures, triage large regressions, and swap design workspaces. The semiconductor-specific continuous integration release server also enables cross-geography collaboration. With cross-vendor coverage support and collection, EVOLVE offers a way to report and manage coverage across testbenches, across time and across design snapshots.

As far as Methodics is concerned, the resulting combination offers a complete solution for the task of managing analog and digital IP and assembling SoC designs. Terms of the acquisition were not announced. Missing Link Tools’ founders will join Methodics effective immediately.

Brian Bailey – keeping you covered

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If you found this article to be of interest, visit EDA Designline where you will find the latest and greatest design, technology, product, and news articles with regard to all aspects of Electronic Design Automation (EDA).

Also, you can obtain a highlights update delivered directly to your inbox by signing up for the EDA Designline weekly newsletter – just Click Here to request this newsletter using the Manage Newsletters tab (if you aren't already a member you'll be asked to register, but it's free and painless so don't let that stop you).
TAG:DAC data management Agile

Snapped up before DAC – there will be no Missing Link

Snapped up before DAC – there will be no Missing Link

One of the new exhibitors for DAC this year has been snapped up before the show begins. That is the news today coming from Methodics who have just acquired Missing Link Tools. Missing Link had developed tools for managing design data. EVOLVE provides an Agile framework for build, test, and regressions, using a central database. This enables teams to recreate failures, triage large regressions, and swap design workspaces. The semiconductor-specific continuous integration release server also enables cross-geography collaboration. With cross-vendor coverage support and collection, EVOLVE offers a way to report and manage coverage across testbenches, across time and across design snapshots.

As far as Methodics is concerned, the resulting combination offers a complete solution for the task of managing analog and digital IP and assembling SoC designs. Terms of the acquisition were not announced. Missing Link Tools’ founders will join Methodics effective immediately.

Brian Bailey – keeping you covered

---

If you found this article to be of interest, visit EDA Designline where you will find the latest and greatest design, technology, product, and news articles with regard to all aspects of Electronic Design Automation (EDA).

Also, you can obtain a highlights update delivered directly to your inbox by signing up for the EDA Designline weekly newsletter – just Click Here to request this newsletter using the Manage Newsletters tab (if you aren't already a member you'll be asked to register, but it's free and painless so don't let that stop you).
TAG:DAC data management Agile

Nissan turns auto/home power-sharing into reality

Nissan turns auto/home power-sharing into reality

TOKYO – Nissan launched here what it calls its “Leaf-to-home” power supply system, designed to turn Nissan’s electric vehicle Leaf into a backup electricity supply for residential homes.

The “Leaf-to-home” system, scheduled to go on sale in mid-June at Nissan dealerships in Japan, makes Leaf the first electric vehicle that can be used to curb power drawn from the grid during peak consumption hours in Japan, according to Nissan.

The EV Power Supply System developed by Nichicon is a two-way charger capable of both fully charging Nissan’s EV, Leaf, in just four hours (half the time of an ordinary charger) and also supplying a home’s electricity distribution panel from a Leaf’s high-capacity batteries.



TAG:Nissan Electric Vehicle Power Supply Home

Nissan turns auto/home power-sharing into reality

Nissan turns auto/home power-sharing into reality

TOKYO – Nissan launched here what it calls its “Leaf-to-home” power supply system, designed to turn Nissan’s electric vehicle Leaf into a backup electricity supply for residential homes.

The “Leaf-to-home” system, scheduled to go on sale in mid-June at Nissan dealerships in Japan, makes Leaf the first electric vehicle that can be used to curb power drawn from the grid during peak consumption hours in Japan, according to Nissan.

The EV Power Supply System developed by Nichicon is a two-way charger capable of both fully charging Nissan’s EV, Leaf, in just four hours (half the time of an ordinary charger) and also supplying a home’s electricity distribution panel from a Leaf’s high-capacity batteries.



TAG:Nissan Electric Vehicle Power Supply Home

Intel phone debuts in China

Intel phone debuts in China

SAN FRANCISCO--Intel Corp. has announced the release of another Atom-powered smartphone, this time by Chinese electronics vendorLenovo Group, which announced its intent to put out an Intel Inside device at CES 2012 back in January.

The device, dubbed the LePhone K800, is now available for Chinese consumption for around RMB 3,299 ($524).

Intel said the phone was targeted towards “technological pioneers and business elites.”

Built almost exactly to the spec of Intel’s reference design, the LePhone boasts a 1.6 GHz Atom processor, built on a 32-nm process.

The device also sports a 4.5-inch IPS full-view screen and 400MHz GPU for full 1080p HD playback and video recording. Lenovo has also equipped the phone with an 8-megapixel rear-camera and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera.



TAG:mobile atom intel chips

Samsung, LG lead on tablet displays

Samsung, LG lead on tablet displays

SAN FRANCISCO--Thanks to continued strong sales of Apple iPad and Amazon Kindle Fire, Korean display makers Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and LG Electronics Inc. remained the top suppliers of tablet screens in 2011, with more than 80 percent of all shipments combined, according to IHS iSuppli.

LG Display held the biggest portion of the display market in 2011, with IHS noting the firm shiped 46 percent of all tablet display units, or some 37.4 million units. Samsung shiped 35 percent of all units, according to the firm. In total, 81.3 million panels were shipped out for tablets in 2011, IHS said.

The remaining 19 percent of displays all hailed from Asia, according to the report. Taiwan’s Chimei Innolux, Chunghwa Picture Tubes and E-Ink Holdings contributed a significant 12 percent, while Chinese firms Tianma Microelectronics and Beijing Orient Electronics Group made up 4 percent and Japanese Hitachi made up the balance with 3 percent, according to the report.

The market research firm said it expects LG and Samsung to maintain their dominance this year, though new players like Japanese-based Sharp Corp., Japan Display, and Taiwanese AU Optronics are also expected to begin to gain share.

IHS predicted that tablet panel shipments would reach 144.5 million units in 2012, up 78 percent from 2011’s 81.3 million units. In 2010, tablet screen shipments totaled only 16 million units.

In terms of size, IHS said Apple’s iPad ensured that the 9.x-inch category still reigned supreme in 2011, with 68 percent of the market. That said, the firm believes the 7.x-inch category will gain traction in 2012, especially if Apple goes ahead with its expected 7.x-inch iPad Mini to compete with the Kindle Fire and Nook.

Should growth in the 7.x-inch category go according to IHS's predictions, the firm said it would translate into a 36 percent share of market this year for that category, with market share for the 9.x-inch declining to 56 percent, down from 67 percent in 2010.



TAG:mobile lg samsung tablet

Samsung, LG lead on tablet displays

Samsung, LG lead on tablet displays

SAN FRANCISCO--Thanks to continued strong sales of Apple iPad and Amazon Kindle Fire, Korean display makers Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and LG Electronics Inc. remained the top suppliers of tablet screens in 2011, with more than 80 percent of all shipments combined, according to IHS iSuppli.

LG Display held the biggest portion of the display market in 2011, with IHS noting the firm shiped 46 percent of all tablet display units, or some 37.4 million units. Samsung shiped 35 percent of all units, according to the firm. In total, 81.3 million panels were shipped out for tablets in 2011, IHS said.

The remaining 19 percent of displays all hailed from Asia, according to the report. Taiwan’s Chimei Innolux, Chunghwa Picture Tubes and E-Ink Holdings contributed a significant 12 percent, while Chinese firms Tianma Microelectronics and Beijing Orient Electronics Group made up 4 percent and Japanese Hitachi made up the balance with 3 percent, according to the report.

The market research firm said it expects LG and Samsung to maintain their dominance this year, though new players like Japanese-based Sharp Corp., Japan Display, and Taiwanese AU Optronics are also expected to begin to gain share.

IHS predicted that tablet panel shipments would reach 144.5 million units in 2012, up 78 percent from 2011’s 81.3 million units. In 2010, tablet screen shipments totaled only 16 million units.

In terms of size, IHS said Apple’s iPad ensured that the 9.x-inch category still reigned supreme in 2011, with 68 percent of the market. That said, the firm believes the 7.x-inch category will gain traction in 2012, especially if Apple goes ahead with its expected 7.x-inch iPad Mini to compete with the Kindle Fire and Nook.

Should growth in the 7.x-inch category go according to IHS's predictions, the firm said it would translate into a 36 percent share of market this year for that category, with market share for the 9.x-inch declining to 56 percent, down from 67 percent in 2010.



TAG:mobile lg samsung tablet

Teledyne acquires LeCroy

Teledyne acquires LeCroy

PARIS – US military and aerospace specialist Teledyne Electronic Technologies Inc. announced it has acquired Lecroy Corp. to expand its portfolio of analytical instrumentation solutions.

Teledyne said it will acquire of the outstanding common shares of LeCroy for $14.30 per share payable in cash. The aggregate value for the transaction is roughly $291 million, taking into account LeCroy's stock options, stock appreciation rights and net debt as of March 31, 2012.

Both companies' boards unanimously approved the buyout.

In a statement, Dr. Robert Mehrabian, chairman, president and CEO of Teledyne outlined LeCroy's strength in the market for high-performance oscilloscopes. He declared: “I am excited about the potential for LeCroy to provide an ideal commercial outlet for our unique Indium Phosphide (InP) process technology and ultra high frequency mixed signal design capabilities developed at Teledyne Scientific Company, our R&D laboratories."

LeCroy said it expects the transaction will help accelerate its high-end oscilloscope programs to deliver real-time bandwidth well beyond 100GHz by utilizing Teledyne's leading InP technology. Also, through a combination of Teledyne's microwave and mixed signal design capabilities with LeCroy's signal processing expertise, the company said it expects to grow its markets and add new products such as signal generators and multi-function instruments.

Founded in 1964 and headquartered in Chestnut Ridge, N.Y., LeCroy is a provider of oscilloscopes, protocol analyzers and signal integrity test solutions aimed at semiconductor, computer, consumer electronics, military/aerospace, automotive/industrial and telecommunications industries.

LeCroy employs approximately 500 people worldwide and generated sales of about $178.1 million for its fiscal year ended July 2, 2011.
TAG:Teledyne Military Aerospace Lecroy Acquisition Oscilloscopes

Teledyne acquires LeCroy

Teledyne acquires LeCroy

PARIS – US military and aerospace specialist Teledyne Electronic Technologies Inc. announced it has acquired Lecroy Corp. to expand its portfolio of analytical instrumentation solutions.

Teledyne said it will acquire of the outstanding common shares of LeCroy for $14.30 per share payable in cash. The aggregate value for the transaction is roughly $291 million, taking into account LeCroy's stock options, stock appreciation rights and net debt as of March 31, 2012.

Both companies' boards unanimously approved the buyout.

In a statement, Dr. Robert Mehrabian, chairman, president and CEO of Teledyne outlined LeCroy's strength in the market for high-performance oscilloscopes. He declared: “I am excited about the potential for LeCroy to provide an ideal commercial outlet for our unique Indium Phosphide (InP) process technology and ultra high frequency mixed signal design capabilities developed at Teledyne Scientific Company, our R&D laboratories."

LeCroy said it expects the transaction will help accelerate its high-end oscilloscope programs to deliver real-time bandwidth well beyond 100GHz by utilizing Teledyne's leading InP technology. Also, through a combination of Teledyne's microwave and mixed signal design capabilities with LeCroy's signal processing expertise, the company said it expects to grow its markets and add new products such as signal generators and multi-function instruments.

Founded in 1964 and headquartered in Chestnut Ridge, N.Y., LeCroy is a provider of oscilloscopes, protocol analyzers and signal integrity test solutions aimed at semiconductor, computer, consumer electronics, military/aerospace, automotive/industrial and telecommunications industries.

LeCroy employs approximately 500 people worldwide and generated sales of about $178.1 million for its fiscal year ended July 2, 2011.
TAG:Teledyne Military Aerospace Lecroy Acquisition Oscilloscopes

Globalfoundries selects Synopsys' tool for yield management

Globalfoundries selects Synopsys' tool for yield management

SAN FRANCISCO—Chip foundry Globalfoundries Inc. has selected Synopsys' Yield Explorer tool for use as part of its next-generation yield management system for faster yield ramp based on volume diagnostics, Synopsys said Wednesday (May 30).

According to Synopsys (Mountain View, Calif.), Yield Explorer automated volume diagnostics will allow Globalfoundries to quickly identify the dominant systematic failure mechanisms on early test chips as well as customers' chips, reducing the time to achieve desirable yield levels. Yield Explorer's ability to combine and analyze data from design, fab and test domains enables collaboration between Globalfoundries and its customers to identify failure mechanisms and activate process or design corrective actions, Synopsys said.

"Understanding and preventing the yield loss caused by design-process interactions is critical to ramp-up of designs manufactured on a new node," said Robert Madge, director of design enabled manufacturing at Globalfoundries, in a statement. "Yield Explorer is a valuable new addition to our advanced Yield Management capabilities."

Yield Explorer is designed to help users correlate yield loss to various design, fab and test attributes. The automated volume diagnostics in Yield Explorer are designed to be simple to deploy and work smoothly across a variety of design, fab and test outputs and data formats, according to Synopsys.

"Meeting yield targets for complex designs implemented on 28-nm and below technology requires understanding the complex interactions of design, lithography and process," said Howard Ko, senior vice president and general manager for Synopsys' Silicon Engineering Group.


TAG:Yield Explorer Synopsys Globalfoundries Yield

Invisible bike helmet protects with air-bag shell

Invisible bike helmet protects with air-bag shell

Motion sensors and microcontrollers from STMicroelectronics enable the operation of the airbag bicycle helmet invented by Hövding, a Swedish design house.

The combination of innovative design and state-of-the-art electronics has produced market-unique safety equipment for cyclists in a novel form factor. International studies show that bicycle helmets reduce injuries by at least 60 percent. Four in 10 people who die in cycling accidents would have survived had they been wearing a helmet. Despite these alarming statistics, the vast majority of cyclists do not wear helmets for different reasons: they find them bulky, impractical to carry around, or unflattering to wear.

The Hövding gear addresses both the safety and practical aspects of bicycle helmets. Unlike traditional skull shells, the ‘invisible‘helmet is a collar worn around the neck with an airbag folded inside. In an accident, ST’s motion sensors pick up the abnormal movements of a cyclist and send a signal to the airbag, which inflates in a tenth of a second to form a hood that surrounds and protects nearly all of the cyclist’s head and neck, while leaving the field of vision open.

In an emergency the air bag inflates and protects

The integrated sensors in the collar detect both linear and angular motion in all three dimensions and recognize complex movements of the user with outstanding precision and speed. To determine an accident condition, the sensor system uses sophisticated algorithms defined from a database of specific movement patterns recorded during hundreds of simulated-accident and normal cycling situations. The electronics in the Hövding helmet are managed by an STM32 microcontroller that makes sure everything functions reliably and on a minimal energy budget. The Hövding helmets conform to EU safety regulations and are CE-marked.

This article was published by EE Times Europe.

Related links and articles:

www.hovding.com

News articles:

ST to drive into the automotive MEMS market

MEMS wafer maker Okmetic outsources amid SOI push

Murata wants to build from MEMS to Internet of Things

TAG:STMicroelectronics MEMS microcontroller semiconductor bicycle safety

Marvell wins as Dell starts shipping ARM-based servers

Marvell wins as Dell starts shipping ARM-based servers

LONDON – Dell Inc. said it has started shipping server computers called Copper based on the ARM processor architecture to selected customers. The servers are based on Marvell's quad-core Armada XP SoC products.

Dell (Round Rock, Texas) said it was responding to demands from its customers for it to enable the development of an ecosystem for ARM-based servers and that it believes they are well suited to web-hosting front-ends and Hadoop environments. Hadoop is an open source software framework that supports data-intensive distributed applications.

"The ARM-based server market is approaching an inflection point, marked by increasing customer interest in testing and developing applications, and Dell believes now is the right time to help foster development and testing of operating systems and applications for ARM servers," the company said in a statement.

Dell said it had began testing ARM processors for servers internally in 2010 in response to increasing customer demands for increased power efficiency and computing density.

Dell said it would be delivering Copper servers to partners such as Canonical and Cloudera to support their development activities.

The processors are Marvell-designed 1.6-GHz CPU cores that support both symmetrical and antisymmetrical multi-processing with hardware cache coherency and a 64-bit DDR2/DDR3 memory interface at an 800-MHz clock rate and 1600-MHz data rate. These devices also incorporate up to 2-Mbytes of L2 cache, Quad x4 PCI-express interfaces, multiple USB ports, Gigabit Ethernet ports, SATA, security engine and advanced power management techniques.


Related links and articles:

HP cuts data center power in lab tests

ARM CTO looks at architecture scaling for 2020

Inexact processor is more power efficient

Intel drives Xeon server CPU down to 17 watts

TAG:Marvell Dell ARM server Hadoop Apache semiconductor processor

Marvell wins as Dell starts shipping ARM-based servers

Marvell wins as Dell starts shipping ARM-based servers

LONDON – Dell Inc. said it has started shipping server computers called Copper based on the ARM processor architecture to selected customers. The servers are based on Marvell's quad-core Armada XP SoC products.

Dell (Round Rock, Texas) said it was responding to demands from its customers for it to enable the development of an ecosystem for ARM-based servers and that it believes they are well suited to web-hosting front-ends and Hadoop environments. Hadoop is an open source software framework that supports data-intensive distributed applications.

"The ARM-based server market is approaching an inflection point, marked by increasing customer interest in testing and developing applications, and Dell believes now is the right time to help foster development and testing of operating systems and applications for ARM servers," the company said in a statement.

Dell said it had began testing ARM processors for servers internally in 2010 in response to increasing customer demands for increased power efficiency and computing density.

Dell said it would be delivering Copper servers to partners such as Canonical and Cloudera to support their development activities.

The processors are Marvell-designed 1.6-GHz CPU cores that support both symmetrical and antisymmetrical multi-processing with hardware cache coherency and a 64-bit DDR2/DDR3 memory interface at an 800-MHz clock rate and 1600-MHz data rate. These devices also incorporate up to 2-Mbytes of L2 cache, Quad x4 PCI-express interfaces, multiple USB ports, Gigabit Ethernet ports, SATA, security engine and advanced power management techniques.


Related links and articles:

HP cuts data center power in lab tests

ARM CTO looks at architecture scaling for 2020

Inexact processor is more power efficient

Intel drives Xeon server CPU down to 17 watts

TAG:Marvell Dell ARM server Hadoop Apache semiconductor processor

ASTC, Tanner EDA to deliver ASIC design services

ASTC, Tanner EDA to deliver ASIC design services

PARIS – Australian Semiconductor Technology Co. (ASTC Pty Ltd) and Tanner EDA (Monrovia, Calif.) announced they have concluded a collaborative agreement to deliver analog/mixed signal IP and custom ASIC design services.

ATSC said it has invested in IP enablement and infrastructure readiness with Tanner EDA tools and flows to provide low cost analog/mixed signal ASIC design services and solutions to its global ASIC customers.

"Tanner EDA tools, flows and partnership enable the ASTC A/MS Design Services operation to offer new, lower cost, design solutions to a new range of global customers and ASIC segments," Jay Yantchev, CEO of ASTC, said in a statement. "Previously cost-prohibitive A/MS ASIC product ideas have now become feasible and profitable propositions both for our customers and for ASTC A/MS Design Services."

ASTC is a semiconductor design, software and services company serving the global suppliers and customers of embedded semiconductors. ASTC commenced operations in March 2006 and employs around 100 staff worldwide with headquarters in Adelaide, an engineering center in the Chicago area, an office in Austin, Texas and Japan.

In 2011, ASTC spun out a new company VWorks that intends to provide new technology and business solutions for electronic system level (ESL) development, modeling, simulation, and virtual prototyping to customers in the industries for aerospace, automotive, transportation, communications, and multimedia embedded electronics and software.

VWorks has a family of products that include VLAB, their primary design platform, Genesis a tool for model creation and OSCAR, a built from the ground up OSCI compliant simulator that they claim can do more and run faster than the reference implementation used by most suppliers of SystemC.

VWorks said it will demonstrate how virtual prototyping can accelerate embedded software and systems development at the Design Automation Conference (DAC) 2012, in the ARM Community booth.
TAG:Tanner EDA ASTC Analog Mixed Signal Design Services VWorks DAC

ASTC, Tanner EDA to deliver A/MS ASIC design services

ASTC, Tanner EDA to deliver A/MS ASIC design services

PARIS – Australian Semiconductor Technology Company (ASTC Pty Ltd) and Tanner EDA (Monrovia, Calif.) announced they have concluded a collaborative agreement to deliver analog/mixed signal IP and custom ASIC design services globally.

The Australia-based company said it has invested in IP enablement and infrastructure readiness with Tanner EDA tools and flows to provide low cost analog/mixed signal ASIC design services and solutions to its global ASIC customers.

"Tanner EDA tools, flows and partnership enable the ASTC A/MS Design Services operation to offer new, lower cost, design solutions to a new range of global customers and ASIC segments," declared Jay Yantchev, CEO of ASTC, in a statement. "Previously cost-prohibitive A/MS ASIC product ideas have now become feasible and profitable propositions both for our customers and for ASTC A/MS Design Services."

ASTC is a semiconductor design, software and services company serving the global suppliers and customers of embedded semiconductors. ASTC commenced operations in March 2006 and employs around 100 staff worldwide with headquarters in Adelaide, an engineering center in the Chicago area, an office in Austin, Texas and Japan.

Late 2011, ASTC spun out a new company VWorks that intends to provide new technology and business solutions for electronic system level (ESL) development, modeling, simulation, and virtual prototyping to customers in the industries for aerospace, automotive, transportation, communications, and multimedia embedded electronics and software.

VWorks has a family of products that include VLAB, their primary design platform, Genesis a tool for model creation and OSCAR, a built from the ground up OSCI compliant simulator that they claim can do more and run faster than the reference implementation used by most suppliers of SystemC.

VWorks said it will demonstrate how virtual prototyping can accelerate embedded software and systems development at the Design Automation Conference (DAC) 2012, in the ARM Community booth.
TAG:Tanner EDA ASTC Analog Mixed Signal Design Services VWorks DAC

ASTC, Tanner EDA to deliver A/MS ASIC design services

ASTC, Tanner EDA to deliver A/MS ASIC design services

PARIS – Australian Semiconductor Technology Company (ASTC Pty Ltd) and Tanner EDA (Monrovia, Calif.) announced they have concluded a collaborative agreement to deliver analog/mixed signal IP and custom ASIC design services globally.

The Australia-based company said it has invested in IP enablement and infrastructure readiness with Tanner EDA tools and flows to provide low cost analog/mixed signal ASIC design services and solutions to its global ASIC customers.

"Tanner EDA tools, flows and partnership enable the ASTC A/MS Design Services operation to offer new, lower cost, design solutions to a new range of global customers and ASIC segments," declared Jay Yantchev, CEO of ASTC, in a statement. "Previously cost-prohibitive A/MS ASIC product ideas have now become feasible and profitable propositions both for our customers and for ASTC A/MS Design Services."

ASTC is a semiconductor design, software and services company serving the global suppliers and customers of embedded semiconductors. ASTC commenced operations in March 2006 and employs around 100 staff worldwide with headquarters in Adelaide, an engineering center in the Chicago area, an office in Austin, Texas and Japan.

Late 2011, ASTC spun out a new company VWorks that intends to provide new technology and business solutions for electronic system level (ESL) development, modeling, simulation, and virtual prototyping to customers in the industries for aerospace, automotive, transportation, communications, and multimedia embedded electronics and software.

VWorks has a family of products that include VLAB, their primary design platform, Genesis a tool for model creation and OSCAR, a built from the ground up OSCI compliant simulator that they claim can do more and run faster than the reference implementation used by most suppliers of SystemC.

VWorks said it will demonstrate how virtual prototyping can accelerate embedded software and systems development at the Design Automation Conference (DAC) 2012, in the ARM Community booth.
TAG:Tanner EDA ASTC Analog Mixed Signal Design Services VWorks DAC

HP cuts data center power in lab tests

HP cuts data center power in lab tests

AN JOSE – Engineers at HP Labs claim they have demonstrated software in a research setting that significantly lowers power consumption for large data centers. The company will test the tools in a full production data center at Hewlett-Packard and work on turning them into products that could ship with HP’s container-class systems.

The HP Net-Zero Energy data center techniques cut total power use by 30 percent and reduced use of the utility grid by nearly 80 percent in HP Labs tests. The techniques are implemented in a suite of Linux software tools that run on x86 servers and geared for data centers that use a local renewable energy source in addition to the public grid.

The HP software predicts computer and energy demand and supply. It then creates and implements a plan for scheduling workloads aiming to maximize use of the fewest possible servers for the shortest possible time, ideally when the facility can mainly draw on its local renewable energy sources.

HP Labs achieved its results at a 3,000 square foot test data center it operates at its corporate headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif. The center uses an 134 KW array of solar photovoltaic panels to supply part of its energy. Researchers aim to test the software soon in a 50,000 square foot HP production data center in Fort Collins, Colo.

The company also will test the software in a containerized set of data center systems at a Houston lab that is part of HP’s Moonshot program to test ARM and Intel Atom-based servers. If all goes well, HP could offer the mainly open source code within a year along with its containerized systems.

Power consumption is one of the largest costs of today’s largest data centers, mainly run by Web giants such as Amazon, Google, Facebook and Microsoft.
TAG:Data Centers Power Consumption HP Labs Hewlett Packard HP Servers Containers

HP cuts data center power in lab tests

HP cuts data center power in lab tests

AN JOSE – Engineers at HP Labs claim they have demonstrated software in a research setting that significantly lowers power consumption for large data centers. The company will test the tools in a full production data center at Hewlett-Packard and work on turning them into products that could ship with HP’s container-class systems.

The HP Net-Zero Energy data center techniques cut total power use by 30 percent and reduced use of the utility grid by nearly 80 percent in HP Labs tests. The techniques are implemented in a suite of Linux software tools that run on x86 servers and geared for data centers that use a local renewable energy source in addition to the public grid.

The HP software predicts computer and energy demand and supply. It then creates and implements a plan for scheduling workloads aiming to maximize use of the fewest possible servers for the shortest possible time, ideally when the facility can mainly draw on its local renewable energy sources.

HP Labs achieved its results at a 3,000 square foot test data center it operates at its corporate headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif. The center uses an 134 KW array of solar photovoltaic panels to supply part of its energy. Researchers aim to test the software soon in a 50,000 square foot HP production data center in Fort Collins, Colo.

The company also will test the software in a containerized set of data center systems at a Houston lab that is part of HP’s Moonshot program to test ARM and Intel Atom-based servers. If all goes well, HP could offer the mainly open source code within a year along with its containerized systems.

Power consumption is one of the largest costs of today’s largest data centers, mainly run by Web giants such as Amazon, Google, Facebook and Microsoft.
TAG:Data Centers Power Consumption HP Labs Hewlett Packard HP Servers Containers

Making a Statement About Designer Clothing Fashion Designer

Everyone wants to be liked and center of eyes inside their group of pals and age group. Have you ever noticed that individuals have the most admired clothing brand and always look stylish in their appearance? People naturally want to boost their position inside the society and seeking fashionable shows other people that you can dress nicely and you can come up with the money for to do so.

Make a statement

Wear Designer clothing is to make a fashion statement in your group. Designer clothing is hosting a wide selection of tastes from Hip Hop to the well-known Italian designers. Wear designer clothes is to look good and praising the truth that you can afford to be labeled. It is well recognized that clothes do not price a little more than their mass production in opposition to the parties, but apart from the crowd, it’s worth the additional expense to impress your buddies and connections.

Excellent Finishing and Cutting

Designer clothing is created up to a very high regular, employing the best top quality materials.. The time and care is taken in cutting each and every garment and seams, and the good quality of the son to generate the item of valuable clothing. This additional care is taken to make the clothing is extremely responsive when designer clothes are shown next to the lower high quality, mass-produced supermarket unique. Fake goods also do not cut the grade. Might they have the very same logos or decorated then the comparable colors or shades, but they do not meet the criteria as the actual factor. And excellence is what suits all.

Designer Clothes

There are numerous distinct kinds of designer clothing to meet a enormous quantity of markets. Some folks enjoy the chic and fashionable, while other people as sturdy and bold styles. Designer clothing is about taste and individuals it is significant to wear clothes you are relaxed in. By wearing clothes, you can amplify your confidence, which is crucial in the dealings in society right now. Designer clothing also comes in many shapes and sizes so as not to have the best figure to wear the newest models. Designer clothing is even obtainable in maternity sizes. This is essential for the contemporary mum who wants to carry on looking superior via her pregnancy.  

Seeking very good in front of your group is quickly obtained by wearing clothing designer. As a designer clothes are a sought after item, and by wearing them you will get much better your status within your group of associates. Achieving a modern style with clothes can be carried out with out breaking the bank, you shop wisely. There are a lot of designer clothes at decreased costs obtainable on the World wide web. Web prices are less expensive due to the fact the designer clothing retailer expenses are lower, not simply because the designer clothes are fakes, of lesser high quality or damaged.

Making a Statement About Designer Clothing Fashion Designer

TAG:

Handbags Actual Affordable, That can Cause you to Say An individual Not Enough! Womens Leather Handbag On Sale

Hey, heading out, make certain you select the purse in accordance to situation plus the put where you might be about to go. Technically handbags would be the greatest point to come about to adult females, handbags are simple for us in two ways, to start with these carry all that we may need at any time of your day and secondly, these aid us look incredibly modern.

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Handbags can be found in all sorts of supplies. Even so, it truly is important to see regardless of whether these have already been made out of a stuff that matches the design. You’ve got a broad range of products that the purses are made from; these elements might be widely categorized from bestial skins, jute to canvas cloth.

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TAG:actual affordable cause enough handbags individual

U.S. manufacturing effort targets regional clusters

U.S. manufacturing effort targets regional clusters

WASHINGTON – An Obama administration manufacturing initiative announced Tuesday (May 29) will seek to boost regional industry clusters by connecting economic development efforts with advanced manufacturing assets.

Twelve manufacturing clusters projects are expected to be selected under the $26 million Advanced Manufacturing Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge. As with similar efforts to promote manufacturing and technology innovation, the White House stressed the multi-agency initiative will seek to forge public-private partnerships as a way to boost the return on federal investments.

“Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals that will help grow a region's industry clusters by strengthening connections to regional economic development opportunities and advanced manufacturing assets; enhance a region's capacity to create high-quality sustainable jobs; develop a skilled and diverse advanced manufacturing workforce; increase exports; encourage the development of small businesses; and accelerate technological innovation,” the announcement said.

The manufacturing initiative is part of a broad-based government effort to kick start advanced production that would create jobs and help the U.S. compete in emerging value-added manufacturing sectors. For example, the National Science Foundation (NSF), one of the manufacturing program sponsors, is preparing to select of group of startups to develop new technology products under its Innovation Corps program.

Along with NSF, other agencies administering the new program include the Commerce Department’s National Institute Standards and Technology and the Energy Department’s manufacturing office.

The application deadline for the program is July 9. Details on how to submit an application for advanced manufacturing grants are available at the manufacturing.gov Web site.
TAG:U S Manufacturing Regional Clusters Innovation Corps Manufacturing NSF

U.S. manufacturing effort targets regional clusters

U.S. manufacturing effort targets regional clusters

WASHINGTON – An Obama administration manufacturing initiative announced Tuesday (May 29) will seek to boost regional industry clusters by connecting economic development efforts with advanced manufacturing assets.

Twelve manufacturing clusters projects are expected to be selected under the $26 million Advanced Manufacturing Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge. As with similar efforts to promote manufacturing and technology innovation, the White House stressed the multi-agency initiative will seek to forge public-private partnerships as a way to boost the return on federal investments.

“Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals that will help grow a region's industry clusters by strengthening connections to regional economic development opportunities and advanced manufacturing assets; enhance a region's capacity to create high-quality sustainable jobs; develop a skilled and diverse advanced manufacturing workforce; increase exports; encourage the development of small businesses; and accelerate technological innovation,” the announcement said.

The manufacturing initiative is part of a broad-based government effort to kick start advanced production that would create jobs and help the U.S. compete in emerging value-added manufacturing sectors. For example, the National Science Foundation (NSF), one of the manufacturing program sponsors, is preparing to select of group of startups to develop new technology products under its Innovation Corps program.

Along with NSF, other agencies administering the new program include the Commerce Department’s National Institute Standards and Technology and the Energy Department’s manufacturing office.

The application deadline for the program is July 9. Details on how to submit an application for advanced manufacturing grants are available at the manufacturing.gov Web site.
TAG:U S Manufacturing Regional Clusters Innovation Corps Manufacturing NSF

Slideshow: MEMS in the midnight sun

Slideshow: MEMS in the midnight sun

Recently I was fortunate enough to be invited on a tour of the vibrant MEMS cluster that exists in the hinterland immediately north of Helsinki, Finland. I arrived at Helsinki airport on the evening flight from London at 11pm and it was still a relatively bright twilight.

Next morning the weather was warm and cloudless and it was off to MEMS wafer maker Okmetic Oyj in Vantaa.




Okmetic's wafer making faclity in Vantaa, Finland. Expansion to allow manufacture of more thick-SOI wafers for MEMS applications is taking place on the far side of the building.


Where I was met by my Okmetic hosts:



Anna-Riikka Vuorikari-Antikainen, senior vice president products and Markku Tilli, senior vice president research
TAG:Finland Helsinki Vantaa Espoo Okmetic Murata VTT MEMS cluster roadmap

Slideshow: MEMS in the midnight sun

Slideshow: MEMS in the midnight sun

Recently I was fortunate enough to be invited on a tour of the vibrant MEMS cluster that exists in the hinterland immediately north of Helsinki, Finland. I arrived at Helsinki airport on the evening flight from London at 11pm and it was still a relatively bright twilight.

Next morning the weather was warm and cloudless and it was off to MEMS wafer maker Okmetic Oyj in Vantaa.




Okmetic's wafer making faclity in Vantaa, Finland. Expansion to allow manufacture of more thick-SOI wafers for MEMS applications is taking place on the far side of the building.


Where I was met by my Okmetic hosts:



Anna-Riikka Vuorikari-Antikainen, senior vice president products and Markku Tilli, senior vice president research
TAG:Finland Helsinki Vantaa Espoo Okmetic Murata VTT MEMS cluster roadmap

Black solar cells have lowest reflectance for silicon solar cells

Black solar cells have lowest reflectance for silicon solar cells

PARIS - Scientists at Natcore Technology using simple liquid bath processes said they have created a black surface on a silicon wafer with an average reflectance in the visible and near-infrared region of the solar spectrum of 0.3 percent.



TAG:Natcore Solar Cells Black Reflectance

宫廷珠宝在春暖花开之际悄然复苏

宫廷珠宝在春暖花开之际悄然复苏

宫廷珠宝

华美而复古的珠宝，在春暖花开之际悄然复苏。这次它摆脱了以往那般老气横秋，取而代之的是清新与娇艳；它也不似从前那样单调与乏味，新的色彩、新的设计赋予了它纯美和脱俗。无论趋势如何改变，华美而复古的珠宝永远拥有大批忠实的粉丝，只因被它那充满岁月痕迹与历史积淀的感觉所吸引。

华丽复古的珠宝

华美而复古的珠宝，在春暖花开之际悄然复苏。这次它摆脱了以往那般老气横秋，取而代之的是清新与娇艳；它也不似从前那样单调与乏味，新的色彩、新的设计赋予了它纯美和脱俗。无论趋势如何改变，华美而复古的珠宝永远拥有大批忠实的粉丝，只因被它那充满岁月痕迹与历史积淀的感觉所吸引。

TAG:珠宝 宫廷珠宝

ARM supports European research project on accelerator programming

ARM supports European research project on accelerator programming

LONDON – Processor licensor ARM Holdings plc (Cambridge, England) is a key participant in a European collaborative research project that is aiming to develop a language to boost the programmability of accelerator hardware, such as graphics processing units (GPUs).

The three-year CARP project – for Correct and Efficient Accelerator Programming – aims to introduce innovations in programming language design and implementation and use of formal verification techniques. The project started on Dec. 1, 2011 and will receive funding support to the value of 2.8 million euro (about $3.5 million).

ARM is joined in the project by Monoidics Ltd. (London, England), Realeyes Data Services Ltd. (London, England) and Rightware Oy (Espoo, Finland) as well as researchers from universities and institutes in England, France, Germany and the Netherlands.

The researchers aim to provide:

a performance increase of at least 4x when comparing optimized code with non-optimized code, on multiple platforms

a reduction in energy consumption of at least 20 percent

automatic detection of at least 70 percent of known functional errors

a reduction of several orders of magnitude in time taken to design an application to run efficiently across multiple accelerator platforms

The CARP will focus on the development of a novel programming language called PIL (Portable Intermediate Language). PIL will be able to receive compiled inputs from domain-specific languages and will target its output to the widely adopted industry-standard OpenCL. Compiler optimizations will be geared towards reducing execution time and increasing energy efficiency, according to the project's website.




Click on image to enlarge.
An overview of the CARP approach. Source: www.carpproject.eu

The results will be applied through collaboration with Monoidics, Realeyes and Rightware. Monoidics' Infer product is a static code analyser that focuses on memory safety and security. Realeyes is a developer of eye-tracking software and emotion measurement software. Rightware is developer of graphical user interface software and mobile and embedded software benchmarks.

"Effective programming tools are essential to help broaden the adoption of heterogeneous systems, such as systems-on-chip accelerated by ARM Mali graphics processing units. We aim to provide software developers with a variety of programming technologies that range from industry standards, such as OpenCL, to domain-specific frameworks. The emphasis is on efficiency, performance portability and productivity," said Anton Lokhmotov, staff engineer at ARM, in a statement.

"I view accelerator programming as a challenge that must be tackled both from the top-down, via programming frameworks allowing software developers to synthesize efficient platform-specific code from platform-neutral algorithm representation, and from the bottom-up, via effective tools for debugging and verifying low-level code," said Alastair Donaldson, project coordinator and lecturer at Imperial College London, in the same statement.


Related links and articles:

www.carpproject.eu

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Why ARM-AMD makes sense

TAG:European Commission ARM Monoidics Realeyes Rightware research GPU accelerator programming Mali graphics

Omnivision launches 16-megapixel image sensor

Omnivision launches 16-megapixel image sensor

LONDON – Omnivision Technologies Inc. has launched the OV16820 and OV16825 images sensors, which provide 16-megapixel resolution, for use in digital still and video cameras.

The sensors support something called "burst mode" photography and can capture 4K by 2K resolution video at 60 frames per second. The sensors are made using a 1.34-micron back-side illuminated manufacturing process.

The OV16820 and OV16825 were developed to support emerging standards in high-resolution video recording for the digital still and video camera markets and the high-end smartphone market, respectively.

"It was an industry-wide assumption that smartphones would cut into DSC/DVC sales; but at higher resolutions, we're seeing a very distinct divide between the two markets and both remain strong," said Devang Patel, senior product marketing manager at OmniVision (Santa Clara, Calif.), in a statement.

The 1-inch by 2.3-inch OV16820 and OV16825 image sensors are capable of operating in full resolution 4608 by 3456 video at 30 frames per second and 1080p HD video at 60 FPS with extra pixels for electronic image stabilization.

Image processing functions, including defective pixel and noise canceling, RAW scaling, image size, frame rate, exposure, gain, cropping and orientation are programmable through the serial camera control bus (SCCB) interface.

The sensors are offered with up to 8-lane MIPI and LVDS output interfaces for high data transfer rates. The OV16820 is available for sampling in a ceramic land grid array (CLGA) package while the OV16825 will be available in die form. Both are expected to enter volume production by the fourth quarter of 2012.


Related links and articles:

www.ovt.com

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TAG:Omnivision megapixel image sensor camera silicon semiconductor

Dresden sets up 5G communications research lab

Dresden sets up 5G communications research lab

The Technical University of Dresden (TU-Dresden) in Germany is setting up a laboratory to explore technologies for 5G wireless systems beyond LTE-Advanced.

The 5G wireless lab will be one of the first in the world and the research results will be used to determine global standards for the next phase of wireless communications. While the research will include a variety of system concepts, there is a special focus on the evolution of orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) technology and extending the use of multiple antenna MIMO technology past the current 8x8 systems.

Research on 5G wireless systems is in its infancy as 3.5G and 4G systems are still largely in development. TU-Dresden previously pioneered 3G systems research in conjunction with the Vodafone Chair Mobile Communications Systems, which is dedicated to cutting-edge research in wireless communication technology. It is using the LabVIEW system design software from National Instruments to model the new configurations and modular PXI technology to test the results.

"National Instruments RF and communications tools will enable us to design OFDM prototyping systems within a single software design flow," said Dr Gerhard Fettweis, head of the Vodafone Chair Mobile Communications Systems. "With the modular NI PXI system, we can start with a SISO link and expand to complex MIMO configuration with limited modifications to the code, exceeding an 8x8 setup, as our research evolves."

"TU-Dresden is one of the world's top research universities, and they're leading the way in groundbreaking research to prototype next-generation wireless communication systems," said Dr James Truchard, president, CEO and cofounder of National Instruments. "We are proud to accelerate the development of future technologies that will ultimately impact anyone who uses a cellphone."

This story was first published by EE Times Europe.


Related links and articles:

National Instruments and TU-Dresden collaborate on fifth-generation mobile network research

Huawei to give Intel LTE development support in China

Abu Dhabi, Saxony invest in 'twin labs' 3-D IC project

Docomo kills LTE semiconductor joint venture

TAG:National Instruments Dresden 5G communications research OFDM

Dresden sets up 5G communications research lab

Dresden sets up 5G communications research lab

The Technical University of Dresden (TU-Dresden) in Germany is setting up a laboratory to explore technologies for 5G wireless systems beyond LTE-Advanced.

The 5G wireless lab will be one of the first in the world and the research results will be used to determine global standards for the next phase of wireless communications. While the research will include a variety of system concepts, there is a special focus on the evolution of orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) technology and extending the use of multiple antenna MIMO technology past the current 8x8 systems.

Research on 5G wireless systems is in its infancy as 3.5G and 4G systems are still largely in development. TU-Dresden previously pioneered 3G systems research in conjunction with the Vodafone Chair Mobile Communications Systems, which is dedicated to cutting-edge research in wireless communication technology. It is using the LabVIEW system design software from National Instruments to model the new configurations and modular PXI technology to test the results.

"National Instruments RF and communications tools will enable us to design OFDM prototyping systems within a single software design flow," said Dr Gerhard Fettweis, head of the Vodafone Chair Mobile Communications Systems. "With the modular NI PXI system, we can start with a SISO link and expand to complex MIMO configuration with limited modifications to the code, exceeding an 8x8 setup, as our research evolves."

"TU-Dresden is one of the world's top research universities, and they're leading the way in groundbreaking research to prototype next-generation wireless communication systems," said Dr James Truchard, president, CEO and cofounder of National Instruments. "We are proud to accelerate the development of future technologies that will ultimately impact anyone who uses a cellphone."

This story was first published by EE Times Europe.


Related links and articles:

National Instruments and TU-Dresden collaborate on fifth-generation mobile network research

Huawei to give Intel LTE development support in China

Abu Dhabi, Saxony invest in 'twin labs' 3-D IC project

Docomo kills LTE semiconductor joint venture

TAG:National Instruments Dresden 5G communications research OFDM

Mentor, ST support French nanoelectronics research

Mentor, ST support French nanoelectronics research

LONDON – EDA company Mentor Graphics Corp. and chip firm STMicroelectronics NV are joining with French government agencies and a number of companies with operations in the Grenoble region of France to form a nanoelectronics program within the Grenoble Institute of Technological Research (IRT).

The NanoElec R&D will focus on 3-D IC integration and integrated silicon-photonics. It is supported by the CEA-Leti research institute in partnership with ST, Mentor Graphics, Soitec, Schneider, ST-Ericsson, Bouygues, Presto Engineering and the Grenoble INP Institute of Technology teaching and research school, the Grenoble Ecole de Management school, the Joseph Fourier university, the INRIA (National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control), the CNRS (National Center for Scientific Research), the Laue Langevin Institute, and the ESRF (European Synchrotron Radiation Facility).

CEA-Leti, which announced the program, did not give an indication of how much money would be spent on the program, when work would start or when results could be expected.

The development of 3-D IC packaging is in need of support in design, modeling, simulation, manufacturing and testing. The main objective of the IRT's 3-D IC program is to validate an overall approach to 3D IC integration through a dedicated technological platform, taking into account the design, technological processes and characterization aspects. The integrated silicon photonics research will focus on chip-to-chip links and intra-chip communications where silicon integration should lead to lower costs and smaller systems.

"As with 3-D IC integration, silicon photonics has been the subject of joint work between the CEA and ST for several years. Thanks to the NanoElec IRT, the key players and all the design and technology means can work together to accelerate developments and open the applications field," said Philippe Magarshack, corporate vice president at ST, in a statement issued by CEA-Leti.


Related links and articles:

www.leti.fr

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CEA-Leti opens 3-D IC packaging service

Luxtera, ST in deal to take silicon photonics mainstream

Applied Materials, IME open Singapore 3-D packaging lab

TAG:Mentor Graphics 3 D IC silicon photonics nanoelectronics research Grenoble France design EDA CEA Leti

Renesas extends MCU work with TSMC to 40-nm

Renesas extends MCU work with TSMC to 40-nm

LONDON – As expected Japan's Renesas Electronics Corp. and foundry Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. have announced an increase in the collaboration between the companies on microcontrollers, a market in which Renesas is a leader.

The two companies announced Monday that they have agreed to extend the MCU technology collaboration to 40-nm embedded flash process technology and that in addition TSMC will be able to make the MONOS (Metal-Oxide-Nitride-Oxide-Silicon) embedded flash platform available to other customers.

The announcement is likely to form only part of a much-expected overhaul of Renesas. No mention was made in a press statement of any plans to elimate jobs at Renesas or to transfer a system-chip wafer fab in Yamagata to TSMC, which have been topics of recent speculation.

Renesas is already outsourcing the manufacture products based on 90-nm eFlash process technology to TSMC. Under the latest agreement Renesas will outsource MCU production at 40nm and future technologies. By making the MONOS process platform available to other semiconductor suppliers around the world – including fabless companies and IDMs – Renesas and TSMC aim to set up an ecosystem and further widen the customer base.

"Based on what we have learned from the Great East Japan Earthquake last year, which brought major impacts to several of our manufacturing sites and our customers businesses, we have been accelerating the construction of the fab network as part of the company's business continuity plan," said Shinichi Iwamoto, senior vice president of Renesas, in a statement issued by TSMC.


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Renesas cuts 14,000 jobs; fab sale to TSMC

Renesas still struggling with restructuring plan

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FujiPanaRene: clinging to the wreckage





TAG:Renesas TSMC microcontroller MCU production process semiconductor

Renesas extends MCU work with TSMC to 40-nm

Renesas extends MCU work with TSMC to 40-nm

LONDON – As expected Japan's Renesas Electronics Corp. and foundry Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. have announced an increase in the collaboration between the companies on microcontrollers, a market in which Renesas is a leader.

The two companies announced Monday that they have agreed to extend the MCU technology collaboration to 40-nm embedded flash process technology and that in addition TSMC will be able to make the MONOS (Metal-Oxide-Nitride-Oxide-Silicon) embedded flash platform available to other customers.

The announcement is likely to form only part of a much-expected overhaul of Renesas. No mention was made in a press statement of any plans to elimate jobs at Renesas or to transfer a system-chip wafer fab in Yamagata to TSMC, which have been topics of recent speculation.

Renesas is already outsourcing the manufacture products based on 90-nm eFlash process technology to TSMC. Under the latest agreement Renesas will outsource MCU production at 40nm and future technologies. By making the MONOS process platform available to other semiconductor suppliers around the world – including fabless companies and IDMs – Renesas and TSMC aim to set up an ecosystem and further widen the customer base.

"Based on what we have learned from the Great East Japan Earthquake last year, which brought major impacts to several of our manufacturing sites and our customers businesses, we have been accelerating the construction of the fab network as part of the company's business continuity plan," said Shinichi Iwamoto, senior vice president of Renesas, in a statement issued by TSMC.


Related links and articles:

Renesas cuts 14,000 jobs; fab sale to TSMC

Renesas still struggling with restructuring plan

Reports: Renesas to tie up with TSMC, cut jobs

FujiPanaRene: clinging to the wreckage





TAG:Renesas TSMC microcontroller MCU production process semiconductor

MEMS wafer maker Okmetic outsources amid SOI push

MEMS wafer maker Okmetic outsources amid SOI push

VANTAA, Finland – Okmetic Oyj a manufacturer of silicon wafers for sensor, semiconductor and solar applications, has begun outsourcing wafer manufacture even as it is expanding its factory here to make more silicon-on-insulator wafers.

Kai Seikku, president and CEO of Okmetic, said the company has secured two Japanese and three Chinese partners who produce wafers for their local markets based on Okmetic ingots of silicon.

Okmetic has prospered over the last couple of years as a supplier of wafers for the booming microelectromechanical system (MEMS) market. The company was a 83.2 million euro business (about $100 million) in 2011 and in the first quarter of 2012 about 46 percent of sales were wafers for sensors. The company has become one of the anchors of a burgeoning MEMS cluster around Helsinki, Finland, that includes local universities, the VTT research institute and what was VTI Technologies Oy, now Murata Electronics Oy.

However, despite the growth potential, Okmetic is also looking to expand in innovative ways. In 2011 the company acquired ten crystal-growing furnaces to expand its ingot production and began a search for fab-lite partners for selected applications.


Kai Seikku, came in as Okmetic CEO in 2010

Seikku declined to name the five outsource companies Okmetic is working with but said that from the customers' perspective they are sources of Okmetic wafers, as Okmetic manages the supply chain, customer relations and the order and delivery process. In MEMS – unlike integrated circuits – the starting wafer is likely to have been heavily customized.

And some of that customization can be in the silicon boule or ingot. One of Okmetic's strengths is the ability to precisely control and maintain crystal orientation as the boule is pulled from the melt as well as purity and doping levels.

"We have a reputation with customers for good R&D but we are constrained by our ability to manufacture," said Seikku. He added that using outsource partners to take in ingots and produce wafers to Okmetic-developed specifications saves capital cost and provides flexibility.

Seikku denied that Okmetic is teaching eastern hemisphere companies how to become rivals for the sake of short-term business gains. "We retain the crystal growing capability. R&D and customers relations are the enablers of MEMS wafer business."

Meanwhile the company is building a 30 million euro (about $37 million) extension to its Vantaa plant to increase internal production capacity for SOI wafers for sensor applications. Thick SOI has been taking an increasing share of the MEMS market in recent years and also for high-voltage power semiconductor applications. Okmetic plans to triple its SOI capacity to 25,000 wafers per month by 2014 or 2015. The 600 square meter cleanroom is due to be completed by the end of 2012. This will also increase Okmetic's ability to deliver 200-mm diameter wafers.

While MEMS sensors are mostly made using wafer diameters up to 150-mm there is now likely to be a rapid transition to 200-mm wafers, particularly as IC foundries begin to engage as MEMS foundries attempting to serve consumers applications.

Seikku said such transitions always seem to take longer to arrive than originally estimated but once they arrive the take place much quicker than expected. "The transition has been discussed for a long time. We see 6-inch to 8-inch happening this year."


Related links and articles:

www.okmetic.com

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TAG:MEMS Okmetic outsource SOI silicon on insulator semiconductor wafer

Murata wants to build from MEMS to Internet of Things

Murata wants to build from MEMS to Internet of Things

VANTAA, Finland – Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd. has been on the acquisition trail for several years and it is now fine tuning its approach as it seeks to move up in complexity and value through MEMS to the Internet of Things (IoT).

Murata (Kyoto, Japan) is often billed as a passives-to-power-supplies giant. With annual sales of 584.7 billion yen (about $7.34 billion) in the year to March 31, 2012, Murata is definitely a giant and one that is well known for its multilayer ceramic capacitors, but it makes a broad range of components including wireless modules and a variety of sensors.

In an interview with president Tsuneo Murata, conducted during his visit to the newly acquired MEMS manufacturer VTI Technologies Oy (Vantaa, Finland) here – as it was renamed Murata Electronics Oy – EE Times asked Murata about the company's acquisition strategy.



Tsuneo Murata, president of Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd., during his visit to the company's MEMS subsidiary in Finland on May 25, 2012.

Was it about moving away from passives and up in terms of complexity and value? "Murata has produced sensors for 20 years. But without creating such good quality as VTI," said Murata. "Yes we are going to go in that direction but not go too far away from the original business."

And Murata emphasized that it is not just about the product complexity and value but also about the end markets. "In the case of VTI they are very strong in automotive and industrial, areas where Murata is not so strong."

Murata's strengths traditionally lie in communications and consumer applications with 45 percent of sales in communications, 19 percent in PCs and peripherals and 10 percent in audio-visual consumer electronics, Murata said. About 75 percent of VTI sales are into the automotive sector where it is a leading supplier of accelerometers, gyroscopes and combo units for electronic stability control (ESC).

Murata acquired VTI, which manufactures MEMS on 150-mm diameter wafers, in January 2012 for about 20 billion yen (about 190 million euro or $260 million) in cash, so what does the company intend to do with it?

"We want to reinforce the business in automotive. Then we want to have new products in the consumer area," said Murata. Murata said automotive is good business and expanding as the electronics content of automobiles goes up. Providing MEMS to the consumer sector will be a next step. The consumer market is quite different to the automotive and medical sectors where VTI has been strong, characterized by less demanding specifications but thin margins and downward price pressure. "It's very tough to compete [in consumer]. We need to have a good strategy," said Murata. "To get into consumer we may need to utilize some outsourcing," he added.

This suggests that rather than expand into 200-mm wafer processing in Vantaa the company is more likely to work with one of the mainstream IC foundries, such as GlobalFoundries Inc. or Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. that have fabs in southeast Asia, and who are eager to expand into MEMS production.
Next: IoT is popular in China and Japan
TAG:Internet of things Tsuneo Murata Murata MEMS IoT passives MLCC

Video: Indy 500 pit boss talks tires

Video: Indy 500 pit boss talks tires

INDIANAPOLIS--EE Times got down and dirty in the pits at the Indy 500 on Friday, to learn how 0.5 increments of tire pressure can make or break a race, how many laps a driver can go on one set of wheels, and how far rival tire makers will go to steal another firm's secrets.

Pit worker Jason Robb from KV Racing filled us in on all the crucial details for when rubber meets track on race day:

[Learn more about the Indy 500 at Littelfuse's Speed2Design site.]

TAG:Indy 500 Littlefuse mouser pit tire engineering mechanics

Video: Indy 500 pit boss talks tires

Video: Indy 500 pit boss talks tires

INDIANAPOLIS--EE Times got down and dirty in the pits at the Indy 500 on Friday, to learn how 0.5 increments of tire pressure can make or break a race, how many laps a driver can go on one set of wheels, and how far rival tire makers will go to steal another firm's secrets.

Pit worker Jason Robb from KV Racing filled us in on all the crucial details for when rubber meets track on race day:

[Learn more about the Indy 500 at Littelfuse's Speed2Design site.]

TAG:Indy 500 Littlefuse mouser pit tire engineering mechanics

Stuff to see at DAC: Blue Pearl Software

Stuff to see at DAC: Blue Pearl Software

If you are planning on attending DAC 2012, June 4-6, and if you’re involved in creating FPGA-based designs, then you really should bounce over to see the folks from Blue Pearl Software (Booth #714) to see how the Blue Pearl Software Suite can improve and accelerate your FPGA design flow and IP integration.

The Blue Pearl Software Suite works with the Xilinx Vivado Design Suite running on Windows and Linux platforms. Their solution for RTL analysis includes linting, clock domain crossing (CDC), and automatic Synopsys Design Constraint (SDC) generation. With regard to these SDCs, Blue Pearl makes the synthesis and place and route phases of FPGA design implementation more efficient. The Blue Pearl Visual Verification Environment makes it easy to use for any level of FPGA designers to validate their constraints.

Furthermore, the folks from Blue Pearl say that their collaboration with Synopsys has led to an optimized flow that works with Synplify Pro FPGA synthesis software. Verilog, VHDL and SystemVerilog designers can now automatically generate an exhaustive set of constraints that address false and multi-cycle paths that work with Synopsys’ Synplify Pro synthesis flow.

Blue Pearl’s software suite also accelerates embedded system development and improves design quality by their collaboration with ARM and IP providers.

So, once again, if you are planning on attending the 49the DAC in San Francisco, bounce over to Booth #714 to see the guys and gals from Blue Pearl demonstrate how their new Blue Pearl Software Suite addresses the needs of FPGA and ASIC designers for improving productivity and design quality. (If you see Shakeel, say “Max says Hi!”)

Click Here to schedule a meeting and demo, For more information, please visit Blue Pearl Software at www.bluepearlsoftware.com

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If you found this article to be of interest, visit Programmable Logic Designline where – in addition to my Max's Cool Beans blogs – you will find the latest and greatest design, technology, product, and news articles with regard to programmable logic devices of every flavor and size (FPGAs, CPLDs, CSSPs, PSoCs...).

Also, you can obtain a highlights update delivered directly to your inbox by signing up for my weekly newsletter – just Click Here to request this newsletter using the Manage Newsletters tab (if you aren't already a member you'll be asked to register, but it's free and painless so don't let that stop you [grin]).

Last but certainly not least, make sure you check out the daily discussions and other information resources at All Programmable Planet, where we cover everything of interest in "Programmable Space" for everyone from beginners to experts, hardware designers and software developers, and system designers.
TAG:DAC 2012 Blue Pearl Software

Stuff to see at DAC: Blue Pearl Software

Stuff to see at DAC: Blue Pearl Software

If you are planning on attending DAC 2012, June 4-6, and if you’re involved in creating FPGA-based designs, then you really should bounce over to see the folks from Blue Pearl Software (Booth #714) to see how the Blue Pearl Software Suite can improve and accelerate your FPGA design flow and IP integration.

The Blue Pearl Software Suite works with the Xilinx Vivado Design Suite running on Windows and Linux platforms. Their solution for RTL analysis includes linting, clock domain crossing (CDC), and automatic Synopsys Design Constraint (SDC) generation. With regard to these SDCs, Blue Pearl makes the synthesis and place and route phases of FPGA design implementation more efficient. The Blue Pearl Visual Verification Environment makes it easy to use for any level of FPGA designers to validate their constraints.

Furthermore, the folks from Blue Pearl say that their collaboration with Synopsys has led to an optimized flow that works with Synplify Pro FPGA synthesis software. Verilog, VHDL and SystemVerilog designers can now automatically generate an exhaustive set of constraints that address false and multi-cycle paths that work with Synopsys’ Synplify Pro synthesis flow.

Blue Pearl’s software suite also accelerates embedded system development and improves design quality by their collaboration with ARM and IP providers.

So, once again, if you are planning on attending the 49the DAC in San Francisco, bounce over to Booth #714 to see the guys and gals from Blue Pearl demonstrate how their new Blue Pearl Software Suite addresses the needs of FPGA and ASIC designers for improving productivity and design quality. (If you see Shakeel, say “Max says Hi!”)

Click Here to schedule a meeting and demo, For more information, please visit Blue Pearl Software at www.bluepearlsoftware.com

---

If you found this article to be of interest, visit Programmable Logic Designline where – in addition to my Max's Cool Beans blogs – you will find the latest and greatest design, technology, product, and news articles with regard to programmable logic devices of every flavor and size (FPGAs, CPLDs, CSSPs, PSoCs...).

Also, you can obtain a highlights update delivered directly to your inbox by signing up for my weekly newsletter – just Click Here to request this newsletter using the Manage Newsletters tab (if you aren't already a member you'll be asked to register, but it's free and painless so don't let that stop you [grin]).

Last but certainly not least, make sure you check out the daily discussions and other information resources at All Programmable Planet, where we cover everything of interest in "Programmable Space" for everyone from beginners to experts, hardware designers and software developers, and system designers.
TAG:DAC 2012 Blue Pearl Software