As more and more peripherals attach to computers via USB ports, vendors are racing to fill gaps in the spectrum of support products. Chips that trim size and power consumption are emerging this month, while software providers are making it easier for Linux systems to implement USB technology.
USB has become a standard way to attach mainstream products like cameras and keyboards to hosts, and it’s also being used to power products as unusual as cup warmers and small lights. Currently, there’s a changeover from basic USB technology to USB2.0, which offers far higher speeds better suited to many of the new peripherals that use the connection technique. USB2.0 runs at up to 480 Mbits/second, far faster than the 12 Mbits/second peak rate of earlier USB products. That’s a huge benefit for digital cameras and other products that move lots of data. SMSC Corp of Hauppauge, NY (www.smsc.com/main/catalog/usbprods.html) is bringing this new version of USB to designers who want to add ports, unveiling what it says is the first two-port USB 2.0 controller chip. It’s designed for mobile products and other applications that need two ports but don’t have the room or power budget for a four-port chip.
“This part is 44 to 80 % smaller than four-port chips. The four-port chips draw 240 to 500 mA, while we’re less than 200 mA,” says Steve Nelson, marketing vice president at SMSC Connectivity Solutions. SMSC’s 36-pin USB2502 measures only 6 mm per side.
Nelson notes that some multi-function peripherals themselves require more than one USB port. “When you have a product like a pen drive with a thumbprint reader, you need one hub for the USB drive and a second for the fingerprint reader,” he says. The part only costs $2 in quantities of 10,000, giving it another edge over more costly four-port ICs.
On the software side, Arabella Software of Northborough, MA, is addressing the growing move to Linux as well as to USB. (www.arabellasw.com/www/Motorola.htm) The company is adding USB functionality to the Linux program used on the PowerQuicc line of communication processors from Freescale Semiconductor of Austin, TX, the Motorola operation that’s being spun out (http://e-www.motorola.com/webapp/sps/site/taxonomy.jsp?nodeId=02VS0lXvDCJk19DKCb). The software handles both the device and host sides, freeing developers from the task of writing drivers. Linux systems that use the PowerQuicc chips can easily add a single USB port to products using the software.
USB2.0 is expected to dominate shipments in just a few years as USB1.0 use declines.
By experimenting with the photovoltaic reaction in solar cells, researchers at MIT have made a breakthrough in energy efficiency that significantly pushes the boundaries of current commercial cells on the market.
In a world that's going green, industrial operations have a problem: Their processes involve materials that are potentially toxic, flammable, corrosive, or reactive. If improperly managed, this can precipitate dangerous health and environmental consequences.
With LEDs dropping in price virtually every year, automakers have begun employing them, not only on luxury vehicles, but on entry-level models, as well.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
3 
