Kinsner: New Systems: 1999 October 04, vol. 1.03

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1999 New Systems

Week of 99 October 4

REPOSITORY OF NEW SYSTEMS:
1999 OCTOBER 04; VOL. 1.03

Technical Docs for MSP430 Ultra-Low Power Microcontrollers

Texas Instruments provided new technical documentation about the MSP430 Ultra-Low Power Microcontrollers, including two applications reports "Using the MSP430 as Real Time Clock" and Implementing a UART Function with Timer"

First Radio Frequency-Microcontroller Chipset

On September 27, 1999, Texas Instruments introduced the first ever radio-frequency (RF) microcontroller chipset enabling low-cost systems as small as two postage stamps. The shipset is shown in the picture.

The chipset, designated as the TRF6900/MSP430, combines RF data transmission and reception with a microcontroller unit (MCU), and is intended for a wide variety of wireless applications in areas such as utility metering, climate control, security systems, wireless data transmission, consumer electronics, and battery-powered instrumentation.

The RF-MCU chipset is targeted for the unlicensed ISM (industrial, scientific, and medical) bands specifically designed for short-range RF links. Europe has a new unlicensed frequency band of 868-870 MHz, and the North American ISM band covers 902-928 MHz.

1-Wire Chips

Dallas Semiconductor have introduced a 1-Wire™ chip in very small Chip-Scale Packages (CSPs). It supplies a globally unique URL extension required by Web addressability, thus making just about anything networkable. The chip gets both its network connection and power connection off the same signal, thus extending the network to things that have not had the luxury of electricity before.

Guide to Online Information about TCP/IP in Embedded Systems

Ben Day describes how to connect to different devices using TCP/IP. It appeared in Circuit Cellar Online, August 1999.

Electronic Products Magazine

The October 1999 issue of Electronic Products describes a number of new products, includeing:

SVGA microdisplay chipset speeds design-in
Hall-effect chip simplifies fan control
Chipset brings GPS to a stamp-sized module
Heat sink breaks bonded-fin performance barrier
FPGA/湣 launches with full co-verification tools
2.5 Gbit/s SiGe TIA supports WDM and TDM apps
Surface-mount connectors stand just 0.9 mm high
EMI-test receivers perform measurements in 100 盜
Dual-AFE chip shrinks size and lowers cost for DSL apps
SMBus-compliant smart-battery charger is industry's fastest
Top-entry sensor block offers easy wiring
DSOs ease viewing of complex signals
VXI-based RF power meter provides dual channels

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