Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE:TXN) today announced its lowest-cost digital media processor, the TMS320DM335 device, for applications driven by advanced image capture and display requirements. Consumers will now be able to have enhanced interaction with their electronic devices such as Internet radio, e-books, video surveillance products and digital telescopes through feature-rich graphical user interfaces (GUIs). Powered by an ARM926EJ-S(TM) core up to 270 MHz, the DM335 digital media processor integrates a video processing subsystem (VPSS) so developers can easily add high-definition video display at 720p on their new class of portable applications.

Helping developers reduce overall system design overhead, the DM335 processor provides the benefits of greater than 25 percent cost reduction than its highly successful predecessor, the TMS320DM355 processor. The new digital media processor is completely scalable with the DM355 processor and Digital Video Evaluation Board (DVEVM), allowing customers to re-use both hardware and software designs for their new DM335 processor focused projects. The DM335 processor also offers a compelling solution for customers creating advanced user interface display applications that do not require video compression and decompression for a fraction of the cost.

The new DM335 device delivers a sophisticated suite of capabilities allowing for flexible image capture and display. Through its user interface technology, such as a four-level on-screen display, developers are able to create picture-within-picture and video-within-video as well as innovative GUIs. This is especially important for portable products that require the use of button or touch screen, such as portable karaoke, universal remote controls, video doorbells and electronic gaming applications.

For crisp and vibrant display images, the DM335 processor support CCD/CMOS image sensors, resize capability and video analytics. The 1280-by-960-pixel digital LCD connection runs on a 75-MHz pixel clock and supports TV composite output for increased expandability.

Rapid development with complete scalability

The DM335 processor provides a simple migration path for the many TI customers who are currently using the DM355 device and would like to expand their product line to include applications that do not require video encode and decode. This lower cost alternative offers full code and hardware compatibility without requiring additional investment in software engineering. The DM335 utilizes the same suite of peripherals as the DM355, such as high speed USB 2.0 on-the-go, external memory interface (EMIF), mobile DDR/DDR2, two SDIO ports, three UART Ports, three SPI Ports and SLC/MCL NAND Flash memory support. In addition, customers can leverage TI’s HPA portable audio solutions including low-power codecs like the TLV320AIC3104 and amplifiers, such as the TPA2016D2.

In addition to being pin-to-pin compatible with the DM355, the new DM335 device is also software compatible with all of TI’s digital media processor devices. This allows developers to have easy access to the application programming interfaces (APIs) common across TI’s digital media processor portfolio, enabling developers familiar with ARM(R) to rapidly start development with virtually no learning curve and concentrate on further differentiating their products. Developers can re-use intellectual property or utilize IP from the open-source resources for ARM-based processing to speed them throughout the development process.

For developers already creating applications based on the DM355 device, they can jump start their DM335 processor-based design by utilizing the same development kit and even use the same code for applications that do not require MPEG-4 or JPEG codec. The DM355 Digital DVEVM integrates an optimized MontaVista(R) Linux(R) board support package (BSP), drivers and display capture support for the VPSS to help developers easily build low-cost portable products. The DVEVM also support Windows(R) Embedded CE 6.0.

For an additional boost in support, developers can also rely on the industry’s largest Developer Network for algorithms and additional tools to produce sleeker applications cheaper and faster.

The TMS320DM335 digital media processor is now available for $10.48 in 100 units from TI. The highly integrated device is packaged in a 13 x 13 mm, 329 pin, 0.65 mm pitch BGA package. The TMDSEVM355 Digital Video Evaluation Module is now available for $495.

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“As the industry transitions to double patterning as a key enabler of advanced device scaling, etch plays an increasingly important role in pattern shrinking. With the Kiyo3x series, we have extended our market-leading conductor etch product family to provide better uniformity, productivity, and repeatability to enable a range of the most complex as well as emerging critical etch applications on our customers’ technology roadmaps,” said Richard A. Gottscho, Lam Research group vice president and general manager, Etch Businesses. “By providing these capabilities as a configurable set of upgrade options, we allow our customers to maximize the value of their capital investments.”

As the third generation of the Kiyo™ product line, the new Kiyo3x series includes improvements in wafer temperature control that enable radial tuning for edge control and profile shaping. These improvements, coupled with enhanced reactor symmetry, result in CD uniformities of 1 nm, 3-sigma variation. With advanced, proprietary pre-coat and post-etch chamber clean techniques, every wafer sees the same environment for superior repeatability, as well as high uptime and yield. For complex film stacks such as high-k/metal gate, the Kiyo3x provides multi-film etch capability in a single chamber, which results in a 50-to-100 percent productivity advantage over a two-chamber approach.

Multiple Kiyo3x systems have been installed at major customer sites in regions worldwide to address a variety of emerging applications.

Contacts
Lam Research Corporation
Jae Jun, 510-572-5048
Product Communications
jae_yon.jun@lamresearch.com

or

MindWrite Communications
Sandy Fewkes, 408-224-4024
sandy@mind-write.com

See also:

• Design costs for portable display electronics drop with TI’s lowest cost digital media processor (0)
• GSS8000 High Dynamics GPS Simulation System (0)
• Intel, Samsung Electronics, TSMC Reach Agreement for 450mm Wafer Manufacturing Transition (0)
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• CPU Tech Launches Acalis CPU872 MultiCore PowerPC with Embedded DRAM and Tamper Protection (0)

The Spirent GSS8000 is designed for use in the most demanding applications, and is capable of simulating ultra-high dynamics with industry leading accuracy.

The Spirent GSS8000 supports up to 20,000g signal dynamics, up to 120,000 m/s velocity and 50Hz (4ms) processing rates. Motion data can be generated using Spirent’s on-board vehicle models or using real-time high-rate host vehicle trajectory data over a remote interface. Spirent’s implementation supports full 6 degrees-of-freedom (6DOF) trajectory data. Low-latency hardware-in-the-loop capability is standard with synchronization and timing facilitated via 1 PPS in/out and 10MHz clock inputs.

In addition, the Spirent GSS8000 is designed to support Spirent’s range of options and extensions for testing advanced navigation and positioning systems. These include a range of GPS+inertial test interfaces, classified testing capabilities, interference effects, jamming signals and multi-element adaptive antenna (CRPA) antenna electronics units.

“The Spirent GSS8000 offers our customers the test capability they demand, for both today and tomorrow’s programs,” commented John Pottle, marketing director, Positioning Technology division, Spirent Communications. “We are taking the simulator performance to the next level with the Spirent GSS8000, while maintaining Spirent’s full range of options and classified testing capabilities that our customers have come to rely on, such as classified testing and full test support for future M-code receiver programs.”

Spirent’s products are sold in the US and Canada by Spirent Federal Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of Spirent Communications. You can learn more about the GSS8000 at their booth at IEEE/ION PLANS 2008 May 5-8, 2008 in Monterey, CA.

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• Design costs for portable display electronics drop with TI’s lowest cost digital media processor (0)
• Lam Research Corporation Releases 2300 Versys Kiyo3x Conductor Etch Series (0)
• Intel, Samsung Electronics, TSMC Reach Agreement for 450mm Wafer Manufacturing Transition (0)
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The companies will cooperate with the semiconductor industry to help ensure that all of the required components, infrastructure and capability are developed and tested for a pilot line by this target date.

Historically, manufacturing with larger wafers helps increase the ability to produce semiconductors at a lower cost. The total silicon surface area of a 450mm wafer and the number of printed die (individual computer chips, for example) is more than twice that of a 300mm wafer. The bigger wafers help lower the production cost per chip. Additionally, through more efficient use of energy, water and other resources, bigger wafers can help diminish overall use of resources per chip. For example, the conversion from 200mm wafers to 300mm wafers helped reduce aggregate emissions per chip of air pollution, global warming gasses and water, and further reduction is expected with a transition to 450mm wafers.

“There is a long history of innovation and problem solving in our industry that has delivered wafer transitions resulting in lower costs per area of silicon processed and overall industry growth.” said Bob Bruck, vice president and general manager, Technology Manufacturing Engineering in Intel’s Technology and Manufacturing Group. “We, along with Samsung and TSMC, agree that the transition to 450mm wafers will follow the same pattern of delivering increased value to our customers.”

Intel, Samsung and TSMC indicate that the semiconductor industry can improve its return on investment and substantially reduce 450mm research and development costs by applying aligned standards, rationalizing changes from 300mm infrastructure and automation, and working toward a common timeline. The companies also agree that a cooperative approach will help minimize risk and transition costs.

“The transition to 450mm wafers will benefit the entire ecosystem of the IC industry, and Intel, Samsung, TSMC will work together with suppliers and other semiconductor manufacturers to actively develop 450mm capability,” said Cheong-Woo Byun, senior vice president, Memory Manufacturing Operation Center, Samsung Electronics.

In the past, migration to the next larger wafer size traditionally began every 10 years after the last transition. For example, the industry began the transition to 300mm wafers in 2001, a decade after the initial 200mm manufacturing facilities (also known as “fabs”) were introduced in 1991.

Keeping in line with the historical pace of growth, Intel, Samsung and TSMC agree that 2012 is an appropriate target to begin the 450mm transition. Given the complexity of integrating all of the components for a transition of this size, the companies recognize that consistent evaluation of the target timeline will be critical to ensure industry-wide readiness.

“Increasing cost due to the complexity of advanced technology is a concern for the future,” said Mark Liu, TSMC’s senior vice president of Advanced Technology Business. “Intel, Samsung, and TSMC believe the transition to 450mm wafers is a potential solution to maintain a reasonable cost structure for the industry.”

The three companies will continue to work with International Sematech (ISMI), as it plays a critical role in coordinating industry efforts on 450mm wafer supply, standards setting and developing equipment test bed capabilities.

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Small, entrepreneurial businesses are important to technology innovation and evolution. As Bluetooth technology embarks on its ambitious technology roadmap, the incentive program will enhance the diversity and quality of Bluetooth products in the market while maintaining the global requirements for product qualification. Small businesses will enjoy significant cost savings in their earliest attempts to be competitive in the Bluetooth technology market, allowing them a unique opportunity to gain traction before graduating to the same cost structure as larger market players. By giving these companies a lower cost entry point to the market, small businesses are able to ensure quality while also gaining access to the growing demand for Bluetooth technology products. Additionally, the program benefits the Bluetooth market at large by reducing the number of unqualified products making their way to store shelves.

“We’re opening the doors and leveling the playing field for small businesses,” said Michael Foley, Ph.D., executive director, the Bluetooth SIG. “The Bluetooth technology product market is growing so rapidly and small entrepreneurial businesses want to be a part of that. By creating this incentive program everyone wins — we increase competition which gives more choices to the consumer, and we improve the overall quality and interoperability of products making their way to market.”

To participate, small companies must prove that they have a paid-in capital of USD $2.4 Million or less and that their revenue from the most recent financial year does not exceed USD $3 Million. Once validated, the participants enjoy a significant discount on the costs of qualification. Program participants receive two listings on the Qualified Design Listings (QDL) and a 1-year license to use the Bluetooth Profile Tuning Suite (PTS) for a pre-payment of USD $2,500. This equates to a savings of USD $15,000 in costs associated with processes required for intellectual property and trademark license.

The Bluetooth Small Business Incentive Program is available to companies worldwide. Members began to apply to the program on May 1, 2008.

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• Design costs for portable display electronics drop with TI’s lowest cost digital media processor (0)
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The Acalis CPU872, a Field Programmable MultiCore (FPMC), directly addresses the need for a tamper-resistant, trusted supply of high-performance processing devices for use in vital applications. Fabricated at the IBM Trusted Foundry in cooperation with the Trusted Access Program Office and U.S. Navy sponsorship, the Acalis CPU872 combines defenses against malicious circuits and other Trojan horses, and effective and resilient run-time techniques to protect against tampering and reverse-engineering without impacting performance.

Industries such as financial, military & aerospace, and communications, along with many others that maintain critical infrastructure, are increasingly concerned with the security of their computer systems. Of growing concern is the threat that systems containing foreign-made components, in some cases of an unknown origin, are vulnerable to tampering. According to the Defense Science Board Task Force report on High Performance Microchip Supply released in February 2005, recent shifts in the electronics supply structure open such components to the insertion of “Trojan horses” and other unauthorized design inclusions. These backdoor features could be used to disrupt operations or obtain confidential and proprietary information. Other areas of concern include loss of intellectual property through reverse engineering and interruption of the supply chain to critical applications. Recently, a group led by a Princeton University computer security researcher demonstrated a simple method of stealing encrypted information. As reported by The New York Times, February 22, 2008, the group used a can of air to freeze the memory chips and special pattern-recognition software to identify security keys. Their technique compromises industry standards such as “Trusted Computing” hardware as well as utilities contained in the most popular operating systems.

In addition to integral security features, the highly integrated SoC is not susceptible to the Princeton type attacks. The device contains dual high performance PowerPC® 440 and FPU cores, embedded DRAM, and utility compute engines to accelerate computation of complex algorithms, communications, and synchronization between processors. This integration enables designers to build systems with significantly fewer components resulting in increased reliability and decreased power, cost and area. Its low power consumption makes the CPU872 the most efficient high performance PowerPC offering in the industry.

“Our customers and partners are involved in high value critical computing applications and have serious security concerns about the source, content, design knowledge, and management of critical computing resources such as processors, FPGAs, memory devices, and integrated systems. Ubiquitous high value computing infrastructure such as financial, transportation, military, process control and other embedded systems have become the targets of equally sophisticated and well financed criminal, subversive, and clandestine threats. As the flow of design knowledge has spread around the world, the ability and the willingness to insert a variety of trap doors, time dependent hidden features, Trojan horses and other such hard-to-detect schemes directly into silicon has become equally widespread,” said Ed King, CEO and Founder of CPU Tech. He continued, “The Acalis CPU872 is a fully trusted design from a tightly controlled trusted process that is directly integrated into the Trusted Foundry at IBM.”

“The anti-tamper, anti-reverse engineering and firewall capabilities contained in the CPU872 SoC will help enable the DoD to preserve its investment in critical technologies,” said Charles Caposell, U.S. Navy Program Manager. “The combination of security and high performance in a standard Commercial-Off-the-Shelf (COTS) device will be of immense value to the DoD and other security-minded organizations.”

The CPU872 is an industrial grade device with a minimum ten year life span. Samples are available to qualified organizations.

See also:

• Design costs for portable display electronics drop with TI’s lowest cost digital media processor (0)
• Lam Research Corporation Releases 2300 Versys Kiyo3x Conductor Etch Series (0)
• GSS8000 High Dynamics GPS Simulation System (0)
• Intel, Samsung Electronics, TSMC Reach Agreement for 450mm Wafer Manufacturing Transition (0)
• Bluetooth SIG Opens New Doors to Small Businesses (0)

As a subsidiary of Micron Technology, one of the largest worldwide producers of server DRAM, Lexar Media’s Crucial-branded server and workstation memory products undergo rigorous compatibility and integrity testing. The Crucial Memory Integrity Labs (CMIL) perform comprehensive tests on a broad range of motherboards and platforms. Crucial memory testing meets or exceeds third-party compatibility testing, ensuring that every single component used to build Crucial memory modules are 100% guaranteed to meet or exceed stringent quality and JEDEC industry standards. Additionally, our comprehensive product lines deliver compatible, certified modules to meet the majority of today’s server and workstation needs, for small and large organizations.

“Our new Crucial Reliance Program provides peace of mind to users relying on their workstations and servers for increased productivity and reliable uptime,” stated Jim Jardine, Senior Product Manager at Lexar Media.

See also:

• Design costs for portable display electronics drop with TI’s lowest cost digital media processor (0)
• Lam Research Corporation Releases 2300 Versys Kiyo3x Conductor Etch Series (0)
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Further integration of LANDesk solutions with Lenovo technologies will help customers reduce IT costs by secure automation of systems management functions through a single console included with Lenovo systems.

“Having these two vendors integrate their solutions provides me with the best possible tools to deliver value to my internal customers at SWBC,” said Gregory Lawler, CIO, Southwest Business Corporation. “I can easily demonstrate the time and money saved in a number of areas. For example, if we have 300 machines that need an update for one of our applications, we can now deliver that update in minutes. If we had to install this update manually, it would take a team of technicians several days.”

All Lenovo notebook and desktop PC products manufactured since January 2002 will be able to receive the Lenovo ThinkManagement Console for no additional charge. All Lenovo clients that support Lenovo ThinkVantage Technologies will support this new console. Additionally, versions that support non-Lenovo clients will be made available for a fee.

Customers using Intel vPro technologies will receive additional benefits for VPro enablement and manageability. When combined with this LANDesk and Lenovo solution, Intel vPro technology helps customers reduce desk-side visits by enabling IT organizations to monitor, diagnose, and repair PCs regardless of operating system or power state.

“Lenovo and LANDesk have made Intel vPro an important component in their offerings, which has helped change the face of IT by providing enhanced security, lower costs and shorter repair times beginning with the first systems implemented,” said Gregory Bryant, vice president, Business Client Group, and general manager, Digital Office Platform Division of Intel Corporation. “In the end, IT is no longer saddled with just keeping its computer fleet running, but can now turn to strategic matters.”

Through the Lenovo ThinkManagement Console, IT administrators can quickly identify and contain security threats, heal systems, and use continuous presence-checking to guard against unsolicited agent tampering.

“Our strategic relationship with Lenovo continues to yield the most proactive management solutions possible for our customers,” said Steve Daly, general manager, LANDesk. “The Lenovo ThinkManagement Console will enable IT organizations to quickly reduce costs, while helping to achieve positive top-line and bottom-line business results. Our joint solutions will enable customers to effectively automate lifecycle, systems and service management functions across laptops, desktops, servers and mobile devices from a single management console.”

See also:

• Design costs for portable display electronics drop with TI’s lowest cost digital media processor (0)
• Lam Research Corporation Releases 2300 Versys Kiyo3x Conductor Etch Series (0)
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“With more than 3.5 billion smart cards shipped to date, Java Card technology is one of the most pervasive computing platforms on Earth,” said Eric Klein, vice president of marketing for Java(TM) technology at Sun. “This release makes the Java Card platform a web execution engine, capable of serving up applications and content securely from within nearly any device. It’s hard to imagine a mobile solution that couldn’t be made better, easier to use, or more secure by Java Card technology.”

The new Java Card 3.0 platform specification is available in two separate editions: Java Card Platform v.3.0, Classic Edition and Java Card Platform v.3.0, Connected Edition. Both editions are compatible with applications written for previous versions and can leverage the same security features within the platform specification.

The Java Card Platform v.3.0, Classic Edition is based on an evolution of the existing Java Card Platform, Version 2.2.2 and targets the most resource-constrained devices, such as credit/debit cards and basic SIMs for mobile handsets. The Java Card Platform v.3.0, Connected Edition includes a significantly enhanced execution environment, along with new network-oriented features such as support for web applications. Critical to the Java Card Platform v.3.0, Connected Edition functionality is a new version of the Java Card Virtual Machine – the engine that executes Java Card technology applications. The new Java Card Virtual Machine offers developers the ability to use standard tools and techniques, such as the Java Servlet API to create Java Card 3.0 technology-based applications.

“The next-generation Java Card technology marks a move from smart cards to smart devices, offering the potential of using one personal and secure device for multiple smart services, while reducing infrastructure costs,” says Christian Goire, president of the Java Card Forum. “These smart devices add convenience to every day life and could play a role in everything from reserving a ticket to entering a train station. We’re moving from a series of e-applications working on independent devices to a more holistic process enabling ‘eDays’ to become a reality.”

Java Card technology adoption is expanding rapidly with an estimated 1.2 billion units deployed in sectors as diverse as telecommunications, corporate ID and financial services, in 2007 alone. Java Card technology providers in those sectors and others, such as service providers, payment associations and government IT agencies, can now leverage the enhanced security and programmability of Java Card Platform 3.0 to build extraordinary applications such as secure, high-speed web services on smart cards and other embedded consumer formats.

See also:

• Design costs for portable display electronics drop with TI’s lowest cost digital media processor (0)
• Lam Research Corporation Releases 2300 Versys Kiyo3x Conductor Etch Series (0)
• GSS8000 High Dynamics GPS Simulation System (0)
• Intel, Samsung Electronics, TSMC Reach Agreement for 450mm Wafer Manufacturing Transition (0)
• Bluetooth SIG Opens New Doors to Small Businesses (0)