News briefs

Adlink Technology America has released a series of cards and chassis addressing PXI and PCI data-acquisition applications. The company’s $1195 14-bit DAQe-2010 and $1495 16-bit DAQe-2016 feature a maximum 2-Msamples/s and 800-ksamples/s sampling rate per channel, respectively, across a PCI Express x1 lane. The company also introduced standard PCI and PXI modules: the $1495 DAQ 2016 and the $1695 PXI 2016. Each provides 12-bit, 1-Msample/s performance. Each of the four new modules provides two 12-bit, 1-Msample/s analog outputs, two 16-bit counter/timers, and 24 channels of digital I/O. They include support for C/C++, Delphi, Visual Basic, .NET, Matlab, and LabView programming environments.

The new chassis introduced by the company include the $2600 14-slot compact PXIS-2670, which measures 258x448.4x177.8 mm. A separate power partition accommodates 500-W power supplies by effectively dissipating heat and controlling radiated emissions. The company has also debuted two PCI chassis: the $1390 13-slot PCIS-8580-13S and the $1250 four-slot PCIS-8580-4S. Each of the PCI chassis makes use of a “serialized bridge” technique to support parallel PCI signal transmissions in four-pair, 622-Mbps serialized LVDS signals. www.adlinktech.com.

BP Microsystems, a supplier of device programming systems, has announced that it will now be known as BPM Microsystems. The name change coincides with the opening of BPM Microsystems’ new headquarters building in Houston, TX.

“Our new name will reflect the same high-quality company that customers and the industry alike have depended on for the past 21 years,” said Lyman Brown, VP and COO. “However, we look forward to no longer being confused with BP Amoco, the oil company, who also has its headquarters in Houston.”

The original BP name was created from the founders’ first names—Bill White and Peter Cole—when they opened the company in 1985. BPM Microsystems continues today under the direction of CEO and president Bill White. www.bpmmicro.com.

Synopsys has announced that it has completed the acquisition of Sigma-C Software, a Munich-based company providing simulation software that allows semiconductor manufacturers and their suppliers to develop and optimize process sequences for optical lithography, e-beam lithography, and next-generation lithography (NGL) technologies. Synopsys acquired SIGMA-C in an all-cash transaction for $20.5 million.

The acquisition will enable Synopsys to more tightly integrate design and manufacturing tools, allowing customers to perform more accurate design layout analysis with 3-D lithography simulation and to understand yield issues for effective DFM implementation.

Sigma-C products complement Synopsys’ design for manufacturing (DFM) and TCAD solutions, with SOLID+ providing analysis of variability within the lithography process on design layout in the DFM flow, and SOLID E providing lithography models for optimizing the lithography process. SOLID+ and SOLID E share a central database of lithography models to help ensure high accuracy and consistency of simulation results between design and manufacturing. www.synopsys.com.

Agilent Technologies has announced it has completed the acquisition of Xpedion Design Systems, a privately held company that provides software for wireless and high-speed digital circuit and systems design in the communications industry. Financial details were not disclosed. By adding Xpedion’s products to its portfolio, Agilent will increase its emphasis on design verification and design for manufacturing (DFM), giving customers a design flow covering RFIC design, design verification, and DFM. www.agilent.com.

LeCroy has increased the bandwidth of its four-channel WaveRunner Xi and WaveSurfer Xs oscilloscopes. The WaveRunner 204Xi now runs at 2 GHz, while the 104Xi runs at 1 GHz. The WaveSurfer 104Xs now runs at 1 GHz, an increase from 600 MHz.

All three scopes feature a new software tool for finding anomalies in captured waveforms. Called WaveScan, the software feature lets you specify any of 20 waveform parameters that differ from a “normal” parameter. Parameters include frequency, rise time, pulse width, greater than, less than, or inside or outside a range. The software also provides statistics on occurrences that meet your criteria. For example, you can get a distribution of edges that fail to meet a minimum rise time.

The three scopes also add decode and data trigger options for the I2C and SPI data buses. CAN bus decoding was previously available.

LeCroy has also introduced two ZS Series 1-MÙ, 0.9-pF active probes with 1.5-GHz and 1-GHz bandwidths. The probes come with a kit of short leads that minimize inductance.

Prices: WaveRunner 204Xi—$22,250; WaveRunner 104Xi—$16,250; WaveSurfer 104Xs—$12,890. Probes: 1.5 GHz—$1190; 1 GHz—$490. LeCroy, www.lecroy.com.

Tidal Engineering has added a barcode/OCR reading feature to its multichannel, microprocessor-based Synergy controller. The environmental-chamber controller’s new macro capability accepts digital data from a part’s barcode/OCR label and implements the appropriate test profiles without further operator intervention.

The Synergy Controller uses the Microsoft Windows CE .NET embedded operating system and includes a front- or flush-mounted 320x240-pixel (color STN) touch screen. The controller assumes command of an environmental chamber’s conditioning systems to facilitate the programming of temperature, humidity, altitude, and vibration versus time. In addition, operators can program up to six custom outputs. Temperature is measured using a 100-Ù platinum RTD probe or a thermocouple, whereas humidity is measured by an electronic sensor.

The controller’s communications capabilities include RS-232, RS-485, Ethernet, and GPIB. Its Web-Touch Remote built-in Web server enables remote control and monitoring from any standard browser. A USB flash disk, 32 Mbytes of onboard flash, 32 Mbytes of SDRAM, and USB storage come standard.

Base price: $2750. A 30-day demo is free. Tidal Engineering, www.tidaleng.com.

Vision 2006, November 7–9, Stuttgart, Germany. Sponsored by Messe Stuttgart. www.vision-messe.de.

Aerospace Testing Expo North America, November 14–16, Anaheim, CA. Organized by UKIP Media and Events. www.aerospacetesting-expo.com/northamerica.

Electronica, November 14–17, Munich, Germany. Sponsored by Global-Electronics.net. www.global-electronics.net.

To learn about other conferences, courses, and calls for papers, visit www.tmworld.com/events.