Solid State Supplies has announced availability of a new direct conversion receiver (DCRx) integrated circuit (IC) from CML Microcircuits. The CMX994 targets the next generation of multi-mode software defined radios (SDR) for wireless data and two-way radio applications. Its design provides the optimum route for on-board integration, allowing a small RF receiver to be developed with a minimum of external components in both zero IF and low IF systems.

Until recently, most radios have used the superheterodyne (superhet) receiver, however enhancements in semiconductor technology have enabled the integration of DCRx, allowing it to become the technology of choice for radio receivers in many applications.

A DCRx mixes the required RF signal down to 0Hz in a single quadrature mixing process using a local oscillator (LO) tuned to the wanted RF channel frequency.
Selectivity filtering and gain can now take place at baseband with practical, low power, analogue and digital circuits. DCRx also eliminates the need for an image-reject filter.

Key features of the CMX994 include on-chip VCO for VHF applications, precision baseband filtering with selectable bandwidths and the smallest PCB area, typically less than 50% of a dual superhet. Another important feature is the single ended RF connections, which eliminate the need for baluns.

The CMX994 operates at 3.0 – 3.6 V, and comes in a Q4 40-pin VQFN package.

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Now available from Solid State Supplies is a new Class 12 quad-band GSM/GPRS module from Quectel Wireless Solutions. The M80 module offers up to 85.6kbps uplink and downlink speeds, operating at 850, 900, 1800, and 1900 MHz frequency bands. Supplied in a tiny surface-mount Land Grid Array (LGA) package, the module features powerful embedded Internet service protocols, making it ideal for use in a wide range of machine-to-machine (M2M) applications, including: vehicle tracking systems (VTS); personal tracking; security; wireless point of sale (POS); industrial personal digital assistants (PDA); and smart metering.

The M80 delivers robust construction and reliable GSM/GPRS performance for data, voice, SMS and multi-media applications, and features extremely low power consumption [data to be inserted], an extended temperature range from -45° C to +85° C, and an ultra compact profile of just 23 x 25 x 2.8mm. It is equipped with a host of function interfaces, including: USB device; analog; dual SIM; three UARTs; and optional interfaces for micro SD card and camera.

The module also offers fully integrated access to Quectel’s range of GPS receivers, which can be controlled through a single serial port to provide a fast, low-cost GSM or GPS solution, thus reducing time-to-market.

The M80 complies fully with the RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) regulations.

Solid State Supplies is now stocking the M80 development kit priced at £35.95. The M80 module is available to order priced at under £12.00 in quantities of 1K pieces or more. Both prices exclude VAT.

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Solid State Supplies has announced that one of its engineers, Reuben Townsend, has received the award for ‘2011 Distribution FAE of the Year, Europe,’ from Microsemi Corporation, a leading provider of semiconductor solutions differentiated by power, security, reliability and performance.

Townsend was selected as the winner amongst field application engineers within Microsemi’s European distribution network in recognition of his outstanding work in achieving design registrations and design wins for the company. He was commended for his excellent technical knowledge, providing invaluable support to Microsemi customers to enable them to make informed choices in the selection of products and technologies for their designs. He was also praised for his strong commitment to service, guiding customers throughout the design process, from product selection to delivery.
Commenting on the award, Townsend said, “I am very honoured to receive this award from Microsemi. Ensuring customer satisfaction is an important goal for me personally as well as for the success of our business and it is extremely rewarding to be recognized for my efforts.”

Fabian Battaglia, vice president of Corporate Applications for Microsemi, said, “Reuben has shown exceptional commitment to identifying design opportunities and developing relationships with customers. He has made a substantial contribution to Microsemi’s business over the past year and this award is well-deserved.”

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Solid State Supplies announces availability of a new family of ARM Cortex-M3 based microcontrollers from Energy Micro. The EFM32 Gecko product range has been expanded to include 100 new low power devices. Memory configurations up to 1MB are available, package choice has been expanded and there are connectivity, display driving and energy saving options. Some devices also have 3 on-chip op-amps to reduce external component count.

New package options include QFN64, QFP100, BGA112, QFP64 and 7 x 7mm small form factor BGA120.

Connectivity now includes a full speed USB 2.0 port on Leopard and Giant devices, with an integral 3.3V regulator to facilitate powering the microcontroller over USB. Communications interfaces include Energy Micro’s Low Energy UART, which consumes just 150nA at 9600 baud.

The LESENSE function from the Tiny Gecko family is added to Leopard Gecko and Giant Gecko families to enable monitoring of up to 16 capacitive, inductive or resistive sensors. Monitoring is independent of the processor core when the MCU is in sub-microamp deep sleep mode.

EFM32 Gecko microcontrollers are capable of active mode current consumption of 160µA/MHz, a deep sleep mode with RTC running at 400nA, a shut-off mode with GPIO wake-up consuming 20nA, and wake-up time from sleep modes down to 2 µs.

A range of development kits is also available from Solid State Supplies.

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: Solid State Supplies has announced availability of a Hall-effect linear current sensor IC from Allegro MicroSystems, a leader in developing, manufacturing and marketing high-performance semiconductors. The ACS711 is a cost-efficient device that provides accurate AC or DC current sensing in low-voltage audio, communications systems, white goods, industrial power supplies, lighting, and automotive applications. Typical uses include circuit protection, current monitoring, and motor and inverter control.

The ACS711 consists of a linear Hall sensor circuit with a copper conduction path located near the surface of the die. Applied current flowing through this copper conduction path generates a magnetic field, which is sensed by the integrated Hall IC and converted into a proportional voltage. Device accuracy is optimized through the close proximity of the magnetic signal to the Hall transducer. Full-scale sensing options within the ACS711 family include ±12.5 and ±25A.

The output of the device has a positive slope proportional to the current flow from IP+ to IP– (pins 1 and 2, to pins 3 and 4). The internal resistance of this conductive path is 1.2mΩ typical, providing a non-intrusive measurement interface that saves power in applications that require energy efficiency.

The ACS711 is optimized for low-side current sensing applications, although the terminals of the conductive path are electrically isolated from the sensor leads (pins 5 through 8), providing sufficient internal creepage and clearance dimensions for low AC or DC working voltage applications. The thickness of the copper conductor allows survival of the device at up to five times over-current conditions. The ACS711 is provided in a single small-form-factor surface-mount SOIC8 package, and obviating the need for an external sense resistor.

Other key features include:
• Economical low- and high-side current sensing
• Output voltage proportional to AC or DC currents
• Overcurrent active low FAULT trips and latches at 100% of full-scale current
• Low-noise analog signal path
• 100kHz bandwidth
• 3.3 to 5.5V single-supply operation
• Integrated electrostatic shield for output stability
• Factory-trimmed for accuracy
• Extremely stable output offset voltage
• Zero magnetic hysteresis
• Ratiometric output from supply voltage

The low-voltage ACS711 family complements Allegro’s existing range of high-voltage products covering 0–200A. Samples of the ACS711 family, with pricing details, are now available from Solid State Supplies.

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Solid State Supplies has introduced a new cutting-edge Marine AIS Search and Rescue Transmitter (SART) baseband processor. CML Microcircuits’ CMX7045 is a highly integrated and flexible device that employs a 9600 baud GMSK modem for the transmission of formatted AIS data.

In addition to providing the core AIS-SART formatted data functionality, the CMX7045 incorporates a number of auxiliary operations that assist in the overall system implementation and reduce component count and cost. These include: PA Ramp automation, ADC for battery monitoring, system PLL clocks and four DAC outputs for general purpose and visual indicator use. Engineered for total reliability, the CMX7045 is manufactured using CML Microcircuits’ FirmASIC® technology to fully meet IEC 61097-14 standards, and provides outstanding performance, very low power operation and the fastest time-to-market for the designer.

To further support its applications as a marine safety device, the CMX7045 offers low power sleep modes to ensure maximum safety-battery life and is available in small 48pin VQFN/LQFP packages.

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Solid State Supplies has introduced an IP-addressable power distribution unit (PDU) that enables remote control and monitoring of various equipment including fan trays. It enables start-up sequencing and monitoring of the true-RMS current drawn from each outlet, with user-defined thresholds linked to alerts that are automatically communicated via email or as SMS messages. In addition to user-defined on/off sequencing, the Smart Switched PDU is compatible with http, https, SNMP, DHCP and UDP protocols.
Closely controlling the operation of fans improves system-level thermal management, leading to greater reliability. It also avoids the need for over-provisioning the thermal management system by ensuring that only the fans required at the time are switched on. This optimises system performance and minimises energy consumption. Used as a low cost alternative to AC fan trays with built-in intelligence, the PDU is designed for 19-inch rack mounting in data centres and other electrically intensive applications.

Models OSP-V-16-23-16-N1 and OSP-V-20-11-16-N1 are 16-outlet vertical PDUs that measure 56 x 1245 x 44mm and weigh 4kg. The OSP-v-16-23-16-N1 features a nominal voltage of 230V while the OSP-V-20-11-16-N1’s nominal voltage is rated at 115V.

Models OSP-H-16-23-08-N1 and OSP-H-15-11-08-N1 are eight-outlet horizontal PDUs that measure 90 x 432 x 44mm and weigh 2kg. The OSP-H-16-23-08-N1 features a nominal voltage of 230V while the OSP- H-15-11-08-N1’s nominal voltage is rated at 115V.

All units have a current monitoring resolution of 0.1A at up to 20A, and precision is ±2% ±0.1A. The products are UL and cUL listed and have CE approval.

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Solid State Supplies has announced a range of modules and technical services for machine-to-machine (M2M) communications that enable wireless networks to be quickly and easily deployed then accessed, controlled and managed over the iDigi cloud-computing platform. The drop-in networking products, manufactured by Digi, establish 2-way mesh communications networks for sensors, controllers, activators and other electronic or electromechanical input/output devices. An Internet gateway is then used to connect to the iDigi cloud, which offers uniform connectivity to different types of networks, provides centralised management of nodes, and supports web services protocols for application integration. Tools are integrated into the cloud-computing platform for authentication, account management, configuration, software updates, group updates, storage and web services. Data integrity is assured through AES and SSL encryption.

Typical embedded applications include smart energy, street lighting, fleet management, medical device networking, building management, retail point-of-sale, and industrial automation.

Communications hardware includes gateways, Zigbee modules and solutions-on-modules combining microcontrollers and processors with pre-certified networking connectivity. Processors range from economical 16-bit devices to the ConnectCore® i.MX product family from Freescale that provides the processing power required for multimedia applications, including high-definition video display.

Solid State Supplies offers comprehensive technical and applications support including assistance to determine the most suitable combination of products for specific applications and environments.

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Now available at Solid State Supplies is a range of high-performance embedded ‘Computer on Module’ (CoM) boards based on advanced Freescale multimedia processors. The plug-in TX ‘Com’ family, manufactured by Ka-Ro Electronics, is suitable for a wide range of embedded applications, and now also offers a new high-end option for performance-demanding multimedia and high-definition 1080p video.

In addition to meeting high-performance demands, the ruggedized and interchangeable SO-DIMM carrier modules are capable of being used as plug-in replacements for other industry-standard embedded computing modules – for example, those based on the Atmel AT32AP7000, AT32AP7001 and AT32AP7002 application processors, which are now not being recommended for new designs. These highly specified CoM modules from Ka-Ro enable customers to make a simple and easy transition to high-performance alternatives, eliminating the need for product redesign and keeping costs to an absolute minimum.

The Freescale i.MX multimedia-processor based TX boards utilize high-performance and energy-efficient ARM processor cores, including the ARM9 in the i.MX25 (400MHz), i.MX27 (400MHz) and i.MX28 (454MHz), and the leading-edge ARM Cortex-A8 in two high-end platforms, the i.MX515 (600/800MHz) and the new i.MX535 (800MHz/1GHz).

Targeting industrial applications with operation over the –40 to 85°C temperature range, further features of the TX family include 64 or 128MB SDRAM; 128MB NAND Flash; true-colour LCD controller; 4/5-wire touchscreen interface; single power supply supporting 3.1V to 5.5V; peripheral interfaces such as UART, SD-CARD, SPI, PWM, I2C and CAN; and connectivity including 10/100-Mbit/s Ethernet, with support for IEEE1588, and USB 2.0 OTG and Host options. Additionally, modules at the higher end of the TX range integrate an MPEG-4 H.263/H.264 hardware CODEC and OpenGL ES2.0 and OpenVG 1.1 hardware accelerators for highly demanding video and graphics applications.

Software options include operating system support for Linux 2.6, Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R3 and Windows Embedded Compact 7. Also available is the Ka-Ro Starter Kit V, which supports all the modules and delivers easy and fast time-to-market for embedded developers, Board Support Packages (BSP) for Linux are also available further aiding design and development time.

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Solid State Supplies has become a franchised distributor for CML Microcircuits (CML) in the UK and Ireland. Founded in 1968, CML Microcircuits has developed to become a world-leader in the design, development and supply of low-power analogue, digital and mixed-signal semiconductors for communications systems worldwide. Solid State Supplies will distribute the entire CML Microcircuits product range in the UK and Ireland from the 1st October.

“Historically, CML Microcircuits and its customers have benefited from partnering with niche distributors,” comments Neil Ball, Director of Sales, CML Microcircuits. “Solid State Supplies is a design focused distributor that will bring the necessary levels of focus and support to our customer base. We are looking forward to a long and fruitful relationship with them.”

“CML Microcircuits is an excellent fit for Solid State Supplies,” adds John Macmichael, Managing Director, Solid State Supplies. “CML inherently needs not only good levels of commercial support but also good levels of technical support. The current product line and future vision are a perfect match to Solid State’s long term strategy.”

CML’s product range includes wireless ICs covering voice, data, signalling and RF requirements within established and emerging digital markets for military communications, professional radio (PMR/LMR), marine radio, leisure radio, paging and voice security application areas. The company also supplies voice, data and signalling ICs for wired telephony applications and gateway applications where traditional telephony infrastructure converges with digital and wireless applications. Additionally, the company has a range of full custom and semi-custom ASICs including its FirmASIC® proprietary component technology providing the optimum combination of analogue, digital, firmware and memory technologies in a single IC platform.

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