Leverage Commercial Off-the-Shelf Tools to Create Verifiable Hardware and Software Solutions
The complexity of medical devices is ever increasing. Medical devices range from simple tools like a stethoscope to gene-sequencing machines and tele-operated surgical devices. As the devices become more and more complex, so does testing and risk assessment. Many are aware that the FDA’s medical device recall database reports a 17% increase from 2009. A medical device recall is the most...
Latest Intel Atom Processor Ups Performance While Reducing Power and Footprint
Intel announced the availability of its latest mobile Atom processor-based platform, formerly codenamed Cedar Trail. Designed to provide compact, on-the-go computing with extended battery life at a lower price point, the platform adds several new features. The design’s dedicated media engine enables full 1080p high-definition playback of videos and Blu-Ray content and includes additional...
Microchip Introduces Smallest, Lowest-Cost PIC32 Microcontrollers
Microchip Technology recently announced a new series of low pin count 32-bit PIC32 microcontrollers (MCUs) that provide 61 DMIPS of performance in packages as small as 5 by 5 mm. The PIC32 MX1 and MX2 MCUs are the smallest and lowest-cost PIC32 MCUs, and are the first PIC32s to feature dedicated audio and capacitive-sensing peripherals. Rated for operation up to 105°C, the PIC32 MX1 and MX2...
Supplier News: VIA Wins Green Products Awards
VIA Technologies (Taipei, Taiwan), a provider of x86 processor platforms, has earned Taiwan Green Classics Awards from the Taiwan Ministry of Economic Affairs for seven of its products. The awards recognize the best green products and services provided by Taiwanese corporations, and VIA won for products including its VIA Quadcore processor and VIA Nano X2 and VIA Eden X2 dual-core processors....
DSP-based software toolkit ups performance and image quality for medical imaging applications
Texas Instruments announced support of its free, easy-to-use medical imaging software toolkit (STK), a collection of imaging algorithms targeted for TI’s industry leading TMS320C66x digital signal processors (DSP) generation. Complementing TI’s full portfolio of analog and embedded processing solutions for real-time medical imaging, the upgraded toolkit offers image processing kernels...
TCP/IP stack runs at near wire speed
Express Logic recently reported that its NetX TCP/IP stack has achieved 94 Mbits/s, a 94% wire speed on Freescale’s ARM Cortex-M4-based Kinetis processor. The Kinetis has a 100-Mbit/s Ethernet port, which enables transfers at up to wire speed. Generally, TCP/IP stacks are less than 100% efficient, leading to performance well below wire speed. To facilitate rapid data transfer, the closer to...
Nuvoton Introduces Audio SoC with ARM core
Nuvoton Technology introduced the ChipCorder ISD9160 system-on-a-chip (SoC) device, which features a 32-bit ARM Cortex-M0 microcontroller core.  The IC is designed to optimize low-power audio recording and playback in portable medical devices. With a processor core running at up to 50 MHz, sophisticated power-management features, embedded flash and SRAM memory, real-time clock (RTC) control...
Microchip puts 8-bit MCUs with integrated configurable logic into 6- to 20-pin packages
Microchip Technology announced several new 8-bit PIC microcontrollers (MCUs) that feature configurable logic and a high level of peripheral integration in 6- to 20-pin packages. The PIC10F(LF)32X and PIC1XF(LF)150X MCUs each feature new peripherals, including configurable logic cells (CLC), complementary waveform generators (CWG), and numerically controlled oscillators (NCO). The CLC peripherals...
STMicroelectronics and MTL unveil ultra-low-voltage system-on-chip
STMicroelectronics and the Microsystems Technology Laboratories (MTL) of Massachusetts Institute of Technology presented the results of an advance R&D project targeting a low-power microprocessor technology at this year’s European Solid-State Circuits Conference in Helsinki, Finland. The voltage-scalable 32-bit microprocessor System-on-Chip (SoC) combines excellent peak performance...
Atmel launches tiny low-frequency RF IDIC package for direct coil mounting
Atmel announced the availability of an ultra-small XDFN (extremely thin dual flat no leads) package including a 363-bit read/write transponder IDIC. Measuring 2 by 1.5 by 0.37 mm, the transponder IDIC (ATA5577M1) is a high-volume, low-frequency (LF, 100-150kHz) RFID device designed for small tag applications. The two coil wires can directly be soldered onto the two pads of the package and mounted...
ARM-based Hercules MCUs ease IEC 61508 SIL 3 and ISO 26262 ASIL-D system certification
Designed to help developers obtain safety certifications, Texas Instruments (TI) announced its Hercules safety microcontroller platform for medical (and other) applications. The platform consists of three ARM Cortex-based microcontroller (MCU) families that deliver scalable performance, connectivity, memory, and safety features for applications that require a high level of reliability. Unlike...
TI launches 10 Bluetooth low energy profiles
Bluetooth low energy is an important wireless medium for the medical space. We’ve covered it lately and readers have told us how critical it is. Texas Instruments (TI), one of the innovators in wireless technologies, recently launched ten Bluetooth low energy technology (Bluetooth v4.0) profiles with associated sample applications for compliant sensor devices. The Bluetooth low energy...
Another defector from Intel, sort of
One of Intel’s biggest supporters, Kontron, has decided to adopt the ARM architecture for its embedded system platforms. Kontron is one of the leaders for embedded computers, and had been a strong supporter of Intel for most of its existence. While the company isn’t getting away from the Intel platform, they are adding the ARM architecture to their mix of products, which says a lot,...
Benchtop UV-Curing Conveyor Unit Suited for Potting and Conformal Applications
 A benchtop UV-curing conveyor unit can provide up to 400 mW/cm2 of intensity, which can facilitate fast and complete curing for potting and conformal applications. The Dymax UVC-5 system can be part of a production line or used as standalone equipment for curing UV adhesives as well as UV curable inks and coatings. It can cure up to 10 meters per minute, with complete shielding from UV...
Medical developers must think differently
Medical developers must think differently The biggest difference between a mainstream embedded application and a medical application is that the medical device usually has to work right all the time, every time. For the majority of embedded applications, it a product has an infrequent error or needs a reboot, it’s a nuisance, but not much more than that. For medical applications, product...
Developing on a PandaBoard with Kozio tools
I’m a big fan of the Beagleboard. In fact, when I was involved with the Embedded Systems Conference, we would run classes whereby every attendee would receive a Beagleboard and we’d teach a whole series of classes around it, showing people how to configure it specifically for their application. Now, I’m in possession of the follow-in product, the PandaBoard. The biggest...
Freescale Tech Forum (without yours truly)
I’m bummed that I’m missing the Freescale Tech Forum this week, better known as FTF. This is the first one I’ve missed (ever, I think). Thankfully, it’s for good personal reasons that I’m not partaking this year. From what I’ve heard and read about the event, the show is going on in my absence. Imagine that. First, there was a panel session covering medical...
DC-to-DC Converters Have Continuous Short-Circuit Protection
Mornsun is announcing the A_S-1WR and B_LS-1WR series of SIP dc-to-dc converters that feature continuous short-circuit protection and are low cost. This replaces unregulated dc-to-dc converters that can fail quickly with a short-circuit condition. The A_S-1WR and B_LS-1WR products offer 1 W of power in a high-density 0.77- by 0.37- by 0.24-in. package. These converters have the additional feature...
Texas Instruments Ups the Ante with its Latest ADC for Medical Imaging Equipment
Texas Instruments has introduced a quad-channel, 16-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for medical imaging applications, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). According to the company, it’s the first of its kind to meet these specs. The ADS5263 delivers a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 84.6 dBFS with 10-MHz input and a sampling frequency of up to 100 MSPS. The quad-channel...
Altera, MIPS, and SLS announce MP32, a MIPS-based, FPGA-optimized soft core processor that supports Wind River’s VxWorks RTOS
Altera, MIPS, and System Level Solutions (SLS) recently introduced a MIPS-based, FPGA-optimized soft processor for use on Altera’s FPGAs and ASICs. The MP32 processor is a MIPS-compatible applications class processor that inherits a large ecosystem of software development tools and operating system (OS) support. The MP32 soft processor is supported by Wind River’s VxWorks RTOS and the...
Wozniak, dinosaurs, power outages, and some great technology
What a wild week it was at the Embedded Systems Conference (ESC). I spent Tuesday and Wednesday last week in San Jose with the world’s leading embedded developers and came back with some great ideas. The highlight of the trip was a meeting with Steve Wozniak (co-founder of Apple). It was an impromptu meeting, but one I’ll surely remember. Steve was the event’s keynote...
Predictable Operation Defines ARM-Based MCU from On Semi
On Semiconductor has introduced the Q32M210, the first in a family of mixed-signal microcontrollers (MCUs) for precision measurement and monitoring applications. Designed with an ARM Cortex M3 processor core, the device features dual 16-bit ADCs, a highly accurate voltage reference, and triple 10-bit DACs. Predictable operation is a key aspect of the device, a spec that’s required for...
12-, 14-Bit, 25- to 125-Msample/s ADCs Operate Below 100 mW
Linear Technology Corp. (LTC) has developed a family of 14- and 12-bit, 25- to 125-Msample/s analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) that dissipate less than 1 mW/Msample/s from a 1.8-V supply. The LTC2145 family includes two-channel simultaneous sampling, parallel output ADCs,  offering a choice of full-rate CMOS, or double data rate (DDR) CMOS or DDR LVDS digital outputs with programmable...
The Platform Alternative: Testing Miniaturized and Highly Integrated Components
Test strategies are mandatory for every company, whether they are applying diagnostics in the development stage or ensuring quality during manufacturing. As such, it is virtually impossible to have a one-size-fits-all test strategy because there are so many variables and specifics. For example, because of their miniaturized and highly integrated components, circuit board test strategies require...
Dodging Counterfeit Electronic Components Is Far More Difficult Than in the Past
A counterfeit electronic component operating in a medical electronics system may make itself known when the system experiences an unexpected failure. The failure may be relatively innocuous—a monitoring device that suddenly begins to display meaningless numbers—or it may be directly life-threatening, such as a functional failure in a defibrillator. Even after the failure has occurred...