Sensory Feedback Enhances Capacitive Touch Usability

 By Eric Itakura, IDT

When it comes to the design of human interface devices for today’s technology, senses are important factors. The industry is advancing toward capacitive-touch capabilities that address the conditioned expectations of users and the industry’s trend toward lower-cost, higher-performance solutions. This article will discuss the need for improved touch solutions, the alternatives available, and the benefits of an integrated approach to capacitive touch.

Bob's Mailbox: Readers Respond To Recent Columns

 By Bob Pease

Columnist Bob Pease responds to readers' comments and questions regarding several of his recent articles.

 Electronic Design's Pop Quiz
Sponsored by Intel

The embedded Internet is bringing transformative changes to the embedded world. The era of intelligent connectivity is dawning. And the industry is about to hit the fast-forward button. Are you in? Take the quiz to test your knowledge.

SAW Oscillator Competes For Clock Duties Against Entrenched Crystal Oscillators

 By Louis E. Frenzel, Communications Editor

Crystal oscillators dominate the clock circuit space because of their superior precision, stability, and low cost. But Epson Toyocom offers some attractive alternatives. Its EG-4101/4121A surface-acoustic wave (SAW) oscillator has the stability and performance to challenge crystal oscillators in wireless basestations and LAN and storage-area network (SAN) applications

Synopsys Jumps Into ESL-Synthesis Pool

 By David Maliniak, EDA/Test Editor

Interest in design at the electronic system level (ESL) is surging as more design teams learn that algorithmic-intensive applications lend themselves nicely to such approaches. The ability to achieve early algorithmic validation is a major draw for ESL methodologies. Now there’s another entry in the ESL synthesis marketplace in the form of the Synopsys Synphony high-level synthesis (HLS) tool, which the company has aimed directly at the heart of the burgeoning HLS market.

STMicroelectronics And LG Unveil Advanced LCD TV Interface Standard

In collaboration with LG Display, STMicroelectronics introduces what it describes as a unique interface standard promising to dramatically simplify interconnections and enhance the performance of high-refresh-rate LCD TVs. Crowned the Internal DisplayPort (iDP) interface, the standard debuts as a viable replacement for the current low-voltage differential signaling (LVDS) standard.