Once again, qualified readers of EE Times and eeProductCenter have selected the best of the best—the top products in each of seven categories in our quarterly Ultimate Products survey. The categories are analog ICs, RF and microwave, logic/programmable logic and interface products, test and measurement, processors and memory, power products, and interconnection/passives and electromechanical components.

The results reported here are for the best products introduced in the second quarter. Diverse products made the cut.

In the analog category, Texas Instruments' ADS8422, a 16-bit analog-to-digital converter, topped the list. The A/D is suited to medical imaging, test and measurement, industrial automation and scientific instrumentation.

Spirent Communications' SR5500 wireless channel emulator took the top spot in the RF and microwave category. The SR5500 supports all industry-standard WiMAX channel models and key WiMAX operating bands (2.5, 3.5 and 5.8 GHz).

In the logic/programmable logic and interface products category, the intelligent Serial RapidIO-based switch from Integrated Device Technology Inc. captured first place. The 70K2000BR is dubbed a "preprocessing switch," since it handles data formatting and summing for the TCI6482 Himalaya DSP.

Vmetro ASA's Vanguard Express PCI Express Protocol and Link Analyzer in the AdvancedMC form factor took the top spot in test and measurement. Designed for debugging, testing and validating the PCI Express protocol, the Vanguard Express AMC supports testing of AMC.1 Type 1, Type 2, Type 4 and Type 8 modules. At the heart of the Vanguard Express AMC is the company's serial analyzer engine (SAE) modulethat provides PCI Express analysis in multiple form factors.

Analog Devices ADSP-BF539 and ADSP-BF539F Blackfin digital signal processors captured first place for processors and memories. The DSPs provide controller-area network (CAN) and MOST (Media Oriented Systems Transport) bus connectivity for automotive applications. The Blackfin ADSP-BF539F combines either 512 kbytes or 1 Mbyte of Spansion flash memory in a single package.

For power products, the top slot goes to FDK's FPMR12TR7508NA point-of-load converter. The unit delivers 8 amps for intermediate bus and distributed-power applications.

New Scale Technologies newest Squiggle motor was the winner in the interconnection, passives and electromechanical components category. The unit is claimed to be the industry's smallest motor in a 1.5 x 1.5 x 6-mm footprint, which is about half the size of other micromotors.

Here's how Ultimate Products works: Our editors select up to 10 of the most significant products posted at www.eeProductCenter.com during the calendar quarter. Then, using an electronic balloting process, we submit the products with the accompanying editorial reviews to selected, qualified readers. Those readers score the products by technical significance and usability on a scale of 1 through 5, with 5 being the highest score. The product ranked No. 1 in each category was judged as most technically significant for that category. Relative usability rankings and selected reader comments are also reported.

More than 1,000 of you helped to choose these products. As always, we are grateful for your enthusiastic participation.

Marty Gold
Executive Editor, eeProductCenter
mgold@cmp.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Analog ICs

Processors & Memory

IP&E

Logic & Programmable Logic

Power

RF & Microwave

Test & Measurement

THE RANKINGS

Readers ranked products for technical significance and usability on a scale of 1 through 5 (with 5 as the highest score). However, the product rankings reported in this issue are relative to other products within the category-not absolute scores. The product ranked 1 in each category was judged as most technically significant for that category. Relative usability rankings and selected reader comments are also reported.