(1)
BROADCOM
Digital cable set-top box SoC supports latest video compression technologies

eeProductCenter's Ismini Scouras says: "Broadcom Corp. has launched an advanced digital cable set-top box chip [the BCM7118] that includes support for DOCSIS/EuroDOCSIS 2.0 cable modem specifications, as well as downstream channel bonding compatible with the upcoming DOCSIS 3.0 specification."

Readers Say:

"It is a little too application specific for me, but it sounds great if you have that specific application."
"This modem chip is possibly an important step in cable modem development. I have no comparison to evaluate it but I expect more similar modem chips are coming."
"Looks a like a promising component to work with."
"My company does not use video chips so we are not likely to use this. But I did like the fact that feedback from cable operators and customers was used. That should help acceptance."

USABILITY RANK: 1

(2)
LATTICE SEMICONDUCTOR
Lattice unveils fast, low-cost FPGA DDR2 controller

eeProductCenter's Gina Roos says: "Lattice Semiconductor Corporation said it offers the highest possible data rate for a low-cost field programmable gate array (FPGA) with the introduction of the industry's first 533 Mbits/s Double Data Rate 2 (DDR2) synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM) controller intellectual property (IP) core. This DDR2 SDRAM IP core is optimized for the company's low-cost LatticeECP2 and LatticeECP2M FPGA families, as well as its high-end LatticeSCExtreme Performance FPGA family."

USABILITY RANK: 2

(3)
ALTERA
FPGA-based automotive graphics platform offers scalability

eeProductCenter's Ismini Scouras says: "Altera Corp. introduced the Altera Automotive Graphics System (AAGS), a scalable product that enables design engineers to design multiple automotive infotainment products based on one electronic design. Implemented in Altera's low-cost Cyclone or high-performance Stratix series FPGAs, the AAGS enables designers to overcome the lengthy and costly design cycles of fixed-function graphic controllers. "

Readers Say:

"This makes system design far easier."

USABILITY RANK: 3

(4)
EASIC
eASIC adds ARM926EJ processor to structured ASIC line

eeProductCenter's Marty Gold says: "eASIC Corp., a provider of Structured ASIC devices and Configurable Logic IP, has added the ARM926EJ processor to its Nextreme 90nm product family. Now, FPGA, ASIC and System-on-Chip designers can benefit from a low-cost, fast-turnaround design with no-minimum order quantity."

USABILITY RANK: 5

(5)
STMICROELECTRONICS
65-nm HDTV decoder chip handles two video streams

eeProductCenter's Ismini Scouras says: "Intended for set-top boxes, digital video recorders (DVRs) and DVD players, STMicroelectronics is sampling a high-definition decoder chip that is capable of decoding two video streams simultaneously. The STi7200 supports both HD DVD and Blu-ray formats, in addition to high-definition satellite and cable TV standards. It is said to be the first dual HDTV decoder chip to be manufactured using 65-nm process technology."

USABILITY RANK: 6

(6)
XILINX
Virtex-4 FX development platform speeds embedded system design

eeProductCenter's Ismini Scouras says: "Xilinx Inc. announced immediate availability of its lead-free, RoHS compliant ML410 development platform based on its Virtex-4 FX60 FPGA. According to Xilinx, the ML410 provides designers with a high performance logic fabric, two embedded IBM PowerPC 405 processors and a considerable amount of high-speed serial I/O with integrated transceivers."

Readers Say:

"We know Xilinx products like FPGAs as the most progessive in the FPGA field. Compliments to Xilinx with this new development!"

USABILITY RANK: 4

(7)
SOLARFLARE COMMUNICATIONS
Ethernet IC does I/O virtualization

eeProductCenter's Loring Wirbel says: "Solarflare Communications Inc. has combined internal media-access controller designs with those from Level Five Networks Inc., acquired last April, to create a 10-Gbit Ethernet controller called Solarstorm. Unlike many existing TCP offload engines, which perform hardwired stateful TCP offloads in silicon, Solarstorm uses a stateless offload method to handle Internet Protocol, UDP and TCP checksums, as well as iSCSI header and data digest offloads."

USABILITY RANK: 9

(8)
NEC ELECTRONICS
55-nm ASIC cuts power consumption in portables

eeProductCenter's Ismini Scouras says: "NEC Electronics' latest addition to its ASIC lineup is a cell-based IC (CBIC) dubbed CB-55L that employs the company's 55-nm UX7LS process technology. According to NEC, CB-55L delivers a 40 percent reduction in power consumption as well as more than double the density compared with the previous 90-nanometer CB-90M devices. It also offers very high reliability by resolving parameter variations often encountered at advanced process technology nodes."

USABILITY RANK: 7

(9)
FRONTIER SILICON
DVB-H mobile TV chip integrates RF tuner, baseband functions

eeProductCenter's Ismini Scouras says: "Designed to bring mobile TV and data services to handheld devices for worldwide markets, Frontier Silicon has developed the Paradiso1H, part number FS1031, DVB-H receiver that offers a small footprint and low power consumption."

USABILITY RANK: 8

(10)
CONEXANT SYSTEMS
Next-generation VDSL2 chipset debuts for triple-play broadband apps

eeProductCenter's Ismini Scouras says: "Conexant Systems Inc. has developed what it claims is the industry's highest density and most interoperable VDSL2/ADSL2plus convergence product for central office (CO) applications."

USABILITY RANK: 10

In case you were wondering, 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.

Patrick Mannion
Editor-in-Chief, Techonline Network and eeProductcenter.com
pmannion@cmp.com