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Product Shopper New Product Info

(1)
JENNIC
Low cost ZigBee/IEEE802.15.4 reference design eliminate antenna, RF balun

eeProductCenter's Emily Gleason says: "Jennic has introduced a ZigBee- and IEEE 802.15.4-node reference design for its JN5139 wireless microcontroller. The design reduces the bill of materials (BOM) cost of modules for wireless sensor networks to under $5. This includes the cost of the JN5139 wireless microcontroller, a PCB antenna design, and all other ancillary components."

Readers Say:

"If I had a ZigBee design, I would be very interested in a low-BOM-cost reference design. Projects start with the idea that cost and real estate don't matter, but usually they are critical by the end of a project."
"It is a very practical way to reduce the implementation cost."
"A great product for small, portable low power and low chip count designs. We are designing a new product based on this chip."
"Sounds like a good idea, like the integration of antenna."
"Under $5... impressive."

USABILITY RANK: 1

(2)
BROADCOM
65-nm SoC combines WiFi, Bluetooth and FM receiver

eeProductCenter's Ismini Scouras says: "Using 65-nm process technology, Broadcom Corp. is producing a low-power SoC [the BCM4325] that combines Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and FM receiver technologies onto a single silicon die, allowing OEMs to drive these wireless technologies into more handset platforms."

Readers Say:

"This is the best thing the cell phone industry has come up with."
"Important evolutionary product!"
"Great combo part. Look forward to finding a slot to put it."

USABILITY RANK: 2

(3)
BERKELEY VARITRONICS SYSTEMS
Ultra Mobile PC hosts RF spectrum analyzer

eeProductCenter's Alex Mendelsohn says: "This product marks a departure for Berkeley Varitronics Systems (BVS). In the past, its BumbleBee RF instrumentation line was based on a piggyback PDA configuration, usually using a Windows CE-based Compaq iPAQ PocketPC personal digital assistant. In contrast, this BumbleBee-TABLET spectrum analyzer is a Samsung product running an Intel Pentium M ULV 723 clocking at 1-GHz and packing a WVGA-resolution LCD. Its operating system is Windows XP, as the press release (on the left) notes, but it's the UMPC (Ultra Mobile PC) Tablet Edition."

Readers Say:

"Nice integration, cost effectiveness, but nothing breakthrough here."
"Wish it went to 3.5 or 5.0GHz. Nice concept."

USABILITY RANK: 4

(4)
FREESCALE
Low-power RF modulator meets worldwide TV needs

eeProductCenter's Bill Schweber says: "A series of low-power UHF-band audio/video RF modulators [the MC44CM373] from Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. meets the needs of worldwide TV standards. Operating between 460 and 880 MHz, these I2C-interface parts require no active external components."

Readers Say:

"Good idea--single chip solution for WW products."
"Have used this family of parts for years. A very good solution but wish there were competitors to keep price down."

USABILITY RANK: 3

(5)
SIGE SEMICONDUCTOR
Software-based radio ICs enable navigation capability in mobile handsets

eeProductCenter's Emily Gleason says: "SiGe Semiconductor announced the SE4120S and SE4110S global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver ICs allowing designers to support position location capabilities in mobile handsets, personal navigation devices (PNDs), and personal digital assistants (PDAs)."

Readers Say:

"Great idea!"
"I bet this will be a successful product. Could help spawn some very creative, highly integrated consumer products."

USABILITY RANK: 6

(6)
ANTENOVA
Antenna module integrates RF receiver

eeProductCenter's Ismini Scouras says: "Intended for mobile handsets, personal navigation devices (PNDs), PDAs and laptops, Antenova Ltd. introduced the GPS RADIONOVA RF antenna module for embedded GPS applications. The GPS RADIONOVA RF antenna module integrates a low-power receiver IC with Antenova's single-ended internally balanced antenna technology."

Readers Say:

"Great idea, could be a breakthrough if the performance is there -- spec's aren't included."

USABILITY RANK: 9

(7)
RF MICRO DEVICES
Transceiver eliminates RF complexity in EDGE handsets

eeProductCenter's Ismini Scouras says: "Aiming to help EDGE handset manufacturers improve transmit and receive sensitivity functions, RF Micro Devices Inc. will sample in April a highly integrated RF transceiver that it is marketing under the brand POLARIS 3 Total Radio."

Readers Say:

"No specifications shown."

USABILITY RANK: 10

(8)
JAZZ SEMICONDUCTOR
Jazz expands libraries for its RF process

eeProductCenter's Mark LaPedus says: "Silicon foundry specialist Jazz Semiconductor Inc. is expanding its portfolio of intellectual-property (IP) cores for its recently launched 0.13-micron RF process. Jazz has also validated a nonvolatile-memory IP core from startup Novocell Semiconductor Inc."

USABILITY RANK: 7

(9)
DIBCOM
Highly integrated DVB-H receiver brings TV to mobile phones

eeProductCenter's Ismini Scouras says: "DiBcom is sampling two receivers for mobile TV applications the DIB908x-H and DIB1908x-H. The DIB908x-H is a receiver that supports only DVB-H, the dominant specification for bringing broadcast services to battery-powered handheld receivers. The DIB908x-H integrates a demodulator, a second generation multi-band RF tuner, an LNA and all filters in half the size of its predecessor."

Readers Say:

"Market acceptance? Will be paced not by technology, but by consumer habits."

USABILITY RANK: 8

(10)
AR RF/MICROWAVE INSTRUMENTATION
1.2-GHz signal generator is a re-seller's hot ticket

eeProductCenter's Alex Mendelsohn says: "AR RF/Microwave Instrumentation's latest Model SG1200 signal generator looked to me to be exactly like Aeroflex's previously introduced IFR 2023A/B and 2025 line of RF generators. In fact, they both extend to 1.2-GHz, and have identical front panel and electrical configurations. The SF1200 is priced at $11,100. A call to AR confirmed my suspicion; AR Microwave is indeed re-selling the Aeroflex box."

Readers Say:

"Nice evolutionary product."

USABILITY RANK: 5

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