Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Sony years to improve the status of the TV company set up video loss smartphones



In recent years, Sony has been unrest continued, losses for many years, serious internal divisions. Recently, the Japanese media reported that Sony starting from October 1 this year, the establishment of Sony AV companies, music players, home theater systems, Blu-ray devices, which contain video and music departments will be transferred to Sony's audio and video.

Sony's move is intended to improve the status of the company sustained losses. Earlier rumors that Sony will sell a more serious loss of smart phones and smart TV services. Sony Mobile's president and CEO, recently affirmed Hiroki Totoki expressed in the "Arabian Business" interview, Sony Mobile will complete the restructuring in 2015, and is expected to maximize revenue by the end of 2016.

Friday, July 10, 2015

2-D-semiconductor of phosphorus and arsenic as an alternative to silicon



Chemists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) have developed a two-dimensional semiconductor, in which individual phosphorus atoms are replaced by arsenic. Within the framework of international cooperation they built it together with American colleagues first field-effect transistors.

For many decades, silicon is the basis of modern electronics. So far could produce ever smaller transistors, the silicon technology for smaller and smaller devices, the size of silicon transistors is gradually beginning to their physical limit. Silicon is also hard and brittle, but would consumers like to flexible devices, devices that can be incorporated into clothing and much more. All this has a race for new materials triggered that could replace silicon one day.

Such a material could be arsenic-containing black phosphorus. As the graph consisting of a single layer of carbon atoms, it forms thin layers. The range of its applications ranging from transistors, sensors to mechanical-flexible semiconductor devices. Unlike the graph whose electronic behavior is similar to that of metals, it behaves like a semiconductor.

Phosphors instead of graph

In a cooperation between the Technical University of Munich and the University of Regensburg on the German side and the American Universities University of Southern California (USC) and Yale field effect transistors of arsenic-containing black phosphorus have now been produced for the first time. The compounds synthesized Marianne Kopf laboratory of the department for synthesis and characterization of innovative materials at the TU Munich. The field effect Trasistoren were built and measured in the group of Professor Zhou and Dr. Liu.

Developed at TU Munich new method makes it possible to synthesize black arsenic-phosphorus without high pressure. This requires less energy and is cheaper. About the arsenic content, the gap between valence and conduction bands can be precisely adjusted. "This allows us to produce materials with previously unattainable electronic and optical properties in an energy window that was previously inaccessible," says Professor Tom Niges, head of the department for synthesis and characterization of innovative materials.

Detectors for infrared

In an arsenic content of 83%, the material has a band gap of 0.15 eV only. For such a material, for example sensors can be constructed that detect wavelengths in the far infrared. In this area, for example, LiDAR sensors operate (Light Detection and Ranging). They are used inter alia in cars as distance sensors. Another application is the measurement of dust particles and trace gases in the environmental monitoring.

Another interesting aspect of this new two-dimensional semiconductors are their anisotropic electronic and optical properties. The material can be peeled off in layers. The thinnest layers were reached so far only two atomic layers thick.

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

UMC design and implementation of new Calibre platform reliability verification, and interactive custom design validation



Mentor Graphics Corporation (Nasdaq: MENT) today announced, United Microelectronic Corporation (UMC) is for its customers to develop a new set of IC reference flow reliability. This new process is based on the Calibre® PERC ™ reliability verification platform developed that detects small design flaws, such as may be caused venue (in-field) fault electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit is missing, to help customers improve Long-term reliability of its IC products. This solution includes the UMC and Mentor Graphics are jointly developing a pre-defined check, target customers using UMC 28 nm process all common clients. UMC is expected to debut at the end of this year to check its reliability.

In addition, UMC is also designed to achieve added Calibre RealTime platform solutions. UMC simulation results indicate that the use of Calibre RealTime in custom design to identify and solve physical verification problems can be more than double the productivity.

Calibre RealTime allows design engineers to layout editing software is often used when drawing the respective circuit layout in real time interactive viewing validation errors. Since this tool uses the standard signoff Calibre UMC design kit, UMC customers can also achieve the same efficiency UMC claimed improved.

Director of R & D-cum UMC silicon intellectual property design Support Linshi Qin said: "The circuit reliability checks need to have a special function tool automation system design engineers need to identify a specific circuit structures such as ESD protection circuit, and the internal voltage value can be calculated. to ensure that the circuit voltage of each node is maintained at the limits. At the same time, improve production efficiency is the direction of UMC UMC-house design team and the concerted efforts of customers. By adding design implementation platform Calibre® PERC ™ and Calibre RealTime tools , we can meet these requirements. "

Calibre® PERC ™ solution provides a unique feature that allows you to check the physical layout and schematic netlist information, which include the type and connection between the various components. This logic-driven layout (LDL) ensures that all design analysis capabilities, including UMC IP libraries and customer design meets UMC ESD and electrical overload (EOS) design rules. Important part of ESD / EOS protection techniques include:

• Verify whether the ESD protection circuit in all necessary positions
• Ensure that the IO Pad to power / ground Pad ESD path of least resistance interconnects, and can withstand greater Human Body Model (HBM) surge current
ESD protection diodes and resistors • Check the layout of the components of
• Check the ESD MOS / diode component is covered with the correct symbol layer
• ensuring the protection circuit assembly is properly connected to the power cord, and the voltage range is correct

Other products Calibre® PERC ™ products and co-operation of the Calibre platform, not only can detect violations of reliability design guidelines, but also provides global browsing environment on the circuit connectivity, topology, physical layout and design rules to help design Engineers debugging circuit reliability problems.

Mentor Graphics' Calibre Design Solutions Marketing Senior Director MichaelBuehler-Garcia expressed: "UMC and Mentor have collaborated to develop an automated solution leverages the solution, design engineers can more easily ensure first-class design reliability. while significantly enhance the design verification efficiency. With the automotive, medical and other markets on the reliability of electronic technology and design and development cycle of growing importance, the Calibre® PERC ™ and Calibre RealTime incorporated into your IC Design Toolbox will take you to a significant advantage. "

UMC plans to increase in the future each update release process more reliable inspection.

Monday, July 6, 2015

First Cortex-M controller with asymmetrical hardware cryptography

Freescale Kinetis K8x MCU family combines security features and performance and is so safe for IoT networking about of sale terminals.

The implementation of a secure embedded application has been made up to three ICs required, including the main processor, a coprocessor for cryptographic security functions and in some cases, an IC for a physical sabotage protection.

Kinetis K8x MCU family combines all these functions into a single MCU, thus saving costs, space and power. Kinetis K8x

By integrating powerful security functions in this MCU family for the broad market Freescale contributes to the safe networking of IoT applications (Internet of Things) as POS terminals, smart energy gateways, home automation and building management, portable medical and wearables.

Act "MCUs for the broad market as a catalyst for innovative final applications. For the further evolution of IoT such MCUs for new product developments to ensure maximum safety, "explains Steve Tateosian, for microcontroller platforms executive director in the Microcontroller Division of Freescale. "Freescale has been a leader in securing IoT end nodes. We are expanding our portfolio of security features for Kinetis based MCU products ever made, and we have our new K8x MCU family designed so that they can master even future security problems in IoT. "

First ARM Cortex-M MCU with hardware-based cryptography

Kinetis K8x is so Freescale, the first multi-application MCU family based on the ARM Cortex-M technology with hardware-based cryptography.

This should bring significant benefits for the cryptographic throughput with it. Authentication takes an order of magnitude faster than with pure software implementations, the program memory is relieved, the energy efficiency increases and the latest communication protocols are operated.

Kinetis K8x MCU family with patent-pending 'on-the-fly decryption' for external serial NOR flash supports a version of the encrypted external memory and provides in this way secure scalability.

Integrated sabotage prevention functions on the Kinetis K8x MCU family protect against both physical and passive attacks. In total, these advanced technologies ensure first-class security for a wide range of applications.

Friday, July 3, 2015

Samsung will continue to provide flash pass positive tests for iPhone 6s



It is reported that China Mobile, Samsung is in contact with Apple, provides NAND flash memory in talks for the upcoming release of iPhone 6s series. Informed sources also revealed that Samsung is the Xi'an facility to test its stability and reliability of flash memory chips.

Samsung did not give current iPhone 6 family provides flash memory chips, allegedly because the two companies do not agree on price. According to Credit Suisse (Credit Suisse) report shows that Toshiba provides iPhone 6 series 50% of flash memory chips, Hynix 30%, the remaining 20% ​​of SanDisk (SanDisk) are also available.

Allegedly, Apple is planning to provide additional capacity of 64G iPhone models, because Chinese and European demand for this model great cooperation deal Samsung Apple iPhone 6s may be used for the flash memory chips. It is not clear Apple iPhone 6s series of products accounted for Samsung's memory chips have much.

It seems Samsung will play a very important role in the iPhone 6s series production, there are rumors that Apple is also enabled Samsung to help them do most of the production of iPhone 6s series A9 chips, although there are other reports that TSMC is the current iPhone 6 Series A8 The main supplier of the chip, the vendor will continue this year, Apple offers A9 chip.

Apple is expected to release in September this year, iPhone 6s and 6S Plus, but until the new listing, after the multiple capacity version comes out we can see the truth of the incident.

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Apple announced HomeKit Siri instruction Smart Home Development Analysis



HomeKit system equipped with devices coming soon, Apple recently released a list of HomeKit Siri instructions, instructions contained adjust lighting, temperature control, coffee machine and printer mounted device open and close treatment, despite instructions not rich, but to meet the user daily home needs. HomeKit Apple introduced the first smart home platform, built-in features include door locks, lights, thermostat, network, HomeKit needed for the operation of third-party hardware products in collaboration with Siri is completed.

With Apple's smart home platform by developers to application stage, the smart home industry also will enter a substantial pace. Under the "Internet +" effect, intelligent appliances, connected to each other as a whole, all function controls integrated in a portable smart devices (such as smart phones, etc.), intelligent home life is becoming the mainstream of development. Foreign Apple, Google is constantly exerting force, the domestic market, millet, music, as, Haier, Midea, Wanda, and other businesses are actively force the smart home, smart home industry which led to the development of China.

At present, China potential smart home users have more than 100 million people, under the continuing impact of the Internet, the industry is expected in 2015 of smart home industry scale up to 124 billion yuan. 2013 of the smart appliance market size of over 100 billion yuan, is expected to market size in 2025 is expected to rise to 1 trillion yuan, intelligent hardware and software vendors will receive a major positive.

Apple announced HomeKit Siri instruction Smart Home Development Analysis

However, by the impact of the development time is not long, our smart home industry, there are technical standards are not uniform, inflated prices and product experience disadvantages such as poor. This requires hardware and software vendors to strengthen cooperation and expand the scope of cooperation in different fields, and promote the establishment of industry standards, improve concurrent power technology, improve product quality, to improve this situation. Apple released a smart home platform directive is the industry a good start, which will attract industry polymerized together in the development of the whole industry chain of intelligent, smart home industry will enter a rapid development stage.