Cover Story
Dissecting Thin Form Factor Mobile Phones
A thin profile is one of the trends observed among hit mobile phones. Motorola, Inc., for example, has shipped a total of more than 50 million units of its "MOTORAZR" mobile phone worldwide. In Japan, a stream of "slim" mobile phones retaining the various internal components and robustness has hit the market from the release of Autumn/Winter 2006 models. We investigated the innovative techniques used by device and parts manufacturers to realize these products.
The Handset
Attention turns to handset thinness as manufacturers look to differentiate themselves from others
The LCD Panel
Rapidly rising demand for larger, thinner displays-the aim is to be as thin as a 1-yen coin by 2008
Structural Parts/PCB
Scale back visible parts-pursue 2mm thickness or less
Leading Trends
From Mobile Phones to PND, the Mobile GPS Market Is Boiling Hot
The market for GPS-equipped devices is quickly expanding, propelled by mobile phones and portable navigation devices (PND). As a result, competition to develop GPS receiver ICs and modules is intensifying. Already many components offer receiver sensitivities between -155dBm and -160dBm.
Leading Trends
Understanding All the Hurdles Hindering Usability through Using the PS3 and Wii
"Can't end the game," "Can't switch the power off," "Don't know where the accessories go," "Can't get rid of the words," "Don't know which way the disk goes," these were some of the problems that surfaced when we asked five people of differing ages and gender to try out the PlayStation 3 (PS3) and Wii game consoles. In analyzing the results, we search for clues to improvements that need to be made to the user interface.
Keyword
GPS
Tech Tale
How to Make a Small Robot for Exploring Asteroids (Final): Minerva Awakens
Embedded Systems Academy
Tutorial of the Embedded System(Part 3): Discover Problems by Emulating Microcontroller Behavior
Buyers' Guide
Static Verification Tools
Static verification tools are well known tools for checking conformance with MISRA C, coding guidelines for C language programs. Until now such tools have been used mainly by quality control divisions, but have recently begun to spread even to processes further upstream, for example in development, where implementers use them in compilation or prior to unit testing. In this article, we focus our attention on static verification tools for C and C++ programming languages, explaining how to fully benefit from them and what to look for when making a selection.
This article does not cover so-called review tools, which generate, for example, function call trees from programs, or MISRA C checking tools appended to compilers. Static verification tools for Java language and security tools that detect errors such as buffer overflow have also been excluded as they are currently not used much in the embedded software field.
Guest Paper
Develop Your Specification Writing Skills
"Development objectives aren't well communicated," "Spec sheets are written properly but misunderstood." Communication problems are inherent to development activities in which many people are involved, and that goes not just for software development. What is the best way to accurately communicate system specifications to other engineers? One useful tool is "formal specification." There were virtually no applications of this type of formal method in Japan when FeliCa Networks, Inc. applied it in firmware development for the Mobile FeliCa IC Chip, known for such services as "Osaifu-Keitai," mobile phones equipped with a contactless IC card and function as a wallet. By improving quality in upstream processes, the company was able to realize a software development process that required little adjustment work. The company's core engineers tell us about the experience they gained from their trailblazing work with reference to quantitative quality data and findings from developer questionnaires.
NETs
How to Write Documents in Order to Protect Inventions (2nd Half)
Sometimes you have to take the risk of not filing a patent application in order to keep technological know-how a secret. However, if another company develops and patents similar technology, you could find yourself sued for patent infringement. The only way to avoid such a mishap is to assert prior user rights. In this installment, we introduce effective documentation methods to assist you.
NETs
Get 16 Radios In One Wi-Fi Access Point
This article introduces the wireless LAN base station, with 16 integrated access points, developed by Xirrus, Inc. of the United States. With the spread of wireless LAN access services and increasing use of wireless LAN in corporate settings, wireless LAN base stations have come to resemble mobile phone base transceiver stations that employ multiple access points.
NETs
Mic-On-A-Chip's Future Sounds Good To The Industry
Microphones built onto silicon chips are generating a lot of interest. The application of MEMS technology to standard CMOS processing is said to help realize a compact, low-priced product suitable for mass production. The "Mic-on-a-Chip" performs better than existing condenser microphones and is expected to be used in a wide range of areas.
Interview
Hitachi Central Research Laboratory's Research Director of Solution LSI Research Laboratory Takahiro Onai: "We've Shifted Our Course to 'Getting Away from Miniaturization'"
What's New
- The Keys to Content Protection for the Next Generation DVD Come Out
- Fuji Film Develops Lossless Compression Technology which Is 10 Times Faster than JPEG2000
- Intel and IBM Aggressively Shift to 45nm Generation Production Rule
- The New Voice Player for Listening Comprehension Tests Has Increased Reliability while Reducing Costs
- Sumita Optical Glass Develops High-refractive (2.14) Index Glass
- With Sony's "xv.Color," Video Cameras with Increased Color Space Are Commercialized
- High Speed ASICs Are Harder to Purchase
