Alps Electric Selects Berkeley Design Automation Analog FastSPICE(TM) and Noise Analysis Option(TM)

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Jan 21, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Berkeley Design Automation Inc., provider of Precision Circuit Analysis(TM) technology for advanced analog, mixed-signal, and RF integrated circuits (ICs), today announced that Alps Electric Co. Ltd., a leading global manufacturer of electronics devices and sensors for automobiles, PCs, cellular phones, audio, and home appliances, has selected the company's Analog FastSPICE(TM) circuit simulator and Noise Analysis Option(TM) for characterization and performance simulation of its advanced electronic devices.

"At Alps Electric we make careful decisions to upgrade our design flow with next-generation tools that extend our competitive advantage, compress our design cycle, and help us continue to deliver high quality designs to our customers," said Mr. Keisho Miyazaki, Group Manager, Alps Electric Co. Ltd. "Our products require true SPICE accuracy and accurate transistor-level noise analysis prior to fabrication. Analog FastSPICE easily delivered identical waveforms to our traditional SPICE simulator 5x-10x faster. The Noise Analysis Option enables us to accurately analyze the noise specifications of our circuits including the impact of device noise with excellent silicon correlation."

Berkeley Design Automation tools include Analog FastSPICE(TM) circuit simulation, Noise Analysis Option(TM) device noise analyzer, RF FastSPICE(TM) periodic analyzer, and PLL Noise Analyzer(TM). The company guarantees identical waveforms to the leading "golden" SPICE simulators down to noise floor (typically 0.1% or less) while delivering 5x-10x higher performance and 5x-10x higher capacity. It achieves this by using advanced algorithms and numerical analysis techniques to rapidly solve the full-circuit matrix and the original device equations without any shortcuts that could compromise accuracy.

Design teams from top-10 semiconductor companies to leading startups use Berkeley Design Automation tools to solve big analog/RF verification problems. Typical applications include complex-block characterization (e.g., PLLs, ADCs, DC:DC converters, PHYs, Tx/Rx chains) and full-circuit performance simulation (e.g., wireless transceivers, wireline transceivers, high-speed I/O macros, memories, microcontrollers, data converters, and power converters).

"We are delighted that Alps Electric, a leading global supplier of precision electronic devices and sensors, has selected Berkeley Design Automation," said Ravi Subramanian, president and CEO of Berkeley Design Automation. "Alps Electric's selection of both Analog FastSPICE and Noise Analysis Option further reinforces the unique, strong, and compelling advantage our technology provides over today's other SPICE solutions. We are proud to help Alps Electric extend their competitive advantage and continue to deliver innovative high-quality products."

About Berkeley Design Automation

Berkeley Design Automation, Inc. is the recognized leader in advanced analog/RF verification. Its Precision Circuit Analysis technology combines the accuracy, performance, and capacity needed to verify GHz designs in nanometer-scale silicon. Berkeley Design Automation has received numerous awards including EDN Magazine's 2006 Innovation of the Year, the 2006 Red Herring 100 North America, and the 2007 Red Herring Global 100 Finalist. Founded in 2003, the company is funded by Woodside Fund, Bessemer Venture Partners, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd., and NTT Corporation. For more information, see http://www.berkeley-da.com.

Analog FastSPICE, Noise Analysis Option, RF FastSPICE, PLL Noise Analyzer, WaveCrave, and Precision Circuit Analysis are trademarks and Berkeley Design is a registered trademark of Berkeley Design Automation, Inc. Any other trademarks or trade names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/alps-electric-selects-berkeley-design/story.aspx?guid={C2D2314B-BC0F-43F5-891F-93A1AC84F286}&dist=msr_2

SMT connector family offers up to 54 pins

ERNI Electronics has broadened its 0.8mm MicroStac SMT connector series to include a 10- (single row) and 54-pin (dual row) version.

The MicroStac advantage is based on a patented hermaphroditic design, a special design requiring only one part number which enables reduced logistic and inventory costs for board-to-board applications. The powerful combination of the MicroStac's miniature construction and its innovative design makes it suitable for extremely compact and demanding applications. The connectors can be used to a wide scope of applications including sensor technology, medical instruments, mobile communication, automotive electronics, automation engineering, measurement technology, test equipment and building automation. For medical applications, new antistatic versions are now available upon request.

The SMT construction and unique design of the MicroStac allow for economical and automatic assembly. The stability of the miniature connector is facilitated through a tilt-proof contact principle with dual side positioning of the contact on the PCB. In addition, with its corresponding features of minimal weight (just 0.18g for the 6-pin design), 100 percent SMT co-planarity of <0.1mm>The MicroStac advantage is based on a patented

Even with their compact construction, MicroStac products can achieve a high current-carrying capacity. The contact is formed through precision stamping, a process which offers the most reliable form of contact possible. As a result, the contacts offer an extensive cross-section for low ohmic resistance, while at the same time providing a large radiating surface that yields higher power carrying capabilities than similar competitors' products. With an ambient temperature of 20°C and current feed to all contacts, the MicroStac 50-pin connector can transfer 1.6A per contact (in acc. with IEC 60512, test 5b), or can safely and reliably carry 80A inside a very small footprint.

Within the MicroStac connector family, new versions are now available with 6, 9, 10, 12, and 14 pins (all single-row), and 50 and 54 pins (both two-row). Depending on the connector version, the board-to-board height ranges from 3mm to between 5mm to 6.5mm. Despite the subminiature design, the MicroStac is designed to be used in multiple mated pairs between two boards. Subsequently, when using the MicroStac, there is no need to fear 'negative tolerance stack up'. The permissible center offset, when connected, is ± 0.7mm in the longitudinal direction and ±0.5mm in the transversal direction. The permissible angular offset is ±4°.

In addition, the MicroStac connectors feature a high temperature-resistant insulating body (PA46), and 100 percent SMT coplanarity to ensure a secure soldering experience. The black isolating body allows simple visual recognition during automatic assembly and, when delivered in the antistatic packaging, the connectors are protected and ready for automatic assembly.

ERNI's MicroStac connectors are available immediately and pricing varies by pin count and volume.

http://www.eetasia.com/ART_8800559403_590626_NP_599d167d.HTM