NEC showcases ZigBee module on 78K0/KF1+ microcontroller

Micron samples three camera sensors for mobile handsets and one fully-fledged camera

XGI Technology: focusing on PCI Express in 2005

Iiyama´s new display: 10 ms response time, 800:1 contrast

MSI introduces NX6600 Platinum graphics card

Logitech updates keyboard + mouse kits in Japan

NEC showcases ZigBee module on 78K0/KF1+ microcontroller

NEC Engineering together with NEC Electronics and Chipcon AS introduced the new module supporting IEEE 802.15.4 and ZigBee networks. The novelty is designed for industrial, commercial and home appliances. The device features Chipcon´s CC2420 2.4 GHz RF transceiver and NEC´s 8-bit 78K0/KF1+ flash controller.

If you remember, ZigBee is a wireless technology enabling long operation of devices powered by dry energy sources. It´s intended for various systems, including security, industrial and living quarters automation and even electronic toys.

ZigBee protocol layers

The WLAN module provides connections on the PHY and MAC levels that meet existing specs and thus enables equipment developers to make ZigBee-supporting devices.

Micron samples three camera sensors for mobile handsets and one fully-fledged camera

Micron started sampling its new 2Mp CMOS sensor, MT9D011, designed for mobile handsets. The DigitalClarity innovation is claimed to provide good pictures in any environment lighting conditions.

MT9D011 is a 1/3" sensor that supports 1600x1200 still image resolution and is also able to capture 800x600 images at 30 fps or 1600x1200 images at 15 fps. The novelty can work with both electronic and mechanical shutters and supports image mirroring from left to right and top to bottom. Other features include programmable PLL and I/O mechanisms.

In a separate press release the company also announced MT9V012 dedicated sensor with reduced energy consumption and MT9V112 VGA sensor-on-a-chip. Both are also intended for mobile handsets, PDAs, etc.

MT9V112 has 4mm diagonal and is actually a fully-fledged camera-on-a-chip able to handle 13.5 megapixels at 27 MHz frequency. To get a complete solution, one will also need power source, lens and clock generator. Camera features include automatic exposure, white balance, color recovery and correction, sharpness improvement, programmable gamma correction, on-the-fly defect removal, scaling, etc. All features are programmed via a dual-wire serial interface.

MT9V012, in its turn, is a usual 1/6" sensor supporting progressive-scan video capture. It´s primarity designed for mobile handsets.

XGI Technology: focusing on PCI Express in 2005

HKEPC Hong Kong interviewed XGI Technology Marketing Vice President, who shed light on company´s future plans and, in particular, underlined that XGI believes in 2005 much and is going to try and seriously press such experienced market players as ATI and NVIDIA. The company pins hopes in thorough demand examination, release of specialized products like Volari Z7 and affordable prices.

But the company doesn´t quit high-end graphics segment — in December it´s going to unveil XG45 samples natively supporting PCI Express and fully meeting DirectX 9.0c specs (including pixel and vertex shaders 3.0). These novelties are to perform 2.5 times faster then the previous generation of GPUs. It´s interesting that bus width will remain the same 128 bits. Perhaps, 256-bit bus will remain a prerogative of dual-core products. Little is known about XG55 series: the company will bypass 110 nm process and will try to master 90 nm norms at once to gain 30% performance boost.

XG47, XG42 successor called to press rivals in the mainstream and value segments, will be less changed. It will gain native PCI Express support, but will support only DirectX 9.0. XGI alrealy has first revisions of XG47 GPUs, so we should expect new products on these after the New Year holidays.

Mobile segment is taken care of as well. We will see how the new XP10 will look on the background of NVIDIA NV41M (GeForce Go 6800) and ATI M28. For now we would like to know if XGI is going to release notebook modules. If it is, in which form-factor, NVIDIA MXM or ATI AXIOM?

Well, let´s wish luck to XGI Technology. Because if the third market player gains strength, us users will get more benefits like lower prices. Besides, industry will progress faster in general as well.

Iiyama´s new display: 10 ms response time, 800:1 contrast

Iiyama unveiled 4 new LCD monitors under its E-yama brand. Despite these devices are positioned as value, one of them, 17" 17LE1, features 10ms response time, while another, 19" 19LE1, has 800:1 contrast. Traditionally, All monitors have white or black bodies.

17LE1 supports 1280x1024 native resolution, 1.62 million colors, 350 cd/m² brightness, 350:1 contrast, has 120° vertical and 170° horizontal viewing angles. The monitor features 2 x 2.5W speakers. The MSRP is ¥42,000 ($380).

19LE1 also supports 1.62 million colors, has 23 ms response time, 350 cd/m² brightness, 170° vertical and horizontal viewing angle. The monitor also has 2 x 2.5W speakers. The MSRP is ¥62,000 ($560).

17AC2-A has more humble features comparing to 17LE1: 16 ms response time, 250 cd/m² brightness, 120° vertical and 140° horizontal viewing angle, but has higher contast of 450:1. Its MSRP is ¥40,000 ($360).

Finally, 15" 15JN1E supports 1024x768 native resoluion, 1.62 million colors, 25 ms response time, 250 cd/m² brightness, 400:1 contrast, 100° vertical and 120° horizontal viewing angles. Its MSRP is ¥32,000 ($290).

Source: PC Watch

MSI introduces NX6600 Platinum graphics card

After NX6600GT and NX6600 announced in August MSI released yet another novelty — MSI NX6600 Platinum.

Similar to NX6600GT and NX6600, the card bases on NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GPU, but has faster 3.3ns DDR SDRAM. Besides Dynamic EXPRESS Overclocking Technology, MSI NX6600 Platinum utilizes Silence Starforce Cooling System.

Logitech updates keyboard + mouse kits in Japan

Logicool, Japanese branch of Logitech, updated the series of its Cordless Desktop LX700 keyboard + mouse kit. The update touched mainly the mouse — Cordless Click! Plus Optical Mouse (CLK-C71) for which the company developed a cradle charger (having changed mouse design accordingly).

The new CLK-C71R (Cordless Click! Plus Rechargeable) features tilt wheel, operates in 27 MHz range within 1m radius. 15 hours of charging enables mouse to operate for 35 days. The device is sized 128x70x42 mm at 157g weight. The receiver is sized 95x80x110 mm; it features USB 1.1 interface.

As for the keyboard, it features iNav key (a kind of joystick), 4 additional email/webcam keys, 3 system keys (standby, function key locks). The keyboard utilizes 3 alkaline batteries that provide energy for 12 months. The keyboard is sized 487x224x30 mm.

Judging by the press release, initially the kit will be available in Japan only.

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