Everyone knows the annual Consumer Electronics Show
(CES) is all about showcasing the latest and greatest electronic gadgets. Sure
4K ultra HD (UHD) TVs are pretty amazing, and so are the curved TVs, as well as
some of the wearable devices and tablets crammed with all kinds of
functionality. But these devices wouldn't exist without the tiny components
developed and manufactured by the most innovative component manufacturers in the
industry.
Component manufacturers leveraged the annual show to
launch, demo or showcase some of their latest component designs, aimed at the
consumer electronics market, ranging from wearable and handheld devices to
satellite and smart TVs. Here's a sampling
of some of the newest components for next-generation electronics devices
unveiled by component suppliers at this year's show.
First up are PNI Sensor's Motion & Measurement
(M&M) modules for wearable fitness devices, smartphones, video game
consoles and TV remote controls. The company claims these devices are the
industry's first M&M modules. The integrated platform provides accurate
motion and heading measurement for any of these applications.
TI showcased its streaming audio system
solution for streaming audio in home and portable applications. This
solution, comprised of the Sitara AM335x processors, WiLink 8 connectivity
solution, power management IC, audio codec and Aureus high-performance audio
processors, enables consumers to connect all their portable or home connected
audio devices that support AirPlay and DLNA.
Conexant Systems unveiled its CX2092x high-performance
far-field voice input processor SoC designed specifically for smart TVs. The
company says the chip "uses third generation voice processing technology to
deliver "superior voice control with excellent speech recognition hit rates and
voice communications with increased clarity in far-field conditions - up to four
meters away from the TV."
Another first of its kind comes
from MEMSIC. The company claims its connected watch development
kit is an industry first. This dev kit is said to simplify the integration
of sensors by providing all of the required calibration libraries and sensor
fusion software. The wearable connected watch development kit is designed for a
variety of wearable consumer electronic applications with connectivity to Apple
and Android platforms, including health and fitness and sports devices.
Toshiba America Electronic
Components unveiled new enhancements to its TB6865FG power transmitter and
TC7763WBG receiver chipset that enable wireless power transfer to charge
mobile devices faster. The wireless power chipset now supports 5-watt power
transfer, and is compatible with the Qi low-power specifications version 1.1
defined by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC).
Also announced at CES 2014 is
Bosch Sensortec's BME280 integrated environmental
device that combines pressure, humidity, and temperature sensors in a single
package. A major benefit for mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, smart
watches, and electronic wristbands is its small footprint of 2.5 x 2.5 mm2 with
a height of 0.93 mm in an 8-pin LGA package. The BME280 also offers very low
current consumption of 3.6 µA (at 1 Hz), making it suitable for battery-driven
applications.
Murata Americas took advantage of
CES 2014 to launch its XRCGD series of quartz crystal
resonators in a 2016 package size for wearable and handheld electronic
devices. These devices are said to offer a cost advantage over other similar
sized hermetically sealed packaging used today. The quartz crystal resonator
line meets the strictest frequency tolerance requirements for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth,
and radio frequency/baseband applications, said Murata.
MaxLinear used the show as a
platform to announce that it has started shipping its MxL5xx family of Full-Spectrum
Capture (FSC) tuner-demodulators for DVB-S/S2 satellite television systems.
Designed for multi-channel gateways, the MxL5xx devices are touted as the first
single-chip Full-Spectrum Capture satellite TV receiver ICs that support single
or multiple RF inputs, up to a maximum of four. The six SoCs in the MxL5xx
family of satellite front-end devices also integrate from four up to a maximum
of eight DVB-S/S2 demodulators, which enables reception and demodulation of an
equal number of digital satellite TV channels simultaneously.
Please scroll
down for more detailed information about each of these products, and other
significant products and component news over the past
month.