Microchip Launches Free Technical Training Series in India That Shows How to Easily Move Applications Among 8, 16 and 32-bit PICR MCUs

[NASDAQ:  MCHP] Microchip Technology Inc., a leading provider of microcontroller, analog and Flash-IP solutions, today announced a free series of technical training seminars in India—beginning in February —that will show designers how to easily adapt to changing product requirements by migrating a real-world application from 8, to 16, to 32-bit PIC® microcontrollers (MCUs).  The seminars will run from February to March 2012 in eight locations—Ahmadabad, Bangalore, Cochin, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi.  These one-day classes will teach engineers how to migrate the application using one set of tools and with minimal code changes; demonstrating how they can save both time and money through reuse.  The seminars will utilize Microchip’s free software tools and the “One PIC MCU Platform Demo Board,” which is bundled with the PICkit™ 3 in-circuit debugger and programmer, and is exclusively offered to attendees at a discounted price. Many designers need to quickly expand product feature sets, or create a broad range of products at the outset, and they would prefer to save time and money by maintaining a common code base.  However, feature-set expansions often force designers to move to a new microcontroller that requires different tools.  Microchip’s free MPLAB® X integrated development environment (IDE) enables designers to easily migrate code among all of the more than 800 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit PIC MCUs.  This seminar series walks designers through the migration of a real-world application using a single IDE, while illustrating how to select the best MCU for each design’s unique requirements.  The example application will also feature the latest technologies for low power consumption, human interface and connectivity in embedded designs, as it progresses from an entry-level to a top-of-the-line end product. “Controlling embedded design costs are one of the key objectives among electronic engineers,” said Ramesh Babu, Microchip’s India sales manager.  “These seminars address this issue, and are specifically designed for helping engineers re-use design resources, simplify feature creep and reduce engineering costs.” Admission and Attendee Tool DiscountsAdmission is FREE.  Attendees will also enjoy significant discounts on a board range of Microchip Development Tools. To find a seminar in a city near you, visit:  http://www.microchip.com/get/55H5.  For additional information, contact any Microchip sales representative or authorized distributor. About Microchip TechnologyMicrochip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:  MCHP) is a leading provider of microcontroller, analog and Flash-IP solutions, providing low-risk product development, lower total system cost and faster time to market for thousands of diverse customer applications worldwide.  Headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, Microchip offers outstanding technical support along with dependable delivery and quality.  For more information, visit the Microchip website at http://www.microchip.com/get/RNFG.

IEEE Standards Association reaffirms commitment to Indian Smart Grid Market; set to play a key role in effective adoption & implementation of Smart Grid in India

IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA), the standards development body of IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional association, today reaffirmed its commitment to the Indian Smart Grid market. The Indian Smart Grid market is slated to be the third largest market worldwide in terms of investment only after the US and China.



The IEEE-SA SIG (Standards Interest Group), a major initiative announced in May this year, with the purpose of increasing India’s participation in the IEEE standards process in key areas such as Smart Grid has made great strides. The organization has been holding Smart Grid workshops and has been participating in large summits and events to increase awareness among key stakeholders and consumers. IEEE-SA will present a special standards session at IEEE’s annual event IndiCon being held in Hyderabad on 16th and 17th December. IEEE-SA will introduce and explain the global role of the IEEE Standards Association with particular attention on the value of standards from an Indian perspective.


Speaking at a press briefing, Srikanth Chandrasekaran, chairperson of IEEE-SA India SIG, said, “Smart Grid holds immense relevance and significance for India, and India is among the fastest growing markets worldwide.” Chandrasekaran further stated, “Smart Grid being a concept with hardware, software and interconnection elements, is complex. Without proper standards the realization of Smart Grid would be difficult. IEEE-SA is investing in creating awareness and bringing multiple stakeholders together to transfer best practices and knowledge from Smart Grid markets and perspectives. This provides a venue for crucial input as IEEE-SA is global, having deep roots in India. IEEE-SA has taken a lead role in the identification and development of standards for the Smart Grid.”


Jennie Steinhagen, Global Strategy Manager of IEEE-SA said, “We are collaborating with technical experts in India to ensure that specific and unique inputs necessary for the Indian market are incorporated into Smart Grid standards. We look forward to collaborating with industry leaders, academia and other standards bodies to create more awareness about Smart Grid and the role of standards through events and workshops.”



IEEE-SA has introduced key Smart Grid standards in India, including IEEE 2030TM for interoperability between computing, communications and power and energy standards; IEEE1701TM and IEEE 1702TM for advanced metering; IEEE 1901TM for Broadband over Power Line; and the latest IEEE 1547TM, the first guide for deployment of micro grids in the country, among others.


About the IEEE Standards Association: The IEEE Standards Association, a globally recognized standards-setting body within IEEE, develops consensus standards through an open process that engages industry and brings together a broad stakeholder community. IEEE standards set specifications and best practices based on current scientific and technological knowledge. The IEEE-SA has a portfolio of over 900 active standards and more than 500 standards under development. For more information visit http://standards.ieee.org/. You can also visit us on Facebook athttp://www.facebook.com/ieeesa, follow us on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/ieeesa, or connect with us on the Standards Insight Blog at http://www.standardsinsight.com/.



About IEEE: IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional association, is dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. Through its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities, IEEE is the trusted voice on a wide variety of areas ranging from aerospace systems, computers and telecommunications to biomedical engineering, electric power and consumer electronics. Learn more at http://www.ieee.org.

TTK Services, a TTK Group company, launches HomeShikari in Bangalore

TTK Services, an established member of the $450 million TTK Group of Companies and a pioneer at providing technology enabled services to the global community, today announced the launch of its new division, HomeShikari. This portal is the first of its kind in India that provides unbiased information coupled with hassle-free online experiences to customers for their property needs.




The diversified TTK Group, founded in 1928, operates multiple businesses that sell everything from cookware to pharmaceuticals, besides providing Virtual Assistant services. Presenting on the company’s future growth plans at a Press Conference in the city, T T Jagannathan, Chairman, TTK Group said, “The key to success in the businesses we run, has been innovation. Though we have been around for the last 80 years, we pretty much act like a startup business. For instance, 80% of the revenues of the entire group (consumer durables & services) come from products introduced in the last 5 years. We firmly believe this new addition (HomeShikari) to the family will follow the Group’s aggressive innovation strategy while retaining its traditional strength - trust. With this service, we aim to literally change the way people search for homes. There are definite plans for expanding the service across India. We should be looking at a roll out into other cities in fiscal year 2012-13.”



Special features of http://www.homeshikari.com/



Ø Interactive Map based search



Ø Pictures and floor-plan of every unit provided



Ø Multiple listings of the same property not allowed



Ø Does not act as an advertising platform



Ø Verified Listings and other Value Added Services


TTK Services, based out of Bangalore has already carved a name for itself in providing services online to a global audience. Established in the year 2000, it has already two successfully running businesses, YourManInIndia.com (concierge and global mobility services) and GetFriday.com (global virtual assistance service). Sensing an urgent need for greater transparency in the Indian real estate market, TTK Services decided to provide a comprehensive solution for the Resident Indian market. The HomeShikari portal is an interactive platform that is expected to help people searching for homes to buy or rent, make informed choices based on their specific needs and preferences and also help home-owners showcase their residential properties to the right target audience. Speaking to the media, Sunder P, Managing Director, TTK Services, said, “The residential real estate segment in the country is expected to maintain positive growth with a



growing Indian middle class, rising disposable incomes, buyer-friendly home finance schemes, home loans and other fiscal incentives. Despite this, the current market forces are not conducive for sustainable long term growth due to poor organization and a complete lack of transparency. Due to the wide gaps and a largely opaque market, majority of transactions that happen may not always result in a win-win situation for the consumer. With HomeShikari, we intend to address these gaps with a comprehensive solution that is going to be useful for both home-owners and home-seekers.”







He added, “We would also bring in our expertise from having served NRI clients on a wide range of complex property matters for more than a decade now. Our workforce is adept at recognizing, handling and addressing the pain-points of customers and giving them very suitable, viable and value-added solutions.”







Many long-time customers associated with TTK Services strongly vouch for the quality delivery of services the organization provides. One of them, S Ramprasad, Architect, Washington and a PIO says, “I have used TTK Services for various requirements of my family and me since year 2000, the latest being the company helping me in closing the sale of my property in Bangalore. They were the Power of Attorney for me and settled the assignment by covering every aspect to the last detail and communicated with me only through e-mails. The trust factor I have built in them over the years makes me unconditionally recommend their services to others.”

HomeShikari will strive to bring transparency to the Indian Real Estate market and improve the way customers interact for their property requirements. The services will provide the required information and other allied services at the click of a mouse, thus saving a lot of time. T T Venkatesh, Executive Director, TTK Services and Head, www.homeshikari.com, stated, “We are neither brokers nor provide an advertising outlet but only facilitate you to search or list your home on your terms, just the way you want it. With our verification services, you can be sure that what you see is what you are likely to get. You don't need to waste time visiting all the properties. For the owners, it offers the opportunity to get genuine, qualified leads that are more likely to conclude in a transaction. You can register at www.homeshikari.com and get access to reliable information that will help you make a decision faster, comfortably.”



Listing at the portal is free for the first 3 months as a special launch offer. Nominal charges will apply from there onwards.



About HomeShikari and TTK Services Pvt Ltd:



Home Shikari is the newly launched division of TTK Services Pvt Ltd., a member of the US$ 450 million TTK Group of companies which is a trusted name since 1928, both in India and overseas. While the company has been successfully providing property related services to thousands of NRI clients since 2000, the present foray into the real estate market with Home Shikari is targeted to provide the most comprehensive services to Resident Indians as well.



TTK Services Pvt. Ltd. was formed in 2000 to provide services to the NRI community. In April 2004, it launched a complete concierge service in India under the brand name YourManInIndia, targeted at non-resident Indians. Today, it is still the market leader in this segment, providing a wide range of physical concierge services across India. This division also provides immigration and global mobility solutions to some of the biggest corporate clients in India, including 50 of the top IT firms. In 2005, it launched its second business division GetFriday, which is currently the world's leading virtual assistance service, with thousands of clients in more than 50 countries across the world. The division aims to provide the benefits of outsourcing to busy individuals and small companies across the world by providing a wide range of personalized services. It is the largest organized Virtual Assistant Service in the world today.



The TTK Group has created and been associated with several leading consumer brands, including several household names in India, including Prestige Cookware, Woodwards Gripe Water, Kohinoor and Durex condoms. The TTK Group has a keen sense of social responsibility, and funds several charitable and social organizations. Some of these are the Rotary-TTK Voluntary Blood Bank, TTK De-addiction centers, TTK Schools for the Underprivileged and the Music Academy.



For more information, please visit, www.homeshikari.com

eSilicon Recognizes Magma with 2011 Supplier of The Year Award

Magma® Design Automation Inc. (NASDAQ: LAVA), a provider of chip design software, announced today that it has received the eSilicon Corporation 2011 Supplier of the Year Award. Magma, an eSilicon technology and business partner since 2003, beat out a crowded field this past year by providing technology leadership, product quality, lowest total cost of ownership and excellent customer service.



“Magma is a company that is committed to its partners and its technology,” said Jack Harding, president and CEO of eSilicon. “From the beginning of the partnership, Magma has been remarkably responsive, helping us meet design milestones and deliver tapeouts. Its advanced software and world-class support have been instrumental in enabling us to achieve fast netlist-to-GDSII cycle times and high first-pass silicon success rates. It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge Magma’s contribution to our success.”



Magma received the award, presented annually to the eSilicon supply chain partner that has demonstrated excellence in collaborating with eSilicon and its customers, at a partner appreciation event December 7, 2011.


“While enabling our customers to achieve repeated silicon success is its own reward, it’s very gratifying to have the excellence of our technology and staff recognized by an industry leader such as eSilicon,” said Rajeev Madhavan, Magma’s chairman and CEO. “Our partnership with eSilicon is mutually beneficial. We rely on the eSilicon team to provide valuable feedback on our current solutions and strategic feedback as a beta user on our new technology. It is a great honor to receive this award and it will result in even tighter collaboration between our teams.”


About Magma



Leading semiconductor companies worldwide use Magma’s electronic design automation (EDA) software to produce chips for a wide variety of vertical markets including tablet computing, mobile devices, electronic games, digital video, networking, military/aerospace and memory. Silicon One, Magma’s technology solutions for emerging silicon, address time to market, product differentiation, cost and performance while making silicon more profitable. Magma products include software for digital design, analog implementation, mixed-signal design, physical verification, circuit simulation, characterization and yield management. The company maintains headquarters in San Jose, Calif., and offices throughout North America, Europe, Japan, Asia and India. Magma’s stock trades on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol LAVA. Follow Magma on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/MagmaEDA and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Magma. Visit Magma Design Automation on the Web at http://www.magma-da.com/.

IEEE Standards Association brings out first in-depth guide to enable deployment of Micro Grids in India

IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA), a globally recognized standards setting body within IEEE, today officially introduced the IEEE 1547.4™ Guide for Design, Operation, and Integration of Distributed Resource (DR) Island Systems with Electric Power Systems. The guide is the first in-depth resource providing alternative approaches and best practices for deployment of Distributed Resource Island systems or Micro-Grids in India. As the country’s energy demands increase, Smart Micro-Grids or DR Islands enable the use of decentralized energy and are building blocks to a smarter national grid. However they are complex infrastructures and the connections to and fro the larger grids must be carefully and well planned for, in order to be successful. The IEEE 1547.4 guide includes best practices for implementing the various ways in which a DR island can separate from a part of the area EPS and can reconnect to it while providing power to the islanded local EPSs.


The guide also expands on the benefits of using DRs by targeting improved electric power system reliability and builds upon the interconnection requirements of the IEEE 1547™Standard for Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems. Additionally, it provides informative background and covers distributed resources, interconnection systems and participating electric power systems. It includes sections on electric loads, utility equipment and operations, protection, controls, and system studies. Testing, communications, and, contractual and regulatory considerations are additionally cited. IEEE 1547.4-2011 is now available to the industry for purchase.

Commenting on the launch of the guide in the Indian market, Judith Gorman, managing director of IEEE-SA, said, “The first paradigm shift in electricity generation, delivery, and control is rapidly emerging in India, with increased interest and acceleration in the implementation of a Smart Grid and the growth of renewable energy sources. The shift is moving the electricity supply away from the highly centralized service model seen today toward a more dispersed system, and distributed island resources will play a key role. The IEEE 1547.4 guide will be very relevant to the Indian energy industry as this shift continues to gain momentum.” “In order to have successful deployments of DR island systems, careful planning, designing, integrating, testing and evaluation of the various technologies and systems must be done to ascertain their effectiveness,” said IEEE 1547.4 Working Group Chair, Benjamin Kroposki. “The IEEE 1547.4 guide addresses these areas and will be a credible resource for the energy industry.”

Commenting on the need for such a guide in India, Srikanth Chandrasekaran, Chair - India SIG, IEEE-SA said, “A key potential benefit of DR Islands is the ability to improve the reliability of the power system by providing emergency power during interruptions of the bulk system supply. This benefit can only be realized if the DR is operated in a configuration that facilitates islanded operation. Micro-grid allows for this type of operation while also being able to capture all of the other benefits of DR such as waste-heat recovery, load reduction on the T&D system, and power quality improvements. There is rising interest in DR in India due to improvement in generation technologies, power electronics and the need for new capacity resources on the power system. The IEEE 1547.4 guide will help us apply DR in a manner that captures their potential value.”


IEEE 1547.4™ Guide addresses overall engineering concerns, identifies needs and contingencies, and discusses criteria and requirement options for DR island systems. It is organized into three major categories:



· The overview: Covers types of DR islands and the general functionality of each type.



· Planning and Engineering: Covers the planning and testing of appropriate engineering approaches to encompass a variety of contingencies.



· Operations: Covers how a DR island is formed, the operational transition scenarios when moving to the island, as well as scenarios when transitioning back to the utility grid.

About DR Islands/Micro-Grids: DR islands, sometimes referred to as micro-grids, are “'islanded' power generation and distribution areas that can operate autonomously from the larger grid infrastructure. They are rapidly gaining popularity because they have the adaptability necessary to use an assortment of energy sources, including renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, contributing to a reduced carbon footprint. Local power generation and storage allow portions of the grid and critical components to operate independent of the larger grid when needed. Another reason for its popularity is that during planning all interested parties can decide upon appropriate local control and appropriate levels of power quality. There are several types of DR island systems but they all share the ability to generate their own electric power as well as the ability to connect and disconnect from the EPS that serves a wider geographic area. Customer facility micro-grids and electric utility distribution circuit micro-grids are two instances of planned DR islands. Distributed resources include both generators and energy storage technologies.



About the IEEE Standards Association: The IEEE Standards Association, a globally recognized standards-setting body within IEEE, develops consensus standards through an open process that engages industry and brings together a broad stakeholder community. IEEE standards set specifications and best practices based on current scientific and technological knowledge. The IEEE-SA has a portfolio of Over 900 active standards and more than 500 standards under development. For more information visit http://standards.ieee.org/. You can also visit us on Facebook athttp://www.facebook.com/ieeesa, follow us on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/ieeesa, or connect with us on the Standards Insight Blog at http://www.standardsinsight.com.



About IEEE: IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional association, is dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. Through its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities, IEEE is the trusted voice on a wide variety of areas ranging from aerospace systems, computers and telecommunications to biomedical engineering, electric power and consumer electronics. Learn more at http://www.ieee.org

CANVASM AND POLARIS WIRELESS ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP TO INTRODUCE HIGH ACCURACY WIRELESS LOCATION SOLUTION IN INDIA

CanvasM Technologies, Tech Mahindra’s VAS subsidiary and part of the US$ 14.4 Billion Mahindra Group, and Polaris Wireless, the global leader in high-accuracy, software-based wireless location solutions, today announced a strategic partnership to introduce the first high-accuracy, network based wireless location solution for the Indian market. CanvasM specializes in developing and deploying uitility VAS solutions, applications and platforms for organizations globally.


The solution enables mobile operators to more easily identify the location of emergency calls made from a mobile phone, and provides increased revenue opportunities for mobile operators who introduce value added services and location-based services to India’s growing base of mobile device users. With successful deployments around the world and field proven results in the Indian market, the partnership is expected to serve multiple wireless operators pan India. Polaris Wireless recently expanded its India ‘Centre of Excellence’ development and operations organization, based in Bangalore.

In a recent field test, the performance of the Polaris Wireless high-accuracy location solution exceeded the India Department of Telecommunications mandate for accuracy in urban-areas.

“Partnering with Polaris Wireless gives CanvasM the ability to provide customers in India with the most accurate wireless location solution in the market today,” said Jagdish Mitra, CEO, CanvasM. “Together, the ground-breaking innovation in location technology of Polaris Wireless and the Tech Mahindra legacy of pioneering cutting-edge solutions for the wireless industry are an unbeatable combination.”

“We are very pleased that high-accuracy, network-based wireless location is becoming a reality in India given the high percentage of feature phone penetration,” said Manlio Allegra, CEO and Co-founder of Polaris Wireless. “We look forward to working with CanvasM and Tech Mahindra to ensure that wireless operators in India are able to easily and cost-effectively deploy our location solution for emergency call management, enterprise, and other consumer location-based services.”

Mumbai-based market research firm Ovum predicts that location-based services in India will grow significantly, bolstered by 80% annual growth in 3G connections over the next five years, and interest from high-value early adopters, such as working professionals and the burgeoning youth sector, which is expected to grow to about 150 million subscribers in 2012.


About Polaris Wireless

Headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., Polaris Wireless is the global leader in providing high accuracy, software-based wireless location solutions to wireless operators, law enforcement/government agencies and location-based application companies. Since 2003, Polaris Wireless has successfully deployed its patented, software-based, high-accuracy location solutions to over 20 wireless operators to meet FCC E911 Phase II requirements in the US. The company has also deployed high-accuracy location surveillance applications for customers in Asia and EMEA. Polaris Wireless has offices in Dubai, U.A.E., Bangalore, India, Tokyo, Japan, and Santiago, Chile. Polaris Wireless is the recipient of the prestigious Frost & Sullivan “2011 Enabling Technology of the Year” award, recognizing the company’s accomplishments and leadership in developing location solutions. The company participates in location committees and other groups within the 3GPP and OMA standards setting bodies, and also participates in regulatory and industry bodies related to E911, lawful location surveillance, and location-based services. Polaris Wireless is located at 301 North Whisman Road, Mountain View, CA 94043 USA. For more information about Polaris Wireless,



please visit http://www.polariswireless.com/.

About CanvasM

Founded in 2006, Tech Mahindra’s specialized VAS unit CanvasM focuses on providing solutions that enable consumers and enterprises to take advantage of the mobile ecosystem.CanvasM is among the top ten players in the mobile VAS space, developing and deploying VAS solutions, applications and platforms for organizations across the globe. It specializes in end-to-end enabling of solutions with managed services which bring together content, technology and device expertise to ensure an enhanced digital experience to the customers of Telecom operators, media houses and enterprises. For further information, visit http://www.canvasm.com/


About Tech Mahindra

Tech Mahindra is a leading provider of solutions and services to the telecommunications industry with a majority stake owned by Mahindra & Mahindra Limited, in partnership with British Telecommunications plc.

Tech Mahindra serves telecom service providers, equipment manufacturers, software vendors and systems integrators worldwide and their proven delivery models, distinctive IT skills and decades of domain expertise enable clients to maximize returns on their IT investment. Tech Mahindra registered revenue of USD 1,126.6 million in the year ended March 31, 2011 and is ably supported by 43,000 professionals who provide a unique blend of culture, domain expertise and in-depth technology skill-sets.

A SEI-CMMi Level 5 organization, Tech Mahindra’s development centers are ISO 9001:2008 and BS7799 certified. Tech Mahindra has principal offices in the UK, United States, Germany, UAE, Egypt, Singapore, India, Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia, Philippines, Canada and Australia. Tech Mahindra Ltd is part of the US $14.4 billion Mahindra Group, a global industrial federation of companies and one of the top 10 business houses based in India. The Group’s interests span automotive products, aviation, components, farm equipment, financial services, hospitality, information technology, logistics, real estate and retail.

Magma’s Titan Delivers Higher Quality and Faster Design Convergence for Analog IP

Magma® Design Automation (Nasdaq: LAVA), a provider of chip design software, today announced the availability of a new release of the Titan™ Analog/Mixed-Signal (Titan AMS) Design Platform. With patent-pending analog design technology, Titan provides an innovative FlexCell-to-GDSII™ analog/mixed-signal (AMS) flow that organically integrates both electrical design and physical design into one unified design methodology. This paradigm-shifting, electrical-physical co-design flow ranges from front-end design such as schematics to circuit optimization in Titan Analog Design Accelerator (Titan ADX) to back-end design such as placement and routing in Titan Analog Virtual Prototyper (Titan AVP) and Titan Shape-Based Router (Titan SBR). Leveraging tight integration through a unified database and enhanced algorithms Titan further accelerates AMS design and reuse, setting a new standard in design automation for productivity, portability and quality.


This new Titan release supports Magma’s Silicon One initiative by providing faster design convergence, larger capacity and highly automated design flows that address the increasing size, complexity, and shortened development cycles, of today’s AMS designs. Key enhancements include updates to foundry partner AMS reference flows, more efficient legacy data format support through native OpenAccess (OA) support, embedding Magma’s super-fast FineSim™ SPICE circuit simulation for faster and more efficient process modeling, the addition of several new advanced FlexCells that serve as process-independent analog building blocks, support of higher frequency transistor characteristics for RF design, increased capacity to simultaneously handle hundreds of multi-corner scenarios, parallel optimization through distributed implementation for faster runtime and better quality of results (QoR), and tight integration with Magma’s digital implementation tool Talus® for more efficient top-level routing and chip finishing. Titan’s enhanced co-design flow has proven its value for early adopters who have experienced 2X improvement in design productivity while achieving better results.

“As evidenced by initial successes by and Panasonic, iWatt and Exar as well as recent achievements by Fujitsu and other users, Titan is experiencing very rapid adoption for a wide variety of analog designs being manufactured in process nodes ranging from 180 to 28 nanometer and below,” said Anirudh Devgan, general manager of Magma’s Custom Design Business Unit. “More than half of the top 20 semiconductor companies in the world are Titan customers and several more are actively evaluating this technology. This growth is a direct result of Titan’s advanced analog circuit design capabilities, such as non-linear constraint-based circuit optimization and high capacity and high quality analog routing that allow Titan to offer significant quality and turnaround-time advantages over traditional analog design and implementation tools. Backed by Magma’s talented engineering, R&D and worldwide FAE teams, new customers can be confident in adopting this innovative solution.”

Titan AMS Design Platform: Improving Analog/Mixed-Signal Design Productivity and Enabling Reuse

At the heart of the Titan AMS Design Platform is an advanced analog design acceleration technology that consists of Magma’s proprietary FlexCell-based circuit optimization, analog virtual prototyping, floorplanning and placement and constraint-driven shape-based routing. Complementary to this acceleration technology, Titan also provides a comprehensive AMS design environment that includes the Schematic Editor (SE), Analog Simulation Environment (ASE) with FineSim, Schematic-Driven Layout (SDL), Layout Editor (LE) and Physical Validation (PV).


· Titan ADX and FlexCells - Magma’s Titan ADX and FlexCell models greatly improve productivity, accelerating the creation of new analog IP and simplifying analog IP reuse. A FlexCell represents a circuit in a mathematical, parameterized model format that includes circuit topology, functionality and physical information such as resistance and capacitance. Because they are process independent, modular and reusable, FlexCells can be easily targeted to new process technologies and optimized for different design specifications. After optimization, Titan ADX outputs a schematic with a netlist that meets the design specifications across multiple process, voltage and temperature (PVT) corners. FlexCell models include testbenches, allowing further validation of the netlist using Magma’s FineSim SPICE simulator.

· Titan AVP and Titan SBR - Magma’s Titan AVP and Titan SBR take the Titan ADX optimized design (netlist) and automatically place and route it to meet design specifications and constraints. Titan AVP takes hybrid placement in area/row/stack-based requirements into consideration and supports a wide variety of constraints for pins, devices, cells and blocks to achieve optimal global placement results. Titan SBR is architecture-friendly, easily extending support for any new routing topology and constraints. Its trademark high-quality routing includes detailed RC matching, river route, differential pair with 45 degree twisted tri-bit routing, bus routing with shielding, double cut via for high reliability, and balanced-skew clock tree routing. Titan SBR is also widely used with Magma’s digital implementation tool Talus for top-level routing and chip finishing.


Availability



The Titan AMS Design Platform version 2011.11 is available now. For more information, please contact a Magma sales representative.


About Magma

Leading semiconductor companies worldwide use Magma’s electronic design automation (EDA) software to produce chips for a wide variety of vertical markets including tablet computing, mobile devices, electronic games, digital video, networking, military/aerospace and memory. Silicon One, Magma’s technology solutions for emerging silicon, address time to market, product differentiation, cost and performance while making silicon more profitable. Magma products include software for digital design, analog implementation, mixed-signal design, physical verification, circuit simulation, characterization and yield management. The company maintains headquarters in San Jose, Calif., and offices throughout North America, Europe, Japan, Asia and India. Magma’s stock trades on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol LAVA. Follow Magma on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/MagmaEDA and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Magma. Visit Magma Design Automation on the Web at www.magma-da.com

Microchip expands stand-alone real-time clock/calendar device family

Microchip Technology Inc., a leading provider of microcontroller, analog and Flash-IP solutions, today announced a new family of stand-alone Real-Time Clock/Calendar (RTCC) devices. The MCP795WXX/BXX RTCC devices have a 10 MHz SPI interface, non-volatile memory and an effective combination of features at a price lower than most competitors' devices, including those with fewer features. The new devices reduce component counts and costs for applications in the smart-energy (e.g., thermostats, power meters and commercial refrigeration); home-appliance (e.g., coffee makers, stoves and microwave ovens); automotive (e.g., dashboard controls, car radios and GPS); consumer-electronic (e.g., office equipment and video systems); and communications markets (e.g., radios, cordless phones, and network systems), among others.



The MCP795WXX/BXX RTCC devices feature millisecond alarms and a 10 MHz SPI interface that supports very fast data access, resulting in longer MCU sleep and power-down modes, and less power draw from the battery. Other low-power features include two event-detect inputs that draw minimal current in the RTCC device, but wake the MCU when events such as a switch press or system tampering have occurred. Additionally, the devices include three types of non-volatile memory—EEPROM, SRAM and a Unique ID—which can be ordered blank or with a pre-programmed MAC address, as a standard product to further reduce component counts and lower costs associated with serialised programming. Along with the automatic battery switchover for backup power, a power-fail time stamp logs the time and duration of any power failure and, for accurate timekeeping over a broad temperature range, the devices feature a wide digital-trimming range that compensates for crystal frequency drift over temperature. In designs where a second low-frequency crystal is used, a boot-clock option provides a 32 kHz clock at power-up, reducing the need for a second crystal.


"With our new SPI RTCC devices, we offer customers a high-quality timekeeping solution that also meets many of their other system requirements," said Randy Drwinga, vice president of Microchip's Memory Products Division. "We made this possible by leveraging Microchip's core competencies and integrating an effective combination of features into a single device at a lower cost, which can be passed on to our customers."



Development Support



The MCP795XX SPI RTCC PICtail™ plus daughter board (part # AC164147) will be available for purchase in February 2012, at microchipDIRECT (http://www.microchip.com/get/FU5C). The board will work with Microchip's Explorer 16 Development Board (part # DM240001) and PIC18 Explorer Board (part # DM183032) to enable designers to demonstrate the MCP795WXX/BXX RTCC devices in their applications.



Packaging and availability



The MCP795WXX RTCC devices are available today in 14-pin SOIC and TSSOP packages. The MCP795BXX devices will be available in mid-December in the same package options. Both devices are available in 10,000-unit quantities. Samples can be ordered today, at http://www.microchip.com/get/9RSL. Volume-production quantities of the devices can be purchased today, at microchipDIRECT (http://www.microchip.com/get/FU5C). For further information, contact any Microchip sales representative or authorised worldwide distributor, or visit Microchip's Web site at http://www.microchip.com/get/321S. To purchase products mentioned in this press release, go to microchipDIRECT or contact one of Microchip's authorised distribution partners.


About Microchip Technology


Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHP) is a leading provider of microcontroller, analog and Flash-IP solutions, providing low-risk product development, lower total system cost and faster time to market for thousands of diverse customer applications worldwide. Headquartered in Chandler, Ariz., Microchip offers outstanding technical support along with dependable delivery and quality. For more information, visit the Microchip Web site (http://www.microchip.com/get/WB7C).

Microchip Technology delivers 10 billionth PICR microcontroller

Microchip Technology Inc., a leading provider of microcontroller, analog and Flash-IP solutions, today announced the shipment of its 10 billionth PIC® microcontroller (MCU) to Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. Microchip delivered this 10 billionth microcontroller, the 32-bit PIC32MX340F256 (http://www.microchip.com/get/N46K), approximately 10 months after delivering its nine billionth.


Today's announcement demonstrates the industry's continued acceptance of Microchip's 8-, 16- and 32-bit PIC microcontrollers as the high-performance, low-power, cost-effective solution for embedded-control designs and, in particular, offers further evidence of the accelerating growth of the company's 32-bit PIC32 microcontroller line.


"The shipment of our 10 billionth PIC microcontroller is a remarkable achievement, and shipping it to a giant in the electronics industry like Samsung makes it even more satisfying," said Microchip's president and CEO Steve Sanghi.

According to Sanghi, going from nine to 10 billion in less than a year is a significant accomplishment for Microchip, as it continues to gain worldwide market share. "We have reached this milestone because our PIC microcontroller portfolio, MPLAB® development systems, direct sales and sales-channel partners provide maximum benefits for customers to reach their design goals," he added.


A customer for many years, Samsung uses a broad range of Microchip's embedded-control solutions across many of its diverse product lines, including 8-, 16- and 32-bit PIC microcontrollers, analog and interface ICs, serial EEPROM memory devices, RF power amplifiers, and Flash memory devices.

"Our longstanding relationship with Microchip Technology has been beneficial to both parties, and we are quite pleased with the high performance provided by their growing 32-bit PIC32 microcontroller portfolio," said Sang Ryong Kim, vice president of R&D, Samsung Electronics, Digital Imaging Division. "We are honored to be the recipient of Microchip's 10 billionth PIC microcontroller."


Microchip serves more than 70,000 customers in over 65 countries, has shipped more than 1.15 million development tools to date, and partners with more than 130 global third-party tool manufacturers. Additionally, Microchip has a broad portfolio of more than 800 8-, 16- and 32-bit PIC microcontrollers, and is the only company to support all of its microcontrollers and digital signal controllers under a single integrated development environment – the free MPLAB X IDE, which is now open-source and enables cross-platform development using the Linux, Mac OS® and Windows® operating systems.



About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.



Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2010 consolidated sales of US$135.8 billion. Employing approximately 190,500 people in 206 offices across 68 countries, the company consists of nine independently operated business units: Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, Digital Imaging, Memory, System LSI and LCD. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, semiconductor chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit http://www.samsung.com/



About Microchip Technology

Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHP) is a leading provider of microcontroller, analog and Flash-IP solutions, providing low-risk product development, lower total system cost and faster time to market for thousands of diverse customer applications worldwide. Headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, Microchip offers outstanding technical support along with dependable delivery and quality. For more information, visit the Microchip website http://www.microchip.com/get/4EK2.



Note: The Microchip name and logo, PIC, and MPLAB are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the USA and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective companies.

IEEE Introduces Advanced Metering Standards for the first time in India

IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA), a globally recognized standards setting body within IEEE, today officially introduced two new standards IEEE 1701TM and IEEE 1702TM, to create a multi source plug and play communications environment for implementation of diverse smart metering devices, for the first time in India. While deployment of smart Meters and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) has been recognized as an important steps towards Smart Grid implementation and enhancing power efficiency in India, the issue of interoperability has significantly impacted the pace and quantity of smart meter roll out. With the introduction of the two standards, IEEE-SA aims to help address this basic issue. Both the IEEE 1701 and IEEE 1702 standards provide lower layer communication protocols for LAN/WAN ports and telephone ports, respectively, used in conjunction with utility metering. Both standards solve the problems associated with single source systems and with multi-source systems based upon proprietary communications protocols. Electric, water, and gas utilities and corresponding vendors can realize cost savings which ultimately shall benefit the client consumers of the utilities




Smart Meters will help provide automated real time meter reading and billing information, two way communications between the utility and the smart meter, delivery of voltage and power quality data to the utility and automated alarms to alert the utilities to operational issues and attempted power theft. Energy industry, regulators and law makers have been discussing interoperability of smart metering systems in India and the need to introduce standards to help construct a secure communications infrastructure for advanced metering.



William Ash, Strategic Program Manager, IEEE Standards Association commented, “The IEEE 1701 and IEEE 1702 standards is important to the utility industry because it will enable for true interoperability and will help accelerate Smart Meter deployment in India. Interchangeable meters promote faster and wider deployments of smart Meters and supporting services. Utilities are hesitant to ask one smart meter manufacturer to supply all of its needs and typically rely on more than one.



Srikanth Chandrasekaran, Chair - India SIG, IEEE-SA further explained, “Given the current problems facing Indian utilities in terms of revenue collection and the potential for rebalancing peak load, there is considerable incentive for adoption of Smart meters on mass scale. The Government’s current Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reform Programme is effectively a forerunner for a Smart Metering programme, given that it includes the enablement of power systems via introduction of ICT (Information and Communication Technology), with the primary goal of mitigating losses associated with energy theft and operating inefficiencies. Adoption of the IEEE 1701 and IEEE 1702 standards by utilities will play a key role in determining the attributes and operating characteristics of advanced metering infrastructure in the country.”



The IEEE 1701 is available for purchase at http://www.techstreet.com/ieee/cgi-bin/detail?vendor_id=5062. And IEEE 1702 is available for purchase at http://www.techstreet.com/ieee/cgi-bin/detail?vendor_id=5063.



About the IEEE Standards Association: The IEEE Standards Association, a globally recognized standards-setting body within IEEE, develops consensus standards through an open process that engages industry and brings together a broad stakeholder community. IEEE standards set specifications and best practices based on current scientific and technological knowledge. The IEEE-SA has a portfolio of over 900 active standards and more than 500 standards under development. For more information visit http://standards.ieee.org/. You can also visit us on Facebook at http www.facebook.com/ieeesa, follow us on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/ieeesa, or connect with us on the Standards Insight Blog at http://www.standardsinsight.com.



About IEEE: IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional association, is dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. Through its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities, IEEE is the trusted voice on a wide variety of areas ranging from aerospace systems, computers and telecommunications to biomedical engineering, electric power and consumer electronics. Learn more at http://www.ieee.org.

Chrontel Standardizes on Magma to Accelerate Development of Analog/Mixed-Signal ICs

Magma® Design Automation (Nasdaq: LAVA), a provider of chip design software, today announced Chrontel, a leading provider of display interface ICs for personal computers, portable media players and smartphones, has standardized on the Titan™ Mixed-Signal Design Platform, FineSim™ SPICE and FineSim Pro circuit simulation, and Quartz™ DRC and Quartz LVS physical verification products. Chrontel selected the Magma software after an extensive evaluation and benchmarking of the Titan-based flow against other EDA flows resulted in a 50 percent improvement in productivity.

“To keep up with the changing demands of the consumer market, our customers need a constant supply of innovative visual interface IC solutions,” said Dr. David Soo, president and CEO of Chrontel. “Magma’s comprehensive, highly integrated analog/mixed-signal design platform and simulation and verification solutions streamline our entire analog/mixed-signal design flow and allows us to deliver the high-quality, differentiated silicon our customers need – on time.”


“With the tight integration of Titan, FineSim and Quartz, analog designers can leverage faster throughput, higher capacity and more automation to develop innovative analog/mixed-signal ICs faster and more cost effectively,” said Anirudh Devgan, general manager of Magma's Custom Design Business Unit. “Chrontel’s decision to standardize on the Titan-based flow illustrates how Magma’s Silicon One initiative brings together superior technology, design expertise and our customers’ creativity to deliver profit-driving differentiated silicon.”


Silicon One Solution for Analog/Mixed-Signal Design

With Titan, FineSim and Quartz, Magma’s Silicon One solution for analog/mixed-signal designs provides the highest speed, capacity, and the required accuracy to be able to handle even the largest analog/mixed-signal SoC designs.

It includes Titan, a breakthrough analog automation and optimization product that is fully integrated into Magma’s Talus® digital implementation platform. The Titan platform delivers first-time-correct, predictable mixed-signal designs, without sacrificing performance, and shortens the design process by weeks. With automated mixed-signal assembly and verification, Titan provides an order-of-magnitude productivity improvement over other tool flows. FineSim provides fast, high-capacity circuit simulation that can be deployed for MCU, FPGA, interface and power management chips to fully simulate and verify these designs. The fully scalable Quartz DRC and Quartz LVS provide a superior alternative to traditional tools, allowing designers to handle more complex designs in less time with existing hardware.

About Magma
Top semiconductor makers worldwide use Magma’s electronic design automation (EDA) software to produce chips for electronic applications including tablet computing devices, mobile devices such as smartphones, electronic games, digital video, networking, military/aerospace and memory. Through its Silicon One initiative Magma unites innovative technology for digital and analog design and yield management with our customers’ design expertise to address time to market, product differentiation, cost and performance, making silicon more profitable. Magma products include software for digital design, analog implementation, mixed-signal design, physical verification, circuit simulation, characterization and yield management. The company maintains headquarters in San Jose, Calif., and offices throughout North America, Europe, Japan, Asia and India. Magma's stock trades on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol LAVA. Follow Magma on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/MagmaEDA and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Magma. Visit Magma Design Automation on the Web at www.magma-da.com.

SOLARCON India Advances Solar Workforce Development Initiatives in India

SEMI India will host the third edition of SOLARCON India, the region’s premier solar business and technology focused industry exposition and international conference from November 9 to 11 at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre in Hyderabad, India. The theme for this year’s exposition, representing the widening solar value chain in India, will be: “Showcasing the Solar eco-system: From polysilicon to power plants”. SOLARCON India will also feature a certificate short course on “Grid Connected Solar PV Systems: Design and Integration” in technical collaboration with the prestigious National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education (NCPRE) at IIT Bombay. The short course is part of a workforce development initiative determined as a priority by the SEMI India PV Advisory Committee to support the solar industry in India and the goals of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission.


“As a trade association we believe in bringing together our members with industry leaders to work collaboratively on issues such as workforce development” said Debasish Paul Choudhury, president, SEMI India. “SOLARCON India is not just another show in India. It is a platform to give voice to the solar manufacturing industry and eco-system in India and to further serve our constituents through a wide range of initiatives such as industry standards, public policy, market research and environmental, health and safety (EHS) programs.”

The SEMI India PV Advisory Committee represents companies that include manufacturers, equipment and materials suppliers, solar power project developers and academia, and connects the complete PV supply chain in India. The 15 members represent: Tata BP Solar, Applied Materials India, Lanco Solar, Solar Semiconductor, Moser Baer India, Titan Energy Systems, Oerlikon Solar, Websol Energy Solutions Ltd., SunEdison Energy India Pvt. Ltd., AES Solar Energy Pvt Ltd., Department of Energy Science and Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, and Siemens Ltd.


Prior to SOLARCON India, SEMI, is organizing a short course on “Solar PV Power Systems: Concepts, Operation and Applications”, in technical collaboration with the NCPRE from August 24-26 in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Rajasthan is emerging as a major destination for solar PV investment and solar power plants activity in India.and is one of three regions in India that will make up 70% of India’s market growth in 2011 due to favorable state policies. (Source: Solarbuzz, August 2011)

About SEMI and PV Group

SEMI is the global industry association serving the nano and microelectronics manufacturing. The SEMI PV Group represents SEMI member companies involved in the solar energy supply chain. SEMI member companies are the engine of the future, enabling smarter, faster and more economical products that improve our lives. SEMI maintains offices in Beijing, Bengaluru, Berlin, Brussels, Grenoble, Hsinchu, Moscow, San Jose, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C. SEMI India, the Indian arm of the global industry organization SEMI was established in 2008 in Bangalore. For more information visit www.semi.org and http://www.pvgroup.org/. Follow SEMI India at http://in.linkedin.com/in/semiindia and http://twitter.com/SEMIIndia

Microchip's first six-channel analog front end for three-phase energy metering offers industry-leading accuracy

Microchip Technology Inc., a leading provider of microcontroller, analog and Flash-IP solutions, today announced its first high-accuracy, stand-alone six-channel analog front end (AFE) for three-phase energy metering. The MCP3903 AFE includes six 16-/24-bit Delta-Sigma analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and offers industry-leading accuracy, with a signal-to-noise and distortion (SINAD) of 89 dB (typical) and total harmonic distortion (THD) of -99 dB (typical). Additional integrated features include programmable gain amplifiers (PGAs), a low-drift voltage reference and phase-delay compensation, for a reduced external component count that increases design flexibility and lowers costs. The MCP3903 AFE is ideal for the utility and industrial markets, such as in utility meters, power-monitoring devices and instrumentation devices.

Government regulations and trends in smart metering, along with the Advanced Metering Infrastructure, have dramatically increased the need for products that offer precise measurements in multi-phase metering, while simplifying designs and reducing costs. The MCP3903 delivers this functionality by providing a highly accurate solution with integrated features that enable design flexibility. The MCP3903's six 16-/24-bit Delta-Sigma ADCs enable the simultaneous sampling of six inputs, making it ideal for three-phase power monitoring and metering, while its industry-leading accuracy allows for higher-accuracy products.


"The MCP3903 AFE provides engineers with a highly accurate solution for the growing smart-metering and power-monitoring market," said Bryan J. Liddiard, vice president of marketing with Microchip's Analog and Interface Products Division. "This device's integrated features enable more precise measurements than competing solutions, with reduced design time and lower cost."


Packaging and availability

The MCP3903 is available in a 28-pin SSOP package in 10,000-unit quantities. Samples are available today, at http://www.microchip.com/get/SLAF. Volume-production quantities can be ordered today at http://www.microchip.com/get/3N16. For additional information, contact any Microchip sales representative or authorized worldwide distributor, or visit Microchip's web site at http://www.microchip.com/get/1NKJ. To purchase products mentioned in this press release, go to microchipDIRECT or contact one of Microchip's authorized distribution partners.

About Microchip Technology

Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHP) is a leading provider of microcontroller, analog and Flash-IP solutions, providing low-risk product development, lower total system cost and faster time to market for thousands of diverse customer applications worldwide. Headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, Microchip offers outstanding technical support along with dependable delivery and quality. For more information, visit the Microchip web site at http://www.microchip.com/get/C0QT

Magma Design Automation announces TSMC Qualifies Magma's QCP Extractor for 28-nm Designs

Magma Design Automation Inc. (Nasdaq:LAVA), a provider of chip design solutions, today announced TSMC has included the QCP™ extractor in TSMC’s quarterly EDA qualification report for 28-nanometer (nm) integrated circuits (ICs). This qualification gives designers additional confidence in using QCP to address the increasing complexity of ICs implemented in TSMC’s 28-nm processes.


New device structures and the growing number of metal layers used at the 28-nm node are introducing many additional parasitic effects that can affect the performance of ICs. To create simulation models that accurately predict circuit performance, designers need accurate extraction capabilities. QCP meets TSMC’s 28-nm process requirements for via etch, multi-dimensional etch tables, contact biasing and additional via rules to ensure required support. In addition to meeting the complex requirements of 28-nm design, QCP provides advanced extraction capabilities for ICs implemented in 40-nm and larger process technologies.







"Close collaboration with strategic partners continues to be the key to achieving TSMC’s goal of providing the IC industry's most advanced design ecosystem,” said Suk Lee, director, Design Infrastructure Marketing Division, TSMC. “Qualifying QCP, Magma’s next-generation extraction tool, is another milestone in ensuring mutual customers’ silicon success at 28 nm.”

“Already proven to provide faster multi-corner extraction than traditional tools, the adoption of QCP is rapidly increasing,” said Premal Buch, general manager of Magma's Design Implementation Business Unit. “TSMC’s qualification of QCP provides our customers additional confidence in its ability to quickly and accurately extract parasitics on 28-nm designs.”


QCP: Meeting the Extraction Challenges of 28-nm Design



QCP was architected to provide the fastest extraction with the highest accuracy. QCP provides near-linear scalability on multi-processor machines, enabling design teams to reduce runtimes and speed timing closure. It also addresses multi-corner process, voltage and temperature (PVT) problems that emerge at 28 nm by enabling additional corners to be extracted with only a minimal increase in runtime.


About Magma

Top semiconductor makers worldwide use Magma’s electronic design automation (EDA) software to produce chips for electronic applications including tablet computing devices, mobile devices such as smartphones, electronic games, digital video, networking, military/aerospace and memory. Magma products provide the "Fastest Path to Silicon”™ and include software for digital design, analog implementation, mixed-signal design, physical verification, circuit simulation, characterization and yield management. The company maintains headquarters in San Jose, Calif., and offices throughout North America, Europe, Japan, Asia and India. Magma's stock trades on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol LAVA. Follow Magma on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/MagmaEDA and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Magma. Visit Magma Design Automation on the Web at www.magma-da.com

Microchip and Digilent launch first ArduinoT compatible 32-bit microcontr​oller developmen​t platform

Microchip Technology Inc., a leading provider of microcontroller, analog and Flash-IP solutions, and Digilent, Inc. today launched the first 32-bit-microcontroller-based, open-source development platform that is compatible with Arduino™ hardware and software.  Designed and manufactured by Digilent, a Microchip Authorized Design Partner, the chipKIT™ platform is the first and only 32-bit Arduino solution in the industry to enable hobbyists and academics to easily, and inexpensively, integrate electronics into their projects, even if they do not have an electronic-engineering background.

The platform consists of two PIC32-based development boards and open-source software that is compatible with the Arduino programming language and development environment, thanks to the incredible work done by Mark Sproul and Rick Anderson through Fair Use Building and Research Labs.  The chipKIT hardware is compatible with existing 3.3V Arduino shields and applications, and can be developed using a modified version of the Arduino IDE and existing Arduino resources, such as code examples, libraries, references and tutorials.  The platform provides an unprecedented level of features for the Arduino community, and four times the performance of any existing Arduino solution at a low price. A video can be viewed online at (feel free to embed on your site): http://www.microchip.com/get/D268.

Hobbyists and academics from many disciplines, such as mechanical engineering, computer science and even art, want easy-to-use, low-cost solutions for creating projects.  The PIC32-based chipKIT boards enable 80 MHz performance, and provide up to 512 KB

Flash, with up to 128 KB RAM.  The boards feature connectivity peripherals, including Ethernet, CAN, and USB (Full-Speed Host, Device and OTG); plus peripherals such as multiple timers, a 16-channel 1 MSPS Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC), two comparators, and multiple I2C™, SPI, and UART interfaces.  Not only is chipKIT the first Arduino-compatible platform to provide 32-bit performance, but Microchip's PIC32 microcontroller is also the highest performance 32-bit microcontroller in its class, featuring the industry-leading MIPS32® M4K® core from MIPS Technologies, Inc.

A tremendous software engineering effort has been invested to ensure maximum compatibility with existing Arduino shields, applications and courseware.  The Arduino programming environment has been modified and extended so that it supports the PIC32-based chipKIT boards, as well as traditional Arduino boards.  The Arduino standard libraries have been also been modified to support chipKIT boards and traditional Arduino boards.  All of this work has been contributed back to the open-source Arduino community.  Aside from a small number of shields that require 5V operation, many existing Arduino hardware and software sketches are compatible with the chipKIT platform, without modification.

"Students, educators and hobbyists, with or without electronic-engineering backgrounds, are looking for inexpensive solutions that will enable them to easily integrate electronics into their projects," said Derek Carlson, Microchip's vice president of Development Systems.  "The chipKIT boards and software meet these needs, providing far more features, performance and functionality than any other Arduino solution on the market, at a low cost."

"The chipKIT platform is the first and only 32-bit solution of its kind in the industry," said Clint Cole, president of Digilent, Inc. "Academics and hobbyists can plug the boards into their design, download the open-source software and have their project up and running in minutes."

Art Swift, vice president of marketing and business development for MIPS Technologies, Inc., said, "The chipKIT platform enables academia and hobbyists to experience the superior performance efficiency of the MIPS® architecture, which many professional electronics designers have preferred for years."

Board-specific features and availability
The chipKIT Uno32™ (part # TDGL002) development board is a clone of the Arduino Uno board, and features 128 KB Flash program memory and 16 KB RAM, with two each of the I2C, SPI and UART peripherals. A clone of the Arduino Mega board, the chipKIT Max32™ (part # TDGL003) development board features 512 KB Flash program memory and 128 KB RAM, with USB, CAN and Ethernet communication, as well as 5 each I2C, 4 each SPI, and 6 each UART peripherals.  Both chipKIT boards can be ordered today, http://www.microchip.com/get/TDD2.  Additionally, the open-source software for both boards is available today at http://www.microchip.com/get/TDD2.  chipKIT Network and I/O Shields are expected to be available in June 2011.
About Digilent, Inc:
Digilent, Inc. is a leader in providing academic and research solutions to high-end electronics fields. Their headquarters are in Pullman, Washington, with offices in Taiwan, China, and Romania.  Currently, over 1,000 universities, training centers and research laboratories in more than 70 countries use Digilent products and services. For more information, please visit the Digilent Web site (http://www.microchip.com/get/VUSS).Microchip expands MiWi™ wireless development environment
for IEEE 802.15.4 2.4 GHz and unlicensed sub-GHz networks
 
About Microchip Technology:
Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:  MCHP) is a leading provider of microcontroller, analog and Flash-IP solutions, providing low-risk product development, lower total system cost and faster time to market for thousands of diverse customer applications worldwide.  Headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, Microchip offers outstanding technical support along with dependable delivery and quality.  For more information, visit the Microchip website at http://www.microchip.com/get/L3UR.

Magma and Fraunhofer IIS Partner to Accelerate Analog Implementa​tion

Magma Design Automation Inc. (Nasdaq: LAVA), a provider of chip design software, today announced a partnership with Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS, developer of microelectronic systems and devices, to develop process-independent Titan™ FlexCell models of the Institute’s analog intellectual property (IP) cores. Through the partnership, Magma will provide Fraunhofer IIS with access to Titan analog design accelerators and FineSim SPICE simulation technology and will assist in creating models of complex analog macro cells, including analog-digital converters (ADC). With the availability of a wider range of Titan FlexCells and expert consulting services, developers using Magma tools and Fraunhofer IIS IP can accelerate analog design implementation.

“We will be developing full FlexCell models to enable design teams to quickly adopt and integrate our analog IP into their mixed-signal designs,” said Johann Hauer, chip design expert of Fraunhofer IIS. “Our first implementations will be ADC macro cells. One of the major strengths of our institution is the ability to model circuits and systems. We believe the FlexCell process-independent representation and the Titan suite of accelerators is an ideal way to deliver our analog IP.”

“With more than 750 researchers in microelectronics including audio and video coding, telecommunications, imaging and integrated circuit design, Fraunhofer IIS is a world-renowned center of expertise for digital and analog development,” said Anirudh Devgan, general manager of Magma’s Custom Design Business Unit. “The company’s analog IP and design consultancy, coupled with our best-in-class analog design infrastructure provides a winning solution.”

Magma FlexCells: Four Views of IP
FlexCells are modular, reusable IP building blocks for analog design. The cells include all the information necessary to optimize common functions using Titan ADX to generate custom analog designs. They comprise four views of the IP: the FlexCell Circuit Model, a mathematical description of the circuit function, constraints and topology; the Physical Model, a set of process-independent constraints to guide the floorplanning and placement of the design layout; a Schematic, a transistor-level schematic of the circuit design; and testbenches, which provide stimulus and analysis of the design functionality and performance.
 
Titan: Accelerating Analog Design
Magma's mixed-signal system-on-chip (SoC) design environment includes the comprehensive Titan Mixed-Signal Design Platform and Titan Accelerators. The Titan Mixed-Signal Platform is the industry's first true mixed-signal design platform that integrates implementation and verification while delivering first-time-correct, predictable mixed-signal designs. It includes user-friendly, full-custom schematic and layout editors, an analog simulation environment and correct-by-design schematic-driven layout.

Titan Accelerators are advanced technology solutions that dramatically improve analog/mixed-signal design productivity and reuse. Titan Analog Design Accelerator (Titan ADX) is a model-based analog design and optimization tool that enables analog design reuse. Titan ADX creates new designs from Magma's library of FlexCell building blocks and makes existing designs reusable as FlexCell models. Titan Analog Virtual Prototyper (Titan AVP) is a layout-aware schematic design tool that performs simultaneous electrical and physical co-design for rapid schematic-to-layout convergence. Titan Analog Layout Accelerator (Titan ALX) automates migration of analog cell layouts to new process technologies while preserving design intent. Titan Shape-Based Router (Titan SBR) automates difficult routing tasks improving routing productivity by a factor of 10.

See Magma at DAC
To learn more about Titan accelerators, Titan FlexCells and FineSim, visit Magma in booth number 1743 at the 48th Design Automation Conference, June 6-8 in the San Diego Convention Center. Magma will offer demos of its complete line of technology-leading solutions that streamline customization of high-performance core designs, facilitate implementation of large SoCs, automate analog/mixed-signal design and reuse, provide the fastest throughput and predictable closure of complex application-specific chips and enable cost-effective, highly reliable memory sub system design. For more information about Magma at DAC, visit www.magma-da.com/DAC.
 
About Fraunhofer IIS

Founded in 1985 the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS in Erlangen, -today with more than 750 staff members, ranks first among the Fraunhofer Institutes concerning headcount and revenues. As the main inventor of mp3 and co-inventor of the MPEG 4 AAC audio coding standard, Fraunhofer IIS has reached worldwide recognition. It provides research services on contract basis and technology licensing. The research topics are: Audio and video source coding, multimedia realtime -systems, digital radio broadcasting and digital cinema systems, integrated circuits and sensor systems, design automation, wireless, wired and optical networks, localization and navigation, imaging systems and nanofocus X- ray technology, high-speed cameras, medical sensor solutions and supply chain services. The budget of more than 92 million Euro is mainly financed by projects from industry, the -service sector and public authorities. Less than 25 percent of the budget is subsidized by federal and state funds.

About Magma
Top semiconductor makers worldwide use Magma’s electronic design automation (EDA) software to produce chips for electronic applications including tablet computing devices, mobile devices such as smartphones, electronic games, digital video, networking, military/aerospace and memory. Magma products provide the "Fastest Path to Silicon”™ and include software for digital design, analog implementation, mixed-signal design, physical verification, circuit simulation, characterization and yield management. The company maintains headquarters in San Jose, Calif., and offices throughout North America, Europe, Japan, Asia and India. Magma's stock trades on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol LAVA. Follow Magma on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/MagmaEDA and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Magma. Visit Magma Design Automation on the Web at www.magma-da.com.

Microchip unveils open-source integrated development environment with cross-platform support for Linux, Mac OS and Windows users

Microchip Technology Inc., a leading provider of microcontroller, analog and Flash-IP solutions, today launched its next-generation, open-source integrated development environment—the MPLAB X IDE—with cross-platform support for Linux, Mac OS® and Windows operating systems. A host of high-performance features have been added to the new IDE, including the ability to manage multiple projects and tools with simultaneous debugging, an advanced editor, visual call graphs and code completion. And MPLAB X is unique in the industry with its support for an entire portfolio of 8, 16 and 32-bit microcontrollers – including all 800+ PIC microcontrollers, dsPIC digital signal controllers and memory devices. Watch a video demonstration of the new MPLAB X IDE: http://www.microchip.com/get/685M


The designers of today's leading-edge embedded applications are demanding an IDE that provides a solid foundation for high-performance, user-friendly and flexible development. They also want it to be compatible with a wide range of development tools for a broad and reliable microcontroller portfolio with easy migration, to decrease the learning curve and protect their tool and code investments. MPLAB X provides a single, unified graphical interface for Microchip and third-party tools, including the MPLAB ICD 3, PICkit 3 and MPLAB REAL ICE debugger/programmers.


"By combining the feature-rich MPLAB X IDE with the high-performance and migration-friendly PIC® MCU portfolio, Microchip is taking its industry-leading development support to the next level," said Derek Carlson, Microchip's vice president of Development Systems. "Now more than ever, Microchip provides embedded designers with the world's most universal, flexible and easy to use microcontroller development platform."


MPLAB X is based on the Oracle-sponsored open-source NetBeans platform, which has an active user community that can contribute a wide range of enhancements and third-party plug-ins. In fact, Microchip customers can take advantage of a host of free NetBeans software components and plug-ins that exist today. Additionally, the NetBeans platform allows MPLAB X users to customize the IDE to suit their individual development needs.


"Microchip has built upon the flexible and open-source NetBeans platform to significantly advance their MPLAB X IDE," said Duncan Mills, senior director Product Management, Oracle. "MPLAB X maintains the core benefits of NetBeans, enabling developers to quickly and easily deploy optimized embedded applications."

"Microchip is once again living up to its well-earned reputation for providing low-cost yet powerful embedded development platforms for its highly functional and peripheral-rich PIC microcontrollers," said Harold Foster, chief engineer, Accompli Electronic Controls. "In fact, Microchip provides the kind of support that is unattainable for its competitors. By moving to an open-source, cross-platform environment with the new MPLAB X IDE, Microchip has raised the bar even higher."


Additional features of the new MPLAB X IDE include:

· Import utility for quick and easy migration of projects from old MPLAB IDE platform


· Code completion and context menus via advanced editor


· Configurable watch window


· Supports multiple compiler versions, simultaneously

· Team collaboration tools for bug tracking and source-code control

Availability

Explore the MPLAB X IDE today, via a free download from http://www.microchip.com/get/D413. For additional information, contact any Microchip sales representative or authorized worldwide distributor, or visit Microchip's Web site at http://www.microchip.com/get/D413. Microchip invites your feedback via the MPLAB X Users' Forum at http://www.microchip.com/get/M6RA. Engineering time is crucial, so Microchip is continuing to support the current MPLAB 8 environment to help ensure that there are no disruptions on active projects.


About Microchip Technology

Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHP) is a leading provider of microcontroller, analog and Flash-IP solutions, providing low-risk product development, lower total system cost and faster time to market for thousands of diverse customer applications worldwide. Headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, Microchip offers outstanding technical support along with dependable delivery and quality. For more information, visit the Microchip website at http://www.microchip.com/get/2G43

Microchip expands low-power leadership with latest 16-bit eXtreme low power PICR microcontrollers

Microchip Technology Inc., a leading provider of microcontroller, analog and Flash-IP solutions, has expanded its low pin-count 16-bit eXtreme Low Power PIC® MCUs by adding an on-chip 12-bit ADC, EEPROM, intelligent mTouch™ capacitive sensing, and the capability to run from a 5V supply. Featuring extremely low sleep currents down to 20 nA, for which all XLP PIC MCUs are known, the PIC24F32KA304 MCUs provide designers with the most versatile low-power products available today—giving them an edge in designing industrial, automotive, medical, utility metering, white goods and many other applications.


The PIC24F32KA304 family expands upon the popular PIC24F16KA family by adding twice as much Flash program memory and 30% more RAM, which provides even more support for wireless-communication protocol stacks. Additionally, the numbers of timers and Pulse-Width Modulators were tripled; the numbers of UART, I2C™ and SPI channels doubled; the Analog-to-Digital Converter resolution quadrupled to 12-bits; and the pin count increased to 44-pins, over the PIC24F16KA family.

The new PIC24F32KA304 MCUs’ intelligent mTouch sensing module includes a Charge Time Measurement Unit (CTMU) that performs automated scan in sleep mode, enabling extremely low-power capacitive sensing. Further, as many touch-sensing applications are battery powered, this new CTMU dramatically reduces current, thereby conserving even more battery power. As many automotive and white-good applications require operation up to 5V, these MCUs simplify power-supply design by eliminating the need for discrete voltage regulators, and providing full analog performance up to 5V.

"Microchip’s award-winning XLP technology is giving low-power designers what they have asked for—the world’s lowest sleep and active currents, multiple wake-up sources, and more peripherals that operate in sleep without CPU intervention," said Mitch Obolsky, vice president of Microchip’s Advanced Microcontroller Architecture Division. "Joining more than 100 MCUs featuring XLP technology, the PIC24F32KA304 family’s smart and more numerous peripherals give designers the ability to add application features without the customary increase in power consumption."

Development Support

Microchip also announced the availability of the PIC24F32KA304 Plug-In Module for the Explorer 16 Development Board Alternatively, 20- and 28-pin PDIP packages are supported by the XLP 16-bit Development Board. The MPLAB® IDE, MPLAB C Compiler for PIC24 MCUs and dsPIC® DSCs, MPLAB ICD3 In-Circuit Debugger and PICkit™ 3 Debugger/Programmer are also available. All of these tools can be purchased today, at http://www.microchip.com/get/492M.


Packaging and Availability

The PIC24F(FV)32KA304 MCU is available in 44-pin TQFP and 8 mm x 8 mm QFN packages, as well as a 48-pin 6 mm x 6 mm UQFN package. The PIC24F(FV)32KA302 MCU is available in 28-pin SOIC, SSOP, SPDIP and 6 mm x 6 mm QFN packages. The lowest pin-count options include the PIC24F(FV)16KA301 MCUs, which are available in 20-pin PDIP, SOIC and SSOP packages. The PIC24FXXKA3XX products operate from 1.8 to 3.6V, while PIC24FVXXKA3XX versions operate from 2 to 5V.

Samples are available today, at http://www.microchip.com/get/J8FX. Volume-production quantities can be purchased today at microchipDIRECT (http://www.microchip.com/get/492M). For further information, contact any Microchip sales representative or authorized worldwide distributor, or visit Microchip’s Web site at http://www.microchip.com/get/9MBT.


About Microchip Technology

Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHP) is a leading provider of microcontroller, analog and Flash-IP solutions, providing low-risk product development, lower total system cost and faster time to market for thousands of diverse customer applications worldwide. Headquartered in Chandler, Ariz., Microchip offers outstanding technical support along with dependable delivery and quality. For more information, visit the Microchip Web site (http://www.microchip.com/get/5C4K).

IEEE Launches Smart Grid Interoperability Standards Project in India

IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA), a globally recognized standards setting body within IEEE, today officially introduced its globally reputed project, the “IEEE P2030TM Draft Guide for Smart Grid Interoperability of Energy Technology and Information Technology Operation with the Electric Power System (EPS) and End-Use Applications and Loads”, in India. Interoperability has been one of the key concerns in building a Smart Grid in India, like in many other regions of the world and the project aims to address this. IEEE-SA’s India Standards Interest Group (SIG) announced in February 2011 will work closely with IEEE P2030 Working Group to introduce interoperability standards in India later this year, enabling faster implementation of Smart Grid.

Leveraging the technical breadth of IEEE-SA and its open standards development process, IEEE P2030 will provide a knowledge base for understanding and defining Smart Grid interoperability of the electric power system with end use applications and loads. It will involve the integration of energy technology and information and communications technologies, slated to be among the most important essentials to achieve seamless operation for electric generation, delivery, and end-use benefits that will permit two-way power flow with communication and control.
The draft guide is available for purchase at http://www.techstreet.com/ieee/standards/ieee/2030?product_id=1781311

Dick DeBlasio, Chair, IEEE-SA P2030 Working Group commented, “The approval of IEEE P2030 represents a significant milestone for IEEE, the public, industry and Governments across countries, especially with the global focus on bringing intelligence and standardization to the way energy is transmitted, distributed, managed and kept secure. And it strongly addresses the need to reduce energy transmission's carbon footprint. India is among the most promising and growing Smart Grid markets in the world and we firmly believe that IEEE P2030 will define key elements of a modern, intelligent grid and accelerate progress in making Smart Grid a success in India.”
Srikanth Chandrasekaran, Chair - India SIG, IEEE-SA further explained, “IEEE P2030 will provide urgently needed guidelines for Smart Grid interoperability, building on the many technologies used in the electric power system and merging these with communication, monitoring, and analysis technologies and capabilities. Interconnection and intra-facing frameworks and strategies with design definitions are addressed in this standard, providing guidance in expanding the current knowledge base. This expanded knowledge base is a key element in grid architectural designs and operations and leads to a more reliable and flexible electric power system. The IEEE P2030 standards project will support the goal of the India Smart Grid Task Force to coordinate the development of interoperability standards, critical to achieve the Smart Grid vision in India.”

About the IEEE Standards Association: The IEEE Standards Association, a globally recognized standards-setting body within IEEE, develops consensus standards through an open process that engages industry and brings together a broad stakeholder community. IEEE standards set specifications and best practices based on current scientific and technological knowledge. The IEEE-SA has a portfolio of over 900 active standards and more than 500 standards under development. For more information visit http://standards.ieee.org/. You can also visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ieeesa, follow us on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/ieeesa, or connect with us on the Standards Insight Blog at http://www.standardsinsight.com/

About IEEE: IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional association, is dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. Through its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities, IEEE is the trusted voice on a wide variety of areas ranging from aerospace systems, computers and telecommunications to biomedical engineering, electric power and consumer electronics. Learn more at http://www.ieee.org/

Microchip introduces low-cost 8-bit PIC® microcontrollers with eXtreme low power technology and integrated LCD control

Microchip Technology Inc., a leading provider of microcontroller, analog and Flash-IP solutions, has announced an expansion of its 8-bit segmented LCD microcontroller (MCU) family with five new devices—the PIC16LF1902/3/4/6/7 (PIC16LF190X) MCUs. The PIC16LF190X family supports many general-purpose applications and enables the implementation of LCD into low-power and cost-sensitive designs, such as security tokens, smart cards, medical devices, home appliances, key fobs or any application involving a segmented LCD. Featuring eXtreme Low Power (XLP) technology for sleep currents down to 20 nA, and a typical active current of 35 microamperes per MHz, the MCUs extend battery life, while maintaining accurate timing with a RTC and driving a segmented LCD.


Utilising Microchip's Enhanced Mid-range architecture, the PIC16LF190X family provides fundamental features and performance without burdening customers with the cost of unused peripherals. These MCUs provide an optimised feature set, including up to 14 KB of Flash program memory, up to 512 Bytes of RAM, up to 14 10-bit Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) channels, serial communication, temperature indicator and the capability to drive up to 116 LCD segments. With the addition of XLP technology for extended battery life, and capabilities such as utilising the integrated temperature indicator to provide crystal-accuracy compensation, low-power RTC support and low voltage-detect support utilising the internal ADC and voltage reference, the MCUs enable low-cost LCD solutions for a multitude of portable devices.


"With industry-leading low power and an optimised feature set, the PIC16LF190X family is designed for any low-power segmented LCD or general-purpose application," said Steve Drehobl, vice president of Microchip's Security, Microcontroller & Technology Development Division.


Development Support



The PIC16LF190X MCUs are supported by the F1 Evaluation Kit (part # DM164132) and Platform (part # DM164130-1), as well as the PICkit™ 3 In-Circuit Debugger (part # PG164130). Designers can also utilise the full suite of MPLAB® development tools, including the MPLAB IDE, MPLAB ICD3, REAL ICE™ In-Circuit Emulator, and HI-TECH C® compiler for PIC10/12/16 MCUs. All of these tools can be purchased at http://www.microchipdirect.com.


MCU Packaging & Availability



The PIC16LF1902, PIC16LF1903 and PIC16LF1906 MCUs are all available in 28-pin SPDIP, SOIC, SSOP and 4 mm x 4 mm UQFN and die packages. The PIC16LF1904 and PIC16LF1907 MCUs are available in 40-pin PDIP, 5 mm x 5 mm UQFN and die packages, as well as a 44-pin TQFP. Samples are available at http://www.microchip.com/sample. Volume-production quantities can be ordered at microchipDIRECT (http://www.microchipdirect.com). For further information, contact any Microchip sales representative or authorised worldwide distributor, or visit Microchip's Web site at http://www.microchip.com/lcd. To purchase products mentioned in this press release, go to microchipDIRECT or contact one of Microchip's authorised distribution partners.


About Microchip Technology



Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHP) is a leading provider of microcontroller, analog and Flash-IP solutions, providing low-risk product development, lower total system cost and faster time to market for thousands of diverse customer applications worldwide. Headquartered in Chandler, Ariz., Microchip offers outstanding technical support along with dependable delivery and quality. For more information, visit the Microchip Web site (http://www.microchip.com/)