July 2000
CONTENTS
FEATURE
1-Chip
RF Transceiver Equips Mobile Units With Modem
MARKET NEWS
Sony, Matsushita, Toshiba In Broadcasting
Tie-Up
MPT To Support Development Of Quantum Information
For Future Telecom Technology
Sharp, Pioneer Tie-Up
To Develop DVD Recorders
NEW TECHNOLOGY
Sumitomo Electric Triples Fiber-Optic Network
Capacity
Sony Develops 1.3GB Double-Density CD Formats
Sony
To Launch Handheld Computer In Japan, U.S.
MULTIMEDIA ALERT
Takagi To Offer Easy-Use 100,000 Pixels
Digital Camera
UUNET Launches Japan’s First Commercial Multicast
Distribution Services
Laser Diodes With Two Wavelengths
Become Viable
BIOSCIENCE DEVELOPMENT
Hitachi’s Face-Reading Tech To Help
Handicapped People Operates PCs
Hitachi Debuts Monitor
For Dioxin Generation
ENVIRONMENT
NKK, Mitsui, Sanyo To Set Up Home Appliance
Recycling Joint Venture
Nippon Shokubai Develops
Eco-Friendly L-Aspartic Acid
SEMICONDUCTOR
Fujitsu Introduces New Multi-Chip Package
Featuring Stacked, High-Density Flash Memory And FCRAM
Tessera Establishes Asia Pacific Operations, Appoints
Kosaku Sasaki As General Manager Of Region
Fujitsu
Ships Samples of Stack MCP Combining 16Mb Flash, FCRAM
SPECIAL SECTION
‘Single-Chip-Mobile-Phone
IC Inside’ May Replace Bluetooth
STRATEGIC ALLIANCES
JAPAN IN THE UNITED
STATES
UNITED STATES
IN JAPAN
1-Chip RF Transceiver Equips Mobile Units with Modem
Soon, radio frequency (RF) transceivers will be built into everything - whether indoor or out, everything is moving to offer quick and easy access to the Internet. The RF transceiver will eventually become the standard wireless modem in portable equipment, just as the 56k modem has established itself as a standard. Industry observers are making this prediction with confidence, as recently, an RF transceiver for use in mobile phones was released in a single-chip implementation. This RF transceiver integrated circuit (IC) will be built into various portable systems, leaving baseband processing in mobile phones and datacom for the microprocessor (MPU) or digital signal processor (DSP). With a single-chip RF transceiver every piece of portable equipment could contain a "software mobile phone."As mobile phones grow increasingly smaller and lighter, the need for a single-chip RF transceiver has increased accordingly. Until now, miniaturization has been achieved through the use of Li-ion rechargeable batteries, multi-layer printed circuit boards (PCB), compact packages and plastic liquid crystal display (LCD) panels. Little has been done in the past to improve the level of integration of RF circuitry. The reasons for this have included the large number of passive components in RF circuits, hesitance to tackle the difficult problem of optimizing analog circuits, and the complication of different process technologies used for different components.Phone manufacturers and component manufacturers can no longer afford to sweep these problems under the rug, however, because in addition to rising demand for smaller, lighter units, there is also intense demand for lower prices. In particular, phone manufacturers have assigned cost as the top priority for the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) standard mobile phone market. In short, the single-chip RF transceiver has become essential. Component manufacturers are facing demand for cost reduction in the order of 25% to 30% a year. Many firms in the business agree that cost reduction on this level cannot be achieved through mere fine-tuning; a major change, backed up by major capital investment, is needed.There seem to be two different ideas about what this "major change" will mean. The first involves SiGe bipolar complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology, a manufacturing process suited to semiconductor devices with high-frequency analog circuits. The second involves the adoption of the Zero IF or direct conversion architectures for enabling major reductions in component counts. Both approaches are directed at resolving immediate mobile phone problems, but will come into full-scale use in the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 (IMT-2000) third-generation (3G) mobile communications network which uses the 2.4GHz band, Bluetooth short-haul wireless datacom technology and 5GHz waveband high-speed wireless local area networks (LAN).SiGe bipolar CMOS technology will be used for the high-frequency RF components that are currently manufactured with GaAs technology. These include the mixer and low-noise amplifier (LNA), located near the antenna. Using conventional Si bipolar CMOS technology, it is difficult to make high-frequency RF components that provide the required dissipation and noise figure (NF) performance demanded by the standard. If high-frequency RF components can be manufactured with SiGe bipolar CMOS technology, then it will be possible to single-chip them with other RF components. Matsushita Electronics Corp, for example, is single-chipping the LNA and mixer, currently available as a GaAs microwave monolithic IC (MMIC), by using SiGe bipolar technology. Volume production is scheduled to start sometime between October 2000 and March 2001. About a year after that, the firm plans to integrate the voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) and other frequency synthesizer components into the RF transceiver. The cut-off frequency is expected to be just over 50GHz.Other component manufacturers are also developing SiGe bipolar CMOS technology optimized for implementations of RF circuits for the 2.4GHz waveband. Texas Instruments Inc (TI), for example, has developed a variety of SiGe bipolar CMOS technologies that offer lower dissipation and NF in this waveband. With an operating frequency of 2.5GHz, the current consumption of the SiGe bipolar transistor is only 20nA, and the NF is 0.5dB.
Sony, Matsushita, Toshiba In Broadcasting Tie-Up
Three rival Japanese electronics makers expanded a rare alliance to build up a market for interactive TV services using digital satellite broadcasting, a potential growth area in Japan's changing media industry. The three -- Sony Corp., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co Ltd and Toshiba Corp -- produce half of all TV sets sold in Japan. The firms plan to ask other companies to join the alliance, whose first step will be to set up a task force to develop security and other technology for interactive services using next-generation multi-channel digital satellite broadcasting. Expected demand for interactive TV services could translate into a potential growth area for Japan's budding digital satellite broadcasting industry. All five commercial broadcasting firms including NTV plan to launch digital satellite-TV services in December using a broadcast satellite. Nippon Television Network Corp (NTV), one of Japan's five commercial broadcasters, said in May that it hopes to organize a consortium of companies to move into the communications satellite industry. That move reflects intensifying competition in the Japanese TV market with the growth of SkyPerfecTV, which became Japan's only commercial satellite TV broadcaster after buying DirecTV Japan from a group led by U.S.-based Hughes Electronics Corp. SkyPerfecTV -- partly owned by NTV's arch rival Fuji Television Network, Sony and Hughes -- has gained more than two million subscribers by beaming around 330 video and audio channels to small dish antennas on Japanese homes. The financial daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported that Sony, Matsushita and Toshiba may set up a joint venture as early as this autumn, and were inviting other firms including Hitachi Ltd and Tokyo Broadcasting System Inc to participate in the project. The alliance follows plans by the three firms to develop a standard digital TV set-top format to pick up signals from broadcast satellites and next-generation communications satellites, allowing them to cut investment costs. Broadcast and communications satellites currently use different encoding and decoding technologies, requiring consumers to buy separate hardware to receive those services. Currently, public broadcaster NHK airs programs via a broadcast satellite, reaching 13 million subscribers, or one in three Japanese households.
MPT to Support Development of Quantum Information for Future Telecom Technology
Japan's Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) revealed its report on creation of quantum information processing technology in the 21st century. Quantum information involves transmitting data by digitized quanta, i.e., each quantum such as an electron or a photon carries an on or off signal. So far, the wave properties of electrons or photons have been used as the media. Quantum information is expected to revolutionize traditional technology, making it easier to realize indecipherable data and ultra-high speed information transfer.The report was prepared by a study group affiliated with the Communications Policy Bureau of MPT on application of quantum dynamics effects to information technology and its prospects. According to the report, the government should try to improve R&D organizations and supporting systems to promote R&D at industries, universities and other research groups. MPT is ready to set about quantum information R&D seriously. It will be put into practice between 2030 and 2100.As for speed, it is expected in principle that almost an infinite amount of data can be transmitted instantly because the unit of data is a quantum. Since the power consumption is much less than that of optical communications that make use of light waves, quantum information is expected to be smoothly applied to satellite communications. MPT plans to allocate a quantum information R&D budget in the fiscal 2001 budget.
Sharp, Pioneer Team Up to Develop DVD Recorders
Japanese electronics firms Sharp Corp. and Pioneer Corp. have agreed to cooperate on digital products. Sharp, one of Japan's leading consumer electronics makers, will integrate its semiconductor laser and video signal processing technologies with the DVD recording and playback technology of Pioneer, a top audio equipment maker. They hope to launch rewritable DVD players, or DVD-RW, with a retail price of 100,000 yen less than a half that of Pioneer's current products, which sell for 250,000 yen by March 2002, aiming to boost their market share amid competition with other top Japanese electronics makers Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. and Sony Corp.
Sumitomo Electric Triples Fiber-Optic Network Capacity
Everyone knows that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. This natural speed limit applies o the amount of information that can be transmitted on fiber-optic networks at any given time. But a new laser system for signal amplification developed by Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. could boost capacity more than threefold.Increasing the capacity of fiber-optic communications systems has long been a problem for engineers. One way is to add more fibers. But a more practical method, especially when optical fiber is already installed, is to boost the signal-carrying capacity of individual fibers. One of the best ways to do this is using a method called wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), which allocates a different wavelength to each signal so numerous signals can be transmitted down the a fiber at the same time without interfering with each other.Optical signals weaken as they ravel long distances down a fiber, so devices called repeaters must be positioned along the length of the fiber to amplify, or strengthen, the signals. However, the process becomes a bit trickier when multiple light signals of different wavelengths have to be amplified at the same time. As a result, current technology limits WDM transmissions to 16-32 signals per fiber.
Sony Develops 1.3GB Double-Density CD Formats
Sony Corp. announced that it has developed new disc formats that double the data capacity of the CD-ROM, CD-R and CD-RW media to 1.3GB from the current 650MB. Sony has tentatively named the new formats Double Density CD-ROM/-R/-RW (DDCD). Because the DDCD formats share basic specifications with conventional CD-ROM/-R/-RW standards, DDCD discs can be produced at low cost by utilizing existing production technology and facilities. The DDCD formats achieve the 1.3GB data capacity by employing an extended error correction scheme (CIRC) and address format as well as shorter track-pitch and minimum pit length. In the future, the new formats will be made compatible with copyright protection technologies. Sony intends to finalize the double density formats after hearing the opinions of other companies, including the licensees of the existing CD formats. Sony and Royal Philips Electronics NV plan to start licensing the finalized version of the formats in September.
Sony to Launch Handheld Computer in Japan, U.S.
Sony Corp said it would launch two new handheld computers in Japan on September 9 and in the U.S. market later this year, joining the fray in an increasingly competitive global market. Sony set an initial monthly output target of up to 100,000 of the new ``personal entertainment organizers,'' which it expects will retail for 55,000 yen ($510) each for those with black-and-white display and 60,000 yen ($555) for color-version. The devices use application software developed by Palm Inc (PALM, which struck a licensing agreement with Sony last year. Along with the PlayStation home game console, digital television set-top boxes and the Vaio personal computer, mobile computing is considered a strategic piece of Sony's drive to lead the development of home digital networks that link digital televisions, set-top boxes and other devices. The market for handheld computers in the United States is estimated at some three million to four million units, followed by Europe's two million to three million. But in Asia including Japan, the size of the market is estimated at just above one million units, he said. The launch will propel Sony, the world's second-biggest consumer electronics maker, into the hotly competitive market for handheld organizers first made popular by Palm. Others vying in the market include software powerhouse Microsoft Corp. and Handspring Inc, founded by the creators of the Palm. Its rival Microsoft, meanwhile, is ready to fight back, as it announced that it had started supplying the Japanese version of its Pocket PC handheld computer operating software to Japanese hardware manufacturers. Casio Computer Co and Hewlett-Packard Japan Ltd., the Japanese unit of Hewlett-Packard Co, will start launching Pocket PCs from September under their own names, it said. Few analysts believe the new handheld product would soon bring windfall profits for Sony, which estimated a 1.5 percent fall in consolidated profits due to slowing game revenues. In Japan, the use of the Internet is fast growing, with one in five people -- just over 27 million people -- has an Internet connection. Some 10 million logged on through mobile phones, a penetration rate of about eight- percent of the population. Sony's new device features Sony's chewing gum-sized Memory Stick storage device and a jog dial that allows users to scroll and to open applications without a pen-like stylus. Users can view photos and videos with the device through the Memory Stick, which is used in Sony's Vaio computer series and camcorders
Takagi to Offer Easy-Use 100,000 Pixels Digital Camera
Takagi Industrial Co., Ltd. has launched its "PDC-10" digital camera with a CMOS image sensor with 100,000 pixels. The camera simply has an optical finder and a single focus. Its stripped-down features are a zoom feature/operation, a liquid-crystal display (LCD) panel and a strobe flash. Its recommended use is for leisure photos and attaching them to e-mails.Toy makers, such as Bandai Co., Ltd., Tomy Co., Ltd., and Takara Co., Ltd., also are selling this type of low-end camera, equipped with a CMOS image sensor for fun purposes, at below 10,000 yen. The PDC-10 is priced at 5,980 yen.The PDC-10 will be available at PC discount stores (available only in Japanese). Two resolution modes are available, the CIF mode at 352 by 288 pixels, and the QCIF mode at 176 by 144 pixels. By using the CIF mode, 20 pictures can be taken, where by the QCIF, 80 pictures. They are stored in the SDRAM (2MB) microchip built into the camera.Since no external medium is available, users need the USB cable that comes with the camera to download photos to a PC. Photos can be stored in the BMP, JPEG and GIF formats. The OS is Windows 98. Video processing software and home page creating software come with the camera. About 100 photos can be stored to make an online album.
UUNET Launches Japan's First Commercial Multicast Distribution Service
UUNET Japan Inc., an Internet service provider, has launched the "UUcast" IP multicast streaming service. The UUcast service uses the IP multicast system to efficiently distribute video, audio and news to content distributors. UUNET Japan already installed multicast-based routers on the necessary access points in time for the launch. According to UUNET Japan, it is the first domestic provider to offer the commercial multicast distribution service.Multicast is a technology that enables one data packet transfer to be sent simultaneously to many specific computers. It enables end-users and content providers to have a higher throughput by having a narrower bandwidth than the Unicast system. The UUcast service is available for an initial fee of 320,000 yen. The monthly license is priced at 94,000 yen for the 5kbps low-speed service, and 5,210,250 yen for the 1.5Mbps high-speed service. The UUhost Shared service enables the users to use the environment to develop and run Web applications, such as those necessary for an electronic commerce site, on a monthly basis. By making the SQL Server and ColdFusion usable, the environment for the users has been extended. Before this, the users had to buy the software products, develop applications by themselves, and outsource to the provider after the development.With ColdFusion, users can develop and run applications using a markup language called Cold Fusion Markup Language (CFML). It can use HTML on an as-is basis for descriptions, and also is capable of accessing SQL and handling character strings by using its own tags.
Laser Diodes with Two Wavelengths Become Viable
The two-wavelength laser diodes will soon be in large demand, and DVD-ROM drives and DVD players equipped with them will be on the market starting this summer. A two-wavelength laser diode is a package of a 780-nanometer laser diode that reads media like CD-ROMs and a 650-nanometer laser diode that reads media like DVD-ROMs. It enables the design and construction of pickup devices for DVD-ROM drives almost as simply as for CD-ROM drives.Toshiba Semiconductor Co., one of the in-house companies of Toshiba Corp., said that two Japanese companies decided to adopt its laser devices. One is Toshiba Digital Media Network Co., which plans to incorporate the device on its thin DVD-ROM drives. The other, which is being kept anonymous, is a leading Japanese maker of optical pickup devices, according to Toshiba.Toshiba Semiconductor will start delivering the products this summer, and it plans to start mass producing them at a capacity of 100,000 units per month from the fall. However, the company said it will need to more than double the production to meet demand. Another maker is now studying using Toshiba Semiconductor's laser diode as early as 2001. It is likely to be urgent for Toshiba Semiconductor to expand its production capacity of two-wavelength laser diodes.Also, Sharp Corp. has built up its production line for two-wavelength laser diodes. The company employs hybrid technology that merges a 780-nanometer laser diode and a 650-nanometer laser diode arrayed into one package. Toshiba Semiconductor uses monolithic technology, which uses a single chip.The hybrid system makes it easy to merge both diodes into one package, with some considerable deviations of light-center distance.Sharp has succeeded in narrowing the error to within several microns using a newly developed packaging machine. The company is also aggressive in developing new high-power laser products that exploit the advantages of its hybrid technology. Sharp exhibited two-wavelength laser diodes applicable for 12x CD-ROM drives at the InterOpto 2000 held on July 11-14. Sharp is also developing monolithic two-wavelength laser diodes. However, the company plans to respond to near-term demand with its hybrid technology.
Hitachi's Face-Reading Tech to Help Handicapped People Operate PCs
Hitachi Ltd. has developed technology using a digital camera that can detect slight movements of eyebrows, and even of the eyes, and this know-how is meant to assist handicapped people. The system works by detecting blinking or movements of the eyes. Hitachi is considering applying this know-how for the physically handicapped, and it will implement a PC-based system and aim for commercial availability as early as 2001.Hitachi said that a system with this technology would sense the variation of the brightness (or shades) on the face -- generated by the movement of eyes and eyebrows, and it will take photos of facial expressions using a digital camera. The variations computed into digitized signals that convey either "on" or "off" are then transferred to a PC. Hitachi plans to develop a device for those with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) to enable them to express their feelings as well as to view Web sites or e-mails. ALS is a disease involving a degenerative nervous-system disorder that causes muscle contraction and paralysis. When symptoms are aggravated, people with ALS become unable to move their extremities, and eventually will have difficulty in breathing.
Hitachi Debuts Monitor for Dioxin Generation
Hitachi Ltd. launched a monitor, the "CP-2000," that continuously measures chlorophenol, a precursor of dioxin contained in exhaust gasses from incinerators. It had been difficult to continuously monitor the growth of dioxin contained in exhaust gasses from incinerators, since the amount is as extremely small as ng/m3, and dioxin composites are as various as 75 types. Thus, it was necessary to sample and take exhaust gasses to a laboratory to analyze dioxin groups for measurement.CP-2000 is used for measurement of volume of the pre-phase of forming dioxin correlated with the concentrations of dioxin groups, instead of measuring dioxin itself. Constant monitoring is realized by continuous ionizing chlorophenol for mass analysis. The price is 45 million-yen. (107.28 yen = US$1)
NKK, Mitsui, Sanyo to Set Up Home Appliance Recycling Joint Venture
NKK Corp., Mitsui & Co., Ltd. and Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. announced on July 19 they will set up a home appliance recycling joint venture by the end of August. The new company will start operations in April 2001, when Japan's home appliance recycling law takes effect. The venture aims to recycle and dispose of some 400,000-500,000 used TVs, refrigerators, air-conditioners and washing machines per year -- the four kinds of appliances designated under the law. Used appliances will be collected through shops and other channels.For its part, NKK will organize overall operation, build the recycling plant and provide recycling and disposing technology. Mitsui will support overall management and handle marketing of recycled products, while Sanyo Electric will collect used appliances and supply home appliance-related technology. The venture, to be capitalized at 300 million yen (108.15 yen = US$1), will be financed by NKK and Mitsui at 40 percent each with Sanyo Electric supplying the remaining 20 percent. The name of the joint venture is as yet undecided, but the new firm will be headquartered at NKK's Keihin steelworks in Kawasaki, Kanagawa prefecture.
Nippon Shokubai Develops Eco-Friendly L-Aspartic Acid
Nippon Shokubai Co. has developed an efficient, low-cost and environment-friendly way to manufacture L-aspartic acid. The company said the new "clean" method could be used to synthesize thousands of tons of the compound peer year without producing noxious wastes. The Osaka-based catalyst maker plans to use the technology to enter the market for L-aspartic acid, targeting new applications such as biodegradable detergents and industrial water treatment agents.The company said it plans to have a pilot plat up and running and samples shipped before the end of the year. Some 10,000 metric tons of L-aspartic acid are produced every year for use as an additive in drugs and foods and in low-calorie sweeteners. The compound can also be used as an additive for detergents and industrial water-treatment agents.When polymerized, it becomes a highly absorbent material that can be used for disposable diapers and water retention mats in desert reclamation efforts. It is suitable for such applications because it is biodegradable and decomposes completely within a month. L-aspartic acid is synthesized with the help of an enzyme produced by E. coli bacteria. When fumaric acid and ammonia are supplied to a column packed with beads containing E. coli bacteria, the enzyme converts these starting ingredients into L-aspartic acid.To enhance the process, Nippon Shokubai used genetic engineering to insert several hundred copies of the gene for this enzyme into E. coli bacteria. The result was a tremendous increase in production of L-aspartic acid and a several-fold decline in production costs. The company also developed an improved method of extracting the L-aspartic acid from the reaction chamber, enabling the reaction fluid to be completely recycled so there is no production of noxious waste water.Because the L-aspartic acid contains genetically modified bacteria, Nippon Shokubai said it will not sell the compound as a food additive. Instead, it will focus on the industrial market, offering a low-cost version for such applications as biodegradable detergents.
Fujitsu Introduces New Multi-Chip Package Featuring Stacked, High-Density Flash Memory and FCRAM
Fujitsu Limited and Fujitsu Microelectronics, Inc. (FMI) today introduced three versions of the industry's first Multi-Chip Packages (MCPs) with stacked flash memory and Fujitsu's popular Fast Cycle RAM (FCRAM). The new stacked packages are designed to meet the high-density memory, small-footprint and low power requirements of coming generations of cellular telephones. The new flash and FCRAM-stacked MCPs utilize the company's ``FlexBank'' architecture, including 64 Mbit dual-operation flash memory and 16 Mbit FCRAM with an asynchronous Static RAM (SRAM) interface. In contrast, the current generation of MCPs with flash memory and SRAM for cellular phones provides a maximum of only 8 Mbit memory density. The MCPs also feature 2.3V to 2.7V operation, provided by Fujitsu's FCRAM low-power capability. Along with the new flash/FCRAM MCPs, Fujitsu also announced that it is strengthening its MCP line-up with nine new versions of the industry's most compact MCPs, linking flash memory and SRAM together in a single package. These include MCPs with stacked 16 Mbit dual-operation flash memory and 2 and 4Mbit SRAM. At 7.0 mm x 7.2 mm x 1.2 mm, the new flash/SRAM MCPs are the smallest in the industry and only half the size of the previous version. Fujitsu has been a leader in advanced packaging for many years, and has been developing Multi-Chip Packages that make System LSI a reality since 1998.The cellular phone market has expanded rapidly worldwide. Cellular phones now provide new value-added applications such as mobile banking and ticket reservations. The Japanese market will lead the industry with the introduction of the next-generation cellular phone system, the IMT-2000, in May 2001. IMT-2000 will let users download animation or graphics from the Internet.In addition, IMT-2000 is expected to transfer data at 384Kbit, six times the current rate. To provide these features and services, next-generation cellular phone systems like the IMT-2000 will require higher density memory, lower power operation and smaller packages.
Tessera Establishes Asia Pacific Operations, Appoints Kosaku Sasaki as General Manager of Region
Tessera Inc., the semiconductor industry's leading provider and licensor of chip-scale packaging (CSP) technology, today announced it has established operations in the Asia Pacific region, based in Tokyo. Kosaku Sasaki joins Tessera's management team as the company's Asia Pacific general manager, reporting to senior vice president, marketing and sales, Steve Tobak. Sasaki brings a strong background in business and market development to Tessera, with more than 20 years of related industry experience. Tessera has also hired a technical sales manager for the Asia Pacific region, and expects to add several more employees by the end of the year. As one of the world's leading centers for semiconductor packaging design and manufacturing, the Asia Pacific region is a crucial market for Tessera's chip-scale packaging IP and services. Japan, in particular, represents one of the biggest markets for Tessera's technology, having long been recognized as a world leader in advanced packaging development. Tessera's CSP technology plays a key role in enabling the performance improvements and space savings needed by wireless handsets, 3-D game consoles, PCs and other communications and Internet access devices. Much of the design and development of these products has been pioneered by Hitachi, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba and other leading Asia Pacific companies that have licensed and deployed Tessera's technology.
Fujitsu Ships Samples of Stack MCP Combining 16Mb Flash, 16Mb FCRAM
Fujitsu Ltd. said that it started shipments of three products combining 16Mb flash memory and fast cycle RAM (FCRAM) chips in a single multi-chip package (MCP), which it claims the first of its kind in the world. The company aims embedded use of the products in IMT-2000 next-generation handsets, as the mobile phone market is rapidly growing. The conventional MCP for mobile devices has flash and 8Mb asynchronous SRAMs. The sample MCP uses 16Mb FCRAM with the asynchronous SRAM interface, instead of SRAM itself, to meet the increasing demand for larger memory. Furthermore, a low voltage in the 2.3 - 2.7V range is achieved, a benefit of using the FCRAM, a company official said
'Single-Chip-Mobile-Phone IC Inside' May Replace Bluetooth
You have your mobile phone, but it doesn't look like one: Because it's so small that it's inside your game machine. Or your digital camera, or car navigation system in your car. It is likely that basic functions that a mobile phone has to offer will be merged into a single chip measuring only 7mm by 7mm in the near future. A new movement is the installation of a single-chip-mobile-phone IC (single-chip keitai) directly in consumer electronic devices instead of Bluetooth modules. This will shed a light on the current trend in developing new devices that has been intensely focused on Bluetooth technology. A Bluetooth module occupies a space of 5mm by 5mm. The replacement will offer considerable merit in applications, while the difference in size is just trivial.Single-chip keitai will be installed in devices such as game machines, car navigation systems and digital cameras. And then, it is possible to connect those devices with communications networks through the single-chip keitai to get a string of contents and services directly. In order to enjoy contents and services offered via mobile phone, mobile phones need to be available as wireless general-purpose modems to gain access to them. Recently, home-use game machines, car navigation systems and digital cameras have started functioning combined with communications networks through mobile phones.This is where Bluetooth is entering into practical use as a means that replaces existing cable connections between mobile phones and electronic devices. Philips Semiconductors of the Netherlands unveiled a Bluetooth module priced at US$8, and other companies did as well. A game machine or a car navigation system equipped with the Bluetooth interface is connected with a Bluetooth-capable mobile phone to gain access to contents and services. Currently, this configuration is likely to be the most prominent way of connecting devices wirelessly as the initial stage. That will cause problems, however, when many consumer electronics devices have wireless links with a mobile phone. That is because the mobile phone must be carried around at all times for use to gain access to contents or services requested by each of the electronic devices, and because conventional voice services are not available when one of the electronic devices remains linked to the mobile phone. It would be dangerous if that mobile phone is stolen.Also at that stage, people may complain about Bluetooth's shortcomings, for example: A maximum transfer distance of 10 meters is too short to use; effective data transfer rate is as so high as expected because of interference. An application system, having a Bluetooth-capable mobile phone as the base station in the center and Bluetooth-capable devices as terminals that surround the base station, will start coming apart. Users of electronic devices equipped with a single-chip keitai can gain access to contents and services, without turning attention to the mobile phone, nor to its location and operating condition. Say you are driving a car with your phone near you. A car navigation system with a single-chip keitai, for example, is linked to an information provider because you want it to show the local area information. You can also answer the phone, because it can receive a call. Single-chip keitai is expected also to widen the possibilities for those who do not or cannot use a mobile phone. Now, makers are downsizing its chip size so that it will be available within several years. Currently, basic functions of a mobile phone have been merged into a module as small as a PCMCIA card, and those of a personal handyphone system (PHS) as small as a small-sized memory cardMakers will keep reducing the size of the modules further. Makers plan to downsize a single-chip keitai by substantially miniaturizing radio circuits, because batteries and motherboards will get to a point where there's little room for more downsizing. The miniaturization of radio circuits will proceed step by step to realize single-chip keitai, from the current stage of a single board to a single package to the single chip. As for reduction of parts, direct conversion, or a circuit design technology that takes no intermediate frequency circuits, is drawing attention. Analog Devices Inc. of the United States is mass-producing chipsets for mobile phones that meet the GSM standard, while developing chipsets for mobile phones that meet IMT-2000 standards (the W-CDMA method) jointly with Mitsubishi Electric Corp. Analog Devices said the number of parts in the radio circuits will be reduced from about 150 to about 90, and the size will be slashed by 30-50 percent.
STRATEGIC ALLIANCES — JAPAN IN THE UNITED STATES
Tribute SUV Ready To Roll
Mazda Motor Corp. will introduce its new Tribute sport-utility vehicle in the North American market early this month. While other Japanese automakers have been enjoying double-digit growth in new-vehicle sales in North America, Mazda saw a year-on-year gain of only 3.7% for the January-June period. By introducing the Tribute and making other changes, the automaker hopes to raise North American sales to 281,000 units this year, up 15% from 1999. The Tribute is the first vehicle to be jointly developed with top shareholder Ford Motor Co. of the U.S. It is produced at the Ford plant in Kansas City, and the North American sales target is 4,000 to 5,000 units a month.
Trans-Pacific Relocation Set
Elevator maker Fujitec Co., which plans to establish a holding company in April 2001, will transfer the group's strategic-management functions to the U.S. around the same time. The Fujitec group, which posted 40.3 billion-yen in overseas sales in fiscal 1999 against total group sales of 78.2 billion-yen, will seek a more flexible management structure by moving crucial operations to the world's largest elevator market.The holding company's head office will remain in Osaka Prefecture, but strategic planning will be conducted in Ohio, where subsidiary Fujitec America Inc. is located.
STRATEGIC ALLIANCES — UNITED STATES IN JAPAN
Japanese Manufacturing Companies Embrace Patented Advanced Profit Analysis Solution
Maxager Technology, Inc., the leading Advanced Profit Analysis software solutions company, officially launched its presence in Asia at a press conference in Tokyo. Maxager opened offices in both Tokyo and Osaka to offer Japanese manufacturer Maxager® software solution and customer service support. Maxager features a patented technology that ties Return on Net Assets (RONA) to production time measurements, allowing asset-intensive manufacturers to sell their capacity most profitably. Maxager entered the Japanese market 18 months ago and has built a growing business base. In Japan, Maxager was successfully deployed by Seiko Epson's Injex Corporation to provide a time-based view of profitability. Maxager has dramatically improved the company's decision-making capabilities and added profits to the bottom line. Other companies working with Maxager Technology in Japan include leaders in flat panel display, automotive, steel and semi-conductor manufacturing industries.Further strengthening its Asian presence, Maxager recently announced its global alliance with both Arthur Andersen and ENICOM, to help suppliers maximize profitability of their production operations and prepare for the world of eBusiness. Both Arthur Andersen and ENICOM will train consultants on the Maxager application.Maxager offers senior executives a powerful breakthrough in profit maximization by continuously providing managers across the manufacturing enterprise with time-based corporate financial metrics needed for profitable daily decision-making.
Contact Information: Morgen, Evan & Company, Inc. Copyright 1999