Aug 30, 2002 
Anadigm's proprietary FPAA technology brings the industry an analog equivalent to the FPGA, allowing complex analog signal conditioning and processing functions to be integrated within an off-the-shelf, pretested device.
The new AN220E04 makes its debut as the silicon component of Anadigmvortex, a second-generation product family that combines a powerful EDA tool, configurable analog modules (CAMs), and programmable silicon to reduce the time required for analog design implementations from months to minutes.
In addition to enabling a short analog design and implementation cycle, the functionality of the AN220E04 can be reconfigured in-system by the designer or on the fly by a microprocessor. A single AN220E04 can thus be programmed to implement multiple analog functions and/or to adapt on the fly to maintain precision operation despite system degradation and aging.
The AN220E04 will be used to replace discrete components and analog ASIC/ASSP devices for signal conditioning, filtering, data acquisition, closed-loop control, and other analog applications in a wide range of industrial, automotive, medical, communications, automatic test equipment, and instrumentation systems.
"Anadigm's flexible analog signal processing technology complements digital signal processing technology, and the AN220E04 can be useful in conjunction with DSP chips and can even replace DSPs in specific audio applications," said Will Strauss, president of DSP market watcher Forward Concepts.
Based on a fully differential switched capacitor technology with an analog switch fabric, the second-generation AN220E04 has been redesigned to boost device functionality and performance. Compared with Anadigm's first-generation FPAAs, the AN220E04 architecture provides a significantly improved signal-to-noise ratio as well as higher bandwidth. A successive approximation register-based A/D converter can be combined with an on-board look-up table to provide advanced analog functions including sensor response linearization, arbitrary waveform synthesis, signal-dependent functions, analog multiplication, and signal companding.
Until now, analog functionality within a system could be changed only by developing a new system board with new discrete values. With the Anadigmvortex family, these functions can interact with other parts of the system through software, putting analog under the absolute control of the system processor. The benefits to manufacturers are numerous. Examples include the ability to adapt the system for sensor degradation, laser aging, or changing customer requirements; increased system functionality; and the ability to improve accuracy in end products.
"Our first-generation FPAAs created an entirely new paradigm for analog design by allowing even non-specialists to design and implement complex analog circuits in a fraction of the time required by designers using discrete components or analog ASICs," said Mike Kay, Anadigm president and CEO. "With the dynamic reconfigurability introduced by the Anadigmvortex family, the comparative benefits of FPAAs become even more dramatic, not only for the process of analog design but as a redefinition of the way analog will work and be controlled in the software-centric systems of today and tomorrow."
Packaged in the 44-pin QFP, samples and production quantities of the AN220E04 are available now. Pricing in 10,000-piece quantities for U.S. delivery starts at $15.00.
A multimedia demonstration of the new AnadigmDesigner2 EDA tool, designed for use with the AN220E04, can be viewed at the Anadigm Web site at http://www.anadigm.com. A complete evaluation kit with a development board, entry-level software, and updated documentation is now available for $499.00.
To view a datasheet, visit the Anadigm literature library at http://www.anadigm.com/Supp_05.asp.
About Anadigm
Anadigm combines the three most powerful design trends from the digital world (design automation, field-programmable ICs, real-time updating) into a platform for analog design, greatly reducing cost of ownership for analog signal conditioning and processing functions across many market segments. Founded in January 2000 as a venture-backed technology spinoff from Motorola, the company maintains U.S. headquarters in Campbell, Calif., and European headquarters in Crewe, U.K. For further information, visit Anadigm on the Web at http://www.anadigm.com.
Anadigm and AnadigmDesigner are registered trademarks of Anadigm, Inc.
CONTACT INFORMATION
NORTH AMERICA
Anadigm, Inc. 1901 S. Bascom Ave. Suite 1550
Campbell, CA 95008
Tel: 1-408-879-6677
Fax: 1-408-879-6670
EUROPE
Anadigm Ltd
3 - 5 Mallard Court, Mallard Way
Crewe Business Park, Crewe
Cheshire, England CW1 6ZQ
Tel: +44 (0)1270 531990
Fax: +44 (0)1270 531999
Media Contact:
Rae Morrow
Wall Street Communications
Tel: 408-374-5064
Fax: 408-516-9840
