Overview
On November 14, 2013, WPG Holdings announced that its Kaitai division released tablet reference designs covering a range of active and passive components, including EMI, ESD, ANT, IR, MCU, and USB. The reference designs target OEM tablet applications and are compatible with components from multiple vendors, allowing OEMs to choose parts that meet their requirements.
ESD and EMI Reference Designs
InnoChips provides reference designs that address ESD and EMI protection for tablet applications. Available device types include parallel-mode ESD filters for cameras, PI/LVDS common-mode filters for camera and LCD modules, ESD varistors for HDMI, USB2.0 high-speed ESD varistors, and EMI shielding solutions.
Comchip offers ESD solutions including halogen-free ESD diodes such as CPDQR12V-HF for bidirectional ESD protection and device density optimization; CPDQR5V0H-HF and CPDQR5V0C-HF for bidirectional ESD protection with low clamping voltage and low leakage current; and a halogen-free ESD array CPDT-5V0U-HF in surface-mount packaging that meets IEC61000-4-2 Level 4 ESD protection for high device density.
Antenna Reference Designs
Galtronics supplies antenna designs intended for tablet applications. Product offerings include internal and embedded antennas, combined internal/external antennas, retractable antennas, planar antennas, stub antennas, flexible portable "rubber duck" antennas, and fixed-length antennas. These options provide a range of form factors for integration into tablet designs.
Infrared (IR) Reference Designs
Everlight offers IR solutions for remote control and proximity sensing in tablet products. The portfolio includes infrared LEDs, silicon detectors, infrared emitters, photodiodes, and phototransistors, available in through-hole and SMD packages suitable for integration into consumer electronics and sensing modules.
MCU Reference Designs
Nuvoton's Cortex-M0 series is targeted for wired docking and related tablet applications. The NANO100 series emphasizes low power consumption, small gate count, compact program code, built-in USB, and multiple high-speed communication interfaces, yielding performance levels higher than typical microcontrollers in similar classes. The series is suitable for consumer electronics, industrial control, security, communications systems, and data acquisition systems requiring higher processing throughput.
Key specifications of the NANO100 series include:
- Maximum operating frequency up to 60 MHz
- Built-in 32-bit multiplier and NVIC nested interrupt controller
- Dual-channel APB architecture
- On-chip flash from 32 KB to 64 KB, independent 4 KB data flash, and independent 4 KB in-system-programmable flash for OTA updates
- 4 KB to 8 KB of data SRAM
- Integrated communication peripherals such as 2 UARTs, 2 SPIs (supporting up to 4 devices), and 1 I2C
- PWM, capture/compare, four 32-bit timers, watchdog timer, internal RC oscillator, low-voltage reset, and power-down detection
Development tools include the NuTiny-NANO100-SDK hardware and software environment, with compatibility for IAR EWARM and Keil MDK development toolchains when developing products based on the NANO100 series.
Figure: Wired USB application
USB Reference Designs
Alcor Micro’s AU9560 is a highly integrated single-chip USB smartcard reader controller aimed at minimizing BOM cost for USB smartcard reader implementations. The solution supports configurations such as USB hub & card reader and provides flexible integration options for device manufacturers.
AU9560 features include:
- Support for single-slot smartcard readers
- Support for T0 and T1 protocols
- Support for I2C memory cards and various memory card types
- Support for ISO7816 Class A, B, and C smartcards (5V/3V/1.8V)
- On-chip PLL for USB interface and smartcard clock
- Support for customizable USB descriptors in EEPROM
- USB-programmable EEPROM
- Support for memory module firmware updates
- Support for short APDU and extended APDU
- Compatibility with Microsoft USB-CCID drivers
- Support for remote wake via card insertion/removal
- USB selective suspend support
- Power-saving modes selectable via a pin
- Card power overcurrent protection
- Built-in oscillator and USB LPM (Link Power Management) support
MEMS and Clocking Reference Designs
SiTime provides low-power programmable single-ended MEMS oscillators such as the SiT1602 and SiT8008, which are applicable to tablet clocking requirements. These devices support a wide range of frequencies, offer several package options including ultra-compact packages, and are pin-compatible with quartz oscillators for direct replacement.
Product highlights include:
- Frequency programming flexibility from 1 MHz to 110 MHz (SiT8008) or standardized frequency points between 3.75 MHz and 77.76 MHz (SiT1602)
- Supply voltage options: 1.8 V, 2.5 V–3.3 V
- Frequency stability across temperature from ±20 ppm to ±50 ppm
- Operating temperature ranges for industrial and commercial grades
- Standby current below 5 μA to extend battery runtime
- Multiple package choices down to 2.0 x 1.6 mm to reduce PCB area
- Pin compatibility with quartz oscillators for direct replacement
- Adjustable rise/fall times to optimize EMI performance
- Improved long-term reliability compared with quartz
Additional Component Solutions
Additional component options mentioned in the reference designs include:
- SMD fuses from AEM Technologies
- Audio amplifiers, battery chargers, and power management ICs from EUTech
- Oscillators from Interquip (SMAC, SMCM, SMCE series)
- High-voltage MLCC components from PDC for inverter applications
- LDO regulators from Taejin Tech (HTC Korea)
- Oscillator solutions from TROQ
- Inductors, micro-ohm resistors, and precision resistors from ViKing
- Metal strip current sensing resistors from Wellcomp (WMCS series)
