Who/What:

Tanner EDA, the world leader in PC-based analog, mixed-signal (A/MS) and MEMS circuit design software, and SoftMEMS, a dominant CAD solution supplier for the design of integrated systems incorporating MEMS, have co-authored a paper titled "MEMS at the Olympics: Single Chip Integration of CMOS with a Thermal Accelerometer" with their customer, MEMSIC, for the Sensors Expo and Conference.

Tanner EDA is demonstrating its A/MS and MEMS design software in a joint booth with SoftMEMS.

The Sensors Expo & Conference is the only industry event in North America exclusively focused on sensors and sensor-integrated systems.

When and Where
June 8-10, 2009
Donald E. Stephens Exhibition Center
Rosemont, Illinois

Presentation
11:05-11:25am, Monday, June 8, 2009

Exhibit
Tuesday, June 9 and Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Booth #610

About the Presentation
Title: MEMS at the Olympics: Single Chip Integration of CMOS with a Thermal
Accelerometer
Authors:
Stefan Nikles, MEMSIC
Mary Ann Maher, SoftMEMS
Nicolas Williams, Tanner EDA

Abstract:

The integration of MEMS-based sensors and mixed-signal circuits on the same chip has fueled the development of new MEMS-based products. MEMSIC has successfully applied this approach in its "Waving Torch" given to the attendees of the opening ceremonies at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. The torch, when shaken from side to side, displayed various Olympic-themed images in the surrounding air. The technology in the torch includes an integrated thermal acceleration sensor and associated signal conditioning circuitry used to detect the user's hand motion and trigger a linear array of LEDs to form the image. The presentation describes the design and verification of the MEMS chip which uses heaters and thermo-piles in standard CMOS to construct the accelerometer for this novel application. Two important design choices will be highlighted: utilizing a standard CMOS IC process for fabrication and using an integrated MEMS/IC CAD (computer aided design) tool package for chip design and verification. Using standard CMOS allows MEMSIC to keep production costs low, to quickly adopt to new technology improvements and to ramp up yield quickly. Utilizing MEMS CAD tools permits MEMSIC to design, simulate, and verify the MEMS-sensors and electronics within the same CAD platform, avoiding fabrication mistakes and speeding time to market.

Information

For more information about Tanner EDA, to set up a 30 day evaluation, or schedule a software demonstration appointment, please visit www.tannereda.com.

For more information about the Sensors Expo & Conference, please visit http://www.sensorsexpo.com/.

About Tanner EDA Software

Tanner Tools Pro™ is a software suite for the design, layout and verification of analog, mixed-signal, RF and MEMS ICs. It includes S-Edit for schematic capture, T-Spice for analog circuit simulation and L-Edit for physical layout. HiPer Silicon™ builds on the capabilities of Tanner Tools Pro with advanced features that improve designer productivity. The capabilities include the HiPer Verify foundry-compatible physical verification engine, Verilog-A simulation and layout automation. Tanner software is available on the Windows® and Linux® platforms with flexible node-locked and networked licensing configurations.

About Tanner EDA

Tanner EDA is a leading provider of PC-based electronic design automation (EDA) software solutions for the design, layout and verification of analog and mixed-signal ICs and MEMS. Its solutions help speed designs from concept to silicon and are used by thousands of companies to develop devices cost-effectively in the biomedical, consumer electronics, next-generation wireless, imaging, power management and RF market segments. Founded in 1988, Tanner EDA is a division of privately held Tanner Research, Inc.

In February, Tanner EDA announced that the company has been in the EDA market for 20 years, and that it has shipped 25,000 licenses of its PC-based electronic design software to 4,000 customers in 67 countries.

For more information on Tanner EDA products, visit www.tannereda.com.

Acronyms:
A/MS: Analog and Mixed Signal
EDA: Electronic Design Automation
PC: Personal Computer
MEMS: Microelectromechanical Systems
RF: Radio Frequency

Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.

Tanner Tools Pro and HiPer Silicon are trademarks of Tanner Research, Inc.

All other trademarks and tradenames are the property of their respective owners.

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Press Contact:
Georgia Marszalek
ValleyPR for Tanner EDA
+1 650 345 7477

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