Digital Design

The digital domain is essential for high speed switching, data manipulation and process control in many applications. A large base of commercial semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) facilitates the development of highly complex digital systems. Noah’s engineering team must be knowledgeable in existing ICs and keep abreast of emerging products in order to weave these complex ICs into a customer solution. Additionally, the latest generation of integrated circuits includes a high degree of customization parameters that must be accessed by an intelligent microprocessor in the design. Noah’s digital design successes include:

• 8, 16 and 32-bit microprocessors that manage digital systems, monitor feedback, and provide user interfaces for device configuration.
• Ethernet products at 10, 100, and 1000 Mbps that include intelligent data switching, fiber to copper media conversion, and data rate translation.
• High speed CPLD / FPGA devices for data encryption, data rate translation, forward error correction, and high speed link monitoring.
• Synchronous data parallelization and serialization circuits for transmission and reception over optical and electrical media.

Efficient circuit decoupling to supply the large instantaneous current requirements of digital switching systems.

Electro-Optics Design

The increasing demand for bandwidth between devices has necessitated a move towards fiber optics in high-speed communication systems. A single fiber or free space optical link can replace many of yesterdays outdated T1s, ISDNs, and other lower speed links. Noah’s design team has embraced the advantages of fiber optic systems in communication links and has developed laser driver and receiver circuitry for a wide range of speeds and applications including:

• Laser transmitter circuitry operating up to 100mW for 10, 100, and 1000 Mbps free space communication links.
• Efficient laser packaging using custom controlled impedance butterfly packages for minimizing power consumption and lengthening laser life spans.
• Extremely low noise avalanche and pin photodiode receiver circuitry for low light level detection and signal recovery over a wide dynamic range.

APD biasing circuitry that includes temperature compensation for maximizing receiver sensitivity and over current protection for sensitive transimpedance amplifiers.

Analog Design

From power supplies, to very high speed digital signals, to wireless RF electronics, analog signals comprise the basic elements of every electronic system. Great attention to detail in component selection, impedance matching, signal routing, grounding, and PCB material is essential in developing low noise systems that are compliant with the FCC and other governing standards bodies. Noah’s analog design experience includes:

• Low ripple multiple output power supplies for the new generation of 2.5V, 1.8V, and 1.2V integrated circuits.
• Single to n^th order high, low, and bandpass filters for noise reduction and signal conditioning.
• RF Transmitters and Receiver design 5GHz for 802.11a applications.
• FCC Part 68 compliant telephone terminal equipment for communication on the Public Switched Telephone Network.
• Ethernet physical layer transceiver circuitry for minimizing cross talk and noise over long copper cabling
• Sensor monitoring and actuator feedback for precise servo control

Printed circuit board layer stack up, signal routing, and component placement and shielding for high-speed signal propagation and impedance matching.