A new high-side monitor provides a compact solution for the commonproblem of interfacing an optical power monitoring device, such as a logarithmic amplifier, to the cathode-side of a PIN photodiode.
Analog Devices is introducing a high-side monitor that provides a compact solution for the common and often challenging problem of interfacing an optical power monitoring device, such as a logarithmic amplifier, to the cathode-side of a PIN photodiode. The ADL5315 mirrors the current at the cathode at a 1:1 ratio over a six-decade range, producing an output equal to the reference current monitored. Competing optical current monitors have much higher mirror ratios over narrower ranges, rendering proportional outputs at very low input currents impossible, whereas discrete solutions are more complex to implement and may require significantly more board space.

The ADL5315 offers unmatched accuracy, with linearity of only 1% over a wide operating range of six decades - from 3nA to 3mA.

In PIN photodiode modules where only the cathode is available for connection, the high linearity allows the device to be paired with linear or logarithmic amplifiers to form a complete, precise optical power measurement system.

Although the ADL5315 is optimised for use with PIN photodiodes, its operating range makes it suitable for a broad array of applications that require accurate current mirroring.

The ADL5315 features an adjustable input current limit to protect the photodiode from damage caused by excessive input current.

Its miniature single-chip 2 x 3mm package makes it well-suited for space-constrained applications, such as SFP (small form factor pluggable) optical transceiver modules.

The ADL5315 is fully specified from -40 to +85C, and operates from a single 2.7 to 8V supply.

The ADL5315 is sampling now, with volume production scheduled for October 2005.

The device is priced at $1.93 per unit in 1000-piece quantities and is packaged in a 2 x 3mm, 8-lead LFCSP.

Texas Instruments devised its RoHS ‘Gold’ strategy to offer easy solutions to RoHS component transition challenges.
Texas Instruments devised its RoHS ‘Gold’ strategy to offer easy solutions to RoHS component transition challenges. RoHS ‘Gold’ provides customers with the preferred finish for lead-frame based products, nickel-palladium-gold (NiPdAu), which means no ‘tin whiskering’ worries, as well as unique part numbers for easy bill-of-materials (BOM) management and easy online access to key material content information. ‘TI’s RoHS ‘Gold’ strategy was developed to help make the RoHS transition process easier’, stated Eric Williams, Manager for TI’s Pb-free Program Office.

‘Our customers have routinely highlighted the importance of these three elements in order to meet their time-to-market needs’.

TI first implemented the nickel-palladium-based finish to its logic ICs in 1989, and has since shipped over 30 billion units into the market.

The NiPdAu finish is TI’s primary RoHS compliant finish for lead-frame based products.

Today, over 98% of those products have already been converted to the NiPdAu finish which is also backward compatible with traditional ‘leaded’ manufacturing processes.

TI’s RoHS ‘Gold’ strategy also features unique part numbering which makes it easier for customers to manage their new RoHS compliant BOMs, ensuring RoHS compliant parts are ordered, received and board-mounted properly.

For lead-frame based products, TI has adopted a two-character suffix based on the JEDEC JESD97 solder finish codes.

For example, the standard part number ‘ADS1286UA’ now has a RoHS compliant, unique part number ‘ADS1286UAG4′.

For BGA-based products, the RoHS compliant version is not backward compatible, so a different unique part numbering scheme is used that includes a ‘Z’ in the package suffix.

For example, the ‘leaded’ part number ‘PCI1620GHK’ now has a RoHS compliant, unique part number ‘PCI1620ZHK’.

The final element of TI’s RoHS ‘Gold’ strategy is to provide customers with easy access to key RoHS related information, including a best-in-class material content search tool with downloadable results, as well as a material declaration certificate, application notes and more.

TI recently was the only semiconductor supplier to receive a ‘best’ ranking of ‘5′ according to RoHSwell.com.

An independent third-party resource, RoHSwell.com ranks suppliers’ websites based on the depth and breadth of RoHS related material.

A family of 10 low-power high-dynamic-performance pin-compatible 12, 14 and 16bit dual DACs come with with update rates up to 500Msample/s.
Maxim Integrated Products has expanded its high-speed data-convertor portfolio by introducing 10 low-power, high-dynamic-performance, pin-compatible, 12/14/16bit, dual digital-to-analogue convertors (DACs) with update rates up to 500Msample/s. The MAX5873-MAX5878, MAX5893-MAX5895 and MAX5898 deliver both exceptional dynamic performance up to Nyquist, tight gain and offset matching. These high-performance DACs are optimised for baseband transmit architectures with analogue quadrature mixing, phased arrays, and diversity transmit applications.

The MAX5873 (12bit), MAX5874 (14bit) and MAX5875 (16bit) DACs feature CMOS inputs and a 200Msample/s update rate.

With an update rate of 250Msample/s, the MAX5876 (12bit), MAX5877 (14bit) and MAX5878 (16bit) devices have LVDS inputs.

The MAX5893 (12bit), MAX5894 (14bit), MAX5895 and MAX5898 (16bit) parts have both CMOS and LVDS input options, a 500Msample/s update rate, selectable 2x/4x/8x interpolating filters, and a selectable digital quadrature modulator.

All these DACs are ideal for applications such as single-/multicarrier basestations, broadband communications, cable-modem termination systems (CMTS), direct digital synthesis (DDS) and instrumentation.

The DAC performance capabilities are impressive.

At a 200Msample/s update rate, the 12bit MAX5873 delivers 78dBc SFDR at 16MHz output frequency while consuming only 255mW.

The MAX5873 features a CMOS input databus, which can be configured as a dual data port or as a single interleaved data port.

The 16bit MAX5878 has a 250Msample/s update rate.

It delivers industry-leading noise spectral density of -164dBFS/Hz at 16MHz output frequency while consuming only 298mW.

A single LVDS interleaved data port operates up to 500MHz to support the dual DAC.

With a 500Msample/s update rate, the 16bit MAX5895 delivers 92dBc SFDR and-100dBc two-tone IMD at 10MHz output frequency.

It consumes only 1.1W.

Selectable interpolating filters enable low-input datarates at high DAC update rates and ease reconstruction filter requirements.

The MAX5895 can be used in conjunction with the MAX2022 zero-IF quadrature modulator to enable a four-carrier WCDMA base-station transmitter.

These pin-compatible devices are specified for the extended-industrial temperature range (-40 to +85C) and available in a space-saving 68-pin QFN-EP package.

Evaluation kits and transmitter reference designs are available to speed designs.

More than 5000 of Analog Devices’ most commonly used ICs are available now in Pb-free packages, and the total will exceed 9000 by the end of 2005.
More than 5000 of Analog Devices’ most commonly used ICs are available now in Pb-free packages, and the total will exceed 9000 by the end of 2005 - a full six months ahead of the compliance deadline. In 1999, Analog Devices was one of the earliest adopters of Pb-free packaging and began a multistep programme to reduce and eliminate lead in its semiconductor packages to make its products environmentally friendly. On 27th January 2003, the European Union passed the RoHS Directive 2002/95/EC, which becomes applicable on 1st July 2006.

All ADI Pb-free products are easily identified by the letter ‘Z’ appearing as part of the product name.

Additionally, a ‘Pb’ in a circle with a line through it will appear on the shipping labels along with the words ‘RoHS compliant’.

As ADI is committed to meeting all customer needs worldwide, ADI will also continue to supply both Pb-free and tin/lead (Sn/Pb) products where customers demand both.

ON Semiconductor has moved into the high-speed operational amplifier market with four new devices designed for the rapidly growing low-power video applications space.
ON Semiconductor has moved into the high-speed operational amplifier market with four new devices designed for the rapidly growing low-power video applications space. Building on its existing low-power operational amplifier portfolio, ON Semiconductor has used new technologies to achieve the ultralow distortion performance levels required by set-top boxes and security video applications. During the next three months, the company plans to release additional high-speed op amps to address professional video and switching video applications.

The NCS25xx family of high-speed op amps enable designers to achieve an unprecedented level of power and speed without having to make a cost tradeoff.

These 200MHz devices allow video designers to achieve 0.02% differential gain, 0.1 degree differential phase, while only consuming 1.1mA of current at industry-leading prices.

The NCS2500 is a 1.1mA, 200MHz current feedback monolithic op amp, featuring a high slew rate of typically 450V/us, and low differential gain and phase error.

This combination of features allows designers to cleanly drive NTSC/Pal video over 75ohm lines.

The device’s current feedback architecture allows for a superior large signal bandwidth at high gain values.

The NCS2500 is offered in SC70-5, SOT23-5 and SOIC-8 packages.

The NCS2501 delivers the same function as the NCS2500, but includes an enable input, expressly to minimise battery drain in handheld portable devices.

It is offered in the SC70-6, SOT23-6 and SOIC-8 packages.

The NCS2502 is a 110MHz, 650uA version of the NCS2501 ideal for applications where power is the primary concern, and the full 200MHz bandwidth is not required.

It is available in SC70-6, SOT23-6 and SOIC-8 packages.

The NCS2530 is a triple version (three independent op amps) of the NCS2501 ideal for driving component video.

Each op amp can be disabled independently of the others to provide true design flexibility.

The device is offered in a TSSOP-16 package.

‘ON Semiconductor is dedicated to developing high-performance solutions for the demanding, high-growth video and multimedia markets’, said Bill Schromm, ON Semiconductor Vice President and General Manager of the High Performance Analog Product Group.

‘Over the next three months, ON Semiconductor plans to introduce additional high-speed op amps with capabilities up to 1.0GHz - followed by the launch of a series of voltage feedback op amps suited for video matrix switching and other applications where faster slew rates are required’.

The NCS25xx devices are priced from $1.05 to $1.53 per unit in 10,000-unit quantities.

The CAT5132 is Catalyst Semiconductor’s first digital programmable potentiometer to be designed for applications requiring up to 15V on the potentiometer terminals.
Catalyst Semiconductor has expanded its DPP family of digital programmable potentiometers with the introduction of its first high-voltage DPP. The CAT5132 is Catalyst Semiconductor’s first DPP to be designed for applications requiring up to 15V on the potentiometer terminals. Specifically targeted at calibration functions in high voltage environments, the CAT5132 has a separate input for an analogue supply which provides the high voltage bias for the potentiometer terminals.

The potentiometer is controlled via a two-wire, I2C compatible bus interface, which allows for adjusting the digital potentiometer’s 128 (7bit) wiper positions with or without saving the current position in an EEPROM.

This general purpose linear digital potentiometer is available in three standard resistance values: 10, 50 and 100kohm.

The CAT5132 is targeted toward many applications that require a potentiometer to operate with terminal voltages of up to 15V.

One of the more unique applications of these higher voltage DPPs will be adjusting the Vcom values used to improve performance of LCD displays.

Other applications include LED brightness control, LCD contrast adjustments, volume control, gain adjustment and mechanical trim potentiometer replacement.

‘The introduction of these high voltage potentiometers will significantly expand the number of applications that can be addressed using digital potentiometers while simplifying the design requirements of applications that need to adjust signals up to 15V’, said Jerry Miller, Product Marketing Manager.

‘Additionally, by using a separate high voltage analogue input from the system power supply for biasing purposes (as opposed to an internal charge pump to generate the bias voltage), the CAT5132 maintains the low noise characteristics which are always an important design concern’, he concluded.

The CAT5132 is available in a 10-lead MSOP package; price in 1000 piece quantities is $0.88.

The device is available in an environmentally friendly ‘green’ package that is halogen- and lead-free with full RoHS compliance.

Green packages are available with Sn lead finish and NiPdAu lead finish

Silicon Laboratories has acquired Silicon Magike in an all-cash transaction for approximately $16 million.
Silicon Laboratories has acquired privately held Silicon Magike, an Austin-based development-stage company creating high-voltage, high-performance, mixed-signal ICs. Silicon Magike’s team of mixed-signal design veterans has more than 200 years of combined precision analogue design expertise in many fields including telecommunications, networking, high-voltage semiconductor physics and high-voltage precision analogue circuit design. ‘This technology acquisition brings us a very experienced mixed-signal design team and significant development progress on high-voltage products, which are traditionally high margin, highly differentiated and address a large, fragmented market’, said Nav Sooch, Chairman and Interim Chief Executive Officer of Silicon Laboratories.

‘This acquisition is consistent with our customer and market diversification strategy and further expands our world-class design team’.

Silicon Laboratories acquired Silicon Magike in an all-cash transaction for approximately $16 million.

The terms of the transaction also provide for the potential of additional cash consideration based on business performance metrics over the 18 month period ending 30th June 2007.

Silicon Magike’s team, consisting of approximately a dozen engineers, includes industry veterans responsible for significant mixed-signal innovation throughout their collective careers.

The company’s technology will augment and complement existing Silicon Laboratories products and will also enable Silicon Laboratories to address new multi-billion-dollar high-voltage market opportunities.

‘We are very pleased to be part of the Silicon Laboratories team’, said Russ Apfel, founder, Chairman and Chief Technical Officer of Silicon Magike.

‘We believe the technology we have been working on will dramatically reduce the complexity and cost of high-voltage ICs and create a long-term competitive advantage while contributing to Silicon Laboratories’ diversification, growth and profitability goals over time’.

Silicon Laboratories’ third quarter results are expected to include purchased R and D and transaction costs as a one time charge.

This transaction is also expected to be dilutive to EPS in the third quarter.

New per-pin parametric measurement unit devices feature fast settling times and the industry’s smallest form factor for a 40mA device to lower the cost of test in ATE systems.
Semtech Corp has a new family of three per-pin parametric measurement unit (PPMU) devices that feature fast settling times and the industry’s smallest form factor for a 40mA device which combine to lower the cost of test in automated test equipment (ATE). With the addition of these new devices, Semtech has developed the industry’s largest portfolio of standard PPMU products, with six off-the-shelf devices. This product range allows Semtech to offer the optimum PPMU for all types of memory and SoC testers, and other precision ATE applications.

The new products include the E4237, E4257 and E4287, all of which feature dual-channels per chip for forcing or measuring voltage and current over a -3.25 to +13V range at currents up to 40mA.

The extremely fast settling times of these devices dramatically shortens the application test time, which increases a tester’s throughput and facilitates a decrease in the cost of test of associated with an ATE system.

Both the E4237 and the E4257 are offered in small 9 x 9mm 64-pad LPCC packages, making them 70% smaller per channel than competing 40mA products.

The E4287 is offered in a 14 x 14mm MQFP package.

‘Because our new PPMUs are single-chip solutions - with optimised loop compensations - we can offer customers the small form factor and fast settling times they need to deliver the performance for increasingly complex devices under test’, said Tim Wilhelm, Marketing Director for Test and Measurement Products at Semtech.

‘The devices’ BiCMOS design allows them an ultrawide 16.25V range for added flexibility’.

The E4237 features two current ranges up to +/-4mA, low output capacitance, integrated voltage clamps and short circuit protection, and is designed for use in relayless tester architectures.

The two new products targeted for general-purpose, high pin count testers are the E4257, which has the same feature set, but supports four current ranges up to +/-40mA and the E4287, which offers the same four current ranges, along with an analogue multiplexer for Flash programming, and a driven guard pin for more accurate low current measurements.

The E42×7 family is available immediately in production quantities.

Pricing for up to 1000-units (bulk) and ordering part numbers are as follows: the E4287AHF is $27.78 in an 80-pin MQFP with heat spreader, the E4257ALP is $25.00 in a 64-pad LPCC, and the E4237ALP is $22.22 in a 64-pad LPCC.

All products in the E42X7 family are also available in tape and reel.

Semtech offers comprehensive design assistance, including field- and factory-based support.

Maxim Integrated Products has released the MAX1336/MAX1337 (8bit), MAX1334/MAX1335 (10bit), and MAX1332/MAX1333 (12bit) family of high-speed, analogue-to-digital convertors.
Maxim Integrated Products has released the MAX1336/MAX1337 (8bit), MAX1334/MAX1335 (10bit), and MAX1332/MAX1333 (12bit) family of high-speed, analogue-to-digital convertors (ADCs). These ADCs feature two true-differential inputs, 3 or 5V single-supply operation, and a SPI-/QSPI-/Microwire-compatible interface. Their small, 9mm2 footprint saves 85% board space and the low 67mW power dissipation consumes 40% less power than the closest competitor (ADS7881).

With a high conversion rate and DC accuracy (+/-1LSB INL), these ICs are ideal for applications ranging from industrial process control and motor control to battery-powered wireless applications.

These ADCs all operate from either a 4.75-5.25 or 2.7-3.6V single supply.

The MAX1336/MAX1337 have a 6.5Msample/s (maximum) sampling rate, whereas the MAX1334/MAX1335 have 4.5Msample/s sampling rates, and the MAX1332/MAX1333 devices have a 4Msample/s (maximum) sampling rate.

These devices consume only 12mA at the maximum conversion rate and feature partial and full power-down modes that reduce the supply current to 3.3mA and 0.2uA, respectively.

A separate DVDD pin allows direct interfacing to 1.8 to 3.6V digital logic.

The MAX1336/MAX1337, MAX1334/MAX1335 and MAX1332/MAX1333 are available in space-saving 9mm2 16-pin TQFN packages in the extended (-40 to +85C) temperature range.

A new JFET-input in-amp improves performance and shrinks package size by 50%, increasing channel densities in patient monitors and portable medical electronics.
Analog Devices is continuing its long history of serving the medical electronics industry by introducing the AD8220 JFET-input instrumentation amplifier. The AD8220 enhances the detection of patient vital signs in both fixed-line and transportable electrocardiograms (ECGs), electroencephalograms (EEGs) and other types of patient monitoring devices. Housed in an 8-lead plastic MSOP (mini-small-outline package) that is half the size of competing devices, the AD8220 in-amp allows designers of medical equipment to break new ground by freeing up additional board space to significantly increase ECG and EEG channel density, allowing for smaller medical monitoring systems.

Monitoring equipment with high channel density also gives medical professionals more measurement points for very small signals like heart pulses and brain activity while protecting patient vital signs from electrical interference.

In addition, the AD8220 operates on a single low-voltage power supply that draws only 700uA, making it ideally suited for use in portable patient monitoring systems.

The AD8220 features an extremely low input bias current of just 4pA, which is less than half the level of competing components and addresses a significant source of signal error in precision instruments.

The AD8220 also achieves an 80dB common mode rejection ratio (CMRR) up to 10kHz (unity gain), whereas competing in-amps guarantee only 72dB to 200Hz.

With significantly lower input bias current and higher CMRR, healthcare professionals can now measure heart pulses, electrical brain waves and other patient vital signs at previously undetectable levels.

The high CMRR, meanwhile, shields these signals from outside interference by rejecting electrical noise from other parts of the human body.

‘For monitoring devices that measure very small electrical currents, the small package of the AD8220 enables designers to increase system channel density, which means we can fit more of these critical signal conditioning functions into a given space’, said Lew Counts, Vice President, Advanced Linear Products at Analog Devices.

‘At the same time, we guarantee to reject high frequency noise at levels competing solutions can not’.

‘The significance is engineers designing patient monitoring equipment with ADI’s AD8220 in-amp improve overall system dynamic range and performance, without compromising on power or cost’.

With JFET (junction field effect transistor) inputs, the AD8220 in-amp achieves a guaranteed input bias current of 20pA, maximum, and 4pA, typical.

It specifies a 1nA input bias current over temperature, and 2uV/C input offset voltage temperature drift.

The rail-to-rail output of the AD8220 allows designers to improve dynamic range by increasing the gain further before reaching the supply rails.

Furthermore, the AD8220’s 80dB CMRR (unity gain) over frequency ensures that only the desired signals are monitored and unwanted common-mode signals are rejected.

The AD8220 is ideally suited for patient monitoring systems, where its small size, low current noise and low input bias current increase the sensitivity and noise rejection of fixed-line and portable medical equipment, such as ECG and EEG systems.

The low input bias and high CMRR characteristics also make the AD8220 a fit for industrial automation applications, such as electrometers and other precision instrumentation systems where extremely small currents must be measured in electrically noisy environments.

The AD8220 is currently sampling and available in an 8-lead MSOP.

The AD8220 is priced at $2.29 per unit, in 1000-piece quantities.