Integrated Circuits: December 21, 1995

Wireless IR receiver chip needs little power. Compliant with the current Infrared Data Association (IrDA) standard for point-to-point wireless communications, the SIR2 IR communications receiver chip draws typically less than 90 µA of current. It also has an operational feature that allows it to be powered up continuously. The SIR2 works with a 3.3 or 5V supply and supports data rates from 2.4 kbps to the IrDA maximum of 115.2 kbps. Its range extends to 1m. The device comes in an eight-pin SOP and costs $3.15 (25,000). Irvine Sensors Corp, Costa Mesa, CA. (714) 549-8211.

350-MHz op amps keep lid on noise. The MAX4106 and MAX4107 voltage-feedback op amps work in a variety of applications, ranging from RF filters to ADC preamplifiers. The 4106 and 4107’s noise performance is rated at 0.75 nV/ [square root] Hz at a bandwidth of 350 and 300 MHz, respectively. The MAX4106 is compensated for closed-loop gains of 5 V/V or greater, and the MAX4107 is stable in closed-loop gains of 10 V/V. Both devices settle in 18 nsec to within 0.01% and have a guaranteed output voltage swing of ±3V into 100 ohm. Prices for the amplifiers, which come in eight-pin SOPs, start at $3.88 (1000). Maxim Integrated Products, Sunnyvale, CA. (408) 737-7600, ext 6087.

3V controller IC handles smart-card functions. Based on an 8/16-bit RISC-like CPU core, the H8/3102 embedded controller conforms to the ISO standard for smart cards. The 3V IC performs 1 MIPS, encrypting and decoding data in real time as it communicates with external circuits. The device packs 8 kbytes of EEPROM, 16 kbytes of mask ROM, and 512 bytes of RAM. The EEPROM section has a write/erase-inhibit function that prevents unauthorized tampering of stored data. The H8/3102 comes in die form, as well as SOP-10 and custom chip-on-board packages. Regardless of package, the device costs less than $7 (1 million). Hitachi America Ltd, Semiconductor and IC Division, Brisbane, CA. (800) 285-1601, ext 05.

Chip set permits seamless ATM networks. An ATM chip set provides interoperability with public-network and corporate premises equipment, creating seamless LAN-to-WAN connectivity. The ATMiX set consists of the PXB4240 synchronous-digital-hierarchy transceiver (SDHT), the PXB4230 unshielded twisted-pair transceiver (UTPT), and the PXB4240 segmentation and reassembly element (SARE). The devices are produced in 3.3V, 0.5-m CMOS and come in QFP housings. Respective prices for the SDHT, UTPT, and SARE are $60, $70, and $70 (1000). Siemens Components Inc, Cupertino, CA. (408) 777-4500.

Codec delivers two video channels over one DS3 interface. The DVT45 codec carries two channels of NTSC video and six analog audio channels within a 45-Mbps DS3 interface. The device works in broadcast-quality transmission of TV signals over synchronous-optical-network, synchronous-digital-hierarchy, asynchronous-transfer-mode, and DS3 communication networks. It uses delta-PCM algorithms to compress live video at any rate from 22 to 45 Mbps. You can configure the DVT45 with one or two channels per DS3 at $10,000/channel. ABL Canada Inc, St Laurent, PQ, Canada. (514) 344-5432.

Graphics chip performs PCI bus mastering. Products based on the OTI-64111 64-bit graphics controller capture and transfer video without the intervention of the system’s CPU, thanks to the PCI bus-mastering capabilities of the graphics IC. The device also supports four simultaneous hardware video windows. This multimedia enhancement allows the controller to display two live video windows and two prerecorded source windows simultaneously. Each window is independently sized, scaled, and displayed in true color, even if the rest of the display is in a different color mode. The chip costs $26 (1000). Oak Technology Inc, Sunnyvale, CA. (408) 737-0888.

Chip set boosts token ring to 100 Mbps. The Regatta100 chip set lets token-ring users achieve transmission rates of 100 Mbps. With integrated token-ring frame support, the Regatta100 complies with the IEEE 802.12 100VG-AnyLAN standard. The set comprises the ATT2X02 transceiver, ATT- 2R02 repeater, and the ATT2MD12 adapter ICs, which implement the IEEE 802.12 protocol and establish a demand priority for Ethernet and token-ring packets. The adapter incorporates both IEEE 802.12 and 10-Mbps IEEE 802.2 media-access-control units. The ATT2X02, ATT2R02, and ATT2MD12 cost $19.45, $44, and $19.70 (10,000), respectively. AT&T Microelectronics, Allentown, PA. (800) 372-2447.

ISDN chip set boasts four channels. Providing integrated-services digital-network (ISDN) and line-termination functions, a four-channel chip set lets you pack more basic rate lines on ISDN line cards. The chip set works in the U-interface in central-office switches and private-branch exchanges, as well as in bridges and routers with ISDN access. It comprises the PEB24911 four-channel ISDN echo-cancellation digital front end and the PEB24902 ISDN echo-cancellation analog front end. Both devices come in MQFP-64 packages and cost $67.50 each (1000). Siemens Components Inc, Cupertino, CA. (408) 777-4500.

ICs transmit SDV over existing copper wire. A set of ICs transmits switched digital video (SDV) over installed telephone wire or TV coaxial cable. The Multipoint Broadband Access (MBA) chips are compatible with the asynchronous-transfer-mode protocol and support both set-top terminal and computer interfaces. The MBA family comprises the T7660/T7661 broadband interactive-terminal interface, the T7662 broadband interactive-terminal transmission-convergence IC, the T7664/T7665 quad broadband interactive-network transmitter/receiver, and the T7666 optical-network-unit (ONU) transmission-convergence IC. MBA chips cost $45 for a set-top implementation and <$40 for each home served by a single ONU. AT&T Microelectronics, Allentown, PA. (800) 372-2447.

EPLD fits compact, low-power applications. The Q version of the XC7336 erasable PLD (EPLD) offers packaging options that meet tight form-factor constraints and reduce power consumption. The device, which draws a 50-mA supply current and has propagation delays as low as 10 nsec, integrates three or four PAL (phase-alternation-line) function blocks in a 44-pin PQFP, VQFP, or PLCC. It also provides 3.3/5V level shifting on all I/Os to permit direct logic interfacing with mixed-voltage systems. Prices for the XC7336Q range from $6.50 to $22.80 (100). Xilinx Inc, San Jose, CA. (408) 559-7778.

Op amp has 2.7V rail-to-rail I/O. The single-channel LMC7111 op amp offers rail-to-rail performance of 2.7V in a TinyPak SOT-23 housing, suitable for battery-powered laptops and handheld instrumentation. The device does not require any off-chip components to program the supply current and improve voltage offset. Specified at 2.7, 3, 5, and 10V, the LMC7111 has a typical supply current of 25 µA at 5V. The op amp swings beyond rails at input and to within 20 mV of output rails at 100 k ohm. Voltage gain is rated at 104 dB sinking (typ). The LMC7111 costs $0.75 in an SOT-23 or eight-pin DIP (1000). National Semiconductor Corp, Santa Clara, CA. (800) 272-9959.

Controller IC connects PCI bus to CardBus peripherals. In a 208-pin TQFP, the PCI1130 controller links the high-speed PCI system bus used in notebook and desktop computers with the 32-bit CardBus peripheral interface. The device supports two CardBus slots that accept 32-bit credit-card-sized CardBus cards or 16-bit PCMCIA cards. The PCI1130 operates at 3.3V and provides universal I/O to support any combination of 3.3 and 5V cards simultaneously. It costs $14.39 (150,000). Texas Instruments Inc, Denver, CO. (800) 477-8924, ext 4500.