ADI Sues Silicon Labs

By Ed Sperling -- Electronic News, 12/19/2006

Analog Devices Inc. filed a patent infringement suit against Silicon Laboratories over signal isolators, including a quad-channel digital isolator, which transmit signals across barriers.

The technology allows signals to be isolated, ensuring that “transient signals do not inadvertently trigger erroneous status or control information,” according to the patent abstract. From there, signals can be transmitted across a barrier in the same states in which they’re received, whether it’s a low-to-high transition or high-to-low transition.

The quad-channel isolator is billed as a low-power alternative to optocouplers.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, claims that Silicon Labs published documents about quad channel isolators last March, two years after ADI. The complaint says that based upon “content, layout, presentation, style, word choice,” it’s clear that the technical data sheets are derived from ADI’s. A total of five patents are at issue, and ADI is seeking a jury trial, a permanent injunction and damages.

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