ICs & Semiconductors

Toshiba Electronics Europe (TEE) has developed a single-chip amplifier to support safety designs that add the sound of a conventional internal combustion engine to electric and hybrid electric vehicles (EVs and HEVs). The TB2909FNG is a compact and integrated power amplifier that also supports other external audible output including reversing alarms and ‘answerback’ confirmation for keyless remote entry security.

Toshiba Electronics Europe (TEE) has launched a new range of 7,200 RPM hard disc drives (HDDs) engineered for nearline business-critical workloads. The MG04 series HDDs are available in capacities up to 5TB and are the first enterprise capacity drives to feature Persistent Write Cache technology. This optional feature enables improved application performance and data-loss protection in the event of unexpected power loss.

By integrating an advanced 32-step up/down volume control, the PAM8407 Class D audio amplifier from Diodes Incorporated has enabled a reduction in the component count in a variety of stereo speaker applications, including PCs, docking stations and wireless speakers.

Anritsu Corporation is now approved by LTE chipmaker Sequans Communications for using the MT8870A Universal Wireless Test Set as an advanced manufacturing test solution of LTE devices based on Sequans’ Mont Blanc LTE platform.

Exar Corporation has unveiled the SP335, an advanced multiprotocol transceiver supporting RS-232, RS-485, and RS-422 serial standards. At 5x5mm2, the SP335 is less than half the size of a comparable discrete design, doubling the number of serial interface channels that can be assembled in the same board space and allowing system designers to easily combine multiple serial protocols over the same connector.

Silicon Labs has introduced the industry’s first single-chip digital ultraviolet (UV) index sensor ICs which have been designed to track UV sun exposure, heart/pulse rate and blood oximetry and provide proximity/gesture control for smartphone and wearable computing products.

ams’s latest contactless magnetic position sensing technology has been endorsed by the automotive supplier Continental, which is basing its new CPS series chassis height sensor on the AS5162, a magnetic position sensor. The AS5162, paired with a simple two-pole magnet, accurately detects angular displacements as fine as 0.09° over a full revolution.

Wolfson Microelectronics has announced the introduction of the WM5102S, the latest product from its innovative Audio Hub portfolio, which will allow consumers to experience 24-bit, 192 kHz high-resolution Master Hi-Fi audio playback on a mobile device.

Integrated Device Technology has introduced a 1.8 V LVDS clock fanout buffer family which is able to offer high-performance AC characteristics similar to that of 3.3 V devices. The new low-voltage fanout buffers enable customers to save up to 60% power and heat dissipation without having to sacrifice either accuracy or functionality.

Swissbit AG has launched its new S-40 and S-40u Series SD and Micro SD memory cards for TCO-optimised applications. These are the first SD and Micro SD cards to come on to the market that feature autonomous data refresh that requires no intervention by the host or application. Using intelligent algorithms, the memory cards deliver up to one hundred times longer data retention than conventional SD memory cards.