ICs & Semiconductors

Samsung Electronics has announced its new 28 megapixel (MP) APS-C CMOS image sensor for digital cameras. Currently in mass production, the new S5KVB2 is designed into Samsung’s new compact system camera, the NX1. Utilizing Samsung’s advanced BSI pixel technology, the new S5KVB2 sensor is able to offer superior light absorption and by using a 65-nanometer (nm) low-power copper process as well as fine design technology, this new imager is able to meet the requirements for power efficiency and noiseless high quality imaging in high-end compact system camera formats.

ON Semiconductor has introduced the Struix, a semi-customisable System-in-Package (SiP) solution, for precision sensing and monitoring in a variety of mobile medical electronics including glucose monitors, heart rate monitors and electrocardiogram analysers. The product is a response to the rapidly-evolving product development demands from within the portable medical market.

Silicon Labs has expanded its Si468x digital radio IC family to include new options for AM and AM HD Radio. The Si468x ICs are the most cost-effective single-chip digital radio receivers available that support worldwide radio reception and are certified for the Digital Radio Tick Mark and AM/FM HD Radio. The industry’s first monolithic, CMOS-based antenna-input-to-audio-output digital radio ICs, the Si468x receivers are suitable for portable and consumer electronics products supporting digital radio standards.

Toshiba Electronics Europe (TEE) has announced a new 20-megapixel (MP) 1.12-micron CMOS image sensor (CIS) for high-end mobile handsets and smartphones with 1080p resolution. With an optical height of 1/2.4 inch, the T4KA7 sensor enables the development of camera modules with a z-height of 6mm or less to meet consumer demand for ultrathin and ultralight mobile devices.

Integrated Device Technology (IDT) has revealed the completion of OEM and memory supplier qualification of its DDR4 chipset on enterprise servers designed with the Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 v3 family. DDR4 RDIMM and LRDIMM modules featuring IDT registers and data buffers are now available from memory suppliers for production shipments on Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 v3 family-based servers.

Cypress Semiconductor has announced a TrueTouch Gen4X touchscreen controller with a face detection feature that prevents unintended touches from accidentally hanging up a call. The face detection feature of the new Gen4X TMA445A controller eliminates the need for infrared sensors in smartphones and so reduces bill-of-material costs. In addition, the TMA445A also offers Cypress’s established tracking of multiple fingers in gloves.

Littelfuse has introduced the low-capacitance SP3014 Series TVS Diode Array to provide protection for electronic equipment that may experience destructive electrostatic discharges (ESD). The SP3014 Series, which integrates two channels of low capacitance steering diodes and a zener diode, can safely absorb repetitive ESD strikes above the maximum level specified in the IEC61000-4-2 international standard without performance degradation.

Cypress Semiconductor has introduced a low-cost, easy-to-use development platform that enables designers to add high-performance USB 3.0 throughput to virtually any system. The SuperSpeed Explorer Kit is based on Cypress’s programmable EZ-USB FX3 USB 3.0 peripheral controller, which offers flexibility to help address a broad range of applications.

Toshiba Electronics Europe (TEE) has launched a series of low-profile, rail-to-rail output gate-drive photocouplers for directly driving low- to medium-power IGBTs and power MOSFETs. The TLP5751 offers a peak output current of ±1.0A and can drive power MOSFETs and low-power IGBTs up to 20A. The ±2.5A TLP5752 and ±4.0A TLP5754 will drive power MOSFETs and IGBTs with current ratings to 80A and 100A respectively.

ams AG has introduced the AS5600, a magnetic rotary position sensor designed to replace a traditional potentiometer with a more reliable contactless alternative. The AS5600 features a ratiometric output, mirroring the output of a potentiometer (which is a variable resistor). This means that users of a potentiometer do not need to change the application code running on their microcontroller when they replace it with a design based on an AS5600.