Electronics Weekly: From Big Guns to Little Components

Lockheed Martin Pursues New Army Missile Defense Sensor

(Image courtesy of Lockheed Martin.)

Lockheed Martin is responding to a U.S. Army request for a Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS). The industry-wide competition will provide a radar solution that operates in the Army's Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) network and replaces the current Patriot radar.

The Army's stated objective for the LTAMDS acquisition program is to upgrade or replace the current Patriot radar to improve the operational effectiveness against the emerging threat while reducing sustainment cost associated with the current radar. The new sensor also is required to meet mobility and transportability requirements, and improve reliability, availability and maintainability at a defined cost target.

Lockheed Martin is the only company producing active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars for the Army and is the only U.S. company producing and exporting gallium nitride (GaN)-based AESA radars. Lockheed Martin will leverage the $3 billion of investments in radar technology programs such as Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS), Space Fence, Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR), 3D Expeditionary Long Range Radar (3DELRR), AN/TPQ-53 and Aegis.

For additional information, visit the Lockheed Martin website.

Next-Generation Dual-Mode Bluetooth Audio Products from Microchip

(Image courtesy of Microchip Technology, Inc.)

Microchip Technology Inc. has announced the IS206X family of dual-mode Bluetooth audio products. The IS206X family builds on Microchip's IS202X portfolio of system-on-a-chip (SoC) devices and modules by introducing Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) capability. Engineered for speakers, headsets and gaming headphones, this flash-based platform allows audio manufacturers to incorporate wireless connectivity in streaming music and voice command applications.

A 32-bit digital signal processing (DSP) core provides the framework to develop algorithms for audio and voice processing. The 24-bit digital audio support delivers high resolution audio to consumers for a richer listening experience. Applications such as headsets benefit from high definition voice, achieved with a 16 kHz wideband with noise suppression and echo cancellation.

Qualified for Bluetooth v4.2, the IS206X family supports Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) links and the standard audio profiles. The combination of BLE and Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) enables smartphone-to-speaker communication via a mobile app.

Microchip also introduced four Evaluation Boards for the IS206x family in order to enable development. The BM-62-EVB, BM-63-EVB, BM-64-EVB-C2, and BM-64-EVB-C1 are now available.

To learn more about Microchip's Bluetooth technology and products, visit the Microchip product website.

Toshiba Launches Photorelays in DIP8 Packages with 5A Drive Current

DIP8 package 5A Drive Current Photorelay TLP3547. (Image courtesy of Toshiba.)

Toshiba Corporation’s Storage & Electronic Devices Solutions Company today announced the addition of three products to its line-up of photorelays that can replace mechanical relays in industrial applications, including a 5A large drive current for DIP8 package photorelays. The new products, “TLP3547”, “TLP3548” and “TLP3549”, are available now.

Unlike mechanical relays, photorelays have no physical contacts that are subject to wear and deterioration, which contributes to set reliability. In addition, Toshiba’s photorelays guarantee a pulsed ON-state current that is three times larger than that of the continuous ON-state current, securing a margin for safety design.

Littelfuse Introduces Two Series of 0.5pF, 12kV TVS Diode Arrays Designed to Prevent ESD Damage to High-Speed Interfaces

Littelfuse SP7538P and SP0544T TVS Diode Arrays. (Image courtesy of Littelfuse.)

Littelfuse, Inc., has introduced two series of TVS Diode Arrays (SPA® Diodes) designed to safeguard high-speed interfaces from damage due to electrostatic discharges (ESD).

SP7538P Series TVS Diode Arrays integrate eight channels of capacitance rail-to-rail diodes and an additional zener diode in a µDFN-9 package; SP0544T Series TVS Diode Arrays have a similar design but are smaller, with four channels of ultra-low capacitance rail-to-rail diodes instead of eight. Both can safely absorb repetitive ESD strikes above the maximum level specified in the IEC61000-4-2 international standard (±8kV contact discharge) without performance degradation. Their low loading capacitance also makes them ideal for protecting high-speed signal pins.

Typical applications for both series include ESD protection for interfaces like V-by-One, Embedded DisplayPort, USB 2.0/3.0 Ports, and HDMI, as well as flat panel displays, LCD/LED TVs, smartphones and mobile computing.

The SP7538P Series is packaged in a μDFN-9 package; the SP0544T Series comes in a μDFN-10 package. Both are provided in tape & reel packaging in quantities of 3,000. Sample requests can be placed through authorized Littelfuse distributors worldwide.

For a listing of Littelfuse distributors, visit the Littelfuse website.

Texas Instruments Introduces Isolated Gate Driver for High-Voltage Applications

(Diagram courtesy of Texas Instruments.)

Texas Instruments (TI) recently introduced the 5.7-kVRMS isolated dual-channel gate driver. The UCC21520's compatibility enables its use as an isolated driver in low-side, high-side, high-side/low-side or half-bridge power management designs. The UCC21520 enables designers to build smaller, more robust designs for enterprise, telecommunications, automotive and industrial applications. For more details, see the product website.

Key features of the UCC21520 include:

Higher power density for smaller solutions: The 4-A source and 6-A sink current of the UCC21520 reduce switching losses via rise times of 6 ns and fall times of 7 ns for a 1.8-nF load in high-frequency switch-mode power applications.
Isolation robustness: With its surge protection that has been tested up to 12.8 kV and its noise immunity of greater than 100 V/ns, the new gate driver helps protect end equipment from conditions commonly found in data centers, factories and other high-voltage environments.
Flexibility: With a wide input voltage of 3 V to 18 V, programmable dead-time control, and dual channeling and paralleling of outputs, the UCC21520 gives designers a single, flexible device for multiple applications.
Low power consumption: The device's standby power, as low as 1 mA per channel, helps increase energy efficiency.

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