FEBRUARY 4, 2009 -- Silicon Line GmbH, provider of ultra-low power analog ICs, today announced the release of a new 4 x 3.5- Gbps transimpedance amplifier (TIA) with integrated limiting amplifier (LA) and a new 4 x 3.5-Gbps vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) driver. The complete chipset is capable of transporting up to 14-Gbps aggregated data and consuming a total power of less than 30 mW, say company representatives.
The four-channel VCSEL driver (SL82726) is based on Silicon Line's ultra-low power single-channel series. With only 4.5 mW for all four channels operated simultaneously, it is possible to use the SL82726 in a single-package VCSEL/VCSEL-driver hybrid design without heating up the temperature sensitive lasers, claims the company. The ultra-low power receiver IC (SL82716) dissipates less than 25 mW at maximum aggregated data throughput.
Both ICs are designed in standard CMOS and feature an SLVS-interface at their electrical I/Os. Aside from being connected to other SLVS-compliant ICs, the chips can also be connected to any LVDS-compliant I/O directly. With less than 1-mm die area, the chips may easily be integrated into a TOSA or ROSA.
"It is interesting to note how fast the world gains momentum on short-range optical links as [a] real alternative to shielded twisted pairs or micro-coaxial cables," notes Holger Hoeltke, managing director at Silicon Line. "Especially for applications requiring high-speed links over mechanically stressed and overcrowded hinges, or in ESD- or EMI-sensitive environments, optical links based on polymer optical waveguides offer some fascinating advantages. One of the most important prerequisites to adapt optical links in battery-operated devices is a very low power dissipation, however," he notes. "Silicon Line is proud to have addressed this challenge and to provide an enabling technology into this fast growing market."
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