Xicor launches temperature compensated laser diode bias current controller

Xicor Inc., supplier of programmable mixed-signal integrated circuits, today announced the X9530 Laser Diode Bias Controller for Gigabit fiber-optic transceivers.

The device incorporates Dual Temperature Compensated Current Sources and has 2K bits of on-chip programmable EEPROM that are accessible through a 2-wire serial interface. The X9530 uses temperature stabilized current sources that provide more accurate overall temperature compensation than competing products that use temperature compensated resistors, say company representatives. This performance is especially critical for 10-Gbit/sec fiber-optic transceivers.

Many of the X9530 features can be customized by reprogramming the non-volatile registers, allowing a better fit into a wide range of fiber-optic transceivers, including Gigabit Ethernet, Fiber Channel, and SONET/SDH. Operating from 3V to 5.5V, the X9530 accommodates modules using Distributed Feedback (DFB) and Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL)-type laser diodes. The die-size chip scale package (CSP) measures 2.7 mm by 3.5 mm and is an excellent fit for small-form-factor XENPAK modules, claims the company. Based on a proprietary Xicor EEPROM process, the X9530 operates at a wider temperature range of temperature from -40 ° C to 100 ° C, bringing added reliability to high-power modules.

Additional features of the X9530 include hot-plug compatibility that allows a reliable startup under any hot-plug condition and on-chip analog and digital filters, which eliminate glitches during output switching inherent in temperature compensation. The X9530 allows on-chip and off-chip voltage references for the analog-to-digital converter and also allows use of either on-chip or off-chip temperature sensing. This feature enables remote temperature sensing and improved temperature compensation of laser-diode modulation and bias currents.

Production samples are available immediately for the X9530. The device is offered in TSSOP and Chip-Scale packaging with pricing starting at $3.20. E

For more information about Xicor Inc. (Milpitas, CA), visit the company's Web site at www.xicor.com.