PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 9, 2004--
Breakthrough Manufacturing Technology Enables Highly Integrated
Devices that Reduce Part Count, Board Space and System Costs
Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) today introduced the industry's
first 3.3 V, 15 MBd, multi-channel and bi-directional digital
optocouplers for use in a wide range of consumer, computing,
communications and industrial applications. Agilent's patented
manufacturing technology for stacking LEDs provided the integration
breakthrough necessary to develop multi-channel optocouplers that
allow OEMs to reduce part count, board space and system costs. The
integration of two, three and four optocouplers is achieved through
stacking LED die and an insulating layer on a silicon substrate.
Optocouplers provide electrical (galvanic) isolation of signal
lines to protect low-voltage circuitry from high-voltage surges. They
operate by converting electrical signals into optical signals that are
transmitted across a transparent insulating material and then
converted back to electrical signals. They also eliminate electrical
noise and interference.
"Technology breakthroughs such as stacked LEDs set new
optoisolation benchmarks for our competitors," said Chong Tze Siong,
vice president and general manager of Agilent's Isolation Products
Division. "Offering multi-channel devices reduces the number of
packaged parts on our customers' boards, saving space and cost. We
will maintain our market leadership by introducing new products that
offer value-added integration benefits."
The ACSL-6xx0 series optocouplers provide minimum 10 MBd operating
speeds, with 15 MBd typical performance. With an insulating material
between the LED and active circuitry, the optocoupler provides safe,
high-voltage insulation performance. The series includes dual-,
triple- and quad-channel versions. They are supplied in compact 8-pin
(4.9 mm x 5.9 mm x 1.7 mm for dual-channel) and 16-pin (9.9 mm x 5.9
mm x 1.7 mm for triple- and quad-channel) thin small outline
integrated circuit (SOIC) packages to further reduce board-space
requirements. The optocoupler's bi-directional capability simplifies
signal routing on PC boards.
In computer systems, the Agilent ACSL series optocouplers provide
the benefits of reduced part count and board space for parallel
interfaces and serial interfaces such as RS232/485/422, SPI (serial
peripheral interface), and Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) bus. They
offer the same benefits in industrial, test and measurement, and
medical systems for PLC (programmable logic controllers), fieldbus
interfaces and data acquisition; in communications applications such
as POE (power-over-Ethernet) and networking boards; and for plasma
display panels and other consumer appliances.
The Agilent optocouplers exhibit high common-mode rejection of 10
kV/microsecond minimum and operate from 3.0 V to 5.5 V supply
voltages, with an operating temperature range of -40 C to +100 C.
These devices are pending safety regulatory approval. They are
designed to meet the most widely accepted international safety
regulations: UL1577 (2500 Vrms), CSA Component Acceptance Notice No.
5, and the newly established standard to replace VDE 0884, IEC/EN/DIN
EN 60747-5-2.
U.S. Pricing and Availability
The Agilent ACSL-6400 with quad unidirectional channels is priced
at $4.14 each, and the ACSL-6210 with dual bi-directional channels is
priced at $2.53 each, both in 10,000-piece quantities. They are
available now through Agilent's direct sales channel and worldwide
distribution partners.
Agilent plans to introduce the following optocouplers in the third
quarter of 2005:
-- ACSL-6300 -- triple unidirectional channels
-- ACSL-6310 -- triple bi-directional (2/1) channels
-- ACSL-6410 -- quad bi-directional (3/1) channels
-- ACSL-6420 -- quad bi-directional (2/2) channels
More information is available at
www.agilent.com/view/optocouplers.
About Agilent Technologies
Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) is a global technology leader
in communications, electronics, life sciences and chemical analysis.
The company's 28,000 employees serve customers in more than 110
countries. Agilent had net revenue of $6.1 billion in fiscal year
2003. Information about Agilent is available on the Web at
www.agilent.com.
NOTE TO EDITORS: Please direct reader inquiries to Agilent
Semiconductor Products Group at 800-235-0312, or e-mail us at
semiconductorsupport@agilent.com. Further technology, corporate
citizenship and executive news is available on the Agilent news site
at www.agilent.com/go/news.
CONTACT: Agilent Technologies Inc.
Mark Alden, 408-435-6905
mark_alden@agilent.com
or
Weber Shandwick for Agilent
Elvia Soltero, 408-530-8400, ext. 2226
esoltero@webershandwick.com
SOURCE: Agilent Technologies Inc.