Agilent Technologies' New Ambient Light Sensor Extends Battery Life by Controlling Backlighting in Mobile Electronics.Business Editors/High-Tech Writers PALO ALTO Palo Alto, city, California Palo Alto (păl`ō ăl`tō), city (1990 pop. 55,900), Santa Clara co., W Calif.; inc. 1894. Although primarily residential, Palo Alto has aerospace, electronics, and advanced research industries. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 12, 2003 Spectral Response The variable output of a light-sensitive device that is based on the color of the light it perceives. Emulates the Human Eye for Maximum Efficiency Agilent Technologies This article needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Alone, primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of this article are not sufficient for an accurate encyclopedia article. Inc. (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :A) today introduced the Agilent Ambient Light Photo Sensor (HSDL-9000), which detects the amount of light at any given time and sends a signal to adjust the backlighting back·light n. A type of spotlight, used in photography, that illuminates a subject from behind. tr.v. back·light·ed or back·lit , back·light·ing, back·lights as necessary in a mobile screen or keypad. If there is sufficient ambient light, the backlighting is not turned on, thereby extending battery life in mobile electronic devices such as mobile phones, PDAs and laptop computers. Agilent's new device outperforms silicon photodiode A light sensor (photodetector) that allows current to flow in one direction from one side to the other when it absorbs photons (light). The more light, the more the current. Used to detect light pulses in optical fibers and other light-sensitive applications, it works the opposite of a light detection solutions because its spectral response peaks at the same frequency (550 nm) as the human eye. It accurately predicts when backlighting is needed to be able to see a display clearly, especially in different light sources such as fluorescent and halogen. The Agilent HSDL-9000 performs equally well with all light sources, and, as backlighting is only necessary about 40 percent of the time(1), the new Agilent HSDL-9000 can add significant time between battery recharges. This is especially important considering the growing use of color LCD displays, which consume much more power than monochrome LCDs. "With battery life at a premium in today's multi-function devices, Agilent's new ambient light detector is an important component for our customers' new mobile designs," said Kee Hane Ngoh, operations manager of Agilent's Infrared Products Operation. "In addition to battery-powered handheld devices, we also see applications for this technology in automobiles and other products based on its superior spectral response." "The Ambient Light Photo Sensor adds to Agilent's impressive line-up of products for mobile communications, including FBAR FBAR Film Bulk Acoustic Resonator FBAR Foreign Bank Account Report FBAR First Born Anal Retentive filters, E-pHEMT power modules, embedded cameras, infrared transceivers, and surface-mount LEDs," said Colin Chin, vice president of worldwide sales and marketing for Agilent's Semiconductor Products Group. "No other component vendor offers all of these solutions for mobile appliances." HSDL-9000 Features The HSDL-9000 offers impressive performance and a list of features that simplify and expedite mobile appliance design: -- Spectral response peaks at 550 nm (the same as the human luminosity luminosity, in astronomy, the rate at which energy of all types is radiated by an object in all directions. A star's luminosity depends on its size and its temperature, varying as the square of the radius and the fourth power of the absolute surface temperature. curve) for consistent performance under all lighting conditions; -- Integrated low-pass filter and quantizer speed response to conserve CPU CPU in full central processing unit Principal component of a digital computer, composed of a control unit, an instruction-decoding unit, and an arithmetic-logic unit. resources and reduce component count; -- Three-step programmable digital gain settings along with analog gain settings for greater flexibility; and -- Allowance for auto-flash and variable brightness control. U.S. Pricing and Availability The HSDL-9000 is available today from Agilent and its authorized distribution partners. Housed in a lead-free package measuring only 1.1 x 4.0 x 3.2 mm, it is priced at less than $1.00 each in 25,000-unit quantities. About Agilent Technologies Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) is a global technology leader in communications, electronics, life sciences and chemical analysis. The company's 35,000 employees serve customers in more than 110 countries. Agilent had net revenue of $6 billion in fiscal year 2002. Information about Agilent is available on the Web at www.agilent.com. (1) Based on Agilent estimates. NOTE TO EDITORS: Please direct reader inquiries to Agilent Semiconductor Products Group at +1 800 235 0312, or e-mail us at semiconductorsupport@agilent.com. Further technology, corporate citizenship Corporate Citizenship The extent to which businesses are socially responsible in meeting legal, ethical and economic responsibilities placed on them by shareholders. The aim it to create higher standards of living and quality of life in the community in which it operates, while and executive news is available on the Agilent news site at www.agilent.com/go/news. |
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