CALIFORNIA MICRO DEVICES DEBUTS ESD PROTECTION DEVICES.

California Micro Devices (Nasdaq: CAMD), Milpitas, Calif., has introduced a new family of low-capacitance electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection devices that provide almost twice the ESD protection as competing products. The CM1209 family is the industry's first low-capacitance ESD protection device to provide up to 15KV ESD contact protection, per the IEC61000-4-2 specification. Competing solutions typically offer only 8KV ESD contact protection. The CM1209, with only 6 pF of channel input capacitance, integrates up to 8 channels of ESD protection into a single device.

Target applications include high-speed data ports in PCs, set-top boxes, personal video recorders (PVRs), flat panel displays, and other consumer electronics that are likely to be exposed to ESD strikes. These ports include Digital Visual Interface (DVI), SCART, VGA, and full-speed (12 Mbps) USB ports.

Need for Higher Levels of ESD Protection

Typical end-user activities, such as connecting a digital camera to a PC or connecting a TV to a set-top box or PVR, can generate an ESD strike measured in thousands of volts. This can easily cause permanent damage to a PC or set top-box without adequate ESD protection.

"We designed the CM1209 family to provide the industry's highest levels of ESD protection while minimizing capacitance, making them ideal for high-speed data ports typically found in PCs and consumer electronics," stated Joe Salvador, director of marketing, computing products at California Micro Devices. "The CM1209 meets our customers' requests for higher levels of ESD protection with the ability to withstand multiple ESD strikes and the low capacitance necessary for maintaining signal integrity on high-speed data ports."

Product Features

The CM1209 family provides 4, 6, or 8 integrated channels of 15KV contact ESD protection. Each ESD channel consists of a pair of diodes that steer the ESD current pulse to either the positive (Vp) or negative (Vn) supply rail. The CM1209 also integrates a Zener supply clamp which reduces ESD transients on the supply rail and eliminates the need for an external capacitor. The CM1209 products are offered in miniature MSOP and SOIC packages, making them ideal for portable electronics as well, and are pin-compatible with other popular ESD protection devices from California Micro Devices such as the CM1208-08, CM1210-08, and PACDN006. Key features include the following:

-- 4, 6, or 8 channels of high-speed ESD protection in a single integrated device

-- Integral zener diode clamp to suppress supply rail transients

-- +/-15KV contact,+/-15KV air ESD protection per channel (IEC 61000-4-2 standard)

-- Low loading capacitance-6pF typical

-- Low supply current (less than 10 uA) for low power applications

-- Clamping voltage less than 15V (Vp + 10V) with no higher trigger voltages

-- Sub-nanosecond response times

An important feature is these devices do not exhibit device degradation under repetitive ESD strikes that fall within their specification and can survive more than 1000 ESD events without degradation.

The CM1209-04, CM1209-06, and CM1209-08 are currently sampling, with volume production scheduled for Q1 2003.

About California Micro Devices Corporation

California Micro Devices Corporation is a leading supplier of application-specific analog semiconductor products for the mobile, computing, and high-brightness LED lighting markets. Key products include application specific integrated passive (ASIP(TM)) devices and power management ICs as well as silicon submounts for high brightness LEDs.

For more information, visit http://www.calmicro.com or call 408/934-3114.