new products
Infineon introduces packaged MEMS
microphones with a 70 dB signal-to-noise ratio
Infineon Technologies AG (FSE: IFX / OTCQX: IFNNY)
is entering the packaged silicon microphone market.
With this it is addressing the needs for high performance,
low noise MEMS microphones. The analog and digital
microphones are based on Infineon’s dual backplate
MEMS technology and distinguish themselves with a 70
dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). This is combined with
an exceptionally low distortion level of 10 percent at a
135 dB sound pressure level (SPL). In a 4 mm x 3 mm x
1.2 mm MEMS package, the microphones are very well
suited for high-quality acoustic recordings and far field
voice capturing applications.
“This is an expansion of the established high volume
bare die MEMS and ASIC business model with our
packaging partners around the world,” said Dr. Roland
Helm, Senior Director and Head of Product Line Sensors
for Infineon’s Power Management and Multimarket
Division. “We will continue to strengthen and grow our
business with our partners with bare dies; additionally
we now address low noise high-end use cases with our
two new packaged microphones.”
Current MEMS microphone technology uses a sound
wave actuated membrane and a static backplate.
Infineon’s dual backplate MEMS technology uses
a membrane embedded within two backplates thus
generating a truly differential signal. This allows
improved high frequency immunity for better audio
signal processing and increases the acoustic overload
point of 10 percent Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) to
135 dB SPL.
The SNR of 70 dB is an improvement of 6 dB compared
to a conventional MEMS microphone. This improvement
is equivalent to doubling the distance from which a
user can give a voice command that is captured by
the microphone. Additionally, the analog and digital
microphones have excellent microphone-to-microphone
matching (±1 dB sensitivity matching and ± 2° phase
matching) which is ideal for implementing in arrays. For
this reason the MEMS microphones are a perfect fit for
ultra-precise beam forming and noise cancelling
20V, 20A Monolithic Synchronous Silent
Switcher®2 Buck Regulator Reduces EMI &
Enables High Power Density Applications
Analog Devices, Inc., which recently acquired Linear
Technology Corporation, announces the LTC7150S, a
20V, 20A monolithic synchronous buck converter with
differential VOUT remote sensing. The device’s unique
phase lockable controlled on-time constant frequency
current mode architecture eases compensation and is
ideal for high step-down ratio applications that operate at
high frequencies while demanding fast transient response.
The LTC7150S uses Silent Switcher®2 technology,
including integrated bypass capacitors to deliver a
highly efficient solution with excellent EMI performance
while easing layout constraints. Multiphase operation
with up to 12 phases provides the capability to directly
parallel multiple devices for higher current with minimal
increase in input and output capacitance. VOUT remote
sense ensures that voltage regulation at the load is
accurate regardless of load current or board layout. The
LTC7150S’s wide 3.1V to 20V input range supports a
wide variety of applications, including most intermediate
bus voltages, and is compatible with many battery types.
Integrated N-channel MOSFETs deliver continuous load
currents as high as 20A with minimal thermal derating, at
output voltages ranging from 0.6V to VIN, ideal for point-
of-load applications such as powering high current/low
voltage DSPs, FPGAs and ASICs. Other applications
include telecom/datacom systems, distributed power
architectures and general high power density systems.
The LTC7150S’s very low 25ns minimum on-time
allows for a high step-down ratio power supply at
high frequencies supporting both forced continuous
and discontinuous mode operation. The operating
frequency is selectable from 400kHz to 3MHz and can
be synchronized to an external clock. The LTC7150S’s
total differential output voltage accuracy is ±1% over the
–40°C to 125°C operating junction temperature range.
Additional features include differential remote VOUT
sensing directly at the load, PHMODE phase selector
pin, accurate 1.2V RUN pin threshold, VIN overvoltage
protection, power good and programmable soft-start/
tracking.
72 l New-Tech Magazine Europe