Maxim Integrated Products

Maxim demonstrated, on its extremely busy booth, its huge portfolio of medical, LED, energy-measurement, powerline communications and automotive solutions. I received a run-down of each of the demos and featured products, a selection of which follows. Demo overview Medical demos included infusion pumps, blood glucose meters, and ultrasound imaging. LED demos included high-brightness (HB) LED lamp solutions incorporating Maxim's LED drivers that are based on proprietary active-PFC architecture, as well as RGB LED fixtures controlled at video rates by powerline data communications. Energy-measurement demos featured Maxim's home energy measurement and G3-PLC powerline data communications for the smart grid. Maxim also exhibited touch-enabled video systems for automotive infotainment and safety applications. Maxim's portable infusion pump demo using an Alaris® (Medley®) infusion pump integrates critical safety functions into a compact form factor. The demo will feature power-management chips that extend battery runtime, signal-path components for closed-loop control systems, and support circuitry that integrates redundant protection mechanisms. The design features over 20 Maxim parts, all of which are backed by the industry's best discontinuance policy, making them ideal for medical applications with long lifecycles. For blood glucose meters, Maxim demonstrated a development kit based on its MAX1358 precision analog front-end (AFE). It will include a graphical user interface (GUI) for full testing of the MAX1358's programming options. This kit, which is embedded in a USB stick, will also simulate a blood glucose assay to show the extreme accuracy of the MAX1358. Maxim's solutions enable easy integration of additional functionality into glucometers to meet different market needs. Maxim also presented solutions for ultrasound transmit and receive path circuitry. The Company will showcase the MAX2079* 8-channel front-end, optimized for high-performance portable ultrasound systems. This device avoids the performance compromises of monolithic designs by combining a CMOS ADC with BiCMOS LNAs, VGAs, AAFs, and CWD mixers. The receiver lineup provides high performance at very low power levels for ultrasound system portability with minimal compromise to image quality and penetration depth. This demo will also feature Maxim's high-voltage digital pulsers and show many of the output patterns they are capable of producing. Maxim's HB LED demos featured offline and MR16 lamp drivers that deliver flicker-free operation with cut-angle dimmers and electronic transformers; this enables retrofit LED lamps for replacing halogen and incandescent lamps with no change to the existing infrastructure. The offline lamp demo will include a retrofit LED lamp connected to multiple dimmers. Based on the popular MAX16834 LED driver, this demo board provides flicker-free dimming over the full control range with a wide range of standard triac dimmers. The MAX16834 supports 120V, 230V, and universal (90V to 265V, 50Hz and 60Hz) inputs, allowing a single lamp design to work worldwide. The MR16 demo showed a retrofit LED lamp supplied by a standard electronic transformer and trailing-edge wall dimmer, as well as flicker-free operation of this lamp with a variety of commonly used electronic transformers. Maxim's active-PFC design avoids the performance limitations encountered with competitive solutions that use an AC-to-DC rectifier and a DC-DC converter. Based on the MAX16840* LED driver, Maxim's solution provides flicker-free operation with most electronic transformers, including the widely used Philips® ET-E60, Primaline, and ET-S150. A related demo showed the use of Maxim's MAX2990/MAX2991 powerline data-communications chipset to control RGB LED lights at video rates, showcasing inside or outside decorative lighting without extra control wires. The same powerline communication solution is demonstrated in conjunction with Maxim's 71M6543 utility metering and 78M6612 energy-measurement products in a smart grid system demonstration. These energy-measurement solutions offer better than 0.2% accuracy over the industrial temperature range and innovative isolated current sensing that eliminates bulky current transformers; they also provide an unprecedented level of integration and reliability. Maxim's automotive infotainment and safety video system showcased Maxim's gigabit multimedia serial link (GMSL) technology, along with its automotive-grade touch-screen, audio, and power solutions. The demo platform supports full 1080p video, high-definition audio, multiple camera inputs, and sophisticated touch-screen technologies, all through a simplified 4-wire interface that reduces wiring harness cost and complexity. The heart of the system is a GMSL serializer/deserializer (SerDes) chipset for cameras (MAX9259/MAX9269) and one for displays (MAX9259/MAX9260). Maxim's GMSL technology integrates video, control, and audio into one link over a single shielded twisted pair (STP). Including power and ground, the entire interface to the camera or display is a 4-wire connector, which greatly simplifies the wiring harness while improving picture quality. An integrated full-duplex UART/I2C control channel eases interfacing with image sensors and allows implementation of a touch-screen interface on the display with no additional wiring. Meanwhile, link speeds up to 2.5Gbps support full 1080p video and allow frame-by-frame control. Maxim's MAX11850* capacitive touch-screen controller implements advanced gesture recognition for multipoint inputs on touch screens up to 7in, making it ideal for center-console applications. This device provides several advantages: high sensitivity to allow operation with thick cover glass for extra ruggedness, support for capacitive buttons next to the screen using a single IC, and a glueless interface to Maxim's haptic actuator controllers for support of tactile feedback using high-voltage haptic actuators. The infotainment demo platform included a complete audio solution for rear-seat headphones, as well as Class D amplifiers capable of delivering up to 1.3W. Additionally, to protect the power source from the harsh automotive environment, the platform will include a quiet 5V supply capable of driving a head unit and four or more external cameras. An automotive-grade, 200W Class D audio demo will also be available at electronica to highlight Maxim's audio quality and efficiency capabilities. Low-Noise Op Amps Improve Signal Conditioning in Harsh Industrial Applications Maxim's new rail-to-rail operational amplifiers offer high-voltage performance, precision specifications at low frequency, and high gains, enabling precise signal conditioning in industrial applications. Maxim introduced the MAX9632/MAX9633 36V, low-noise, precision operational amplifiers with low distortion. The first devices in Maxim's new line of high-voltage, precision op amps, the MAX9632/MAX9633 are designed using a proprietary high-speed complementary BiCMOS process (CB5HV). This high-voltage analog process is optimized for excellent AC dynamic performance, ultra-low noise, wide operating voltage range, and low-drift signal conditioning. The MAX9632/MAX9633 target industrial data-acquisition applications that require precision signal conditioning at low frequencies. The MAX9632 is a single op amp with an ultra-low input-voltage noise density of 0.94nV/rt-Hz, a low offset of 125μV (max), and an offset temperature coefficient of 0.5μV/?C (max). The MAX9633 is a dual op amp with an input-voltage noise density of 3nV/rt-Hz, an offset of 200μV (max), and an offset temperature coefficient of 0.9μV?C (max). Both devices provide high-fidelity signal conditioning with THD specifications better than -136dB, enabling use in professional audio equipment and high-end test and instrumentation applications. Gain-bandwidth product (GBWP) is typically 55MHz for the MAX9632 and 27MHz for the MAX9633. This usable bandwidth, combined with a generous 4.5V to 36V operating voltage range and a typical current consumption of 3.9mA (MAX9632), allows the devices to be used in an array of high-performance industrial applications. Both devices offer a new level of robustness, with up to ±8kV Human Body Model ESD rating (MAX9632). The MAX9632/MAX9633 are fully specified for operation over the -40°C to +125°C automotive temperature range. The products are available in a small (3mm x 3mm), lead-free, 8-pin TDFN package and an 8-pin SO package (MAX9632 only). Prices start at $3.10 for the MAX9632 and $2.39 for the MAX9633 (1000-up, FOB USA).

Auto-Grade, 1.2A Step-Down Converter Meets Tight OEM Power Budgets Maxim's new buck converter boasts an ultra-low 45μA quiescent current, helping designers hit aggressive power targets in applications such as infotainment systems. Maxim introduces the MAX16975 automotive-grade, 1.2A step-down converter optimized for operation over a 3.5V to 28V range. To accommodate extreme battery voltage variations in automotive applications, the device tolerates load-dump transients up to 42V and cold-crank excursions down to 3.5V. It can operate in dropout by turning on the integrated 300m? high-side FET for the duration of cold-crank or start/stop events. The wide input supply range, combined with an ultra-low quiescent current (45μA, no load), makes the MAX16975 ideal for automotive applications that have tight power budgets. The MAX16975 features a resistor-programmable switching frequency (220kHz to 1MHz) that can be tuned to suit the demands of the application. It can also be synchronized to an external clock. Additional features include an open-drain power-good output with adjustable reset threshold and delay timer, as well as protection features such as cycle-by-cycle current limiting, thermal shutdown, and overvoltage protection. The MAX16975 is AEC-Q100 (Grade 1) qualified and fully specified over the -40°C to +125°C automotive temperature range; it is packaged in a thermally enhanced, 16-pin QSOP. Pricing starts at $2.36 (1000-up, FOB USA). www.maxim-ic.com