Process upgrades sink driver performance

A new family of 32bit latched sink driver ICs are ideally suited to printer and display applications.

Allegro MicroSystems Europe has launched a new family of 32bit latched sink driver ICs, the A6832 and A6833, which are ideally suited to printer and display applications.

The new devices are designed to be drop-in replacements for Allegro's earlier UCN5832 and UCN5833, but use the company's DABiC-5 merged bipolar/CMOS process to offer a number of performance enhancements including 3.3-5V logic capability, lower power consumption and datarates of up to 10MHz.

The new devices also offer significant cost reductions and include a lead-free package option for RoHS compliance.

The combination of bipolar and MOS technologies gives these DABiC-5 arrays an interface flexibility beyond the reach of standard buffers and power driver circuits, while their high-speed operation makes them ideal for use in thermal-printer applications.

They can also be used to drive multiplexed LED displays or incandescent lamps at up to 150mA peak current.

The A6832 has 32 bipolar NPN 40V open-collector saturated drivers, whereas the A6833 has 32 bipolar NPN 30V open-collector Darlington output drivers.

Both devices incorporate a CMOS data latch for each of the drivers, a 32bit CMOS shift register, and CMOS control circuitry.

The high-speed CMOS shift registers and latches allow operation with most microprocessor-based systems with data input rates up to 10MHz.

MOS serial data outputs permit cascading for interface applications requiring additional drive lines.

Both devices are offered in 44-pin PLCC packages.

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