Product category:
Optoelectronic Sensors, Switches and Receivers
News Release from: Atmel Corporation | Subject: ATR1841 and ATR1842 front monitor diode ICs
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 30 August 2007
Diodes reduce next-generation DVD drive
costs
FMD ICs overcome space limitations and improve on the noise, bandwidth, and gain performance of standard DVD drives.
Atmel has released the ATR1841 and ATR1842 front monitor diode (FMD) ICs for use in the optical pick-up units (OPUs) of slim and ultra-slim HD-DVD and Blu-ray drives These new devices measure only 3 x 3mm
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 18 Nov 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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As the market for high-capacity optical storage drives such as HD-DVD and Blu-ray matures, drive-makers are looking for opportunities to further reduce drive component sizes in order to produce slim drives for laptops, while at the same time continuing to address the requirements for low noise and fast pulse response times.
The FMD ICs overcome space limitations and improve on the noise, bandwidth, and gain performance of standard drives.
The ATR1841 and ATR1842 support all wavelengths used in CD, DVD, and HD-DVD/Blu-ray drives.
Both devices have a serial interface, which allows manufacturers, using firmware, to change between the three gain modes and to adjust the gain by +/- 6dB in each mode.
The serial interface also reduces the overall bill of material as external potentiometers are no longer needed to control the gain.
It also enables a reduction in pin-count, thus allowing the device to be packaged in Atmel's 3 x 3mm QFN package.
This Atmel-patented open package has a cavity, which permits the laser direct access to the die surface and therefore to the photo diode, resulting in improved system.
The ATR1841 and ATR1842 have a channel bandwidth of over 160MHz, while maintaining a noise level of less than -80dBm.
Atmel's process technology has been proven not to suffer from degradation of the photo diode when exposed to blue laser light over extended periods of high-temperature.
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