 Press Release
10.19.04
ROHM Develops Industry's First PCMCIA Compliant Power
Management Switches—Supporting Next-generation ExpressCardTM
Technology for PCs
ROHM
Co., Ltd. is the first ExpressCardTM Power Management
Switch IC manufacturer to be compliant with PCMCIA’s
stringent compliant requirements. ROHM recently completed
the development of the industry's first power management switches—the
BD4153FV/EFV. These switches support the ExpressCardTM technology
for the PCI-ExpressTM bus and will transform the next-generation
expansion bus for PCs.
With the advancement of the CPU and graphic
accelerator for PCs, improvement in the speed of transmission
data is in high demand. The supporting speed of the internal
bus of the PC has been increasing with the development of
recent models—PCI (parallel at 266 MB/s), PCI-X (parallel
at 1.06 GB/s), and PCI-X2.0 (parallel at 4.24 GB/s). The graphic
accelerator uses the dedicated high-speed AGP bus (parallel
at a maximum of 2.1 GB/s). These bus models are parallel system
models that have limits on speed due to delays or interference
among lines. To solve these problems, the development of the
PCI-ExpressTM bus allows increase in speed. The PCI-ExpressTM
bus is a serial system model which achieves a high-speed transmission
up to 8 GB/s (x16), excels the AGP bus and PCI bus. The development
of the PCI-ExpressTM as a PC bus will progress and eventually
replace the AGP bus and PCI bus—which support the current
PCMCIA’s PC Card standard. The BD4153FV/EFV is the industry's
first power management switch that controls the power supply
to the ExpressCardTM.
The power management switch incorporates
a control function in the built-in power switch component.
This enables the IC to detect the existence or nonexistence
of the card without any signal from the card controller. The
conventional PCI (or PCI-X or PCI-X2.0) bus configuration
uses an independent pre-stage card controller to connect the
PC card (PCMCIA). The PCI-ExpressTM bus and ExpressCardTM
technology are designed to connect to the PC card directly—without
a controller. The development of this power management function
is now a requirement for the ExpressCardTM module technology.
ROHM is the first manufacturing company to build this function
directly into the IC. With the adoption of the CMOS process,
the built-in power switch component provides ultra low-ON
resistance (35 m ohm for the 3.3V line and 42 m ohmfor 1.5V
line). A slow-start circuit is incorporated into the BD4153FV/EFV
to prevent malfunctioning that can be caused by a quick rise
in power supply. ROHM ensures a high-quality supply of power
with little fluctuation, high reliability and a reduction
in power consumption with the BD4153FV/EFV.
Key Features
— Three-channel power switch components with low ON
resistance to turn power supply to the ExpressCardTM module
ON and OFF (3.3V main: 35 m ohm; 3.3V Aux: 100 m ohm; 1.5V
main: 42 m ohm).
— A power switch incorporating a soft-start function
— FET for output discharge use
— An enable function
— Variety of protection functions for improvement in
reliability (low-input malfunction prevention circuit, overcurrent
protection circuit, overcurrent flag detection function and
thermal protection circuit)
— HTSSOP-B24 (BD4153EFV) package incorporates a heat
dissipation metal component
— SSOP-B24 (BD4153FV) package available
In addition to the field of PC-related products, ROHM will
continue strengthening the lineup of power management ICs
in the field of digital home electronics.
ExpressCardTM advantages
— A smaller & faster PC Card solution
— Suitable for mobile and desktop systems
— Supports USB 2.0 and PCI Express applications
— Lower system and card complexity |
 Press Release
8.05.04
Celestica Recognizes ROHM with First-year Global Supplier
Awards
San
Diego, CA. - ROHM today announced it was awarded
the first-year Partners in Performance award by Celestica,
a world leader in electronics manufacturing services (EMS),
for ROHM’s contribution to Celestica in 2003.
“Quality is our priority,” said Ken Sykes, Senior
Vice President, Rohm Electronics “Our objective is to
contribute to the advancement and progress of the global market
through a constant supply of high quality products. ROHM is
honored to be distinguished by Celestica for our hard work
and dedication to maintaining the company’s core values.”
Celestica’s Partners in Performance awards are given
annually to the company’s suppliers, in recognition
of their support of Celestica’s supply chain management
objectives and dedication to customer service. The 2003 Partners
in Performance winners demonstrated flexibility and responsiveness,
impact on asset management, effectiveness and efficiency,
and overall performance excellence.
“As a recognized leader in quality, technology and
supply chain management, Celestica’s key suppliers contribute
significantly to the company’s overall success in the
EMS industry,” said Robert Shanks, Chief Supply Chain
and Procurement Officer, Celestica. “We’re proud
to recognize ROHM with a first-year Partners in Performance
award and we value their contribution immensely.”
About ROHM
ROHM, the world's largest component-only manufacturer was
founded in 1958 in Kyoto, Japan. ROHM designs and manufactures
semiconductors and other electronic components including monolithic
ICs, power modules, photo link modules, transistors, diodes,
LEDs, LCDs, laser diodes, thermal heads, image sensor heads,
and LED displays. By building its manufacturing equipment
in-house, developing highly automated production methods,
and pioneering in advanced environmental friendly productions,
ROHM has become a key player in custom LSI, and other semiconductor
products.
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 Press Release
8.01.04
Zener Diodes With Ultra Low 1pF Capacitance -
Save Space and Reduce EMI in Portable Electronic Devices
ESD solutions
typically insert 3-to-5 pF on line capacitance. While this
capacitance may be acceptable, it can introduce unacceptable
levels of signal distortion with solutions that involve high-speed
Input/Output (I/O) ports in computers, peripherals, and consumer
electronics.
Rohm’s new line of ultra-low 1pF
Zener diodes delivers ±8kV or ±9kV contact protection,
per the IEC61000-4-2 Level 4 specification, with the industry’s
lowest capacitance (1pF). Rohm’s Zener diodes have been
optimized to provide the highest levels of reliability and
ESD protection, while providing the industry’s lowest
capacitance for optimal signal quality on high-speed data
lines. High-speed differential signals, such as those found
in Digital Visual Interface (DVI) and Serial Advanced Technology
Attachment (ATA), require very low capacitance, very tight
matching, and low-capacitive coupling between signal pairs
to maintain data integrity. Rohm’s Zener diodes feature
the lowest capacitance values in the industry, offering customers
high levels of protection in the smallest possible footprint
with uncompromised data integrity.
Applications
Rohm’s new line of ultra-low 1pF Zener diodes are ideal
for protecting high-speed ports such as USB 2.0, DVI, High
Definition Media Interface (HDMI), IEEE1394b/Firewire, and
Serial ATA. Their small footprint makes them extremely well
suited for space-sensitive voltage-regulation applications
in portable communications and computing devices including
cellular and cordless phones, Bluetooth products, digital
cameras, MP3 players, notebook computers, and PDAs.
Key Features and Benefits
Rohm’s new line of ultra-low 1pF Zener diodes provide
±8kV or ±9kV contact protection (depending on
the diode), per the IEC61000-4-2 Level 4 standard. All models
use a diode clamp configuration optimized for minimal capacitance,
while simultaneously providing excellent ESD protection with
low clamping voltage levels. Benefits of this technology include:
— ESD protection of 8kV or 9kV contact,
15kV Air, per IEC61000-4-2 Level 4
— Industry’s lowest channel input capacitance
(1pF typ.)
— Ultra-low channel I/O to GND capacitance difference
(0.02 pF)
— Ultra-low channel-to-channel capacitance (0.8 pF)
— Low insertion loss (virtually zero up to 3 GHz)
— Clamping voltage less than 14V (Vbus + 9V)
— Sub-nanosecond response times
— Multi-strike capability
— Low-profile, small form-factor EDZ, VDZ, SOD, SOT,
LL, and DO packages for space-constrained applications |
 Press Release
6.25.04
Ultra Fast Recovery Diodes:
Advance Performance in Smaller Packages
Recent
developments in the home theatre, telecom, PC, and wireless
markets extended switching power and frequencies requirement
to the (higher frequency range) MHz ranges. This trend in
power applications consequently led to a growth in diode technologies.
While significant progress has been made in the development
of Fast-Power diodes, the diode had been considered the weakest
component in the application, limiting the ability to increase
the operating frequency and efficiency in power supply applications.
Rohm’s new line of ultra high-speed diodes with enhanced
diode performance is designed from the ground up and offers
advance solutions to the switching product market.
The RFxx1 and RFxx3 series of ultra FAST-speed diodes offer
high-speed switching and very-low VF with extremely small
packages. RFxx1 and RFxx3 series contribute in the thriving
of energy-saving performance and portability of new products.
Rohm’s RFxx3 series lead the industry with the highest
speed and fastest switching performance, the RFxx3 series
is suited for devices that require low power-supply switching
losses and reducing heat generation, such as in power-supply
blocks. The RFxx3 series products reduce conventional response
speed by approximately 30% without affecting VF characteristics
and deliver a typical trr of 11-20 ns.
Like its faster brother, ROHM’s RFxx1 series makes
significant improvements in VF characteristics (approximately
10% lower than the VF of conventional models), while increasing
response speed. With a capacity range of 3A to 20A, the RFxx1
models make it possible to produce highly efficient switching
power supplies with low power dissipation. RFxx are available
in 3, 5, 6, and 10 diode models.
Those new products are prime examples of Rohm’s commitment
in development and manufacturing advance electronic devices.
For more information on these and other Rohm products, visit
www.rohmelectronics.com or call 888-775-ROHM.
Key Features RFxx1
- Ultra-low VF: 0.87 V (typ.) 0.93 V (max.)
- Average rectified current Io= 3 to 20Average rectified current
Io = 3 to 10 A
- Reverse-breakdown voltage VR = 200everse breakdown voltage
VR = 200V
- Industry-standard package: TO-220FN, CPD
Key Features RFxx3
- Ultra high-speed switching: 11 ns (typ. trr) 20 ns (max.
trr)
- (IF = 1A, IR = 0.5A, Irr = 0.25*IR for 3-A models)
- Average rectified current Io = 3 to 10 A
- Reverse breakdown voltage VR = 200V
- Industry's standard package: TO-220FN, CPD
Key Benefits
- High efficiency
- Ultra-small, low-profile surface-mount package for economic
use of space
- Excellent size / performance ratio |
 Press Release
4.20.04
CD Quality Sound for Cell Phones
San
Diego, California – ROHM introduces the BU8709KN
and BU8899GU, high quality sound source ICs that generate
64-tones simultaneously to bring true acoustics to cellular
phone ring tones.
There are many advantages to using the BU8709KN and BU8899GU
LSI chips in cellular phone designs. To start with, these
ICs use a PCM sound generator to deliver a multi-layered phonic
presence by reproducing sounds in 64-tones at a sampling rate
of 44.1 kHz for CD quality sound. In addition to an equalizer
and reverb functions, ROHM has also included other functions
that allow the user to customize the sound and optimize it
with specific speakers and set box selections. These ICs also
allow dynamic variation of key and tempo, include an ADPCM
encoder (1 channel) and decoder (2 channels). The BU8899GU
chip is also capable of simultaneous 4-channel parallel playback
using Java.
Samples of these products are currently available.
ROHM, the world's largest component-only manufacturer was
founded in 1958 in Kyoto, Japan. ROHM designs and manufactures
semiconductors and other electronic components including monolithic
ICs, power modules, photo link modules, transistors, diodes,
LEDs, LCDs, Laser diodes, thermal heads, image sensor heads,
and LED displays. By building its manufacturing equipment
in-house, developing highly automated production methods,
and pioneering in advanced environmental friendly productions,
ROHM has become a key player in custom LSI, and other semiconductor
products. |
Press Release
3.15.04
ROHM Develops Industry's
First Power Management Switches BD4153FV/EFV Supporting Next-generation
Express Card™ for PC
ROHM
CO., LTD. recently completed the development of the
industry's first power management switches (BD4153FV/EFV). These
switches support Express Card™ for the PCI-Express™ bus
(the next generation expansion bus for the PC). The new parts
will start shipping this March, and mass production will begin
in October this year at a monthly rate of 300,000 units.
Higher speeds of data transmission in the
CPU and graphic accelerator of the PC are in great demand with
the increasing supporting speed of the internal bus of the PC
(PCI: parallel at 266 MB/s, PCI-X: parallel at 1.06 GB/s, and
PCI-X2.0: parallel at 4.24 GB/s, graphic accelerator with dedicated
high-speed AGP bus: parallel at a maximum of 2.1 GB/s). These
bus models, however, are parallel system models with speed limits
due to delays or interference among lines. The development of
the PCI-Express™ bus solves this problem by permitting
the speed to be increased.
The PCI-Express™ bus is a serial system
model that achieves high-speed transmission up to 8 GB/s (x16)
excelling the AGP bus and PCI bus. The development of the PCI-Express™ as
a PC bus will eventually replace the AGP bus and PCI bus, and
the Express Card™ to support the PCI-Express™ will
eventually replace the conventional card that supports the PCMCIA.
ROHM’s newly developed BD4153FV/EFV
are the industry's first power management switches that control
the power supply of the Express Card.™
The power management switch incorporates
a function of control in the built-in power switch components.
This enables the IC to detect the existence or nonexistence of
the card without any signal from the card controller.
The conventional PCI (or PCI-X or PCI-X2.0)
bus configuration uses an independent pre-stage card controller
to connect the PC card (PCMCIA). The PCI-Express™ bus and
Express Card™ are specified to connect the PC card directly
with no controller, so the development of the power management
function is required for the Express Card™. ROHM built
this function into the IC.
Other features of the BD4153FV/EFV switches
include adoption of a CMOS process to provide low-ON resistance
to the built-in power switch component (35m-ohm for the 3.3-V
line and 42m-ohm for 1.5-V line), a slow-start circuit is incorporated
to prevent malfunctioning caused by a quick rise in power supply
in addition to a variety of built-in protection circuits, a high-quality
supply of power with very little fluctuation, high-reliability
and a reduction in power consumption.
In addition to PC type products, ROHM will
continue to strengthen the lineup of power management IC models
in the area of digital home electronics that have expanding networks
through USB and memory cards.
Main Features of BD4153FV/EFV
1) Three-channel power switch components with low-ON resistance to turn power
supply to the Express Card™ ON and OFF (3.3-V line: 35 and 100m-ohm;
1.5-V line: 42m-ohm).
2) A power switch incorporating a soft-start function.
3) Incorporates an FET for output discharge use.
4) Incorporates an enable function.
5) Incorporates a variety of protection functions (low-input malfunction prevention
circuit, over current protection circuit, over current flag detection function
and thermal protection circuit) for reliability.
6) Available in HTSSOP-B24 (BD4153EFV) package incorporating a heat dissipation
metal component and in SSOP-B24 (BD4153FV) package. |
 Press Release
1.8.04
ROHM
in Technology Alliance with Sonaptic, Ltd. for Provision of 3D Positional
Audio Technology of Cellular Phones - A Virtual Sound Source for Cellular
Phones
ROHM
CO., LTD. has joined forces with Sonaptic,
Ltd., headquartered in High Wycombe, UK, to use Sonaptic's
3-D positional audio technology for cellular phones in ROHM's sound-source
LSI. Samples will start shipping in March, 2004, with mass production
beginning in September. The new technology will be included in
cell phones that will go on sale in the fall.
Until now, ROHM has worked to raise the quality
of sound in sound-source LSIs for cell phones to improve their
overall functionality. The 64-chord PCM sound-source LSI, for instance,
is equipped with many hardware functions compatible with Java applications,
including hi-fi sound, a parallel playback function, key changing,
and tempo changing. This new alliance will add 3D positional audio
technology to ROHM's sound-source LSIs, giving users the opportunity
to experience sound playback closer to reality than ever before
possible with a cell phone. Most of all, this new technology will
make sound quality even better for 3D sound and 3D games designed
for use with Java applications.
3D positional audio technology can control
the position of a virtual sound source in the space around the
listener's head,. This will make it possible to create the impression
of listening to 3D sound using the single cellular phone stereo
speaker playback. This is accomplished by taking advantage of the
subtle differences in sound detectable by the human ear to reproduce
the kind of sound only possible before using 5.1-channel surround
sound with multiple speakers.
Applying this technology to ROHM's sound-source
LSIs will make it possible to create the 3D sensation of actually
being next to the performer when listening to music or watching
the missile an opponent shot at the player fly overhead in a video
game- even when using a cell phone.
ROHM will continue to develop system
LSIs incorporating cutting-edge technology to contribute to the
evolution of the cell phone. |
 Press Release
1.6.04
Red High-Output Semiconductor
Laser for DVD-RW with 240mW of Optical Power - the Highest in
the Industry
ROHM
CO., LTD. has completed development of a high-output
semiconductor laser with DVD writing maximum capacity of 16X
(RLD65PZB5).
Production will begin at 500,000 units a month starting in April
2004 and production volume will increase thereafter. Samples are
already being shipped. Production is
split into two stages: the first at the Kyoto plant and the second
at ROHM WAKO CO., LTD.
The market trend is moving toward high-speed
DVD-RW capabilities for easier use of PCs with built-in DVD-RW
and DVD recorders with built-in hard drives, and this market
is expanding rapidly. Ten million units are expected to be shipped
for AV use and 50 million for PC use in 2004, and 2005 is expected
to see even greater growth.
While DVD media will become indispensable
for recording large volumes of data such as video, these larger
volumes of data will entail longer recording times. The power required
to write 1 bit of data is equivalent to the strength of the laser
optical output, so the higher the laser optical output is raised,
the faster the writing time will be.
With the demand for higher output in semiconductor
lasers from 2X to 16X growing for faster DVD recording, ROHM developed
the RLD65PZB5 high-output semiconductor laser. It delivers 240mW
of optical output making 16X maximum speed DVD recording possible.
In order to control the rise in current associated with greater
output, ROHM has used an original element design
to deliver both high output and excellent heat characteristics.
Developing new elements with excellent heat
characteristics has made it possible to include them on the standard
5.6 diameter package that has a reputation for better results than
previous models. ROHM's 5.6 diameter standard laser diode package
commands a high
market share and has a high production supply capacity, and therefore
is able to be mass produced for a
stable supply to customers at a high level of quality.
This high-output DVD laser with an original
element design is also being developed in a 650nm/780nm monolithic
2-wavelength type to meet demands in the DVD/CD multi-drive market.
ROHM will continue leading the marking with
high-performance chips and advanced production technologies to
meet a wide range of demands for set makers.
RLD65PZB5 Features:
- Po (optical output): 240mW
- Rapid response: 2ns or faster (50% of previous
speeds)
- Low aspect ratio (divergence angle): 1.7
- 5.6 diameter metal package (light-emitting
point: 1.35 mm)
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