Press Release
California Micro Devices
Raises Performance Bar for ESD Protection
New Ultra Low Capacitance PicoGuard™
CM1215 and CM1216 Devices Offer
Industry’s Highest Levels of ESD Protection
MILPITAS, Calif., -- July 1, 2005
-- California
Micro Devices (NASDAQ: CAMD) today announced the availability of its newest
PicoGuard™ ultra low capacitance diode arrays for electrostatic
discharge (ESD) protection for digital consumer and computing applications.
The CM1215 and CM1216 are the industry’s first low capacitance devices
to offer ±15kV of contact ESD protection, exceeding IEC61000-4-2
level 4 standards. Designers of digital consumer and computing applications
such as digital TVs, set top boxes, digital still cameras, MP3 players
and notebook PCs are increasingly seeking solutions that can offer ESD
protection at levels greater than ±8kV. The ultra low 1.6 pF capacitance
levels of the CM1215 and CM1216 make them ideal solutions for designers
seeking higher levels of ESD protection for high speed ports such as USB
2.0, IEEE 1394 Firewire, DVI, HDMI and Serial ATA that are commonly found
in these applications.
Key Features
The CM1215 and CM1216 diode arrays offer the
highest levels of ESD protection, the lowest clamping voltages and the
lowest dynamic resistance of any low capacitance diode array, providing
the highest level of protection to sensitive ICs. The low capacitance,
combined with good matching and low crosstalk, provide excellent signal
integrity for high speed data lines.
| Key Feature | CM1215 and CM1216 | Typical Competitor Diode Array | Benefit |
| Highest ESD Rating (IEC61000-4-2) | 15kV contact | 8kV contact | Protects against higher levels of ESD strikes |
| Lowest Clamping Voltage | 9V | 12V | Lower clamping voltage reduces soft and hard errors |
| Lowest Dynamic Resistance | 0.6 Ohm | 1.4 Ohm | Reduces current and voltage seen by IC during strike, reducing soft and hard errors |
| Ultra-low Capacitance (I/O to GND) |
1.6 pF | 3.0 pF | Improves signal integrity on high speed ports |
| Lowest Mutual (I/O to I/O) Capacitance | 0.13 pF | 1.5 pF | Minimizes crosstalk for improved signal integrity |
| Closely matched Capacitance | 0.04 pF | not specified | Minimizes signal skew and EMI |
| Reliability/Endurance | > 1000 strikes | not specified | Survives multiple strikes typical of consumer applications |
The CM1215 is available in configurations of 1, 2, and 4 channels of ESD
protection, integrating a pair of low capacitance rail clamp diodes for
each line. The CM1216 is available in configurations of 6 and 8 channels
and features a pair of low capacitance diodes as well as an integrated
Zener diode for improved ESD performance. These products are offered in
packages that are pin compatible with the popular PicoGuard™
CM1213 family, which provides ±8kV of contact protection, allowing
customers to upgrade to higher levels of protection without changing their
existing layouts.
Pricing and Availability
The CM1215 and CM1216 are currently in production, and are priced between
$0.27 and $0.67 each at 1,000 units depending on number of channels. Lead
free versions are available.
About California Micro Devices Corporation
California Micro Devices Corporation is a leading supplier of application specific
analog semiconductor products for the Mobile, Computing and Digital Consumer markets.
Key products include Application Specific Integrated Passive™ (ASIP)
devices and selected high value, mixed signal ICs. Detailed corporate and product
information may be accessed at www.calmicro.com.
ASIP™, Application Specific Integrated Passive™ and PicoGuard™ are trademarks of California Micro Devices. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
