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Serializer / Deserializer from Fairchild is designed for portable products with integrated cameras

24th April 2007

Fairchild Semiconductor

ES Admin

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Fairchild Semiconductor has introduced the FIN212AC, the first µSerDes device specifically designed for serializing high-speed signals in multi-megapixel-resolution CMOS and CCD image sensors commonly found in portable products such as cell phones with built-in cameras. Using Fairchild’s proprietary CTL I/O for serializing up to 12-bits at speeds up to 40MHz, the FIN212AC can be configured as a serializer or deserializer and is implemented in pairs. Patented CTL technology operates well in noisy RF environments by eliminating additional shielding required by similar high-speed signals while offering the industry’s lowest EMI (-110dBM). The FIN212AC is especially beneficial when used in portable electronics with clamshell and slider form factors where minimizing the number of signals across a hinge reduces board space and improves reliability.

Building upon Fairchild’s previous-generation µSerDes technology advancements, the FIN212AC offers selectable LVCMOS edge rates and pulse width to increase design flexibility while minimizing EMI. These specialized features allow the designer to tune the FIN212AC to a particular frequency range and enable implementations for both RGB and μController interfaces without requiring software modifications. Although primarily targeting 8-12 bit camera interfaces in cell phones, the FIN212AC is also well suited for applications with similar parallel interfaces up to 12-bits such laptops with integrated web cams, VOIP phones and security cameras. Featuring ultra-low, power-down mode (~0.1 µA) when not transmitting data, the FIN212AC is an extremely low power solution for conserving battery life in portable applications. Additionally, the device’s ultra-small BGA and MLP packages can be mounted on a PCB or directly on the flex, providing further board-space savings and design flexibility.

“Fairchild has utilized its expertise gained from several years of research and development optimizing serial interface solutions for displays and reapplied this knowledge to the camera interface,” said Chris Ferland, marketing manager for Fairchild’s interface products. “By using the FAN212AC specifically that was developed for the wide range of image sensors commonly used today, designers of cell phones and other portable electronics can now serialize both their display and camera signals. This is important since in some cases the camera design may be a more critical concern due to the EMI associated with the higher speeds of the camera interface.”

The FIN212AC is available in both BGA and MLP packages. These lead (Pb)-free packages meet or exceed the requirements of the joint IPC/JEDEC standard J-STD-020C and are compliant with European Union regulations now in effect.