Surface-Mount 940-nm Infrared Emitters from Vishay

Available in 1.8–mm (T¾) gullwing (VSMB2020X01), reverse gullwing (VSMB2000X01), PLCC2 (VSMB3940X01), and 0805 (VSMB1940X01) surface-mount packages, the new emitters use a unique die construction that produces a much tighter angular distribution of emitted light and power. All four devices are qualified to the automotive AEC-Q101 standard.

Compared to the next best equivalent device on the market, the radiant intensity of the PLCC2 VSMB3940X01 is 140% higher at 100 mA. Its typical forward voltage is a low 1.35 V versus 1.5 V. Furthermore its spectral bandwidth is nearly twice as tight, at 25 nm.

The VSMB1940X01 and VSMB2020X01 show similar performance improvements with up to 150% higher radiant intensity than the next best competing devices. Radiant intensity is 6 mW/sr for the VSMB1940X01 and 40 mW/sr for the VSMB2020X01.

Both the VSMB1940X01 and VSMB3940X01 have half angles of ±60°, while the VSMB2020X01 has a half angle of ±12°.

These new surface-mount emitters, along with the recently introduced 3-mm (T1) VSLB3940, have switching times of 15 ns, which allows them to be used in industrial light-barrier applications, as well as in infrared data and audio transmission applications. For in-car entertainment systems, for example, the emitters can be used to send DVD audio signals by infrared to IR-enabled headphones.