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has today introduced the industry's smallest FIR (fast infrared) IrDA transceivers. With a height of 1.9 mm and footprint dimensions of 6.0mm by 3.0mm, the new TFBS6711 and TFBS6712 are the thinnest, smallest FIR transceivers on the market.

For IrDA communication, the new transceivers work over a typical distance of 50cm at data rates up to 4Mbit/s. They also enable mobile phones and PDAs to function as universal remote controls for televisions, DVD players/recorders, and other home appliances.

According to Vishay, designers needing a low-profile transceiver were previously forced to choose a relatively slow SIR (serial infrared) transceiver. With the TFBS6711 and TFBS6712, Vishay says it gives mobile phone and PDA design engineers the speed they require in an exceptionally small package.

“In the camera phone market, sharing and printing digital pictures using IrDA transceivers has gained in popularity,” said Dr. Heinz Nather, Vice President of Vishay's Sensors and IRDC Division. “As camera resolution increases, data transfer time becomes a concern. Using Vishay's TFBS6711 or TFBS6712 transceivers, a 329-kbyte 1280 x 960-pixel image can be transferred in 1.5 seconds; 25 seconds faster than SIR. That is a big advantage for our customers.”

The TFBS6711 and TFBS6712 are also said to be capable of transmitting remote control signals over a distance of 6.5 metres. Leveraging Vishay's experience in this application, these transceivers feature an emitter with a wavelength that is closely matched to remote control receivers. By using the TFBS6711 or TFBS6712 in a mobile phone, for example, design engineers can meet their IR remote control distance requirements without having to add a second, bulky emitter.

The TFBS6711 I/O voltage is defined by the external power supply voltage. The TFBS6712 I/O voltage equals 1.8V, allowing direct connection to a microcontroller operating at 1.8V. Operating voltage for both transceivers is 2.4V to 3.6V. Both devices feature a shutdown current of 0.01µA and an idle supply current of 1.7mA, roughly half that of the next closest FIR transceiver on the market.

The TFBS6711 and TFBS6712 are lead-free and capable of lead free processing and are in accordance with RoHS 2002/95/EC and WEEE 2002/96/EC. The transceivers are fully compliant with IrDA Physical Layer and IEC60825-1 Class 1 Eye Safety specifications.

Samples and production quantities are available now, with lead times of six weeks.