FREMONT, Calif. -- Jan. 25, 1999 -- Showcasing its ability to provide highly-integrated, mixed-signal chips that solve system level issues, Cirrus Logic Inc. (NASDAQ:CRUS)

today introduced two of the industry's most complete data acquisition solutions. The new highly-integrated Crystal® ADCs (CS5521, and CS5523) minimize the need for external buffers and expensive precision resistors, significantly reducing overall system cost and design complexity.

With this announcement, Cirrus Logic becomes the first to deliver all the functions needed to design a complete industrial data acquisition solution on a single-chip. Each of the new chips combines a low-drift, chopper stabilized amplifier, a multi-channel multiplexer, and charge-pump drive with a programmable gain stage. This unprecedented level of integration along with the capability to precisely measure temperature, pressure, chemical composition, current and voltage, makes these solutions ideal for industrial applications that require both primary and secondary measurements. These include process indicators, digital thermometers, blood gas analyzers and fetal oxygen saturation systems.

"Our industrial customers have asked for complete, single-chip data acquisition solutions," said Eric Broockman, vice president and general manager of Cirrus Logic's Crystal Division. "By combining our mixed-signal expertise with our strong CMOS processing skills, we are uniquely positioned to meet this need with low-cost, single-chip data acquisition solutions."

Precision Measurement Capabilities

To ensure accurate and reliable data integrity in extreme conditions, the new chips tolerate noisy electrical environments of 50Hz and 60Hz as well as the full industrial temperature range of –40 degrees to 85 degrees Celsius.

In addition, the chip's advanced, integrated features provide precise voltage measurements including full scale bipolar and unipolar signals of 25mV, 55mV, 100mV, 1V, 2.5V and 5V. The new devices handle a reference input voltage of up to 5V directly from the supply, eliminating additional power supply requirements and reducing overall system cost. They also include internal rough and fine charge buffers to ensure low input currents independent of input voltage. With these superior voltage measurement features, these new industrial ADCs can be used in bridge transducer digitizers as well as thermocouple applications such as panel meters, 4-to-20mA temperature and pressure transmitters, electronic torque wrenches and other automated manufacturing tools.

"As we reduce the cost of data acquisition we still must find ways to maintain accuracy," said Scott Kasin, product marketing manager for Cirrus Logic's Crystal data acquisition products. "Whether our ADCs are being used in a steel mill or in a commercial food processing plant, accuracy is imperative." He noted that the integration of a low noise, drift and input current amplifier into the CS5521 and CS5523 enables cost-effective data acquisition with unprecedented accuracy in extreme conditions.

Single Cycle Conversion

Electrical noise sources, common in industrial environments, are diminished with the implementation of the new Crystal ADCs. The CS5521/23 reject noise at 50 Hz and 60 Hz +/-3 Hz simultaneously. In addition, the new chips provide fully settled data in a single conversion, making multiplexed applications simple. Combined with the on-chip channel set-up register, the single cycle settling improves system microcontroller efficiency by allowing the converter to automatically sample multiple channels and store the data in an on-chip buffer until it is read.

CS552X Family

The CS5521/23 devices are pin-compatible and software-compatible with CS5522/24, the two and four channel, 24-bit Crystal ADCs. Additionally, they are register-compatible with the rest of CS552X product family aimed at a wide-range of industrial applications. Included in this family are the 16- and 20-bit single channel ADCs (CS5525/26) and the industry's lowest cost delta sigma 16-bit ADC (CS5529).

Unsurpassed Customer Support

An evaluation board is available for each product, along with analysis software and data sheets. Application notes are also available on how to interface them to the 80C51, 68HC05/11 and PIC microcontrollers and can be found at www.cirrus.com/crystal.html. Applications engineering support is available and includes free confidential schematic and layout reviews via a toll-free number (800) 888-5016. This robust support enables manufacturers to move quickly from design into production.

Price, Packaging and Availability

The CS5521 is available in 20-pin Plastic-DIP (PDIP) and 20-pin Shrink Small Outline Packages (SSOP) and each sells for $4.10 in quantities of 1,000. The CS5523 is available in 24- pin Plastic-DIP (PDIP) and 24-pin Shrink Small Outline Packages (SSOP) and each sells for $4.40 in quantities of 1,000. Samples and production quantities are available now.

Cirrus Logic

Cirrus Logic is a premier supplier of precision linear circuits and advanced mixed-signal system-level chip solutions, the latter which demand high-performance mixed-signal processing, embedded DSP, algorithms and firmware. The company's products, sold under its own name and the Crystal product brand, enable high-volume applications in mass storage, communications, consumer electronics and industrial markets.

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Note to editors: Cirrus Logic and Crystal are registered trademarks of Cirrus Logic Inc. All other names noted herein could be trademarks of their respective holders.