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Digi-Key & Cymbet Announce Global Distribution Agreement

May 12, 2009 by Jeff Shepard

Electronic components distributor Digi-Key Corp. and Cymbet Corp. announced that the companies have entered into a distribution agreement for the worldwide distribution of Cymbet’s EnerChip™ family of solid-state, rechargeable thin-film batteries and energy harvesting power storage modules.

As Cymbet’s first global distributor, Digi-Key is stocking three new products based on Cymbet’s innovative EnerChip solid-state, thin-film batteries.

The EnerChip CC Evaluation Kit contains everything needed to test EnerChip 12 and 50µAh thin-film batteries, EnerChip CC CBC3112 and CBC3150 batteries with integrated battery management, as well as test multiple batteries in parallel.

The EnerChip EH Solar Energy Harvesting Evaluation Kit is used to create zero-power designs for sensors, controllers, embedded systems, medical applications, environmental control systems, and any "untethered" system.

The EnerChip EH CBC5300 module is a drop-in power solution for solar energy harvesting applications. A self-contained power module in a 24-pin DIP configuration, the CBC5300 is designed to accept a wide range of energy transducer inputs, store the harvested power, and deliver managed power to the target system. The purpose of this module is to enable system designers to quickly develop energy harvesting applications.

Packaged as a surface mount technology (SMT) component, the EnerChip provides energy storage in a form factor and with a convenience not previously attainable using conventional solutions such as lithium coin cells and super capacitors. Cymbet’s EnerChip is well suited for applications where battery backup power is needed to maintain the settings of microcontroller memories, real-time clocks, and SRAM during power loss or power failures. An EnerChip can provide backup power ranging from a few hours to several weeks, depending on the standby current requirements of the system. When coupled with energy harvesting techniques, EnerChips can provide the energy storage to build self-contained, long-lived powered systems that have minimal negative environmental impact.

Jeff Shafer, Digi-Key Vice President, Interconnect, Passive, and Electromechanical Products, said, "Digi-Key is very excited to be the first to partner with this cutting-edge manufacturer. We are certain that Cymbet’s products will be of significant interest to design engineers seeking innovative power storage solutions."

"We are thrilled that our customers can now purchase EnerChip products from Digi-Key," said Blair Wilson, Cymbet Vice President of Sales. "Digi-Key is known throughout the world for its excellent performance, and we know our customers will be well served."