Plessey Semi Announces Planned Release of Products for Defense, Space, Communications & Automotive Markets
Plessey Semiconductors announced the planned release of a number of semiconductor products – based on the combination of its high performance bipolar process technologies and the 0.35-micron CMOS process – including a range of amplifiers, demodulators, synthesisers and high-speed pre-scalers. These products have been designed primarily for the defense and space markets, but are also used in the general communications, automotive and industrial control market segments. The types of end products that will use these components include television systems, fibre optic communications, CCTV and data communication systems.
Dr. Paul James, Commercial Director for Plessey Semiconductors said, "The first Plessey products designed on the bipolar processes are now coming out of the fab with very positive results. We are ahead of schedule on the first product releases and expect to have prototypes available in Q3 of this year. This is a very exciting time for the company as the realisation of our plan to transition from a foundry to a products company is starting to become a reality."
"We are leveraging our extensive in-house semiconductor design experience together with our expertise in process technology development and optimisation", said Dr. Keith Strickland, Technology Director. He continued, "These first product releases will lead us to continue to create innovative products for defence, medical, aerospace and aeronautical applications, such as sensors, low and ultra-low power devices, imaging products, and devices for power and battery management. The 0.35 micron CMOS process with its very low dark current is ideal for industrial imaging products. With our recent advances in process technology and our design knowledge we will be able to extend and broaden these product offerings. We will take advantage of our high voltage silicon-on-insulator processes coupled with high precision passive components to create exciting new high precision products for the industrial instrumentation market. Our silicon-on-insulator processes offer extended high temperature operation for radiation tolerant products for space and defence as well as the automotive and industrial markets."
Prototypes for the following products will be available in Q3 of 2010: current and voltage feedback high slew rate operational amplifiers (PS13000 range); high-speed pre-scalers, operating at up to 13GHz, (PS15000 range); demodulators (PS20100 range); synthesisers, (PS20500 range); and direct digital synthesisers (1.4GHz PS20614 and 1.6GHz PS20616).
