ALD Launches Energy Harvesting Initiative

Advanced Linear Devices has announced plans to enter the rapidly growing energy harvesting market. The company’s upcoming series of highly-efficient modules are designed to capture, accumulate, and store power from a variety of power sources, making it available for sensors, remote networks, micro machines, and other applications. Described as revolutionary, the modules' efficiency levels will make it practical to harness energy from widely available waste energy sources including vibrations, chemical reactions, fluid and airflow, environmental heat, and others. The modules begin operating at 0V in order to harvest energy from sources that generate intermittent energy impulses. Zero-power operation ensures that even miniscule charges can be captured and stored. Based on its prototypes, the company plans, at some point, to unveil application-specific versions. ADVANCED LINEAR DEVICES INC., Sunnyvale, CA. (408) 747-1155.