Temperature-Compensated Resistors Target Optical Apps

Designed to automatically measure and compensate for thermal variations affecting laser behavior in optical transceivers, the DS1847 and DS1848 are dual temperature-controlled non-volatile variable resistors. The devices are said to aid design engineers in achieving precision and safety of laser activity. By compensating for the effects of temperature on current, the designer can guarantee that the laser always operates within specification.
The company claims that the DS1847 and DS-1848 are the first ICs to integrate dual, 256-position, linear taper resistors with a digital thermometer and EEPROM. The DS1848 has an extra 128 bytes of general-purpose EEPROM; otherwise, the two chips are alike. Both devices eliminate the need for external temperature checks or manual compensation in high-speed transceivers.
In a TSSOP package, the DS1847 is priced at $2.29 each/1,000 and the DS1848 costs $2.57.