Voltage Translators Eliminate Need For Direction-Control Pin

A pair of voltage translators reduce power consumption, simplify design, and save board space. The 4-bit FXLA104 is well-suited for devices such as cell phones, while the 8-bit FXLA108 is suited for notebook applications. Both translators have a capacitance of less than 10 pF, which eases current flow and lowers power consumption. Built-in automatic direction control, allows the translator to sense and control the direction data should flow without a direction-control pin. This simplifies design and eliminates the need to program the general-purpose IO for this control. The translators serve voltages from 1.2 to 3.6 V. To accommodate the needs of increasingly compact applications, the FXLA104 comes in a 1.8- by 2.6-mm UMLP package and the FXLA108 comes in a 4.5- by 2.5-mm DQFN package. In 1000-piece quantities, the FXLA104 costs $0.60 and the FXLA108 costs $0.85. Samples are available now. Production quantities are available in eight weeks. FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR, San Jose, CA. (408) 398-9700.