Intersil Corp. (Milpitas, CA) announced its new EL7900, an optical sensor that converts light to current. The device operates in a wide range of lighting conditions from 1 lux to 10,000 lux, and can be used to determine the amount of ambient light present, which allows automatic backlight or brightness control for backlit keyboards and LCD monitors. This allows devices such as cell phones, laptops, or any hand-held device to decrease overall system power consumption by controlling the current sent to the display or backlight.
The EL7900 features an integrated photodiode and amplifier, 2.5 V to 5.5 V supply range, low power consumption, and an ultra-compact package. The EL7900 is now available in a lead-free finish that is RoHS-compliant. Pricing is $0.70 for 1,000-unit quantities.
