Linear Technology Corp. (LTC, Milpitas, CA) introduced an integrated 3.2Gbps vertical cavity, surface-emitting laser diode driver for short-reach and medium-reach optical communications. The LTC5100 maintains a clean, low noise transmission eye diagram. It incorporates a feature-rich digital controller with on-chip A/D and D/A converters to provide continuous closed-loop monitoring and control of critical laser parameters.
The LTC5100 is targeted for gigabit Ethernet and fibre channel optical links, multi-rate medium (under-20km) and short-range fiber optic datalinks, short-reach SONET links, and short-haul backplane-interconnect systems. The LTC5100 can be operated in stand-alone mode, or controlled by an external microprocessor via a built-in I2C™ serial Interface port. The LTC5100 has extensive fault detection and eye safety features, including the monitoring of over-power, over-current, under-power and under-voltage.
The LTC5100 operates from a single 3.3V supply. It draws 50mA of current when transmitting. The LTC5100 is offered in a 4mm x 4mm, 16-lead, plastic QFN, surface-mount package, consuming a small PC board space. Pricing starts at $5.15 each in 1,000-piece quantities.
