Level translators support legacy and future mobile phone SIM cards
Voltage level translators, the NXT4557GU and NXT4556UP, have been added to the Nexperia portfolio. These devices enable seamless connectivity of next generation low voltage mobile phone baseband processors with its subscribers’ identity module (SIM) cards, said the company.
The NXT4557GU and NXT4556UP have been introduced as processor geometries reach single digit nanometer nodes, leading to the core voltage of some SoCs moving lower which necessitates the need of voltage translators to connect the SoC to other standard process devices and I/O ports like legacy class B and Class C SIM cards.
The dual-supply translators support voltages levels between 1.08 and 1.98V on the host processor side and 1.62 to 3.6V on the SIM card side. These operating ranges make the translators compliant with legacy Class B (3.0V ± 10%) and Class C (1.8 V ± 10 per cent) voltage levels, while maintaining compatibility with the voltage levels which will be used by future SIM card interface standards (1.2V ± 10 per cent). The NXT4557GU and NXT4556UP both feature bi-directional I/O and uni-directional reset and clock channels and also a smart ‘one shot’ that enables very low channel propagation delays. These devices have a low operating current of 8.0 microA with a standby current of only 1.0 microA to help maximise the battery life of mobile devices. Integrated pull-up resistors help to further reduce power consumption in standby mode, while also lowering overall system BoM cost and space.
The NXT4557GU features an enable pin and is housed in a leadless XQFN10 package while the NXT4556UP is auto-enabled and comes in a small WLCSP9 package with 0.35mm pitch.
Vikram Singh Parihar, senior product manager at Nexperia, said: “In case of a system crash or accidental removal of battery, the power supply on the SIM card discharges to ground quickly and there remains no time for interface device to execute shutdown sequence. Nexperia’s NXT4557GU and NXT4556UP take care of this ungraceful shutdown by implementing orderly shutdown of the signals and help avoid any improper write and corruption of data”.
Nexperia has a portfolio which includes diodes, bipolar transistors, ESD protection devices, MOSFETs, GaN FETs and analogue and logic ICs.
Headquartered in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, Nexperia annually ships devices products, meeting the stringent standards set by the automotive industry. These products are recognised as benchmarks in efficiency – in process, size, power and performance — with industry-leading small packages that save valuable energy and space, said the company.
