National Semiconductor Introduces Laser Diode Drivers That Slash DVD/CD Recording Times in Optical Disk Drives

Sanyo Selects National's New Laser Diode Driver for Its Latest Generation Optical Pickup Unit (OPU)

November 10, 2003- National Semiconductor Corporation introduced laser diode drivers (LDDs) that will allow desktop and notebook disk drive manufacturers to slash DVD/CD write and rewrite times by 50 percent.  National's new drivers will enable consumers to burn full 4.7-gigabyte DVD discs in approximately 15 minutes.  These LDDs, part of National's high-speed LMH^TM family of amplifiers, were specifically designed for combination DVD/CD recorder optical storage devices used in desktop, notebook and consumer DVD video recorders.

National semiconductor's LMH LDD products allow manufacturers of optical pickup units (OPUs) to provide OEMs and consumers with the fastest DVD/CD recorders on the market.  National's strength in laser diode drivers leverages the company's unique capabilities in high-speed analog amplifiers, low voltage differential signaling (LVDS) technologies, LLP^TM chip-scale package technology and innovative VIP10 manufacturing processes.  Sanyo Corporation, one of the world's largest electronics manufacturers, designed the first generation of National's laser diode drivers into its latest high-speed optical pickup unit.

By integrating the LVDS interface into the driver, National addresses the high speed requirements of driving the signal from the controller chip to the OPU.  National's VIP10 process technology provides a very fast switching rate of less than 0.5ns, enabling the fastest write and rewrite times for optical recording.  This combination of LVDS interface and fast switching rates gives National's customers the highest-speed laser diode drivers available.

Key Technical Specifications
National's new LMH LDD chip operates on a single 5V supply with ultra-fast switching times of 0.5 ns rise/fall times. LVDS channels enable the fastest interface and lowest cost system solution. The device is dual-output capable of driving the 780 nm CD laser diode or the 650 nm DVD laser diode. An integrated high frequency modulator (HFM) oscillator offers selectable frequency and amplitude setting via external resistors, with a 200MHZ to 600 MHZ range. The amplitude is scalable to 100 mA peak-to-peak.  Four independent current channels are capable of 400mA maximum total output current.