Voltage translator tailored for picture card interface

The new voltage translator from Texas Instruments Inc. (TIco.,ltd) provides what the company claims as the industry's first voltage level translator specifically designed for memory card interface with SDcard, MMC, MemoryStick and xD picture cards.

With the majority of memory cards in the market today operating with 3.3V logic levels and application processors providing multimedia features only supporting 1.8V I/Os, a voltage disparity problem arises, said TI. The SN74AVCA406 tries to eliminate this voltage mismatch by providing bi-directional voltage level translation between the processor and the card.

The AVCA406 is fully compliant with memory card standards, including the recommended high-ESD protection rating by providing 15kV Human Body Model, ±15kV air gap discharge and ±8kV contact discharge protection per IEC 61000-4-2 on the card side. According to the press release, this integrated ESD protection reduces required board space by eliminating the need for external ESD clamps. The device also provides configurable I/O switching levels with dual-supply pins operating over the full 1.4V to 3.6V power-supply range.

The SN74AVCA406GQC is offered in the 48-ball VFBGA package, with dimensions of 4-by-4mm and 0.5mm ball pitch. Pricing for the device is set at $1.94 in quantities of 1,000.