Optical-mouse SoC family offers high level of integration

STMicroelectronics has introduced a family of highly integrated optical chips that are suitable for LED and laser-based mice, track at up to 40 inches per second (ips), and have been designed to enable navigation control and precision on a wide range of surfaces.

Housed in the low-profile optical quad flat pack that measures 7-by-7mm with 32 pins, the SoCs can be designed into small form-factor mice required by laptop users. Minimal external circuitry is required, reducing BOM and assembly costs.

The VT5363 is a solid-state tracking engine with no moving parts. It supports two-, three- or five-button mouse designs with a scroll-wheel encoder, and contains a dual USB/PS2 interface with automatic interface selection. The VT5363 may be powered directly from the USB or PS2 port. A single 6MHz resonator provides all the clock requirements and an external EEPROM may be used to implement customer-specific USB configurations. The VT5363 sensor, with a resolution of 800 counts per inch (cpi) and a frame rate of 9,600fps, suits wired optical USB/PS2 mouse implementations.

The VT5365 offers a frame rate up to 10,000fps and resolution programmable up to 3,200cpi, with a default resolution of 800cpi. The VT5365 is said to be the first generally-available SoC for use in wireless optical mice. Using two AA alkaline batteries, a mouse designed with the VT5365 can run for more than nine months. The chip does not require an external microcontroller.

- Ismini Scouras
eeProductCenter