Operating life of small portables took a giant step forward with the introduction of the industry's first 2-volt analog-to-digital converter by Motorola. Power consumption of the new 10-bit unit is only 20 mW.

While capable of operating with extremely low power consumption, the new circuit (type MC141681L) can still achieve a high-speed conversion rate of 15 mega samples per second (Msps)- enabling it to provide video quality graphics for equipment such as digital still cameras, camcorders and other television-type designs.

"This is a real breakthrough design," said Akihide Usui, Marketing Manager for Motorola's Portable and Audio Operations." It is capable of operating from a 2-volt supply, yet it still has the speed to handle top quality video designs!"

Motorola introduced two new 2-volt units, type MC141681L which operates at 2-volts, and a three-volt unit, type MC141681, that are two-step parallel 10-bit CMOS A/D converters. While most of the current systems use three- or five-volt designs, the Motorola MC141681L is the first two-volt, 10-bit converter --- or some 33% lower supply voltage! The 3-volt MC141681 offers a conversion rate of 30 Msps!

Motorola broke the 1-V barrier for an op. amp. last year and this breakthrough with a 2-V ADC is almost as important; and it is not an esoteric device with limited use. It is mainstream and will attract a great deal of interest from the consumer electronics OEMs. Getting supply voltage lower reduces power consumption in a square law, of course, so a reduction from 3 V to 2 V more than halves dissipation. The negative impact is in designs where the noise threshold is already troublesome and where a 2-V design will make it much more difficult to control.

Motorola is quite correct that the devices will get into volume consumer products very quickly and we would expect them to follow up with complete three-channel signal processing devices to complete the signal-acquisition path from the CCDs in portable video products. This initial part and the parts to follow will provide significant revenues for the company even though they are being priced close to commodity levels.

The parts are fabricated in a 48-lead QFP and are in general sampling now with volume production in the first quarter of 1999. The 2-V part is being priced at $4.80, and the 3-V part at $3.70, both in 1000-piece lots.