National Semiconductor Corporation announced a new series of low-power operational amplifiers that further extend the applicability of the widely-accepted LMV product family in tiny SC70 packages. Within an operating range of 2.7V to 5.0V, LPV-series devices consume 94% less power than LMV series devices - a minimal 9 microamps quiescent current per channel. Despite low power consumption, they retain wide bandwidth performance of 150kHz. The new LPV series combines the advantages of low power, small size and low cost for designers of portable equipment such as cellular handsets, cordless phones and pagers, and smoke detectors.

"Battery longevity is the key to the success of most handheld products," said Carlos Sanchez, product marketing manager for National's amplifier product group. "Using advanced sub-micron BiCMOS process technology to prolong battery life is further evidence of National's commitment to deliver the most competitive, next-generation amplifiers to new markets," he added.

The LPV series consists of the LPV321 single op amp, the LPV358 dual op amp, and the LPV324 quad op amp. The LPV321 die, so tiny it is called "silicon dust," is housed in the SC70-5, industry's smallest package for single op amps, measuring only 2mm by 2.1mm by 1mm. With this small package size, designers can increase signal integrity by placing the LPV321 close to the signal source in space-constrained portable systems.

Specifications for the single-supply LPV321, along with the companion dual and quad versions, include rail-to-rail output. The LPV series exhibits speed/power characteristics of 150kHz gain bandwidth, a 0.10 Volt/microsecond slew rate, the low supply current of 9 microamps per channel, and is guaranteed over the industrial temperature range.

I don't think that I ever expected to see a company make an announcement that parts manufactured from a BiCMOS process were costing them 50% less to build than CMOS. It is probably the yield per wafer -- with the dies much smaller -- that is giving the majority of that return to the company. Nontheless, the implications for the design engineer are that it is now much simpler, and cheaper, to sprinkle op amps around where they turn out to be needed rather than making do with some signal situations you felt were marginal. At the same time for those places where you expected to use op amps, particularly where you are able to use the quad, will see the cost of the components dramatically fall from what they would have budgeted. Everyone is a winner and National hopes that the next generation of engineers will use the LPVs as readily as the current have used the LMVs.

The only annoying thing about this family is the confusing break in sequence with the dual part's numbering.