Nexperia, a specialist in basic semiconductor devices, today announced the launch of new additions to its family of level translators: the NXT4557GU and NXT4556UP. The new device enables seamless connectivity between next-generation low-voltage mobile phone baseband processors and Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards. As processor geometries move toward the single-digit nanometer node, the core voltage of advanced SOCs is also decreasing. This trend has led to an increasing need for voltage converters to connect SOCs to other standard processing devices and I/O ports (such as traditional Class B and Class C SIM cards).
The NXT4557GU and NXT4556UP are dual power converters that support voltage levels from 1.08 V to 1.98 V on the host processor side and 1.62 V to 3.6 V on the SIM card side. The above operating ranges allow these two devices to accommodate traditional Class B (3.0 V ± 10%) and Class C (1.8 V ± 10%) voltage levels, while maintaining voltage levels with future SIM card interface standards ( 1.2 V±10%) compatible. Both NXT4557GU and NXT4556UP have bidirectional IO, unidirectional reset and clock channel functions, and their intelligent ONE SHOT circuit can achieve ultra-low channel propagation delay. The low operating current (8µA) and standby current (only 1µA) of both devices help maximize cell phone battery life. Integrated pull-up resistors are beneficial to further reduce power consumption in standby mode, while also reducing overall system BOM cost and saving space. The NXT4557GU features an enable (EN) pin and is available in a leadless XQFN10 package, while the NXT4556UP is auto-enable and available in an ultra-small 0.35mm pitch WLCSP9 package.
Vikram Singh Parihar, Senior Product Manager at Nexperia, said: "In the event of a system crash or accidental battery removal, the power supply on the SIM card rapidly discharges to ground, preventing the interface device from performing a shutdown procedure. Nexperia's NXT4557GU and NXT4556UP handle the unexpected by shutting down signals in an orderly manner. Shutdown situation to help avoid any inappropriate writes and data corruption.”
