ANALOG INDUSTRY FIRSTS
   

2013 – Precision Supercap Auto Balancing (SAB™) MOSFET
MOSFET Arrays enable automatic balancing of multi-supercapacitor stacks in parallel or in series. Using the natural threshold characteristics of the MOSFET device, the SAB MOSFET Array combined with the supercap array is self-regulating and automatically balances within various supercap array leakage mismatches and environmental temperature changes so that overall current leakage is near zero.
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2011 – Micropower Step Up Low Voltage Energy Harvesting Booster
The ALD EH4200 Series Booster Modules are designed to boost the output voltage of certain popular energy generators such as thermoelectric generators, electro-magnetic coils, single photovoltaic cells, or infrared emitters, whose output voltages (in the tens of milli-volt range) and power outputs (ranging from micro-watts to milli-watts) are unable to initiate the electronic capture process to harvest ambient or waste energy. The EH4200 printed circuit board modules derive their operating power directly from one of the aforementioned energy generators and effectively create a voltage gain ranging from 75-150 times.
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2007 – EPAD® Energy Harvesting Modules
Energy Harvesting modules designed to continuously capture, accumulate, and store energy from a wide range of ambient energy sources to power conventional electrical circuits and systems. They are based on ALD EPAD® technology nano-power devices with outstanding energy efficiency designed to make energy harvesting from ambient light, heat, and piezoelectric energy sources a reliable and long-lasting source of power. They are completely self-powered and intended for low power intermittent duty cycle sampled data or condition-based monitoring applications, i.e. wireless sensor networks, powering microprocessors for data collection or transmission, and remote battery charging circuits.
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2005 - NanoPower™ EPAD® MOSFET Matched Pair Family
ALD’s NanoPower EPAD® MOSFET’s are devices that can build circuits that operate on as little as 100 millivolts and nanowatts of power. Based on ALD’s original 1.000 V EPAD® MOSFET using enhanced ACMOS silicon gate CMOS process and enhanced EPAD® technology, the NanoPower EPAD® MOSFET Family extends to enhancement and depletion devices with threshold switching voltages from +3.500 V to – 3.500 V including custom values requested by designers. They are packaged in dual and quad configurations and continue to offer the amazing 0.002 V (2mV) matching first introduced to the industry with ALD’s original EPAD® MOSFET. ALD continues to develop extreme precision EPAD® MOSFET’s and EPAD® MOSFET enhanced circuits and systems that have enabled customers to create new innovative highly valuable products.
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2005 - Zero Threshold™ EPAD® MOSFET
For the first time, this device introduces a new level of precision in low-voltage operation that makes a 0.1-Volt supply analog circuit design possible. Based on ALD’s original EPAD® MOSFET, using enhanced ACMOS silicon gate CMOS process and newly enhanced EPAD® technology, the threshold voltage is programmed to 0.000 V while maintaining the threshold turn-off and low leakage sub-threshold characteristics of a standard enhancement mode MOSFET. They are packaged in dual and quad configurations and continue to offer the amazing 0.002 V (2mV) matching first introduced to the industry with ALD’s original EPAD® MOSFET. A simple circuit using this device can be constructed to operate on as little as a 20 mV power supply. On more complicated circuits consisting of many stages stacked on top of each other, a system operating voltage of just 200 mV becomes a reality.
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2004 – Ultra Low Offset EPAD® Analog Voltage Comparator
The EPAD® Analog Voltage Comparator revolutionized the field of small signal detection for practical sensor applications in defense, security, process control and a wide range of other industries. ALD adds EPAD® technology to its comparator designs to create precision devices with 50 µV input offset voltage with 0.01 pA input bias currents that reduce input loading effects and cause linearity errors and typically limit the resolution and sensitivity of critical sensors. They are ideal for sensitive instrumentation in mobile platforms and devices that need to detect trace molecular amounts of chemical, biological and radioactive elements. Typically a signal less than 1 mV and as low as 0.004 pW (4 x 10^-15 Watt) can be detected without requiring the additional cost and complexity of input amplification and input bias stages, nor output buffer stages. For low level signal detection to high output driver requirements the EPAD® Analog Voltage Comparator is a single chip solution.
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2002 – 5½ Digit DVM Chipsets
High Precision Digital Volt Meter Chipsets on stand-alone printed circuit board modules using the ALD 500R Precision Integrating Analog Processor and the ALD521D Digital 24 Bit Serial Interface Digital Controller. These DVM Chipsets are designed for precision measurement applications requiring a high resolution A/D converter and integral multi-line character display driver or computer (PC) interface. Designed for embedded applications where a system may need an in-system precision voltmeter. Multiple Display Sets with different Range display settings or different Unit display settings are available and easy to program by the user.
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2000 - EPAD® Operational Amplifiers
EPAD® technology is added to ALD’s family of CMOS Rail-to-Rail Operational Amplifiers to provide op amps that simultaneously provide 25 µV input offset voltage and 0.01 pA input bias current and improved PSRR, CMRR and TCVos specifications.
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1997 - EPAD® MOSFET
Electrically Programmable Analog Device matched Pair MOSFET Array. EPAD® is ALD’s proprietary technology innovation that electrically programs MOSFET threshold voltage and on-resistance characteristics to industry leading levels of precision, providing designers with transistors with previously unattainable tight design limits. Threshold voltages are set at 1.000 V to a precision of +/- 0.010 V (+/- 10 mV) and transistor pairs can be matched to 0.002 V (2 mV). The set parameters are indefinitely stored within the device even after power is removed.
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1987 - Function-Specific ASIC Program
Unique custom design program that offers the performance advantages of a full custom analog or mixed signal digital and analog circuit with less design and manufacturing complexity and therefore less risk and cost. System designers build board level complex analog and mixed signal circuits using ALD standard products and commodity CMOS digital logic products. The designs can be simulated on a SPICE simulator using ALD’s linear macromodels and the board level products can be fully tested and characterized. ALD then implements the design on a single “Function-Specific” chip.
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1985 - CMOS Rail-to-Rail Operational Amplifiers
One of the industry’s first op amps where the signal input voltage and output voltage ranges can be equal to the supply voltage ranges, i.e. Rail-to-Rail operation. This provides flexibility in input signal bias levels and allows numerous analog serial stages without losing operating voltage margin. These are CMOS micro-power high slew rate operational amplifiers intended for a broad range of analog applications. The robust design of these op amps has made them especially valuable for operation in temperature-extreme environments and rugged conditions.
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