IDT develops first monolithic solution for timing, thermal sensor and fan control

SAN JOSE, USA: Integrated Device Technology Inc. (IDT) has released the industry’s first integrated timing, thermal sensor and fan control solution targeted at PC mobile platforms, digital video recorders (DVRs), set top boxes (STBs), Network Attached Storage (NAS) and enterprise Ethernet switches and routers. The new family of devices reduces bill of materials (BOM) and application footprint to save cost and free-up valuable board space in densely populated enclosures.

The IDT 9TCS108x devices integrate a low-power system timing solution, two-channel thermal sensor, and four-wire pulse width modulation (PWM) fan controller on a single chip. The low-power PLL design extends battery life in portable applications, while the multiple clock outputs of the device can replace on-board crystals to reduce physical size and weight.

“IDT’s new integrated timing and thermal management solution takes a system-level approach to bring value to the application,” said Ram Iyer, VP and GM of Computing and Multimedia Division. “We’ve leveraged our timing expertise and combined it with precision analog functions to simplify our customers’ designs, resulting in a space-saving, lower-cost solution that allows our customers to get to market sooner.”

The integrated thermal sensor features two channels with ±1°C accuracy to detect overheating conditions and improve system reliability. A separate temperature alert function for each channel can be programmed to generate reference data for the fan controller or an alert signal for the system, providing design flexibility for different applications.

In addition, the fan controller allows for direct fan control without requiring a system interrupt or supplementary control circuitry, further simplifying the design. The new family of devices offers a number of output and frequency variants, including common frequencies of 24 MHz, 25 MHz, 27 MHz, 48 MHz and 32.768 kHz which consumes less than 2 uA of supply current during battery powered mode. The options also provide additional thermal sensors and other control pins, allowing system designers to choose the device best suited to their application.