The new Advanced High Speed CMOS (AHC) logic devices are pin for pin compatible with HCMOS logic, but AHC technology is three times faster. Higher-speed logic is particularly important as next-generation telecommunication and computer systems are developed with ever increasing speeds, such as the new V.34 modems.
"HCMOS has become very prevalent in the industry because it has certain advantages such as low power consumption and reduced noise. AHC shares these characteristics," said Ed Drew, TI's marketing specialist for AHC logic. "In today's end-equipment markets, system speed is increasing exponentially. Telecommunication switches and cellular base stations, next-generation PCs, as well as networking hubs and routers cannot be competitive if the logic used in these systems slows down their throughput. That's where AHC steps in and offers an easy and very cost-effective migration path to higher performance without greater costs."
The initial introduction of the AHC family is comprised of 19 devices which come in CMOS and TTL compatible versions. The first AHC devices include a range of gate, flip-flop and bus-related functions. A typical propagation delay for an AHC device is just 5.2 nanoseconds (ns) while the maximum propagation delay for any device in the family is only 8.5 ns. Both AHC and HCMOS exhibit very low levels of electrical noise and both types of logic have the same electrical drive characteristics. With a 5-volt power supply, AHC logic has an output current of eight milli-amps.
Because of its low noise and reduced power consumption, the AHC family of logic is particularly well suited to various telecommunications applications as well as portable, battery-operated systems such as laptop and notebook computers, personal digital assistants and handheld scanners. AHC devices are based on CMOS technology, which is a low-power process. In a quiescent or static state, AHC logic consumes just 40 micro-amps of current, half the power consumption of standard HCMOS logic.
To assure an adequate supply of AHC logic, the Logic Products
Group of Philips Semiconductor has announced its intention to
alternate source the AHC logic family. Both TI and Philips devices
will have matching specifications, performance features, packaging
and pinouts, but each company will use its own advanced processing
and mask set to produce actual silicon. First production from
Philips is expected to start in mid-1996. TI and Philips plan
to independently release over 40 devices with different functions
this year. The AHC family will be expanded to achieve a similar
product range as is currently offered in HCMOS.
The AHC logic family, which is designated SN74AHCXXX, features the following packaging options: 14- and 20-pin TSSOP (Thin Shrink Small Outline Package), SSOP (Shrink Small-Outline Package), SOIC (Small-Outline Integrated Circuit) and PDIP (Plastic Dual-In-Line Package). The AHC family is fabricated in 1.2-micron silicon using TI's advanced EPIC™ 1-S process. Twenty-three of the AHC devices are available now through TI and its authorized distributors at a suggested resale price of 20-40 cents in 1,000 unit quantities. Another 20 AHC devices are scheduled to be available by the end of this year.
Trademark:
EPIC is a trademark of Texas Instruments Incorporated.
Search the Semiconductor News Release Archives
TI Home
Search
Semiconductor Home