Bohemia, New York (October 28, 2004) — Data Device Corporation (DDC) announces the release of a low-cost resolver-to-digital (R/D) converter to meet rugged automotive requirements at a lower price. The RD-19240LS is a 14-bit R/D converter with an accuracy of 8 arc minutes plus 1 LSB designed for high volume automotive applications that require a lower cost solution with medium accuracy.

Resolvers are being designed into new automotive applications such as hybrid drives and steering systems due to their ability to withstand harsh environments. Resolvers can withstand high levels of heat, vibration, and dust. An R/D converter translates the sine and cosine signals from a resolver into a digital signal that is easily processed by a DSP or microprocessor. The prices for Resolvers and R/D converters have dropped significantly in 2004, making these solutions both economical and rugged.

The RD-19240LS retains most of the same features that are available in DDC’s high-resolution R/D converters. The converter incorporates a charge pump so that it may be powered with only a +5 V supply. The resolution, tracking rate, and bandwidth are programmable, allowing high tracking rates at lower resolution, and a switch-on-the-fly feature for higher resolution at lower tracking rates. Output options are A quad B or parallel data. A digital velocity output is also available directly from the converter. The internal synthesized reference corrects for input-to-reference phase shifts of up to 45o. Differential and single-ended input options are configurable. The differential input mode minimizes the effects of electrical noise. The RD-19240LS also features a Built-in-Test (BIT) output.

The major improvement in the RD-19240LS is a size reduction. The RD-19240LS features a 9 square mm LPCC (leadless plastic chip carrier) package, reducing the board area by 44% compared to a 10 square mm LQFP package with leads. The operating temperature range is up to —40 to +125oC

“The RD-19240LS provides motion designers with a flexible off-the-shelf solution, with many features at a low price. The RD-19240LS also provides quadrature rejection and faster conversion of sine and cosine signals into a digital position reading without data latency than may be achieved with a traditional DSP design,” said Jack Redus, Marketing Manager at DDC. “An off-the-shelf ASIC solution also reduces the time-to-market for motion system designs since no programming is required for this operation,” he added.