Maxim Integrated has announced a what it claims is the industry’s smallest 2-pin bi-directional DC powerline communications (PLC) device. With power and communication on a single line, the MAX20340 eliminates pins and discrete devices needed to communicate between a charging dock and a low-voltage end product such as true wireless earbuds, rings and other small wearables. This simplifies the design process and saves up to 13mm2 per earbud compared to the closest competitive solution, says Maxim.
This ultra-small PLC chip minimizes the number of
mechanical contact points for the charging and communication interface, which
reduces cost, limits points of failure and increases reliability. In addition,
the MAX20340 incorporates automatic presence detection, enabling flexible
design and eliminating unreliable and costly alternative methods such as
mechanical pogo pins or hall effect sensors.
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The device is configured as either a communication master
or slave by a single external resistor. Multiple modes of operation offer
designers the opportunity to minimize power consumption based on their
application needs. Finally, the communication protocol is as simple as reading
and writing via I2C with the MAX20340 managing all communication
across the interface.
The MAX20340 is available at Maxim’s website for $0.82
(1000-up); also available from authorized distributors. The MAX20340EVKIT#
evaluation kit is available for $57.
Maxim Integrated | www.maximintegrated.com
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