What are Reed Switches?

A modern factory will have several electronic devices working, and most of them will have several sensors. Typically, these sensors connect to the devices using wires. The wires provide the sensor with a supply voltage, a ground connection, and the signal output. The application of power allows the sensor to function properly, whether the sensor is sensing the presence of a ferromagnetic metal nearby, or it is sending out a beam of light as a part of the security system. On the other hand, simple mechanical switches, like reed switches, require only two wires to trigger the sensors. These switches need magnetic fields to activate.

The reed switch was born and patented at the Bell Telephone Laboratories. The basic reed switch looks like a small glass capsule that has two protruding wires. Inside the capsule, the wires connect to two ferromagnetic blades with only a few microns separating them. If a magnet happens to approach the switch, the two blades attract each other, making a connection for electricity to flow through them. This is the NO type of reed switch, and it is a normally open circuit until a magnet approaches it. There is another type of reed switch, the NC type, and it has one blade as a non-ferromagnetic type. This switch is a normally closed type, allowing electric current to flow until a magnet approaches it. The approaching magnet makes the blades pull apart, breaking the contact.

Manufacturers use a variety of metals to construct the contacts. This includes rhodium and tungsten. Some switches also use mercury, but the switch must remain in a proper orientation for switching. The glass envelope typically has an inert atmosphere inside—commonly nitrogen—to seal the contacts at one atmospheric pressure. Sealing with an inert atmosphere ensures the contacts remain isolated,  prevents corrosion, and quenches sparks that might result from current interruption due to contact movement.

Although there are solid state Hall effect sensors for detecting magnetic fields, the reed switch has its own advantages that are necessary for some applications. One of them is the superior electrical isolation that reed switches offer compared to what Hall effect sensors do. Moreover, the electrical resistance introduced is much lower for reed switches. Furthermore, reed switches are comfortable working with a range of voltages, variable loads, and frequencies, as they function simply as a switch to connect or disconnect two wires. On the other hand, Hall switches require supporting circuitry to function, which reed switches do not.

For a mechanical switch, reed switches have incredibly high reliability—they typically function for billions of cycles before failing. Moreover, because of their sealed construction, reed switches can function even in explosive environments, where a single spark could generate disastrous results. Although reed switches are older technology, they are far from obsolete. Reed switches are now available in surface mount technology for mounting on boards with automated pick-and-place machinery.

The functioning of reed switches does not require a permanent magnet to actuate them. Even electromagnets can turn them on. Initially, Bell labs used these switches abundantly in their telephone systems, until they changed over to digital electronics.

What are Solid-State Batteries?

The transport industry is currently undergoing a revolution with EVs or electric vehicles on the roads. EVs require batteries, and many EV manufacturers are now manufacturing their own batteries, targeting low-cost batteries with the most range and the fastest charging speed. While many industries are still using lithium-ion batteries, others are moving towards solid-state batteries. Compared to a few years ago, major breakthroughs are finally bringing solid-state batteries closer to mass production.

Although solid-state batteries have been in existence for some time now, and scientists have been researching them, they have been commercially available only in the last decade or so. Specific advantages of solid-state batteries include lower costs, superior energy density, and faster charging times.

Many companies have been researching solid-state battery technology for years. For instance, Toyota claims to be on the verge of producing solid-state batteries commercially for EVs, and they hold more than 1,000 patents.

Conventionally, a lithium-ion battery has an anode and a cathode, with a polymer separator keeping them apart. A liquid electrolyte floods the entire cell and is the medium through which lithium ions can travel while the battery is charging/discharging.

In a solid lithium-ion battery, a solid electrolyte layer separates the anode and the cathode, allowing lithium ions to travel through it. The anode is of pure lithium, which gives it a higher energy density than that of regular batteries. Theoretically, the energy density from solid lithium-ion batteries is roughly about 6300 watts per hour. Compared to the energy density of gasoline, a solid lithium-ion battery offers an energy density of about 9500 watts per liter.

The major advantage of solid-state batteries is their smaller size and weight. Additionally, they pose no fire hazards. As these batteries are very safe, they do not require as many safeguards to secure them. Their smaller size allows packing them to higher power capacity, and they do not release toxins. Solid-state batteries run 80 percent cooler than regular batteries.

With all the above advantages, using solid-state batteries in electric vehicles offer them greater range, safer operation, faster charging, higher voltages, and longer cycle life. However, solid-state batteries must overcome some disadvantages still.

The first of these obstacles is the dendrite formation. Lithium is a highly corrosive metal, requiring the use of chemically inert solid electrolytes. Over time, dendrite growth increases to the extent of destroying the battery. During charging, these batteries usually grow spike-like structures that can develop and begin to puncture the dividers, causing short-circuits in the battery. Manufacturers are using ceramic separators to overcome the dendrite menace.

Solid-state batteries currently do not perform well at low temperatures. This affects its long-term durability.

So far, the biggest detriment to solid-state batteries has been their exorbitant cost. However, present indications from manufacturers like Toyota suggest they have surmounted the price barrier.

Therefore, at present, the only problem still remaining for solid-state battery commercialization is their low-temperature performance. To be a viable alternative, solid-state batteries must perform in all kinds of variable environments and climates. However, manufacturers are offering assurances that they have overcome this hurdle also. Recharging stations need to be able to handle the faster-charging currents as compared to that of regular lithium-ion batteries.

What are Stacked 3D ICs?

Just like any big city, electronics is evolving with great rapidity, such that both are running out of open space. The net result is a growth in the vertical direction. For a city, vertical growth promises more apartments, office space, and people per square mile. For electronics, there is the slowing of Moore’s law and the adoption of new advanced technology. That means chip developers cannot increase density and speed from shrinking processes and smaller transistors. Although they can increase the die capacity, this suffers from longer signal delays that reduce yield. That limits the expansion in X-Y directions, which means the only option remaining is building upwards.

Among the many established forms of vertical integration, there are 2.5D ICs, flip-chip technology, inter-die connectivity with wire bonding, and stacked packages. However, all these suffer from constraints that limit their value. Three-dimensional integrated circuits or 3-D ICs offer the highest density and speed.

Three-dimensional ICs are monolithic 3-D SoCs built on multiple active silicon layers. These layers use vertical interconnections between the different layers. So far, this is an emerging technology and has not been widely deployed. Furthermore, there are stacked 3-D ICs with multiple dies that manufacturers have stacked, aligned, and bonded into a single package. They use TSVs or through silicon vias, and a hybrid bonding technique to complete the inter-die communication. Stacked 3-D ICs are now commercially available, offering an option for larger dies or migration to leading-edge nodes that are very expensive.

Stacked 3-D ICs offer an ideal option for applications requiring more transistors in a given footprint. For instance, a mobile SoC requires high transistor densities but has limits on its footprint and height. Another example is cache memory chips. Manufacturers usually stack them on top of or below the processor to increase their bandwidth. This makes stacked 3-D ICs a natural choice for applications that are on the limits of a single die.

Vertical stacking offers a smaller footprint with faster interconnections compared to multiple packaged chips. Rather than a single large die, splitting it into several smaller dies provides a better yield. For the manufacturer, there is flexibility in stacking heterogeneous dies, as they can intermix various manufacturing processes and nodes. Moreover, it is possible to reuse existing chips without redesigning them or incorporating them into a single die. This offers a substantial reduction in risk and cost.

Although there are numerous benefits and opportunities from the use of stacked 3-D ICs, they also introduce new challenges. The architecture of 3-D silicone systems needs a more holistic approach, taking into account the third dimension. It is not sufficient to think of 3-D ICs only in terms of 2-D chips stacked on top of each other. Although it is necessary to optimize power, performance, and area in the familiar three-way approach,  the optimization must be in every cubic millimeter rather than in every square millimeter. All tradeoff decisions must take into account the vertical dimension also. This requires making the tradeoffs across all design stages, including IP, architecture, chip packaging, implementation, and system analysis.

Remote Sensing with nRF24L01+ Modules

RF modules, nRF24L01+, from Nordic Semiconductor, are low-cost solutions for two-way wireless communication. Users can configure the modules via their SPI or Serial Peripheral Interface. The SPI interface also allows control over a microcontroller. The Internet has many examples of projects using these RF modules with Arduino boards.

The RF module nRF24L01 has a built-in PCB antenna. Moreover, the module has an extra feature that utilizes the two-way communication feature for detecting any loss of communication between the transmitter and the receiver. The modules offer two-way communication because they act as a transmitter and a receiver at the same time. However, one module acts as the main transmitter and transmits the state of a PIR or Passive Infrared Sensor to the other module that receives the data for further processing.

Remote sensors need this ability to detect the loss of communications. This is because, in the absence of communication, it is easy to lose data or information without notice. Again, this is an important feature when installing the sensor to verify if both RF modules are actually talking to each other, and are not out of range.

Although the RF modules nRF24L01 need powering with 3.3 VDC, their IO pins are 5 VDC tolerant. That makes it easy to connect the SPI bus of the nRF24L01 modules to an Arduino Pro Mini working on 5 VDC.

It is very significant to place the power supply bypass capacitors as close as possible to the microcontroller and the nRF24L01 modules, as this effectively suppresses most of the switching noise from these chips. Overlooking this in such projects often leads to all types of unexpected problems. It is also necessary to use multiple bypass capacitors. Users can effectively parallel capacitors of different values, like an electrolytic capacitor of 100 µF and a polypropylene capacitor of 100 nF. The electrolytic capacitor filters out noises of lower frequencies, but it is ineffective for filtering any high-frequency noise. The polypropylene capacitor filters the higher frequency noise.

The PIR sensor connects to the microcontroller. A voltage level translator offers the sensor the optimum voltage level it needs to function. Therefore, depending on the type of PIR sensor, the voltage level translator can supply a 5 VDC, 3.3 VDC, or other lower level outputs. The polarity of the voltage level translator transistor decides whether the trigger output is high active or low active.

A red LED begins to flash when the transmitter and the receiver have lost their connection. On restoring the connection, the red LED stops flashing.

When the PIR sensor senses motion, a blue LED lights up to indicate this. The transmitter sends this trigger event over to the receiver as a trigger code byte. If there is no motion to detect, the transmitter sends only a live beat code to the receiver. This is how the receiver knows if the sensor has sent a motion trigger.

The receiver sends the same code it receives back to the transmitter as an acknowledgment. There is thus continuous communication between the receiver and the transmitter, and both can easily determine as soon as they have lost connection.

What is a PolyFuse?

Electronic circuits often have fuses on board the PCB. Fuses protect the circuitry from catching fire due to overload. Because of some fault like a short-circuit, a part of the circuit may start drawing more power than it is admissible. The additional power flow may lead to overheating and finally, a fire can break out. A fuse acts as a circuit breaker to protect against overload by interrupting the power flow. Typically, the fuse element is a thin wire with a low melting point. Higher power through the fuse means more increased current flow through it, which heats the wire and causes it to melt or blow. This interrupts the power flow.

Although the fuse wire acts as a protection, one of its drawbacks is it needs a physical replacement once it is blown. This is a problem for electronics at a remote location because the device will remain inoperative until someone fixes the problem and replaces the damaged fuse with a new one. This drawback has led to the development of PolyFuse.

There are electromechanical devices that act as self-resetting circuit breakers. However, most of such devices have a rating of 1A and above. Moreover, their physical size is not suitable for printed circuit boards. A PolyFuse is a self-resetting circuit breaker suitable for low voltage, low current electronics. Moreover, its physical size is small enough to allow its use on a small printed circuit board.

PolyFuses are similar to PTC or positive temperature coefficient resistors—initially, their resistance is low enough to allow the load current to flow unhindered. However, in case of an overload, the PolyFuse starts to heat up, and its resistance also increases. This helps in cutting down the load current through it. However, unlike PTCs, PolyFuses have a self-healing property. If the current through a PolyFuse reduces, its resistance drops back to a lower value. This is their self-resetting property.

A PolyFuse typically contains an organic polymer substance with the impregnation of carbon particles. The carbon particles are usually in close contact, as the polymer is in a crystalline state. This allows the resistance of the device to be low initially.

As current flow increases, the carbon in the PolyFuse heats up, and the polymer begins to expand in an amorphous state. This causes the carbon particles to separate, increasing the resistance of the device and a subsequent increase in the voltage drop across the PolyFuse, which leads to a decrease in the current flow through it. The residual current flow under the fault condition keeps the PolyFuse warm enough to limit the current. As soon as the cause of the overload is removed, the current reduces to allow the PolyFuse to cool down, regain its low resistance, and the correct operation to resume.

PolyFuses cannot act fast, because they need to heat up before limiting the current flow. That means they have a short but appreciable time delay before they operate. Hence, they are not very effective against fast surges and spikes. However, they are very useful because of their self-resetting property, making them effective against short-term short-circuits and overloads.

AC-DC Core-Less Magnetic Current Sensor

Infineon has a new high-precision core-less magnetic current sensor, the TLI4971. It has an analog interface for measuring both AC and DC currents. This QFN leadless package is only 8x8x1 mm in physical size. The output has dual fast over-current detection. The new sensor from Infineon is UL certified, but a non-UL version is also available.

Current sensors are devices that generate a signal proportional to the amount of current flowing using a magnetic core. The core-less current sensor does not have a magnetic core. Rather, they use magnetic sensors like a Hall element to sense the current flow and generate a proportional voltage output.

Made with the robust and well-established Hall technology of Infineon, the TLI4971 allows highly linear and accurate measurements of current. The full measurement range covers ±120 A. Infineon has managed to avoid all negative effects that plague sensors using flux concentration techniques. This includes saturation and hysteresis. The TLI4971 has internal features for self-diagnostics.

Infineon has added its proprietary digital temperature and stress compensation to provide superior stability to the TLI4971. The analog concept of the sensor along with the digital assistance provides it with excellent stability over lifetime and temperature excursions. For operating in harsh environments, Infineon has provided the sensor with a differential measurement principle that allows substantial suppression of stray fields.

The insertion resistance of the integrated current rail sensor is typically 225 µΩ, enabling ultra-low power loss in the circuit. The small form factor of the SMD package makes it easy to integrate and saves real estate on the board. The sensor accepts a single supply voltage ranging from 3.1 VDC to 3.5 VDC. It is highly accurate and scalable, with the capability to sense and measure both AC and DC currents. The sensor supports a wide range of applications, as its bandwidth is greater than 120 kHz. Its sensitivity error over temperature is very low, typically a 2.5% maximum. Offset over temperature and lifetime is very stable. Voltage slew rates are highly robust up to 10 V/ns.

Infineon has provided galvanic isolation for TLI4971 up to 1150 V peak VIORM. The sensor has a partial discharge capacity of greater than 1200 V. The creepage and clearance distances available are 4 mm. With the application of the differential sensor principle, Infineon has ensured superior suppression of magnetic stray fields. They have also provided two independent fast OCD or Over-Current Detection pins on the sensor. These have configurable thresholds to allow protection for power circuitry of typically 0.7 µs. The operating temperature range is -40 °C to +105 °C. Infineon has precalibrated its sensor, which means it does not require calibration in the field.

There are several potential applications for this core-less magnetic current sensor. Primarily, it is useful in electrical drives up to 690 V, photovoltaic inverters, and other general purpose inverters that require AC/DC current sensing and measurement. The sensor is extremely helpful in detecting the overload and over-current situations. It is applicable in all types of current monitoring, and its huge range is a definite advantage in these situations. It is applicable to all types of power supplies and battery chargers where current measurement is necessary.

What is Pulsed Electrochemical Machining?

With pulsed electrochemical machining, it is possible to achieve high-repeatability production parts. This advanced process is a completely non-thermal and non-contact material removal process. It is capable of forming small features and high-quality surfaces.

Although its fundamentals remain the same as electromechanical machining or ECM, the variant, PECM or the pulsed electrochemical machining process is newer and more precise, using a pulsed power supply. Similar to other machining processes, like EDM and more, there is no contact between the tool and the workpiece. Material very close to the tool dissolves by an electrochemical process and the flowing electrolyte washes away the by-products. The remaining part takes on a shape like an inverse of the tool.

The PECM process has some key terms that it uses routinely. The first is the cathode—representing the tool in the process. Other names for the cathode are tool and electrode. Typically, its manufacturing is specific for each application and its design is the inverse of the shape the process wants to achieve.

The second is the anode—it refers to the workpiece or the material that the process works on. Therefore, the anode can assume many forms. This can include a cast piece of near net shape, wrought stock, an additively manufactured or 3D printed part, a part conventionally machined, and so on.

The third key item is the electrolyte—referring to the working fluid in the PECM process that flows between the cathode and the anode. Commonly a salt-based solution, the electrolyte serves two purposes. It allows electrical current to flow between the cathode and anode. It also flushes away the by-products of the electrochemical process such as hydroxides of the metals dissolved by the process.

The final key item is the gap—this is also the IEG or inter-electrode gap and is the space between the anode and the cathode. This space is an important part of the process, and it is necessary to maintain this gap during the machining process as the gap is a major contributor to the performance of the entire process. The PECM process allows gap sizes as small as 0.0004” to 0.004” (10 µm to 100 µm). This is the primary reason for PECM’s capability to resolve minuscule features in the final workpiece.

Compared to other manufacturing processes, pulsed electrochemical machining has some important advantages:

The pulsed electrochemical machining process of metal removal is unaffected by the hardness of the material it is removing. Moreover, the hardness also does not affect the speed of the process.

Being a non-thermal and non-contact process, PECM does not change the properties of the material on which it is working.

As it is a metal removal process using electrochemical means, it does not leave any burrs behind. In fact, many deburring processes use this method as a zero-risk method of machining to avoid burrs.

It is possible to achieve highly polished surfaces with the PECM process. For instance, surfaces of 0.2-8 µin Ra (0.005-0.2 µm Ra) are very common in a variety of materials.

Because of non-contact, there is no wear and tear in the cathode, and it has practically near-infinite tool life.

PECM can form an entire surface of a part at a time. The tool room can easily parallel it to manufacture multiple parts in a single operation.

The Battery of the Future — Sodium Ion

Currently, Lithium-ion batteries rule the roost. However, there are several disadvantages to this technology. The first is that Lithium is not an abundant material. Compared to this, Sodium is one of the most abundantly available materials on the earth, therefore it is cheap. That makes it the most prime promising candidate for new battery technology. So far, however, the limited performance of Sodium-ion batteries has not allowed them a large-scale integration into the industry.

PNNL, or the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, of the Department of Energy, is about to turn the tides in favor of Sodium-ion technology. They are in the process of developing a Sodium-ion battery that has excelled in laboratory tests for extended longevity. By ingeniously changing the ingredients of the liquid core of the battery, they have been able to overcome the performance issues that have plagued this technology so far. They have described their findings in the journal Nature Energy, and it is a promising recipe for a battery type that may one day replace Lithium-ion.

According to the lead author of the team at PNNL, they have shown in principle that Sodium-ion battery technology can be long-lasting and environmentally friendly. And all this is due to the use of the right salt for the electrolyte.

Batteries require an electrolyte that helps in keeping the energy flowing. By dissolving salts in a solvent, the electrolyte forms charged ions that flow between the two electrodes. As time passes, the charged ions and electrochemical reactions helping to keep the energy flowing get slower, and the battery is unable to recharge anymore. In the present Sodium-ion battery technologies, this process was happening much faster than in Lithium-ion batteries of similar construction.

A battery loses its ability to charge itself through repeated cycles of charging and discharging. The new battery technology developed by PNNL can hold its ability to be charged far longer than the present Sodium-ion batteries can.

The team at PNNL approached the problem by first removing the liquid solution and the salt solution in it and replacing it with a new electrolyte recipe. Laboratory tests proved the design to be durable, being able to hold up to 90 percent of its cell capacity even after 300 cycles of charges and discharges. This is significantly higher than the present chemistry of Sodium-ion batteries available today.

The present chemistry of the Sodium-ion batteries causes the dissolution of the protective film on the anode or the negative electrode over time. The film allows Sodium ions to pass through while preserving the life of the battery, and therefore, quite significantly critical. The PNNL technology protects this film by stabilizing it. Additionally, the new electrolyte places an ultra-thin protective layer on the cathode or positive electrode, thereby helping to further contribute to the stability of the entire unit.

The new electrolyte that PNNL has developed for the Sodium-ion batteries is a natural fire-extinguishing solution. It also remains non-changing with temperature excursions, making the battery operable at high temperatures. The key to this feature is the ultra-thin protection layer the electrolyte forms on the anode. Once formed, the thin layer remains a durable cover, allowing the long cycle life of the battery.

Battery Charge Controller Modules

Charge controllers prevent batteries from overcharging and over-discharging. Recharging batteries too often or discharging them excessively can harm them. By managing the battery voltage and current, a battery charge controller module can keep the battery safe for a long time.

Charge controllers protect the battery and allow it to deliver power while maintaining the efficiency of the charging system. Battery charge controller modules only work with DC loads connected to the battery. For AC loads, it is necessary to connect an inverter after the battery.

Charge controllers have a few key functions. They must protect the battery from overcharging, and they do this by controlling the charging voltage. They protect the battery from unwanted and deep discharges. As the battery voltage falls below a pre-programmed discharge value, the charge controller automatically disconnects the load. When the battery connects to a solar photovoltaic module, the charge controller prevents reverse current flow through the PV modules at night. The charge controller also provides information about the state of charge of the battery.

Various types of charge controllers are available in the market. Two of the most popular are the PWM or Pulse Width Modulation type and the MPPT or Maximum Power Point Tracking type. Although an MPPT type charge controller is more expensive than a PWM type, the former helps to boost the performance of solar arrays connected to the batteries. On the other hand, a PWM-type charge controller can extend the lifecycle of a battery bank at the expense of a lower performance from the solar panel. Typically, charge controllers exhibit a lifespan of about 15 years.

The XH-M60x family of battery charge controller modules is among the low-cost varieties offered by Chinese manufacturers. The most popular among them is the XH-M603. As the XH-M603 is not an overall charger, it is necessary to connect the battery to an external charger compatible to the battery.

The user can set optimal thresholds for initiating and terminating the battery charging cycle—making the charge controller a rather universal type, suitable for a wide range of batteries. Therefore, when the battery voltage falls below the set start value, the onboard relay starts routing the charging voltage from the charger to the battery. As soon as the battery voltage exceeds the stop value, the relay terminates the charging process.

XH-M603 battery charge controller module has a three-digit display on board for indicating the battery voltage. The display resolution is 0.1V. It accepts batteries with voltages between 12 and 24 V, Whereas it accepts input charging voltages between 10 and 30 VDC. The control precision is 0.1 V, while the DC voltage output tolerance is ±0.1 VDC. The overall dimensions of the module are 82 x 58 x 18 mm.

A small microcontroller controls the module, which has two voltage regulator chips onboard. There are a bunch of discrete components, including two micro-switches, a screw terminal block, an electromagnetic display, a three-digit Led display, and one red LED.

The charger connection to the module must maintain proper polarity. Likewise, the battery polarity is also important for the proper functioning of the module.

SD-Card Level Translator with Smaller Footprint

Interfacing SD-Cards with their host computers almost always requires a voltage-level translator. This is because most of these memory cards operate at signal levels between 1.7 and 3.6 VDC, while their hosts operate with nominal supply levels varying from 1.1 to 1.95 VDC. Until now, bidirectional level translators for SD 3.0 memory cards were WLCSP devices with 20 bumps or solder balls. The new translator for SD 3.0 memory cards, from Nexperia, is a WLCSP device with 16 bumps. Its footprint is 40% smaller than the 20-bump types. The new device, NXS0506UP, supports multiple data and clock transfer rates for signaling levels that the SD 3.0 standard specifies. Moreover, this includes the SDR104 mode for ultra-high speeds.

While shifting the voltage levels between the memory card and the I/O lines of the host device, the new translator operates at clock frequencies of up to 208 MHz and handles data rates up to 104 Mbps. To automatically detect whether data and control signals should move from the host to the memory card (card write mode) or from the memory card to the host (card read mode), the device uses its integrated auto-directional control.

Apart from the auto-directional control, Nexperia has substantially reduced the BOM cost of their NXS0506UP device by integrating the pull-up and pull-down resistors. These resistors are essential in establishing the voltage levels at the chip IO lines, and discrete resistors push up the BOM cost. In addition, the input/output driver stages of the device have inbuilt EMI filters that help to reduce interference. Moreover, Nexperia has provided robust ESD protection, according to the IEC 61000-4-2 standard, on all the side pins of the memory card. While the 16-bump WLCSP has a physical measurement of just 1.45 x 1.45 x 0.45 mm, its operating temperature ranges from -40 °C to +85 °C.

The NXS0506UP SD card voltage level translator is useful for consumer devices like automotive systems, medical devices, notebook PCs, digital cameras, and smartphones. The SD 3.0 standard compatible level translator is a bidirectional dual supply device with auto-direction control. Nexperia has designed the card for interfacing cards operating from 1.7 to 3.6 VDC levels to hosts with a nominal supply voltage between 1.1 to 1.95 VDC. Apart from the SD 3.0 standard, the device also supports the SDR12, SDR25, DDR50, SDR50, SDR104, and the SD 2.0 standards at default speeds of 25 MHz and high speeds of 50 MHz. The device offers built-in protection from ESD and EMI conforming to the IEC 61000-4-2, level 4 standard.

There are several benefits to using the NXS0506UP SD card voltage level translator. The primary benefit is it supports a maximum clock rate of 208 MHz. It translates voltage levels for default and high-speed modes. It has auto-direction sensing for data and controls. The power consumption is low, while the device integrates pull-up and pull-down resistors. The integrated EMI filter suppresses higher harmonics at digital IOs. Buffers at the IO lines help to keep ESD stresses away with the zero-clamping concept. The 16-bump WLCSP package offers a pitch of 0.35 mm.