Development Kit facilitates light sensor design effort.

Press Release Summary:




Ambient Light Sensor Development Kit lets engineers measure and display ambient illumination, tune sensor, define software responses, and complete hardware layout. Built-to-order kit includes adapter board and sensor board, which incorporates ambient light sensor chosen to be evaluated, ADC, and RS-232 and I2C interfaces. For software, kit includes Microsoft® Windows®-based software that displays ambient illumination in lux, microamps, voltage, decimal, and hexadecimal.



Original Press Release:



Vishay's Ambient Light Sensor Development Kit Simplifies Design Effort for Next-Generation Lighting Applications



New Kit Integrates I2C and RS-232 Interface with Windows®-Based Software

MALVERN, PENNSYLVANIA August 9, 2006 In a move to reduce time to market for designers using its ambient light sensors, Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. (NYSE: VSH) today announced a new light sensing development kit that allows development engineers to measure and display ambient illumination, tune the sensor, define their software program responses, and complete a hardware layout. The development kit supports Vishays recently introduced ambient light sensor portfolio.

For hardware, the built-to-order development kit includes an adapter board and sensor board. The sensor board includes the ambient light sensor chosen to be evaluated by the customer, an analog-to-digital converter, and I2C interface. The adapter board converts the I2C output from the sensor board to the RS-232 interface for direct PC connection. With the direct PC connection, development engineers can use the sensor and adapter board combination to quickly define system responses to various lighting conditions. To reduce prototype development time and cost, engineers can integrate the sensor board, connecting the I2C interface directly to their products controller.

For software, the development kit includes Microsoft® Windows®-based software that displays the ambient illumination in a variety of formats including lux, microamps, voltage, decimal, and hexadecimal. In addition, a bar graph displays the ambient light in lux. The software is used to tune the sensor by programming the sampling rate and gain. There are two data sampling modes: continuous sampling at user defined intervals and single or trigger mode where a single data reading is taken.

Vishay's ambient light sensors help reduce power consumption in consumer electronics applications by controlling keypad backlights and adjusting the brightness of LCDs. In addition to improving display visibility and reducing power consumption, the sensors are an environmentally friendly alternative to cadmium-based photo resistors, the elimination of which has been mandated by Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) legislation.

The development kit is available now using one of the following ordering codes: TEMT6200FDevKit, TEMT6000DevKit, TEPT5700DevKit, TEPT4400DevKit, or TEPT5600DevKit. Lead time is four weeks. Pricing for U.S. delivery is $85.00.

About Vishay

Vishay Intertechnology, Inc., a Fortune 1,000 Company listed on the NYSE (VSH), is one of the world's largest manufacturers of discrete semiconductors (diodes, rectifiers, transistors, and optoelectronics and selected ICs) and passive electronic components (resistors, capacitors, inductors, sensors, and transducers). Vishay's components can be found in products manufactured in a very broad range of industries worldwide. Vishay is headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, and has operations in 17 countries employing
over 26,000 people. Vishay can be found on the Internet at www.vishay.com.

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