Reflective Color Sensors detect red, blue or green.

TAOS Inc. Feb 27, 2002

Press Release Summary:

Color sensors combine color LEDs and light-to-voltage converters with corresponding color filters in surface-mount packages. Sensors emit and detect one of 3 primary colors: TRS1722 emits red, TRS1755 emits green, and TRS1766 emits blue light. Output voltage is directly proportional to reflective light. LED drive currents of 250 microamps and up are suitable for low-power applications such as edge and color detection in paper, textiles, cosmetics and process control.

Original Press Release:

TOAS, Inc. Announces Industry's First Reflective Color Sensors

Combination of Color LED with Corresponding Color Sensor in Surface Mount Package Simplifies Addition of Color Sensing Capabilities to New Product Designs

February 4, 2002 (Plano, TX) - The industry's first reflective color sensors were announced today by Texas Advanced Optoelectronic Solutions(TM), Inc. (TAOS) of Plano, TX. Each of the three new reflective color sensors combine a color LED die and a light-to-voltage converter with a corresponding color filter in a surface mount package. Each sensor is designed to emit and detect one of three primary colors: red, blue or green. The TRS1722 emits red, the TRS1755 emits green and the TRS1766 emits blue light. The output of each device is a voltage that is directly proportional to the reflected color light.

"Our goal with the TAOS reflective color sensors is to make it as easy as possible for designers to add color sensing capabilities to their repertoire in new product designs, thereby enabling these products to be more competitive in their target markets," said Carlo Strippoli, TAOS vice president of sales and marketing.

Because the TAOS reflective color sensors emit and respond to a single color, they provide superior discrimination (signal to noise ratio) in applications such as currency detection and validation, label edge detection, color detection in paper, textiles and cosmetics as well as in process control applications. In addition, with the LED drive current being as low as 250 microamps (TRS1766, blue), the TAOS reflective color sensors are well suited for low-power and battery-operated applications.

The TRS1722, TRS1755 and TRS1766 reflective color sensors combine high-output LEDs with the TAOS high-sensitivity color sensors. These color sensors are based on the popular TAOS TSL257 light-to-voltage converter platform. With the TRS1722, TRS1755 and TRS1766, designers can achieve 8 bits of resolution in their designs.

"The reflective color sensors represent an important new direction for Lumenology(TM) - the TAOS light sensing technology," Strippoli conconcluded. "Not only is TAOS offering the industry's first reflective color sensors, we are the first vendor to offer reflective sensors of any type with an output voltage that is directly proportional to reflective light. The TRS1722, the TRS1755 and the TRS1766 are the first of a family of reflective sensor products that TAOS plans to offer throughout 2002 and 2003." All three TAOS reflective color sensors are available now from TAOS, Inc. and its authorized distributors. Each of the three TAOS color sensors has a suggested resale price of $1.36 in 1,000-piece quantities.

About TAOS, Inc. (Texas Advanced Optoelectronic Solutions)
Texas Advanced Optoelectronic Solutions (TAOS), Inc. is based in Plano, Texas. Established in 1998, the company develops, manufactures and markets leadership integrated optoelectronic products. These devices combine precision mixed-signal functionality and photo-detectors on the same integrated circuit to produce advanced products with performance and cost advantages over conventional solutions. TAOS optoelectronic products include:
* Light-to-Frequency Converters (TSL230/235/245)
* Light-to-Voltage Converters (TSL25x/26x)
* CMOS Linear Sensor Arrays (TSL201, TSL202, TSL208, TSL1301, TSL1401, TSL1402, TSL1406, TSL1410, TSL3301)
* Functionally Enhanced Opto-Couplers (TPS5904, TIL300)
* Optical-based chemical sensors

More information can be found at www.taosinc.com, or by phone at 972-673-0759.

Trademarks Texas Advanced Optoelectronic Solutions and Lumenology are trademarks of Texas Advanced Optoelectronic Solutions, Inc. (TAOS) of Plano, Texas.