NATIONAL INTRODUCES WORLD'S FIRST LOW-POWER DUAL COMPARATORS WITH RAIL-TO-RAIL INPUT

• Very Low Power - Typical Supply Current 6 5A/comparator
• High Input Common-Mode Range Beyond V- and V+
• Optional Open-Drain Output Optimizes Mixed-Voltage System Design

SANTA CLARA, CA., November 27, 1995 - Following a recent announcement of best- in-class single comparators with micropower and rail-to-rail performance, National Semiconductor today unveiled dual comparators with similar performance characteristics. Like the single versions, National's dual CMOS comparators are designed to operate at supply voltages between +2.7V and +15V. The new entries offer true rail-to-rail input, making them ideal for systems required to monitor large input signals and for sensor interfacing, such as light-detector circuits, optical and magnetic sensors, and alarm and status circuits.

"With the addition of high-performance dual comparators for low-voltage designs with high common-mode input range, National's product lineup is set to meet the explosive growth in battery-powered products," noted Jim Chase, National's marketing manager.

National's dual comparators include the LMC6772, the only product in its class with open- drain output, and the LMC6762, with push-pull output that allows direct connections to logic devices without a pull-up resistor. With low supply currents and a high common- mode input range beyond the supply rails, both parts are ideal for power supervisory and other signal-conditioning analog circuits found in small portable battery-powered devices such as cellular phones, pagers, notebook computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and PCMCIA cards.

The LMC6772, with its open-drain output, can accommodate Wired-OR configurations. Used to multiplex analog signals into a single digital input, this open drain feature simplifies integrating mixed-voltage systems by allowing the output to be pulled to any voltage rail up to 15 volts, regardless of the supply voltage supplied to the part itself.

The LMC6762/6772 are characterized at +2.7V, +5V and +15V. At +2.7V, National guarantees a common-mode voltage range extending 200mV beyond the supply rails. A wide input voltage range allows the comparator to be used to sense signals close to ground and also to the power supplies, an extremely useful feature in power supply monitoring circuits.

The LMC6762 and LMC6772 are immediately available in production quantities in both an SO-8 surface-mount package or in an 8-pin DIP package.

A95011OA

Lit. # 108486-001, 108488-001