AUSTIN, Texas, Jun 23, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Silicon
Laboratories Inc. (Nasdaq: SLAB), a leader in
high-performance, analog-intensive, mixed-signal ICs, today announced
that Elster, a global leader in smart metering solutions, has chosen the
Si8422 5 kV digital isolator IC for its sophisticated AS1440 electronic
polyphase meter designed for Smart Grid applications.
Elster offers a complete line of electronic and electromechanical
polyphase meters for residential, commercial and industrial applications
that can be easily incorporated into Automated Metering Infrastructure
(AMI) systems for Smart Grid deployment. According to ABI Research, the
number of smart electricity meters deployed worldwide is expected to
grow to 212 million in 2014, nearly three times the 76 million units
deployed in 2009.
Elster's intelligent AS1440 polyphase meter, which incorporates
the Si8422 digital isolator, provides precise electricity measurement,
anti-tampering features and reliable data transfer for industrial and
high-power commercial applications. The AS1440 meter supports both
direct and current/voltage transformer (CT/VT) connections and
4-quadrant measurement.
"Silicon Labs' Si8422 digital isolator meets the very high
performance, reliability and security standards of our electronic
polyphase meters," said Rainer Miermann, design and development manager
at the Elster Group. "Smart meters must operate safely and reliably in
harsh outdoor environments prone to transient spikes. The Si8422 IC
provides a robust isolation solution that is critical to the fail-safe
operation of one of our most advanced smart electricity meters."
The Si8422 is a member of Silicon Labs' popular Si84xx
digital isolator family, which supports high-speed data
transmission up to 150 Mbps while providing up to 5 kV of isolation. The
Si84xx family significantly improves radio frequency (RF) susceptibility
and RF emissions performance over existing digital isolation solutions,
which is important to the security and reliability of high-performance
metering solutions. The Si84xx digital isolator family also provides
vastly superior reliability and immunity to temperature and aging
compared to traditional optocouplers, making it an optimal isolation
solution for green energy and industrial applications.
"Offering superior electrostatic discharge performance, robust
tolerance to electromagnetic noise and high-speed operation, the Si84xx
family provides best-in-class digital isolation technology that's
critical to sophisticated smart electricity meters such as Elster's
industry-leading AS1440," said Mark Thompson, vice president of Embedded
Mixed-Signal products at Silicon Labs. "Growing deployment of smart
metering systems will continue to drive demand for CMOS-based isolation
solutions like the Si84xx ICs."
About the Si84xx Digital Isolators
Silicon Labs' Si84xx family of digital isolators employs digital
RF technology to communicate data across a capacitive isolation barrier
manufactured in cost-effective CMOS technology. The Si84xx family
provides exceptional performance and integration, superior immunity to
RF fields, and low emissions during operation while addressing the
demanding requirements for low-power, high-speed digital data transfer.
Offering isolation ratings of 1 kV, 2.5 kV and 5 kV, the digital
isolator family provides a broad range of solutions for diverse
isolation requirements. The Si84xx family is based on a patented RF
isolation technology that is also used in Silicon Labs' Si82xx family of
isolated gate drivers. For more information about Silicon Labs' digital
isolators and other power solutions, visit www.silabs.com/pr/isolation.
About the Elster Group
Elster was acquired by funds advised by CVC Capital Partners in
September 2005. In 2008, Elster generated revenues of EUR 1.3
billion, or $1.9 billion (USD). For more information about Elster,
please visit www.elster.com.
Cautionary Language
This press release may contain forward-looking statements based on
Silicon Laboratories' current expectations. These forward-looking
statements involve risks and uncertainties. A number of important
factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in
the forward-looking statements. For a discussion of factors that could
impact Silicon Laboratories' financial results and cause actual results
to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements,
please refer to Silicon Laboratories' filings with the SEC. Silicon
Laboratories disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise
any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise.
Note to editors: Silicon Laboratories, Silicon Labs, the "S"
symbol, the Silicon Laboratories logo, and the Silicon Labs logo are
trademarks of Silicon Laboratories Inc. All other product names noted
herein may be trademarks of their respective holders.
Silicon Laboratories Inc.
Silicon Laboratories is an industry leader in the innovation of
high-performance, analog-intensive, mixed-signal ICs. Developed by a
world-class engineering team with unsurpassed expertise in mixed-signal
design, Silicon Labs' diverse portfolio of highly-integrated,
easy-to-use products offers customers significant advantages in
performance, size and power consumption. These patented solutions serve
a broad set of markets and applications including consumer,
communications, computing, industrial and automotive.
Headquartered in Austin, TX, Silicon Labs is a global enterprise
with operations, sales and design activities worldwide. The company is
committed to contributing to our customers' success by recruiting the
highest quality talent to create industry-changing innovations. For more
information about Silicon Labs, please visit www.silabs.com.
SOURCE: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
Silicon Laboratories Inc.
Dale Weisman +1-512-532-5871
dale.weisman@silabs.com
Follow Silicon Labs on Twitter at http://twitter.com/silabs.
Copyright Business Wire 2010