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Allegro MicroSystems, Inc. introduces a new low-current BiCMOS photoelectric smoke detector circuit with ultra-low standby current allowing an average 10-year battery life. Allegro’s A5303 device can be used with an infrared optical chamber to sense light scattered from smoke particles. A networking capability allows units to be interconnected so that if any unit senses smoke all units will sound an alarm. Special features are incorporated in the design to facilitate calibration and testing of the finished detector. This new device is targeted at the consumer smoke alarm market.

A variable-gain photo-amplifier can be directly interfaced to an infrared emitter-detector pair. The amplifier gain levels are determined by two external capacitors and are internally selected depending on the operating mode. Low gain is selected during standby and timer modes. During a local alarm, this low gain is increased (internally) by approximately 45% to provide hysteresis. High gain is used during pushbutton test and to periodically monitor the chamber sensitivity during standby. The internal oscillator and timing circuitry minimize standby power by sensing for smoke for only 100 µs once every 10 s. A special three-stage-speedup sensing scheme is incorporated to minimize the time to an audible alarm and also to reduce false triggering. Chamber sensitivity is periodically monitored and two consecutive cycles of degraded sensitivity are required for a warning signal to occur.

The A5303 is supplied in a thin profile (
 
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.
http://www.allegromicro.com