Microsemi Announces Availability of LX2410A IDEAL Solar Bypass Device with Patented CoolRUN Technology

ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Oct. 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsemi Corporation (Nasdaq: MSCC), a leading provider of semiconductor solutions differentiated by power, security, reliability and performance, today announced the availability of the LX2410A IDEAL™ solar bypass device with Microsemi's patented CoolRUN™ technology, designed to provide a bypass path in photovoltaic (PV) module applications. The LX2410A, a member of Microsemi's award-winning solar bypass family, reduces the cost and increases the reliability of photovoltaic solar modules by replacing the Schottky diodes in junction boxes with an under the glass, higher performance solution.

"Our new LX2410A IDEAL solar bypass devices provide unique advantages over competing products, including thinner packaging and better lightning strike protection capabilities," said Shafy Eltoukhy, vice president and business unit manager at Microsemi.

High current PV module applications require a bypass path as a protection mechanism to enable the array to produce power when one part of the array may be shaded or damaged. In addition the device is required to protect the array from lightning strikes. Microsemi's LX2410A is the industry's only bi-directional surge protection device designed to handle up to 500 amperes (amps) of surge protection in the forward and reverse direction, maximizing lifetime robustness and reliability of the device. 

The thin package of the LX2410A with 0.7 millimeters (mm) maximum thickness is designed for mounting inside solar PV panels to shrink the junction box and reduce expensive copper wiring to and from the box. This minimizes system expense and enables higher power PV modules with smaller junction boxes and less copper losses for higher efficiency. The pads of the package are 2.6 mm apart to meet the IEC61730-1 and IEC61730-2 creepage and clearance requirements.

REC, the largest European brand of solar panels, has evaluated active bypass devices like the LX2410A in its next generation solar panels. According to the company's engineering team, the thin package and high efficiency of the LX2410A allow them to be installed under the front glass of REC's solar panels, reducing system costs by eliminating the need for a large junction box and excessive connection wires. REC has produced more than 15 million panels and is a PV technology leader with integrated manufacturing of polysilicon wafers, cells, panels and systems.      

Unlike a Schottky diode, the LX2410A is an active device that has an extremely low voltage drop and reverse leakage current, resulting in increased PV module power output, negligible heat generation and temperature rise during operation. Its patented CoolRUN technology's non-hiccup control eliminates electromagnetic interference (EMI) radiating from PV module strings.

"Active bypass devices will replace Schottky diodes for improved efficiency and robustness in the next generation PV module designs," said Dr. Heribert Schmidt of the Fraunhofer-Institute ISE, Germany, a leading research institute for solar energy systems. "The devices also optimize module construction for lower overall system cost."  

According to market research firm IHS, 57 gigawatts (GW) of PV power capacity is forecasted to be installed in 2015 worldwide, reflecting a 48 percent market growth since 2013. With each solar panel estimated at 250 watts (W) and using three bypass devices, the total addressable market (TAM) for these products is forecasted to be greater than 600 million devices in 2015.

Additional features of the LX2410A include:

• 12.5A is supported for International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) testing
• Low forward voltage drop: VF=95 mV @ IF=10 A, Tcase=110 degrees C
• Low reverse leakage current: IR=12.5 uA @ VR=33 V, Tj=125 degrees C
• 500 amps of bi-directional lightning survivability per IEC 61000-4-5, part 6.1
• Operating junction temperature range of -55 degrees C to 125 degrees C
• Reverse voltage up to 33 V
• Superior electrostatic discharge (ESD) performance

Availability
Microsemi's LX2410A is in production now. For more information, visit http://www.microsemi.com/existing-parts/parts/136636#overview or email [email protected].

About Microsemi's Photovoltaic Solutions
Microsemi offers an extensive range of solutions for the PV market, supporting a wide array of applications in power harvesting, power management, power switching and power monitoring. With these products the PV designer can develop highly efficient and reliable, cost sensitive applications to meet the ever increasing demand of PV deployments worldwide. Microsemi carries an assortment of analog, mixed signal and digital devices, such as active bypass devices, Schottky diodes, SiC MOSFETs, SiC diodes and insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), DC-to-DC converters, mixed-signal field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), pulse width modulation (PWM) modules and much more. For more information, visit http://www.microsemi.com/applications/alternative-energy/photovoltaic-solutions.

About Microsemi
Microsemi Corporation (Nasdaq: MSCC) offers a comprehensive portfolio of semiconductor and system solutions for communications, defense & security, aerospace and industrial markets. Products include high-performance and radiation-hardened analog mixed-signal integrated circuits, FPGAs, SoCs and ASICs; power management products; timing and synchronization devices and precise time solutions, setting the world's standard for time; voice processing devices; RF solutions; discrete components; security technologies and scalable anti-tamper products; Ethernet solutions; Power-over-Ethernet ICs and midspans; as well as custom design capabilities and services. Microsemi is headquartered in Aliso Viejo, Calif., and has approximately 3,600 employees globally. Learn more at www.microsemi.com.

Microsemi and the Microsemi logo are registered trademarks or service marks of Microsemi Corporation and/or its affiliates. Third-party trademarks and service marks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Any statements set forth in this news release that are not entirely historical and factual in nature, including without limitation statements related to the LX2410A IDEAL solar bypass device with Microsemi's patented CoolRUN technology, designed to provide a bypass path in PV module applications, and its potential effects on future business, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. The potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, such factors as rapidly changing technology and product obsolescence, potential cost increases, variations in customer order preferences, weakness or competitive pricing environment of the marketplace, uncertain demand for and acceptance of the company's products, adverse circumstances in any of our end markets, results of in-process or planned development or marketing and promotional campaigns, difficulties foreseeing future demand, potential non-realization of expected orders or non-realization of backlog, product returns, product liability, and other potential unexpected business and economic conditions or adverse changes in current or expected industry conditions, difficulties and costs of protecting patents and other proprietary rights, inventory obsolescence and difficulties regarding customer qualification of products. In addition to these factors and any other factors mentioned elsewhere in this news release, the reader should refer as well to the factors, uncertainties or risks identified in the company's most recent Form 10-K and all subsequent Form 10-Q reports filed by Microsemi with the SEC. Additional risk factors may be identified from time to time in Microsemi's future filings. The forward-looking statements included in this release speak only as of the date hereof, and Microsemi does not undertake any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

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