From Wikipedia - Reading time: 5 min
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
GreenPAK™ was a Renesas Electronics family of mixed-signal integrated circuits and development tools.[1] purchased by Renesas, sales at a hobby level were discontinued in favor of Renesas sales force which only deals with industrial level buyers. GreenPAK circuits are classified as configurable mixed-signal ICs. This category is characterized by analogue and digital blocks that can be configured through programmable non-volatile memory. These devices also have a "Connection Matrix", which supports routing signals between the various blocks. These devices can include multiple components within a single IC.[2]
Also, the company developed the Go Configure™ Software Hub for IC design creation, chip emulation, and programming.[3][4]
The GreenPAK technology was developed by Silego Technology Inc. The company was established in 2001. The GreenPAK product line was introduced in April 2010. Then, the first generation of ICs was released. Later, Silego was acquired by Dialog Semiconductor PLC in 2017.[5] Officially, the trademark for the GreenPAK title was registered in 2019.[6]
Currently, in the market, the sixth generation of GreenPAK ICs was already released.[7] Over 6 billion GreenPAK ICs have been shipped to Dialog's customers all over the world.[8]
In 2021, Dialog was acquired by Renesas Electronics, therefore the GreenPAK technology is currently officially owned by Renesas.[9]
There are a few categories of ICs developed within the GreenPAK technology:[10]
GreenPAK Designer Software is a free GUI-based platform that enables users to create IC designs without any programming language prior skills.
The software functions include:[12]
Two development boards allow engineers to conduct different procedures mentioned in the table below.[13][14]
| "' Board/Functions'" | " 'Programming'" | " 'Emulation'" | " 'Signal'"
"' and Logic Generators'" |
| GreenPAK DIP Development Platform | x | x | |
| "' GreenPAK Advanced Development Platform'" | x | x | x |
The development boards are compatible with different GreenPAK ICs that can be checked on Dialog Semiconductor's website.[15]
Over 300 application notes were developed to showcase IC designs created in the GreenPAK Designer Software and provide complete project instructions.[16]
The "GreenPAK" title indicates the circuit's environmentally friendly nature. These circuits consume low power and use less lead during production, reducing their environmental impact. The "PAK" suffix stands for "Programmable Analog Kit," which highlights the device family's aim to provide a suite of analog resources, along with digital resources, that can be utilized to address various real-world application challenges.[17]