Melexis has collaborated with Toshiba by offering two critical system components for the HD DVD hardware.

The first product, the Photo Detector IC (PDIC), detects the laser beam reflected from the DVD disk and converts the light signal to an electronic signal. This signal is then fed back to the main system and decoded as data, usually a movie. The second component, an Automatic Power Control circuit (APC), detects and controls the laser power delivered to the DVD disk during the write (and sometimes read) operation. Both of these analog circuits require demanding performance that Melexis has been able to provide, according Toshiba.

Melexis has invested heavily in both design and packaging technology for optical products.

"Toshiba has invested heavily in the Melexis effort and we are working closely with them to define our next generation requirements in this market," said Mr. Yamada, Executive director of Toshiba's Optic R&D division.