With the continuing trend towards portable and wireless products, energy applications, and Internet of Things (IoT) over the past year, suppliers of power semiconductors, batteries, power supplies, and power management devices continue to unleash a slew of products for these applications. In this look back, ECN reviews some of the more interesting power-related products over the past year.
Intersil, for instance, announced what was reportedly the industry’s first buck-boost voltage regulator for tablets, ultrabooks, and other mobile devices using the reversible USB Type C™ connector. Designed to replace two voltage converters now used for bidirectional buck and boost modes, the ISL95338 regulator converts a range of dc power source inputs to a regulated 24 V output.
The ISL95338 supports the USB-C specification with buck, boost, and buck-boost modes, and can be used in any USB-C power management application. It is also USB 3.1-compliant, enabling designers to program several input/output current and voltage slew rate settings to create customized solutions.
Power supply system designers face the ongoing challenges of reducing inventory costs and speeding time-to-market. Vicor unveiled its Cool-Power ZVS Buck-Boost regulator, designated the PI3740, which accepts a wide input voltage range of 8 to 60 VDC, allowing users to reduce both the number of regulators and the number of power supply designs that are designed, configured, and manufactured.
The regulator integrates a controller, power switches, and support circuitry in a high density, 10 x 14 x 2.5 mm single-in-line system in package. The regulator is suited for automotive, industrial, test automation, LED lighting, and battery charging applications.
To meet the needs of high-voltage power buses in power distribution applications, Powerbox introduced a range of high-voltage input DC/DC converters for microgrids, data centers, and industrial applications. Part of its industrial line, the new series of HVDC/DC converters operate with an input voltage range of 180 VDC to 425 VDC, and deliver output power levels of 150, 300, 600, or 750 W.
Built around a high efficiency topology, Powerbox’s PQB-PHB-PFB300S has a layout optimized for thermal conduction, achieves input/output isolation of 3,000 VAC minimum, and delivers output voltages from 3.3 VDC to 48 VDC. They operate over -40 to +100°C range and are offered in quarter-, half-, and full-brick packages.
Also aiming at energy applications, MicroPower Direct LLC introduced its MPV4080S family of DC/DC converters aimed at utilty-scale photovoltaic applications. The converters feature a wide 200 to 1500 VDC input, which according to the company allows the use of longer solar panel strings, which in turns reduce the combiner boxes required.
The converters are available in three models with output of 12, 15, and 24 VDC. They come in encapsulated cases measuring 4.9 x 2.9 x 1.57 in.
2017 also saw suppliers continuing to develop power solutions to charge and regulate power for wearable devices. Maxim Integrated introduced its MAX77650/MAX77561 battery charging and power supply solutions for low-power wearable applications. Both devices feature a SIMO buck-boost regulator that provides three independently programmable power rails from a single inductor to minimize total solution size. A 150 milliamp, low dropout regulator provides ripple rejection for audio and other noise-sensitive applications, while a highly configurable linear charger supports a wide range of lithium battery capacities and includes battery temperature monitoring for additional safety.
Along the same lines, Dialog Semiconductor plc unveiled its first nanopower PMICs, the DA9230 and DA9231. The PMICs are reportedly the smallest of their class on the market, enabling longer battery operating time and enhanced efficiency for always-on IoT applications, consuming only 750 nA of total input current with the buck enabled and under no-load conditions. They are designed to enhance the battery life and power efficiency of common IoT devices such as wearables, smart door locks, portable medical devices, and remote sensors.
Designed to support current and future platforms, the DA9231 features a 300 mA buck together with a 100 mA LDO, while the DA9230 features a standalone buck converter. Both devices output 0.6 V minimum to enable powering advanced 14 or 10 nm geometry SOCs.
Meeting the industry’s continuing demand for faster wireless charging, STMicroelectronics introduced one of the first chips to support the industry’s latest standard for faster charging. ST’s STWBC-EP consumes just 16 mW in standby and can wirelessly transfer more than 80 percent of the total input power. Features include a patented solution enhancing active presence detection to wake the system quickly when a compatible object is presented for charging. The patented technology also enhances the performance of Foreign Object Detection (FOD), to cut power and prevent overheating if objects containing metals are brought too close to the charger.
