Tiny DC/DC converter supports up to 17 V

Texas Instruments has expanded its family of SWIFT power management ICs with the introduction of what it claims is the industry's smallest single-chip, 6-A, 17-V step-down synchronous switcher with integrated FETs.

The high-performance TPS54620 is 60 per cent smaller than today's multi-chip converters, resulting in a complete 6-A power solution less than 195 mm2—one-fourth the size of a postage stamp. The 1.6-MHz monolithic DC/DC converter supports input voltages from 4.5 to 17 V, allowing it to manage space-constrained 5-V and 12-V point-of-load designs, such as a wireless base station or high-density server.

"As telecommunications designs become more dense and complex, they need more integrated, highly efficient power management devices that support a 12-V power rail," said Steve Anderson, senior vice president of TI's Power Management business unit.

In addition to size improvements, the TPS54620 offers a high degree of performance and reliability, such as a highly accurate voltage reference with +/- one per cent accuracy over temperature. Achieving a 95-per cent power conversion efficiency and a 25 per cent lower Rds(on) than previous 6-A SWIFT devices, the converter easily powers deep subµm TI digital signal processors and other embedded processors, such as FPGAs and ASICs.

The TPS54620 is now available in a 3.5 mm x 3.5 mm QFN package. Suggested resale pricing is Rs.95.52 ($1.95) in 1,000-unit quantities. The TPS54418 has a suggested resale price of Rs.105.32 ($2.15) in 1,000-unit quantities.

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