New Industry Products

buck- or boost-configurable converter IC

November 07, 1999 by Jeff Shepard

Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. (Malvern, PA) recently announced a compact buck- or boost-configurable converter IC. The Si9169BQ is designed to prolong cell phone talk and standby times by as much as ten percent and provides typical efficiencies of 95 percent in full-load mode. Features of the Si9169BQ include both p-channel high-side and n-channel low-side switches that are fully integrated into its TSSOP-20 package. According to Vishay, the total converter footprint measures less than 300 sq. mm. and offers high-frequency operation, up to 2MHz, which allows for smaller magnetics and reduced levels of output capacitance. The Si9169BQ also features an input voltage range of 2.7V to 6V and can step down voltages to 1.5V or boost them to 6V depending on the topology selected. The on-board MOSFETs are rated to deliver 1A of continuous current in pulse width modulation (PWM) mode while drawing less than 200uA in pulse skipping mode under light load conditions. The device dissipates 165mW when converting a 5V input voltage down to 3.3V at 1A, as compared with 1.7W for a linear regulator or approximately 500mW for typical switching solutions. Whether it is used to provide power to the PA or signal processing filtering in cell phones, or to improve the efficiency and thermal characteristics of power circuitry on computer peripheral cards, the Si9169BQ offers one of the highest efficiencies of any converter IC on the market, said Tony Armstrong, director of product marketing at Vishay Siliconix. And this means highly efficient use of space, highly efficient use of battery power, and the purchasing efficiencies of obtaining both the active and passive components from a single power supplier. In quantities of 100,000, pricing for the Si9169BQ is $2.10 each and is currently available.