Rompower Energy Systems, an internationally recognized research and development company in the field of power conversion, announces the availability of technology for an extremely small, highly efficient ac-dc power adapter. In the quest for higher power density, the efficiency of the adapter is critical in order to decrease the heat dissipation.
The reference design is measuring just 3.19 cubic inches in size, this adapter provides 65W of power at greater than 94% efficiency over the entire input voltage range (90- to 264-Vac). The adapter has a power density of 20 W/in3. This high efficiency means that the device runs cooler than standard ac-dc adapters.
At the core of this adapter is a synchronous rectifier circuit using 150 V, 7 mohm EPC2033 eGaN® FETs from Efficient Power Conversion Corporation (EPC). Power transistors fabricated using GaN technology are higher performing than traditional silicon power devices and, in this power conversion application, these eGaN FETs provide an 80% reduction in the driving power, a 25% reduction in on resistance, and 5% less power dissipation all in a very small, 3.19 cubic inch package.
According to Ionel “Dan†Jitaru, founder and President of Rompower, “We are quite proud to have made this breakthrough in size and performance for such an important product, the ac-dc adaptor. With its small size, it will ease the burden of users having to carry a large, clumsy adapter, while enjoying its energy savings and high efficiency.â€
Alex Lidow, CEO and co-founder of EPC, commented that, “It is well known in the industry that due to its superior performance at lower costs, GaN is now the material of choice where small size and high performance are essential. This is certainly the case in the highly efficient, extremely small Rompower ac-dc adapter. This innovative reference design, using GaN devices, will become an industry benchmark for its small size and high performance.â€
