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Muxcapacitor PSSoC Tech Claims 95% AC-DC Efficiencies

March 17, 2015 by Jeff Shepard

Semitrex, LLC a fabless semiconductor company, claims that its TRONIUM™ Power Supply System(s) on a Chip™ (PSSoC) is delivering at least 95% efficiency in ac-dc power supply designs. TRONIUM is currently in the third generation of its design, prototyping and dies. Semitrex claims it has taken a conservative, albeit more costly, approach to finalizing its technology for the marketplace. Recently-completed internal testing, on the last prototype chip before sample chips are available to the market, shows that Semitrex's Muxcapacitor™ technology provides energy efficiencies of at least 95 percent across heavy to light current loads, even down to 50 milliamps. This means that the efficiency of the entire TRONIUM PSSoC module is 92 percent efficient at low (50 milliamp) loads, and up to 97 percent efficient at 1 Amp and above current loads.

This efficiency greatly exceeds proposed Energy Efficiency Level VI Standards set by the Department of Energy, which are to go into effect in 2016. For instance, these standards call for no more than 100 milliwatts of standby power for small charging devices, while TRONIUM PSSoCs will expend less than 1/2 milliwatt.

Founded in 2012, Semitrex's overarching goal is centered on improving the way that power conversions are made in order to create a significant increase in power efficiency. From day one, Semitrex has identified the following three goals for its TROMIUM PSSoC module technology: 1. Achieve a minimum of 90 percent power conversion efficiency across all current loads; 2. Address the vampire power issue by reaching the industry's lowest standby power mode of 1/2 milliwatt; 3. Reduce part count from upwards of 50 discrete parts down to less than half that amount, which permits a much smaller power supply footprint providing new levels of manufacturers' design simplification. This consolidation is possible because more discrete parts have been included in the TRONIUM monolithic silicon chip.

According to Michael H. Freeman, J.D., CEO and CTO for Semitrex, the idea for its technology began with a search for ways to increase the battery life for mobile phones -- then quickly expanded in focus due to the unique attributes of capacitors. "We found that our technology will positively impact energy efficiencies on a global scale above and beyond what we initially envisioned," Freeman noted. "We have unlocked the exact way to create a capacitor-based circuit that brings very high efficiencies and saves a lot of energy -- and does it in a way that also simplifies the manufacturer's design process."

By arranging a network of cascading silicon capacitors controlled through interconnected gates, Semitrex's patented cascading technology utilizes capacitive circuits rather than inductive for primary voltage reduction. Called Muxcapacitor, this technology has allowed Semitrex to produce the highest energy efficiencies and the lowest standby power draws. Semitrex's Muxcapacitor low ratio conversion technology is also extremely effective in its utilization of embedded switches, FET gates and passive elements when compared to its inductive counterparts. Semitrex is the first in the industry to utilize a capacitive pre-regulation technology as a method to take voltages down from the mains.

"Our Muxcapacitor pre-regulation voltage reduction technology provides the key differential -- it is what sets the Semitrex approach to power conversion apart from traditional methods and enables us to achieve the high efficiencies we do," noted Freeman.

With Semitrex's power conversion breakthrough, the concept of power conversion as we know it is about to be forever changed. The applications for Semitrex's technology are expansive and cover a very broad range. In the near term, TRONIUM will initially power chargers and be embedded in televisions/monitors, white goods, consumer electronics, telecom plug-ins and more. Additionally, TRONIUM will efficiently power sensors on the Internet of Things (IoT).

"We are now on third generation silicon -- the final 'test phase' -- and have been issued six national and international patents, with more than 36 patents pending," added Freeman. "We are on track to saying goodbye to the blackout-prone, overburdened power grid of today -- and hello to a brighter, environmentally friendly, energy efficient future."