Power Integrations, Vicor, Fairchild Semiconductor, and Emerson Network Power Mark the Opening of Electronica with New Products

On the first-day of Electronica 2012, Power Integrations Inc. announced its latest family of LED driver ICs, Vicor Corp. added 14 new devices to its PI33XX Picor Cool-Power® ZVS buck regulator offering, Fairchild Semiconductor expanded its offering of SiC power devices and Emerson Network Power launched two new digitally-controlled ac-dc power supplies.

Power Integrations introduced its latest family of LED-driver ICs, aimed at consumer, commercial and industrial lighting applications. The new LYTSwitch™ IC family delivers tight regulation and high efficiency for tube replacements and high-bay lighting, while providing exceptional performance in TRIAC-dimmable bulb applications.

LYTSwitch ICs combine PFC and CC into a single switching stage, increasing driver efficiency to more than 90% in typical applications, delivering a power factor greater than 0.95 and easily meeting EN61000-3-2C requirements for total harmonic distortion (THD). Optimized designs deliver less than 10% THD. The combined single-stage converter topology also eliminates high-voltage electrolytic bulk capacitors, leading to greatly extended driver lifetimes even in high ambient temperatures.

Accurate primary-side control yields true tight CC performance with better than +/- 5 percent regulation across load, a wide temperature range and production variation enabling tighter design margins and reduced system cost. High switching frequency of 132 kHz means that small, low-cost magnetics can be used in space-constrained bulb applications, while frequency jittering ensures reduced EMI filter requirements. LYTSwitch devices also offer all the usual safety features common to Power Integrations products, including overvoltage, overcurrent and over-temperature protection.

The LYTSwitch family of LED-driver ICs enables dimming performance when used with leading-edge and trailing-edge TRIAC dimmers, even at low conduction angles, easily complying with NEMA SSL6. Start-up is very fast, typically less than 500 ms, even when dimmed to less than 10% output. Bulbs using LYTSwitch ICs will turn on at almost the same dimming angle as it was at turn-off, virtually eliminating pop-on. Dead band in TRIAC dimming is also eliminated as the LYTSwitch controller ensures that dimming occurs as soon as the dimmer is operated.

Vicor announced 14 new additions to its PI33XX Picor Cool-Power® ZVS (Zero-Voltage Switching ) buck regulator product line for high-efficiency point of load dc-dc regulation. This product line extension includes higher current devices and optional I2C™ fault telemetry and programmability. The PI33XX products are designed to convert 8V to 36V inputs to high current, low voltage point of load system rails such as 3.3V, 2.5V, 1.8V and 1V, and deliver class-leading performance with advanced power management functions.

The integration of a high performance ZVS topology within the PI33XX series of Cool-Power ZVS buck regulators enhances point of load performance, claiming best in class power efficiency for wide Vin operation. The ZVS topology enables high power density, and high-frequency operation that maximizes efficiency by minimizing the significant switching losses associated with conventional hard-switching buck regulators. The PI33XX series can support high performance conversions with large step down ratios up to the rated input voltage of 36V enabling system designers to deploy more efficient power distribution schemes that rely on a higher input voltage source.

All products in the PI33XX series are highly integrated with control circuitry, power semiconductors and support components in a high density 10mmx14mmx2.56mm LGA System in Package (SiP). Power delivery can be further increased by interleaving multiple Cool-Power ZVS buck regulators using single wire current sharing without the need for any additional components. Cool-Power ZVS series buck regulators require only an external inductor and minimal ceramic capacitors for input and output filtering to form a complete high performance regulator. No frequency compensation, parametric settings or incremental external components are required.

Fairchild Semiconductor sought to extend its leadership position in innovative high-performance power transistor technology with the announcement of silicon carbide (SiC) technology solutions optimized for power conversion systems. Among the first products to be released in Fairchild's SiC portfolio is a family of advanced SiC bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) that offer high efficiency, high-current density, robustness, and easy high-temperature operation.

By leveraging exceptionally-efficient transistors, Fairchild's SiC BJTs enable higher switching frequencies due to lower conduction and switching losses (ranging from 30-50 percent) that provide up to 40 percent higher output power in the same system form factor. Enabling the use of smaller inductors, capacitors and heat sinks, these robust BJTs can lower overall system costs up to 20 percent. With performance levels that drive much higher efficiency and superior short-circuit and reverse bias safe operating area, these industry-leading SiC BJTs will play a significant role in optimizing the power management of high-power conversion applications.

Emerson Network Power launched two new models in the popular LCM series of ac-dc power supplies, which is known for providing high efficiency and reliability at a competitive cost. With the addition of the LCM300 and LCM1500, rated for 310 W and 1,500 W loads, alongside the existing 600 W LCM600 unit, Emerson Network Power's LCM series can now provide for a very wide range of ac-dc embedded power requirement.

Featuring high build quality with robust screw terminals, long life, and typical full-load efficiency of greater than 91 percent, these units are designed for use in industrial and medical applications. They are backed by a comprehensive set of industrial and medical safety approvals and certificates.

A sophisticated digital control loop optimizes efficiency across a wide load range. The efficiency of both the LCM300 and LCM1500 is greater than 91 percent at full load (230 Vac nominal input), and is at least 80 percent at all loads higher than 25 percent. Power factor correction is implemented internally, offering a typical power factor of 0.99 (LCM1500) or 0.98 (LCM300).