Zilker Labs, Inc., (Austin, TX) has entered the market with the ZXL2005 digital power integrated circuit (IC). This new power management and conversion IC provides the configurability, control and monitoring capabilities of digital technology while offering efficiencies equal, or better than, those of analog solutions.
"Zilker Labs' Digital-DC technology enables world class efficiency, and unlike competing digital solutions, does not require software development. The ZL2005 is the first digital power conversion IC that overcomes these two main impediments to widespread adoption of digital power," said Jim Templeton, founder and vice president of marketing at Zilker Labs. "Zilker Labs has filed multiple fundamental and implementation patents on this innovative technology and we have a full family of Digital-DC based products in the pipeline."
"The efficiency and simplicity of Zilker Labs' chip has enabled us to develop PMBus-compliant modules with a significant reduction in discrete components," said Geof Potter, vice president of DC-DC conversion at Emerson Network Power's Astec power supply division. "In addition to new digital capabilities, the flexibility of the ZL2005 allows us to include a range of features that match existing industry norms."
The ZL2005 is fully configurable for a range of applications by simple pin-strap connections, resistor selection or via the device's on-board serial port using the industry standard PMBus™ (Power Management Bus) command set. Based on Zilker Labs' proprietary Digital-DC™ technology, the ZL2005 eliminates the need for programming. Its use is claimed to enable shorter time-to-market for embedded electronic system manufacturers.
The ZL2005 integrates a compact, efficient buck controller, high-current adaptive drivers and full power and thermal management functions in a single package, eliminating the need for complicated power supply manager chips and numerous discrete components. The ZL2005 is designed to be a flexible building block for DC power and can be easily adapted to designs ranging from a single-phase power supply operating from a 3.3 V input to a multi-phase supply operating from a 12 V input. In addition, the ZL2005 is claimed to be the only solution on the market to integrate the PMBus code into the IC, allowing system designers to easily implement the benefits of the PMBus protocol.
Zilker Labs began sampling the ZL2005 in June to select customers. The part is now available for general sampling. The ZL2005 is available in a 6 x 6 mm 36-lead Micro Lead Frame (MLF) package. Pricing starts at US$4.25 in quantities of 1,000. An evaluation kit, the ZL2005EV-1 is also available.
