New Industry Products

Analog Devices Intros ADP3421 and ADP3410 DC/DC Converter Chip Set

August 31, 1999 by Jeff Shepard

Analog Devices Inc. (Norwood, MA) introduced the ADP3421 and ADP3410 at this week's Intel Developer Forum in Palm Springs, California. The devices are claimed to be the industry's first dc/dc converter chip set to incorporate the Intel Mobile Voltage Positioning technology. The voltage regulation technology is designed to lower power consumption of an Intel mobile processor. According to the firm, the new technology, developed by Intel and enhanced by Analog Devices, enables the dc/dc converter to optimally respond to the fast transient currents of Intel's existing and future mobile processors. The technology is also claimed to reduce the number of required bulk capacitors by up to 50 percent, shrinking size and system cost. The chip set also reduces processor power consumption by up to 10 percent, lowering the peak operating temperature of the processor and simplifying thermal design. The ADP3421 is an ultra-fast, high-accuracy hysteretic controller, while the ADP3410 is a dual MOSFET driver. The two chips form a core dc/dc converter controller that can power Intel's current mobile processor line and the upcoming mobile Pentium III processor. "Intel Mobile Voltage Positioning takes mobile computing to the next level in high-performance power management," stated Andy Combs, director of Intel's Mobile Support Organization. "Solutions like ADI's ADP3421/10 are key catalysts in this cost-savings initiative, enabling mobile PC platforms to deliver added robustness and feature sets that are critical to the needs of today's market."The ADP3421 is available in a 28-pin TSSOP, and the ADP3410 is available in a 14-pin TSSOP. Both are specified over the industrial temperature range of 0 to +85 degrees C. In 1,000-piece quantities, the ADP3421 is priced at $2.50, and the ADP3410 is priced at $1.25.