new family of dc/dc converters

Texas Instruments (TI, Dallas) recently introduced two new families of power management devices designed to allow designers to increase efficiency and overall system performance while reducing required board space and component count in digital signal processor (DSP) and microprocessor-based applications. The new family of dc/dc converters, TPS6012x and TPS6013x, are charge pumps with an adaptable voltage conversion ratio that is designed to optimize the power conversion efficiency for the wide input voltage range of a two-cell battery stack. The converters are step-up regulated. The TPS6012x generates an output of 3.3V +/-4 percent at up to 200mA from an input voltage of 1.8V to 3.6V delivered to two alkaline, NiCd or NiMH batteries. According to TI, devices in this family have an efficiency of up to 90 percent and draw current during standby of only 60uA. The TPS6013x charge pumps generate an output of 5.0V +/-4 percent from an input of 2.7V to 5.4V delivered by three alkaline, NiCd, NiMH or one lithium-ion battery. These devices deliver a current of either 150mA or 300mA depending on the device option. The new family of power controllers, the TPS5102 and TPS5103, are designed to be ideal for notebook PCs and other battery-powered applications where high efficiency is necessary to conserve battery life. The power controllers have on-chip 1.5A MOSFET drivers that can supply system current up to 20A. The TPS5102 has an input range from 4.5V to 25V and an output voltage range of 1.2V up to the input voltage level in each channel. The TPS5103 is a single-channel, multi-purpose switching controller. The TPS5103 is designed to accommodate input voltages as low as 1.2V. The TPS6012x and TPS6013x devices will be available in a 20-pin, PowerPAD package. The TPS5102 is available in a 30-pin TSSOP package, while the TPS5103 is available in a 20-pin SSOP package. In quantities of 1,000, pricing for the TPS6012x and TPS6013x ranges from $1.99 to $2.49 each. In quantities of 1,000, pricing for the TPS5103 is $2.76 and $3.90 for the TPS5102.