New Industry Products

Sipex Unveils the SP6650 Step-Down DC/DC Regulator

March 14, 2001 by Jeff Shepard

Sipex Corp. (Billerica, MA) unveiled the SP6650, a new step-down switching dc/dc regulator suitable for three- to four-cell alkaline or lithium-ion applications. The new device features an input voltage range is 2.5V to 6.5V, with the output voltage adjustable between 1.25 to Vin.

The SP6650 includes an on-board power MOSFET, an external inductor, and several additional discrete capacitors and resistors. It sources up to 500mA with a two-percent accuracy at either its fixed 3.3V output, or at a user-programmable output voltage between 2.8V and 6.5V. Quiescent current and shutdown current are 70uA and 0.3nA, respectively, and an output ripple of as low as 10mV is possible.

Other features include peak current control, under-voltage lock-out, battery-low indication and short-circuit protection. The device has a two-percent output-voltage accuracy and a 500mA output current. It can be used in digital still cameras, PDAs, mp3 players, digital voice recorders and Internet appliances.

“While there are many buck regulators for portable devices available in the market today, the SP6650 stands out with its unique combination of high efficiency and low quiescent current over such a wide output-current range," said Todd Sherman, manager of Sipex's power management product line. “It maximizes battery life over a variety of load conditions commonly found in lithium-ion and three- to four-cell alkaline battery-powered devices."

The SP6650 is available in a 10-lead MSOP package and requires no external FETs. It operates over a temperature range from -40 to 85 degrees C. Units are currently available for $1.04 each in 10,000-piece quantities.