Low-Voltage Step-up DC-DC Converter Boosts Efficiency
Diodes Incorporated has released the PAM2401, a low-voltage 1MHz step-up dc-dc converter designed to meet the heightened efficiency demands of portable products including battery backups, cordless phones and GPS receivers. Maintaining an operational efficiency as high as 95%, this synchronous converter provides true output disconnect to prevent leakage and ensures safe start-up at an input as low as 1V. The PAM2401 offers a programmable current limit of 1.0A to 3.0A for its lower operating voltage input range of 0.9V to 4.75V. To help maximize battery life, the device automatically enters a high-efficiency pulse-skipping mode when driving light loads. In shutdown, quiescent current is less than 1µA.
By operating at a high fixed-switching frequency and integrating an N-channel MOSFET switch, a P-channel synchronous rectifier and a power-good indicator into MSOP-8 and U-DFN3030-12 packages, the converter reduces the number and size of external components and overall board space requirement.
The converter also provides over-voltage and over-temperature protection functions, with the device’s soft-start circuit ensuring safe automatic restart. Other features include anti-ringing control and hiccup-mode short-circuit protection. The PAM2401 1MHz step-up dc-dc converter is priced at $0.33USD each in quantities of 5k.
