Linear Technology Corp. (LTC, Milpitas, CA) announced the LTC3441 converter, which can deliver up to 1A of output current at efficiencies as high as 95%. The LTC3441 is a synchronous, fixed-frequency, buck-boost, dc/dc converter designed to optimize battery run time for single-cell, lithium-ion, multi-cell, alkaline or nickel-metal hydride, battery-powered applications. It operates from an input-voltage range of 2.4V to 5.5V and can provide up to 1A of output current at a fixed output voltage between 2.4V to 5.25V.
TLTC3441 operates above, below and equal to the output voltage with a single inductor, providing a continuous transfer function through all the operating modes, as the battery voltage declines. The operating frequency is set internally to 1MHz and can be synchronized up to 2MHz, allowing the use of tiny surface-mount components, and maintaining the switching noise well above the pass-band of most communication systems. The small implementation footprint makes it suitable for space-constrained environments such as cellular phones, PDAs, wireless and DSL modems, and digital cameras.
The LTC3441 uses two 0.10 Ohm, n-channel switches, and two 0.11 Ohm, p-channel switches in a constant-frequency, synchronous-switching topology to obtain efficiencies as high as 95%. The LTC3441's selectable Burst Mode® operation allows the internal power MOSFETs to operate intermittently based on load demand, and reduces the quiescent current to 25µA when there is no load (<1µA in shutdown). The LTC3441 also features anti-ringing control to minimize EMI, soft-start control and thermal shutdown. The combination of the tiny solution footprint and buck-boost topology make the LTC3441 suitable for hand-held applications, which require both optimum battery run time and small size.
The LTC3441 is available from stock in a 4mm x 3mm DFN package. Pricing starts at $3.55 each in 1,000-piece quantities.
