Linear Technology Corp. (LTC, Milpitas, CA) introduced the LTC3701, a dual, 550kHz, PolyPhase, step-down controller that converts an input supply of 2.5V to 9.8V to two lower output voltages at up to 4A each. The LTC3701 is suitable for fiber channel boards, notebook PCs, POS terminals, servers and graphic cards.
The LTC3701 features high-frequency operation and the use of tiny inductors, a power consumption of only 500mA, external frequency synchronization from 300kHz to 750kHz, and continuous operation in dropout as the input voltage decreases to the output voltage.
The LTC3701 contains independent internal soft-start for each controller, which allows safe and controlled start-up or can be used for power sequencing. A power good output signal indicates whether the output voltage is within ±7.5 percent of its nominal set point. At light load conditions, the LTC3701 offers user-selectable burst-mode operation for high efficiency or pulse-skipping operation for noise-sensitive designs.
The LTC3701 is offered in a 16-lead SSOP package and is guaranteed to operate from -40 to +85 degrees C. The 1,000-piece price starts at $3.40 each.
