National Semi Intros LM2716/LM2717 Buck Converters
Power management technology company National Semiconductor Corp. (Santa Clara, CA) introduced two new high-performance converters, the LM2716 buck-boost and LM2717 buck-buck converters, which each feature greater than 90-percent efficiency over a wide load range for extended battery life in embedded computer systems, set-top boxes, portable Internet access devices, general point-of-load architectures, monitors and televisions, and TFT/LCD flat-panel displays.
Both converters are well-suited for applications where multiple high-current, low-voltage power supplies are needed to power system loads, including field programmable gate-arrays, digital signal processors, and digital application-specific integrated circuits. The LM2716 and LM2717 also offer added flexibility, with one fixed-output voltage and one adjustable-output voltage in a single, integrated chip. External soft-start for each converter limits input surge current at startup, and independent shutdown allows users to disable each regulator separately.
The LM2716 is composed of two pulse-width modulation (PWM) dc-dc converters. A buck (step-down) converter is used to generate a fixed-output voltage. A boost (step-up) converter is used to generate an adjustable output voltage. The LM2717 is composed of two PWM dc-dc buck converters. Both converters feature low RDSon (0.16 Ω and 0.12 Ω) internal switches for maximum efficiency. The operating frequency can be adjusted between 300 kHz and 600 kHz, allowing the use of small external components. The LM2716 and LM2717 are packaged in a low-profile, 24-pin TSSOP.
The LM2716 and LM2717 are available now. Priced in 1,000-unit quantities, the LM2716 is $2.40 and the LM2717 is $2.45. Lead-free package options are also available.
