New Industry Products

Power Integrations Expands DC-DC Converter IC Family

July 17, 2005 by Jeff Shepard

Power Integrations Inc. (San Jose, CA), a supplier of high-voltage integrated circuits used in power conversion semiconductor technology, expaded its DPA-Switch® family of integrated circuits with a new ultra-low-profile option for the Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) market and other high-voltage dc-dc applications, the S-PAK package. Supplied with a 100% matte tin finish, the new S-PAK (JEDEC MO-169) package is lead-free, RoHS-compliant, and meets J-STD-020C 260 °C solder reflow requirements. In addition to the S-PAK, the DPA-Switch devices are available in DIP-8, SMD-8, and six-lead TO-263 versions.

Typically delivered at 48 V, PoE power must be converted to a lower voltage inside the client device. By integrating most of the complex aspects of dc-dc power conversion onto a monolithic chip, the DPA-Switch ICs reportedly enable PoE converters with lower component count, smaller board footprint and shorter design cycles compared to discrete designs and competing IC-based solutions. It is also scaleable for applications ranging up to 100 W, allowing substitution of different DPA-Switch parts to address all current PoE classes (Classes 0 to 3), as well as future, higher-power PoE-Plus standards.

All four members of the DPA-Switch family are available in the new S-PAK. The DPA423SN, for applications with maximum power output of 18 W, is optimized for Class 1 and Class 2 PoE applications, while the DPA424SN (35 W maximum power) is optimized for Class 0 and Class 3 applications. With maximum outputs of 70 W and 100 W, respectively, the DPA425SN and DPA426SN are positioned to support future IEEE802.3af expansion for PoE-Plus high-power classes targeted at devices such as notebook computers. The DPA-Switch features an internal 220 V MOSFET as well as voltage-mode control, cycle-by-cycle current limit, output overload protection, and auto-restart. Other features include remote on/off control, cycle skipping at light loads, low EMI, hysteretic thermal shutdown, and fully integrated soft-start.

Pricing for the new products in 1,000-piece quantities ranges from $1.36 each for the DPA423SN (an 18 W part) to $2.66 for the DPA426SN (100 W rated). Production quantities are available eight weeks ARO.