Sipex Presents New SP6231 LDO Regulator

Sipex Corp. (Billerica, MA) announced the new SP6231, which is claimed to be the industry's first smart LDO voltage regulator that is specifically designed to manage dual power sources in USB-enabled, battery-powered peripherals such as PDAs, digital still cameras, MP3 players and hand-held smart card terminals. It extends battery life via glitch-free switching of the peripheral's power source to the host's 5V USB bus when the peripheral device is connected to the host port.

Consuming only 0.4mA quiescent current, the SP6231 is a 500mA, fixed 3.3V CMOS linear voltage regulator with an auxiliary on-board power control switch, which is activated when the input voltage falls below 4.4V. It is fault-protected against over-current, over-voltage and thermal runaway conditions. It features a sense input with a 3.3V output voltage at the point of use. The device is offered in a six-pin power MLP.

In quantities of 10,000 units, the SP6231 is priced at $0.96 in a six-pin power MLP, and $0.86 in an eight-lead nSOIC.