Texas Instruments Releases Power Converter to Boost Battery Life in Portable Medical and Industrial Systems
Texas Instruments Inc. introduced a highly integrated boost converter that supports 27V of output voltage and is intended to improve battery life in portable industrial and medical applications, such as portable diagnostic systems.
TI’s new 1.2-MHz TPS61081 high-voltage dc-dc boost converter combines a 1.3A current switch, input-to-output isolation and a power diode. Supporting input voltages from 2.5 to 6V, the device is optimized to support single- cell lithium-ion (Li-Ion) batteries, as well as a three-cell nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery pack or a regulated 5V input, such as a USB port. It also supports point-of-load voltages, such as 3.3 to 12V or 5 to 24V. The TPS61081 integrates a power MOSFET and power diode in a 3mm x 3mm QFN package, providing the designer an extremely compact solution with reduced external component count. Another version, the TPS61080, integrates a 0.5A current switch to support lower output current. Both converters feature a switching frequency of 600kHz or 1.2MHz.
The TPS61081 adds a level of protection to the overall power system. The device can survive and protect external components from a short-circuit situation on any single pin except the input voltage pin. The integrated isolation MOSFET turns off when the inductor, power MOSFET or output is shorted to ground. Other protection features on the TPS61081 include over- current protection, programmable soft-start, over-voltage protection, thermal shutdown and under-voltage lockout.
Designers can further simplify power design with the new dc-dc converters by leveraging TI’s Analog eLab™ Design Center. The recently announced design center features the new SwitcherPro™ power supply design tool and a new release of TINA- TI™ 7.0 simulation environment, which includes switch-mode power supply simulation with acceleration. The Analog eLab Design Center gives engineers a one-stop site to learn, select, design and simulate designs based on TI’s high-performance analog products. The SwitcherPro tool allows designers to create both internally and externally compensated dc-dc power supply designs and analyze circuit performance.
The TPS61080 and TPS61081 boost converters are available in volume from TI and its authorized distributors. Both devices come in a 3mm x 3mm, 10-pin QFN package. Suggested resale pricing in quantities of 1,000 units is $1.60 for the TPS61080 and $1.75 for the TPS61081.
