New Industry Products

Three-Channel Interleaved CCM PFC Controller shrinks Passives

March 30, 2014 by Jeff Shepard

Designers of high power applications, such as air conditioner power supplies, need power factor correction (PFC) to improve power factor (PF) and harmonics to avoid deteriorating the power grid. To help address these challenges, Fairchild Semiconductor now delivers a unique combination of power devices, design expertise and manufacturing experience to its customers, allowing them to power amazing electronic products. Claiming an industry-first, the FAN9673 is an interleaved continuous conduction mode (CCM) PFC controller that enables high power PFC control using the smallest possible inductors and lowest possible power rating switching devices, extending the capacitors' lifetime.

Unlike other solutions that provide two or less channel capabilities with fewer features, the FAN9673 can easily switch between one-, two- or three-channels with good phase management. The device also features a simple differential current sensing resistor and configurable output voltage control, enabling an easy, compact, cost-effective design for high power PFC applications up to 9 kW.

"Fairchild is committed to understanding customer needs and developing power solutions that are best for that individual customer," said DH Cho, Vice President, Power Conversion at Fairchild. "By listening to what our customers needed, we developed the FAN9673 to help designers improve the stability and efficiency of their designs, while at the same time reducing cost and saving board space."

Key features of the FAN9673 include: continuous-conduction-mode control; maximum of three channels for PFC control; differential current sensing; programmable operation frequency range of 18 kHz to 40 kHz or 55 kHz to 75 kHz; programmable PFC output voltage; two type current limit function; and TriFault Detectâ„¢ functionality that protects against feedback loop failure. This new controller is targeted for a variety of applications including: high-power ac-dc power supplies, dc motor drives, white goods such as air conditioner power supplies, server and telecommunications power supplies; uninterruptible power supplies; and industrial welding power supplies. In lots of 1,000 pieces, the FAN9673 costs US$3.45.