TI Releases New 150-mA, Dual-Level Output LDOs With 500nA Quiescent Current
Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) introduced new 150mA, low-dropout linear regulators (LDOs) with dual-level voltage output for MSP430 microcontroller-based, battery-powered devices. Consuming what TI claims is the lowest quiescent current in the industry at 500 nano Amps, the LDO’s voltage select (VSET) pin is said to give designers the ability to switch between two voltage levels to customize and cut power consumption in half during operation.
TI’s new ultra-low power TPS780xx LDOs with selectable dual-level output voltages allow designers to dynamically shift to a lower voltage level in a battery-powered design when the microprocessor is in sleep mode. The two voltage levels are preset at the factory by applying a unique architecture using EPROM, which provides multiple output voltage options.
The LDO requires no external parts to implement the device’s dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) feature for an 8 or 16-bit MSP430 or other microcontroller design. The TPS780xx is stable with any output capacitor greater than 0.1µF. The devices come in a 6-pin, 2 x 2mm, SON package, which is targeted at portable applications, such as mobile handsets, digital still cameras and MSP430 microcontroller-based applications that require low power, while maintaining a small footprint.
The TPS780xx family of LDOs are sampling. Volume production is expected in March. Suggested retail pricing in 1,000-piece quantities is $0.75.
