Toshiba, APEC and Vicor Target DC-DC Applications

During the recent PCIM Europe trade show Toshiba Electronics Europe (TEE), Advanced Power Electronics Corp. (APEC) and Vicor Corp. all introduced products targeting various dc-dc converter applications. TEE expanded its family of low-voltage, ultra-efficient MOSFETs with two new series that deliver the lowest ON resistance (RDS(ON)) in their class. APEC announced a miniature, ultra-low on-resistance 6A dual load switch. Comprising two N-channel MOSFETs with associated control circuitry, the APE8990-3 has an RDS(ON) of 20mΩ and controlled turn on functionality. And Vicor announced the expansion of its ultra-high density Picor Cool-Power® PI31xx series of isolated, ZVS-based dc-dc converters optimized for 24 V industrial, 28 V aerospace/defense and/or demanding wide temperature applications. The new Cool-Power PI31xx converters retain the product series' signature 0.87" x 0.65" x 0.265" surface-mount package profile to provide up to 334 W/in3 power density and 2,250 V input to output isolation.

The new miniature, 30V devices from TEE offer very low input capacitance (Ciss) to ensure an excellent RDS(ON)*Ciss figure of merit (FOM). Toshiba’s new TPN and TPH series of 30V MOSFETs are based on the company’s eighth generation U-MOSVIII-H process and supplied in miniature TSON Advance and SOP Advance SMD packages respectively. Target applications will include isolated and non-isolated DC-DC converters and power management circuitry where low-power operation, rapid switching and minimum PCB real estate are key design criteria.

The new TPN 30V MOSFETs in the TSON Advance package have a 3mm x 3mm footprint, while devices in the SOP Advance 30V TPH series measure 5mm x 6mm. At 10V, the five devices in the TPN 30V MOSFET series have typical RDS(ON) ratings from 9.4mΩ to 2.2mΩ and typical Ciss ratings from 630pF to 1600pF. There are seven devices in the new TPH series with typical RDS(ON) ratings (at VGS = 10V) from 9.4mΩ to just 0.77mΩ. Typical Ciss ratings for the TPH devices (at VGS = 10V) are between 510pF and 5300pF.

Toshiba’s eighth generation UMOS trench process has allowed the company to deliver significant improvements in trade-off characteristics between RDS(ON) and Ciss. This helps to reduce conduction and drive losses as well as improving switching speeds and minimising radiated noise. UMOSVIII-H MOSFETs help to improve the efficiency and reduce the size of target applications without compromising performance. Samples of the new MOSFETs are available now and mass production will begin in the summer.

The MOSFETs introduced by APEC operate over an input voltage range of 0.8 to 5.5V and each support a maximum current of 6A. Each load switch is controlled by an ON/OFF input (ON), which is capable of interfacing directly with the low voltage control signals. Additional features include an on-chip 150Ω load resistor for quick output discharge when the switch is turned off. In order to avoid inrush current, the rise time is adjustable using an external ceramic capacitor on the CTx pin.

Comments Ralph Waggitt, President/CEO, Advanced Power Electronics Corp. (USA): “This is a very useful device, suitable for many applications as a load switch for power rail management. As an example, it can be used to turn off power to idle sub-systems, reducing system power consumption and thereby improving battery life in portable applications.” The APE8990-3 is available in a space-saving 3x2mm 14-pin DFN package with a thermal pad.

At less than 50% the size of a conventional isolated 1/16th brick, Vicor’s Cool-Power PI31xx converters provide exceptional performance in an IC package for use in high density system designs. Cool-Power PI31xx series converters utilize an advanced Zero-Voltage Switching (ZVS) architecture and high-performance planar magnetics to enable IC-like density and greater PCB layout flexibility in space-constrained environments. The high-switching frequency (900 kHz) of PI31xx series converters reduces input filter and output capacitance requirements, further reducing space constraints.

Fully equipped with a variety of programmable features, the PI31xx includes output voltage trimming, programmable soft-start capability, and remote on/off ENABLE. There is also a temperature monitor function, providing an analog output voltage proportional to the internal module temperature. The PI31xx is self-protected against fault conditions including: input over-voltage, under-voltage lockout, over-temperature, and output over-voltage protection. A constant current limit threshold is employed to protect against short circuit and overload conditions. All fault conditions have an auto-restart function.

When paired with 0.98" x 0.49" x 0.18" Picor QuietPower® EMI filters -- the smallest filters in this product category at less than 25% the size of competing offerings -- designers are afforded an end-to-end isolated dc-dc conversion and EMI filtering solution that's unrivaled in density optimization. QuietPower filters provide up to 99.5% efficiency and are designed for universal compatibility with high frequency switching DC-DC converters from any manufacturer. Example products include the QuietPower QPI-12 filter with high common-mode ( > 40dB) and high differential-mode ( > 70dB) attenuation for industrial applications. For aerospace/defense applications, the MQPI-18 offers > 45dB and > 75dB common-mode and differential-mode attenuation respectively.

"Used separately or in combination, Cool-Power PI31xx converters and QuietPower EMI filters defy the power density constraints of conventional converters and filters," said Robert Gendron, Vice President, Picor Semiconductor Power Solutions, Vicor. "Together, they provide an elegant 'two chip' solution that makes it considerably easier to design for compact industrial, aerospace/defense, and/or demanding wide temperature applications."