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Microchip Technology Introduces New Buck SMPS Development Board

November 26, 2006 by Jeff Shepard

Microchip Technology Inc. announced the dsPICDEM™ Buck Switch-Mode Power Supply (SMPS) Development Board (Part # DM300023), which comes with sample software and exercises to help designers quickly evaluate and develop digital SMPS and power-conversion products. The new board is populated with a dsPIC30F2020 Digital Signal Controller (DSC), and is supported by Microchip's development tools, as well as a series of educational WebSeminars on digital SMPS-related topics.

"This new board and supporting development tools enable designers to enjoy the performance, cost, reliability and time-to-market advantages associated with digital power- conversion applications today," said Sumit Mitra, Vice President of Microchip's Digital Signal Controller Division. "Microchip is pleased to partner with power-supply designers in this way, and we hope to help them achieve their goals for their next-generation power-supply products."

The dsPIC30F2020 DSC on the new board implements two of four possible independent, synchronous Buck converter circuits to allow designers to examine digital-power control techniques, as well as application performance indicators such as transient response. Onboard user potentiometers enable simulation of application features such as trim, remote-voltage sense, voltage tracking and current sharing. Additionally, a CD that includes hands-on digital power-conversion training exercises and example Buck-converter software comes with the board, to help designers quickly adapt digital power to their designs. The dsPICDEM Buck SMPS Development Board (Part # DM300023) is priced at $149.99 each, but is being offered at an introductory price of only $99 until December 20 (use promotional code SMPS99). Additionally, supporting the dsPIC30F1010 and dsPIC30F2020/2023 DSCs are 28- and 80-pin dsPICDEM starter boards (Part #s DM300017, DM300019, respectively), as well as a 44- to 80-pin dsPIC30F2023 plug-in-module (PIM). All are available today, with the starter boards priced at $79 each and the PIM at $25 each.

Samples of the dsPIC30F1010 and dsPIC30F2020/2023 (dsPIC30F202X) DSCs for SMPS and digital power conversion applications are also immediately available. The devices start at $2.99 each in 10,000-unit quantities. The dsPIC30F1010 is available in 28-pin SOIC, SPDIP and QFN packages; the dsPIC30F2020 in 28-pin SOIC, SPDIP and QFN packages; and the dsPIC30F2023 in 44-pin TQFP and QFN packages.