Compact DC-DC converters help reduce PCB size, cut costs

These DC-DC converters are compact and highly integrated point-of-load converters for powering CPUs, MCUs, ASICs, FPGAs, DSP, and other advanced digital logic devices, providing the high performance, fast load transient response, and high accuracy voltage regulation needed by these devices.

Micro-POL converters are high current density power modules that feature a chip-embedded power IC in a thermally enhanced semiconductor-embedded-in-substrate package.

The TDK μPOL product family represents a new type of DC-DC converters designed to meet the increasing demand for high performance, fast load transient and voltage accuracy in a small footprint.

These wide input range , non-isolated Step Down Converters (Buck converter) have configurable output voltages without a need of any external components. The Stability of converter is ensured internally, thus no need for external compensation.

Lots of design efforts have been made to make the µPOL DC-DC converters easy to use meaning system designers need only add input and output capacitors to make a complete DC-DC converter.

The converters are scalable and highly configurable with multi-time programmable memory, offering a wide range of flexibility.

Rather than using side by side discrete integrated circuit (IC) and discrete inductor (L) the DC-DC converters integrates a pulse-width modulation (PWM) controller, MOSFETs, plus inductor and capacitors, resulting in an extremely compact and accurate regulator supplied in a single compact configuration offering a high-density solution for space-constrained applications requiring a low-profile power source.

The converters are available in four variants with continuous output current capabilities of 3A, 4A, 6A and 12A, they can accept input voltages up to 16V and feature pre-set output voltages of 2.5V, 3.3V, 5.0V or adjustable outputs from 0.6V to 2.5V depending on the model chosen.

The devices integrate an I2C and/or PMBus programming interface which allows the user to configure the device for a wide range of applications.

Measuring just 3.3 x 3.3 x 1.5 mm for 3, 4 and 6A outputs and 5.8mm x 4.9mm x 1.6mm for the 12A output model, the converters minimise the required external components, retaining the highest possible performance and reliability while offering a simplified design for ease of integration.

The FS series can deliver a high-density solution of 1 watt per mm3, while at the same time offering 50% less solution size than the other similar products available in its class. As a result, this helps designers minimise system solution cost, improve reliability, reduce board size and assembly costs, as well as BOM and PCB costs.

The devices incorporate several built-in protection features including pre-biased start-up, soft-start protection, over-voltage protection, thermally compensated over-current protection with hiccup mode, thermal shut-down with auto-recovery.

TDK’s μPOL technology allows the DC-DC converter to be placed in the vicinity of complex chipsets such as ASICs, FPGAs and other similar devices, by reducing the distance between the DC-DC converter and the chipset, the resistance and the inductance components are minimized, allowing fast response and accurate regulation with dynamic load currents.

The FS series converters are designed for industrial applications with a rated operating temperature range from -40 °C to 125 °C, are lead free and ROHS compliant.