Dialog launches power management IC optimising efficiency of portable consumer devices

Conceived as a platform-PMIC, capable of supporting all major families of application and mobile graphics processors, DA9052 offers an unprecedented level of user-configurability.
Up to 14 power supplies, 16 GPIOs and other system function behaviour may be adapted in different operating modes as a means of eliminating power consumption overhead in the host processor. This high level of system wakeup/mode control within the PMIC reduces design cycle time and complexity by enabling software and application development to start at an earlier phase using a pre-validated PMIC platform.

The DA9052 is easily set up through a simple graphical user interface in Dialog’s Power Commander software utility. This configures power sequencing and multiple sleep modes. The device integrates 4 DC/DC buck converters and 10 programmable LDOs on-chip, and the LDOs can be connected to the DC/DC converters to improve system efficiency. Each output can be connected in series or parallel, adding further flexibility. To further optimise the processor energy-per-task, dynamic voltage scaling can be used on up to 5 outputs and Dialog’s SmartMirror1 dynamic biasing is implemented on all linear regulators.

Power dissipation within the DA9052 itself is autonomously regulated on-chip. A dual-input switching DC/USB battery charger allows up to 1.2A to be drawn from a lithium battery with minimal thermal impact to the DA9052 device itself. This allows the increased output current to be sustained for maximum processor performance.

USB power inputs are over-voltage protected and the embedded power path controller manages energy flow between an AC adapter, USB cable and battery, whilst maintaining USB power specification compliance via the D+/D- data lines. This power path functionality is supported without any processor interaction, enabling power scenarios such as instant power-up with a fully discharged battery.

“Conventional discrete and fixed function PMIC’s lack the necessary control and flexibility demanded by end customers when embedded within a processor platform reference design” commented Mark Jacob, director of marketing at Dialog Semiconductor, “a new class of highly configurable platform PMIC is emerging which introduces a layer of user-software programmability. This enables customers to tune the hardware at design-time to complement their own customisation activity without incurring risk or time to market penalty”