Edited by PETech Staff

DC-DC Controllers

These devices are ideal for powering the latest generation chipsets in today's point-of-load dc-dc architectures. Their low output voltage capability of down to 0.8V, along with high current capability of 20A, powers the latest CPUs, DSPs and FPGAs with up to 95% efficiency. Housed in the 4 mm x 4 mm MLFTM 12-lead package, which is 46% smaller than the commonly used SO-8 package, the ICs save valuable board area. The 500-kHz operating frequency of MIC2198 further saves board space by allowing the use of small external inductor and capacitors. The MIC2198 and MIC2199 operate over a wide 4.5V to 32V input voltage range, making them suitable for 5V, 12V, and 24V power bus systems. The MIC2199 operates at a slower 300 kHz, allowing higher efficiency in high input voltage systems by reducing switching losses.

To complement the MIC2198/9 family, Micrel has also released a family of simple buck and boost controllers housed in the SO-8 package. The low pin-count of the SO-8 package allows designers to simplify their designs and use minimal external components. The MIC2193 is a high efficiency synchronous buck controller that can achieve duty-cycles up to 100%. The MIC2194 is a flexible buck controller optimized for buck step-down applications and can also be configured in a buck-boost circuit that generates negative voltages. The MIC2196 is a boost step-up controller that can generate high output voltages and currents. All three MIC2193/4/6 devices operate from 2.9V to 14V input voltages, allowing them to step up or step down 3.3V, 5V, and 12V power rails that are common in telecom/datacom/server applications. The 400 kHz operation of the MIC2193/4/6 family allows small external capacitors and inductors to be used, saving valuable board space.

For more information, visit www.micrel.com.

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