The TPS6102x family supports power supplies for personal digital assistants (PDAs), PC peripherals, wireless headsets and other products powered by either a 1-cell, 2-cell or 3-cell alkaline, nickel-cadmium (NiCd), nickel metal-hydride (NiMH), or a 1-cell lithium-ion (Li-Ion) or lithium-polymer (Li-Poly) battery. The highly flexible converters provide 200mA from a 0.9V input when using a single-cell alkaline battery. The TPS6102x can also be used for generating 5V at 500mA from a 3.3V rail or a Li-Ion battery at up to 96% power conversion efficiency.

The boost converters generate a stable output voltage that can be adjusted by an external resistor divider or fixed internally on the chip. For maximum power efficiency, the integrated device uses a synchronous rectifier based on a pulse-width modulation (PWM) controller. Unlike typical boost converters, the TPS6102x family can operate in a down-mode with linear regulation if the input voltage reaches or exceeds the output voltage. In this mode, the control circuit changes the behavior of the rectifying integrated switching transistor. The converter then operates as a linear regulator by setting a voltage drop across the transistor high enough to regulate the output voltage. As a result, the output voltage remains regulated even if the input voltage exceeds the nominal output voltage.

Further improving battery life, the TPS6102x enters a power save mode at light loads and can be fully disabled to minimize battery drain. During shutdown, the load is completely disconnected from the battery to avoid battery depletion.

For applications that require a dual output, the popular TPS611xx family of dc-dc boost converters with integrated LDO features two independent voltage regulators in a small 4 mm × 4 mm QFN package.

For more information, visit www.ti.com.

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