Summit Introduces Four Channel Power Management Solutions for Consumer applications
Date: 30 Apr 2007
Synopsis:
Summit Introduces Four-Channel Programmable Power
Management Solutions for Consumer Applications
Higher-power output and integrated digital power control functions address
increasingly complex and challenging power management requirements
San Jose, Calif. – April 23, 2007 – Summit Microelectronics has expanded its family of
Programmable Power Manager (PPM) integrated circuits (ICs) with two new devices
targeted at higher-power applications. The SMB113A and SMB117 continue Summit’s
unique approach to power supply design by enabling ease-of-use, unparalleled flexibility
and high-performance. Using Summit’s PPM ICs, system designers can digitally program
the entire multiple output power supply and associated power management functions with
a few clicks of a mouse compared to the tedious iterative hardware design of
conventional, “hard-wired” analog power solutions.
The SMB113A and SMB117 combine precise power delivery and power control in a
single, space-saving device. The integration of four Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)
controllers and a wide range of sophisticated power management functions eliminate the
need for many external components and reduce system cost and space. Summit’s
configurable technology enables the implementation of flexible “platform solutions” that
can be easily modified for different designs without any hardware changes. Incorporating
a level of programmability, integration and precision previously missing in power
management offerings, the SMB113A and SMB117 can reduce development time and
engineering investment and bring end-products to market faster and with reduced cost.
“With the Programmable Power Manager family of products, Summit has dramatically
reduced the R&D efforts and cost of complex, multiple-output power design in consumer
electronics. The SMB113A and SMB117 expand the product family and address a new
range of higher power applications such as set-top boxes, HD digital televisions and
SOHO networking equipment,” stated George Paparrizos, Summit marketing director.
Features
The SMB113A and SMB117 offer four identical channels of PWM DC-DC step-down
(buck) converters. The PWM channels on both devices are digitally programmable for
output characteristics and monitoring, including voltage output levels to +/-1.5% accuracy.
The SMB113A operates at a switching frequency of 800kHz, whereas the SMB117’s
switching frequency is 400kHz. Switching “dead-time” is adjustable and can be
programmed at the factory for optimized performance. Furthermore, the devices’ high
drive capability allows a current delivery of 10A or higher, while using a wide variety of
industry-standard MOSFETs.
Complementing the precise power regulation is a suite of advanced power control features
including: static and dynamic output voltage scaling and margining, independent channel
sequencing/enable, and output slew rate control. Additionally, the devices provide complete
power system diagnostics, including input and output monitoring for under/over-voltage
(UV/OV) conditions, as well as a RESET/HEALTHY monitor that eliminates the need for
external RESET ICs.
Both products operate directly from +2.7V to +6.0V input; higher input voltages (two-cell Li-
Ion or +12V) can also be accommodated in many cases with simple applications
configuration. The SMB113A and SMB117 are offered in both the commercial (+0C to
+70C) and the industrial (–40C to +85C) temperature range.
Programming is achieved via the convenient I2C bus and configuration data is safely stored
in non-volatile EEPROM memory of which 96 bytes are available for user data storage. The
devices can be programmed during development and then used in a “fixed” configuration or
they may be re-programmed in-system via the I2C interface.
Applications
The SMB113A and SMB117 are well suited for increasingly complex consumer and
computing electronics applications such as RAID cards, ADSL/Cable modems/routers,
printers, DVD/MP3 portable media players/recorders, global positioning (GPS) receivers,
car/marine navigation systems, high-definition televisions (HDTV), LCD/TFT
TVs/monitors, digital set-top boxes (STB) and digital video recorders (DVRs).
Pricing and Availability
The SMB113A and SMB117 are offered in a thermally-enhanced 5mm X 5mm, 32-pad
QFN package that is lead-free and RoHS-standard compliant. Available now in
production quantities, both products are priced at $2.26 each for the commercial
temperature range and at $2.56 each for the industrial temperature range in quantities of
1,000 units.
Design Software and Programmer for Prototype Development
To speed user product development, Summit offers customers the SMB113A/117EV
companion evaluation board and a graphical user interface (GUI) software so designers
can quickly see the features and benefits and design a prototype power supply with the
SMB113A or SMB117. This is a complete development tool that lets designers easily
manipulate the characteristics of their systems. The SMB113A/117EV design kit includes
menu-driven Microsoft Windows (R) GUI software to automate programming tasks and
also includes all necessary hardware to interface to the parallel or USB port of a laptop or
PC.
Once a user completes design and prototyping, the SMB113A/117EV automatically
generates a HEX data file that can be transmitted to Summit for review and approval.
Summit then assigns a unique customer identification code to the HEX file and programs
the customer’s production devices prior to final electrical test operations. This ensures
that the device will operate properly in the end application.
Information for the design kit software can be obtained by emailing: summit@broadband.uk.com
About Summit Microelectronics
Summit Microelectronics is the leader in flexible, highly integrated power management
solutions combining precision power regulation with sophisticated digital control in a single
chip. The Company’s devices are found in a variety of consumer, communications and
computing applications.
Summit’s unique programmable, non-volatile mixed-signal IC technology combined with a
convenient GUI development environment allows for unparalleled functional and
parametric flexibility in power supply design. This flexibility applied to common problems
such as dynamic voltage/current control and intelligent battery charging, allows for
significant system performance improvement while realizing drastic reductions in design
effort.
Digital programmability enables high integration and system flexibility in a single chip -
impossible with conventional “hard-wired” analog power ICs. Additionally, this integration
reduces the bill-of-materials yielding the lowest total system cost and size. Summit
solutions address the biggest challenges facing OEM developers today: increasing
system functionality, performance and complexity accompanied by shrinking development
time cycles.