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Stack current with PowerStack packages for higher power POL
Voltage regulators, particularly DC/DC converters with integrated MOSFETs, have evolved from being simple, low-power supplies defined by input voltage, output voltage and current to now being capable...
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Biasing an SR controller IC in USB smartphone charging applications
With the increased interest in energy efficiency and energy conservation, a synchronous rectifier (SR) helps boost efficiency when converting offline AC power into 5V for USB smartphone battery...
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Don’t leave it floating! Power off your outputs with quick output discharge
When a semiconductor lists quick output discharge (QOD) as a feature, it will quickly discharge the output when the device is disabled (or in an “off” state). In other words, when VOUT is disconnected...
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How to approach a power-supply design – part 1
Switch-mode power-supply design can be a mysterious thing if you do not know how and where to start, because there is a great variety of topologies and controller types from which to choose. In this...
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The top three ways to split a voltage rail to a bipolar supply
Audio applications, data-signal acquisition and analog sensors benefit from a bipolar bias power supply. A bipolar supply provides the best use of the analog-to-digital converter’s (ADC) dynamic range,...
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Which is better? Discrete or combined controllers for an AC/DC power supply?
If you have ever listened in on typical hallway conversations in a power-supply design company, it’s likely you have heard a spirited debate on whether the right way to design a >75W power supply...
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What is a watchdog timer and why is it important?
Much like a small, yappy dog that lives in a celebrity’s purse, watchdog timers are often considered unnecessary or excessive. To equate the two, how ever, would do a great disservice to the watchdog....
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Integrated power devices simplify FPGA and SoC designs
Industrial electronics are trending toward smaller board sizes, sleeker form factors and more cost-effectiveness. Due to these trends, electronic system designers must reduce the size and cost of...
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How to overcome minimum on-time challenges in switching power supplies
In switching power supplies such as a buck converter, the duty cycle controls the output voltage with respect to the input voltage. While a higher switching frequency is great for reducing the solution...
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Upgrading USB chargers from Type-A to Type-C
USB chargers are becoming more and more prevalent, and seem on their way to becoming universal. They’ve gone from just being on your computer to being in wall outlets, wall warts, car panels, airplane...
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Understanding undervoltage lockout
I'm told that the optimum environment for the human body is somewhere between 21°C and 30°C degrees, so inside TI’s air-conditioned office – set year-round to a toasty 23°C – conditions are perfect to...
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Can I apply an output voltage to my DC/DC converter?
A somewhat common question that I receive on the TI E2E™ Community Non-Isolated DC/DC forum is, “Can I apply a voltage to the output of a DC/DC converter when that converter’s input voltage is not...
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Powering the IoT
The Internet of Things (IoT) – how sweet the sound that saved the wretched life of our appliances. Devices once lost, but now are found, were dumb but now communicate. While these features enable...
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How to achieve higher system efficiency- part two: high-speed gate drivers
It’s the new year and designers are still pursuing higher efficiency in their designs. In part one of this series, I discussed how high-current gate drivers can help systems achieve higher efficiency....
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Sequencing and managing multiple power rails in a system: common questions...
The input voltages (rails) powering today’s complex field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), central processing units...
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Exploring watchdog timer applications
In my last post, “What is a watchdog timer, and why is it important?” I discussed how watchdog timers (WDTs) work and how you can implement them in your system. In this post, I’ll talk about why you...
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The flexibility of advanced controllers and NexFET™ Power Blocks in...
Many of today’s space-constrained designs use point-of-load (POL) converters with integrated power MOSFETs (iFETs) to solve engineering challenges. iFET converters offer integration that results in...
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Deciphering module data sheets – size
I’m sure at some point or another, we’ve all agreed to terms and conditions that we haven’t really read. Why bother spending so much time reading fine print? Like any important document, data sheets...
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Deciphering module data sheets – efficiency
In my blog, Deciphering module data sheets – size, I discussed how it’s critical to go beyond just the front page of the data sheet to get the full story about a power module’s integration and solution...
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USB Type-C™ power: Should your next device have USB Type-C?
As USB Type-C ports continue to rise in popularity in laptops, tablets and smartphones, so do the number of failures that early adopters experience. These failures are frequently due to the new USB...
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