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Voltage regulator chip boosts DC-DC conversion efficiency
Published:  27 September, 2013

The Californian chip-maker Maxim Integrated Products has developed a high-voltage regulator for industrial DC-DC converter applications which, it says, will reduce heat dissipation, improve reliability, cut space requirements by up to 50% and external component counts by 75%.

The Max17503 chip, designed specifically for industrial control and automation applications, is suitable for PLCs, CNC systems and distributed I/O modules in industrial process control, motor control, power grid, and building automation applications.

By integrating two Mosfet switches and eliminating the need for an external Schottky diode, the chip is claimed to deliver higher power efficiencies, and to operate 50% cooler than any other industrial HV DC–DC converter.

The synchronously-rectified DC–DC step-down converter chip operates from 4.5–60V and delivers output currents up to 2.5A. Maxim says that the ability to operate at 60V will eliminate the need for external protection circuitry and extend design margins in harsh industrial applications.

“Synchronous rectification in switching regulators at high voltages and currents on a single chip requires advanced process technology and innovative IC design,” says Anil Telikepalli, Maxim’s director of business management. “As the first company to bring synchronous rectification to HV applications, Maxim delivers unparalleled power efficiency and size advantage to industrial customers who can now leapfrog their competition.”

Prices for the new chip will start at less than $2 in quantities of 1,000 or more.