Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) has announced the TPS65800, a high-performance power conversion integrated circuit (IC) with "smart charging" capability that incorporates all essential power transistors onto a single device. The chip requires no external FETs, only a low-side diode on the output of the non-synchronous boost converter LED driver. The programmable chip delivers high dc-dc conversion efficiency and battery management to one-cell lithium-ion- (Li-ion) powered communication and multimedia devices with multiple voltages, such as smart phones, portable audio and media players, satellite radio and GPS systems.
TI's TPS65800 power management unit integrates several power control building blocks, including two synchronous step-down dc-dc converters with integrated FETs, one boost dc-dc converter for powering a white LED display backlight, an RGB LED driver, seven low-drop out (LDO) linear regulators, a high-performance analog-to-digital data converter, SIM card and RTC power supplies, and an I²C communications interface that allows full programmability of the TPS65800. In addition to the power regulation blocks, the device applies TI's patented linear charge and system power path management technology for Li-ion batteries using integrated charge FETs. To conserve battery power, the dc-dc switch-mode converters support greater than 90% efficiency over a wide range of load currents, while deploying pulse frequency modulation (PFM) at light-load conditions. Two buck converters drive up to 600 mA for core and I/O requirements, and the boost converter illuminates up to six white LEDs in series. Three of the seven low-dropout voltage regulators (LDO) feature low noise and high power supply rejection ratio (PSRR) for RF and audio supplies. Additional regulators manage the voltage levels to a SIM data card used in wireless systems and a back-up supply for a real-time clock. To further maximize battery life and system run-time, TI focuses on three critical areas of the system. First, advanced battery management technology intelligently charges the battery and accurately measures its capacity. Second, switch-mode power conversion translates the battery power as efficiently as possible to supply system components. Third, new advancements in TI system power and performance management, such as SmartReflex technology, analyze and manage power consumption in the processor domain, while adaptively controlling the power supply through software to optimize the use of battery power.
The TPS68500 features a serial interface, which is compatible with the standard and fast-mode I²C specifications, allowing data transfers at up to 400 kHz. The interface adds flexibility to the power supply solution and enables instant programmability reacting to changing system requirements. This interface enables the TPS68500 to support TI’s SmartReflex power management technology, which requires communications between TI’s mobile processor devices and the power management chips used to power those processors. A device that implements SmartReflex will shutdown power chip functions when they are not required, saving power. The device's integrated 10-bit A/D converter can be used for battery monitoring purposes, such as monitoring battery voltage and temperature. This measurement capability allows the designer to implement basic fuel gauging. Three programmable general purpose I/O channels control other functions in the system. The TPS65800 is currently sampling and is scheduled to be available in volume production later this year from TI and its authorized distributors. The TPS65800 power management unit comes in a highly reliable, 56-pin, 8-mm × 8-mm QFN package, and is priced at $6.50 each in 1000-unit quantities.