Buck Controllers Protect Low-Voltage Power Systems

Providing circuit protection for low-voltage, 40A to 120A power systems, the TPS4009x family of programmable dc/dc buck controllers manage two-, three-, or four-phases and exhibit a greater than 90% power efficiency. The PWM devices can operate each phase at a switching frequency up to 1 MHz, resulting in a ripple frequency as high as 4 MHz at the input and output in a four-phase application. Single-cycle current balance is accurate to less than 5% and cycle-by-cycle current sharing in output phases over the entire load allows for minimal over-sizing of the output FETs. Other features include a ripple-voltage output of less than 20 mV, typical output current from 20A to 30A per phase, load regulation of 100 mV for a 50A load step, and a 100 kHz cross-over frequency with 50° of phase margin. In a 24-pin TSSOP, pricing is $1.79 each/1,000. TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC., Dallas, TX. (800) 477-8924.