Regulator Raises Efficiency Bar

Lauded as the industry's highest efficiency boost regulator, the SP6648 powers either dual-cell alkaline or Li-Ion based battery applications with an efficiency of 94%. The 10-pin MSOP device consumes a quiescent current of 12 µA while delivering up to 400 mA of output current. This combination of high output power and low quiescent current is said to be accomplished by automatically switching from pulse width modulation (PWM) to pulse frequency modulation (PFM) under light-load conditions. Features include a 3.3V fixed output and a 2.5V to 5V adjustable output range and programmable peak current. Price is $0.99 each/ 100,000. An evaluation board is also available. For more details, call Jan Kerhulas at SIPEX CORP., Milpitas, CA. (978) 671-1907.