Buck Converters Take Aim At Ultra-Small, Battery-Operated Apps

Proclaiming to help prolong the run-times provided by single-cell Lithium-ion batteries, three 600 mA synchronous buck converters are intended for end products including cell phones, PDAs, digital cameras, MP3 players, portable scanners, LCD modules and dc/dc converter modules. The Si9174, Si9175 and Si9176 convert 2.6V-6V input voltages to output voltages as low as 0.4V. All three ICs feature 100% duty cycle control for extra low dropout, as well as selectable PWM, PSM and Auto Mode. The Si9174 and 9175 can be synchronized to a 13 MHz external oscillator to reduce system noise in cell phones. The Si9174 features a DAC input for dynamic output voltage adjustments from 0.4V up to the input voltage, while the Si9175 and Si9176 feature a fixed output voltage down to 1.2V set by external resistors. All three converters are rated for operation over the industrial temperature range and are available in an MSOP-10 package or a leadless MLP33 package measuring 3 mm x 3 mm. Pricing starts at $1.30 each/50,000. VISHAY SILICONIX, Santa Clara, CA. (800) 554-5565 ext. 02