Product category: Power Supply ICs and Controllers
News Release from: National Semiconductor | Subject: LP3910
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 15 November 2006
Power manager gets more from battery
sources
Flexible power management unit with integrated buck-boost convertor enables longer run times than traditional buck convertors.
National Semiconductor has introduced the world's first flexible power management unit (PMU) with an integrated buck-boost convertor to its family of digitally programmable, multiple-output power management devices Well-suited for energy-sensitive portable media applications, the highly integrated LP3910 flexible PMU features a high-current buck-boost convertor that enables longer run times than traditional buck convertors
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 5 Jan 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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In addition, the LP3910 PMU includes a dual-source battery charger to power a device from a wall adapter or USB and a digital I2C compatible interface.
The integrated battery charger supports power routing, which allows system usage immediately after an external power source has been detected.
The I2C interface allows design engineers to customise electrical specifications such as output voltage and switching modes to the end application.
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The digital interface provides the flexibility to use the same device for multiple solutions that require different output voltages.
In portable media players where mini hard disk drives typically require a 3.3V supply, a buck-boost convertor extends battery life.
Li-ion batteries, a popular choice for portable media players, have an operating voltage range of 2.9 to 4.2V.
When the Li-ion battery is fully charged, the convertor steps the voltage down to supply the hard disk drive.
When the battery voltage is lower than 3.3V, the convertor steps up the voltage.
This technique increases the run-time of the player up to 10% over the run-time achieved by a traditional buck convertor.
The highly-integrated LP3910 flexible PMU includes two buck regulators that provide up to 96% efficiency.
Power consumption is further minimised through a dynamic voltage-scaling feature that enables the device to adjust or scale the output voltage in real time to match the computing workload and clock frequencies of the corresponding processors.
The end result is longer battery life in energy-sensitive systems such as personal media players.
Together, the integrated features simplify the design process for developers of portable media applications, maximise power savings and minimise board space.
Available in a small, 48-pin LLP package that measures 6 x 6mm, National's LP3910 is a programmable system PMU that is optimised for portable media players with hard disk drives.
It incorporates two low-dropout (LDO) voltage regulators, two integrated buck convertors with dynamic voltage scaling, a wide-load-range buck-boost convertor with programmable output voltage, a four-channel, 8bit A/D convertor for managing the battery usage and a dual-source Li-ion/polymer battery charger.
The charger has the capability to charge and maintain a single-cell battery from a regulated wall adapter or USB power.
For applications using Flash memory or products without a hard drive, National offers the LP3913 with the same features as the LP3910, but a 500mA buck convertor replaces the buck-boost convertor.
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