Product category: Power Supply ICs and Controllers
News Release from: Texas Instruments (April 2001-March 2006) | Subject: Fusion Digital Power
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 09 March 2005
Digital power provides intelligent
adaptability
Texas Instruments has released a range of innovative digital power products it reckons significantly enhance the performance and lifetime of today's power systems.
Texas Instruments has released a range of innovative digital power products it reckons significantly enhance the performance and lifetime of today's power systems Demonstrating its broad line of Fusion Digital Power solutions at the 2005 Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC) in Austin, Texas, TI revealed how digitally controlled power systems offer greater performance and design flexibility at a competitive cost
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 8 Nov 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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"Power conversion and management complexities increasingly challenge system developers", said Hans Stork, TI's Chief Technology Officer and keynote speaker at APEC.
"Combining leading digital and analogue capabilities enabled by advances in process technology is a natural step in our power solution offering".
Many analogue power systems effectively monitor and control power to meet the requirements of today's electronic systems.
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However, power system designers face increasing pressure to manage more complex power requirements, such as managing higher efficiencies over wider loads, lower output voltages and multiple power supply synchronisations.
Digital power provides intelligent adaptability and flexibility to satisfy any complex power requirement with the straightforward ability to monitor, process and adapt to system conditions.
Digital power also ensures continual system reliability through remote diagnostics, including fault management, over-current protection and down-time avoidance.
TI's Fusion Digital Power solutions include the UCD9K, UCD8K and UCD7K series of complementary devices that support power supply systems from AC-line to point-of-load applications, including: telecommunications, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), computer server and data-centric power systems.
The UCD9K high resolution digital power controllers with integrated specialised power peripherals have the ability to close one or more feedback loops and provide communications and supervisory functions.
Achieving up to 150ps digital pulsewidth modulation (PWM) resolution, the DSP-based and microcontroller-based controllers contribute in several areas of complex power conversion, including multiphase control, nonlinear control, load-sharing and predictive failure - functions difficult to perform in full-analogue implementations.
The UCD9K family also makes power solutions much more energy efficient by providing the capability and flexibility to optimise power conversion over a broad range of loads.
TI recognises the need for optimal combinations of analogue and digital components in digital power.
The UCD8K and UCD7K devices offer digital control support by integrating key power management functionality best performed by analogue circuits.
UCD7K devices are MOSFET drivers that easily interface the digital power controller to the power stage and provide protection and bias supply management.
The UCD8K controllers integrate the UCD7K devices with a digitally controlled analogue PWM controller to close the feedback loop.
"Digital power is a strategic piece of our growing high-performance portfolio", said Gregg Lowe, Senior Vice President of TI's High-performance Analog Group.
"For the first time, the performance and flexibility of programmable digital technology has been merged with advanced analogue power technology in a product line absolutely focused on power system needs".
Scalability and re-use of the software and peripherals allow the devices to change operating parameters to optimise a specific power system.
In addition, Fusion Digital Power products are supported by development support tools such as TI's DSP Code Composer Studio integrated development environment and comprehensive digital power management application reference designs.
Design flexibility and proven software support give designers the ability to more quickly evolve their power solutions to future applications with digital power control capabilities with more intelligent power management communications and performance.
TI has more than 20 years of expertise in developing innovative DSPs, including the TMS320F28xT generation of digital signal controllers, which are ideal for high performance, close loop control applications like digital power.
Additionally, the company's high-performance analogue leadership, process capabilities and 20 years of power supply management expertise provide TI the ideal background for developing future generations of digital power products targeting various AC-line, point of load systems and eventually portable handheld equipment.
For the past several years, TI has developed digital control capabilities in many of its leading power management products, including Power over Ethernet, DC/DC and battery gas gauge products.
TI plans to extend it digital power coverage by introducing digitally controlled, power conversion circuits later this year that will support battery-powered products such as cellphones and notebook computers.
In addition, the company is working with leading power supply manufacturers to offer digitally controlled plug-in power modules and quarter-bricks using the new PMBus communications protocol.
Samples of TI's Fusion Digital Power solutions are currently available from TI.
Volume production for the UCD9K, UCD8K and UCD7K is expected in the next six months.
Suggested resale pricing in quantities of 1000 units starts at $4.95 for the UCD9K devices, $1.99 for the UCD8K controllers and $0.99 for the UCD7K family.
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