Regulator powers up DDR notebook designs

National Semiconductor has added a new member to its high-performance linear regulator family optimised for faster, budget-sensitive notebook PC design.

Expanding its double datarate (DDR) memory termination supply portfolio, National Semiconductor has added a new member to its high-performance linear regulator family optimised for faster, budget-sensitive notebook PC design.

National's new linear regulator eliminates switching noise, improves signal integrity and reduces the total system cost by up to 60%, accelerating the adoption of DDR in multiple computer applications.

With the introduction of the new LP2996, National brings the same cost and space savings to the notebook PC as the benchmark LP2995 and LP2994 DDR termination linear regulators for desktop PCs.

Developed to meet the JEDEC stub series termination logic (SSTL-2) specifications for DDR bus termination, National's LM2996 boasts the industry's smallest footprint and features tailored for power sensitive notebook applications.

The new LP2996, capable of sinking and sourcing 1.5A continuously, features on-chip thermal protection, a shutdown pin, a reference output for chipsets and DIMMS, and a sense pin for enhanced load regulation.

It also features independent inputs for power and analogue rails.

"This allows the designer to run the power circuit from a lower voltage.

This feature is particularly useful in notebooks since the conversion from a 1.8V rail will result in lower internal power dissipation", said Johan Hedman, Product Marketing Manager for National Semiconductor's Power Management Group in Europe.

"This feature also makes the LP2996 well suited to generate 0.9V/VTT for 1.8V DDRII, the next generation of DDR SDRAMs".

National's DDR termination regulator family currently consisting of the LP2996, LP2994 and LP2995 devices is designed specifically to generate the active termination voltage.

This family incorporates an internal resistor divider to generate an output that is half the external reference input.

Subsequently, making this family scaleable to generate the active termination voltage for SSTL-2 (DDR), SSTL-3 and HSTL specifications.

By using a linear regulator with minimal external components and a variety of package options, the LP299X product family sets the standard for DDR termination power supplies in the simplest, smallest and easiest manner.

National Semiconductor's new LP2996 linear regulator is available now in small outline (SO-8), and leadless leadframe package (LLP-16) packages.

It is priced at $0.90 each in 1000 units.

The LP2996 is also available in a power SO-8 package at $0.92 each in 1000 units.

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