Product category:
Power Supply ICs and Controllers
News Release from: National Semiconductor | Subject: LM5080
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 21 October 2005
Controller chip balances parallel power
supplies
A load-share controller IC balances currents from parallel power supplies in a variety of distributed power applications, including telecomms and datacomms systems.
National Semiconductor has introduced a load-share controller IC for balancing currents from parallel power supplies in a variety of distributed power applications, including telecomms and datacomms systems The LM5080 implements the average program method of active load-share control, which adjusts the output voltage of individual power supplies either up or down to deliver nearly equal currents to a common load
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 5 Jan 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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This technique improves stability and output voltage tolerance compared to other load-sharing methods.
"Competitive solutions utilise the master-slave method of active load-current sharing, where the highest output voltage supply dictates the output voltage to the others".
"In contrast, the LM5080 utilises a unique method of active load-share control that adjusts the output of each module to an average value", said Paul Greenland, Director of Strategic Marketing for National Semiconductor's Power Management Group.
"This allows designers to operate multiple power supplies in parallel, ensuring the load current will always be equally distributed amongst them".
"As system power requirements change, power supplies may be added or removed, allowing a modular design approach that saves development time".
The LM5080 is a versatile load-share controller that provides all the functions required to balance the currents delivered from multiple power convertors operating in parallel.
The LM5080 supports two common applications for load-share controllers: external control, in which the load-share circuit balances currents between separate power modules; and internal control, where the load-share circuit is integrated into the voltage regulation loop of each power convertor module or circuit.
Available now, the LM5080 is priced at US $0.60 in 1000-unit quantities.
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