Point-of-load convertors offer management for free

Power-One is offering free digital power management with the "No-bus" Z-1000 Series of self-managed digital point-of-load convertors.

Power-One is offering free digital power management with the "No-bus" Z-1000 Series of self-managed digital point-of-load (POL) convertors.

These extremely cost-effective programmable Z-POL convertors support customers' most frequently implemented power-management functions, without the need for external controllers or any system-level bus, hence the term "No-bus".

Without any external power management: "No-bus" Z-1000 POLs allow designers to: manage sequencing with configurable delays, tracking and cascading between multiple outputs; optimise feedback loop compensation parameters for specific application requirements; Z-POL frequency synchronisation and programmable phase interleave for noise and EMI control; measure output current and temperature of Z-POLs via monitoring pins; and parallel up to ten Z-POLs.

Other features include: configurable output voltages from 0.5 to 5.5V; startup into prebiased output, sink and source current for active bus termination; and an extensive set of protection features, including output overvoltage.

Steve Goldman, Power-One's Chairman and CEO, commented: "This incredible new development of providing digital power management for free is unprecedented in the industry".

"Once again, we've changed the game in power - this time with the "No-bus" digital power architecture".

"The "No-bus" Z-1000 Series successfully leverages our investments in Z-One Digital IBA technology into cost-sensitive applications and significantly broadens the market that the Z-One architecture addresses".

"Although these products were designed for lower-complexity applications, they provide a rich feature set that enables sophisticated power management and cost savings when compared with other currently available power-management products and architectures".

"This is especially true when taking into account all costs including board space, components, and development and testing".

Goldman continued: "This extension of the Z-Series was planned from the beginning - we wanted a wide range of products, from simple power systems to very comprehensive systems".

"We once again used our in-house silicon expertise and application knowledge to leapfrog the industry with yet another revolutionary concept: 'No-bus' digital power".

"With the Z-1000 family there is no communication required to the host system, as Z-POLs' performance parameters are programmed by pin strapping".

"This frees up system-level resources, and the associated implementation time that would be required to support external bus-based power management".

"In summary, a low-end application can now be served with no bus, no software, and no protocol - it's simple, quick, and the customer gets free digital power management".

"The 'No-bus' Z-1000 family provides lower-end power solutions, while our previously announced Z-7000 family manages mid-to-complex systems".

Customers can leverage footprint and pinout compatibility between the "No-bus" Z-1000 and the premiere Z-7000 family to migrate from fully featured to low-end "No-bus" solutions without changing PCB layout.

Such an approach allows using the Z-7000 family for system development and characterisation and then for production, using the "No-bus" Z-1000 family to eliminate the cost and board-space requirements of power management devices.

"No-bus" Z-1000 POL convertors in 5, 7, 10, 15 and 20A versions, will be sampled to key customers in Q2 2005.

All Z-1000 family POLs use the same packages and pinouts as their counterparts in the Z-7000 family POLs.

Budgetary OEM pricing for the popular 15A ZY1115 POL is $11.00 in 1000-piece quantities.

Production availability will be Q3 of 2005.

Z-1000 POL convertors will also be available from C and D Technologies, through a recent Z-One Digital IBA license agreement with Power-One.

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