Buck convertor answers Energy Star demands

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Nov 16, 2007

The EN5322QI's tiny footprint and ease of design make it a near drop-in replacement for inefficient linear convertors.

Now available from UR Group, the Enpirion EN5322QI is a 2A buck-mode convertor that combines industry's highest power density with low noise operation.

Featuring proprietary integrated inductor technology, EN5322QI delivers high performance while simplifying design and reducing part count.

The EN5322QI's tiny footprint and ease of design make it a near drop-in replacement for inefficient linear convertors.

The part comes in a tiny 6 x 4 x 1.1mm QFN package and integrates all convertor functionality, while requiring only a single input and single output ceramic filter capacitor.

The convertor integrates MOSFET switches, control and compensation, and the inductor, all in a tiny, low profile package.

The device has a wide 2.4 to 5.5V input range and has a VID programmable output range from 0.6 to 3.3V.

The EN5322QI is capable of sourcing a continuous 2A over the entire industrial temperature range.

Dubbed the "LDO killer", this device is the perfect replacement for linear regulators unable to meet Energy Star requirements.

With the recent introduction of EPA Energy Star 4.0, development of Energy Star certified products need to meet new, stricter design requirements making it almost impossible to use linear convertors.

The Enpirion part solves the noise, size, cost and other historical challenges associated with the use of switchers, paving the way for across-the-board replacement of inherently inefficient LDOs.

With a total solution footprint of less than 60mm2, the EN5322QI delivers a power density of more than 70W/in2, giving it one of the highest power densities of any switch-mode DC/DC convertor ever made.

Power density is ever more important as the number of features and functions increase, while equipment form-factor continues to shrink.

The EN5322QI uses a type III voltage mode control scheme.

As a result of the very high switching frequency, the EN5322QI has superior transient performance and the control scheme provides excellent load matching to the sub90nm loads such as advanced processors, FPGAs and complex ASICs.

The device joins the 1 and 3A devices and is already sampling for designs including computer peripherals, servers, wireless modems, portable devices, POS and datacomms.