High efficiency, high current buck-boost regulators for battery-powered portables

Intersil Corporation have announced the ISL91127 and ISL91128 high efficiency buck-boost regulators. The latest in their buck-boost family, the new devices feature 4.5A switches, best-in-class efficiency up to 96%, and a compact footprint ideal for providing system power or powering the peripherals in battery-operated devices. They claim to offer the industry’s lowest quiescent current of 30µA for superior light load efficiency. In hand-held device applications where the input voltage may be higher or lower than the output voltage, buck-boost regulators improve efficiency and provide longer battery life compared to a boost regulator plus bypass solution. With increasing demands for smaller and smaller footprints, the compact QFN and WLCSP packages enable power designs that maximise efficiency while providing flexibility and ease of design. The devices operate in buck, boost or buck-boost mode, depending on the relation between input and output voltages, and provide smooth transitions between modes to prevent noise and glitches. This capability, combined with patented technology for delivering superior light load efficiency with ultra-low quiescent current, maximises efficiency under all conditions. This is essential to improve battery life by reducing power drain and heat dissipation in portable and mobile applications. The new buck-boost regulators’ wide input voltage range of 1.8V to 5.5V supports multiple battery topologies, and their wide output voltage range of 1V to 5.2V combined with 3A output current provide the ultimate in design flexibility. The ISL91128 also features I2C programmable dynamic output voltage adjustability, which eliminates feedback resistors and allows the reuse of the same design for multiple output voltage needs. “Hand-held device designers are constantly challenged to create smaller, more efficient products whether it is the latest wearable, a portable medical device or next-generation smartphone,” said Andy Cowell, senior vice president of Mobile Power Products at Intersil. “Intersil specialises in providing the most efficient power delivery with excellent transient response. Our latest buck-boost regulators leverage generations of experience in the most demanding mobile applications to provide customers with extended battery life in a compact, easy-to-use package.”