Microchip Technology Inc., a leading provider of microcontroller, analog and Flash-IP solutions, today announced two new digitally controlled DC/DC converter reference designs with advanced, high-efficiency topologies.
DC/DC converter designers are faced with a number of challenges to optimize a set of contrasting requirements in the design process, including efficiency, power density (i.e., size of the converter) and cost. Microchip’s two new reference designs provide advanced digital techniques that enable designers to optimize these requirements quickly and easily. Additionally, these reference designs are applicable to a diverse set of end products in both board-mounted and external DC/DC converters, for the server, telecom, industrial, medical and aerospace markets.
Both reference designs are implemented using Microchip’s dsPIC33F ‘GS’ series of digital-power Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs), which provide fully digital control of the power-conversion and system-management functions. As demonstrated in these reference designs, the dsPIC33F ‘GS’ DSCs allow designers to easily and cost effectively create products using advanced topologies, such as LLC resonant, which lower switching losses and boost efficiencies as high as 95%.
“Microchip’s new reference designs enable our customers to develop the most advanced, fully digital DC/DC converters quickly and economically,” said Sumit Mitra, vice president of Microchip’s High Performance Microcontroller Division. “By using the features in the dsPIC33F ‘GS’ series of DSCs, designers can improve the efficiency and lower the cost of their DC/DC converter products, while lowering carbon footprints and easing the burden on the worlds strained power grids.”
Both reference designs support intelligent control of the power converter and serial system communication, enabling remote control and monitoring. The designs also include full fault protection, and can be easily configured for operating specifications and custom features, via the fully programmable dsPIC33F ‘GS’ DSC.
Quarter Brick DC/DC Converter Reference Design Key Features:
- Low power consumption at no load
- Programmable soft-start
- Voltage, Current, Temperature monitoring & Protection
- Primary and secondary MOSFET control
- Full Digital Control
Specifications:
- Efficiency greater than 95%
- Wide Input Range: 350Vdc – 420V DC
- Output Power: 200W
- Output Voltage: 12V
- Resonant Frequency: 210kHz
- Modulated Frequency : 150kHz – 230kHz
- 4kV input to output isolation
Package Contents
- DC/DC LLC Resonant Converter with enclosure
- Documentation CD consisting of: Source code, Schematics, PCB, BOM and Test files
Quarter Brick DC/DC Converter Reference Design Key Features:
- Primary and Secondary MOSFET control
- Active Current Share
- Remote ON/OFF
- Programmable soft start
- Controlled Fall time
- Voltage,Current,Temperature monitoring & Protection
- Configurable output voltage
- Full Digital Control
Specifications:
- Industry standard Quarter-brick (36.8 × 58.4 × 11.4 mm)
- Wide input range 36V -76V
- Output Voltage: 12V
- Output Current: 17A
- Output Power : 200W
- Efficiency greater than 93%
- 1500 Vdc input to output isolation
Package Contents
- Quarter-brick DC/DC Converter with enclosure
- Documentation CD consisting of: Source code, Schematics, PCB, BOM and Test files
