Contributes to Further Reduction of Power Supply Design Workload With the New On-Chip Functionalities Including Auto PFM and Battery Backup Functions

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — August 19, 2014 — Renesas Electronics America, a leading supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, today expands its portfolio of Simple Power Supply ICs, with innovative 16V input capable synchronous buck regulators that deliver up to 3A continuous current to loads at voltages as low as 0.8V. The new power supply ICs are ideal for systems requiring even lower power consumption in standby mode, and systems requiring backup power in case of power outage. The devices target applications in the industrial, office equipment, consumer, networking, smart grid, and other fields.

By reducing the power supply design workload, the new devices lower power consumption and improve the compactness of the overall system for improved power efficiency and lower BOM cost. The new Simple Power Supply ICs are available in four series with different DC/DC converter output counts and output voltages. Battery backup functionality is availability in the: RAA23012X series, RAA23013X series, RAA23022X series, and the RAA23023X series. Each series comprises three product versions, for a total of 12 new devices.

“Power semiconductor advancements have created a dynamic environment for energy saving innovations that boost the efficiency of existing applications, the electrification of more applications, and improve energy transmission,” said William Keeley, senior director product marketing at Renesas Electronics America. “Engineers and designers can confidently look to these types of power devices we are announcing today as a source of opportunity as they design their next generation energy efficient systems and products.”

As systems become more power efficient and compact in recent years, demand has grown for power supply blocks with improved power efficiency delivered in a compact form factor. One commonly used method of reducing power consumption is to incorporate a low-power mode in which only the functions needed in the microcontroller’s (MCU) standby state continues to operate. Unlike MCUs, however, such measures are rarely implemented within the power supply block itself. The common method of using a pair of diodes to implement a battery backup circuit for devices such as SRAM and MCUs, which require power even when the system is powered down, makes it difficult to maintain a compact system. What is more, in systems that require two or more voltages, the usual method is to employ multiple single-output power supply ICs or electronic components, which also presents a barrier to compactness.

Key features of the new Simple Power Supply ICs:

(1) Integrated auto PFM-mode functionality for dramatically reduced power consumption in the standby state

The newly developed auto PFM mode reduces power consumption per DC/DC converter to 100 µA, enabling far lower power consumption than conventional DC/DC converter configurations. This makes it possible to reduce the total system power consumption, including that of microcontrollers, SoCs, etc., when in the standby state. For example, the total system power consumption of the Renesas RX630 MCU, operating in deep software standby mode, and powered by the new Simple Power Supply IC can be reduced by 60 percent or more.

(2) New integrated battery backup function for lower system cost and reduced component count (RAA23012X series and RAA23022X series only)

When the system power supply is turned off, the integrated battery backup circuit switches from DC/DC output to battery power for devices that require a constant supply of power. Since this circuit is integrated into the power supply IC, there is no need for the pair of diodes previously used to monitor the current level. Renesas will be making publicly available, at no charge, on its website (starting from the end of September), backup circuit configuration examples and operational examples of systems incorporating RL78/G1X Series MCUS, SRAM, etc. These circuit examples will enhance development efficiency.

(3) Integration of two DC/DC converters in a single package for lower system cost and greater compactness (RAA23022X series and RAA23023X series only)

The new Simple Power Supply ICs integrate in a single package output power MOSFETs, phase correction devices, and load capacitance discharge circuits. In particular, the RAA23022x series and RAA23023x series incorporate two DC/DC converters in a single package, allowing for a reduction of approximately half the number of power supply IC peripheral components, according to research by Renesas, while substantially lowering the system cost and component count.

(4) A full complement of system solutions

To support all aspects of system development, including power supplies, Renesas offers evaluation boards for new single products, as well as evaluation boards pre-mounted with Renesas MCUs, SoCs, and other new products. In addition, starting today, Renesas is offering circuit diagrams, component recommendations, board patterns, and other information on its website sequentially as they become available. This information makes it possible to perform preliminary evaluations of various combinations of MCUs, SoC devices, and Simple Power Supply ICs, and easily obtain related information such as board patterns. This will contribute to a significant reduction in the time customers need to spend on evaluation and development with these products.