Smple-to-use synchronous buck regulators

Alpha and Omega Semiconductor has introduced the AOZ676xDI series of high switching frequency and simple-to-use synchronous buck regulators.

The AOZ6762DI and AOZ6763DI are capable of delivering 2A and 3A, respectively, and up to 15W output power. These devices offer a low on-resistance power stage and are packaged in a 3mm x 3mm DFN 8-lead package with an exposed thermal pad, allowing cooler power conversion for a variety of consumer and networking equipment such as wireless AP/routers, set-top boxes, cable modems, audio equipment, and LCD TVs.

The power stage comprised of two power MOSFETs has been optimised for efficient synchronous switching in order to reduce both switching and conduction losses. These devices can achieve > 90% efficiency at full load operation.

When operating in low output current conditions, the devices run in a proprietary pulse energy mode (PEM) to achieve high efficiency by reducing switching loss. Under this mode, the regulators can still maintain up to 86% efficiency at 10mA load operation.

The high switching frequency of AOZ6762 and AOZ6763 provides some key benefits in a buck regulator

  • Enables the use of smaller external components, such as inductors and capacitors, reducing PCB footprint and component costs.
  • Better transient response while maintaining fixed frequency switching.
  • Reduce the side-band interference in wireless applications.

High switching frequency combined with low minimum controllable on-time, enables low output voltages from a 12V bus making these devices suitable power converters for next-generation SoCs, FPGAs, and ASICs using deep sub-micron processes. External compensation makes it easy for the user to trade off transient response and output ripple requirements with various output filters.