STMicroelectronics’ New Voltage Regulator Shrinks Portable and Battery-Powered Devices

STMicroelectronics' New Voltage Regulator Shrinks Portable and Battery-Powered Devices

STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a leading supplier of semiconductors for power management has introduced an advanced high-frequency step-down dc-dc converter particularly suited for use in data-storage applications, such as hard disk drives, DVDs, Blu-ray Discs, High-Definition DVDs, and in portable devices, such as MP3 players and digital cameras, that require high efficiency, small size, and light weight. The new, cost-competitive ST1S06 integrates functions that benefit users with excellent electrical performance while minimizing the need for external components.

New high-frequency step-down dc-dc converter offers higher efficiency while reducing the number of external components

An evolutionary advance over the previous ST1S03 and ST1S03A switching voltage regulators, the new ST1S06 includes a synchronous rectification block to avoid the use of an external Schottky Diode while improving the device’s efficiency up to 95%.

Other key features of the ST1S06 include an output current capability of 1.5A maximum over all operating conditions, a high switching frequency of 1.5MHz and great stability, allowing a drastic reduction in Printed Circuit Board (PCB) area. In fact, the high frequency performance allows the device to operate with a small inductor, while the high stability permits the use of small, low-ESR, ceramic capacitors. As a result, the ST1S06 requires only a few external components to operate: the small inductor, two capacitors and, for the adjustable version, two resistors.