Texas Instruments Launches Highest Power Density 12-V, 10-A, 10-MHz DC/DC Converter

Texas Instruments TXN launched Monday the industry's first 12-V, 10-A, 10-MHz series-capacitor buck converter. According to the company, it achieved over 50 A/cm3 in current density, which is four times higher than any other 12 V power management component or solution available currently. Texas Instruments said that the unique topology of the TPS54A20 SWIFT synchronous DC/DC converter allowed high-frequency operation at a maximum of 5 MHz per phase without special magnetics or compound semiconductors that designers could use for 8-V to 14-V input and 10-A output applications. The company said that by using the step-down converter together with its WEBENCH®Power Design tool, it added that engineers could get their space- and height-constrained point-of-load (POL) telecom and networking power-supply designs to market faster. The semiconductor firm pointed out some key features and benefits of the product. That included tiny solution, low profile, multi-megahertz operation and availability, packing and pricing. The company said that the new DC/DC converter is available in volume now from TI, as well as, its authorized distributors. The company said that it offered in a 20-pin, 3.5-mm-by-4-mm-by-1-mm thermally enhanced HotRod QFN package, the TPS54A20 is priced at US$3.25 in 1,000-unit quantities. Texas Instrument indicated that its TPS54A20 featured a unique two-phase, series-capacitor DC/DC buck topology, which merges a switched-capacitor circuit with a multiphase buck converter. The company said that this capacitive conversion technology allowed efficient, high-frequency operation and measures as much as seven times smaller than conventional converters. Shares of the company traded 0.89 percent higher on Monday.