Giving portable designers the ability to add more features and functions on a handheld device, Texas Instruments announced a thin 500-mA, step-down DC/DC converter solution for space-constrained applications. The new TPS62601 converter achieves up to 89-percent power efficiency and only 30-uA typical operating quiescent current – all from a 0.9-mm x 1.3-mm chip scale package roughly the size of a flake of pepper.

“Portable system designers continue to desire more features on their devices, which require smaller, efficient DC/DC converters to maintain long battery life and system run-times,” said Steve Anderson, senior vice president of Power Management, TI. “The TPS62601 gives portable designers access to the smallest, thinnest 500-mA DC/DC solution, which simplifies design and reduces board space and time-to-market.”

The TPS62601 supports many applications, such as memory modules, GPS modules, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi modules or other wireless micro-modules used in ultra-thin smart phones, digital still cameras, portable disk drives and media players.

The converter also applies energy-saving techniques to help maximize battery run-time. For example, the converter automatically enters a power save mode during light-load operating conditions via an automatic pulse frequency modulation and pulse width modulation switching feature. In shutdown mode, the device’s current consumption is reduced to less than 1-uA.