Author:
Reported by Cliff Keys, Editorial Director, PSD
Date
10/03/2011
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Power Integrations, the leading supplier of high-voltage integrated circuits used in energy-efficient power conversion. The company's innovative technology enables compact, energy-efficient power supplies in a wide range of electronic products, in AC-DC, DC-DC, and LED lighting applications. I met with Peter Rogerson, Director of Marketing Communications and ACS recently in Munich, Germany, who took me through the company's latest offering. The company has introduced HiperLCS, a family of high-voltage LLC power supply ICs that incorporate the controller, high- and low-side drivers, and both MOSFETs into a single low-cost package. Highly integrated HiperLCS ICs offer the flexibility to optimize designs either for high efficiency - with a maximum efficiency of better than 97% - or for size, by leveraging high-frequency operation (up to 750 kHz) to minimize transformer size and output capacitor footprint.
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LLC converters have long been favored over other high-power topologies for applications such as PCs and server power supplies, TVs and LED, streetlights due to their high efficiency and ability to produce compact power supplies - however, designing with them is notoriously difficult. HiperLCS devices address this challenge by providing all the required functions in a single IC - eliminating up to 30 discrete and passive components in the process - thereby streamlining the design cycle, saving board space, reducing assembly costs, and increasing reliability. The high switching frequency of HiperLCS devices allows designers to use low-cost SMD ceramic capacitors in the output loop instead of bulky, unreliable electrolytic capacitors, and reduces the size of the magnetics required. It also delivers excellent transformer utilization, with a peak switching frequency of 750 kHz.
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Power Integrations' new thermally-efficient, low-profile eSIPä-16C package further contributes to space savings and reduces heat sink size. HiperLCS devices have two modes of use. For high-efficiency design, its resonant control circuitry provides very low power loss, allowing designs with efficiency greater than 97% at nominal 66 kHz switching frequency. If cost and size are the determining design criteria, then high switching frequency is preferred. In this latter case, efficiency still remains high - for example, 96% at 250 kHz, the frequency where maximum power is achieved. Peter added that designing LLC converters is a complex task. The biggest challenge is configuring all of the building blocks to eliminate cross conduction and controlling the various parasitic elements. With our new HiperLCS product family, the key components are contained inside a single IC and trimmed during manufacture to optimize the pairing of MOSFETs with drivers. This guarantees reliable and efficient performance for applications such as slim LED-backlit TVs, PC main power, servers, telecoms and networking equipment, LED streetlights, and laser printers. HiperLCS devices enable designs that easily exceed the performance benchmarks set by ENERGY STARâ 4.0 and 5.0 and the 80 PLUS Gold and Platinum PC efficiency standards. HiperLCS devices allow users to improve their designs by setting key circuit parameters, such as dead time and soft start, to provide optimum solutions. The design process is assisted by PI Xlsä, a real-time design and modeling tool that greatly simplifies the job of the power supply designer. HiperLCS devices are available now in the new low-profile eSIP-16C package starting at $2.28 each for 10,000-piece quantities (LCS700). Full technical details, including the product introductory video, datasheet, and design ideas, are available now on the Power Integrations website at www.powerint.com/en/hiperlcs www.powerint.com
