Atmel 4x power supply PMU offered in QFN 3-by-3mm package

The AT73C239 Power Management standard product from Atmel Corp. is touted to be the smallest 4x power supply Power Management Unit (PMU) available on the market with a QFN 3-by-3mm package. This new product integrates three channels of high-accuracy power supply compatible with RF and analog sections, and one very Low Drop Out (LDO) low power regulator for backup battery/capacitor recharging.

"In addition, customers get with the AT73C239 a Two Wire Interface (TWI) to increase the efficiency of the system by disabling LDOs when not needed. They can also program LDO output voltage, they can recharge backup battery and they respect the environment with full Green QFN easy-to-mount package," said Michele Casetta, marketing manager for Atmel's ower Management and Audio Analog Companions (PMAAC) product line.

According to the press release, the AT73C239's small form factor makes it ideal to support wireless chipset reference designs (Bluetooth, WLAN, GPS, Zigbee), as well as provide voltage supply to multimedia sections of mobile phones, smartphones, PDAs and portable multimedia players.

"Why and where could the AT73C239 be the best solution for customers?" asked Casetta. "In wireless chipsets, the AT73C239 reduces the space on the board by 40 percent and the BoM by 30 percent, by replacing the discrete LDOs of the power supply section. In portable handsets, the AT73C239 replaces the auxiliary LDOs required to supply the multimedia section and increases the integration ratio of the total system."

Casetta added that they designed the AT73C239 to be compatible with the new generation of 1?F output capacitors that are now available in a 0402 case. "These capacitors represent a more than 50 percent area reduction compared to the most common 2.2?F capacitors available in a 0603 case," Casetta said.

Atmel offers the AT73C239 in a 3-by-3 mm, 16-pin QFN package in order to satisfy portable device manufacturers' minimum space requirements. It is available mounted on a reference design board or as engineering samples. Production quantities are also available, with a reference price of below 50 cents in large quantities.