Voltage regulator offers 4.5-14V input voltage

Ericsson has expanded its line of 3E digital point-of-load (POL) voltage regulators with the introduction of two vertical-mounting devices, the 12A BMR462-SIP (BMR4622002) and 20A BMR463-SIP (BMR4632002). The converters complement the company's 40A BMR464-SIP (BMR4642002) and offer board designers the ability to select the most appropriate module for their configuration, Ericsson noted.

Aimed at space-critical applications, the 12A BMR462-SIP, 20A BMR463-SIP and 40A BMR464-SIP save board space for core components through vertical mounting, also known as single in-line packaging (SIP). This approach means the BMR462-SIP and BMR463-SIP offer footprints of 1.58cm² and 1.99cm², respectively. The primary applications for these devices are network routers, data storage and Advanced Telecommunications Computing Architecture (AdvancedTCA) boards. Additionally, their 15.6mm height make them suitable for 15mm narrow-pitch applications, the company added.

"These additions to the 3E family makes Ericsson the first to offer a wide range of PMBus-compliant digitally controlled point-of-load converters in three different footprints in through-hole, single-in-line and surface-mount versions," said Patrick Le Fèvre, marketing and communication director of Ericsson Power Modules.

The BMR462-SIP and BMR463-SIP offer 66W of power, input voltage from 4.5-14V and typical power efficiency of 97.1 percent at 5V input, 3.3V output and half load. The devices deliver power densities of 38W/cm² and 33W/cm², with dimensions of 20.8 x 7.6 x 15.6mm and 26.3 x 7.6 x 15.6mm, respectively.

The products are based on Ericsson's digital-core controller combined with MOSFET technology and built-in energy-optimization algorithms that contribute to significantly reducing energy consumption and power dissipation. The voltage regulators can be configured and monitored via the standard PMBus communication protocol and the company's intuitive graphical user interface offering designers the ability to optimize power management in high board-density applications.

Most power converters use synchronous rectification to optimize efficiency over a range of I/O conditions. However, at light loads the synchronous MOSFET will typically sink current and introduce additional energy losses associated with higher peak inductor currents, resulting in reduced efficiency. The device's adaptive diode emulation mode turns off the low-side FET gate drive at low load currents to prevent the inductor current from going negative, reducing energy losses and increasing overall efficiency, the company claimed.

The two devices offer a synchronization feature that allows several regulators to be locked to a common switching frequency to eliminate beat frequencies. This reduces EMI filtering complexity and the number of external components needed. Additionally, phase spreading reduces input capacitance requirements and losses because the peak current drawn from the input supply is spread over the whole switching cycle.

The BMR462-SIP and BMR463-SIP also feature comprehensive circuit protection including overtemperature protection, output short-circuit protection, output over voltage protection and input under voltage lockout.