Chip brings energy efficiency to netbook adapters

Jean-Pierre Joosting

EE Times Europe (11/24/2009 1:38 AM ET)

London, UK — A low-cost IC that increases energy efficiency and standby performance of power supplies under 75 W, the GreenChip TEA1733(L) from NXP Semiconductors is designed specifically for low-power computing and communication applications such as netbook adapters, printer adapter and LCD monitor supplies. It is a switched mode power supply (SMPS) controller IC that enables standby power levels less than 100 mW and is the first of a complete series of low-power AC/DC control ICs to be launched by NXP over the next year.

To enable higher efficiencies at low standby mode and at all load levels, the TEA1733 requires a low start-up current of 10 µA and consumes a supply current of 1.25 mA. The combination of fixed frequency operation at high output power and frequency reduction at low output power provides high efficiency over the total load range. Due to its high level of integration, the IC enables a compact and lighter power supply design with reduced number of external components in the SMPS.

The IC is available in a safe restart protection version as TEA1733 and also in a latched protection version as TEA1733(L).

Key features include:
— a large input voltage range of 12 V to 30 V,
— 10 µA typical supply current during start-up and restart,
— 0.5 mA typical supply current without load,
— overpower or high/low line compensation,
— adjustable overpower time-out,
— adjustable overpower restart timer,
— fixed switching frequency with frequency jitter to reduce EMI,
— frequency reduction with fixed minimum peak current at low power operation to maintain high efficiency at low output power levels,
— slope compensation for CCM operation,
— low and adjustable OverCurrent Protection (OCP) trip level,
— adjustable soft start,
— two protection inputs (for example for input UVP and OVP, OTP and output OVP), and
— IC overtemperature protection.

For further information visit www.nxp.com.