TI unveils industry’s highest power density 12-V, 10-A, 10-MHz DC/DC converter

Ultra-small SWIFT^™ step-down converter features unique topology to achieve four times higher current density

Texas Instruments (TI) (NASDAQ: TXN) today introduced the industry’s first 12-V, 10-A, 10-MHz series-capacitor buck converter that achieves more than 50 A/cm³ in current density, which is four times higher than any other 12 V power management component or solution available today. The unique topology of the TPS54A20 SWIFT synchronous DC/DC converter enables high-frequency operation at up to 5 MHz per phase without special magnetics or compound semiconductors, which designers can use for 8-V to 14-V input and 10-A output applications. By using the step-down converter together with TI’s WEBENCH^® Power Design tool, engineers can get their space- and height-constrained point-of-load (POL) telecom and networking power-supply designs to market faster. For more information, samples and an evaluation module, visit www.ti.com/tps54a20-pr-eu.

The TPS54A20 features a unique two-phase, series-capacitor DC/DC buck topology that merges a switched-capacitor circuit with a multiphase buck converter. This capacitive conversion technology enables efficient, high-frequency operation and measures as much as seven times smaller than conventional converters. For a quick introduction, watch the video “How to decrease inductor size in a 10-A DC/DC converter design” and read the white paper, “Breakthrough power delivery for space-constrained applications.” Read the application note “Introduction to the Series Capacitor Buck Converter” that analyzes the technology and presents example results for a 12-V input, 1.2-V/10-A output application demonstrating higher peak efficiency than a conventional buck converter, while operating at four times higher switching frequency.

TPS54A20 key features and benefits

• Tiny solution: Small HotRod^™ quad flat no-lead (QFN) packaging and inexpensive, tiny 2- to 5-MHz inductors enable a 131-mm² solution size that consumes 50 percent less area than similar 500-kHz DC/DC converter designs. Read the blog post, “No small matter: How to reduce voltage regulator size.”
• Low profile: Measuring less than 2 mm in height, the reduced size, weight and bill of materials (BOM) allows placement of tiny 10-A voltage regulators on the back side of a printed circuit board (PCB), enabling engineers to take advantage of the small size that the TPS54A20 offers for industrial servers or other space-constrained applications.
• Multi-megahertz operation: A 14-ns minimum on-time allows for 4-/7-/10-MHz operation without compromising efficiency or electromagnetic interference (EMI) performance. Download the “Three Different Buck Converter Circuits to Convert 12V to 1.2V at >6A Load Current Reference Design,” which includes a 1.2-V output voltage for double-data-rate (DDR) 4 memory applications.

Availability, packaging and pricing

The new DC/DC converter is available in volume now from TI and its authorized distributors. Offered in a 20-pin, 3.5-mm-by-4-mm-by-1-mm thermally enhanced HotRod QFN package, the TPS54A20 is priced at US$3.25 in 1,000-unit quantities. Order the 4-MHz, 10-A TPS54A20EVM-770 synchronous dual-phase converter evaluation module and download the PSpice transient models.

Find out more about TI’s power-management portfolio

• Get more information on TI’s high-performance SWIFT DC/DC converter portfolio for any power-supply application.
• Search for solutions, get help and share knowledge in the TI E2E™ Community Power Management forum.
• Download power reference designs from the TI Designs reference design library.