Charger/Adapter Designs exceed ENERGY STAR® standards.
Press Release Summary:
Based on LinkSwitch-II AC-DC switched-mode power conversion ICs, reference design RD-157 complies with China Charger standard for constant-voltage and constant-current (CV/CC) cellphone chargers. Providing 5.5 W @ 5 V ±250 mV, RD-158 charger suits high-end cellphones, PDAs, and other portable devices. While able to withstand 10 kV surge, RD-159 adapter for cordless phones seamlessly and reliably provides power to phone with accuracy of ±250 mV.
Original Press Release:
Power Integrations Launches Charger/Adapter Reference Designs Using New LinkSwitch (R)-II Family of ICs
Highly Accurate Primary-Side Control Enables Tightly Regulated CV/CC Power Supplies With Reduced Component Count
EcoSmart(R) Technology Easily Exceeds ENERGY STAR 2.0 and Other Worldwide Energy-Efficiency Standards
SAN JOSE, Calif., Jun 19, 2008 -- Power Integrations (Nasdaq:POWI), the leader in high-voltage integrated circuits for energy-efficient power conversion, today announced three charger/adapter reference designs utilizing the company's new LinkSwitch-II family of AC-DC switched-mode power conversion ICs. The new LinkSwitch-II devices utilize highly accurate primary-side control to enable tightly regulated constant-voltage and constant-current (CV/CC) modes of operation with at least 30 percent fewer components than typical secondary-side designs. The new devices exceed the active-mode efficiency requirements of the new ENERGY STAR 2.0 specifications by 10 percent across the entire load range, and consume 90 percent less no-load power than the allowable limit.
Traditionally, switched-mode power supplies use a secondary circuit to sense the output voltage and feed error signals back to the primary-side controller. LinkSwitch-II uses a transformer winding to sense the output voltage, eliminating the need for the secondary circuit. This not only reduces component count by as much as 30 percent, but also improves energy efficiency since secondary-side components consume power. LinkSwitch-II devices further enhance the accuracy of the output voltage and current by compensating for transformer tolerance, input line voltage variations, ambient temperature, and voltage drop in the charger output cable.
Power Integrations has produced a reference design kit, an instructional video and three reference design reports (RDR 157, 158 and 159) to help designers of adapters and chargers benefit from LinkSwitch-II's simplicity and elegant design. A new reference design kit (RDK-160) includes all three complete designs and is intended for use by anyone trying to build a CV/CC adapter under 5.5W.
The first design (RD-157) complies with the China Charger standard for CV/CC cellphone chargers, which has been mandated by the Chinese government. The new design is accurate, highly efficient, features low no-load power consumption and requires the fewest components of any charger available today.
The second design (RD-158) is a high-power cellphone charger for high-end cellphones, PDAs and other portable, personal devices that need significant power to charge voracious lithium-ion power packs very quickly. It offers the same accuracy and efficiency as the other reference designs while providing 5.5W at 5V, +/-250mV.
The final design (RD-159) is an adapter for cordless phones. Cordless phone adapters present unique design challenges since they are electrically connected to the telephone system, potentially worsening the effect of lightning strikes and other high-voltage surges and transients which may damage the equipment. The RD-159 design can withstand 10 kV of surge, yet seamlessly and reliably provides power to the phone with an accuracy of +/- 250mV.
Comments Doug Bailey, vice president of marketing at Power Integrations: "Worldwide energy efficiency standards are only going to get tighter. By eliminating lossy components such as the sense resistor, LinkSwitch-II enables power supply designers to easily exceed the ENERGY STAR 2.0 specifications for external power supplies, as well as the limits expected to be imposed soon by the EU on adapters and chargers.
"By slashing component count, LinkSwitch-II reduces manufacturers' exposure to commodity price increases, spiraling labor costs and inventory management challenges," Bailey continued. "LinkSwitch-II also provides outstanding output accuracy even under varying line voltage, load, component tolerance and operating temperature."
As well as being extremely energy efficient, all LinkSwitch-II family members are produced in Halogen-free, RoHS-compliant packaging, which is increasingly being demanded by key OEM customers and their power supply sub-contractors.
Power Integrations' Green Room website (www.powerint.com/greenroom) contains information on the issue of energy waste from inefficient power supplies, as well as tips on how to minimize the amount of energy wasted by household and office electronics. The Green Room also provides a comprehensive guide to energy-efficiency standards around the world, as well as a host of reference designs and software to assist in the design of energy-efficient power supplies.
About Power Integrations
Power Integrations is the leading supplier of high-voltage analog integrated circuits used in energy efficient power conversion. The company's breakthrough integrated-circuit technology enables compact, energy-efficient power supplies in a wide range of electronic products, in AC-DC, DC-DC and LED lighting applications. The company's EcoSmart(R) energy-efficiency technology, which dramatically reduces energy waste, has saved consumers and businesses around the world more than an estimated $2.9 billion on their electricity bills since its introduction in 1998. Reflecting the environmental benefits of EcoSmart technology, the company's stock is included in clean-tech stock indices sponsored by Nasdaq (Nasdaq: CLEN; Nasdaq: CELS) and the American Stock Exchange (AMEX: CTIUS). For more information, visit the company's website at www.powerint.com.
