Utilizing its proprietary MagPack integrated magnetic packaging technology, Texas Instruments has introduced a series of six new power modules designed to improve power density, enhance efficiency and reduce EMI. TI engineers have shrunk the size of the modules by up to 23% compared to other modules and up to 50% smaller than their previous models, enabling designers of industrial, enterprise and communications applications to achieve previously impossible performance levels. Three of the six new devices rank as the smallest 6A power modules available, supplying an industry-leading power density of nearly 1A per 1mm2 of area, said TI.
“Designers turn to power modules to save on time, complexity, size and component count, but these benefits have required a compromise on performance – until now,” said Jeff Morroni, director of power management research and development at TI’s Kilby Labs. “After nearly a decade in the making, TI’s integrated magnetic packaging technology enables power designers to meet the defining power trend that has shaped our industry – pushing more power in smaller spaces efficiently and cost-effectively.”
In power design, size matters. Power modules simplify power designs and save valuable board space by combining a power chip with a transformer or inductor in one package. The MagPack 3D package molding process maximizes the height, width and depth of the power modules to push more power in a smaller space.
Devices using MagPack technology integrate the inductor, which is usually the most difficult item to select and source in a power-supply design. It is also one of the most difficult items to place and route on the PCB, given its size, height and interference with other circuitry. Power modules that integrate the inductor eliminate these issues, and the inductor used in MagPack technology eases these challenges even more by combatting EMI.
Power modules with MagPack technology are shielded intrinsically, as compared to simply a shielded inductor. The entire die, the inductor, the switching node – all are enclosed in a shielded package. Additionally, the size of power modules with MagPack technology and the optimized routing inside the package make for shorter, smaller routings of noisy signals, in both the power module and the system
As a result, engineers can now achieve greater power density and reduce temperature and radiated emissions while minimizing both board space and system power losses. The benefits are especially important in applications such as data centers, where electricity is the biggest cost factor, with some analysts predicting a 100% increase in demand for power by the end of the decade.
Tiniest MCU yet
On March 11, TI announced it has developed the world’s smallest microcontroller (MCU), delivering optimized size and performance for compact applications such as medical wearables and personal electronics. The new MCU is 38% smaller than the industry’s current smallest MCU, and enables designers to minimize board space without compromising performance.
Functioning as the brains of many electronic devices, while microcontrollers themselves don’t directly use magnets in their core functionality, they are often used in conjunction with devices that do such as speakers, motors and sensors that rely on magnetic principles.
Consumers are continuously demanding that everyday electronic items such as electric toothbrushes and stylus pens, offer more features in a smaller footprint at a lower cost. The same dynamics hold true for developers of aerospace, defense, medical and industrial products. To innovate within these shrinking products, design engineers are increasingly seeking compact, integrated components that enable them to add functionality while preserving board space. For more info, see www.ti.com.
