ON Semiconductor's integrated voltage regulator offers low-power solution for battery powered apps

NEW DELHI, INDIA: ON Semiconductor, a premier supplier of high performance, energy efficient silicon solutions for green electronics, introduced the NCP508 – a low current voltage regulator that offers an efficient and economical solution to generating a low power voltage rail.

The new regulator provides a solution that supports low power, space efficient and cost-effective designs in applications such as touch screens, keypads, smart phones, portable meters, printers and remote controls.

The NCP508 can drive currents in excess of 50 mA and is housed in a compact SC-88A package with a footprint measuring 2.2 mm x 2.2 mm with an overall height of 1.10 mm. The new device offers high ripple rejection of 70 dB typical (at 1 kHz) that makes it an effective filter for voltage supplies.

Excellent noise performance of 40 µVrms (at 1.5 V) contributes to a very clean output voltage, and when disabled a current consumption of less than 1 µA helps to further extend battery life in portable equipment. Low voltage dropout performance of 140 mV at 30 mA load provides flexibility in designing auxiliary power rails.

A switch on time of less than 20 µs is significantly faster than most competing products and allows designers to maximize energy savings by powering down the device when the functionality it supports is not in use. The NCP508 can be used with low-cost ceramic capacitors, further enhancing its appeal as an economical voltage regulator solution.

The NCP508 has a maximum operating voltage of 7 V, though it can withstand high voltage transients of up to 13 V, thus saving cost by alleviating the need for external protection circuitry. Standard output voltage versions of 1.5 V, 1.8 V, 2.5 V, 2.8 V, and 3.3 V are offered with other voltage values available in 100 mV steps. Each device incorporates both current limit and over temperature protection circuits. The operating temperature range is -40 °C to +85 °C.

“These new voltage regulation solutions offer a cost-effective alternative to discrete components that also use more board space and consume more power,” said Mike Paquette, director of the Regulation products at ON Semiconductor. “The NCP508 meets all the requirements involved in the design and development of small, battery powered products that need an economical, robust, reliable and easy-to-use voltage regulation solution with minimal power consumption.”

Offered in an SC-88A package, the NCP508 is budgetary priced at US$0.20 per unit for quantities of 3,000 units. A 1.5mm x 1.5mm DFN option is expected to be available later this year.