Maxim intros power-management IC solution for Samsung's next-gen application processor

BARCELONA, SPAIN: At the 2011 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Maxim Integrated Products announced a power-management IC (PMIC) solution for Samsung's Exynos 4210 application processor developed for handheld systems.

Maxim's PMIC solution integrates the various firmware and circuitry required for managing power delivery and battery charging with system logic so that consumers can enjoy advanced multimedia functionality.

"Today's consumers want thinner smartphones that are always connected, offer richer user experience, and have exceptional battery life," said Chae Lee, VP of Handheld Power at Maxim. "We worked closely with Samsung's team to develop a highly integrated power-management solution to meet these ambitious expectations."

Maxim's MAX8997 PMIC is the successor to the MAX8998 PMIC, which powered Samsung's S5PC110 application processor. The MAX8997 uses Maxim's advanced BCDMOS process and cutting-edge technology for higher efficiency and integration than its predecessor. This technology maximizes battery life and helps to develop a slim form-factor phone, while meeting the high performance requirements of Samsung's Exynos 4210 and enhanced graphics processor.

The MAX8997 integrates 7 highly efficient step-down converters, 21 low-dropout linear regulators (LDOs), battery charger, micro USB interface, real-time clock (RTC) with alarms, tactile-feedback motor driver, camera flash LED driver, 12 general-purpose I/Os (GPIOs), and I2C interface for programming. It also includes Maxim's proprietary ModelGauge power-management technology (MAX17040–MAX17043). All of these features are integrated into the MAX8997's tiny 5.6mm x 5.6mm x 0.4mm (pitch) wafer-level package (WLP).

Samsung's Exynos 4210 application processor, based on a 1GHz ARM CORTEXTM A9 dual core and Samsung's advanced 45nm low-power process technology, provides superb 3D graphic performance, and a wide memory bandwidth of 6.4GBps. It also features a rich set of multimedia functions implemented by hardware accelerators, such as a video encoder/decoder that supports 1080p full HD resolution recording and playback at 30 frames per second.

"Consumers are demanding the full web experience and multitasking activities while on the go. Given this trend, power management and efficiency are very important features for high-performance mobile devices," said Dojun Rhee, Vice President of Marketing for the System LSI Division at Samsung Electronics. "We believe the coupling of both Exynos 4210 and Maxim's MAX8997 will meet such a demand by delivering optimized system performance for next-generation mobile devices with effective low power consumption."