12-V, 10-A, 10-MHz dc/dc converter
has super-high power density

A new dc/dc converter is said to be the industry’s first 12-V, 10-A, 10-MHz series-capacitor buck converter to provide more than 50 A/cm³ in current density, four times higher than any other 12-V power management component or system. Developed by Texas Instruments, the TPS54A20 SWIFT synchronous dc/dc converter uses a special topology to operate 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.

The TPS54A20 features a novel 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.

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 size that consumes 50% less area than similar 500-kHz dc/dc converter designs.
• Low profile: Measuring less than 2 mm high, 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-nsec minimum on-time allows for 4-/7-/10-MHz operation without compromising efficiency or electromagnetic interference (EMI) performance.

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, 3.5x4x1-mm thermally enhanced HotRod QFN package, the TPS54A20 is priced at US$3.25 in 1,000-unit quantities.

White paper: “Breakthrough power delivery for space-constrained applications”
Application note: “Introduction to the Series Capacitor Buck Converter”