Intersil Announces High Efficiency Buck-Boost and Boost+Bypass Switching Regulators for Smartphones and Tablets

MILPITAS, CALIF. – Oct. 6, 2014 – Intersil Corporation (NASDAQ: ISIL), a leading provider of innovative power management and precision analog solutions, today announced five new additions to the ISL911xx family of market leading buck-boost and boost switching regulators, optimized to support system power supplies and peripherals such as Wi-Fi or 3G/4G RF power amplifiers. Intersil’s proprietary four-switch buck-boost architecture extends battery life by enabling industry leading efficiency of up to 96% and providing smooth transitions from buck to boost to prevent glitches and noise in smartphones, tablets and other single-cell lithium ion (Li-ion) or Li-polymer battery systems.

The ISL9110x buck-boost regulator family is capable of working with the ultra-small inductors and capacitors to fit within less than 14mm2 board footprint, making them the ideal 2A switching converter solution for space-constrained mobile devices. The advanced wafer-level CSP package requires only a single inductor and very few external components, which minimizes overall space requirements. The ISL911xx regulators’ 2.5MHz switching frequency further reduces the power supply solution size.

The new ISL91106 and ISL91107 buck-boost regulators offer a wide input range (1.8V – 5.5V) and integrated 3.6A switches that deliver up to 2x faster transient response than the closest competitor. This enables mobile devices to handle large current bursts from spikes in power consumption without significant output disturbance. The 2A output buck-boost converters permit reliable system operation under all load conditions, and enable higher efficiency power supplies that occupy less PCB space. Unlike competing buck-boost regulators, when input is close to output the product automatically transitions between bypass and buck-boost operating modes without output disturbance. This maximizes the power efficiency of the system. The ISL91106 also includes a selectable forced bypass function for sleep mode or an ultra-low-power mode that permits the system to stay alive with nearly zero quiescent current.

The new ISL91132, ISL91133 and ISL91134 high-efficiency boost regulators offer a best-in-class true bypass feature that can be used in any single cell application where the input voltage can vary from above or below the target output voltage. The ISL91132 (>1.8A) and ISL91133 (>2.3A) maintain the required output voltage for critical system functions when the input battery voltage is subject to large transients. The low no-load quiescent current significantly reduces standby power consumption. The ISL91134 (>1.8A) regulator’s soft-start ramp feature and boost to 5V, makes it ideal for use with Class-D audio amplifiers. All three of the boost regulators can run in an auto-bypass mode or in forced bypass operation via a selection pin.

“Intersil’s power management innovations are keeping pace with the complexity of each new generation of power hungry mobile devices,” said Andrew Cowell, senior vice president of Mobile Power Products at Intersil. “The new ISL911xx buck-boost and boost switching regulators leverage our proprietary technologies that enable highly integrated, high performance power management solutions that meaningfully improve the battery life of smartphones and tablets.”

Key features and specifications of the ISL91106 and ISL91107 buck-boost regulators:

Ultra high efficiency up to 96%; Ultra small footprint ~14mm2
Accepts a wide input voltage range from 1.8V to 5.5V, and a large adjustable output voltage range from 1V to 5.2V, or fixed at 3.3V
Tiny 2.15mm x 1.51mm WLCSP package for space-constrained mobile devices
High frequency operation at 2.5MHz permits use of smaller components
Output current up to 2A DC (PVIN = 2.8V, VOUT = 3.3V)
Mode select permits forced PWM for applications sensitive to PFM ripple and frequency changes
Full protection for under-voltage, short-circuit and thermal faults

Key features and specifications of ISL91132, ISL91133 and ISL91134 boost+bypass regulators:

Ultra high efficiency up to 96%;
True bypass feature w/ 27m? impedance
Boost conversion from an input range of 2.35V to 5.4V to an output range of 3.15V to 5.2V, supports multiple battery chemistries
Tiny 1.78mm x 1.78mm WLCSP for space-constrained mobile devices
Bypass can be forced or automatic
VSEL function permits system to ramp up the output for large system load transient, allows optimum system efficiency and stability

Availability and pricing

The ISL91106 and ISL91107 buck-boost switching regulators are available now, and priced at $1.90 (USD) in 1k quantities. The ISL91132, ISL91133 and ISL91134 boost+bypass regulators are available now, each priced at $1.80 (USD) in 1k quantities.

For more information on the ISL91106, ISL91107, ISL91132, ISL91133 and ISL91134 switching regulators and evaluation boards, please visit:http://www.intersil.com/isl911xx-buck-boost-regulators

About Intersil

Intersil Corporation is a leading provider of innovative power management and precision analog solutions. The company’s products form the building blocks of increasingly intelligent, mobile and power hungry electronics, enabling advances in power management to improve efficiency and extend battery life. With a deep portfolio of intellectual property and a rich history of design and process innovation, Intersil is the trusted partner to leading companies in some of the world’s largest markets, including industrial and infrastructure, mobile computing, automotive and aerospace. For more information about Intersil, visit our website at www.intersil.com.