Date: 09/03/2011

ON Semiconductor's new power ICs for ac/dc adapters of consumer electronics

ON Semiconductor has expanded its ac-dc converter ICs for home electronics with the introduction of the NCP1234 and NCP1236 family of fixed frequency pulse width modulation (PWM) current mode controllers. The apps targeted are ac-dc adapter applications for laptop/notebook computers, LCD displays, printers and household consumer electronics.

The NCP1234 and NCP1236 integrate features such as over power compensation, brownout (NCP1236 only) and ramp compensation without increasing power dissipation or adding external components.

High voltage Dynamic Self-Supply (DSS) feature in these power ICs connects devices to the line voltage without need for startup resistors. These devices also automatically decrease frequency at light loads before entering skip mode, ensures maximum efficiency across the entire load range.

"These controllers are optimized to deal with the challenges set by modern power supply designs, where high efficiency and low power consumption are needed for light and no load conditions" said Shane Chilton, director of ON Semiconductor's AC-DC products group. "The new devices provide design engineers with the competitive advantages of reduced board size and increased efficiency. Through a high level of integration, minimal additional discrete components are required, thus lowering the overall solution cost and enabling higher power density solutions."

The NCP1234 and NCP1236 are available in two frequency options, 65 kHz or 100 kHz with the option to automatically recover, or latch off the device during a fault condition. Housed in an SOIC-7 package, the pricing for these devices is US$0.35 per unit for 10,000 unit quantities.