In notebook PC applications, LCD power circuits require DC/DC converters with high current handling capability and a stable DC voltage supply. Posing a design challenge, the demand for lower-profile mobile equipment is driving a corresponding need for choke coils—the main component in DC/DC converters—with higher current capacity and a lower physical profile. However, boosting current capability necessitates increasing the size of the core and thickening the lead wire inside the inductor, both of which make reducing the size and profile of the device very difficult.
TAIYO YUDEN responded to this design challenge by departing from the conventional round drum/sleeve core technology used by typical inductor designs. The company instead developed a unique sleeveless square-core winding that successfully eliminates all wasted space and thickens the lead wire inside the inductor to achieve the lowest possible DC resistance. Moreover, the NR6012 series’ special ferrite-based resin covering further reduces component size and enables the industry’s highest available current rating of 1A at 10µH inductance.