The new TPS61220 boost converter, which comes in a small SC-70 package, provides full battery capacity utilization of a portable system, because of its ability to start up with a 0.7-V input voltage into a connected load. Based on a hysteretic, off-time control method, the device uses synchronous rectification to maintain more than 85 percent power efficiency at the lowest possible operating current. This allows microcontroller-based applications, such as those that use TI’s new CC430 microcontroller and low-power RF on a chip (www.ti.com/cc430), to extend battery life by maintaining efficient standby operation.
The TPS61220 provides output current up to 50 mA at a 5-V output, and discharge the
system’s lithium-ion battery down to 2.5 V. The device’s output voltage can be programmed by an external resistor divider, or is fixed internally on the chip. In addition, the converter can be disabled to minimize battery drain.
The TPS61220, which comes in a 6-pin, SC-70 package, can achieve a total DC/DC converter solution size of 6.4 x 9 mm with a height of only 1 mm. The small size and high performance allow designers to implement the device in any portable, microcontroller-based application powered by A, AA or AAA batteries.