Rohm introduces Nano Cap technology for stable circuit control

This technology addresses control of linear regulator output. It improves the analogue circuit response while minimising parasitic factors related to wiring and amplifiers in the circuit design, says the company. It is possible to reduce the output capacitance to less than 1/10th, compared with typical circuit design load designs. It joins the power technology already available, Nano Pulse Control, for high speed pulse and low current technology, and Nano Energy, whic reduces the number of external capacitors needed in linear regulator design. 

It is particularly targeted at the automotive and industrial sectors to control power supply circuits, even with small (nF) capacitances. It has been brought about because the number of electrical components has been increasing, particularly in automotive design. For designers, this adds complexity as each electrical application requires a variety of voltage sources, all of them stabilised by capacitors. This increases the number of external capacitors that linear regulators require. Nano Cap improves the response in analogue circuits and minimises the parasitic factors caused by wiring and amplifiers, to control linear regularor output.

As a result, instead of a µF capacitor at the output of a linear regulator and 100nF at the input of the microcontroller in a typical circuit, using a linear regulator with Nano Cap there is no need for the capacitor at the regulator output, stable operation is achieved with just the 100nF input capacitor, reports Rohm. Decreasing both the number of capacitors and the capacitance needed for power supply circuits contributes to minimising circuit design load.

Operational amplifiers using Nano Cap technology are sampling now. The company will release Nano Cap linear regulators and LED drivers with built-in Nano Cap-equipped regulators later this year. Rohm says it will also develop the technology to other analogue ICs.