Designers of small, battery-powered electronic devices can improve the user experience by extending battery life and further reducing device size with six new low-power power management integrated circuits (PMICs) from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.The PMIC MAX17270, MAX77278, MAX77640 / MAX77641 and MAX77680 / MAX77681 help reduce the power management footprint by up to 50 percent for space-constrained products such as wearables, hearables, sensors, smart home automation management devices and Internet of Things (IoT).
Designers strive to make electronic devices more integral to consumers' lives by reducing their form factor, minimizing heat, improving efficiency, and extending battery life. Maxim is expanding its SIMO PMIC portfolio to help designers overcome these challenges, building on the compact size and efficiency precedents set by the MAX77650/MAX77651. The MAX17270, MAX77278, MAX77640/MAX77641, and MAX77680/MAX77681 PMICs allow a single inductor to serve as the critical energy storage element for multiple independent DC line outputs. This enables engineers to reduce the number of bulky inductors in their designs, thereby improving efficiency, reducing form factor, and minimizing heat dissipation. Furthermore, the PMICs' low quiescent current plays a significant role in extending battery life. With the intrinsic speed-boosting operation of the PMICs, the power lines can operate across the entire battery range.
MAX17270: Smaller size and lower quiescent current
At 50 percent smaller than previous-generation SIMO-only solutions, the MAX17270 SIMO buck-boost converter offers the industry's smallest solution size while reducing the number of inductors and ICs required for a power tree. Its quiescent current of 850 nA for one SIMO channel and 1.3 µA for three SIMO channels is among the lowest on the market, helping to extend the battery life of end devices. Furthermore, the product's low power consumption prevents overheating and reduces the need for frequent charging cycles for wearables and hearables. It is available in TQFN and WLP package options.
MAX77278: Path power charger optimized for small Li+ batteries
This ultra-low-power SIMO PMIC offers three power regulators with independent voltage outputs (0.8VOUT to 5.25VOUT), a quiescent operating current of 16µA / standby current of 300 nA, and flexible power sequencing. The device also functions as a charger for small Li+ cells (7.5mA - 300mA DC range). It includes a 425mA adjustable current sink for an LED, eight general-purpose input/output (GPIO) pins, and a low-noise, low-dropout regulator (LDO) operating from 3.7125V to 5.3V, 50mA with fixed-space control, all in a footprint as small as 24mm². The PMIC's I²C interface allows an application processor to monitor status and control power management. The MAX77278 is ideal for remote controls, health and fitness monitors, body cameras, and IoT applications.
MAX77640 / MAX77641: Highly integrated power and battery charging solutions
These ultra-low-power SIMO PMICs feature three boost regulators, a low-noise 150 mA LDO, a GPIO output port, a triple-current sink for an RGB LED array, and flexible power sequencing. Operating current is only 5.6 µA, and turn-off current is 300 nA. Available in a 16 mm² total solution size, the MAX77640 and MAX77641 are ideal for applications with a built-in charger in areas such as wearables, fitness and health monitoring, and IoT.
MAX77680 / MAX77681: Mini PMIC for always-on, low-power applications
These ultra-low-power SIMO PMICs provide three boost regulators, a quiescent operating current of 3.0µA, a turn-off current of 300nA, and flexible power sequencing. The overall solution footprint is only 15.5 mm². Due to their feature set, the MAX77680 and MAX77681 are ideal for minimalist platforms requiring simplified resources, such as wearable devices (Bluetooth® earbuds/headphones) and miniaturized IoT devices (rings, watches, e-pens).
