DC/DC converters shrink car body electronics

ST’s A6983 step-down synchronous DC/DC converters provide space savings in light-load, low-noise, and isolated automotive applications. The series offers flexible design choices, including six non-isolated step-down converters in low-power and low-noise configurations, plus one isolated buck converter. With compensation circuitry on-chip, these devices help minimize both size and design complexity.

Non-isolated A6983 converters supply a load current up to 3 A and achieve 88% typical efficiency at full load. Low-power variants minimize drain on the vehicle battery in applications that remain active when parked. Low-noise types operate with constant switching frequency and reduce output ripple across the load range. These devices offer a choice of 3.3-V, 5.0-V, and adjustable output voltage.

The A6983I is a 10-W isolated buck converter with primary-side regulation that eliminates the need for an optocoupler. It allows accurate adjustment of the primary output voltage, while the transformer turns ratio determines the secondary voltage.

All of the AEC-Q100 qualified converters have a quiescent operating current of 25 µA and a power-saving mode that draws less than 2 µA. Input voltage ranges from 3.5 V to 38 V, with load-dump tolerance up to 40 V.

The converters come in 3×3-mm QFN16 packages. Prices start at $1.75 and $1.81 for the A6983 and A6983I, respectively, in lots of 1000 units. Free samples are available from the ST eStore.

A6983 product page

A6983I product page

STMicroelectronics

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