Being able to use multiple component sources in one electronic power design can be a great benefit. Especially in times of semiconductor shortages, having multiple sources for a component can be a lifesaver that keeps production lines running. In this issue, you will find some guidance and tips and the full application note on how to design power management applications with multiple component sources.
Tips for Selecting Low Voltage Buck Converters from Multiple Suppliers
Small low voltage Buck converters are often used to step down from a 5V or 3.3V rail to lower voltages like 1.2V or 1.0V at low current levels, running at higher frequencies like 1.5 or 2.2MHz with small size external components. For these parts, (T)SOT-23 and SOT-563 package and pinout offer pin compatible parts from at least 3 IC vendors. Richtek’s ACOT® LV Buck family RT5750/52/60/62 is quite suitable because this ACOT® design is flexible regarding the external component choices, and often can be used as drop-in replacements for several other IC vendor parts.
Tips for Choosing 17V/18V rated Buck Converters from Multiple Suppliers
The 17V/18V rated Buck converters are normally used to convert a 12V rail into lower voltages like 5V, 3.3V or lower voltages like 1.2V or 1.0V for powering SoC core voltages. Current levels can vary considerably but most common are 1A~4A range. The (T)SOT-23-6 packages are most popular and several vendors provide the same pinout for these parts, making them very suitable for multi-source design. SOT-563 packages have smaller footprint but have slightly worse thermal performance. Richtek’s ACOT® HV Buck family RT6252/53/64 is quite suitable because this ACOT® design is also flexible regarding the external component choices. By reserving certain components, 3 or 4 different vendor ICs can be used in the same PCB application.
Choosing 24V/36V rated Buck Converters for Multi-source Designs
The 24V/36V rated Buck converters are suitable for industrial applications where an unregulated 12V/24V supply is converted to lower voltage power rails. The asynchronous current mode Buck converters RT6200 and RT8259 are our popular parts as the external Schottky diode exhibits very low switching losses and the duty cycle has a wider range. Several vendors provide Buck converter solutions in (T)SOT-23-6 with the same pinout for this range as well.
Choosing Industrial and Automotive 42V/60V Buck Converters for Multi-source Designs
Designs for industrial and automotive applications can be quite demanding. The Richtek industrial RT(Q)6340/41/42/43/45, RT(Q)6360/61/62/63/65 and automotive RTQ2940/41/42/43/45/49, RTQ2960/61/62/63/65 42V/60V 0.5A~5A buck converter family has special features for automotive design, like close to 100% duty-cycle operation, smooth transition from normal to drop-out mode, and spread-spectrum frequency jitter for reducing EMI radiation. Also for this range, Richtek has considered commonality with other IC vendor parts, and Richtek parts have been tested in various automotive applications and can be used successfully as 2nd source, in many cases without the need of external component changes.
Design Tips for Choosing LDOs from Multiple Suppliers
You can also find more design tips on LDOs for common footprint layout and multi-source component choices in the full article.
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