Latest DSCs enable more power-efficient power supply designs

Available now from Farnell element14, Microchip's new dsPIC33EP GS Series digital signal controllers (DSCs) enable power supply designs that are more energy efficient and have superior specifications. They feature higher switching frequencies, which enable the development of physically smaller power supplies that offer higher densities and lower costs. The dsPIC33EP GS devices have less than half the latency, compared to the previous generation of DSCs, when used in a three-pole three-zero compensator, and consume up to 80% less power in any application. This family of 14 devices includes Live Update Flash capability, which is particularly useful for high-availability or 'always-on' systems. It allows the firmware of an operating power supply, including the active compensator calculation code, to be updated while maintaining continuous regulation. dsPIC33EP controllers are available in a 4x4mm UQFN package (the industry's smallest) for space-constrained designs. Other key features of this family include up to five 12-bit ADCs with as many as 22 ADC inputs, providing total throughput of 16 Mega samples per second (Msps) with a 300 ns ADC latency. The range includes 12-bit DACs for each of the four analogue comparators, for higher-precision designs. The two on-chip programmable gain amplifiers can be used for current sensing and other precision measurements. Including these advanced analogue amplifiers onboard minimises the number of external components required, reducing costs and board space. This combination of features and high performance makes the dsPIC33EP GS family ideal for a wide range of applications, including computer and telecom (e.g., AC/DC and DC-DC power supplies), industrial (e.g., solar inverters, LED lighting, HID lighting, battery chargers, projectors and welders) and automotive (e.g., LED and HID headlights, DC-DC converters), says the company.