It’s one of the most persistent paradoxes in electronics design. Consumers want smaller portable devices with bigger functionality. But how do you pack more power in form factors that keep shrinking? Texas Instruments offers one possibility with its TPS62601 dc-dc converter, which the company calls the industry’s smallest and thinnest solution.

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This 500-mA step-down device measures 0.9 by 1.3 mm and stands just 0.6 mm tall, making it about the same size as a pepper flake. Also, it achieves up to 89% power efficiency and only 30-μA operating current. Its 6-MHz fixed frequency enables the use of a single 0.47-μH inductor and two low-cost ceramic capacitors without compromising performance and efficiency.

Furthermore, the synchronous, switch-mode converter provides dc voltage regulation accuracy of ±1.5%. With its 2.3- to 5.5-V input voltage range and 1.8-V output, it can support single-rail voltage requirements as designers add new features and functions to their portable devices. The TPS62601 can support memory, GPS, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi modules as well as other wireless micro-modules used in popular handheld products.

To help maximize battery runtime, it automatically goes into a power-save mode during light-load operating conditions via an automatic pulse-frequency modulation and PWM switching feature. Its shutdown mode reduces its current consumption to less than 1 μA.

The TPS62601 comes in a six-pin WCSP. Available now, it costs $1.45 each in 1000-unit lots. The TPS62601EVM-327 evaluation module, application notes, and TI’s online Power Management selection tool are available through power.ti.com.

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