Synchronous step-down converter simplifies power conversion with up to 91% efficiency
The DCP3601NMR step-down converter from STMicroelectronics combines high efficiency with ultra-low standby power consumption, and comprehensive protection for battery-powered or mains-powered designs.
As a step-down converter, the DCP3601NMR provides up to 1A of output current from input sources between 3.3V and 36V. Part of the new DC+ converter family, from STMicroelectronics, the regulator emphasizes compact size for power designs.
The DCP3601NMR switching frequency is fixed at 1MHz, allowing the use of small inductors and capacitors to minimize solution footprint. The converter’s wide VIN tolerance suits systems from battery packs to industrial 24V rails. Also included are output over-voltage limiting and a thermal shutdown (TSD) mechanism, so the converter can safely shut itself down if an abnormal event or excessive temperature is detected.
STMicroelectronics offers the DCP3601 in multiple variants and package options. In addition to the base DCP3601NMR, which is the low-noise PWM version, there are variants like DCP3601CMR for low consumption mode, as well as DCP3601CDMR and DCP3601NDMR which both include the EMI dithering feature. This allows you to choose between low-noise and low-consumption operating modes to optimize performance. The low noise mode (LNM) variant runs in fixed-frequency PWM for minimal ripple. Alternatively, the low consumption mode (LCM) uses pulse-skipping at light loads to boost efficiency.