STMicroelectronics Announces 3A Single-Chip Buck DC/DC Converter for Home Appliances and Industrial Equipment

STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM, hereinafter ST) has announced the "DCP3603," a monolithic buck DC/DC converter with a 3A supply capability in a small 3 x 1.6mm footprint. This product contributes to simplifying design, reducing board area, shortening development time, and improving system reliability. With a wide input voltage range of 3.3V to 36V, it can be used in applications such as smart meters, home appliances, and 24V industrial equipment.

Employing synchronous rectification and offering a choice of 1MHz or 500kHz fixed switching frequencies, the DCP3603 maintains high efficiency across the entire load range, reaching 93% conversion efficiency at a 600mA load (12V input / 5V output). With built-in power switches and compensation functions, the circuit can be completed with minimal additional components—just an inductor, bootstrap circuit, filter capacitor, and feedback resistor—minimizing the component count.

The DCP3603 is available in two variants. Depending on the application, users can choose between a forced PWM mode version for optimal performance in noise-sensitive applications and a pulse-skipping mode version to minimize power consumption at light loads. Both products feature frequency dithering to reduce noise power generated at the switching frequency, while an extremely low quiescent current of 85µA minimizes total power consumption. Additionally, further power savings are possible by turning off the converter using the enable pin.

The dedicated evaluation board "STEVAL-3603BC1" allows for the rapid evaluation of new designs featuring the DCP3603. This compact board is easy to connect via screw terminals and headers, enabling immediate operation verification.

The DCP3603 is currently in mass production and is provided in a 6-lead SOT23 package. The unit price is approximately $0.44 for orders of 1,000 units.

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