April 18, 2014 – Linear Technology Korea (CEO Hong Sa-kwak) announced the release of the LTC3624, a high-efficiency synchronous buck regulator capable of handling 17V input. This product is configurable to output voltages as low as 0.6V and provides a continuous output current of up to 2A. Synchronous rectification offers high efficiency of up to 95%, and Burst Mode® operation results in a no-load standby current of only 3.5µA. The LTC3624 operates at a fixed switching frequency of 1MHz, while the LTC3624-2 operates at a fixed switching frequency of 2.25MHz. The fixed-frequency, current-mode architecture provides very fast line and load transient responses while minimizing switching noise. The LTC3624/-2 operates over an input voltage range of 2.7V to 17V, making it ideal for single-cell or multi-cell lithium-ion stack inputs as well as 12V intermediate bus-driven systems. The combination of a 3mm x 3mm DFN package, high switching frequency, and small, low-cost capacitors and inductors ensures a very compact solution footprint.

With a minimum on-time of 60ns, the LTC3624/-2 can step down from a 16V input to 2.5V at a 2.25MHz switching frequency (LTC3624-2) without pulse skipping. Its 3.5µA standby current is well-suited for always-on applications requiring maximum battery operating time. For applications requiring the lowest possible noise, the LTC3624/-2 can be configured to operate in pulse skip mode or forced continuous mode to reduce noise and potential RF interference. Additionally, Power Good voltage monitoring, internal calibration, and thermal protection features are included.

LTC3624EDD and LTC3624EDD-2 are available in a 3mm x 3mm DFN-8 package, and the industrial-grade versions LTC3624IDD and LTC3624IDD-2 are guaranteed to operate over an operating junction temperature range of -40°C to 125°C, and all versions are available immediately.

Photo Caption: 17V, 2A synchronous step-down regulator with a standby current of only 3.5µA