POWER AND LINEAR IC SOLUTIONS

DC/DC Regulators Satisfy Military and Aerospace Requirements

A new family of µModule™ (micromodule) DC/DC regulators from Linear Technology Corporation is designed to satisfy the rigorous environmental, electrical and weight requirements of military and avionics applications. The first two members of the family are the LTM4601AHVMPV, a complete and encapsulated 12A switching DC/DC regulator system that weighs just 1.7g, and the LTM4600HVMPV, a 10A product.

The LTM4601AHVMPV is packaged in a 15mm x 15mm x 2.8mm military plastic LGA (Land Grid Array) to resemble a surface-mount IC, while its circuit functions like a simple linear regulator. This type of package has been qualified by military system designers as the preferred solution for high-power DC/DC solutions because of its lower thermal impedance when compared to a similar size BGA (Ball Grid Array) package.

Comprised entirely of Linear Technology silicon and supported by rigorous in-house testing, the module delivers component-level reliability and industry-leading performance. It is fully tested over the temperature range of -55ºC to +125ºC, including start-up at -55ºC. Testing includes zero failures for 500,800 device cycles for thermal shock from -65ºC to +150ºC; 7,000,000 device hours of power cycle from +50ºC to +100ºC; 890,000 device cycles of board-mount temperature cycling from -40ºC to +125ºC; solder shock at +245ºC; and 1500g of mechanical shock.



The LTM4601AHVMPV is a synchronous switch mode DC/DC step-down regulator with built-in inductor, supporting power components and compensation circuitry. The device operates from an input supply range of 4.5V to 28V and regulates an output voltage from 0.6V to 5V. It can deliver 12A continuous load current and achieve efficiencies as high as 92%.

An integrated µModule regulator simplifies power-supply design and construction, requiring only input and output bulk capacitors and a resistor to set the output voltage. Moreover, its low-profile design permits the device to be soldered onto the back side of a printed circuit board, freeing valuable board space. For board insertion and assembly, the device requires standard tooling and pick-and-place machines. The LTM4601AHVMPV is self-protected against output overvoltage and short circuit conditions.

Features

• Family of military-grade DC/DC converters
• 12A version in 15mm x 15mm x 2.8mm military plastic LGA (Land Grid Array)
• Integrated inductor, supporting power components, compensation circuitry and protection
• Input supply range 4.5V to 28V
• Output voltage: 0.6V to 5V
• Efficiencies as high as 92%
• Fully tested over the temperature range of -55ºC to +125ºC, including start-up at -55ºC
• Thermal shock testing
• Power cycle testing
• Temperature cycle testing
• Mechanical shock testing

Applications

• Telecoms and networking
• Industrial equipment
• Military and avionics systems

For further information, including copies of the LTM4600HVMPV and the LTM4601AHVMPV Datasheets and the Reliable Solutions for Rugged Environments Article, please click here