MAX77324 Ultra-Small, Highly Efficient Buck Converter

Analog Devices' MAX77324 is an efficient, single-channel syn­chronous step-down (buck) converter capable of deliver­ing up to 1.5 A of current. The converter operates over a 2.5 V to 4.8 V input voltage range to support Li+ battery powered applications, while the output voltage is adjustable from 0.6 V to 2 V and has bet­ter than 2% accuracy over the whole temperature range.

The device uses a constant-on-time PWM control scheme. A nominal 2 MHz switching frequency reduces the over­all solution footprint by use of a small 0603 inductor. An automatic SKIP mode is also implemented to improve the light-load efficiency. The device provides low output voltage ripple, excellent line and load regulation, and tran­sient response. A dedicated enable pin allows for simple hardware control.

Built-in undervoltage lockout (UVLO), soft-start, active output discharge, cycle-by-cycle short-circuit, and thermal shutdown protections ensure safe operations under abnormal operating conditions.

With a 6.89 mm² total solution size, up to 93% efficiency, and 40 μA quiescent current, it is optimized for portable space-constrained battery-operated applications.