Power modules ‘open new avenue’ in constrained board space

Designed to simplify the design of high performance board mounted power solutions, the module is said to feature the industry's highest power density. With a 17 x 17mm pcb footprint, the ISL8225M can deliver up to 100W of power. Two 15A outputs can be used independently or combined to deliver a single 30A output. Current sharing and phase interleaving allow up to six modules to be paralleled for 180A output capability. Full power operation is possible without heat sinks or fans. "This is a smaller solution than you can implement with discretes because we have a stacked 3d architecture, so we're able to make the package a little thicker but shrink the footprint," Michael Althar, vp, Intersil MultiMarket Power Products told New Electronics. "For applications where you have constrained board space, this really opens up a new avenue." The company says that only a handful of external components are required, resulting in a simple, easy to use solution with a low unit cost and BoM count. "This simplicity allows our customers to get to market quicker," added Steve Rivet, product line director for Power Module Products at Intersil.