RFPower Management IC (PMIC) Basics and Manufacturers
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A Power Management IC (PMIC) is an integrated circuit specifically designed to handle various power management tasks within electronic devices. PMICs are crucial for battery-powered devices like mobile phones, smartwatches, and other smart devices because they significantly reduce space requirements.
These ICs are solid-state devices that control the flow of electrical power, ensuring efficient and reliable operation.
Some of the popular PMIC manufacturers include Analog Devices, Maxim Integrated, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments (TI), NXP Semiconductors, Renesas Electronics, and Microchip Technology. A detailed list with specific models and features is provided in the table below.
Here are the typical functions of a PMIC:
- DC-to-DC Conversion: Efficiently converts one DC voltage level to another.
- Battery Charging: Manages the charging process for onboard batteries.
- Power Source/Path Selection: Selects the appropriate power source or path.
- Voltage Scaling: Adjusts voltage levels as needed by different components.
- Power Sequencing: Controls the order in which different power rails are enabled.
- Voltage Supervision: Provides overvoltage and undervoltage protection.
Power Management IC Companies
The following table provides a summary of PMIC manufacturers, along with example part numbers and key technical features:
| PMIC Manufacturers | Description |
|---|---|
| Analog Devices, Inc. | • Model: LTC3559 (Linear Technology Corporation) • Offers Linear Charger and Two Buck Regulators • Programmable charge current: Up to 950 mA • Adjustable output voltage: 0.8 V to VBAT |
| Maxim Integrated | • Model: MAX77714 (13 regulators (4x Buck regulators and 9x Low Dropout Linear regulators), 8 GPIOs, RTC (Real Time Clock), I2C interface and Flexible Power sequencing) • Model: MAX77650/MAX77651, Features include 3 Output SIMO Buck Boost regulator, Smart power selector Li+/Li-Poly Charger, Interfaces such as I2C and GPIOs etc. |
| STMicroelectronics | • Model: L5965 (Features include two battery compatible BUCK preregulators, two BUCK post regulators with internal compensation, one BOOST, one LDO and a precise voltage reference regulator, SPI interface with CRC, Power up phase programmable via OTP ) • Other PMIC Models: STPMIC1, STPMIC02 |
| TI | • TI offers many versions of PMIC • Visit: http://www.ti.com/power-management/multi-channel-ics-pmic/products.html • TI offers DIY PMIC solutions which can help in deciding output voltages, power sequencing, voltage monitoring thresholds, GPIO control and more • Few models include TPS650861, TPS6521815, TPS652170 and so on. |
| NXP Semiconductor | • Offers Power Management Solutions for Automotive, consumer, networking and industrial markets. • PMICs for various families of processors are available. • Switching and linear regulators are available on single PMIC. • Models: Low voltage power management ICs (PF series ), VR500 and VR5100 for networking |
| RENESAS | • Model ISL95862 (For Notebook, Ultrabook and tablet computers) • Features: 1+1+1 PMIC with integrated MOSFETs for Intel IMVP8 CPUs, I2C interface |
| Microchip | • Model: MIC7401 • Features: Configurable, 5 channel Buck regulator, one boost with hyper light load, I2C interface up to 3.4MHz |
Other notable companies in the PMIC market include ON Semiconductor, Infineon Technologies, ROHM Semiconductor, Dialog Semiconductor, MediaTek, Cypress Semiconductor, and Silicon Labs. These companies provide a wide variety of PMIC products designed for diverse applications and industries, such as consumer electronics, automotive, industrial automation, and telecommunications.
