System architects exploring backup power with super capacitors or other energy sources can now achieve the best combination of maximum efficiency and minimum size with The Continua MAX38889 2.5V to 5.5V, 3A reversible step-down/step-up regulators from Maxim Integrated Products. The latest addition to the company's Continua family of backup supervisors provides what the company calls the industry's most stringent 2.5% of output regulation to support critical applications that require high precision.
The MAX38889 has a 94% peak efficiency, 9% higher than recent competing solutions, allowing it to support longer backup times. In addition, at a third of the size, it is easier to integrate into space-limited designs.
In applications such as smart meters or car dashboard cameras, regulators operate in step-down mode to charge backup power sources such as supercapacitors. When the main power supply disappears, the regulator automatically reverses direction and increases the ultracapacitor voltage to power the system until the main power supply returns.
For ease of adoption, the overall solution is 64% smaller than its nearest competitor (218mm² versus 606mm²), enabling designers to reduce the number of components, cut board space and save on BOM costs. The smaller size also makes it easier to integrate into new and existing designs with tight space constraints. The device adjusts backup power for a variety of portable and non-portable applications, such as retail price scanners and surveillance cameras, as well as other applications for the Internet of Things in homes, buildings, automobiles, industrial automation, and healthcare.
Maxim Integrated Core Products Group Managing Director Anil Telikpalli："Maxim's Continua series of backup voltage regulators feature an advanced switching regulator design that provides bi-directional step-down/boost with compact output regulation to minimize space while improving power efficiency," "This is the third product in our Continua series, and Maxim strives to solve the always-on application by design -- the toughest backup power challenge engineers face."
