The design of battery-powered equipment can often bequite challenging. Since few ICs can operate directly fromthe end-of-life voltage from a 2-cell battery (about 1.8V),most systems require a DC/DCconverter. The systemdesigner often has a limited area in which to place the DC/DC converter; associated inductors and capacitors must be
The latest generation of Texas Instruments (TI) boardmountedpower modules utilizes a pin interconnect technologythat improves surface-mount manufacturability.These modules are produced as a double-sided surfacemount(DSSMT) subassembly, yielding a case-less constructionwith subcomponents located on both sides of theprinted circuit board (PCB). Products produced in theDSSMT outline use the latest high-efficiency topologiesand magnetic-component packaging. This providescustomers with a high-efficiency, ready-to-use switchingpower module in a compact, space-saving package. Bothnonisolated point-of-load (POL) switching regulators andthe isolated dc/dc converter modules are being producedin the DSSMT outline.TI’s plug-in power product line offers power modules inboth through-hole and surface-mount packages. The surfacemountmodules produced in the DSSMT outline use asolid copper interconnect with an integral solder ball fortheir