Dual-output regulator IC has wide operating range

Paul Boughton
Allegro Microsystems Europe is introducing the A4402 dual-output regulator IC that integrates a buck switching regulator and a linear regulator to provide dual output voltages such as those required by microcontrollers or DSP-based applications.
 
This new device operates over a supply voltage range from 6-50V and provides two adjustable output voltages that are regulated to within two per cent across all operating conditions. The constant on-time buck regulator operates at a switching frequency of up to 2MHz, allowing the system designer to select low-value inductors and capacitors.
 
An adjustable soft-start timer is used to ramp the output voltage in a controlled fashion at start-up, reducing the demand on the external power supply by limiting the current that charges the output capacitor and any DC load.
 
Protection features include undervoltage lockout and thermal shutdown. In the event of a short-circuited load, overcurrent protection is also provided for each regulator. The A4402 also features a watchdog timer to monitor the state of a microcontroller or DSP circuitry, along with a power-on reset function with adjustable delay to provide a signal to reset the system.
 
Target markets include consumer, office or industrial applications requiring two output rails, especially microcontrollers or DSP systems requiring I/O and core voltages. Typical uses will be printers, scanners, modems/routers, industrial control, distributed power systems, set-top boxes, GPS units and white goods.
 
The A4402 comes in a 16-pin TSSOP package with exposed pad for enhanced thermal dissipation. It is lead-free, with 100 per cent matt tin leadframe plating.
 
For more information, visit www.allegromicro.com