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ON Semiconductor Broadens Power-Factor Correction Portfolio with Introduction of Controller for High-Power Applications

The manufacturer says...

Chipcenter's Nasser Kutkut, Ph.D., says...

Continuing to expand its leadership position as a global supplier of high-performance power-management components, ON Semiconductor introduced the NCP1650, an innovative power-factor correction (PFC) controller. The NCP1650 provides active PFC for power systems up to 3 kW, and is aimed at a wide variety of industrial applications, including distributed power, data-communications power supplies, rack-mounted power systems, and server power supplies. The NCP1650 is an average-current-mode controller featuring continuous- or discontinuous-mode operation for use with wide input and wide load ranges. Programmable fixed-frequency operation and a continuous-conduction mode enable the reduction of electromagnetic interference (EMI) using a simple filter design. Additionally, the part features a proprietary multiplier design that offers designers two advantages: reduction of total harmonic distortion and a more accurate measurement of delivered power. "This improved measurement of power accuracy significantly lowers total system cost by reducing the need to overdesign power-stage components," said Andy Williams, ON Semiconductor director of Analog Power Conversion Products. "For example, to create a design that guarantees delivery of 1,000 W to the load, a designer using ON Semiconductor's NCP1650 needs only to overdesign by 127 W. The most accurate competitive device requires a 293 W overdesign." The NCP1650 offers a comprehensive set of protection features, including maximum power limiting, instantaneous current limiting, and low-line input protection. In addition, an innovative comparator circuit provides fast limiting of output voltage transients. An interactive design tool software—available online for the NCP1650 at www.onsemi.com—will assist in drastically reducing the time required to design a PFC circuit. The Excel®-based tool calculates circuit component values based on customer-specified input parameters such as the voltage range and the frequency range. The behavior of the circuit can then be analyzed under specified line and load conditions. The NCP1650 operates on 50/60 Hz power systems over the universal AC input range of 85 V to 265 V. The NCP1650 is available in an SOIC-16 package and is priced at $1.15 per unit in 10,000-unit quantities.

Power-factor correction (PFC) controllers have long been introduced by many power IC manufacturers to allow designers to meet the various harmonic and distortion requirements in many applications. Most of these controllers incorporate basic standard circuitry that includes a multiplier and power-limiting circuitry. The newest generation of PFC controllers from On Semiconductor, the NCP1650, improves on present technology by offering an improved power-measurement accuracy, allowing for precision power limiting. This is achieved through a proprietary on-chip multiplier design. Precision power limiting lowers the PFC converter derating requirements, resulting in more efficient and lower cost designs in high-power applications. To make the designer's task even easier, On Semiconductors is offering an online interactive design tool. What a deal!!

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