National Semiconductor Introduces New Family of Buck Regulators with the Industry’s Highest Power Density in Ultra-Small Packaging

LM283x Family Offers Three Output Current, Switching Frequency and Packaging Options for Low-Voltage Point-of-Load Applications

August 7, 2006 - National Semiconductor Corporation (NYSE:NSM) today expanded its high power-density regulator offerings with the introduction of the LM2830, LM2831 and LM2832. The first products in this new family of monolithic pulse-width modulation (PWM) converters offer industry-leading power density due to their high level of integration, high-frequency operation and ultra-small packaging.

The LM2831, in a tiny SOT23-5, offers industry-leading power density by providing a 1.5A output current while operating at 1.6 MHz or 3 MHz. It is also available in a 6-lead LLP® package. The 2A LM2832, in a 6-lead LLP package, also offers industry-leading power density and is available at 550 KHz, 1.6 MHz and 3 MHz switching frequencies. It is also available in a 8-pin MSOP. The 1A LM2830 is available with 1.6 MHz and 3 MHz switching frequency options in SOT23-5 and 6-lead LLP packages.

This range of output currents, switching frequencies and packaging options gives designers flexibility in choosing a regulator for conversion from a 3.3V to 5V bus to output voltages as low as 0.6V. This is ideal for point-of-load power requirements in set-top boxes, xDSL cable modems, broadband communications, network cards, computing peripherals and hard disk drives.

Compelling Features and Benefits
National’s LM2830, LM2831 and LM2832 regulators are monolithic, high-frequency, PWM step-down DC/DC converters. They provide all the active functions necessary for local DC/DC conversion, with fast transient load response and accurate regulation in the smallest possible board area. All three regulators have few external components, making them easy to design with, especially for designers with limited power management expertise. The products’ high-frequency operation is made possible by their innovative control circuitry, which enables on-times as low as 15 ns.

The regulators’ switching frequencies are set internally at 550 kHz, 1.6 MHz or 3 MHz, which allows designers to use extremely small surface mount inductors and chip capacitors while achieving efficiencies above 90 percent, even with the highest frequency option. External shutdown is included, with an ultra-low stand-by current of 30 nA. The regulators also utilize current-mode control and internal compensation to provide high-performance regulation over a wide range of operating conditions. Additional features include internal soft-start circuitry to reduce in-rush current, pulse-by-pulse current limit, thermal shutdown and output over-voltage protection.

About National’s Power Management Products
National Semiconductor is the number one supplier of voltage regulator ICs with 14 percent market share, according to iSuppli’s 2005 Semiconductor Market Share survey. National’s innovative power management products include best-in-class linear regulators; power monitoring, control and reference ICs; and switching converters, such as high-voltage ICs for DC-DC conversion, switched capacitor converters, lighting management ICs and inductive switching converters. National also offers online tools that enable power designers to select the best power management chips for their applications. National’s Webench® design tool allows designers to choose a product, create and analyze a design, and then build custom prototypes that can be delivered within 24 hours. More information about National’s power management products is available at http://power.national.com.

Pricing and Availability
Prices for these regulators start at $1.25 in 1,000-unit quantities for the LM2830 at a 1.6 MHz switching frequency. More information is available at http://power.national.com. The 1.6 MHz and 3 MHz switching frequencies are available now, and the 550 KHz option will be available later this summer, as will the MSOP-8 version of the LM2832.

Note to Editors: To view a high-resolution downloadable photo of these products, visit National’s photo gallery.

About National Semiconductor
National Semiconductor, the industry’s premier analog company, creates high-value analog devices and subsystems. National’s leading-edge products include power management circuits, display drivers, audio and operational amplifiers, interface products and data conversion solutions. National’s key analog markets include wireless handsets, displays and a variety of broad electronics markets, including medical, automotive, industrial, and test and measurement applications. Headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., National reported sales of $2.16 billion for fiscal 2006, which ended May 28, 2006. Additional company and product information is available at www.national.com.

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