Power supply efficiency continues to be a key concern for designers across various industries, from consumer electronics to industrial and medical applications. Addressing the demand for compact, high-efficiency solutions, Power Integrations has introduced the TinySwitch-5 integrated circuit (IC), which extends the capabilities of its well-established TinySwitch family.
TinySwitch ICs have been widely used in power supply applications due to their ability to deliver high efficiency while maintaining simplicity in design. The latest iteration, TinySwitch-5, pushes these capabilities further, achieving up to 92 percent efficiency with a flyback architecture that utilizes basic diode rectification and optocoupler feedback.
One of the notable advancements in the TinySwitch-5 is its ability to support power outputs of up to 175 W, significantly expanding its application range. Additionally, the IC is designed to optimize efficiency even at light loads—a crucial feature for meeting stringent energy consumption regulations. In particular, it allows designs to comply with the European Commission Energy-related Products (ErP) Directive, which limits standby power consumption to 300 mW.
The control architecture of TinySwitch-5 dynamically adjusts switching frequency and power delivery to optimize performance across varying load conditions. This ensures both energy efficiency and thermal management benefits, enabling designers to build power supplies that can deliver up to 75 W without requiring a heatsink. For applications in regions with unstable mains power, built-in line under- and over-voltage protection enhances system robustness.
As efficiency standards continue to evolve, innovations such as TinySwitch-5 highlight the ongoing efforts within the semiconductor industry to improve power conversion technologies. With regulatory requirements becoming increasingly stringent, power supply designers must balance energy efficiency with performance demands. Advances in switcher ICs like TinySwitch-5 contribute to this progress by offering improved power density and optimized standby performance.
The continued development of high-efficiency power supply components plays a crucial role in reducing global energy consumption. As companies refine their designs to meet new regulatory and application-specific requirements, solutions that simplify compliance while improving overall efficiency remain critical to industry progress.
