ROHM Offers LogiCoA: The Industry's First Analog-Digital Fusion Control Power Supply Solution
10 Julio 2024 - 4:00PM
ROHM Semiconductor today announced LogiCoA™, a power supply
solution for small to medium power industrial and consumer
equipment (30W to 1kW class). It provides the same functionality as
fully digital control power supplies at low power consumption and
cost equivalent to analog power types.
Analog controlled power supplies are commonly
used in industrial robotics and semiconductor manufacturing
equipment that operate in the medium power range. However, in
recent years these power supplies have also been required to
provide a high level of reliability and precise control that make
it difficult to meet market demands with analog-only
configurations. On the other hand, while fully digitally controlled
power supplies enable fine control and settings, they are not
widely adopted in the small to medium power range due to the high
power consumption and cost of the digital controller. To address
this issue, ROHM developed the LogiCoA power solution that
leverages the strengths of both analog and digital technologies.
High performance, low power LogiCoA MCUs are utilized to facilitate
control of a variety of power supply topologies.
The LogiCoA brand embodies a design philosophy
of fusing digital elements to maximize the performance of analog
circuits. ROHM’s LogiCoA power solution is the industry’s first[1]
“analog-digital fusion control” power supply that combines a
digital control block centered around the LogiCoA MCU with analog
circuitry comprised of silicon MOSFETs and other power devices.
In a fully digital control power supply, the
functions handled by digital controllers such as high-speed CPUs or
DSPs can be processed by low-bit MCUs, making it possible to
achieve increased functionality that is difficult to realize with
an analog control power supply at low power consumption and cost.
This solution allows for the correction of performance variations
in peripheral components according to the power supply circuit by
storing various settings such as current and voltage values in the
LogiCoA MCU. As a result, there is no need to consider design
margins, unlike with analog control power supplies, contributing to
smaller power supplies that provide greater reliability. In
addition, as operation log data can be recorded in the MCU's
nonvolatile memory, it is ideal for power supplies in industrial
equipment that require logging as a backup in case of
malfunction.
The evaluation reference design REF66009 allows
users to experience the LogiCoA power supply solution in a
non-isolated buck converter circuit. Various tools necessary for
evaluation are also offered, including circuit diagrams, PCB
layouts, parts lists, sample software, and support documents, while
actual device evaluation is possible using the optional
LogiCoA001-EVK-001 evaluation board.
Going forward, ROHM will continue to develop
LogiCoA MCUs to support various power supply topologies,
contributing to achieving a sustainable society by making the power
supply block (which accounts for the majority of power loss in
applications) more energy efficient and compact.
LogiCoA BrandLogiCoA is a brand that
embodies a design philosophy of fusing digital elements to maximize
the performance of analog circuits. By combining the advantages of
analog circuitry with those of digital control, it is possible to
maximize the potential of circuit topologies, contributing to more
efficient power utilization. As LogiCoA is a design concept that
can be applied not only to the power supply field, but also to
power solutions as a whole, ROHM is considering its application in
future products and solutions.
LogiCoA Power Supply Reference Design
The REF66009 evaluation reference design offered
on ROHM's website allows users to verify the functionality of the
LogiCoA MCU, along with the basic operation of the LogiCoA power
supply solution, using a non-isolated 12V buck converter circuit.
Sample software available on the reference design page makes it
possible to confirm the sequence control of execution tasks and the
monitoring of various parameters in the actual set using the
LogiCoA001-EVK-001 reference board. For more information on the
reference board, please contact a sales representative or the
contact page on ROHM’s website.
Application Examples
-
Industrial robots
-
Semiconductor manufacturing equipment
-
Gaming applications
-
Supports mounting in a wide range of general industrial equipment
and consumer devices (30W to 1kW)
About the LogiCoA MCUROHM is developing
LogiCoA MCUs optimized for integrated analog-digital control, such
as LogiCoA power supply solutions. Features include a built-in
3-channel analog comparator that can be linked to a timer and D/A
converter that enables digital control of various parameters to
support different power supply topologies.
Availability
LogiCoA MCU samples available now
[1] ROHM study, July 2024 LogiCoA™ is a trademark or
registered trademark of ROHM Co., Ltd.
- ROHM's LogiCoA Analog-Digital Fusion Control Power Supply
Solution
- LogiCoA Power Supply Solution Overview
Keng Ly
ROHM Semiconductor
(248) 348-9920
kly@rohmsemiconductor.com
Heather Savage
BWW Communications
(408) 507-4398
heather.savage@bwwcomms.com