The power device delivers 20 A of continuous current in a compact form factor for new and traditional space applications.
Space designers are integrating increasingly powerful digital processing, creating demand for compact power solutions that can respond quickly while operating reliably in harsh environments. The Microchip POL-05-20S-T offers a high-current GaN solution that achieves high power density, design flexibility and system-level reliability.
The new device uses gallium nitride (GaN) to deliver up to 20 A in a compact, 25 g surface-mount package measuring 1.51” x 1.51” x 0.45”. By delivering 20 A in this footprint, the device helps engineers manage the size, power and energy constraints that accompany increasingly capable onboard processing systems. The GaN-based design is intended to provide a combination of high efficiency, high power density and continuous current capability for challenging space power applications.
It is designed for high-current, fast-transient applications such as the core voltage rails of FPGAs, microcontrollers, ASICs and other processing-intensive digital loads. It combines a synchronous buck topology with current-mode control to support fast current transients and stable operation. With a wide input range of 4.75 V to 13.2 V and adjustable 0.7 V to 5 V output, the device offers flexibility to address multiple power rails and system architectures on satellites.
Designed for harsh radiation environments, the device has electrical parameters specified before and after irradiation up to a Total Ionising Dose (TID) of 50 krad. The device is characterised for single-event effects (SEE) up to a linear energy transfer (LET) of 43 MeV·cm²/mg. It operates from −55°C to +100°C at full load, supporting systems exposed to wide temperature variations over the course of a mission.
To support reliable power delivery, it incorporates remote sensing, undervoltage and overvoltage protection, soft start, an enable pin and power-good indication pin. Adjustable output voltage, a wide input range and output droop regulation further help designers tailor the converter to high-current loads requiring tight voltage regulation and rapid transient response.
