Power Integrations’ InnoSwitch3-Pro Allows In-Field Programmability for Rapid-Charge Designs

Power Integrations recently introduced the InnoSwitch3-Pro, which is the latest addition to their InnoSwitch family of products.

Rapid charging for devices has quickly become a common trend in electronic devices. At APEC 2018 in San Antonio, TX, Power Integrations introduced their InnoSwitch3-Pro (PDF), a digital programmable power conversion IC. The key target of the InnoSwitch3-Pro is to support both fast-charging protocols in consumer devices, and non-charging applications requiring either a load-controlled or configurable output.



The InnoSwitch3-Pro is configurable by I2C communication, which allows production customization and in-field programming of the AC-DC conversion process. A simple code command from a microcontroller controls voltage and current movement. “Different batteries from different manufacturers all have different applications, so we made it a programmable power supply,” said Andy Smith, director of training at Power Integrations. “You can allow the load, which is the battery, with its specific footprint, to require specifically what it needs at any point in its charge curve. And that’s important, because custom power supplies are expensive, and this [InnoSwitch3-Pro] makes it easier to achieve a custom performance.”

Specs

The InnoSwitch3-Pro is built on Power Integration’s FluxLink and InnoSwitch technologies. FluxLink is a pulse transformer introduced with the InnoSwitch a few years back. It conducts signals from the secondary side to the primary side, enabling feedback information to be delivered across an isolation barrier without the use of any magnetic materials. The design of the InnoSwitch3-Pro allows clearance between the primary and secondary sides to protect against surges.



Rapid charging protocols, including QC4, SCP, FCP, and VOOC are supported by the InnoSwitch3-Pro as well as USB-PD 3.0 +PPS. The family of products is CQC certified, UL recognized, and TUV approved.

Different sizes, ranging from a 25- to 65-watt maximum output, are available within the InnoSwitch3-Pro family.

Rapid Charging: The New Normal?

Rapid charging is becoming the expected norm for a lot of products and AC-DC power conversion is changing quickly to adapt to the demands. Due to this rapid change, the InnoSwitch3-Pro’s programmability was a major goal for its designers.

Power Integrations’ director of product marketing Shyam Dujari puts it like this: “The ability to precisely control the output voltage and current of a power supply over a wide range is also useful for designers of specialized applications with smaller production runs, as they can easily configure a single board design for multiple product SKUs using software either at manufacture or during installation.”