To meet the demands of a wide range of global markets, Amber Semiconductor (AmberSemi), a manufacturer of fabless semiconductors, has created an innovative architecture of offline AC/DC power-conversion solutions. This technology, known as AC Direct DC Enabler (or Enabler), extracts DC power directly from AC mains, thus eliminating the need for rectifier bridges, transformers and high-voltage bulk capacitors.
Unlike conventional power solutions, the Enabler necessitates a reduced number of external components. Additionally, it presents prospects for augmenting product features and/or substantially diminishing product form factors.
Overview of AmberSemi’s technology
Enabler is, at its essence, a technology based on solid-state silicon that can replace the operation of conventional electromechanical components. In turn, this results in increased feature potential, greater operational flexibility, a more compact physical footprint and enhanced dependability attributed to the solid-state architecture.
In the realm of power electronics, it is a commonly accepted paradigm that an increase in delivered power corresponds to an increase in circuit size, leading to higher costs and engineering issues. The digital control of electricity developed by AmberSemi, which is integrated into a semiconductor IC device, represents a significant architecture upgrade to power technology across the electrical product landscape and enables more compact and dynamic power designs.
What’s more, Enabler provides these features without forcing end goods to deviate from their standard form factors. The reduced footprint of the system makes it possible to pack more functionality into the same amount of real estate, leading to cost savings and other advantages.
AmberSemi’s AC Direct DC Enabler ICs have the highest power density in their class, at 5 W per 0.21 in.3 (1.47 cm3), making them the most space-efficient option on the market. As a result, the power density of solid-state design is increased, making it particularly attractive in applications with limited space, such as portable devices, circuit breaker boxes, power distribution units, and electric and traditional gas-powered cars.
In addition, the AC Direct DC Enabler IC’s inbuilt Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) allows for access to the internal programmable registers, expanding the IC’s capabilities and configurability. When combined with a processing unit like a microcontroller, this type of power-conversion solution becomes an intelligent power-conversion solution that provides real-time reporting on a wide variety of internal activities.
A comparison of the dimensions of a power supply made with traditional technology and one based on AmberSemi’s solid-state technology can be seen in Figure 1. The new technology allows for an improvement in power density, area occupied on the PCB and overall volume.
The AC Direct DC Enabler product family comprises two series supporting an extensive array of applications:
- The Enabler-FX series provides engineers with the greatest degree of flexibility when designing systems. By utilizing external power MOSFETs, the Enabler-FX provides designers with the ability to optimize the device in terms of cost, space, performance and dependability. The internal compensation network, minimal external topology and operational configurability of the device all contribute to a streamlined system design that reduces the total number of components and system size.
- For maximum space conservation, the integrated Enabler-SX provides the most compact design solution. Power MOSFETs are integrated into the Enabler-SX to produce a completely integrated AC-to-DC converter in a single, extremely compact LGA package. The Enabler-SX offers the most compact power delivery solution in the industry, allowing system designers to incorporate more features into smaller form factors for the next generation of internet of things, artificial intelligence of things and industrial IoT systems.
Advantages of AmberSemi’s technology
Besides a smaller footprint, higher power density and configurability through the SPI interface, AmberSemi’s AC Direct DC Enabler provides several key advantages, such as reliability, scalability and dynamic control over output power.
Reliability
In contrast to conventional solutions, solid-state architecture empowers power electronics companies to attain elevated levels of dependability and longevity. By employing capacitors with lower voltage ratings in comparison with conventional systems, the AC Direct DC Enabler architecture demonstrates compatibility with ceramic, polymer and electrolytic capacitors.
Additionally, a significantly reduced component count contributes to enhanced sustainability and reliability. By utilizing standard power supplies that require up to 50% more components per kilowatt-hour of operation, the AC Direct DC Enabler ICs reduce the thermal and electrical strain on critical components, thereby facilitating effective heat dissipation and diminishing the likelihood of component failure caused by overheating. It additionally provides the capability of utilizing ceramic capacitors rather than electrolytics in situations where maximum reliability is required, such as in power supplies operating in switch mode.
Scalability
The integration of solid-state architecture and digital electrical management presents enhanced adaptability and expandability in contrast with conventional power electronics solutions. The AC Direct DC Enabler ICs feature an extensive input voltage range of 24–277 VAC, enabling the use of a single design across an extensive global product portfolio. The input voltage independence of AmberSemi’s technology will further enhance the utility of its products in industrial applications requiring higher voltages, where conventional products encounter difficulties, in future designs.
Scalability and system expansion are facilitated by the chip’s seamless integration into a wide range of modular and generic design architectures, which also permits the architecture to be more dynamic and to utilize a greater capacity of power. Utilizing this functionality, design engineers can devise solutions that are flexible in response to fluctuating power requirements, thereby enabling the possibility of reducing stock-keeping units (SKUs) for entire product lines and facilitating adjustments to system architectures.
Dynamic control of power
AC Direct DC Enabler ICs are considerably more dynamic than conventional solutions due to the digital management of electricity. This solution facilitates enhanced control by utilizing software to deliver dynamic power. It achieves this by allowing for configurable output voltage ranges and automated mode switching, which ultimately optimize the efficacy of all power outputs.
Power module companies have the potential to proactively contribute to the transition toward a more sustainable energy landscape by adopting solid-state semiconductor architecture. This benefit can be obtained due to the architecture’s increased durability and reduced component count, which eliminates the necessity for replacement parts.
Configurability
The device’s incorporated SPI interface provides designers with the capability of configuring power-conversion parameters and establishing event thresholds for protective purposes. When integrated with a processing unit, this device produces an intelligent power-conversion solution that facilitates real-time reporting on various internal operations, including alarm event monitoring and subsystem-load data recording.
Applications
The AC Direct DC Enabler is highly compatible with an extensive variety of electrical products, such as doorbell cameras, thermostats, smart products, appliances, intelligent HVACR and more. This innovative technology will benefit virtually any electronic device that operates on DC power and is supplied by AC mains. Furthermore, this technology can be integrated with critical semiconductor components, such as wireless transmitters and microcontrollers, to create one-of-a-kind AC Direct semiconductor systems. Such systems would provide power for both housekeeping functions and external sensors from a single AC Direct system.
The main applications in which the Enabler-FX and Enabler-SC series can be used are shown in Figure 2.
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