Abstract
Summary
This analysis is based on a database of 147 digital power ICs from 17 makers
over the period January 2004 to June 2007 which was used as the basis for this
first-ever comprehensive analysis of trends in digital power IC pricing and
features. Manufacturers included in this study are: Analog Devices, Intersil,
iWatt, Freescale, Linear Technology, Microchip Technology, Potential
Semiconductor, Maxim, Micrel, Power-One, Primarion, Silicon Laboratories,
Summit, Texas Instruments, Tundra, Volterra and Zilker Labs. Data sources used
to compile this database included product data sheets, news releases, company
web sites, and other primary sources.
This detailed analysis focused on four key areas including: levels of
integration, features and functions, target converter applications, and
communications buses. Integration analysis considered five components:
monitoring capability, power control capability, on-board MOSFET drivers,
integrated power transistors, and on-chip memory. Features and functions
included four capabilities: parametric monitoring, feature configuration,
power conversion configuration, and performance configuration. (Detailed
definitions of both the Integration components and Features/Functions
capabilities are included in Appendix B.) Target converter applications
included eight specific areas: System Monitoring, general dc-dc converters
(independent of type), non-isolated dc-dc converters, isolated dc-dc
converters, voltage regulators, LDOs, power factor correction, and ac-dc power
supplies. The communication bus analysis considered the explicit use of I2C,
SMBus, PMBus, and Z-Bus configurations. Finally, there is a summary of the
application segments targeted by these devices (Computers, Communications,
Consumer, Medical, Industrial, Instrumentation, and Military/Aerospace).
Methodology
In constructing the digital IC product database, a large number of IC products
from over 30 companies were considered. However, in an effort to focus on the
latest developments in digital power technology, the product inventory was
limited to ICs with applications in computers, communications, consumer
products, medical, industrial, instrumentation, military/aerospace and related
areas. Data collection was limited to the period between January 2004 and the
end of June 2007. IC products used exclusively or primarily in motor drives,
portable applications and lighting ballasts were explicitly excluded from this
analysis. After sorting through the initial list of 30 companies, 17 companies
were identified that offered products meeting the criteria of this analysis.
The resulting database included 147 digital power IC products introduced over
the period January 2004 to June 2007.
Once an IC was determined to meet the selection criteria, it was added to an
Excel spreadsheet and categorized into a number of fields including the level
of digital integration, features and functions of the product, the target
market, the type and number of communications protocols included, the
packaging options available, the end-use markets for the product and price. In
addition, a good deal of attention was given to determining the specific
product announcement/introduction dates. The resulting chronological
information was used to identify product development trends in this market. In
every case, the product date was derived directly from manufacturer' s data
sheets, product announcements, catalogs, web sites and similar primary
sources. No products were physically analyzed in the completion of this
analysis.
Pricing data was collected from a variety of sources including conversations
with IC makers, distributors, and other knowledgeable individuals.
The detailed statistical discussion of the digital IC product database
includes extensive correlation analysis. Correlations are defined as the
percentage of occurrences for a specific feature/function with a given type of
digital power IC. For example, if 10 ac-dc power supply ICs are introduced in
a particular period and 4 of them include an on-chip Driver, the correlation
for the Driver function with ac-dc power supply ICs would be 40% in that
period. The complete month-by-month correlation data is included as background
in Appendix A. The resulting 20 charts are too detailed to be analyzed
directly. The analysis in the "Digital Power IC Product Introduction Analysis"
and subsequent sections of the report provides a statistically meaningful
summary of the detailed correlation data.
Digital IC Suppliers:
Analog Devices, Intersil, iWatt, Freescale, Linear Technology, Microchip
Technology, Potential Semiconductor, Maxim, Micrel, Power-One, Primarion,
Silicon Laboratories, Summit, Texas Instruments, Tundra, Volterra, Zilker Labs.
Analog IC Suppliers:
Alliance Semiconductor, Fairchild Semiconductor, International Rectifier,
Intersil, Linear Technology, Micrel, National Semiconductor, ON Semiconductor,
Sipex, Texas Instruments.
Other Companies:
Advanced Power Electronics Corp., Archangel Systems, Inc., Asahi Kasei
Microsystems, Auburn University, Digital Power Europe, Digital Power Forum,
Emerson Network Power, Fuji Electric Advanced Technology, IEEE Applied Power
Electronics Conference, Intel, Power-One.
View Cart
