Digital Power Electronics: Current Situation Analysis of OEM Applications, Converter & IC Product Development Trends and Competitive Strategies: Competitive Profiles and Recent Developments

Significant commercial and technological strides have been made in digital power management and control over the past year. No longer considered an emerging technology, digital power now plays a significant role in the area of power conversion and power management for a growing number of applications. As the interest in digital power grows, an increasing number of semiconductor companies and power converter manufacturers are competing to determine what kind of functions and features system makers want, what will be the value-added benefit of digital over analog and what are the external demands that digital will meet more effectively than analog. In addition to these questions, there are many other factors that need to be considered, as not all digital power solutions are created equal.

For example, some digital power management ICs only manage and/or monitor, but don�t perform any voltage conversion. Given the variety of areas and applications that digital power can now be applied to, customers need to choose vendors based on specific product requirements, and have to determine what kind of functions and features they must include. Some of the features that need to be considered include power conversion configuration (setting Vout, frequency, current limits, UVLO, soft start, delay/ramp, etc.), feature configuration (tracking, sequencing, margining, etc.), performance configuration (efficiency optimization, transient optimization, loop compensation optimization, etc.) and parametric monitoring (Vin, Vout, lout, temperature, frequency, fault status, etc.)

In addition to the growing number of features and functions required, semiconductor companies and power converter manufacturers must address the demand for varying degrees of integration among the products. These demands include monitoring (the ability to digitally monitor power parameters), control (the capability to digitally set power parameters), drivers (an integrated MOSFET driver), power (an integrated power stage, most commonly an integrated MOSFET) and on-chip memory (the ability to store settings on-board the IC rather than relying on another component). This level of integration combined with the choice of communications protocols, I2C, PMbusTM, etc., will require that both semiconductor companies and power converter manufacturers to examine the market carefully before introducing new digital products.

Digital power has moved beyond motor drives, portable products and ballasts, and is showing up in a growing number of products and applications. Looking at the past years product offerings, it is clear that the technology has been accepted and is being integrated into a growing field of applications including computers, communications, consumer electronics, medical, industrial, instrumentation and other areas.

Like most emerging technologies, the digital power landscape has many specialized competitors. The profiles in this report cannot cover them all, but they do provide a broad and representative sample of the more significant products and technologies.

Methodology

The data presented in this report are derived from a comprehensive study of the digital power controller ICs, digital power converters and related power management ICs markets. Primary data were obtained using �open questionnaires.� A combination of telephone and in-person interviews were conducted. In-person interviews were conducted either in the plant where the individual works or at various trade shows. The interviews conducted at trade shows were typically performed in a more informal atmosphere and were generally very successful in gathering good quantities of hard data and insights from the individuals being interviewed. All interviews conducted in the course of this research were performed on a confidential basis. The data were used in combination with the responses from all other respondents.

The primary and secondary research included all possible major application areas for digital power controller ICs, digital power converters and related power management ICs. The data-gathering methodology included primary research and data collection in all regions worldwide and was not limited in any way to North America. Secondary research was performed using all available published sources including, but not limited to, nonproprietary, previously performed and related work by the Darnell Group, all available trade journals, proceedings from related trade conferences, previous industry studies, annual reports, 10Ks, advertising, product literature, and so on.

Executive summary
Significant commercial and technological strides have been made in digital power management and control over the past year. No longer considered an emerging technology, digital power now plays a significant role in the area of power conversion and power management for a growing number of applications. As the interest in digital power grows, an increasing number of semiconductor companies and power converter manufacturers are competing to determine what kind of functions and features system makers want, what will be the value-added benefit of digital over analog and what are the external demands that digital will meet more effectively than analog. In addition to these questions, there are many other factors that need to be considered, as not all digital power solutions are created equal.

For example, some digital power management ICs only manage and/or monitor, but don�t perform any voltage conversion. Given the variety of areas and applications that digital power can now be applied to, customers need to choose vendors based on specific product requirements, and have to determine what kind of functions and features they must include. Some of the features that need to be considered include power conversion configuration (setting Vout, frequency, current limits, UVLO, soft start, delay/ramp, etc.), feature configuration (tracking, sequencing, margining, etc.), performance configuration (efficiency optimization, transient optimization, loop compensation optimization, etc.) and parametric monitoring (Vin, Vout, lout, temperature, frequency, fault status, etc.)

In addition to the growing number of features and functions required, semiconductor companies and power converter manufacturers must address the demand for varying degrees of integration among the products. These demands include monitoring (the ability to digitally monitor power parameters), control (the capability to digitally set power parameters), drivers (an integrated MOSFET driver), power (an integrated power stage, most commonly an integrated MOSFET) and on-chip memory (the ability to store settings on-board the IC rather than relying on another component). This level of integration combined with the choice of communications protocols, I2C, PMbusTM, etc., will require that both semiconductor companies and power converter manufacturers to examine the market carefully before introducing new digital products.

Digital power has moved beyond motor drives, portable products and ballasts, and is showing up in a growing number of products and applications. Looking at the past years product offerings, it is clear that the technology has been accepted and is being integrated into a growing field of applications including computers, communications, consumer electronics, medical, industrial, instrumentation and other areas.

Like most emerging technologies, the digital power landscape has many specialized competitors. The profiles in this report cannot cover them all, but they do provide a broad and representative sample of the more significant products and technologies.