Maxim’s Compact Synchronous Buck Converters Provide Industry’s Lowest EMI Performance for Automotive Infotainment and ADAS Applications

Automotive designers can significantly lower EMI and increase efficiency with the pin-compatible MAX20073 and MAX20074 buck converters from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. (NASDAQ: MXIM). The compact converters, which offer the industry’s lowest EMI performance for low-voltage point-of-load applications, are ideal for automotive infotainment and ADAS applications.

Automotive designers are tasked with adding more features to modern, high-end cars, while using a highly efficient, compact solution that meets or exceeds EMI requirements. However, as more automotive features are added, the number of power rails continue to increase as well. Each individual power rail is powered from the car battery through a front-end buck converter and often require specific voltage regulation precision requirements. On top of all those challenges, designers need to meet stringent safety standards in the industry.

The MAX20073/MAX20074 features higher efficiency than competitive solutions and offer the lowest EMI in the industry, reducing interference that can impact the function of sub-systems in a small solution size with ultra-low quiescent current. Combined with Maxim’s unique spread spectrum oscillator, SYNC IN functionality, forced PWM, skip modes and current-mode architecture, the system quality and performance dramatically improves, easing overall system designs. Additionally, backend point-of-load (POL) buck converters, such as the MAX20073/MAX20074, send very specific voltages to the many power rails that come with adding advanced modern features. Its output voltage accuracy makes it ideal for applications that have these tight processor and memory voltage requirements. The ICs also adhere to tight safety standards, operate with low-input voltages across a wide range of temperatures, and minimize radio frequency interference (RFI) while exhibiting high accuracy, high efficiency, and high reliability.

Key Advantages

Lowest EMI: Unique spread-spectrum and SYNC IN features mitigate the system EMI radiation, easing the effort for designers to meet EMI specifications

Higher Efficiency: Exhibits superior efficiency across the entire operating range for best-in-class efficiency compared to competitive solutions

Small Solution Size: Its small 3mm x 3mm 10-pin TDFN-EP package reduces overall system footprint, while saving system BOM cost

Output Voltage Accuracy: Output voltage can be pre-set at the factory to allow ±1.5 percent output-voltage accuracy without the need for expensive 0.1 percent external resistors

Commentary

“Designers need buck converters that meet today’s increasingly stringent requirements such as small solution size, specific voltage regulation precision, and higher efficiency,” said Warren Tsai, Director of Business Management for the Automotive Business Unit at Maxim Integrated. “The MAX20073 and MAX20074, newest members of the updated family of low-voltage, small POL buck converters meet all their system’s power requirements and pass EMI prerequisites.”

Availability and Pricing

The MAX20073 is available for $1.20 and MAX20074 is available for $1.30; Both are available at Maxim's website

Operates over the -40-degree Celsius to +125-degree Celsius ambient temperature range

MAX20073EVKIT# and MAX20074EVKIT# evaluation kits are available for $45

Designers are recommended to contact Maxim for pin-compatible ASIL variants

Details about MAX20073: http://bit.ly/MAX20073_ProductPage

Details about MAX20074: http://bit.ly/MAX20074_ProductPage