ROHM presents LogiCoA: the industry's first analog-digital

SANTA CLARA, CA and KYOTO, Japan, July 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ROHM Semiconductor today announced LogiCoA™, a small to medium power industrial and consumer device (30W to 1kW class). is a power supply solution for It provides the same functionality as a fully digitally controlled power supply with lower power consumption and cost.

Analog controlled power supplies are commonly used in industrial robotics and semiconductor manufacturing equipment that operate in the medium power range. However, in recent years these power supplies have also been required to provide high levels of reliability and precise control, making it difficult to meet market demands with only analog configurations. On the other hand, while fully digitally controlled power supplies enable fine control and settings, they are not widely adopted in the small to medium power range due to the high power consumption and cost of the digital controller. Is. To solve this problem, ROHM developed the LogiCoA power solution that leverages the strengths of both analog and digital technologies. High-performance, low-power LogiCoA MCUs are used to control a variety of power supply topologies.

The LogiCoA brand embodies the design philosophy of fusing digital elements to maximize the performance of analog circuits. ROHM’s LogiCoA power solution is an industry first.[1] An “analog-digital fusion control” power supply that combines a digital control block around the LogiCoA MCU with analog circuitry consisting of silicon MOSFETs and other power devices.

In a fully digitally controlled power supply, functions handled by digital controllers such as high-speed CPUs or DSPs can be processed by low-bit MCUs, making it possible to achieve increased functionality that is realized over analog. Difficult to do with control power supply. Low power consumption and cost. This solution allows correcting performance variations in peripheral components according to the power supply circuit by storing different settings such as current and voltage values in the LogiCoA MCU. As a result, unlike analog control power supplies, design margins do not need to be considered, contributing to smaller power supplies that provide greater reliability. Also, as operation log data can be recorded in the MCU’s non-volatile memory, it is ideal for power supplies in industrial equipment that require logging as a backup in case of failure.

The evaluation reference design REF66009 allows users to test the LogiCoA power supply solution in a non-isolated buck converter circuit. Various tools necessary for evaluation are also provided, including circuit diagrams, PCB layouts, parts lists, sample software, and supporting documentation, while the actual device can be simulated using the optional LogiCoA001-EVK-001 evaluation board. Diagnosis is possible.

Going forward, ROHM will continue to develop LogiCoA MCUs to support different power supply topologies, making the power supply block (which accounts for most of the power loss in applications) more energy efficient and compact. It will contribute to achieving a sustainable society.

LogiCoA brand
LogiCoA is a brand that embodies the design philosophy of fusing digital elements to maximize the performance of analog circuits. By combining the advantages of analog circuitry with digital control, it is possible to maximize the potential of the circuit topology, contributing to more efficient power use. Since LogiCoA is a design concept that can be applied not only to the power supply field, but also to power solutions as a whole, ROHM is considering its application in future products and solutions.

LogiCoA power supply reference design

The REF66009 diagnostic reference design offered on ROHM’s website allows users to verify the functionality of the LogiCoA MCU using a non-isolated 12V buck converter circuit, along with basic operation of the LogiCoA power supply solution. The sample software available on the reference design page makes it possible to verify the sequence control of the implementation tasks and the monitoring of various parameters in the actual set using the LogiCoA001-EVK-001 reference board. For more information about the reference board, please contact a sales representative or the contact page on ROHM’s website.

Application examples.

Industrial robots
Semiconductor manufacturing equipment
Gaming applications
Supports mounting in a wide range of common industrial equipment and consumer equipment (30W to 1kW).

About the LogiCoA MCU
ROHM is developing LogiCoA MCUs suitable for integrated analog-digital control, such as LogiCoA power supply solutions. Features include a built-in 3-channel analog comparator that can be connected to a timer and a D/A converter that enables digital control of various parameters to support different power supply topologies.

Availability

LogiCoA MCU samples are now available.

[1] ROHM Study, July 2024
LogiCoA™ is a trademark or registered trademark of ROHM Co., Ltd.