SLYY203B september   2021  – april 2023 BQ25125 , LM5123-Q1 , LMR43610 , LMR43610-Q1 , LMR43620 , LMR43620-Q1 , TPS22916 , TPS3840 , TPS62840 , TPS63900 , TPS7A02

 

  1.   At a glance
  2.   Authors
  3.   3
  4.   Contributors to IQ
  5.   Why low IQ creates new challenges
    1.     Transient response
    2.     Ripple
    3.     Noise
    4.     Die size and solution area
    5.     Leakage and subthreshold operation
  6.   How to break low IQ barriers
    1.     Addressing transient response issues
    2.     Addressing switching-noise issues
    3.     Addressing other noise issues
    4.     Addressing die size and solution area issues
    5.     Addressing leakage and subthreshold operation issues
  7.   Electrical Characteristics
    1.     18
    2.     Avoiding potential system pitfalls in a low-IQ designs
    3.     Achieving low IQ, but not losing flexibility
    4.     Reducing external component count to lower IQ in automotive applications automotive applications
    5.     Smart on or enable features supporting low-IQ at the Smart on or enable features supporting low-IQ at the system level
  8.   Conclusion
  9.   Key product categories for low IQ
Designers of ultra-low-power electronics today make constant trade-offs between higher performance and longer battery life. Despite improved battery capacities, the fundamental challenge remains: how can higher performance be achieved for longer periods of time?

At a glance

This paper examines the need for and associated challenges and solutions to reduce quiescent current (IQ).

1
IQ is the no-load quiescent current, and the most important bottleneck to overcome for duty-cycled low-power systems. Low IQ enables longer battery life.
2
Reducing IQ creates trade-offs in transient noise performance, die package area and output power range.
3
Reducing IQ by decades without sacrificing performance or area requires a reexamination of both silicon technologies and circuit techniques.