The TPS62110 1.5 A dc/dc step-down converter supports 3.1 to 17 V of input voltage. This integrated circuit (IC) is said to offer 95 percent power efficiency to extend battery life in industrial handhelds, portable test equipment, and consumer devices powered by two- to three-cell lithium-based batteries or a 12 V power source. A synchronous step-down converter, the TPS62110 features integrated FETs in a lead-free 4 x 4 mm QFN package. Built using LBC7 analog process manufacturing technology, the device can maintain high efficiency over a wide load current range. The device enters a power-saving pulse-frequency modulation (PFM) mode at light load currents and supports output voltages from 16 to 1.2 V. Users can place the converter in shutdown mode to reduce power consumption to less than 2 mA. Portable device designers can apply smaller external components and reduce board space thanks to the converter’s 1 MHz switching frequency. The TPS62110 can be synchronized to an external clock signal between 0.8 and 1.4 MHz. For lower noise operation, the converter can operate in a pulse-width modulation (PWM) only mode. The LBC7 CMOS process gives the TPS62110 low specific ON-resistance or RDS(on). The TPS63700 dc/dc boost inverter provides an 800 mA typical switch current limit in a 3 x 3 mm QFN package. The inverter converts an input of 2.7 to 5.5 V to an output voltage as low as -15 V. Thanks to its 4.7-mH inductor, the device features a small footprint. The TPS63700 is well suited for precision amplifiers and data converters used in industrial applications that require both positive and negative power supply voltages. These include the manufacturer’s OPA277 or ADS8342 devices. The TPS63700 can also be used in LCDs, CCDs, and organic LED (OLED) displays used in 3G smartphones and PDAs. The TPS6211x line of converters is priced at $2.50 each in quantities of 1,000 units. Each comes in a 16-pin, QFN package.