Power Integrations, a developer of integrated circuits for energy-efficient power conversion, has introduced LinkZero-AX, an integrated offline switching IC designed to enable designers achieve zero watts of standby energy consumption in auxiliary power supplies.
LinkZero-AX, which can be used in major appliances, TVs, and remotely-controlled electronic lighting ballasts, features a power-down mode that turns off the auxiliary power supply when the end product is idle.
While in power-down mode that is triggered by a signal accessible to a microcontroller, completely shutting down switch-mode operation and internal switch control circuits, the LinkZero-AX stays alive, allowing the IC to be awakened with a reset pulse or button press.
LinkZero-AX can be used in conjunction with Power Integrations’ CAPZero X capacitor discharge IC and SENZero sense resistor disconnect device, to reduce standby power waste in high-power consumer products and appliances to as low as 4mW.
LinkZero-AX devices, which provide designers with flexibility to build low standby power supplies without mechanical AC mains switches are available now in an SO-8C package at $0.35 each for 10,000-piece quantities.
Power Integrations product marketing manager Silvestro Fimiani said that LinkZero-AX enables designers to achieve zero standby power consumption at the lowest system cost using the fewest parts.
“It is a simple solution to implement — in new designs or as a retrofit upgrade — and compliance with international efficiency regulations is assured,” Fimiani said.