San Jose, California-based Micro Linear Corp has unveiled what it claims is the first single-chip power controller for battery operated computers and instruments: the ML4860 device replaces the five chips that are required for power conversion and power regulation and is claimed to increase battery life as well as reducing the cost of the products; key feature of the ML4860 is its built in DC-to-DC converter and regulator, which assure that the battery Voltage, which can range from 5.5V to 20V, is regulated precisely to the 5V level required by the microprocessor and other digital logic; it can also be configured for 3.3V and uses a technique known as synchronousrectification to improve the efficiency of the process that regulates a battery’s voltage down to 5V or 3.3V, extending battery life by 5%; the ML4860 is sampling now with full production scheduled for June; it costs $4.95 for 1,000-up.
