As portable media, mobile imaging, and cellular phones continue to merge, power management units (PMUs) are being asked to take on new, more challenging tasks.

Power supply functions

Convergence terminals need to deliver a higher level of baseline functionality. They use larger displays with richer color, provide bigger hard disks, and deliver longer play times. Flexible DC/DC converters make this easier to manage, providing combinations of high-current, high-efficiency, high-voltage, and low-ripple functionality.

Communication and control functions

The cell phone is becoming a personal multimedia center, requiring increased connectivity, content management, and better control of on, off, and hibernation functions. A closed-loop system in the PMU is important here, as are extended on/off control functions. For digital rights management, the PMU also needs to provide a unique code per device.

Multimedia features

The terminal's multimedia functions increase PMU integration even further, adding circuitry for hi-fi codecs, Class D amplifiers, a video DAC with buffers, a motor driver with a high-current DC/DC converter, and special interfaces for touchscreens and SIM cards.

Battery management functions

Added functionality typically means a larger battery supported by a backup battery. The PMU needs to manage complex charging functions, ranging from instant play-and-charge to USB-based charging and high-current, wall-mount charging.

The NXP portfolio

NXP has built its reputation on power-efficient solutions for cellular phones and portable media players, and offers a portfolio of advanced, system-level PMUs that optimize performance in even the most highly evolved mobile applications.

Each NXP PMU integrates programmable power supplies - as many as 21 on a single chip - so the system can adapt to different operating conditions. The result is power consumption that is more flexible and can be managed in real time.

The portfolio includes products that work directly with the cellular baseband or alongside an applications processor. There are also PMUs that provide dedicated power management in connectivity and broadcast subsystems, increasing the efficiency of complex functions like Wireless LAN (WLAN) and TV-on-mobile.

Integrated features, like on-chip battery chargers that support USB and wall-mount charging, touchscreen interfaces, support for digital rights management, and even Wireless LAN (WLAN) and TV-on-mobile, take power management beyond the basics to extend operating time even further.