Toshiba ICs target wearables and IoT devices

  • January 19, 2022
  • Steve Rogerson

Japanese electronics company Toshiba believes its latest IC chips can lengthen the life of wearables and IoT devices.

The TCK12xBG series of load switch ICs deliver a decrease in quiescent current and they have an output current rating of 1A. Housed in a WCSP4G package, the ICs should support product developers in innovating for wearables and IoT devices that consume less power and offer a longer charge life. Volume shipments have started.

They use a driver circuit that realises a typical on-state quiescent current of 0.08nA. This represents in the region of a 99.9 per cent reduction from Toshiba’s current TCK107AG product, an advance in efficiency that should allow wearables and IoT devices powered by small batteries to operate for significantly longer.

The WCSP4G package developed for the products is about 34 per cent smaller than that of the TCK107AG, measuring 0.645 by 0.645mm, which allows mounting on small boards. Its back coating can reduce the damage that can happen to such a minute chip in the mounting process.

Toshiba has prepared a line of three ICs: TCK127BG with automatic discharge that turns on at active high; TCK126BG without automatic discharge that turns on at active high; and TCK128BG with automatic discharge that turns on at active low. This offers product developers and designers the freedom to select the load switch IC that best suits their design requirements.

Toshiba says it will continue to enhance low quiescent current technology products to contribute to equipment downsizing and lower power consumption, and to a sustainable future.

Applications include wearables, IoT devices, smartphones, and the on and off switch of power supplies for sensors. They can replace load switch circuits formed by discrete semiconductors such as mosfets and transistors.