STMicroelectronics Slays 'Vampire Power'

Semiconductor giantSTMicroelectronics thinks it has the solution to minimizing the loss of power that happens when devices, appliances, and other electronic equipment is in standby mode, a phenomenon called "vampire power."

The company is offering a new power-supply chip that meets the international specification for zero standby power and provides a smart way to manage the wake-up function of lighting and white goods as well as industrial equipment, the company said.

The new VIPer0P IC from STMicroelectronics can help reduce wasted power and carbon dioxide emissions by enabling appliances such as clothes dryers, washing machines, dishwashers, coffee makers, and microwaves to emit zero power in standby mode, the company said. Other applications for the new chip -- the latest in the VIPer family of ICs from the company -- include lighting controls, industrial appliances, and air conditioners.

The VIPer0P consumes less than 5mW in idle mode at 230V AC supply, the company said. According to Clause 4.5 of the IEC 62301 standard for household and office appliances, this performance is rounded to zero power. And if an appliance or piece of equipment uses a switch to control standby, idle power can be further reduced to 4mW.

The chip works by providing standby power for the system host microcontroller while in idle mode, which allows an appliance or device to be woken up by the main-appliance user interface. This could be a touchscreen or a remote controller, which means there is no need for a dedicated high-voltage mechanical switch to take the appliance out of standby, the company said.

The VIPer0P is an off-line power-converter IC with configuration versatility, with potential to act as a flyback, buck, or buck-boost switched-mode power supply. Technically, it integrates an avalanche-rugged Power MOSFET with breakdown voltage of 800V, and also has protection features that include short-circuit protection, Vcc clamping, thermal shutdown, and soft-start. Additionally, the oscillator controlling the switching frequency is jittered to minimize electromagnetic interference, the company said.

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Other features of the new chip include integrated high-voltage startup circuitry, error amplifier with 1.2V reference and separate ground for direct feedback connection, and a sense-FET for energy-efficient current sensing. These features simplify design and minimize external components thereby saving bill-of-materials costs and board space, according to the company.

Manufacturers already have designed the VIPer0P into forthcoming new appliances, and the chip is in volume production in the SO16N surface-mount package. It's priced from $0.54 for orders of 1,000 pieces.

Elizabeth Montalbano is a freelance writer who has written about technology and culture for more than 15 years. She has lived and worked as a professional journalist in Phoenix, San Francisco, and New York City. In her free time she enjoys surfing, traveling, music, yoga, and cooking. She currently resides in a village on the southwest coast of Portugal.

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