News: Microelectronics
17 June 2022
Navitas’ GaNFast power ICs powering Anker’s 100W fast charger
Gallium nitride (GaN) power IC firm Navitas Semiconductor Corp of El Segundo, CA, USA and Dublin, Ireland says that its GaNFast power ICs with GaNSense technology are powering the new 100W fast charger of consumer electronics firm Anker Innovations of Changsha, Hunan, China.
Both the GaNFast ICs and the Anker 736 Charger (Nano II 100W) multi-port (2x USB-C, 1x USB-A) charger are 2022 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Innovation Award honorees, with the Anker 736 officially launched to the market in May. Compatible with USB 3.0 PD PPS and Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0, and measuring only 67mm x 31.5mm x 56.97mm (120cc) the charger achieves a power density of 0.83W/cc and can deliver a 50% charge to an Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 in just 40 minutes.
Since GaN runs up to 20x faster than legacy silicon, gallium nitride chargers can achieve 3x the power or 3x faster charging with up to 40% energy savings in just half the size and weight.
Navitas’ GaNSense technology integrates real-time, accurate and fast sensing of system parameters (including current and temperature) and achieves patent-pending, loss-less current sensing to deliver an additional 10% energy savings. GaNSense enables a ‘detect-to-protect’ time of only 30ns – 6x faster than discrete GaN power chips for increased system reliability. The Nano II 100W uses two NV6136A ICs, one in the boost PFC (power factor correction) stage, the other in a high-frequency quasi-resonant (HFQR) flyback converter, using loss-less current sensing for high-efficiency, cool operation and fast charging.
“By using Navitas GaNFast ICs instead of silicon, we are able to deliver more power from a smaller, lighter charger, achieving a power efficiency of over 93%,” says Anker Innovations’ CEO Steven Yang. “The result is an ultra-compact, high-performance charging solution that provides the convenience of fast and simultaneous multi-device charging with maximum portability,” he adds.
“Anker and Navitas have an established relationship that goes back to 2017,” says Charles Zha, VP & general manager of Navitas China. “Since we announced our strategic partnership, engineering teams from both Navitas and Anker have been co-located at Anker offices, which accelerates the time-to-market of innovative products such as the Nano II 100W charger.”
Navitas and Anker sign strategic partnership for next-gen mobile fast chargers
