News: Microelectronics
6 August 2021
Navitas and Lenovo partner on fifth GaNFast charger
Navitas Semiconductor of El Segundo, CA, USA and Dublin, Ireland says that Lenovo has launched the YOGA CC130, its fifth GaNFast charger, with dual USB type-C outputs and high-power 130W capability. Either Type-C output can provide 100W for large laptops and fast-charging smartphones, with a combined 130W of dynamically shared total power when both ports are used.
Fast-charging communication protocols include USB-PD, Qualcomm QC 3.0 and USB-PPS. By exploiting the high-speed, high-efficiency performance of GaNFast technology, the dual-output CC130 measures only 71mm x 71mm x 30mm (151cc) to achieve a power density of 0.85W/cc at a weight of just 265g. This represents up to 40% size and 45% weight savings versus single-port legacy silicon adapters.
Since gallium nitride (GaN) is reckoned to run up to 20x faster than silicon, Navitas’ proprietary GaNFast power ICs comprise easy-to-use, high-speed, high-performance ‘digital-in, power-out’ building blocks and are said to deliver up to 3x faster charging in half the size and weight, and with up to 40% energy savings compared with silicon chips. Founded in 2014, Navitas introduced what it claimed to be the first commercial GaN power ICs, which monolithically integrate GaN power field-effect transistors (FETs) and GaN drive plus control and protection circuits in a single SMT package, enabling faster charging, higher power density and greater energy savings for mobile, consumer, enterprise (data center, 5G), renewables (solar, energy storage) and electric vehicles (EVs)/eMobility markets.
The CC130 dual-port GaN adapter uses GaNFast power ICs in two high-speed ‘soft-switching’ topologies to achieve the size and weight reductions. The first is a CrCM (critical-conduction mode) boost power-factor correction (PFC) circuit, using Navitas’ NV6117 (120mΩ) GaN power ICs to convert rectified AC power to a stable 400V DC rail. This is followed by a high-speed, isolating, LLC DC-DC stage with two NV6115 (170mΩ) ICs to efficiently step-down the voltage to ~20V for the USB-PD output stages. Both GaNFast ICs are rated at 650/800V, up to 2MHz switching frequency in space-saving 5mm x 6mm QFN SMT packages. Due to the integration of GaN FET, drive, protection and control, no external drivers are needed (which saves PCB space) and high-speed (switching-frequency) operation shrinks the size and cost of transformers, filters and capacitors.
Reliability is a critical specification, and the YOGA CC130 adapter has passed 81 Lenovo professional-grade laboratory tests, supports ESD protection, and passed the long-term use test of 8700 hours at full power.
The CC130 was jointly supervised by Lianbao Electronic Technology Co Ltd. and designed and built for Lenovo by Luxshare of Dongguan City, Guangdong. “At our core, we're a technology company, and for power electronics, this means the research, development and production of GaN fast chargers to stay at the forefront of the industry,” comments Fu Qiang Wang, power R&D director at Luxshare. “Luxshare chose Navitas’ GaNFast power ICs to build the YOGA CC 130... We firmly believe in the future potential of gallium nitride charging technology as a focus for Luxshare’s continuous research and development,” he adds.
“After the successful YOGA CC65, Navitas is honored to support Lenovo with the YOGA CC130 at twice the power,” says Stephen Oliver, VP of corporate marketing & investor relations at Navitas. “The CC130 will bring a faster, lighter, more powerful and more portable charging experience to Lenovo consumers,” he adds. “Navitas will continue to support Lenovo and Luxshare to develop further generations of GaN fast chargers, and to promote the innovation and development of the high-performance fast-charge industry.”
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