News: Microelectronics
20 May 2021
Navitas powers Baseus GaN2 100W charger
Navitas Semiconductor Inc of El Segundo, CA, USA says that a first charger with Qualcomm Quick Charge 5 technology fast-charging protocol has been launched by Chinese consumer electronic brand Baseus, featuring Navitas’ GaNFast power ICs. With 100W of power, and with Quick Charge 5 plus USB-PD and USB-PPS control protocols, the new Baseus charger can power any phone or laptop including Samsung’s 45W S21 Ultra and Apple's 96W MacBook Pro 16”.
Gallium nitride (GaN) is reckoned to run up to 20x faster than silicon, and Navitas’ proprietary GaNFast power ICs deliver up to 3x faster charging in half the size and weight, and with up to 40% energy savings compared with legacy 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 drive plus control and protection circuits, enabling faster charging, higher power density and greater energy savings for mobile, consumer, enterprise, eMobility and new energy markets.
The Baseus GaN2 100W charger has a single USB-C output and measures only 67mm x 30mm x 55mm (111cc), weighs just 178g, and retails for only $34. These specifications make it 40% smaller, 40% lighter and 50% lower retail price than premium silicon-based chargers, it is reckoned.
“With 100W of charging power, users can charge a 4500mAh battery phone from 0 to 50% in just five minutes,” says Long Kou Chen, Baseus’ vice general manager, Tech Charger Products. “Moreover, Quick Charge 5 enables 100W of charging power to provide better performance in areas like fast-charging laptops. With thanks to the Navitas team for their help bringing the GaN2 100W to market so quickly, users can replace the original large laptop charger – plus phone and tablet chargers – with one, small, light device,” he adds.
“Baseus are a future-facing company, with a laser-focus on user experience, which means that they are at the leading edge of not only power semiconductor technology with Navitas, but also in terms of control and fast-charging with Qualcomm Technologies Inc,” comments Stephen Oliver, Navitas’ VP of corporate marketing & investor relations. “The mobile fast-charger market is only the start for GaN, as we expand into higher-power markets like TVs, home connectivity, data centers, electric vehicles (EVs)/eMobility and solar, attacking an estimated $13bn power semiconductor market by 2026.”
The GaN2 100W (model #CCGAN100CS) uses the NV6125 650V GaNFast power IC, running in a high-speed, soft-switching circuit. Alternative discrete GaN solutions require increased component count, larger PCB footprints and higher system cost without integrated protection circuits, creating inherent reliability risks, says Navitas. In contrast, GaNFast power ICs have integrated drive, control and protection circuits that enable unparalleled energy efficiency, robustness & reliability, operating frequencies, design simplicity, system cost and PCB footprint reduction, says the firm.
