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optical DC/DC step-up converter

T

Thomas Magma

Jan 1, 1970
0
Many years ago I saw an IC that directly converted low voltage DC to higher
voltage DC using internal LEDs (no switcher). The theory was that a single
LED would shine on a series of LEDs to produce a higher voltage. It was only
micropower stuff, but I might have a use for it if I could find it again.

Does this ring a bell to anyone?

Thomas
 
J

Joerg

Jan 1, 1970
0
Thomas said:
Many years ago I saw an IC that directly converted low voltage DC to higher
voltage DC using internal LEDs (no switcher). The theory was that a single
LED would shine on a series of LEDs to produce a higher voltage. It was only
micropower stuff, but I might have a use for it if I could find it again.

Does this ring a bell to anyone?

It does ring a bell but it's been a long time ago and the idea seemed to
have vanished quickly, as expected. To me it appeared to be "technology
looking for a home".

You can build your own but don't expect any efficiency. Why not use an
oscillator and inductors? If it has to be more stealthy maybe use
ultrasound and PZT ceramics.
 
J

Joerg

Jan 1, 1970
0
John said:
Toshiba TLP191B. It's an LED illuminating a PV stack. It makes about
10 volts open-circuit on the output side, something like 40 uA
short-circuit current.

Cool! Avnet has 750 of them, the others seem to be all dry.

It's cool for isolated gate drives. You can combine it with a fast
AC-coupled drive to get net DC isolated gate drive. I guess you could
run some cmos logic, or even a low power uP, from ballpark 200
microwatts.

At over a buck a pop I'd be partial to using a Chinese-made ferrite-core
transformer plus rectifier to get DC up there. At least as long as the
Renminbi is pegged against the Dollar :)
 
J

Joerg

Jan 1, 1970
0
John said:
Oscillator, ...


FPGA, uC or DSP pin. As in "free" :)

transformer, ...


30-40c a pop in reel qties. <25c if it's a huge series.

rectifier,


Ok, another 3c.



Un pequena condensador de ceramico. 0.3c, if you want to splurge and use
X7R. Otherwise more like 0.2c. Seriously, you can get 10,000 of them for
$20 at Digikey and they've got over 10 million in stock.

... That's a lot of parts.

True. Doesn't matter too much but if production has to be domestic with
the high placement cost you are right. You'd probably still save with
the discrete solution, but not much. In Asia, different thing. I have
done designs that are in production there, where some people would scoff
of crack jokes about how the world now has ICs and all that. Yet even
after years in production there is no way to achieve the same unit price
through higher integration.
 
M

Martin Siegwarth

Jan 1, 1970
0
Am 20.11.2010 03:24, schrieb John Larkin:
Toshiba TLP191B. It's an LED illuminating a PV stack. It makes about
10 volts open-circuit on the output side, something like 40 uA
short-circuit current.
and
Panasonic APV1121, APV1122, APV2111, APV 2121
max 8.7V, max. 14uA

Martin
 
T

Thomas Magma

Jan 1, 1970
0
and
Panasonic APV1121, APV1122, APV2111, APV 2121
max 8.7V, max. 14uA

Martin

Thanks, looks like it might work.

Thomas
 
M

Mr.CRC

Jan 1, 1970
0
Thomas said:
Many years ago I saw an IC that directly converted low voltage DC to higher
voltage DC using internal LEDs (no switcher). The theory was that a single
LED would shine on a series of LEDs to produce a higher voltage. It was only
micropower stuff, but I might have a use for it if I could find it again.

Does this ring a bell to anyone?

Thomas


Vishay VO1263 kicks the butts of the ones all the other guys mentioned!
 
H

Hammy

Jan 1, 1970
0
Vishay VO1263 kicks the butts of the ones all the other guys
mentioned!

Yea that was the best one for the price when I was using them about a
year ago. 4 bucks for a dual, you can stack the output and double the
output.
 
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