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Kicking off a new line of products for growing energy-related markets, Cirrus Logic Inc. (Nasdaq: CRUS) today unveiled the industry’s first digital power factor correction (PFC) controller ICs that surpass analog PFCs on performance and price. The CS1500 and CS1600 offer power supply and lighting ballast system designers improved performance and simplified designs compared to legacy analog PFC products. Both ICs are priced on par with analog PFCs, while also lowering the overall bill of materials by up to $0.25.

PFC is required in many electronic applications around the world, as global regulations are pushing to improve the overall efficiency of the utility grid. Analog PFC chips are nearing the end of their capabilities to meet increasingly strict global regulatory requirements and efficiency standards, and new digital solutions enable continued performance and feature improvements designed to meet future market demands.

“Global regulations for power efficiency will become increasingly more challenging long term, and we expect a transition in the PFC market away from analog and into digital PFC products, just as the digital transition has transformed many other markets,” said Linnea Brush, senior research analyst, Darnell Research.

Featuring the new EXL Core™ architecture, with its currently 53 patented and patent-pending digital algorithm technologies, the CS1500 and CS1600 have the advantage over analog products of being able to intelligently solve increasingly complex power management challenges. Through its patent-pending digital noise shaping technology, both the CS1500 and CS1600 enable reduced-sized EMI filters, which cut the need for additional high-priced components and circuitry. Additionally, these digital ICs improve energy efficiency across all load conditions, with a distinct performance advantage in light load conditions, and simplify system designs by reducing external component count by more than 30 percent.

“We’re bringing disruptive digital technology to applications that are currently dominated by analog solutions,” said Jason Rhode, president and chief executive officer, Cirrus Logic. “Until today, no one has been able to develop a digital PFC controller that offers both performance improvements and cost savings compared to analog-based PFCs.”

For more information on global regulations and power consumption challenges within applications, see the Cirrus Logic White Paper: The Digital Imperative: The Rising Wave in Power Factor Correction (PFC) Techniques.

As global regulatory agencies drive improved efficiency requirements in consumer products, the total PFC market is anticipated to expand from 1.2 billion units in 2009 to 2.4 billion units in 2013, according to Ryan Sanderson, senior research analyst, IMS Research.

“Looking ahead, we’re developing a strong roadmap of digital energy control products, focusing on solving real-world challenges through innovative signal processing technologies in new markets that will help drive our long-term growth,” Rhode added.