ROHM Launches New Ultra-Compact Buck-Boost DC-DC Evaluation Board

ROHM has developed a new evaluation board, the BD83070GWL-EVK-002. It is designed to fully demonstrate the features of the BD83070GWL DC-DC converter IC, which combines high efficiency with ultra-low current consumption.

In recent years, battery-powered electronic devices, such as wearables, mobile devices, and IoT devices, have become ubiquitous in everyday life. The components used in these devices require not only miniaturisation to improve design aesthetics and enable new features, but also power reduction to extend battery life. ROHM has continued to develop power supply ICs to meet these market demands.

The BD83070GWL is a buck-boost DC-DC converter IC designed to be a “definitive low-power eco-device” for electronic devices powered by small batteries and other limited-power sources. It achieves high efficiency of up to 97% and an ultra-low quiescent current of 2.8 µA.

The newly developed evaluation board was designed to achieve the smallest possible footprint for a buck-boost DC-DC converter, a key requirement for small battery-powered devices. By integrating the BD83070GWL with a coil, capacitors, and a total of only five components, it achieves an ultra-compact mounting area of 12.87 mm2 (3.3 × 3.9 mm). As a result, it offers a significant advantage in terms of mounting area compared to conventional buck-boost DC-DC IC configurations, including those with built-in coils. Furthermore, as a reference design, design resources such as circuit patterns and the bill of materials (BOM) are publicly available, enabling a smooth transition from evaluation to mass production design.

The new evaluation board is now available (sample price: $100/unit, excluding tax). Online sales have also started, and it is available for purchase through online distributors such as DigiKey and Farnell.

Key Features of ROHM's BD83070GWL-EVK-002 Buck-Boost DC-DC Evaluation Board

• Ultra-Compact Design - Achieves a mounting area of just 12.87 mm² (3.3 × 3.9 mm), making it ideal for space-constrained electronic devices.
• High Power Conversion Efficiency - Delivers up to 97% efficiency, helping maximize battery life in portable applications.
• Ultra-Low Quiescent Current - Features only 2.8 µA quiescent current to minimize power consumption during standby operation.
• Minimal Component Count - Requires only five components, including the IC, inductor, and capacitors, simplifying PCB design and reducing board space.
• Complete Reference Design - Includes publicly available schematics, PCB layout, and Bill of Materials (BOM) to accelerate evaluation and production-ready designs.
• Fast Transition to Mass Production - Enables developers to move efficiently from evaluation to product development using ready-to-use design resources.
• Optimized for Battery-Powered Devices - Designed for wearables, smartphones, AR/VR devices, IoT sensors, BLE devices, smart locks, wireless earbuds, and other compact battery-operated electronics.
• Space-Saving Buck-Boost Architecture - Offers a significantly smaller footprint than conventional buck-boost DC-DC converter implementations, including some with integrated coils.
• Evaluation-Ready Platform - Allows engineers to quickly assess the performance of the BD83070GWL buck-boost DC-DC converter in real-world applications before deployment.

Application Examples

• Wearable devices: smartwatches, smart rings, biometric sensing devices, etc.
• Mobile devices: AR/VR devices, smartphones, etc.
• IoT devices: AI sensor nodes, BLE devices, smart locks, small drones, etc.
• Small battery-powered devices: e-cigarettes, wireless earbuds, digital keys, electric toothbrushes, etc.