Nordic Semiconductor introduces nPM6001 power management IC for complex IoT applications with multiple power domains

nPM6001 becomes second member of Nordic’s PMIC range adding capability to supply and supervise up to six independent power rails

Nordic Semiconductor has added one more power management IC (PMIC) to its product portfolio. The nPM6001™ is a dedicated PMIC with six independently-controlled power rails. It is designed to supervise and supply the power requirements of complex IoT hardware incorporating multiple power domains that each require separate voltage regulation. The PMIC can also be used to independently power down each power domain to conserve energy and extend the battery life of the IoT device.

Six regulated power rails

The nPM6001 can be used to power Nordic’s nRF7002 ultra-low power, dual-band Wi-Fi 6 companion IC, and the nRF52 and nRF53 Series ultra-low power wireless Systems-on-Chip (SoCs) in systems with highly partitioned power architectures. Nordic’s nPM1100 PMIC can be used as a complementary device to the nPM6001 to add battery charging to nPM6001-powered applications. Alternatively, the nPM6001 can be used to increase the number of regulated power rails in nPM1100-powered applications from one to seven.

The nPM6001 has the scope to handle the most advanced IoT hardware our customers are designing

Geir Kjosavik, Product Director – PMIC

The nPM6001 features four highly-efficient step-down (buck) regulators that can deliver 500, 200, 150 and 150 mA respectively at selectable voltage outputs ranging from 0.7 to 3.3, 2.1, 2.7, or 3.0 V. In addition, two low dropout (LDO) regulators can supply up to 15 mA fixed at 1.8 V, and up to 30 mA selectable between 1.8 and 3.3 V respectively.

The PMIC also incorporates a watchdog timer (WDT) that can be set to time-out between 4 s and 776.7 days in 4 s increments. The WDT resets if not triggered before it times out. The WDT is also used to implement hibernate mode; in this mode, the whole PMIC system—except for a 2 kHz oscillator and a timer—is powered down. Power consumption in hibernate mode is 300 nA typical.

Supporting advanced IoT hardware

“The nPM1100 PMIC has proven a popular compact solution for charging batteries and power delivery, but more complex IoT applications require more than the single power rail it supports,” says Geir Kjosavik, Product Director – PMIC with Nordic Semiconductor. “With six independently controlled power rails, the nPM6001 has the scope to handle the most advanced IoT hardware our customers are designing.”

The nPM6001 is delivered in a 2.2 x 3.6 mm chip scale package. Interested parties are advised to contact their local Nordic sales representative for more information.

Nordic pioneered ultra-low power wireless technology and constantly strives to further reduce the power consumption of its technology. The result is extended battery lifetime, reducing the need to manufacture and dispose of batteries, and support for designers to develop sustainable energy resources to power their applications. Nordic’s PMICs are engineered to efficiently manage power resources to complement Nordic’s ultra-low power consumption strategy.