Power Integrations just rolled out the CAPZero-4, the latest addition to their well-known line of X-capacitor discharge ICs. They actually pioneered this technology back in 2010, shipping over a billion units since, but this new iteration is a major step up for both industrial and consumer applications.
If you design AC-DC power supplies, you know the inherent problem with X-capacitor bleed resistors as they constantly waste energy. The CAPZero-4 intelligently disconnects that resistor while the supply is plugged in, only re-engaging it to safely bleed power from the capacitor the moment the device is unplugged.
The practical power savings here are massive. By cutting out those continuous bleed resistor losses, the CAPZero-4 can reduce system no-load and standby power by up to 1000 mW.
When your total standby power budget is aggressively capped, sometimes as low as 300 mW, reclaiming that wasted energy is critical. The IC itself sips less than 1 mW, making true zero-watt no-load operation a realistic target, and freeing up valuable standby power for the rest of your embedded system.
It’s built to be versatile, supporting AC-DC converters with line-to-neutral input capacitance anywhere from 100 nF to 6 ?F. It’s also rugged enough for demanding outdoor industrial gear, thanks to a wide operating temperature range of -40°C to 125°C.
Whether you are engineering home appliances that need ErP Lot 6 compliance, displays, or high-efficiency adapters requiring ultra-low no-load consumption, this chip practically solves the standby power bottleneck on its own.
Key features include:
- Ultra-Low Power Consumption below 0.75 mW at 230 VAC, enabling solutions with zero no-load power.
- Extended Operating Temperature from -40 deg. C to 125 deg. C to support industrial, outdoor, and other harsh-environment applications.
- Drop-In Replacement through package and pin-compatibility with CAPZero-3, enabling easy migration to the new family. Designing with the CAPZero-4 is simply a matter of selecting the appropriate external resistor values to meet the necessary X-capacitor discharge time.
- Global Safety Compliance – designs using CAPZero-4 meet IEC 60335, EN/IEC 62368-1 (NEMKO), UL 62368-1, and GB 4943.1 (CQC) standards.
Leadership Comment
“CAPZero-4 makes it easy for our customers in industrial and consumer markets to meet increasingly stringent standby and no-load requirements,” said Edward Ong, senior product marketing manager at Power Integrations. “The fourth generation of our CAPZero technology delivers more of the available power to the load during standby. With its pin-to-pin and package compatibility with previous CAPZero devices, customers can adopt it without redesigning, making it an ideal solution across a wide range of markets.”
To Know More About CAPZero-4, CLICK HERE
Availability
The CAPZero-4 is in production and shipping to customers.
