ROHM has introduced a new evaluation board, the BD83070GWL-EVK-002, built to showcase the full capabilities of its BD83070GWL buck-boost DC-DC converter IC. The device targets designers who need both high efficiency and ultra-low current consumption in battery-powered electronics such as wearables, mobile devices, and IoT nodes, where power budget and board space are increasingly constrained.
As these compact, battery-driven products have become part of everyday life, their internal components are under pressure to shrink in size while cutting power draw to extend battery runtime. ROHM has been steadily expanding its portfolio of power-supply ICs around these demands, focusing on parts that can deliver strong efficiency even at light loads.
The BD83070GWL itself is a synchronous buck-boost DC-DC converter developed as a “definitive low-power eco-device” for systems powered by small batteries and other limited power sources. It achieves conversion efficiency up to 97% and an ultra-low quiescent current of just 2.8 µA, making it particularly suitable for always-on or intermittently active devices that must minimize standby consumption.
The new BD83070GWL-EVK-002 board pushes hard on footprint reduction, a key requirement for wearables and other small form-factor designs. By integrating the BD83070GWL IC with a coil, capacitors, and a total of only five external components, ROHM has compressed the power stage into an ultra-compact mounting area of 12.87 mm² (3.3 × 3.9 mm).
Compared with more conventional buck-boost implementations, including solutions with built-in coils, this configuration offers a clear advantage in board area and helps simplify layout for space-constrained hardware.
To ease the path from evaluation to mass production, ROHM has positioned the board as a reference design. Resources such as circuit patterns and the bill of materials (BOM) are publicly available, allowing engineers to lift proven design data directly into their own projects and shorten development cycles.
The BD83070GWL-EVK-002 is already shipping, with a sample price of $100 per unit (excluding tax), and is now offered through major online distributors. Engineers can purchase the board via DigiKey and Farnell, among other channels.
Application examples include:
- Wearable devices: smartwatches, smart rings, biometric sensing wearables
- Mobile devices: AR/VR headsets, smartphones
- IoT devices: AI sensor nodes, BLE modules, smart locks, small drones
- Small battery?powered devices: e?cigarettes, wireless earbuds, digital keys, electric toothbrushes
All of these categories share the same core challenge: squeezing more functionality into smaller, battery-powered hardware without sacrificing runtime. ROHM’s BD83070GWL and the BD83070GWL-EVK-002 board are clearly aimed at that problem space.
Visit ROHM’s Website for More Information
- Related News: New Buck-Boost DC-DC Converter Achieves Breakthrough Power Savings
- Video: Buck-Boost DC-DC BD83070GWL
