A new ultra-compact buck-boost DC-DC evaluation board helps engineers accelerate low-power designs by combining high efficiency, minimal footprint, and ready-to-use reference resources for battery-powered electronics.
Designers developing compact battery-powered electronics now have a new platform to evaluate highly efficient power management circuits with minimal board space. ROHM has introduced the BD83070GWL-EVK-002 evaluation board built around its BD83070GWL buck-boost DC-DC converter IC, enabling engineers to quickly assess and integrate the device into space-constrained applications. The board is designed to demonstrate the IC’s high-efficiency power conversion while simplifying the transition from evaluation to production.
The key features are:
- Supports up to 97% power conversion efficiency
- Ultra-low 2.8µA quiescent current
- Compact 12.87mm² (3.3 × 3.9mm) mounting area
- Complete design uses only five external components
- Reference design includes circuit layout and BOM for production
The evaluation board targets the growing demand for smaller, energy-efficient electronic products where battery life and PCB area are critical design considerations. By combining the BD83070GWL converter with a coil, capacitors and only five external components, the solution occupies just 12.87mm² (3.3 × 3.9mm), making it suitable for ultra-compact embedded designs. According to ROHM, this footprint offers an advantage over conventional buck-boost converter implementations, including solutions that integrate the inductor.
At the heart of the board is the BD83070GWL DC-DC converter IC, engineered for products powered by small batteries and other limited energy sources. The IC delivers conversion efficiency of up to 97% while drawing an ultra-low 2.8µA quiescent current, helping extend operating time in devices that spend long periods in standby or intermittent operation. These characteristics make it suitable for designers seeking to reduce power consumption without compromising system performance.
Beyond hardware evaluation, the board serves as a production-ready reference design. ROHM provides circuit patterns and a bill of materials (BOM), allowing engineers to shorten development cycles and move more quickly from prototype validation to mass production.
Potential applications include wearable devices such as smartwatches, smart rings and biometric sensors; mobile electronics including smartphones and AR/VR devices; IoT equipment such as AI sensor nodes, BLE devices, smart locks and compact drones; as well as small battery-powered products including wireless earbuds, digital keys, electric toothbrushes and e-cigarettes.
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