Power management is one of the largest and most diverse segments of the analog semiconductor market. Almost every electronic system requires some combination of DC/DC conversion, voltage regulation, battery charging, power switching, protection or power sequencing.
While companies such as Texas Instruments, Analog Devices, Infineon, STMicroelectronics, onsemi and Monolithic Power Systems remain widely used by European design engineers, a growing group of Chinese semiconductor companies has developed increasingly broad power-management portfolios.
These suppliers cover applications ranging from consumer electronics and battery-powered devices to industrial automation, energy storage, motor control, automotive electronics and high-voltage power conversion.
For engineers looking for additional semiconductor sources, cost alternatives or devices for new designs, the following companies are worth knowing.
| Company | Main Power Management Products | Typical Applications |
|---|---|---|
| MST – Milestone Semiconductor | LDO, buck, boost, synchronous rectification, regulators | Automotive electronics, appliances, wearables, e-bikes |
| Silicon Content Technology (SCT) | DC/DC, LDO, PMIC, gate drivers, power switches | Industrial, automotive, energy, smart buildings |
| Chipown | AC/DC, DC/DC, LDO, chargers, PFC, gate drivers | Industrial power, appliances, charging, motor control |
| JoulWatt | DC/DC, AC/DC, PMIC, BMS, power stages | Industrial, computing, automotive, communications |
| Awinic Technology | Chargers, DC/DC, LDO, power management, drivers | Consumer, automotive, industrial, AIoT |
| CellWise Microelectronics | Battery protection, fuel gauges, chargers, DC/DC, LDO | Battery packs, wearables, power tools, IoT |
| Hynetek Semiconductor | USB-C PD controllers, source/sink controllers, power-control ICs | USB-C charging, adapters, portable electronics |
| SGMICRO | DC/DC, LDO, PMIC, BMS, switches, drivers, power stages | Industrial, automotive, communications, medical |
| Silergy | DC/DC, AC/DC, PMIC, LDO, BMS, gate drivers, motor drivers | Computing, consumer, industrial, automotive |
| Halo Microelectronics | Battery management, DC/DC, PMIC, power switches | Mobile, automotive, cloud computing, battery systems |
Milestone Semiconductor (MST) is a Wuxi-based IC design company founded in 2012. The company focuses strongly on power-management ICs and analog design.
Its power portfolio includes:
→ Low-dropout regulators (LDO)
→ Buck converters
→ Boost converters
→ Synchronous rectification ICs
→ Voltage regulators
→ Power switches
MST also develops products for automotive, motorcycle and e-bike electronics, including voltage regulators and USB charging-related devices.
The company highlights high-performance LDOs, efficient DC/DC conversion and high-frequency synchronous rectification as important areas of expertise. Its target applications include automotive electronics, smart appliances, wearable devices and security equipment.
For European engineers, MST may be particularly interesting when evaluating alternative LDO and general-purpose DC/DC solutions.
Silicon Content Technology, commonly known as SCT, is particularly interesting for industrial and higher-voltage power designs.
The company was founded in Beijing in 2016 and specializes in high-performance power-management ICs, with particular emphasis on medium- and high-voltage power conversion and control.
Its portfolio includes:
→ DC/DC converters
→ High-voltage buck converters
→ LDO regulators
→ Power switches
→ Gate drivers
→ Automotive PMICs
→ Ideal-diode controllers
→ Wireless power devices
SCT has developed products ranging from conventional low-voltage converters to higher-voltage devices, including devices targeting 40V, 60V, 80V and 100V power architectures.
Applications include industrial IoT, smart grids, energy systems, intelligent buildings, appliances and automotive electronics.
For European industrial designs operating from 24V, 36V or 48V power rails, SCT’s medium- and high-voltage portfolio could be particularly relevant.
Wuxi Chipown Micro-electronics was founded in 2005 and focuses heavily on power and motor-control semiconductor solutions.
Its broad product portfolio includes:
→ AC/DC converter ICs
→ Buck and boost DC/DC converters
→ Battery-charger ICs
→ LDO regulators
→ PFC controllers
→ LLC resonant controllers
→ Synchronous rectification ICs
→ Gate-driver ICs
→ Motor-driver ICs
→ Smart power stages
→ IGBTs
→ Silicon carbide MOSFETs
→ Power modules
Chipown supplies devices into appliances, communications, industrial motors, industrial control, charging equipment, automotive electronics and computing-power applications.
For engineers looking to source several elements of a power architecture from one semiconductor supplier, Chipown’s combination of controllers, drivers and power devices makes the company particularly interesting.
JoulWatt Semiconductor is another significant Chinese analog and power-management IC supplier.
Its portfolio covers several important power areas, including:
→ DC/DC power conversion
→ AC/DC power conversion
→ Battery management
→ Automotive electronics
→ Computing and communication power
→ Industrial power
JoulWatt continues to expand its power-management portfolio across low-, medium- and higher-voltage applications and positions many of its products around improved power density, efficiency, EMI performance and system robustness.
The company’s products can therefore be relevant to applications ranging from industrial electronics and communication systems to computing equipment and automotive designs.
Shanghai Awinic Technology was founded in 2008 and is a fabless analog and mixed-signal semiconductor company.
The company’s broader portfolio includes audio, haptic, motor-control, signal-chain, RF and sensor products, while power management represents one of its important product groups.
Its power-related portfolio includes:
→ Battery-charger ICs
→ DC/DC converters
→ LDO regulators
→ Power-management devices
→ Motor and power-control devices
The company’s products address applications including:
→ Consumer electronics
→ Industrial electronics
→ Automotive systems
→ AIoT
→ Wearables
→ Robotics
→ Smart-home applications
Because Awinic extends beyond power management into motor drivers, sensors, signal-chain and mixed-signal devices, it could also be interesting for engineers looking for a broader analog semiconductor supplier.
CellWise is more specialized than many of the companies on this list.
The company describes itself as a fabless IC provider focused on power and battery-management devices.
Its core product groups include:
→ Battery-protection ICs
→ Battery-management ICs
→ Fuel-gauge ICs
→ Battery chargers
→ DC/DC converters
→ LDO regulators
→ Load switches
→ USB charging controllers
CellWise products target applications including smartphones, wearables, TWS earbuds, e-bikes, power tools and other battery-powered equipment.
For engineers developing battery-powered products, CellWise is particularly relevant because battery protection, gauging, charging and system power management can potentially be sourced from the same supplier.
Hynetek is a more specialized semiconductor supplier focused on intelligent energy control, fast charging and digital power.
The Shenzhen-headquartered company has developed a broad product ecosystem around USB Type-C and USB Power Delivery.
Its portfolio includes:
→ USB Power Delivery source controllers
→ USB Power Delivery sink controllers
→ Dual-role Power Delivery controllers
→ Type-C port controllers
→ USB eMarker devices
These products can be used in chargers, adapters, power supplies, portable products and embedded systems adopting USB-C power delivery.
Hynetek is therefore less of a general-purpose PMIC supplier than some of the companies on this list, but its specialization could make it particularly interesting for engineers looking for alternatives in USB-C and USB Power Delivery designs.
SGMICRO is one of China’s larger analog semiconductor companies and is headquartered in Beijing.
Its power-management portfolio is particularly broad and includes:
→ DC/DC switching regulators
→ LDO regulators
→ Battery management and protection ICs
→ System PMICs
→ Power switches
→ LED drivers
→ Motor and gate drivers
→ Power-management units
→ System-basis chips
→ Power modules
→ Integrated power stages
The company supplies devices into industrial, automotive, communications, computing, consumer and medical applications.
SGMICRO has already developed substantial international sales and distribution coverage, so it differs from some of the smaller Chinese suppliers that still have limited European commercial infrastructure.
Nevertheless, its portfolio provides a useful benchmark for evaluating the technical capabilities of Chinese analog and power-management IC suppliers.
Silergy is a major analog and power-management semiconductor supplier headquartered in Hangzhou.
Its portfolio is one of the broadest included here and covers:
→ DC/DC converters
→ AC/DC converters
→ LDO regulators
→ Battery-management ICs
→ PMICs
→ Gate drivers
→ Power modules
→ Motor drivers
→ Protection switches
→ LED drivers
→ Power-over-Ethernet ICs
The company’s portfolio addresses computing, consumer electronics, industrial systems, communications and automotive applications.
Silergy already provides international and EMEA support, making it less representative of the smaller Chinese semiconductor suppliers that have yet to build extensive European commercial infrastructure.
Halo Microelectronics is a fabless analog and power-management semiconductor company with a portfolio spanning mobile, automotive and computing applications.
Its major product groups include:
→ Battery management
→ High-performance DC/DC
→ Automotive power
→ Interface and protection switches
→ Power switches
→ Motor drivers
→ Camera power-management ICs
The company’s mobile power portfolio includes DC/DC converters, battery chargers and USB-related protection devices, while its computing portfolio includes high-current DC/DC converters, integrated PMICs and eFuse/hot-swap products.
Halo has also expanded into automotive-grade power-management devices, including integrated PMICs for automotive camera and power applications.
The increasing breadth of these product portfolios creates potential additional sourcing options for many established power-management applications.
Areas particularly worth evaluating include:
→ Industrial 24V and 48V systems – high-voltage buck converters, LDOs, power switches and protection devices
→ Motor control – gate drivers, motor drivers and auxiliary power supplies
→ Battery-powered equipment – chargers, fuel gauges, battery protection and DC/DC converters
→ Energy storage and solar – power conversion, gate drivers, battery-management devices and protection
→ Consumer products and appliances – AC/DC, DC/DC, LED drivers and motor-control devices
→ Automotive electronics – automotive-grade PMICs, DC/DC converters, gate drivers and battery devices
→ USB-C designs – source, sink and dual-role USB Power Delivery controllers
Finding a device with similar headline specifications does not automatically make it a suitable replacement.
Before changing semiconductor supplier, engineers should compare the complete device specification and the requirements of the target application.
Important parameters include:
→ Recommended operating input-voltage range
→ Absolute maximum voltage
→ Output voltage and current
→ Switching frequency
→ Efficiency across the expected load range
→ Quiescent and shutdown current
→ Control architecture
→ Compensation requirements
→ Internal or external MOSFET architecture
→ Protection functions
→ Thermal performance
→ Package dimensions and pinout
→ Operating-temperature range
→ EMI performance
→ Qualification and reliability data
→ Product lifecycle and long-term supply commitment
→ Evaluation boards, application notes and technical support
For automotive, industrial, medical and other high-reliability applications, the supplier’s quality system, traceability, product-change notification process and qualification documentation can be just as important as electrical performance.
AnySilicon is expanding its coverage of alternative semiconductor suppliers and emerging power-management technologies.
If you are currently using a power-management IC and would like to identify possible alternative devices, send us your existing part number and basic application requirements.
Useful information includes:
→ Current manufacturer and part number
→ Input-voltage range
→ Required output voltage and current
→ Application
→ Operating-temperature requirement
→ Qualification requirement
→ Expected annual volume
→ Target production date
Submit your current part number to AnySilicon to identify potential alternative power-management ICs. Contact us here.
Possible alternatives must always be evaluated against the complete electrical, mechanical, thermal and qualification requirements of the application.
A device should not be considered pin-compatible, drop-in compatible or functionally equivalent unless this has been verified against the relevant manufacturer documentation and validated in the target application.