Italian chip for wall socket chargers
An Italian chip designer has developed an AC-DC charger design that fits into existing power sockets in the home.
“We have USB-PD 3.1 in the chip with 24V or 48V for a socket with USB-C output that is exactly the size of the European power socket,” said Igor Spinella, CEO and founder of Eggtronic in Modena. “This is certified and in mass production and we are ramping up.”
This joins companies such as Silanna, Amber and Infineon looking to develop chargers with ultra-low standby power that provide USB charging from existing power sockets. This requires high efficiency and small size to allow retrofitting of existing sockets. This will eventually replace the need for separate chargers and so is a key area of development.
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The Eggtronic design uses a new AC-DC power conversion topology based around a new chip called QuarEgg+ basd around a customisd RISC-V processor core. “With this technology it is possible to achieve this performance,” he Spinella. “The UK standard is simply the next.”
This design uses standard silicon MOSFETs rather than gallium nitride (GaN). “Both customers are not looking for the best performance available but want to use standard silicon and it was more than enough for the standard specification with 94.5 efficiency for 60W.”
The company works with contract manufacturers. “There are selected companies that ask us to help with mass production and we offer mass production through CEMs and assembly companies that we like to use we have Taiwan, China and a European contract manufacturer – there is a lead Italian customer and the CEM is European,” he said.
The company recently raised €15m from the European Investment Bank for expansion.
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