An inventory of Chinese power chips that have broken out from the encirclement of international giants

Last time, we talked about the MCU. As a control center, the MCU is like a human brain, controlling all kinds of human activities. However, the power supply is more like a human heart. Its importance is self-evident. If its working state is like Duan Yu's Six Meridians Divine Sword, the stability of the system cannot be guaranteed. The most common phenomenon is that the system may not work properly or abnormal reset may occur.

When talking about power supply, we have to mention DCDC and LDO. I believe that anyone who has been exposed to electronics will be familiar with these two names.

DCDC, as the name implies, is direct current to direct current. It uses pulse width modulation to achieve buck and boost functions. Its main advantage is high efficiency. Of course, energy storage is also inseparable from inductance.

Therefore, in most industrial applications, the first-stage power supply is mostly a switching power supply, which has high efficiency, but the disadvantage is that due to its switching characteristics, it brings large ripple and slow transient response.

Therefore, there is usually a level LDO before the MCU, that is, a linear regulator. Strictly speaking, it is also DC to DC, and its characteristics are complementary to DCDC. It has a faster transient response and small ripple, which can meet the supply voltage requirements of many devices, but it is like a greedy snake. For example, from 5V to 3.3V, all the excess energy is consumed by the LDO itself.

I remember that in 2008, most of the power supplies promoted outside were foreign brands, such as National Semiconductor NS's power supply products. The most typical ones were LM2576 and LM2596. The selling price of a DCDC chip was also quite high. Later, with the gradual competition from other domestic brands, they kept launching alternative products, such as LM22676 and other models, and the prices gradually became competitive.

Linear

Linear is the most expensive brand of power chips, but even at its high price, it still has its own place in the market. However, it eventually failed to resist the merger wave of semiconductors and was merged into ADI.

Texas Instruments TI/National Semiconductor NS

The power products of another American company, National Semiconductor (NS), are also its traditional strong products with a large number of end users. However, it was eventually acquired by the semiconductor giant TI. Since then, NS has never been seen again. TI has become the leader in the signal chain, covering most of the user's model selections from power supply to analog.

MAXIM

If we mention ADI and NS but don’t mention MAXIM, it seems to be disrespectful to this traditional brand. As a traditional analog chip manufacturer, MAXIM is best known for its power supplies and interface devices. Perhaps many engineers’ enlightenment started with MAX232 and DS1302. However, with ADI’s acquisition of Linear Technology and TI’s acquisition of National Semiconductor, two powerful analog device companies have been formed. MAXIM’s fate of being acquired may be in the next one or two years.

The above are traditional strong brands of power supply products. At the same time, in terms of the cost performance of imported power supply products, there are many small and medium-sized brands that occupy a certain market by relying on cost performance, such as SIPEX in the past, which was finally merged by EXAR. In addition, ON, a traditional brand of power supply, can be seen everywhere. It is known as the stepping stone brand of the IC industry. As long as you have customers and as long as your customers use electronic materials, you will definitely see it, but what people are most impressed with is its delivery time.

In addition, MPS is used in some industries, and Intersil is used in some consumer products, especially computer peripherals, which demonstrates its advantage of "small size". Of course, there are many traditional large manufacturers such as ST, NXP, Fairchild, Diodes, etc., which will not be compared in detail here.

In general, in traditional industrial applications, ADI, TI and MAXIM still occupy the most profitable application market after the merger. At the same time, brands such as EXAR and MPS can be seen in places where there are certain requirements on costs. However, when it comes to the cost-effectiveness of power supplies, we have to mention local power supply brands, which are now quite mature and their market share is also expanding.

When it comes to local power supply brands, the first one that comes to mind is Silergy, which has inherited TI's high cost-performance style and has been fully recognized by the market. In particular, its DCDC power supply products, which customers report can be as low as US$0.02, have already occupied a large market share, and many industrial customers are gradually choosing this brand to replace European and American brands.

Other local brands, such as Shengbang Microelectronics, have also developed rapidly and are now listed, opening up the market with the high cost-effectiveness of their analog products. At present, its DCDC and LDO are also very competitive. In many consumer applications, its LDO has become the first choice for high cost-effectiveness in many applications. The price of an LDO is as low as RMB 0.1, which is constantly squeezing the market of European and American brands. Of course, its most competitive product line is its analog product line, especially its op amp products. If there is a disagreement, it will give a customized part number. Most of its customized part numbers start with SD, and the price is very competitive.

In addition, many brands that are very competitive in the consumer market, such as Weimo Electronics, Silan Microelectronics, Belling Electronics, etc., currently have their own unique market applications, focusing on industry applications and launching competitive models for the industry. Therefore, if your product is not automotive electronics, or an industrial application that considers product cost, then local semiconductor brands can definitely meet your solution application.

It can be seen from the product lines of agents that many traditional large agents have also obtained the agency qualifications for many domestic brands. It is believed that local power supply brands will be like many other imported brands, with a hundred flowers blooming, focusing on industry applications, and each occupying its own advantageous industry market.