STMicroelectronics has released the L4983 power factor correction (PFC) controller, featuring a proprietary multiplier emulator and harmonic distortion optimization circuit. Engineers need only a few external passive components to build a continuous conduction mode (CCM) PFC circuit.
The L4983 supports hundreds of watts to several kilowatts of switching power supplies. It includes a totem-pole output stage with 0.7A source current and 1.5A sink current. Target applications include industrial power, medical power, high-power lighting, servers, PCs, and consumer electronics, meeting global harmonic standards such as EN 61000-3-2 and Japan's JEIDA-MITI.
The chip offers three energy-saving modes to help products meet Energy Star and EU Ecodesign requirements. Burst Mode pauses switching at light or no load and resumes quickly without a soft restart. A pin-controlled idle mode stops switching and shuts down the internal error amplifier; disable mode stops switching and requires a soft start to re-enable.
The L4983 integrates full protection for complex conditions. Overvoltage protection stabilizes transient output voltage, cycle-by-cycle overcurrent protection limits current via an internal comparator, and inductor saturation detection suppresses inrush and abnormal current. Line feedforward stabilizes output power during AC mains fluctuations. At power-up, it verifies voltage feedback and current sense signals to avoid feedback loop faults, while built-in soft start limits inrush and ensures smooth output.
ST also released the EVL4983-350W evaluation board to speed customer development. This 350W PFC front-end regulator supports universal AC input, outputs 400V DC, delivers low total harmonic distortion across the full load range, and reaches up to 97.4% efficiency. The L4983 comes in two versions: L4983A at 65kHz and L4983B at 130kHz. Both are in mass production in a compact SO8 surface-mount package.
ICgoodFind: ST's L4983 high-integration PFC controller is now available, combining multiple protections and energy-saving modes to reduce external components and design difficulty in high-power switching supplies.
