The STEVAL-ISA042V2 demonstration board is a step-down DC-DC converter optimized for powering the low-voltage digital core in HDD applications and, more generally, replacing the high-current linear solution when the power dissipation may cause excessive heating of the application environment. It provides up to 1.5 A over an input voltage range of 3 V to 16 V.
A high switching frequency (1.5 MHz) allows the use of tiny surface-mounted components, as well as the use of a resistor divider to set the output voltage value. Only an inductor, a Schottky diode, and two capacitors are required. In addition, a low output ripple is guaranteed by the current-mode PWM topology and by the use of low ESR SMD ceramic capacitors. The device is thermal protected and current limited to prevent damage due to accidental short-circuits. It uses the ST1S03 device.