00:00Hashtag Top 5 Buck Converter ICs for Embedded Systems
00:04Alright, so you're building a project, you need clean regulated power,
00:08and you don't want to waste half your budget on a single voltage regulator.
00:12I get it. I've been digging through hundreds of listings and I pulled together the 5 best
00:17buck converter IC deals you can actually buy right now for embedded work.
00:21Whether you're powering an STM32 or a Raspberry Pi compute module,
00:26one of these will fit your board. Let's get into it.
00:30Starting at number 5, we've got the TPS54202DDCR from Texas Instruments.
00:36This is a rock-solid 2A synchronous buck converter in a tiny SOT23-6 package,
00:42adjustable down to 0.596V output. If you're doing a 3.3 or 1.8V rail for a microcontroller,
00:50this thing is basically the go-to. You get 20 pieces for $5.39, which is roughly $0.27 a
00:57chip.
00:58Nearly 5,000 units sold with a 4.5-star rating. It's popular for a reason, minimal external
01:04components, great efficiency, and it just works. Number 4 is a killer multi-pack listing,
01:10the TPS54428, TPS54335A, TPS51200, and TPS51312, all in VSO in 10 packages.
01:2010 pieces for $4.96.
01:23Now what makes this special is the variety. The TPS54428 pushes 4 amps, the TPS54335A does 3 amps
01:32with excellent load transient response, and the TPS51200 is a DDR termination regulator,
01:38which is huge if you're doing any memory design. Almost 4,900 sold, 4.8 stars.
01:45If you prototype a lot and want a mixed bag of proven TI buck converters in your parts bin,
01:50grab this. Coming in at number 3, the TPS54302 and TPS5430A family in ISO-D23-6.
02:00These handle 4.5 to 28-volt input and push up to 3 amps, that extra amp over the TPS54202
02:07matters
02:07when you're running beefier loads like sensor arrays or motor driver logic supplies.
02:11For 81 per lot, 4,500 sold, 4.8 star rating. The wide input range means you can run these
02:19off a 12- or 24-volt bus without blinking. For automotive or industrial-embedded projects
02:25where input voltage swings around, this family is the one.
02:29Number 2 is the TLV62090 and TLV62130 family from TI and VFQFN16.
02:37These are high-frequency, high-efficiency buck converters designed for space-constrained
02:41boards. The TLV62130 alone does 3 amps at up to 3 MHz switching frequency, which means your
02:48inductor and output cap shrink way down. 6 bucks a lot, 4,500 units sold, 4.8 stars.
02:56If you're designing something where board space is precious of wearables, compact IoT nodes,
03:01anything with a tight layout, these converters let you shrink your power supply footprint without
03:05sacrificing current capability. All 5 of these are linked down in the description,
03:11grab whichever fits your next build. If this saved you some research time,
03:15smash the like button and subscribe so you catch the next one. See you in the next video.
