For a wide range of industrial and IoT electronics
Renesas Electronics Corporation, a supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, has expanded its suite of AC/DC and power adapter solutions with a new GaN-based Half-Wave LLC (HWLLC) platform that supports 500W of higher operation across IoT, industrial and infrastructure systems
The new HWLLC converter topology scales an ultra-efficient, compact power architecture from 100W-class designs to 500W, facilitating the next wave of high-speed chargers for e-bikes, power tools, and other appliances without the size, heat, and efficiency penalties of legacy topologies.
The portfolio expansion includes the addition of four controller ICs, building on Renesas’ zero-standby power (ZSP) technology. At the centre is the RRW11011, an interleaved power factor correction (PFC) and HWLLC combo controller designed for high power density and high efficiency. The PFC with phase-shift control can cancel ripple, reduce component size and cost, balance current and ensure robustness. The combo controller enables designers to reduce the operating temperature while delivering the wide output range required by USB Extended Power Range (EPR) and other variable-load charging systems.
The new solution also includes the RRW30120 USB Power Delivery (USB PD) protocol and a closed-loop controller, which achieves a maximum USB power delivery of 240W; the RRW40120 half-bridge GaN gate driver and the RRW43110 intelligent synchronous rectifier controller. Together, in a 240W USB EPR power adapter design, the new solution can achieve a high power density of 3W/cc and a peak efficiency of 96.5%.
The HWLLC’s 500W power envelope widens the addressable charging market to encompass large TVs and monitors, as well as higher-power appliances such as vacuums, power tools, outdoor and industrial lighting, and some medical devices. The new HWLLC-based AC/DC topology also enables designers to move beyond 100W USB-C charging devices and adopt 240W USB EPR charging, reducing the need for proprietary brick chargers in smartphones, laptops, and several gaming systems.
Renesas’ compact, high-power fast charging technology was recently incorporated into a GaN-based charger from Belkin. The Belkin Z-Charger includes a ZSP chip with Renesas’ SuperGaN depletion mode (d-mode) GaN technology.
Jenny Ng, general manager of Belkin Asia, said, “The Belkin Z-Charger is a major step toward a new era of ultra-low standby power consumption in fast charging.”
GaN technology advances the efficiency and power density of Renesas’ next-generation AC/DC designs, enabling higher switching performance that can help shrink magnetics, reduce losses, and keep thermals in check. Renesas’ SuperGaN d-mode technology utilises a cascode configuration that is more robust and easier to drive than other GaN implementations, with a higher threshold voltage and drop-in compatibility with standard silicon-gate drivers. This enables customers to take a faster path to compact, high-efficiency power supplies they can scale, validate, and manufacture with confidence.
Rohan Samsi, vice president, GaN Business Division at Renesas, said, “Renesas’ HWLLC ecosystem brings interleaved PFC and resonant power conversion into a single, harmonised solution that delivers ultra-compact, wide-range AC/DC power with proven efficiency, low standby consumption and trusted integration support. By strategically developing four advanced controller ICs, we’ve created the most optimised, coordinated ecosystem where each element contributes to higher density, improved thermals, reduced EMI/noise and greater operating efficiency.”
Eliminating transformer windings and reducing the component count compared to traditional LLC implementations has allowed Renesas to reduce design complexity and enable more compact magnetics. The enhancement accelerates design reuse across product families that support different wattages, voltages, and form factors, while enhancing reliability and easing BOM management. The highly integrated, wide Vin/Vout offline solution helps customers build smaller, cooler and readily compliant products while achieving standout no-load/standby performance that supports higher energy-efficiency ratings.
Renesas will exhibit the HWLLC solution in booth 1219 at the Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC) in San Antonio, Texas, March 22-26, 2026.
