OREANDA-NEWS. January 28, 2013.  Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501) today announced the development of the new high-voltage (600 V/ 1 A) ECN30210 Series of single-chip inverter ICs for the control of small fan motors that seeks to improve energy efficiency in air conditioners, air cleaners, and other products. Delivery of samples will commence immediately. Full-scale production will commence in the summer of 2013, with target monthly production of 1 million units in 2014.

Use of inverter ICs to improve efficiency is growing in response to the strengthening demand for energy efficiency in home appliances that use small fan motors, such as air conditioners and air cleaners. With awareness of energy efficiency growing in recent years, including in emerging economies’ markets, it is anticipated that use of highly efficient products that incorporate inverter ICs will increase in the future. Furthermore, because electric power supplies in emerging economies often have large voltage fluctuations, there is also a need for inverter ICs to be able to withstand the higher voltages that occur when products experience these large variations in voltage.

Hitachi has been developing and marketing single-chip inverter ICs that deliver energy efficiency and lower noise for the small fan motors used in home appliances since 1995. Having supplied large numbers of these devices for products such as air conditioners, water heaters, and air cleaners, Hitachi has established a strong reputation for its development capabilities and for the performance of its ICs.

The new ECN30210 Series incorporates device elements manufactured using an SOI*1 process and has a new element structure able to withstand 600 V. Compared to previous models, the ECN30210 Series has a more extensive range of protections functions, including over-heat, lock, and over-current, and it has cut standby power consumption from 0.3 W to 0.1 W, and power consumption during inverter operation from 2.6 W to 2.3 W. Meanwhile, its new package design is not only thinner, it also helps reduce the cost of component mounting by not requiring an insulation coating or lead cutting step.

In the future, Hitachi intends to help provide both comfortable living environment and a reduction in CO2 emissions achieved by improving energy efficiency through the supply of high-quality products, and by expanding its range of products for regions where the commercial power supply is subject to large voltage fluctuations, especially emerging economies.