Ultra-low-voltage start-up for autonomous sensors
The LTC3108EDE#TRPBF is a step-up DC-DC converter from Analog Devices, purpose-built for energy harvesting. It operates from an input voltage as low as 20 mV and up to 500 mV, making it suited to thermoelectric generators (TEGs), photovoltaic cells, or inductive pickups where the available source voltage is below what a conventional boost converter can handle. The quiescent supply current is 3 mA, a figure that includes the internal oscillator and control logic — this is the overhead the harvester must cover before any load current is delivered to the output.
Package and footprint for thermal management
The part comes in a 12-lead WFDFN with an exposed pad (12-DFN, 4 mm × 3 mm). Mounting is surface-mount only. The tape-and-reel packaging (LTC3108EDE#TRPBF suffix) is the standard reel option for volume pick-and-place; a cut-tape variant exists for prototyping.
Cross-reference note: LTC3108EGN#TRPBF
The closest functional peer is the LTC3108EGN#TRPBF, which shares the same core converter architecture, input voltage range (20 mV to 500 mV), and supply current (3 mA). The difference is the package: the EDE variant uses the 12-WFDFN exposed pad (DFN), while the EGN variant uses an SSOP package. The pinout and thermal pad differ, so a board layout designed for one will not accept the other without a PCB respin.
