EYE on NPI: TPS61033 Fully-Integrated Synchronous Boost Converter

This week's EYE ON NPI packs quite a punch, it's the powerful TI TPS61033 Fully-Integrated Synchronous Boost Converter (https://www.digikey.com/en/product-highlight/t/texas-instruments/tps61033-synchronous-boost-converter), a souped-up DC/DC regulator with a generous 5.5 A internal switch, in a tiny SOT package. This chip will chomp through your power generation needs, with a specialty at boosting Li Ion / LiPoly batteries to 5V at up to 2 A continuous current. The TI TPS series (https://www.digikey.com/short/m345b8wt) of boost converters is well-known here at Adafruit, they're the basis for our popular PowerBoost series of boards (https://www.adafruit.com/search?q=powerboost) - all-in-one switching converters that will take a LiPoly battery in and give you 5V out for making charging phones or dev-boards easy. We've been using the TPS61090 (https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/texas-instruments/TPS61090RSAR/566911) on boards like the PowerBoost 500 (https://www.adafruit.com/product/1903), that has an internal 2 Amp switch. For the PowerBoost 1000 (https://www.adafruit.com/product/2030) we go with a TPS61030 (https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/texas-instruments/TPS61030RSAR/610198), with an internal 4A switch. Synchronous boosters with internal switches help engineering in three ways: disabling the chip fully disconnects the output and input without having to worry about the conducting body diode of a FET, it reduces BOM costs because there's two/three fewer components to worry about, and of course it makes layout easier and smaller. For a while, we've had folks ask for a PowerBoost 2000: a board that will take Lipo input and provide 2A output, which would let it easily power single-board computers like a Raspberry Pi 4. Finally there's a chip that will do the job! The TI TPS61033 (https://www.digikey.com/short/vt3wj7t7) really is a fully-integrated synchronous boost converter, only a few passive components are required: input and output bulk capacitors and, of course, an inductor. If you want to operate at 5V fixed output, you don't even need a feedback resistor divider! And, it's in a tiny package compared to the TPS610x0 chips, with thoughtful pin ordering so you can lay out the PCB on 2 layers with chunky fat copper pours to reduce inductance and act as a heat sink. The datasheet specifically steps through component selection for making a 5V 2A output from single cell battery using a 4x4mm 1uH inductor so we're pretty confident that this would make a great PB2K. If you have a rechargeable battery project that needs 5 V output and you want to go with a rock-solid booster that can provide 2 Amps of current, the TI TPS61033 Fully-Integrated Synchronous Boost Converter (https://www.digikey.com/short/vt3wj7t7) will make you jump for joy. Best of all, it's in stock! Thousands of them! All at DigiKey for immediate shipment. Order today and DigiKey will pack them up and send them off tonight so that you'll be boosting your batteries by tomorrow afternoon.