Renesas the expansion of its AC/DC and power adapter solutions with a new GaN-based Half-Wave LLC (HWLLC) platform. The platform supports 500W or higher operation across IoT, industrial, and infrastructure systems. The HWLLC converter topology scales from 100W-class designs to 500W, enabling high-speed chargers for power tools, e-bikes, large TVs, monitors, vacuums, outdoor and industrial lighting, and some medical devices. It also supports the shift to 240W USB Extended Power Range (EPR) charging for smartphones, laptops, and gaming systems.
The new portfolio includes four controller ICs based on Renesas’ proprietary zero-standby power (ZSP) technology. The central component is the RRW11011, an interleaved power factor correction (PFC) and HWLLC combo controller. The PFC uses phase-shift control to cancel ripple, reduce component size and cost, balance current, and improve robustness. The combo controller supports a wide output range of 5V to 48V for USB EPR and variable-load charging systems while lowering operating temperature.
Additional ICs are the RRW30120 USB Power Delivery (USB PD) protocol and closed-loop controller, which reaches a maximum of 240W USB power delivery; the RRW40120 half-bridge GaN gate driver; and the RRW43110 intelligent synchronous rectifier controller.
In a 240W USB EPR power adapter design, the solution achieves 3W/cc power density and 96.5% peak efficiency. The HWLLC topology eliminates transformer winding and reduces component count compared with traditional LLC implementations, enabling more compact magnetics and design re-use across different wattages, voltages, and form factors.
Renesas’ SuperGaN depletion-mode (d-mode) GaN technology is used in the solution, employing a cascode configuration with higher threshold voltage and compatibility with standard silicon gate drivers. This supports higher switching performance, reduced losses, and smaller magnetics.
The technology was incorporated into the Belkin Z-Charger, which uses a ZSP chip with Renesas SuperGaN d-mode GaN. Renesas showcased the HWLLC solution at booth #1219 during the Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC) in San Antonio, Texas, from March 22-25, 2026. The four new controller ICs and an evaluation board, the EBC10293 240W USB PD EPR Evaluation Board, are available now. The evaluation board includes integrated PFC, high-efficiency AC/DC conversion, and USB PD control.
Rohan Samsi, Vice President of the GaN Business Division at Renesas, stated that the HWLLC ecosystem combines interleaved PFC and resonant power conversion into a single solution with low standby consumption. Jenny Ng, General Manager of Belkin Asia, commented on the Belkin Z-Charger as a step toward ultra-low standby power in fast charging.
