“The use of high switching frequencies or high ripple current allows a corresponding lower inductance value, which results in a physically smaller part for the same electrical specs,” said the firm. “XEL50xx Family inductors measure just 5.28 x 5.48mm with a maximum height of 3.2mm.”

The Family is currently available in two models – XEL5020 and XEL5030. A third model – XEL5050 – is expected late Q2 2018.

XEL5020 comes in six inductance values from 0.10 to 1.0µH, with current ratings up to 39 Amps and heights between .

As an example, the XEL5020-381ME is 0.38µH with 4.80mΩ typical resistance (5.50mΩ max) 89MHz typical SRF and 22.0A saturation, capable of carrying 12.0Arms for a 20°C temeprature rise or 15.0 for 40°C.

XEL5030 has 10 values from 0.13 to 4.7µH and current ratings up to 44 Amps.

All models offer soft saturation to withstand high current spikes and have no thermal ageing issues, said Coilcraft.

The whole family is qualified to AEC-Q200 Grade 1 standards (-40° to +125°C ambient) with a maximum part temperature of +165°C, making them suitable for automotive and other harsh-environment applications.

They feature RoHS-compliant, tin-silver-over-copper terminations and are halogen free.

Composite construction minimises audible buzzing.

The difference between 020 and 030 devices is the height:

• XEL5020 ~ 2mm
• XEL5030 ~ 3mm
• XEL5050 ~ 5mm

“All three XEL50xx families sit on the same pcb footprint, which facilitates prototyping, as the user can quickly evaluate performance vs. inductor size,” CoilCraft technical marketing director Len Crane told Electronics Weekly. “The taller the inductor, the higher the current ratings, as reflected by the DCR, Isat, and Irms ratings. In addition, higher inductance choices are offered in the taller families.”