Powervation has been working on a digital chip that controls the amount of energy supplied to microprocessors. The ultimate goal is to have digital control displace incumbent analog-based control.

CSRC has worked on the core technology since 2001. Monday is the official unveiling of Powervation's new class of Auto-control digital power ICs.

According to Powervation, the chips promise power supply designers a "no compromises" solution impervious to variations in component values and applications context, making it easier to build complex designs that conform to today's stringent energy-efficient standards.

One impressive data point that Powervation emphasizes is cost. The company claims that Auto-control reduces the component count in a system design by 50 percent compared to alternate solutions, which translates to a 30 percent reduction in system-level costs.

I guess it pays to hire a good team. Among the eight executives heading the company there is some 150 years of experience, from the semiconductor and power supply industries.

Asked who its most likely competitor in this space, Powervation's director of marketing Benoit Herve points to Texas Instruments.

Look for the story on this site for the details on this chip and draw your own conclusions.

Just to keep it interesting Powervation made the list of one of ten European power management start ups to watch in 2009.