Intersil Introduces Four & Six Phase PWM Controllers For Intel Core Processor
Intersil Corp. has expanded its family of VR11.1-compliant PWM controllers with new 4-phase and 6-phase PWM controllers that feature what is described as the industry’s highest light load efficiency and very fast transient performance.
The ISL6334 and ISL6334A are 4-phase PWM controllers and the ISL6336 and ISL6336A are 6-phase PWM controllers. Both sets regulate microprocessor core voltage by driving multiple channels (up to four for the ISL6334s and up to six for the ISL6336s) using a multiphase architecture that increases channel ripple frequency. The architecture also reduces input and output ripple currents. This is said to enable the use of fewer total components, resulting in a smaller total footprint, lower cost, reduced power dissipation, and improved reliability.
Designed for server, desktop, workstation and gaming motherboards based upon Intel’s VR11.1 CPUs, the controllers meet the tightly regulated output voltage position requirements of new microprocessors by using patented techniques to sense output current continuously. They measure the voltage across the DCR of the output inductor or a dedicated current sense resistor to provide the needed signals for precision droop, channel-current balancing and overcurrent protection. When using DCR current sensing, compensation of all thermal effects is accomplished through addition of a single low-cost NTC resistor network.
The ISL6334 and ISL6336 each implement combinations of phase dropping, diode emulation and gate voltage optimization technology (GVOT). This combination provides best-in-class light load efficiency performance. The ISL6334A and ISL6336A also each offer phase dropping.
This family of PWM controllers also support both standard and coupled inductor implementations and deliver ±0.5% system accuracy over life, load, line and temperature, providing a very tight regulation window to improve load line accuracy. Active pulse positioning and adaptive phase alignment technology developed by Intersil deliver very fast transient response and low Cout.
The ISL6334 and ISL6334A are available now in 40-lead, 6 x 6mm QFN packages. The ISL6334 is priced at $2.44 each in 1,000-unit quantities; the ISL6334A is priced at $2.22 in 1,000-unit pieces.
The ISL6336 and ISL6336A are available now in 48-lead, 7 x 7mm QFN packages. The ISL6336 is priced at $3.00 each in 1,000-unit quantities; the ISL6336A is priced at $2.70 each in 1,000-unit quantities.
