Fairchild Semiconductor Releases New RC5051 DC/DC Controller
Fairchild Semiconductor Corp. (Sunnyvale, CA) recently released the RC5061, a combination dc/dc controller with two LDOs. According to Fairchild, the device is designed to provide a highly accurate programmable set of output voltages for multi-voltage platforms such as the Intel Camino. The company also claims it is a complete solution for the Whitney and other high-performance processors, including the new Coppermine chip set.
According to Fairchild, the RC5061 features one synchronous mode, programmable dc/dc controller and two LDO regulators for the PC motherboard. The on-board, five-bit digital-to-analog converter is designed to precisely match the processor supply voltage from 1.3V to 3.5V through programming by the microprocessor. The on-board LDOs provide 1.5V and 2.5V fixed voltages for Vtt termination and Vclock.
Fairchild claims that by combining a switcher and two separate LDOs or voltage regulators in a 20-lead SOIC, the RC5061 reduces both board space and costs. The RC5061 also features remote voltage sensing, an independently adjustable current limit and an active droop for optimal converter transient response. Fairchild's Active Droop feature is designed to allow the device to meet Coppermine requirements by reducing the number of on-board capacitors. The RC5061 is also designed to perform current sensing without requiring a precise, costly resistor. With the reduction in capacitors and no sense resistors, Fairchild claims the RC5061 should result in cost savings of as much as 40 percent.
