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VRM10 power solution meets CPU requirements

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Jul 21, 2003

The FAN53168 multiphase DC/DC PWM controller, and the FAN53418 synchronous MOSFET driver work together to form a highly accurate, efficient multiphase synchronous buck convertor.

The FAN53168 multiphase DC/DC PWM controller, and the FAN53418 synchronous mosfet driver work together to form a highly accurate, efficient multiphase synchronous buck convertor.

This convertor meets rigorous VRM/VRD10 power specifications - including tight "loadline" requirements - while reducing system costs and part count.

In a move that dramatically increases the reliability of the supply chain, the FAN53168 and FAN53418 are offered as 100% pin-compatible second sources to the ADP3168 and ADP3418, respectively.

The chipset is currently available in volume production.

To meet the tight VRM/VRD10 loadline, the FAN53168 uses temperature-compensated inductor current sensing - providing tight accuracy at the lowest system cost.

Most competing products use mosfet on-resistance or sense resistors to measure current and set the loadline, a solution that is less accurate and more costly.

The FAN53168's architecture combines a highly stable, high-speed control loop with active voltage positioning (droop) to meet CPU load transient requirements while minimising the number of output capacitors and their associated costs.

Additionally, the FAN53168/ FAN53418 chipset allows the regulator to scale to two, three or four phases and can provide over 120A output to accommodate future VRM10.x CPUs.

For additional safety and reliability, the controller features "on-the-fly" voltage identification (VID) support, undervoltage, overvoltage crowbar, and short-circuit protection, along with a power good output flag.

"As a pin-compatible second source to the ADP3168 and ADP3418, the Fairchild chipset provides customers with true VRM/VRD10 compliance and increased reliability of the supply chain.

This greatly reduces risk, especially during the critical volume ramp for VRM/VRD10 systems", said Abid Hussain, Fairchild's Product Marketing Manager for computing power management.

The FAN53168 is available in a 28-lead TSSOP package and the FAN53418 is available in an 8-lead SOIC package.

Both devices are rated for operation from 0 to +85C.