Power chipset enables N+1 redundancy

A new chipset for scalable multi-phase, interleaved buck DC-DC convertors adds N+1 redundancy, hot-swapping capability and several protection features.

International Rectifier has introduced a new chipset in its XPhaseO family of control ICs and phase ICs for scalable multiphase, interleaved buck DC-DC convertors, adding N+1 redundancy, hot-swapping capability and a host of protection features.

IR's new chipset, comprising the IR3510 XPhase control IC and companion IR3086A and IR3088A phase ICs, is suitable for powering high-availability CPUs and servers in fault-tolerant applications where live insertion is required.

The IR3510 control IC implements a simple and efficient synchronous buck topology, combined with input MOSFETs for hot-swapping and output MOSFETs for ORing, to ensure complete system protection against failures such as short circuits.

To extend MTBF, average current-mode control is used to implement droop sharing between convertors without any single point failure modes, thus enabling N+1 redundancy.

Additionally, the chipset provides input isolation protection, allowing hot-swapping of power modules without damage, while enabling 100% availability of power to the system.

Hot Swappable N+1 redundant AC-DC and DC-DC convertors using transformer-based power topologies have been available for many years to provide board-level bulk power in server, telecommunication and netcom systems.

Transformer-based topologies, however, are no longer viable solutions for directly powering advanced microprocessors due to decreasing operating voltages, increasing currents, and the proliferation of power rails required.

Until now, point-of-load convertors have been unable to provide N + 1 redundant power along with the required input to output isolation.

XPhase is IR's distributed multiphase architecture that consists of control ICs and phase ICs that communicate using a simple five-wire bus scheme.

Phases can be added or removed without changing the fundamental design.

The five-wire analogue bus consists of bias voltage, phase timing, average current, error amplifier output and VID voltage.

By eliminating point-to-point wiring between the control and the phase ICs, the five-wire bus shortens interconnections, and reduces parasitic inductance and noise.

This simplifies PCB layout and gives a more robust design.

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