PWM controller stacks up power system density

Synchronous PWM controller operates as a stand-alone device that generates two outputs, or as a two-channel multiphase controller.

A highly flexible power management IC turns power supplies in data centres and telecommunications equipment into fully scalable, stackable power systems with greater load-handling capability and maximum efficiency.

TI's TPS40140 synchronous, pulsewidth modulation (PWM) controller operates as a stand-alone device that generates two outputs, or as a two-channel, multiphase controller.

Using the device's advanced capabilities, designers are now able to "stack" multiple devices together to create a high-density power supply that can generate up to 320A of output current and support up to 16 phases.

In addition, the system can maintain greater power efficiency with today's power stage components.

"Power supply designers for high-performance data centre and 3G basestation applications face challenging requirements for higher power density, scalability and high-efficiency operation", said Stephen Anderson, Vice President of TI's System Power Management Business.

"TI's new stackable controllers will enable customers to meet those demands in an easy-to-use, modular approach".

In applications such as high-density telecomms and wireless systems, the TPS40140 significantly increases load-handling capability and simplifies power system design.

For 3G basestations driven by 1GHz DSPs like TI's new TMS320TCI6482, the TPS40140 offers greater energy performance, low noise and low power.

For data centre servers, the controller gives designers the opportunity to more easily develop a complete multiphase power system with high efficiency operation.

The unique stacking capability of the TPS40140 enables the power supply to perform automatic phase-balancing, which significantly minimises the ripple current in both the output and input capacitors and allows an overall smaller solution size.

Designers can also implement topologies where multiple output rails based on multiphase and/or single-phase output topologies are both synchronised and phase-balanced to achieve greater levels of power density and flexibility while maintaining a uniform electromagnetic interference (EMI) spectrum of frequencies.

The TPS40140 current-mode controller supports a wide input voltage conversion range of 2 to 40V, enabling high-performance operation from a 4.5 to 15V power source.

The device has excellent line and load regulation of 0.1%, supported by a high-precision +/-0.5%, 0.7V voltage reference and high-accuracy differential load sense amplifier.

The TPS40140 is equipped with complete supervisory and control features for today's power supplies, including prebias startup capability, programmable undervoltage lockout, lossless direct current resistance or resistor current sensing, independent power good indicators, separate soft start controls, synchronisation input, programmable ove-current protection and thermal shutdown.

In addition, the TPS40140 controller supports three common sequencing schemes, including sequential sequencing, ratiometric sequencing and simultaneous sequencing.

The TPS40140 controller is available in volume from TI and its authorised distributors.

Packaged in a 6 x 6mm, 36-pin QFN, suggested resale pricing is $3.30 each in quantities of 1000 units.

Software development tools for the TPS40140 will be available in the fourth quarter of 2006 through TI's new Pro series of tools.

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