Industrial computers serve to improve business continuity and streamline industrial process control. Advanced processors and platforms, such as the Intel® Elkhart Lake micro-achitecture, need point-of-load (POL) solutions for memory, low-power CPU rails, and 3.3 V and 5 V rail requirements from an array of rechargeable batteries or a 12 V input bus. This document intends to highlight DC/DC converters from Texas Instruments that provide performance power management solutions to extend battery life while addressing Elkhart Lake platform power requirements. For specific information about Intel processors and their power requirements, log on to the Intel Resource and Design Center. Contact TI for information about multiphase controllers and power stages designed specifically for the Intel Mobile Voltage Positioning (IMVP) requirements.
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Table 1 highlights the latest POL DC/DC converters with integrated MOSFETs and controllers suitable for Elkhart Lake applications. The suggested devices are selected to accommodate different input voltage and control mode requirements over a wide range of output current. The featured devices in the left-hand column accommodate a maximum input voltage of 22V or greater, and are designed to achieve fast load-transient response with an adaptive on-time control mode, high light and full-load efficiency, and low quiescent current. Several devices include an integrated programmable voltage identification (VID) supporting the processor's adaptive voltage requirements. The alternate devices in the right-hand column employ a fixed-frequency control mode with frequency synchronization useful in noise-sensitive industrial applications. If VID is required with alternative devices, consider the LM10011 VID voltage programmer in addition to the converter's resistor divider network.
Featured Device(2) | Type | Current | Rail | Note | Alternate Device(1) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
TPS51285A | Dual Controller + LDOs | ≤20A & 100mA LDO | V5 | System Power | TPS51220A |
≤20A & 100mA LDO | V3P3 | ||||
TPS51393 | Converter + LDO | ≤8A & 100mA LDO | V5 | System power | TPS54824 |
TPS51395 | Converter + LDO | ≤8A & 100mA LDO | V3P3 | System power | TPS54824 |
TPS51215A | Controller | ≤35A | VCCIN_AUX | I/O power, 2-bit VID (0V support) | - |
TPS51371 | Converter | ≤ 6.5A | VCCIO, V1P05, VNN | Optional bypass power, 2-bit VID | LM43600 |
General Purpose DC/DC Converters | |||||
- | Converter | ≤25A | Various | I/O | TPS543B20 |
TPS51367 | Converter | ≤12A | Various | I/O | TPS54A24 |
TPS51396A | Converter | ≤8A | Various | I/O | TPS54824 |
TPS566335 | Converter | ≤6A | Various | I/O, V1P8, VPP | TPS54824 |
TPS56339 | Converter | ≤3A | Various | I/O | TPS54424 |
TPS62175 | Converter | ≤0.5A | V1P2, various | I/O | LM43600 |
DDR Memory Power Solutions | |||||
TPS51486 | Multi-Rail PMIC | ≤8A | VDDQ | DDR4 Memory | TPS65295 |
≤1A | VPP | ||||
±1A | VTT | ||||
10mA | VTT_REF | ||||
TPS51487X | Multi-Rail PMIC | ≤8A | VDD1 | LPDDR4/X Memory | TPS65296 |
≤1A | VDD2 | ||||
≤1.5A | VDDQ_TX | ||||
TPS51716 | Multi-Rail Controller | ≤20A | VDDQ | DDR4 Memory | Consider I/O devices |
±2A | VTT | ||||
10mA | VTT_REF | ||||
TPS51206 | LDO | ±2A | VTT | DDR4 Memory | - |
10mA | VTT_REF |
The POL regulators generating low voltages from an array of batteries must employ an energy-saving pulse-skipping technique now referred to as Eco-Mode. The inductor current in a synchronous-buck converter is a triangle wave. As the output current decreases from a heavy-load condition, the inductor current is reduced and the rippled valley of the triangle wave eventually touches the zero level at the boundary between continuous conduction-mode (CCM) and DCM. With Eco-Mode, the rectifying MOSFET is turned off when the converter detects zero current in the inductor. As the load current further decreases, the on-time is held nearly constant so that the off-time is extended, and the switching frequency is reduced to maintain regulation. As a result, the power MOSFETs and inductor are idle for longer time periods and conduction losses are greatly reduced. The point at which the DC/DC converter enters the light-load efficiency mode is shown in Equation 1.
DC/DC converters and controllers with low quiescent current will have improved light-load efficiency performance and extended battery run-time, since less power is dissipated within the IC. The TPS51285A features Ultra Low Quiescent current (ULQ) of 25-uA for longer battery life in system stand-by mode. Figure 1 shows 90% efficiency with 7.4-V input and 5-V output at 1-mA, illustrating the combined affects of Eco-Mode and ULQ.