CHiL Semi Brings Digital Power To Desktop: Announces New Digital/Mixed-Signal Buck Controller For Intel VR11.x Designs

CHiL Semiconductor Corp. announced the CHL8100, the first in a new family of digital mixed-signal, multi-phase buck converters. By integrating digital control techniques into a mixed-signal multiphase synchronous buck controller, the CHL8100 is said to offer complete support for core voltage and load requirements and increased flexibility for Intel VR11.x processors while dramatically reducing system component count, shrinking board space requirements, minimizing thermal management issues, and lowering manufacturing and inventory costs.

To help designers deliver a complete voltage regulator (VR) solution, CHiL is also announcing the CHL8500, a high frequency dual MOSFET gate driver specifically designed to be used with the CHL81xx family of digital controllers. The CHL8500 is said to improve power efficiency and features a unique high-speed interface to optimize system transient response.

The CHL8100 is targeted at VR designs using up to four interleaved synchronous buck phases and capable of delivering up to 150A. It allows designers to digitally configure the switching frequency of each phase from 200 kHz up to 1 MHz. By storing device parameters in embedded non-volatile memory, designers can optimize their design without changing external components. To maximize design flexibility and minimize design effort, CHiL Semiconductor provides a customized Intuitive Power Designer GUI that can be used to easily access, set, modify and monitor the parameters.

The key to the CHL8100’s ability to simplify VR11.x designs and dramatically reduce component count is the IC’s extensive digital intelligence. The controller generates a PWM frequency using what is described as a very stable and highly accurate digital clock. According to the company, unlike analog techniques that rely on phase-lag-limited feedback loops, the CHL8100 uses new advanced non-linear digital PWM control techniques to reduce jitter and noise and, in the process, address the fast transients generated by modern high performance microprocessors. In most cases, the non-linear response of the CHL8100 is said to allow designers to eliminate two or more bulk capacitors as well as several ceramic capacitors needed in comparable analog solutions.

Thermal management plays a pivotal role in the long term system reliability of VR11.x-compliant system designs. To help minimize that risk, CHiL’s CHL8100 controller adds a current balancing algorithm that automatically balances current across each phase during dc as well as transient operation. By controlling the current dynamically across all phases, this new controller is said to allow designers to more effectively avoid the saturation of inductors allowing them to use lower cost components. Moreover, this same capability helps designers minimize the output voltage oscillations common to designs using analog controllers and build more efficient systems.

The companion CHL8500 MOSFET driver supports switching frequencies up to 1 MHz. Each driver is capable of driving at least a 3 nF load with a 3A sink current. A variable adaptive non overlap control helps minimize diode conduction time and prevent both high side and low-side MOSFETs from conduction to deliver reliable and efficient operation. The CHL8500 also features a tri-level PWM input that boosts converter transient response by quickly enabling or disabling both driver outputs in <30 ns without the need of a dedicated disable pin or hold off time.

The CHL8100 is priced at $1.49 in 1000-unit quantities. It is available in a 6 x 6mm, 40-pin QFN package. The companion CHL8500 is priced at $0.39 in 1000-unit quantities. It is available in either a Pb-free, 8-pin SOIC package or a Pb-free, thermally-enhanced, 10-pin DFN package. Both devices are specified across the 0 to 85°C temperature range.