New Industry Products

Dialog Semiconductor’s Integrated PMIC for ARM Quad-Core Application Processors

November 07, 2012 by Jeff Shepard

PowerPulse.Net interviewed Charles Limonard, Product Marketing Manager at Dialog Semiconductor as the company launched the most powerful and most integrated configurable power management IC (PMIC) for ARM® quad-core and dual-core application processors. The DA9063 can deliver up to 12A from its six DC/DC converters, 24% more than its nearest rivals.

It simultaneously powers the processor (the core at up to 5A plus other processor supplies), external memories, wireless communications (WLAN and Bluetooth), GPS and FM receivers, and data modems. The DC/DC converters can be paralleled to provide 3A and 5A rails. This means that the PMIC is scalable and adaptable for different system requirements in smartphones, tablets and embedded applications. It comes in an 8 x 8mm BGA package that facilitates simple routing, allowing low-cost, 2-layer PCBs to be used for some designs.

The DA9063 has 11 SmartMirror™ LDOs, 16 GPIOs and two rail switches, in addition to the six main DC/DC outputs. Any start up sequence, output voltage and DVC ramps can be programmed, giving unprecedented opportunities for designers to minimise their system energy consumption. For example, the application can be completely powered down and started again under the DA9063's supervisory function. The PMIC further maximises battery life by providing dynamic voltage scaling (DVS), something that is not available with discrete solutions. Furthermore, its multimode buck converter runs at 3MHz switching frequency, enabling inductors just 1mm high to be utilised, while maintaining the high peak current.

The wide supply range of 2.7V to 5.5V enables the use of single cell lithium-ion batteries as well as a standard 5V supply or a USB power supply. This is especially important for non-mobile systems.

DIA077-DA9063 Block Diagram

This new device is a high current system PMIC suitable for the Single, Dual and Quad-core processors used in the development of increasingly powerful smartphones, tablets and other handhelds applications that require up to a 5A core processor supply. There are multiple operating modes, five consuming <20µA including a 1.5µA RTC mode with alarm & wakeup. A system monitor watchdog is enabled in Active mode. DA9063 is designed to use very small external 1µH inductors capable of supplying in total up to 12A continuous output (0.3-3.3V). 11x SmartMirror™ programmable LDO regulators rated up to 300mA.

All support remote capacitor placement and operate from low 1.5/1.8V input supply; this allows the linear regulators to be cascaded with a suitable buck supply to improve overall system efficiency. A number of LDOs can be configured as current limited bypass-switches to support external peripherals such as external accessory or memory cards. The Buck converters do not require external Schottky diodes; they dynamically optimize their efficiency depending on the load current using an Automatic Sleep Mode (ASM). They incorporate pin and s/w controlled Dynamic Voltage Control (DVC) to support processor load adaptive adjustment of the supply voltage. Processor core leakage reduction can be achieved using external FET switches driven by the rail switch controllers for ultra-fast power domain switching.

The DA9063 provides a startup sequencing engine that offers autonomous hardware and software controlled system start-up. Customisable power modes can also be configured using "Power Commander," Dialog's powerful graphical user interface. This GUI is ideal for power designers, who are normally at the tail end of product design and under extreme pressure to deliver in the shortest timeframe. It simplifies the task and can save time-consuming re-spins which cost valuable time and money for the project.

The ON-key feature detects the button press time and offers configurable key-lock and application shut-down functions. Up to 16 free configurable GPIO pins are able to perform system functions including keypad supervision, application wake-up and timing controlled enable of external regulators/power switches or other ICs. A 10-bit ADC supports voltage and temperature supervision from general purpose inputs including automatic interrupt from comparators and resistor measurement. Three RGB-LED driver pins are provided with PWM control. LDO8 may be configured as a 6-bit PWM controlled vibration motor driver with automatic battery voltage correction.

The operating temperature range is -40 to +85 degrees C. The device is available now.