Exar Extends Scalability of PowerXR Family of Digital Step Down Controllers
Exar Corp. unveiled its latest addition to its acclaimed PowerXR family of digital step down controllers with the XRP7708. This highly integrated field programmable power regulator IC has been optimized to provide 8A per channel capability while offering a pin and function compatible option to the existing XRP7704 and the XRP7740; Exar’s 5A/channel and 15A/channel regulators.
These power ICs are said to integrate the best of both worlds – the low cost and flexibility of digital power management and control, and the robust power capabilities of analog switching power supplies. PowerXR products will reduce development time from weeks to hours enabling a significant time-to-market advantage. PowerXR devices permit real-time power system adjustments during design, in response to changing requirements or even after field-deployment.
"Exar is redefining the concept of scalability," said Tim Maloney, Senior Director Marketing. "While our PowerXR family already offers an unprecedented level of programmability and flexibility for applications requiring up to 5 or 15A, we are yet adding another dimension to the scalability of these products with an optimized 8A version which is drop-in pin and function compatible. Exar’s PowerXR family represents today’s state of the art evolutionary and scalable power solution for up to 15A."
The XRP7708 offers a wide input voltage range (6.5 to 20V), and output range (0.9 to 5.0V), with a built-in Low-Drop Out (LDO) for standby power, power sequencing capability, and integrated gate drivers. This digital power system controller IC contains four digital pulse width modulator (DPWM) controlled power supplies with an effective 12-bit resolution. It contains an integrated LDO regulator that provides a fifth voltage supply, which can also be employed as a standby-voltage source and is fully configurable via an I2C interface for monitoring, control and management of dc-dc point-of-load power conversion. The device contains integrated gate drivers for the high-current outputs and up to six General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) pins.
Exar’s Digital Power Studio enables designers to intelligently configure the power supply’s voltage setting and current thresholds, fault monitoring and response, soft start and active shut-down timing, and channel sequencing, phase shift management, and loop response, amongst other features. The XRP7708 uses a digital PID (proportional, integral, differential) control algorithm which performs full-digital loop control at switching frequencies to 1.5 MHz.
Samples of the XRP7708 are available now. Offered in a RoHS compliant, "green"/halogen free 40-pin QFN package operating within the -40 to +85°C temperature range, the XRP7708 is priced at $5.00 in 1K piece quantities.
