Intersil Regulator Designed to Power Next-Generation GPUs

Intersil Corp. today introduced the ISL6263 single-phase buck voltage regulator that implements mobile voltage positioning (IMVP) to power next-generation graphics processing units (GPUs) or graphics cores used on Santa Rosa platforms. This device reduces power consumption and enhances the performance of the GPU by dynamically changing output voltage and operation modes corresponding to the advanced GPU control protocol.

The modulator at the heart of this power system is created using Intersil's patented R3™ (Robust Ripple Regulator) technology. Compared with traditional single-phase buck regulators, Intersil's R3-based converters provide better transient response and efficiency and is capable of changing the voltage output when the GPU is in suspend or sleep mode.

"Intersil's ISL6263 provides 0.5 percent system accuracy across the entire temperature range, the highest accuracy in the industry," said Majid Kafi, director of Intersil's Notebook Power group. "This device allows users to pick higher tolerance inductors when they are using DCR (DC resistance) sensing. The transition to DCM (discontinuous conduction mode) enables the part to have higher efficiency at light load, and faster transient response is enabled due to Intersil's R3 technology."

Intersil's ISL6263 5-bit VID (voltage identification) regulator provides 0.5 percent system accuracy over the entire temperature range, which allows wider tolerance of inductors for platforms using DCR current sensing. To boost battery life, the controller has the flexibility to go to lower switching frequency at DCM either through internal automatic inductor current sensing or programmed by VID.

The ISL6263 is available now in a 32-lead Thin QFN package and is priced at $2.70 in 1,000-unit quantities.