Primarion Provides Power-On-Demand With New Digital Controller
Primarion, an Infineon Technologies subsidiary, introduced its PX3684 – a digital, multi-phase power controller for today’s advanced computing and communications markets.
Phasing control for the PX3684 is based on the number of dual in-line memory modules (DIMMS) populated, which is said to optimize system efficiency when the number of DIMMS is below the maximum allowed number. When DIMMS are added, additional phases can be enabled so that the current handling capability of the PX3684-based system will increase, thus driving the additional DIMM populated sockets.
The PX3684 supports two modes of phasing control: user-controlled and autonomous. Within the user-controlled mode, a system master controller will drive the PX3684’s dynamic phasing features via the controller’s I2C-bus serial interface. When in the autonomous mode, phases are dropped and/or added based on the average output current level. The dropping of phases at lighter loads increases the efficiency by several percentage points, while significantly reducing the cost of power over the life of the product.
"In today’s computing market, efficiency is everything," said Deepak Savadatti, Vice President of Marketing at Primarion. "With its built-in autonomous phasing and loop optimization capabilities, the PX3684 addresses this critical industry issue by delivering more than 90 percent efficiency across the entire operating range. The autonomous phasing feature drops phases when the average current falls below a user specified threshold, and adds phases when the average current is above this threshold. The PX3684 allows power supply designers to monitor real-time system performance and quickly optimize designs, meeting the challenge of delivering power on demand, while achieving dynamic energy savings without adding to the overall cost."
With up to four phases, each capable of up to 1 MHz operation, the PX3684 provides voltage regulation for today’s high current memory applications by driving up to four synchronous-rectified buck converter channels in parallel. It can be used to build dc-dc converters that provide up to 130A, low ripple, low component count and excellent efficiency across the entire operating range. Interleaved timing of the phases result in a higher ripple frequency, reducing input and output capacitors.
The PX3684 is supported with an intuitive and user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI). The new and improved GUI takes the designer step-by-step through the process of debugging and modifying the power system design. The company states that the ease with which the GUI can be used to intelligently manage the design process contributes to reducing the final product’s time-to-market.
