TI Unveils Power System Controllers for Communications and Computing Applications
Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) introduced its third-generation Fusion Digital Power™ controllers and new plug-in modules. The highly configurable and feature-rich products digitally manage up to four independent digital-control loops and up to eight phases, while improving energy efficiency up to 30% during light load conditions.
TI’s four-output, multi-phase UCD9240 power system controllers implement digital pulse width modulators (PWM) with 250ps resolution, and are fully configurable via a graphical user interface (GUI) for monitoring, control and management for dc-dc point-of-load power conversion. GUI configuration allows a designer to intelligently manage the power supply’s voltage and current thresholds and response, soft start, margining, sequencing, tracking, phase management, loop response, fan control and many other features.
The UCD9240 incorporates the Fusion Digital Power peripheral, which performs full-digital loop control while supporting switching frequencies of up to 2MHz. The controller supports up to 100 PMBus™ interface commands for control, configuration and management of the power supply, while requiring a minimal supply current as low as 40mA during operation.
The UCD9240 controller incorporates a unique phase management feature that enables the power supply to operate at high efficiency over the range of the load. Phase management allows the user to turn on or off phases of the power supply so that only the phases required to power the load are enabled. In addition, the UCD9240 allows the user to optimize the loop response for the operating condition and meet acceptable transient response over the load range.
In addition to the new controller family, TI introduced two new PowerTrain plug-in modules that further simplify the dc-dc converter design by providing a high-degree of configurability when used with the UCD9K family of controllers. The PTD08A010W and PTD08A020W 10 and 20A modules integrate the inductor, FETs and TI’s UCD7230 driver with current sense capability plus integrated short circuit protection to provide stable and reliable operation of the power supply while protecting the system.
Samples of TI’s UCD9240 power system controllers are available in a 64-pin QFN package. Suggested resale pricing for the UCD9240 is $5.95 in quantities of 1,000 units. The PTD08A010W and PTD08A020W 10-A and 20-A PowerTrain modules are sampling today with a suggested resale price of $8.50 and $12.90 in quantities of 1,000 units. Volume production for all devices is expected in the third quarter of 2007.
