The LTC3816 incorporates a parallel input, 7-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC), which dynamically adjusts its output to the Intel CPU core supply voltage from 0V to 1.500V in 12.5mV steps with +0.75% VOUT accuracy over temperature. It operates from an input voltage ranging from 4.5V to 36V, has powerful onboard N-channel MOSFET gate drivers and can control output currents up to 25A. Its leading edge modulation architecture enables a very low output voltage to be regulated from a high input voltage and still operates at high frequency (phase-lockable up to 550kHz). A unity-gain differential amplifier provides remote voltage sensing at the CPU, eliminating errors due to parasitic IR drops across PCB metal traces.
Current sensing can be implemented with either a temperature-compensated lossless inductor DCR network, or with a discrete sense resistor. If DCR sensing is used, an NTC thermistor network will compensate for the gain and time constant variations caused by the inductor DCR temperature coefficient.
The LTC3816 can operate in pulse-skipping or forced continuous mode. Pulse skipping provides the highest light load efficiency, while forced continuous operation has faster transient response at light load. AVP minimizes the peak-to-peak output voltage transient during a step load.