Digital power modules eliminate complex power circuit design

Experts estimate that for every $1 (USD) spent on data centre hardware, another $0.66 (USD) is spent on electricity to power and cool these systems. Advanced power management can have a significant impact on these costs, enabling greater power density and reduced power dissipation for improved efficiency. In addition, equipment makers have historically had to design discrete power management solutions that require expensive heat sinks and fans and take up valuable board space while adding risk to the system. Intersil’s ISL8270M/71M digital power modules leverage patented technologies to enable customers to quickly design high-performance, highly efficient and low profile power management systems.

The underlying power efficiency advantages enabled by the ISL8270M/71M digital power modules are based on Intersil’s innovative, proprietary ChargeMode Control modulation technology. This built-in, compensation free architecture enables very fast transient response and reduced output capacitance resulting in dynamic performance that minimises the output voltage variation.

The 25/33A digital power modules, like Intersil’s leading low-current products, also offer advantages over analog counterparts by providing real-time system intelligence and configuration capabilities. Specifically, they provide vital information about the power supply, such as how much power is consumed at any given time, and can be optimised accordingly.

Intersil’s digital power modules also reduce the complexity, footprint and solution cost through integration and innovative packaging. The fast transient response of the module eases design by requiring only bulk input and output capacitors to complete a fully digital switch mode power supply, eliminating the need for complex power circuit design. The ISL8270M/71M digital power modules also eliminate the need for additional heat sinks or internal fans, making them suited for low headroom applications, where board space is at a premium. Power dissipation is reduced thanks to the modules’ thermally enhanced, compact (17x19mm) and low-profile (3.5mm) over-molded, high-density array package.

The digital power modules are supported by the company’s latest release of the PowerNavigator graphical user interface (GUI) , which allows designers to use Intersil’s digital power products without writing a line of code. The easy-to-use, drag-and-drop interface is a free, downloadable GUI that provides the flexibility designers need to quickly set up and control any power supply architecture. PowerNavigator's "hardware-free" mode lets users select components prior to hardware development, without design risk. The PowerNavigator 5.1 GUI provides access to all commands and setup configurations, including the ability to load predefined configurations for common applications. This enables unprecedented ease of use when coupled with the company’s digital power module solutions.

“The ISL8270M/71M product family brings the flexibility and intelligence of digital power in the simplicity of a module,” said Mark Downing, senior vice president of Infrastructure and Industrial Power Products at Intersil. “Intersil has been leading digital power innovation, and we understand the system demands of the high-end equipment being deployed in data centres and networks worldwide. Our ISL8270M/71M family was built with these applications in mind and offers an intelligent digital power management and conversion solution that is efficient and easy to use.”

The ISL8270M and ISL8271M digital power modules will be available in Q2 2014.