Power supply design features digital controllers for cloud computing

The ISL68300 can drive discrete external MOSFETs directly, while the ISL68301 pairs with Renesas’ smart power stages or DrMOS power stages to create a complete voltage regulator solution.

The ISL68300 and ISL68301 digital controllers feature a high speed current share bus that parallels up to eight controllers in an 8-phase 240A+ current share configuration.

Both controllers implement Renesas’ digital ChargeMode control modulation, which responds to load transients in a single switching cycle, and provides an inherently stable control loop without requiring external compensation. This modulation architecture significantly reduces output capacitor requirements and minimises Vout undershoot and overshoot.

“The scalability of the ISL68300 and ISL68301 single output digital controllers provide industry leading performance and support a wide range of load currents,” said Mark Downing, Vice President, Core Power Solutions Division, Renesas Electronics.

“The new digital controllers complement our award-winning digital dual-output multiphase controllers, giving customers everything they need to power all the rails in their next-generation systems.”

Engineers can use the PowerNavigator GUI with the ISL68300 and ISL68301 to simplify power supply setup, sequencing, configuration and monitoring, including all device parameters and telemetry.

Full schematic designs are completed in minutes, and the GUI with PMBus makes it easy to control the entire design and change features without soldering components or rework.

Key features of ISL68300 and ISL68301 digital controllers:

• Parallel up to eight controllers in a single droop-less current sharing output
• Output voltage range: 0.45-5.5V
• Input voltage range: 4.75-16V or 4.5-5.5V
• 0.5% output voltage accuracy over line, load, and temperature
• Switching frequency range of 200kHz to 1.0MHz
• Proprietary single-wire Digital-DC (DDC) serial bus enables voltage sequencing and fault spreading with other Renesas digital power ICs
• Cycle-by-cycle inductor peak current protection
• Configurable fault protection for Vout Under Voltage (UV), Over Voltage (OV), Vin UV/OV, and temperature
• Nonvolatile memory stores operating parameters and records telemetry fault events

In a typical FPGA power supply, the ISL68300 and ISL68301 digital controllers provide single output 10A to 40A+ for auxiliary rails, DDR memory, and system rails. The companion Renesas digital multiphase controllers use smart power stages to provide dual output 15-70A, or higher core power.