Voltage regulator powers next-generation graphics processing units

The ISL6263’s 5-bit VID (voltage identification) regulator provides 0.5 percent system accuracy across the entire temperature range, said to be the highest accuracy in the industry. The device allows users to pick relaxed tolerance inductors when they are using DCR (DC resistance) sensing. The transition to DCM (discontinuous conduction mode) enables the part to have higher efficiency at light load, and faster transient response is enabled due to Intersil’s patented R3™ (Robust Ripple Regulator) technology.

Compared with traditional single-phase buck regulators, Intersil’s R3-based converter provides better transient response and efficiency and is capable of changing the voltage output when the GPU is in suspend or sleep mode.
To boost battery life, the controller has the flexibility to go to lower switching frequency at DCM either through internal automatic inductor current sensing or programmed by VID.
Key features of the ISL6263 include enhanced loadline accuracy, internal gate driver with 2A driving capability, microprocessor voltage identification input, selection of audio switching frequency operation disable/enable for higher light load efficiency, differential remote voltage sensing, together with over-voltage, under-voltage and over-current protection.

Target applications are notebook computers systems, LCD PC systems, SAN (storage-area network) or NAS (network-attached storage) systems, point-of-sale (POS) terminals, and blade servers.