MAXIM MAX1718T

19-2682; Rev 0; 10/02
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
Features
♦
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Quick-PWM Architecture
±1% VOUT Accuracy Over Line and Load
5-Bit On-Board DAC with Input Muxes
Precision-Adjustable VOUT Slew Control
0.6V to 1.75V Output Adjust Range
Precision Offset Control
Supports Voltage-Positioned Applications
2V to 28V Battery Input Range
Requires a Separate 5V Bias Supply
200kHz/300kHz/550kHz/1000kHz Switching
Frequency
Overvoltage/Undervoltage Protection
Drives Large Synchronous-Rectifier FETs
700µA (typ) ICC Supply Current
2µA (typ) Shutdown Supply Current
2V ±1% Reference Output
VGATE Blanking During Transition
Small 28-Pin QSOP Package
Ordering Information
PART
MAX1718TEEI
TEMP RANGE
PIN-PACKAGE
-40°C to +85°C
28 QSOP
Minimal Operating Circuit
5V INPUT
VCC
SKP/SDN
The MAX1718T is available in a 28-pin QSOP package.
SHUTDOWN
ILIM
Applications
2-Cell to 4-Cell Li+ Battery to CPU Core Supply
Converters
5V to CPU Core Supply Converters
D0
D1
DUAL MODE™ VID
MUX INPUTS
†Patent pending.
Quick-PWM is a trademark of Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.
SUSPEND
INPUT
DECODER
BATT 2V TO 28V
BST
MAX1718T DH
MUX CONTROL
Pin Configuration appears at end of data sheet.
VDD
V+
D2
D3
D4
OUTPUT
0.6V TO 1.75V
LX
DL
GND
ZMODE
SUS
S0
S1
FB
TIME
NEG
CC
POS
VCC
REF
TON
VGATE
OVP
POWER-GOOD
OUTPUT
Dual Mode is a trademark of Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.
________________________________________________________________ Maxim Integrated Products
For pricing, delivery, and ordering information, please contact Maxim/Dallas Direct! at
1-888-629-4642, or visit Maxim’s website at www.maxim-ic.com.
1
MAX1718T
General Description
The MAX1718T step-down controller is intended for core
CPU DC-to-DC converters in notebook computers. It features a dynamically adjustable output, ultra-fast transient
response, high-DC accuracy, and high efficiency needed for leading-edge CPU core power supplies. Maxim’s
proprietary Quick-PWM™ quick-response, constant-ontime PWM control scheme handles wide input/output
voltage ratios with ease and provides 100ns “instant-on”
response to load transients while maintaining a relatively
constant switching frequency.
The output voltage can be dynamically adjusted
through the 5-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC) over
a 0.6V to 1.75V range. The MAX1718T has an internal
multiplexer that accepts three unique 5-bit VID DAC
codes corresponding to performance, battery, and suspend modes. Precision slew-rate control † provides
“just-in-time” arrival at the new DAC setting, minimizing
surge currents to and from the battery.
A pair of complementary offset control inputs allows
easy compensation for IR drops in PC board traces or
creation of a voltage-positioned power supply. Voltage
positioning modifies the load-transient response to
reduce output capacitor requirements and total system
power dissipation.
Single-stage buck conversion allows these devices to
directly step down high-voltage batteries for the highest
possible efficiency. Alternatively, two-stage conversion
(stepping down the 5V system supply instead of the
battery) at a higher switching frequency allows the minimum possible physical size.
MAX1718T
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM RATINGS
V+ to GND ..............................................................-0.3V to +30V
VCC, VDD to GND .....................................................-0.3V to +6V
D0–D4, ZMODE, VGATE, OVP, SUS to GND ..........-0.3V to +6V
SKP/SDN to GND ...................................................-0.3V to +16V
ILIM, CC, REF, POS, NEG, S1, S0,
TON, TIME to GND .....................................-0.3V to (VCC + 0.3V)
DL to GND ..................................................-0.3V to (VDD + 0.3V)
BST to GND ............................................................-0.3V to +36V
DH to LX .....................................................-0.3V to (BST + 0.3V)
LX to BST..................................................................-6V to +0.3V
REF Short Circuit to GND ...........................................Continuous
Continuous Power Dissipation
28-Pin QSOP (derate 10.8mW/°C above +70°C).........860mW
Operating Temperature Range ..........................-40°C to +85°C
Junction Temperature ......................................................+150°C
Storage Temperature Range .............................-65°C to +150°C
Lead Temperature (soldering, 10s) .................................+300°C
Stresses beyond those listed under “Absolute Maximum Ratings” may cause permanent damage to the device. These are stress ratings only, and functional
operation of the device at these or any other conditions beyond those indicated in the operational sections of the specifications is not implied. Exposure to
absolute maximum rating conditions for extended periods may affect device reliability.
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS
(Circuit of Figure 1, V+ = 15V, VCC = VDD = SKP/SDN = 5V, VOUT = 1.25V, TA = 0°C to +85°C, unless otherwise noted.)
PARAMETER
CONDITIONS
MIN
TYP
MAX
UNITS
PWM CONTROLLER
Input Voltage Range
DC Output Voltage Accuracy
Battery voltage, V+
2
28
4.5
5.5
DAC codes from 0.9V to 1.75V
-1
+1
DAC codes from 0.6V to 0.875V
-1.5
+1.5
VCC, VDD
V+ = 4.5V to 28V,
includes load
regulation error
%
Line Regulation Error
VCC = 4.5V to 5.5V, VBATT = 4.5V to 28V
Input Bias Current
FB, POS, NEG
POS, NEG Common-Mode
Range
5
+0.2
µA
0.4
2.5
V
POS - NEG
-80
POS, NEG Offset Gain
∆VFB / (POS - NEG); POS - NEG = 50mV
0.81
On-Time (Note 1)
mV
-0.2
POS, NEG Differential Range
TIME Frequency Accuracy
0.86
+80
mV
0.91
V/V
150kHz nominal, RTIME = 120kΩ
-8
+8
380kHz nominal, RTIME = 47kΩ
-12
+12
38kHz nominal, RTIME = 470kΩ
-12
+12
V+ = 5V, FB = 1.2V, TON = GND (1000kHz)
V+ = 12V, FB = 1.2V
V
230
260
TON = REF (550kHz)
165
190
215
TON = open (300kHz)
320
355
390
TON = VCC (200kHz)
465
515
565
%
290
ns
TON = VCC, open, or REF (200kHz, 300kHz, or 550kHz)
400
500
TON = GND (1000kHz)
300
375
Quiescent Supply Current (VCC)
Measured at VCC, FB forced above the regulation point
700
1200
µA
Quiescent Supply Current (VDD)
Measured at VDD, FB forced above the regulation point
<1
5
µA
25
40
µA
Minimum Off-Time (Note 1)
ns
BIAS AND REFERENCE
Quiescent Battery Supply
Current (V+)
Shutdown Supply Current (VCC)
SKP/SDN = GND
2
5
µA
Shutdown Supply Current (VDD)
SKP/SDN = GND
<1
5
µA
Shutdown Battery Supply
Current (V+)
SKP/SDN = GND, VCC = VDD = 0V or 5V
<1
5
µA
2
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
(Circuit of Figure 1, V+ = 15V, VCC = VDD = SKP/SDN = 5V, VOUT = 1.25V, TA = 0°C to +85°C, unless otherwise noted.)
PARAMETER
CONDITIONS
MIN
TYP
MAX
1.98
2
2.02
UNITS
V
0.01
V
Reference Voltage
VCC = 4.5V to 5.5V, no REF load
Reference Load Regulation
IREF = 0 to 50µA
REF Sink Current
REF in regulation
10
Overvoltage Trip Threshold
Measured at FB
1.95
Overvoltage Fault Propagation
Delay
FB forced 2% above trip threshold
Output Undervoltage Fault
Protection Threshold
With respect to unloaded output voltage
Output Undervoltage Fault
Propagation Delay
FB forced 2% below trip threshold
10
µs
Output Undervoltage Fault
Blanking Time
From SKP/SDN signal going high, clock speed set by
RTIME
256
clks
Current-Limit Threshold Voltage
(Positive, Default)
GND - LX, ILIM = VCC
Current-Limit Threshold Voltage
(Positive, Adjustable)
GND - LX
Current-Limit Threshold Voltage
(Negative)
LX - GND, ILIM = VCC
Current-Limit Threshold Voltage
(Zero Crossing)
GND - LX
µA
FAULT PROTECTION
2.00
2.05
10
65
TA = +25°C to +85°C
90
TA = 0°C to +85°C
85
70
100
µs
75
110
115
ILIM = 0.5V
35
50
65
ILIM = REF (2V)
165
200
230
-140
-117
-95
Current-Limit Default
Switchover Threshold
4
3
Thermal Shutdown Threshold
Hysteresis = +10°C
VCC Undervoltage Lockout
Threshold
Rising edge, hysteresis = 20mV, PWM disabled below
this level
4.1
VGATE Lower Trip Threshold
Measured at FB with respect to unloaded output voltage
-12
VGATE Upper Trip Threshold
Measured at FB with respect to unloaded output voltage
+8
VGATE Propagation Delay
FB forced 2% outside VGATE trip threshold
VGATE Output Low Voltage
ISINK = 1mA
VGATE Leakage Current
High state, forced to 5.5V
V
%
mV
mV
mV
mV
VCC - 1 VCC - 0.4
150
V
°C
4.4
V
-10
-8
%
+10
+12
10
%
µs
0.4
V
1
µA
3.5
Ω
GATE DRIVERS
DH Gate-Driver On-Resistance
BST - LX forced to 5V
1.0
DL, high state (pullup)
1.0
3.5
DL, low state (pulldown)
0.4
1.0
DH Gate-Driver Source/Sink
Current
DH forced to 2.5V, BST - LX forced to 5V
1.6
DL Gate-Driver Sink Current
DL forced to 2.5V
4
A
DL Gate-Driver Source Current
DL forced to 2.5V
1.6
A
DL Gate-Driver On-Resistance
Ω
A
_______________________________________________________________________________________
3
MAX1718T
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS (continued)
MAX1718T
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS (continued)
(Circuit of Figure 1, V+ = 15V, VCC = VDD = SKP/SDN = 5V, VOUT = 1.25V, TA = 0°C to +85°C, unless otherwise noted.)
PARAMETER
Dead Time
CONDITIONS
MIN
TYP
DL rising
35
DH rising
26
MAX
UNITS
ns
LOGIC AND I/O
Logic Input High Voltage
D0–D4, ZMODE, SUS, OVP
Logic Input Low Voltage
D0–D4, ZMODE, SUS, OVP
0.8
V
DAC B-Mode Programming
Resistor, Low
D0–D4, 0 to 0.4V or 2.6V to 5.5V applied through resistor,
ZMODE = VCC
1.05
kΩ
DAC B-Mode Programming
Resistor, High
D0–D4, 0 to 0.4V or 2.6V to 5.5V applied through resistor,
ZMODE = VCC
D0–D4 Pullup/Pulldown
Entering impedance
mode
Logic Input Current
Four Level Input Logic Levels
(TON, S0, S1)
2.4
V
95
kΩ
Pullup
40
Pulldown
8
D0–D4, ZMODE = GND
-1
+1
ZMODE, SUS, OVP
-1
+1
For high
VCC - 0.4
For open
3.15
3.85
For REF
1.65
2.35
For low
SKP/SDN, S0, S1, and TON
Input Current
SKP/SDN Input Levels
SKP/SDN Float Level
kΩ
µA
V
0.5
SKP/SDN, S0, S1, TON forced to GND or VCC
-3
+3
SKP/SDN = logic high (SKIP mode)
2.8
6.0
SKP/SDN = open (PWM mode)
1.4
2.2
SKP/SDN = logic low (shutdown mode)
0.5
To enable no-fault mode
12
15
ISKP/SDN = 0µA
1.8
2.2
µA
V
V
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS
(Circuit of Figure 1, V+ = 15V, VCC = VDD = SKP/SDN = 5V, VOUT = 1.25V, TA = -40°C to +85°C, unless otherwise noted.) (Note 2)
PARAMETER
CONDITIONS
MIN
TYP
MAX
DAC codes from 0.9V to 1.75V
-1.5
+1.5
DAC codes from 0.6V to 0.875V
-2.0
+2.0
150kHz nominal, RTIME = 120kΩ
-8
+8
UNITS
PWM CONTROLLER
DC Output Voltage Accuracy
TIME Frequency Accuracy
On-Time (Note 1)
4
V+ = 4.5V to 28V,
includes load
regulation error
%
380kHz nominal, RTIME = 47kΩ
-12
+12
38kHz nominal, RTIME = 470kΩ
-12
+12
V+ = 5V, FB = 1.2V, TON = GND (1000kHz)
V+ = 12V, FB = 1.2V
230
290
TON = REF (550kHz)
165
215
TON = open (300kHz)
320
390
TON = VCC (200kHz)
465
565
_______________________________________________________________________________________
%
ns
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
(Circuit of Figure 1, V+ = 15V, VCC = VDD = SKP/SDN = 5V, VOUT = 1.25V, TA = -40°C to +85°C, unless otherwise noted.) (Note 2)
PARAMETER
CONDITIONS
MIN
TYP
MAX
UNITS
TON = VCC, open, or REF (200kHz, 300kHz, or 550kHz)
500
TON = GND (1000kHz)
375
Quiescent Supply Current (VCC)
Measured at VCC, FB forced above the regulation point
1300
µA
Quiescent Supply Current (VDD)
Measured at VDD, FB forced above the regulation point
5
µA
40
µA
Minimum Off-Time (Note 1)
ns
BIAS AND REFERENCE
Quiescent Battery Supply
Current (V+)
Shutdown Supply Current (VCC)
SKP/SDN = 0
5
µA
Shutdown Supply Current (VDD)
SKP/SDN = 0
5
µA
Shutdown Battery Supply
Current (V+)
SKP/SDN = 0, VCC = VDD = 0 or 5V
5
µA
Reference Voltage
VCC = 4.5V to 5.5V, no REF load
1.98
2.02
V
Overvoltage Trip Threshold
Measured at FB
1.95
2.05
V
Output Undervoltage Protection
Threshold
With respect to unloaded output voltage
65
75
%
Current-Limit Threshold Voltage
(Positive, Default)
GND - LX, ILIM = VCC
80
115
mV
Current-Limit Threshold Voltage
(Positive, Adjustable)
GND - LX
Current-Limit Threshold Voltage
(Negative)
LX - GND, ILIM = VCC
VCC Undervoltage Lockout
Threshold
Rising edge, hysteresis = 20mV, PWM disabled below
this level
VGATE Lower Trip Threshold
Measured at FB with respect to unloaded output voltage
VGATE Upper Trip Threshold
Measured at FB with respect to unloaded output voltage
FAULT PROTECTION
ILIM = 0.5V
33
65
ILIM = REF (2V)
160
240
-145
-90
mV
4.1
4.4
V
-12.5
-7.5
%
+7.5
+12.5
%
BST - LX forced to 5V
3.5
Ω
DL, high state (pullup)
3.5
DL, low state (pulldown)
1.0
mV
GATE DRIVERS
DH Gate-Driver On-Resistance
DL Gate-Driver On-Resistance
Ω
LOGIC AND I/O
Logic Input High Voltage
D0–D4, ZMODE, SUS, OVP
Logic Input Low Voltage
D0–D4, ZMODE, SUS, OVP
2.4
V
0.8
V
_______________________________________________________________________________________
5
MAX1718T
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS (continued)
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS (continued)
(Circuit of Figure 1, V+ = 15V, VCC = VDD = SKP/SDN = 5V, VOUT = 1.25V, TA = -40°C to +85°C, unless otherwise noted.) (Note 2)
PARAMETER
CONDITIONS
MIN
DAC B-Mode Programming
Resistor, Low
D0–D4, 0 to 0.4V or 2.6V to 5.5V applied through resistor,
ZMODE = VCC
DAC B-Mode Programming
Resistor, High
D0–D4, 0 to 0.4V or 2.6V to 5.5V applied through resistor,
ZMODE = VCC
TYP
MAX
UNITS
1.05
kΩ
95
kΩ
Note 1: On-time specifications are measured from 50% to 50% at the DH pin, with LX forced to 0V, BST forced to 5V, and a 500pF
capacitor from DH to LX to simulate external MOSFET gate capacitance. Actual in-circuit times can be different due to MOSFET switching speeds.
Note 2: Specifications to TA = -40°C are guaranteed by design and not production tested.
Typical Operating Characteristics
(Circuit of Figure 1, V+ = 12V, VDD = VCC = SKP/SDN = 5V, VOUT = 1.25V, TA = +25°C, unless otherwise noted.)
EFFICIENCY vs. LOAD CURRENT
300kHz VOLTAGE POSITIONED
330
PWM MODE
V+ = 7V
SKIP MODE
V+ = 12V
65
PWM MODE
V+ = 12V
SKIP MODE
V+ = 20V
60
SKIP MODE
200
1
290
IOUT = 3A
270
250
0
0.1
300
260
50
10
100
0
5
10
15
7.0
20
10.4
13.8
17.2
LOAD CURRENT (A)
INPUT VOLTAGE (V)
FREQUENCY vs. TEMPERATURE
OUTPUT CURRENT AT CURRENT LIMIT
vs. TEMPERATURE
NO-LOAD SUPPLY CURRENT
vs. INPUT VOLTAGE
50
CURRENT (A)
325.0
45
324.5
40
35
324.0
30
323.5
25
323.0
20
ICC + IDD
900
800
SUPPLY CURRENT (µA)
325.5
1000
MAX1718T toc05
IOUT = 19A
-15
10
35
TEMPERATURE (°C)
6
60
85
24.0
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
-40
20.6
LOAD CURRENT (A)
MAX1718T toc04
0.01
IOUT = 18A
310
280
100
PWM MODE
V+ = 20V
55
320
MAX1718T toc06
70
FREQUENCY (kHz)
75
326.0
340
300
80
MAX1718T toc03
PWM MODE
FREQUENCY (kHz)
EFFICIENCY (%)
85
350
MAX1718T toc02
SKIP MODE
V+ = 7V
90
FREQUENCY vs. INPUT VOLTAGE
FREQUENCY vs. LOAD CURRENT
400
MAX1718T toc01
95
FREQUENCY (kHz)
MAX1718T
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
I+
0
-40
-15
10
35
TEMPERATURE (°C)
60
85
5
10
15
INPUT VOLTAGE (V)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
20
25
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
MAX1718T
Typical Operating Characteristics (continued)
(Circuit of Figure 1, V+ = 12V, VDD = VCC = SKP/SDN = 5V, VOUT = 1.25V, TA = +25°C, unless otherwise noted.)
NO-LOAD SUPPLY CURRENT
vs. INPUT VOLTAGE
MAX1718T toc08b
MAX1718T toc08a
MAX1718T toc07
40
35
SUPPLY CURRENT (mA)
LOAD-TRANSIENT RESPONSE
(PWM MODE)
LOAD-TRANSIENT RESPONSE
(SKIP MODE)
A
A
30
25
20
ICC + IDD
15
I+
10
0A
B
5
B
0A
0
5
10
15
20
40µs/div
40µs/div
25
INPUT VOLTAGE (V)
A = VOUT, 50mV/div, AC-COUPLED
B = INDUCTOR CURRENT, 10A/div
A = VOUT, 50mV/div, AC-COUPLED
B = INDUCTOR CURRENT, 10A/div
STARTUP WAVEFORM
(PWM MODE, IOUT = 12A)
STARTUP WAVEFORM
(PWM MODE, NO LOAD)
MAX1718T toc09
DYNAMIC OUTPUT VOLTAGE TRANSITION
(PWM MODE)
MAX1718T toc10
MAX1718T toc11
A
A
A
B
B
0A
B
C
C
0A
0A
C
D
100µs/div
A = VOUT, 1V/div
B = INDUCTOR CURRENT, 10A/div
C = SKP/SDN, 5V/div
100µs/div
A = VOUT, 1V/div
B = INDUCTOR CURRENT, 10A/div
C = SKP/SDN, 5V/div
40µs/div
VOUT = 1.15V TO 1.25V
IOUT = 3A, RTIME = 62kΩ
A = VOUT, 100mV/div, AC-COUPLED
B = INDUCTOR CURRENT, 10A/div
C = VGATE, 5V/div
D = ZMODE, 5V/div
_______________________________________________________________________________________
7
Typical Operating Characteristics (continued)
(Circuit of Figure 1, V+ = 12V, VDD = VCC = SKP/SDN = 5V, VOUT = 1.25V, TA = +25°C, unless otherwise noted.)
SHUTDOWN WAVEFORM
(PWM MODE, NO LOAD)
DYNAMIC OUTPUT VOLTAGE TRANSITION
(PWM MODE)
SHUTDOWN WAVEFORM
(PWM MODE, IOUT = 12A)
MAX1718T toc13
MAX1718T toc12
MAX1718T toc14
A
A
B
A
B
0A
0A
B
C
C
0A
C
D
100µs/div
A = VOUT, 1V/div
B = INDUCTOR CURRENT, 10A/div
C = SKP/SDN, 5V/div
40µs/div
VOUT = 0.7V TO 1.25V
IOUT = 3A, RTIME = 62kΩ
A = VOUT, 500mV/div, AC-COUPLED
B = INDUCTOR CURRENT, 10A/div
C = VGATE, 5V/div
D = SUS, 5V/div
100µs/div
A = VOUT, 1V/div
B = INDUCTOR CURRENT, 10A/div
C = SKP/SDN, 5V/div
OUTPUT VOLTAGE
vs. POS-NEG DIFFERENTIAL
OFFSET FUNCTION SCALE FACTOR
vs. DAC SETTING
0.875
THEORETICAL
0.850
1.40
1.35
OUTPUT VOLTAGE (V)
MEASURED
0.825
0.800
MAX1718T toc16
0.900
1.45
MAX1718T toc15
0.925
POS-NEG SCALE FACTOR
MAX1718T
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
1.30
1.25
1.20
1.15
1.10
0.775
1.05
0.750
1.00
0.5
0.7
0.9
1.1
1.3
DAC SETTING (V)
8
1.5
1.7
1.9
-300
-200
-100
0
100
200
POS-NEG (V)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
15
10
5
0
-0.48
MAX1718T toc18
20
25
SAMPLE PERCENTAGE (%)
SAMPLE PERCENTAGE (%)
VOUT = 1.25V
REFERENCE VOLTAGE DISTRIBUTION
MAX1718T toc17
OUTPUT VOLTAGE DISTRIBUTION
25
20
15
10
5
-0.24
0
0.24
0.48
0
1.995
1.998
OUTPUT VOLTAGE ERROR (%)
2.000
2.002
2.005
REFERENCE VOLTAGE (V)
Pin Description
PIN
NAME
1
V+
2
FUNCTION
Battery Voltage Sense Connection. Connect V+ to input power source. V+ is used only for PWM one-shot
timing. DH on-time is inversely proportional to input voltage over a range of 2V to 28V.
Combined Shutdown and Skip-Mode Control. Drive SKP/SDN to GND for shutdown. Leave SKP/SDN open
for low-noise forced-PWM mode, or drive to VCC for pulse-skipping operation. Low-noise forced-PWM mode
SKP/SDN causes inductor current recirculation at light loads and suppresses pulse-skipping operation. Forcing
SKP/SDN to 12V to 15V disables both the overvoltage protection and undervoltage protection circuits and
clears the fault latch, with otherwise normal pulse-skipping operation. Do not connect SKP/SDN to > 15V.
Slew-Rate Adjustment Pin. Connect a resistor from TIME to GND to set the internal slew-rate clock. A 470kΩ
to 47kΩ resistor sets the clock from 38kHz to 380kHz, fSLEW = 150kHz 5 120kΩ / RTIME.
3
TIME
4
FB
5
NEG
Feedback Offset Adjust Negative Input. The output shifts by an amount equal to the difference between POS
and NEG multiplied by a scale factor that depends on the DAC codes (see the Integrator Amplifiers/Output
Voltage Offsets section). Connect both POS and NEG to REF if the offset function is not used.
6
CC
Integrator Capacitor Connection. Connect a 47pF to 1000pF (47pF typ) capacitor from CC to GND to set the
integration time constant (see the Integrator Amplifiers/Output Voltage Offsets section).
7, 8
S0, S1
Suspend-Mode Voltage Select Input. S0 and S1 are four-level digital inputs that select the suspend-mode
VID code for the suspend-mode multiplexer inputs. If SUS is high, the suspend-mode VID code is delivered
to the DAC (see the Internal Multiplexers (ZMODE/SUS) section).
9
VCC
Analog Supply Voltage Input for PWM Core. Connect VCC to the system supply voltage (4.5V to 5.5V) with a
series 20Ω resistor. Bypass to GND with a 0.22µF (min) capacitor.
Feedback Input. Connect FB to the junction of the external inductor and the positioning resistor (Figure 1).
_______________________________________________________________________________________
9
MAX1718T
Typical Operating Characteristics (continued)
(Circuit of Figure 1, V+ = 12V, VDD = VCC = SKP/SDN = 5V, VOUT = 1.25V, TA = +25°C, unless otherwise noted.)
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
MAX1718T
Pin Description (continued)
PIN
NAME
FUNCTION
10
TON
On-Time Selection Control Input. This is a four-level input that sets the K factor (Table 2) to determine
DH on-time. Connect TON to the following pins for the indicated operation:
GND = 1000kHz
REF = 550kHz
Open = 300kHz
VCC = 200kHz
11
REF
2V Reference Output. Bypass to GND with 0.22µF (min) capacitor. Can source 50µA for external loads.
Loading REF degrades FB accuracy according to the REF load-regulation error.
12
ILIM
Current-Limit Adjustment. The GND - LX current-limit threshold defaults to 100mV if ILIM is connected to
VCC. In adjustable mode, the current-limit threshold voltage is 1/10th the voltage seen at ILIM over a 0.5V to
3V range. The logic threshold for switchover to the 100mV default value is approximately VCC - 1V. Connect
ILIM to REF for a fixed 200mV threshold.
13
POS
Feedback Offset Adjust Negative Input. The output shifts by an amount equal to the difference between POS
and NEG multiplied by a scale factor that depends on the DAC codes (see the Integrator Amplifiers/Output
Voltage Offsets section). Connect both POS and NEG to REF if the offset function is not used.
14
VGATE
Open-Drain Power-Good Output. VGATE is normally high when the output is in regulation. If VFB is not within
a ±10% window of the DAC setting, VGATE is asserted low. During DAC code transitions, VGATE is forced
high until 1 clock period after the slew-rate controller finishes the transition. VGATE is low during shutdown.
15
GND
Analog and Power Ground. Also connects to the current-limit comparator.
16
DL
17
VDD
Low-Side Gate-Driver Output. DL swings GND to VDD.
Supply Voltage Input for the DL Gate Driver, 4.5V to 5.5V. Bypass to GND with a 1µF capacitor.
18
SUS
Suspend-Mode Control Input. When SUS is high, the suspend-mode VID code, as programmed by S0 and
S1, is delivered to the DAC. Connect SUS to GND if the suspend-mode multiplexer is not used (see the
Internal Multiplexers (ZMODE/SUS) section).
19
ZMODE
Performance-Mode MUX Control Input. If SUS is low, ZMODE selects between two different VID DAC codes.
If ZMODE is low, the VID DAC code is set by the logic-level voltages on D0–D4. On the rising edge of
ZMODE, during power-up with ZMODE high, or on the falling edge of SUS when ZMODE is high, the VID
DAC code is determined by the impedance at D0–D4 (see the Internal Multiplexers (ZMODE/SUS) section).
20
OVP
Overvoltage Protection Control Input. Connect OVP low to enable overvoltage protection. Connect OVP high
to disable overvoltage protection. The overvoltage trip threshold is approximately 2V. The state of OVP does
not affect output undervoltage fault protection or thermal shutdown.
21–25
D4–D0
VID DAC Code Inputs. D0 is the LSB, and D4 is the MSB of the internal 5-bit VID DAC (Table 3). If ZMODE is
low, D0–D4 are high-impedance digital inputs, and the VID DAC code is set by the logic-level voltages on
D0–D4. On the rising edge of ZMODE, during power-up with ZMODE high, or on the falling edge of SUS
when ZMODE is high, the VID DAC code is determined by the impedance at D0–D4 as follows:
Logic low = source impedance is ≤1kΩ + 5%.
Logic high = source impedance is ≥100kΩ - 5%.
26
BST
27
LX
Inductor Connection. LX is the internal lower supply rail for the DH high-side gate driver. It also connects to
the current-limit comparator and the skip-mode zero-crossing comparator.
28
DH
High-Side Gate-Driver Output. DH swings LX to BST.
10
Boost Flying Capacitor Connection. Connect BST to the external boost diode and capacitor as shown in
Figure 1. An optional resistor in series with BST allows the DH pullup current to be adjusted (Figure 8).
______________________________________________________________________________________
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
C7
1µF
10
SHUTDOWN
25
VCC
24
R2
100kΩ
R3
100kΩ
5V INPUT
23
22
21
VCC
SKP/SDN
VDD
V+
BST
TON
D0
DH
REF
R4
62kΩ
D3
DL
D4
FB
NEG
CC
POS
C5
0.22µF
11
R18
24.9kΩ
16
R8
0.004Ω
SUMIDA
CEP125#4712-TO11
FDS7764A
Q2
D2
CENTRAL
SEMICONDUCTOR
CMSH5-40
OUTPUT
0.6V TO 1.75V
C4
6 x 270µF, 2V
PANASONIC SP
EEFUE0D271R
15
4
5
13
REF
ILIM
OVP
R7
4.75kΩ
5V
R6
511kΩ
VGATE
12
L1
0.68µH
TIME
C6
47pF
6
28
2x
19 ZMODE
18 SUS
3
2x
IRF7811A
Q1
LX 27
MAX1718T
7 S0
8 S1
SUSPEND
INPUT
DECODER
C2, 25V, X5R
5 x 10µF
D1
CMPSH-3
26
D1
D2
BATT 7V TO 24V
1
C3
0.1µF
GND
MUX CONTROL
C1
1µF
17
9
2
MAX1718T
R1
20Ω
14
20
R5
100kΩ
POWER-GOOD
OUTPUT
R19
27.4kΩ
Figure 1. Standard Application Circuit
______________________________________________________________________________________
11
MAX1718T
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
Free-Running, Constant-On-Time PWM
Controller with Input Feed Forward
Table 1. Component Suppliers
MANUFACTURER
PHONE
FAX
Central Semiconductor
516-435-1110
516-435-1824
Dale-Vishay
402-564-3131
402-563-6418
Fairchild
408-721-2181
408-721-1635
International Rectifier
310-322-3331
310-322-3332
Kemet
408-986-0424
408-986-1442
Motorola
602-303-5454
602-994-6430
Nihon
847-843-7500
847-843-2798
Panasonic
714-373-7939
714-373-7183
Sanyo
619-661-6835
619-661-1055
SGS-Thomson
617-259-0300
617-259-9442
Sumida
708-956-0666
708-956-0702
Taiyo Yuden
408-573-4150
408-573-4159
TDK
847-390-4373
847-390-4428
Toko
800-745-8656
408-943-9790
Zetex
516-543-7100
516-864-7630
Detailed Description
5V Bias Supply (VCC and VDD)
The MAX1718T requires an external 5V bias supply in
addition to the battery. Typically, this 5V bias supply is
the notebook’s 95%-efficient 5V system supply.
Keeping the bias supply external to the IC improves
efficiency and eliminates the cost associated with the
5V linear regulator that would otherwise be needed to
supply the PWM circuit and gate drivers. If stand-alone
capability is needed, the 5V supply can be generated
with an external linear regulator.
The 5V bias supply must provide VCC (PWM controller)
and VDD (gate-drive power), so the maximum current
drawn is:
IBIAS = ICC + f (QG1 + QG2) = 10mA to 40mA (typ)
where ICC is 800µA (typ), f is the switching frequency,
and QG1 and QG2 are the MOSFET data sheet total
gate-charge specification limits at VGS = 5V.
V+ and VDD can be tied together if the input power
source is a fixed 4.5V to 5.5V supply. If the 5V bias
supply is powered up prior to the battery supply, the
enable signal (SKP/SDN going from low to high or
open) must be delayed until the battery voltage is present to ensure startup.
12
The Quick-PWM control architecture is a pseudofixedfrequency, constant-on-time current-mode type with
voltage feed forward (Figure 2). This architecture relies
on the output filter capacitor’s ESR to act as the current-sense resistor, so the output ripple voltage provides the PWM ramp signal. The control algorithm is
simple: the high-side switch on-time is determined solely by a one-shot whose period is inversely proportional
to input voltage and directly proportional to output voltage. Another one-shot sets a minimum off-time (400ns
typ). The on-time one-shot is triggered if the error comparator is low, the low-side switch current is below the
current-limit threshold, and the minimum off-time oneshot has timed out.
On-Time One-Shot (TON)
The heart of the PWM core is the one-shot that sets the
high-side switch on-time. This fast, low-jitter, adjustable
one-shot includes circuitry that varies the on-time in
response to battery and output voltage. The high-side
switch on-time is inversely proportional to the battery
voltage as measured by the V+ input, and proportional
to the output voltage. This algorithm results in a nearly
constant switching frequency despite the lack of a
fixed-frequency clock generator. The benefits of a constant switching frequency are twofold: first, the frequency
can be selected to avoid noise-sensitive regions such
as the 455kHz IF band; second, the inductor ripple-current operating point remains relatively constant, resulting
in easy design methodology and predictable output
voltage ripple:
On-time = K (VOUT + 0.075V) / VIN
where K is set by the TON pin-strap connection and
0.075V is an approximation to accommodate the expected drop across the low-side MOSFET switch (Table 2).
The on-time one-shot has good accuracy at the operating
points specified in the Electrical Characteristics table
(±10% at 200kHz and 300kHz, ±12% at 550kHz and
1000kHz). On-times at operating points far removed from
the conditions specified in the Electrical Characteristics
table can vary over a wider range. For example, the
1000kHz setting typically runs about 10% slower with
inputs much greater than +5V due to the very short ontimes required.
On-times translate only roughly to switching frequencies.
The on-times guaranteed in the Electrical Characteristics table are influenced by switching delays in the
______________________________________________________________________________________
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
MAX1718T
VBATT
2V TO 28V
REF
V+
ILIM
MAX1718T
TOFF
TON
FROM
D/A
ON-TIME
COMPUTE
TON
S
Q
TRIG
5V
1-SHOT
TRIG
Q
9
BST
1
Q
R
DH
CURRENT
LIMIT
1-SHOT
Σ
LX
ERROR
AMP
SKP/SDN
REF
ZERO CROSSING
VDD
10kΩ
OUTPUT
5V
70kΩ
CC
DL
REF
S
Q
R
gm
gm
GND
NEG
FB
POS
REF
-10%
REF
+10%
FB
OVP/UVP
DETECT
VGATE
OVP
R-2R
D/A CONVERTER
CHIP SUPPLY
VCC
2V
REF
REF
5V
MUXES AND SLEW CONTROL
ZMODE
SUS S1
S0
D0
D1
D2
D3
D4
TIME
Figure 2. Functional Diagram
______________________________________________________________________________________
13
MAX1718T
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
Table 2. Approximate K-Factor Errors
TON
FREQUENCY
(kHZ)
TON
SETTING
K-FACTOR
(µs)
APPROXIMATE
K-FACTOR ERROR
(%)
VOUT = 1.25V (V)
VOUT = 1.75V (V)
VCC
200
5
±10
1.7
2.3
OPEN
300
3.3
±10
1.8
2.5
REF
550
1.8
±12.5
2.6
3.5
GND
1000
1.0
±12.5
3.6
4.9
external high-side MOSFET. Resistive losses, including
the inductor, both MOSFETs, output capacitor ESR, and
PC board copper losses in the output and ground tend
to raise the switching frequency at higher output currents. Also, the dead-time effect increases the effective
on-time, reducing the switching frequency. It occurs
only in PWM mode (SKP/SDN = open) and during
dynamic output voltage transitions when the inductor
current reverses at light or negative load currents. With
reversed inductor current, the inductor’s EMF causes
LX to go high earlier than normal, extending the on-time
by a period equal to the DH-rising dead time.
For loads above the critical conduction point, where the
dead-time effect is no longer a factor, the actual switching
frequency is:
f=
(VOUT + VDROP1)
tON (VIN + VDROP1 - VDROP2 )
where VDROP1 is the sum of the parasitic voltage drops
in the inductor discharge path, including synchronous
rectifier, inductor, and PC board resistances; VDROP2 is
the sum of the parasitic voltage drops in the inductor
charge path, including high-side switch, inductor, and
PC board resistances; and tON is the on-time calculated by the MAX1718T.
Integrator Amplifiers/Output
Voltage Offsets
Two transconductance integrator amplifiers provide a
fine adjustment to the output regulation point. One
amplifier forces the DC average of the feedback voltage to equal the VID DAC setting. The second amplifier
is used to create small positive or negative offsets from
the VID DAC setting, using the POS and NEG pins.
The integrator block has the ability to lower the output
voltage by 8% and raise it by 8%. For each amplifier, the
differential input voltage range is at least ±80mV total,
including DC offset and AC ripple. The two amplifiers’
outputs are directly summed inside the chip, so the integration time constant can be set easily with one capacitor
14
MIN RECOMMENDED VBATT AT
at the CC pin. Use a capacitor value of 47pF to 1000pF
(47pF typ). The gm of each amplifier is 160µS (typ).
The POS/NEG amplifier is used to add small offsets to
the VID DAC setting or to correct for voltage drops. To
create an output offset, bias POS and NEG to a voltage
(typically V OUT or REF) within their common-mode
range, and offset them from one another with a resistive
divider (Figures 3 and 4). If VPOS is higher than VNEG,
then the output is shifted in the positive direction. If
VNEG is higher than VPOS, then the output is shifted in
the negative direction. The amount of output offset is
less than the difference from POS to NEG by a scale
factor that varies with the VID DAC setting as shown in
Table 3. The common-mode range of POS and NEG is
0.4V to 2.5V.
For applications that require multiple offsets, an external multiplexer can be used to select various resistor
values (Figure 5).
Both the integrator amplifiers can be disabled by connecting NEG to VCC.
Forced-PWM Mode (SKP/SDN Open)
The low-noise forced-PWM mode (SKP/SDN open) disables the zero-crossing comparator, allowing the inductor current to reverse at light loads. This causes the
low-side gate-drive waveform to become the complement of the high-side gate-drive waveform. The benefit
of forced-PWM mode is to keep the switching frequency fairly constant, but it comes at a cost: The no-load
battery current can be 10mA to 40mA, depending on
the external MOSFETs and switching frequency.
Forced-PWM mode is required during downward output
voltage transitions. The MAX1718T uses PWM mode
during all transitions, but only while the slew-rate controller is active. Due to voltage positioning, when a transition uses high negative inductor current, the output
voltage does not settle to its final intended value until
well after the slew-rate controller terminates.
Consequently it is possible, at very high negative slew
currents, for the output to end up high enough to cause
VGATE to go low.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
REF
MAX1718T POS
Automatic Pulse-Skipping Switchover
In skip mode (SKP/SDN high), an inherent automatic
switchover to PFM takes place at light loads (Figure 6).
This switchover is effected by a comparator that truncates the low-side switch on-time at the inductor current’s
zero crossing. This mechanism causes the threshold
between pulse-skipping PFM and nonskipping PWM
operation to coincide with the boundary between continuous and discontinuous inductor-current operation.
The load-current level at which PFM/PWM crossover
occurs, ILOAD(SKIP), is equal to 1/2 the peak-to-peak
ripple current, which is a function of the inductor value
(Figure 6). For a battery range of 7V to 24V, this threshold is relatively constant, with only a minor dependence
on battery voltage:
NEG
Figure 3. Resistive Divider from REF
DH
DL
MAX1718T
I LOAD(SKIP) ≈
POS
K × VOUT
2 × L
×
VBATT - VOUT
VBATT
where K is the on-time scale factor (Table 2). For example, in the standard application circuit this becomes:
NEG
3.3µs × 1.25V
12V - 1.25V
×
= 2.7A
2 × 0.68µH
12V
Figure 4. Resistive Divider from OUTPUT
The crossover point occurs at a lower value if a swinging (soft-saturation) inductor is used.
The switching waveforms may appear noisy and asynchronous when light loading causes pulse-skipping
operation, but this is a normal operating condition that
results in high light-load efficiency. Trade-offs in PFM
noise vs. light-load efficiency are made by varying the
inductor value. Generally, low inductor values produce a
broader efficiency vs. load curve, while higher values
result in higher full-load efficiency (assuming that the
coil resistance remains fixed) and less output voltage
ripple. Penalties for using higher inductor values include
larger physical size and degraded load-transient
response, especially at low input voltage levels.
DH
DL
MAX1718T
POS
NEG
MUX
MAX4524
SEL
A
B
Figure 5. Programmable Offset Voltage
Current-Limit Circuit
The current-limit circuit employs a unique “valley” currentsensing algorithm that uses the on-resistance of the
low-side MOSFET as a current-sensing element. If the
current-sense signal is above the current-limit threshold, the PWM is not allowed to initiate a new cycle
(Figure 7). The actual peak current is greater than the
______________________________________________________________________________________
15
MAX1718T
Thus, it is necessary to use forced-PWM mode during all
negative transitions. Most applications should use PWM
mode exclusively, although there is some benefit to
using skip mode while in the low-power suspend state
(see the Using Skip Mode During Suspend (SKP/SDN =
VCC) section.)
∆i
=
IPEAK
VBATT - VOUT
L
IPEAK
INDUCTOR CURRENT
∆t
ILOAD
ILOAD = IPEAK/2
0
ON-TIME
TIME
Figure 6. Pulse-Skipping/Discontinuous Crossover Point
current-limit threshold by an amount equal to the inductor ripple current. Therefore, the exact current-limit
characteristic and maximum load capability are a function of the MOSFET on-resistance, inductor value, and
battery voltage. The reward for this uncertainty is
robust, lossless overcurrent sensing. When combined
with the undervoltage protection circuit, this currentlimit method is effective in almost every circumstance.
There is also a negative current limit that prevents
excessive reverse inductor currents when VOUT is sinking
current. The negative current-limit threshold is set to
approximately 120% of the positive current limit, and
therefore tracks the positive current limit when ILIM is
adjusted.
The current-limit threshold is adjusted with an external
resistor-divider at ILIM. The current-limit threshold voltage adjustment range is from 50mV to 300mV. In the
adjustable mode, the current-limit threshold voltage is
precisely 1/10th the voltage seen at ILIM. The threshold
defaults to 100mV when ILIM is connected to VCC. The
logic threshold for switchover to the 100mV default
value is approximately VCC - 1V.
The adjustable current limit accommodates MOSFETs
with a wide range of on-resistance characteristics (see
the Design Procedure section). For a high-accuracy
current-limit application, see Figure 16.
Carefully observe the PC board layout guidelines to
ensure that noise and DC errors do not corrupt the current-sense signals seen by LX and GND. Place the IC
close to the low-side MOSFET with short, direct traces,
making a Kelvin-sense connection to the source and
drain terminals.
16
INDUCTOR CURRENT
MAX1718T
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
ILIMIT
0
TIME
Figure 7. “Valley” Current-Limit Threshold Point
MOSFET Gate Drivers (DH, DL)
The DH and DL drivers are optimized for driving moderate-sized high-side and larger low-side power
MOSFETs. This is consistent with the low duty factor
seen in the notebook CPU environment, where a large
VBATT - VOUT differential exists. An adaptive dead-time
circuit monitors the DL output and prevents the highside FET from turning on until DL is fully off. There must
be a low-resistance, low-inductance path from the DL
driver to the MOSFET gate for the adaptive dead-time circuit to work properly. Otherwise, the sense circuitry in the
MAX1718T interprets the MOSFET gate as “off” while
there is actually still charge left on the gate. Use very
short, wide traces measuring 10 to 20 squares (50 mils to
100 mils wide if the MOSFET is 1in from the MAX1718T).
The dead time at the other edge (DH turning off) is
determined by a fixed 35ns (typ) internal delay.
The internal pulldown transistor that drives DL low is
robust, with a 0.4Ω (typ) on-resistance. This helps prevent DL from being pulled up during the fast rise time
of the inductor node, due to capacitive coupling from
the drain to the gate of the low-side synchronous-rectifier MOSFET. However, for high-current applications, you
might still encounter some combinations of high- and
low-side FETs that causes excessive gate-drain coupling, which can lead to efficiency-killing, EMIproducing shoot-through currents. This is often remedied
by adding a resistor in series with BST, which increases
the turn-on time of the high-side FET without degrading
the turn-off time (Figure 8).
POR
Power-on reset (POR) occurs when VCC rises above
approximately 2V, resetting the fault latch and preparing
the PWM for operation. V CC undervoltage lockout
(UVLO) circuitry inhibits switching, forces VGATE low,
______________________________________________________________________________________
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
VBATT
DAC Inputs D0–D4
BST
5Ω TYP
DH
LX
MAX1718T
Figure 8. Reducing the Switching-Node Rise Time
and forces the DL gate driver high (to enforce output
overvoltage protection). When VCC rises above 4.2V, the
DAC inputs are sampled and the output voltage begins
to slew to the DAC setting.
For automatic startup, the battery voltage should be
present before VCC. If the MAX1718T attempts to bring
the output into regulation without the battery voltage
present, the fault latch trips. The SKP/SDN pin can be
toggled to reset the fault latch.
Shutdown
When SKP/SDN goes low, the MAX1718T enters lowpower shutdown mode. VGATE goes low immediately.
The output voltage ramps down to 0V in 25mV steps at
the clock rate set by RTIME. When the DAC reaches the
0V setting, DL goes high, DH goes low, the reference is
turned off, and the supply current drops to about 2µA.
When SKP/SDN goes high or floats, the reference powers up, and after the reference UVLO is passed, the DAC
target is evaluated and switching begins. The slew-rate
controller ramps up from 0V in 25mV steps to the currently selected code value (based on ZMODE and SUS).
There is no traditional soft-start (variable current limit) circuitry, so full output current is available immediately.
VGATE goes high after the slew-rate controller has terminated and the output voltage is in regulation.
UVLO
If VCC drops low enough to trip the UVLO comparator, it
is assumed that there is not enough supply voltage to
make valid decisions. To protect the output from overvoltage faults, DL is forced high in this mode. This
forces the output to GND, but it does not use the slewrate controller. This results in large negative inductor
current and possibly small negative output voltages. If
VCC is likely to drop in this fashion, the output can be
The DAC programs the output voltage. It typically
receives a preset digital code from the CPU pins, which
are either hardwired to GND or left open circuit. They
can also be driven by digital logic, general-purpose I/O,
or an external mux. Do not leave D0–D4 floating—use
1MΩ or less pullups if the inputs may float. D0–D4 can
be changed while the SMPS is active, initiating a transition to a new output voltage level. If this mode of DAC
control is used, connect ZMODE and SUS low. Change
D0–D4 together, avoiding greater than 1µs skew
between bits. Otherwise, incorrect DAC readings may
cause a partial transition to the wrong voltage level, followed by the intended transition to the correct voltage
level, lengthening the overall transition time. The available DAC codes and resulting output voltages are listed in Table 3.
Internal Multiplexers (ZMODE, SUS)
The MAX1718T has two unique internal VID input multiplexers (muxes) that can select one of three different
VID DAC code settings for different processor states.
Depending on the logic level at SUS, the suspend
(SUS) mode mux selects the VID DAC code settings
from either the ZMODE mux or the S0/S1 input decoder.
The ZMODE mux selects one of the two VID DAC code
settings from the D0–D4 pins, based on either voltage
on the pins or the output of the impedance decoder
(Figure 9).
When SUS is high, the suspend mode mux selects the
VID DAC code settings from the S0/S1 input decoder.
The outputs of the decoder are determined by inputs
S0 and S1 (Table 4).
When SUS is low, the suspend mode mux selects the
output of the ZMODE mux. Depending on the logic level
at ZMODE, the ZMODE mux selects the VID DAC code
settings using either the voltage on D0–D4 or the output
of the impedance decoder (Table 5).
If ZMODE is low, the logic-level voltages on D0–D4 set
the VID DAC settings. This is called logic mode. In this
mode, the inputs are continuously active and can be
dynamically changed by external logic. The logic mode
VID DAC code setting is typically used for the battery
mode state, and the source of this code is sometimes
the VID pins of the CPU with suitable pullup resistors.
On the rising edge of ZMODE, during power-up with
ZMODE high or on the falling edge of SUS when
ZMODE is high, the impedances at D0–D4 are sampled
by the impedance decoder to see if a large resistance
______________________________________________________________________________________
17
MAX1718T
clamped with a Schottky diode to GND to reduce the
negative excursion.
+5V
MAX1718T
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
Table 3. Output Voltage vs. DAC Codes
18
D4
D3
D2
D1
D0
OUTPUT
VOLTAGE (V)
POS/NEG SCALE
FACTOR
0
0
0
0
0
1.75
0.90
0
0
0
0
1
1.70
0.90
0
0
0
1
0
1.65
0.90
0
0
0
1
1
1.60
0.89
0
0
1
0
0
1.55
0.89
0
0
1
0
1
1.50
0.89
0
0
1
1
0
1.45
0.88
0
0
1
1
1
1.40
0.88
0
1
0
0
0
1.35
0.88
0
1
0
0
1
1.30
0.87
0
1
0
1
0
1.25
0.87
0
1
0
1
1
1.20
0.86
0
1
1
0
0
1.15
0.86
0
1
1
0
1
1.10
0.85
0
1
1
1
0
1.05
0.85
0
1
1
1
1
1.00
0.84
1
0
0
0
0
0.975
0.84
1
0
0
0
1
0.950
0.83
1
0
0
1
0
0.925
0.83
1
0
0
1
1
0.900
0.82
1
0
1
0
0
0.875
0.82
1
0
1
0
1
0.850
0.82
1
0
1
1
0
0.825
0.81
1
0
1
1
1
0.800
0.81
1
1
0
0
0
0.775
0.80
1
1
0
0
1
0.750
0.80
1
1
0
1
0
0.725
0.79
1
1
0
1
1
0.700
0.78
1
1
1
0
0
0.675
0.78
1
1
1
0
1
0.650
0.77
1
1
1
1
0
0.625
0.76
1
1
1
1
1
0.600
0.76
______________________________________________________________________________________
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
Table 4. Suspend Mode DAC Codes
S1
S0
OUTPUT VOLTAGE (V)
GND
GND
0.975
GND
REF
0.950
GND
OPEN
0.925
GND
VCC
0.900
REF
GND
0.875
REF
REF
0.850
REF
OPEN
0.825
REF
VCC
0.800
OPEN
GND
0.775
OPEN
REF
0.750
OPEN
OPEN
0.725
OPEN
VCC
0.700
VCC
GND
0.675
VCC
REF
0.650
Using the ZMODE Mux
VCC
OPEN
0.625
There are many ways to use the versatile ZMODE mux.
The preferred method depends on when and how the
VID DAC codes for the various states are determined. If
the output voltage codes are fixed at PC board design
time, program both codes with a simple combination of
pin-strap connections and series resistors (Figure 11).
If the output voltage codes are chosen during PC
board assembly, both codes can be independently
programmed with resistors (Figure 12). This matrix of
10 resistor-footprints can be programmed to all possible logic mode and impedance mode code combinations with only five resistors.
VCC
VCC
0.600
Often the CPU pins provide one set of codes that are
typically used with pullup resistors to provide the logic
mode VID code, and resistors in series with D0–D4 set
the impedance mode code. Since some of the CPU’s
VID pins may float, the open-circuit pins can present a
problem for the ZMODE mux’s impedance mode. For
the impedance mode to work, any pins intended to be
low during impedance mode must appear to be low
impedance, at least for the 4µs sampling interval.
This can be achieved in several ways, including the following two (Figure 13). By using low-impedance pullup
ZMODE MUX
D0
D1
D2
D3
D4
1
SUS MUX
OUT
IMPEDANCE
DECODER
0
0
SEL
IN
OUT
VCC POR
S0/S1
DECODER
ZMODE
S0
S1
OUT
DAC
1
SEL
IN
SUS
Figure 9. Internal Multiplexers Functional Diagram
______________________________________________________________________________________
19
MAX1718T
is in series with the pin. This is called Impedance
mode. If the voltage level on the pin is a logic low, an
internal switch connects the pin to an internal 26kΩ
pullup for about 4µs to see if the pin voltage can be
forced high (Figure 10). If the pin voltage can be pulled
to a logic high, the impedance is considered high and
so is the Impedance mode logic state. Similarly, if the
voltage level on the pin is a logic high, an internal
switch connects the pin to an internal 8kΩ pulldown to
see if the pin voltage can be forced low. If so, the pin is
high impedance and its impedance mode logic state is
high. In either sampling condition, if the pin’s logic level
does not change, the pin is determined to be low
impedance and the impedance mode logic state is low.
A high pin impedance (and logic high) is 100kΩ or
greater, and a low impedance (and logic low) is 1kΩ or
less. The Electrical Characteristics table guaranteed
levels for these impedances are 95kΩ and 1.05kΩ to
allow the use of standard 100kΩ and 1kΩ resistors with
5% tolerance.
MAX1718T
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
+5V
VCC
MAX1718T
3.0V TO 5.5V
26kΩ
26kΩ
26kΩ
26kΩ
26kΩ
D4
100kΩ
100kΩ
D3
B-DATA
LATCH
D2
D1
D0
8kΩ
8kΩ
8kΩ
8kΩ
8kΩ
GND
Figure 10. Internal Mux Impedance-Mode Data Test and Latch
resistors with the CPU’s VID pins, each pin provides the
low impedance needed for the mux to correctly interpret the Impedance mode setting. Unfortunately, the
low resistances cause several mA quiescent currents
for each of the CPU’s grounded VID pins. This quiescent current can be avoided by taking advantage of the
fact that D0–D4 need only appear low impedance
briefly, not necessarily on a continuous DC basis. Highimpedance pullups can be used if they are bypassed
with a large enough capacitance to make them appear
low impedance for the 4µs sampling interval. As noted
in Figure 13, 4.7nF capacitors allow the inputs to
appear low impedance even though they are pulled up
with large-value resistors. Each sampling depletes
some charge from the 4.7nF capacitors. A minimum
interval of 2 ✕ R PULLUP ✕ 4.7nF is recommended
between ZMODE samples.
3.0V TO 5.5V
D4
100kΩ
D3
ZMODE LOW
VID = 01100
1.15V
MAX1718T
D2
100kΩ
D1
D0
ZMODE
ZMODE HIGH
VID = 01010
1.25V
ZMODE = HIGH = 1.25V
ZMODE = LOW = 1.15V
In some cases, it is desirable to determine the
Impedance mode code during system boot so that sevFigure 11. Using the Internal Mux with Hardwired Logic-Mode
and Impedance-Mode DAC Codes
20
______________________________________________________________________________________
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
MAX1718T
2.7V TO 5.5V
1kΩ
100kΩ
D4
MAX1718T
D3
D2
D1
D0
ZMODE
1kΩ
100kΩ
1kΩ
ZMODE = HIGH = 1.25V
ZMODE = LOW = 1.15V
NOTE: USE PULLUP FOR LOGIC MODE 1, PULL-DOWN FOR LOGIC MODE 0.
USE ≥100kΩ FOR IMPEDANCE MODE 1, ≤1kΩ FOR IMPEDANCE MODE 0.
Figure 12. Using the Internal Mux with Both VID Codes Resistor Programmed
eral processor types can be used without hardware
modifications. Figure 14 shows one way to implement
this function. The desired code is determined by the
system BIOS and programmed into one register of the
MAX1609 using the SMBus™ serial interface. The
MAX1609’s other register is left in its power-up state (all
outputs high impedance). When SMBSUS is low, the
outputs are high impedance and do not affect the logicmode VID code setting. When SMBSUS is high, the programmed register is selected, and the MAX1609 forces
a low impedance on the appropriate VID input pins. The
ZMODE signal is delayed relative to the SMBSUS pin
because the VID pins that are pulled low by the
MAX1609 take significant time to rise when they are
released. One additional benefit of using the MAX1609
for this application is that the application uses only five
of the MAX1609’s high-voltage, open-drain outputs. The
other three outputs can be used for other purposes.
Output Voltage Transition Timing
The MAX1718T is designed to perform output voltage
transitions in a controlled manner, automatically minimizing input surge currents. This feature allows the circuit designer to achieve nearly ideal transitions,
guaranteeing just-in-time arrival at the new output volt-
Table 5. DAC Mux Operation
ZMODE
SUS
OUTPUT VOLTAGE
DETERMINED BY
GND
GND
Logic level of D0–D4
VCC
GND
Impedance of D0–D4
X
VCC
Logic levels of S0, S1
age level with the lowest possible peak currents for a
given output capacitance. This makes the IC ideal for
mobile CPUs.
Mobile CPUs operate at multiple clock frequencies,
which often require distinct VID settings. When transitioning from one clock frequency to the other, the CPU
first goes into a low-power state, then the output voltage and clock frequency are changed. The change
must be accomplished in a specified transition time or
the system can halt.
At the beginning of an output voltage transition, the
MAX1718T blanks the VGATE output, preventing it from
going low. VGATE remains blanked during the transition and is reenabled when the slew-rate controller has
set the internal DAC to the final value and one addition-
SMBus is a trademark of Intel Corp.
______________________________________________________________________________________
21
MAX1718T
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
3.15V TO 5.5V
*OPTIONAL
4.7nF
1MΩ
1kΩ
1kΩ
1kΩ
1kΩ
1kΩ
D4
100kΩ
D3
CPU
MAX1718T
D2
100kΩ
D1
D0
ZMODE
CPU VID =
01100 → 1.15V
(ZMODE LOW)
ZMODE HIGH
VID = 01010 → 1.25V
ZMODE = HIGH = 1.25V
ZMODE = LOW = 1.15V
*TO REDUCE QUIESCENT CURRENT, 1kΩ PULLUP RESISTORS CAN BE REPLACED BY 1MΩ RESISTORS WITH 4.7nF CAPACITORS IN PARALLEL.
Figure 13. Using the Internal Mux with CPU Driving the Logic-Mode VID Code
al slew-rate clock period has passed. The slew-rate
clock frequency (set by resistor RTIME) must be set fast
enough to ensure that the longest required transition is
completed within the allowed interval.
The output voltage transition is performed in 25mV
steps, preceded by a 4µs delay and followed by one
additional clock period. The total time for a transition
depends on R TIME , the voltage difference, and the
accuracy of the MAX1718T’s slew-rate clock, and is not
dependent on the total output capacitance. The greater
the output capacitance, the higher the surge current
required for the transition. The MAX1718T automatically
controls the current to the minimum level required to
complete the transition in the calculated time, as long
as the surge current is less than the current limit set by
ILIM. The transition time is given by:
 1  VOLD - VNEW  
≤ 4µs + 


 fSLEW  25mV  
22
where fSLEW = 150kHz ✕ 120kΩ / RTIME, VOLD is the
original DAC setting, and VNEW is the new DAC setting.
See Time Frequency Accuracy in the Electrical
Characteristics table for fSLEW accuracy.
The practical range of RTIME is 47kΩ to 470kΩ, corresponding to 2.6µs to 26µs per 25mV step. Although the
DAC takes discrete 25mV steps, the output filter makes
the transitions relatively smooth. The average inductor
current required to make an output voltage transition is:
IL ≅ COUT ✕ 25mV ✕ fSLEW
Output Overvoltage Protection
The overvoltage protection (OVP) circuit is designed to
protect the CPU against a shorted high-side MOSFET
by drawing high current and blowing the battery fuse.
The output voltage is continuously monitored for overvoltage. If the output is more than 2V, OVP is triggered
and the circuit shuts down. The DL low-side gate-driver
output is then latched high until SKP/SDN is toggled or
VCC power is cycled below 1V. This action turns on the
synchronous-rectifier MOSFET with 100% duty and, in
turn, rapidly discharges the output filter capacitor and
______________________________________________________________________________________
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
MAX1718T
3.3V
R
R
R
R
R = 100kΩ
R
VID4
R
VID3
R
CPU
VID2
MAX1718T
R
VID1
R
VID0
ZMODE
3.3V
3.3kΩ
MAX1609
1nF
ADD0
ADDRESS
ADD1
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
DATA
SMBUS
CLOCK
0
1
1
SMBSUS
GMUXSEL
Figure 14. Using the ZMODE Multiplexer
forces the output to ground. If the condition that caused
the overvoltage (such as a shorted high-side MOSFET)
persists, the battery fuse blows. DL is also kept high
continuously when VCC UVLO is active, as well as in
shutdown mode (Table 6).
Overvoltage protection can be defeated with a logic
high on OVP or through the NO FAULT test mode (see
the NO FAULT Test Mode section).
Output Undervoltage Shutdown
The output UVP function is similar to foldback current
limiting, but employs a timer rather than a variable current limit. If the MAX1718T output voltage is under 70% of
the nominal value, the PWM is latched off and does not
restart until VCC power is cycled or SKP/SDN is toggled. To allow startup, UVP is ignored during the undervoltage fault-blanking time (the first 256 cycles of the
slew rate after startup).
UVP can be defeated through the NO FAULT test mode
(see the NO FAULT Test Mode section).
NO FAULT Test Mode
The over/undervoltage protection features can complicate the process of debugging prototype breadboards
since there are (at most) a few milliseconds in which to
determine what went wrong. Therefore, a test mode is
provided to disable the OVP, UVP, and thermal shutdown features, and clear the fault latch if it has been
______________________________________________________________________________________
23
MAX1718T
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
Table 6. Operating Mode Truth Table
SKP/SDN
DL
MODE
GND
High
Shutdown
12V to 15V
Switching
No fault
Test mode with faults disabled and fault latches cleared, including thermal shutdown. Otherwise, normal operation, with automatic PWM/PFM switchover for pulse skipping at light loads.
Open
Switching
Run (PWM, low noise)
Low-noise operation with no automatic switchover. Fixed-frequency PWM action is forced regardless of load. Inductor current reverses at light-load levels.
VCC
Switching
Run (PFM/PWM)
Operation with automatic PWM/PFM switchover for pulse skipping at light loads.
VCC or open
High
Fault
set. The PWM operates as if SKP/SDN were high (SKIP
mode). The NO FAULT test mode is entered by forcing
12V to 15V on SKP/SDN.
Design Procedure
Firmly establish the input voltage range and maximum
load current before choosing a switching frequency
and inductor operating point (ripple-current ratio). The
primary design trade-off lies in choosing a good switching frequency and inductor operating point, and the following four factors dictate the rest of the design:
1) Input Voltage Range. The maximum value (VIN(MAX))
must accommodate the worst-case high-AC adapter
voltage. The minimum value (VIN(MIN)) must account
for the lowest battery voltage after drops due to connectors, fuses, and battery selector switches. If there
is a choice at all, lower input voltages result in better
efficiency.
2) Maximum Load Current. There are two values to consider. The peak load current (ILOAD(MAX)) determines
the instantaneous component stresses and filtering
requirements, and thus drives output capacitor selection, inductor saturation rating, and the design of the
current-limit circuit. The continuous load current
(ILOAD) determines the thermal stresses and thus drives the selection of input capacitors, MOSFETs, and
other critical heat-contributing components. Modern
notebook CPUs generally exhibit ILOAD = ILOAD(MAX)
✕ 80%.
3) Switching Frequency. This choice determines the
basic trade-off between size and efficiency. The optimal frequency is largely a function of maximum input
voltage, due to MOSFET switching losses that are pro24
COMMENT
Low-power shutdown state. DL is forced to VDD, enforcing
OVP. ICC + IDD = 2µA (typ).
Fault latch has been set by OVP, UVP, or thermal shutdown.
Device remains in FAULT mode until VCC power is cycled or
SKP/SDN is forced low.
portional to frequency and VIN2. The optimum frequency is also a moving target, due to rapid improvements
in MOSFET technology that are making higher frequencies more practical.
4) Inductor Operating Point. This choice provides tradeoffs between size and efficiency. Low inductor values cause large ripple currents, resulting in the
smallest size, but poor efficiency and high output
noise. The minimum practical inductor value is one
that causes the circuit to operate at the edge of critical conduction (where the inductor current just touches zero with every cycle at maximum load). Inductor
values lower than this grant no further size-reduction
benefit.
The MAX1718T’s pulse-skipping algorithm initiates
skip mode at the critical conduction point. So, the
inductor operating point also determines the loadcurrent value at which PFM/PWM switchover occurs.
The optimum point is usually found between 20%
and 50% ripple current.
5) The inductor ripple current also impacts transientresponse performance, especially at low VIN - VOUT
differentials. Low inductor values allow the inductor
current to slew faster, replenishing charge removed
from the output filter capacitors by a sudden load
step. The amount of output sag is also a function of
the maximum duty factor, which can be calculated
from the on-time and minimum off-time:
______________________________________________________________________________________
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
  V − VOUT 

2 × COUT × VOUT K  IN
 − t OFF(MIN) 
V

 

IN
where t OFF(MIN) is the minimum off-time (see the
Electrical Characteristics tables) and K is from Table 2.
Inductor Selection
The switching frequency and operating point (% ripple or
LIR) determine the inductor value as follows:
L =
(
VOUT VIN − VOUT
)
VIN × fSW × LIR × ILOAD(MAX)
Example: ILOAD(MAX) = 19A, VIN = 7V, VOUT = 1.25V,
fSW = 300kHz, 30% ripple current or LIR = 0.30:
VSOAR ≈
L × I PEAK 2
2 × C × VOUT
Find a low-loss inductor having the lowest possible DC
resistance that fits in the allotted dimensions. Ferrite
cores are often the best choice, although powdered
iron is inexpensive and can work well at 200kHz. The
core must be large enough not to saturate at the peak
inductor current (IPEAK):
IPEAK = ILOAD(MAX) + (LIR / 2) ILOAD(MAX)
Setting the Current Limit
The minimum current-limit threshold must be great
enough to support the maximum load current when the
current limit is at the minimum tolerance value. The valley
of the inductor current occurs at ILOAD(MAX) minus half
of the ripple current; therefore:
ILIMIT(LOW) > ILOAD(MAX) - (LIR / 2) ILOAD(MAX)
where I LIMIT(LOW) equals the minimum current-limit
threshold voltage divided by the RDS(ON) of Q2. For the
MAX1718T Figure 1 circuit, the minimum current-limit
threshold with VILIM = 105mV is about 95mV. Use the
worst-case maximum value for RDS(ON) from the MOSFET Q2 data sheet, and add some margin for the rise in
RDS(ON) with temperature. A good general rule is to
allow 0.5% additional resistance for each °C of temperature rise.
Examining the Figure 1 example with a Q2 maximum
RDS(ON) = 3.8mΩ at TJ = +25°C and 5.7mΩ at TJ =
+125°C reveals the following:
ILIMIT(LOW) = 95mV / 5.7mΩ = 16.7A
and the required valley current limit is:
ILIMIT(LOW) > 19A - (0.30 / 2) 19A = 16.2A
Since 16.7A is greater than the required 16.2A, the circuit can deliver the full-rated 19A.
When delivering 19A of output current, the worst-case
power dissipation of Q2 is 1.95W. With a thermal resistance of +60°C/W and each MOSFET dissipating
0.98W, the temperature rise of the MOSFETs is
+60°C/W ✕ 0.98W = +58°C, and the maximum ambient
temperature is +125°C - +58°C = +67°C. To operate at
a higher ambient temperature, choose lower RDS(ON)
MOSFETs or reduce the thermal resistance. Raising the
current-limit threshold allows for operation with a higher
MOSFET junction temperature.
Connect ILIM to VCC for a default 100mV current-limit
threshold. For an adjustable threshold, connect a resistordivider from REF to GND, with ILIM connected to the center tap. The external adjustment range of 0.5V to 3.0V
corresponds to a current-limit threshold of 50mV to
300mV. When adjusting the current limit, use 1% tolerance resistors and a 10µA divider current to prevent a
significant increase of errors in the current-limit tolerance.
Output Capacitor Selection
The output filter capacitor must have low enough effective
series resistance (ESR) to meet output ripple and loadtransient requirements, yet have high enough ESR to
satisfy stability requirements. Also, the capacitance
value must be high enough to absorb the inductor energy
going from a full-load to no-load condition without tripping
the OVP circuit.
In CPU VCORE converters and other applications where
the output is subject to violent load transients, the output
capacitor’s size typically depends on how much ESR is
needed to prevent the output from dipping too low
under a load transient. Ignoring the sag due to finite
capacitance:
RESR ≤ VSTEP / ILOAD(MAX)
The actual microfarad capacitance value required often
relates to the physical size needed to achieve low ESR,
as well as to the chemistry of the capacitor technology.
Thus, the capacitor is usually selected by ESR and
voltage rating rather than by capacitance value (this is
true of tantalums, OS-CONs, and other electrolytics).
When using low-capacity filter capacitors such as
ceramic or polymer types, capacitor size is usually
determined by the capacity needed to prevent VSAG
______________________________________________________________________________________
25
MAX1718T
VSAG =
 V

(I LOAD1 − I LOAD2 )2 × L  K OUT + t OFF(MIN) 
VIN


MAX1718T
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
and VSOAR from causing problems during load transients. Generally, once enough capacitance is added
to meet the overshoot requirement, undershoot at the
rising load edge is no longer a problem (see the VSAG
equation in the Design Procedure section). The amount
of overshoot due to stored inductor energy can be calculated as:
L × I PEAK 2
VSOAR ≈
2 × C × VOUT
where IPEAK is the peak inductor current.
Output Capacitor Stability
Considerations
Stability is determined by the value of the ESR zero relative to the switching frequency. The voltage-positioned
circuit in this data sheet has the ESR zero frequency lowered due to the external resistor in series with the output
capacitor ESR, guaranteeing stability. For a voltage-positioned circuit, the minimum ESR requirement of the output
capacitor is reduced by the voltage-positioning resistor
value.
The boundary condition of instability is given by the following equation:
(RESR + RDROOP) ✕ COUT ≥ 1 / (2 ✕ fSW)
where RDROOP is the effective value of the voltage-positioning resistor (Figure 1, R8). For good phase margin,
increase the equivalent RC time constant by a factor of
two. The standard application circuit (Figure 1) operating at 300kHz with COUT = 1320µF, RESR = 2.5mΩ, and
RDROOP = 5mΩ easily meets this requirement. In some
applications, the COUT and RDROOP values are sufficient to guarantee stability even if RESR = 0.
The easiest method for checking stability is to apply a
very fast zero-to-max load transient and carefully
observe the output voltage ripple envelope for overshoot and ringing. Do not allow more than one cycle of
ringing after the initial step-response under/overshoot.
Input Capacitor Selection
The input capacitor must meet the ripple current
requirement (IRMS) imposed by the switching currents
defined by the following equation:
I RMS = I LOAD
VOUT (VIN - VOUT )
VIN
For most applications, nontantalum chemistries (ceramic
or OS-CON) are preferred due to their resistance to
inrush surge currents typical of systems with a switch
or a connector in series with the battery. If the
26
MAX1718T is operated as the second stage of a twostage power-conversion system, tantalum input capacitors are acceptable. In either configuration, choose an
input capacitor that exhibits less than +10°C temperature rise at the RMS input current for optimal circuit
longevity.
Power MOSFET Selection
Most of the following MOSFET guidelines focus on the
challenge of obtaining high load-current capability
(>12A) when using high-voltage (>20V) AC adapters.
Low-current applications usually require less attention.
The high-side MOSFET must be able to dissipate the
resistive losses plus the switching losses at both
VIN(MIN) and VIN(MAX). Calculate both of these sums.
Ideally, the losses at VIN(MIN) should be roughly equal
to the losses at VIN(MAX), with lower losses in between.
If the losses at VIN(MIN) are significantly higher than the
losses at VIN(MAX), consider increasing the size of Q1.
Conversely, if the losses at VIN(MAX) are significantly
higher than the losses at VIN(MIN), consider reducing
the size of Q1. If VIN does not vary over a wide range,
the minimum power dissipation occurs where the resistive losses equal the switching losses.
Choose a low-side MOSFET (Q2) that has the lowest
possible RDS(ON), comes in a moderate-sized package
(i.e., two or more 8-pin SOs, DPAKs, or D2PAKs), and is
reasonably priced. Ensure that the MAX1718T DL gate
driver can drive Q2; in other words, check that the
dv/dt caused by Q1 turning on does not pull up the Q2
gate due to drain-to-gate capacitance, causing crossconduction problems. Switching losses are not an issue
for the low-side MOSFET since it is a zero-voltage
switched device when used in the buck topology.
MOSFET Power Dissipation
The high-side MOSFET power dissipation due to resistance is:
V
PD (Q1 Re sistive) = OUT × I LOAD2 × RDS(ON)
VIN
Generally, a small high-side MOSFET is desired to
reduce switching losses at high input voltages.
However, the RDS(ON) required to stay within package
power-dissipation limits often limits how small the
MOSFET can be.
Switching losses in the high-side MOSFET can become
an insidious heat problem when maximum AC adapter
voltages are applied, due to the squared term in the
CV2fSW switching-loss equation. If the high-side MOSFET
chosen for adequate RDS(ON) at low battery voltages
______________________________________________________________________________________
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
PD(Q1 Switching) =
CRSS × VIN(MAX)2 × fSW × I LOAD
IGATE
where CRSS is the reverse transfer capacitance of Q1
and IGATE is the peak gate-drive source/sink current
(2A typ).
For the low-side MOSFET (Q2), the worst-case power
dissipation always occurs at maximum battery voltage:

VOUT 
2
PD (Q2) = 1 −
 I LOAD × RDS(ON)
VIN(MAX) 

For both Q1 and Q2, note the MOSFET’s maximum
junction temperature and the thermal resistance that is
realistically achieved with the device packaging and
your thermal environment to avoid overheating.
The absolute worst case for MOSFET power dissipation
occurs under heavy overloads that are greater than
ILOAD(MAX) but are not quite high enough to exceed
the current limit and cause the fault latch to trip. To protect against this possibility, you can “overdesign” the
circuit to tolerate:
Applications Information
Voltage Positioning
Powering new mobile processors requires new techniques to reduce cost, size, and power dissipation.
Voltage positioning reduces the total number of output
capacitors to meet a given transient response requirement. Setting the no-load output voltage slightly higher
allows a larger step down when the output current suddenly increases, and regulating at the lower output
voltage under load allows a larger step up when the output current suddenly decreases. Allowing a larger step
size means that the output capacitance can be reduced
and the capacitor’s ESR can be increased.
Adding a series output resistor positions the full-load output voltage below the actual DAC programmed voltage.
Connect FB directly to the inductor side of the voltagepositioning resistor (R8, 4mΩ). The other side of the
voltage-positioning resistor should be connected directly
to the output filter capacitor with a short, wide PC board
trace. With a 20A full-load current, R8 causes an 80mV
drop. This 80mV is a -6.4% droop.
An additional benefit of voltage positioning is reduced
power consumption at high load currents. Because the
output voltage is lower under load, the CPU draws less
current. The result is lower power dissipation in the CPU,
although some extra power is dissipated in R8. For a
nominal 1.25V, 20A output, reducing the output voltage
6.4% gives an output voltage of 1.17V and an output
current of 18.7A. Given these values, CPU power consumption is reduced from 25W to 21.9W. The additional
power consumption of R8 is:
4mΩ ✕ 18.7A2 = 1.4W
And the overall power savings is as follows:
ILOAD = ILIMIT(HIGH) + (LIR / 2) ✕ ILOAD(MAX)
25 - (21.9 + 1.4) = 1.7W
where I LIMIT(HIGH) is the maximum valley current
allowed by the current-limit circuit, including threshold
tolerance and on-resistance variation. This means that
the MOSFETs must be very well heatsinked. If short-circuit protection without overload protection is enough, a
normal ILOAD value can be used for calculating component stresses.
Choose a Schottky diode (D1) having a forward voltage
low enough to prevent the Q2 MOSFET body diode
from turning on during the dead time. As a general rule,
a diode having a DC current rating equal to 1/3 of the
load current is sufficient. This diode is optional and can
be removed if efficiency is not critical.
In effect, 3W of CPU dissipation is saved, and the
power supply dissipates some of the power savings,
but both the net savings and the transfer of dissipation
away from the hot CPU are beneficial.
Reduced-Power-Dissipation
Voltage Positioning
A key benefit of voltage positioning is reduced power
dissipation, especially at heavy loads. In the standard
application circuit (Figure 1), voltage positioning is
accomplished using a droop resistor (R8), which can
dissipate over 1W. Although the power savings in the
processor is much greater than the dissipation in the
resistor, 1W of dissipation is still far from ideal.
______________________________________________________________________________________
27
MAX1718T
becomes extraordinarily hot when subjected to VIN(MAX),
reconsider your choice of MOSFET.
Calculating the power dissipation in Q1 due to switching losses is difficult since it must allow for difficult
quantifying factors that influence the turn-on and turnoff times. These factors include the internal gate resistance, gate charge, threshold voltage, source inductance, and PC board layout characteristics. The following
switching-loss calculation provides only a very rough
estimate and is no substitute for breadboard evaluation
and temperature measurements:
MAX1718T
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
The resistor is a necessary component because accurate voltage positioning depends on an accurate current-sense element. But it is not necessary to drop the
entire positioning voltage across this resistor. The circuit of Figure 15 uses an external op amp to add gain
to R8’s voltage signal, allowing the resistor value and
power dissipation to be divided by the gain factor.
The recommended range for the gain is up to about 4,
with preferred practical values around 1.5–3. There are
several difficulties with high gains. If high gain is used,
the sense-resistor value is very small (<1mΩ). The
sense signal is also small, potentially causing noise
and stability problems. Also, output voltage and positioning accuracy are essential. A smaller sense signal
reduces accuracy, as does any op-amp input voltage
offset, which is increased by the gain factor.
The op-amp output directly drives FB. To ensure stability, the output voltage ripple and the ripple signal
across R8 must be delivered with good fidelity. To preserve higher harmonics in the ripple signal, the circuit
bandwidth should be approximately 10 times the
switching frequency.
Besides lowering power dissipation, the gain stage provides another benefit; it eases the task of providing the
required positioning slope, using available discrete values for R8. A lower value resistor can be used and the
gain adjusted to deliver the desired slope. Sometimes
the desired slope is not well known before the final PC
board is evaluated. A good practice is to adjust the
final gain to deliver the correct voltage slope at the
processor pins, adjusting for the actual copper losses
in the supply and ground paths. This does not remove
the requirement to minimize copper losses because
they vary with temperature and PC board production
lot. It does, however, provide an easy, practical way to
account for their typical expected voltage drops.
Replacing the droop resistor with a lower value resistor
and a gain stage does not affect the MAX1718T stability criteria. The IC cannot distinguish one from the other,
as long as the required signal integrity is maintained.
R8’s effective value can be used to guarantee stability
with extremely low-ESR (ceramic) output capacitors
(see the Output Capacitor Stability Considerations section). The effective value is the resistor value that would
result in the same signal delivered to the MAX1718T’s
FB pin, or R8 times the op-amp circuit’s gain.
Although the op amp should be placed near R8 to minimize input noise pickup, power it from the MAX1718T’s
quiet VCC supply and analog ground to prevent other
noise problems.
28
DH
R8
VOUT
1.25V, 19A
VCC
DL
510Ω
MAX1718T
FB
MAX4322
A=2
R5
1kΩ
R6
1kΩ
Figure 15. Lowering Voltage-Positioning Power Dissipation
High-Accuracy Current Limit
The MAX1718T’s integrated current limit uses the synchronous rectifier’s RDS(ON) for its current-sense element. This dependence on a poorly specified
resistance with high temperature variation means that
the integrated current limit is useful mainly in high-overload and short-circuit conditions. A moderate overload
may be tolerated indefinitely. This arrangement is tolerable because there are other ways to detect overload
conditions and take appropriate action. For example, if
the CPU draws excessive current (but not enough to
activate the current limit) the CPU heats up, and eventually the system takes notice and shuts down.
While this approach is usually acceptable, it is far from
optimal. An inaccurate current limit causes component
specification difficulties. What values should be used
for inductor saturation ratings, MOSFET peak current
requirements, and power dissipation requirements? An
accurate current limit makes these issues more manageable. The circuit of Figure 16 uses an external op
amp, together with the voltage-positioning resistor (R8)
to implement an accurate inductor current limit.
A voltage-divider from the positive side of R8 creates a
threshold several mVs below the output. When the voltage drop across R8 exceeds the threshold, current limiting occurs. The op amp causes current limiting by
lowering the voltage on the ILIM pin. This lowers the
current-limit threshold of the IC’s internal current-limit
circuit, which uses the MOSFET RDS(ON) as usual. The
op-amp output swing has the ability to adjust the IC’s
internal valley current limit from a value much higher
than ever needed (given the MOSFET’s RRD(ON)) to a
______________________________________________________________________________________
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
VILIM =
[(R12 × R13 × VREF ) + (R13 × R14 × VCOMP )]
[(R12 × R14) + (R12 × R13) + (R13 × R14)]
where VCOMP is the voltage at the output of the comparator. The minimum VILIM is calculated when VCOMP
is at the VOL of the comparator. The maximum VILIM is
calculated when VCOMP = VOH at the minimum VCC.
The valley current-limit threshold is set at 10% of the
voltage VILIM. C13 should be picked to give approximately 10µs time constant at the ILIM input.
The actual threshold at which the op amp begins to
limit current is determined by R8 and the R10/R11
divider values and is very easy to set. Ideally,
IOUT(MAX) ✕ R8 = VFB ✕ R10 / (R10 + R11). In practice,
some margin must be added for resistor accuracy, opamp input offset, and general safety. With the op amp
shown and ±1% resistors, 10% margin is adequate.
An additional benefit of this circuit is that the currentlimit value is proportional to the output voltage setting
(VFB). When the output voltage setting is lowered, the
current limit automatically adjusts to a more appropriate
level, providing additional protection without compromising performance since the reduction of the required
load current is greater than that of the output voltage
setting. In some cases, the current required to slew the
R8
4mΩ
DH
VOUT
1.25V, 19A
DL
MAX1718T FB
VCC
R10
1.5kΩ
REF
R14
100kΩ R12
30kΩ
ILIM
1nF
MAX4322
R13
20kΩ
R11
20kΩ
Figure 16. Improving Current-Limit Accuracy
output capacitor may be large enough to require the
current limit to be increased beyond what is necessary
to support the load.
This circuit is completely compatible with the circuit of
Figure 15. If the two circuits are used together, the
MAX4326 dual op amp in a µMAX package can
replace the two single devices, saving space and cost.
If both are used, the reduced R8 value makes the opamp input offset more significant. Additional margin
might be needed, depending on the magnitude of R8’s
reduction.
Although the op amp should be placed near R8 to minimize input noise pickup, power it from the MAX1718T’s
quiet VCC supply and analog ground to prevent other
noise problems.
Using Skip Mode During Suspend
(SKP/SDN = VCC)
Typically, for the MAX1718T’s intended application, the
minimum output currents are too high to benefit from
pulse-skipping operation in all active CPU modes.
Furthermore, skip mode can be a hindrance to properly
executing downward output voltage transitions (see the
Forced-PWM Mode section). However, processor suspend currents can be low enough that skip mode operation provides a real benefit.
In the circuit of Figure 17, SKP/SDN remains biased at
2V in every state except suspend and shutdown. In
addition, upon entering suspend (SUS going high), the
pin remains at 2V for about 200µs before it eventually
Rail-to-Rail is a registered trademark of Nippon Motorola, Ltd.
______________________________________________________________________________________
29
MAX1718T
value much lower than required to support a normal
load.
The bandwidth of the ILIM pin is not high, so the speed
of the op amp is not critical. Any op amp or comparator
could be acceptable, as long as its input offset does
not degrade current-limit accuracy excessively, has
input common-mode range to ground, and has Rail-toRail® output swing. Because the bandwidth is low, the
circuit responds to the average inductor current rather
than the peak or valley current, eliminating the current
limit’s dependence on inductor ripple current.
Similar to a foldback current limit, this circuit must be
carefully designed to guarantee startup. The op amp
must be incapable of setting the current limit to zero or
else the power supply may be unable to start. The
three-way divider from REF to ground to the op-amp
output allows the op amp to vary the MAX1718T’s internal current-limit threshold from 21mV (severely limiting
current) to 182mV (more than guaranteeing the maximum required output current). These divider resistors
should be chosen with the required current and the
synchronous rectifier’s RRD(ON) in mind to ensure that
the op-amp adjustment range is high enough to guarantee the required output current. The voltage at the
ILIM pin is given by:
MAX1718T
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
goes high. This causes the MAX1718T to remain in
PWM mode long enough to correctly complete the negative output voltage transition to the suspend state voltage. When SKP/SDN goes high, the MAX1718T enters
its low-quiescent-current skip mode.
Dropout Performance
The output voltage adjust range for continuous-conduction operation is restricted by the nonadjustable 500ns
(max) minimum off-time one-shot (375ns max at
1000kHz). For best dropout performance, use the slower
(200kHz) on-time settings. When working with low input
voltages, the duty-factor limit must be calculated using
worst-case values for on- and off-times. Manufacturing
tolerances and internal propagation delays introduce
an error to the TON K-factor. This error is greater at
higher frequencies (Table 2). Also, keep in mind that
transient response performance of buck regulators
operated close to dropout is poor, and bulk output
capacitance must often be added (see the VSAG equation in the Design Procedure section).
The absolute point of dropout is when the inductor current ramps down during the minimum off-time (∆IDOWN)
as much as it ramps up during the on-time (∆IUP). The
ratio h = ∆IUP/∆IDOWN is an indicator of ability to slew
the inductor current higher in response to increased
load, and must always be greater than 1. As h
approaches 1, the absolute minimum dropout point, the
inductor current is less able to increase during each
switching cycle and V SAG greatly increases unless
additional output capacitance is used.
A reasonable minimum value for h is 1.5, but this may
be adjusted up or down to allow tradeoffs between
V SAG , output capacitance, and minimum operating
voltage. For a given value of h, the minimum operating
voltage can be calculated as:
VIN(MIN) =
(VOUT + VDROP1)
 TOFF(MIN ) x h 
1- 

K


+ VDROP2 - VDROP1
where VDROP1 and VDROP2 are the parasitic voltage
drops in the discharge and charge paths, respectively
(see the On-Time One-Shot (TON) section), TOFF(MIN) is
from the Electrical Characteristics tables, and K is taken
from Table 2. The absolute minimum input voltage is calculated with h = 1.
If the calculated VIN(MIN) is greater than the required
minimum input voltage, then operating frequency must
be reduced or output capacitance added to obtain an
acceptable VSAG. If operation near dropout is anticipat30
ed, calculate VSAG to be sure of adequate transient
response.
Dropout Design Example:
VOUT = 1.6V
fsw = 550kHz
K = 1.8µs, worst-case K = 1.58µs
TOFF(MIN) = 500ns
VDROP1 = VDROP2 = 100mV
h = 1.5
VIN(MIN) = (1.6V + 0.1V) / (1-0.5µs ✕ 1.5/1.58µs) +
0.1V - 0.1V = 3.2V
Calculating again with h = 1 gives the absolute limit of
dropout:
VIN(MIN) = (1.6V + 0.1V) / (1-1.0 ✕ 0.5µs/1.58µs) - 0.1V
+ 0.1V = 2.5V
Therefore, VIN must be greater than 2.5V, even with very
large output capacitance, and a practical input voltage
with reasonable output capacitance would be 3.2V.
Adjusting VOUT with a Resistor-Divider
The output voltage can be adjusted with a resistordivider rather than the DAC if desired (Figure 18). The
drawback is that the on-time does not automatically
receive correct compensation for changing output voltage
levels. This can result in variable switching frequency
as the resistor ratio is changed, and/or excessive
switching frequency. The equation for adjusting the output
voltage is:

R 
VOUT = VFB 1 + 1 
R2 

where V FB is the currently selected DAC value. In
resistor-adjusted circuits, the DAC code should be set
as close as possible to the actual output voltage in
order to minimize the shift in switching frequency.
One-Stage (Battery Input) vs. Two-Stage
(5V Input) Applications
The MAX1718T can be used with a direct battery connection (one stage) or can obtain power from a regulated 5V supply (two stage). Each approach has
advantages, and careful consideration should go into
the selection of the final design.
The one-stage approach offers smaller total inductor
size and fewer capacitors overall due to the reduced
demands on the 5V supply. The transient response of
the single stage is better due to the ability to ramp up
the inductor current faster. The total efficiency of a single stage is better than the two-stage approach.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
MAX1718T
VCC
VBATT
DH
120kΩ
TO
SKP/SDN
VCC
VOUT
80kΩ
DL
TO
SUS
MAX1718T
30kΩ
R1
0.01µF
FB
SHUTDOWN
3.3V
SUS
~200µs
R2
~200µs
0V
5V
SKP/SDN
2.0V
Figure 17. Using Skip Mode During Suspend (SKP/ SDN = VCC)
The two-stage approach allows flexible placement due
to smaller circuit size and reduced local power dissipation. The power supply can be placed closer to the
CPU for better regulation and lower I2R losses from PC
board traces. Although the two-stage design has worse
transient response than the single stage, this can be
offset by the use of a voltage-positioned converter.
Ceramic Output Capacitor
Applications
Ceramic capacitors have advantages and disadvantages. They have ultra-low ESR and are noncombustible, relatively small, and nonpolarized. They are
also expensive and brittle, and their ultra-low ESR characteristic can result in excessively high ESR zero frequencies (affecting stability in nonvoltage-positioned
circuits). In addition, their relatively low capacitance
value can cause output overshoot when going abruptly
from full-load to no-load conditions, unless the inductor
value can be made small (high-switching frequency), or
there are some bulk tantalum or electrolytic capacitors
in parallel to absorb the stored energy in the inductor.
In some cases, there may be no room for electrolytics,
necessitating a ceramic-only DC-to-DC design.
The MAX1718T can take full advantage of the small
size and low ESR of ceramic output capacitors in a
voltage-positioned circuit. Adding the positioning resistor increases the ripple at FB, lowering the effective
ESR zero frequency of the ceramic output capacitor.
Output overshoot (VSOAR) determines the minimum output capacitance requirement (see the Output Capacitor
Selection section). Often the switching frequency is
increased to 550kHz or 1000kHz, and the inductor value
is reduced to minimize the energy transferred from
VOUT = VFB ✕ 1 + R1
R2
(
)
Figure 18. Adjusting VOUT with a Resistor-Divider
inductor to capacitor during load-step recovery. The
efficiency penalty for operating at 550kHz is about 2%
to 3% and about 5% at 1000kHz when compared to the
300kHz voltage-positioned circuit, primarily due to the
high-side MOSFET switching losses.
PC Board Layout Guidelines
Careful PC board layout is critical to achieve low
switching losses and clean, stable operation. The
switching power stage requires particular attention
(Figure 19). If possible, mount all of the power components on the top side of the board with their ground terminals flush against one another. Follow these
guidelines for good PC board layout:
1) Keep the high-current paths short, especially at the
ground terminals. This is essential for stable, jitterfree operation.
2) All analog grounding is done to a separate solid copper plane, which connects to the MAX1718T at the
GND pin. This includes the V CC , REF, and CC
capacitors, the TIME resistor, as well as any other
resistor-dividers.
3) Keep the power traces and load connections short.
This is essential for high efficiency. The use of thick
copper PC boards (2oz vs. 1oz) can enhance full-load
efficiency by 1% or more. Correctly routing PC board
traces is a difficult task that must be approached in
terms of fractions of centimeters, where a single milliohm of excess trace resistance causes a measurable
efficiency penalty.
______________________________________________________________________________________
31
MAX1718T
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
4) LX and GND connections to Q2 for current limiting
must be made using Kelvin-sense connections to
guarantee the current-limit accuracy. With 8-pin SO
MOSFETs, this is best done by routing power to the
MOSFETs from outside using the top copper layer,
while connecting GND and LX inside (underneath)
the 8-pin SO package.
5) When trade-offs in trace lengths must be made, it is
preferable to allow the inductor charging path to be
made longer than the discharge path. For example, it
is better to allow some extra distance between the
input capacitors and the high-side MOSFET than to
allow distance between the inductor and the low-side
MOSFET or between the inductor and the output filter
capacitor.
6) Ensure the FB connection to the output is short and
direct. In voltage-positioned circuits, the FB connection
is at the junction of the inductor and the positioning
resistor.
7) Route high-speed switching nodes away from sensitive
analog areas (CC, REF, ILIM). Make all pin-strap
control input connections (SKP/SDN, ILIM, etc.) to analog ground or VCC rather than power ground or VDD.
Layout Procedure
1) Place the power components first, with ground terminals adjacent (Q2 source, CIN-, COUT-, D1 anode).
If possible, make all these connections on the top
layer with wide, copper-filled areas.
2) Mount the controller IC adjacent to MOSFET Q2,
preferably on the back side opposite Q2 in order to
keep LX-GND current-sense lines and the DL drive line
short and wide. The DL gate trace must be short and
wide, measuring 10 to 20 squares (50 mils to 100 mils
wide if the MOSFET is 1in from the controller IC).
3) Group the gate-drive components (BST diode and
capacitor, VDD bypass capacitor) together near the
controller IC.
4) Make the DC-to-DC controller ground connections as
shown in Figure 19. This diagram can be viewed as
having three separate ground planes: output ground,
where all the high-power components go; the GND
plane, where the GND pin and VDD bypass capacitors
go; and an analog ground plane where sensitive
analog components go. The analog ground plane
and GND plane must meet only at a single point
directly beneath the IC. These two planes are then
connected to the high-power output ground with a
short connection from GND to the source of the lowside MOSFET Q2 (the middle of the star ground).
32
This point must also be very close to the output
capacitor ground terminal.
5) Connect the output power planes (VCORE and system
ground planes) directly to the output filter capacitor
positive and negative terminals with multiple vias.
Place the entire DC-to-DC converter circuit as close
to the CPU as is practical.
Pin Configuration
TOP VIEW
V+ 1
28 DH
SKP/SDN 2
27 LX
TIME 3
26 BST
FB 4
25 D0
NEG 5
CC 6
24 D1
MAX1718T
23 D2
S0 7
22 D3
S1 8
21 D4
VCC 9
20 OVP
TON 10
19 ZMODE
REF 11
18 SUS
ILIM 12
17 VDD
POS 13
16 DL
VGATE 14
15 GND
QSOP
Chip Information
TRANSISTOR COUNT: 7190
______________________________________________________________________________________
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
MAX1718T
VBATT
GND IN
ALL ANALOG GROUNDS
CONNECT TO LOCAL PLANE ONLY
VIA TO GND
NEAR Q2 SOURCE
MAX1718T
VCC
CIN
GND
OUT
CC
Q1
REF
VDD
D1
COUT
Q2
VOUT
GND VIA TO SOURCE
OF Q2
CONNECT LOCAL ANALOG GROUND PLANE DIRECTLY TO GND FROM
THE SIDE OPPOSITE THE VDD CAPACITOR GND TO AVOID VDD GROUND
CURRENTS FROM FLOWING IN THE ANALOG GROUND PLANE.
R6
L1
VIA TO FB
AND FBS
VIA TO LX
NOTE: “STAR” GROUND IS USED.
D1 IS DIRECTLY ACROSS Q2.
INDUCTOR DISCHARGE PATH HAS LOW-DC RESISTANCE
Figure 19. Power-Stage PC Board Layout Example
______________________________________________________________________________________
33
Package Information
(The package drawing(s) in this data sheet may not reflect the most current specifications. For the latest package outline information,
go to www.maxim-ic.com/packages.)
QSOP.EPS
MAX1718T
Notebook CPU Step-Down Controller
Note: The MAX1718T does not have a heat slug.
Maxim cannot assume responsibility for use of any circuitry other than circuitry entirely embodied in a Maxim product. No circuit patent licenses are
implied. Maxim reserves the right to change the circuitry and specifications without notice at any time.
34 ____________________Maxim Integrated Products, 120 San Gabriel Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94086 408-737-7600
© 2002 Maxim Integrated Products
Printed USA
is a registered trademark of Maxim Integrated Products.