INTERSIL ISL6316

ISL6316
®
Data Sheet
December 12, 2006
Enhanced 4-Phase PWM Controller with
6-Bit VID Code Capable of Precision
rDS(ON) or DCR Differential Current
Sensing for VR10 Application
The ISL6316 controls microprocessor core voltage regulation
by driving up to 4 synchronous-rectified buck channels in
parallel. Multiphase buck converter architecture uses
interleaved timing to multiply channel ripple frequency and
reduce input and output ripple currents. Lower ripple results in
fewer components, lower component cost, reduced power
dissipation, and smaller implementation area.
Microprocessor loads can generate load transients with
extremely fast edge rates. The ISL6316 features a high
bandwidth control loop and ripple frequencies up to >4MHz to
provide optimal response to the transients.
Today’s microprocessors require a tightly regulated output
voltage position versus load current (droop). The ISL6316
senses current by utilizing patented techniques to measure
the voltage across the on resistance, rDS(ON), of the lower
MOSFETs or DCR of the output inductor during the lower
MOSFET conduction intervals. Current sensing provides the
needed signals for precision droop, channel-current
balancing, and overcurrent protection. A programmable
internal temperature compensation function is implemented to
effectively compensate for the temperature coefficient of the
current sense element.
A unity gain, differential amplifier is provided for remote
voltage sensing. Any potential difference between remote and
local grounds can be completely eliminated using the remotesense amplifier. Eliminating ground differences improves
regulation and protection accuracy. The threshold-sensitive
enable input is available to accurately coordinate the start up
of the ISL6316 with any other voltage rail. Dynamic-VID™
technology allows seamless on-the-fly VID changes. The
offset pin allows accurate voltage offset settings that are
independent of VID setting.
FN9227.1
Features
• Precision Multiphase Core Voltage Regulation
- Differential Remote Voltage Sensing
- ±0.5% System Accuracy Over Life, Load, Line and
Temperature
- Adjustable Precision Reference-Voltage Offset
• Precision rDS(on) or DCR Current Sensing
- Accurate Load-Line Programming
- Accurate Channel-Current Balancing
- Differential Current Sense
• Microprocessor Voltage Identification Input
- Dynamic VID™ Technology
- 6-Bit VID Code at 12.5mV per Bit
- 0.8375V to 1.600V Operation Range
• Thermal Monitoring
• Programmable Temperature Compensation
• Threshold-Sensitive Enable Pins to Enable VR and
Ensure Power Sequencing Control
• Overcurrent Protection
• Overvoltage Protection
• 2, 3 or 4 Phase Operation
• Adjustable Switching Frequency up to 1MHz per Phase
• Package Option
- QFN Compliant to JEDEC PUB95 MO-220 QFN - Quad
Flat No Leads - Product Outline
- QFN Near Chip Scale Package Footprint; Improves
PCB Efficiency, Thinner in Profile
• Pb-Free Plus Anneal Available (RoHS Compliant)
Ordering Information
PART NUMBER/
PART MARKING
ISL6316CRZ*
(Note)
ISL6316IRZ*
(Note)
TEMP. (°C)
0 to +70
PACKAGE
PKG.
DWG. #
40 Ld 6x6 QFN
(Pb-free)
L40.6x6
-40 to +85 40 Ld 6x6 QFN
(Pb-free)
L40.6x6
*Add “-T” suffix for tape and reel.
NOTE: Intersil Pb-free plus anneal products employ special Pb-free
material sets; molding compounds/die attach materials and 100% matte
tin plate termination finish, which are RoHS compliant and compatible
with both SnPb and Pb-free soldering operations. Intersil Pb-free
products are MSL classified at Pb-free peak reflow temperatures that
meet or exceed the Pb-free requirements of IPC/JEDEC J STD-020.
1
CAUTION: These devices are sensitive to electrostatic discharge; follow proper IC Handling Procedures.
1-888-INTERSIL or 1-888-468-3774 | Intersil (and design) is a registered trademark of Intersil Americas Inc.
Dynamic VID™ is a trademark of Intersil Americas Inc. Copyright © Intersil Americas Inc. 2005. All Rights Reserved
All other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.
ISL6316
Pinout
NC
TM
VR_HOT
VR_FAN
PGOOD
SS
FS
EN_VTT
EN_PWR
PWM3
ISL6316
(40 LD QFN)
TOP VIEW
40
39
38
37
36
35
34
33
32
31
1
30 ISEN3+
VID5 2
29 ISEN3-
VID4 3
28 ISEN2-
VID3 4
27 ISEN2+
NC
26 PWM2
VID2 5
GND
2
DAC 10
21 ISEN1+
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
PWM1
22 ISEN1-
VCC
OFS 9
TCOMP
23 ISEN4-
VSEN
8
RGND
GND
VDIFF
24 ISEN4+
IDROOP
7
FB
VID0
COMP
25 PWM4
REF
VID1 6
FN9227.1
December 12, 2006
ISL6316
ISL6316CR Block Diagram
VCC
VDIFF PGOOD
0.9V
RGND
POWER-ON
x1
EN_VTT
RESET (POR)
VSEN
0.9V
EN_PWR
OVP
THREE-STATE
SOFT-START
AND
FAULT LOGIC
+175mV
CLOCK AND
SAWTOOTH
GENERATOR
FS
∑
OFS
PWM1
PWM
SS
∑
OFFSET
PWM2
PWM
REF
DAC
∑
PWM3
PWM
VID5
∑
VID4
VID3
DYNAMIC
VID
VID2
D/A
PWM4
PWM
VID1
E/A
VID0
CHANNEL
CURRENT
BALANCE
CHANNEL
DETECT
COMP
ISEN1+
I_TRIP
FB
OC
IDROOP
1
N
ISEN1-
∑
TEMPERATURE
COMPENSATION
ISEN2+
CHANNEL
ISEN2-
CURRENT
I_AVG
SENSE
VR_HOT
ISEN3-
THERMAL
COMPENSATION
GAIN
THERMAL
MONITORING
ISEN3+
ISEN4+
VR_FAN
ISEN4-
TM
TCOMP
3
GND
NC
NC
FN9227.1
December 12, 2006
ISL6316
Typical Application - 4-Phase Buck Converter with rDS(ON) Sensing and External TCOMP
+12V
VIN
VCC
BOOT
UGATE
PVCC
PHASE
ISL6612
PWM
DRIVER
VSEN
+12V
VCC
BOOT
UGATE
EN_VTT
PGOOD
VIN
VCC
RGND
VTT
NTC
THERMISTOR
GND
+5V
FB
COMP REF
IDROOP
DAC
VDIFF
LGATE
PVCC
ISL6316
ISEN1+
ISEN1-
PWM
PHASE
ISL6612
DRIVER
PWM1
PWM2
VID5
LGATE
GND
ISEN2+
VID4
ISEN2VID3
PWM3
VID2
ISEN3+
+12V
VIN
VID1
PWM4
VID0
ISEN4+
ISEN4-
μP
LOAD
VCC
ISEN3-
BOOT
UGATE
PVCC
PHASE
VR_FAN
GND
ISL6612
PWM
DRIVER
VR_HOT
LGATE
GND
TM
+5V
EN_PWR
TCOMP OFS FS
SS
+12V
ROFS
RT
VCC
+12V
VIN
BOOT
NTC
UGATE
PVCC
PWM
PHASE
ISL6612
DRIVER
LGATE
GND
4
FN9227.1
December 12, 2006
ISL6316
Typical Application - 4-Phase Buck Converter with rDS(ON) Sensing and Integrated TCOMP
+12V
VIN
VCC
BOOT
UGATE
PVCC
PHASE
ISL6612
PWM
DRIVER
GND
+5V
FB
COMP REF
IDROOP
DAC
VDIFF
VSEN
+12V
VCC
BOOT
UGATE
EN_VTT
PVCC
PGOOD
VIN
VCC
RGND
VTT
LGATE
PHASE
ISL6316
ISEN1+
ISEN1-
ISL6612
PWM
DRIVER
PWM1
GND
PWM2
VID5
LGATE
ISEN2+
VID4
ISEN2-
VID3
PWM3
VID2
ISEN3+
+12V
VIN
ISEN3VID1
PWM4
VID0
ISEN4+
ISEN4-
μP
LOAD
VCC
BOOT
UGATE
PVCC
PHASE
VR_FAN
GND
ISL6612
PWM
DRIVER
VR_HOT
LGATE
GND
TM
+5V
EN_PWR
TCOMP OFS
FS SS
+5V
+12V
ROFS
RF
RS
VCC
VIN
BOOT
+12V
NTC
UGATE
PVCC
PWM
PHASE
ISL6612
DRIVER
LGATE
GND
5
FN9227.1
December 12, 2006
ISL6316
Typical Application - 4-Phase Buck Converter with DCR Sensing and External TCOMP
+12V
VIN
VCC
BOOT
UGATE
PVCC
PHASE
ISL6612
PWM
DRIVER
+5V
FB
COMP REF
IDROOP
DAC
VDIFF
VSEN
NTC
THERMISTOR
GND
+12V
VCC
BOOT
VIN
VCC
RGND
VTT
LGATE
EN_VTT
UGATE
PVCC
PGOOD
ISL6316
ISEN1+
ISEN1-
PHASE
ISL6612
PWM
DRIVER
PWM1
VID5
PWM2
VID4
ISEN2+
ISEN2-
VID3
PWM3
VID2
ISEN3+
+12V
VIN
PWM4
VID0
ISEN4+
ISEN4-
μP
LOAD
VCC
ISEN3VID1
LGATE
GND
BOOT
UGATE
PVCC
PHASE
VR_FAN
GND
ISL6612
PWM
DRIVER
VR_HOT
LGATE
GND
TM
+5V
EN_PWR
TCOMP OFS
FS
SS
+12V
ROFS
RT
VCC
+12V
VIN
BOOT
UGATE
NTC
PVCC
PWM
PHASE
ISL6612
DRIVER
LGATE
GND
6
FN9227.1
December 12, 2006
ISL6316
Typical Application - 4-Phase Buck Converter with DCR Sensing and Integrated TCOMP
+12V
VIN
VCC
BOOT
UGATE
PVCC
PHASE
ISL6612
PWM
DRIVER
+5V
FB
COMP REF
IDROOP
DAC
VDIFF
VSEN
GND
+12V
VCC
BOOT
EN_VTT
PGOOD
VIN
VCC
RGND
VTT
LGATE
UGATE
PVCC
ISL6316
ISEN1+
ISEN1-
PHASE
ISL6612
PWM
DRIVER
PWM1
VID5
PWM2
VID4
ISEN2+
ISEN2-
VID3
PWM3
VID2
ISEN3+
+12V
VIN
PWM4
VID0
ISEN4+
ISEN4-
μP
LOAD
VCC
ISEN3VID1
LGATE
GND
BOOT
UGATE
PVCC
PHASE
VR_FAN
GND
ISL6612
PWM
DRIVER
VR_HOT
LGATE
GND
TM
+5V
EN_PWR
TCOMP OFS
FS
SS
+5V
+12V
ROFS
RT
VCC
+12V
VIN
BOOT
NTC
UGATE
PVCC
PWM
PHASE
ISL6612
DRIVER
LGATE
GND
7
FN9227.1
December 12, 2006
ISL6316
Absolute Maximum Ratings
Thermal Information
Supply Voltage, VCC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .+6V
All Pins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GND -0.3V to VCC + 0.3V
SD (Human body model) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .>2kV
ESD (Machine model) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .>200V
ESD (Charged device model) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . >1.5kV
Thermal Resistance (Notes 1, 2)
θJA (°C/W)
θJC (°C/W)
QFN Package. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
32
6
Maximum Junction Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +150°C
Maximum Storage Temperature Range . . . . . . . . . .-65°C to +150°C
Maximum Lead Temperature (Soldering 10s) . . . . . . . . . . . . +300°C
Operating Conditions
Supply Voltage, VCC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +5V ±5%
Ambient Temperature (ISL6316CRZ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0°C to +70°C
Ambient Temperature (ISL6316IRZ) . . . . . . . . . . . . .-40°C to +85°C
CAUTION: Stress above those listed in “Absolute Maximum Ratings” may cause permanent damage to the device. This is a stress only rating and operation of the
device at these or any other conditions above those indicated in the operational section of this specification is not implied.
NOTES:
1. θJA is measured in free air with the component mounted on a high effective thermal conductivity test board with “direct attach” features. See
Tech Brief TB379
2. For θJC, the “case temp” location is the center of the exposed metal pad on the package underside.
Electrical Specifications
Operating Conditions: VCC = 5V, Unless Otherwise Specified
PARAMETER
TEST CONDITIONS
MIN
TYP
MAX
UNITS
VCC SUPPLY CURRENT
Nominal Supply
VCC = 5VDC; EN_PWR = 5VDC; RT = 100kΩ,
ISEN1 = ISEN2 = ISEN3 = ISEN4 = -70μA
-
15
20
mA
Shutdown Supply
VCC = 5VDC; EN_PWR = 0VDC; RT = 100kΩ
-
10
12
mA
4.3
4.5
4.7
V
POWER-ON RESET AND ENABLE
POR Threshold
VCC Rising
EN_PWR Threshold
Rising
VCC Falling
3.7
3.9
4.2
V
0.850
0.875
0.910
V
-
130
-
mV
Falling
0.720
0.745
0.775
V
Rising
0.850
0.875
0.910
V
-
130
-
mV
0.720
0.745
0.775
V
Hysteresis
EN_VTT Threshold
Hysteresis
Falling
REFERENCE VOLTAGE AND DAC
System Accuracy of ISL6316CRZ
(VID = 1V-1.6V, TJ = 0°C to +70°C)
(Note 3)
-0.5
-
0.5
%VID
System Accuracy of ISL6316CRZ
(VID = 0.5V-1V,TJ = 0°C to +70°C)
(Note 3)
-0.9
-
0.9
%VID
System Accuracy of ISL6316IRZ
(VID = 1V-1.6V, TJ = -40°C to +85°C)
(Note 3)
-0.6
-
0.6
%VID
System Accuracy of ISL6316IRZ
(VID = 0.5V-1V,TJ = -40°C to +85°C)
(Note 3)
-1
-
1
%VID
-60
-40
-20
μA
VID Input Low Level
-
-
0.4
V
VID Input High Level
0.8
-
-
V
DAC Source Current
-
4
7
mA
DAC Sink Current
-
-
300
μA
REF Source Current
45
50
55
μA
REF Sink Current
45
50
55
μA
VID Pull Up
8
FN9227.1
December 12, 2006
ISL6316
Electrical Specifications
Operating Conditions: VCC = 5V, Unless Otherwise Specified (Continued)
PARAMETER
TEST CONDITIONS
MIN
TYP
MAX
UNITS
392
400
408
mV
1.568
1.600
1.632
V
388
400
412
mV
1.552
1.600
1.648
V
225
250
275
kHz
0.08
-
1.0
MHz
-
1.563
-
mV/µs
0.625
-
6.25
mV/µs
Sawtooth Amplitude
-
1.5
-
V
Max Duty Cycle
-
66.7
-
%
PIN-ADJUSTABLE OFFSET
Voltage at OFS Pin of ISL6316CRZ
Offset resistor connected to ground
Voltage below VCC, offset resistor connected to VCC
Voltage at OFS Pin of ISL6316IRZ
Offset resistor connected to ground
Voltage below VCC, offset resistor connected to VCC
OSCILLATORS
Accuracy of Switching Frequency Setting
RT = 100kΩ
Adjustment Range of Switching Frequency (Note 4)
Soft-Start Ramp Rate
RS = 100kΩ (Notes 5, 6)
Adjustment Range of Soft-Start Ramp Rate (Note 4)
PWM GENERATOR
ERROR AMPLIFIER
Open-Loop Gain
RL = 10kΩ to ground (Note 4)
-
96
-
dB
Open-Loop Bandwidth
CL = 100pF, RL = 10kΩ to ground (Note 4)
-
20
-
MHz
Slew Rate
CL = 100pF
-
9
-
V/μs
Maximum Output Voltage
3.8
4.3
4.9
V
Output High Voltage @ 2mA
3.6
-
-
V
Output Low Voltage @ 2mA
-
-
1.2
V
-
20
-
MHz
REMOTE-SENSE AMPLIFIER
Bandwidth
(Note 4)
Output High Current
VSEN - RGND = 2.5V
-500
-
500
μA
Output High Current
VSEN - RGND = 0.6
-500
-
500
μA
PWM OUTPUT
PWM Output Voltage LOW Threshold
ILOAD = ±500μA
-
-
0.5
V
PWM Output Voltage HIGH Threshold
ILOAD = ±500μA
4.3
-
-
V
76
80
84
μA
90
100
110
μA
-
2
-
V
SENSE CURRENT OUTPUT (IDROOP and IOUT)
Sensed Current Tolerance
ISEN1 = ISEN2 = ISEN3 = ISEN4 = 80μA
Overcurrent Trip Level
Maximum Voltage at IDROOP Pin
THERMAL MONITORING AND FAN CONTROL
TM Input Voltage for VR_FAN Trip
1.6
1.65
1.69
V
TM Input Voltage for VR_FAN Reset
1.89
1.93
1.98
V
TM Input Voltage for VR_HOT Trip
1.35
1.4
1.44
V
TM Input Voltage for VR_HOT Reset
1.6
1.65
1.69
V
Leakage current of VR_FAN
With externally pull-up resistor connected to VCC
-
-
30
μA
VR_FAN Low Voltage
With 1.25k resistor pull-up to VCC, IVR_FAN = 4mA
-
-
0.3
V
Leakage Current of VR_HOT
With externally pull-up resistor connected to VCC
-
-
30
μA
VR_HOT Low Voltage
With 1.25k resistor pull-up to VCC, IVR_HOT = 4mA
-
-
0.3
V
9
FN9227.1
December 12, 2006
ISL6316
Electrical Specifications
Operating Conditions: VCC = 5V, Unless Otherwise Specified (Continued)
PARAMETER
TEST CONDITIONS
MIN
TYP
MAX
UNITS
POWER GOOD AND PROTECTION MONITORS
Leakage Current of PGOOD
With externally pull-up resistor connected to VCC
-
-
30
μA
PGOOD Low Voltage
IPGOOD = 4mA
-
-
0.3
V
Undervoltage Threshold
VDIFF Falling
48
50
52
%VID
PFGOOD Reset Voltage
VDIFF Rising
58
60
62
%VID
Overvoltage Protection Threshold
Before valid VID
1.250
1.275
1.300
V
150
175
200
mV
0.38
0.40
0.42
V
After valid VID, the voltage above VID
Overvoltage Protection Reset Threshold
NOTES:
3. These parts are designed and adjusted for accuracy with all errors in the voltage loop included.
4. Spec guaranteed by design.
5. During soft-start, VDAC rises from 0 to 1.1V first and then ramp to VID voltage after receiving valid VID.
6. Soft-start ramp rate is determined by the adjustable soft-start oscillator frequency at the speed of 6.25mV per cycle.
Functional Pin Description
VCC
Supplies the power necessary to operate the chip. The
controller starts to operate when the voltage on this pin
exceeds the rising POR threshold and shuts down when the
voltage on this pin drops below the falling POR threshold.
Connect this pin directly to a +5V supply.
GND
Bias and reference ground for the IC. The bottom metal base
of ISL6316 is the GND.
EN_PWR
This pin is a threshold-sensitive enable input for the controller.
Connecting the 12V supply to EN_PWR through an
appropriate resistor divider provides a means to synchronize
power-up of the controller and the MOSFET driver ICs. When
EN_PWR is driven above 0.875V, the ISL6316 is active
depending on status of EN_VTT, the internal POR, and
pending fault states. Driving EN_PWR below 0.745V will clear
all fault states and prime the ISL6316 to soft-start when reenabled.
EN_VTT
This pin is another threshold-sensitive enable input for the
controller. It’s typically connected to VTT output of VTT
voltage regulator in the computer mother board. When
EN_VTT is driven above 0.875V, the ISL6316 is active
depending on status of ENLL, the internal POR, and pending
fault states. Driving EN_VTT below 0.745V will clear all fault
states and prime the ISL6316 to soft-start when re-enabled.
FS
Use this pin to set up the desired switching frequency. A
resistor, placed from FS to ground will set the switching
frequency. The relationship between the value of the resistor
10
and the switching frequency will be described by approximate
equations.
SS
Use this pin to set up the desired start-up oscillator frequency.
A resistor, placed from SS to ground will set up the soft-start
ramp rate.The relationship between the value of the resistor
and the soft-start ramp up time will be described by
approximate equation.
VID5, VID4, VID3, VID2, VID1 and VID0
These are the inputs to the internal DAC that generates the
reference voltage for output regulation. Connect these pins
either to open-drain outputs with or without external pull-up
resistors or to active-pull-up outputs. All VID pins have 40µA
internal pull-up current sources that diminish to zero as the
voltage rises above the logic-high level. These inputs can be
pulled up externally as high as VCC plus 0.3V.
VDIFF, VSEN, and RGND
VSEN and RGND form the precision differential remote-sense
amplifier. This amplifier converts the differential voltage of the
remote output to a single-ended voltage referenced to local
ground. VDIFF is the amplifier’s output and the input to the
regulation and protection circuitry. Connect VSEN and RGND
to the sense pins of the remote load.
FB and COMP
Inverting input and output of the error amplifier respectively.
FB can be connected to VDIFF through a resistor. A properly
chosen resistor between VDIFF and FB can set the load line
(droop), when IDROOP pin is tied to FB pin. The droop scale
factor is set by the ratio of the ISEN resistors and the inductor
DCR or the lower MOSFET rDS(ON). COMP is tied back to FB
through an external R-C network to compensate the regulator.
FN9227.1
December 12, 2006
ISL6316
DAC and REF
The DAC pin is the output of the precision internal DAC
reference. The REF pin is the positive input of the Error Amp.
In typical applications, a 1kΩ, 1% resistor is used between
DAC and REF to generate a precision offset voltage. This
voltage is proportional to the offset current determined by the
offset resistor from OFS to ground or VCC. A capacitor is
used between REF and ground to smooth the voltage
transition during Dynamic VID™ operations.
PWM1, PWM2, PWM3, PWM4
Pulse width modulation outputs. Connect these pins to the
PWM input pins of the Intersil driver IC. The number of active
channels is determined by the state of PWM3 and PWM4. Tie
PWM3 to VCC to configure for 2-phase operation. Tie PWM4
to VCC to configure for 3-phase operation.
ISEN1+, ISEN1-; ISEN2+, ISEN2-; ISEN3+, ISEN3-;
ISEN4+, ISEN4
The ISEN+ and ISEN- pins are current sense inputs to
individual differential amplifiers. The sensed current is used
for channel current balancing, overcurrent protection, and
droop regulation. Inactive channels should have their
respective current sense inputs left open (for example, open
ISEN4+ and ISEN4- for 3-phase operation).
is selected by connecting the resistor to GND or VCC. For no
offset, the OFS pin should be left unterminated.
TCOMP
Temperature compensation scaling input. The voltage sensed
on the TM pin is utilized as the temperature input to adjust
ldroop and the overcurrent protection limit to effectively
compensate for the temperature coefficient of the current
sense element. To implement the integrated temperature
compensation, a resistor divider circuit is needed with one
resistor being connected from TCOMP to VCC of the
controller and another resistor being connected from TCOMP
to GND. Changing the ratio of the resistor values will set the
gain of the integrated thermal compensation. When integrated
temperature compensation function is not used, connect
TCOMP to GND.
IDROOP
IDROOP is the output pin of sensed average channel current
which is proportional to load current. In the application which
does not require loadline, leave this pin open. In the
application which requires load line, connect this pin to FB so
that the sensed average current will flow through the resistor
between FB and VDIFF to create a voltage drop which is
proportional to load current.
For DCR sensing, connect each ISEN- pin to the node
between the RC sense elements. Tie the ISEN+ pin to the
other end of the sense capacitor through a resistor, RISEN.
The voltage across the sense capacitor is proportional to the
inductor current. Therefore, the sense current is proportional
to the inductor current, and scaled by the DCR of the inductor
and RISEN.
TM
When configured for rDS(ON) current sensing, the ISEN1-,
ISEN2-, ISEN3-, and ISEN4- pins are grounded at the lower
MOSFET sources. The ISEN1+, ISEN2+, ISEN3+, and
ISEN4+ pins are then held at a virtual ground. Therefore, a
resistor, connected between these current sense pins and the
drain terminals of the associated lower MOSFET, will carry the
current proportional to the current flowing through that
channel. The sensed current is determined by the negative
voltage across the lower MOSFET when it is ON, which is the
channel current scaled by rDS(ON) and RISEN.
VR_HOT
PGOOD
PGOOD indicates that the soft-start is completed and the
output voltage is within the regulated range around VID
setting. It is an open-drain logic output. When OCP or OVP
occurs, PGOOD will be pulled to low. It will also be pulled low
if the output voltage is below the undervoltage threshold.
OFS
The OFS pin provides a means to program a DC offset
current for generating a DC offset voltage at the REF input.
The offset current is generated via an external resistor and
precision internal voltage references. The polarity of the offset
11
TM is an input pin for VR temperature measurement. Connect
this pin through NTC themistor to GND and a resistor to VCC
of the controller. The voltage at this pin is reverse proportional
to VR temperature. ISL6316 monitors the VR temperature
based on the voltage at TM pin and outputs VR_HOT and
VR_FAN signals.
VR_HOT is used as an indication of high VR temperature. It is
an open-drain logic output. It will be open when the measured
VR temperature reaches certain level.
VR_FAN
VR_FAN is an output pin with open-drain logic output. It will be
open when the measured VR temperature reaches certain
level.
Operation
Multiphase Power Conversion
Microprocessor load current profiles have changed to the
point that the advantages of multiphase power conversion are
impossible to ignore. The technical challenges associated
with producing a single-phase converter which is both costeffective and thermally viable have forced a change to the
cost-saving approach of multiphase. The ISL6316 controller
helps reduce the complexity of implementation by integrating
vital functions and requiring minimal output components. The
block diagrams on pages 4, 5, 6 and 7 provide top level views
of multiphase power conversion using the ISL6316 controller.
FN9227.1
December 12, 2006
ISL6316
Interleaving
INPUT-CAPACITOR CURRENT, 10A/DIV
The switching of each channel in a multiphase converter is
timed to be symmetrically out of phase with each of the other
channels. In a 3-phase converter, each channel switches 1/3
cycle after the previous channel and 1/3 cycle before the
following channel. As a result, the three-phase converter has
a combined ripple frequency three times greater than the
ripple frequency of any one phase. In addition, the peak-topeak amplitude of the combined inductor currents is reduced
in proportion to the number of phases (Equations 1 and 2).
Increased ripple frequency and lower ripple amplitude mean
that the designer can use less per-channel inductance and
lower total output capacitance for any performance
specification.
Figure 1 illustrates the multiplicative effect on output ripple
frequency. The three channel currents (IL1, IL2, and IL3)
combine to form the AC ripple current and the DC load
current. The ripple component has three times the ripple
frequency of each individual channel current. Each PWM
pulse is terminated 1/3 of a cycle after the PWM pulse of the
previous phase. The peak-to-peak current for each phase is
about 7A, and the DC components of the inductor currents
combine to feed the load.
IL1 + IL2 + IL3, 7A/DIV
IL1, 7A/DIV
CHANNEL 3
INPUT CURRENT
10A/DIV
1µs/DIV
FIGURE 2. CHANNEL INPUT CURRENTS AND INPUTCAPACITOR RMS CURRENT FOR 3-PHASE
CONVERTER
The output capacitors conduct the ripple component of the
inductor current. In the case of multiphase converters, the
capacitor current is the sum of the ripple currents from each of
the individual channels. Compare Equation 1 to the
expression for the peak-to-peak current after the summation
of N symmetrically phase-shifted inductor currents in
Equation 2. Peak-to-peak ripple current decreases by an
amount proportional to the number of channels. Outputvoltage ripple is a function of capacitance, capacitor
equivalent series resistance (ESR), and inductor ripple
current. Reducing the inductor ripple current allows the
designer to use fewer or less costly output capacitors.
(EQ. 2)
IN
IL2, 7A/DIV
PWM2, 5V/DIV
IL3, 7A/DIV
PWM3, 5V/DIV
1µs/DIV
FIGURE 1. PWM AND INDUCTOR-CURRENT WAVEFORMS
FOR 3-PHASE CONVERTER
To understand the reduction of ripple current amplitude in the
multiphase circuit, examine the equation representing an
individual channel’s peak-to-peak inductor current.
(EQ. 1)
IN
In Equation 1, VIN and VOUT are the input and output
voltages respectively, L is the single-channel inductor value,
and fS is the switching frequency.
12
CHANNEL 2
INPUT CURRENT
10A/DIV
( V IN – N V OUT ) V OUT
I C, P-P = ----------------------------------------------------------L fS V
PWM1, 5V/DIV
( V IN – V OUT ) V OUT
I P-P = ----------------------------------------------------L fS V
CHANNEL 1
INPUT CURRENT
10A/DIV
Another benefit of interleaving is to reduce input ripple current.
Input capacitance is determined in part by the maximum input
ripple current. Multiphase topologies can improve overall
system cost and size by lowering input ripple current and
allowing the designer to reduce the cost of input capacitance.
The example in Figure 2 illustrates input currents from a threephase converter combining to reduce the total input ripple
current.
The converter depicted in Figure 2 delivers 36A to a 1.5V load
from a 12V input. The RMS input capacitor current is 5.9A.
Compare this to a single-phase converter also stepping down
12V to 1.5V at 36A. The single-phase converter has 11.9A
RMS input capacitor current. The single-phase converter
must use an input capacitor bank with twice the RMS current
capacity as the equivalent three-phase converter.
Figures 22, 21 and 23 in the section entitled Input Capacitor
Selection can be used to determine the input-capacitor RMS
current based on load current, duty cycle, and the number of
channels. They are provided as aids in determining the
optimal input capacitor solution. Figure 24 shows the single
phase input-capacitor RMS current for comparison.
FN9227.1
December 12, 2006
ISL6316
PWM Operation
The timing of each channel is set by the number of active
channels. The default channel setting for the ISL6316 is four.
The switching cycle is defined as the time between PWM
pulse termination signals of each channel. The pulse
termination signal is an internally generated clock signal
which triggers the falling edge of PWM signal. The cycle time
of the pulse termination signal is the inverse of the switching
frequency set by the resistor between the FS pin and ground.
Each cycle begins when the clock signal commands the
channel PWM signal to go low. The PWM signals command
the MOSFET driver to turn on/off the channel MOSFETs.
IL
PWM
ISEN
0.5Tsw
For 4-channel operation, the channel firing order is 4-3-2-1:
PWM3 pulse terminates 1/4 of a cycle after PWM4, PWM2
output follows another 1/4 of a cycle after PWM3, and PWM1
terminates another 1/4 of a cycle after PWM2. For 3-channel
operation, the channel firing order is 3-2-1.
Connecting PWM4 to VCC selects three channel operation
and the pulse-termination times are spaced in 1/3 cycle
increments. If PWM3 is connected to VCC, two channel
operation is selected and the PWM2 pulse terminates 1/2 of a
cycle later.
Once a PWM signal transitions low, it is held low for a
minimum of 1/3 cycle. This forced off time is required to
ensure an accurate current sample. Current sensing is
described in the next section. After the forced off time expires,
the PWM output is enabled. The PWM output state is driven
by the position of the error amplifier output signal, VCOMP,
minus the current correction signal relative to the sawtooth
ramp as illustrated in Figure 7. When the modified VCOMP
voltage crosses the sawtooth ramp, the PWM output
transitions high. The MOSFET driver detects the change in
state of the PWM signal and turns off the synchronous
MOSFET and turns on the upper MOSFET. The PWM signal
will remain high until the pulse termination signal marks the
beginning of the next cycle by triggering the PWM signal low.
SAMPLE CURRENT, In
SWITCHING PERIOD
TIME
FIGURE 3. SAMPLE AND HOLD TIMING
Current Sensing
The ISL6316 supports inductor DCR sensing, MOSFET
rDS(ON) sensing, or resistive sensing techniques. The internal
circuitry, shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6, represents one channel
of an N-channel converter. This circuitry is repeated for each
channel in the converter, but may not be active depending on
the status of the PWM3 and PWM4 pins, as described in the
PWM Operation section.
INDUCTOR DCR SENSING
An inductor’s winding is characteristic of a distributed
resistance as measured by the DCR (Direct Current
Resistance) parameter. Consider the inductor DCR as a
separate lumped quantity, as shown in Figure 4. The channel
current IL, flowing through the inductor, will also pass through
the DCR. Equation 3 shows the s-domain equivalent voltage
across the inductor VL.
V L = I L ⋅ ( s ⋅ L + DCR )
(EQ. 3)
Current Sampling
During the forced off-time following a PWM transition low, the
associated channel current sense amplifier uses the ISEN
inputs to reproduce a signal proportional to the inductor
current, IL. This current gets sampled starting 1/6 period after
each PWM goes low and continuously gets sampled for 1/3
period, or until the PWM goes high, whichever comes first. No
matter the current sense method, the sense current, ISEN, is
simply a scaled version of the inductor current. Coincident
with the falling edge of the PWM signal, the sample and hold
circuitry samples the sensed current signal ISEN, as illustrated
in Figure 3.
Therefore, the sample current, In, is proportional to the output
current and held for one switching cycle. The sample current
is used for current balance, load-line regulation, and
overcurrent protection.
13
A simple R-C network across the inductor extracts the DCR
voltage, as shown in Figure 4.
The voltage on the capacitor VC, can be shown to be
proportional to the channel current IL, see Equation 4.
L
⎛ s ⋅ ------------+ 1⎞ ⋅ ( DCR ⋅ I L )
⎝ DCR
⎠
V C = --------------------------------------------------------------------( s ⋅ RC + 1 )
(EQ. 4)
If the R-C network components are selected such that the RC
time constant (= R*C) matches the inductor time constant
(= L/DCR), the voltage across the capacitor VC is equal to the
voltage drop across the DCR, i.e. proportional to the channel
current.
FN9227.1
December 12, 2006
ISL6316
VIN
L
ISL6605
I
I (s)
L
L
DCR
+
VC(s)
R
COUT
COUT
ISL6316 INTERNAL CIRCUIT
-
VL
VOUT
-
+
INDUCTOR
L
RSENSE VOUT
RISEN(n)
In
C
SAMPLE
&
HOLD
PWM(n)
ISEN-(n)
+
ISL6316 INTERNAL CIRCUIT
RISEN(n)
(PTC)
In
ISEN+(n)
I
SAMPLE
&
HOLD
ISEN-(n)
R SENSE
SEN = I L ------------------------R
ISEN
FIGURE 5. SENSE RESISTOR IN SERIES WITH INDUCTORS
+
-
ISEN+(n)
DCR
I SEN = I ----------------LR
ISEN
FIGURE 4. DCR SENSING CONFIGURATION
With the internal low-offset current amplifier, the capacitor
voltage VC is replicated across the sense resistor RISEN.
Therefore the current out of ISEN+ pin, ISEN, is proportional
to the inductor current.
Equation 5 shows that the ratio of the channel current to the
sensed current ISEN is driven by the value of the sense
resistor and the DCR of the inductor.
DCR
I SEN = I L ⋅ -----------------R ISEN
(EQ. 5)
MOSFET rDS(ON) SENSING
The controller can also sense the channel load current by
sampling the voltage across the lower MOSFET rDS(ON) (see
Figure 6). The amplifier is ground-reference by connecting the
ISEN- pin to the source of the lower MOSFET. ISEN+ pin is
connected to the PHASE node through the current sense
resistor RISEN. The voltage across RISEN is equivalent to the
voltage drop across the rDS(ON) of the lower MOSFET while it
is conducting. The resulting current out of the ISEN+ pin is
proportional to the channel current IL.
VIN
r DS ( ON )
I SEN = I ------------------------L R
ISEN
In
IL
SAMPLE
&
HOLD
ISEN+(n)
RISEN
(PTC)
RESISTIVE SENSING
-
For accurate current sense, a dedicated current-sense
resistor RSENSE in series with each output inductor can serve
as the current sense element (see Figure 5). This technique is
more accurate, but reduces overall converter efficiency due to
the additional power loss on the current sense element
RSENSE.
+
Equation 6 shows the ratio of the channel current to the
sensed current ISEN.
R SENSE
I SEN = I L ⋅ ----------------------R ISEN
(EQ. 6)
ISEN-(n)
I L x r DS ( ON )
+
N-CHANNEL
MOSFETs
ISL6316 INTERNAL CIRCUIT
EXTERNAL CIRCUIT
FIGURE 6. MOSFET rDS(ON) CURRENT-SENSING CIRCUIT
Equation 7 shows the ratio of the channel current to the
sensed current ISEN.
r DS ( ON )
I SEN = I L ---------------------R ISEN
(EQ. 7)
Both inductor DCR and MOSFET rDS(ON) value will increase
as the temperature increases. Therefore the sensed current
will increase as the temperature of the current sense element
increases. In order to compensate the temperature effect on
the sensed current signal, a Positive Temperature Coefficient
(PTC) resistor can be selected for the sense resistor RISEN,
14
FN9227.1
December 12, 2006
ISL6316
or the integrated temperature compensation function of
ISL6316 should be utilized. The integrated temperature
compensation function is described in the Temperature
Compensation section.
EXTERNAL CIRCUIT
R C CC
COMP
ISL6316 INTERNAL CIRCUIT
DAC
Channel-Current Balance
RREF
The sensed current In from each active channel are summed
together and divided by the number of active channels. The
resulting average current IAVG provides a measure of the total
load current. Channel current balance is achieved by
comparing the sampled current of each channel to the
average current to make an appropriate adjustment to the
WPM duty cycle of each channel. Intersil’s patented currentbalance method is illustrated in Figure 7. In the figure, the
average current combines with the channel 1 current I1 to
create an error signal IER. The filtered error signal modifies
the pulse width commanded by VCOMP to correct any
unbalance and force IER toward zero. The same method for
error signal correction is applied to each active channel.
VCOMP
REF
CREF
+
-
FB
RFB
IDROOP
+
VDROOP
VDIFF
VOUT+
VOUT-
IAVG
VCOMP
ERROR AMPLIFIER
VSEN
+
RGND
DIFFERENTIAL
REMOTE-SENSE
AMPLIFIER
+
+
-
PWM1
-
FILTER F(JΩ)
SAWTOOTH SIGNAL
I4 *
IER
IAVG
-
÷N
+
Σ
I3 *
I2
I1
NOTE: *CHANNELS 3 AND 4 ARE OPTIONAL.
FIGURE 7. CHANNEL-1 PWM FUNCTION AND CURRENTBALANCE ADJUSTMENT
Channel current balance is essential in achieving the thermal
advantage of multiphase operation. With good current
balance, the power loss is equally dissipated over multiple
devices and a greater area.
Voltage Regulation
The compensation network shown in Figure 8 assures that
the steady-state error in the output voltage is limited only to
the error in the reference voltage (output of the DAC) and
offset errors in the OFS current source, remote-sense and
error amplifiers. Intersil specifies the guaranteed tolerance of
the ISL6316 to include the combined tolerances of each of
these elements.
FIGURE 8. OUTPUT VOLTAGE AND LOAD-LINE
REGULATION WITH OFFSET ADJUSTMENT
The ISL6316 incorporates an internal differential remote-sense
amplifier in the feedback path. The amplifier removes the
voltage error encountered when measuring the output voltage
relative to the local controller ground reference point resulting in
a more accurate means of sensing output voltage. Connect the
microprocessor sense pins to the non-inverting input, VSEN,
and inverting input, RGND, of the remote-sense amplifier. The
remote-sense output, VDIFF, is connected to the inverting input
of the error amplifier through an external resistor.
A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) generates a reference
voltage based on the state of logic signals at pins VID7
through VID0. The DAC decodes the 6-bit logic signal (VID)
into one of the discrete voltages shown in Table 1. Each VID
input offers a 45μA pull-up to an internal 2.5V source for use
with open-drain outputs. The pull-up current diminishes to
zero above the logic threshold to protect voltage-sensitive
output devices. External pull-up resistors can augment the
pull-up current sources if case leakage into the driving device
is greater than 45μA.
The output of the error amplifier, VCOMP, is compared to the
sawtooth waveform to generate the PWM signals. The PWM
signals control the timing of the Intersil MOSFET drivers and
regulate the converter output to the specified reference
voltage. The internal and external circuitry which control
voltage regulation is illustrated in Figure 8.
15
FN9227.1
December 12, 2006
ISL6316
TABLE 1. VR10 VID 6-BIT (Continued)
TABLE 1. VR10 VID 6-BIT
VID4
VID3
VID2
VID1 VID0
VID5
400mV 200mV 100mV 50mV 25mV 12.5mV
VOLTAGE
(V)
VID4
VID3
VID2
VID1 VID0
VID5
400mV 200mV 100mV 50mV 25mV 12.5mV
VOLTAGE
(V)
0
1
0
1
0
1
1.6000
1
1
1
1
0
0
1.1125
0
1
0
1
1
0
1.5875
1
1
1
1
0
1
1.1000
0
1
0
1
1
1
1.5750
1
1
1
1
1
0
OFF
0
1
1
0
0
0
1.5625
1
1
1
1
1
1
OFF
0
1
1
0
0
1
1.5500
0
0
0
0
0
0
1.0875
0
1
1
0
1
0
1.5375
0
0
0
0
0
1
1.0750
0
1
1
0
1
1
1.5250
0
0
0
0
1
0
1.0625
0
1
1
1
0
0
1.5125
0
0
0
0
1
1
1.0500
0
1
1
1
0
1
1.5000
0
0
0
1
0
0
1.0375
0
1
1
1
1
0
1.4875
0
0
0
1
0
1
1.0250
0
1
1
1
1
1
1.4750
0
0
0
1
1
0
1.0125
1
0
0
0
0
0
1.4625
0
0
0
1
1
1
1.0000
1
0
0
0
0
1
1.4500
0
0
1
0
0
0
0.9875
1
0
0
0
1
0
1.4375
0
0
1
0
0
1
0.9750
1
0
0
0
1
1
1.4250
0
0
1
0
1
0
0.9625
1
0
0
1
0
0
1.4125
0
0
1
0
1
1
0.9500
1
0
0
1
0
1
1.4000
0
0
1
1
0
0
0.9375
1
0
0
1
1
0
1.3875
0
0
1
1
0
1
0.9250
1
0
0
1
1
1
1.3750
0
0
1
1
1
0
0.9125
1
0
1
0
0
0
1.3625
0
0
1
1
1
1
0.9000
1
0
1
0
0
1
1.3500
0
1
0
0
0
0
0.8875
1
0
1
0
1
0
1.3375
0
1
0
0
0
1
0.8750
1
0
1
0
1
1
1.3250
0
1
0
0
1
0
0.8625
1
0
1
1
0
0
1.3125
0
1
0
0
1
1
0.8500
1
0
1
1
0
1
1.3000
0
1
0
1
0
0
0.8375
1
0
1
1
1
0
1.2875
1
0
1
1
1
1
1.2750
1
1
0
0
0
0
1.2625
1
1
0
0
0
1
1.2500
1
1
0
0
1
0
1.2375
1
1
0
0
1
1
1.2250
1
1
0
1
0
0
1.2125
1
1
0
1
0
1
1.2000
1
1
0
1
1
0
1.1875
1
1
0
1
1
1
1.1750
1
1
1
0
0
0
1.1625
1
1
1
0
0
1
1.1500
1
1
1
0
1
0
1.1375
1
1
1
0
1
1
1.1250
16
Load-Line Regulation
Some microprocessor manufacturers require a preciselycontrolled output resistance. This dependence of output
voltage on load current is often termed “droop” or “load line”
regulation. By adding a well controlled output impedance, the
output voltage can effectively be level shifted in a direction
which works to achieve the load-line regulation required by
these manufacturers.
In other cases, the designer may determine that a more costeffective solution can be achieved by adding droop. Droop
can help to reduce the output-voltage spike that results from
fast load-current demand changes.
The magnitude of the spike is dictated by the ESR and ESL of
the output capacitors selected. By positioning the no-load
voltage level near the upper specification limit, a larger
negative spike can be sustained without crossing the lower
limit. By adding a well controlled output impedance, the output
FN9227.1
December 12, 2006
ISL6316
voltage under load can effectively be level shifted down so
that a larger positive spike can be sustained without crossing
the upper specification limit.
FB
As shown in Figure 8, a current proportional to the average
current of all active channels, IAVG, flows from FB through a
load-line regulation resistor RFB. The resulting voltage drop
across RFB is proportional to the output current, effectively
creating an output voltage droop with a steady-state value
defined as:
V DROOP = I AVG R FB
DAC
DYNAMIC
VID D/A
RREF
E/A
REF
(EQ. 8)
The regulated output voltage is reduced by the droop voltage
VDROOP. The output voltage as a function of load current is
derived by combining Equation 8 with the appropriate sample
current expression defined by the current sense method
employed.
⎛ I OUT R X
⎞
- ------------------ R FB⎟
V OUT = V REF – V OFS – ⎜ -----------⎝ N R ISEN
⎠
(EQ. 9)
(EQ. 10)
Output-Voltage Offset Programming
The ISL6316 allows the designer to accurately adjust the
offset voltage. When a resistor, ROFS, is connected between
OFS to VCC, the voltage across it is regulated to 1.6V. This
causes a proportional current (IOFS) to flow into OFS. If ROFS
is connected to ground, the voltage across it is regulated to
0.4V, and IOFS flows out of OFS. A resistor between DAC and
REF, RREF, is selected so that the product (IOFS x ROFS) is
equal to the desired offset voltage. These functions are shown
in Figure 9.
Once the desired output offset voltage has been determined,
use the following formulas to set ROFS:
For Positive Offset (connect ROFS to VCC):
(EQ. 11)
For Negative Offset (connect ROFS to GND):
0.4 × R REF
R OFS = -----------------------------V OFFSET
ROFS
+
Therefore the equivalent loadline impedance, i.e. Droop
impedance, is equal to:
1.6 × R REF
R OFS = -----------------------------V OFFSET
1.6V
Where VREF is the reference voltage, VOFS is the
programmed offset voltage, IOUT is the total output current of
the converter, RISEN is the sense resistor connected to the
ISEN+ pin, and RFB is the feedback resistor, N is the active
channel number, and RX is the DCR, rDS(ON), or RSENSE
depending on the sensing method.
R FB R X
-----------------R LL = -----------N R ISEN
VCC
OR
GND
+
0.4V
VCC
-
OFS
ISL6316
GND
FIGURE 9. OUTPUT VOLTAGE OFFSET PROGRAMMING
Dynamic VID
Modern microprocessors need to make changes to their core
voltage as part of normal operation. They direct the corevoltage regulator to do this by making changes to the VID
inputs during regulator operation. The power management
solution is required to monitor the DAC inputs and respond to
on-the-fly VID changes in a controlled manner. Supervising
the safe output voltage transition within the DAC range of the
processor without discontinuity or disruption is a necessary
function of the core-voltage regulator.
The ISL6316 checks the VID inputs six times every switching
cycle. If the VID code is found to have been changed, the
controller waits for half of a switching cycle before executing a
6.25mV step change. If the difference between DAC level and
the new VID code changes during the half-cycle waiting
period, no change to the DAC output is made. If the VID code
is more than 1-bit higher or lower than the DAC (not
recommended), the controller will execute 6.26mV step
change six times per cycle until VID and DAC are equal.
Therefore it is important to carefully control the rate of VID
stepping in 1-bit increments.
In order to ensure the smooth transition of output voltage
during VID change, a VID step change smoothing network,
composed of RREF and CREF, can be used. The selection of
RREF is based on the desired offset voltage as detailed above
in Output-Voltage Offset Programming. The selection of CREF
is based on the time duration for 1-bit VID change and the
allowable delay time.
(EQ. 12)
17
FN9227.1
December 12, 2006
ISL6316
Assuming the microprocessor controls the VID change at 1-bit
every TVID, the relationship between the time constant of
RREF and CREF network and TVID is given by Equation 13.
(EQ. 13)
C REF R REF = T VID
3. The voltage on EN_VTT must be higher than 0.875V to
enable the controller. This pin is typically connected to the
output of VTT VR.
Operation Initialization
Prior to converter initialization, proper conditions must exist on
the enable inputs and VCC. When the conditions are met, the
controller begins soft-start. Once the output voltage is within
the proper window of operation, PGOOD asserts logic high.
ISL6316 INTERNAL CIRCUIT
EXTERNAL CIRCUIT
+12V
VCC
POR
CIRCUIT
ENABLE
COMPARATOR
+
10kΩ
EN_PWR
910Ω
0.875V
+
that the driver ICs reach their POR level before the
ISL6316 becomes enabled. The schematic in Figure 10
demonstrates sequencing the ISL6316 with the ISL66xx
family of Intersil MOSFET drivers, which require 12V
bias.
EN_VTT
-
0.875V
SOFT-START
AND
FAULT LOGIC
4. The VID code must be valid and not be OFF codes. When
controller receives VID OFF code, the controller will
execute a 2-cycle delay before changing the overvoltage
trip level to the shut-down level and disabling PWM.
Overvoltage shutdown can not be reset using this code.
When all conditions above are satisfied, ISL6316 begins the
soft-start and ramps the output voltage based on the VID code
and offset voltage.
The “OFF“ VID codes (“111111” and ‘111110’) are latched. If
ISL6316 is enabled with an “OFF“ VID code present, the
regulator will be latched off and recycling the POR, EN_VTT
or EN_PWR signal is needed to restart.
Soft-start
ISL6316 based VR has 2 periods during soft-start as shown in
Figure 11. After VCC, EN_VTT and EN_PWR reach their
POR/enable thresholds, The controller will have a fixed delay
period TD1. After this delay period, the VR will begin the first
soft-start ramp until the output voltage reaches the final
setting.
The soft-start time is the sum of the 2 periods as shown in the
following equation.
T SS = TD1 + TD2
FIGURE 10. POWER SEQUENCING USING THRESHOLDSENSITIVE ENABLE (EN) FUNCTION
Enable and Disable
While in shutdown mode, the PWM outputs are held in a highimpedance state to assure the drivers remain off. The
following input conditions must be met before the ISL6316 is
released from shutdown mode.
1. The bias voltage applied at VCC must reach the internal
power-on reset (POR) rising threshold. Once this
threshold is reached, proper operation of all aspects of
the ISL6316 is guaranteed. Hysteresis between the rising
and falling thresholds assure that once enabled, the
ISL6316 will not inadvertently turn off unless the bias
voltage drops substantially (see Electrical
Specifications).
(EQ. 14)
TD1 is the fixed delay with the typical value equal to 1.36ms.
During TD2, ISL6316 digitally controls the DAC voltage
change at 6.25mV per step. The time for each step is equal to
the period of the soft-start oscillator, which is defined by the
resistor Rss from SS pin to GND. The soft-start ramp time
TD2 can be calculated based on the following equation.
VIDxR SS
TD2 = -------------------------- ( μs )
6.25x25
(EQ. 15)
For example, when VID is set to 1.1V and the Rss is equal to
100kΩ, the soft-start ramp time TD2 will be 704µs.
2. The ISL6316 features an enable input (EN_PWR) for
power sequencing between the controller bias voltage
and another voltage rail. The enable comparator holds
the ISL6316 in shutdown until the voltage at EN_PWR
rises above 0.875V. The enable comparator has about
130mV of hysteresis to prevent bounce. It is important
18
FN9227.1
December 12, 2006
ISL6316
PGOOD
VOUT, 500mV/DIV
OC
-
+
UV
DELAY
TD1
TD2
50%
TD3
EN_VTT
DAC
SOFT-START, FAULT
AND CONTROL LOGIC
-
100µA
+
I1
REPEAT FOR
EACH CHANNEL
-
100µA
OC
+
IAVG
PGOOD
500µs/DIV
FIGURE 11. SOFT-START WAVEFORMS
After the DAC voltage reaches the final VID setting, PGOOD
will be set to high with the fixed delay TD3. The typical value
for TD3 is 85µs.
VDIFF
+
OV
VID + 0.175V
Fault Monitoring and Protection
The ISL6316 actively monitors output voltage and current to
detect fault conditions. Fault monitors trigger protective
measures to prevent damage to a microprocessor load. One
common power good indicator is provided for linking to
external system monitors. The schematic in Figure 12 outlines
the interaction between the fault monitors and the PGOOD
signal.
PGOOD Signal
The PGOOD pin is an open-drain logic output to indicate that
the soft-start period has completed and the output voltage is
within the regulated range. PGOOD is pulled low during
shutdown and releases high after a successful soft-start and a
fixed delay TD5. PGOOD will be pulled low when an
undervoltage or overvoltage condition is detected, or the
controller is disabled by a reset from EN_PWR, EN_VTT,
POR, or VID OFF-code.
Undervoltage Detection
The undervoltage threshold is set at 60% of the VID code.
When the output voltage at VSEN is below the undervoltage
threshold, PGOOD is pulled low.
FIGURE 12. POWER GOOD AND PROTECTION CIRCUITRY
Overvoltage Protection
Regardless of the VR being enabled or not, the ISL6316
overvoltage protection (OVP) circuit will be active after its
POR. The OVP thresholds are different under different
operation conditions. When VR is not enabled and before the
second soft-start, the OVP threshold is 1.275V. Once the
controller detects valid VID input, the OVP trip point will be
changed to VID plus 175mV.
Two actions are taken by the ISL6316 to protect the
microprocessor load when an overvoltage condition occurs.
At the inception of an overvoltage event, all PWM outputs are
commanded low instantly (less than 20ns) until the voltage at
VDIFF falls below 0.4V. This causes the Intersil drivers to turn
on the lower MOSFETs and pull the output voltage below a
level that might cause damage to the load. The PWM outputs
remain low until VDIFF falls below 0.4V, and then PWM
signals enter a high-impedance state. The Intersil drivers
respond to the high-impedance input by turning off both upper
and lower MOSFETs. If the overvoltage condition reoccurs,
the ISL6316 will again command the lower MOSFETs to turn
on. The ISL6316 will continue to protect the load in this
fashion as long as the overvoltage condition occurs.
Once an overvoltage condition is detected, normal PWM
operation ceases until the ISL6316 is reset. Cycling the
voltage on EN_PWR, EN_VTT or VCC below the POR-falling
threshold will reset the controller. Cycling the VID codes will
not reset the controller.
19
FN9227.1
December 12, 2006
ISL6316
Overcurrent Protection
Thermal Monitoring (VR_HOT/VR_FAN)
ISL6316 has two levels of overcurrent protection. Each phase
is protected from a sustained overcurrent condition on a
delayed basis, while the combined phase currents are
protected on an instantaneous basis.
There are two thermal signals to indicate the temperature
status of the voltage regulator: VR_HOT and VR_FAN. Both
VR_FAN and VR_HOT are open-drain outputs, and external
pull-up resistors are required.
In instantaneous protection mode, the ISL6316 utilizes the
sensed average current IAVG to detect an overcurrent
condition. See the Channel-Current Balance section for more
detail on how the average current is measured. The average
current is continually compared with a constant 100μA
reference current as shown in Figure 12. Once the average
current exceeds the reference current, a comparator triggers
the converter to shutdown.
VR_FAN signal indicates that the temperature of the voltage
regulator is high and more cooling airflow is needed. VR_HOT
signal can be used to inform the system that the temperature
of the voltage regulator is too high and the CPU should reduce
its power consumption. VR_HOT signal may be tied to the
CPU’s PROCHOT signal.
In individual overcurrent protection mode, the ISL6316
continuously compares the current of each channel with the
same 100μA reference current. If any channel current
exceeds the reference current continuously for eight
consecutive cycles, the comparator triggers the converter to
shutdown.
OUTPUT CURRENT
0A
OUTPUT VOLTAGE
0V
2ms/DIV
FIGURE 13. OVERCURRENT BEHAVIOR IN HICCUP MODE.
FSW = 500kHz
At the beginning of overcurrent shutdown, the controller
places all PWM signals in a high-impedance state within 20ns
commanding the Intersil MOSFET driver ICs to turn off both
upper and lower MOSFETs. The system remains in this state
a period of 4096 switching cycles. If the controller is still
enabled at the end of this wait period, it will attempt a softstart. If the fault remains, the trip-retry cycles will continue
indefinitely (as shown in Figure 13) until either controller is
disabled or the fault is cleared. Note that the energy delivered
during trip-retry cycling is much less than during full-load
operation, so there is no thermal hazard during this kind of
operation.
The diagram of thermal monitoring function block is shown in
Figure 14. One NTC resistor should be placed close to the
power stage of the voltage regulator to sense the operational
temperature, and one pull-up resistor is needed to form the
voltage divider for TM pin. As the temperature of the power
stage increases, the resistance of the NTC will reduce,
resulting in the reduced voltage at TM pin. Figure 15 shows
the TM voltage over the temperature for a typical design with
a recommended 6.8kΩ NTC (P/N: NTHS0805N02N6801 from
Vishay) and 1kΩ resistor RTM1. We recommend using those
resistors for the accurate temperature compensation.
There are two comparators with hysteresis to compare the TM
pin voltage to the fixed thresholds for VR_FAN and VR_HOT
signals respectively. VR_FAN signal is set to high when TM
voltage is lower than 33% of VCC voltage, and is pulled to
GND when TM voltage increases to above 39% of VCC
voltage. VR_FAN is set to high when TM voltage goes below
28% of VCC voltage, and is pulled to GND when TM voltage
goes back to above 33% of VCC voltage. Figure 16 shows the
operation of those signals.
Based on the NTC temperature characteristics and the
desired threshold of VR_HOT signal, the pull-up resistor
RTM1 of TM pin is given by:
R TM1 = 2.75xR NTC ( T3 )
(EQ. 16)
RNTC(T3) is the NTC resistance at the VR_HOT threshold
temperature T3.
All Intersil U.S. products are manufactured, assembled and tested utilizing ISO9000 quality systems.
Intersil Corporation’s quality certifications can be viewed at www.intersil.com/design/quality
Intersil products are sold by description only. Intersil Corporation reserves the right to make changes in circuit design, software and/or specifications at any time without
notice. Accordingly, the reader is cautioned to verify that data sheets are current before placing orders. Information furnished by Intersil is believed to be accurate and
reliable. However, no responsibility is assumed by Intersil or its subsidiaries for its use; nor for any infringements of patents or other rights of third parties which may result
from its use. No license is granted by implication or otherwise under any patent or patent rights of Intersil or its subsidiaries.
For information regarding Intersil Corporation and its products, see www.intersil.com
20
FN9227.1
December 12, 2006
ISL6316
The NTC resistance at the set point T2 and release point T1
of VR_FAN signal can be calculated as:
VCC
R NTC ( T2 ) = 1.267xR NTC ( T3 )
(EQ. 17)
R NTC ( T1 ) = 1.644xR NTC ( T3 )
(EQ. 18)
VR_FAN
R TM1
0.33V CC
VR_HOT
TM
R NTC
oc
Temperature Compensation
0.28V CC
FIGURE 14. BLOCK DIAGRAM OF THERMAL MONITORING
FUNCTION
VTM/VCC vs TEMPERATURE
100
90
VTM/VCC (%)
ISL6316 supports inductor DCR sensing, MOSFET rDS(ON)
sensing, or resistive sensing techniques. Both inductor DCR
and MSOFET rDS(ON) have the positive temperature
coefficient, which is about +0.38%/°C. Because the voltage
across inductor or MOSFET is sensed for the output current
information, the sensed current has the same positive
temperature coefficient as the inductor DCR or MOSFET
rDS(ON).
In order to obtain the correct current information, there should
be a way to correct the temperature impact on the current
sense component. ISL6316 provides two methods: integrated
temperature compensation and external temperature
compensation.
80
70
60
50
Integrated Temperature Compensation
40
30
20
With the NTC resistance value obtained from Equations17
and 18, the temperature value T2 and T1 can be found from
the NTC datasheet.
0
20
40
60
80
100
TEMPERATURE (°)
120
140
When TCOMP voltage is equal or greater than VCC/15,
ISL6316 will utilize the voltage at TM and TCOMP pins to
compensate the temperature impact on the sensed current.
The block diagram of this function is shown in Figure 17.
FIGURE 15. THE RATIO OF TM VOLTAGE TO NTC
TEMPERATURE WITH RECOMMENDED PARTS
VCC
ISEN4
TM
TM
0.39*VCC
0.33*VCC
0.28*VCC
°C
VR_FAN
TEMPERATURE
T1
T2
T3
FIGURE 16. VR_HOT AND VR_FAN SIGNAL vs TM VOLTAGE
ISEN2
NON-LINEAR
A/D
ISEN1
I4
I3
I2
I1
R NTC
D/A
VCC
VR_HOT
ISEN3
CHANNEL CURRENT
SENSE
R TM1
KI
R TC1
TCOMP
4-BIT
A/D
DROOP AND OVERCURRENT
PROTECTION
R TC2
FIGURE 17. BLOCK DIAGRAM OF INTEGRATED
TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION
21
FN9227.1
December 12, 2006
ISL6316
When the TM NTC is placed close to the current sense
component (inductor or MOSFET), the temperature of the
NTC will track the temperature of the current sense
component. Therefore the TM voltage can be utilized to obtain
the temperature of the current sense component.
Based on VCC voltage, ISL6316 converts the TM pin voltage
to a 6-bit TM digital signal for temperature compensation. With
the non-linear A/D converter of ISL6316, TM digital signal is
linearly proportional to the NTC temperature. For accurate
temperature compensation, the ratio of the TM voltage to the
NTC temperature of the practical design should be similar to
that in Figure 15.
Depending on the location of the NTC and the airflow, the
NTC may be cooler or hotter than the current sense
component. TCOMP pin voltage can be utilized to correct the
temperature difference between NTC and the current sense
component. When a different NTC type or different voltage
divider is used for the TM function, TCOMP voltage can also
be used to compensate for the difference between the
recommended TM voltage curve in Figure 16 and that of the
actual design. According to the VCC voltage, ISL6316
converts the TCOMP pin voltage to a 4-bit TCOMP digital
signal as TCOMP factor N.
TCOMP factor N is an integer between 0 and 15. The
integrated temperature compensation function is disabled for
N = 0. For N = 4, the NTC temperature is equal to the
temperature of the current sense component. For N < 4, the
NTC is hotter than the current sense component. The NTC is
cooler than the current sense component for N > 4. When
N > 4, the larger TCOMP factor N, the larger the difference
between the NTC temperature and the temperature of the
current sense component.
ISL6316 multiplexes the TCOMP factor N with the TM digital
signal to obtain the adjustment gain to compensate the
temperature impact on the sensed channel current. The
compensated channel current signal is used for droop and
overcurrent protection functions.
Design Procedure:
5. Use the following equation to calculate the TCOMP factor
N:
209x ( TCSC – T
)
NTC
N = -------------------------------------------------------- + 4
3xT NTC + 400
(EQ. 20)
6. Choose an integral number close to the above result for
the TCOMP factor. If this factor is higher than 15, use
N = 15. If it is less than 1, use N = 1.
7. Choose the pull-up resistor RTC1 (typical 10kΩ).
8. If N = 15, do not need the pull-down resistor RTC2,
otherwise obtain RTC2 by the following equation:
NxR TC1
R TC2 = ----------------------15 – N
(EQ. 21)
9. Run the actual board under full load again with the proper
resistors connected to the TCOMP pin.
10. Record the output voltage as V1 immediately after the
output voltage is stable with the full load; Record the
output voltage as V2 after the VR reaches the thermal
steady state.
11. If the output voltage increases over 2mV as the
temperature increases, i.e. V2 - V1 > 2mV, reduce N and
redesign RTC2; if the output voltage decreases over 2mV
as the temperature increases, i.e. V1 - V2 > 2mV,
increase N and redesign RTC2.
The design spreadsheet is available for those calculations.
External Temperature Compensation
By setting the voltage of TCOMP pin to 0, the integrated
temperature compensation function is disabled. One external
temperature compensation network, shown in Figure 18, can
be used to cancel the temperature impact on the droop (i.e.
load line).
COMP
FB
IDROOP
1. Properly choose the voltage divider for TM pin to match
the TM voltage Vs temperature curve with the
recommended curve in Figure 15.
2. Run the actual board under the full load and the desired
cooling condition.
3. After the board reaches the thermal steady state, record
the temperature (TCSC) of the current sense component
(inductor or MOSFET) and the voltage at TM and VCC
pins.
4. Use the following equation to calculate the resistance of
the TM NTC, and find out the corresponding NTC
temperature TNTC from the NTC datasheet.
R NTC ( T
V TM xR
TM1
= ------------------------------)
V CC – V
NTC
TM
22
(EQ. 19)
oc
VDIFF
FIGURE 18. VOLTAGE AT IDROOP PIN WITH A RESISTOR
PLACED FROM IDROOP PIN TO GND WHEN
LOAD CURRENT CHANGES
The sensed current will flow out of IDROOP pin and develop
the droop voltage across the equivalent resistor (RFB)
between FB and VDIFF pins. If RFB resistance reduces as
the temperature increases, the temperature impact on the
droop can be compensated. An NTC resistor can be placed
FN9227.1
December 12, 2006
ISL6316
close to the power stage and used to form RFB. Due to the
non-linear temperature characteristics of the NTC, a resistor
network is needed to make the equivalent resistance between
FB and VDIFF pin is reverse proportional to the temperature.
The external temperature compensation network can only
compensate the temperature impact on the droop, while it has
no impact to the sensed current inside ISL6316. Therefore
this network cannot compensate for the temperature impact
on the overcurrent protection function.
Current Sense Output
The current from IDROOP pin is the sensed average current
inside ISL6316. In typical application, IDROOP pin is
connected to FB pin for the application where load line is
required. When load line function is not needed, IDROOP pin
can used to obtain the load current information: with one
resistor from IDROOP pin to GND, the voltage at IDROOP pin
will be proportional to the load current. The resistor from
IDROOP to GND should be chosen to ensure that the voltage
at IDROOP pin is less than 2V under the maximum load
current.
LOWER MOSFET POWER CALCULATION
The calculation for heat dissipated in the lower MOSFET is
simple, since virtually all of the heat loss in the lower MOSFET
is due to current conducted through the channel resistance
(rDS(ON)). In Equation 22, IM is the maximum continuous
output current; IP-P is the peak-to-peak inductor current (see
Equation 1); d is the duty cycle (VOUT/VIN); and L is the perchannel inductance.
I L, 2P-P ( 1 – d )
⎛ I M⎞ 2
P LOW, 1 = r DS ( ON ) ⎜ -----⎟ ( 1 – d ) + ----------------------------------12
⎝ N⎠
(EQ. 22)
An additional term can be added to the lower-MOSFET loss
equation to account for additional loss accrued during the
dead time when inductor current is flowing through the lowerMOSFET body diode. This term is dependent on the diode
forward voltage at IM, VD(ON); the switching frequency, fS;
and the length of dead times, td1 and td2, at the beginning and
the end of the lower-MOSFET conduction interval
respectively.
⎛I
⎞
I M I P-P⎞
I
(EQ. 23)
M ---------P LOW, 2 = V D ( ON ) f S ⎛ ----- t d1 + ⎜ ----- – P-P-⎟ t d2
⎝ N- + ---------2 ⎠
2 ⎠
⎝N
General Design Guide
This design guide is intended to provide a high-level
explanation of the steps necessary to create a multiphase
power converter. It is assumed that the reader is familiar with
many of the basic skills and techniques referenced below. In
addition to this guide, Intersil provides complete reference
designs that include schematics, bills of materials, and example
board layouts for all common microprocessor applications.
Power Stages
The first step in designing a multiphase converter is to
determine the number of phases. This determination depends
heavily on the cost analysis which in turn depends on system
constraints that differ from one design to the next. Principally,
the designer will be concerned with whether components can
be mounted on both sides of the circuit board; whether throughhole components are permitted; and the total board space
available for power-supply circuitry. Generally speaking, the
most economical solutions are those in which each phase
handles between 15 and 20A. All surface-mount designs will
tend toward the lower end of this current range. If through-hole
MOSFETs and inductors can be used, higher per-phase
currents are possible. In cases where board space is the
limiting constraint, current can be pushed as high as 40A per
phase, but these designs require heat sinks and forced air to
cool the MOSFETs, inductors and heat-dissipating surfaces.
MOSFETS
The choice of MOSFETs depends on the current each
MOSFET will be required to conduct; the switching frequency;
the capability of the MOSFETs to dissipate heat; and the
availability and nature of heat sinking and air flow.
23
Thus the total maximum power dissipated in each lower
MOSFET is approximated by the summation of PLOW,1 and
PLOW,2.
UPPER MOSFET POWER CALCULATION
In addition to rDS(ON) losses, a large portion of the upperMOSFET losses are due to currents conducted across the
input voltage (VIN) during switching. Since a substantially
higher portion of the upper-MOSFET losses are dependent on
switching frequency, the power calculation is more complex.
Upper MOSFET losses can be divided into separate
components involving the upper-MOSFET switching times;
the lower-MOSFET body-diode reverse-recovery charge, Qrr;
and the upper MOSFET rDS(ON) conduction loss.
When the upper MOSFET turns off, the lower MOSFET does
not conduct any portion of the inductor current until the
voltage at the phase node falls below ground. Once the lower
MOSFET begins conducting, the current in the upper
MOSFET falls to zero as the current in the lower MOSFET
ramps up to assume the full inductor current. In Equation 24,
the required time for this commutation is t1 and the
approximated associated power loss is PUP,1.
I M I P-P⎞ ⎛ t 1 ⎞
P UP,1 ≈ V IN ⎛ ----- ⎜ ---- ⎟ f
⎝ N- + ---------2 ⎠ ⎝ 2⎠ S
(EQ. 24)
At turn on, the upper MOSFET begins to conduct and this
transition occurs over a time t2. In Equation 25, the
approximate power loss is PUP,2.
⎛ I M I P-P⎞ ⎛ t 2 ⎞
P UP, 2 ≈ V IN ⎜ ----- – -----------⎟ ⎜ ---- ⎟ f S
2 ⎠⎝ 2⎠
⎝N
(EQ. 25)
FN9227.1
December 12, 2006
ISL6316
A third component involves the lower MOSFET’s reverserecovery charge, Qrr. Since the inductor current has fully
commutated to the upper MOSFET before the lowerMOSFET’s body diode can draw all of Qrr, it is conducted
through the upper MOSFET across VIN. The power
dissipated as a result is PUP,3 and is approximately:
Load-Line Regulation Resistor
P UP,3 = V IN Q rr f S
V DROOP
R FB = -----------------------–6
70 ×10
(EQ. 26)
Finally, the resistive part of the upper MOSFET’s is given in
Equation 27 as PUP,4.
The total power dissipated by the upper MOSFET at full load
can now be approximated as the summation of the results
from Equations 24, 25, and 26. Since the power equations
depend on MOSFET parameters, choosing the correct
MOSFETs can be an iterative process involving repetitive
solutions to the loss equations for different MOSFETs and
different switching frequencies.
The load-line regulation resistor is labeled RFB in Figure 8. Its
value depends on the desired full-load droop voltage
(VDROOP in Figure 8). If Equation 28 is used to select each
ISEN resistor, the load-line regulation resistor is as shown in
Equation 30.
(EQ. 30)
If one or more of the ISEN resistors is adjusted for thermal
balance, as in Equation 29, the load-line regulation resistor
should be selected according to Equation 31 where IFL is the
full-load operating current and RISEN(n) is the ISEN resistor
connected to the nth ISEN pin.
V DROOP
R FB = -----------------------------I FL r DS ( ON )
∑ RISEN ( n )
(EQ. 31)
n
Compensation
2
2
I P-P
⎛ I M⎞
P UP,4 ≈ r DS ( ON ) ⎜ -----⎟ d + ----------- d
12
⎝ N⎠
(EQ. 27)
Current Sensing Resistor
The resistors connected between these pins and the
respective phase nodes determine the gains in the load-line
regulation loop and the channel-current balance loop as well
as setting the overcurrent trip point. Select values for these
resistors based on the room temperature rDS(ON) of the lower
MOSFETs, DCR of inductor or additional resistor; the full-load
operating current, IFL; and the number of phases, N using
Equation 28.
RX
I FL
- ------R ISEN = ---------------------70 ×10 – 6 N
(EQ. 28)
In certain circumstances, it may be necessary to adjust the
value of one or more ISEN resistor. When the components of
one or more channels are inhibited from effectively dissipating
their heat so that the affected channels run hotter than
desired, choose new, smaller values of RISEN for the affected
phases (see the section entitled Channel-Current Balance).
Choose RISEN,2 in proportion to the desired decrease in
temperature rise in order to cause proportionally less current
to flow in the hotter phase.
ΔT
R ISEN ,2 = R ISEN ----------2
ΔT 1
The two opposing goals of compensating the voltage
regulator are stability and speed. Depending on whether the
regulator employs the optional load-line regulation as
described in Load-Line Regulation, there are two distinct
methods for achieving these goals.
COMPENSATING LOAD-LINE REGULATED
CONVERTER
The load-line regulated converter behaves in a similar manner
to a peak-current mode controller because the two poles at
the output-filter L-C resonant frequency split with the
introduction of current information into the control loop. The
final locations of these poles are determined by the system
function, the gain of the current signal, and the value of the
compensation components, RC and CC.
Since the system poles and zero are affected by the values of
the components that are meant to compensate them, the
solution to the system equation becomes fairly complicated.
Fortunately there is a simple approximation that comes very
close to an optimal solution. Treating the system as though it
were a voltage-mode regulator by compensating the L-C
poles and the ESR zero of the voltage-mode approximation
yields a solution that is always stable with very close to ideal
transient performance.
(EQ. 29)
In Equation 29, make sure that ΔT2 is the desired temperature
rise above the ambient temperature, and ΔT1 is the measured
temperature rise above the ambient temperature. While a
single adjustment according to Equation 29 is usually
sufficient, it may occasionally be necessary to adjust RISEN
two or more times to achieve optimal thermal balance
between all channels.
24
FN9227.1
December 12, 2006
ISL6316
C2
C2 (OPTIONAL)
RC
CC
COMP
IDROOP
C1
ISL6316
+
VDROOP
R1
-
FIGURE 19. COMPENSATION CONFIGURATION FOR
LOAD-LINE REGULATED ISL6316 CIRCUIT
The feedback resistor, RFB, has already been chosen as
outlined in Load-Line Regulation Resistor. Select a target
bandwidth for the compensated system, f0. The target
bandwidth must be large enough to assure adequate transient
performance, but smaller than 1/3 of the per-channel
switching frequency. The values of the compensation
components depend on the relationships of f0 to the L-C pole
frequency and the ESR zero frequency. For each of the three
cases which follow, there is a separate set of equations for the
compensation components.
1
------------------- > f 0
2π LC
IN
0.75V IN
C C = ------------------------------------2πV P-P R FB f 0
1
1
------------------- ≤ f 0 < ----------------------------2πC ( ESR )
2π LC
V P-P ( 2π ) 2 f 02 LC
R C = R FB ---------------------------------------------0.75 V IN
0.75V IN
C C = -------------------------------------------------------------2
( 2π ) f 02 V P-P R FB LC
Case 3:
1
f 0 > -----------------------------2πC ( ESR )
2π f 0 V P-P L
R C = R FB ----------------------------------------0.75 V IN ( ESR )
0.75V IN ( ESR ) C
C C = -----------------------------------------------2πV P-P R FB f 0 L
25
IDROOP
FIGURE 20. COMPENSATION CIRCUIT FOR ISL6316 BASED
CONVERTER WITHOUT LOAD-LINE
REGULATION
In Equation 32, L is the per-channel filter inductance divided
by the number of active channels; C is the sum total of all
output capacitors; ESR is the equivalent-series resistance of
the bulk output-filter capacitance; and VP-P is the peak-topeak sawtooth signal amplitude as described in Figure 7 and
Electrical Specifications.
The optional capacitor C2, is sometimes needed to bypass
noise away from the PWM comparator (see Figure 20). Keep
a position available for C2, and be prepared to install a highfrequency capacitor of between 22pF and 150pF in case any
leading-edge jitter problem is noted.
Once selected, the compensation values in Equation 32
assure a stable converter with reasonable transient
performance. In most cases, transient performance can be
improved by making adjustments to RC. Slowly increase the
value of RC while observing the transient performance on an
oscilloscope until no further improvement is noted. Normally,
CC will not need adjustment. Keep the value of CC from
Equation 32 unless some performance issue is noted.
2πf 0 V P-P LC
R C = R FB -------------------------------------0.75V
Case 2:
RFB
VDIFF
VDIFF
Case 1:
COMP
FB
FB
RFB
CC
ISL6316
RC
COMPENSATION WITHOUT LOAD-LINE REGULATION
(EQ. 32)
The non load-line regulated converter is accurately modeled
as a voltage-mode regulator with two poles at the L-C
resonant frequency and a zero at the ESR frequency. A
type III controller, as shown in Figure 20, provides the
necessary compensation.
The first step is to choose the desired bandwidth, f0, of the
compensated system. Choose a frequency high enough to
assure adequate transient performance but not higher than
1/3 of the switching frequency. The type-III compensator has
an extra high-frequency pole, fHF. This pole can be used for
added noise rejection or to assure adequate attenuation at the
error-amplifier high-order pole and zero frequencies. A good
general rule is to choose fHF = 10f0, but it can be higher if
desired. Choosing fHF to be lower than 10f0 can cause
problems with too much phase shift below the system
bandwidth.
FN9227.1
December 12, 2006
ISL6316
In the solutions to the compensation equations, there is a
single degree of freedom. For the solutions presented in
Equation 33, RFB is selected arbitrarily. The remaining
compensation components are then selected according to
Equation 33.
current reaches its final value. The capacitors selected must
have sufficiently low ESL and ESR so that the total outputvoltage deviation is less than the allowable maximum.
Neglecting the contribution of inductor current and regulator
response, the output voltage initially deviates by an amount
C ( ESR )
R 1 = R FB ----------------------------------------LC – C ( ESR )
di
ΔV ≈ ( ESL ) ----- + ( ESR ) ΔI
dt
LC – C ( ESR )
C 1 = ----------------------------------------R FB
(EQ. 34)
The filter capacitor must have sufficiently low ESL and ESR so
that ΔV < ΔVMAX.
0.75V IN
C 2 = -------------------------------------------------------------------( 2π ) 2 f 0 f HF LCR FB V P-P
Most capacitor solutions rely on a mixture of high-frequency
capacitors with relatively low capacitance in combination with
bulk capacitors having high capacitance but limited highfrequency performance. Minimizing the ESL of the highfrequency capacitors allows them to support the output
voltage as the current increases. Minimizing the ESR of the
bulk capacitors allows them to supply the increased current
with less output voltage deviation.
2
V P-P ⎛ 2π⎞ f 0 f HF LCR FB
⎝ ⎠
R C = -------------------------------------------------------------------⎛
⎞
0.75 V IN ⎝2πf HF LC – 1⎠
⎞
0.75V IN ⎛2πf
⎝ HF LC – 1⎠
C C = --------------------------------------------------------------------( 2π ) 2 f 0 f HF LCR FB V P-P
(EQ. 33)
In Equation 33, L is the per-channel filter inductance divided
by the number of active channels; C is the sum total of all
output capacitors; ESR is the equivalent-series resistance of
the bulk output-filter capacitance; and VP-P is the peak-topeak sawtooth signal amplitude as described in Figure 7 and
Electrical Specifications.
The ESR of the bulk capacitors also creates the majority of
the output-voltage ripple. As the bulk capacitors sink and
source the inductor ac ripple current (see Interleaving and
Equation 2), a voltage develops across the bulk-capacitor
ESR equal to IC,P-P(ESR). Thus, once the output capacitors
are selected, the maximum allowable ripple voltage,
VP-P(MAX), determines the lower limit on the inductance.
⎛V – N V
⎞
OUT⎠ V OUT
⎝ IN
L ≥ ( ESR ) -----------------------------------------------------------f S V IN V P-P( MAX )
(EQ. 35)
Output Filter Design
The output inductors and the output capacitor bank together
to form a low-pass filter responsible for smoothing the
pulsating voltage at the phase nodes. The output filter also
must provide the transient energy until the regulator can
respond. Because it has a low bandwidth compared to the
switching frequency, the output filter necessarily limits the
system transient response. The output capacitor must supply
or sink load current while the current in the output inductors
increases or decreases to meet the demand.
In high-speed converters, the output capacitor bank is usually
the most costly (and often the largest) part of the circuit.
Output filter design begins with minimizing the cost of this part
of the circuit. The critical load parameters in choosing the
output capacitors are the maximum size of the load step, ΔI;
the load-current slew rate, di/dt; and the maximum allowable
output-voltage deviation under transient loading, ΔVMAX.
Capacitors are characterized according to their capacitance,
ESR, and ESL (equivalent series inductance).
At the beginning of the load transient, the output capacitors
supply all of the transient current. The output voltage will
initially deviate by an amount approximated by the voltage
drop across the ESL. As the load current increases, the
voltage drop across the ESR increases linearly until the load
26
Since the capacitors are supplying a decreasing portion of the
load current while the regulator recovers from the transient,
the capacitor voltage becomes slightly depleted. The output
inductors must be capable of assuming the entire load current
before the output voltage decreases more than ΔVMAX. This
places an upper limit on inductance.
Equation 36 gives the upper limit on L for the cases when the
trailing edge of the current transient causes a greater outputvoltage deviation than the leading edge. Equation 37
addresses the leading edge. Normally, the trailing edge
dictates the selection of L because duty cycles are usually
less than 50%. Nevertheless, both inequalities should be
evaluated, and L should be selected based on the lower of the
two results. In each equation, L is the per-channel inductance,
C is the total output capacitance, and N is the number of
active channels.
2NCVO
- ΔV MAX – ΔI ( ESR )
L ≤ -------------------( ΔI ) 2
( 1.25 ) NC
L ≤ -------------------------- ΔV MAX – ΔI ( ESR ) ⎛ V IN – V O⎞
⎝
⎠
( ΔI ) 2
(EQ. 36)
(EQ. 37)
FN9227.1
December 12, 2006
ISL6316
Input Supply Voltage Selection
Switching frequency is determined by the selection of the
frequency-setting resistor, RT (see the figures labeled Typical
Application on pages 4, 5, 6 and 7). Equation 38 is provided to
assist in selecting the correct value for RT.
10
2.5X10
R T = -------------------------FS
(EQ. 38)
Input Capacitor Selection
The input capacitors are responsible for sourcing the AC
component of the input current flowing into the upper
MOSFETs. Their RMS current capacity must be sufficient to
handle the AC component of the current drawn by the upper
MOSFETs which is related to duty cycle and the number of
active phases.
For a two phase design, use Figure 22 to determine the inputcapacitor RMS current requirement given the duty cycle,
maximum sustained output current (IO), and the ratio of the
per-phase peak-to-peak inductor current (IL,P-P) to IO. Select
a bulk capacitor with a ripple current rating which will minimize
the total number of input capacitors required to support the
RMS current calculated. The voltage rating of the capacitors
should also be at least 1.25 times greater than the maximum
input voltage.
Figures 21 and 23 provide the same input RMS current
information for three and four phase designs respectively. Use
the same approach to selecting the bulk capacitor type and
number as described above.
Low capacitance, high-frequency ceramic capacitors are
needed in addition to the bulk capacitors to suppress leading
and falling edge voltage spikes. The result from the high
current slew rates produced by the upper MOSFETs turn on
and off. Select low ESL ceramic capacitors and place one as
close as possible to each upper MOSFET drain to minimize
board parasitic impedances and maximize suppression.
27
IL,P-P = 0
IL,P-P = 0.5 IO
IL,P-P = 0.25 IO
IL,P-P = 0.75 IO
0.2
0.1
0
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
DUTY CYCLE (VO/VIN)
FIGURE 21. NORMALIZED INPUT-CAPACITOR RMS CURRENT
vs DUTY CYCLE FOR 3-PHASE CONVERTER
0.3
INPUT-CAPACITOR CURRENT (IRMS/IO)
There are a number of variables to consider when choosing
the switching frequency, as there are considerable effects on
the upper-MOSFET loss calculation. These effects are
outlined in MOSFETs, and they establish the upper limit for
the switching frequency. The lower limit is established by the
requirement for fast transient response and small outputvoltage ripple as outlined in Output Filter Design. Choose the
lowest switching frequency that allows the regulator to meet
the transient-response requirements.
0.2
0.1
IL,P-P = 0
IL,P-P = 0.5 IO
IL,P-P = 0.75 IO
0
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
DUTY CYCLE (VO/VIN)
FIGURE 22. NORMALIZED INPUT-CAPACITOR RMS CURRENT
vs DUTY CYCLE FOR 2-PHASE CONVERTER
0.3
INPUT-CAPACITOR CURRENT (IRMS/IO)
Switching Frequency
INPUT-CAPACITOR CURRENT (IRMS/IO)
0.3
The VCC input of the ISL6316 can be connected either
directly to a +5V supply or through a current limiting resistor to
a +12V supply. An integrated 5.8V shunt regulator maintains
the voltage on the VCC pin when a +12V supply is used. A
300Ω resistor is suggested for limiting the current into the
VCC pin to a worst-case maximum of approximately 25mA.
IL,P-P = 0
IL,P-P = 0.25 IO
IL,P-P = 0.5 IO
IL,P-P = 0.75 IO
0.2
0.1
0
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
DUTY CYCLE (VO/VIN)
FIGURE 23. NORMALIZED INPUT-CAPACITOR RMS CURRENT
vs DUTY CYCLE FOR 4-PHASE CONVERTER
FN9227.1
December 12, 2006
ISL6316
MULTIPHASE RMS IMPROVEMENT
Component Placement
Figure 24 is provided as a reference to demonstrate the
dramatic reductions in input-capacitor RMS current upon the
implementation of the multiphase topology. For example,
compare the input rms current requirements of a two-phase
converter versus that of a single phase. Assume both
converters have a duty cycle of 0.25, maximum sustained
output current of 40A, and a ratio of IL,P-P to IO of 0.5. The
single phase converter would require 17.3Arms current
capacity while the two-phase converter would only require
10.9Arms. The advantages become even more pronounced
when output current is increased and additional phases are
added to keep the component cost down relative to the single
phase approach.
Within the allotted implementation area, orient the switching
components first. The switching components are the most
critical because they carry large amounts of energy and tend
to generate high levels of noise. Switching component
placement should take into account power dissipation. Align
the output inductors and MOSFETs such that space between
the components is minimized while creating the PHASE
plane. Place the Intersil MOSFET driver IC as close as
possible to the MOSFETs they control to reduce the parasitic
impedances due to trace length between critical driver input
and output signals. If possible, duplicate the same placement
of these components for each phase.
INPUT-CAPACITOR CURRENT (IRMS/IO)
0.6
0.4
0.2
IL,P-P = 0
IL,P-P = 0.5 IO
IL,P-P = 0.75 IO
0
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
DUTY CYCLE (VO/VIN)
FIGURE 24. NORMALIZED INPUT-CAPACITOR RMS
CURRENT vs DUTY CYCLE FOR SINGLE-PHASE
CONVERTER
Layout Considerations
The following layout strategies are intended to minimize the
impact of board parasitic impedances on converter
performance and to optimize the heat-dissipating capabilities
of the printed-circuit board. These sections highlight some
important practices which should not be overlooked during the
layout process.
28
Next, place the input and output capacitors. Position one highfrequency ceramic input capacitor next to each upper
MOSFET drain. Place the bulk input capacitors as close to the
upper MOSFET drains as dictated by the component size and
dimensions. Long distances between input capacitors and
MOSFET drains result in too much trace inductance and a
reduction in capacitor performance. Locate the output
capacitors between the inductors and the load, while keeping
them in close proximity to the microprocessor socket.
The ISL6316 can be placed off to one side or centered relative
to the individual phase switching components. Routing of
sense lines and PWM signals will guide final placement.
Critical small signal components to place close to the
controller include the ISEN resistors, RT resistor, feedback
resistor, and compensation components.
Bypass capacitors for the ISL6316 and ISL66XX driver bias
supplies must be placed next to their respective pins. Trace
parasitic impedances will reduce their effectiveness.
Plane Allocation and Routing
Dedicate one solid layer, usually a middle layer, for a ground
plane. Make all critical component ground connections with
vias to this plane. Dedicate one additional layer for power
planes; breaking the plane up into smaller islands of common
voltage. Use the remaining layers for signal wiring.
Route phase planes of copper filled polygons on the top and
bottom once the switching component placement is set. Size
the trace width between the driver gate pins and the MOSFET
gates to carry 4A of current. When routing components in the
switching path, use short wide traces to reduce the associated
parasitic impedances.
FN9227.1
December 12, 2006
ISL6316
Package Outline Drawing
L40.6x6
40 LEAD QUAD FLAT NO-LEAD PLASTIC PACKAGE
Rev 3, 10/06
4X 4.5
6.00
36X 0.50
A
B
6
PIN 1
INDEX AREA
6
PIN #1 INDEX AREA
40
31
30
1
6.00
4 . 10 ± 0 . 15
21
10
0.15
(4X)
11
20
0.10 M C A B
TOP VIEW
40X 0 . 4 ± 0 . 1
4 0 . 23 +0 . 07 / -0 . 05
BOTTOM VIEW
SEE DETAIL "X"
0.10 C
0 . 90 ± 0 . 1
(
C
BASE PLANE
( 5 . 8 TYP )
SEATING PLANE
0.08 C
SIDE VIEW
4 . 10 )
( 36X 0 . 5 )
C
0 . 2 REF
5
( 40X 0 . 23 )
0 . 00 MIN.
0 . 05 MAX.
( 40X 0 . 6 )
DETAIL "X"
TYPICAL RECOMMENDED LAND PATTERN
NOTES:
1. Dimensions are in millimeters.
Dimensions in ( ) for Reference Only.
2. Dimensioning and tolerancing conform to AMSE Y14.5m-1994.
3. Unless otherwise specified, tolerance : Decimal ± 0.05
4. Dimension b applies to the metallized terminal and is measured
between 0.15mm and 0.30mm from the terminal tip.
5. Tiebar shown (if present) is a non-functional feature.
6. The configuration of the pin #1 identifier is optional, but must be
located within the zone indicated. The pin #1 indentifier may be
either a mold or mark feature.
29
FN9227.1
December 12, 2006