EC7401QI

Enpirion® Power Datasheet
EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller
with 8-Bit DAC Code
DS-1045
Datasheet
The Altera® Enpirion® EC7401QI controls microprocessor
core voltage regulation by driving up to 4 synchronous-rectified
buck channels in parallel. The EC7401QI can precision
RDS(ON) or DCR Differential Current Sensing. 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 EC7401QI 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 EC7401QI
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 EC7401QI with any other voltage rail. VID Voltage Scaling
technology allows seamless on-the-fly VID changes. The offset
pin allows accurate voltage offset settings that are independent
of VID setting.
101 Innovation Drive
San Jose, CA 95134
www.altera.com
March 2014
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
- VID Voltage Scaling Technology
- 8-Bit VID Input with Selectable VR11 Code and
Extended VR10 Code at 6.25mV per Bit
- 0.5V to 1.6V Operation Range
• Thermal Sensing
• Integrated Programmable Temperature Compensation
• Threshold-Sensitive Enable Function for Power Sequencing
and VTT Enable
• 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 (RoHS Compliant)
© 2014 Altera Corporation. All rights reserved. ALTERA, ARRIA, CYCLONE, ENPIRION, HARDCOPY, MAX, MEGACORE, NIOS,
QUARTUS and STRATIX words and logos are trademarks of Altera Corporation and registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in
other countries. All other words and logos identified as trademarks or service marks are the property of their respective holders as described at
www.altera.com/common/legal.html. Altera warrants performance of its semiconductor products to current specifications in accordance with
Altera's standard warranty, but reserves the right to make changes to any products and services at any time without notice. Altera assumes no
responsibility or liability arising out of the application or use of any information, product, or service described herein except as expressly agreed
to in writing by Altera. Altera customers are advised to obtain the latest version of device specifications before relying on any published
information and before placing orders for products or services.
ISO
9001:2008
Registered
Altera Corporation
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09614
March 14, 2014
Rev A
Page 2
Ordering Information
PART NUMBER
(Note)
EC7401QI
PART
MARKING
TEMP. (°C)
EC7401
-40 to +85
PACKAGE
(Pb-Free)
40 Ld 6x6 QFN
PKG.
DWG. #
L40.6x6
*Add “-T” suffix for tape and reel.
NOTE: These Altera Enpirion Pb-free plastic packaged products employ special Pb-free material sets; molding compounds/die attach materials and
100% matte tin plate PLUS ANNEAL - e3 termination finish, which is RoHS compliant and compatible with both SnPb and Pb-free soldering
operations. Altera Enpirion 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.
EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
09614
March 2014
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Altera Corporation
Rev A
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Pin Configuration
March 2014
09614
VID7
TSEN
HOT
FAN
POK
SS
FSW
EN_VTT
EN_PWR
PWM3
EC7401QI
(40 LD QFN)
TOP VIEW
40
39
38
37
36
35
34
33
32
31
VID6
1
30
ISEN3+
VID5
2
29
ISEN3-
VID4
3
28
ISEN2-
VID3
4
27
ISEN2+
VID2
5
26
PWM2
25
PWM4
GND
OFSET
9
22
ISEN1-
DAC
10
21
ISEN1+
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
PWM1
ISEN4-
VCC
23
TCOMP
8
VSEN
VRSEL
VGND
ISEN4+
VDIFF
24
IDROOP
7
VFB
VID0
COMP
6
REF
VID1
Altera Corporation
EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
March 14, 2014
Rev A
Page 4
EC7401QI Block Diagram
VDIFF
POK
VCC
0.875V
VGND
POWER-ON
x1
EN_VTT
RESET (POR)
VSEN
0.875V
EN_PWR
OVP
THREE-STATE
+175mV
SOFT-START
AND
FAULT LOGIC
CLOCK AND
SAWTOOTH
GENERATOR

SS
OFSET
FSW
PWM1
PWM
OFFSET

PWM2
PWM
REF
DAC
VRSEL

PWM3
PWM
VID7
VID6
VID5
VID4
VID Voltage
Scaling
VID3
D/A
VID2

PWM4
PWM
E/A
VID1
CHANNEL
CURRENT
BALANCE
VID0
CHANNEL
DETECT
COMP
ISEN1+
I_TRIP
VFB
OC
IDROOP
1
N
ISEN1
I_AVG
ISEN2+
TEMPERATURE
COMPENSATION
CHANNEL
ISEN2-
CURRENT
SENSE
ISEN3+
HOT
THERMAL
MONITORING
FAN
ISEN3-
THERMAL
COMPENSATION
GAIN
ISEN4+
ISEN4-
TSEN
TCOMP
GND
EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
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Altera Corporation
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Typical Application - 4-Phase Buck Converter with DCR Sensing and External TCOMP
12V
3.3V
VIN
VCC
1.8V
VCC_GD
SW
ET4040QI
PHASE
BOOT
PGND
AGND
PWM
ISEN
REFIN BGND
12V
3.3V
VIN
VCC
1.8V
VCC_GD
VFB
COMP
REF
IDROOP
VID7
ISEN
REFIN BGND
ISEN2+
ISEN2-
VID5
VID4
PWM2
VID3
ISEN3+
VID2
ISEN3-
VID1
LOAD
PWM3
VID0
ISEN4+
VRSEL
ISEN4PWM4
EN_PWR
12V
3.3V
VIN
VCC
12V
GND
TSEN
TCOMP OFSET
AGND
PWM
PWM1
VID6
HOT
PGND
ISEN1-
POK
FAN
BOOT
ISEN1+
EN_VTT
NTC
PHASE
VCC
EC7401QI
VGND
5V
SW
ET4040QI
DAC
VDIFF
VSEN
5V
FSW
SS
1.8V
VCC_GD
SW
ET4040QI
PHASE
BOOT
PGND
AGND
PWM
ISEN
REFIN BGND
12V
3.3V
VIN
VCC
1.8V
VCC_GD
SW
ET4040QI
PHASE
BOOT
PGND
AGND
PWM
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ISEN
Altera Corporation
REFIN BGND
EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
March 14, 2014
Rev A
Page 6
Absolute Maximum Ratings
Thermal Information
Supply Voltage (VCC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +6V
All Pins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GND -0.3V to VCC + 0.3V
ESD Ratings
Human body model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . >2kV
Machine model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . >200V
Charged device model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . >1.5kV
Thermal Resistance (Notes 1, 2)
JA (°C/W)
JC (°C/W)
QFN Package. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
34
6.5
Maximum Junction Temperature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +150°C
Maximum Storage Temperature Range . . . . . . . . . . -65°C to +150°C
Pb-free reflow profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . —
Operating Conditions
Supply Voltage (VCC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +5V ±5%
Ambient Temperature
EC7401QI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -40°C to +85°C
CAUTION: Do not operate at or near the maximum ratings listed for extended periods of time. Exposure to such conditions may adversely impact
product reliability and result in failures not covered by warranty.
NOTES:
1. JA 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 JC, 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 = 5VDC; EN_PWR = 5VDC; RT = 100k
ISEN1 = ISEN2 = ISEN3 = ISEN4 = -70µA
-
15
20
mA
VCC = 5VDC; EN_PWR = 0VDC; RT = 100k
-
10
12
mA
VCC Rising
4.3
4.5
4.7
V
VCC Falling
3.7
3.9
4.2
V
Nominal Supply
0.850
0.875
0.910
V
Shutdown Supply
-
130
-
mV
0.850
0.875
0.910
V
-
130
-
mV
Falling
0.720
0.745
0.775
V
System Accuracy of EC7401QI
(VID = 1V to 1.6V, TJ = -40°C to
+85°C)
(Note 3)
-0.6
-
0.6
%VID
System Accuracy of EC7401QI
(VID = 0.5V to 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
VRSEL Input Low Level
-
-
0.4
V
VRSEL Input High Level
0.8
-
-
V
DAC Source Current
-
4
7
mA
DAC Sink Current
-
-
300
µA
VCC SUPPLY CURRENT
POR Threshold
EN_PWR Threshold
POWER-ON RESET AND ENABLE
EN_VTT Threshold
Rising
Hysteresis
REFERENCE VOLTAGE AND DAC
VID Pull-up
EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
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March 2014
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Altera Corporation
Rev A
Page 7
Electrical Specifications
Operating Conditions: VCC = 5V, Unless Otherwise Specified (Continued)
PARAMETER
TEST CONDITIONS
MIN
TYP
MAX
UNITS
REF Source Current
45
50
55
µA
REF Sink Current
45
50
55
µA
388
400
412
mV
1.552
1.600
1.648
V
PIN-ADJUSTABLE OFFSET
Voltage at OFSET Pin of EC7401QI
Offset resistor connected to ground
Voltage below VCC, offset resistor connected to VCC
OSCILLATORS
Accuracy of Switching Frequency
Setting
RT = 100k
225
250
275
kHz
Adjustment Range of Switching
Frequency
(Note 4)
0.08
-
1.0
MHz
Soft-Start Ramp Rate
RS = 100k(Notes 5, 6)
-
1.563
-
mV/µs
Adjustment Range of Soft-start Ramp
Rate
(Note 4)
0.625
-
6.25
mV/µs
Sawtooth Amplitude
-
1.5
-
V
Max Duty Cycle
-
66.7
-
%
PWM GENERATOR
ERROR AMPLIFIER
Open-Loop Gain
RL = 10k to ground (Note 4)
-
96
-
dB
Open-Loop Bandwidth
CL = 100pF, RL = 10k 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 - VGND = 2.5V
-500
-
500
µA
Output High Current
VSEN - VGND = 0.6
-500
-
500
µA
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
TSEN Input Voltage for FAN Trip
1.6
1.65
1.69
V
TSEN Input Voltage for FAN Reset
1.89
1.93
1.98
V
TSEN Input Voltage for HOT Trip
1.35
1.4
1.44
V
TSEN Input Voltage for HOT Reset
1.6
1.65
1.69
V
-
-
30
µA
PWM OUTPUT
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
Leakage Current of FAN
March 2014
09614
With externally pull-up resistor connected to VCC
Altera Corporation
EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
March 14, 2014
Rev A
Page 8
Electrical Specifications
Operating Conditions: VCC = 5V, Unless Otherwise Specified (Continued)
PARAMETER
TEST CONDITIONS
MIN
TYP
MAX
UNITS
FAN Low Voltage
With 1.25k resistor pull-up to VCC, IFAN = 4mA
-
-
0.3
V
Leakage Current of HOT
With externally pull-up resistor connected to VCC
-
-
30
µA
HOT Low Voltage
With 1.25k resistor pull-up to VCC, IHOT = 4mA
-
-
0.3
V
VR READY AND PROTECTION MONITORS
Leakage Current of POK
With externally pull-up resistor connected to VCC
-
-
30
µA
POK Low Voltage
IPOK = 4mA
-
-
0.3
V
Undervoltage Threshold
VDIFF Falling
48
50
52
%VID
POK 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. Limits established by characterization and are not production tested.
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.
EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
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Altera Corporation
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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 EC7401QI 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 EC7401QI 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 EC7401QI to soft-start when re-enabled.
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 EC7401QI 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
EC7401QI to soft-start when re-enabled.
FSW
Use this pin to set up the desired switching frequency. A resistor, placed from FSW to ground will set the switching frequency. The
relationship between the value of the resistor and the switching frequency will be described by an approximate equation.
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 an approximate
equation.
VID7, VID6, 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.
When an OFF VID code causes shut-down, the controller needs to be reset before it starts again.
VRSEL
Use this pin to select Internal VID code. When it is connected to GND, the extended VR10 code is selected. When it’s
floated or pulled to high, VR11 code is selected. This input can be pulled up as high as VCC plus 0.3V.
VDIFF, VSEN, and VGND
VSEN and VGND 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 VGND to the sense pins of the remote load.
VFB and COMP
Inverting input and output of the error amplifier respectively. VFB can be connected to VDIFF through a resistor. A properly chosen
resistor between VDIFF and VFB can set the load line (droop), when IDROOP pin is tied to VFB 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 VFB through an external
RC network to compensate the regulator.
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 Amplifier. In typical
applications, a 1k, 1% resistor is used between DAC and REF to generate a precision offset voltage. This voltage is proportional to
March 2014
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EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
March 14, 2014
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Page 10
the offset current determined by the offset resistor from OFSET to ground or VCC. A capacitor is used between REF and ground to
smooth the voltage transition during VID Voltage Scaling operations.
PWM1, PWM2, PWM3, PWM4
Pulse width modulation outputs. Connect these pins to the PWM input pins of the Altera Enpirion 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+ and 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).
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.
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.
POK
POK 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, POK will be pulled to low. It will also be pulled low if the output voltage is
below the undervoltage threshold.
OFSET
The OFSET 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 is selected by
connecting the resistor to GND or VCC. For no offset, the OFSET pin should be left unterminated.
TCOMP
Temperature compensation scaling input. The voltage sensed on the TSEN 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 VFB so that the sensed
average current will flow through the resistor between VFB and VDIFF to create a voltage drop which is proportional to load
current.
TSEN
TSEN is an input pin for VR temperature measurement. Connect this pin through NTC thermistor to GND and a resistor to VCC of
the controller. The voltage at this pin is reverse proportional to VR temperature. EC7401QI monitors the VR temperature based on
the voltage at TSEN pin and outputs HOT and FAN signals.
HOT
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 a certain level.
FAN
FAN is an output pin with open-drain logic output. It will be open when the measured VR temperature reaches a certain level.
EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
09614
March 2014
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Altera Corporation
Rev A
Page 11
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 cost-effective and thermally
viable have forced a change to the cost-saving approach of multiphase. The EC7401QI controller helps reduce the complexity of
implementation by integrating vital functions and requiring minimal output components. The block diagram on page 4 provides
top level views of multiphase power conversion using the EC7401QI controller.
Interleaving
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 3-phase converter has a combined ripple frequency three times greater than the ripple frequency of any one phase. In
addition, the peak-to-peak 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
PWM1, 5V/DIV
IL2, 7A/DIV
PWM2, 5V/DIV
IL3, 7A/DIV
PWM3, 5V/DIV
1µs/DIV
FIGURE 1. PWM AND INDUCTOR-CURRENT WAVEFORMS FOR 3PHASE CONVERTER
To understand the reduction of ripple current amplitude in the multiphase circuit, examine Equation 1 which represents an
individual channel’s peak-to-peak inductor current.
 V IN – V OUT  V OUT
I P-P = ----------------------------------------------------L f SW V
(EQ. 1)
IN
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EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
March 14, 2014
Rev A
Page 12
In Equation 1, VIN and VOUT are the input and output voltages respectively, L is the single-channel inductor value, and fSW is the
switching frequency.
INPUT-CAPACITOR CURRENT, 10A/DIV
CHANNEL 1
INPUT CURRENT
10A/DIV
CHANNEL 2
INPUT CURRENT
10A/DIV
CHANNEL 3
INPUT CURRENT
10A/DIV
1µs/DIV
FIGURE 2. CHANNEL INPUT CURRENTS AND INPUT-CAPACITOR
RMS CURRENT FOR THREE-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. Output voltage 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.
 V IN – N V OUT  V OUT
I C, P-P = ----------------------------------------------------------L f SW V
(EQ. 2)
IN
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 3-phase 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 3-phase
converter.
Figures 21, 22 and 23 in the section entitled “Input Capacitor Selection” on page 41, 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 23 shows the single-phase input-capacitor RMS current for comparison.
PWM Operation
The timing of each channel is set by the number of active channels. The default channel setting for the EC7401QI 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 FSW 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.
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
EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
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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.
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.
IL
PWM
ISEN
0.5Tsw
SAMPLE CURRENT, In
SWITCHING PERIOD
TIME
FIGURE 3. SAMPLE AND HOLD TIMING
Current Sensing
The EC7401QI 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 “PWM Operation” on
page 12.
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EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
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Rev A
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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)
A simple RC 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 RC 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).
VIN
IL  s 
L
ET4040QI
DCR
VOUT
INDUCTOR
+
+
VC(s)
-
R
PWM(n)
COUT
-
VL
C
EC7401QI INTERNAL CIRCUIT
RISEN(n)
(PTC)
In
SAMPLE
AND
HOLD
ISEN-(n)
+
-
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
(EQ. 5)
ISEN
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).
EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
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Equation 6 shows the ratio of the channel current to the sensed current (ISEN).
R SENSE
I SEN = I L  ----------------------R ISEN
(EQ. 6)
L
I
L
RSENSE
VOUT
COUT
EC7401QI INTERNAL CIRCUIT
RISEN(n)
In
SAMPLE
AND
HOLD
ISEN-(n)
+
-
ISEN+(n)
R SENSE
I SEN = I ------------------------L R
ISEN
FIGURE 5. SENSE RESISTOR IN SERIES WITH INDUCTORS
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
AND
HOLD
ISEN+(n)
RISEN
(PTC)
-
ISEN-(n)
I L x R  DS  ON 
+
+
N-CHANNEL
MOSFETs
EC7401QI 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), or the integrated
temperature compensation function of EC7401QI should be utilized. The integrated temperature compensation function is
described in “Temperature Compensation” on page 33.
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EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
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Channel-Current Balance
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. The
current-balance 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
+
+
-
FILTER
PWM1
SAWTOOTH SIGNAL
f(j)
I4 *
IER
IAVG
-
+
N

I3 *
I2
I1
NOTE: *Channels 3 and 4 are optional for 2 or 3 phase designs.
FIGURE 7. CHANNEL 1 PWM FUNCTION AND CURRENT-BALANCE
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 OFSET current source, remote-sense and error amplifiers. Altera
specifies the guaranteed tolerance of the EC7401QI to include the combined tolerances of each of these elements.
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 MOSFET drivers and regulate the converter output to the specified reference voltage. The internal and
external circuitry, which control voltage regulation, are illustrated in Figure 8.
EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
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The EC7401QI 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, VGND, of the remote-sense amplifier. The remote-sense output (VDIF), 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 8 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.
EXTERNAL CIRCUIT
RC
CC
COMP
EC7401QI INTERNAL CIRCUIT
DAC
RREF
REF
CREF
+
-
VFB
RFB
+
-
IDROOP
IAVG
VCOMP
ERROR AMPLIFIER
VDROOP
VOUT+
VOUT-
VDIFF
VSEN
+
VGND
DIFFERENTIAL
REMOTE-SENSE
AMPLIFIER
FIGURE 8. OUTPUT VOLTAGE AND LOAD-LINE REGULATION WITH
OFFSET ADJUSTMENT
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EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
March 14, 2014
Rev A
Page 18
TABLE 1. VR10 VID TABLE (WITH 6.25mV EXTENSION)
VID6 VOLTAGE
VID4 VID3 VID2 VID1 VID0 VID5
(V)
400mV 200mV 100mV 50mV 25mV 12.5mV 6.25mV
0
1
0
1
0
1
1
1.60000
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1.59375
0
1
0
1
1
0
1
1.58750
0
1
0
1
1
0
0
1.58125
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
1.57500
0
1
0
1
1
1
0
1.56875
0
1
1
0
0
0
1
1.56250
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
1.55625
0
1
1
0
0
1
1
1.55000
0
1
1
0
0
1
0
1.54375
0
1
1
0
1
0
1
1.53750
0
1
1
0
1
0
0
1.53125
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
1.52500
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
1.51875
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
1.51250
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
1.50625
0
1
1
1
0
1
1
1.50000
0
1
1
1
0
1
0
1.49375
0
1
1
1
1
0
1
1.48750
0
1
1
1
1
0
0
1.48125
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1.47500
0
1
1
1
1
1
0
1.46875
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
1.46250
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1.45625
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
1.45000
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
1.44375
1
0
0
0
1
0
1
1.43750
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
1.43125
1
0
0
0
1
1
1
1.42500
1
0
0
0
1
1
0
1.41875
1
0
0
1
0
0
1
1.41250
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
1.40625
1
0
0
1
0
1
1
1.40000
1
0
0
1
0
1
0
1.39375
1
0
0
1
1
0
1
1.38750
1
0
0
1
1
0
0
1.38125
1
0
0
1
1
1
1
1.37500
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
1.36875
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Altera Corporation
Rev A
Page 19
TABLE 1. VR10 VID TABLE (WITH 6.25mV EXTENSION)
(Continued)
VID6 VOLTAGE
VID4 VID3 VID2 VID1 VID0 VID5
(V)
400mV 200mV 100mV 50mV 25mV 12.5mV 6.25mV
1
0
1
0
0
0
1
1.36250
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
1.35625
1
0
1
0
0
1
1
1.35000
1
0
1
0
0
1
0
1.34375
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
1.33750
1
0
1
0
1
0
0
1.33125
1
0
1
0
1
1
1
1.32500
1
0
1
0
1
1
0
1.31875
1
0
1
1
0
0
1
1.31250
1
0
1
1
0
0
0
1.30625
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
1.30000
1
0
1
1
0
1
0
1.29375
1
0
1
1
1
0
1
1.28750
1
0
1
1
1
0
0
1.28125
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1.27500
1
0
1
1
1
1
0
1.26875
1
1
0
0
0
0
1
1.26250
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
1.25625
1
1
0
0
0
1
1
1.25000
1
1
0
0
0
1
0
1.24375
1
1
0
0
1
0
1
1.23750
1
1
0
0
1
0
0
1.23125
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
1.22500
1
1
0
0
1
1
0
1.21875
1
1
0
1
0
0
1
1.21250
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
1.20625
1
1
0
1
0
1
1
1.20000
1
1
0
1
0
1
0
1.19375
1
1
0
1
1
0
1
1.18750
1
1
0
1
1
0
0
1.18125
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1.17500
1
1
0
1
1
1
0
1.16875
1
1
1
0
0
0
1
1.16250
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
1.15625
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1.15000
1
1
1
0
0
1
0
1.14375
1
1
1
0
1
0
1
1.13750
1
1
1
0
1
0
0
1.13125
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EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
March 14, 2014
Rev A
Page 20
TABLE 1. VR10 VID TABLE (WITH 6.25mV EXTENSION)
(Continued)
VID6 VOLTAGE
VID4 VID3 VID2 VID1 VID0 VID5
(V)
400mV 200mV 100mV 50mV 25mV 12.5mV 6.25mV
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1.12500
1
1
1
0
1
1
0
1.11875
1
1
1
1
0
0
1
1.11250
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
1.10625
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1.10000
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
1.09375
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
OFF
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
OFF
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
OFF
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
OFF
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1.08750
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1.08125
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1.07500
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1.06875
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
1.06250
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1.05625
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1.05000
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
1.04375
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
1.03750
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
1.03125
0
0
0
1
0
1
1
1.02500
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
1.01875
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
1.01250
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
1.00625
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1.00000
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
0.99375
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
0.98750
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0.98125
0
0
1
0
0
1
1
0.97500
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0.96875
0
0
1
0
1
0
1
0.96250
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0.95625
0
0
1
0
1
1
1
0.95000
0
0
1
0
1
1
0
0.94375
0
0
1
1
0
0
1
0.93750
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0.93125
0
0
1
1
0
1
1
0.92500
0
0
1
1
0
1
0
0.91875
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Altera Corporation
Rev A
Page 21
TABLE 1. VR10 VID TABLE (WITH 6.25mV EXTENSION)
(Continued)
VID6 VOLTAGE
VID4 VID3 VID2 VID1 VID0 VID5
(V)
400mV 200mV 100mV 50mV 25mV 12.5mV 6.25mV
0
0
1
1
1
0
1
0.91250
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
0.90625
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
0.90000
0
0
1
1
1
1
0
0.89375
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
0.88750
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0.88125
0
1
0
0
0
1
1
0.87500
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0.86875
0
1
0
0
1
0
1
0.86250
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0.85625
0
1
0
0
1
1
1
0.85000
0
1
0
0
1
1
0
0.84375
0
1
0
1
0
0
1
0.83750
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0.83125
TABLE 2. VR11 VID 8 BIT
VID7 VID6 VID5 VID4 VID3 VID2 VID1 VID0 VOLTAGE
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
OFF
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
OFF
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1.60000
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1.59375
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1.58750
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
1.58125
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
1.57500
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1.56875
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
1.56250
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
1.55625
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
1.55000
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
1
1.54375
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
1.53750
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
1.53125
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
1.52500
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1.51875
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1.51250
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
1.50625
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
1.50000
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
1
1.49375
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
1.48750
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
1
1.48125
March 2014
09614
Altera Corporation
EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
March 14, 2014
Rev A
Page 22
TABLE 2. VR11 VID 8 BIT (Continued)
VID7 VID6 VID5 VID4 VID3 VID2 VID1 VID0 VOLTAGE
0
0
0
1
0
1
1
0
1.47500
0
0
0
1
0
1
1
1
1.46875
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
1.46250
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
1
1.45625
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
0
1.45000
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
1
1.44375
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
1.43750
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
1
1.43125
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
0
1.42500
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1.41875
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1.41250
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
1.40625
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
1.40000
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
1
1.39375
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
1.38750
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
1
1.38125
0
0
1
0
0
1
1
0
1.37500
0
0
1
0
0
1
1
1
1.36875
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
1.36250
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
1
1.35625
0
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1.35000
0
0
1
0
1
0
1
1
1.34375
0
0
1
0
1
1
0
0
1.33750
0
0
1
0
1
1
0
1
1.33125
0
0
1
0
1
1
1
0
1.32500
0
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
1.31875
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
1.31250
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
1
1.30625
0
0
1
1
0
0
1
0
1.30000
0
0
1
1
0
0
1
1
1.29375
0
0
1
1
0
1
0
0
1.28750
0
0
1
1
0
1
0
1
1.28125
0
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
1.27500
0
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
1.26875
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
1.26250
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
1.25625
0
0
1
1
1
0
1
0
1.25000
0
0
1
1
1
0
1
1
1.24375
0
0
1
1
1
1
0
0
1.23750
EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
09614
March 2014
March 14, 2014
Altera Corporation
Rev A
Page 23
TABLE 2. VR11 VID 8 BIT (Continued)
VID7 VID6 VID5 VID4 VID3 VID2 VID1 VID0 VOLTAGE
0
0
1
1
1
1
0
1
1.23125
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
0
1.22500
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1.21875
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1.21250
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
1.20625
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
1.20000
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
1.19375
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
1.18750
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
1
1.18125
0
1
0
0
0
1
1
0
1.17500
0
1
0
0
0
1
1
1
1.16875
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
1.16250
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
1
1.15625
0
1
0
0
1
0
1
0
1.15000
0
1
0
0
1
0
1
1
1.14375
0
1
0
0
1
1
0
0
1.13750
0
1
0
0
1
1
0
1
1.13125
0
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
1.12500
0
1
0
0
1
1
1
1
1.11875
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
1.11250
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
1
1.10625
0
1
0
1
0
0
1
0
1.10000
0
1
0
1
0
0
1
1
1.09375
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
0
1.08750
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
1.08125
0
1
0
1
0
1
1
0
1.07500
0
1
0
1
0
1
1
1
1.06875
0
1
0
1
1
0
0
0
1.06250
0
1
0
1
1
0
0
1
1.05625
0
1
0
1
1
0
1
0
1.05000
0
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
1.04375
0
1
0
1
1
1
0
0
1.03750
0
1
0
1
1
1
0
1
1.03125
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
0
1.02500
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1.01875
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
1.01250
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
1
1.00625
0
1
1
0
0
0
1
0
1.00000
0
1
1
0
0
0
1
1
0.99375
March 2014
09614
Altera Corporation
EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
March 14, 2014
Rev A
Page 24
TABLE 2. VR11 VID 8 BIT (Continued)
VID7 VID6 VID5 VID4 VID3 VID2 VID1 VID0 VOLTAGE
0
1
1
0
0
1
0
0
0.98750
0
1
1
0
0
1
0
1
0.98125
0
1
1
0
0
1
1
0
0.97500
0
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
0.96875
0
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
0.96250
0
1
1
0
1
0
0
1
0.95625
0
1
1
0
1
0
1
0
0.95000
0
1
1
0
1
0
1
1
0.94375
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
0
0.93750
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
1
0.93125
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
0
0.92500
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
0.91875
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0.91250
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
1
0.90625
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
0
0.90000
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
0.89375
0
1
1
1
0
1
0
0
0.88750
0
1
1
1
0
1
0
1
0.88125
0
1
1
1
0
1
1
0
0.87500
0
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
0.86875
0
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0.86250
0
1
1
1
1
0
0
1
0.85625
0
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
0.85000
0
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
0.84375
0
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
0.83750
0
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
0.83125
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0.82500
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0.81875
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0.81250
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0.80625
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0.80000
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
0.79375
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0.78750
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0.78125
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0.77500
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
0.76875
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0.76250
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
0.75625
1
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
0.75000
EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
09614
March 2014
March 14, 2014
Altera Corporation
Rev A
Page 25
TABLE 2. VR11 VID 8 BIT (Continued)
VID7 VID6 VID5 VID4 VID3 VID2 VID1 VID0 VOLTAGE
1
0
0
0
1
0
1
1
0.74375
1
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0.73750
1
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
0.73125
1
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
0.72500
1
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
0.71875
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0.71250
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
0.70625
1
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0.70000
1
0
0
1
0
0
1
1
0.69375
1
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0.68750
1
0
0
1
0
1
0
1
0.68125
1
0
0
1
0
1
1
0
0.67500
1
0
0
1
0
1
1
1
0.66875
1
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0.66250
1
0
0
1
1
0
0
1
0.65625
1
0
0
1
1
0
1
0
0.65000
1
0
0
1
1
0
1
1
0.64375
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
0.63750
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
1
0.63125
1
0
0
1
1
1
1
0
0.62500
1
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
0.61875
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0.61250
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
0.60625
1
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0.60000
1
0
1
0
0
0
1
1
0.59375
1
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0.58750
1
0
1
0
0
1
0
1
0.58125
1
0
1
0
0
1
1
0
0.57500
1
0
1
0
0
1
1
1
0.56875
1
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0.56250
1
0
1
0
1
0
0
1
0.55625
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
0.55000
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
1
0.54375
1
0
1
0
1
1
0
0
0.53750
1
0
1
0
1
1
0
1
0.53125
1
0
1
0
1
1
1
0
0.52500
1
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
0.51875
1
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0.51250
1
0
1
1
0
0
0
1
0.50625
March 2014
09614
Altera Corporation
EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
March 14, 2014
Rev A
Page 26
TABLE 2. VR11 VID 8 BIT (Continued)
VID7 VID6 VID5 VID4 VID3 VID2 VID1 VID0 VOLTAGE
1
0
1
1
0
0
1
0
0.50000
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
OFF
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
OFF
Load-Line Regulation
Some microprocessor manufacturers require a precisely-controlled 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 cost-effective 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 voltage under load can effectively be level shifted down so that a larger positive spike can
be sustained without crossing the upper specification limit.
As shown in Figure 8, a current proportional to the average current of all active channels (IAVG) flows from VFB through a loadline 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 Equation 8:
V DROOP = I AVG R FB
(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 OFSET –  ----------- N R ISEN

(EQ. 9)
Where VREF is the reference voltage, VOFSET 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.
Therefore the equivalent loadline impedance, i.e. Droop impedance, is equal to Equation 10:
R FB R X
R LL = ----------------------------N R ISEN
(EQ. 10)
EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
09614
March 2014
March 14, 2014
Altera Corporation
Rev A
Page 27
Output-Voltage Offset Programming
The EC7401QI allows the designer to accurately adjust the offset voltage. When a resistor (ROFSET) is connected between OFSET
to VCC, the voltage across it is regulated to 1.6V. This causes a proportional current (IOFSET) to flow into OFSET. If ROFSET is
connected to ground, the voltage across it is regulated to 0.4V, and IOFSET flows out of OFSET. A resistor between DAC and REF
(RREF) is selected so that the product (IOFSET x ROFSET) is equal to the desired offset voltage. These functions are shown in Figure 9.
Once the desired output offset voltage has been determined, use Equations 11 and 12 to set ROFSET:
For Positive Offset (connect ROFSET to VCC):
1.6  R REF
R OFSET = -----------------------------V OFFSET
(EQ. 11)
For Negative Offset (connect ROFSET to GND):
0.4  R REF
R OFSET = -----------------------------V OFFSET
(EQ. 12)
VFB
VID Voltage
Scaling D/A
DAC
RREF
E/A
REF
VCC
OR
GND
1.6V
-
ROFSET
+
+
0.4V
VCC
-
OFSET
EC7401QI
GND
FIGURE 9. OUTPUT VOLTAGE OFFSET PROGRAMMING
VID Voltage Scaling
Modern microprocessors need to make changes to their core voltage as part of normal operation. They direct the core-voltage
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 EC7401QI 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 in “Output-Voltage Offset Programming”
on page 27. The selection of CREF is based on the time duration for 1 bit VID change and the allowable delay time.
March 2014
09614
Altera Corporation
EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
March 14, 2014
Rev A
Page 28
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
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, POK asserts logic high.
EC7401QI INTERNAL CIRCUIT
EXTERNAL CIRCUIT
+12V
VCC
POR
CIRCUIT
ENABLE
COMPARATOR
+
-
10k
EN_PWR
91
0.875V
+
EN_VTT
-
0.875V
SOFT-START
AND
FAULT LOGIC
FIGURE 10. POWER SEQUENCING USING THRESHOLD-SENSITIVE
ENABLE (EN) FUNCTION
Enable and Disable
While in shutdown mode, the PWM outputs are held in a high-impedance state to assure the drivers remain off. The following
input conditions must be met before the EC7401QI 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 EC7401QI is guaranteed. Hysteresis between the rising and falling thresholds assure that
once enabled, the EC7401QI will not inadvertently turn off unless the bias voltage drops substantially (see “Electrical
Specifications” on page 6).
2. The EC7401QI features an enable input (EN_PWR) for power sequencing between the controller bias voltage and another
voltage rail. The enable comparator holds the EC7401QI 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 that the driver ICs reach their POR level
before the EC7401QI becomes enabled. The schematic in Figure 10 demonstrates sequencing the EC7401QI with the ISL66xx
family of MOSFET drivers, which require 12V bias.
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.
When all conditions above are satisfied, EC7401QI begins the soft-start and ramps the output voltage to 1.1V first. After
remaining at 1.1V for some time, EC7401QI reads the VID code at VID input pins. If the VID code is valid, EC7401QI will
regulate the output to the final VID setting. If the VID code is OFF code, EC7401QI will shut down, and cycling VCC, EN_PWR
or EN_VTT is needed to restart.
Soft-Start
EC7401QI based VR has 4 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 fixed delay period TD1. After this delay period, the VR will begin first soft-start
EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
09614
March 2014
March 14, 2014
Altera Corporation
Rev A
Page 29
ramp until the output voltage reaches 1.1V VBOOT voltage. Then, the controller will regulate the VR voltage at 1.1V for another
fixed period TD3. At the end of TD3 period, EC7401QI reads the VID signals. If the VID code is valid, EC7401QI will initiate the
second soft-start ramp until the voltage reaches the VID voltage minus offset voltage.
The soft-start time is the sum of the 4 periods as shown in Equation 14.
T SS = TD1 + TD2 + TD3 + TD4
(EQ. 14)
TD1 is a fixed delay with the typical value as 1.36ms. TD3 is determined by the fixed 85µs plus the time to obtain valid VID
voltage. If the VID is valid before the output reaches the 1.1V, the minimum time to validate the VID input is 500ns. Therefore the
minimum TD3 is about 86µs.
During TD2 and TD4, EC7401QI digitally controls the DAC voltage change at 6.25mV per step. The time for each step is
determined by the frequency of the soft-start oscillator which is defined by the resistor Rss from SS pin to GND. The second softstart ramp time TD2 and TD4 can be calculated based on Equations 15 and 16:
1.1xR SS
TD2 = ------------------------  s 
6.25x25
(EQ. 15)
 V VID – 1.1 xR SS
TD4 = ------------------------------------------------  s 
6.25x25
(EQ. 16)
For example, when VID is set to 1.5V and the Rss is set at 100k, the first soft-start ramp time TD2 will be 704µs and the second
soft-start ramp time TD4 will be 256µs.
After the DAC voltage reaches the final VID setting, POK will be set to high with the fixed delay TD5. The typical value for TD5
is 85µs.
VOUT, 500mV/DIV
TD1
TD2
TD3 TD4
TD5
EN_VTT
POK
500µs/DIV
FIGURE 11. SOFT-START WAVEFORMS
Fault Monitoring and Protection
The EC7401QI 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 POK signal.
POK Signal
The POK pin is an open-drain logic output to indicate that the soft-start period is completed and the output voltage is within the
regulated range. POK is pulled low during shutdown and releases high after a successful soft-start and a fixed delay TD5. POK
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 50% of the VID code. When the output voltage at VSEN is below the undervoltage threshold,
POK is pulled low.
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Overvoltage Protection
Regardless of the VR being enabled or not, the EC7401QI 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 EC7401QI 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 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 highimpedance state. The drivers respond to the high-impedance input by turning off both upper and lower MOSFETs. If the
overvoltage condition reoccurs, the EC7401QI will again command the lower MOSFETs to turn on. The EC7401QI 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 EC7401QI 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.
POK
OC
-
+
UV
DELAY
50%
DAC
SOFT-START, FAULT
AND CONTROL LOGIC
+
VDIFF
-
100µA
+
I1
REPEAT FOR
EACH CHANNEL
-
100µA
+
IAVG
OC
OV
VID + 0.175V
FIGURE 12. POK AND PROTECTION CIRCUITRY
Overcurrent Protection
EC7401QI 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.
In instantaneous protection mode, the EC7401QI utilizes the sensed average current IAVG to detect an overcurrent condition. See
“Channel-Current Balance” on page 16 for more detail on how the average current is measured. The average current is continually
compared with a constant 100A reference current as shown in Figure 12. Once the average current exceeds the reference current,
a comparator triggers the converter to shutdown.
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In individual overcurrent protection mode, the EC7401QI continuously compares the current of each channel with the same
100A 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 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 soft-start. 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.
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Thermal Monitoring (HOT/FAN)
There are two thermal signals to indicate the temperature status of the voltage regulator: HOT and FAN. Both FAN and HOT are
open-drain outputs, and external pull-up resistors are required.
FAN signal indicates that the temperature of the voltage regulator is high and more cooling airflow is needed. 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. HOT signal may be tied to the CPU’s PROC_HOT signal.
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 TSEN pin. As the temperature of the power stage increases, the resistance of the NTC will reduce, resulting in the reduced
voltage at TSEN pin. Figure 15 shows the TSEN voltage over the temperature for a typical design with a recommended 6.8k
NTC (P/N: NTHS0805N02N6801 from Vishay) and 1k resistor RTSEN1. We recommend using those resistors for the accurate
temperature compensation.
There are two comparators with hysteresis to compare the TSEN pin voltage to the fixed thresholds for FAN and HOT signals
respectively. FAN signal is set to high when TSEN voltage is lower than 33% of VCC voltage, and is pulled to GND when TSEN
voltage increases to above 39% of VCC voltage. FAN is set to high when TSEN voltage goes below 28% of VCC voltage, and is
pulled to GND when TSEN voltage goes back to above 33% of VCC voltage. Figure 16 shows the operation of those signals.
VCC
FAN
RTSEN1
0.33VCC
HOT
TSEN
R
oc
NTC
0.28VCC
FIGURE 14. BLOCK DIAGRAM OF THERMAL MONITORING
FUNCTION
VTSEN/VCC vs TEMPERATURE
100
90
VTSEN/VCC (%)
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
TEMPERATURE (°C)
FIGURE 15. THE RATIO OF TSEN VOLTAGE TO NTC TEMPERATURE
WITH RECOMMENDED PARTS
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TSEN
0.39*VCC
0.33*VCC
0.28*VCC
FAN
HOT
TEMPERATURE (°C)
T1
T2
T3
FIGURE 16. HOT AND FAN SIGNAL vs TSEN VOLTAGE
Based on the NTC temperature characteristics and the desired threshold of HOT signal, the pull-up resistor RTSEN1 of TSEN pin is
given by:
R TSEN1 = 2.75xR NTC  T3 
(EQ. 17)
RNTC(T3) is the NTC resistance at the HOT threshold temperature T3.
The NTC resistance at the set point T2 and release point T1 of FAN signal can be calculated as:
R NTC  T2  = 1.267xR NTC  T3 
(EQ. 18)
R NTC  T1  = 1.644xR NTC  T3 
(EQ. 19)
With the NTC resistance value obtained from Equations 18 and 19, the temperature value T2 and T1 can be found from the NTC
datasheet.
Temperature Compensation
EC7401QI supports inductor DCR sensing, MOSFET RDS(ON) sensing, or resistive sensing techniques. Both inductor DCR and
MOSFET 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. EC7401QI provides two methods: integrated temperature compensation and external temperature compensation.
Integrated Temperature Compensation
When TCOMP voltage is equal or greater than VCC/15, EC7401QI will utilize the voltage at TSEN and TCOMP pins to
compensate the temperature impact on the sensed current. The block diagram of this function is shown in Figure 17.
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EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
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VCC
Channel current
CURRENT
sense
RTM1
TSEN
TM
oc
Isen2
SENSE
Non-linear
NON-LINEAR
A/D
A/D
I4
RNTC
I3
Isen1
I2
I1
ki
D/A
VCC
Isen4
Isen3
CHANNEL
RTSEN1
RTC1
TCOMP
4-bit
4-BIT
A/D
A/D
DROOP AND
Droop &
OVERCURRENT
Over current protection
PROTECTION
RTC2
FIGURE 17. BLOCK DIAGRAM OF INTEGRATED TEMPERATURE
COMPENSATION
When the TSEN 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 TSEN voltage can be utilized to obtain the temperature of the
current sense component.
Based on VCC voltage, EC7401QI converts the TSEN pin voltage to a 6-bit TSEN digital signal for temperature compensation.
With the non-linear A/D converter of EC7401QI, TSEN digital signal is linearly proportional to the NTC temperature. For
accurate temperature compensation, the ratio of the TSEN 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 TSEN function, TCOMP voltage can also be used to compensate for
the difference between the recommended TSEN voltage curve in Figure 16 and that of the actual design. According to the VCC
voltage, EC7401QI 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.
EC7401QI multiplexes the TCOMP factor N with the TSEN 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
1. Properly choose the voltage divider for TSEN pin to match the TSEN 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 TSEN and VCC pins.
4. Use Equation 20 to calculate the resistance of the TSEN NTC, and find out the corresponding NTC temperature TNTC from the
NTC datasheet.
R NTC  T
EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
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V
xR
TSEN
TSEN1
= --------------------------------------------V CC – V
NTC 
TSEN
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(EQ. 20)
Altera Corporation
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5. Use Equation 21 to calculate the TCOMP factor N:

209x  T CSC – T
NTC
N = -------------------------------------------------------- + 4
3xTNTC + 400
(EQ. 21)
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 10k).
8. If N = 15, do not need the pull-down resistor RTC2, otherwise obtain RTC2 by Equation 22:
NxR TC1
R TC2 = ----------------------15 – N
(EQ. 22)
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. And 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
COMP
VFB
FB
IDROOP
IDROOP
ooc
c
VDIFF
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 resistor equivalent (RFB) between VFB
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 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 VFB 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 EC7401QI. 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 EC7401QI. In typical application, IDROOP pin is connected to
VFB 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.
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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.
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 through-hole 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 15A 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.
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 23, IM is the maximum continuous output current; IPP
is the peak-to-peak inductor current (see Equation 1); d is the duty cycle (VOUT/VIN); and L is the per-channel inductance.
I L, 2P-P  1 – d 
 I M 2
P LOW 1 = R DS  ON   -----  1 – d  + ---------------------------------12
 N
(EQ. 23)
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 lower-MOSFET body diode. This term is dependent on the diode forward voltage at
IM, VD(ON); the switching frequency, fSW; and the length of dead times, td1 and td2, at the beginning and the end of the lowerMOSFET conduction interval respectively.
I

IM I
(EQ. 24)
M I P-P
P-P- t
P LOW 2 = V D  ON  f SW  ----d1 +  ------ – ----------- t d2
 N- + ---------
2 
2
N
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 upper-MOSFET 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 upperMOSFET 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 25, 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  SW
(EQ. 25)
At turn on, the upper MOSFET begins to conduct and this transition occurs over a time t2. In Equation 26, the approximate power
loss is PUP,2.
 I M I P-P  t 2 
P UP, 2  V IN  ----- – -----------  ----  f SW
2  2
N
EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
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(EQ. 26)
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A third component involves the lower MOSFET’s reverse-recovery charge (Qrr). Since the inductor current has fully commutated
to the upper MOSFET before the lower-MOSFET’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
P UP,3 = V IN Q rr f SW
(EQ. 27)
Finally, the resistive part of the upper MOSFET’s is given in Equation 28 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 25, 26, and 27. 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.
2
2
I P-P
 I M
P UP,4  r DS  ON   ----- d + ----------- d
12
 N
(EQ. 28)
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 29.
RX
R ISEN = ---------------------70 10 – 6
I FL
-------N
(EQ. 29)
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” on page 16). Choose
RISEN2 in proportion to the desired decrease in temperature rise in order to cause proportionally less current to flow in the hotter
phase.
T
R ISEN ,2 = R ISEN ----------2
T 1
(EQ. 30)
In Equation 30, make sure that T2 is the desired temperature rise above the ambient temperature, and T1 is the measured
temperature rise above the ambient temperature. While a single adjustment according to Equation 30 is usually sufficient, it may
occasionally be necessary to adjust RISEN two or more times to achieve optimal thermal balance between all channels.
Load-Line Regulation Resistor
The load-line regulation resistor is labelled RFB in Figure 8. Its value depends on the desired full load droop voltage (VDROOP in
Figure 8). If Equation 29 is used to select each ISEN resistor, the load-line regulation resistor is as shown in Equation 31.
V DROOP
R FB = -----------------------–6
70 10
(EQ. 31)
If one or more of the ISEN resistors is adjusted for thermal balance, as in Equation 30, the load-line regulation resistor should be
selected according to Equation 32 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. 32)
n
Compensation
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 LC resonant frequency split with the introduction of current information into the control loop. The final location of
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EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
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these poles is 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 LC poles and the ESR zero of the
voltage-mode approximation yields a solution that is always stable with very close to ideal transient performance.
C2 (OPTIONAL)
CC
COMP
VFB
+
RFB
VDROOP
IDROOP
EC7401QI
RC
VDIFF
FIGURE 19. COMPENSATION CONFIGURATION FOR
LOAD-LINE REGULATED EC7401QI CIRCUIT
The feedback resistor, RFB, has already been chosen as outlined in “Load-Line Regulation Resistor” on page 37. 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 LC 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.
Case 1:
1
------------------- > f 0
2 LC
2f 0 V P-P LC
R C = R FB -------------------------------------0.75V
IN
0.75V IN
C C = ------------------------------------2V P-P R FB f 0
Case 2:
1
1
-------------------  f 0 < ----------------------------2C  ESR 
2 LC
V P-P  2  2 f 02 LC
R C = R FB --------------------------------------------0.75 V IN
(EQ. 33)
0.75V IN
C C = ------------------------------------------------------------- 2  2 f 02 V P-P R FB LC
Case 3:
1
f 0 > -----------------------------2C  ESR 
2 f 0 V P-P L
R C = R FB ----------------------------------------0.75 V IN  ESR 
0.75V IN  ESR  C
C C = -----------------------------------------------2V P-P R FB f 0 L
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 VPP is the peak-to-peak sawtooth
signal amplitude as described in Figure 7 and “Electrical Specifications” on page 6.
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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 high-frequency capacitor of between 22pF and 150pF in case any leading-edge jitter
problem is noted.
Once selected, the compensation values in Equation 33 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 33 unless some performance issue is noted.
COMPENSATION WITHOUT LOAD-LINE REGULATION
The non load-line regulated converter is accurately modeled as a voltage-mode regulator with two poles at the LC resonant
frequency and a zero at the ESR frequency. A type III controller, as shown in Figure 20, provides the necessary compensation.
C2
CC
COMP
VFB
C1
IDROOP
RFB
R1
EC7401QI
RC
VDIFF
FIGURE 20. COMPENSATION CIRCUIT FOR EC7401QI BASED
CONVERTER WITHOUT LOAD-LINE REGULATION
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 highfrequency pole, fHF. This pole can be used for added noise rejection or to assure adequate attenuation at the error-amplifier highorder 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.
In the solutions to the compensation equations, there is a single degree of freedom. For the solutions presented in Equation 34, RFB
is selected arbitrarily. The remaining compensation components are then selected according to Equation 34.
C  ESR 
R 1 = R FB ----------------------------------------LC – C  ESR 
LC – C  ESR 
C 1 = ----------------------------------------R FB
0.75V IN
C 2 = -------------------------------------------------------------------2
 2  f 0 f HF LCR FB V P-P
2
V P-P  2 f 0 f HF LCR FB
 
R C = -------------------------------------------------------------------

0.75 V IN 2f HF LC – 1

0.75V IN 2f
 HF LC – 1
C C = -------------------------------------------------------------------- 2  2 f 0 f HF LCR FB V P-P
(EQ. 34)
In Equation 34, 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-to-peak sawtooth
signal amplitude as described in Figure 7 and “Electrical Specifications” on page 6.
March 2014
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Altera Corporation
EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
March 14, 2014
Rev A
Page 40
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, I; the load-current slew rate, di/dt; and the maximum allowable output-voltage deviation
under transient loading, VMAX. 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 current reaches its final value. The capacitors selected must have sufficiently low ESL and
ESR so that the total output-voltage deviation is less than the allowable maximum. Neglecting the contribution of inductor current
and regulator response, the output voltage initially deviates by an amount:
di
V   ESL  ----- +  ESR  I
dt
(EQ. 35)
The filter capacitor must have sufficiently low ESL and ESR so that V < VMAX.
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 high-frequency performance. Minimizing the ESL of the high-frequency 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.
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” on page 11 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 SW V IN V PP MAX 
(EQ. 36)
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 VMAX. This places an upper limit on inductance.
Equation 37 gives the upper limit on L for the cases when the trailing edge of the current transient causes a greater output-voltage
deviation than the leading edge. Equation 38 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
L  -------------------- V MAX – I  ESR 
 I  2
(EQ. 37)
 1.25  NC
L  -------------------------- V MAX – I  ESR   V IN – V O


 I  2
(EQ. 38)
Switching Frequency
There are a number of variables to consider when choosing the switching frequency, as there are considerable effects on the upperMOSFET loss calculation. These effects are outlined in “MOSFETs” on page 36, and they establish the upper limit for the
switching frequency. The lower limit is established by the requirement for fast transient response and small output-voltage ripple
as outlined in “Output Filter Design” on page 40. Choose the lowest switching frequency that allows the regulator to meet the
transient-response requirements.
Switching frequency is determined by the selection of the frequency-setting resistor, RT (see the figure labelled Typical
Application on page 5). Equation 39 is provided to assist in selecting the correct value for RT.
10
2.5X10
R T = -------------------------f SW
(EQ. 39)
EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
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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.
.
INPUT-CAPACITOR CURRENT (IRMS/IO)
0.3
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 21. NORMALIZED INPUT-CAPACITOR RMS CURRENT vs
DUTY CYCLE FOR 2-PHASE CONVERTER
INPUT-CAPACITOR CURRENT (IRMS/IO)
0.3
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 22. NORMALIZED INPUT-CAPACITOR RMS CURRENT vs
DUTY CYCLE FOR 3-PHASE CONVERTER
March 2014
09614
Altera Corporation
EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
March 14, 2014
Rev A
Page 42
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 23. NORMALIZED INPUT-CAPACITOR RMS CURRENT vs
DUTY CYCLE FOR SINGLE-PHASE CONVERTER
For a two phase design, use Figure 21 to determine the input-capacitor 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 22 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.
Multiphase RMS improvement
Figure 23 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.
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.
Component Placement
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 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.
Next, place the input and output capacitors. Position one high-frequency 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.
EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
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The EC7401QI 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 EC7401QI 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.
Document Revision History
The table lists the revision history for this document.
Date
March 2014
March 2014
09614
Version
1.0
Changes
Initial release.
Altera Corporation
EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
March 14, 2014
Rev A
Page 44
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
31
6
PIN 1
INDEX AREA
6
PIN #1 INDEX AREA
40
30
1
6.00
4 . 10 ± 0 . 15
10
21
0.15
(4X)
11
20
TOP VIEW
0.10 M C A B
40X 0 . 4 ± 0 . 1
4 0 . 23 +0 . 07 / -0 . 05
BOTTOM VIEW
SEE DETAIL "X"
0.10 C
0 . 90 ± 0 . 1
( 5 . 8 TYP )
(
C
BASE PLANE
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 identifier may be
either a mold or mark feature.
March 2014
09614
Altera Corporation
EC7401QI 4-Phase PWM Controller with 8-bit DAC Code
March 14, 2014
Rev A