INTERSIL ISL6333A

ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
®
Data Sheet
October 8, 2010
Three-Phase Buck PWM Controller with
Integrated MOSFET Drivers and Light
Load Efficiency Enhancements for Intel
VR11.1 Applications
The ISL6333 three-phase PWM family of control ICs provide a
precision voltage regulation system for advanced
microprocessors. The integration of power MOSFET drivers
into the controller IC marks a departure from the separate PWM
controller and driver configuration of previous multi-phase
product families. By reducing the number of external parts, this
integration is optimized for a cost and space saving power
management solution.
The ISL6333 controllers are designed to be compatible with
Intel VR11.1 Applications. Features that make these controllers
compatible include an IMON pin for output current monitoring,
and a Power State Indicator (PSI#) pin for phase dropping and
higher efficiency during light load states. An 8-bit VID input is
used to select the desired output voltage from the VR11 DAC
table. A circuit is provided for remote voltage sensing,
compensating for any potential difference between remote and
local grounds. The output voltage can also be positively or
negatively offset through the use of a single external resistor.
The ISL6333 controllers also include advanced control loop
features for optimal transient response to load application and
removal. One of these features is highly accurate, fully
differential, continuous DCR current sensing for load line
programming and channel current balance. Active Pulse
Positioning (APP) Modulation and Adaptive Phase Alignment
(APA) are two other unique features, allowing for quicker initial
response to high di/dt load transients. With this quicker initial
response to load transients, the number of output bulk
capacitors can be reduced, helping to reduce cost.
Integrated into the ISL6333 controllers are user-programmable
current sense resistors, which require only a single external
resistor to set their values. No external current sense resistors
are required. Another unique feature of the ISL6333 controllers
is the addition of a dynamic VID compensation pin that allows
optimizing compensation to be added for well-controlled
dynamic VID response.
Protection features of these controller ICs include a set of
sophisticated overvoltage, undervoltage, and overcurrent
protection. Furthermore, the ISL6333 controllers include
protection against an open circuit on the remote sensing inputs.
Combined, these features provide advanced protection for the
microprocessor and power system.
1
FN6520.3
Features
• Intel VR11.1 Compatible
- IMON Pin for Output Current Monitoring
- Power State Indicator (PSI#) Pin for Phase Dropping
and Higher Efficiency During Light Load States
• CPURST_N Input to Eliminate Required Extensive
External Circuit for proper PSI# Operation of Intel’s
Eaglelake Chipset Platform (ISL6333B, ISL6333C Only)
• Integrated Multi-Phase Power Conversion
- 3-Phase or 2-Phase Operation with Internal Drivers
• Precision Core Voltage Regulation
- Differential Remote Voltage Sensing
- ±0.5% System Accuracy Over-Temperature
- Adjustable Reference-Voltage Offset
• Optimal Transient Response
- Active Pulse Positioning (APP) Modulation
- Adaptive Phase Alignment (APA)
• Fully Differential, Continuous DCR Current Sensing
- Integrated Programmable Current Sense Resistors
- Accurate Load Line Programming
- Precision Channel Current Balancing
• Gate Voltage Optimization Technology (ISL6333,
ISL6333B Only)
• Power Saving Diode Emulation Mode (ISL6333, ISL6333B
Only)
• Optimized for use with Coupled Inductors
• Variable Gate Drive Bias: +5V to +12V
• Microprocessor Voltage Identification Inputs
- 8-bit VID Input for Selecting VR11 DAC Voltages
- Dynamic VID Technology
• Dynamic VID Compensation
• Overcurrent Protection and Channel Current Limit
• Multi-tiered Overvoltage Protection
• Digital Soft-Start
• Selectable Operation Frequency up to 1.0MHz Per Phase
• Pb-free (RoHS Compliant)
CAUTION: These devices are sensitive to electrostatic discharge; follow proper IC Handling Procedures.
1-888-INTERSIL or 1-888-468-3774 | Intersil (and design) is a registered trademark of Intersil Americas Inc.
Copyright Intersil Americas Inc. 2008, 2009, 2010. All Rights Reserved
All other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
Ordering Information
PART NUMBER
(Note)
PART
MARKING
TEMP. RANGE
(°C)
PACKAGE
(Pb-free)
PKG.
DWG. #
ISL6333CRZ*
ISL6333 CRZ
0 to +70
48 Ld 7x7 QFN
L48.7x7
ISL6333IRZ*
ISL6333 IRZ
-40 to +85
48 Ld 7x7 QFN
L48.7x7
ISL6333ACRZ*
ISL6333A CRZ
0 to +70
48 Ld 7x7 QFN
L48.7x7
ISL6333AIRZ*
ISL6333A IRZ
-40 to +85
48 Ld 7x7 QFN
L48.7x7
ISL6333BCRZ*
ISL6333B CRZ
0 to +70
48 Ld 7x7 QFN
L48.7x7
ISL6333BIRZ*
ISL6333B IRZ
-40 to +85
48 Ld 7x7 QFN
L48.7x7
ISL6333CCRZ*
ISL6333C CRZ
0 to +70
48 Ld 7x7 QFN
L48.7x7
ISL6333CIRZ*
ISL6333C IRZ
-40 to +85
48 Ld 7x7 QFN
L48.7x7
*Add “-T” suffix for tape and reel. Please refer to TB347 for details on reel specifications.
NOTE: These Intersil 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).
Intersil Pb-free products are MSL classified at Pb-free peak reflow temperatures that meet or exceed the Pb-free requirements of IPC/JEDEC J
STD-020.
Pinouts
ISEN1+
ISEN1-
ISEN2+
ISEN2-
ISEN3+
ISEN3-
PVCC1
BYP1
LGATE1
BOOT1
UGATE1
PHASE1
ISL6333 (48 LD QFN)
TOP VIEW
48
47
46
45
44
43
42
41
40
39
38
37
RSET
1
36 VR_RDY
OFS
2
35 EN
FS
3
34 PUVCC
SS
4
33 PHASE2
VCC
5
32 UGATE2
REF
6
31 BOOT2
GND (PIN 49)
APA
7
30 LGATE2
COMP
8
29 PVCC2_3
DVC
9
28 LGATE3
FB 10
27 BOOT3
2
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
PSI#
VID7
VID6
VID5
VID4
VID3
VID2
VID1
VID0
25 PHASE3
IMON
VDIFF 12
VSEN
26 UGATE3
RGND
IDROOP 11
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
Pinouts (Continued)
ISEN1+
ISEN1-
ISEN2+
ISEN2-
ISEN3+
ISEN3-
PVCC1
PVCC2
LGATE1
BOOT1
UGATE1
PHASE1
ISL6333A (48 LD QFN)
TOP VIEW
48
47
46
45
44
43
42
41
40
39
38
37
RSET
1
36 VR_RDY
OFS
2
35 EN
FS
3
34 PUVCC
SS
4
33 PHASE2
VCC
5
32 UGATE2
REF
6
31 BOOT2
GND (PIN 49)
APA
7
COMP
8
29 PVCC3
DVC
9
28 LGATE3
30 LGATE2
FB 10
27 BOOT3
19
20
21
22
23
24
VID1
VID0
VID7
18
VID2
17
VID3
16
VID4
15
VID5
14
VID6
13
PSI#
25 PHASE3
IMON
VDIFF 12
VSEN
26 UGATE3
RGND
IDROOP 11
ISEN1+
ISEN1-
ISEN2+
ISEN2-
ISEN3+
ISEN3-
PVCC1
BYP1
LGATE1
BOOT1
UGATE1
PHASE1
ISL6333B (48 LD QFN)
TOP VIEW
48
47
46
45
44
43
42
41
40
39
38
37
RSET
1
36 VR_RDY
OFS
2
35 EN
FS
3
34 PUVCC
SS
4
33 PHASE2
VCC
5
32 UGATE2
REF
6
31 BOOT2
GND (PIN 49)
APA
7
30 LGATE2
COMP
8
29 PVCC2_3
DVC
9
28 LGATE3
FB 10
27 BOOT3
3
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
PSI#
VID7
VID6
VID5
VID4
VID3
VID2
VID1
VID0
25 PHASE3
IMON
VDIFF 12
VSEN
26 UGATE3
RGND
CPURST_N 11
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
Pinouts (Continued)
ISEN1+
ISEN1-
ISEN2+
ISEN2-
ISEN3+
ISEN3-
PVCC1
PVCC2
LGATE1
BOOT1
UGATE1
PHASE1
ISL6333C (48 LD QFN)
TOP VIEW
48
47
46
45
44
43
42
41
40
39
38
37
RSET
1
36 VR_RDY
OFS
2
35 EN
FS
3
34 PUVCC
SS
4
33 PHASE2
VCC
5
32 UGATE2
REF
6
APA
7
30 LGATE2
COMP
8
29 PVCC3
DVC
9
28 LGATE3
31 BOOT2
GND (PIN 49)
FB 10
27 BOOT3
18
19
VID7
VID6
VID5
20
21
22
23
24
VID0
17
VID1
16
VID2
15
VID3
14
VID4
13
PSI#
25 PHASE3
IMON
VDIFF 12
VSEN
26 UGATE3
RGND
CPURST_N 11
Controller Descriptions and Comments
DIODE
EMULATION
MODE (DEM)
GATE VOLTAGE OPTIMIZATION
TECHNOLOGY
(GVOT)
DROOP PIN
ENABLE/DISABLE DROOP
CPURST_N PIN
ISL6333
YES
YES
YES
Enable/Disable
NO
ISL6333A
NO
NO
YES
Enable/Disable
NO
ISL6333B
YES
YES
NO
Always Enabled
YES
ISL6333C
NO
NO
NO
Always Enabled
YES
CONTROLLER
CONTROLLER
COMMENTS
ISL6333
When PSI# is set high, the controller operates normally in continuous conduction mode (CCM) with all active channels firing.
When the PSI# pin is set low, the controller transitions to single phase operation and changes to diode emulation mode (DEM).
The controller also utilizes it’s new Gate Voltage Optimization Technology (GVOT) to reduce Channel 1’s lower MOSFET gate
drive voltage. This controller yields the highest low load efficiency.
ISL6333A
When PSI# is set high, the controller operates normally in continuous conduction mode (CCM) with all active channels firing.
When the PSI# pin is set low, the controller transitions to single phase operation only.
ISL6333B
Same feature set as the ISL6333 controller with two additional changes. The CPURST_N pin is added to eliminate extensive
external circuitry required for proper PSI# operation of Intel’s Eaglelake Chipset Platform. The droop pin has been removed
and the droop current now flows out of the FB pin. The droop feature is always active. This controller yields the highest low
load efficiency.
ISL6333C
Same feature set as the ISL6333A controller with two additional changes. The CPURST_N pin is added to eliminate extensive
external circuitry required for proper PSI# operation of Intel’s Eaglelake Chipset Platform. The droop pin has been removed
and the droop current now flows out of the FB pin. The droop feature is always active.
4
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
Integrated Driver Block Diagram
LVCC
UVCC
BOOT
UGATE
PWM
20kΩ
GATE
CONTROL
LOGIC
LOW POWER
STATE
SHOOTPHASE
THROUGH
PROTECTION
10kΩ
SOFT-START
AND
FAULT LOGIC
LGATE
5
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
Block Diagram - ISL6333
VR_RDY
EN
SS
OPEN SENSE
LINE PREVENTION
0.85V
VSEN
VCC
x1
RGND
PVCC1
POWER-ON
RESET
VDIFF
PVCC2_3
PUVCC
UNDERVOLTAGE
DETECTION
LOGIC
SS
SOFT-START
AND
LDO
FAULT LOGIC
OVERVOLTAGE
DETECTION
LOGIC
BYP1
LOW POWER
STATE
CIRCUITRY
I_AVG
PSI#
OCP
I_TRIP
BOOT1
APA
ADAPTIVE PHASE
ALLIGNMENT
CIRCUITRY
UGATE1
MOSFET
DRIVER
PHASE1
LGATE1
CLOCK AND
MODULATOR
WAVEFORM
GENERATOR
FS
BOOT2
VID7
VID6
VID5
VID4
VID3
UGATE2
MOSFET
DRIVER
DYNAMIC
VID
D/A
APP AND APA
MODULATOR
PWM1
APP AND APA
MODULATOR
PWM2
PHASE2
LGATE2
VID2
VID1
VID0
DVC
BOOT3
1kΩ
UGATE3
MOSFET
DRIVER
x2
PHASE3
PWM3
APP AND APA
MODULATOR
LGATE3
REF
E/A
FB
I_AVG
1
N
CHANNEL
DETECT
COMP
OFS
OFFSET
+
∑
+ +
ISEN3-
CH3
CURRENT
SENSE
RISEN3
CH2
CURRENT
SENSE
RISEN2
ISEN3+
IDROOP
I_AVG
IMON
CHANNEL
CURRENT
BALANCE
AND
CURRENT
LIMIT
ISEN2ISEN2+
RSET
OCP
OCP
CH1
CURRENT
SENSE
VOCP
RISEN1
ISEN1+
ISEN1-
RGND
GND
6
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
Block Diagram - ISL6333A
VR_RDY
EN
SS
OPEN SENSE
LINE PREVENTION
0.85V
VSEN
VCC
x1
RGND
PVCC1
POWER-ON
RESET
VDIFF
PVCC3
PUVCC
UNDERVOLTAGE
DETECTION
LOGIC
SOFT-START
AND
FAULT LOGIC
OVERVOLTAGE
DETECTION
LOGIC
PVCC2
LOW POWER
STATE
CIRCUITRY
I_AVG
PSI#
OCP
I_TRIP
BOOT1
APA
ADAPTIVE PHASE
ALLIGNMENT
CIRCUITRY
UGATE1
MOSFET
DRIVER
PHASE1
LGATE1
CLOCK AND
MODULATOR
WAVEFORM
GENERATOR
FS
BOOT2
VID7
VID6
VID5
VID4
VID3
UGATE2
MOSFET
DRIVER
DYNAMIC
VID
D/A
APP AND APA
MODULATOR
PWM1
APP AND APA
MODULATOR
PWM2
PHASE2
LGATE2
VID2
VID1
VID0
DVC
BOOT3
1kΩ
UGATE3
MOSFET
DRIVER
x2
PHASE3
PWM3
APP AND APA
MODULATOR
LGATE3
REF
E/A
FB
I_AVG
1
N
CHANNEL
DETECT
COMP
OFS
OFFSET
+
∑
+ +
ISEN3-
CH3
CURRENT
SENSE
RISEN3
CH2
CURRENT
SENSE
RISEN2
ISEN3+
IDROOP
I_AVG
IMON
CHANNEL
CURRENT
BALANCE
AND
CURRENT
LIMIT
ISEN2ISEN2+
RSET
OCP
OCP
CH1
CURRENT
SENSE
VOCP
RISEN1
ISEN1+
ISEN1-
RGND
GND
7
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
Block Diagram - ISL6333B
VR_RDY
EN
SS
OPEN SENSE
LINE PREVENTION
0.85V
VSEN
VCC
x1
RGND
PVCC1
POWER-ON
RESET
VDIFF
PVCC2_3
PUVCC
UNDERVOLTAGE
DETECTION
LOGIC
SS
SOFT-START
AND
LDO
FAULT LOGIC
OVERVOLTAGE
DETECTION
LOGIC
BYP1
LOW POWER
STATE
CIRCUITRY
I_AVG
PSI#
CPURST_N
OCP
I_TRIP
BOOT1
APA
ADAPTIVE PHASE
ALLIGNMENT
CIRCUITRY
UGATE1
MOSFET
DRIVER
PHASE1
LGATE1
CLOCK AND
MODULATOR
WAVEFORM
GENERATOR
FS
BOOT2
VID7
VID6
VID5
VID4
VID3
UGATE2
MOSFET
DRIVER
DYNAMIC
VID
D/A
APP AND APA
MODULATOR
PWM1
APP AND APA
MODULATOR
PWM2
PHASE2
LGATE2
VID2
VID1
VID0
DVC
BOOT3
1kΩ
UGATE3
MOSFET
DRIVER
x2
PHASE3
PWM3
APP AND APA
MODULATOR
LGATE3
REF
E/A
FB
I_AVG
1
N
CHANNEL
DETECT
COMP
OFS
I_AVG
OFFSET
+
∑
+ +
CHANNEL
CURRENT
BALANCE
AND
CURRENT
LIMIT
IMON
ISEN3-
CH3
CURRENT
SENSE
RISEN3
CH2
CURRENT
SENSE
RISEN2
ISEN3+
ISEN2ISEN2+
RSET
OCP
OCP
CH1
CURRENT
SENSE
VOCP
RISEN1
ISEN1+
ISEN1-
RGND
GND
8
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
Block Diagram - ISL6333C
VR_RDY
EN
SS
OPEN SENSE
LINE PREVENTION
0.85V
VSEN
VCC
x1
RGND
PVCC1
POWER-ON
RESET
VDIFF
PVCC3
PUVCC
UNDERVOLTAGE
DETECTION
LOGIC
SOFT-START
AND
FAULT LOGIC
OVERVOLTAGE
DETECTION
LOGIC
PVCC2
LOW POWER
STATE
CIRCUITRY
I_AVG
PSI#
CPURST_N
OCP
I_TRIP
BOOT1
APA
ADAPTIVE PHASE
ALLIGNMENT
CIRCUITRY
UGATE1
MOSFET
DRIVER
PHASE1
LGATE1
CLOCK AND
MODULATOR
WAVEFORM
GENERATOR
FS
BOOT2
VID7
VID6
VID5
VID4
VID3
UGATE2
MOSFET
DRIVER
DYNAMIC
VID
D/A
APP AND APA
MODULATOR
PWM1
APP AND APA
MODULATOR
PWM2
PHASE2
LGATE2
VID2
VID1
VID0
DVC
BOOT3
1kΩ
UGATE3
MOSFET
DRIVER
x2
PHASE3
PWM3
APP AND APA
MODULATOR
LGATE3
REF
E/A
FB
I_AVG
1
N
CHANNEL
DETECT
COMP
OFS
I_AVG
OFFSET
+
∑
+ +
CHANNEL
CURRENT
BALANCE
AND
CURRENT
LIMIT
IMON
ISEN3-
CH3
CURRENT
SENSE
RISEN3
CH2
CURRENT
SENSE
RISEN2
ISEN3+
ISEN2ISEN2+
RSET
OCP
OCP
CH1
CURRENT
SENSE
VOCP
RISEN1
ISEN1+
ISEN1-
RGND
GND
9
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
Typical Application Diagram - ISL6333, ISL6333B
+5V VCC
VDIFF
RGND
VSEN
DVC
RSET
BYP1
FB
+12V
PVCC1
IDROOP
PUVCC
COMP
BOOT1
UGATE1
APA
1.8Ω
+5V
PHASE1
VCC
LGATE1
ISEN1ISEN1+
OFS
FS
+12V
REF
LOAD
PVCC2_3
ISL6333/B
RGND
IMON
BOOT2
SS
UGATE2
1.8Ω
PHASE2
VID7
VID6
VID5
VID4
VID3
VID2
VID1
VID0
LGATE2
ISEN2ISEN2+
+12V
CPURST_N
BOOT3
PSI#
UGATE3
1.8Ω
VR_RDY
PHASE3
EN
LGATE3
ISEN3ISEN3+
GND
*NOTE: ISL6333 - Connect the IDROOP pin to the FB pin. The CPURST_N pin does not exist.
*NOTE: ISL6333B - The CPURST_N pin should connect to the CPURST_N signal. The IDROOP pin does not exist.
10
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
Typical Application Diagram - ISL6333, ISL6333B with NTC Thermal Compensation
+5V VCC
VDIFF
RGND
VSEN
DVC
RSET
BYP1
+12V
FB
PVCC1
IDROOP
PUVCC
COMP
BOOT1
NTC
PLACE IN CLOSE
PROXIMITY
UGATE1
APA
1.8Ω
+5V
PHASE1
VCC
LGATE1
ISEN1ISEN1+
OFS
FS
+12V
REF
LOAD
PVCC2_3
ISL6333/B
RGND
BOOT2
IMON
SS
UGATE2
1.8Ω
PHASE2
VID7
VID6
VID5
VID4
VID3
VID2
VID1
VID0
LGATE2
ISEN2ISEN2+
+12V
CPURST_N
BOOT3
PSI#
UGATE3
1.8Ω
VR_RDY
PHASE3
EN
LGATE3
ISEN3ISEN3+
GND
*NOTE: ISL6333 - Connect the IDROOP pin to the FB pin. The CPURST_N pin does not exist.
*NOTE: ISL6333B - The CPURST_N pin should connect to the CPURST_N signal. The IDROOP pin does not exist.
11
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
Typical Application Diagram - ISL6333A, ISL6333C
+5V VCC
VDIFF
RGND
VSEN
DVC
RSET
FB
PVCC1
IDROOP
PVCC2
+12V
PUVCC
COMP
BOOT1
UGATE1
APA
1.8Ω
+5V
PHASE1
VCC
LGATE1
ISEN1ISEN1+
OFS
FS
+12V
REF
LOAD
PVCC3
ISL6333A
RGND
IMON
BOOT2
SS
UGATE2
1.8Ω
PHASE2
VID7
VID6
VID5
VID4
VID3
VID2
VID1
VID0
LGATE2
ISEN2ISEN2+
+12V
CPURST_N
BOOT3
PSI#
UGATE3
1.8Ω
VR_RDY
PHASE3
EN
LGATE3
ISEN3ISEN3+
GND
*NOTE: ISL6333A - Connect the IDROOP pin to the FB pin. The CPURST_N pin does not exist.
*NOTE: ISL6333C - The CPURST_N pin should connect to the CPURST_N signal. The IDROOP pin does not exist.
12
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
Absolute Maximum Ratings
Thermal Information
Supply Voltage, VCC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -0.3V to +6V
Supply Voltage, PVCC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -0.3V to +15V
Absolute BOOT Voltage, VBOOT . . . . . . . GND - 0.3V to GND + 36V
PHASE Voltage, VPHASE . . . . . . . . . GND - 8V (<400ns, 20µJ) to 30V
(<200ns, VBOOT - VGND < 36V)
UGATE Voltage, VUGATE. . . . . . . . VPHASE - 0.3V to VBOOT + 0.3V
VPHASE - 3.5V (<100ns Pulse Width, 2µJ) to VBOOT + 0.3V
LGATE Voltage, VLGATE . . . . . . . . . . . GND - 0.3V to PVCC + 0.3V
GND - 5V (<100ns Pulse Width, 2µJ) to PVCC + 0.3V
Input, Output, or I/O Voltage . . . . . . . . . GND - 0.3V to VCC + 0.3V
Thermal Resistance
θJA (°C/W)
θJC (°C/W)
QFN Package (Notes 1, 2) . . . . . . . . . .
28
1.5
Maximum Junction Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +150°C
Maximum Storage Temperature Range . . . . . . . . . .-65°C to +150°C
Pb-free Reflow Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .see link below
http://www.intersil.com/pbfree/Pb-FreeReflow.asp
Recommended Operating Conditions
VCC Supply Voltage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .+5V ±5%
PVCC Supply Voltage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +5V to 12V ±5%
Ambient Temperature
ISL6333CRZ, ISL6333ACRZ, ISL6333BCRZ,
ISL6333CCRZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0°C to +70°C
ISL6333IRZ, ISL6333AIRZ, ISL6333BIRZ,
ISL6333CIRZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .-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. θJA is measured in free air with the component mounted on a high effective thermal conductivity test board with “direct attach” features. See
Tech Brief TB379.
2. For θJC, the “case temp” location is the center of the exposed metal pad on the package underside.
Electrical Specifications
Recommended Operating Conditions. Boldface limits apply over the operating temperature range.
PARAMETER
TEST CONDITIONS
MIN
(Note 4)
TYP
MAX
(Note 4)
UNITS
BIAS SUPPLIES
Input Bias Supply Current
IVCC; EN = high
13
16.7
19.5
mA
Lower Gate Drive Bias Current PVCC1 Pin
IPVCC1; EN = high
0.7
1.8
4
mA
Lower Gate Drive Bias Current PVCC2_3 Pin (ISL6333, ISL6333B
Only)
IPVCC2_3; EN = high
1.5
2.6
5
mA
Lower Gate Drive Bias Current - PVCC3 IPVCC3; EN = high
Pin (ISL6333A, ISL6333C Only)
1.5
2.6
5
mA
Upper Gate Drive Bias Current PUVCC Pin
0.6
1
1.4
mA
VCC POR (Power-On Reset) Threshold VCC rising
4.25
4.41
4.50
V
VCC falling
3.75
3.85
4.00
V
PVCC1, PVCC2_3, PUVCC rising
4.30
4.42
4.55
V
PVCC1, PVCC2_3, PUVCC falling
3.70
3.83
3.95
V
BYP1 rising
4.20
4.40
4.55
V
BYP1 falling
3.70
3.80
3.90
V
Oscillator Frequency Accuracy, FSW
(ISL6333CRZ, ISL6333ACRZ,
ISL6333BCRZ, ISL6333CCRZ)
RT = 100kΩ (± 0.1%)
225
250
275
kHz
Oscillator Frequency Accuracy, FSW
(ISL6333IRZ, ISL6333AIRZ,
ISL6333BIRZ, ISL6333CIRZ)
RT = 100kΩ (± 0.1%)
(Note 3)
215
250
280
kHz
Adjustment Range of Switching
Frequency
(Note 3)
0.08
-
1.0
MHz
PVCC POR (Power-On Reset)
Threshold
BYP1 POR (Power-On Reset)
Threshold
IUVCC; EN = high
PWM MODULATOR
13
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
Electrical Specifications
Recommended Operating Conditions. Boldface limits apply over the operating temperature range. (Continued)
MIN
(Note 4)
TYP
MAX
(Note 4)
UNITS
-
1.50
-
V
0.84
0.86
0.88
V
96
104
120
mV
System Accuracy (1.000V to 1.600V)
-0.5
-
0.5
%
System Accuracy (0.600V to 1.000V)
-1.0
-
1.0
%
System Accuracy (0.400V to 0.600V)
-2.0
-
2.0
%
DAC Input Low Voltage
-
-
0.4
V
DAC Input High Voltage
0.8
-
-
V
PSI# Input Low Voltage Threshold
-
-
0.4
V
PSI# Input High Voltage Threshold
0.8
-
-
V
PARAMETER
TEST CONDITIONS
Oscillator Ramp Amplitude, VP-P
(Note 3)
CONTROL THRESHOLDS
EN Rising Threshold
EN Hysteresis
REFERENCE AND DAC
PSI# INPUT
PIN-ADJUSTABLE OFFSET
OFS Sink Current Accuracy
(Negative Offset)
ROFS = 32.4kΩ from OFS to VCC
-52.0
-50.3
-48.0
µA
OFS Source Current Accuracy
(Positive Offset)
ROFS = 6.04kΩ from OFS to GND
47.0
48.7
51.0
µA
ERROR AMPLIFIER
DC Gain
RL = 10k to ground, (Note 3)
-
96
-
dB
Gain-Bandwidth Product
CL = 100pF, RL = 10k to ground,
(Note 3)
-
40
-
MHz
Slew Rate
CL = 100pF, Load = ±400µA, (Note 3)
-
20
-
V/µs
Maximum Output Voltage
Load = 1mA
4.00
4.196
-
V
Minimum Output Voltage
Load = -1mA
-
1.231
1.60
V
Soft-Start Ramp Rate
RS = 100kΩ
1.15
1.274
1.37
mV/µs
Adjustment Range of Soft-Start Ramp
Rate
(Note 3)
0.156
-
6.25
mV/µs
SOFT-START RAMP
CURRENT SENSING
IDROOP Current Sense Offset
RSET = 40.2kΩ, VISEN1+ = VISEN2+ = 0V
-2.5
0
2.5
µA
IDROOP Current Sense Gain
RSET = 40.2kΩ, VISEN1 = VISEN2 = 24mV
77.5
81.2
85
µA
Normal operation
88
100
110
µA
Dynamic VID change
120
140
160
µA
Normal operation
120
138
160
µA
Dynamic VID change
170
195
222
µA
1.1
1.127
1.15
V
OVERCURRENT PROTECTION
Overcurrent Trip Level - Average
Channel
Overcurrent Trip Level - Individual
Channel
IMON Pin Clamped Overcurrent Level
OVERVOLTAGE AND UNDERVOLTAGE PROTECTION
Undervoltage Threshold
VSEN falling
0.48*VDAC
0.503*VDAC
0.525*VDAC
V
Undervoltage Hysteresis
VSEN rising
0.02*VDAC
0.084*VDAC
0.15*VDAC
V
14
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
Electrical Specifications
Recommended Operating Conditions. Boldface limits apply over the operating temperature range. (Continued)
PARAMETER
TEST CONDITIONS
Overvoltage Threshold During
Soft-Start
Overvoltage Threshold
VR11, VSEN rising
Overvoltage Hysteresis
VSEN falling
MIN
(Note 4)
TYP
MAX
(Note 4)
UNITS
1.260
1.280
1.300
V
VDAC + 160mV VDAC + 175mV VDAC + 194mV
V
90
108
120
mV
SWITCHING TIME (Note 3)
UGATE Rise Time
tRUGATE; VPVCC = 12V, 3nF load, 10% to
90%
-
26
-
ns
LGATE Rise Time
tRLGATE; VPVCC = 12V, 3nF load, 10% to
90%
-
18
-
ns
UGATE Fall Time
tFUGATE; VPVCC = 12V, 3nF load, 90% to
10%
-
18
-
ns
LGATE Fall Time
tFLGATE; VPVCC = 12V, 3nF load, 90% to
10%
-
12
-
ns
UGATE Turn-On Non-Overlap
tPDHUGATE; VPVCC = 12V, 3nF load,
adaptive
-
10
-
ns
LGATE Turn-On Non-Overlap
tPDHLGATE; VPVCC = 12V, 3nF load,
adaptive
-
10
-
ns
Upper Drive Source Resistance
VPVCC = 12V, 15mA source current
-
2.0
-
Ω
Upper Drive Sink Resistance
VPVCC = 12V, 15mA sink current
-
1.35
-
Ω
Lower Drive Source Resistance
VPVCC = 12V, 15mA source current
-
1.35
-
Ω
Lower Drive Sink Resistance
VPVCC = 12V, 15mA sink current
-
0.90
-
Ω
Thermal Shutdown Setpoint
-
160
-
°C
Thermal Recovery Setpoint
-
100
-
°C
GATE DRIVE RESISTANCE (Note 3)
OVER-TEMPERATURE SHUTDOWN (Note 3)
NOTES:
3. Limits established by characterization and are not production tested.
4. Parameters with MIN and/or MAX limits are 100% tested at +25°C, unless otherwise specified. Temperature limits established by characterization
and are not production tested.
Timing Diagram
tPDHUGATE
tRUGATE
tFUGATE
UGATE
LGATE
tFLGATE
tRLGATE
tPDHLGATE
15
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
Functional Pin Descriptions
VCC
VCC is the bias supply for the ICs small-signal circuitry.
Connect this pin to a +5V supply and decouple using a
quality 0.1µF ceramic capacitor.
PVCC1 (ISL6333, ISL6333B Only)
This pin is the input to an internal LDO that regulates the
voltage on the BYP1 pin and should be connected to a +12V
supply. It is very important that this pin is decoupled using a
quality 1.0µF ceramic capacitor.
PVCC2_3 (ISL6333, ISL6333B Only)
This pin is the power supply pin for Channels 2 and 3 lower
MOSFET drivers, and should be connected to a +12V supply.
Decouple this pin with a quality 1.0µF ceramic capacitor.
PVCC1, PVCC2, and PVCC3 (ISL6333A, ISL6333C
Only)
These pins are the power supply pins for Channels 1, 2, and
3 lower MOSFET drivers, and should be connected to a
+12V supply. Decouple these pins with quality 1.0µF
ceramic capacitors
PUVCC
This pin is the power supply pin for Channels 1, 2, and 3
upper MOSFET drivers, and can be connected to any
voltage from +5V to +12V depending on the desired
MOSFET gate-drive level. Decouple this pin with a quality
1.0µF ceramic capacitor.
BYP1 (ISL6333, ISL6333B Only)
VID0, VID1, VID2, VID3, VID4, VID5, VID6, and VID7
These are the inputs for the internal DAC that provide the
reference voltage for output regulation. These pins respond to
TTL logic thresholds. These pins are internally pulled high to
approximately 1.2V, by 40µA internal current sources. The
internal pull-up current decreases to 0 as the VID voltage
approaches the internal pull-up voltage. All VID pins are
compatible with external pull-up voltages not exceeding the
IC’s bias voltage (VCC).
VSEN and RGND
VSEN and RGND are inputs to the precision differential
remote-sense amplifier and should be connected to the sense
pins of the remote load.
VDIFF
VDIFF is the output of the differential remote-sense amplifier.
The voltage on this pin is equal to the difference between
VSEN and RGND.
FB and COMP
These pins are the internal error amplifier inverting input and
output respectively. The FB pin, COMP pin, and the VDIFF
pins are tied together through external R-C networks to
compensate the regulator.
DVC
A series resistor and capacitor can be connected from the
DVC pin to the FB pin to compensate and smooth dynamic
VID transitions.
IDROOP (ISL6333, ISL6333A Only)
GND
The IDROOP pin is the average channel-current sense
output. Connecting this pin directly to FB allows the
converter to incorporate output voltage droop proportional to
the output current. If voltage droop is not desired leave this
pin unconnected.
GND is the bias and reference ground for the IC.
IMON
EN
The IMON pin is the average channel-current sense output.
This pin is used as a load current indicator to monitor the
output load current.
This pin is the output of an internal LDO which powers
Channel 1 lower MOSFET driver. A quality 1.0µF ceramic
capacitor should be placed from this pin to ground.
This pin is a threshold-sensitive (approximately 0.86V) enable
input for the controllers. Held low, this pin disables controller
operation. Pulled high, the pin enables the controller for
operation.
FS
A resistor, RFS, tied from this pin to ground sets the channel
switching frequency of the controller. Refer to Equation 46
for proper resistor calculation.
The FS pin also determines whether the controllers operate
in the coupled inductor mode or the standard inductor mode
of operation. Tying the RFS resistor to ground will set the
controllers to operate in standard inductor mode. Tying the
RFS resistor to VCC sets the controllers to operate in
coupled inductor mode.
16
APA
This is the Adaptive Phase Alignment set pin. A 100µA
current flows into the APA pin and by tying a resistor from
this pin to COMP the trip level for the Adaptive Phase
Alignment circuitry can be set.
REF
The REF input pin is the positive input of the error amplifier. It is
internally connected to the DAC output through a 1kΩ resistor.
A capacitor is used between the REF pin and ground to smooth
the voltage transition during soft-start and Dynamic VID
transitions. This pin can also be bypassed to RGND if desired.
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
RSET
Connect this pin to VCC through a resistor to set the effective
value of the internal RISEN current sense resistors. It is
recommended a 0.1µF ceramic capacitor be placed in
parallel with this resistor for noise immunization.
OFS
The OFS pin provides a means to program a DC current for
generating an offset voltage across the resistor between FB
and VSEN. 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 OFS pin should be left unconnected.
ISEN1-, ISEN1+, ISEN2-, ISEN2+, ISEN3-, and
ISEN3+
These pins are used for differentially sensing the
corresponding channel output currents. The sensed currents
are used for channel balancing, protection and load line
regulation.
Connect ISEN1-, ISEN2-, and ISEN3- to the node between
the RC sense elements surrounding the inductor of their
respective channel. Tie the ISEN+ pins to the VCORE side
of their corresponding channel’s sense capacitor.
Tying ISEN3- to VCC programs the part for two-phase
operation.
UGATE1, UGATE2, and UGATE3
Connect these pins to their corresponding upper MOSFET
gates through 1.8Ω resistors. These pins are used to control
the upper MOSFETs and are monitored for shoot-through
prevention purposes.
BOOT1, BOOT2, and BOOT3
These pins provide the bias voltage for the corresponding
upper MOSFET drives. Connect these pins to appropriately
chosen external bootstrap capacitors. Internal bootstrap
diodes connected to the PVCC pin provides the necessary
bootstrap charge.
PHASE1, PHASE2, and PHASE3
Connect these pins to the sources of the corresponding
upper MOSFETs. These pins are the return path for the
upper MOSFET drives.
LGATE1, LGATE2, and LGATE3
These pins are used to control the lower MOSFETs. Connect
these pins to the corresponding lower MOSFETs’ gates.
SS
A resistor, RSS, placed from SS to ground or VCC, will set
the soft-start ramp slope. Refer to Equations 20 and 21 for
proper resistor calculation.
On the ISL6333 and ISL6333B the SS pin also determines
what voltage level the internal LDO regulates the BYP1 pin
to when PSI# is low. Tying the RSS resistor to ground
17
regulates BYP1 to 5.75V. Tying the RSS resistor to VCC,
regulates BYP1 to 7.75V.
VR_RDY
VR_RDY indicates whether VDIFF is within specified
overvoltage and undervoltage limits after a fixed delay from
the end of soft-start. It is an open-drain logic output. If VDIFF
exceeds these limits, an overcurrent event occurs, or if the
part is disabled, VR_RDY is pulled low. VR_RDY is always
low prior to the end of soft-start.
PSI#
The PSI# pin is a digital logic input pin used to indicate
whether the controllers should be in a low power state of
operation or not. When PSI# is HIGH the controllers will run in
it’s normal power state. When PSI# is LOW the controllers will
change their operating state to improve light load efficiency.
The controllers resume normal operation when this pin is
pulled HIGH again.
CPURST_N (ISL6333B, ISL6333C Only)
The CPURST_N pin is a digital logic input pin used in
conjunction with the PSI# pin to indicate whether the
ISL6333B and ISL6333C should be in a lower power state of
operation or not. If CPURST_N is high, the operating state of
the controllers can be changed to improve light load efficiency
by setting PSI# low. If CPURST_N is low, the controllers
cannot be put into it’s light load operating state. Once
CPURST_N toggles high again, there is a 50ms delay before
the controllers are allowed to enter a low power state.
Operation
Multi-phase Power Conversion
Microprocessor load current profiles have changed to the
point that using single-phase regulators is no longer a viable
solution. Designing a regulator that is cost-effective, thermally
sound, and efficient has become a challenge that only multiphase converters can accomplish. The ISL6333 family of
controllers help simplify implementation by integrating vital
functions and requiring minimal external components. The
block diagrams provide a top level view of multi-phase power
conversion using the ISL6333 family of controllers.
Interleaving
The switching of each channel in a multi-phase converter is
timed to be symmetrically out-of-phase with each of the other
channels. In a 3-phase converter, each channel switches 1/3
cycle after the previous channel and 1/3 cycle before the
following channel. As a result, the three-phase converter has a
combined ripple frequency 3x 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.
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
capacitance. The example in Figure 2 illustrates input
currents from a three-phase converter combining to reduce
the total input ripple current.
.
IL1 + IL2 + IL3, 7A/DIV
The converter depicted in Figure 2 delivers 1.5V to a 36A 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
11.9ARMS input capacitor current. The single-phase converter
must use an input capacitor bank with twice the RMS current
capacity as the equivalent three-phase converter.
IL3, 7A/DIV
PWM3, 5V/DIV
IL2, 7A/DIV
PWM2, 5V/DIV
IL1, 7A/DIV
INPUT-CAPACITOR CURRENT, 10A/DIV
PWM1, 5V/DIV
1µs/DIV
FIGURE 1. PWM AND INDUCTOR-CURRENT WAVEFORMS
FOR 3-PHASE CONVERTER
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.
To understand the reduction of ripple current amplitude in the
multi-phase circuit, examine the equation representing an
individual channel peak-to-peak inductor current.
( V IN – V OUT ) ⋅ V OUT
I PP = --------------------------------------------------------L ⋅ fS ⋅ V
(EQ. 1)
IN
In Equation 1, VIN and VOUT are the input and output
voltages respectively, L is the single-channel inductor value,
and fS is the switching frequency.
The output capacitors conduct the ripple component of the
inductor current. In the case of multi-phase 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 ( PP ) = ------------------------------------------------------------------L ⋅ fS ⋅ 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. Multi-phase topologies can
improve overall system cost and size by lowering input ripple
current and allowing the designer to reduce the cost of input
18
CHANNEL 3
INPUT CURRENT
CHANNEL 2
INPUT CURRENT
CHANNEL 1
INPUT CURRENT
1µs/DIV
FIGURE 2. CHANNEL INPUT CURRENTS AND
INPUT-CAPACITOR RMS CURRENT FOR
3-PHASE CONVERTER
Active Pulse Positioning (APP) Modulated PWM
Operation
The controllers use a proprietary Active Pulse Positioning
(APP) modulation scheme to control the internal PWM
signals that command each channel’s driver to turn their
upper and lower MOSFETs on and off. The time interval in
which a PWM signal can occur is generated by an internal
clock, whose cycle time is the inverse of the switching
frequency set by the resistor connected to the FS pin. The
advantage of Intersil’s proprietary Active Pulse Positioning
(APP) modulator is that the PWM signal has the ability to
turn on at any point during this PWM time interval, and turn
off immediately after the PWM signal transitions high. This is
important because it allows the controllers to quickly
respond to output voltage drops associated with current load
spikes, while avoiding the ring back affects associated with
other modulation schemes.
The PWM output state is driven by the position of the error
amplifier output signal, VCOMP minus the current correction
signal relative to the proprietary modulator ramp waveform as
illustrated in Figure 4. At the beginning of each PWM time
interval, this modified VCOMP signal is compared to the
internal modulator waveform. As long as the modified VCOMP
voltage is lower then the modulator waveform voltage, the
PWM signal is commanded low. The internal MOSFET driver
detects the low state of the PWM signal and turns off the
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
upper MOSFET and turns on the lower synchronous
MOSFET. When the modified VCOMP voltage crosses the
modulator ramp, the PWM output transitions high, turning off
the synchronous MOSFET and turning on the upper
MOSFET. The PWM signal will remain high until the modified
VCOMP voltage crosses the modulator ramp again. When this
occurs the PWM signal will transition low again.
During each PWM time interval, the PWM signal can only
transition high once. Once PWM transitions high it cannot
transition high again until the beginning of the next PWM
time interval. This prevents the occurrence of double PWM
pulses occurring during a single period.
EXTERNAL CIRCUIT
ISL6333 INTERNAL CIRCUIT
APA
100µA
CAPA
RAPA
+
APA
VAPA,TRIP
+
LOW
PASS
FILTER
COMP
TO APA
CIRCUITRY
Number of Active Channels
The default number of active channels on the controllers is
three for 3-phase operation. If 2-phase operation is desired,
the ISEN3- pin should be tied to the VCC pin. This will
disable Channel 3, so only Channel 1 and 2 will fire. In
2-phase operation all of the Channel 3 pins should be left
unconnected including the PHASE3, LGATE3, UGATE3,
BOOT3, and ISEN3+ pins.
PSI# (Low Power State) Operation
The controllers are designed to operate in both their normal
power state for high efficiency at heavy loads, and a low
power state to increase the regulator’s light load efficiency.
The power state of the regulator is controlled by the PSI#
pin, which is a digital logic input. When this pin is set HIGH
the regulators will operate in their normal power state, with
all active channels firing in continuous conduction mode
(CCM). When the PSI# pin is set LOW the controllers
change their operating state to the low power state to
increase light load efficiency. The different controllers have
different low power operating states as described in Table 1
and the following sections.
TABLE 1. POWER STATE OPERATION DESCRIPTION
+
-
ERROR
AMPLIFIER
FIGURE 3. ADAPTIVE PHASE ALIGNMENT DETECTION
Adaptive Phase Alignment (APA)
To further improve the transient response, the controllers
also implement Intersil’s proprietary Adaptive Phase
Alignment (APA) technique, which turns on all of the
channels together at the same time during large current
step, high di/dt transient events. As Figure 3 shows, the APA
circuitry works by monitoring the voltage on the APA pin and
comparing it to a filtered copy of the voltage on the COMP
pin. The voltage on the APA pin is a copy of the COMP pin
voltage that has been negatively offset. If the APA pin
exceeds the filtered COMP pin voltage an APA event occurs
and all of the channels are forced on.
The APA trip level is the amount of DC offset between the
COMP pin and the APA pin. This is the voltage excursion
that the APA and COMP pin must have during a transient
event to activate the Adaptive Phase Alignment circuitry.
This APA trip level is set through a resistor, RAPA, that
connects from the APA pin to the COMP pin. A 100µA
current flows across RAPA into the APA pin to set the APA
trip level as described in Equation 3. An APA trip level of
500mV is recommended for most applications. A 1000pF
capacitor, CAPA, should also be placed across the RAPA
resistor to help with noise immunity.
V APA ( TRIP ) = R APA ⋅ 100 × 10
–6
19
(EQ. 3)
CONTROLLER
PSI#
PHASE
COUNT
CCM OR
DEM
GVOT
ISL6333,
ISL6333B
HIGH
3/2-phase
CCM
Yes
LOW
1-phase
DEM
Yes
ISL6333A,
ISL6333C
HIGH
3/2-phase
CCM
No
LOW
1-phase
CCM
No
It’s important to note that during soft-start and dynamic VID
transitions the PSI# pin is ignored and the controllers are
forced to run in their normal power state. The state of the
PSI# pin is considered again at the end of a successful
soft-start sequence or dynamic VID transition.
ISL6333, ISL6333B LOW POWER STATE
On the ISL6333 and ISL6333B, when the PSI# pin is set
LOW, the controllers change their operating state in multiple
ways. First, all active channels are turned off accept for
Channel 1. Channel 1 continues to operate but does so in
diode emulation mode (DEM). DEM only allows the upper and
lower MOSFETs to turn on to allow positive current to flow
through the output inductor. If the inductor current falls to 0A
during a switching cycle, both the lower and upper MOSFETs
are turned off to allow no negative current to build up in the
inductor. This helps to decrease the conduction losses of the
MOSFETs and the inductor at very low load currents.
When the ISL6333 and ISL6333B are operating in DEM, it’s
important for the controllers to know whether the output
inductors are standard inductors or coupled inductors. PWM
operation is optimized for use with coupled inductors by
minimizing switching losses and body-diode conduction
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
losses. The FS pin determines whether the controllers
operate in the coupled inductor mode or the standard
inductor mode of operation. Tying the FS pin resistor, RFS,
to ground will set the controllers to operate in standard
inductor mode. Tying the RFS resistor to VCC sets the
controllers to operate in coupled inductor mode.
When PSI# is set LOW, the ISL6333 and ISL6333B also
utilize the new Gate Voltage Optimization Technology
(GVOT) to reduce Channel 1 lower MOSFET gate drive
voltage. The controllers are designed to optimize the
Channel 1 lower MOSFET gate drive voltage to ensure high
efficiency in both normal and low power states. In the low
power state where the converter load current is low,
MOSFET driving loss is a higher percentage of the power
loss associated with the lower MOSFET. In low power state,
the lower gate drive voltage can therefore be reduced to
decrease the driving losses of the lower MOSFETs and
increase the system efficiency. More information about this
can be found in the “Gate Voltage Optimization Technology
(GVOT) (ISL6333, ISL6333B Only)” on page 27.
When the PSI# pin is set HIGH, the controllers will
immediately begin returning the regulator to it’s normal
power state, by turning on all the active channels, placing
them in CCM mode, and increasing the Channel 1 lower
gate drive voltage back to it’s original level.
In order to realize the thermal advantage, it is important that
each channel in a multi-phase converter be controlled to
carry equal amounts of current at any load level. To achieve
this, the currents through each channel must be sensed
continuously every switching cycle. The sensed currents,
ISEN, from each active channel are summed together and
divided by the number of active channels. The resulting
cycle average current, IAVG, provides a measure of the total
load-current demand on the converter during each switching
cycle. Channel current balance is achieved by comparing
the sensed current of each channel to the cycle average
current, and making the proper adjustment to each channel
pulse width based on the error. Intersil’s patented
current-balance method is illustrated in Figure 4, with error
correction for Channel 1 represented. In the figure, the cycle
average current, IAVG, is compared with the Channel 1
sensed current, ISEN1 , to create an error signal IER.
+
VCOMP
+
MODULATOR
RAMP
WAVEFORM
FILTER
PWM1
TO GATE
CONTROL
LOGIC
-
f(s)
IER
IAVG
-
÷N
Σ
+
ISEN3
ISEN2
ISL6333A, ISL6333C LOW POWER STATE
On the ISL6333A and ISL6333C, when the PSI# pin is set
LOW, the controllers change their operating state by turning
off all active channels accept for Channel 1. This is the only
change made to the regulator. Channel 1 continues to
operate in CCM just as it does in the normal power state.
When the PSI# pin is set HIGH, the controllers immediately
begin returning the regulator to it’s normal power state, by
turning on all the active channels.
ISEN1
NOTE: CHANNEL 3 IS OPTIONAL.
FIGURE 4. CHANNEL-1 PWM FUNCTION AND
CURRENT-BALANCE ADJUSTMENT
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.
CPURST_N Operation (ISL6333B, ISL6333C Only)
The ISL6333B and ISL6333C both include a CPURST_N pin
which can be utilized by microprocessors that have a
CPURST_N output. The CPURST_N pin is a digital input
used in conjunction with the PSI# pin to indicate whether the
controllers should be in a lower power state of operation or
not. If CPURST_N is HIGH, the operating state of the
controllers is controlled by the PSI# pin. If CPURST_N is
LOW, the controllers will only run in their normal power state
and cannot be put into their light load power state. Once
CPURST_N toggles HIGH again, there is a 50ms delay
before the controllers recognize the state of the PSI# pin.
Channel Current Balance
One important benefit of multi-phase operation is the thermal
advantage gained by distributing the dissipated heat over
multiple devices and greater area. By doing this the designer
avoids the complexity of driving parallel MOSFETs and the
expense of using expensive heat sinks and exotic magnetic
materials.
20
PWM
SWITCHING PERIOD
IL
ISEN
TIME
FIGURE 5. CONTINUOUS CURRENT SAMPLING
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
Continuous Current Sensing
In order to realize proper current-balance, the currents in
each channel are sensed continuously every switching
cycle. During this time the current-sense amplifier uses the
ISEN inputs to reproduce a signal proportional to the
inductor current, IL. This sensed current, ISEN, is simply a
scaled version of the inductor current.
The controllers support inductor DCR current sensing to
continuously sense each channel’s current for channel-current
balance. The internal circuitry, shown in Figure 6 represents
one channel of the controller. This circuitry is repeated for each
channel in the converter, but may not be active depending on
how many channels are operating.
VIN
I
UGATE
L
L
DCR
MOSFET
INDUCTOR
+
+
VL(s)
R1
In
COUT
VC(s)
-
LGATE
-
DRIVER
VOUT
+
-
VC(s)
RISEN
ISEN
(EQ. 6)
ISEN
The effective internal RISEN resistance is important to the
current sensing process because it sets the gain of the load
line regulation loop as well as the gain of the channel-current
balance loop and the overcurrent trip level. The effective
internal RISEN resistance is user programmable and is set
through use of the RSET pin. Placing a single resistor, RSET,
from the RSET pin to the VCC pin programs the effective
internal RISEN resistance according to Equation 7.
(EQ. 7)
The current sense circuitry operates in a very similar manner
for negative current feedback, where inductor current is
flowing from the output of the regulator to the PHASE node,
opposite of flow pictured in Figure 6. However, the range of
proper operation with negative current sensing is limited to
~60% of full positive current OCP threshold. Care should be
taken to avoid operation with negative current feedback
exceeding this threshold, as this may lead to momentary
loss of current balance between phases and disruption of
normal circuit operation.
SENSE
-
DCR
I SEN = I L ⋅ -----------------R
3
R ISEN = ---------- ⋅ R SET
400
C1
ISL6333 INTERNAL
CIRCUIT
+
The capacitor voltage VC, is then replicated across the
effective internal sense resistance, RISEN. This develops a
current through RISEN which is proportional to the inductor
current. This current, ISEN, is continuously sensed and is
then used by the controllers for load-line regulation,
channel-current balancing, and overcurrent detection and
limiting. Equation 6 shows that the proportion between the
channel-current, IL, and the sensed current, ISEN, is driven
by the value of the effective sense resistance, RISEN, and
the DCR of the inductor.
ISENISEN+
RSET
VCC
RSET
Output Voltage Setting
FIGURE 6. INDUCTOR DCR CURRENT SENSING
CONFIGURATION
Inductor windings have a characteristic distributed
resistance or DCR (Direct Current Resistance). For
simplicity, the inductor DCR is considered as a separate
lumped quantity, as shown in Figure 6. The channel current
IL, flowing through the inductor, passes through the DCR.
Equation 4 shows the S-domain equivalent voltage, VL,
across the inductor.
V L ( s ) = I L ⋅ ( s ⋅ L + DCR )
(EQ. 4)
A simple R-C network across the inductor (R1 and C)
extracts the DCR voltage, as shown in Figure 6. The voltage
across the sense capacitor, VC, can be shown to be
proportional to the channel current IL, shown in Equation 5.
s⋅L
⎛ ------------+ 1⎞
⎝ DCR
⎠
V C ( s ) = ----------------------------------------- ⋅ DCR ⋅ I L
( s ⋅ R1 ⋅ C1 + 1 )
(EQ. 5)
If the R1-C1 network components are selected such that their
time constant matches the inductor L/DCR time constant, then
VC is equal to the voltage drop across the DCR.
21
The controllers use a digital to analog converter (DAC) to
generate a reference voltage based on the logic signals at
the VID pins. The DAC decodes the logic signals into one of
the discrete voltages shown in Table 2. Each VID pin is
pulled up to an internal 1.2V voltage by a weak current
source (40µA), which decreases to 0A as the voltage at the
VID pin varies from 0 to the internal 1.2V pull-up voltage.
External pull-up resistors or active-high output stages can
augment the pull-up current sources, up to a voltage of 5V.
TABLE 2. VR11 VOLTAGE IDENTIFICATION CODES
VID7
VID6
VID5
VID4
VID3
VID2
VID1
VID0
VDAC
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
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
TABLE 2. VR11 VOLTAGE IDENTIFICATION CODES (Continued)
TABLE 2. VR11 VOLTAGE IDENTIFICATION CODES (Continued)
VID7
VID6
VID5
VID4
VID3
VID2
VID1
VID0
VDAC
VID7
VID6
VID5
VID4
VID3
VID2
VID1
VID0
VDAC
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1.56875
0
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
1.31875
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
1.56250
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
1.31250
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
1.55625
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
1
1.30625
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
1.55000
0
0
1
1
0
0
1
0
1.30000
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
1
1.54375
0
0
1
1
0
0
1
1
1.29375
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
1.53750
0
0
1
1
0
1
0
0
1.28750
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
1.53125
0
0
1
1
0
1
0
1
1.28125
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
1.52500
0
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
1.27500
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1.51875
0
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
1.26875
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1.51250
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
1.26250
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
1.50625
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
1.25625
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
1.50000
0
0
1
1
1
0
1
0
1.25000
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
1
1.49375
0
0
1
1
1
0
1
1
1.24375
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
1.48750
0
0
1
1
1
1
0
0
1.23750
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
1
1.48125
0
0
1
1
1
1
0
1
1.23125
0
0
0
1
0
1
1
0
1.47500
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
0
1.22500
0
0
0
1
0
1
1
1
1.46875
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1.21875
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
1.46250
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1.21250
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
1
1.45625
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
1.20625
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
0
1.45000
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
1.20000
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
1
1.44375
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
1.19375
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
1.43750
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
1.18750
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
1
1.43125
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
1
1.18125
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
0
1.42500
0
1
0
0
0
1
1
0
1.17500
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1.41875
0
1
0
0
0
1
1
1
1.16875
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1.41250
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
1.16250
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
1.40625
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
1
1.15625
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
1.40000
0
1
0
0
1
0
1
0
1.15000
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
1
1.39375
0
1
0
0
1
0
1
1
1.14375
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
1.38750
0
1
0
0
1
1
0
0
1.13750
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
1
1.38125
0
1
0
0
1
1
0
1
1.13125
0
0
1
0
0
1
1
0
1.37500
0
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
1.12500
0
0
1
0
0
1
1
1
1.36875
0
1
0
0
1
1
1
1
1.11875
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
1.36250
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
1.11250
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
1
1.35625
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
1
1.10625
0
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1.35000
0
1
0
1
0
0
1
0
1.10000
0
0
1
0
1
0
1
1
1.34375
0
1
0
1
0
0
1
1
1.09375
0
0
1
0
1
1
0
0
1.33750
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
0
1.08750
0
0
1
0
1
1
0
1
1.33125
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
1.08125
0
0
1
0
1
1
1
0
1.32500
0
1
0
1
0
1
1
0
1.07500
22
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
TABLE 2. VR11 VOLTAGE IDENTIFICATION CODES (Continued)
TABLE 2. VR11 VOLTAGE IDENTIFICATION CODES (Continued)
VID7
VID6
VID5
VID4
VID3
VID2
VID1
VID0
VDAC
VID7
VID6
VID5
VID4
VID3
VID2
VID1
VID0
VDAC
0
1
0
1
0
1
1
1
1.06875
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0.81875
0
1
0
1
1
0
0
0
1.06250
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0.81250
0
1
0
1
1
0
0
1
1.05625
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0.80625
0
1
0
1
1
0
1
0
1.05000
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0.80000
0
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
1.04375
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
0.79375
0
1
0
1
1
1
0
0
1.03750
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0.78750
0
1
0
1
1
1
0
1
1.03125
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0.78125
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
0
1.02500
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0.77500
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1.01875
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
0.76875
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
1.01250
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0.76250
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
1
1.00625
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
0.75625
0
1
1
0
0
0
1
0
1.00000
1
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
0.75000
0
1
1
0
0
0
1
1
0.99375
1
0
0
0
1
0
1
1
0.74375
0
1
1
0
0
1
0
0
0.98750
1
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0.73750
0
1
1
0
0
1
0
1
0.98125
1
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
0.73125
0
1
1
0
0
1
1
0
0.97500
1
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
0.72500
0
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
0.96875
1
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
0.71875
0
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
0.96250
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0.71250
0
1
1
0
1
0
0
1
0.95625
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
0.70625
0
1
1
0
1
0
1
0
0.95000
1
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0.70000
0
1
1
0
1
0
1
1
0.94375
1
0
0
1
0
0
1
1
0.69375
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
0
0.93750
1
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0.68750
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
1
0.93125
1
0
0
1
0
1
0
1
0.68125
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
0
0.92500
1
0
0
1
0
1
1
0
0.67500
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
0.91875
1
0
0
1
0
1
1
1
0.66875
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0.91250
1
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0.66250
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
1
0.90625
1
0
0
1
1
0
0
1
0.65625
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
0
0.90000
1
0
0
1
1
0
1
0
0.65000
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
0.89375
1
0
0
1
1
0
1
1
0.64375
0
1
1
1
0
1
0
0
0.88750
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
0.63750
0
1
1
1
0
1
0
1
0.88125
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
1
0.63125
0
1
1
1
0
1
1
0
0.87500
1
0
0
1
1
1
1
0
0.62500
0
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
0.86875
1
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
0.61875
0
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0.86250
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0.61250
0
1
1
1
1
0
0
1
0.85625
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
0.60625
0
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
0.85000
1
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0.60000
0
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
0.84375
1
0
1
0
0
0
1
1
0.59375
0
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
0.83750
1
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0.58750
0
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
0.83125
1
0
1
0
0
1
0
1
0.58125
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0.82500
1
0
1
0
0
1
1
0
0.57500
23
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
TABLE 2. VR11 VOLTAGE IDENTIFICATION CODES (Continued)
VID7
VID6
VID5
VID4
VID3
VID2
VID1
VID0
VDAC
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
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
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.
EXTERNAL CIRCUIT
ISL6333 INTERNAL CIRCUIT
COMP
VID DAC
CC
REF
1k
RC
CREF
FB
RFB
The integrating compensation network shown in Figure 7,
insures that the steady-state error in the output voltage is
limited only to the error in the reference voltage (output of
the DAC) and offset errors in the OFS current source,
remote-sense and error amplifiers. Intersil specifies the
guaranteed tolerance of the controllers to include the
combined tolerances of each of these elements.
The output of the error amplifier, VCOMP, is compared to the
modulator waveform to generate the PWM signals. The
PWM signals control the timing of the Internal MOSFET
drivers and regulate the converter output so that the voltage
at FB is equal to the voltage at REF. This will regulate the
output voltage to be equal to Equation 8. The internal and
external circuitry that controls voltage regulation is illustrated
in Figure 7.
V OUT = V REF – V OFS – V DROOP
(EQ. 8)
The controllers incorporate 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 controller ground reference
point resulting in a more accurate means of sensing output
voltage. Connect the microprocessor sense pins to the
non-inverting input, VSEN, and inverting input, RGND, of the
remote-sense amplifier. The remote sense output, VDIFF, is
connected to the inverting input of the error amplifier through
an external resistor.
Load Line (Droop) 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,
24
+
-
VCOMP
IOFS
IDROOP
Voltage Regulation
ERROR
AMPLIFIER
IAVG
+
(VDROOP + VOFS)
VDIFF
VOUT+
VOUT-
VSEN
+
RGND
DIFFERENTIAL
REMOTE-SENSE
AMPLIFIER
FIGURE 7. OUTPUT VOLTAGE AND LOAD-LINE
REGULATION WITH OFFSET ADJUSTMENT
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 7, a current proportional to the average
current of all active channels, IAVG, flows from the IDROOP pin
through a load line regulation resistor RFB. The resulting
voltage drop across RFB is proportional to the output current,
effectively creating an output voltage droop with a steady-state
value defined as Equation 9:
V DROOP = I AVG ⋅ R FB
(EQ. 9)
The regulated output voltage is reduced by the droop voltage
VDROOP. The output voltage as a function of load current is
derived by combining Equations 6, 7, 8, and 9.
⎛ I OUT DCR 400
⎞
V OUT = V REF – V OFS – ⎜ ------------- ⋅ --------------- ⋅ ---------- ⋅ R FB⎟
R SET 3
⎝ N
⎠
(EQ. 10)
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
In Equation 10, VREF is the reference voltage, VOFS is the
programmed offset voltage, IOUT is the total output current of
the converter, RISEN is the internal sense resistor connected
to the ISEN+ pin, RFB is the feedback resistor, N is the active
number of channels, and DCR is the Inductor DCR value.
VDIFF
VOFS
+
IOFS
VCC
The controllers allow the designer to accurately adjust the
offset voltage by connecting a resistor, ROFS, from the OFS
pin to VCC or GND. When ROFS is connected between OFS
and VCC, the voltage across it is regulated to 1.6V. This
causes a proportional current (IOFS) to flow into the OFS pin
and out of the FB pin, providing a negative offset. If ROFS is
connected to ground, the voltage across it is regulated to
0.3V, and IOFS flows into the FB pin and out of the OFS pin,
providing a positive offset. The offset current flowing through
the resistor between VSEN and FB will generate the desired
offset voltage which is equal to the product (IOFS x RFB).
These functions are shown in Figures 8 and 9.
VDIFF
ISL6333 INTERNAL CIRCUIT
RFB
FB
(EQ. 11)
Output-Voltage Offset Programming
+
VOFS
-
VREF
E/A
Therefore the equivalent loadline impedance, i.e. droop
impedance, is equal to Equation 11:
R FB DCR 400
R LL = ------------ ⋅ --------------- ⋅ ---------N
R SET 3
ISL6333 INTERNAL CIRCUIT
RFB
VREF
E/A
FB
IOFS
-
OFS
-
1.6V
+
+
0.3V
ROFS
GND
GND
VCC
FIGURE 8. POSITIVE OFFSET OUTPUT VOLTAGE
PROGRAMMING
For Negative Offset (connect ROFS to VCC):
(EQ. 12)
For Positive Offset (connect ROFS to GND):
0.3 ⋅ R FB
R OFS = -------------------------V OFFSET
OFS
-
1.6V
+
+
0.3V
GND
VCC
FIGURE 9. NEGATIVE OFFSET OUTPUT VOLTAGE
PROGRAMMING
Dynamic VID
Modern microprocessors need to make changes to their core
voltage as part of normal operation. They direct the controllers
to do this by making changes to the VID inputs. The
controllers are required to monitor the DAC inputs and
respond to on-the-fly VID changes in a controlled manner,
supervising a safe output voltage transition without
discontinuity or disruption.
The controllers check for VID changes by comparing the
internal DAC code to the VID pin inputs on the positive edge
of an internal 5.55MHz clock. If a new code is established on
the VID inputs and it remains stable for 3 consecutive
readings (360ns to 540ns), the controllers recognize the new
code and begins incrementing/decrementing the DAC in
6.25mV steps at a stepping frequency of 1.85MHz. This
controlled slew rate of 6.25mV/540ns (11.6mV/µs) continues
until the VID input and DAC are equal. Thus, the total time
required for a VID change, tDVID, is dependent only on the size
of the VID change (ΔVVID).
The time required for a ISL6333-based converter to make a
1.6V to 0.5V reference voltage change is about 95µs, as
calculated using Equation 14.
t DVID = 540 ⋅ 10
Once the desired output offset voltage has been determined,
use Equations 12 and 13 to set ROFS:
1.6 ⋅ R FB
R OFS = -------------------------V OFFSET
-
ROFS
– 9 ⎛ ΔV VID ⎞
⋅ ---------------------
⎝ 0.00625⎠
(EQ. 14)
VID “Off” DAC Codes
The Intel VR11 VID tables include “Off” DAC codes, which
indicate to the controllers to disable all regulation. Recognition
of these codes is slightly different in that they must be stable for
4 consecutive readings of a 5.55MHz clock (540ns to 720ns)
to be recognized. Once an “Off” code is recognized the
controllers latch off, and must be reset by toggling the EN pin.
(EQ. 13)
25
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
Driver Operation
Compensating Dynamic VID Transitions
During a VID transition, the resulting change in voltage on the
FB pin and the COMP pin causes an AC current to flow through
the error amplifier compensation components from the FB to
the COMP pin. This current then flows through the feedback
resistor, RFB, and can cause the output voltage to overshoot or
undershoot at the end of the VID transition. In order to ensure
the smooth transition of the output voltage during a VID
change, a VID-on-the-fly compensation network is required.
This network is composed of a resistor and capacitor in series,
RDVC and CDVC, between the DVC and the FB pin.
This VID-on-the-fly compensation network works by
sourcing AC current into the FB node to offset the effects of
the AC current flowing from the FB to the COMP pin during a
VID transition. To create this compensation current the
controllers set the voltage on the DVC pin to be 2x the
voltage on the REF pin. Since the error amplifier forces the
voltage on the FB pin and the REF pin to be equal, the
resulting voltage across the series RC between DVC and FB
is equal to the REF pin voltage. The RC compensation
components, RDVC and CDVC, can then be selected to
create the desired amount of compensation current.
IDVC = IC
IC
IDVC
CC
CDVC
DVC
COMP
FB
+
CREF
VDAC
ERROR
AMPLIFIER
ISL6333 INTERNAL CIRCUIT
FIGURE 10. DYNAMIC VID COMPENSATION NETWORK
The amount of compensation current required is dependant on
the modulator gain of the system, K1, and the error amplifier RC components, RC and CC, that are in series between the FB
and COMP pins. Use Equations 15, 16, and 17 to calculate the
RC component values, RDVC and CDVC, for the VID-on-the-fly
compensation network. For these equations: VIN is the input
voltage for the power train; VP-P is the oscillator ramp
amplitude (1.5V); and RC and CC are the error amplifier R-C
components between the FB and COMP pins.
V IN
K1 = ----------V PP
K1
A = ----------------K1 – 1
During turn-off of the lower MOSFET, the LGATE voltage is
monitored until it reaches 1.75V. At this time the UGATE is
released to rise. Once the PHASE is high, the advanced
adaptive shoot-through circuitry monitors the PHASE and
UGATE voltages during a PWM falling edge and the
subsequent UGATE turn-off. If either the UGATE falls to less
than 1.75V above the PHASE or the PHASE falls to less than
+0.8V, the LGATE is released to turn on.
Internal Bootstrap Device
All three integrated drivers feature an internal bootstrap
schottky diode. Simply adding an external capacitor across
the BOOT and PHASE pins completes the bootstrap circuit.
The bootstrap function is also designed to prevent the
bootstrap capacitor from overcharging due to the large
negative swing at the PHASE node. This reduces voltage
stress on the boot to phase pins.
The bootstrap capacitor should have a maximum voltage
rating that’s at least 30% above PVCC and its capacitance
value can be chosen from Equation 18:
Q GATE
C BOOT_CAP ≥ -------------------------------------ΔV BOOT_CAP
-
x2
REF
RC
RDVC
The integrated drivers incorporate an adaptive deadtime control
technique to minimize deadtime and to prevent the upper and
lower MOSFETs from conducting simultaneously. This results
in high efficiency from the reduced freewheeling time of the
lower MOSFET body-diode conduction. This is accomplished
by ensuring either rising gate turns on its MOSFET with
minimum and sufficient delay after the other has turned off.
(EQ. 15)
(EQ. 18)
Q G1 ⋅ PVCC
Q GATE = ---------------------------------- ⋅ N Q1
V GS1
where QG1 is the amount of gate charge per upper MOSFET
at VGS1 gate-source voltage and NQ1 is the number of
control MOSFETs. The ΔVBOOT_CAP term is defined as the
allowable droop in the rail of the upper gate drive.
1.6
1.4
1.2
CBOOT_CAP (µF)
RFB
VDIFF
Adaptive Zero Shoot-Through Deadtime Control
1.0
0.8
0.6
QGATE = 100nC
0.4
50nC
R DVC = A × R C
CC
C DVC = -------A
(EQ. 16)
0.2
(EQ. 17)
0.0
0.0
20nC
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1.0
ΔVBOOT_CAP (V)
FIGURE 11. BOOTSTRAP CAPACITANCE vs BOOT RIPPLE
VOLTAGE
26
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
.
12.0
+40°C THERMAL
ISL6333, ISL6333B INTERNAL CIRCUIT
PVCC1
+12V
GVOT
REG.
1.0µF
SET BY STATE
OF PSI# AND
SS PINS
BYP1
LVCC1
1.0µF
11.8
BYP1, LVCC1 VOLTAGE (V)
EXTERNAL CIRCUIT
11.6
11.4
11.2
11.0
10.8
10.6
PVCC2_3
LVCC2, LVCC3
+12V
10.4
1.0µF
+5V TO
+12V
1.0µF
LVCC = LOWER GATE DRIVE
UVCC = UPPER GATE DRIVE
This gate drive voltage optimization is accomplished by an
internal linear regulator that regulates the Channel 1 lower
gate drive voltage, LVCC1, to certain levels depending on
the state of the PSI# and SS pins. The input and output of
this internal regulator is the PVCC1 pin and BYP1 pin,
respectively. The regulator input, PVCC1, should be
connected to a +12V source and decoupled with a quality
1.0µF ceramic capacitor. The regulator output, BYP1, is
internally connected to the lower gate drive of the Channel 1
MOSFET driver, LVCC1. The BYP1 pin should also be
decoupled using a quality 1.0µF ceramic capacitor.
27
100
120
+40°C THERMAL
8.0
BYP1, LVCC1 VOLTAGE (V)
The ISL6333 and ISL6333B are designed to optimize the
Channel 1 lower MOSFET gate drive voltage to ensure high
efficiency in both normal and low power states. In the normal
power state when the converter load current is high, the
conduction losses of the lower MOSFETs play a large role in
the overall system efficiency. In normal power state, the
lower gate drive voltage should be higher to decrease the
conduction losses of the lower MOSFETs and increase the
system efficiency. In the low power state, where the
converter load current is significantly smaller, MOSFET
driving loss becomes a much higher percentage of power
loss associated with the lower MOSFET. In low power state,
the lower gate drive voltage can therefore be reduced to
decrease the driving losses of the lower MOSFETs and
increase the system efficiency.
40
60
80
AVERAGE LOAD CURRENT (mA)
8.5
FIGURE 12. INTERNAL GATE DRIVE CONNECTIONS AND
GAVE VOLTAGE OPTIMIZATION (GVOT)
Gate Voltage Optimization Technology (GVOT)
(ISL6333, ISL6333B Only)
20
FIGURE 13. BYP1, LVCC1 VOLTAGE WHEN PSI# IS HIGH
UVCC1, UVCC2,
UVCC3
PUVCC
0
RSS TIED TO VCC
7.5
7.0
6.5
6.0
RSS TIED TO GND
5.5
5.0
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
AVERAGE LOAD CURRENT (mA)
FIGURE 14. BYP1, LVCC1 VOLTAGE WHEN PSI# IS LOW
As Figures 13 and 14 illustrate, the internal regulator has
been designed so that its output voltage, BYP1, is dependent
upon the average load current. In the normal power state,
when PSI# is high, the ISL6333 and ISL6333B regulate BYP1
to around 11.2V at a 50mA average load current. In the low
power state, when PSI# is low, BYP1 is regulated down to one
of two voltages depending on the state of the SS pin. If the SS
pin is tied to ground through the RSS resistor, BYP1 is
regulated down to 5.75V at a 50mA average load current. If
the SS pin is tied to VCC through the RSS resistor, BYP1 is
regulated down to 7.75V at a 50mA average load current.
It is possible to disable the internal GVOT regulator by shorting
the PVCC1 pin to the BYP1 pin. This essentially bypasses the
internal regulator setting the Channel 1 lower gate drive
voltage, LVCC1, to the voltage input on the PVCC1 pin.
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
Upper MOSFET Gate Drive Voltage Versatility
The controllers provide the user flexibility in choosing the
upper MOSFET gate drive voltage for efficiency
optimization. The controllers tie all the upper gate drive rails
together to the PUVCC pin. Simply applying a voltage from
+5V up to +12V on PUVCC sets all of the upper gate drive
rail voltages simultaneously.
Initialization
Prior to initialization, proper conditions must exist on the EN,
VCC, PVCC1, PVCC2_3, PUVCC, BYP1 and VID pins. When
the conditions are met, the controllers begin soft-start. Once
the output voltage is within the proper window of operation,
the controllers assert VR_RDY.
ISL6333 INTERNAL CIRCUIT
VCC
PVCC1
PVCC2_3
3. The driver bias voltage applied at the PVCC1, PVCC2_3,
PVCC2, PVCC3, PUVCC, and BYP1 pins must reach the
internal power-on reset (POR) rising threshold.
Hysteresis between the rising and falling thresholds
assure that once enabled, the controllers will not
inadvertently turn off unless the bias voltages drops
substantially (see “Electrical Specifications” on page 13).
Once all of these conditions are met the controllers will begin
the soft-start sequence and will ramp the output voltage up
as described in “Soft-Start” on page 28.
Soft-Start
The soft-start function allows the converter to bring up the
output voltage in a controlled fashion, resulting in a linear
ramp-up. The soft-start sequence is composed of four
periods, as shown in Figure 16. Once the controllers are
released from shutdown and soft-start begins (as described
in “Enable and Disable” on page 28), there will be a fixed
delay period, td1, of typically 1.10ms. After this delay period,
the controllers will begin the first soft-start ramp, increasing
the output voltage until it reaches the 1.1V VBOOT voltage.
PUVCC
BYP1
ENABLE
COMPARATOR
POR
CIRCUIT
VOUT, 500mV/DIV
EN
+
-
0.86V
td1
td2
td3
td4
td5
EN
SOFT-START
AND
FAULT LOGIC
FIGURE 15. POWER SEQUENCING USING
THRESHOLD-SENSITIVE ENABLE (EN)
FUNCTION
Enable and Disable
While in shutdown mode, the LGATE and UGATE signals
are held low to assure the MOSFETs remain off. The
following input conditions must be met before the controllers
are released from shutdown mode to begin the soft-start
startup sequence:
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 controllers are guaranteed. Hysteresis between the
rising and falling thresholds assure that once enabled,
the controllers will not inadvertently turn off unless the
bias voltage drops substantially (see “Electrical
Specifications” on page 13).
2. The voltage on EN must be above 0.86V. The enable
comparator holds the controllers in shutdown until the
voltage at EN rises above 0.86V. The enable comparator
has 104mV of hysteresis to prevent bounce.
28
VR_RDY
500µs/DIV
FIGURE 16. SOFT-START WAVEFORMS
The controllers will then regulate the output voltage at 1.1V
for another fixed delay period, td3, of typically 93µs. At the
end of the td3 period, the controllers will read the VID
signals. It is recommended that the VID codes be set no
later then 50µs into period td3. If the VID code is valid, the
controllers will initiate the second soft-start ramp, regulating
the output voltage up to the VID voltage ± any offset or droop
voltage.
The soft-start time is the sum of the 4 periods as shown in
Equation 19.
t SS = t d1 + t d2 + t d3 + t d4
(EQ. 19)
During td2 and td4, the controllers digitally control 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 on the SS pin. The soft-start
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
ramp times, td2 and td4, can be calculated based on
Equations 20 and 21:
t d2 = 1.1 ⋅ R SS ⋅ 8 ⋅ 10
–3
( μs )
t d4 = V VID – 1.1 ⋅ R SS ⋅ 8 ⋅ 10
(EQ. 20)
–3
voltage within the proper levels, and whether any fault
conditions exist. This pin should be tied through a resistor to
a voltage source that’s equal to or less then VCC.
(EQ. 21)
( μs )
IAVG
For example, when VID is set to 1.5V and the RSS is set at
100kΩ, the first soft-start ramp time td2 will be 880µs and the
second soft-start ramp time td4 will be 320µs.
+
OCL
-
+
OCP
-
100µA
I1
140µA
REPEAT FOR
EACH CHANNEL
After the DAC voltage reaches the final VID setting, VR_RDY
will be set to high with the fixed delay td5. The typical value for
td5 is 93µs.
DAC
+
OCP
-
+175mV
OUTPUT PRECHARGED
ABOVE DAC LEVEL
IMON
VOCP
SOFT-START, FAULT
AND CONTROL LOGIC
1.280V
OUTPUT PRECHARGED
BELOW DAC LEVEL
OVP
GND>
+
VOUT (0.5V/DIV)
VR_RDY
VDIFF
GND>
EN (5V/DIV)
t1 t2
UV
0.50xDAC
+
t3
ISL6333 INTERNAL CIRCUITRY
FIGURE 17. SOFT-START WAVEFORMS FOR ISL6333-BASED
MULTI-PHASE CONVERTER
Pre-Biased Soft-Start
The controllers also have the ability to start up into a
pre-charged output, without causing any unnecessary
disturbance. The FB pin is monitored during soft-start, and
should it be higher than the equivalent internal ramping
reference voltage, the output drives hold both MOSFETs off.
Once the internal ramping reference exceeds the FB pin
potential, the output drives are enabled, allowing the output to
ramp from the pre-charged level to the final level dictated by
the DAC setting. Should the output be pre-charged to a level
exceeding the DAC setting, the output drives are enabled at
the end of the soft-start period, leading to an abrupt correction
in the output voltage down to the DAC-set level.
FIGURE 18. POWER GOOD AND PROTECTION CIRCUITRY
VR_RDY indicates whether VDIFF is within specified
overvoltage and undervoltage limits after a fixed delay from the
end of soft-start. VR_RDY transitions low when an
undervoltage, overvoltage, or overcurrent condition is detected
or when the controllers are disabled by a reset from EN, POR,
or one of the no-CPU VID codes. In the event of an overvoltage
or overcurrent condition, or a no-CPU VID code, the controllers
latch off and VR_RDY will not return high until EN is toggled
and a successful soft-start is completed. In the case of an
undervoltage event, VR_RDY will return high when the output
voltage rises above the undervoltage hysteresis level. VR_RDY
is always low prior to the end of soft-start.
Overvoltage Protection
Fault Monitoring and Protection
The controllers actively monitor the output voltage and current
to detect fault conditions. Fault monitors trigger protective
measures to prevent damage to a microprocessor load. One
common VR_RDY indicator is provided for linking to external
system monitors. The schematic in Figure 18 outlines the
interaction between the fault monitors and the VR_RDY signal.
The controllers constantly monitor the difference between the
VSEN and RGND voltages to detect if an overvoltage event
occurs. During soft-start, while the DAC is ramping up, the
overvoltage trip level is the higher of a fixed voltage 1.280V or
DAC + 175mV. Upon successful soft-start, the overvoltage trip
level is only DAC + 175mV. When the output voltage rises
above the OVP trip level actions are taken by the controllers to
protect the microprocessor load.
VR_RDY Signal
The VR_RDY pin is an open-drain logic output that signals
whether or not the controllers are regulating the output
29
At the inception of an overvoltage event, LGATE1, LGATE2,
and LGATE3 are commanded high and the VR_RDY signal
is driven low. This turns on the all of the lower MOSFETs and
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
pulls the output voltage below a level that might cause
damage to the load. The LGATE outputs remain high until
VDIFF falls 110mV below the OVP threshold that tripped the
overvoltage protection circuitry. The controllers will continue
to protect the load in this fashion as long as the overvoltage
condition recurs. Once an overvoltage condition ends the
controllers latch off, and must be reset by toggling EN, or
through POR, before a soft-start can be reinitiated.
There is an OVP condition that exists that will not latch off the
controllers. During a soft-start sequence, if the VDIFF voltage is
above the OVP threshold an overvoltage event will occur, but
will be released once VDIFF falls 110mV below the OVP
threshold. If VDIFF then rises above the OVP trip threshold a
second time, the controllers will be latched off and cannot be
restarted until the controllers are reset.
Pre-POR Overvoltage Protection
Prior to the controller and driver bias pins exceeding their
POR levels, the controllers are designed to protect the load
from any overvoltage events that may occur. This is
accomplished by means of an internal 10kΩ resistor tied from
PHASE to LGATE, which turns on the lower MOSFET to
control the output voltage until the overvoltage event ceases
or the input power supply cuts off. For complete protection,
the low side MOSFET should have a gate threshold well
below the maximum voltage rating of the load/microprocessor.
In the event that during normal operation the controller or
driver bias voltages fall back below their POR threshold, the
pre-POR overvoltage protection circuitry reactivates to
protect from any more pre-POR overvoltage events.
Undervoltage Detection
The undervoltage threshold is set at DAC*0.50V of the VID
code. When the output voltage (VDIFF) is below the
undervoltage threshold, VR_RDY gets pulled low. No other
action is taken by the controllers. VR_RDY will return high if
the output voltage rises above DAC*0.60V.
Open Sense Line Prevention
In the case that either of the remote sense lines, VSEN or
GND, become open, the controllers are designed to prevent
the regulator from regulating. This is accomplished by
means of a small 5µA pull-up current on VSEN, and a
pull-down current on RGND. If the sense lines are opened at
any time, the voltage difference between VSEN and RGND
will increase until an overvoltage event occurs, at which
point overvoltage protection activates and the controllers
stop regulating. The controllers will be latched off and cannot
be restarted until they are reset.
30
Overcurrent Protection
The controllers take advantage of the proportionality
between the load current and the average current, IAVG, to
detect an overcurrent condition. Two different methods of
detecting overcurrent events are available on the controllers.
The first method continually compares the average sense
current with a constant 100µA OCP reference current, as
shown in Figure 18. Once the average sense current
exceeds the OCP reference current, a comparator triggers
the converter to begin overcurrent protection procedures.
For this first method the overcurrent trip threshold is dictated
by the DCR of the inductors, the number of active channels,
and the RSET pin resistor, RSET. To calculate the overcurrent
trip level, IOCP, using this method use Equation 22, where N is
the number of active channels, DCR is the individual
inductor’s DCR, and RSET is the RSET pin resistor value.
–6
100 ⋅ 10 ⋅ R SET ⋅ N ⋅ 3
I OCP = --------------------------------------------------------------DCR ⋅ 400
(EQ. 22)
During VID-on-the-fly transitions the overcurrent trip level for
this method is boosted to prevent false overcurrent trip
events that can occur. Starting from the beginning of a
dynamic VID transition, the overcurrent trip level is boosted
to 140µA. The OCP level will stay at this boosted level until
50µs after the end of the dynamic VID transition, at which
point it will return to the typical 100µA trip level.
The second method for detecting overcurrent events
continuously compares the voltage on the IMON pin, VIMON,
to the overcurrent protection voltage, VOCP, as shown in
Figure 18. The average channel sense current flows out the
IMON pin and through RIMON, creating the IMON pin
voltage which is proportional to the output current. When the
IMON pin voltage exceeds the VOCP voltage threshold, the
overcurrent protection circuitry activates. Since the IMON pin
voltage is proportional to the output current, the overcurrent
trip level, IOCP, can be set by selecting the proper value for
RIMON, as shown in Equation 23.
3 ⋅ V OCP ⋅ R SET ⋅ N
I OCP = ----------------------------------------------------DCR ⋅ R IOUT ⋅ 400
(EQ. 23)
Once the output current exceeds the overcurrent trip level,
VIMON will exceed VOCP and a comparator will trigger the
converter to begin overcurrent protection procedures.
At the beginning of an overcurrent shutdown, the controllers
turn off both upper and lower MOSFETs and lowers
VR_RDY. The controllers will then attempt to soft-start after a
delay of typically 8xTD1. If the overcurrent fault remains, the
trip-retry cycles will continue until either the 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.
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
OUTPUT CURRENT, 50A/DIV
0A
OUTPUT VOLTAGE,
500mV/DIV
board, whether through-hole components are permitted, the
total board space available for power-supply circuitry, and
the maximum amount of load current. Generally speaking,
the most economical solutions are those in which each
phase handles between 25A and 30A. 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
0V
FIGURE 19. OVERCURRENT BEHAVIOR IN HICCUP MODE
Individual Channel Overcurrent Limiting
The controllers have the ability to limit the current in each
individual channel without shutting down the entire regulator.
This is accomplished by continuously comparing the sensed
currents of each channel with a constant 140µA OCL
reference current, as shown in Figure 18. If a channel’s
individual sensed current exceeds this OCL limit, the UGATE
signal of that channel is immediately forced low, and the
LGATE signal is forced high. This turns off the upper
MOSFET(s), turns on the lower MOSFET(s), and stops the
rise of current in that channel, forcing the current in the
channel to decrease. That channel’s UGATE signal will not
be able to return high until the sensed channel current falls
back below the 140µA reference.
During VID-on-the-fly transitions the OCL trip level is
boosted to prevent false overcurrent limiting events that can
occur. Starting from the beginning of a dynamic VID
transition, the overcurrent trip level is boosted to 196µA. The
OCL level will stay at this boosted level until 50µs after the
end of the dynamic VID transition, at which point it will return
to the typical 140µA trip level.
MOSFETs General Design Guide
This design guide is intended to provide a high-level
explanation of the steps necessary to create a multi-phase
power converter. It is assumed that the reader is familiar with
many of the basic skills and techniques referenced in the
following. In addition to this guide, Intersil provides complete
reference designs that include schematics, bills of materials,
and example board layouts for all common microprocessor
applications.
Power Stages
The first step in designing a multi-phase 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
31
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 power loss in the lower MOSFET is
simple, since virtually all of the loss in the lower MOSFET is
due to current conducted through the channel resistance
(rDS(ON)). In Equation 24, IM is the maximum continuous
output current, IP-P is the peak-to-peak inductor current (see
Equation 1), and d is the duty cycle (VOUT/VIN).
I L ( P-P )2⋅ ( 1 – d )
⎛ I M⎞ 2
P LOW ( 1 ) = r DS ( ON ) ⋅ ⎜ -----⎟ ⋅ ( 1 – d ) + ---------------------------------------12
⎝ N⎠
(EQ. 24)
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,
fS, and the length of dead times, td1 and td2, at the beginning
and the end of the lower-MOSFET conduction interval
respectively.
⎛I
⎞
⎛ IM I
⎞
⎟
M I----------P LOW ( 2 ) = V D ( ON ) ⋅ f S ⋅ ⎜ -----P-P⎟ ⋅ t
+ ⎜ -----+ ----------– P-P⎟ ⋅ t d2
2 ⎠
⎝N
2 ⎠ d1 ⎜⎝ N
(EQ. 25)
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 upper-MOSFET switching times,
the lower-MOSFET body-diode reverse-recovery charge, Qrr,
and the upper MOSFET rDS(ON) conduction loss.
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
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 26,
the required time for this commutation is t1 and the
approximated associated power loss is PUP(1).
I M I P-P⎞ ⎛ t 1 ⎞
P UP ( 1 ) ≈ V IN ⋅ ⎛ ----- ⋅ ⎜ ---- ⎟ ⋅ f
⎝ N- + --------2 ⎠ ⎝ 2⎠ S
(EQ. 28)
Finally, the resistive part of the upper MOSFET is given in
Equation 29 as PUP(4)..
2
I P-P2
⎛ I M⎞
P UP ( 4 ) ≈ r DS ( ON ) ⋅ d ⋅ ⎜ -----⎟ + ---------12
⎝ N⎠
3
P Qg_Q1 = --- ⋅ Q G1 ⋅ PVCC ⋅ F SW ⋅ N Q1 ⋅ N PHASE
2
P Qg_Q2 = Q G2 ⋅ PVCC ⋅ F SW ⋅ N Q2 ⋅ N PHASE
(EQ. 29)
(EQ. 31)
3
I DR = ⎛ --- ⋅ Q G1 ⋅ N
+ Q G2 ⋅ N Q2⎞ ⋅ N PHASE ⋅ F SW + I Q
⎝2
⎠
Q1
In Equations 30 and 31, PQg_Q1 is the total upper gate drive
power loss and PQg_Q2 is the total lower gate drive power
loss; the gate charge (QG1 and QG2) is defined at the
particular gate to source drive voltage PVCC in the
corresponding MOSFET data sheet; IQ is the driver total
quiescent current with no load at both drive outputs; NQ1 and
NQ2 are the number of upper and lower MOSFETs per phase,
respectively; NPHASE is the number of active phases. The
IQ*VCC product is the quiescent power of the controller
without capacitive load and is typically 75mW at 300kHz.
PVCC
Package Power Dissipation
When choosing MOSFETs it is important to consider the
amount of power being dissipated in the integrated drivers
located in the controllers. Since there are a total of three
drivers in the controller package, the total power dissipated
by all three drivers must be less than the maximum
allowable power dissipation for the QFN package.
Calculating the power dissipation in the drivers for a desired
application is critical to ensure safe operation. Exceeding the
maximum allowable power dissipation level will push the IC
beyond the maximum recommended operating junction
temperature of +125°C. The maximum allowable IC power
dissipation for the 7x7 QFN package is approximately 3.5W
at room temperature. See “Layout Considerations” on
page 37 for thermal transfer improvement suggestions.
BOOT
D
CGD
The total power dissipated by the upper MOSFET at full load
can now be approximated as the summation of the results
from Equations 26, 27, 28 and 29. 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.
32
(EQ. 30)
(EQ. 27)
A third component involves the lower MOSFET
reverse-recovery charge, Qrr. Since the inductor current has
fully commutated to the upper MOSFET before the
lower-MOSFET body diode can recover all of Qrr, it is
conducted through the upper MOSFET across VIN. The
power dissipated as a result is PUP(3) shown in Equation 28.
P UP ( 3 ) = V IN ⋅ Q rr ⋅ f S
P Qg_TOT = P Qg_Q1 + P Qg_Q2 + I Q ⋅ VCC
(EQ. 26)
At turn-on, the upper MOSFET begins to conduct and this
transition occurs over a time t2. In Equation 27, the
approximate power loss is PUP(2).
⎛ I M I P-P⎞ ⎛ t 2 ⎞
P UP ( 2 ) ≈ V IN ⋅ ⎜ ----- – ----------⎟ ⋅ ⎜ ---- ⎟ ⋅ f S
2 ⎠ ⎝ 2⎠
⎝N
When designing the controllers into an application, it is
recommended that the following calculation is used to ensure
safe operation at the desired frequency for the selected
MOSFETs. The total gate drive power losses, PQg_TOT, due to
the gate charge of MOSFETs and the integrated driver’s
internal circuitry and their corresponding average driver current
can be estimated with Equations 30 and 31, respectively.
RHI1
G
UGATE
RLO1
RG1
CDS
RGI1
CGS
Q1
S
PHASE
FIGURE 20. TYPICAL UPPER-GATE DRIVE TURN-ON PATH
PVCC
D
CGD
RHI2
RLO2
LGATE
G
RG2
CDS
RGI2
CGS
Q2
S
FIGURE 21. TYPICAL LOWER-GATE DRIVE TURN-ON PATH
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
I
UGATE
INDUCTOR
R1
In
VOUT
COUT
VC(s)
C1
ISL6333 INTERNAL
CIRCUIT
+
VC(s)
RISEN
ISEN
-
-
ISENISEN+
RSET
(EQ. 32)
VCC
RSET
R HI2
R LO2
⎛
⎞ P Qg_Q2
P DR_LOW = ⎜ -------------------------------------- + ----------------------------------------⎟ ⋅ --------------------2
⎝ R HI2 + R EXT2 R LO2 + R EXT2⎠
FIGURE 22. DCR SENSING CONFIGURATION
Use Equation 34 to calculate the value of RSET. In
Equation 34, DCR is the DCR of the output inductor at room
temperature, IOCP is the desired overcurrent trip level, and
N is the number of phases. It is recommended that the
desired overcurrent trip level, IOCP, be chosen so that it’s
30% larger then the maximum load current expected.
R GI2
R EXT2 = R G2 + ------------N Q2
Inductor DCR Current Sensing Component
Selection
The controllers sense each individual channel’s inductor current
by detecting the voltage across the output inductor DCR of that
channel (As described in the “Continuous Current Sensing” on
page 21). As Figure 22 illustrates, an R-C network is required to
accurately sense the inductor DCR voltage and convert this
information into a current, which is proportional to the total
output current. The time constant of this R-C network must
match the time constant of the inductor L/DCR.
Follow the steps below to choose the component values for
this RC network.
1. Choose an arbitrary value for C1. The recommended
value is 0.1µF.
2. Plug the inductor L and DCR component values, and the
value for C1 chosen in step 1, into Equation 33 to
calculate the value for R1.
(EQ. 33)
Once the R-C network components have been chosen, the
effective internal RISEN resistance must then be set. The
RISEN resistance sets the gain of the load line regulation loop
as well as the gain of the channel-current balance loop and the
overcurrent trip level. The effective internal RISEN resistance is
set through a single resistor on the RSET pin, RSET.
33
VL(s)
+
+
LGATE
+
L
R 1 = ------------------------DCR ⋅ C 1
DCR
-
DRIVER
P Qg_Q1
P BOOT = --------------------3
R GI1
R EXT1 = R G1 + ------------N Q1
L
MOSFET
SENSE
P DR = P DR_UP + P DR_LOW + P BOOT + ( I Q ⋅ VCC )
R HI1
R LO1
⎛
⎞ P Qg_Q1
P DR_UP = ⎜ -------------------------------------- + ----------------------------------------⎟ ⋅ --------------------3
⎝ R HI1 + R EXT1 R LO1 + R EXT1⎠
L
-
The total gate drive power losses are dissipated among the
resistive components along the transition path and in the
bootstrap diode. The portion of the total power dissipated in
the controller itself is the power dissipated in the upper drive
path resistance, PDR_UP, the lower drive path resistance,
PDR_UP, and in the boot strap diode, PBOOT. The rest of the
power will be dissipated by the external gate resistors (RG1
and RG2) and the internal gate resistors (RGI1 and RGI2) of
the MOSFETs. Figures 20 and 21 show the typical upper and
lower gate drives turn-on transition path. The total power
dissipation in the controller itself, PDR, can be roughly
estimated as calculated in Equation 32:
I OCP 400
DCR
R SET = ---------------------------- ⋅ -------------- ⋅ ---------–6
N
3
100 × 10
(EQ. 34)
Due to errors in the inductance or DCR it may be necessary
to adjust the value of R1 to match the time constants
correctly. The effects of time constant mismatch can be seen
in the form of droop overshoot or undershoot during the
initial load transient spike, as shown in Figure 23. Follow the
steps below to ensure the R-C and inductor L/DCR time
constants are matched accurately.
1. Capture a transient event with the oscilloscope set to
about L/DCR/2 (sec/div). For example, with L = 1µH and
DCR = 1mΩ, set the oscilloscope to 500µs/div.
2. Record ΔV1 and ΔV2 as shown in Figure 23.
3. Select new values, R1(NEW), for the time constant
resistor based on the original value, R1(OLD), using
Equation 35.
ΔV 1
R 1 ( NEW ) = R 1 ( OLD ) ⋅ ---------ΔV
(EQ. 35)
2
4. Replace R1 with the new value and check to see that the
error is corrected. Repeat the procedure if necessary.
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
also be placed across the RAPA resistor to help with noise
immunity. Use Equation 39 to set RAPA to get the desired
APA trip level. An APA trip level of 500mV is recommended
for most applications.
.
ΔV2
V APA ( TRIP )
500mV
R APA = --------------------------------- = ----------------------------- = 5kΩ
100 × 10 – 6
100 × 10 – 6
ΔV1
VOUT
ITRAN
ΔI
(EQ. 39)
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.
COMPENSATION WITH LOAD-LINE REGULATION
FIGURE 23. TIME CONSTANT MISMATCH BEHAVIOR
Loadline Regulation Resistor
If load line regulation is desired on the ISL6333 and
ISL6333A, the IDROOP pin should be connected to the FB
pin in order for the internal average sense current to flow
out across the loadline regulation resistor, labeled RFB in
Figure 7. The ISL6333B and ISL6333C always have the
load line regulation enabled. The RFB resistor value sets
the desired loadline required for the application. The
desired loadline, RLL, can be calculated by Equation 36
where VDROOP is the desired droop voltage at the full load
current IFL.
V DROOP
R LL = -----------------------I FL
(EQ. 36)
Based on the desired loadline, the loadline regulation
resistor, RFB, can be calculated from Equation 37.
R LL ⋅ N ⋅ R SET 3
R FB = --------------------------------------- ⋅ ---------DCR
400
The load-line regulated converter behaves in a similar
manner to a peak current mode controller because the two
poles at the output filter L-C resonant frequency split with the
introduction of current information into the control loop. The
final location of these poles is determined by the system
function, the gain of the current signal, and the value of the
compensation components, RC and CC. See Figure 24.
Since the system poles and zero are affected by the values
of the components that are meant to compensate them, the
solution to the system equation becomes fairly complicated.
Fortunately, there is a simple approximation that comes very
close to an optimal solution. Treating the system as though it
were a voltage-mode regulator, by compensating the L-C
poles and the ESR zero of the voltage mode approximation,
yields a solution that is always stable with very close to ideal
transient performance.
C2 (OPTIONAL)
(EQ. 37)
RC
In Equation 37, RLL is the loadline resistance; N is the
number of active channels; DCR is the DCR of the individual
output inductors; and RSET is the RSET pin resistor.
If no loadline regulation is required on the ISL6333 and
ISL6333A, the IDROOP pin should be left unconnected. To
choose the value for RFB in this situation, please refer to
“Compensation Without Load-line Regulation” on page 35.
IMON Pin Resistor
A copy of the average sense current flows out of the IMON
pin, and a resistor, RIMON, placed from this pin to ground can
be used to set the overcurrent protection trip level. Based on
the desired overcurrent trip threshold, IOCP, the IMON pin
resistor, RIMON, can be calculated from Equation 38.
R SET ⋅ N 3.381
R IMON = -------------------------------- ⋅ --------------DCR ⋅ I OCP 400
(EQ. 38)
APA Pin Component Selection
A 100µA current flows into the APA pin and across RAPA to
set the APA trip level. A 1000pF capacitor, CAPA, should
34
CC
COMP
FB
ISL6333
IDROOP
RFB
VDIFF
FIGURE 24. COMPENSATION CONFIGURATION FOR
LOAD-LINE REGULATED ISL6333 CIRCUIT
Select a target bandwidth for the compensated system, f0.
The target bandwidth must be large enough to assure
adequate transient performance, but smaller than 1/3 of the
per-channel switching frequency. The values of the
compensation components depend on the relationships of f0
to the L-C pole frequency and the ESR zero frequency. For
each of the following three, there is a separate set of
equations for the compensation components.
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
In Equation 40, 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 the
“Electrical Specifications” on page 13.
C2
RC
CC
COMP
FB
Once selected, the compensation values in Equation 40
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 40 unless some performance issue is noted.
The optional capacitor C2, is sometimes needed to bypass
noise away from the PWM comparator (see Figure 24). 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.
Case 1:
1
-------------------------------- > f 0
2⋅π⋅ L⋅C
2 ⋅ π ⋅ f 0 ⋅ V P-P ⋅ L ⋅ C
R C = R FB ⋅ ---------------------------------------------------------V IN
V IN
C C = ----------------------------------------------------2 ⋅ π ⋅ V P-P ⋅ R FB ⋅ f 0
Case 2:
R1
VSEN
FIGURE 25. COMPENSATION CIRCUIT 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 high-frequency pole, fHF. This pole can be used for
added noise rejection or to assure adequate attenuation at
the error-amplifier high-order pole and zero frequencies. A
good general rule is to choose fHF = 10f0, but it can be
higher if desired. Choosing fHF to be lower than 10f0 can
cause problems with too much phase shift below the system
bandwidth.
L ⋅ C – C ⋅ ESR
C 1 = -------------------------------------------R FB
(EQ. 40)
IN
V IN
C C = -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2
2
( 2 ⋅ π ) ⋅ f 0 ⋅ V P-P ⋅ R FB ⋅ L ⋅ C
Case 3:
ISL6333
RFB
C ⋅ ESR
R 1 = R FB ⋅ -------------------------------------------L ⋅ C – C ⋅ ESR
1
1
-------------------------------- ≤ f 0 < -----------------------------------2 ⋅ π ⋅ C ⋅ ESR
2⋅π⋅ L⋅C
V PP ⋅ ( 2 ⋅ π ) 2 ⋅ f 02 ⋅ L ⋅ C
R C = R FB ⋅ ----------------------------------------------------------------V
C1
1
f 0 > ------------------------------------2 ⋅ π ⋅ C ⋅ ESR
2 ⋅ π ⋅ f 0 ⋅ V P-P ⋅ L
R C = R FB ⋅ ---------------------------------------------V IN ⋅ ESR
V IN ⋅ ESR ⋅ C
C C = ----------------------------------------------------------------2 ⋅ π ⋅ V P-P ⋅ R FB ⋅ f 0 ⋅ L
COMPENSATION WITHOUT LOAD-LINE REGULATION
The non load-line regulated converter is accurately modeled
as a voltage-mode regulator with two poles at the L-C
resonant frequency and a zero at the ESR frequency. A
type III controller, as shown in Figure 25, provides the
necessary compensation.
V IN
C 2 = ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------( 2 ⋅ π ) 2 ⋅ f 0 ⋅ f HF ⋅ ( L ⋅ C ) ⋅ R FB ⋅ V P-P
(EQ. 41)
2
V PP ⋅ ⎛ 2π⎞ ⋅ f 0 ⋅ f HF ⋅ L ⋅ C ⋅ R FB
⎝ ⎠
R C = ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------V IN ⋅ ( 2 ⋅ π ⋅ f HF ⋅ L ⋅ C – 1 )
V IN ⋅ ( 2 ⋅ π ⋅ f HF ⋅ L ⋅ C – 1 )
C C = ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------( 2 ⋅ π ) 2 ⋅ f 0 ⋅ f HF ⋅ ( L ⋅ C ) ⋅ R FB ⋅ V P-P
In the solutions to the compensation equations, there is a
single degree of freedom. For the solutions presented in
Equation 41, RFB is selected arbitrarily. The remaining
compensation components are then selected.
In Equation 41, 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 the
“Electrical Specifications” on page 13.
Output Filter Design
The output inductors and the output capacitor bank together
to form a low-pass filter responsible for smoothing the
35
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
In high-speed converters, the output capacitor bank is usually
the most costly (and often the largest) part of the circuit.
Output filter design begins with minimizing the cost of this part
of the circuit. The critical load parameters in choosing the
output capacitors are the maximum size of the load step, ΔI,
the load-current slew rate, di/dt, and the maximum allowable
output-voltage deviation under transient loading, ΔVMAX.
Capacitors are characterized according to their capacitance,
ESR, and ESL (equivalent series inductance).
At the beginning of the load transient, the output capacitors
supply all of the transient current. The output voltage will
initially deviate by an amount approximated by the voltage
drop across the ESL. As the load current increases, the
voltage drop across the ESR increases linearly until the load
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
as shown in Equation 42.
di
ΔV ≈ ESL ⋅ ----- + ESR ⋅ ΔI
dt
(EQ. 42)
The filter capacitor must have sufficiently low ESL and ESR
so that ΔV < ΔVMAX.
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 output inductors must be capable of assuming the entire
load current before the output voltage decreases more than
ΔVMAX. This places an upper limit on inductance.
Equation 44 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 45
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.
2 ⋅ N ⋅ C ⋅ VO
L ≤ --------------------------------- ⋅ ΔV MAX – ( ΔI ⋅ ESR )
( ΔI ) 2
1.25 ⋅ N ⋅ C- ⋅ ΔV
⎛
⎞
L ≤ ---------------------------MAX – ( ΔI ⋅ ESR ) ⋅ ⎝ V IN – V O⎠
( ΔI ) 2
(EQ. 43)
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.
36
(EQ. 45)
There are a number of variables to consider when choosing
the switching frequency, as there are considerable effects on
the upper MOSFET loss calculation. These effects are
outlined in the “MOSFETs General Design Guide” on
page 31 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.
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. Figure 26 and Equation 46
are provided to assist in selecting the correct value for RT.
500
100
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 17
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, VPP(MAX), determines the lower limit on the inductance.
⎛V – N ⋅ V
⎞
OUT⎠ ⋅ V OUT
⎝ IN
L ≥ ESR ⋅ -------------------------------------------------------------------f S ⋅ V IN ⋅ V P-P( MAX )
(EQ. 44)
Switching Frequency
RT (kΩ)
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 limits the system
transient response. The output capacitors must supply or
sink load current while the current in the output inductors
increases or decreases to meet the demand.
10
50k
100k
1M
SWITCHING FREQUENCY (Hz)
2M
FIGURE 26. RT vs SWITCHING FREQUENCY
R T = 10
[10.61 – ( 1.035 ⋅ log ( f S ) ) ]
(EQ. 46)
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
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
For a three-phase design, use Figure 27 to determine the
input-capacitor RMS current requirement set by the duty
cycle, maximum sustained output current (IO), and the ratio
of the peak-to-peak inductor current (IL,(P-P)) to IO.
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
0.4
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 (VIN/VO)
FIGURE 29. NORMALIZED INPUT-CAPACITOR RMS
CURRENT FOR SINGLE-PHASE CONVERTER
0.1
0
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
DUTY CYCLE (VIN/VO)
FIGURE 27. NORMALIZED INPUT-CAPACITOR RMS
CURRENT FOR 3-PHASE CONVERTER
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 1.25x greater than the
0.3
INPUT-CAPACITOR CURRENT (IRMS/IO)
0.6
INPUT-CAPACITOR CURRENT (IRMS/IO)
enough 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.
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 (VIN/VO)
FIGURE 28. NORMALIZED INPUT-CAPACITOR RMS
CURRENT FOR 2-PHASE CONVERTER
maximum input voltage. Figures 28 and 29 provide the same
input RMS current information for two-phase and single-phase
designs respectively. Use the same approach for selecting
the bulk capacitor type and number.
37
Low capacitance, high-frequency ceramic capacitors are
needed in addition to the input bulk capacitors to suppress
leading and falling edge voltage spikes. The spikes result from
the high current slew rate produced by the upper MOSFET
turn on and off. Select low ESL ceramic capacitors and place
one as close as possible to each upper MOSFET drain to
minimize board parasitics and maximize suppression.
Layout Considerations
MOSFETs switch very fast and efficiently. The speed with
which the current transitions from one device to another
causes voltage spikes across the interconnecting
impedances and parasitic circuit elements. These voltage
spikes can degrade efficiency, radiate noise into the circuit
and lead to device overvoltage stress. Careful component
selection, layout, and placement minimizes these voltage
spikes. Consider, as an example, the turnoff transition of the
upper PWM MOSFET. Prior to turnoff, the upper MOSFET
was carrying channel current. During the turnoff, current
stops flowing in the upper MOSFET and is picked up by the
lower MOSFET. Any inductance in the switched current path
generates a large voltage spike during the switching interval.
Careful component selection, tight layout of the critical
components, and short, wide circuit traces minimize the
magnitude of voltage spikes.
There are two sets of critical components in a DC/DC
converter using the ISL6333 family of controllers. The power
components are the most critical because they switch large
amounts of energy. Next are small signal components that
connect to sensitive nodes or supply critical bypassing
current and signal coupling.
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
RFB
R2
C2
VDIFF
DVC
VSEN
HEAVY TRACE ON CIRCUIT PLANE LAYER
ISLAND ON POWER PLANE LAYER
RGND
RSET
IDROOP
ISLAND ON CIRCUIT PLANE LAYER
VIA CONNECTION TO GROUND PLANE
RSET
FB
BYP1
C1
C3
KEY
+5V VCC
CDVC RDVC
(CF1)
R1
LOCATE CLOSE TO IC
(MINIMIZE CONNECTION PATH)
+12V
PVCC1
(CF2)
COMP
CBIN1
CBOOT1
RAPA
LOCATE NEAR SWITCHING TRANSISTORS;
(MINIMIZE CONNECTION PATH)
BOOT1
APA
UGATE1
RUGATE
+5V
PHASE1
VCC
(CF1)
C1
R1
C1
ISEN1ISEN1+
OFS
FS
RT
R1
LGATE1
ROFS
+12V
REF
CREF
ISL6333
PVCC2_3
CBIN2
(CF3)
CBOOT2
BOOT2
SS
UGATE2
RSS
RUGATE
PHASE2
VID7
VID6
VID5
LGATE2
VID4
VID3
ISEN2ISEN2+
(CHFOUT)
CBOUT
LOAD
VID2
+12V
VID1
VID0
PUVCC
(CF4)
PSI#
CBIN3
LOCATE NEAR LOAD;
(MINIMIZE CONNECTION
PATH)
CBOOT3
BOOT3
VR_RDY
UGATE3
RUGATE
EN
PHASE3
IMON
R1
C1
LGATE3
RIMON
GND
ISEN3ISEN3+
FIGURE 30. PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD POWER PLANES AND ISLANDS
38
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
The power components should be placed first, which includes
the MOSFETs, input and output capacitors, and the inductors. It
is important to have a symmetrical layout for each power train,
preferably with the controller located equidistant from each.
Symmetrical layout allows heat to be dissipated equally across
all power trains. Equidistant placement of the controller to the
power trains it controls through the integrated drivers helps
keep the gate drive traces equally short, resulting in equal trace
impedances and similar drive capability of all sets of MOSFETs.
Routing UGATE, LGATE, and PHASE Traces
When placing the MOSFETs, try to keep the source of the
upper FETs and the drain of the lower FETs as close as
thermally possible. Input bulk capacitors should be placed
close to the drain of the upper FETs and the source of the lower
FETs. Locate the output inductors and output capacitors
between the MOSFETs and the load. The high-frequency input
and output decoupling capacitors (ceramic) should be placed
as close as practicable to the decoupling target, making use of
the shortest connection paths to any internal planes, such as
vias to GND next or on the capacitor solder pad.
Extra care should be given to the LGATE traces in particular
since keeping their impedance and inductance low helps to
significantly reduce the possibility of shoot-through. It is also
important to route each channels UGATE and PHASE traces
in as close proximity as possible to reduce their inductances.
The critical small components include the bypass capacitors
for VCC and PVCC, and many of the components
surrounding the controller including the feedback network
and current sense components. Locate the VCC/PVCC
bypass capacitors as close to the controller as possible. It is
especially important to locate the components associated
with the feedback circuit close to their respective controller
pins, since they belong to a high-impedance circuit loop,
sensitive to EMI pick-up.
A multi-layer printed circuit board is recommended. Figure 30
shows the connections of the critical components for the
converter. Note that capacitors Cxx(IN) and Cxx(OUT) could
each represent numerous physical capacitors. Dedicate one
solid layer, usually the one underneath the component side of
the board, for a ground plane and make all critical component
ground connections with vias to this layer.
Dedicate another solid layer as a power plane and break this
plane into smaller islands of common voltage levels. Keep the
metal runs from the PHASE terminal to output inductors short.
The power plane should support the input power and output
power nodes. Use copper filled polygons on the top and bottom
circuit layers for the phase nodes. Use the remaining printed
circuit layers for small signal wiring.
Great attention should be paid to routing the UGATE, LGATE,
and PHASE traces since they drive the power train MOSFETs
using short, high current pulses. It is important to size them as
large and as short as possible to reduce their overall
impedance and inductance. They should be sized to carry at
least one ampere of current (0.02” to 0.05”). Going between
layers with vias should also be avoided, but if so, use two vias
for interconnection when possible.
Current Sense Component Placement and Trace
Routing
One of the most critical aspects of the controller regulator
layout is the placement of the inductor DCR current sense
components and traces. The R-C current sense components
must be placed as close to their respective ISEN+ and
ISEN- pins on the controller as possible.
The sense traces that connect the R-C sense components to
each side of the output inductors should be routed on the
bottom of the board, away from the noisy switching
components located on the top of the board. These traces
should be routed side by side, and they should be very thin
traces. It’s important to route these traces as far away from
any other noisy traces or planes as possible. These traces
should pick up as little noise as possible.
Thermal Management
For maximum thermal performance in high current, high
switching frequency applications, connecting the thermal
GND pad of the controllers to the ground plane with multiple
vias is recommended. This heat spreading allows the part to
achieve its full thermal potential. It is also recommended
that the controllers be placed in a direct path of airflow if
possible to help thermally manage the part.
All Intersil U.S. products are manufactured, assembled and tested utilizing ISO9000 quality systems.
Intersil Corporation’s quality certifications can be viewed at www.intersil.com/design/quality
Intersil products are sold by description only. Intersil Corporation reserves the right to make changes in circuit design, software and/or specifications at any time without
notice. Accordingly, the reader is cautioned to verify that data sheets are current before placing orders. Information furnished by Intersil is believed to be accurate and
reliable. However, no responsibility is assumed by Intersil or its subsidiaries for its use; nor for any infringements of patents or other rights of third parties which may result
from its use. No license is granted by implication or otherwise under any patent or patent rights of Intersil or its subsidiaries.
For information regarding Intersil Corporation and its products, see www.intersil.com
39
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010
ISL6333, ISL6333A, ISL6333B, ISL6333C
Package Outline Drawing
L48.7x7
48 LEAD QUAD FLAT NO-LEAD PLASTIC PACKAGE
Rev 5, 4/10
4X 5.5
7.00
A
44X 0.50
B
37
6
PIN 1
INDEX AREA
6
PIN #1 INDEX AREA
48
1
7.00
36
4. 30 ± 0 . 15
12
25
(4X)
0.15
13
24
0.10 M C A B
48X 0 . 40± 0 . 1
TOP VIEW
4 0.23 +0.07 / -0.05
BOTTOM VIEW
SEE DETAIL "X"
( 6 . 80 TYP )
(
0.10 C
BASE PLANE
0 . 90 ± 0 . 1
4 . 30 )
C
SEATING PLANE
0.08 C
SIDE VIEW
( 44X 0 . 5 )
C
0 . 2 REF
5
( 48X 0 . 23 )
( 48X 0 . 60 )
0 . 00 MIN.
0 . 05 MAX.
TYPICAL RECOMMENDED LAND PATTERN
DETAIL "X"
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 applies to the metallized terminal and is measured
between 0.15mm and 0.30mm from the terminal tip.
5. Tiebar shown (if present) is a non-functional feature.
6. The configuration of the pin #1 identifier is optional, but must be
located within the zone indicated. The pin #1 indentifier may be
either a mold or mark feature.
40
FN6520.3
October 8, 2010