Renesas ISL6539CAZ Wide input range dual pwm controller with ddr option Datasheet

DATASHEET
ISL6539
FN9144
Rev 6.00
Apr 29, 2010
Wide Input Range Dual PWM Controller with DDR Option
The ISL6539 dual PWM controller delivers high efficiency and
tight regulation from two voltage regulating synchronous buck
DC/DC converters. It was designed especially for DDR DRAM,
SDRAM, graphic chipset applications, and system regulators in
high performance applications.
Voltage-feed-forward ramp modulation, current mode
control, and internal feedback compensation provide fast
response to input voltage and output load transients. Input
current ripple is minimized by channel-to-channel PWM
phase shift of 0°, 90° or 180° (determined by input voltage
and status of the DDR pin).
The ISL6539 can control two independent output voltages
adjustable from 0.9V to 5.5V or, by activating the DDR pin,
transform into a complete DDR memory power supply
solution. In DDR mode, CH2 output voltage VTT tracks CH1
output voltage VDDQ. CH2 output can both source and sink
current, an essential power supply feature for DDR memory.
The reference voltage VREF required by DDR memory is
generated as well.
In dual power supply applications the ISL6539 monitors the
output voltage of both CH1 and CH2. An independent
PGOOD (power good) signal is asserted for each channel
after the soft-start sequence has completed, and the output
voltage is within PGOOD window. In DDR mode CH1
generates the only PGOOD signal.
Built-in overvoltage protection prevents the output from going
above 115% of the set point by holding the lower MOSFET on
and the upper MOSFET off. When the output voltage decays
below the overvoltage threshold, normal operation
automatically resumes. Once the soft-start sequence has
completed, undervoltage protection latches the offending
channel off if the output drops below 75% of its set point value
for the dual switcher. Adjustable overcurrent protection (OCP)
monitors the voltage drop across the rDS(ON) of the lower
MOSFET. If more precise current-sensing is required, an
external current sense resistor may be used.
FN9144 Rev 6.00
Apr 29, 2010
Features
• Provides Regulated Output Voltage in the Range of 0.9V
to 5.5V
• Complete DDR Memory Power Solution with VTT Tracks
VDDQ/2 and VDDQ/2 Buffered Reference Output
• Supports both DDR-I and DDR2 Memory
• Lossless rDS(ON) Current-Sense Sensing
• Excellent Dynamic Response with Voltage Feed-Forward
and Current Mode Control Accommodating Wide Range
LC Filter Selections
• Dual Mode Operation - Operates Directly from a 5.0V to
15V Input or 3.3V/5V System Rail
• Undervoltage Lock-out on VCC Pin
• Power-good, Overcurrent, Overvoltage, Undervoltage
protection for both Channels
• Synchronized 300kHz PWM Operation in PWM Mode
• Pb-Free (RoHS Compliant)
Applications
• Single and Dual Channel DDR Memory Power Systems
• Graphics Cards - GPU and Memory Supplies
• Supplies for Servers, Motherboards, FPGAs
• ASIC Power Supplies
• Embedded Processor and I/O Supplies
• DSP Supplies
Page 1 of 20
ISL6539
Pinout
Ordering Information
PART
NUMBER
PART
MARKING
ISL6539IAZ*
(Note)
ISL 6539IAZ
ISL6539CAZ*
(Note)
TEMP.
RANGE
(°C)
PACKAGE
-40 to +85 28 Ld QSOP
(Pb-free)
ISL 6539CAZ -40 to +85 28 Ld QSOP
(Pb-free)
ISL6539
(28 LD QSOP)
TOP VIEW
PKG.
DWG. #
M28.15
M28.15
*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.
GND 1
27 LGATE2
PGND1 3
26 PGND2
PHASE1 4
25 PHASE2
UGATE1 5
24 UGATE2
BOOT1 6
23 BOOT2
ISEN1 7
22 ISEN2
EN1 8
21 EN2
GND 9
20 GND
VSEN1 10
OCSET1 11
SOFT1 12
DDR 13
VIN 14
FN9144 Rev 6.00
Apr 29, 2010
28 VCC
LGATE1 2
19 VSEN2
18 OCSET2
17 SOFT2
16 PG2/REF
15 PG1
Page 2 of 20
ISL6539
Generic Application Circuits
VIN
3.3V OR
5.0V TO 15V
OCSET1
Q1
L1
VOUT1
PWM1
C1
Q2
+
EN1
EN2
5V
Q3
VCC
L2
VOUT2
DDR
OCSET2
PWM2
C2
Q4
+
FIGURE 1. ISL6539 APPLICATION CIRCUIT FOR TWO CHANNEL POWER SUPPLY
VIN
3.3V OR
5.0V TO 15V
OCSET1
Q1
PWM1
Q2
L1
C1
VDDQ
+
EN1
EN2
5V
VREF
Q3
VCC
L2
DDR
PG2/VREF
PWM2
VTT
OCSET2
Q4
C2
+
FIGURE 2. ISL6539 APPLICATION CIRCUIT FOR COMPLETE DDR MEMORY POWER SUPPLY
FN9144 Rev 6.00
Apr 29, 2010
Page 3 of 20
ISL6539
Absolute Maximum Ratings
Thermal Information
Bias Voltage, VCC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +6.5V
Input Voltage, VIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +18.0V
PHASE, UGATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GND - 5V (Note 1) to +24.0V
BOOT, ISEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GND - 0.3V to +24.0V
BOOT with Respect to PHASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +6.5V
All Other Pins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GND -0.3V to VCC + 0.3V
Thermal Resistance (Typical, Note 2)
JA (°C/W)
QSOP Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
80
Maximum Junction Temperature (Plastic Package). . . . . . . . +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
Bias Voltage, VCC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +5.0V 5%
Input Voltage, VIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .+3.3V or 5.0V to +18.0V
Ambient Temperature Range, Commercial . . . . . . . . . 0°C to +70°C
Junction Temperature Range, Commercial . . . . . . . . 0°C to +125°C
Ambient Temperature Range, Industrial . . . . . . . . . .-40°C to +85°C
Junction Temperature Range, Industrial . . . . . . . . .-40°C to +125°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. 250ns transient. See “Confining the Negative Phase Node Voltage Swing with Schottky Diode” on page 17.
2. JA is measured with the component mounted on a high effective thermal conductivity test board in free air. See Tech Brief TB379 for details.
Electrical Specifications
PARAMETER
Recommended Operating Conditions, Unless Otherwise Noted.
SYMBOL
TEST CONDITIONS
MIN
TYP
MAX
UNITS
-
1.8
3.0
mA
ICCSN
-
-
1
µA
Rising VCC Threshold
VCCU
4.30
4.45
4.50
V
Falling VCC Threshold
VCCD
4.00
4.14
4.34
V
IVIN
-
-
35
µA
IVINS
-
-
1
µA
ISL6539C
255
300
345
kHz
ISL6539I
245
300
345
kHz
VCC SUPPLY
Bias Current
Shut-Down Current
ICC
LGATEx, UGATEx Open, VSENx forced above
regulation point, DDR = 0, VIN >5V
VCC UVLO
VIN
Input Voltage Pin Current (Sink)
Shut-Down Current
OSCILLATOR
Oscillator Frequency
fOSC
Ramp Amplitude, Peak-to-Peak
VR1
VIN pin voltage = 16V (Note 3)
-
2
-
V
Ramp Amplitude, Peak-to-Peak
VR2
VIN pin voltage = 5V (Note 3)
-
0.625
-
V
(Note 3)
-
1
-
V
Ramp Offset
VROFF
Ramp/VIN Gain
GRB1
VIN pin voltage > 4.2V (Note 3)
-
125
-
mV/V
Ramp/VIN Gain
GRB2
VIN pin voltage  4.1V (Note 3)
-
250
-
mV/V
-
0.9
-
V
-1.0
-
+1.0
%
-
4.5
-
µA
-
1.5
-
V
REFERENCE AND SOFT-START
Internal Reference Voltage
VREF
Reference Voltage Accuracy
Soft-Start Current During Start-Up
Soft-Start Complete Threshold
FN9144 Rev 6.00
Apr 29, 2010
ISOFT
VST
(Note 3)
Page 4 of 20
ISL6539
Electrical Specifications
Recommended Operating Conditions, Unless Otherwise Noted. (Continued)
PARAMETER
SYMBOL
TEST CONDITIONS
MIN
TYP
MAX
UNITS
-2.0
-
+2.0
%
-
80
-
nA
PWM CONVERTERS
Load Regulation
0.0mA < IVOUT1 <5.0A; 5.0V < VIN <15.0V
VSEN Pin Bias Current
IVSEN
Minimum Duty Cycle
DMIN
-
4
-
%
Maximum Duty Cycle
DMAX
-
87
-
%
Undervoltage Shut-Down Level
VUVL
Fraction of the set point; ~2µs noise filter
70
75
80
%
VOVP1
Fraction of the set point; ~2µs noise filter
110
115
-
%
Overvoltage Protection
(Note 3)
GATE DRIVERS
Upper Drive Pull-Up Resistance
R2UGPUP VCC = 5V
-
4
8

Upper Drive Pull-Down Resistance
R2UGPDN VCC = 5V
-
2.3
4

Lower Drive Pull-Up Resistance
R2LGPUP
VCC = 5V
-
4
8

Lower Drive Pull-Down Resistance
R2LGPDN
VCC = 5V
-
1.1
3

POWER GOOD AND CONTROL FUNCTIONS
Power Good Lower Threshold
VPG-
Fraction of the set point; ~3µs noise filter
84
89
92
%
Power Good Higher Threshold
VPG+
Fraction of the set point; ~3µs noise filter.
110
115
120
%
PGOODx Leakage Current
IPGLKG
VPULLUP = 5.5V
-
-
1
µA
VPGOOD
IPGOOD = -4mA
-
0.5
1
V
(Note 3)
-
-
260
µA
OCSET Sourcing Current Range
2
-
20
µA
EN - Low (Off)
-
-
0.8
V
EN - High (On)
2.0
-
-
V
DDR - Low (Off)
-
-
0.8
V
DDR - High (On)
3
-
-
V
0.99*
VOC2
VOC2
1.01*
VOC2
V
-
10
12
mA
PGOODx Voltage Low
ISEN Sourcing Current
DDR REF Output Voltage
VDDREF
DDR = 1, IREF = 0...10mA
DDR REF Output Current
IDDREF
DDR = 1 (Note 3)
NOTES:
3. Limits should be considered typical and are not production tested.
Functional Pin Description
GND (Pin 1, 9, 20)
Signal ground for the IC. All three ground pins must be
connected to ground for proper IC operation. Connect to the
ground plane through a path as low in inductance as
possible.
LGATE1, LGATE2 (Pin 2, 27)
Connect these pins to the gates of the corresponding lower
MOSFETs. These pins provide the PWM-controlled gate
drive for the lower MOSFETs.
PGND1, PGND2 (Pin 3, 26)
These pins provide the return connection for lower gate
drivers, and are connected to sources of the lower
MOSFETs of their respective converters. These pins must
FN9144 Rev 6.00
Apr 29, 2010
be connected to the ground plane through a path as low in
inductance as possible.
PHASE1, PHASE2 (Pin 4, 25)
The PHASE1 and PHASE2 points are the junction points of
the upper MOSFET sources, output filter inductors, and
lower MOSFET drains. Connect these pins to the respective
converter’s upper MOSFET source.
UGATE1, UGATE2 (Pin 5, 24)
Connect these pins to the gates of the corresponding upper
MOSFETs. These pins provide the PWM-controlled gate
drive for the upper MOSFETs.
BOOT1, BOOT2 (Pin 6, 23)
These pins power the upper MOSFET drivers of the PWM
converter. Connect these pins to the junction of the bootstrap
Page 5 of 20
ISL6539
These pins are used to monitor the voltage drop across the
lower MOSFET for current feedback and overcurrent
protection. For precise current detection these inputs can be
connected to the optional current sense resistors placed in
series with the source of the lower MOSFETs.
comparator is proportional to the voltage on this pin (see
Table 1 and Table 2 for details). While the DDR pin is high (in
the DDR application) and when the VIN pin voltage is tied to
5V, it commands 90° out-of-phase channel synchronization,
with the second channel lagging the first channel, to reduce
inter-channel interference. While the DDR pin is high (in the
DDR application) and when the VIN pin voltage is tied to
ground, it commands in-phase channel synchronization.
EN1, EN2 (Pin 8, 21)
PG1 (Pin 15)
These pins enable operation of the respective converter
when high. When both pins are low, the chip is disabled and
only low leakage current is taken from VCC and VIN. EN1
and EN2 can be used independently to enable either
Channel 1 or Channel 2, respectively.
PGOOD1 is an open drain output used to indicate the status
of the output voltage. This pin is pulled low when the first
channel output is out of ±11% of the set value.
capacitor with the cathode of the bootstrap diode. The anode
of the bootstrap diode is connected to the VCC voltage.
ISEN1, ISEN2 (Pin 7, 22)
VSEN1, VSEN2 (Pin 10, 19)
These pins are connected to the resistive dividers that set
the desired output voltage. The PGOOD, UVP, and OVP
circuits use this signal to report output voltage status.
OCSET1 (Pin 11)
This pin is a buffered 0.9V internal reference voltage. A
resistor from this pin to ground sets the overcurrent
threshold for the first controller.
SOFT1, SOFT2 (Pin 12, 17)
These pins provide soft-start function for their respective
controllers. When the chip is enabled, the regulated 5µA
pull-up current source charges the capacitor connected from
the pin to ground. The output voltage of the converter follows
the ramping voltage on the SOFT pin in the soft-start
process with the SOFT pin voltage as reference. When the
SOFT pin voltage is higher than 0.9V, the error amplifier will
use the internal 0.9V reference to regulate output voltage.
PG2/REF (Pin 16)
This pin has a double function, depending on the mode of
operation.
When the chip is used as a dual channel PWM controller
(DDR = 0), the pin provides an open drain PGOOD2
function for the second channel the same way as PG1. The
pin is pulled low when the second channel output is out of
±11% of the set value.
In DDR mode (DDR = 1), this pin is the output of the buffer
amplifier that takes VDDQ/2 voltage applied to OCSET2 pin
from the resistor divider. It can source a typical 10mA current.
OCSET2 (Pin 18)
In a dual channel application with DDR = 0, a resistor from
this pin to ground sets the overcurrent threshold for the
second channel controller. Its voltage is the buffered internal
0.9V reference.
In the event of undervoltage and overcurrent shutdown, the
soft-start pin is pulled down through a 2k resistor to ground
to discharge the soft-start capacitor.
In the DDR application with DDR = 1, this pin connects to the
center point of a resistor divider tracking the VDDQ/2. This
voltage is then buffered by an amplifier voltage follower and
sent to the PG2/REF pin. It sets the reference voltage of
Channel 2 for its regulation.
DDR (Pin 13)
VCC (Pin 28)
When the DDR pin is low, the chip can be used as a dual
switcher controller. The output voltage of the two channels
can be programmed independently by VSENx pin resistor
dividers. The PWM signals of Channel 1 and Channel 2 will
be synchronized 180° out-of-phase.
VCC provides the bias supply for the ISL6539. The supply to
VCC should be locally bypassed using a ceramic capacitor.
When the DDR pin is high, the chip transforms into a
complete DDR memory solution. The OCSET2 pin becomes
an input through a resistor divider tracking to VDDQ/2. The
PG2/REF pin becomes the output of the VDDQ/2 buffered
voltage. The VDDQ/2 voltage is also used as the reference
to the error amplifier by the second channel. The channel
phase-shift synchronization is determined by the VIN pin
when DDR = 1 as described in VIN (Pin 14).
VIN (Pin 14)
This pin has multiple functions. When connected to the input
voltage, it provides a feed-forward input to the oscillator for
the rejection of input voltage variation. The ramp of the PWM
FN9144 Rev 6.00
Apr 29, 2010
Typical Application
Figures 3 and 4 show the application circuits of a dual
channel DC/DC converter.
The power supply in Figure 3 provides +V2.5 and +V1.8
voltages for memory and the graphics interface chipset from
a 5.0VDC to 15VDC input rail.
Figure 4 illustrates the application circuit for a DDR memory
power solution. The power supply shown in Figure 4
generates +2.5V VDDQ voltage. The +1.25V VTT
termination voltage tracks VDDQ/2 and is derived from
+2.5V VDDQ. To complete the DDR memory power
requirements, the +1.25V reference voltage is provided
through the PG2 pin. In this application circuit shown, two
output 220µF capacitors are used at the outputs.
Page 6 of 20
ISL6539
VIN
VCC (5V)
CDC
D1 4.7µF
BAT54W
D2
BAT54W
VIN VCC
GND
CB11
0.15µF
CIN1
10µF
RBT1
0
LO1
V1 (2.5V)
Q1
4.7µH
RFB11
17.8k
RS1
CO11
4.7µF
CO13
220µF
RBT2
BOOT1
BOOT2
UGATE1
UGATE2
PHASE1
PHASE2
ISEN1
2.0k
CFB1
0.01µ F
DDR
FDS6912A
LGATE2
PGND1
PGND2
GND
RFB12
10k
V2 (1.8V)
4.7µH
CO21 CO22
220µF 4.7µF
RFB21
10k
FDS6912A
CFB2
0.01µF
RFB22
10k
PG2
U1
EN1
EN2
SOFT1
SOFT2
OCSET1
RSET1
100k
Q2
RS2
2.0k
VSEN2
PG1
CSOFT1
0.01µF
LO2
GND
VSEN1
CIN2
10µF
0
ISEN2
LGATE1
CBT2
0.15µF
OCSET2
CSOFT2
0.01µF
RSET2
100k
ISL6539
FIGURE 3. TYPICAL APPLICATION CIRCUIT AS DUAL SWITCHER, VOUT1 = 2.5V, VOUT2 = 1.8V
VIN
VCC (5V)
D1
BAT54W
CDC
4.7µF
D2
BAT54W
GND
CIN1
10µF
CBT1
0.15µF
0
LO1
4.6µF
VDDQ (2.5V)
Q1
CFB1
0.01µF
RBT1
CO13
220µF
RFB1
17.8k
RS1
2.0k
CO11
4.7µF
FDS6912A
DDR
RBT2
BOOT1
BOOT2
UGATE1
UGATE2
PHASE1
PHASE2
ISEN1
ISEN2
LGATE1
LGATE2
PGND1
PGND2
GND
VSEN2
VSEN1
RFB12
10k
VDDQ
VIN VCC
0
LO2
RS2
Q2
U1
EN2
1.5µH
CO21 CO22
220µF 4.7µF
FDS6912A
VREF (VDDQ/2)
CREF
4.7µF
GND
EN1
OCSET2_VDDQ/2
SOFT1
CSOFT1
0.01µF
OCSET1
RSET1
100k
VTT (1.25V)
1.0k
PG2_REF
PG1
CIN2
4.7µF
CBT2
0.15µF
VDDQ
RD1
10k
VDDQ/2
SOFT2
CSOFT2 (N/U)
ISL6539
CF
0.1µF
RD2
10k
0.01µF
FIGURE 4. TYPICAL APPLICATION AS DDR MEMORY POWER SUPPLY, VOUT1 = 2.5V, VOUT2 = 1.25V
FN9144 Rev 6.00
Apr 29, 2010
Page 7 of 20
BOOT1
PG1
VCC GND
EN1
EN2
BOOT2
REF/PG2
UGATE2
UGATE1
PHASE1
PHASE2
DDR = 1
DDR = 0
ADAPTIVE DEAD-TIME
DIODE EMULATION
V/I SAMPLE TIMING
PGND1
ADAPTIVE DEAD-TIME
DIODE EMULATION
V/I SAMPLE TIMING
PGND2
LGATE1
LGATE2
VCC
VCC
POR
ENABLE
BIAS SUPPLIES
REFERENCE
FAULT LATCH
SOFT-START
OV UV
PGOOD
16.7pF
1M
OV UV
PGOOD
DDR MODE
CONTROL
16.7pF
1M
500k
500k
300k
VSEN1
-
4.4k
+
+ 0.9V
REF
1.25pF
1.25pF
ERROR AMP 1
OC1 DDR
PWM1
-
PWM2
+
+
140
DDR
EN1
EN2
VIN
CH1 CH2 
0
1
1
5V  15.0V
180°
1
1
1
VIN = 5V
90°
VIN = GND
0°
CURRENT
SAMPLE
+
CURRENT
SAMPLE
VSEN2
300k
-
4.4k
(200k, DDR = 1)
SOFT2
+
ERROR AMP 2
DDR = 0
DUTY CYCLE RAMP GENERATOR
PWM CHANNEL PHASE CONTROL
SOFT1
ISEN1
OC2
DDR = 1
+
ISEN2
140
CURRENT
SAMPLE
0.9V
REF
CURRENT
SAMPLE
+
OCSET1
DDR = 0
+
0.9V REFERENCE
0.9V REFERENCE
Page 8 of 20
-
OC1
OC2
+
1/2.9
OCSET1
1/33.1
ISEN1
SAME STATE FOR
8 CLOCK CYCLES
REQUIRED TO LATCH
OVERCURRENT FAULT
DDR
DDR = 1
+
VIN
+
OCSET2
VCC
SAME STATE FOR
8 CLOCK CYCLES
REQUIRED TO LATCH
OVERCURRENT FAULT
1/33.1
ISEN2
+
DDR VREF
BUFFER AMP
1/2.9
OCSET2
+
DDR VTT
REFERENCE
ISL6539
FN9144 Rev 6.00
Apr 29, 2010
Block Diagram
ISL6539
Theory of Operation
Operation
The ISL6539 is a dual channel PWM controller intended for
use in power supplies for graphic chipsets, SDRAM, DDR
DRAM, or other power applications. The IC integrates two
control circuits for two synchronous buck converters. The
output voltage of each controller can be set in the range of
0.9V to 5.5V by an external resistive divider.
The synchronous buck converters can operate from either
an unregulated DC source with a voltage ranging from 5.0V
to 15V, or from a regulated system rail of 3.3V or 5V. In either
operational mode the controller is biased from the +5V
source.
The controllers operate in the current mode with input
voltage feed-forward which simplifies feedback loop
compensation and rejects input voltage variation. An
integrated feedback loop compensation dramatically
reduces the number of external components.
The ISL6539 has a special means to rearrange its internal
architecture into a complete DDR solution. When the DDR
pin is set high, the second channel can provide the capability
to track the output voltage of the first channel. The buffered
reference voltage required by DDR memory chips is also
provided.
Initialization
The ISL6539 initializes if at least one of the enable pins is
set high. The Power-On Reset (POR) function continually
monitors the bias supply voltage on the VCC pin, and
initiates soft-start operation when EN1 or EN2 is high after
the input supply voltage exceeds 4.45V. Should this voltage
drop lower than 4.14V, the POR disables the chip.
Soft-Start
When soft-start is initiated, the voltage on the SOFT pin of
the enabled channel starts to ramp up gradually with the
internal 5µA current charging the soft-start capacitor. The
output voltage follows the soft-start voltage.
When the SOFT pin voltage reaches 0.9V, the output voltage
comes into regulation. When the SOFT voltage reaches
1.5V, the power good (PGOOD) is enabled. The soft-start
process is depicted in Figure 5.
EN
1
0.9V
1.5V
2
SOFT
VOUT
3
4
PGOOD
Ch1 5.0V
Ch2 2.0V
Ch4 5.0V
Ch3 1.0V
M1.00ms
FIGURE 5. START-UP
Even though the soft-start pin voltage continues to rise after
reaching 1.5V, this voltage does not affect the output
voltage.
The soft-start time (the time from the moment when EN
becomes high to the moment when PGOOD is reported) is
determined by Equation 1:
1.5 V  C sof t
TS OFT = ---------------------------------5 A
(EQ. 1)
The time it takes the output voltage to come into regulation
can be obtained from Equation 2:
TR ISE = 0.6  T SOFT
(EQ. 2)
During soft-start, before the PGOOD pin is enabled, the
undervoltage protection is prohibited. The overvoltage and
overcurrent protection functions are enabled.
If the output capacitor has residue voltage before start-up,
both lower and upper MOSFETs are in off-state until the
soft-start capacitor charges equal the VSEN pin voltage.
This will ensure the output voltage starts from its existing
voltage level.
Output Voltage Program
The output voltage of either channel is set by a resistive
divider from the output to ground. The center point of the
divider is connected to the VSEN pin as shown in Figure 6.
The output voltage value is determined by Equation 3.
0.9 V   R1 + R 2 
VO = ---------------------------------------------R2
(EQ. 3)
where 0.9V is the value of the internal reference. The VSEN
pin voltage is also used by the controller for the power good
function and to detect undervoltage and overvoltage
conditions.
FN9144 Rev 6.00
Apr 29, 2010
Page 9 of 20
ISL6539
Feedback Loop Compensation
V IN
Both channel PWM controllers have internally compensated
error amplifiers. To make internal compensation possible,
several design measures were taken.
Q1
UGATE
L1
RCS
ISEN
C1
Q2
Cz
LGATE
R1
VOUT
VSEN
ISL6539
OCSET
ROC
R2
FIGURE 6. THE INTERNAL COMPENSATOR
Current Sensing
The current on the lower MOSFET is sensed by measuring
its voltage drop within its on-time. In order to activate the
current sampling circuitry, two conditions need to be met. (1)
the LGATE is high and (2) the phase pin sees a negative
voltage for regular buck operation, which means the current
is freewheeling through lower MOSFET. For the second
channel of the DDR application, the phase pin voltage needs
to be higher than 0.1V to activate the current sensing circuit
for bidirectional current sensing. The current sampling
finishes at about 400ns after the lower MOSFET has turned
on. This current information is held for current mode control
and overcurrent protection. The current sensing pin can
source up to 260µA. The current sense resistor and OCSET
resistor can be adjusted simultaneously for the same
overcurrent protection level; however, the current sensing
gain will be changed only according to the current sense
resistor value, which will affect the current feedback loop
gain. The middle point of the ISEN current can be at 75µA,
but it can be tuned up and down to fit application needs.
If another channel is switching at the moment the current
sample is finishing, it could cause current sensing error and
phase voltage jitter. In the design stage, the duty cycles and
synchronization have to be analyzed for all the input voltage
and load conditions to reduce the chance of current sensing
error. The relationship between the sampled current and
MOSFET current is given by Equation 4:
I SEN  R CS + 140  = r DS  ON  I D
(EQ. 4)
Which means the current sensing pin will source current to
make the voltage drop on the MOSFET equal to the voltage
generated on the sensing resistor, plus the internal resistor,
along the ISEN pin current flowing path.
FN9144 Rev 6.00
Apr 29, 2010
• The ramp signal applied to the PWM comparator has been
made proportional to the input voltage by the VIN pin. This
keeps the product of the modulator gain and the input
voltage constant even when the input voltage varies.
• The load current proportional signal is derived from the
voltage drop across the lower MOSFET during the PWM
off time interval, and is subtracted from the error amplifier
output signal before the PWM comparator input. This
effectively creates an internal current control loop.
The resistor connected to the ISEN pin sets the gain in the
current sensing. The following expression estimates the
required value of the current sense resistor, depending on
the maximum continuous load current, and the value of the
MOSFETs rDS(ON), assuming the ISEN pin sources 75µA
current.
I MAX  r DS  ON 
R CS = ----------------------------------------- – 140
75A
(EQ. 5)
Because the current sensing circuit is a sample-and-hold
type, the information obtained at the last moment of the
sampling is being used. This current sensing circuit samples
the inductor current very close to its peak value. The current
feedback essentially injects a resistor Ri in series with the
original LC filter as shown in Figure 7, where the
sample-and-hold effect of the current loop has been ignored.
Vc and Vo are small signal components extracted from its
DC operation points.
Ri
Lo
DCR
+
Co
Gm*Vc
+
-
ESR
Ro
Vo
FIGURE 7. THE EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT OF THE POWER
STAGE WITH CURRENT LOOP INCLUDED
The value of the injected resistor can be estimated by
Equation 6:
V IN r DS  ON 
R i = ----------------- ----------------------------  4.4k
V ramp R CS + 140
(EQ. 6)
Ri is in k and rDS and RCS are in . VIN divided by Vramp,
is defined as Gm, which is a constant 8dB or 18dB for both
channels in dual switcher applications, when VIN is above
3V. Refer to Tables 1 and 2 for the ramp amplitude in
different VIN pin connections. The feed-forward effect of the
VIN is reflected in Gm. Vc is defined as the error amplifier
output voltage.
Page 10 of 20
ISL6539
TABLE 1. PWM COMPARATOR RAMP AMPLITUDE FOR
DUAL SWITCHER APPLICATION
VIN PIN CONNECTIONS
VRAMP
AMPLITUDE
Ch1 and Ch2 Input Voltage Input voltage > 4.2V
VIN/8
Input voltage < 4.2V
1.25V
GND
accommodate many applications having a wide range of
parameters. The schematic for the internal compensator is
shown in Figure 8.
1.25pF
500k
1.25V
TO PWM
COMPARATOR
TABLE 2. PWM COMPARATOR RAMP VOLTAGE AMPLITUDE
FOR DDR APPLICATION
VIN PIN CONNECTION
Ch1
Ch2
Input Voltage
4.4k
ISEN
1M 16.7pF
300k
Vc
+
VSEN
0.9V
VRAMP
AMPLITUDE
Input voltage > 4.2V
VIN/8
Input voltage < 4.2V
1.25V
GND
1.25V
Input voltage >4.2V
0.625V
GND
1.25V
FIGURE 8. THE INTERNAL COMPENSATOR
Its transfer function can be written as Equation 11:
5
s
s
1.857  10  --------------- + 1  --------------- + 1
 2f
  2f

z1
z2
Gcomp  s  = -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------s
s  --------------- + 1
 2f

(EQ. 11)
p1
The small signal transfer function from the error amplifier
output voltage Vc to the output voltage Vo can be written in
Equation 7:
s
 -------- + 1
 Wz

Ro
G  s  = G m --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------R i + DCR + R o  s
s
------------- + 1  ------------- + 1
 Wp1
  Wp2

(EQ. 7)
The DC gain is derived by shorting the inductor and opening
the capacitor. There is one zero and two poles in this transfer
function.
where:
fz1 = 6.98kHz, fz2 = 380kHz, and fp1 = 137kHz
Outside the ISL6539 chip, a capacitor Cz can be placed in
parallel with the top resistor in the feedback resistor divider,
as shown in Figure 6. In this case the transfer function from
the output voltage to the middle point of the divider can be
written as:
sR 1 C z + 1
R2
Gfd  s  = --------------------- ---------------------------------------------R 1 + R 2 s  R 1  R 2 C z + 1
(EQ. 12)
The zero is related to ESR and the output capacitor.
The first pole is a low frequency pole associated with the
output capacitor and its charging resistors. The inductor can
be regarded as short. The second pole is the high frequency
pole related to the inductor. At high frequency the output cap
can be regarded as a short circuit. By approximation, the
poles and zero are inversely proportional to the time
constants, associated with inductor and capacitor, by
Equations 8, 9 and 10:
The ratio of R1 and R2 is determined by the output voltage
set point; therefore, the position of the pole and zero
frequency in Equation 12 may not be far apart; however,
they can improve the loop gain and phase margin with the
proper design.
The Cz can bring the high frequency transient output voltage
variation directly to the VSEN pin to cause the PGOOD drop.
Such an effect should be considered in the selection of Cz.
1
Wz = -----------------------ESR*C o
(EQ. 8)
From the analysis in Equation 12, the system loop gain can
be written as Equation 13:
1
Wp1 = ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ESR +  R i + DCR   R o *C o
(EQ. 9)
Gloop  s  = G  s   Gcomp  s   Gfd  s 
R i + DCR + ESR  R o
Wp2 = --------------------------------------------------------Lo
(EQ. 10)
Since the current loop separates the LC resonant poles into
two distant poles, and ESR zero tends to cancel the high
frequency pole, the second order system behaves like a first
order system. This control method simplifies the design of
the internal compensator and makes it possible to
FN9144 Rev 6.00
Apr 29, 2010
(EQ. 13)
Figure 9 shows the composition of the system loop gain. As
shown in the graph, the power stage became a well damped
second order system compared to the LC filter
characteristics. The ESR zero is so close to the high
frequency pole that they cancel each other out. The power
stage behaves like a first order system. With an internal
compensator, the loop gain transfer function has a cross
over frequency at about 30kHz. With a given set of
parameters, including the MOSFET rDS(ON), current sense
Page 11 of 20
ISL6539
resistor RCS, output LC filter, and feedback network, the
system loop gain can be accurately analyzed and modified
by the system designers based on the applications
requirements.
60
50
40
LC FILTER
30
GAIN (dB)
20
10
COMPENSATOR
The converter output is monitored and protected against
extreme overload, short circuit, overvoltage, and
undervoltage conditions. A sustained overload on the output
sets the PGOOD low and latches off the offending channel of
the chip. The controller operation can be restored by cycling
the VCC voltage or toggling both enable (EN) pins to low to
clear the latch.
Power Good
VO/VC
0
-10
LOOP GAIN
-20
-30
-40
-50
-60
100
Voltage Monitor and Protections
1•103
1•104
1•105
1•106
FREQUENCY (Hz)
FIGURE 9. THE BODE PLOT OF THE LC FILTER,
COMPENSATOR, CONTROL TO OUTPUT
VOLTAGE TRANSFER FUNCTION, AND SYSTEM
LOOP GAIN
Gate Control Logic
The gate control logic translates generated PWM signals
into gate drive signals providing necessary amplification,
level shift, and shoot-through protection. It bears some
functions that help to optimize the IC performance over a
wide range of the operational conditions. As MOSFET
switching time can vary dramatically from type to type, and
with the input voltage, the gate control logic provides
adaptive dead time by monitoring real gate waveforms of
both the upper and the lower MOSFETs.
Dual-Step Conversion
The ISL6539 dual channel controller can be used either in
power systems with a single-stage power conversion or in
systems where some intermediate voltages are initially
established. The choice of the approach may be dictated by
the overall system design criteria, or the approach may be a
matter of voltages available to the system designer.
When the output voltage is regulated from low voltage such
as 5V, the feed-forward ramp may become too shallow,
creating the possibility of duty-factor jitter; this is particularly
relevant in a noisy environment. Noise susceptibility, when
operating from low level regulated power sources, can be
improved by connecting the VIN pin to ground, by which the
feed-forward ramp generator will be internally reconnected
from the VIN pin to the VCC pin, and the ramp slew rate will
be doubled.
FN9144 Rev 6.00
Apr 29, 2010
In the soft-start process, the PGOOD is established after the
soft pin voltage is at 1.5V. In normal operation, the PGOOD
window is 100mV below the 0.9V and 135mV higher than
0.9V. The VSEN pin has to stay within this window for
PGOOD to be high. Since the VSEN pin is used for both
feedback and monitoring purposes, the output voltage
deviation can be coupled directly to the VSEN pin by the
capacitor in parallel with the voltage divider as shown in
Figure 6. In order to prevent false PGOOD drop, capacitors
need to parallel at the output to confine the voltage deviation
with severe load step transient. The PGOOD comparator has
a built-in 3µs filter. PGOOD is an open drain output.
Overcurrent Protection
In dual switcher application, both PWM controllers use the
lower MOSFETs on-resistance rDS(ON), to monitor the
current for protection against shorted outputs. The sensed
current from the ISEN pin is compared with a current set by
a resistor connected from the OCSET pin to ground:
10.3V
R SET = --------------------------------------------------------I OC  r DS  ON 
-------------------------------------- + 8A
R CS + 140
(EQ. 14)
where IOC is a desired overcurrent protection threshold and
RCS is the value of the current sense resistor connected to
the ISEN pin. The 8µA is the offset current added on top of
the sensed current from the ISEN pin for internal circuit
biasing.
If the lower MOSFET current exceeds the overcurrent
threshold, a pulse skipping circuit is activated. The upper
MOSFET will not be turned on as long as the sensed current
is higher than the threshold value, limiting the current
supplied by the DC voltage source. The current in the lower
MOSFET will be continuously monitored until it is lower than
the OC threshold value, then the following UGATE pulse will
be released and normal current sample resumes. This kind
of operation remains for 8 clock cycles after the overcurrent
comparator was tripped for the first time. If after the first 8
clock cycles the current exceeds the overcurrent threshold
again, in a time interval of another 8 clock cycles, the
overcurrent protection latches and disables the offending
channel. If the overcurrent condition goes away during the
first 8 clock cycles, normal operation is restored and the
overcurrent circuit resets itself at the end of 16 clock cycles
(See Figure 10).
Page 12 of 20
ISL6539
This OVP scheme provides a ‘soft’ crowbar function, which
helps clamp the voltage overshoot, and does not invert the
output voltage when otherwise activated with a continuously
high output from lower MOSFET driver (a common problem
for OVP schemes with a latch).
PGOOD
1
8 CLK
IL
SHUTDOWN
2
DDR Application
VOUT
3
Ch1 5.0V
Ch3 1.0A
Ch2 100mV
M 10.0 s
FIGURE 10. OVERCURRENT PROTECTION
Due to the nature of the current sensing technique and to
accommodate a wide range of the rDS(ON) variation, the
value of the overcurrent threshold should set at about 180%
of the nominal load value. If more accurate current
protection is desired, a current sense resistor placed in
series with the lower MOSFET source may be used. The
inductor current going through the lower MOSFET is sensed
and held at 400ns after the upper MOSFET is turned off;
therefore, the sensed current is very close to its peak value.
The inductor peak current can be written as Equation 15:
 V IN – V out   V out
I peak = -------------------------------------------------- + I load
2L  f SW  V IN
(EQ. 15)
As seen from Equation 15, the inductor peak current
changes with the input voltage and the inductor value once
an output voltage is selected.
After overcurrent protection is activated, there are two ways
to bring the offending channel back: (1) Both EN1 and EN2
have to be held low to clear the latch, (2) To recycle the VCC
of the chip, the POR will clear the latch.
Undervoltage Protection
In the process of operation, if a short circuit occurs, the
output voltage will drop quickly. Before the overcurrent
protection circuit responds, the output voltage will fall out of
the required regulation range. The chip comes with
undervoltage protection. If a load step is strong enough to
pull the output voltage lower than the undervoltage
threshold, the offending channel latches off immediately. The
undervoltage threshold is 75% of the nominal output voltage.
Toggling both enables to low, or recycling VCC, will clear the
latch and bring the chip back to operation.
Overvoltage Protection
Should the output voltage increase over 115% of the normal
value due to the upper MOSFET failure, or for other reasons,
the overvoltage protection comparator will force the
synchronous rectifier gate driver high. This action actively
pulls down the output voltage. As soon as the output voltage
drops below the threshold, the OVP comparator is
disengaged. The MOSFET driver will restore its normal
operation. When the OVP occurs, the PGOOD will drop to
low as well.
FN9144 Rev 6.00
Apr 29, 2010
High throughput Double Data Rate (DDR) memory chips are
expected to take the place of traditional memory chips. A
novel feature associated with this type of memory are the
referencing and data bus termination techniques. These
techniques employ a reference voltage, VREF, that tracks
the center point of VDDQ and VSS voltages, and an
additional VTT power source where all terminating resistors
are connected. Despite the additional power source, the
overall memory power consumption is reduced compared to
traditional termination.
The added power source has a cluster of requirements that
should be observed and considered. Due to the reduced
differential thresholds of DDR memory, the termination
power supply voltage, VTT, closely tracks VDDQ/2 voltage.
Another very important feature of the termination power
supply is the capability to operate at equal efficiency in
sourcing and sinking modes. The VTT supply regulates the
output voltage with the same degree of precision when
current is flowing from the supply to the load, and when the
current is diverted back from the load into the power supply.
The ISL6539 dual channel PWM controller possesses
several important enhancements that allow re-configuration
for DDR memory applications, and provides all three
voltages required in a DDR memory compliant computer.
To reconfigure the ISL6539 for a complete DDR solution, the
DDR pin should be set high permanently to the VCC rail.
This activates some functions inside the chip that are
specific to DDR memory power needs.
In the DDR application presented in Figure 4, the first
controller regulates the VDDQ rail to 2.5V. The output
voltage is set by external dividers Rfb1 and Rfb12. The
second controller regulates the VTT rail to VDDQ/2. The
OCSET2 pin function is now different, and serves as an
input that brings VDDQ/2 voltage, created by the Rd1 and
Rd2 divider, inside the chip, effectively providing a tracking
function for the VTT voltage.
The PG2 pin function is also different in DDR mode. This pin
becomes the output of the buffer, whose input is connected
to the center point of the R/R divider from the VDDQ output
by the OCSET2 pin. The buffer output voltage serves as a
1.25V reference for the DDR memory chips. Current
capability of this pin is 10mA (12mA max).
For the VTT channel where output is derived from the VDDQ
output, some control and protective functions have been
significantly simplified. For example, the overcurrent, and
overvoltage, and undervoltage protections for the second
Page 13 of 20
ISL6539
channel controller are disabled when the DDR pin is set
high. As the VTT channel tracks the VDDQ/2 voltage, the
soft-start function is not required, and the SOFT2 pin may be
left open, in the event both channels are enabled
simultaneously. However, if the VTT channel is enabled later
than the VDDQ, the SOFT2 pin must have a capacitor in
place to ensure soft-start. In case of overcurrent or
undervoltage caused by short circuit on VTT, the fault current
will propagate to the first channel and shut down the
converter.
1. the quiescent current, supporting the internal logic and
normal operation of the IC
2. the gate driver current for the lower MOSFETs
3. and the current going through the external diodes to the
bootstrap capacitor for upper MOSFET.
In order to reduce the noisy effect of the bootstrap capacitor
current to the IC, a small resistor, such as 10, can be used
with the decoupling cap to construct a low pass filter for the
IC, as shown in Figure 11.
TO BOOT
The VREF voltage will be present even if the VTT is
disabled.
Channel Synchronization in DDR Applications
The presence of two PWM controllers on the same die
requires channel synchronization, to reduce inter-channel
interference that may cause the duty factor jitter and
increased output ripple.
The PWM controller is at greatest noise susceptibility when
an error signal on the input of the PWM comparator
approaches the decision-making point. False triggering may
occur, causing jitter and affecting the output regulation.
A common approach used to synchronize dual channel
converters is out-of-phase operation. Out-of-phase
operation reduces input current ripple and provides a
minimum interference for channels that control different
voltage levels.
When used in a DDR application with cascaded converters
(VTT generated from VDDQ), several methods of
synchronization are implemented in the ISL6539. When the
DDR pin is connected to GND for dual switcher applications,
the channels operate 180° out-of-phase. In the DDR mode,
when the DDR pin is connected to VCC, the channels
operate either with 0° phase shift, when the VIN pin is
connected to the GND, or with 90° phase shift if the VIN pin
is connected to a voltage higher than 4.2V.
The following table lists the different synchronization
schemes and their usage:
DDR PIN
VIN PIN
SYNCHRONIZATION
0
VIN pin >4.2V
180° out-of-phase
1
VIN pin voltage <4.2V
0° phase
1
VIN pin voltage >4.1V
90° phase shift
Application Information
Design Procedures
GENERAL
A ceramic decoupling capacitor should be used between the
VCC and GND pin of the chip. There are three major
currents drawn from the decoupling capacitor:
FN9144 Rev 6.00
Apr 29, 2010
VCC
5V
10
FIGURE 11. INPUT FILTERING FOR THE CHIP
The soft-start capacitor and the resistor divider setting the
output voltage is easy to select as discussed in the “Block
Diagram” on page 8.
Selection of the Current Sense Resistor
The value of the current sense resistor determines the gain
of the current sensing circuit. It affects the current loop gain
and the overcurrent protection setpoint. The voltage drop on
the lower MOSFET is sensed within 400ns after the upper
MOSFET is turned off. The current sense pin has a 140
resistor in series with the external current sensing resistor.
The current sense pin can source up to a 260µA current
while sensing current on the lower MOSFET, in such a way
that the voltage drop on the current sensing path would
equal to the voltage on the MOSFET.
I SOURCING  140 + R CS  = I D r DS  ON 
(EQ. 16)
ID can be assumed to be the inductor peak current. In a
worst case scenario, the high temperature rDS(ON) could
increase to 150% of the room temperature level. During
overload condition, the MOSFET drain current ID could be
130% higher than the normal inductor peak. If the inductor
has 30% peak-to-peak ripple, ID would equal to 115% of the
load current. The design should consider the above factors
so that the maximum ISOURCING will not saturate to 260µA
under worst case conditions. To be safe, ISOURCING should
be less than 100µA in normal operation at room
temperature. The formula in the earlier discussion assumes
a 75µA sourcing current. Users can tune the sourcing
current of the ISEN pin to meet the overcurrent protection
and the change the current loop gain. The lower the current
sensing resistor, the higher gain of the current loop, which
can damp the output LC filter more.
A higher current-sensing resistor will decrease the current
sense gain. If the phase node of the converter is very noisy
due to poor layout, the sensed current will be contaminated,
resulting in duty cycle jittering by the current loop. In such a
case, a bigger current sense resistor can be used to reduce
both real and noise current levels. This can help damp the
phase node waveform jittering.
Page 14 of 20
ISL6539
Sometimes, if the phase node is very noisy, a resistor can be
put on the ISEN pin to ground. This resistor together with the
RCS can divide the phase node voltage down, seen by the
internal current sense amplifier, and reduce noise coupling.
The MOSFET will not heat-up when applying a very low
frequency and short load pulses with an electronic load to
the output.
Sizing the Overcurrent Setpoint Resistor
• The maximum normal operation load current is 1
The internal 0.9V reference is buffered to the OCSET pin
with a voltage follower (refer to the equivalent circuit in
Figure 12). The current going through the external
overcurrent set resistor is sensed from the OCSET pin. This
current, divided by 2.9, sets up the overcurrent threshold and
compares with the scaled ISEN pin current going through
RCS with an 8µA offset. Once the sensed current is higher
than the threshold value, an OC signal is generated. The first
OC signal starts a counter and activates a pulse skipping
function. The inductor current will be continuously monitored
through the phase node voltage after the first OC trip. As
long as the sensed current exceeds the OC threshold value,
the following PWM pulse will be skipped. This operation will
be the same for 8 switching cycles. Another OC occurring
between 8 to 16 switching cycles would result in a latch off
with both upper and lower drives low. If there is no OC within
8 to 16 switching cycles, normal operation resumes.
ISEN
PHASE RCS
• The OC set point is 10% higher than the maximum load
current
• The inductor peak current is 1.15 to 1.3 times higher than
the load current, depending on the inductor value and the
input voltage
• The rDS(ON) has a 45% increase at higher temperature
IOC should set at least 1.8 to 2 times higher than the
maximum load current to avoid nuisance overcurrent trip.
Selection of the LC Filter
The duty cycle of a buck converter is a function of the input
voltage and output voltage. Once an output voltage is fixed,
it can be written as Equation 18:
V OUT
D  V IN  = --------------V IN
(EQ. 18)
The switching frequency, fsw, of ISL6539 is 300kHz. The
peak-to-peak ripple current going through the inductor can
be written as Equation 19:
140
140

_
_
As an example, assume the following:
V OUT  1 – D  V IN  
I P – P = ------------------------------------------------f sw L
8µA
+  + 8uA
+
rRdson
DS(ON)
+
(EQ. 19)
 33.1
OCSET
+
Rset
IIsense
SENSE
_
Amplifier
AMPLIFIER
0.9 V
REFERENCE
Reference
+
_
OC
COMPARATOR
Comparator
 2.9
FIGURE 12. EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT FOR OC SIGNAL
GENERATOR
As higher ripple current will result in higher switching loss
and higher output voltage ripple, the peak-to-peak current of
the inductor is generally designed with a 20% to 40%
peak-to-peak ripple of the nominal operation current. Based
on this assumption, the inductor value can be selected with
Equation 19. In addition to the mechanical dimension, a
shielded ferrite core inductor with a very low DC resistance,
DCR, is preferred for less core loss and copper loss. The DC
copper loss of the inductor can be estimated by Equation 20:
2
Based on the previous description and the “Block Diagram” on
page 8, the OC set resistor can be calculated as Equation 17:
10.3V
R set = --------------------------------------------------I OC r DS  ON 
--------------------------------- + 8A
R CS + 140
(EQ. 17)
IOC is the inductor peak current and not the load current.
Since inductor peak current changes with input voltage, it is
better to use an oscilloscope when testing the overcurrent
setting point to monitor the inductor current, and to
determine when the OC occurs. To get consistent test results
on different boards, it is best to keep the MOSFET at a fixed
temperature.
FN9144 Rev 6.00
Apr 29, 2010
P copper = I load DCR
(EQ. 20)
The inductor copper loss can be significant in the total
system power loss. Attention has to be given to the DCR
selection. Another factor to consider when choosing the
inductor is its saturation characteristics at elevated
temperature. Saturated inductors could result in nuisance
OC, or OV trip.
Output voltage ripple and the transient voltage deviation are
factors that have to be taken into consideration when
selecting an output capacitor. In addition to high frequency
noise related MOSFET turn-on and turn-off, the output voltage
ripple includes the capacitance voltage drop and ESR voltage
Page 15 of 20
ISL6539
drop caused by the AC peak-to-peak current. These two
voltages can be represented by Equations 21 and 22:
I pp
V c = ---------------8Cf sw
(EQ. 21)
V esr = I P – P ESR
(EQ. 22)
These two components constitute a large portion of the total
output voltage ripple. Several capacitors have to be
paralleled in order to reduce the ESR and the voltage ripple.
If the output of the converter has to support another load
with high pulsating current, such as the first channel in
Figure 4, it feeds into the VTT channel which draws high
pulsating current. More capacitors are needed in order to
reduce the equivalent ESR and suppress the voltage ripple
to a tolerable level.
To support a load transient that is faster than the switching
frequency, more capacitors have to be used to reduce the
voltage excursion during load step change. Another aspect
of the capacitor selection is that the total AC current going
through the capacitors has to be less than the rated RMS
current specified on the capacitors, to prevent the capacitor
from overheating.
For DDR applications, as the second channel draws pulsate
current directly from the first channel, it is recommended to
parallel capacitors for output of the first channel to reduce
ESR and smooth ripple. Excessive high ripple voltage at the
output can propagate into the output of the error amplifier
and cause too much phase voltage jitter.
Input Capacitor Selection
The important parameters for the bulk input capacitance are
the voltage rating and the RMS current rating. For reliable
operation, select bulk capacitors with voltage and current
ratings above the maximum input voltage and largest RMS
current required by the circuit. Their voltage rating should be
at least 1.25 times greater than the maximum input voltage,
while a voltage rating of 1.5 times is a conservative
guideline. For most cases, the RMS current rating
requirement for the input capacitor of a buck regulator is
approximately 1/2 the DC load current.
The maximum RMS current required by the regulator may be
closely approximated through Equation 23:
I
Cin  RMS 
=
I
2
OUT
2
 D – D  + I
Ripple  p – p 
2 D
 -----12
(EQ. 23)
In addition to the bulk capacitance, some low ESL ceramic
decoupling is recommended to be used between the drain
terminal of the upper MOSFET and the source terminal of
the lower MOSFET, in order to clamp the parasitic voltage
ringing at the phase node in switching.
FN9144 Rev 6.00
Apr 29, 2010
Choosing MOSFETs
For a maximum input voltage of 15V, at least a minimum 30V
MOSFETs should be used. The design has to trade off the
gate charge with the rDS(ON) of the MOSFET:
• For the lower MOSFET, before it is turned on, the body
diode has been conducting. The lower MOSFET driver will
not charge the miller capacitor of this MOSFET.
• In the turning off process of the lower MOSFET, the load
current will shift to the body diode first. The high dv/dt of
the phase node voltage will charge the miller capacitor
through the lower MOSFET driver sinking current path.
This results in much less switching loss of the lower
MOSFETs.
The duty cycle is often very small in high battery voltage
applications, and the lower MOSFET will conduct most of
the switching cycle; therefore, the lower the rDS(ON) of the
lower MOSFET, the less the power loss. The gate charge for
this MOSFET is usually of secondary consideration.
The upper MOSFET does not have this zero voltage
switching condition, and because the upper MOSFET
conducts for less time compared to the lower MOSFET, the
switching loss tends to be dominant. Priority should be given
to the MOSFETs with less gate charge, so that both the gate
driver loss, and switching loss, will be minimized.
For the lower MOSFET, its power loss can be assumed to be
the conduction loss only.
2
P lower  V IN    1 – D  V IN  I load rDS  ON Lower
(EQ. 24)
For the upper MOSFET, its conduction loss can be written as:
2
P uppercond  V IN  = D  V IN I load rDS  ON upper
(EQ. 25)
and its switching loss can be written as:
V IN I vally t on f sw V IN I peak t off fsw
Puppersw  V IN  = ----------------------------------------- + ------------------------------------------2
2
(EQ. 26)
The peak and valley current of the inductor can be obtained
based on the inductor peak-to-peak current and the load
current. The turn-on and turn-off time can be estimated with
the given gate driver parameters in the “Electrical
Specifications” Table on page 4. For example, if the gate
driver turn-on path MOSFET has a typical ON-resistance of
4, its maximum turn-on current is 1.2A with 5V VCC. This
current would decay as the gate voltage increased. With the
assumption of linear current decay, the turn-on time of the
MOSFETs can be written as Equation 27:
2Q gd
t on = ---------------I driver
(EQ. 27)
Qgd is used because when the MOSFET drain-to-source
voltage has fallen to zero, it gets charged. Similarly, the
turn-off time can be estimated based on the gate charge and
the gate drivers sinking current capability.
Page 16 of 20
ISL6539
The total power loss of the upper MOSFET is the sum of the
switching loss and the conduction loss. The temperature rise
on the MOSFET can be calculated based on the thermal
impedance given on the datasheet of the MOSFET. If the
temperature rise is too much, a different MOSFET package
size, layout copper size, and other options have to be
considered to keep the MOSFET cool. The temperature rise
can be calculated by Equation 28:
T rise =  jaPtotalpower loss
(EQ. 28)
The MOSFET gate driver loss can be calculated with the
total gate charge and the driver voltage Vcc. The lower
MOSFET only charges the miller capacitor at turn-off.
P driver = V cc Q gs f sw
(EQ. 29)
Based on Equation 29, the system efficiency can be
estimated by the designer.
Confining the Negative Phase Node Voltage Swing
with Schottky Diode
At each switching cycle, the body diode of the lower MOSFET
will conduct before the MOSFET is turned-on, as the inductor
current is flowing to the output capacitor. This will result in a
negative voltage on the phase node. The higher the load
current, the lower this negative voltage. This voltage will ring
back less negative when the lower MOSFET is turned on.
A total 400ns period is given to the current sample-and-hold
circuit on the ISEN pin to sense the current going through
the lower MOSFET after the upper MOSFET turns off. An
excessive negative voltage on the lower MOSFET will be
treated as overcurrent. In order to confine this voltage, a
Schottky diode can be used in parallel with the lower
MOSFET for high load current applications. PCB layout
parasitics should be reduced in order to reduce the negative
ringing of phase voltage.
Another concern for the phase node voltage going into
negative is that the boot strap capacitor between the BOOT
and PHASE pin could get be charged higher than VCC
voltage, exceeding the 6.5V absolute maximum voltage
between BOOT and PHASE when the phase became
negative. A resistor can be placed between the cathode of
the boot strap diode and BOOT pin to increase the charging
time constant of the boot cap. This resistor will not affect the
turn-on and off of the upper MOSFET.
A Schottky diode can reduce the reverse recovery of the lower
MOSFET when transitioning from freewheeling to blocking,
therefore, it is generally good practice to have a Schottky
diode closely parallel with the lower MOSFET. B340LA, from
Diodes, Inc.®, can be used as the external Schottky diode.
Tuning the Turn-on of Upper MOSFET
The turn-on speed of the upper MOSFET can be adjusted by
the resistor connecting the boot cap to the boot pin of the chip.
This resistor can confine the voltage ringing on the boot
FN9144 Rev 6.00
Apr 29, 2010
capacitor from coupling to the boot pin. This resistor slows
down only the turn-on of the upper MOSFET. If the upper
MOSFET is turned on very fast, it could result in a very high
dv/dt on the phase node, which could couple into the lower
MOSFET gate through the miller capacitor, causing
momentous shoot-through. This phenomenon, together with
the reverse recovery of the body diode of the lower MOSFET,
can overshoot the phase node voltage to beyond the voltage
rating of the MOSFET. However, a bigger resistor will slow the
turn-on of the MOSFET too much and lower the efficiency.
Trade-offs need to be made in choosing such a resistor.
System Loop Gain and Stability
The system loop gain is a product of three transfer functions:
1. the transfer function from the output voltage to the
feedback point,
2. the transfer function of the internal compensation circuit
from the feedback point to the error amplifier output
voltage,
3. and the transfer function from the error amplifier output to
the converter output voltage.
These transfer functions are written in a closed form in
“Theory of Operation” on page 9. The external capacitor, in
parallel with the upper resistor of the resistor divider, Cz, can
be used to tune the loop gain and phase margin. Other
component parameters, such as the inductor value, can be
changed for a wider cross-over frequency of the system loop
gain. A body plot of the loop gain transfer function with a 45°
phase margin (a 60° phase margin is better) is desirable to
cover component parameter variations.
Testing the Overvoltage on Buck Converters
For synchronous buck converters, if an active source is used
to raise the output voltage for the overvoltage protection test,
the buck converter will behave like a boost converter and
dump energy from the external source to the input. The
overvoltage test can be done on ISL6539 by connecting the
VSEN pin to an external voltage source or signal generator
through a diode. When the external voltage (or signal
generator voltage) is tuned to a higher level than the
overvoltage threshold (the lower MOSFET will be on), it
indicates the overvoltage protection works. This kind of
overvoltage protection does not require an external Schottky
in parallel with the output capacitor.
Layout Considerations
Power and Signal Layer Placement on the PCB
As a general rule, power layers should be close together,
either on the top or bottom of the board, with signal layers on
the opposite side of the board. For example, prospective
layer arrangement on a 4-layer board is shown in the
following:
1. Top Layer: ISL6539 signal lines
2. Signal Ground
Page 17 of 20
ISL6539
3. Power Layers: Power Ground
4. Bottom Layer: Power MOSFET, Inductors and other
Power traces
Connect these pins to the respective converters’ upper
MOSFET source.
Pin 5 and Pin 24, the UGATE1 and UGATE2
It is a good engineering practice to separate the power
voltage and current flowing path from the control and logic
level signal path. The controller IC will stay on the signal
layer, which is isolated by the signal ground to the power
signal traces.
These pins have a square shape waveform with high dv/dt. It
provides the gate drive current to charge and discharge the
top MOSFET with high di/dt. This trace should be wide,
short, and away from other traces similar to the LGATEx.
Component Placement
These pins di/dt are as high as that of the UGATEx;
therefore, the traces should be as short as possible.
The control pins of the two-channel ISL6539 are located
symmetrically on two sides of the IC; it is desirable to
arrange the two channels symmetrically around the IC.
The power MOSFET should be close to the IC so that the
gate drive signal, the LAGTEx, UGATEx, PHASEx, BOOTx,
and ISENx traces can be short.
Place the components in such a way that the area under the
ISL6539 has fewer noise traces with high dv/dt and di/dt,
such as gate signals and phase node signals.
Signal Ground and Power Ground Connection
At minimum, a reasonably large area of copper, which will
shield other noise couplings through the IC, could be used
as signal ground beneath the ISL6539. The best tie-point
between the signal ground and the power ground is at the
negative side of the output capacitor on each channel, where
there is less noise. Noisy traces beneath the ISL6539 are
not recommended.
Pin 6 and Pin 23, the BOOT1 and BOOT2
Pin 7 and Pin 22, the ISEN1 and ISEN2
The ISEN trace should be a separate trace, and
independently go to the drain terminal of the lower MOSFET.
The current sense resistor should be close to ISEN pin.
The loop formed by the bottom MOSFET, output inductor,
and output capacitor, should be very small. The source of
the bottom MOSFET should tie to the negative side of the
output capacitor in order for the current sense pin to get the
voltage drop on the rDS(ON).
Pin 8 and Pin 21, the EN1 and EN2
These pins stay high in enable mode and low in idle mode
and are relatively robust. Enable signals should refer to the
signal ground.
Pin 10 and Pin 19, VSEN1 and VSEN2
At least one high quality ceramic decoupling cap should be
used across these two pins. A via can tie GND to signal
ground. Since Pin 1 (GND) and Pin 28 (VCC) are close
together, the decoupling cap can be put close to the IC.
There is usually a resistor divider connecting the output
voltage to this pin. The input impedance of these two pins is
high because they are the input to the amplifiers. The correct
layout should bring the output voltage from the regulation
point to the SEN pin with kelvin traces. Build the resistor
divider close to the pin so that the high impedance trace is
shorter.
Pin 2 and Pin 27, the LGATE1 and LGATE2
Pin 11 and Pin 18, the OCSET1 and OCSET2
These are the gate drive signals for the bottom MOSFETs of
the buck converter. The signal going through these traces
have both high dv/dt and high di/dt, with high peak charging
and discharging current. These two traces should be short,
wide, and away from other traces. There should be no other
weak signal traces in parallel with these traces on any layer.
In dual switcher mode operation, the overcurrent set resistor
should be put close to this pin. In DDR mode operation, the
voltage divider, which divides the VDQQ voltage in half,
should be put very close to this pin. The other side of the OC
set resistor should connect to signal ground.
GND and VCC Pins
Pin 3 and Pin 26, PGND1 and PGND2
Each pin should be laid out to the negative side of the
relevant output cap with separate traces. The negative side
of the output capacitor must be close to the source node of
the bottom MOSFET. These traces are the return path of
LGATE1 and LGATE2.
Pin 4 and Pin 25, the PHASE Pin
These traces should be short, and positioned away from
other weak signal traces. The phase node has a very high
dv/dt with a voltage swing from the input voltage to ground.
No trace should be in parallel with these traces. These
traces are also the return path for UGATE1 and UGATE2.
FN9144 Rev 6.00
Apr 29, 2010
Pin 12 and Pin 17, SOFT1 and SOFT2
The soft-start capacitors should be laid out close to this pin.
The other side of the soft-start cap should tie to signal
ground.
Pin 15 and Pin 16, PG1 and PG2 for Dual Switcher
Operation
For dual switcher operations, these two lines are less noise
sensitive. For DDR applications, a capacitor should be
placed to the PG2/REF pin.
Pin 13, DDR
This pin should connect to VCC in DDR applications, and to
signal ground in dual switcher applications.
Page 18 of 20
ISL6539
Pin 14, VIN
Decoupling Capacitor for Switching MOSFET
This pin connects to battery voltage, and is less noise
sensitive.
It is recommended that ceramic caps be used closely
connected to the drain side of the upper MOSFET, and the
source of the lower MOSFET. This capacitor reduces the
noise and the power loss of the MOSFET. Refer to Figure 13
for the power component placement.
Copper Size for the Phase Node
Big coppers on both sides of the Phase node introduce
parasitic capacitance. The capacitance of PHASE should be
kept very low to minimize ringing. If ringing is excessive, it
could easily affect current sample information. It would be
best to limit the size of the PHASE node copper in strict
accordance with the current and thermal management of the
application.
INPUT
CAP
1
2
Identify the Power and Signal Ground
The input and output capacitors of the converters, the source
terminals of the bottom switching MOSFET PGND1, and
PGND2, should be closely connected to the power ground.
The other components should connect to signal ground.
Signal and power ground are tied together at the negative
terminal of the output capacitors.
SI4816DY
3
OUTPUT
CAP
4
INDUCTOR
FIGURE 13. A GOOD EXAMPLE OF POWER COMPONENT
REPLACEMENT. THIS SHOWS THAT THE
NEGATIVE OF THE INPUT AND OUTPUT CAP
AND THE SOURCE OF THE MOSFET ARE TIED
AT ONE POINT.
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Intersil products are manufactured, assembled and tested utilizing ISO9001 quality systems as noted
in the quality certifications found at www.intersil.com/en/support/qualandreliability.html
Intersil products are sold by description only. Intersil may modify the circuit design and/or specifications of products at any time without notice, provided that such
modification does not, in Intersil's sole judgment, affect the form, fit or function of the product. Accordingly, the reader is cautioned to verify that datasheets 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
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For information regarding Intersil Corporation and its products, see www.intersil.com
FN9144 Rev 6.00
Apr 29, 2010
Page 19 of 20
ISL6539
Shrink Small Outline Plastic Packages (SSOP)
Quarter Size Outline Plastic Packages (QSOP)
M28.15
N
INDEX
AREA
H
0.25(0.010) M
E
2
SYMBOL
3
0.25
0.010
SEATING PLANE
-A-
INCHES
GAUGE
PLANE
-B1
28 LEAD SHRINK SMALL OUTLINE PLASTIC PACKAGE
(0.150” WIDE BODY)
B M
A
D
h x 45°
-C-
e
0.17(0.007) M

A2
A1
B
L
C
0.10(0.004)
C A M
B S
NOTES:
1. Symbols are defined in the “MO Series Symbol List” in Section 2.2
of Publication Number 95.
2. Dimensioning and tolerancing per ANSI Y14.5M-1982.
3. Dimension “D” does not include mold flash, protrusions or gate
burrs. Mold flash, protrusion and gate burrs shall not exceed
0.15mm (0.006 inch) per side.
MIN
MAX
MILLIMETERS
MIN
MAX
NOTES
A
0.053
0.069
1.35
1.75
-
A1
0.004
0.010
0.10
0.25
-
A2
-
0.061
-
1.54
-
B
0.008
0.012
0.20
0.30
9
C
0.007
0.010
0.18
0.25
-
D
0.386
0.394
9.81
10.00
3
E
0.150
0.157
3.81
3.98
4
e
0.025 BSC
0.635 BSC
-
H
0.228
0.244
5.80
6.19
-
h
0.0099
0.0196
0.26
0.49
5
L
0.016
0.050
0.41
1.27
6
N

28
0°
28
8°
0°
7
8°
Rev. 1 6/04
4. Dimension “E” does not include interlead flash or protrusions. Interlead flash and protrusions shall not exceed 0.25mm (0.010 inch)
per side.
5. The chamfer on the body is optional. If it is not present, a visual index feature must be located within the crosshatched area.
6. “L” is the length of terminal for soldering to a substrate.
7. “N” is the number of terminal positions.
8. Terminal numbers are shown for reference only.
9. Dimension “B” does not include dambar protrusion. Allowable dambar protrusion shall be 0.10mm (0.004 inch) total in excess of “B”
dimension at maximum material condition.
10. Controlling dimension: INCHES. Converted millimeter dimensions
are not necessarily exact.
FN9144 Rev 6.00
Apr 29, 2010
Page 20 of 20