Renesas ISL6566A Three-phase buck pwm controller with two integrated mosfet drivers and one external driver signal Datasheet

DATASHEET
ISL6566A
FN9200
Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
Three-Phase Buck PWM Controller with Two Integrated MOSFET Drivers and
One External Driver Signal
• Precision Channel Current Sharing
- Uses Loss-Less rDS(ON) Current Sampling
• Accurate Load Line Programming
- Uses Loss-Less Inductor DCR Current Sampling
• Variable Gate Drive Bias: 5V to 12V
• Microprocessor Voltage Identification Inputs
- Up to a 6-Bit DAC
- Selectable between Intel’s VRM9, VRM10, or AMD
Hammer DAC codes
- Dynamic VID-on-the-fly Technology
• Multi-tiered Overvoltage and Overcurrent Protection
• Digital Soft-Start
• Selectable Operation Frequency up to 1.5MHz Per Phase
• Pb-Free Plus Anneal Available (RoHS Compliant)
Pinout
ISL6566ACR
0 to 70
40 Ld 6x6 QFN
ISL6566ACRZ (Note)
0 to 70
40 Ld 6x6 QFN (Pb-free) L40.6x6
ISL6566ACRZA (Note)
0 to 70
40 Ld 6x6 QFN (Pb-free) L40.6x6
UGATE1
PKG.
DWG. #
ISEN1
PACKAGE
PVCC1
TEMP.
(°C)
LGATE1
PART NUMBER*
PGOOD
Ordering Information
FS
ISL6566A (QFN)
TOP VIEW
ENLL
Protection features of this controller IC include a set of
sophisticated overvoltage, undervoltage, and overcurrent
protection. Overvoltage results in the converter turning the
lower MOSFETs ON to clamp the rising output voltage and
protect the microprocessor. The overcurrent protection level is
set through a single external resistor. Furthermore, the
ISL6566A includes protection against an open circuit on the
remote sensing inputs. Combined, these features provide
advanced protection for the microprocessor and power system.
• Precision Core Voltage Regulation
- Differential Remote Voltage Sensing
- 0.5% System Accuracy Over Temperature
- Adjustable Reference-Voltage Offset
VID4
A unique feature of the ISL6566A is the combined use of
both DCR and rDS(ON) current sensing. Load line voltage
positioning (droop) and overcurrent protection are
accomplished through continuous inductor DCR current
sensing, while rDS(ON) current sensing is used for accurate
channel-current balance. Using both methods of current
sampling utilizes the best advantages of each technique.
• Integrated Multi-Phase Power Conversion
- 1 or 2-Phase Operation with Internal Drivers
- 3-Phase Operation with External PWM Driver Signal
VID3
Outstanding features of this controller IC include programmable
VID codes compatible with Intel VRM9, VRM10, as well as
AMD Hammer microprocessors. A unity gain, differential
amplifier 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.
Features
VID2
The ISL6566A three-phase PWM control IC provides 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 multiphase product families. By reducing the number of external
parts, this integration is optimized for a cost and space
saving power management solution.
40
39
38
37
36
35
34
33
32
31
L40.6x6
VID1
1
30 BOOT1
VID0
2
29 PHASE1
ISL6566AIR
-40 to 85 40 Ld 6x6 QFN
L40.6x6
VID12.5
3
28 NC
ISL6566AIRZ (Note)
-40 to 85 40 Ld 6x6 QFN (Pb-free) L40.6x6
VRM10
4
27 PWM3
ISL6566AIRZA (Note)
-40 to 85 40 Ld 6x6 QFN (Pb-free) L40.6x6
REF
5
OFS
6
VCC
7
24 EN_PH3
COMP
8
23 NC
FB
9
22 PHASE2
FN9200 Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
VDIFF 10
13
14
15
16
17
18
ICOMP
ISUM
IREF
LGATE2
PVCC2
19
20
UGATE2
12
ISEN2
11
OCSET
21 BOOT2
VSEN
*Add “-T” suffix for tape and reel.
25 ISEN3
RGND
NOTE: Intersil Pb-free plus anneal products employ special Pb-free
material sets; molding compounds/die attach materials and 100%
matte tin plate termination finish, which are RoHS compliant and
compatible with both SnPb and Pb-free soldering operations. Intersil
Pb-free products are MSL classified at Pb-free peak reflow
temperatures that meet or exceed the Pb-free requirements of
IPC/JEDEC J STD-020
26 NC
41
GND
Page 1 of 29
ISL6566A
Block Diagram
ICOMP
ENLL
PGOOD
OCSET
100A
ISEN AMP
0.66V
ISUM
VCC
POWER-ON
RESET
OC
IREF
PVCC1
RGND
VSEN
BOOT1
+1V
UGATE1
SOFT-START
AND
x1
x1
SHOOTTHROUGH
PROTECTION
GATE
CONTROL
LOGIC
FAULT LOGIC
PHASE1
VDIFF
LGATE1
UVP
0.2V
FS
OVP
PVCC2
CLOCK AND
SAWTOOTH
GENERATOR
OVP
BOOT2
VOVP
UGATE2

PWM1
GATE
CONTROL
LOGIC
+150mV
x 0.82

SHOOTTHROUGH
PROTECTION
PHASE2
PWM2
LGATE2
VID4
VID3
VID2
VID1
VID0

DYNAMIC
VID
D/A
PWM3
PH2
DETECT
CHANNEL
DETECT
VID12.5
PH3 POR /
DETECT
VRM10
REF
CHANNEL
CURRENT
BALANCE
E/A
FB
1
N
COMP
OFS

PWM3
SIGNAL
LOGIC
OFFSET
FN9200 Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
ISEN2
PWM3
NC
CHANNEL
CURRENT
SENSE
ISEN1
EN_PH3
NC
NC
ISEN3
GND
Page 2 of 29
ISL6566A
Typical Application - ISL6566A
+12V
VDIFF
FB
COMP
VSEN
PVCC1
BOOT1
RGND
UGATE1
+5V
PHASE1
VCC
ISEN1
LGATE1
OFS
+12V
FS
PVCC2
REF
VID4
ISL6566A
BOOT2
UGATE2
VID3
PHASE2
VID2
ISEN2
VID1
LOAD
LGATE2
VID0
VID12.5
VRM10
ISEN3
PGOOD
+12V
+12V
+12V
GND
EN_PH3
BOOT
VCC UGATE
PVCC
PHASE
ISL6612
ENLL
LGATE
IREF
PWM3
OCSET
ICOMP
FN9200 Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
PWM
GND
ISUM
Page 3 of 29
ISL6566A
Typical Application - ISL6566A with NTC Thermal Compensation
+12V
VDIFF
FB
COMP
PVCC1
VSEN
BOOT1
RGND
UGATE1
+5V
PHASE1
VCC
ISEN1
LGATE1
OFS
+12V
FS
PVCC2
REF
VID4
ISL6566A
BOOT2
UGATE2
VID3
PHASE2
VID2
ISEN2
VID1
LOAD
LGATE2
VID0
VID12.5
VRM10
ISEN3
PGOOD
+12V
+12V
+12V
GND
EN_PH3
BOOT
VCC UGATE
PVCC
PHASE
ISL6612
ENLL
LGATE
IREF
OCSET
ICOMP
FN9200 Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
PLACE
IN CLOSE
PROXIMITY
PWM3
PWM
NTC
GND
ISUM
Page 4 of 29
ISL6566A
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 - 0.3V to 15V (PVCC = 12)
GND - 8V (<400ns, 20µJ) to 24V (<200ns, VBOOT-PHASE = 12V)
Upper Gate Voltage, VUGATE . . . . VPHASE - 0.3V to VBOOT + 0.3V
VPHASE - 3.5V (<100ns Pulse Width, 2µJ) to VBOOT + 0.3V
Lower Gate 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
ESD Classification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Class I JEDEC STD
Thermal Resistance
JA (°C/W)
JC (°C/W)
QFN Package (Notes 1, 2) . . . . . . . . . .
32
3.5
Maximum Junction Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150°C
Maximum Storage Temperature Range . . . . . . . . . . . -65°C to 150°C
Maximum Lead Temperature (Soldering 10s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300°C
Recommended Operating Conditions
VCC Supply Voltage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +5V 5%
PVCC Supply Voltage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +5V to 12V 5%
Ambient Temperature (ISL6566ACR, ISL6566ACRZ) . . 0°C to 70°C
Ambient Temperature (ISL6566AIR, ISL6566AIRZ) . .-40°C to 85°C
CAUTION: Stress above those listed in “Absolute Maximum Ratings” may cause permanent damage to the device. This is a stress only rating and operation of the
device at these or any other conditions above those indicated in the operational section of this specification is not implied.
NOTES:
1. JA is measured in free air with the component mounted on a high effective thermal conductivity test board with “direct attach” features. See
Tech Brief TB379.
2. For JC, the “case temp” location is the center of the exposed metal pad on the package underside.
Electrical Specifications
Recommended Operating Conditions, Unless Otherwise Specified.
PARAMETER
TEST CONDITIONS
MIN
TYP
MAX
UNITS
BIAS SUPPLY AND INTERNAL OSCILLATOR
Input Bias Supply Current
IVCC; ENLL = high
-
15
20
mA
Gate Drive Bias Current
IPVCC; ENLL = high
-
1.06
-
mA
VCC POR (Power-On Reset) Threshold
VCC Rising
4.25
4.38
4.50
V
VCC Falling
3.75
3.88
4.00
V
PVCC Rising
4.25
4.38
4.50
V
PVCC Falling
3.60
3.88
4.00
V
-
1.50
-
V
-
66.6
-
%
225
250
275
kHz
ENLL Rising Threshold
-
0.66
-
V
ENLL Hysteresis
-
100
-
mV
EN_PH3 Rising Threshold
1.190
1.220
1.250
V
EN_PH3 Falling Threshold
1.000
1.045
1.090
V
0.2
0.3
0.4
V
System Accuracy (VID = 1.0V - 1.850V)
-0.5
-
0.5
%
System Accuracy (VID = 0.8V - 1.0V)
-0.8
-
0.8
%
DAC Input Low Voltage (VR9, VR10)
-
-
0.4
V
DAC Input High Voltage (VR9, VR10)
0.8
-
-
V
-
-
0.6
V
PVCC POR (Power-On Reset) Threshold
Oscillator Ramp Amplitude (Note 3)
VPP
Maximum Duty Cycle (Note 3)
Oscillator Frequency, FSW
RT = 100k ( 0.1%)
CONTROL THRESHOLDS
COMP Shutdown Threshold
COMP Falling
REFERENCE AND DAC
DAC Input Low Voltage (AMD)
FN9200 Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
Page 5 of 29
ISL6566A
Electrical Specifications
Recommended Operating Conditions, Unless Otherwise Specified. (Continued)
PARAMETER
TEST CONDITIONS
DAC Input High Voltage (AMD)
MIN
TYP
MAX
UNITS
1.0
-
-
V
OFS Sink Current Accuracy (Negative Offset)
ROFS = 30kfrom OFS to VCC
47.5
50.0
52.5
A
OFS Source Current Accuracy (Positive Offset)
ROFS = 10kfrom OFS to GND
47.5
50.0
52.5
A
ERROR AMPLIFIER
DC Gain (Note 3)
RL = 10K to ground
-
96
-
dB
Gain-Bandwidth Product (Note 3)
CL = 100pF, RL = 10K to ground
-
20
-
MHz
Slew Rate (Note 3)
CL = 100pF, Load = 400A
-
8
-
V/s
Maximum Output Voltage
Load = 1mA
3.90
4.20
-
V
Minimum Output Voltage
Load = -1mA
-
0.85
1.0
V
93
100
107
A
-5
0
5
mV
-5
0
5
mV
OVERCURRENT PROTECTION
OCSET trip current
OCSET Accuracy
OCSET and ISUM Difference
ICOMP Offset
PROTECTION
Undervoltage Threshold
VSEN falling
80
82
84
%VID
Undervoltage Hysteresis
VSEN Rising
-
3
-
%VID
Overvoltage Threshold while IC Disabled
VOVP, VRM9.0 Configuration
1.92
1.97
2.02
V
VOVP, Hammer and VRM10.0 Configurations
1.62
1.67
1.72
V
Overvoltage Threshold
VSEN Rising
VID +
125mV
VID +
150mV
VID +
175mV
V
Overvoltage Hysteresis
VSEN Falling
-
50
-
mV
Open Sense-Line Protection Threshold
IREF Rising and Falling
VDIFF
+ 0.9V
VDIFF +
1V
VDIFF
+ 1.1V
V
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
GATE DRIVE RESISTANCE (Note 3)
Upper Drive Source Resistance
VPVCC = 12V, 15mA Source Current
1.25
2.0
3.0

Upper Drive Sink Resistance
VPVCC = 12V, 15mA Sink Current
0.9
1.65
3.0

Lower Drive Source Resistance
VPVCC = 12V, 15mA Source Current
0.85
1.25
2.2

Lower Drive Sink Resistance
VPVCC = 12V, 15mA Sink Current
0.60
0.80
1.35

Thermal Shutdown Setpoint (Note 3)
-
160
-
°C
Thermal Recovery Setpoint (Note 3)
-
100
-
°C
OVER TEMPERATURE SHUTDOWN
NOTE:
3. Parameter magnitude guaranteed by design. Not 100% tested.
FN9200 Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
Page 6 of 29
ISL6566A
Timing Diagram
tPDHUGATE
tRUGATE
tFUGATE
UGATE
LGATE
tFLGATE
tRLGATE
tPDHLGATE
Simplified Power System Diagram
Functional Pin Description
VCC
VCC is the bias supply for the ICs small-signal circuitry.
Connect this pin to a +5V supply and locally decouple using
a quality 1.0F ceramic capacitor.
PVCC1 and PVCC2
These pins are the power supply pins for the corresponding
channel MOSFET drive, and can be connected to any
voltage from +5V to +12V, depending on the desired
MOSFET gate drive level.
Internally these pins are bonded so DO NOT connect
these pins to different voltages.
GND
GND is the bias and reference ground for the IC.
ENLL
This pin is a threshold-sensitive (approximately 0.66V) enable
input for the controller. Held low, this pin disables controller
operation. Pulled high, the pin enables the controller for
operation. ENLL has a internal 1.0A pull-up to 5V.
FS
A resistor, placed from FS to ground, will set the switching
frequency. Refer to Equation 34 for proper resistor
calculation.
VID4, VID3, VID2, VID1, VID0, and VID12.5
These are the inputs for the internal DAC that provides the
reference voltage for output regulation. These pins respond to
TTL logic thresholds. The ISL6566A decodes the VID inputs
to establish the output voltage; see VID Tables for
correspondence between DAC codes and output voltage
settings. These pins are internally pulled high, to
approximately 1.2V, by 40A (typically) 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).
FN9200 Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
VRM10
This pin selects VRM10.0 DAC compliance when pulled high or
open. If VRM10 is grounded, VID12.5 selects the compliance
standard for the internal DAC: pulled to ground, it encodes the
DAC with AMD Hammer VID codes, while left open or pulled
high, it encodes the DAC with Intel VRM9.0 codes.
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.
ICOMP, ISUM, and IREF
ISUM, IREF, and ICOMP are the DCR current sense
amplifier’s negative input, positive input, and output
respectively. For accurate DCR current sensing, connect a
resistor from each channel’s phase node to ISUM and
connect IREF to the summing point of the output inductors,
roughly Vout. A parallel R-C feedback circuit connected
between ISUM and ICOMP will then create a voltage from
IREF to ICOMP proportional to the voltage drop across the
inductor DCR. This voltage is referred to as the droop voltage
and is added to the differential remote-sense amplifier output.
Note: An optional 0.01F ceramic capacitor can be placed
from the IREF pin to the ISUM pin to help reduce any noise
affects that may occur due to layout.
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 added to the difference between IREF and
ICOMP. VDIFF therefore represents the output voltage plus
the droop voltage.
FB and COMP
These pins are the internal error amplifier inverting input and
output respectively. FB, VDIFF, and COMP are tied together
through external R-C networks to compensate the regulator.
REF
The REF input pin is the positive input of the error amplifier. It
is internally connected to the DAC output through a 1k
resistor. A capacitor is used between the REF pin and ground
Page 7 of 29
ISL6566A
to smooth the voltage transition during Dynamic VID
operations.
OFS
The OFS pin provides a means to program a dc current for
generating an offset voltage across the resistor between FB
and VDIFF. 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.
OCSET
This is the overcurrent set pin. Placing a resistor from OCSET
to ICOMP allows a 100A current to flow out this pin,
producing a voltage reference. Internal circuitry compares the
voltage at OCSET to the voltage at ISUM, and if ISUM ever
exceeds OCSET, the overcurrent protection activates.
ISEN1, ISEN2 and ISEN3
These pins are used for balancing the channel currents by
sensing the current through each channel’s lower MOSFET
when it is conducting. Connect a resistor between the
ISEN1, ISEN2, and ISEN3 pins and their respective phase
node. This resistor sets a current proportional to the current
in the lower MOSFET during its conduction interval.
UGATE1 and UGATE2
Connect these pins to the corresponding upper MOSFET
gates. These pins are used to control the upper MOSFETs
and are monitored for shoot-through prevention purposes.
Maximum individual channel duty cycle is limited to 66%.
BOOT1 and BOOT2
designed so that when the POR-trip point of the external
driver is reached the voltage on this pin should be 1.220V.
The second function of this pin is disabling PWM3 for 2phase operation. This can be accomplished by connecting
this pin to a +5V supply.
PGOOD
During normal operation PGOOD indicates whether the
output voltage is within specified overvoltage and
undervoltage limits. If the output voltage exceeds these limits
or a reset event occurs (such as an overcurrent event),
PGOOD is pulled low. PGOOD is always low prior to the end
of soft-start.
Operation
Multi-Phase Power Conversion
Microprocessor load current profiles have changed to the
point that the advantages of multi-phase power conversion
are impossible to ignore. The technical challenges
associated with producing a single-phase converter that is
both cost-effective and thermally viable have forced a
change to the cost-saving approach of multi-phase. The
ISL6566A controller helps simplify implementation by
integrating vital functions and requiring minimal external
components. The block diagram on page 2 provides a top
level view of multi-phase power conversion using the
ISL6566A controller.
IL1 + IL2 + IL3, 7A/DIV
These pins provide the bias voltage for the corresponding
upper MOSFET drives. Connect these pins to appropriatelychosen external bootstrap capacitors. Internal bootstrap
diodes connected to the PVCC pins provide the necessary
bootstrap charge.
IL3, 7A/DIV
PWM3, 5V/DIV
IL2, 7A/DIV
PWM2, 5V/DIV
PHASE1 and PHASE2
Connect these pins to the sources of the upper MOSFETs.
These pins are the return path for the upper MOSFET
drives.
IL1, 7A/DIV
PWM1, 5V/DIV
1s/DIV
LGATE1 and LGATE2
These pins are used to control the lower MOSFETs. Connect
these pins to the corresponding lower MOSFETs’ gates.
FIGURE 1. PWM AND INDUCTOR-CURRENT WAVEFORMS
FOR 3-PHASE CONVERTER
PWM3
Interleaving
Pulse-width modulation output. Connect this pin to the PWM
input pin of an Intersil driver IC if 3-phase operation is
desired.
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 three times greater than the
ripple frequency of any one phase. In addition, the peak-topeak amplitude of the combined inductor currents is reduced
in proportion to the number of phases (Equations 1 and 2).
EN_PH3
This pin has two functions. First, a resistor divider connected
to this pin will provide a POR power up synch between the
on-chip and external driver. The resistor divider should be
FN9200 Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
Page 8 of 29
ISL6566A
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.
must use an input capacitor bank with twice the RMS current
capacity as the equivalent three-phase converter.
INPUT-CAPACITOR CURRENT, 10A/DIV
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. Outputvoltage ripple is a function of capacitance, capacitor
equivalent series resistance (ESR), and inductor ripple
current. Reducing the inductor ripple current allows the
designer to use fewer or less costly output capacitors.
 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
capacitance. The example in Figure 2 illustrates input
currents from a three-phase converter combining to reduce
the total input ripple current.
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 11.9A
RMS input capacitor current. The single-phase converter
FN9200 Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
CHANNEL 3
INPUT CURRENT
10A/DIV
CHANNEL 2
INPUT CURRENT
10A/DIV
CHANNEL 1
INPUT CURRENT
10A/DIV
1s/DIV
FIGURE 2. CHANNEL INPUT CURRENTS AND INPUTCAPACITOR RMS CURRENT FOR 3-PHASE
CONVERTER
Figures 22 and 23 in the section entitled Input Capacitor
Selection can be used to determine the input-capacitor RMS
current based on load current, duty cycle, and the number of
channels. They are provided as aids in determining the
optimal input capacitor solution.
PWM Operation
The timing of each converter leg is set by the number of
active channels. The default channel setting for the
ISL6566A is three. One switching cycle is defined as the
time between the internal PWM1 pulse termination signals.
The pulse termination signal is the internally generated clock
signal that triggers the falling edge of PWM1. The cycle time
of the pulse termination signal is the inverse of the switching
frequency set by the resistor between the FS pin and
ground. Each cycle begins when the clock signal commands
PWM1 to go low. The PWM1 transition signals the internal
channel-1 MOSFET driver to turn off the channel-1 upper
MOSFET and turn on the channel-1 synchronous MOSFET.
In the default channel configuration, the PWM2 pulse
terminates 1/3 of a cycle after the PWM1 pulse. The PWM3
pulse terminates 1/3 of a cycle after PWM2.
If EN_PH3 is connected to a +5V source, two channel
operation is selected and the PWM2 pulse terminates 1/2 of
a cycle after the PWM1 pulse terminates. If the BOOT2 and
PHASE2 pins are both connected to +12V, single channel
operation is selected.
Once a PWM pulse transitions low, it is held low for a
minimum of 1/3 cycle. This forced off time is required to
ensure an accurate current sample. Current sensing is
described in the next section. After the forced off time
expires, the PWM output is enabled. The PWM output state
is driven by the position of the error amplifier output signal,
VCOMP, minus the current correction signal relative to the
sawtooth ramp as illustrated in Figure 3. When the modified
Page 9 of 29
ISL6566A
VCOMP voltage crosses the sawtooth ramp, the PWM output
transitions high. The internal or external MOSFET driver
detects the change in state of the PWM signal and turns off
the synchronous MOSFET and turns on the upper MOSFET.
The PWM signal will remain high until the pulse termination
signal marks the beginning of the next cycle by triggering the
PWM signal low.
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.
In order to realize the thermal advantage, it is important that
each channel in a multi-phase converter be controlled to
carry about the same amount of current at any load level. To
achieve this, the currents through each channel must be
sampled every switching cycle. The sampled currents, In,
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 loadcurrent demand on the converter during each switching
cycle. Channel-current balance is achieved by comparing
the sampled 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 currentbalance method is illustrated in Figure 3, with error
correction for channel 1 represented. In the figure, the cycle
average current, IAVG, is compared with the channel 1
sample, I1, to create an error signal IER.
The filtered error signal modifies the pulse width
commanded by VCOMP to correct any unbalance and force
IER toward zero. The same method for error signal
correction is applied to each active channel.
VCOMP
+
+
FILTER
PWM1
SAWTOOTH SIGNAL
f(s)
In order to realize proper current-balance, the currents in
each channel must be sampled every switching cycle. This
sampling occurs during the forced off-time, following a PWM
transition low. 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 sample window
opens exactly 1/6 of the switching period, tSW, after the
PWM transitions low. The sample window then stays open
the rest of the switching cycle until PWM transitions high
again, as illustrated in Figure 4.
The sampled current, at the end of the tSAMPLE, is
proportional to the inductor current and is held until the next
switching period sample. The sampled current is used only
for channel-current balance.
IL
PWM
SWITCHING PERIOD
ISEN
SAMPLING PERIOD
NEW SAMPLE
CURRENT
OLD SAMPLE
CURRENT
TIME
FIGURE 4. SAMPLE AND HOLD TIMING
The ISL6566A supports MOSFET rDS(ON) current sensing
to sample each channel’s current for channel-current
balance. The internal circuitry, shown in Figure 5 represents
channel n of an N-channel converter. This circuitry is
repeated for each channel in the converter, but may not be
active depending on the status of the PVCC3 and PVCC2
pins, as described in the PWM Operation section.
I3
IER
IAVG
-
+
TO GATE
CONTROL
LOGIC
Current Sampling
N

I2
I1
NOTE: Channel 2 and 3 are optional.
FIGURE 3. CHANNEL-1 PWM FUNCTION AND CURRENTBALANCE ADJUSTMENT
FN9200 Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
Page 10 of 29
ISL6566A
TABLE 2. AMD HAMMER VOLTAGE IDENTIFICATION CODES
VIN
VID4
VID3
VID2
VID1
VID0
VDAC
1
1
1
1
1
Off
1
1
1
1
0
0.800
1
1
1
0
1
0.825
1
1
1
0
0
0.850
1
1
0
1
1
0.875
1
1
0
1
0
0.900
1
1
0
0
1
0.925
1
1
0
0
0
0.950
1
0
1
1
1
0.975
1
0
1
1
0
1.000
1
0
1
0
1
1.025
1
0
1
0
0
1.050
1
0
0
1
1
1.075
1
0
0
1
0
1.100
1
0
0
0
1
1.125
1
0
0
0
0
1.150
0
1
1
1
1
1.175
0
1
1
1
0
1.200
0
1
1
0
1
1.225
0
1
1
0
0
1.250
0
1
0
1
1
1.275
Output Voltage Setting
0
1
0
1
0
1.300
The ISL6566A uses a digital to analog converter (DAC) to
generate a reference voltage based on the logic signals at the
VID pins. The DAC decodes the 5 or 6-bit logic signals into
one of the discrete voltages shown in Tables 2, 3, and 4.
Each VID pin is pulled up to an internal 1.2V voltage by a
weak current source (40A current), which decreases to 0 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.
0
1
0
0
1
1.325
0
1
0
0
0
1.350
0
0
1
1
1
1.375
0
0
1
1
0
1.400
0
0
1
0
1
1.425
0
0
1
0
0
1.450
0
0
0
1
1
1.475
0
0
0
1
0
1.500
0
0
0
0
1
1.525
0
0
0
0
0
1.550
I
In
r
DS  ON 
SEN = I L ------------------------R
ISEN
CHANNEL N
UPPER MOSFET
IL
SAMPLE
&
HOLD
ISEN(n)
-
RISEN
+
+
I L r DS  ON 
CHANNEL N
LOWER MOSFET
ISL6565A INTERNAL CIRCUIT
EXTERNAL CIRCUIT
FIGURE 5. ISL6566A INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CURRENTSENSING CIRCUITRY FOR CURRENT BALANCE
The ISL6566A senses the channel load current by sampling
the voltage across the lower MOSFET rDS(ON), as shown in
Figure 5. A ground-referenced operational amplifier, internal
to the ISL6566A, is connected to the PHASE node through a
resistor, RISEN. The voltage across RISEN is equivalent to
the voltage drop across the rDS(ON) of the lower MOSFET
while it is conducting. The resulting current into the ISEN pin
is proportional to the channel current, IL. The ISEN current is
sampled and held as described in the Current Sampling
section. From Figure 5, the following equation for In is
derived where IL is the channel current.
r DS  ON 
I n = I L ---------------------R ISEN
(EQ. 3)
The ISL6566A accommodates three different DAC ranges:
Intel VRM9.0, AMD Hammer, or Intel VRM10.0. The state of
the VRM10 and VID12.5 pins decide which DAC version is
active. Refer to Table 1 for a description of how to select the
desired DAC version.
.
TABLE 1. ISL6566A DAC SELECT TABLE
DAC VERSION
VRM10 PIN
VID12.5 PIN
VRM10.0
High
-
VRM9.0
Low
High
AMD HAMMER
Low
Low
FN9200 Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
TABLE 3. VRM9 VOLTAGE IDENTIFICATION CODES
VID4
VID3
VID2
VID1
VID0
VDAC
1
1
1
1
1
Off
1
1
1
1
0
1.100
1
1
1
0
1
1.125
1
1
1
0
0
1.150
1
1
0
1
1
1.175
Page 11 of 29
ISL6566A
TABLE 3. VRM9 VOLTAGE IDENTIFICATION CODES (Continued)
TABLE 4. VRM10 VOLTAGE IDENTIFICATION CODES (Continued)
VID4
VID3
VID2
VID1
VID0
VDAC
VID4
VID3
VID2
VID1
VID0
VID12.5
VDAC
1
1
0
1
0
1.200
0
0
1
1
0
0
0.9375
1
1
0
0
1
1.225
0
0
1
0
1
1
0.9500
1
1
0
0
0
1.250
0
0
1
0
1
0
0.9625
1
0
1
1
1
1.275
0
0
1
0
0
1
0.9750
1
0
1
1
0
1.300
0
0
1
0
0
0
0.9875
1
0
1
0
1
1.325
0
0
0
1
1
1
1.0000
1
0
1
0
0
1.350
0
0
0
1
1
0
1.0125
1
0
0
1
1
1.375
0
0
0
1
0
1
1.0250
1
0
0
1
0
1.400
0
0
0
1
0
0
1.0375
1
0
0
0
1
1.425
0
0
0
0
1
1
1.0500
1
0
0
0
0
1.450
0
0
0
0
1
0
1.0625
0
1
1
1
1
1.475
0
0
0
0
0
1
1.0750
0
1
1
1
0
1.500
0
0
0
0
0
0
1.0875
0
1
1
0
1
1.525
1
1
1
1
0
1
1.1000
0
1
1
0
0
1.550
1
1
1
1
0
0
1.1125
0
1
0
1
1
1.575
1
1
1
0
1
1
1.1250
0
1
0
1
0
1.600
1
1
1
0
1
0
1.1375
0
1
0
0
1
1.625
1
1
1
0
0
1
1.1500
0
1
0
0
0
1.650
1
1
1
0
0
0
1.1625
0
0
1
1
1
1.675
1
1
0
1
1
1
1.1750
0
0
1
1
0
1.700
1
1
0
1
1
0
1.1875
0
0
1
0
1
1.725
1
1
0
1
0
1
1.2000
0
0
1
0
0
1.750
1
1
0
1
0
0
1.2125
0
0
0
1
1
1.775
1
1
0
0
1
1
1.2250
0
0
0
1
0
1.800
1
1
0
0
1
0
1.2375
0
0
0
0
1
1.825
1
1
0
0
0
1
1.2500
0
0
0
0
0
1.850
1
1
0
0
0
0
1.2625
1
0
1
1
1
1
1.2750
1
0
1
1
1
0
1.2875
TABLE 4. VRM10 VOLTAGE IDENTIFICATION CODES
VID4
VID3
VID2
VID1
VID0
VID12.5
VDAC
1
0
1
1
0
1
1.300
1
1
1
1
1
1
Off
1
0
1
1
0
0
1.3125
1
1
1
1
1
0
Off
1
0
1
0
1
1
1.3250
0
1
0
1
0
0
0.8375
1
0
1
0
1
0
1.3375
0
1
0
0
1
1
0.8500
1
0
1
0
0
1
1.3500
0
1
0
0
1
0
0.8625
1
0
1
0
0
0
1.3625
0
1
0
0
0
1
0.8750
1
0
0
1
1
1
1.3750
0
1
0
0
0
0
0.8875
1
0
0
1
1
0
1.3875
0
0
1
1
1
1
0.9000
1
0
0
1
0
1
1.4000
0
0
1
1
1
0
0.9125
1
0
0
1
0
0
1.4125
0
0
1
1
0
1
0.9250
1
0
0
0
1
1
1.4250
FN9200 Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
Page 12 of 29
ISL6566A
TABLE 4. VRM10 VOLTAGE IDENTIFICATION CODES (Continued)
VID4
VID3
VID2
VID1
VID0
VID12.5
VDAC
1
0
0
0
1
0
1.4375
1
0
0
0
0
1
1.4500
1
0
0
0
0
0
1.4625
0
1
1
1
1
1
1.4750
0
1
1
1
1
0
1.4875
0
1
1
1
0
1
1.5000
0
1
1
1
0
0
1.5125
0
1
1
0
1
1
1.5250
0
1
1
0
1
0
1.5375
0
1
1
0
0
1
1.5500
0
1
1
0
0
0
1.5625
0
1
0
1
1
1
1.5750
0
1
0
1
1
0
1.5875
0
1
0
1
0
1
1.6000
Voltage Regulation
In order to regulate the output voltage to a specified level,
the ISL6566A uses the integrating compensation network
shown in Figure 6. This compensation network 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 ISL6566A to include the combined tolerances of each of
these elements.
EXTERNAL CIRCUIT
RC CC
COMP
ISL6566A INTERNAL CIRCUIT
VID DAC
1k
REF
CREF
FB
RFB
+
VOFS
-
+
-
VCOMP
ERROR AMPLIFIER
VDIFF
VSEN
VOUT
-
RGND
IREF
+
-
+
+
-
VDROOP
ICOMP
DIFFERENTIAL
REMOTE-SENSE
AMPLIFIER
FIGURE 6. OUTPUT VOLTAGE AND LOAD-LINE
REGULATION WITH OFFSET ADJUSTMENT
FN9200 Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
The output of the error amplifier, VCOMP, is compared to the
sawtooth waveform to generate the PWM signals. The PWM
signals control the timing of the 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 4. The internal and external
circuitry that controls voltage regulation is illustrated in
Figure 6.
V OUT = V REF – V OFS – V DROOP
(EQ. 4)
Load-Line (Droop) Regulation
Some microprocessor manufacturers require a preciselycontrolled output impedance. This dependence of output
voltage on load current is often termed “droop” or “load line”
regulation.
As shown in Figure 6, a voltage, VDROOP, proportional to the
total current in all active channels, IOUT, feeds into the
differential remote-sense amplifier. The resulting voltage at
the output of the remote-sense amplifier is the sum of the
output voltage and the droop voltage. As Equation 4 shows,
feeding this voltage into the compensation network causes
the regulator to adjust the output voltage so that it’s equal to
the reference voltage minus the droop voltage.
The droop voltage, VDROOP, is created by sensing the
current through the output inductors. This is accomplished
by using a continuous DCR current sensing method.
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 7. The channel current,
IL, flowing through the inductor, passes through the DCR.
Equation 5 shows the s-domain equivalent voltage, VL,
across the inductor.
IOFS
+
The ISL6566A incorporates an internal differential remotesense 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 noninverting input, VSEN, and inverting input, RGND, of the
remote-sense amplifier. The droop voltage, VDROOP, also
feeds into the remote-sense amplifier. The remote-sense
output, VDIFF, is therefore equal to the sum of the output
voltage, VOUT, and the droop voltage. VDIFF is connected to
the inverting input of the error amplifier through an external
resistor.
V L  s  = I L   s  L + DCR 
(EQ. 5)
The inductor DCR is important because the voltage dropped
across it is proportional to the channel current. By using a
simple R-C network and a current sense amplifier, as shown
Page 13 of 29
ISL6566A
in Figure 7, the voltage drop across all of the inductors DCRs
can be extracted. The output of the current sense amplifier,
VDROOP, can be shown to be proportional to the channel
currents IL1, IL2, and IL3, shown in Equation 6.
(EQ. 6)
s  L + 1
 ------------R
 DCR

COMP
V
 s  = --------------------------------------------------------------------------  -----------------------   I + I + I   DCR
DROOP
L1 L2 L3
 s  R COMP  C COMP + 1 
RS
If the R-C network components are selected such that the
R-C time constant matches the inductor L/DCR time
constant, then VDROOP is equal to the sum of the voltage
drops across the individual DCRs, multiplied by a gain. As
Equation 7 shows, VDROOP is therefore proportional to the
total output current, IOUT.
R COMP
V DROOP = ---------------------  I OUT  DCR
RS
(EQ. 7)
Note: An optional 10nF ceramic capacitor from the ISUM pin
to the IREF pin is recommended to help reduce any noise
affects on the current sense amplifier due to layout.
Output-Voltage Offset Programming
The ISL6566A allows 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 1.5V. This
causes a proportional current (IOFS) to flow into the OFS pin
and out of the FB pin. If ROFS is connected to ground, the
voltage across it is regulated to 0.5V, and IOFS flows into the
FB pin and out of the OFS pin. The offset current flowing
through the resistor between VDIFF 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.
VL(s)
L
PHASE3
-
+
VDIFF
INDUCTOR
To External Driver
PHASE Pin
I
RS
PHASE2
RS
+
VOFS
-
RFB
VREF
E/A
VOUT
FB
L3
L
IOUT
DCR
COUT
IOFS
DCR
INDUCTOR
I L2
L
PHASE1
DCR
-
INDUCTOR
I L1
+
RS
OFS
GND
CCOMP
RCOMP
ICOMP
VDROOP
+
ISL6566A
ROFS
-
+
ISUM
-
1.5V
+
0.5V
GND
VCC
FIGURE 8. POSITIVE OFFSET OUTPUT VOLTAGE
PROGRAMMING
(optional)
IREF
ISL6566A
FIGURE 7. DCR SENSING CONFIGURATION
By simply adjusting the value of RS, the load line can be set
to any level, giving the converter the right amount of droop at
all load currents. It may also be necessary to compensate for
any changes in DCR due to temperature. These changes
cause the load line to be skewed, and cause the R-C time
constant to not match the L/DCR time constant. If this
becomes a problem a simple negative temperature
coefficient resistor network can be used in the place of
RCOMP to compensate for the rise in DCR due to
temperature.
FN9200 Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
Page 14 of 29
ISL6566A
In order to ensure the smooth transition of output voltage
during a VRM10 VID change, a VID step change smoothing
network is required for an ISL6566A based voltage regulator.
This network is composed of a 1k internal resistor between
the output of DAC and the capacitor CREF, between the REF
pin and ground. The selection of CREF is based on the time
duration for 1 bit VID change and the allowable delay time.
VDIFF
VOFS
+
RFB
VREF
E/A
FB
Assuming the microprocessor controls the VID change at 1
bit every TVID, the relationship between CREF and TVID is
given by Equation 10.
IOFS
C REF = 0.004X T VID
As an example, for a VID step change rate of 5s per bit, the
value of CREF is 22nF based on Equation 10.
VCC
-
ROFS
OFS
ISL6566A
-
1.5V
+
+
0.5V
GND
VCC
FIGURE 9. NEGATIVE OFFSET OUTPUT VOLTAGE
PROGRAMMING
Once the desired output offset voltage has been determined,
use the following formulas to set ROFS:
For Positive Offset (connect ROFS to GND):
0.5  R FB
R OFS = -------------------------V OFFSET
(EQ. 8)
For Negative Offset (connect ROFS to VCC):
1.5  R FB
R OFS = -------------------------V OFFSET
(EQ. 9)
Dynamic VID
Modern microprocessors need to make changes to their core
voltage as part of normal operation. They direct the corevoltage regulator to do this by making changes to the VID
inputs. The core-voltage regulator is 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 DAC mode the ISL6566A is operating in determines
how the controller responds to a dynamic VID change. When
in VRM10 mode the ISL6566A checks the VID inputs six
times every switching cycle. If a new code is established and
it stays the same for 3 consecutive readings, the ISL6566A
recognizes the change and increments the reference.
Specific to VRM10, the processor controls the VID
transitions and is responsible for incrementing or
decrementing one VID step at a time. In VRM10 setting, the
ISL6566A will immediately change the reference to the new
requested value as soon as the request is validated; in
cases where the reference step is too large, the sudden
change can trigger overcurrent or overvoltage events.
FN9200 Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
(EQ. 10)
When running in VRM9 or AMD Hammer operation, the
ISL6566A responds slightly different to a dynamic VID change
than when in VRM10 mode. In these modes the VID code can
be changed by more than a 1-bit step at a time. Once the
controller receives the new VID code it waits half of a phase
cycle and then begins slewing the DAC 12.5mV every phase
cycle, until the VID and DAC are equal. Thus, the total time
required for a VID change, tDVID, is dependent on the switching
frequency (fS), the size of the change (VVID), and the time
required to register the VID change. The one-cycle addition in
the tDVID equation is due to the possibility that the VID code
change may occur up to one full switching cycle before being
recognized. The approximate time required for a ISL6566Abased converter in AMD Hammer configuration running at fS =
335kHz to make a 1.1V to 1.5V reference voltage change is
about 100s, as calculated using the following equation.
1 V VID
- + 1.5
t DVID = -----  ----------------
f S  0.0125
(EQ. 11)
Advanced Adaptive Zero Shoot-Through Deadtime
Control (Patent Pending)
The integrated drivers incorporate a unique adaptive deadtime
control technique to minimize deadtime, resulting in high
efficiency from the reduced freewheeling time of the lower
MOSFET body-diode conduction, and to prevent the upper and
lower MOSFETs from conducting simultaneously. This is
accomplished by ensuring either rising gate turns on its
MOSFET with minimum and sufficient delay after the other has
turned off.
During turn-off of the lower MOSFET, the PHASE voltage is
monitored until it reaches a -0.3V/+0.8V trip point for a
forward/reverse current, at which time the UGATE is released
to rise. An auto-zero comparator is used to correct the rDS(ON)
drop in the phase voltage preventing false detection of the
-0.3V phase level during rDS(ON conduction period. In the case
of zero current, the UGATE is released after 35ns delay of the
LGATE dropping below 0.5V. During the phase detection, the
disturbance of LGATE falling transition on the PHASE node is
blanked out to prevent falsely tripping. Once the PHASE is
high, the advanced adaptive shoot-through circuitry monitors
Page 15 of 29
ISL6566A
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 must have a maximum voltage
rating above PVCC + 5V and its capacitance value can be
chosen from the following equation:
Q GATE
C BOOT_CAP  -------------------------------------V BOOT_CAP
(EQ. 12)
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 VBOOT_CAP term is defined as the
allowable droop in the rail of the upper gate drive.
Initialization
Prior to initialization, proper conditions must exist on the
ENLL, EN_PH3, VCC, PVCC and the VID pins. When the
conditions are met, the controller begins soft-start. Once the
output voltage is within the proper window of operation, the
controller asserts PGOOD.
Enable and Disable
While in shutdown mode, the PWM outputs are held in a
high-impedance state. This forces the drivers to short gateto-source of the upper and lower MOSFET’s to assure the
MOSFETs remain off. The following input conditions must be
met before the ISL6566 is released from this shutdown
mode.
1. The bias voltage applied at VCC must reach the internal
power-on reset (POR) rising threshold. Once this
threshold is reached, proper operation of all aspects of
the ISL6566A is guaranteed. Hysteresis between the
rising and falling thresholds assure that once enabled,
the ISL6566A will not inadvertently turn off unless the
bias voltage drops substantially (see Electrical
Specifications).
ISL6566A INTERNAL CIRCUIT
EXTERNAL CIRCUIT
VCC
PVCC1
+12V
1.6
POR
CIRCUIT
1.4
ENABLE
COMPARATOR
1.2
ENLL
CBOOT_CAP (µF)
+
1.
10.7k
-
1.40k
0.8
0.66V
0.6
QGATE = 100nC
SOFT-START
AND
FAULT LOGIC
0.4
50nC
0.2
+
EN_PH3
-
20nC
0.0
0.0
1.22V
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1.0
VBOOT_CAP (V)
FIGURE 10. BOOTSTRAP CAPACITANCE vs BOOT RIPPLE
VOLTAGE
Gate Drive Voltage Versatility
The ISL6566A provides the user flexibility in choosing the
gate drive voltage for efficiency optimization. The controller
ties the upper and lower drive rails together. Simply applying
a voltage from 5V up to 12V on PVCC sets both gate drive
rail voltages simultaneously.
FIGURE 11. POWER SEQUENCING USING THRESHOLDSENSITIVE ENABLE (ENLL) FUNCTION
2. The voltage on ENLL must be above 0.66V. The ENLL
input allows for power sequencing between the controller
bias voltage and another voltage rail. The enable
comparator holds the ISL6566A in shutdown until the
voltage at ENLL rises above 0.66V. The enable
comparator has 60mV of hysteresis to prevent bounce.
3. The voltage on the EN_PH3 pin must be above 1.22V.
The EN_PH3 input allows for power sequencing between
the controller and the external driver.
4. The driver bias voltage applied at the PVCC pins must
reach the internal power-on reset (POR) rising threshold.
FN9200 Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
Page 16 of 29
ISL6566A
Hysteresis between the rising and falling thresholds
assure that once enabled, the ISL6566A will not
inadvertently turn off unless the PVCC bias voltage drops
substantially (see Electrical Specifications).
5. The VID code must not be 111111 or 111110 in VRM10
mode or 11111 in AMD Hammer or VRM9 modes. These
codes signal the controller that no load is present. The
controller will enter shut-down mode after receiving either
of these codes and will execute soft-start upon receiving
any other code. These codes can be used to enable or
disable the controller but it is not recommended. After
receiving one of these codes, the controller executes a
2-cycle delay before changing the overvoltage trip level to
the shut-down level and disabling PWM. Overvoltage
shutdown cannot be reset using one of these codes.
When each of these conditions is true, the controller
immediately begins the soft-start sequence.
OUTPUT PRECHARGED
ABOVE DAC LEVEL
OUTPUT PRECHARGED
BELOW DAC LEVEL
GND>
VOUT (0.5V/DIV)
GND>
ENLL (5V/DIV)
T1 T2
T3
FIGURE 12. SOFT-START WAVEFORMS FOR ISL6566ABASED MULTI-PHASE CONVERTER
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. Following a delay of 16 PHASE clock cycles
between enabling the chip and the start of the ramp, the
output voltage progresses at a fixed rate of 12.5mV per each
16 PHASE clock cycles.
ROCSET
ICOMP
Thus, the soft-start period (not including the 16 PHASE clock
cycle delay) up to a given voltage, VDAC, can be
approximated by the following equation
IREF
V DAC  1280
T SS = --------------------------------fS
ISUM
-
VOCSET
ISEN
-
VDROOP
100uA
+
OC
+
VDIFF
+1V
-
+
The ISL6566A also has the ability to start up into a precharged 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.
OCSET
+
(EQ. 13)
where VDAC is the DAC-set VID voltage, and fS is the
switching frequency.
+
-
VID + 150mV
SOFT-START, FAULT
AND CONTROL LOGIC
VOVP
VSEN
+
+
OV
PGOOD
x1
-
-
RGND
+
0.82 x DAC
UV
ISL6566A INTERNAL CIRCUITRY
FIGURE 13. POWER GOOD AND PROTECTION CIRCUITRY
FN9200 Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
Page 17 of 29
ISL6566A
Fault Monitoring and Protection
Pre-POR Overvoltage Protection
The ISL6566A actively monitors output voltage and current
to detect fault conditions. Fault monitors trigger protective
measures to prevent damage to a microprocessor load. One
common power good indicator is provided for linking to
external system monitors. The schematic in Figure 13
outlines the interaction between the fault monitors and the
power good signal.
Prior to PVCC and VCC exceeding their POR levels, the
ISL6566A is designed to protect the load from any
overvoltage events that may occur. This is accomplished by
means of an internal 10k 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.
Power Good Signal
The power good pin (PGOOD) is an open-drain logic output
that transitions high when the converter is operating after
soft-start. PGOOD pulls low during shutdown and releases
high after a successful soft-start. PGOOD transitions low
when an undervoltage, overvoltage, or overcurrent condition
is detected or when the controller is disabled by a reset from
ENLL, POR, or one of the no-CPU VID codes. If after an
undervoltage or overvoltage event occurs the output returns
to within under and overvoltage limits, PGOOD will return
high.
In the event that during normal operation the PVCC or VCC
voltage falls back below the 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 82% of the VID code.
When the output voltage (VSEN-RGND) is below the
undervoltage threshold, PGOOD gets pulled low. No other
action is taken by the controller. PGOOD will return high if
the output voltage rises above 85% of the VID code.
If VSEN or RGND become opened, VDIFF falls, causing the
duty cycle to increase and the output voltage on IREF to
increase. If the voltage on IREF exceeds “VDIFF+1V”, the
controller will shut down. Once the voltage on IREF falls
below “VDIFF+1V”, the ISL6566A will restart at the
beginning of soft-start.
Overvoltage Protection
Overcurrent Protection
The ISL6566A constantly monitors 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 DAC plus 150mV or a
fixed voltage, VOVP. The fixed voltage, VOVP, is 1.67V when
running in AMD Hammer, or VRM10 modes, and 1.97V for
VRM9 mode. Upon successful soft-start, the overvoltage trip
level is only DAC plus 150mV. OVP releases 50mV below its
trip point if it was “DAC plus 150mV” that tripped it, and
releases 100mV below its trip point if it was the fixed voltage,
VOVP, that tripped it. Actions are taken by the ISL6566A to
protect the microprocessor load when an overvoltage
condition occurs, until the output voltage falls back within set
limits.
The ISL6566A detects overcurrent events by comparing the
droop voltage, VDROOP, to the OCSET voltage, VOCSET, as
shown in Figure 13. The droop voltage, set by the external
current sensing circuitry, is proportional to the output current
as shown in Equation 7. A constant 100A flows through
ROCSET, creating the OCSET voltage. When the droop
voltage exceeds the OCSET voltage, the overcurrent
protection circuitry activates. Since the droop voltage is
proportional to the output current, the overcurrent trip level,
IMAX, can be set by selecting the proper value for ROCSET,
as shown in Equation 14.
At the inception of an overvoltage event, LGATE1 and
LGATE2 signals are commanded high, PWM3 is
commanded low, and the PGOOD signal is driven low. This
turns on the lower MOSFETs and pulls the output voltage
below a level that might cause damage to the load. The
LGATE outputs remain high and PWM3 remains low until
VDIFF falls to within the overvoltage limits explained above.
The ISL6566A will continue to protect the load in this fashion
as long as the overvoltage condition recurs.
Once an overvoltage condition ends the ISL6566A continues
normal operation and PGOOD returns high.
FN9200 Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
Open Sense Line Protection
In the case that either of the remote sense lines, VSEN or
GND, become open, the ISL6566A is designed to detect this
and shut down the controller. This event is detected by
monitoring the voltage on the IREF pin, which is a local
version of VOUT sensed at the outputs of the inductors.
I MAX  R COMP  DCR
R OCSET = --------------------------------------------------------100  R S
(EQ. 14)
Once the output current exceeds the overcurrent trip level,
VDROOP will exceed VOCSET, and a comparator will trigger
the converter to begin overcurrent protection procedures. At
the beginning of overcurrent shutdown, the controller turns
off both upper and lower MOSFETs. The system remains in
this state for a period of 4096 switching cycles. If the
controller is still enabled at the end of this wait period, it will
attempt a soft-start (as shown in Figure 14). If the fault
remains, the trip-retry cycles will continue indefinitely 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.
Page 18 of 29
ISL6566A
OUTPUT CURRENT, 50A/DIV
due to current conducted through the channel resistance
(rDS(ON)). In Equation 15, IM is the maximum continuous
output current, IPP is the peak-to-peak inductor current (see
Equation 1), and d is the duty cycle (VOUT/VIN).
I L, 2PP  1 – d 
 I M 2
P LOW 1 = r DS  ON   -----  1 – d  + -------------------------------12
 N
0A
OUTPUT VOLTAGE,
500mV/DIV
0V
2ms/DIV
FIGURE 14. OVERCURRENT BEHAVIOR IN HICCUP MODE
FSW = 500kHz
(EQ. 15)
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

I M I PP
M I PP t
P LOW 2 = V D  ON  f S  ----- t d1 +  ----- – --------- d2
 N- + -------2
N
2 
(EQ. 16)
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 below. In
addition to this guide, Intersil provides complete reference
designs that include schematics, bills of materials, and example
board layouts for all common microprocessor applications.
Power Stages
The first step in designing a 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
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 25 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 heatdissipating surfaces.
MOSFETS
The choice of MOSFETs depends on the current each
MOSFET will be required to conduct, the switching frequency,
the capability of the MOSFETs to dissipate heat, and the
availability and nature of heat sinking and air flow.
LOWER MOSFET POWER CALCULATION
The calculation for power loss in the lower MOSFET is
simple, since virtually all of the loss in the lower MOSFET is
FN9200 Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
The total maximum power dissipated in each lower MOSFET
is approximated by the summation of PLOW,1 and PLOW,2.
UPPER MOSFET POWER CALCULATION
In addition to rDS(ON) losses, a large portion of the upperMOSFET losses are due to currents conducted across the
input voltage (VIN) during switching. Since a substantially
higher portion of the upper-MOSFET losses are dependent
on switching frequency, the power calculation is more
complex. Upper MOSFET losses can be divided into
separate components involving the upper-MOSFET
switching times, the lower-MOSFET body-diode reverserecovery charge, Qrr, and the upper MOSFET rDS(ON)
conduction loss.
When the upper MOSFET turns off, the lower MOSFET does
not conduct any portion of the inductor current until the
voltage at the phase node falls below ground. Once the
lower MOSFET begins conducting, the current in the upper
MOSFET falls to zero as the current in the lower MOSFET
ramps up to assume the full inductor current. In Equation 17,
the required time for this commutation is t1 and the
approximated associated power loss is PUP,1.
I M I PP  t 1 
P UP,1  V IN  -----  ----  f
 N- + -------2  2 S
(EQ. 17)
At turn on, the upper MOSFET begins to conduct and this
transition occurs over a time t2. In Equation 18, the
approximate power loss is PUP,2.
I M I PP  t 2 
P UP, 2  V IN  -----  ----  f
 N- – -------2  2 S
(EQ. 18)
A third component involves the lower MOSFET reverserecovery charge, Qrr. Since the inductor current has fully
commutated to the upper MOSFET before the lowerMOSFET body diode can recover all of Qrr, it is conducted
Page 19 of 29
ISL6566A
through the upper MOSFET across VIN. The power
dissipated as a result is PUP,3.
(EQ. 19)
P UP,3 = V IN Q rr f S
Finally, the resistive part of the upper MOSFET is given in
Equation 20 as PUP,4.
2
I PP2
 I M
P UP,4  r DS  ON   ----- d + ---------12
 N
(EQ. 20)
The total power dissipated by the upper MOSFET at full load
can now be approximated as the summation of the results
from Equations 17, 18, 19 and 20. 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.
(EQ. 22)
3
I DR =  ---  Q G1  N
+ Q G2  N Q2  N PHASE  F SW + I Q
2

Q1
In Equations 21 and 22, 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
being controlled by the internal ISL6566A drivers (can not be
greater then 2). The IQ*VCC product is the quiescent power
of the controller without capacitive load and is typically
75mW at 300kHz.
PVCC
BOOT
D
Package Power Dissipation
When choosing MOSFETs it is important to consider the
amount of power being dissipated in the integrated drivers
located in the controller. 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 6x6 QFN package is approximately 4W at
room temperature. See Layout Considerations paragraph for
thermal transfer improvement suggestions.
When designing the ISL6566A 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 21
and 22, respectively.
P Qg_TOT = P Qg_Q1 + P Qg_Q2 + I Q  VCC
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
FN9200 Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
(EQ. 21)
CGD
RHI1
G
UGATE
RLO1
RG1
CDS
RGI1
CGS
Q1
S
PHASE
FIGURE 15. TYPICAL UPPER-GATE DRIVE TURN-ON PATH
PVCC
D
CGD
RHI2
RLO2
LGATE
G
RG2
CDS
RGI2
CGS
Q2
S
FIGURE 16. TYPICAL LOWER-GATE DRIVE TURN-ON PATH
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 15 and 16 show the typical upper
and lower gate drives turn-on transition path. The total power
Page 20 of 29
ISL6566A
dissipation in the controller itself, PDR, can be roughly
estimated as:
temperature rise in order to cause proportionally less current
to flow in the hotter phase.
P DR = P DR_UP + P DR_LOW + P BOOT +  I Q  VCC 
T
R ISEN ,2 = R ISEN ----------2
T 1
(EQ. 23)
P Qg_Q1
P BOOT = --------------------3
R LO1
R HI1

 P Qg_Q1
P DR_UP =  -------------------------------------+ ---------------------------------------  --------------------3
R
+
R
R
+
R
 HI1
EXT1
LO1
EXT1
R LO2
R HI2

 P Qg_Q2
+ ---------------------------------------  --------------------P DR_LOW =  -------------------------------------2
R
+
R
R
+
R
 HI2
EXT2
LO2
EXT2
R GI1
R EXT1 = R G1 + ------------N Q1
Current Balancing Component Selection
The ISL6566A senses the channel load current by sampling
the voltage across the lower MOSFET rDS(ON), as shown in
Figure 17. The ISEN pins are denoted ISEN1, ISEN2, and
ISEN3. The resistors connected between these pins and the
respective phase nodes determine the gains in the channelcurrent balance loop.
VIN
CHANNEL N
UPPER MOSFET
IL
ISEN(n)
I L r DS  ON 
Choosing the components for this current sense network is a
two step process. First, RCOMP and CCOMP must be
chosen so that the time constant of this RCOMP-CCOMP
network matches the time constant of the inductor L/DCR.
Then the resistor RS must be chosen to set the current
sense network gain, obtaining the desired full load droop
voltage. Follow the steps below to choose the component
values for this R-C network.
1. Choose an arbitrary value for CCOMP. The recommended
value is 0.01F.
L
R COMP = --------------------------------------DCR  C COMP
CHANNEL N
LOWER MOSFET
FIGURE 17. ISL6566A INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CURRENTSENSING CIRCUITRY
Select values for these resistors based on the room
temperature rDS(ON) of the lower MOSFETs; the full-load
operating current, IFL; and the number of phases, N using
Equation 24.
r DS  ON  I FL
R ISEN = ---------------------- -------50 10 – 6 N
For accurate load line regulation, the ISL6566A senses the
total output current by detecting the voltage across the
output inductor DCR of each channel (As described in the
Load Line Regulation section). As Figure 18 illustrates, an
R-C network is required to accurately sense the inductor
DCR voltage and convert this information into a “droop”
voltage, which is proportional to the total output current.
2. Plug the inductor L and DCR component values, and the
values for CCOMP chosen in steps 1, into Equation 26 to
calculate the value for RCOMP.
RISEN
+
In Equation 25, make sure that T2 is the desired temperature
rise above the ambient temperature, and T1 is the measured
temperature rise above the ambient temperature. While a
single adjustment according to Equation 25 is usually
sufficient, it may occasionally be necessary to adjust RISEN
two or more times to achieve optimal thermal balance
between all channels.
Load Line Regulation Component Selection (DCR
Current Sensing)
R GI2
R EXT2 = R G2 + ------------N Q2
ISL6566A
(EQ. 25)
(EQ. 26)
3. Use the new value for RCOMP obtained from Equation
26, as well as the desired full load current, IFL, full load
droop voltage, VDROOP, and inductor DCR in Equation
27 to calculate the value for RS.
I FL
R S = -------------------------  R COMP  DCR
V DROOP
(EQ. 27)
(EQ. 24)
In certain circumstances, it may be necessary to adjust the
value of one or more ISEN resistors. When the components of
one or more channels are inhibited from effectively dissipating
their heat so that the affected channels run hotter than
desired, choose new, smaller values of RISEN for the affected
phases (see the section entitled Channel-Current Balance).
Choose RISEN,2 in proportion to the desired decrease in
FN9200 Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
Page 21 of 29
VL(s)
L
PHASE3
-
+
ISL6566A
IOUT
DCR
INDUCTOR
To External Driver
PHASE Pin
I
RS
L3
L
PHASE2
COUT
V2
V1
DCR
VOUT
INDUCTOR
I
RS
L2
L
PHASE1
ITRAN
DCR
INDUCTOR
I
I
L1
RS
ISUM
-
+
FIGURE 19. TIME CONSTANT MISMATCH BEHAVIOR
CCOMP
Compensation
RCOMP
The two opposing goals of compensating the voltage
regulator are stability and speed.
ICOMP
VDROOP
+
(optional)
IREF
ISL6566A
FIGURE 18. DCR SENSING CONFIGURATION
Due to errors in the inductance or DCR it may be necessary
to adjust the value of RCOMP 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 19. Follow the
steps below to ensure the R-C and inductor L/DCR time
constants are matched accurately.
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.
C2 (OPTIONAL)
RC
1. Capture a transient event with the oscilloscope set to
about L/DCR/2 (sec/div). For example, with L = 1H and
DCR = 1m, set the oscilloscope to 500s/div.
2. Record V1 and V2 as shown in Figure 19.
3. Select a new value, RCOMP,2, for the time constant
resistor based on the original value, RCOMP,1, using the
following equation.
V 1
R COMP 2 = R COMP 1  ---------V
(EQ. 28)
2
4. Replace RCOMP with the new value and check to see that
the error is corrected. Repeat the procedure if necessary.
After choosing a new value for RCOMP, it will most likely be
necessary to adjust the value of RS to obtain the desired full
load droop voltage. Use Equation 27 to obtain the new value
for RS.
CC
COMP
FB
ISL6566A
RFB
VDIFF
FIGURE 20. COMPENSATION CONFIGURATION FOR
LOAD-LINE REGULATED ISL6566A CIRCUIT
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.
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
FN9200 Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
Page 22 of 29
ISL6566A
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.
Case 1:
1
------------------- > f 0
2 LC
In high-speed converters, the output capacitor bank is usually
the most costly (and often the largest) part of the circuit.
Output filter design begins with minimizing the cost of this part
of the circuit. The critical load parameters in choosing the
output capacitors are the maximum size of the load step, I,
the load-current slew rate, di/dt, and the maximum allowable
output-voltage deviation under transient loading, VMAX.
Capacitors are characterized according to their capacitance,
ESR, and ESL (equivalent series inductance).
2f 0 V pp LC
R C = R FB ----------------------------------0.66V
IN
0.66V IN
C C = ----------------------------------2V PP R FB f 0
Case 2:
1
1
-------------------  f 0 < ----------------------------2C  ESR 
2 LC
V PP  2  2 f 02 LC
R C = R FB -------------------------------------------0.66 V IN
(EQ. 29)
0.66V IN
C C = -----------------------------------------------------------2
 2  f 02 V PP R FB LC
Case 3:
1
f 0 > -----------------------------2C  ESR 
2 f 0 V pp L
R C = R FB ----------------------------------------0.66 V IN  ESR 
0.66V IN  ESR  C
C C = -----------------------------------------------2V PP R FB f 0 L
In Equations 29, L is the per-channel filter inductance
divided by the number of active channels; C is the sum total
of all output capacitors; ESR is the equivalent series
resistance of the bulk output filter capacitance; and VPP is
the peak-to-peak sawtooth signal amplitude as described in
the Electrical Specifications.
Once selected, the compensation values in Equations 29
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
Equations 29 unless some performance issue is noted.
The optional capacitor C2, is sometimes needed to bypass
noise away from the PWM comparator (see Figure 20). Keep
a position available for C2, and be prepared to install a highfrequency capacitor of between 22pF and 150pF in case any
leading edge jitter problem is noted.
Output Filter Design
The output inductors and the output capacitor bank together
to form a low-pass filter responsible for smoothing the
pulsating voltage at the phase nodes. The output filter also
must provide the transient energy until the regulator can
FN9200 Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
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.
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 outputvoltage deviation is less than the allowable maximum.
Neglecting the contribution of inductor current and regulator
response, the output voltage initially deviates by an amount
di
V   ESL  ----- +  ESR  I
dt
(EQ. 30)
The filter capacitor must have sufficiently low ESL and ESR
so that V < VMAX.
Most capacitor solutions rely on a mixture of high frequency
capacitors with relatively low capacitance in combination
with bulk capacitors having high capacitance but limited
high-frequency performance. Minimizing the ESL of the
high-frequency capacitors allows them to support the output
voltage as the current increases. Minimizing the ESR of the
bulk capacitors allows them to supply the increased current
with less output voltage deviation.
The ESR of the bulk capacitors also creates the majority of
the output-voltage ripple. As the bulk capacitors sink and
source the inductor ac ripple current (see Interleaving and
Equation 2), a voltage develops across the bulk capacitor
ESR equal to IC,PP (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 PP MAX 
(EQ. 31)
Since the capacitors are supplying a decreasing portion of
the load current while the regulator recovers from the
transient, the capacitor voltage becomes slightly depleted.
The output inductors must be capable of assuming the entire
load current before the output voltage decreases more than
VMAX. This places an upper limit on inductance.
Page 23 of 29
ISL6566A
2  N  C  VO
L  --------------------------------- V MAX –  I  ESR 
 I  2
(EQ. 32)
 1.25   N  C
L  ---------------------------------- V MAX –  I  ESR   V IN – V O


 I  2
(EQ. 33)
handle the ac component of the current drawn by the upper
MOSFETs which is related to duty cycle and the number of
active phases.
0.3
INPUT-CAPACITOR CURRENT (IRMS/IO)
Equation 32 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 33
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.
There are a number of variables to consider when choosing
the switching frequency, as there are considerable effects on
the upper MOSFET loss calculation. These effects are
outlined in MOSFETs, and they establish the upper limit for
the switching frequency. The lower limit is established by the
requirement for fast transient response and small outputvoltage ripple as outlined in Output Filter Design. Choose the
lowest switching frequency that allows the regulator to meet
the transient-response requirements.
Switching frequency is determined by the selection of the
frequency-setting resistor, RT. Figure 21 and Equation 34
are provided to assist in selecting the correct value for RT.
R T = 10
(EQ. 34)
10.61 – 1.035 log  f S  
IL,PP = 0.25 IO
IL,PP = 0.75 IO
0.1
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
DUTY CYCLE (VIN/VO)
FIGURE 22. NORMALIZED INPUT-CAPACITOR RMS
CURRENT FOR 3-PHASE CONVERTER
For a three-phase design, use Figure 22 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,PP) to IO. Select a
bulk capacitor with a ripple current rating which will minimize
the total number of input capacitors required to support the
RMS current calculated. The voltage rating of the capacitors
should also be at least 1.25 times greater than the maximum
input voltage. Figures 23 and 24 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.
1000
0.3
100
10
10
100
1000
10000
SWITCHING FREQUENCY (kHz)
FIGURE 21. RT vs SWITCHING FREQUENCY
Input Capacitor Selection
INPUT-CAPACITOR CURRENT (IRMS/IO)
RT (k)
IL,PP = 0.5 IO
0.2
0
Switching Frequency
IL,PP = 0
0.2
0.1
IL,PP = 0
IL,PP = 0.5 IO
IL,PP = 0.75 IO
0
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
DUTY CYCLE (VIN/VO)
FIGURE 23. NORMALIZED INPUT-CAPACITOR RMS
CURRENT FOR 2-PHASE CONVERTER
The input capacitors are responsible for sourcing the ac
component of the input current flowing into the upper
MOSFETs. Their RMS current capacity must be sufficient to
FN9200 Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
Page 24 of 29
1.0
ISL6566A
controller to the three power trains also helps keep the gate
drive traces equally short, resulting in equal trace impedances
and similar drive capability of all sets of MOSFETs.
INPUT-CAPACITOR CURRENT (IRMS/IO)
0.6
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.
0.4
0.2
IL,PP = 0
IL,PP = 0.5 IO
IL,PP = 0.75 IO
0
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
DUTY CYCLE (VIN/VO)
FIGURE 24. NORMALIZED INPUT-CAPACITOR RMS
CURRENT FOR SINGLE-PHASE CONVERTER
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 a ISL6566 controller. 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.
The power components should be placed first, which include
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 three power trains. Equidistant placement of the
FN9200 Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
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 ISL6566 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. It is also important to place the
current sense components close to their respective pins on
the ISL6566, including RISEN, RS, RCOMP, and CCOMP.
A multi-layer printed circuit board is recommended. Figure 25
shows the connections of the critical components for the
converter. Note that capacitors CxxIN and CxxOUT 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.
Routing UGATE, LGATE, and PHASE traces
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.
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.
Page 25 of 29
ISL6566A
Thermal Management
For maximum thermal performance in high current, high
switching frequency applications, connecting the thermal GND
pad of the ISL6566 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
controller be placed in a direct path of airflow if possible to help
thermally manage the part.
Suppressing MOSFET Gate Leakage
With VCC at ground potential, UGATE is high impedance. In
this state, any stray leakage has the potential to deliver charge
to the gate of the upper MOSFET. If UGATE receives sufficient
charge to bias the device on, a low impedance path will be
connected between the upper MOSFET drain and PHASE. If
this occurs and the input power supply is present and active,
the system could see potentially damaging current. Worst-case
leakage currents are on the order of pico-amps; therefore, a
10k resistor, connected from UGATE to PHASE, is more than
sufficient to bleed off any stray leakage current. This resistor
will not affect the normal performance of the driver or reduce its
efficiency.
FN9200 Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
Page 26 of 29
ISL6566A
C2
RFB
LOCATE CLOSE TO IC
(MINIMIZE CONNECTION PATH)
KEY
HEAVY TRACE ON CIRCUIT PLANE LAYER
C1
VDIFF
ISLAND ON POWER PLANE LAYER
R1
FB
ISLAND ON CIRCUIT PLANE LAYER
+12V
COMP
VIA CONNECTION TO GROUND PLANE
PVCC1
(CF2)
CBIN1
BOOT1
CBOOT1
VSEN
LOCATE NEAR SWITCHING TRANSISTORS;
(MINIMIZE CONNECTION PATH)
UGATE1
RGND
+5V
PHASE1
VCC
(CF1)
ISEN1
ROFS
RISEN1
LGATE1
OFS
+12V
FS
PVCC2
REF
RT
CREF
(CF2)
CBIN2
BOOT2
CBOOT2
ISL6566A
UGATE2
VID4
(CHFOUT)
VID3
PHASE2
VID2
ISEN2
VID1
RISEN2
CBOUT
LGATE2
LOAD
VID0
VID12.5
VRM10
RISEN3
ISEN3
+12V
PGOOD
+12V
(CF2)
CBIN3
+12V
LOCATE NEAR
LOAD (MINIMIZE
CONNECTION PATH)
CBOOT3
GND
BOOT
VCC UGATE
PVCC
PHASE
EN_PH3
ENLL
ISL6612
LGATE
IREF
PWM
PWM3
OCSET
ICOMP
GND
ISUM
RCOMP
RS
RS
RS
ROCSET
CCOMP
FIGURE 25. PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD POWER PLANES AND ISLANDS
FN9200 Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
Page 27 of 29
ISL6566A
© Copyright Intersil Americas LLC 2005. All Rights Reserved.
All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
For additional products, see www.intersil.com/en/products.html
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
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
FN9200 Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
Page 28 of 29
ISL6566A
Quad Flat No-Lead Plastic Package (QFN)
Micro Lead Frame Plastic Package (MLFP)
2X
9
MILLIMETERS
D/2
D1
D1/2
2X
N
6
INDEX
AREA
40 LEAD QUAD FLAT NO-LEAD PLASTIC PACKAGE
(COMPLIANT TO JEDEC MO-220VJJD-2 ISSUE C)
0.15 C A
D
A
L40.6x6
0.15 C B
SYMBOL
MIN
NOMINAL
MAX
NOTES
A
0.80
0.90
1.00
-
A1
-
-
0.05
-
A2
-
-
1.00
A3
1
2
3
E1/2
E/2
E1
b
D2
0.15 C B
0.15 C A
4X
B
TOP VIEW
0
A
C
0.08 C
SEATING PLANE
A1
A3
SIDE VIEW
9
5
NX b
0.10 M C A B
4X P
D2
(DATUM B)
8
7
NX k
D2
2 N
4X P
4.10
(Ne-1)Xe
REF.
E2
N e
8
6.00 BSC
-
5.75 BSC
9
3.95
4.10
k
0.25
-
-
-
L
0.30
0.40
0.50
8
L1
-
-
0.15
10
N
40
2
Nd
10
3
Ne
10
3
P
-
-
0.60
9

-
-
12
9
4. All dimensions are in millimeters. Angles are in degrees.
5. Dimension b applies to the metallized terminal and is measured
between 0.15mm and 0.30mm from the terminal tip.
6. The configuration of the pin #1 identifier is optional, but must be
located within the zone indicated. The pin #1 identifier may be
either a mold or mark feature.
NX b
5
7. Dimensions D2 and E2 are for the exposed pads which provide
improved electrical and thermal performance.
SECTION "C-C"
L1
10
8. Nominal dimensions are provided to assist with PCB Land Pattern
Design efforts, see Intersil Technical Brief TB389.
C
L
L
e
L1
10
L
e
C C
TERMINAL TIP
FN9200 Rev 2.00
Jul 27, 2005
-
3. Nd and Ne refer to the number of terminals on each D and E.
A1
FOR ODD TERMINAL/SIDE
7, 8
2. N is the number of terminals.
8
BOTTOM VIEW
C
L
4.25
0.50 BSC
1. Dimensioning and tolerancing conform to ASME Y14.5-1994.
9
CORNER
OPTION 4X
(Nd-1)Xe
REF.
7, 8
NOTES:
7
E2/2
NX L
9
4.25
Rev. 1 10/02
2
3
6
INDEX
AREA
-
E
1
(DATUM A)
5, 8
5.75 BSC
3.95
e
/ / 0.10 C
0.30
E1
E2
A2
0.23
9
6.00 BSC
D1
9
2X
2X
0.18
D
E
9
0.20 REF
9. Features and dimensions A2, A3, D1, E1, P &  are present when
Anvil singulation method is used and not present for saw
singulation.
10. Depending on the method of lead termination at the edge of the
package, a maximum 0.15mm pull back (L1) maybe present. L
minus L1 to be equal to or greater than 0.3mm.
FOR EVEN TERMINAL/SIDE
Page 29 of 29
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