CIE Components in Electronics
Integrated Device Technology (IDT) has developed and validated an intelligent, scalable, and distributed power management solution for Intel Atom processors, Intel Xeon processors and Intel Core processors. The new solution is designed to meet the cross-platform power requirements of various Intel-based applications with a single power management IC (PMIC).
The IDTP9145 is a scalable, programmable, multi-channel PMIC specifically designed to support the power management requirements of Intel Atom processor-based SoCs. Unlike traditional solutions that require a different PMIC for different power requirements, the IDTP9145 leverages IDT’s intelligent, scalable, distributed power sources (IDTP9147), enabling system designers to add phases and output current to the internal DC/DC regulator as needed by the application. This feature minimises development risk and offers flexibility for point-of-load regulation, circuit board routing, and thermal distribution.
According to Arman Naghavi, vice president and general manager of the Analog and Power Division at IDT, “The IDTP9145 PMIC offers industry-first design features, giving customers a means to configure, re-configure, and scale their power management solution to support evolving power requirements across multiple product platforms. The highly versatile solution services a wide-range of market segments, spanning from micro-servers and embedded markets, to consumer electronics, including tablets and netbooks.”
The IDTP9145 PMIC is a complete power management solution that includes: five step-down DC/DC regulators (20 A total peak current), seven LDOs, a 10-bit ADC, multiple GPIOs, and a high-speed I2C interface. IDT’s patent-pending architecture offers seamless transitions between modes of operation to ensure high-efficiency for different power loads. In addition, the solution provides a high degree of configurability through one-time-programmable (OTP) memory that can be programmed prior to shipment. This enables customers to set custom default power sequences and configurations without the high-speed I2C interface.
The IDTP9147 companion distributed power sources are controlled by the IDTP9145 PMIC, allowing designers to command up to eight external devices as though they were integrated into the main PMIC itself. Each optional device provides up to 6 A of additional peak current, for a total of 48 A of scalability in addition to the IDTP9145″s 20 A of integrated capability. The distributed nature of the devices distributes heat across the board and greatly simplifies PCB routing and stack-up requirements near the PMIC – an area that is often a challenge to design. In addition, the transient voltages and currents of the additional phases are contained to the power sources’ immediate areas, helping to avoid inductive interference and minimize EMI.
Differing from Driver-MOSFET (DrMOS) solutions, IDT’s solution leverages a proprietary two-wire interface with no sensitive analog feedback traces or individual pulse width modulation (PWM) line connections, thus minimizing the number of PCB traces and avoiding potential signal coupling issues. In addition, automatic signal integrity calibration practically eliminates trace length and proximity concerns, allowing customers to separate the power sources and host PMIC as needed to optimise the system.
