Renesas Electronics Corporation Four-Phase Buck PWM Controller with Integrated MOSFET Drivers for Intel VR10, VR11, and AMD ISL6312ACRZ

The ISL6312A four-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. One outstanding feature of this controller IC is its multi-processor compatibility, allowing it to work with both Intel and AMD microprocessors. Included are programmable VID codes for Intel VR10, VR11, as-well-as AMD DAC tables. 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. The ISL6312A also includes advanced control loop features for optimal transient response to load apply and removal. One of these features is highly accurate, fully differential, continuous DCR current sensing for load-line programming and channel current balance. Active pulse positioning (APP) modulation is another unique feature, allowing for quicker initial response to high di/dt load transients. This controller also allows the user the flexibility to choose between PHASE detect or LGATE detect adaptive deadtime schemes. This ability allows the ISL6312A to be used in a multitude of applications where either scheme is required. Protection features of this controller IC include a set of sophisticated overvoltage, undervoltage, and overcurrent protection. Furthermore, the ISL6312A includes protection against an open circuit on the remote sensing inputs. Combined, these features provide advanced protection for the microprocessor and power system.