Texas Instruments Multi-Phase DC/DC Controllers Ease High Power Designs

Texas Instruments

New Single-Chip Buck Controllers Protect Entire System, Provide Up to 1 MHz per Channel for Low Voltage, 40-A to 120-A Power Systems
Nov. 4, 2003- Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) gives high current power supply designers significant levels of flexibility and circuit protection with its new multi-phase synchronous DC/DC buck controllers that support 40 A to 120 A. The new pulse width modulation (PWM) single-chip controllers provide all desirable control and supervisory features for low-voltage, high-current point-of-load power supply designs. See:'power.ti.com/sc03224.'

TI's TPS4009x family of programmable controllers manage two-, three- or four-phases and offer several advantages over a single power stage, including lower current ripple on the input and output capacitors, faster transient response to load steps and improved power handling capabilities at greater than 90 percent power efficiency. The TPS4009x devices can operate each phase at a switching frequency up to 1 MHz, resulting in effective ripple frequency of up to 4 MHz at the input and output in a four-phase application.

The new controllers provide single-cycle current balance that is accurate to less than five percent. Cycle-by-cycle current sharing in output phases over the entire load allows for minimal over-sizing of output FETs.

For added protection of the entire system, the TPS4009x devices include current sense fault protection, programmable over current protection and individual phase current detection. In addition, a simple, adjustable voltage threshold sets current limit up to 200 A.

TI offers a complete multi-phase controller/driver combination when the TPS4009x devices are coupled with the TPS2830 or TPS2834 adaptive gate drivers, or when combined with highly efficient Predictive Gate Drive^TM'devices, such as the TPS27222.

Key Performance Features of TPS4009x:

Greater than 90 percent efficiency step-down conversion'
Low ripple voltage output less than 20 mV'
Typical output current from 20 A to 30 A per phase'
Tight load regulation, 100 mV for a 50 A load step'
100 kHz cross-over frequency with 50 degrees of phase margin

Availability, Packaging and Pricing

The TPS4009x DC/DC controllers are available in volume from TI and its authorized distributors. Packaged in a 24-pin TSSOP, suggested resale pricing is $1.79 each in quantities of 1,000.