Project Analog - February 2009 - (Page 17) operation, eight-layer 1-oz copper board). Using digital techniques, these new devices also offer a new level of power monitoring and control. Designers can now use this builtin intelligence to tune the voltage, current and clocks in each circuit to either optimize performance or maximize power efficiency. Moreover these new capabilities give designers the flexibility to trade off one design goal against the other to achieve the best solution for a particular application. An excellent example is thermal management. Heat dissipation can play a major role in system performance and reliability. To better manage this crucial problem, these new digital multi-phase controllers add new circuit balancing algorithms that dynamically, and accurately, balance current over the controller’s phases. This function allows the designer to more easily avoid the saturation of inductors and, in the process, use lower cost external components. It also helps minimize the output voltage oscillations commonly experienced in systems using analog controllers. Designers can achieve high power efficiency with traditional analog approaches to power management, but usually at only one load point and without meeting transient requirements, which are real-world problems. Recent advances in digital power control offer a new answer to this ongoing problem. By leveraging eight-phase control with innovative phase shedding, variable gate drive and digital monitoring techniques, high-performance PC and server designers can now meet VR11.1 tolerance and transient specifications and boost power efficiency while reducing component count and overall system cost. Contents Viewpoint Selecting the Right dc/dc Converter Selecting the Right Battery System Understanding the Buck Switchmode Power Converter Analog news figurE 3 EfficiENcy of aN EighT-PhasE DEsigN is shoWN TraNsiTioNiNg To six aND ThEN oNE PhasE. these new capabilities give designers the flexibility to trade off one design goal against the other to achieve the best solution for a particular application.” Microchip analog page Sample center microchipDIRECT Reference designs/ app notes Technical training 17 · PRojeCt ANAlog · VolUme 3 / NUmBeR 1 http://www.microchip.com http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=79&redirects=analog http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=79&redirects=analog http://sample.microchip.com/Default.aspx?testCookies=true http://www.microchipdirect.com/catalogselection.aspx?returnURL=default.aspx http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=1469&filter1=function&redirects=appnotes http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=1469&filter1=function&redirects=appnotes http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=1423
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