International Rectifier (IR) introduced a two-phase interleaved pulse width modulation (PWM) control IC that supports the AMD Athlon, AMD Athlon64, AMD Opteron and Intel VR10.X processors. Applications include server and desktop computer motherboards, voltage regulator modules (VRM), video graphics cards and telecom single in-line package (SIP) modules.According to IR, the IR3092 is suitable for space-constrained systems with high load current and efficiency requirements. Compared to other devices that require external gate drive circuits, the IR3092 includes integrated MOSFET drivers with 3.5A drive capability. Existing two-phase solutions that are implemented with three ICs can now be replaced with a single IR3092 improving system reliability, reducing board area and simplifying circuit design, the company added. A patent-pending body braking circuit reduces the output capacitance requirement by up to 25 percent."The IR3092 uniquely meets the challenge of powering Intel's advanced Prescott microprocessors by providing up to 80A with a 2-phase integrated power architecture," said Ralph Monteiro, Marketing Manager for dc-dc computing products.Output voltage programmed with 5-bit or 6-bit VID codeThe IR3092 operates from a single 12V supply and includes a linear regulator to power the gate drivers. The regulator output voltage can be programmed to minimize switching losses and optimize efficiency, and the programmable oscillator (with a frequency range of 100kHz to 540kHz) gives the designer additional flexibility to improve system efficiency and transient response.For system protection and reliability, the new device features programmable soft-start and hiccup over-current protection. Current sensing is achieved with loss-less inductor current sensing which gives improved accuracy compared to sensing circuits measuring MOSFET on-resistance. Dual undervoltage lockout circuits and overvoltage protection ensure reliability of system voltages, while a power-good output signal indicates proper operation.To meet the power requirements of today's microprocessors, the output voltage can be programmed with either a five or six-bit voltage identification (VID) code with 0.5 percent set-point accuracy. An adaptive voltage-positioning feature maintains the output voltage tolerance while minimizing output capacitor requirements. The chip is also capable of 100 percent duty cycle operation to further improve transient response. In addition, the IR3092 features programmable slew rate response to "on-the-fly" VID code changes.Available in a 7-by-7mm MLPQ-48 package, the PWM IC is priced at $2.50 each in 10,000-piece quantities.
