Get Ahead with 3E Digital DC/DC Converters & POL Regulators
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Get Ahead With 3E Digital DC/DC Converters & POL Regulators 3E - Enhanced performance, Technical Paper 016 Energy Management and March 2011 End-User Value GET AHEAD WITH 3E DIGITAL DC/DC CONVERTERS AND POL REGULATORS 2 1. INTRODUCTION CONTENTS Flex Power Modules has recently introduced a comprehensive set of 1.0 INTRODUCTION 2 products that establish an innovative approach to the goals of end-user value, flexibility, and system performance. These new products contain 2.0 CONCEPTS, TERMINOLOGY & DEFINITIONS 4 several unique concepts spanning multiple disciplines in circuit and system design, all focused on optimizing performance, flexibility, and 3.0 3E DC/DC CONVERTERS 6 value for the end-user. Flex Power Modules refers to the high-level end-user benefits of this approach as “3E”, the 3 Es being: 4.0 3E POINT-OF-LOAD REGULATORS 10 • Enhanced Performance 5.1 SYSTEM-LEVEL APPLICATIONS OF • Energy Management 3E DIGITAL POWER CONVERTERS 14 • End-user Value 5.2 THE PMBUS 15 This technical paper describes the initial set of isolated-output DC/DC intermediate-bus converters (IBCs) and non-isolated 6.0 SUMMARY 21 point-of-load (POL) regulators in the new product family, which we refer to generically as “3E DC/DC converters” and “3E POL regulators”. Figure 1 introduces these components and highlights their major specifications. The sections that follow describe some of the key concepts, definitions, and terminology that apply when working with 3E family products and the power system architectures that they enable. A description of the 3E DC/DC converters and 3E POL regulators follows, together with more information regarding the benefits to the end-user with particular respect to hardware features, electrical performance, and mechanical details. The last part of this technical paper expands the discussion of the 3E concept as it applies to active power management methodologies and outlines example application scenarios that end-users may wish to explore as well as expand upon. GET AHEAD WITH 3E DIGITAL DC/DC CONVERTERS AND POL REGULATORS 3 BMR 450 Key Features Power Management • Small package 25.65 x 12.9 x 8.2 mm • Digital soft start/stop • 20 A output current • Precision delay and ramp-up • 4.5 V-14 V input voltage range • Voltage sequencing and margining • 0.6 V-5.5 V output voltage range • Voltage/current/temperature monitoring • High efficiency, typ. 96.8% at half load, • Transistor dead-time optimization for 5 V in, 3.3 V out improved efficiency • 5 million hours MTBF • Configurable output voltage • Through hole and surface • Configurable loop compensation mount versions • PMBus compliant BMR 451 Key Features Power Management • Small package 30.85 x 20 x 8.2 mm • Digital soft start/stop • 40 A output current • Precision delay and ramp-up • 4.5 V–14 V input voltage range • Voltage sequencing and margining • 0.6 V–3.6 V output voltage range • Voltage/current/temperature monitoring • High efficiency, typ. 96.4% at half load, • Transistor dead-time optimization for 5 V in, 3.3 V out improved efficiency • 2.6 million hours MTBF • Configurable output voltage • Through hole and surface • Configurable loop compensation mount versions • PMBus compliant BMR 453 Key Features Power Management • Industry standard Quarter-brick • Programmable built-in active • Input 36-75 V current share up to 792 W in • Output up to 33 A / 396 W parallel configuration • High efficiency, typ. 96% at half load, • Configurable soft start/stop 12 V out • Precision delay and ramp-up • +/- 2% output voltage tolerance band • Voltage sequencing and margining • 1500 Vdc input to output isolation • Voltage/current/temperature monitoring • 1.1 million hours MTBF • Configurable output voltage • Optional baseplate • Power good • ISO9001/14001 certified supplier • Synchronization • PMBus compliant • Voltage track BMR 454 Key Features Power Management • Industry standard Eighth-brick • Configurable soft start/stop • Input 36-75 V • Precision delay and ramp-up • Output up to 20 A / 240 W • Voltage sequencing and margining • High efficiency, typ. 95.5% at half load, • Voltage/current/temperature monitoring 12 V out • Configurable output voltage • +/- 2% output voltage tolerance band • Synchronization • 1500 Vdc input to output isolation • Voltage track • 1.13 million hours MTBF • Optional baseplate • ISO9001/14001 certified supplier • PMBus compliant Figure 1 – 3E family POL regulators and DC/DC converters. GET AHEAD WITH 3E DIGITAL DC/DC CONVERTERS AND POL REGULATORS 4 2. CONCEPTS, TERMINOLOGY & DEFINITIONS Conventional analog DC/DC converters and POLs use a pulse-width-modulation (PWM) control IC together with a Because the internal design of the 3E DC/DC converters and 3E multitude of external resistors, capacitors, inductors, and active POL regulators uses digital power control techniques, end-user discrete semiconductor devices to achieve the feedback and applications can benefit from system-level approaches to digital control functions that the board-mounted power supply (BMPS) power and energy management. While it is perfectly possible to requires. For instance, linear analog component networks set the apply these products using the same techniques as for time constants that balance the power converter’s response and conventional analog power converters, considering the digital its stability, and sensors and comparators establish and perform approach makes it possible to select between conventional and internal fault-detection duties. As a result, user configurability is digital techniques to make the best choice for a particular typically quite limited, with resistive trim for output voltage system. This section describes the distinctions between digital programming being the commonest facility. power control and digital power and energy management, and makes comparisons with conventional analog systems. Further Flex Power Modules uses the term “digital power control” to describe information is available in the reference material that is available from a power converter in which digital circuitry replaces much of the Flex’s website. analog control functionality. Typically, the digital content includes the feedback loops, MOSFET gate-drive generation, and fault detection. This discussion assumes the use of a fairly conventional The MOSFET switches and the main output LC filter are often very intermediate bus architecture (IBA) such as Figure 2 shows, with similar to those in an analog converter. Importantly, digital power a board-level intermediate bus converter (IBC) feeding multiple control can be completely transparent to the end-user: two BMPS POL regulators that are located close to the load circuitry and devices, one implemented digitally and one with analog circuitry, can supply the final operating voltages. The IBC output voltage, and be plug-compatible and may be indistinguishable to the end-user. POL input voltages, will typically be between 3.3 and 12 VDC. In However, using digital techniques within a DC/DC converter or the discussion that follows, the term “board-mounted power POL offers significant density and performance advantages, as supply” is generic and applies to both IBCs and POLs. The figure well as dramatically increasing the power converter’s flexibility also shows an optional board power manager and its digital and configurability. power management bus (PMBus™). While digital power control only applies to the circuitry within a V 1.8 POL 3E V 1.5 POL DC/DC3E 3E y V uxiliar A 1.2 POL 3E AG JT d Boar wer Po Manager PMBus System Bus Figure 2 – In an Intermediate Bus Architecture System (IBA) a board-level Intermediate Bus Converter Host (IBC) feeds multiple POL regulators that are located in proximity to the load circuitry and supply the final operating voltages. GET AHEAD WITH 3E DIGITAL DC/DC CONVERTERS AND POL REGULATORS 5 power supply and is designed and controlled by the BMPS Similarly, dynamically varying an IBC’s output voltage can optimize manufacturer, digital power management and energy the power supply’s overall conversion efficiency as a function of management extends beyond the physical boundaries of a DC/DC system operating conditions. “Digital energy management” is the term converter or POL regulator and into the end-user’s system. This that Flex Power Modules uses for this strategy, which can also extension significantly increases the capabilities of the end-user’s compensate for the effects of component variations due to factors such system, but also requires the power system designer to help as temperature changes and ageing. In effect, digital energy implement the digital communications structure. Flex Power Modules management replaces compromise with optimization to deliver uses the term “digital power management” to describe a system in impressive energy savings. which DC/DC converters and/or POL regulators communicate digitally with other system elements in order to monitor and control the behavior of the power supplies. This digital communication is typically used for power control, fault handling, configuration changes, and efficiency optimization. Communication is conventionally facilitated via a digital interface known as the power management bus (PMBus™) that the yellow line in Figure 2 represents. V in One of the major advantages of using digital control within a DC/DC converter or POL regulator is the ability to integrate the control V out and monitoring functions and the communications interface PMBus µ C, RAM DPWM alongside the core logic. By comparison, analog systems EEPROM I/O POWER TRAIN optionally implement these facilities externally, consuming more space and power with inferior coupling between the core control Compensator A/D logic and peripheral elements. While the digital power control core must operate on a cycle-by-cycle basis at the power supply’s operating frequency to control the energy flow, the digital power management subsystem usually operates on a considerably The block diagram depicts the control system structure of slower time scale that reacts to changes within the system. 3E products. The sensing of the output voltage is similar to The efficiency of DC/DC converters and POL regulators has that of an analog system.