IR's Family of CHiL Digital PWM Controllers and Integrated PowIRstage® Solutions Provide Optimized End-to-End Solutions with PMBusTM for Next-Generation Computing Platforms

Mar 18, 2014 | Market News

New devices target Intel VR12.5 platforms in mid-range to high-end server, desktop and computing applications.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — International Rectifier, IR® (NYSE: IRF), a world leader in power management technology, today introduced its latest generation of highly versatile, PMBus™ enabled, CHiL® digital PWM controllers and integrated PowIRstage® solutions that significantly improve efficiency and reduce board space and component count in a variety of mid-range to high-end server, desktop and computing applications.

IR's new digital controllers meet Intel VR12 and VR12.5 specifications, and support multiphase designs from 1 to 8 phases operating 1 to 2 loops. These digital controllers can be used in combination with a choice of seven new PowIRstage® products to deliver an optimized high-performance end-to-end multiphase solution for CPU and DDR memory applications.

These latest generation CHiL® controllers offer enhanced features over the previous generation including significant expansion in the PMBus TM command set, substantial reduction in quiescent current to enable higher peak efficiency, min/max telemetry recording and an improved high-speed phase balance algorithm.

"Our latest generation CHiL® digital controller family and PowIRstage® solutions offer a complete optimized, full-featured, high-performance end-to-end solution satisfying the challenging requirements of leading-edge next-generation CPU and DDR memory designs for servers, high-end motherboards and other computing systems. These new solutions incorporate our latest silicon technologies to boost in-circuit efficiencies and offer a substantial upgrade in system-level telemetry and reporting, fault protection and PMBus TM capability," said Carl Smith, Marketing Director, IR's Enterprise Power Business Unit.

IR's latest PowIRstage® solutions integrate a high performance driver, control and synchronous MOSFETs with accurate, temperature compensated, on-chip current sense reporting and provide cycle-by-cycle over-current protection to self-protect against harsh circuit conditions such as inductor saturation events. Temperature sensing, reporting and over-temperature protection are also available in addition to a fault-flag output. These PowIRstage® devices are offered in 6x6mm PQFN packages, rated at 40A, 50A and 60A with over-molded and exposed top options available providing flexibility to achieve optimal thermal design.

Part Number Package Pins Vcc # Outputs Total # Phases Output 1: # Phases Output 2: # Phases
IR3580 6x6mm QFN 48 Pin 3.3V 1 1 - 8Ø n/a
IR3581 6x6mm QFN 48 Pin 3.3V 2 1 - 6Ø 0 - 1Ø
IR3584 5x5mm QFN 40 Pin 3.3V 2 1 - 4Ø 0 - 1Ø
Part Number Package Over-molded or Exposed Top Current Rating Input Voltage Range Vcc Supply & Vdrv Voltage Pre-OVP Feature (Y/N)
IR3555 6x6x0.9mm PQFN Over-molded 60Amp 4.5V to 15V 4.5V to7V Y
IR3555A 6x6x0.9mm PQFN Over-molded 60Amp 4.5V to 15V 4.5V to7V N
IR3579 6x6x0.65mm PQFN Exposed Top 60Amp 4.5V to 15V 4.5V to7V Y
IR3579A 6x6x0.65mm PQFN Exposed Top 60Amp 4.5V to 15V 4.5V to7V N
IR3578 6x6x0.65mm PQFN Exposed Top 50Amp 4.5V to 15V 4.5V to7V Y
IR3556 6x6x0.9mm PQFN Over-molded 50Amp 4.5V to 15V 4.5V to7V Y
IR3557 6x6x0.9mm PQFN Over-molded 40Amp 4.5V to 15V 4.5V to7V Y

IR offers dedicated demo boards and fully documented reference designs. These CHiL® digital power solutions are fully supported by IR's real-time GUI for design and development, and hardware interface tools to communicate and program the CHiL® devices.

Pricing for the controller range from US $3.81 each for the IR3584 to US $4.13 each for the IR3580 in 1,000-unit quantities. Pricing for the PowIRstage® devices range from US $3.19 each for the IR3557 to US $4.25 each for the IR3579 in 1,000-unit quantities. Prices are subject to change.

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