Intersil’s Single-Phase Core Controller Powers Intel’s Santa Rosa GPUs
Intersil’s ISL6263A Uses Patented R3 Technology™ to Deliver the Industry’s Best Transient Response for Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) or Graphic Cores for Intel’s Santa Rosa Platform
Intersil Corporation (NASDAQ Global Select: ISIL), a world leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance analog semiconductors, today introduced the ISL6263A single-phase core controller. This device reduces power consumption and enhances the performance of graphics processing units (GPUs) or graphics cores for Intel Santa Rosa computing products.
The ISL6263A dynamically changes the output voltage and operation modes corresponding to the GPU control protocol. Intersil’s Robust Ripple Regulator, R3 Technology™ stabilizes current flow and allows less time between wave peaks in a regulator circuit.
"The ISL6263A expands Intersil’s portfolio to meet the needs of the latest GPUs requiring dynamic response with VID change on the fly,” said Majid Kafi, director of Intersil’s Notebook Power products group. “Our PMON feature improves overall battery life and meets and exceeds Santa Rosa specifications. With the family of core power controllers that we have introduced within the last few weeks, Intersil has complete power solutions for both CPUs and GPUs on Santa Rosa as well as Napa platforms."
Faster Transient Response, Improved Efficiency
Intersil’s ISL6263A 5-bit VID (voltage identification) controller provides 0.5 percent system accuracy over the entire temperature range, which allows wider tolerance of inductors for platforms using DCR current sensing. To boost battery life, the controller has the flexibility to go to lower switching frequency at DCM either through internal automatic inductor current sensing or programmed by VID.
Compared with traditional single-phase core controllers, Intersil’s R3-based controller provides better transient response and light-load efficiency and is capable of changing the voltage output when the GPU is in suspend or sleep mode. It reports the GPU power consumption through a highly accurate continuous analog output signal.
Key Features
•Precision single-phase core voltage regulator
o0.5 percent system accuracy over temperature
oDifferential remote GPU die voltage sensing
oDifferential droop voltage sensing
•Real-time GPU power monitor output
•Input voltage range: +5.0V to +25.0V
•Programmable PWM frequency: 200kHz to 500kHz
•Internal gate driver with 2A driving capability
•5-bit Voltage Identification input (VID)
o1.28750V to 0.4120V in 25.75mV steps
oSequential or non-sequential VID change on the fly
•Over-voltage, under-voltage and over-current protection
Target Applications
•Notebook computers systems
•SAN (storage-area network) or NAS (network-attached storage) systems
•Point-of-Sale (POS) terminals
•Blade servers powered with Intel’s Core Duo or Core 2 Duo