IPM6210A

The IPM6210A is a highly integrated power controller which provides a complete power management solution for mobile CPUs. The IC integrates two PWM controllers and a linear regulator as well as monitoring and protection circuitry into a single 28-lead plastic SSOP package. The two PWM controllers regulate the microprocessor core and I/O voltages with synchronous-rectified buck converters, while the linear regulator powers the CPU clock.

The IPM6210A includes 5-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that adjusts the core PWM output voltage from 0.925VDC to 2.0VDC and conforms to the Intel Mobile VID specification. The DAC setting may be changed during operation to accommodate Dual-Mode processors. Special measures are taken to provide such a transition with controlled rate in a specified 100µs. A precision reference, remote sensing, and a proprietary architecture with integrated processor mode-compensated "droop" provide excellent static and dynamic core voltage regulation. The second PWM controller has a fixed 1.5V output voltage and powers the I/O circuitry. Both PWM controllers have integrated feedback loop compensation that dramatically reduces number of the external components. At nominal loads PWM controllers operate at a fixed frequency of 300kHz. At light loads when the filter inductor current becomes discontinuous, controllers operate in a hysteretic mode. Out-of-phase operation of two PWM controllers to reduce input current ripple is provide in both modes of operation. The linear regulator uses an internal pass device to provide 2.5V for the CPU clock generator.

The IPM6210A monitors all the output voltages. A single Power-Good signal is issued when soft start is completed and all outputs are within ±10% of their respective set points. A built-in overvoltage protection for the core and I/O outputs forces the lower MOSFETs on to prevent output voltages from going above 115% of their settings. Undervoltage protection latches the chip off when any of three outputs drops below 75% of the set value. The PWM controller's overcurrent circuitry monitors the output current by sensing the voltage drop across the lower MOSFETs. If precision overcurrent protection is required, an external current-sense resistor may optionally be used.