When transitioning from concept to product, selecting a power supply is essential. An isolated power module provides 12V power for advanced ASICs, microcontrollers, FPGAs, and various other components. As always, these components practically fill the space on the circuit board, providing sufficient power, stability, thermal performance, low noise, and reliability, which challenge the laws of physics.
Due to the high current requirements of ASICs, microcontrollers, and FPGAs, you can use power supplies based on discrete components (a combination of discrete and integrated) or module-based solutions.
When the specifications and form factors of the solution are fixed, the trade-offs between cost, design effort, and performance must be considered. However, when FPGAs and some other options remain unknown and may change at the last moment, time becomes a critical factor, potentially leading to unforeseen development delays.
Designing your power supply using discrete components, when considering all the components that need to be accounted for, you quickly realize the value that power modules can provide. In a discrete solution, selecting the right PWM controller, FET, inductor, compensation scheme, and other supporting components takes time, extending the design cycle.
Additionally, the time required for proper layout of the circuit board, as well as the ongoing component procurement costs and time involved, are all significant reasons why power modules can bring substantial advantages to designing your power solution.
Due to system design requirements, tight circuit board space, and the nature of your concept, you decide that the project should adopt a module-based solution. The power module can provide a fully integrated DC/DC voltage regulator, meaning that the controller, FET, inductor, and compensation circuit are all included in a single package. The module can be analog, analog with digital encapsulation, or purely digital.
For your design, you decide to choose the ISL8270M digital DC/DC power module. This module can provide 25A continuous output current without the need for fans or heat sinks, and the thermally enhanced high-density array (HAD) module can dissipate heat directly into the circuit board. The module’s ChargeMode digital control can respond to transient loads within a single switching cycle without the need for compensation. Additionally, it can minimize output capacitance to increase design density. Features like ChargeMode ensure that the design remains stable, regardless of temperature or variations in output capacitance and load.
The pin strap mode allows for quick changes to pre-programmed configurations. For this power module, a graphical user interface (GUI) design tool called PowerNavigator simplifies the setup and configuration. This tool makes it easy to change the characteristics and functions of digital power designs without writing a single line of code, ensuring that the design can be completed before a one-week deadline!
The proof of concept for the design is always a challenge for power design engineers; it requires strong nerves. When the system power changes, endless obstacles arise, such as voltage variations due to errors and performance improvements, or current variations due to miscalculations and ongoing adjustments of FPGAs and microcontrollers. For power design engineers, these changes mean further density and thermal considerations, but in the worst case, they mean daunting recalculations of compensation networks. With the ChargeMode feature of this digital power module, you can set aside your calculation books, slide rules, high-end calculators, and no longer worry about seeking technical support with your smartphone.
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