Texas Instruments (TI) today launched a new stackable integrated circuit (IC) 40-A SWIFT™ DC/DC buck converter. The TPS546D24A PMBus buck converter can deliver up to 160A of output current at an ambient temperature of 85°C, which is four times higher than other power integrated circuits on the market. Among many 40A DC/DC converters, the TPS546D24A is more efficient, capable of reducing power consumption by 1.5W in high-performance data centers, enterprise computing, medical, wireless infrastructure, and wired networking applications.
Reducing Power Size and Optimizing Thermal Performance
Solution size and thermal performance are two key considerations for engineers designing power supplies for modern field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). The TPS546D24A buck converter addresses both issues with its unique stackability. It features a PMBus interface that provides an optional internal compensation network, reducing up to six external compensation components on the circuit board and shrinking the overall power solution size by more than 10% (i.e., 130mm²), enabling higher current for FPGAs and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) compared to discrete multi-phase controllers.
Additionally, the TPS546D24A has a low thermal resistance of 8.1°C/W, which is 13°C lower than other DC/DC converters on the market, thereby enhancing the reliability of electronic products (such as baseband units and automated test equipment) operating in high-temperature, harsh environments.
Improving Efficiency at High Switching Frequencies
Using a DC/DC converter with high switching frequency can reduce the footprint of the power supply, benefiting high-bandwidth system designs. The TPS546D24A’s inductance and capacitance are one-third smaller than comparable converters, achieving a 1.5MHz switching frequency and providing 40A of current per integrated circuit. To mitigate the negative impact of high switching frequency on operational efficiency, the TPS546D24A integrates a low-side MOSFET with a resistance of 0.9mΩ, making its efficiency 3.5% higher than other DC/DC buck converters on the market.
Meeting Strict Voltage Accuracy Requirements for FPGA Power Supplies
FPGAs are widely used, but engineers are often surprised by the voltage accuracy required to support FPGA DC voltage rails when designing power supplies. The TPS546D24A can achieve an output voltage error of less than 1%, helping engineers more easily meet these stringent voltage tolerance requirements. Furthermore, its extensive PMBus command set and pin multiplexing configurability allow engineers to achieve more precise current monitoring for timely fault reporting and to avoid over-design.
Availability
The TPS546D24A is available in a 5mm x 7mm, 40-pin quad flat no-lead (QFN) package and can be purchased from TI and authorized distributors. The TPS546D24AEVM evaluation module is also available for purchase on TI.com. The pin-to-pin and package-compatible pre-production TPS546B24A (20-A) and TPS546A24A (10-A) DC/DC converters are currently available only from TI.
Other Design Support
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Download the reference design “4-Phase 160A Synchronous Buck Converter Reference Design for Communication Processor Power.”
http://www.ti.com.cn/tool/cn/PMP21814
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Explore TI’s comprehensive product portfolio of efficient DC/DC buck converters.
http://www.ti.com.cn/zh-cn/power-management/non-isolated-dc-dc-switching-regulators/step-down-buck/buck-converter-integrated-switch/overview.html
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