ISL6336B Datasheet, PDF (30/31 Pages) Intersil Corporation – 6-Phase PWM Controller with Light Load Efficiency Enhancement and Current Monitoring

ISL6336B
0.6
0.4
0.2
I_L(P-P) = 0
I_L(P-P) = 0.5 I_O
I_L(P-P) = 0.75 I_O
0
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
DUTY CYCLE (V_O/V_IN)
FIGURE 24. NORMALIZED INPUT-CAPACITOR RMS
CURRENT vs DUTY CYCLE FOR SINGLE-PHASE
CONVERTER
Layout Considerations
The following layout strategies are intended to minimize the
impact of board parasitic impedances on converter
performance and to optimize the heat-dissipating capabilities
of the printed-circuit board. The following sections highlight
some important practices which should not be overlooked
during the layout process.
Component Placement
Within the allotted implementation area, orient the switching
components first. The switching components are the most
critical because they carry large amounts of energy and tend
to generate high levels of noise. Switching component
placement should take into account power dissipation. Align
the output inductors and MOSFETs such that spaces
between the components are minimized while creating the
PHASE plane. Place the Intersil MOSFET driver IC as close
as possible to the MOSFETs they control to reduce the
parasitic impedances due to trace length between critical
driver input and output signals. If possible, duplicate the
same placement of these components for each phase.
Next, place the input and output capacitors. Position one high
frequency ceramic input capacitor next to each upper
MOSFET drain. Place the bulk input capacitors as close to the
upper MOSFET drains as dictated by the component size and
dimensions. Long distances between input capacitors and
MOSFET drains result in too much trace inductance and a
reduction in capacitor performance. Locate the output
capacitors between the inductors and the load, while keeping
them in close proximity to the microprocessor socket.
The ISL6336B can be placed off to one side or centered
relative to the individual phase switching components.
Routing of sense lines and PWM signals will guide final
placement. Critical small signal components to place close
to the controller include the ISEN resistors, R_T resistor,
feedback resistor, and compensation components.
Bypass capacitors for the ISL6336B and ISL66xx driver bias
supplies must be placed next to their respective pins. Trace
parasitic impedances will reduce their effectiveness.
Plane Allocation and Routing
Dedicate one solid layer, usually a middle layer, for a ground
plane. Make all critical component ground connections with
vias to this plane. Dedicate one additional layer for power
planes; breaking the plane up into smaller islands of
common voltage. Use the remaining layers for signal wiring.
Route phase planes of copper filled polygons on the top and
bottom once the switching component placement is set. Size
the trace width between the driver gate pins and the
MOSFET gates to carry 4A of current. When routing
components in the switching path, use short wide traces to
reduce the associated parasitic impedances.
Voltage Regulator (VR) Design Materials
Voltage tolerance band calculation (TOB) worksheets for VR
output regulation and IMON tolerance have been developed
using the Root-Sum-Squared (R_SS) method with 3-sigma
distribution data of the related components and parameters.
Note that the “Electrical Specifications” table beginning on
page 7 specifies no less than 6-sigma distribution data and
is not suitable for R_SS TOB calculations. Intersil has
developed a set of worksheets to help support VR designs
and layout. Contact Intersil’s local office or field support for
the latest information.
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FN6696.2
August 31, 2010