Electronics Weekly
Called MAX16602CL8EVKIT#, it combines the company’s MAX16602 controller IC with eight MAX20790 smart power-stage ICs.
The design is intended to power Intel VR13.HC server CPUs or AI cores from a 12V intermediate bus.
“Hyperscale data centre designers grapple with increasing peak power and related higher thermal levels as they boost computing power to take on the rapidly rising demands of AI applications and deep learning,” according to Maxim.
To minimise heat dissipation, efficiency can be over 95% when supplying 1.8V at 200A.
The MAX16602 controller automatically interleaves all PWM outputs assigned to a given output at even intervals. Or it can be manually configured to have any number of phases from two to eight.
Each PWM signal is connected to one MAX20790 smart power-stage device, and each power stage is capable of supplying up to 45A with good air-cooling conditions, said Maxim.
An orthogonal current re-balancing feature is implemented to provide active and dynamic current sharing between different phase currents. This maintains current balance during load transients, even at load frequencies close to the switching frequency and its harmonics, according to the company.
The controller also allows autonomous phase-shedding to maximise efficiency and improve transient response.
PMBus is implemented for control and monitoring, and Maxim’s MaxpowerUSB software is designed to work with the MAX16602 over PMBus, enabling control, and providing an overview of the system status, fault flag and sequencing, as well as displaying a rolling plot of Vout and Iout.
Delivering more current that many welding machines, the company warns: “Operate this kit with care to avoid possible personal injury. Under severe fault or failure conditions, this kit can dissipate large amounts of power, which could result in the mechanical ejection of a component or of component debris at high velocity.”
The MAX16602CL8EVKIT# product page is here.
Alpha and Omega recently announced a digital dc-dc controller aimed at Intel VR13
