DC/DC controller operates with 0.25mΩ sense resistance

Designers are able to command and supervise a system's power condition and consumption, thanks to the device's digital interface. Reducing time-to-market, power supply parameters can be digitally changed eliminating the need for physical hardware, circuit, or system bill-of-material modifications.

The controller has configurability and telemetry-monitoring of power and power management parameters over PMBus, while also delivering power to a point-of-load. The 2-wire serial interface enables outputs to be tuned, margined and ramped up and down at programmable slew rates with sequenced delay times. All input and output voltages and output currents, output power, temperature and peak values are readable.

Packaged in a 6mm x 6mm QFN-40, the device is comprised of +/-0.5% maximum DC output error over temperature, +/-1% current read back accuracy, integrated 16-bit Delta Sigma ADC and EEPROM. Powered by an IC supply between 3V and 13.2V, the controller converts VIN between 3V and 38V to output voltages between 0.5V and 5.25V. In both steady state and transient conditions, channels can accurately share current. With an internal operating temperature range between 40°C and 125°C, up to four LTC3882s can operate in parallel for 2-, 3-, 4-, 6- or 8-phase operation. At start-up, output voltages, switching frequency and channel phase angle assignments can be set by pin-strapping resistors or loaded from internal EEPROM.

The GUI, LTpowerPlay, evaluates the performance of the LTC3882 and is free to download. USB-to-PMBus converter and demo kits are also available.

The LTC3882 has been designed for applications where the cost of electrical utilities, cooling and maintenance are critical. Applications include optical transport systems, datacom and telecom switches and routers, industrial test equipment, robotics, RAID and enterprise systems.