Real-time Power Monitoring IC Accurately Captures Highly Dynamic Power Information and Maximizes System Performance

The IR3721 measures dynamic power at the output/load side of voltage regulators to deliver a significant improvement in dynamic power measurement accuracy compared to competing power monitor ICs. TruePowerTM technology addresses dynamic errors which can account for more than a 30 percent error in competing solutions which monitor voltage and current separately in dynamic conditions with independent A/D conversion.



“By monitoring instantaneous power, the power system can accurately predict thermals in the system at any given point in time, said Jeff Sherman, IR’s senior product marketing manager for Enterprise Power Products. “With this intelligence, the power system can manage the load’s electrical characteristics to limit its power and establish the correct cooling conditions in advance so that the load does not leave its required thermal envelope, optimizing its throughput, and hence its performance,” added Sherman.



The IR3721 IC monitors the output filter inductor current in buck or multiphase converters from 0.5V to 1.8V and provides the options of using resistive sensing or inductor DCR current sensing with an internal thermal compensation feature to achieve one percent higher efficiency compared to existing solutions while reducing bill of materials and board size requirements.