MILPITAS, CA - July 20, 2010 - Linear Technology Corporation introduces the LTC3816,a single-phase synchronous step-down DC/DC controller implementing the Intel® IMVP-6®, IMVP-6+®, and IMVP-6.5® protocols. Intel Mobile Voltage Positioning (IMVP) is asmart voltage regulation technology that effectively reduces the amount of output capacitancerequired for a given output error budget. On-chip support is provided for all the IMVP-6/6+/6.5requirements, including a 7-bit VID code, start-up to a preset boot voltage (VBOOT), differentialremote output voltage sensing, programmable active voltage positioning (AVP), output currentreporting (IMON, IMVP-6.5) and power optimization during deeper sleep state to increase thebattery run time.The LTC3816 incorporates a parallel input, 7-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC),which dynamically adjusts its output to the Intel CPU core supply voltage from 0V to 1.500V in12.5mV steps with ±0.75% VOUT accuracy over temperature.

 

It operates from an input voltageranging from 4.5V to 36V, has powerful onboard N-channel MOSFET gate drivers and cancontrol output currents up to 25A.

Its leading edge modulation architecture enables a very lowoutput voltage to be regulated from a high input voltage and still operate at high frequency(phase-lockable up to 550kHz). A unity-gain differential amplifier provides remote voltage-sensing at the CPU, eliminating errors due to parasitic IR drops across PCB metal traces.Current sensing can be implemented with either a temperature-compensated lossless

inductor DCR network, or with a discrete sense resistor. If DCR sensing is used, an NTCthermistor network will compensate for the gain and time constant variations caused by theinductor DCR temperature coefficient.The LTC3816 can operate in pulse-skipping or forced continuous mode. Pulse skippingprovides the highest light load efficiency, while forced continuous operation has faster transientresponse at light load. AVP minimizes the peak-to-peak output voltage transient during a stepload.

The LTC3816 is available in thermally enhanced 38-lead SSOP or 38-lead 5mm x7mm QFN packages and operates over a -40°C to 125°C operating junction temperature range.1000-piece price starts at $3.25 each. Both versions are available from stock.