Six-phase controller for notebooks has low QI
Claimed to have the world’s lowest QI, the AOZ71026QI is a two-rail, six-phase controller for notebook Vcore power delivery from Alpha and Omega Semiconductor.
Its low quiescent (QI) power ensures the multi-phase controller meets Intel IMVP 8, 9, 9.1, and 9.2 specifications. Combined with Alpha and Omega’s (AOS) benchmark DrMOS power stages, the AOZ71026 is suitable for use in Intel Alder Lake and Raptor Lake notebook platforms.
AOS’s Hybrid Digital approach enables the flexibility/tunability of a digital power controller with the low QI power of an analogue device. It enables low quiescent power consumption in all power states as defined by the Intel IMVP 9.1 platform specification to maximise battery life. At the same time, customer or application-specific tuning or configuration settings can be programmed into the parts register settings via an SMBus digital interface. There are two benefits to this, said AOS, it minimises system components and eliminates manual solder re-work during the development phase. Programmability can be done either by AOS graphical user interface (GUI) or customised event capture system (ECS) into the controller’s built-in RAM. The controller also provides multi-time programmability (MTP) to store register settings once the configuration is finalised.
The AOZ71026 provides two output rails in flexible four / three / two / one and two / one-phase configurations. For use with SVID, the communications protocol of Intel’s VR12/VR12.5 specification for Intel-based memory, graphics and other applications, the controller supports three separate domains. These are up to four phases for the core voltage domain (IA) and two phases for the graphics voltage domain (GT), as well as the PSYS domain’s reporting functions. The AOZ71026 offers an AOS Advanced Transient Modulation (A2TM). It combines an advanced variable frequency hysteretic peak current mode control with a proprietary phase current sensing scheme for fast transient response and optimal current balance for both transient and DC loads. The control loop enhances light-load efficiency by seamlessly entering DCM mode of operation.
The AOZ71026QI provides protection and warning functions, including under-voltage, over-voltage, over-current and over-temperature protection. Fault protection behaviour can be programmed through the SMBus. AOZ71026QI also offers real-time telemetry information via the SMBus for V in, V out, temperature, output currents, power states, as well as PSYS / VSYS / IAUX pins reporting via the SMBus.
“Laptops designed using the AOZ71026 will offer from 30 minutes to 1 hour longer run times in battery life workloads compared to competing solutions,” said Lu Jian, client computing solution, senior marketing director at AOS.
