Dual Phase PMBus™ ChargeMode™ Control DC/DC Digital Controller

The ZL8801 is a dual phase digital DC/DC controller. Up to four ZL8801s (8 phases) can be operated in parallel to provide additional output current. The ZL8801 supports a wide range of output voltages (0. 54V to 5. 5V) operating from input voltages as low as 4. 5V up to 14V. With its fully digital ChargeMode™ Control loop the ZL8801 can respond to a transient load step within a single switching cycle. This unique compensation-free modulation technique allows designs to meet transient specifications with minimum output capacitance, thus saving cost and board space. Intersil’s proprietary single wire DDC (Digital-DC™) serial bus enables the ZL8801 to communicate between other Intersil digital power ICs. By using the DDC, the ZL8801 achieves complex functions such as inter-IC phase current balancing, sequencing and fault spreading, eliminating complicated power supply managers with numerous external discrete components. The ZL8801 features cycle-by-cycle overcurrent protection and protection for overvoltage, undervoltage, over-temperature and MOSFET driver under and overvoltage protection. A snapshot parametric capture feature allows users to take a snapshot of operating and fault data during normal or fault conditions. Integrated Low Drop-Out (LDO) regulators allow the ZL8801 to be operated from a single input supply eliminating the need for additional linear regulators. A dedicated 5V VDRV LDO output can be used to power external drivers or DrMOS devices. With full PMBus™ compliance, the ZL8801 is capable of measuring and reporting input voltage, input current, output voltage, output current as well as the device's internal temperature, an external temperature and an auxiliary voltage input.