LINE CURRENT-SENSE ACROSS MAIN
INDUCTORS MAKES BOM INDEPENDENT
ON THE LAYOUT
■ PRECISE CURRENT-SHARING AND OCP
ACROSS LS M OSFET S
■ CONSTANT OVER-CURRENT PROTECTION
■ FEEDBACK DISCONNECTION
PROTECTION
■ PRELIMINARY OV PROTE CTIO N
■ OSCILLATOR INTERNALLY FIXED AT
100kHz (300kHz RIPPLE) EXT ADJUSTABLE
■ SS_END / PGOOD SIGNAL
■ INTEGRATED REMOTE-SENSE BUFFER
■ PWSSO36 PACKAGE WITH EXPOSED PAD
Applications
■ HIGH CURRENT VRM / VRD FOR DESKTOP
/ SERVER/ WORKSTATION CPUs
■ HIGH DENSITY DC / DC CONVERTERS
L6701
PowerSSO-36
Description
L6701 is an extremely simple, low-cost solution to
implement a three phase step-down controller
with integrated high-current drivers in a com pact
PowerSSO-36 package with exposed pad.
The device embeds three selectable DACs: with a
single pin it is possible to pro gram the device to
work in compatibility with VR9, VR10 or K8
applications managing D-VID with ±0.7% output
voltage accuracy over line and temperature
variations. Additional programmable offset can be
added to the reference voltage with a single
external resistor.
Fast protection against load over current let the
system works in Constant Current mode until
UVP. Preliminary OVP allows full load protection
in case of startup with failed HS. Furthermore,
feedback disconnection prevents from damaging
the load in case o f misconnections in the system
board.
Combined use of DCR and R
sensing assures precision in voltage positioning
and safe current sharing and OCP per each
phase.
L6701 is multi-phase PWM controller with embedded high-current drivers that provides
complete control logic and protections for a high-performance step-down DC-DC voltage
regulator, optimized for advanced microprocessor power supply. Multi-phase buck is the
simplest and most cost-effective topology employable to satisfy the increasing current demand
of newer microprocessors and the modern high-current DC/DC converters and POLs
requirements. It allows distributing equally load and power between the phases using smaller,
cheaper and most common external power MOSF ETs and inductors. Moreover, thanks to the
equal phase-shift between each phase, the input and output capacitor count results in being
reduced. Phase-interleaving causes in fact input rms current and output ripple voltage
reduction and shows an effective output switching frequency increase: the 100kHz free-running
frequency per phase, externally adjustable through a resistor, results multiplied on the output
by the number of phases so reaching 300kHz in free-running.
L6701 includes multiple DACs, selectable through an apposite pin, allowing compatibility with
both Intel VR9, VR10 and AMD Hammer specifications, also performing D-VID transitions
accordingly. In particular for Intel CPUs, it allows to automatically recognize the CPU with a
single-wire connection, without any additional external component, by proper connecting the
selector pin to the proper CPU pin.
Precise voltage positioning (LL) is possible thanks to an accurate fully-differential current-sense
across the main inductors still using only two pins for current-reading (pat. pend.): this makes
any BOM insensitive to the board layout saving time in the design stage.
The device internally balance the current driven by each phase by sensing the voltage drop
across the LS MOSFET R
causing the device to work in constant-current mode.
The controller provides output voltage protections to avoid any load damage due to failed
components and/or feedback misconnec tions. Over-Voltage protects the load from dangerous
over stress latching immediately the device by turning-on the lower driver and driving high the
FAULT pin. Furthermore, preliminary-OVP protection also allows the device to protect the load
from dangerous OVP when V
causes the device to stop switching when set while Over-Current protection, with a threshold
for each phase, causes the device to enter in constant current mode until the latched UVP.
L6701 implements soft-start increasing the reference up to the final value in 2048 clock cycles
in closed loop regulation. Low-Side-Less feature allows the device to perform soft-start over
pre-biased output avoiding dangerous current return through the main inductors as well as
negative spike at the load side.
The compact PowerSSO-36 package with exposed thermal pad allows dissipating the power to
drive the external MOSFET through the system board.
. OC protection is effective with a threshold for each phase
DS(on)
is not above the UVLO threshold. Under-Voltage protection
All the internal references are referred to this pin. Co nnect to the PCB Signal
Ground.
Device Power Supply and LS driver supply.
Operative voltage is 12V ±15%. Filter with at least 1µF MLCC vs. ground.
3LGATE1
Channel 1 LS Driver Output.
A small series resist or hel ps in reducing device-dissipat ed power.
4PGNDLS Drivers return path. Connect to Power ground Plane.
5LGATE2
6LGATE3
Channel 2 LS Driver Output.
A small series resist or hel ps in reducing device-dissipat ed power.
Channel 3 LS Driver Output.
A small series resist or hel ps in reducing device-dissipat ed power.
Channel 1 HS driver supply.
Connect through a capacitor (100nF typ.) to PHASE1 and provide necessary
7BOOT1
Bootstrap dio de.
A small series resistor upstream the boot diode helps i n reducing Boot cap acitor
overcharge.
8UGATE1
Channel 1 HS driver output.
A small series resistors helps in reducing device-dissipated power.
Channel 1 HS driver return path.
9PHASE1
It must be connected to the HS1 MOSFET sour ce and provides return path for
the HS driver of channel 1.
5/44
2 Pins description and connection diagramsL6701
Table 1.Pins description (continued)
Pin n°
NameFunction
10BOOT2
11UGATE2
12PHASE2
13BOOT3
14UGATE3
15PHASE3
Channel 2 HS driver supply.
Connect through a capacitor (100nF typ.) to PHASE2 and provide necessary
Bootstrap dio de.
A small series resistor upstream the boot diode helps i n reducing Boot cap acitor
overcharge.
Channel 2 HS driver output.
A small series resistors helps in reducing device-dissipated power.
Channel 2 HS driver return path.
It must be connected to the HS2 MOSFET sour ce and provides return path for
the HS driver of channel 2.
Channel 3 HS driver supply.
Connect through a capacitor (100nF typ.) to PHASE3 and provide necessary
Bootstrap dio de.
A small series resistor upstream the boot diode helps i n reducing Boot cap acitor
overcharge.
Channel 3 HS driver output.
A small series resistors helps in reducing device-dissipated power.
Channel 3 HS driver return path.
It must be connected to the HS3 MOSFET sour ce and provides return path for
the HS driver of channel 3.
16
SSEND /
PGOOD
17DAC_SEL
18
OSC / EN /
FAULT
SSEND - Intel VR10 Mode. Soft Start END Signal.
Open Drain Output set free af ter SS has finished and pulled low when triggering
any protection. Pull up to 5V (typ) or lower , if not used it can be left floating.
PGOOD- Intel VR9 & AMD Hammer Mode.
Open Drain Output set free after SS has finished and pulled low when VSEN is
lower than t he relative threshold. Pull up to 5V (typ) or lower, if n ot used it can be
left floati ng.
DAC SELection pin.
It allows progr ammin g the DAC tabl e for th e regul atio n. Int ernal ly pull ed- up to 5V.
Short to GND to program VR9 DAC, leave floating to progr am K8 DAC while
connect to GND t hrough 82kΩ to program VR10 DAC.
Information about the selected DAC is latched bef ore the system start-up. See
Section 7.1 for connections to enab le CPU auto-detection.
OSC: It allows programming t he swit ching frequency F
of each channel.
SW
Switching frequency can be increased according to the resistor connected from
the pin vs. SGND with a gain of 4kHz/µA (see Section 14). Leaving the pin
floating it program s a switching frequency of 100kHz per phase (300kHz on the
load).
EN: Forced low, the device stops operations with all MOSFETs OFF: all the
protections are disabled except for Preliminary Over Voltage. When set low it
resets the devi ce from any latching condition.
FAULT: The pin is forc ed high (5V) to signal an OVP / UVP FAULT: to recover
from this conditio n, cycle VCC or the OSC pin. See Section13 for details.
6/44
L67012 Pins descrip tion and connection diagrams
Table 1.Pins description (continued)
Pin n°
NameFunction
19REF_IN
20REF_OUT
VID4
21 to 26
VID0, VID5
27FBR
28FBG
ISEN3
29 to 31
ISEN1
to
to
Reference Input for the regul ation.
Connect directly or through a resistor to the REF_OUT pin. See Section 10.3 for
details. This pi n is used as input for the protections.
Reference Output.
Connect directly or through a resistor to the REF_IN pin. See Section 10.3 for
details.
Voltage IDentific ati on Pins.
Internally pulled up by 12.5µA to 5V , connect to SGND to program a '0' or leave
floating to progra m a '1' . They allow programming outp ut vol tage as specified in
Table 5, Table 6 and Table 7 according to DAC_SEL status.
Remote Buffer Non Inverting Input.
Connect to the positiv e side of the load to perform remote sense.
See Section 16 for proper layout of this connection.
Remote Buffer Inverting Input.
Connect to the negative si de of the load to perform remot e sense.
See Section 16 for proper layout of this connection.
LS Current Sense Pins.
These pins are used for current balance phase-to-phase as well as for the
system OCP. Connect through a resi stor R
to the relative PHASEx pin. See
ISEN
Section 9 and Section 13.6 for details.
32CS+
33CS-
34VSEN
35FB
36COMP
PAD
THERMAL
PAD
Droop Current Sense non-inverting input.
Connect through R
network to the main inductors. Directly connect to
PH-CPH
output voltage wh en Droop function is not required. See Section 10.1 and
Section 10.2 for details.
Droop Current Sense inverting input.
Connect through resistor R
to the main inductors common node. Le ave floating
D
when Droop Function is not required. See Section 10.1 and Section 10.2 for
details.
This pin also monitors t he output for any feedback di sconnection. See
Section 13.4 for details.
Remote Buffer Out put. It manages OVP and UVP protections and PGOOD
(when applicable). See Section 13 for details.
Error Amplifier Inver ting I nput. Conn ect with a resi stor R
R
- CF toward COMP.
F
Error Amplifier Output . Connect with an R
- CF vs. FB.
F
vs. VSEN and with an
FB
The device cannot be disabled by pulling down this pin.
Thermal pad connects the Silicon substrate and makes good thermal contact
with the PCB to dissipate the power necessary to drive the ext ernal MOSFETs.
Connect to the PGND plane with sever al VI As to i mprove thermal conductivity.
7/44
3 Maximum RatingsL6701
3 Maximum Ratings
3.1 Absolute maxi mum ratings
Table 2.Absolute Maximum Ratings
SymbolParameterValueUnit
V
CC
V
BOOTx
V
UGATEx
- V
- V
PHASEx
PHASEx
to PGND15V
Boot Vol tage15V
15V
LGA TEx, PHASEx, to PGNDx
-0.3 to VCC + 0.3
VID0 to V ID 5-0.3 to 5V
All other Pins to PGNDx-0.3 to 7V