Digital Power Supply Controllers Break New Ground

Marking the company's initial foray into the power market, the Si825x is heralded as the most advanced digital power supply controller available. The family employs a patented architecture that provides the programmability of a DSP with the quick response of a hardware-based controller. This architecture allows the devices to deliver both digital power control and power-management functions for most isolated and non-isolated switch-mode supplies. The family employs processing hardware for real-time loop control and a flash-based system management controller. The control loop updates at a 10-MHz rate and includes an a/d converter, programmable DSP filter, six-channel DPWM, and a programmable over-current protection hardware detector. The management controller performs fault detection/recovery, control-loop optimization, PMBus communication, and external-device management. It integrates a 50 MIPS 8051 CPU with 32 KB of flash memory, 12-bit, self-sequencing a/d converter, SMBus/PMBus port, UART, 16-bit timers, and additional PWM channels. Sampling now with production slated for the third quarter, the Si825x family is available in 5 mm x 5 mm, 28-pin QFNs or 32-pin LQFPs. Pricing starts at $2.49 each/1,000. SILICON LABORATORIES, Campbell, CA. (408) 376-5070.