BGA Package Simplifies Power Management Design

A new technology called iPOWIR promises to change the way on-board dc/dc converters are designed for computing and communications equipment. According to the company, this technology represents a breakthrough in the levels of power density, efficiency and simplicity that can be achieved for power conversion products. With iPOWIR, all the layout-critical power semiconductor and passive components of the circuit are integrated to form complete functional building blocks, reducing converter size as well as simplifying and reducing system design time. The first component to employ the technology is the iP2001, a high-current, multi-phase dc/dc converter building block, housed in a BGA package.
Layout-critical components within the iP2001 form a building block from which N+1 phases can be constructed, and by adding only an external PWM controller plus input and output passive components, a complete converter can be formed. Each iP2001 is capable of handling up to 15A at a 1 MHz switching frequency. And by cascading multiple iP2001s and associated devices in a multi-phase system, currents in excess of 100A can be achieved. Pricing for the part is $14.11 each/1,000.