Fastest transient response reported in a power management device

Empower Semiconductor has reportedly achieved the world’s fastest transient response times using its Integrated voltage Regulator family of Power Management devices.

The Empower IVR EP7010 is a 10A regulator that can regulate through a load step from zero to 10A in 500ns with <15mv droop, without the need for output capacitors.

The company’s digitally configurable hardware platform has simplified the adoption of DC/DC converters for designers. With a single footprint, no external components, extensive programmability, a wide range of current and output configurations, it means that power designers will be able to use the EP70xx across more designs and platforms. By having multiple entire power supplies in a single IC package, the usual concerns of component variation and sourcing, synchronization and stability will be eliminated or significantly reduced.

With the EP70xx, Empower has integrated a triple output DC/DC power supply with no external components into a single 5mm x 5mm package, attaining up to 10x higher power density, 3x tighter accuracy during transients, and 1000x faster dynamic voltage scaling than leading competitors

“Fast start-up times can be critical in many applications and being able to offer the world’s fastest transient response times is critical to many customers. With this game-changing speed improving both energy efficiency and performance is having a tremendous impact,” said Steve Shultis, Senior Vice President WW Sales and Marketing at Empower Semiconductor. “We have achieved incredible results in our EP70XX product family that has now delivered the world’s fastest transient speeds from zero to 10A in 500ns with <15mv droop without any output capacitors. This combination of density, speed and efficiency are allowing designers to utilize our products in groundbreaking ways, enabling breakthrough levels of system performance.”

System designers are leveraging the EP70xx’s tight voltage regulation through an ultra-fast load transient by lowering the operating voltage of the system. The power consumption of a system is directly proportional to the operating voltage so by narrowing the window required for the voltage variation without additional components, Empower’s IVRs have enabled 10% or more power savings and corresponding heat dissipation.

The EP70xx family displays peak efficiencies of up to 92% with a nearly flat efficiency curve up through 10A of output current due to its unique architecture. The devices have demonstrated much faster dynamic voltage scaling, enabling fast and lossless processor state changes that can save 30% or more of processor power.

The family is available with nine devices to choose from with up to three regulators per device. Outputs are available from 2A to 10A in a 5x5mm or 4x4mm package with a 0.75mm profile, which is 3-5x thinner than traditional integrated power modules and inductors.

The products have been able to achieve a level of density and simplicity so high that they are also available in bumped die form for co-packaging with digital ICs, enabling full power management integration into an SoC.