
Background
1-2
1.1
Background
The SWIFT
family TPS54680 and TPS54880 tracking dc/dc converters are
designed to provide accurate power sequencing in applications where two or
more voltages are required for a load. These types of applications include core
and I/O power supplies for microprosessors, DSPs and FPGAs. Typically,
some specific relation between the core and I/O supply voltages has to be
provided during the power-up and power-down sequences. The TPS54x80
family of tracking dc/dc converters is capable of direct tracking, ratiometric
tracking, and voltage sequencing with a second power source. The
TPS54680EVM-228 evaluation module uses a TPS54680 tracking dc/dc
converter paired with a TPS54610 dc/dc converter to provide a two output
supply at 6 A per channel, while the TPS54880EVM-228 pairs a TPS54880
with a TPS54810 providing 8 A per channel. The TPS54x80EVM-228 provides
a 3.3-V output voltage for I/O, and 1.8 V for the core at a nominal 5-V input.
The TPS54x10 dc/dc converters are used in this EVM as an example only. Any
other switching or linear regulator can be used for this application. These
two-channel EVMs demonstrate the flexibility inherent in the TPS54x80
design for tracking and sequencing core and I/O voltages.
The TPS54680 and TPS54880 devices use the TRACKIN pin to access the
tracking and sequencing capabilities. An internal multiplexer circuit compares
the voltage at this pin with the internal reference voltage and uses the lesser
of the two as the reference for the output voltage regulation. When the output
of another power supply or distribution switch is connected to the TRACKIN
pin of TPS54x80, the output of the TPS54x80 tracks the output of this other
channel during power up or down, until the voltage at TRACKIN pin becomes
higher then the internal reference voltage. By applying the other power supply
output to the TRACKIN pin through an appropriate resistor divider network,
any required power-up and power-down relation between two output voltages
of regulators can be set by changing the ratio of the divider network.
In some applications the 3.3-V bus for the I/O supply voltage is available and
there is no need for an additional voltage regulator. In this case, the 3.3-V bus
can be used as the input voltage for the tracking regulator TPS54x80. The I/O
voltage may be supplied through a distribution switch providing reasonable
rise times and preventing large inrush currents. The TRACKIN pin of
TPS54x80 must be connected to the output of the distribution switch to provide
proper power sequencing.
Both channels of this TPS54x80EVM-228 evaluation module can be
synchronized out of phase by using a small number of inexpensive external
components. Synchronization is useful both to decrease unwanted beat
frequencies and reduce the ripple current in the input capacitors. The
synchronization is especially effective if the load current of both channels do
not differ significantly from each other. The synchronization circuit is optional
and it may not be needed in many applications, however the circuit is provided
on the evaluation module. The rated input voltage and output current range for
this EVM is given in Table 1-1.
These evaluation modules are designed to demonstrate the small PCB area
that may be achieved when designing with the SWIFT
family of regulators.