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SAN
JOSE, CA -- JUNE 25, 2003
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Summit Microelectronics has added the
SMM105/205
single- and dual-channel intelligent voltage
controllers to the recently-announced
SMM655
six-channel device in their new "ADOC" product
family of active voltage controllers. The
SMM105/205 ultra-accurate, compact devices are
ideal for point-of-load (POL)
applications.
The
ADOC (Active DC Output
Control) family utilizes Summit's new
concept to achieve the industry's highest accuracy.
This function intelligently maintains the output
set voltage of a DC/DC converter on the user's
board, dramatically improving voltage accuracy in
normal system use -- typically +/-0.1% of voltage
output under load variation, and guaranteed to +/-
0.2%, compared to up to 4-5% without ADOC. This
lessens the need for either an accurate
intermediate bus voltage, or an accurate POL DC/DC
converter; this is because the accuracy of the
voltage delivered to the actual load is set by the
SMM105/205.
Application of the SMM105/205 is simplified by an
internal voltage reference; an external reference
can be used if desired. An additional feature of
the devices is the inclusion of programmable over
and under voltage sensing to detect and alert to
DC/DC converter malfunction.
In
addition, the SMM105/205 are highly useful in
initial turn-on of a board during prototyping to
perform "margining" to check for voltage
sensitivities in the user's design. Margining is
the temporary adjusting of each of the DC/DC
converter supplies up to +/-10%. Margining can be
also be performed on a board-by-board basis in
production to test for manufacturing variations and
improve system reliability towards the "five 9s"
level required for demanding netcomm
applications.
The SMM105/205 can be accessed by the popular I2C
bus to exercise complete control of the board's
power characteristics. This can be done during
production, or each time that the board is booted
up, or during normal operation "on the
fly."
DESIGN
SOFTWARE AND PROGRAMMER FOR PROTOTYPE
DEVELOPMENT
To
speed user product development using the SMM105/205
and Summit's other programmable products, Summit
offers customers the SMX3200
programming system.
This is a complete development tool that lets
designers easily manipulate the characteristics of
their system. The SMX3200 design kit includes
menu-driven Microsoft Windows• graphic user
interface (GUI) software to automate programming
tasks and also includes all necessary hardware to
interface to the parallel port of a laptop or
PC.
Once a user completes design and prototyping, the
SMX3200 automatically generates a HEX data file
that can be transmitted to Summit for review and
approval. Summit then assigns a unique customer
identification code to the HEX file and programs
the customer's production devices prior to final
electrical test operations. This ensures that
device will operate properly in the end
application. The design kit software can be
downloaded today from Summit's website
(www.summitmicro.com).
DESIGN
KIT FOR AUTOMATED PROTOTYPE
DEVELOPMENT
An evaluation card containing the SMM105/205
controller, DC/DC converter(s), all required
associated circuitry, and a port for "plug and
play" programming via the SMX33200 dongle interface
is available. A four-digit digital voltmeter is
required to see the voltage accuracy enhancement
provided by the SMM105/205 -- typically as low as
+/-0.1% error (guaranteed to +/- 0.2%), compared to
the +/-2-5% variation of typical converter bricks
when the SMM105/205 is removed.
PRICING
AND AVAILABILITY
Available
in volume quantities today, the SMM105/205 comes in
a 28-lead QFN surfacemount package. Pricing for
commercial temperature range is $2.75 in 10,000
unit quantities for the SMM105, and $3.25 for the
SMM205.
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