Multi-phase 55V boost controllers simplify automotive power system design

New from Intersil are two new 55V two-phase synchronous boost controllers with integrated high-side and low-side MOSFET drivers. The ISL78227 and ISL78229 are the industry's most robust and highly-integrated boost controllers available to simplify the design of high-power automotive applications, says the company. Operating from a 12V battery supply, these devices boost the output voltage to 24V, 36V or 48V for premium 200W to 800W trunk audio amplifiers, start-stop systems, and headlamp LED strings. Both controllers also address the rigorous demands of industrial and telecom applications where a step-up DC/DC converter must deliver high power in a small solution size. The ISL78227 and ISL78229 enable a modular design for systems requiring power and thermal scalability. They support wide input and output ranges of 5V to 55V and deliver greater than 95% efficiency to reduce power loss and heat dissipation. The ability to interleave two controllers for a four-phase application effectively doubles the output power and reduces input/output ripple, allowing power supply designers to use smaller capacitors to save board space and lower their bill of materials cost. Numerous protection features keep the ISL78227 and ISL78229 operating under virtually any condition. Their unique soft-on function ensures smooth transition from discontinuous-conduction mode (DCM) to continuous-conduction mode (CCM) after completing a soft-start, keeping the power supply safe under all start-up conditions. The ISL78227 and ISL78229 also offer a unique envelope-tracking feature that dynamically adjusts or scales the output voltage on the fly to meet all system load demands. For example, whenever the battery supply is low, power consumption of various components such as the audio amplifier must be limited, especially if the radio is on while the engine is off. Transient events such as the start-stop system restarting the engine also require on-the-fly voltage adjustments. And to simplify the task of attaining the ISO 26262 automotive safety integrity level (ASIL) rating, the ISL78229 offers a digital PMBus(TM) interface for advanced control, telemetry and diagnostics. Having the PMBus interface on-chip eliminates the need for dedicated telemetry circuitry required to configure fault types, system recovery and monitoring. "The ISL78227 and ISL78229 enable high power step-up applications in a small solution size that deliver high efficiency and offer multiple layers of power supply protection," said Philip Chesley, senior vice president of Precision Products at Intersil. "A unique combination of innovative features, integrated tracking and a PMBus option provides customers with robust and easy to use solutions for their high voltage designs." The ISL78227 and ISL78229 can be combined with the ISL78206 40V/2.5A synchronous buck controller, ISL78310 1A LDO, and ISL78233 3A synchronous buck regulator to provide a complete power solution for an automotive audio amplifier power supply.