Core controller enhances GPUs for Intel Santa Rosa

Intersil Corp. has introduced a single-phase core controller, the ISL6263A, that is said to reduce power consumption and enhance the performance of GPUs or graphics cores for Intel Santa Rosa computing products.

The ISL6263A dynamically changes the output voltage and operation modes corresponding to the GPU control protocol, Intersil said. The company's Robust Ripple Regulator (R3) technology stabilizes current flow and allows less time between wave peaks in a regulator circuit.

"The ISL6263A expands Intersil's portfolio to meet the needs of the latest GPUs requiring dynamic response with VID change on the fly," said Majid Kafi, director of Intersil's notebook power products group. "Our PMON feature improves overall battery life and meets and exceeds Santa Rosa specifications."

The ISL6263A 5bit voltage identification (VID) controller provides 0.5 percent system accuracy over the entire temperature range, which allows wider tolerance of inductors for platforms using DCR current sensing. To boost battery life, the controller has the flexibility to go to lower switching frequency at DCM either through internal automatic inductor current sensing or programmed by VID.

Compared with traditional single-phase core controllers, Intersil's R3-based controller promises better transient response and light-load efficiency and is capable of changing the voltage output when the GPU is in suspend or sleep mode. It reports the GPU power consumption through a highly accurate continuous analog output signal.

This controller targets notebook computers systems, storage-area network or network-attached storage systems, point-of-sale terminals and blade servers powered with Intel's Core Duo or Core 2 Duo.

The ISL6263A is available in a 32-lead Thin QFN package and is priced at $3.80 in 1,000-unit quantities.