IR’s 60 Amp rated IR3550 PowIRstage achieves highest current in smallest form factor

EL SEGUNDO, USA: International Rectifier (IR) has introduced the IR3550, the first in a family of integrated PowIRstage products that delivers higher efficiency and better thermal performance than competing solutions along with smallest footprint while simplifying the DC-DC converter design for next-generation high performance servers, storage and communication systems.

The 60A rated IR3550 simplifies the design and implementation of high current high performance multiphase buck regulators. The resulting system solution helps enable fewer phases and lower cost compared to alternative solutions.

The new PowIRstage solution integrates a high-performance synchronous buck gate driver, IR’s latest generation control and synchronous MOSFETs featuring extremely low on-state resistance (RDS(on)) and gate charge, and a Schottky diode into a high density, low profile 6mm x 6mm x 0.9mm PQFN package.

The IR3550 offers superior performance compared to alternative power stage solutions, by achieving up to a 3 percent improvement in electrical efficiency to help reduce overall power losses and heat generation in the system, thereby reducing dependency on complex thermal management techniques and associated costs as well as improving reliability.

“Many alternative solutions require substantial de-rating in order to be used in real-life applications to maintain safe operating conditions, and, therefore, require more phases to satisfy the requirements of the load,” said Deepak Savadatti, executive director, Multiphase Products, IR’s Enterprise Products Business Unit. “IR’s new IR3550 PowIRstage solution has removed the traditional bottleneck within the buck regulator, enabling higher current handling capability, and lower phase count than current solutions,” he added.

IR’s IR3550 is compatible with most analog and digital controllers available on the market today, providing the designer the flexibility to select the PWM controller of preference. The PowIRstage solution features an integrated current sense amplifier that achieves superior accuracy and signal-to-noise ratios compared to alternate controller-based inductor DCR sensing techniques.

Additionally, the device achieves industry best peak and Thermal Design Current (TDC) electrical efficiencies, with up to 95 percent peak efficiency. The high switching frequency capability of the IR3550 allows for the miniaturization of output inductors and input and output capacitors to help reduce overall solution size.