March 2016

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Interview with Allen Chen
Texas Instruments

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Methods
Rethinking
Server Power
Architecture

CONTENTS

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TECH SERIES
DC/DC Book of Knowledge
Chapter 7: Reliability
PRODUCT WATCH
IDT ZSSC1956 Automotive Battery Sensor
TECH REPORT
Wireless Charging Moves Beyond Induction
Power Density Versus Architecture:
What You Need to Know
Rethinking Server Power Architecture
in a Post-Silicon World
INDUSTRY INTERVIEW
A Sea-Change in Battery Management Technology
Interview with Allen Chen of Texas Instruments

18

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General Manager
Executive Publisher
Cody Miller
Global Media Director
Group Publisher

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TECH SERIES

Power Developer

DC/DC

Book of

KNOWLEDGE
Chapter 7

Reliability
RECOMs DC/DC Book of Knowledge is a detailed
introduction to the various DC/DC converter
topologies, feedback loops (analogue and digital),
test and measurement, protection, filtering,
safety, reliability, constant current drivers and
DC/DC applications. The level is necessarily
technical, but readable for engineers,
designers and students.

By Steve Roberts
Technical Director for RECOM

TECH SERIES

Power Developer

The calculation will give a figure for each component used. The total reliability can then be
found by adding up all of the individual results:

Transistor

0.0203

0.0609

Diodes

0.1089

0.5443

3
3 component
0.0370
0.1716
The calculation
willResistor
give a figure for each
used. The total reliability
can then be
found by
all of the individual5 results:
4 adding up
Capacitors
0.1699
1.7000
5

Transformers

No.
6

Parts
PCB,
PIN

Qty
2

Total Failure rate 10-6/H

1 P
Transistor
2

MTBF
HoursDiodes
(MIL-HDBK-217F)
2
2
3
4

Equation 7.1. Calculation of Failure Rate

Resistor

Input
3

Capacitors

Output
5

Condition

Transformers

0.2256

1.9200

P Failure rate
P Failure rate
0.0092
0.0092
-6
[10 /h] TAMB = 25C [10-6/h] TAMB = 85C

0.5708

4.4060

0.0203

0.0609

Nominal
0.0370 Input

Nominal Input
0.1716

1.751.927
0.1089

226.963
0.5443

Full Load
0.1699

Full Load
1.7000

0.2256

1.9200

1.751.927

226.963

Table 7.1. Example of an MTBF calculation by parts count for a simple DC/DC converter

Table
for a simple
6 7.1: Example
PCB, PIN of an 2MTBF calculation
0.0092 by parts count
0.0092
-6
DC/DC
converter.
P Total Failure
rate 10
/H
0.5708
4.4060

Number of Parts (per

component type)
Failure Rate of Each Part (base
value taken from the database)
Environmental Stress Factor
(application-specific)
Hybrid Function Stress
(addition stress caused by
component interaction)
Screening Level Factor
(standard part tolerances
or pre-screened)
Maturity Factor (well-known and
tested design or new approach)
The calculation will give a figure
for each component used. The total
reliability can then be found by adding
up all of the individual results:

MTBF Hours (MIL-HDBK-217F)

Failure rates are defined either as the time interval between

Failure rates are defined either as

the time Nominal
intervalInput
between twoNominal
failures
- in hours - Mean
Input
Input
failures,
in hours, Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) or
Condition
Timetwo
Between
Failures
( MTBF)Output
or as the time
interval
to
the
first
failure
Full Load
Full Load - Mean Time To
as
the
time
interval
to
the
first
failureMean
Time
To
Failure
Failure (MTTF). The standard failure rate behaviour is described by the widely known
(MTTF).
The standard
failure
rate behavior
is described
by the The shape of the curve is
"bathtub
curve".
7.1
thecalculation
shape
of by
theparts
curve.
Table
7.1:Figure
Example
ofshows
an MTBF
count for a simple
widely known
Figure 7.1 shows
the shape- of
approximately
the bathtub
same
forcurve.
all components
and systems
only the elongation of the time
DC/DC
converter.
curve. The
of the
curve
is approximately
the same
axis the
is different.
It shape
is divided
into
three
main areas: Infant
Mortality (I), Useful Life (II) and
Failure
rates
areMTTF
defined
either
as
the time
interval
between
failures - in
hours
- Mean
for
all
components
and
systemsonly
the
elongation
oftwo includes
End
of Life
(III).
includes
regions
I and
II, while
MTBF
only
Region
II.
Time
( MTBF)
or as the
time
interval
the first failure - Mean Time To
theBetween
time axisFailures
is different.
It is divided
into
three
maintoareas:
Failure (MTTF). The standard failure rate behaviour is described by the widely known
Infant Mortality (I), Useful Life (II) and End of Life (III). MTTF
"bathtub curve". Figure 7.1 shows the shape of the curve. The shape of the curve is
includes regions
I andfor
II, while
MTBF includes
only Region
approximately
the same
all components
and systems
- onlyII.the elongation of the time
axis is different. It is divided into three main areas: Infant Mortality (I), Useful Life (II) and
End of Life (III). MTTF includes regions I and II, while MTBF includes only Region II.









Where:






The handbook contains two methods of

reliability prediction, Part Stress Analysis
(PSA) and Parts Count Analysis (PCA). The
PSA method requires a greater amount
of detailed information and is usually
more applicable to the later design phase,
when measured data and preliminary
results can be inserted into the reliability

Qty



The handbook was continuously updated

and improved until 1995, by which the
final version was called MIL-HDBK 217
Revision F, Notice 2. While this work is no
longer updated, the data and methods
are still one the most used today.

Parts



One of the earliest systematic

approaches to electronic component
and assembly reliability was the US
Armys Military HandbookReliability
Prediction of Electronic Equipment,
commonly known as MIL-HDBK-217,
which consists mainly of a large database
of the measured failure rates of various
components based on the empirical
analysis of a large number of field
failures of electrical, electronic and
electro-mechanical components carried
out by the University of Maryland.

P Failure rate
P Failure rate
-6
[10 /h] TAMB = 25C [10-6/h] TAMB = 85C

No.



Since the advent of electronics, it has

been vital for the user to know how long
such devices will work properly. Since
no one is able to predict the future,
statistical methods to predict the
reliability of components, assemblies,
or devices have been developed.

models, while the PCS method

requires only minimal information
such as part quantities, quality level
and application environment. The
biggest advantage of MIL HDBK 217
methodology is that the PCA method
will give a reliability prediction based
only on the bill of materials (BOM) and
the anticipated use, thus a reliability
figure can be given for a product
that has not even been built yet:



Reliability Prediction





Fig. 7.1: Bathtub Failure rate curve

Section I describes
the area of early failures, which
is usually caused by latent material



defects or manufacturing faults which happen not to show up in the final production testing
Fig.7.1.
7.1:
Bathtub
Failure
rate
curve
before
the
product
is Failure
shipped.
The
infant mortality failure is usually of relatively short
Figure
Bathtub
Rate
Curve
duration- even for complex systems there are rarely early failures past 200 hours of use; in
Section
the area of early
which is will
usually
caused
by the
latent
material
the
case Iofdescribes
DC/DC converters,
mostfailures,
early failures
occur
within
first
24 hours of
defects
or
manufacturing
faults
which
happen
not
to
show
up
in
the
final
production
testing
operation. This may sound a short period of time for a converter with a guaranteed 3 year
before the product is shipped. The infant mortality failure is usually of relatively short
lifetime, but for a DC/DC converter running at 100kHz, the switching transistors and
duration- even for complex systems there are rarely early failures past 200 hours of use; in
transformer
haveconverters,
already been
morewill
than
140within
million
in hours
the first
the case ofwill
DC/DC
mostexercised
early failures
occur
thetimes
first 24
of day of
operation
and
any
failure
due
to
component
defects
are
likely
to
have
already
occurred.
operation. This may sound a short period of time for a converter with a guaranteed 3 year

TECH SERIES

Power Developer

Section I describes the area of early failures, which is usually

caused by latent material defects or manufacturing faults which
happen not to show up in the final production testing before
the product is shipped. The infant mortality failure is usually of
relatively short durationeven for complex systems there are
rarely early failures past 200 hours of use. In the case of DC/
DC converters, most early failures will occur within the first
24 hours of operation. This may sound a short period of time
for a converter with a guaranteed 3 year lifetime, but for a DC/
DC converter running at 100kHz, the switching transistors and
Since thermal stress is one of the accelerating elements for failure rates, the transition
transformer will have already been exercised more than 140
time (T1) from early failure into useful life can be considerably shortened via a burn-in
process in a temperature cabinet (Fig. 7.2). If the converters are stressed by running
million times in the first day of operation and any failure due
them at full load at elevated temperatures, a burn-in time of around 4 hours is sufficient
to detect almost all of the early failures. If early failures still occur in the final application,
to component defects are likely to have already occurred.
then the burn-in time can be increased. For high reliability applications such as railways,
a burn-in time of 24 hours is more common.

Since thermal stress is one of the accelerating elements

for failure rates, the transition time (T1) from early failure
into useful life can be considerably shortened via a burn-in
process in a temperature cabinet (Fig. 7.2). If the converters
are stressed by running them at full load at elevated
temperatures, a burn-in time of around 4 hours is sufficient
to detect almost all of the early failures. If early failures
still occur in the final application, then the burn-in time
can be increased. For high reliability applications such as
railways, a burn-in time of 24 hours is more common.

Fig. 7.2: DC/DC converters being tested in a burn-in chamber (TAMB = 40C)

Fig. 7.2. DC/DC converters being tested

During the useful life, characterized by region II, the failure rate is consistent and stable
During the useful life, characterized by region II, the failure rate
in aThe
burn-in
chamber
(Tfrom
= 40C)
at a low level.
second transition
time (T2)
useful
life into end of life is influenced
AMB
by many factures such as quality of the design and components used, the manufacturing
quality of the assembly and the environmental stresses of the application. RegionisIIIconsistent and stable at a low level. The second transition
represents the end of the product life cycle during which performance reduction due to
time (T2) from useful life into end of life is influenced by
wear-and-tear, chemical degradation of the materials used and sudden failures can be
expected.
many factures such as quality of the design and components
As most DC/DC manufacturers use a burn-in process to detect the majority of early
used, the manufacturing quality of the assembly and the
failures, MTBF figures are more commonly used in the datasheets.
environmental stresses of the application. Region III represents
Some manufacturers prefer to use the reciprocal of the MTBF failure rate, based on 109
the end of the product life cycle during which performance
hour, called Failures In Time (FIT):
reduction due to wear-and-tear; chemical degradation of
10
FIT =
MTBF
the materials used and sudden failures can be expected.
9

Equation 7.2: Relationship of FIT to MTBF

As most DC/DC manufacturers use a burn-in process

to detect the majority of early failures, MTBF figures
are more commonly used in the datasheets.
173

Some manufacturers prefer to use the reciprocal of the MTBF

failure rate, based on 109 hours, called Failures In Time (FIT):

Equation 7.2. Relationship of FIT to MTBF

Environmental Stress Factors

MIL-HDBK-217 contains reliability models based on common
military applications. The kind of application in which a DC/
DC converter is going to be used has a strong influence on
its reliability. For example, if the converter is going to be
fitted
into a ship, then
the corrosive
effects
of thebased
salty air
MIL-HDBK-217
contains
reliability
models
on common military applications. The
will
reduce
its
lifetime
even
if
it
is
used
in
a
dry
area.
kind of application in which a DC/DC converter is going to be used has a strong influence

7.2 Environmental Stress Factors

on its reliability. For example, if the converter is going to be fitted into a ship, then the
corrosive effects of the salty air will reduce its lifetime even if it is used in a dry area.
Environment
Ground
Benign

E
Symbol
GB

Ground
Mobile

GM

Naval
Sheltered

NS

Aircraft
Inhabited
Cargo

AIC

Space
Flight

SF

Missile
Launch

ML

MIL-HDBK-271F
Description
Non-mobile, temperature and
humidity controlled environments
readily accessible to maintenance
Equipment installed in wheeled or
tracked vehicles and equipment
manually transported
Sheltered or below deck
equipment on surface ships or
submarines
Typical conditions in cargo
compartments which can be
occupied by aircrew
Earth orbital. Vehicle in neither
powered flight nor in atmospheric
re-entry
Severe conditions relating
to missile launch

Table 7.2: Application Classes according to MIL-HDBK-217

Table 7.2. Application Classes According to MIL-HDBK-217

If the final application is known, then a correction factor for the MTBF calculation can be
made based on Ground Benign (GB) as the reference environmental stress with a factor
of 1:
Ground Benign

E
Symbol
GB

E
Value
0.5

Ground Mobile
Naval Sheltered

GM
GNS

4.0
4.0

1.64
1.64

Aircraft Inhabited Cargo

Space Flight
Missile Launch

AIC
SF
ML

4.0
0.5
12.0

1.64
1.00
3.09

Environment

Commercial Interpretation
or Examples
Laboratory equipment, test
instruments, desktop PC's,
static telecoms
In-vehicle instrumentation,
mobile radio and telecoms,
portable PC's
Navigation, radio equipment
and instrumentation below
deck
Pressurised cabin compartments and cockpits, in flight
entertainment and non-safety
critical applications
Orbital communications satellite, equipment only operated
once in-situ
Severe vibrational shock and
very high accelerating forces,
satellite launch conditions

Divisor
1.00

Flight

Power Developer
Missile
ML
Launch

powered flight nor in atmospheric

re-entry
Severe conditions relating
to missile launch

lite, equipment only operated

once in-situ
Severe vibrational shock and
very high accelerating forces,
satellite launch conditions

Table 7.2: Application Classes according to MIL-HDBK-217

If the final application is known, then a correction factor for

TECH SERIES

Using MTBF Figures

If the final application

is known,
thencan
a correction
factor
for theBenign
MTBF calculation canMTBF
be figures cause a great deal of confusion because
the MTBF
calculation
be made based
on Ground
made based on Ground
Benign
(GB)
as the reference
environmental
(GB) as the
reference
environmental
stress with
a factor of 1: stress with a factor
they are often misunderstood and sometimes deliberately
of 1:
misrepresented by unscrupulous manufacturers. An MTBF
E
Symbol

E
Value

Divisor

Ground Benign
Ground Mobile
Naval Sheltered

GB
GM
GNS

0.5
4.0
4.0

1.00
1.64
1.64

Aircraft Inhabited Cargo

Space Flight
Missile Launch

AIC
SF
ML

4.0
0.5
12.0

1.64
1.00
3.09

Environment

figure of 1 million hours does not mean that the product has a
lifetime of:

MTBF is simply defined as the inverse of the actual failure

rate. So if one DC/DC converter out of 100 fails after 10,000
hours of service:

Table 7.3: MTBF Correction Factors according to Environment

Table 7.3. MTBF Correction Factors According to Environment

if the failure rate in the field should be less than

For example, a DC/DC converter with a MTBF figure of 1 million hours according to Alternatively,
the
a DC/DC converter
with ato
MTBF
of
1% per year for a certain installed quantity, then the required
datasheet (basedFor
onexample,
GB conditions)
would need
be figure
derated
to around 610 khours
1
million
hours
according
to
the
datasheet
(based
on
MTBF rating of the power supplies should be:
if used in portable equipment to take into account the additional environmental stresses
GB conditions) would need to be derated to around
due to knocks, bumps, sudden temperature changes, etc. associated with hand held
610 khours if used in portable equipment to take
equipment.
into account the additional environmental stresses
due to knocks, bumps, sudden temperature changes,
perhaps
surprising results of the MIL-HDBK-217 analysis
etc. associated with hand held equipment.

When correctly used, MTBF figures can help accurately

One of the
is that space flight
determine the maintenance overhead in field conditions, but
is as a benign an environment as ground based. Aboard a satellite or spaceship, the
the MTBF values in thousands or millions of hours causes
environmental conditions
are
carefully
controlled
and
there
is
no
vibration
or
airborne
One of the perhaps surprising results of the
confusion for those not familiar with them. If we take the
pollution, so electronic
equipment
hasis a
theoretically
very
life. In practice, however,
MIL-HDBK-217
analysis
that
space flight is
as along
benign
first example given above; the converters have an MTBF
cosmic rays can an
punch
holes through
semiconductor
substrates
environment
as ground
based. Aboard a satellite
or and cause failures.value of one million hours (equivalent to 114 years) but a
174

spaceship, the environmental conditions are carefully

controlled and there is no vibration or airborne pollution,
so electronic equipment has a theoretically very long
life. In practice, however, cosmic rays can punch holes
through semiconductor substrates and cause failures.
It is possible to make DC/DC converters with rad-hard
components with added protection from high-energy
radiation, but it is often more reliable to use a simpler
circuit without any ICs. A FET can withstand considerable
damage from exposure to cosmic rays because the substrate
surface is relatively large and tolerant of point defects. Thus
a simple push-pull DC/DC converter using only discrete
components is often suitable for space applications.

10

single converter failed after only 13 months use. Perhaps

a more familiar example may help explain this apparent
miscalculation: the human lifetime. The average failure
rate of a 25 year old human is 0.1% i.e., we can expect one
25 year old in a thousand to die. Doing the calculation gives
a human MTBF of 800 years! The reason that MTBF figures
are so high (and so variable) is that the failure rate in the flat
middle section of Useful Life is very, very low. Multiplied
over a long time period, this means that tiny changes in the
failure rate delta (rate of change of failure rate with time)
causes large changes in the calculated MTBF. This also
explains why we all dont live to be 800 years old. At 25, most
people are at their healthiest and the primary cause of death
is accidents. If we did not age or suffer from diseases, we

11

Power Developer

would all live to be 800 years old if the only cause of death was
accidental. On the other hand, if a different age was chosen, say
45 years, then a very different human MTBF figure would arise,
because we humans start to wear out at a relatively early age.
As the failure rate during the final End-of-Life phase follows an
exponential law, reliability can be worked out from MTBF using
the following formula:

Equation 7.3. Relationship of Reliability to MTBF

If the time (T) equals the MTBF, then the equation reduces
to e1 or 37%. This can be interpreted as meaning that at
T = MTBF, only 37% of the converters will still be working
or, alternatively, that there is only a 37% confidence
that all converters will be still working at T = MTBF.
So far, Chapter 7 of the DC/DC Book of Knowledge has
covered various methods for reliability prediction in
components, assemblies, and devices. The chapter goes
on to cover the process of designing with reliability in mind
as well as PCB layout considerations to improve overall
reliability. Click here to read the chapter in its entirety.

12

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Power Developer

PRODUCT WATCH

IDTs

ZSSC1956
Automotive Battery Sensor

For todays EEWeb Tech Lab, we will be

reviewing IDTs ZSSC1956, their automotive
intelligent battery sensor, and a battery
monitor for lead acid batteries. This
intelligent sensor comes with an embedded
microcontroller for greatest flexibility.

14

15

PRODUCT WATCH

Power Developer

KEY BENEFITS

The device integrates multiple ECU

to thousands of amps. Accumulator

functions into a single package: a high

registers allow accurately calculating

voltage circuit, sigma delta ADCs, analog

state of charge even in operating modes

input stage, digital filtering, and a LIN

when the microcontroller is asleep.

High-precision 24-bit sigma-delta ADC

Integrated, precision measurement
solution for accurate prediction
of battery state of health, state of
charge, or state of function.

transceiver. An ARM M0 processor with

Flexible wake-up modes allow

minimum power consumption
without sacrificing performance

this IC can measure lead-acid battery

No temperature calibration or external

trimming components required
Industrys smallest footprint allows
minimal module size and cost

96kB flash memory is embedded with

access to all sensor peripherals, ready
for your firmware code. With the ADCs,
voltage and current at a rate of 1kHz or
more and resolution of up to 18-bits with

With the ZSSC1956, you can constantly

monitor the most important aspects of your
batterys performance in a very small form
factor. In low-power mode, it only draws one
hundred microamps, so this information and
management comes with practically zero
effect on the performance of the system.

no missing codes while concurrently

measuring temperature. Simultaneous
measurement of voltage and current
allows for inner resistance calculations
often used for battery state of health
estimation. Using a shunt, this device

The ZSSC1956 isnt just for automotive

applications but also for industrial or medical
systems that use lead acid batteries. To find
out more information and to see how this can
fit in your next application, go to IDT.com.

Josh Bishop,
EEWeb Tech Lab

is capable of measuring charging and

discharging battery current with a
huge dynamic range from milliamps

16

Click the image below to watch a

video overview of the ZSSC1956:

17

TECH REPORT

Power Developer

Wireless
Charging
Moves Beyond Induction
By Michael Nagib
Technical Marketing Leader
ASIC Solutions Business Unit
Si-Ware Systems
www.si-ware.com

New chipset enables wireless

power charging for multiple
devices at a distance of 10m
The wireless charging market will see exponential
growth over the next several years. The growing
panoply of mobile devices in the home, increased
interest in wearables, and the gradual evolution of
the Internet of Things (IoT) foreshadow a huge surge
in the number of battery-powered devices in the
home and office. These devices will require recharging
without resorting to a daily routine of plugging in,
battery swaps, or a rats nest of cables in every room.

18

19

TECH REPORT

Power Developer

Wireless Charging:
Moving Beyond Induction

Si-Ware and Ossia have developed

Cota, a fully integrated chipset
for a new, RF-based wireless
charging approach.

Much of the induction-based charging

technology we see today has severe
limitations in range and freedom of motion.
The current standard, induction-based
charging, requires either contact or very
close proximity (within centimeters) to
a mat or transmitter. The drawbacks are
evidentyou must place your devices on
a mat and leave them there to charge.

The Charging Challenge

Si-Ware and Ossia have developed Cota,
a fully integrated chipset for a new, RFbased wireless charging approach. Cota can
efficiently power devices wherever they
are, even roaming in a building, without
the constraints of induction or other forms
of line-of-sight charging techniques.
Ossias main requirements for the design
included having a commercially viable
first-generation chipset that would not
only demonstrate the charging technology
but also demonstrate the viability of the
technology in everyday use. The main
functionality of the system is to deliver
power to multiple client devices in a
dynamically changing environment at a
radius of up to 10m. The system needed
to overcome line-of-sight dependency
yet avoid obstructions, all while charging
small devices, even in a hand or purse.
Receiver chips had to be small enough
to be integrated into almost any device,
from a smartphone to an AA battery.
More importantly, the transmitter/
receiver chipset had to be cost-effective
and manufactured using standard CMOS
technologies for deployment in costsensitive consumer applications.

20

Fig. 1. Wireless charging must deliver power to multiple devices

in a changing environment at up to a 10-m radius.

Using Smart Antennas for a

Massive Multipath Approach
The Cota solution is a multipath
technology, relying on smart microantennas to find multiple optimal
paths for delivering RF power from the
charger to the client receiver. Rather
than inefficiently blasting out power
in hopes of hitting the target devices,
multipath technology relies on dynamic
location tracking and precise RF signals
sent directly to the receiver, avoiding
obstructions in the environment.

The Cota solution is a multipath

technology, relying on smart microantennas to find multiple optimal
paths for delivering RF power from
the charger to the client receiver.

21

TECH REPORT

Power Developer

Si-Wares chipset solution is based on

Ossias Cota wireless charging concept.
Detailed analyses and system-level
simulations of overall system operation
at frequent intervals led to
the development of a transmitter
(See Fig. 1. SWS1410) and receiver
(See Fig. 2. SWS1420) chipset that
supports up to eight simultaneous
clients and is produced in standard
CMOS technology. An evaluation kit
for the Cota technology based on
the SWS1410 and SWS1420 will be
available in the second half of 2016.

Obstacle Avoidance and Safety

The implementation of the massive
multipath technique answered the
requirements for obstacle avoidance and
human safety but necessitated work on
integration and silicon dimensions to
satisfy volume production needs. On the
safety side, both chipsets have a variety

On the safety side, both chipsets

have a variety of special features
and error-detection mechanisms
to detect and prevent any
unexpected behavior in the
system in any mode of operation.
Fig. 2. The SWS1410 MIMO transceiver
detects the location of multiple devices
simultaneously and transmits RF power to
those devices through a multipath approach.

22

of special features and error-detection

mechanisms to detect and prevent any
unexpected behavior in the system in
any mode of operation. Both charger and
receiver include signal-strength indicators,
temperature sensors, and safe powerup infrastructure to monitor and ensure
safe operation of the whole system
under different operating conditions.

Power Management
Power management begins with optimizing
power delivery per client on the system
level, proceeding down to efficient
extraction of RF power on the client side,
and then interfacing to the battery in the
most economical way.
The SWS1410 charger ASIC has builtin power management features and
flexibility that enable dynamic systemlevel optimization of the power delivered
to different devices, enabling the charger

toprioritize charging based on the

nature of the device, and battery
state-of-charge.
On the client side, the SWS1420 has an
embedded dynamic MPPT (maximum
power point tracking) loop that
dynamically enhances the RF-to-DC
rectification efficiency. It also has a buck/
boost converter that acts as a hostcontrolled battery interface supporting
li-ion battery charging profiles. This
enables the client ASIC to directly charge
the system battery, reducing the number
of additional power-management
elements and the associated extra
power consumption and inefficiencies.

Streamlining Chip Architecture

The SWS1410 transmitter chip includes its
own CPU and RAM to offload the location
data calculations and storage overhead
from the main system controller. These
features enable the SWS1410 ASIC to
operate in a completely autonomous

mode and significantly reduces the overall

cost and complexity of the complete Cota
charger. The SWS1420 client ASIC integrates a
complete host-controlled battery interface that
is compatible with popular li-ion batteries, to
reduce overall integration cost and complexity
in the product migration path. Additionally,
both chips support a wide range of applications
and devices.
One key objective was the ability to enable
OEM partnersfrom wearables to smartphone
accessory and battery manufacturersto easily
integrate a small Cota receiver chip into their
products. To address size and reduce the bill of
materials (BOM) on the Cota charger side, the
SWS1410 integrates four antenna management
units with the location detection and tracking
infrastructureincluding the functionality
of more than 10 RF and digital chipsinto a
single ASIC. On the client side, a complete
power-management solution with MPPT
loop and battery interface in the receiver IC is
includedalso to reduce the BOMfor OEMs
integrating chips into their own devices.

The SWS1420 client ASIC

integrates a complete hostcontrolled battery interface
that is compatible with
popular li-ion batteries.
Fig. 3. The SWS1420 receiver rectifies and
converts RF power into DC power to charge
batteries and transmit a beacon signal to
assist in client dynamic location tracking.

23

TECH REPORT

Power Developer

RETHINKING

Server Power

Architecture

in a Post-Silicon World
Alex Lidow, Ph.D., CEO and Co-founder
David Reusch, Ph.D., Executive Director of Applications Engineering
John Glaser, Ph.D., Director of Applications Engineering

Efficient Power Conversion Corporation

The demand for information in our

society is growing at an unprecedented
rate. With emerging technologies, such
as cloud computing and the Internet of
Things, this trend for more and faster
access to information is showing no signs
of slowing. What makes the transfer
of information at high rates of speed
possible are racks and racks of servers,
mostly located in centralized data.
centers.

24

25

TECH REPORT

Power Developer

Figure 1

98%

97%
208 VAC

AC/DC
Conversion

98%
208 VAC

DC/DC
Conversion

DC/DC
Conversion

95%

98%
400 VDC

93%
150 W

48 VDC

DC/DC
Conversion

98%
12 VDC

eGaN Monolithic Half-Bridge IC based

48 VIN 1 VOUT POL Converter

Digital Chip

85%
1 VDC

100 W

Figure 1. Typical multi-stage power conversion architecture used in modern server farms, which takes 150
watts of power from the electrical grid to supply 100 watts to a digital processor used in servers [3,4].

Figure 1: Typical mul1-stage power conversion architecture used in

In 2014, data centers (in the U.S.)
within the server farm is even more,
modern server farms, which takes 150 wa@s of power from the electrical
consumed about 100 billion kilowatts
because every watt of power loss through
grid to supply 100 wa@s to a digital processor used in servers [3,4].
hours (kWh) of energy [1,2]. According to
power conversion is actually energy that
Sudeep Pasricha, an associate professor
in theDepartment of Electrical and
Computer Engineeringat Colorado
State University; Thats almost twice
the electricity needed to power the
whole state of Colorado for a year. [2]
The power needed to support this
rapidly growing demand comes from
our electrical grid, and goes through
multiple conversion stages before it
actually feeds the remaining energy into
a digital semiconductor chip. In Figure 1
is an illustration of this journey. Also
shown in this figure are the losses due
to the transmission and conversion of
electricityfrom the power plant to the
computer chip that does all the work.
Multiplying these efficiency numbers
shows that the power grid needs to supply
150 watts of power to meet the demands
of a digital chip that may need only 100
watts of power. Therefore the combined
waste across the U.S. due to power
conversion for servers is 33 billion kWh,
enough to power over half of the state of
Colorado. But the overall wasted energy

is converted into heat, and removing

this heat demands even more power.
Whereas the electrical grid has been
around for more than a century, the
various stages of conversion have
been built with technologies based on
the semiconductors developed post
World War II. These semiconductors are
based on silicon crystals, and it is the
properties and limitations of silicon that
shaped the architecture of Figure 1.

Figure 2

In this article, we will demonstrate the

benefits of enhancement-mode gallium
nitride (eGaN technology) based power
converters in solutions for existing
data center and telecommunications
architectures centering around an input
voltage of 48 VDC with load voltages
as low as 1 VDC. We will explore the
capability of high performance GaN
power transistors to enable new
approaches to power data center and
telecommunications systems with
higher efficiency and higher power
density than possible with previous
Si MOSFET based architectures.

Since the adoption of the 12 V

intermediate bus architecture (IBA), bus
converters are currently approaching
about an order of magnitude increase
in output power, from around 100W
to current designs of around 1 kW in a
quarter brick footprint. This means that
the amount of current on the 12 V bus to
the POL converters has also increased
by a factor of 10 and, without reductions
in busing resistance, a two order of
magnitude increase in busing conduction
losses follows. GaN technology-based
solutions have already demonstrated
significant efficiency improvements
compared to silicon based solutions
in traditional IBA systems [4].
However, with the increasing conversion
losses in the 48 VIN bus converter,
the mounting 12 V busing losses on
the motherboards, and the higher

performance of GaN technology, different

architectures may now be considered,
such as going directly from 48 VIN to
load using non-isolated POL converters,
as shown on the bottom of Figure 2.
To evaluate converting 48 VIN directly to
1 VOUT, an 80 V eGaN monolithic half-bridge
IC (EPC2105), embedded in an EPC9041
demonstration board, was selected for the
much higher step-down ratio. The total
system efficiency and power loss for the
eGaN FET based 48 VIN to 1 VOUT buck
converter operated at switching frequencies
of 300 kHz and 500 kHz are shown in
Figure 3. This efficiency is that of the entire
system, including the inductor (Wrth
Elektronik 744 301 033), capacitors, and
PCB losses. At 500 kHz,
a peak efficiency of over 80% is achieved
for the full buck converter system. At
300 kHz, a peak efficiency of 84% is
achieved for the full buck converter system,
and at 20 A the efficiency is around 83.5%.

Figure 3

86

Intermediate Bus Architecture

DC Bus
48 V

12 V
IBC

POL

DC BUS
48 V

POL

82

1V

DC Bus Architecture
1V

80
78

76
74
72
70

fsw=300 kHz
fsw=500 kHz

68
66

Figure 2. Intermediate bus architecture (IBA)

and a direct conversion DC bus architecture.

80 V eGaN FET
Monolithic HB

84

Efficiency (%)

13.8 kVAC

Distribution
Transformers

Uninterruptable
Power Supplies
(UPS)

10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32

Output Current (A)

V =48 V V

=1 V L=330 nH

IN
OUT
Figure 3.
Figure 2: Intermediate bus architecture (IBA) and a direct conversion
Efficiency for eGaN monolithic HB IC based
POL converter, VIN=48 V to VOUT=1V, fsw=300kHz
DC bus architecture.
and 500kHz.

Figure 3: Eciency for eGaN monolithic HB IC based POL converter,

VIN=48 V to VOUT=1 V, fsw=300 kHz and 500 kHz.

26

27

TECH REPORT

Power Developer

A comparison of estimated efficiencies

and power densities for the single stage
48 VIN to 1 VOUT POL converter, and the
traditional two-stage IBA approach using
the best GaN technologybased design
is shown in Figure 3 and summarized in
the table below (Silicon-based solutions
are significantly less efficient than these
GaN technology-based solutions). The
GaN IC-based IBAs power converters
have an estimated 1.5% efficiency
improvement over the direct 48 VIN

to 1 VOUT conversion. However, when

adding in the losses from the 12 V bus,
estimated to be 2% [5][7], the total
system efficiencies are very similar.
The DC bus architecture also has a cost
advantage, since the cost of the IBC
can be eliminated and the cost increase
of the 48 VIN POL converter over the
12 VIN POL converter will be minimal
as they use a similar number of power
devices, controllers, and drivers.

Parameter

Units

Stage Switching Frequency

kHz

98%
12 V

IBC

83%
POL

300
32

Yes

No

High

Low

Low

96

88

83

Bus Efficiency

98

99.9%

Total System Efficiency

82.8

82.9

Stage Power Density

W/in (W/cm )
3

Figure 5

550 (34)

W/in (W/cm )
3

500 (31)

300 (18)

250 (15)

300 (18)

88%
POL

1V

83%
300 W/in3

1V

Distribution
Transformers

Uninterruptable2
Power2Supplies2
(UPS)

AC/DC2
Conversion

DC/DC
Conversion

98%

97%

98%

98%

2082VAC

DC Bus Architecture

=300 kHz 300 W/in3

Figure 4. Performance comparisons of GaN technology-based 48 VIN

intermediate bus architecture and 48 VIN DC bus architecture.

eGaN devices enable the elimination of

an entire stage in the power conversion
journey, reducing total server farm losses
by about 7%.
28

1000

Stage Efficiency

fsw=1 MHz 500 W/in3

fsw

300
32

PCB Complexity

96% x 98% 88%

83%
250 W/in3

DC BUS
48 V

48 VIN
1 VOUT
POL

System Transformer Isolation

13.82kVAC

fsw=300 kHz 550 W/in3

12 VIN
1 VOUT
POL

(a) Scaled to 500 W of output power.

Intermediate Bus Architecture

96%

48 VIN
12 VOUT
IBC
Total Power Devicesa

Total System Power Density

DC Bus
48 V

48 VIN Direct
Conversion

48 VIN IBA

2082VAC

4002VDC

93%
1402W

DC/DC
Conversion

Digital2Chip

8%
482VDC

12VDC

1002W

Figure 5. eGaN devices enable the elimination of an entire stage in the

power conversion journey, reducing total server farm losses by about 7%.

In Figure 5Figure 5: eGaN devices enable the elimina1on of an en1re stage in the
we revisit Figure 1 while
per year when compared with
applying the single-stage efficiencies
todays silicon-based solution. This
power conversion journey, reducing total server farm losses by about 7%.
demonstrated with eGaN ICs. The direct
savings is increased further when
savings by eliminating just the last stage
air conditioning energy costs inside
in the server farm power architecture
the server farm are added [10],
is not only a cost reduction, but also a
bringing the total to more than 10%
reduction of power consumed by 7%,
of the 100 billion kWh consumed
or a direct savings of 7 billion kWh
by servers in the U.S. alone.

29

Power Developer

The impact of eGaN technology in

our post-silicon world is even greater
than the savings possible in U.S. server
farms today and is but one example
of the impact that this new, emerging
technology makes to the efficient use
of electrical power. eGaN technology
provides a path to higher performance
semiconductors, re-opening the
possibilities of Moores Law for driving
innovationjust as Moores Law falls
off the tracks [11]. For example, eGaN
technology is enabling new applications
such as wireless power transmission,
5G cellular, autonomous vehicles,
and colonoscopy pills. And, as the
electronics industry gains experience
and knowledge in the inherent attributes
high performance capabilities, the
resulting high performance eGaN
semiconductor devices will enable
many unforeseen applications, just
as silicon, its predecessor, brought
about in the post-WWII era.

eGaN technology is
enabling new applications
such as wireless power
transmission, 5G cellular,
autonomous vehicles, and
colonoscopy pills.

REFERENCES
[1] Natural Resource Defense Council,
http://www.nrdc.org/energy/datacenter-efficiency-assessment.asp
[2] http://source.colostate.edu/
powering-down-researchers-reducingenergy-usage-at-data-centers/
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_
power_transmission#Losses
[4] D. Reusch and J. Glaser, DC-DC Converter
Handbook, Power Conversion Publications,
2015. ISBN 978-0-9966492-0-9
[5] A. Naghavi, Energy Efficiency Becomes
the Focus for Data Centre Servers, Bodos
Power Systems, pp. 22-25, January 2011.
[6] P. Yeaman, Datacenter Power
Delivery Architectures: Efficiency
and Annual Operating Costs, Darnell
Digital Power Forum, 2007.
[7] R. Miftakhutdinov, Improving
System Efficiency with a New
Intermediate-Bus Architecture, Texas
Instruments Inc. Seminar, 2009.
[8] K. Yao, High Frequency and High
Performance VRM Design for the Next
Generations of Processors, Ph.D.
Dissertation, Virginia Tech, 2004.
[9] Y. Ren, High Frequency, High
Efficiency Two-Stage Approach
for Future Microprocessors, Ph.D.
Dissertation, Virginia Tech, 2005.
[10] M . Gregory, Inside Facebooks green
and clean arctic data center, BBC
News, June 14, 2013. http://www.bbc.
com/news/business-22879160
[11] D. Holmes, As Moores Law turns 50, is
there any way to save it from dying? Is
it worth saving? Pando, April 21, 2015.
https://pando.com/2015/04/21/as-mooreslaw-turns-50-is-there-any-way-to-saveit-from-dying-and-is-it-worth-saving/

eGaN FET is a registered trademark of

Efficient Power Conversion Corporation.

30

MYLINK

TECH REPORT

Power Developer

Power
Density
Versus

Architecture
What You Need to Know

Digital power and advanced thermal

management combine to overcome
todays power-conversion challenges.
Prolonged exposure to high operating temperatures is known
to be one of the greatest enemies of electronic components.
This tends to accelerate failure of semiconductors and
promotes other wear-out mechanisms such as drying of
wet electrolytic capacitors. For every 10C rise in operating

By Bob Cantrell
Senior Application Engineer
Ericsson Power Modules
www.ericsson.com

32

temperature, life expectancy decreases by about 50%,

according to the rule of thumb. Conversely, reducing the
temperature by 10C can double the expected reliability.

33

TECH REPORT

Power Developer

I
IMPROVING
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
CAN IMPROVE
RELIABILITY AND
REDUCE OPERATING
COSTS BY REDUCING
THE DEMAND FOR
SYSTEM COOLING.

nternal heat dissipation caused by

inefficiency in the conversion process
is a major contributor to excessive
operating temperature. In effect the
equipment operator pays twice for
inefficient power conversion: Every
watt dissipated is another watt that
must be cooled, hence demanding extra
air-conditioning or cooling capacity to
keep the ambient temperature within
specified limits as total system power
dissipation increases. Clearly, improving
energy efficiency can improve reliability
and reduce operating costs by reducing
the demand for system cooling.
However, another figure of merit for
power converters is current density.
Higher current density means smaller
devices for a given power rating, which
ultimately allows system designers
to use more of the expensive board
real estate for revenue-generating
devicessuch as processors, ASICs, or
FPGAsthat add functionality. Moreover,
small PoL converters, in particular, can
be placed closer to the power pins of
the main ICs on the board for the best
possible transient performance.

Fig. 1. Digital power conversion simplifies

circuit design and reduces component count.

34

Desirable characteristics are for a

converter to be simultaneously smaller,
more energy-efficient, and with
excellent heat-dissipating properties.
Dealing effectively with heat is critical to
maximizing current density or to powerhandling capability. A good analogy
is to consider two runners of equal
height, weight, and fitness running in
hot conditions, such as at midday in the
Arizona desert. The only difference is
that one is wearing suitable lightweight
running gear, while the other is wearing
a thermal outfit that prevents heat
from leaving the body. On paper, both
can achieve the same performance.
But the second runner will not be able
to shed the heat his body is creating
as efficiently as the first and soon
will be unable to continue running.

Solving the dilemma, digitally

Digital technology can help to overcome
the challenges facing power conversion.
For example, digital converters can be
smaller because they require fewer
components than a conventional analog
converter topology. The reduction
in component count also helps to
boost reliability. In a digital converter,
the output voltage is sensed in the
same way as in an analog design, but
there is no error amplifier. Instead the
sensed voltage is digitized by an A/D
converter, and the digitized values are
input to a control algorithm hosted on a
microcontroller. Various algorithms can
be used to optimize performance as the
operating conditions change.
Fig. 1illustrates the main functional
blocks of a digital converter.

Converters such as Ericssons 3E

single-phase PoLs feature advanced
energy-optimization algorithms to
enhance efficiency across the load
range. Also, with a specific input voltage,
output voltage, and capacitive load,
these converters permit the control
loop to be optimized for a robust
and stable operation and with an
improved load-transient response. This
optimization minimizes the amount of
output decoupling capacitors needed
to achieve a given load-transient
response, optimizing cost and minimizing
board space. This effectively simplifies
hardware design, reduces overall module
size, and helps to boost reliability.
Fig. 2shows how digital converter
technology enables designers to
boost efficiency at light loads, for
which traditional analog converters
are often less efficient.
Other aspects of the 3E PoLs that help
enhance efficiency include the latest-

generation power MOSFETs, which have

low internal capacitances and optimal
on-resistance x gate-charge figure of
merit (RDS(ON)x Qg) to minimize conduction
and switching losses at all times.
The latest converter in the family, the
BMR466, can deliver up to 60A and has
been shown to achieve efficiency of
94.4% with a 5-V input and a 1.8-V output,
at half load. The MTBF of the BMR466 is
calculated at 50 million hours based on
the industry-standard Telcordia method.
As many as eight BMR466s can be
connected, allowing designers to rely
on a single part number when powering
applications between 60A and 480A. It
is also possible to synchronize two or
more BMR466s with an external clock
to enable phase spreading, which helps
lower input ripple current and,
therefore, effectively reduces
capacitance requirements
and efficiency losses.

Fig. 2. Digital power converters

can deliver significantly higher
efficiency at light loads.

35

TECH REPORT

Power Developer

Advanced thermal performance

IMPROVING
THERMAL
PERFORMANCE IS
THE KEY TO MINIMIZING
THERMAL DERATING,
ALLOWING HIGHER
OUTPUT CURRENT
WITHOUT SACRIFICING
RELIABILITY.

The internal design of the BMR466 is

optimized to achieve a low package
profile. Its height of 0.276 in. (7mm)
minimizes interference with cooling
airflow across the board. Moreover,
the solder pad distribution of the
LGA package gives excellent thermal
performance and enables the module
to dissipate heat very efficiently
while benefiting from an extremely
compact footprint of 0.98 x 0.55 in.
(14 x 25 mm). The LGA contacts are
positioned symmetrically to ensure
superior mechanical contact and high
reliability after soldering. Internally,
the package technology eliminates
connecting leads and their associated
inductance, and a high number of the
LGA contacts are ground pins. Together,

these features ensure excellent

noise and EMI characteristics.
Improving thermal performance is the
key to minimizing thermal derating,
allowing higher output current without
sacrificing reliability.Fig. 3shows thermal
derating curves for the BMR466 with
an output of 1.0-V, which can deliver
the maximum 60A at an ambient
temperature of 70C with natural
convection cooling alone. For an ambient
air temperature of 85C, the converter
can deliver 48A cooled with natural
convection, or 55A with airflow of 1.0 m/s.
The derated current capability of the
BMR466 is comparable to that of
competing PoLs that have more than
twice the surface area and occupy nearly
four times the volume, even though

Fig. 3. Thermal derating for BMR466 PoL converter with 1.0-V output.

36

these have higher maximum current

ratings. Consider the derating curves
for a competing 80A PoL, seen inFig.
4, which show that the higher-rated
converter has a real-life limit of 62 A
for an ambient air temperature of 70C
with natural convection with a 1.0-V
output. While this competing converter
can deliver up to 60A at 85C ambient
temperature, with 1.0-m/s airflow, this
is only marginally higher than the 55A
available from the BMR466 operating
under the same conditions even though
the BMR466 is significantly smaller.
The larger 80A PoL has little more
than one-third the current density of
the BMR466. Considering that a single
computing board for an application
such as a data center server may need
severalsometimes 10 or more

high-current PoLs, the cumulative space

savings that can be achieved, without
derating the maximum current or degrading
reliability, are significant and valuable.
In addition, the digital converter can be
configured via a GUI such as Ericssons
Power Designer software to ensure
optimal efficiency and performance, the
lowest BOM cost, and optimized transient
response. This tool gives system architects
control over parameters such as switching
frequency and threshold settings for input
and output under-/over-voltages, output
over-/under-current limits, and over-/undertemperature to ensure optimum efficiency
under a range of operating conditions.
In addition, using phase spreading, the
input ripple current can be dramatically
reduced, thereby reducing input capacitance
requirements and efficiency losses.

Fig. 4. Thermal derating curves for alternative 80-A PoL with 1.0-V output.

37

INDUSTRY INTERVIEW

Power Developer

High-voltage

Batteries
Provide
Unprecedented
Flexibility for
Cutting-edge
Applications

The move towards portability is becoming a key design element in

todays electronic devices. With cables and cords disappearing at a
rapid rate, power engineers are moving towards batteries to manage
the power needs in new applications. At the same time, these
applications are adding new capabilities and complexities that create
significant power demands, leading to higher voltages and flexibility in
new battery technology. For Texas Instruments (TI), the battery market
is of key importance in the upcoming years. To address the trends

Interview with Allen Chen Texas Instruments

in the industry, TI has introduced a family of high-voltage battery

management products so customers can adapt to the ever-changing
power requirements by adding simple peripherals to unify the system.
EEWeb recently spoke with Allen Chen of Texas Instruments about the
companys shift in focus in the battery market and some of the new
high-side FET drivers that are addressing cutting-edge applications.

38

39

INDUSTRY INTERVIEW

Power Developer

How has TIs battery offering

changed since you arrived at
the company?

We are now
focusing on
accurately
capturing
battery
characteristics
like, voltage,
current, and
temperature,
and using that
in a meaningful
way when you
connect it to a
microcontroller.

I have been at TI now for nine years,

and I joined the battery management
team from the very beginning. Back
then, we were really focused on
notebook battery fuel gauges and the
ICs that go into almost every notebook
sold in the world. This helps users
understand how much of a charge they
have left in their mobile computers.
From there, I moved into business
development and product marketing.
This department figures out what
solutions best fit our customers needs
and what kind of technology we should
be investing in. If you look at our battery
management organization as a whole,
we have grown tremendously in the
nine years that I have been here. We
have gone from being very focused
on notebooks and mobile phones to
going after any portable device.
The battery market in general has
seen a sea change in the last five
years. People have figured out how
to develop really great, high-end
battery systems for notebooks and
using the same technology to apply

to the industrial and automotive space.

As a whole, TI is very much focused in
industrial and automotive, and for battery
management solutions (BMS), that is a
very natural fit for useverything from
drones to energy storage systems.

What is TI focusing on now

that is really exciting?
When I first started in this role, everyone
was talking about small power tools. We
would go off for two years developing
one product that was great for going
into power tools, but it wasnt very
adaptable for anything other than that.
As soon as it was released, we realized
that the market had moved beyond this
application and everyone was focused
on slightly larger battery packs.
We took a step back and re-booted our
portfolio back in 2012; we realized that
the only way to be successful is to become
more versatile in the type of product
development that we have. Thats when
we embarked on this big transformation
and we began to develop a family of
devices that worked in concert with each
other. Our customers would one day be
designing an 18V power tool and the next
day would be working on a 36V electric
bicycle, and the day after that they might
be working on a 48V energy storage
system. That is the nature of the battery
business todaythe technology that
started with a simple notebook has started
to go higher end, but the fundamental
requirements are still the same.
We are now focusing on accurately
capturing battery characteristics like

40

voltage, current, and temperature, and

using that in a meaningful way when
you connect it to a microcontroller.
We re-booted the way we develop
these products; instead of creating one
device, we decided to create a family
of productsa small, a medium, and
a largethat monitor the batteries.

In what ways are you addressing

optimization and scalability?
We need to be able to scale these power
management devices up and down
for different types of applications.
We decided to create a new category
of devices called peripherals. These
are devices that not every customer is
going to need, but may need down the
road because the battery market is so
fragmented. In a lot of cases, customers
will require this, but perhaps in a few
years, they might need to migrate
these applications to support these
extra-enhanced functionalities.
First, we established the baseline new
family of battery monitors and from
there, the peripherals allow you to
greatly extend the capabilities of those
battery packs. When you invest in TI,
you are future-proofing your battery
platforms because all you need to do
is check out our portfolio and take
that extra-enhanced solution that sits
on top of the existing core products
that you already selected. Thats
where this new device comes inour
high-side FET driver, bq76200. If you
look at the existing offerings on the
market today, this is not really a new
idea, but we have made this device fit

across our entire portfolio, which is

maximized for battery applications.

What is so unique about the new

family that TI just released?
This is the first time a truly batteryoptimized solution for high-side FET
drivers has become available. One
of the great things that happened
as a result of TIs acquisition of
National Semiconductor was that
we gained access to a whole new
toolbox of new analog processes.
This is one of the things that we
consider our core competencywe
control the manufacturing aspect
and we also are able to leverage
our 100V+ analog process.
For the first time, we realized we were
able to create this companion device
that was previously impossible. If you
look at a notebook battery management
solution, 100% of them will do highside battery FET driving. That is
primarily there to control charging and

One of the
great things
that happened
as a result of
TIs acquisition
of National
Semiconductor
was that we
gained access
to a whole
new toolbox
of new analog
processes.

41

INDUSTRY INTERVIEW

Power Developer

Whether you
are making a
data center
backup battery
system, or one
for your home
emergency use,
you essentially
should be
able to design
one module
and then add
additional
capabilities
from there.

discharging of the battery back; each one

is in a different direction, so they do a bidirectional back-to-back and they sit on
the high side and they are both enabled.
There are some situations where you may
need to turn off one or the other. In the
battery management world, this was a
challenge we solved almost 20 years ago
because it is a more reasonable challenge
to design this type of circuit for a product
that is fairly low power and low voltage.
The challenge becomes more complex
and interesting when you start talking
about how to support the various types of
voltages in the battery market that have
the same requirements but the problems
have scaled up substantially. We were
able to access this new technology node
that was quite difficult for us to achieve.
Then, because we have the new baseline
of battery monitors, these solutions
paired nicely with those. It is the first time
we have been able to create a product
that scales anywhere from 8V at the low
end up to 75V on the high end. These are
nominal operating voltages, and they
can survive transients up to 100V, which
has not been possible in the past.
We came at this problem from the battery
world. We knew that the solution had
to be ultra low power if it was going to
succeed with the new requirements
for batteries. This device needs to be
running at all times, so you can consume
milliamps of current and quickly discharge
the battery. We designed the solution to
have the target of 40 microamps or less.
This is a result of the expertise that we
have in the battery world and catering
to the expectations of our customers.

42

What is TI doing with regards to

alternative energy solutions?

What new technologies and

trends is TI targeting?

Energy storage systems are the future

of battery technology. If you look at
the market news, the growth that
is projected from now until 2020 is
huge. Large capacity battery packs
and energy storage systems are
primarily driving this huge growth.
This high-side FET driver, the bq76200
directly addresses the need of a lot
of these emerging energy storage
requirements. Here, you have a lot
of fragmentation in terms of supply
voltages that they have to support and
capacities that they have to support.
Whether you are making a data center
backup battery system, or one for your
home emergency use, you essentially
should be able to design one module
and then add additional capabilities
from there. That way, you get the best
of both worlds and you get the scale
that you need for a lot of the larger
applications, or you can get something
really small that is just for the house.

The focus that we have right now is on

emerging technologies like alternative
energy and energy harvesting. For
our product line specifically, we have
established the building blocks of
battery monitors and protectors, and
with our peripherals category, we are
going to see this expand upwards and
outwards - upwards in voltage range
and outwards in feature integration.
This first part we created, the BQ72600,
addressed the idea that we should go
to higher voltages. The sophistication
level for some of these devices will
only increase as customers continue to
demand more out of what they have.

Engineers should not have to design

a new thing every single time, which
is where our device comes in. Adding
this in gives you the flexibility to
support a large variety of capacities
and the modularity comes in because
you simply use one per battery
module to attach or disconnect
the individual batteries from
the overall installation. It gives
the customer and the end user
a lot of flexibility in using these
batteries in catering
to exactly what they need.

The focus that we have right now is on

emerging technologies like alternative
energy and energy harvesting.

There is another technology that is

super interesting and will begin to
dominate the battery space: active cell
balancing. Basically, every single battery
pack, when you put in lithium-ion cells,
there is a stack of batteries to get the
voltages that you need. However, every
cell is going to age and degrade at its
own pace. Every single time you use a
battery, whether it is large voltages that
are made up of large batteries stacked
on top of each other, its going to run out
as soon as the weakest one is done. In
other words, the full charge is determined
by the weakest cell and the discharge
is determined by the weakest cell.
There is a concept called cell balancing,
which is really a way to condition a
battery pack and enable it to be as
healthy as possible. The approach that
everybody takes today is called passive

43

Power Developer

As far as
our products
are concerned,
nobody else
in the industry
has the
breadth of
products
that Texas
Instruments
does.

balancing, which means you are moving

the charge from a stronger battery cell by
heat and heat loss. This is fine and really
low cost. The active cell balancing goes
along with the green movement and the
problem of wasting energy when you really
dont have to. This only becomes viable
when you start talking about truly large
capacity battery packs, like 100-amp-hours
or beyond. The problem here is that you
cant remove the excess charge as heat.
With active cell balancing, you can use
this heat and energy and pump it back
into the battery and back into the weaker
portion of the battery stack to prop up
the system overall. Reusing unusable
energy from a stronger set of cells and
putting it into the weaker set of cells
also lets the system run longer overall.

What is TI anticipating in
the next three years?
The requirements for our customers
continues to move along very specific
directions. One of these requirements is
that they need to extract as much value
as they can from their batteries. Batteries
are still the most expensive parts of the
overall system, so in order to do this, you
need to have very high accuracy to capture
all of the information about the cells as
precisely as you can, which determines
tolerance margins. You dont ever want
your battery to exceed a certain voltage
otherwise bad things can happen. The
tighter you can make those tolerances,
the closer you can get to that critical limit
in your overall system. That is one of the
ways we are able to help customers extract
more use out of the existing system.

44

The other trend we are seeing is that

people are going to higher voltages. People
were comfortable first with notebook
designs, then they were comfortable with
small, hand-held power tools, and now
people are talking about energy storage
systems with high voltage batteries.
People are going from 48V solutions to
stackable solutions up to 400V. We are
seeing cell costs come down and that
is really encouraging everyone to use
more batteries as much as they can.
As far as our products are concerned,
nobody else in the industry has the breadth
of products that Texas Instruments does.
We create super low-power wearable
or smartphone battery protectors
and battery monitors that go into
notebooks and industrial and automotive
applications and we create peripherals
and authentication options to prevent
users from having counterfeit batteries.
We also have an entire team devoted to
firmware products and fuel gauges; it is
essentially a battery-optimized controller
that is running firmware that helps you
understand, from a chemical perspective,
how much capacity your batteries have
and whether it is a healthy battery. I am
truly excited to see what new innovations
our customers will conjure up using these
building blocks that we have developed.

MYLINK

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