New Product Release | New F28003x Series C2000™ Real-Time MCU Helps You Overcome Server Power Supply Design Challenges

Server PSUs with high energy efficiency can reduce the cost of operating data centers and their impact on the environment by reducing power consumption and maximizing the efficiency of power transfer from the power supply to the load. This capability enables data centers to meet increasingly stringent energy efficiency standards (such as 80 Plus), achieve above-average Titanium Level energy efficiency across a wide range of loads, and emit less CO2 into the environment.

In server power applications, fast transient response helps achieve stable and reliable system operation under changing load and input transient conditions . In addition, the system needs to meet the more stringent transient response specifications of server power OEMs: 80% to 100% load jump between 2.5A/µS to 5A/µS. Figure 1 illustrates these parameters.

Figure 1: Transient response parameters

As power consumption in servers and data centers continues to grow, greater power capacity is required. Power technologies such as Gallium Nitride (GaN) enable smaller power supplies by providing more power capacity in a smaller space . To achieve high power density in the power system and reduce the bill of materials for the entire system , it is critical to control high switching frequencies using a real-time microcontroller (MCU) .

To achieve the above benefits, server PSU manufacturers face several design challenges, such as:

• Implement complex power topologies such as totem-pole bridgeless power factor correction and control algorithms including zero voltage switching, zero current switching, synchronous rectification timing, and inductor-inductor-capacitor resonant DC/DC conversion with hybrid hysteretic control.

• Enables real-time control performance and accelerates the execution of control loops .

• Reduce power dissipation while maintaining higher switching frequencies when using wide bandgap power devices such as GaN and Silicon Carbide (SiC) .

To meet the growing demands for power efficiency and power density in server PSU systems, real-time MCUs need to have several key features, such as low-latency signal chains, high pulse-width modulation (PWM) flexibility and resolution, high control loop speed, and high switching frequency . Figure 2 shows an example PSU block diagram.

The TMS320F280039C C2000™ real-time MCUs offer all of the above features and can also help meet or reduce server PSU design budgets . They continue to improve the integrated real-time signal chain (sensing, processing, and control) through flexible and innovative features. Figure 3 shows the F28003x family.

The F280039C MCU enables high energy efficiency and fast transient response for server PSUs through its integrated analog components, including multiple 4MSPS analog-to-digital converters with flexible management of conversion start, 11 effective bits, and a post-processing block . The MCU also integrates fast analog comparators with optimized power control functions , such as blanking, delayed trigger, peak current mode control, and slope compensation for precise power conversion.

In high-power server PSU systems, achieving greater power capacity and maintaining inter-phase synchronization even at high frequencies is critical. The F280039C provides 150ps resolution PWM channels with valley switching, delayed triggering, dead time adjustment, and global reload , allowing precise control of complex power topologies and control algorithms . Integrated configurable logic blocks further enhance PWM flexibility and seamlessly connect GaN technology to achieve high power density.

In addition to the trend towards power management and fast real-time control, the F280039C MCU can also address several other hot-spot requirements for server PSUs:

• Online firmware updates enable seamless switching to new firmware without power interruption, and software overhead is minimized through multi-bank models with multiple flash bank options and faster flash bank erase times .

• The communication interface moves from PMBus to the Controller Area Network (CAN) bus (and potentially CAN-FD), allowing for faster, higher data rate, and reliable host communication .

• Security through cryptographic features such as Advanced Encryption Standard, Secure Boot, and Secure JTAG protocol addresses industry concerns by protecting code and data from external attacks in this more connected world.

The F280039C MCU expands on the C2000 MCU platform, providing integrated features that help you achieve advanced real-time control while reducing bill of materials costs. The F28003x MCU family complements wide bandgap technologies such as GAN and SiC by unlocking their full potential, enabling higher energy efficiency, higher power density, and faster response time. Easy-to-use software accelerates development for server PSU designers.

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