AI power chipset delivers improved efficiency and smaller solution size

Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. has launched the MAX16602 artificial intelligence (AI) cores dual-output voltage regulator and the MAX20790 smart power-stage IC, delivering high efficiency and small total solution size for high-power AI systems. The multi-phase AI chipset, leveraging the current ripple cancellation feature from Maxim’s patented coupled inductor, claims a one percent efficiency improvement compared to competitive solutions, enabling greater than 95 percent efficiency at 1.8-V output voltage and 200-A load conditions.

This increase in efficiency translates to a 16 percent reduction in wasted power, said Maxim Integrated. It also allows 40 percent less output capacitance compared to competitive solutions, which reduces the total solution size and capacitor count, according to the company.

The chipset meets various output current requirements and is customizable to support multiple form factors. The solution is scalable from 2 to 16 phases for different output current requirements (thermal design current is typically 60 A to 800 A or more), and the low-profile (<4 mm) coupled inductor is customizable to support multiple form factors such as peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) and OCP accelerator modules (OAM).

The chipset also enables AI computing at the edge as well as cloud computing at the data center. AI systems implemented with the MAX16602 and MAX20790 multi-phase chipset are said to generate less heat compared to competitive solutions. Thanks to Maxim’s coupled inductor technology and monolithic integrated dual-side cooling power stage ICs, power loss is reduced as a result of a 50 percent lower switching frequency.

Maxim Integrated also noted that the monolithic integrated approach “practically eliminates the parasitic resistance and inductance between FETs and drivers” to achieve the high efficiency.

“This multi-phase AI power chipset by Maxim Integrated powers AI hardware accelerators such as GPUs, FPGAs, ASICs and xPUs to increase solution efficiency and reduce solution size for different form factors such as PCIe and OAM,” said Steven Chen, director of business management for the Cloud and Data Center Business Unit at Maxim Integrated, in a statement.

The chipset also enables the smallest solution size, allowing developers to reduce component count and bill-of-materials costs to meet space constraints as they add AI functionality. In addition, the coupled inductor technology supports higher saturation current per phase compared to a discrete inductor, resulting in a lower phase count and lower total cost of ownership, said the company.

The MAX16602 and MAX20790 devices are available at Maxim Integrated’s website (including samples) and its authorized distributors. The MAX16602CL8EVKIT# evaluation kit is available for both products as well as the EE-Sim models.

MAX16602CL8EVKIT board (Source: Maxim Integrated)