Microchip Launches MCP16701 PMIC to Strengthen AI Application Development

Microchip Technology’s MCP16701 exemplifies a new generation of power management ICs (PMICs) designed to streamline system design while delivering high efficiency and flexibility. Combining buck converters, low-dropout regulators (LDOs), and an integrated controller, the device provides a compact and effective solution for managing power in a wide range of applications.

John Demiray, senior product marketing manager of the analog power and interface division at Microchip, noted in an exclusive interview with Power Electronics News the key features and applications of the new PMIC, as well as its most relevant benefits. He emphasized that this level of integration significantly reduces PCB area and cuts the component count compared with traditional discrete solutions.

Benefits for AI-driven applications

The increasing complexity of AI applications is generating reliable solutions in overwhelming growing power demands. In a recent conversation, the Microchip team provided details on new developments that are impacting how the new PMICs improve their offering.

Microchip claimed that AI at the edge and core is driving increased integration and power consumption in industrial automation and smart manufacturing. Industrial and computing customers are at the forefront of this transformation, seeking advanced power management solutions that offer superior performance, energy efficiency, and reliability.

“Time to market is increasingly critical, as customers need to deploy their AI solutions ahead of the competition,” Demiray said. “Flexibility of the features is critical to reduce maintenance in later life cycles. The PMIC, with its high level of integration, meets all of these requirements by delivering these features in a smaller area very cost-effectively.”

The key function of integration in PMICs

The PMIC is a single IC that consists of multiple DC/DC converters, eight buck converters, and five LDOs. Demiray said that four out of the eight channels of the buck converter can be connected in parallel to supply 6-A current. The output of the buck converters can be programmed in 12.5-mV increments to provide the precise levels required by microprocessors (MPUs) within a 0.8% accuracy.

Microchip claimed that this level of integration significantly simplifies design and offers an ideal platform for applications in which board space is limited. Using I2C, many of the PMIC’s functions can be programmed to increase the efficiency and reliability of the power solution.

“For example, to reduce the board-level noise, buck converters can be programmed to switch 90° out-of-phase,” Demiray said. “Unused supply outputs can be turned off to reduce the system power consumption.”

Enabling optimal applications for many sectors

The MCP16701’s ability to dynamically adjust output voltages in precise steps provides designers with maximum flexibility to fine-tune the power supply to specific application needs, thus optimizing overall system efficiency and performance.

“Examples of the PMIC as a companion device to MPUs are data centers, 5G data networks, industrial automation, and medical imaging, where AI at the edge and core is deployed more frequently,” Demiray said.

Microchip claimed that these segments involve the embedded processing market growing at a faster rate than the general market. “The increasing need for AI/ML, fault tolerance, real-time processing, and security is driving the industry to 64-bit applications demanding more power efficiency,” Demiray said.

Making solutions easier for designers

Having the resources to develop advanced applications quickly and reliably is an advantage for designers. “The PMIC reduces solution size, cost, and risk due to integration of all power channels, power sequencing, fault monitoring, and management,” Demiray said.

Microchip claimed that it allows a greater than 48% area reduction and less than 60% of the component count of discrete solutions with additional assembly and PCB cost reduction (with a reduced number of layers).

Components using power in a design don’t always need a maximum voltage level. “For example, an RF interface needs high voltage when transmitting but not when receiving,” Demiray said. “Many sensors only require a certain level of voltage when the sensing is required but not all the time. By reducing the VOUT level when it is not needed, the PMIC contributes to the overall reduction of total system power. The MCP16701 itself increases flexibility and reliability by changing VOUT levels dynamically for all converters in 12.5-mV/25-mV increments.”

Support for development with evaluation board and GUI

Developers need to quickly evaluate PMIC performance under real-world conditions by utilizing boards that simplify their design projects. In this regard, Microchip’s EV23P28A evaluation board evaluates and tests the MCP16701’s capabilities. “The VIN supply has a 2.7- to 5.5-V range and VOUT has a 0.6- to 3.8-V range for buck converters and LDOs and 0.6 to 1.6 V for the LDO controller,” Demiray said. “The chosen configuration of the evaluation board for the buck converters is as follows: Bucks 1–4 in parallel, Bucks 5–6 in parallel, Buck 7 and Buck 8 independent. The LDO controller is powered by VOUT.”

Microchip claimed that the PMIC’s mode change can be done with either the three-pin jumper on the MODE pin or by using the I2C monitor graphical user interface (GUI) to change registry settings.

“The on-board load transient generator circuit can be used with an external signal generator to evaluate the load-step response of Bucks 1–4 and the LDO controller,” Demiray said. “The GUI allows all the configurable functions of the MCP16701 to be controlled through user-friendly dropdown menus.”

An ideal companion to enhance MPUs and FPGA platforms

In addition to requiring specific voltage levels that the PMIC provides, high-performance MPU platforms such as PIC64GX need supplies to be brought up and shut down in a specific sequence to protect the integrity of the MPU and guarantee correct operation. “The PMIC can accommodate this requirement by providing full flexibility of power sequencing, in addition to providing a default sequence when the power is first applied to the design,” Demiray said. “Microchip provides total system solutions with MPUs and power management ICs that overcome the difficulty of designing with components from different suppliers.”

On the other hand, the PMIC can be configured in-circuit directly by the end user to support various FPGA use cases. “MCP16701 is validated with Microchip MPUs and FPGAs, which creates a more robust solution and accelerates time to market for AI-based industrial and computing designs,” Demiray concluded.