Linear Technology Corporation has introduced the LTC3731H, a polyphase step-down synchronous controller with guaranteed operation and precision for junction temperatures as high as 140 ºC.
Packaged in a narrow (5.3 mm wide) 36-lead SSOP, the device is a single-IC solution for high-output distributed power in systems requiring dc/dc conversion from 4.5 V to 32 V input source to 0.6 V to 6 V output in buck mode. It has integrated MOSFET drivers and is expandable from three-phase to 12-phase operation for 60 A to 240 A power supply designs. Reference voltage accuracy is guaranteed at ±2% over the entire operating temperature range, while output current matching is ±5%.
The LTC3731H configured as three-phase boost converter delivers high-output currents with low output ripple, according to the company, whereas competing solutions incorporating MOSFET or inductor sensing introduce as much as ±35% error in power dissipation between the output stages, resulting in unbalanced power handling and overheating of one or two stages.