Maxim Integrated MAX16602 and MAX20790 AI power chipset

Designers of high-performance, high-power artificial intelligence (AI) systems can now achieve high efficiency (to reduce power cost and heat) and small total solution size with the MAX16602 AI cores dual-output voltage regulator and the MAX20790 smart power-stage IC from Maxim Integrated Products.

Leveraging the current ripple cancellation benefit from the company’s coupled inductor, the AI multiphase chipset is said to provide a 1% efficiency improvement compared to competitive solutions, enabling greater than 95% efficiency at 1.8 V output voltage and 200 A load conditions. This increase in efficiency translates to a 16% reduction in wasted power and also enables 40% less output capacitance, reducing total solution size and capacitor count, the company claims.

The chipset provides a scalable solution for various output current requirements and is customisable to support multiple form factors. In addition, the chipset enables AI computing at the edge as well as cloud computing at the data centre.

AI systems implemented with the multiphase chipset should generate less heat compared to competitive solutions; with Maxim Integrated’s coupled inductor technology and monolithic integrated dual-side cooling power stage ICs, power loss is reduced as a result of a 50% lower switching frequency. The monolithic integrated approach practically eliminates the parasitic resistance and inductance between FETs and drivers to achieve high efficiency.

Space constraints also challenge designers as they seek to boost AI functionality. The chipset enables a small total solution size and allows developers to reduce component count and bill-of-materials (BOM) costs. The low-profile (<4 mm) coupled inductor technology is said to support higher saturation current per phase compared to a discrete inductor offered by competitive solutions, allowing designers to overcome space limitations by having lower phase count while also lowering the total cost of ownership.

The product is scalable from two to 16 phases for different output current requirements (thermal design current is typically 60 to 800 A or more). The coupled inductor is customisable to support multiple form factors, such as peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) and OCP accelerator modules (OAM). The multiphase AI power chipset powers AI hardware accelerators such as GPUs, FPGAs, ASICs and xPUs.