The ZL8801 is a dual phase digital DC/DC controller. Up to four

ZL8801s (8 phases) can be operated in parallel to provide

additional output current.

The ZL8801 supports a wide range of output voltages

(0.54V to 5.5V) operating from input voltages as low as 4.5V

up to 14V.

With its fully digital ChargeMode™ Control loop the ZL8801

can respond to a transient load step within a single switching

cycle. This unique compensation-free modulation technique

allows designs to meet transient specifications with minimum

output capacitance, thus saving cost and board space.

Intersil’s proprietary single wire DDC (Digital-DC™) serial bus

enables the ZL8801 to communicate between other Intersil

digital power ICs. By using the DDC, the ZL8801 achieves

complex functions such as inter-IC phase current balancing,

sequencing and fault spreading, eliminating complicated

power supply managers with numerous external discrete

components.

The ZL8801 features cycle-by-cycle overcurrent protection and

protection for overvoltage, undervoltage, over-temperature and

MOSFET driver under and overvoltage protection. A snapshot

parametric capture feature allows users to take a snapshot of

operating and fault data during normal or fault conditions.

Integrated Low Drop-Out (LDO) regulators allow the ZL8801 to

be operated from a single input supply eliminating the need

for additional linear regulators. A dedicated 5V VDRV LDO

output can be used to power external drivers or DrMOS

devices.

With full PMBus™ compliance, the ZL8801 is capable of

measuring and reporting input voltage, input current, output

voltage, output current as well as the device’s internal

temperature, an external temperature and an auxiliary voltage

input.

Features

• Unique compensation-free design – always stable

• Output voltage range: 0.54V to 5.5V

• Input voltage range: 4.5V to 14V

• 1 output voltage accuracy over line, load and temperature

• Charge mode control achieves fast transient response,

reduced output capacitance and provides output stability

without compensation

• Single 2-phase output, up to 8 phases with multiple devices

• Switching frequency range 200kHz to 1.33MHz

• Proprietary single wire DDC (Digital-DC) serial bus enables

voltage sequencing and fault spreading with all other Intersil

digital power ICs

• Tracking of an external power supply in the single 2-phase

configuration

• Cycle-by-cycle inductor peak current protection

• Digital fault protection for output voltage UV/OV, input

voltage UV/OV, temperature and MOSFET driver voltage

• 10-bit cycle-by-cycle average output current measurement

with adjustable gain settings for sensing with high current,

low DCR inductors

• 10-bit monitor ADC measures input voltage, input current,

output voltage, internal, external temperature, driver voltage

• Configurable to use standalone MOSFET drivers or

integrated driver-MOSFET (DrMOS) devices

• Nonvolatile memory (NVRAM) for storing operating

parameters and fault events.

• PMBus™ compliant

Applications

• Servers/storage equipment

• Telecom/datacom equipment

• Power supplies (memory, DSP, ASIC, FPGA)