How to Validate and Accelerate Your Design Process with TI Designs

[Introduction]Wouldn’t it be simpler if the processor and the field programmable gate array (FPGA) were all powered by the same voltage and didn’t require special functions such as sequencing and control? Unfortunately, most processors and FPGAs require different supply voltages, startup/shutdown sequences, and different types of controls.

Wouldn’t it be simpler if the processor and the FPGA were all powered by the same voltage and didn’t require special functions such as sequencing and control? Unfortunately, most processors and FPGAs require different supply voltages, startup/shutdown sequences, and different types of controls.

Fortunately, power management IC integrated circuits (PMICs) can control and power today’s advanced processors, FPGAs, and systems, greatly simplifying overall system design.

Now, you may be wondering which PMIC can power your system-on-chip (SoC) and, if so, where to start. Choosing the right power solution for your SoC and system is one of the most common challenges for system designers. That’s why TI has introduced several new tools that simplify device selection, evaluation and design when using our PMICs.

Some of these tools are TI Designs reference designs that help designers get started, verify and speed up their designs. Multiple TI Designs have been released, giving many different SoCs that can be powered by TI PMICs – here is the current list:

The TIDA-00478 uses the TPS65218 to power a Xilinx Zynq 7010.

The TIDA-00551 uses the TPS65911 to power the Xilinx Zynq 7015.

The TIDA-00604 uses the TPS65023 to power the Altera Cyclone III.

The TIDA-00605 uses the TPS65023 to power the Altera Cyclone IV.

The TIDA-00607 uses the TPS65218 to power the Altera MAX 10.

TIDA-00621 uses TPS65911.

Figure 1 is a block diagram of the TPS65911 powering an ARM processor. Like all TI PMICs, the TPS65911 is flexible and can be used in several devices. Figure 2 shows the TPS65911 powering a Xilinx Zynq 7015 FPGA.

Figure 1: Block diagram of the TPS65911

Figure 2: Block diagram of the TPS65911 powering the Xilinx Zynq 7015

Along with these designs are schematics, block diagrams, printed circuit board (PCB) files, and test results. These tests enable designers to evaluate the performance of the PMIC they are trying to use for a specific SoC, and provide them with example design files that they can use in their own designs. Test results include startup sequencing, load transients, efficiency tests, and others shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Example startup timing for the TPS65911

For PMICs with TI, TI Designs, accompanying technical support, technical documentation, and more, visit www.ti.com/pmic. We’d love to know how you plan to use TI Designs to validate and speed up your design process for your next power supply design with TI PMICs.