The document describes the thermal performance of Linear Technology's μModule 4-channel 1.5 V 48 A power module. Experimental results show that the temperature of the μModule module exhibits a significant difference when different heat dissipation methods are used. The experimental results show that 200 LFM airflow can reduce the temperature of the module by 20 °C.
The document presents a solution for powering complex FPGA-based systems using four DC/DC μModule regulators in parallel to achieve 48A output at 1.5V within a compact profile of 2.8mm height and 15mm x 15mm board area per device. The LTM4601 utilizes an accurate current sharing technique to prevent hot-spots by dissipating heat evenly across the compact surface area.
The text details thermal performance analysis through thermographic images, demonstrating how airflow direction and PCB layout significantly impact temperature distribution. It highlights that while outer modules benefit from larger planes for heat sinking, inner modules can run warmer without adequate airflow or proper plane design. The note concludes by recommending a 'copy and paste' layout approach utilizing the LGA package footprint to optimize thermal management in dense power supply circuits.
The system delivers a total output current of 48A when four regulators are paralleled.
Each regulator has a low profile height of only 2.8mm.
Each μModule regulator weighs only 1.7g.