Vicor high density closed power solutions enable AI processors to achieve higher performance

     Vicor Corporation announced the introduction of modular current multipliers for high-performance, high-current CPU/GPU/ASIC(" XPU ") processor closures. The Vicor sealable power solution not only reduces the number of pins in the XPU socket, but also reduces the loss associated with pulling power from the motherboard to the XPU, thereby increasing the current supply and achieving maximum XPU performance.

     In response to the growing demand for high-performance computing applications such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data mining, XPU operating currents have risen to hundreds of amps. A high-current point-of-load power architecture located adjacent to the XPU reduces distribution losses within the motherboard, but does not solve the interconnection problem between the XPU and the motherboard. As the XPU current increases, the "last inch" between the point of load and the XPU (including the motherboard PCB as well as interconnections within the XPU socket) has become a factor limiting XPU performance and overall system efficiency.

     Vicor's current multipliers are already being used on a large scale in motherboards that power XPU directly from 48V, and the latest co-packaged modular Current multiplier (MCM) will be packaged with the XPU core in the XPU substrate. It can further demonstrate the advantages of Vicor proportional power supply architecture in conversion efficiency, power density and power bandwidth. The current multiplier MCM, which is enclosed on the XPU substrate (located under or on the side of the XPU package cover), is driven by a modular current driver (MCD) from outside the substrate to achieve current multiplication, such as 1:64 current multiplication.

     The MCD is placed on the motherboard and supports high bandwidth and low noise, which not only drives the MCM to achieve current multiplication, but also provides precise voltage regulation for the XPU. The currently available closure solution consists of two MCMS and one MCD, providing the XPU with up to 320A steady state current and up to 640A peak current. The MCM with sinusoidal amplitude converter achieves the lowest noise level in the industry due to the zero-voltage and zero-current soft switching technology.

     The MCM will be plugged directly into the substrate of the XPU, and the current required for the XPU will be supplied directly by the MCM, without passing through the socket pins of the XPU. And because the current between the MCD drive and the multiplier MCM is small, 90% of the power pins required for the XPU substrate can be used for other purposes to improve system performance, such as expanding I/O functionality. At the same time, due to the greatly reduced current between the MCD and MCM, the interconnection conduction loss between them will be reduced by up to 10 times. Other advantages include simplified motherboard design and a significant reduction in energy storage capacitance required for dynamic XPU response.