Renesas ISL8117ADEMO1Z

Overview

ISL8117ADEMO1Z from Renesas Electronics is a demonstration board built around the ISL8117A 60V synchronous buck controller, delivering 3.3V at up to 6A output with 300kHz switching frequency, external soft-start, and full protection suite (OCP/OVP/OTP/UVP). It serves as a validated reference design for high-input-voltage DC/DC conversion in industrial power supplies and embedded systems.

For engineers reviewing the ISL8117ADEMO1Z datasheet, ISL8117ADEMO1Z application, ISL8117ADEMO1Z test setup, or ISL8117ADEMO1Z layout guidelines, this board provides a production-ready evaluation platform with documented thermal performance, ripple measurement methodology, and component-level BOM traceability for rapid prototyping of 4.5–60V input, 3.3V/6A buck converters.

Technical Context

The ISL8117ADEMO1Z implements a current-mode controlled synchronous buck topology using the ISL8117A PWM controller IC, paired with NXP BUK9K17-60EX dual N-channel MOSFETs and Vishay IHLP3232DZER3R3M11 3.3µH power inductor. Its fixed 3.3V output is set via feedback resistors R1 (49.9kΩ) and R2 (11kΩ), supporting prebias start-up and DEM/CCM mode selection.

Designed for high-power-density evaluation, the board operates across -40°C to +125°C ambient (with airflow), features PGOOD monitoring, external frequency sync capability, and supports output voltage reprogramming from 1.8V to 5V by adjusting R2 per Equation 1. Input filtering uses five 4.7µF/100V TDK X7S capacitors and two 100µF/6.3V AVX X5R bulk caps.

Key Specifications

Availability

ISL8117ADEMO1Z is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for industrial power supply validation, FPGA core voltage evaluation, and high-voltage DC/DC converter development requiring stable component supply, full documentation, and production-intent layout practices.

Supply support for ISL8117ADEMO1Z includes scheduled delivery planning, volume procurement assistance, BOM continuity management, traceable sourcing, and lifecycle availability coordination for OEM customers, industrial embedded developers, connected-device designers, and electronics production programs.

Manufacturer

Renesas Electronics is a global semiconductor leader specializing in microcontrollers, analog, power management, and timing solutions for automotive, industrial, and infrastructure markets.

The ISL8117ADEMO1Z belongs to Renesas' high-voltage DC/DC evaluation platform family, designed to accelerate adoption of the ISL8117A controller in rugged, wide-input industrial power applications where reliability, layout fidelity, and thermal robustness are critical.

FAQ

What is the primary function of the ISL8117ADEMO1Z?

The ISL8117ADEMO1Z is a fully assembled demonstration board that evaluates the ISL8117A 60V synchronous buck controller. It delivers a regulated 3.3V/6A output from a 4.5–60V input, featuring hardware protection, soft-start, and configurable operation modes. The ISL8117ADEMO1Z enables immediate functional validation and layout reference for high-voltage step-down designs without custom PCB development.

Can the output voltage of the ISL8117ADEMO1Z be adjusted?

Yes - the ISL8117ADEMO1Z is preset to 3.3V but supports reconfiguration from 1.8V to 5V by replacing feedback resistor R2 per Equation 1 in the user guide. For example, R2 = 24.9kΩ sets 1.8V, and R2 = 6.8kΩ sets 5V, while retaining R1 = 49.9kΩ. All variants maintain the same OCP threshold and thermal derating profile as the base ISL8117ADEMO1Z configuration.

What protection features does the ISL8117ADEMO1Z implement?

The ISL8117ADEMO1Z implements overcurrent (OCP ≥8A), overvoltage (OVP), undervoltage (UVP), and overtemperature (OTP) protection via the ISL8117A controller's integrated circuitry. These are hardware-enforced, cycle-by-cycle responses independent of external firmware. The board also includes a PGOOD indicator signal for system-level power sequencing and fault reporting in the ISL8117ADEMO1Z design.

What test equipment is required to evaluate the ISL8117ADEMO1Z?

Evaluation requires a 0–60V/10A+ DC power supply, an electronic load capable of sinking up to 10A, a 100MHz quad-trace oscilloscope for ripple and phase-node analysis, and digital multimeters. Figure 2 and Figure 3 in the UG057 user guide specify probe placement and test setup - including proper ground connections and bandwidth-limited measurement techniques - to ensure accurate characterization of the ISL8117ADEMO1Z performance.

Does the ISL8117ADEMO1Z support synchronization with external clock sources?

Yes - the ISL8117ADEMO1Z exposes the MOD/SYNC pin of the ISL8117A controller, enabling external frequency synchronization to reduce EMI through clock dithering or alignment with system clocks. This feature is accessible via test point TP3 and is documented in Figure 1 and Section "External frequency sync" of the UG057 user guide, making the ISL8117ADEMO1Z suitable for noise-sensitive multi-rail power systems.