Inductorless Heater Switch-Mode Control Enhances Configurability Of Server Motherboards

Focus:

The increase in server complexity has resulted in a growing need for better and easier motherboard (MB) configurability. A new technology facilitates MB reconfiguration with a rework grid array (RGA) interposer, which is a ball grid array or an IC package support structure with embedded electric heaters. The heaters supply heat locally to reflow solder and thereby enable attachment or detachment of the IC or the processor package. This RGA-based reconfiguration method provides cost advantages over sockets or desoldering/resoldering equipment. The power required to activate the RGA heater can be supplied from the MB power supply, e.g. a 12-V bus. This article studies the electrical design of the RGA heater control (using an inductorless topology) to make this circuitry highly efficient, as well as cost- and size-optimized. Issues discussed include heater temperature sensing options, minimizing losses in the control switch, choice of single or multiple heater zones, and experimental results.

What you’ll learn:

• How to design an inductorless switched-mode control for embedded heaters in rework grid array interposers

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Author & Publication:

Viktor Vogman, Power Conversion Consulting, Olympia, Wash., How2Power Today, May 15 2020

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