MCP16503 (EV05A95A) Evaluation Board

Introduction

The Microchip EV05A95A is an evaluation board for the MCP16503 power-management IC, aimed at embedded MPU designs that require dynamic voltage scaling (DVS). It provides a practical platform for examining a multi-rail power architecture built around four switching buck regulators and two auxiliary LDOs, with operating modes intended to balance performance and power consumption.

What it does

The board evaluates the MCP16503 PMIC across an input range of 2.7 V to 5.5 V. Its four 2 MHz PWM buck channels can each supply up to 1 A, while two low-dropout regulators provide up to 300 mA each for auxiliary rails.

Voltage configuration supports systems with several supply domains. Buck channels 2, 3, and 4 support adjustable outputs from 0.6 V to 1.85 V, while buck 1, LDO1, and LDO2 cover 1.2 V to 3.7 V. Output voltages can be established through selection resistors and adjusted over I²C after startup.

For power-management evaluation, the EV05A95A supports Active, Low Power, Hibernate, and High-Performance modes. The PMIC’s I²C interface operates up to 1 MHz, enabling control and configuration in a host-managed power system. I²C-selectable PWM switching-frequency displacement of ±16.5% is also available.

Applications

• Evaluation of power trees for embedded MPUs using multiple core, memory, peripheral, and auxiliary voltage rails
• Dynamic voltage-scaling experiments in low-power embedded systems
• Development of I²C-controlled PMIC configuration and power-mode transitions
• Bench characterization of 1 A buck rails alongside lower-current LDO supply rails
• Prototyping systems that need to operate from a 2.7 V to 5.5 V input source

Design considerations

The board is intended for systems with several independently configured supply rails rather than a single-output converter application. Designers should account for the differing adjustable-voltage ranges: bucks 2 through 4 support lower-voltage rails down to 0.6 V, whereas buck 1 and the LDO outputs begin at 1.2 V.

I²C is central to post-startup voltage configuration and selectable switching-frequency displacement, so an evaluation setup should include a compatible I²C host or controller. The available operating modes also make it useful to examine rail behavior and system power requirements across active, reduced-power, hibernation, and high-performance states. For low-power measurements, the supplied specifications identify quiescent current below 300 µA in Low Power mode and a maximum shutdown current of 10 µA under the stated VIN and junction-temperature conditions.

Availability and further information

The source/distributor link on this page provides further information on the EV05A95A evaluation board. Consult the linked datasheet and evaluation-board user guide for setup details, output configuration, I²C control, measurement procedures, and complete operating conditions.