Empower Semiconductor unveils Crescendo platform for advanced power delivery in AI and HPC

Empower Semiconductor has introduced an advanced solution poised to revolutionise power delivery in artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) systems. On its debut, the Crescendo vertical power delivery platform offers unprecedented efficiency, responding directly to the surging demand for higher power and speed associated with modern data centre workloads.

The unveiling took place today, marking a significant technological breakthrough. The Crescendo platform is powered by Empower’s proprietary FinFast technology, embodying an innovative leap towards scalable on-demand vertical power delivery that can accommodate power domains exceeding 3,000 amperes (A). This platform promises to merge system efficiency, current density, and rapid transient response times in ways not previously achieved.

Contemporary power delivery frameworks have struggled to keep pace with the escalating demands of AI chipsets, where both power and speed are critical. Traditional lateral power solutions, although functional, are bogged down by inefficiencies and space-consuming components. These include bulky power stages and magnetics that dominate the topside of printed circuit boards (PCBs) and necessitate the use of large capacitor banks directly beneath processors. These configurations not only take up critical real estate in the system but also cause significant lateral transmission power losses due to their cumbersome architecture.

Addressing these challenges, the Crescendo platform eliminates the need for capacitor banks and energy storage, delivering on-demand energy to AI chips with unmatched speed and precision. Empower has engineered a high-density, ultrathin thermally-enhanced package that can be positioned directly under processors. This design efficiently supplies power while negating the problematic lateral transmission losses.

At the core of this pioneering platform is the FinFast™ technology. This approach harnesses advanced silicon, innovative control architectures, high-frequency magnetics, wide-bandwidth capacitors, and top-tier power packaging, bringing all power supply components together in what Empower claims is the most compact and efficient power delivery system for AI on the market.

Empower Semiconductor’s CEO and founder, Tim Phillips, commented on the platform’s capabilities: “AI’s accelerating power requirements far outpaces the capability of today’s lateral power solutions, both in scale and speed. In developing the Crescendo platform, Empower enables generations of new AI processors to hit their performance goals while running efficiently and cool.”

Key advantages of the Crescendo platform include a bandwidth capability 20 times higher than traditional power converters. This feature allows for the elimination of PCB-mounted high-frequency decoupling capacitors, moving active power delivery beneath processors. The Crescendo platform also offers a fivefold increase in total solution density, enabling vertical power delivery with minimal height requirements of just 1mm or 2mm. In terms of efficiency, Crescendo claims to reduce power delivery losses by more than 10% compared to traditional architectures, which, in a typical data centre with 100,000 CPU instances, could translate to savings exceeding eight megawatts (MW) of power loss.

With the introduction of this platform, Empower Semiconductor positions itself at the forefront of AI and HPC power delivery innovation, promising not only improved performance but also increased energy efficiency, setting a new standard in the industry.

Source: Noah Wire Services