The Challenge: Measurement Uncertainty Obscures VRM Performance Gains
Measuring power rail transient performance in response to high current dynamic loading is essential for power integrity validation. Modern AI GPU boards can experience dynamic currents exceeding 1000 Amps (A), creating demanding validation requirements. However, these evaluations have revealed that these critical power rail measurements vary wildly based on measurement location and equipment used, creating uncertainty that obscures validation of potential gains from next-generation Voltage Regulator Module (VRM) designs and can lead to incorrect engineering decisions.
In this article, power rail voltage measurement uncertainty is examined using several different probe configurations to monitor VCore measurements on a Picotest S2000 load stepper board. The results reveal measurement variations up to 27 mV — a level of uncertainty that can completely mask the performance improvements engineers are seeking from advanced VRM technologies.
How can engineers trust their measurements when the uncertainty exceeds the performance gains they are trying to validate?
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