The ADP3198 is a highly efficient, multiphase, synchronous buck switching regulator controller optimized for converting a 12 V main supply into the core supply voltage required by high performance Intel processors. It uses an internal 8-bit DAC to read a voltage identification (VID) code directly from the processor, which is used to set the output voltage between 0.5 V and 1.6 V. This device uses a multimode PWM architecture to drive the logic-level outputs at a programmable switching frequency that can be optimized for VR size and efficiency. The phase relationship of the output signals can be programmed to provide 2-, 3-, or 4-phase operation, allowing for the construction of up to four complementary buck switching stages. The ADP3198 also includes programmable no load offset and slope functions to adjust the output voltage as a function of the load current, optimally positioning it for a system transient. The ADP3198 also provides accurate and reliable short-circuit protection, adjustable current limiting, and a delayed powergood output that accommodates on-the-fly output voltage changes requested by the CPU.